Well done! Love the phrase, “thuggin’ it wasn’t cuttin’ it.”
Churched to Death
Why do simple church? Because Jesus told us to make disciples. ” But,” someone might respond, “aren’t sermons, Sunday School, VBS, mission trips, weekend seminars,small groups, and a myriad of other programs carried on by institutional churches just methods for making disciples?”
From what I’ve observed after a couple of years of attempting to make reproducing disciples, not only are these initiatives not discipleship, they actually have become counterproductive toward fulfilling the Great Commission. How can this be? The answer can be found within the Great Commission itself:
“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.” Matt. 28:19-20 NIV emphasis mine
The difference comes down to one word, “accountability.” All the programs which I mentioned at least as they are most often administered, teach people what Jesus commanded but they do not teach them to obey everything he commanded. Without obedience the entire culture of a church can become one of quiet disregard for the commands of Christ. In time, we begin to excuse each other’s (little) sins so they will excuse ours. By teaching what Jesus said without expecting that a disciple obey, we actually teach disobedience. So, we all come together regularly to carry out empty religious activity which we substitute for obedience. Sadly, the church-goers are the only ones who are fooled into thinking that those observances matter.
Discipleship requires loving, mutual accountability. As a believing community we must ask each other, “What is Jesus calling you to do and when will you do it?” Then we must expect that everyone who claims to follow Jesus will carry those things out. We ought to expect that everyone will expect us to be “doers” rather than just “hearers.” When this happens we go from an irrelevant religious society to the counter-culture expression of Christ’s kingdom in the midst of real lives.
Some have called that form of religion which has supplanted discipleship “churchianity.” That word fits this discussion. In the Bible belt where I live, we’re sick with it. I’m sick with it. Last year, while having dinner with church planter, Neil Cole, I recognized the degree to which I had succumbed . As we discussed the challenges of facilitating spiritual growth in recently redeemed people, I remember saying, “Yeah, those guys got drunk the other night but I overeat sometimes. I guess we all sin.” I expected Neil to nod and agree. That’s how we do it in the church of church. He didn’t. He just gave me a puzzled look. In that moment I felt the Spirit convict me that if I, a professed disciple of Jesus, consider something to be outside his will, I shouldn’t do it. I also shouldn’t excuse other people when they do things they know to be wrong.
Making disciples is hard because it calls us to go beyond spiritual feelings and scriptural insights to personal obedience and interpersonal confrontation. For those who are tired of gathering attenders and want to join Jesus in building an army, it’s the only way.
Charity Disparity
The following article is about atheism and philanthropy. Notice that of the $430,000 raised for cancer research in 2012 by “atheist groups,” $215,000 came from Stiefel (who is independently wealthy) and that a large portion of the remainder came from Christians. No wonder Stiefel doesn’t want to entirely alienate religious people. Obviously, he recognizes that they’re the ones who give.
CNN Belief Blog
Learning to Learn
I have some friends who’ve recently come to faith. They’re from a subculture very disparate from mine. They’ve drawn me into conversations I’ve never had with other church members. Since they’re new believers and I’m a pastor, I usually see our interactions as an opportunity for me to assist their spiritual growth. I find myself defaulting to asking what about their worldview needs correcting. Today, it dawned on me that they are changing my worldview as much as I am changing theirs. By receiving Christ, they have brought their unique perspective on the gospel to bear on the church’s mission in the world. Today I had to admit to my friend that he was right about something over which we had disagreed.
His response was, “It’s like this turn signal thing on my van. If I find the short I can fix it. You needed a fix to the short. Its me.”
He’s right. I can get all energized by God’s grace but that energy won’t reach certain people in the world unless I have a bridge like my friend. I can study the Bible for the rest of my life but the gaps in my perspective will always hinder my understanding. I need a fix like my friend.
