“In Greek mythology, Narcissus…was known for his beauty….  He was proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis noticed this behavior and attracted Narcissus to a pool, where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus drowned. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself and one's physical appearance.”  Wikipedia

The sad truth is, there is a little Narcissus in all of us—we are all predisposed to an unhealthy fixation with ourselves.  In nations, it is revealed through nationalism and leads to war.  In ethnic groups, it is revealed in racism and leads to societal conflict.  But in the church, it is revealed in self-centeredness and leads to ingrown churches that stagnate, deteriorate and die.

The real tragedy of such churches, however, is that to be ingrown, focused on those within the church to the exclusion of those without, stands in stark contrast with the way Jesus lived and the model He provided.  Certainly, Jesus’ life set the standard of selflessly reaching out to the least, the last and the lost.  But He also taught His disciples to do the same, as we see in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

And so it is no surprise that, just prior to His ascension, it was outreach that dominated Christ’s final instructions, Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  What is surprising, however, is that this is exactly what the disciples did!  In fact, the book of Acts can be broken up into sections based upon this geographical implementation of the mission:  Jerusalem (Acts 1-7), Judea & Samaria (Acts 8-12) and the ends of the earth (Acts 13-28).

Mind you, it isn’t that the church didn’t struggle with narcissism.  We see it in the greed of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), in the hypocrisy of Peter (Gal 2:11), and in the infighting of the church in Corinth (1 Cor 1:12).  But in spite of this tendency toward navel-gazing, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the first disciples turned the world upside down (or right side up) with the Gospel of Christ.  And a faith that, on Good Friday, was made up of a dead Messiah and eleven weak-kneed disciples, just a few years later had made an indelible mark all across the landscape of the Roman Empire.

Nothing has changed in 2,000 years.  The resurrected Christ is still working in and through His church to bring salvation and transformation to our world.  But we, the church, are still subject to the temptations of narcissism.  Human nature is constantly pulling us toward a version of Christianity that revolves around our comfort, cravings and conceit.

Even so, there is an even more powerful force at work within us—the Spirit of the living God.  For the same Spirit which empowered the early church to preach the Gospel in the face of unthinkable persecution is at work in the local church today.  And the Savior who promised, “I will build my church,” continues His construction through those who boldly and unashamedly speak His name.  And the heavenly Father who “so loved the world that He gave His only Son” continues to show His love through those willing to share it, even though it mean personal sacrifice and messy entanglements.

So, let’s fight Narcissus!  Let’s look beyond ourselves to the world outside our doors desperate for the truth, hope, peace and love that only Jesus gives.  Even as we seek to strengthen members of the body within, let’s keep on seeking to engage the culture without—pursuing passionate disciplemaking inside and out!  In response to Christ’s command and the model set by the early church in Acts, let’s daily prioritize becoming and making more fully devoted disciples of Jesus—within the church and in our neighborhoods, workplaces and homes.  Let us make much of Him who has made much of us through His sin-conquering death—and more and more each day as we see the day of His return approaching—that we may hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

For Christ and His Kingdom, Pastor Dan