Rebel or renegade?

The rebel is easy to spot.  He's the one who cares nothing for the rules - or better yet, he manipulates them to fit his own needs.  He wants to blaze his own trail, yet his trail won't lead to the benefit of others but rather to the base of an altar that idolizes himself.  The rebel isn't willing to compromise with any standards that don't mesh with his own.  He'll show up at your meetings but only to make sure you know that he thinks your way is inferior.  The rebel is insensitive to the voice of wisdom and truth.  The rebel is unleadable.

The renegade also goes against the flow but his approach is not the same as the rebel's because the heart of the renegade is connected to the greater cause.  The renegade:

• Might come packaged differently than you, complete with tattoos and a bizarre wardrobe
• Has ideas that sound and look different than what you are comfortable with
• Prefers styles and methods of expression that make many in established circles squirm
• Is big on action, commitment, and relationships while being hesitant to trust only words

Yet the renegade is not the enemy.  He's not a "rebel without a cause" who wants to shake things up just to see them torn down.  No, the renegade brings much more to the table than just a different look.  The renegade:

• Understands the core of the issue and wants to advance the truth
• Is a change agent, bringing fresh ideas to the table so that real growth can occur
• Will not settle for the status quo or mediocrity
• Possesses passion and vision which motivates others to follow him
• Is able to listen, because he values wisdom and knowledge gained from relationships
• Values authenticity; you don't have to look or sound like him - he could care less about external things - but he demands that you are real with him
• Is patient, not running from controversy but rather he desires to grow from it

Throughout the history of the modern church, there have been more than a fair share of rebels who react against what they don't like and make sure that everyone else around them is miserable until they can get their own way.  Unlike the stereotypical picture of a rebel with torn jeans, long hair, earrings, and cigarette dangling from their mouths, these rebels sometimes wear coats and ties and maintain important decision-making positions on church boards and committees or maintain regular seats on a particular row of pews.  They are rebels not because they think out of the box but rather because they want to contain people within those boxes.

The kingdom of God doesn't have room for rebels but it has plenty of room for renegades because that is what the kingdom has always been built upon.

It is refreshing to come alongside a multicultural group of renegades on a regular basis who want nothing more than to see the kingdom of God advance so that Jesus can be made more famous as the gospel penetrates more hearts.  What do these renegades look like?

• They are the adults who fervently pray for God's church and are willing to challenge antiquated and fruitless programs so that the church can achieve kingdom objectives and not merely a numbers quota that only benefits their individual church.
• They are the younger couples who desire to live in community with their neighbors so that they can share life with them, daring to put into practice this Great Commission that they've have heard preached countless times from church pulpits.
• They are the middle school and high school students who are not afraid to take the lead in worship and discipleship in spite of the admonition throughout the years that their time to lead will come when they are older and more "prepared."
• They are those in the body of Christ who cannot and will not sit idly behind four walls while a lost generation becomes increasingly more alienated with an institution that claims to love lost people but seems to do so little to truly engage them with love.

Bring on the renegades!