In the New Testament, Cornelius the centurion served as a bridge. He was a gentile who came to faith in Christ without having to convert to Judaism. His conversion not only catalyzed the a new gentile church in Caesarea it also sent theological shock waves through a church which saw itself largely as an extension of Judaism. Cornelius’ conversion converted the mindset of the church leaders of the day. We need to reach people from all backgrounds not only because they need Jesus but also because we need their idiosyncrasies to better understand and communicate our own message. (Acts 10-11; 15)
Gospel
In 1 Cor. 15:3-6, Paul recounts his gospel. Those who would participate in evangelizing the world, do well to consider this passage. First, notice the brevity of Paul’s statement. In just 25 words, Paul relates the crucial elements of the gospel – “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Notice also the repetition of the phrase, “according to the Scriptures.” Paul didn’t expect blind faith in his assertions. He took the trouble to point out the Old Testament allusions and prophecies pointing to Christ. This approach commends the message as true when compared with other religions. Take as an example a Muslim friend of mine. Though he won’t admit it, he has worked hard to convert me. In response I have challenged him by saying, “I can prove the gospel with only the Old Testament. Can you prove the truth of the Qur’an with only the New Testament?” His honest response was, “No, I can’t.” A God who claims to live above time ought to be able to give us a heads up about what he’s going to do. Not only so, but if the gospel is true then we ought to find passages in the Old Testament which make no sense apart from the fulfillment in Christ. Isaiah 53 is such a passage.
Not only did Paul call the Scriptures to testify about his message, he also could point to a contemporary witness of these events – Peter, The Twelve, the 500, and then James. One might say, “Okay, so that was good for Paul since many of these people were still alive in his day but what about us at the first part of the 21st century?” The answer can be found in the final witness he listed, “Last of all to me.” Because Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision, we can expect him to continue to express himself in various other ways – changed life stories, healings, dreams, and visions. Everyone who has encountered the risen Christ has a story to tell.
So, to preach the gospel like Paul we should 1. succintly share the facts, 2. support them with Scripture, and 3. weave our own experience and that of others into an effective gospel presentation. See my attempt at covering these elements below:
The world is a messed up place. The Bible says that it’s messed up because people rebelled against their creator and did things that were wrong – they sinned. God plans to fix the world but he must first deal with sin. God’s messenger, Isaiah, foretold that God would send his Chosen One to die as punishment for sins, be buried and rise again to turn people away from living sinful lives. 700 years later Jesus Christ came and did what was foretold by dying on a cross for our sin and rising to life again. I’ve accepted his death as payment for my wrongs. He’s set me free from the guilt and power of sin. Now I’m looking forward to his return when he’ll fix this broken world where his people will live forever.
Pusher
I just came back from a meeting with my daughter and two of her friends. They attend a charter school in the area. I’ve been challenging and equipping them to reach their fellow students with the gospel. Today they kind of pushed back and told me that their classmates are particularly hostile to people attempting “push their religion” on them. Vocabulary means everything. The phrase their friends use reveals a lot about their mindset. They see Christianity or seemingly any faith system as something which can be thrust upon them. That’s too bad. As a follower of Christ I have no desire to make another person accept him. In fact Jesus seems to have made it hard for people to follow him. He doesn’t want the unwilling. So, an authentic relationship with the risen Son of God by definition cannot be pushed on another person.
However, I am driven to do all I can to help as many people as possible come under the kingdom reign of Christ. What drives me is the inner joy that I have received. I don’t want to push my religion; I only want to share my joy. I don’t believe people will suffer for eternity in hell so I have no need to issue a “turn or burn” ultimatum. I just want to see people be saved, not from eternal damnation but from the brokenness plaguing them in this mortal coil. Yes, I believe I have received eternal life but the word “eternal” is a qualitative as well as a quantitative modifier. I’ve received a different way of living that will also never end. Isn’t that worth sharing with everyone?
Lay Up for Yourselves!
The apostle Paul said that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Perhaps you consider that statement to be naive. I once saw a 20/20 special where John Stossel convincingly made the case that greed drives innovation and, of all things, generosity. So, what’s your attitude toward money? I’d like to share a couple of vignettes from the last two days on this topic. Feel free to comment on them.
First, I know a guy who started coming to services a while back. When he arrived here he had lost nearly everything including his family. After coming to faith in Christ and finding some redemption in his way of life, the breach began to be healed. Once his immediate relational pain began to subside, we saw him less until he completely dropped out of contact.
