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Real Church Happens Outside The Church

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I have done quite a bit of looking around lately. I have made it a point to intentionally notice the people and places around our church. I have noticed that we have both the traditional family structure and single-parent families in our area of influence. I have noticed that we have different races, nationalities, and religious beliefs in our area of influence. I have noticed that we have both ends of the economic spectrum in our area of influence, often living close together. I have noticed that we have people that share similar interests or are linked by some common bond. Some of these in our area of influence are skateboarders, multi-housing, and the military.

There is a reality that I believe I have always known to be true. That reality: there are people who will not connect with the body of Christ through the old “they know we’re here” mentality. Because everyone does not look, act, or respond in the same ways, our ministry approach must fit them. It is up to the church to go to the people. In the Parable of the Great Supper, Jesus tells the story of a man who prepared a banquet and when time come for the guests to arrive, excuses were made as to why they could not. The master of the banquet then went intentionally looking for those who would come. In Luke 14:23 we have the words of Jesus, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be full’. I believe there is a principle that we can carry over to the church today. We have made ready. We have prepared places and ministries. We have sat back and waited. We are to go out to where the people are.

Last night, I met with our Church Council, which is made of staff and department leaders. I appreciate this group of people for their passion in their area of service. I am thankful for their desire to see the lives of people changed. As we discussed upcoming community ministry, I posed a question to our leaders and challenged them to some “outside of the box” thinking. Here is the question I posed: ‘What meaningful services can we provide for our community that would be unavailable to them or cost them to obtain?’ I asked them to join me in considering this question and come up with areas of need that we meet “outside” the church walls. I am excited about what I am going to hear. I am looking forward to our church increasing its area of influence in our community.

FIFS : Matthew 28:19

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“ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

One part of the commission that Christ left to the church was the making of disciples. A disciple is one who is intentionally following after a master in order to know more about him. In the context of the Great Commission, a disciple is pursuing after Christ in order to be more like Him.  However, before a person can pursue Christ, he/she must first know Him. So, for someone to know Christ, someone must first share Christ. Sharing Christ is the responsibility of every believer. Jesus said, “go therefore”, literally “as you are going”, make disciples. Our sharing of Jesus with others is to be a lifestyle rather than an activity. But why? Why should we share our faith with others? Why should we take time to tell others about the message of hope through Jesus? Why should we take time to verbalize the heart-change we experienced? Let me suggest a few.

1. Jesus left every believer the command to do so. There is something special about the last words of a person. Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8, “ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

2. Because lostness is real. Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

3. The chosen method of God for the lost to hear the gospel is for the believer to tell them. I don’t know why God left this tremendous task to us, but He did. I am certain God could have come up with at least five other options. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that God, through Jesus Christ, redeemed us. Only the redeemed can testify of redemption.

4.  Someone once cared enough for us to share Christ with us.  They have the right to expect that we will do what they once did for us.

It Is Not Enough To Just Say That Something Is False

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Across the Christian faith today, there is an ever increasing wave of false and erroneous teaching being pushed upon people. Sometimes, false teaching is obvious. We can see this in the religious cults of today. Cults are truly masters of math. Here is what I mean. A cult will multiply the ways in which a person can be saved, thus denying the teaching of Christ in John 14:6. A cult will divide the loyalty of its followers between God and the earthly founder of that faith. A cult will add to God’s Word claiming the writings of the founder are equal to, supplementary, or complimentary to the Bible. A cult will also subtract from the deity of Christ, claiming that Jesus Christ was only a prophet, a teacher, or just a good man, but not God incarnate.

Sometimes false teaching is not so obvious. What does false teaching look like? It is false to teach that if a person gives a monetary gift to a ministry, they can expect a larger monetary blessing from God, and when that blessing doesn’t come, the individual’s faith was not strong enough. It is false to teach that the keeping of a list of rules, either man-made or church-made, will bring a person into a closer relationship with God. Why should all of this matter? Teaching that does not place Christ first in all things and exalt the One True God of the Bible, keeps people from experiencing true freedom in Christ, thus keeping them bound in rules, regulations, and ritual.

