Crazy Love
Readability 10
Spiritual challenge 9
Doctrinal Agreeability 8
When I come across a
contemporary Christian book that "makes it" in sales, I usually don't
set my expectations too high. But this one met and surpassed expectations. Several chapters are worth the price of the book
on their own. Chan challenges us
repeatedly to be Christ-like. Sad to
say, that is radical in today's pop-Christian culture.
Brief Summary:
I especially enjoyed chapters
8-9. After the first chapter, there is
not much of a sequence/development of thought from one chapter to the next, so
you can jump in just about anywhere and feel the biting conviction of living
the life of Christ in this age. Also, I
did not take the time to view the videos encouraged at each stop. Sorry, that is a great idea, but I don't
always have Internet access when reading.
Here is a brief summary of
each:
1-Stop Praying
Chan encourages us to work
worship and view the glory of God.
"When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of
genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really
is."
2-You might not finish this
chapter.
We look at the brevity of
life-you may die before you finish reading this. Are you ready? What are you
living for?
3-Crazy Love
Appeal to love God, the God
Who loves.
4-Profile of the lukewarm
This is a great chapter
meditating on ways that lukewarmness manifests itself. For each manifestation
Chan includes several convicting passages.
Chan's application is to consider whether you are in the Faith if your
life is characterized by "lukewarm." Here is an example.
"Lukewarm people give money to charity and to church... as long as it
doesn't impinge on tier standard of living."
5-Serving Leftovers to a
Holy God
If you are lukewarm, you are
not a disciple and you are not a Christian.
You will not be in heaven.
6-When your in love
Are you serving out of love
or out of guilt. Those who truly know
God will want to live for Him. To know
Him is to love Him is to serve Him.
7-Your best life later
This is a great title for a
chapter. While many forms of US
Christianity focuses on trying to get your best life now (health and wealth),
the Bible focuses on living for eternity.
We are pilgrims. "...a guy
in my church donated his house to the church and moved in with his
parents. He told me he will have a
better house in heaven, and that it really doesn't matter where he lives during
this lifetime. He is living like he
believes."
8-Profile of the obsessed
If you don't have time to
read the rest of the book (you have time!), then read this chapter. It was a refreshing group of applications to
living what in the past was called, "true religion" in the south is
called, "revived," and here is called "obsessed."
One great example was that
perhaps our praying for safety should be checked by a desire to glorify God more
than a desire for safety. "God,
bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes..."
"People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal
safety and comfort above all else.
Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than
their own lives being shielded from pain or distress."
Chan also gives the example
of selling his house and downsizing to half the size of house to give
more. "My response to the cynics,
in the context of eternity, was, am I the crazy one for selling my house? Or are you for not giving more, serving more,
being with your Creator more?"
9-Who really lives that way?
Gives 14 examples of people
who live "obsessed." Very
inspiring.
10-The crux of the matter.
Practical thoughts about how
to put the applications of the book into practice now and some good advice not
to go overboard in following other people's example as their situation in life
may be different than yours.
A Couple Thoughts Caveats/Thoughts
Many of Chan's applications
are financial. That is appropriate-his audience is the wealthiest Nation in the
world. Because of this, there is an
emphasis on taking care of the poor and needy-a needed and Christian endeavor
for the church in every age ('always with you'). However, when I think of the billions
standing in rebellion to the Gospel call cruising obliviously into a Christless
eternity, my pathos is stirred for souls more than bodies. I realize both are
important, and ministering to the body often leads to ministering to the soul.
However, in eternity, we may look back
at contemporary evangelicals' billions of dollars spent on food, water, and
medicine and wonder why we didn't put more effort in supporting church planting
teams/endeavors. Their church may do both, and put the emphasis on Gospel
proclamation, but you would not know that from reading this book.
It
is application heavy and exposition light.
But I enjoyed the straightforward application.
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