Then, about a month ago he called out of the blue saying he wanted to get right with God and by the way he also wanted a loan of $100. I’m not a big fan of being used so I came down on him pretty hard for abusing our relationship this way. He assured me that he was genuine and would pay me back that coming Friday. Seeing a great opportunity to provide him some accountability, I took him up on his promise and loaned him the money. He’s avoided me since then.
I hit him up for the money day before yesterday. Here is the transcript of our conversation via text:
Me – “When do you want to get me the $100?”
Him – “Can u wait 1 more week ive got everything tied up in this house its a fixer uper its in rough shape”
Me – “I don’t need the money. The point is your word. That’s what I’m concerned about. What does God want YOU to do?”
Him – “K he wants me 2 get a home 4 my family i hope im srry she has a week 2 get out so im rushing”
Me – “How convenient! Character is the most valuable thing a person can have. So, you are very poor, my friend. Keep the money.”
Him – “No i will get it 2 u”
Me – “Not about the money. You can’t make up what you’ve lost. You’ve broken your word and my trust.”
Him – no response
I showed this to my wife. She asked, “Why are you being so hard on this poor guy?” Yes, I was harsh. Sometimes we need to be. My friend, and I do love him dearly, has a problem. It’s going to continue to erode his life. I hate this aspect of his character for that reason. I want him to see it and be free of it. That won’t happen unless I am very direct with him. $100 would not have kept him out of his house. He has the money but that $100 is more important in his perception than his character or our relationship. Very sad.
Now to vignette 2: Yesterday, my younger kids and I were having an adventure at the creek/drainage ditch by our house. As my 7-year-old daughter and I were hanging out by the “waterfall,” I saw a tattered dollar bill lying on the ground. I picked it up and offered it to her. She thought for a minute and then said, “No…that’s okay. Just put it in the ‘poor box’ at church.”
Of the two, which do you think the richer?
This is a post I put up over a year ago. The more I learn, the more I see the genius of Jesus in commanding baptism.
D-church Unshackled!
I am a planter of simple churches who also pastors a conventional church. “How does that work?”, you ask. Check out this quote from Steve Smith in the book T4T: A Discipleship Re-revolution:
Giving groups the freedom, even the empowerment, to become new churches takes the limit off the budding movement. You could view yourself as the pastor of a large church. If you are a pastor, how much better to view yourself as a pastor of pastors and your church as a training base for a movement! Take the shackles off. This is what we mean by the counter-intuitive ways of the kingdom!
This accurately describes what we’ve been attempting to do. I love that the Holy Spirit can speak to lots of people at once! Our job is to make disciples. It’s everything. So we could be described as a D-church (“D” for discipleship). In order for our members to make disciples we must equip them and release them from tending shop here so they can get out where wanderers live and hang out. They must be “unshackled.” So, I guess you could say that we are D-church Unshackled!
What Works
One of the elders of our church used to work for Social Security. The other day he told me about how Social Security absorbed the administration of state-run disability benefits. To streamline the process, they sought to automate the system through the use of computers. An outside vendor was brought in to pitch a system which could handle the massive load. The only problem was that the vendor didn’t actually have the technology they sold. The demo unit they brought to their presentations was nothing but a metal box equipped with a very impressing array of buttons and flashing lights. The vendor believed that if they could just get the money from Social Security first, they would be able to produce the promised equipment. The decision makers at Social Security had little knowledge of computer systems but didn’t want to admit this fact so they went with the vendor. This interplay between pride and deception brings to mind the old fable of the “Emperor’s New Clothes.” Except in this case more was at stake than a leader’s public image. Millions of dollars of taxpayer money was lost through the debacle.
This story makes me think of the various worldviews that exist. So many promise much but deliver little. When people decide what to believe about reality (and it is a decision), perhaps they should consider a worldview that has proven effective. Check out these observations made about Christianity by an economist raised in an atheist state.
I’m not saying we should choose a belief system simply because it works. I’m saying that if it works when nothing else does, perhaps a greater Mind was indeed behind its inception.