During Christ’s earthly ministry, He come into contact with false teaching that was leading people away from God, rather that bringing them closer. It was not His practice to just merely go around stating that certain teaching was false. Often, Jesus confronted the false teachers and called them on their message. Jesus would tells these teachers, who were often the religious leaders of the day, the negative effects their teaching was having on the people. And as only He could, pronounce judgment upon them. It is not enough for us to just say that something is false. It is not enough to just talk about how false teaching can harm others. There may come a time when we as Christians must confront false teaching. We are to confront the false with the true. We are to confront the wrong with the right of the Bible. The souls of people are at stake and we have a responsibility to them. I believe John MacArthur said it best,

‘Jesus knew something evangelicals today often forget: Truth doesn’t defeat error by waging a public relations campaign. The struggle between truth and error is spiritual warfare, and truth has no way to defeat falsehood except by exposing and refuting lies and false teaching. That calls for candor and clarity, boldness and precision – and sometimes more severity than congeniality.” John MacArthur, The Jesus You Can’t Ignore

Book Review – A Century Turns : New Hopes, New Fears

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 I was a sophomore in high school in 1988. It was about this time I began to follow and understand politics and pop culture. It seems strange to refer to this period of time as “history”. Books written about history often have a disconnect with the reader with unrelatable places and unrelatable people. Not so in this book. A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears by William Bennett is a different and enjoyable look into our country’s history. A Century Turns surveys the time period of 1988-2008, taking into account the people, places, tragedies, victories, and events that helped to shape our country. He writes an unbiased account as one who was there and had intimate knowledge of the people, personalities, and issues of which he wrote.

Bennett makes a statement that a lot can change in twenty years. He is absolutely correct. He writes of the events and people of the time that made us laugh, made us cry, gave us hope, and brought us close as a country. From presidential elections to terrorist bombings; from Tiananmen Square to Rodney King and the LA riots; from Whitewater to Hurricane Katrina; from Monica Lewinsky to the Gulf War; and from the beginning of the internet to Barrack Obama, Bennett reminds us of the importance of understanding history.

I found this book to be consuming and difficult to put down. I found myself reliving this book. It was during this period of time that I was able to vote for the first time. I served in the Marine Corps during the Sr Bush and Clinton administrations. I was sitting in a college classroom on the morning of September 11, 2001. For those who have an interest in history, politics, pop culture, and how it all seems to work together, I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.

Taking a Break

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I am taking a break from writing through the Christmas holidays. It is my prayer that each one you have a Merry Christmas. I hope the time with your families is blessed and enjoyable. I want to leave you with a verse that sums up our reason for celebrating.

“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:10-11

My Thoughts on Tiger Woods

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Believe it or not, I am a fan of PGA golf. While I do not have a “favorite” golfer, there are a few that I enjoy watching play: Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, David Duval, and Tiger Woods. You would have to have been out of the country over the past few weeks to not know what has been happening with Tiger Woods. About three weeks ago, his personal life began to unravel on television before the entire world. The beginning point was an accident outside his home early in the morning. As media attention increased, rumors began to swirl of an extramarital affair. Recently, those rumors have proven true. I find it unfortunate and tragic that the troubles of the famous find its to the evening news. I believe the attention compounds the issue and makes it more difficult to resolve. As has been seen in the past, the public loves a good mess.

Woods has decided to take a break from golf to focus on his family. I am sure this was a hard decision to make. Through this entire situation, I have been amazed by the reaction of those in the press and also those close to him. I can’t help but to be saddened by the negative impact this is having upon his family and children. In a great majority of the interviews I have seen, when asked about their thoughts on Tiger Woods, the attention is about how his career will be affected. One pro golfer commented that this will even the playing field and allow others a greater chance at winning. Where is the concern over the family that has been hurt? Where is the concern over the vows made before God in this marriage covenant? Where is the applause for placing the importance of repairing his family over his career in golf? Personally, I believe the lack of a proper view and understanding of marriage is a contributor to this situation. The reason I say that is through many interviews, and from the media reports, words referring to his marriage such as “hindrance”, “mistake”, “liability”, and “bad decision” have been used.

I would like to make a few thoughts and observations about this entire situation. I understand that I am no expert and I am fairly certain that Woods does not read this blog. That being said, here are my thoughts.

1. I believe that a mending of the marriage covenant cannot take place until an acknowledgment is made that God has been offended. It is God who gave us the institution of marriage for our benefit and to picture the relationship between Christ and His church. It is His. A violation of that covenant is a violation of His nature and purpose.

2. Next to our relationship with God, our family is to be a priority. While many say that Woods’ time away from golf will affect his career negatively and cost him millions, I feel it is the right decision. It is our family that stands by us in the good times and bad. When all the fame, fortune, and attention is gone, our families are standing there. They are our God-given support system. I applaud his decision.

3. Scripture is confirmed time and time again that our sin will eventually catch up to us. Moses reminded Israel to “be sure that your sin will find you out”.  Regardless of how careful an individual is keeping their sin a secret, eventually it comes to light. Sin normally requires additional sin to keep its covering.

4. The sin we choose to be involved in has the ability to impact us and those around us in a way that cannot be seen at the time. No one sins in a vacuum. There is always someone affected by our choices. In this case, Woods’ family has been affected by the break in trust. Also, the consequences of his actions are being immediately felt with some of his sponsors pulling endorsements.

