Be Imitators - 1 Corinthians 11:1

OK. So I showed you evangelism that I believe better serves the kingdom of Satan rather than the Kingdom of God. In order to show you that prophets don't just see what's broken and beat on people, I have another clip that shows you another way to reach people for Christ. I'm not saying this is the only way. However, this may be one of the best ways that I know. It is decidedly biblical and should be natural to Christ followers. Notice how the witnesses understand that salvation comes from the Lord and that they are just meant to be available, loving, and ready to share as the times arise.

A couple comments. I know our culture. Don't take this example and re-define mission as only to international students at universities. There are opportunities all around us to be missional. Also, for those who think that relational or lifestyle evangelism doesn't involve God's Word, look at what roles faith and Scripture have in their mission.

One last thing. Listen to the testimony of the Turkish student, Emre who received the Lordship of Christ. There is no doubt that he has come face-to-face with the one true God!

Let's talk.....

Dealing with the Prophet

So, what do you do with the prophet? This question is near and dear to my heart. Do you understand that prophets are part of God's dowry to the church? Ephesians 4:11-12 says that God has given them to the church to build us up for good works.

Quick explanation of my understanding of the role of prophets today. I don't believe they give us new revelation from God. I also believe that they don't foretell future events, though God is certainly capable of giving them such information. I see the role of the prophet today to be one of calling God's people to repentance and obedience to God's word.

Let's be honest for a moment. We like the idea of prophets, but we don't like prophets themselves. They get in our faces. They confront what we are doing. They are usually angry. And they say things we don't want to hear. They expose the darkness in our hearts and call us to confession, repentance, and obedience.

So, are prophets just holier-than-thou, angry people? What motivates the prophet? Is it self-righteousness? Can I offer here that the prophet is motivated by faithfulness to the Lord and love for the church? He must be since he knows better than most what happens to the prophet. Even when he is successful, like Elijah on Mt Carmel, there's a Jezebel looking to kill him. Yet, the prophet speaks regardless. It's because he's willing to lose his life for the sake of the witness of the Lord through the faithfulness of His bride.

So, submitted for your "enjoyment" please watch this video from one of my favorite prophetic voices. Can you hear his message? Will you hear his message? Honestly now, what are you feeling deep inside? Do you want him to quietly go away? Remember, he is God's dowry to the church.

Jesus is the Way; This is NOT!

OK, I seriously received this video from a Christian organization which is actually advocating this method as a legitimate, if not preferred, style of evangelism. Really? How many of you think that the approach portrayed in this video is even acceptable?

I'm going to lay my cards on the table, folks. We are to have the same attitude as Jesus! That's not my opinion. It's Scripture (Philippians 2:5-8). And for those of you who like to point out that Jesus used harsh approaches at times, take a serious look at "With whom?". Jesus reserved the in-your-face approach for self-righteous, self-serving religious leaders.

So, I present this video to you as NOT the way to reach people with the gospel. In fact, I would argue that these folks don't even understand the gospel, but that's another post for another day...

Who Are You in the Story?

OK, back in April, I threatened to share with you my favorite character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I got a little sidetracked, but want to get back to that now.

JT and Andy shared their favorites, Legolas and Boromir, respectively. These are both great characters. Legolas does have that marvelous, though chicky hair that JT lacks. And Boromir represents well the human condition – we are creatures who think that we can solve all problems, no matter how daunting, if we are just given the opportunity. Yes, it would be very cool to see yourself as Legolas, ever-young, wicked with a bow, and really hard to hit ‘cuz he bounces around like a jumping bean. And, what I know of Andy, it doesn’t surprise me for a moment that he identifies with Boromir. A fairly honest self-assessment with a tendency to evaluate on the low end for humility’s sake makes Boromir a likely choice for all of us.

Maybe you see yourself as the valiant warrior and gracious hero of the day, and Aragorn is your character. Or, maybe you refuse to give in to physical inadequacies, are doggedly stubborn and immensely competitive, and Gimli is your favorite. Or, perhaps you desire to wield unearthly power and alter circumstances with the power of your spoken word, and you see yourself in Gandalf or Arwen or Galadriel.

Let me show you the character that I admire the most. He’s an unlikely hero. In fact, if no one tells his story, you would never know that he played a significant role at all. He’s Samwise Gamgee, or Sam as he’s called. And why is he my favorite? Because Sam is the most reluctant leader you would ever find. Nowhere does he try to take a position of authority, but his leadership and strength, his loyalty and courage shine throughout the story. He is thoroughly content not being the lead guy but immensely aware of his responsibility and role in seeing the team succeed. And Sam understands that his life is defined by the story. He doesn’t create the story so it has meaning for him. Rather, he realizes that a life poured out serving a noble cause is a life well-lived. Yes, he has weak moments, but Sam is driven by his commitment to the cause and to his fellow warriors. And I can think of no finer thing that could be said of a person when his or her life is weighed.

Watch the two videos below and then ask yourself if you are living a life fully committed to serving God and His Kingdom through His people, the church. Are you living the only life that’s worth dying for?

