From Jesus Freak to "One of Us"

By Larry Sparks

Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you…” (Acts 3:6)

Peter and John were Jesus freaks. Why?

Because they attended Temple?
Because they were well-versed in the Old Testament and brushed up on their Law? Because they heralded all of the *right* ecclesiological and evangelical terminology? Because they went on missions trips?
Did the church thing? Fed the poor? Clothed the needy?

Oh the good ole’ days of DC Talk and their infamous anthem posing the question: “What will people say if they label me a Jesus freak?”

I mean, what really certifies one as a Jesus freak? After all, Joan Rivers is more than capable of charity work (as we’ve observed recently on Celebrity Apprentice). Does that automatically brandish her a Jesus freak? No – for all she and individuals of the like provide are the “silver and gold” Peter and John denied possessing: Natural aid that ascribes some-one, some-thing, or some method honor aside from Christ.

Is charity good? Of course. Does charity impact eternity? Only if the Gospel associated with it transforms the recipients’ lives. Otherwise, all “charity” does is somewhat enhance peoples’ here-and-now (and even promote lethargy, laziness, and sinful, destructive lifestyles) while they remain well on their way to eternal separation from the Only One who truly satisfies, on earth and forever.

Interestingly enough, the album featuring “Jesus Freak” was released the very year as the secular Joan Osborne smash, “One of Us,” which makes a very contrary inquiry: “What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us...?”

In my opinion, this current Christian generation is caught smack-dab in the middle of these two warring observations of the Divine. Sadly, the latter observation of God as “one of us”… Jesus as our homeboy…Buddy Christ…God as my Pal… and so on – these imbalanced observations which shockingly minimize Who God is as holy, glorious and utterly terrifying - is being embraced by the church with wide open arms all in the name of making Jesus relevant and relatable. They’ve turned Jesus into a dispenser of silver and gold – natural charity – when in fact, He desires to manifest and infuse the natural with the supernatural. God-forbid that happens anymore.

I hate to say it, but Christianity in its present form is working hard on emasculating God, either preaching a perversion of His Power (Word of Faith, which essentially makes the Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, our butler), or vehemently brandishing His power as Taboo and ceased upon the conclusion of the Apostolic Age.

That God, however, is not Jehovah. This “god” that is as Joan Osborne declares, “just a slob like one of us… trying to make his way home…” is lost and needy. He needs us. He needs our prayers. He needs our confession. He needs our worship. He needs our love. If we don’t give it, we deny Him of completion. Folks, this is not our God. In fact, we pray and worship and love Him because He is not needy. This God Who is completely Self-Sufficient loves us and paid an extremely high price to redeem us from sin and adopt us into His family. Oh, what a marvelous Savior!

The “One of Us” God of feel-good, happy-go-lucky Christianity does not incite awe. He does not bring us to our knees. He doesn’t shake foundations, move mountains, melt hills like wax, scatter His enemies, wield a double-edged Sword, and bring us to tremble. And yet this God loves you. He loves me. And a step further, He filled us with Himself so that we could continue the ministry of Jesus Christ in the earth. That is why, like Paul, our aim is to preach the revelation of “Christ and Him crucified.”

Paul was no eloquent orator. He simply preached the Gospel and God would literally, physically and powerfully manifest Himself in those atmospheres. The sick were healed. The dead were raised. Demons fled. And most importantly, many were knocked off their horses of sin and rebellion and were supernaturally brought to bow before the Cross. Talk about freakish. I’m sure that would sure interrupt some agendas, reform some theologies, and ultimately, reintroduce the power-full Christianity of the Bible.

Man in his natural state is very capable of offering handouts – improving one’s condition in their pit, be it a pit of sin and God-less depravity; or if the individual is saved, these handouts essentially pat backsliders, well, on their backs, while they wallow in the prodigal pigpen. God, however, is all about bringing stragglers to their senses. He loves us too much to leave us eating from troughs of pig-pods. He’s all about reaching into pits, demonstrating His mighty hand and outstretched arm, and demolishing the fences of pigpens, wooing the desperate prodigal into returning home.

I pray that we would trade in “silver and gold” handouts for supernatural hand-ups that bring great glory to our Awesome Savior!