It is my prayer that Tiger Woods, and many other celebrities in the same circumstances have someone in their lives to give them wise counsel. I don’t know Woods’ spiritual condition or his belief system. I do pray that God would intervene so that not only would their family be restored, but God’s nature and glory would be seen through His work. I wonder if that would be reported?

Worth Repeating

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Churches are like spiritual refrigerators for people. The curious will come and open the door. They stare inside. Many are not looking for anything specific. They may visit on occasion and then leave. Many church dropouts fall into this category. They are opening the doors of our places of worship and looking. They’re looking for something, but they don’t know what it is.”

 

Thom Rainer, Essential Church?

Surprising Insights : Conclusion

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The second part of this book describes the leader of the church that reaches the unchurched. A great deal of attention is given to to the leader and to the subject of leadership. Although the pastor is referred to often, the principles can be transferred to anyone in a leadership position. This is especially true of the chapter that covers what makes the leader tick. The following is a six-point profile that is painted of the unchurched-reaching leader. First, the leader had tenure. The average tenure of a pastor in America (all denominations), according to Rainer, is 3.8 years. The average tenure of an unchurched-reaching pastor is 11.8 years. As I see it, tenure is vitally important. It is with tneure that that a leader earns the confidence of the people and then the right to take then where he believes God is leading. Second, formal education was present. The majority of these leaders were seminary trained. Third, passion marked the life of the leader. Passionate was the word used to describe their attitude toward the church. Fourth, reading was imporant. These leaders were avid readers and were always seeking to learn something new. Fifth, preaching was fundamental. Sixth, these leaders were overwhelmingly conservative in their theology.

Leaders are not perfect. I don’t know anyone who is. In one of the chapters, Rainer included research that both surprised me and encouraged me. He listed the top twelve strengths and weaknesses of the unchurched-reaching leaders. These strengths and weaknesses are the result of questions asked of the leaders themselves. I want to share the top six in each category.

Strengths of the Unchurched-Reaching Leader

1. Ability to Cast Vision

2. Sense of Humor

3. Work Ethic

4. Persistence

5. Leadership by Example

6. Integrity

 

Weaknesses of the Unchurched-Reaching Leaders

1. Pastoral Ministry

2. Lack of Patience

3. Dealing with Staff

4. Dealing with Criticism

5.  Always Task-Driven

6. Too Little Time in Prayer

 

In conclusion, I want to repeat what I said at the beginning. If you enjoy research, you will enjoy the format of this book. If you are not a research person, you may find yourself bogged down in percentages, numbers, and graphs. That being said, I highly recommend this book. Anyone who is involved in the work of the church, as it relates to connecting unchurched people to the body of Christ, will benefit from this book. In my opinion, the benefit of this book is insight. It is tremendously helpful to know how the unchurched think and what has kept them from the church. It is with this knowledge that we as leaders and laymen can better build the bridges the unchurched need.

 

Surprising Insights : Part #4

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Chapter 4 really made me think. As a pastor, I have a tendency to think like a first-time visitor. That is the reason this chapter on first impressions resonates with me. I believe one of the most frightening experiences in life is visiting a church for the first time. It will be what the visitor experiences in that first visit that will either relieve that fear, or multiply it. Rainer lists the five first impressions areas that were noted in the research. Here they are.

1. Friendliness

2. Nice Facilities / Adequate Space

3. Nursery / Preschool / Children’s Isues

4. Organization or Chaos

5. Greeters and Welcome Centers

It is worth noting that of all the areas of impressions listed, preaching was mentioned last. Here is what that tells me. A person who visits the church is likely to make up their mind as to whether or not they will return before they even hear the pastor’s message.

Happy Anniversary Terri

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I want to tell you about my wife. Today is my 17th wedding anniversary. Terri and I started dating in high school her sophomore year. I was a senior. There is an old worn out cliche that talks about “love at first sight”. I think there is an element of truth to that. After our first date, I told her sister that I was going to marry her one day. I guess there are some things you just know.

There are not enough words in the English language to describe how I feel about my wife.  Although our lives have taken many different turns along the way, she never complained, questioned, or doubted what God was doing. It was after my time in the military that I was called by God into His gospel ministry. This was a move and a decision that she sensed as it was coming to me. The day that I told her I was surrendering myself to the ministry, her response was “I already knew”. So, we began. Every decision and every move I felt need to be made, Terri was willing to go and ready to support. I can not say what this has meant and still means today to my pastoral ministry.

I thank her for being such a loving and patient wife. The demands of the ministry are many. Her patience in the face of church life is a blessing to me. I thank her for being so supportive and taking time to pray for me. I thank her for her commitment she made early on to never say anything or act in such a way that would harm the ministry,  bring shame to the church, or to paint a negative picture of Christ.

I want to say Happy Anniversary to Terri. I love you. I would marry you all over again. I look forward to the next chapters in our lives. Thank you for saying “I do”.