Brutalized

I promised to share with you the most significant portion of Bishop’s book for my life. It was the part that caught me quite by surprise. As I read thru each chapter, I thought, “Oh, I’m glad he put this in here.” Not that I know everything, but I have read a few hundred books, many on the topic of keeping the church of Jesus Christ faithful to her mission. However, when I got to the last section, titled “Remember Only God,” I was taken aback by the first chapter.

Bishop talks about the reality of suffering attack in our faith, especially for leaders. And, yes, he affirms the attacks we all expect from our enemy, Satan. But he goes on to share about the attacks that few Christians speak of, at least the ones you still find in the church. He brings up the very real issue of attacks from within the church itself.

First, there are a couple things which need to be established:

All attacks come from the kingdom of our enemy, even those from a brother or sister. You see, we are under the mistaken belief that Christians are fully sanctified. Sorry to burst your bubble, but the truth is that our righteousness is imputed to us. We are not righteous; we have been declared righteous because of Christ’s righteousness. The irony is that we all know this about ourselves. We know that we are sinful. That’s why we wear masks in Christian community, because we want to be sinless like everyone else, right? But the truth is that we are all a bunch of fakers. At best we are hiding sin so that we won’t be shunned, and at worst we are pretending to be better than others so we can feel justified before God in a relativistic way. “After all, I’m not as bad as him or her!” The point is that we have to come clean about our sin nature as a community of faith, and we need to expect that people are going to hurt us, yes, even intentionally.

And it must be stated here that everything that we call an attack is not. There is legitimate confrontation within the people of God. Just because someone gets in your face, calls you out, or even thwarts your efforts, it does not mean that person is serving the enemy and out to destroy you. We need to be honest in our assessment of every situation and take every opposition as an opportunity for self-examination. This is one of the hardest things to do, whether you are a believer or not. When opposed, our flesh kicks into high gear, we dig our heals in and prepare for war. Don’t believe me? Then you’re probably not married. However, if you are married, think about the last time you were confronted about a shortcoming. How did you handle it? Denial? Deflection? Rationalization? Outright counterattack? Listen, don’t automatically assume the worst motives in others, even when you feel threatened. That is the playground of our enemy.

OK, back to genuine attacks. I remember my mentor telling me, “If you’re a Leader, that means your back is wide open to friendly fire!” I know this truth from personal experience. And there is nothing more painful than betrayal. In fact, that is the one place where the Lord allows us to break the most intimate fellowship relationship, marriage. Infidelity is the worst possible betrayal, a violation of trust and a brutalization of your closest companion. And the Lord allows us to divorce under those circumstances. But He does this, not because it is what is best, but rather because of hardness in our own hearts (Mark 10:5). In fact, His story is that He continues to love us despite our infidelities!

So, what should you do when you have been betrayed, attacked, and brutalized? Well, the Sunday School answer says “Forgive!” OK, that’s nice. That just means that you are not going to seek retribution; you are leaving it in the hands of the Lord. Some of us need to really do that. Maybe we claim to have forgiven, but it’s clear that the wound still festers and is slowly consuming us. That’s related to another answer that comes from our flesh. Our flesh says, “Separate and be bitter, especially in thoughts about your attacker.” But, again, as I was taught by my mentor, that’s like drinking poison and hoping it kills your enemy. And our enemy says, “Attack your attacker’s reputation. Make him suffer like you have suffered. Destroy her relationally!” Hopefully, I don’t have to counter that position, only state it.

But what should we do? Well, look at Christ’s example. He was betrayed by those closest to Him. Of course, you’re thinking of Judas right now, maybe even thinking about the Judas in your own life. Instead, look at Peter. Christ even warned Peter that he would betray Him (Luke 22:34). But Christ did not cast Peter aside. In fact, John 21 contains the most amazing restoration story in Scripture! The one who had denied his Lord three times was restored to relationship and position in a three-fold affirmation and commissioning by the One betrayed. Why was Peter restored and Judas not? Certainly, Peter was weak while Judas was wicked. But the Jesus I know redeems even wicked men. My guess is that Judas was never restored because he chose the path of the enemy. He separated from the only One who could help him thru his failure. Rather than to trust in his Master and the Master’s gospel of peace, he fell into the enemy’s trap of isolation, guilt, despair, and self-destruction. And then, it’s too late for even Jesus to save.

You will be hurt by others. It’s what you do with that pain that has eternal implications.

Dangerous

I have spent the last week reading through Dangerous Church by John Bishop, pastor of Living Hope Church. This book is part of the Leadership Network Innovation Series. Since I have enjoyed reading other titles in the series, anticipation was high that this book would really challenge me as a leader in Christ’s church.

First, I would have to say that this book is primarily designed for church leaders, not the average Christian. However, since I believe that the church is a “leader incubator,” I think there is value to curious believers in reading books like this one. In fact, I repeatedly experienced déjà vu while reading the book since its points were clearly greatly influenced by one of my mentors Rick Warren at Saddleback Church.

