You May Have Missed National Oikos Day!
How does a National Day for anything become a thing? I’m thinking, somebody must believe in something enough to pick a day and then simply declare it, right? I know there’s some “official” National Day Registry, but I didn’t think they’d give me a day. So, a couple of years ago, I took the initiative and just declared 8/15 to be National Oikos Day! BTW, it is also National Lemon Meringue Pie Day, National Relaxation Day, and National Leathercraft day. Whatever. (Ours is better.)
But since some of you many have missed the opportunity this calendar bookmark provided us, I thought I’d challenge all of us to take some time and remember some of the implications the oikos principle has for the Gospel.
“I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.” —JESUS (REVELATION 3:2)
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that without the infusion of new energy, a system will gradually lose steam and, thereby, experience an increasing level of entropy or disorder. Eventually, maximum entropy occurs or, in our terminology, the whole thing comes apart at the seams.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics is bound to happen. That is, unless you take the appropriate measures to make sure it doesn’t. (Please hold that thought.)
Okay, get ready. You’re about to read a very dramatic section of Scripture. It’s actually one of the more judgey ones in the Bible. But, remember, it’s not me who’s speaking in this passage. It’s Jesus. His grace is amazing, but He can also be very judgey. He’s the Savior of the world, but He’s also the Judge of the living and the dead. And He never misses anything. All that to say, what He says here has a lot to do with National Oikos Day. I promise.
Anyway, here we go.
(Revelation 3:1) “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. (2) Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. (3) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
That evaluation is part of an extended section of John’s vision, officially tagged “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Or, using our more familiar term, the Book of Revelation. In the first few chapters of this Revelation, Jesus is evaluating the ministries of seven different churches, Sardis being one of them. They each received a different report card from Jesus, the Head of the entire “Big C” Church. This one, in particular, was not flattering.
I’m not saying that you, me, or anyone else deserves the same grade as the Sardinians. I just want to make sure we never do.
Jesus’ evaluation of Sardis causes all of us to take pause and ask ourselves a few questions. Prior to our own evaluation, I hope.
1. What is your reputation and do you deserve it?
The reputation the believers had was that they were on board with Jesus. Evidently, they weren’t. They acted like they cared for people like Jesus cared for people, but evidently didn’t. They were evidently champions of their church, but not champions of the Cross. They weren’t yet dead but, over time, they’d become immobilized.
I can’t remember how many workshops I’ve led, teaching people about the oikos principle. But, in many of them, I’ve described the three different types of churches.
Those who are inward focused, that is, they are all about themselves. They think the church is all about them and they structure their churches for themselves. I’m sure that saddens Jesus, but at least they’re consistent.
Those who say they are outward focused, but still structure their churches for themselves. Most local churches fit this category.
Those who say they are outward focused, and actually are. They’re not only consistent, their structures reflect the heart of Jesus for the lost.
What’s true for churches is true for people. So, what group would best describe your appetite for the Great Commission?
2. Have you fallen asleep on your watch?
Here’s a Bible trivia question. Who’s the smallest man in the Bible? The Philippian jailer. He fell asleep on his watch. Yuk-yuk.
What’s not so funny would be those of us who started strong, but were drawn back into a state of catatonic Christianity. We filled out an oikos card in the past, but couldn’t find it after a week.
3. Do you need to do something different?
That’s what repentance is, making changes. Repentance is not feeling badly. That would be shame. Repentance is doing something about it. Jesus tells the Sardinians, “Make a change, before it’s too late.”
4. Never put off until tomorrow, because you might not be given a tomorrow.
None of us have been given tomorrow. And none of us will be given one until tomorrow. And for some, until never comes. The Psalmist said that all of our days are numbered. So, what’s your number? Your answer would be the same as mine. None of us know.
Time is a gift. Time can also be a thief. It depends on what you decide to do with it.
Okay, those are the textual implications of the first three verses of Revelation 3. But since we just celebrated National Oikos Day, why not let Jesus’ sense of urgency prompt us to renew our commitment do something eternal?
Take a brand new oikos card and make a list of the people whom God has placed in your own front-row seats. Down the road, should any of them make a significant decision for Jesus, there’s a 95% chance that it will be because of your influence or someone else’s influence who is in their oikos.
So, you’re not just making a list. You’re making a statement. You’re saying, “I want to be more intentional about the Great Commission.”
You can download the printable card on The OM’s site, like right now, if you’d like.
My next post will be about the second step of The Oikos Challenge, to pray daily for everyone on that card, that each of them would hear from the Lord that day, and perhaps better understand what their next steps of faith need to be.
But you don’t have to wait a week to start praying. In fact, since Jesus is right about everything, you shouldn’t wait at all.
Maybe you already have an oikos card, but it’s been missing for a while. Understand, I am well aware that none of us are perfectly consistent in our Christian walk. But, if other things have squeezed your quiet time out of your schedule lately, repent. That is, make the appropriate changes and get that time back.
If people matter more to Jesus than anything, then they need to matter more to us than anything. So, while it’s always important to talk about Jesus, remember, talk is cheap. Let’s also walk the walk as well. Because, evidently, it’s getting late.
(Listing and praying for your oikos are just two steps in The Oikos Challenge, a five-step strategy to change your world. You can read more about The Oikos Challenge in any of Tom’s three books.)