Next, this is solid stuff that the church in America needs to return to often. Face it. We experience drift. Even if we start out with the right plan and motives, humans are prone to disregard their dependence upon the Lord. He expects us to be in intimate fellowship with Him as we seek faithfulness in our actions; for us, everything should flow from a right relationship with our Lord. But that’s not what our lives, and frankly our ministries look like. And Bishop’s book is a strong call for the church to return to her biblical roots and mandate. The church exists to rescue the lost. It is the responsibility of leadership and the work of every believer. Any program or event that does not advance these points is irrelevant at best and an abomination at worst.

Now, I’m just guessing, but I’d say that Bishop has roots in the Baptist tradition. I venture that guess because of his tendency to over-state the singularity of purpose of the church, namely toward evangelism. It’s an appropriate topic for discussion since the church in America is culturally marginalized and evangelistically impotent. However, saying that the church exists to make converts is part of the current problems with the church. We tend to over-simplify things and artificially compartmentalize the functions, even the purpose of the church. As I stated earlier, the church is a disciple-making factory. It is not an evangelistic crusade that is focused on raised hands and wet heads.

One final criticism before closing (read later this week for the most significant thing I took from the book). Bishop is a devout advocate of the Attractional Model of church and his anecdotal stories provide the practical justification for his views. His church launches satellite campuses in six-packs, even internationally. There isn’t a Missional bone in his body, despite his insistence. When he writes about congregants reaching the lost, he means inviting people to church. Ironically, he does discuss their inability to plant a campus right across the river from their hub due to cultural differences. But the discussion comes in the context of a “Don’t give up when faced with failure” encouragement. If he would take his own advice and take “everything” to the Lord as negotiable in order to expand the Kingdom, maybe he would realize the problems inherent in the satellite movement. It’s not that satellites are wrong, but they certainly must acknowledge and reflect the indigenous culture.

OK, see you later this week for the big thing that God spoke to my heart through the reading of Dangerous Church….

Never Forget

There are times in history referred to as turning points, times when events occur that are so significant that they affect not only those who experience them but also the generations after them. They not only interrupt the status quo, but they create a "new normal."

The Exodus story is one of those events. God intervened with power in the history of man, rescuing His people from Egyptian slavery. And He instructed them and the generation to follow that they should remember that event so that they could walk through whatever their present circumstances with the confidence that their God was for them and none could stand against them.

September 11, 2001 was another turning point. In a moment of roaring jet engines and blazing fire our lives were forever changed. The images of people jumping out of crumbling towers and firemen rushing through death's gates will be forever etched into our own life stories, even if we don't know the name of a single victim of that fateful day.

It's right that we should remember the thousands who gave their lives that Tuesday morning. But there's more than that which should be remembered. You see, we had enemies that day that sought to cripple and destroy us. They struck at our leadership and at our financial power. And, they were successful. Why? Because we had become a nation that had placed its confidence in our might and our wealth rather than in the One who had provided both. Our enemy knew our weaknesses and struck at our idols.

But, in the moment of the attack, something happened in this country. Even as happened in the history of Israel (read Judges), in our darkest hour, when our idols were revealed for what they truly are, so much wood and stone, we sought the Kingdom of Heaven. Firemen risked everything to save desperate people. Passengers of UTD 93 risked everything to keep Plane #4 from being a terror missile destined for the Capitol. And I'm told that even the streets of New York were a compassionate place as we all became brothers and sisters in an epic struggle.

So, on this 10th anniversary of that history-altering day, yes, remember those whose lives were demanded of them. But remember how we turned from our idols and sought the Lord in our desperation. And remember the love we had toward one another. Don't let their lives be spent in vain. Cast off your idols and worship the Lord. Your idols will fail you. But He will never leave you nor forsake you. For He alone is good and His love endures forever.

Stop Using That Word!

OK, so as I make the rounds to various church leaders in the area and talk with them about strategic planning needs, one thing is becoming tragically clear. Most of these guys use the word "Missional" often, either in describing their church or what they don't want to be, but few of them actually know what the word means. Most often, they tend to fill the word with their own meaning. Supporting missionaries does not make your church missional. Neither does having small groups. Neither does encouraging your people to ask neighbors, friends and co-workers to come to church on Sunday morning. In fact, if you refer to the building where your congregation gathers on Sunday (or Saturday) as "the church" then you probably don't get it.

Church is something we are, not a place we go. And church is a gathering, a collective term. One person is not the church. I would argue that even one family is not the church, since you were gathered by biology, not the Spirit of God. The church is the presence of the Lord Jesus Himself in the world. We are the body of Christ. And we are to be doing the things that He did while He was in the world. He even commanded it before He left us nearly 2000 years ago.

So, let's discuss this command for a moment. Where is the Great Commission for the church? Let's start with Matthew 28:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

But it doesn't end with Matthew. If you believe the extended version of Mark is Scripture (I don't, but let's look at it anyway):

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16

And in John:

Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." John 20:21-23

And finally, Luke/Acts:

He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:46-49

He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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." Acts 1:7-8

OK. It was important enough to be stated 4-5 times. Do you think we should take the Mission of the church seriously? If you say "Yes" then you have to take a serious look at how resources (financial and human) are allocated toward that end. And there can be no sacred cows. The Mission is everything and only that which advances the Mission should be preserved.

Take a look at this short video about being on mission and then let's talk...