Time bomb!

We're not a team. We're a time bomb!

 

This line was spoken by Dr. Bruce Banner, as earth's mightiest heroes were at the pinnacle of the inner-conflict engineered by Loki, the "god of mischief" in the Avengers movie. They allowed pride, personal preferences, and desires for personal gain create division; placing their mission in jeopardy. This conflict is not isolated to a superhero movie but is experienced by born-again Christians in our churches today.

The Apostle Peter described Satan as a roaring lion on the prowl looking for those to devour (1 Peter 5:8). While he cannot touch our salvation and identity in Jesus Christ, he actively works to destroy the work and mission of the church. Instead of focusing on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), we spend much time arguing about interpersonal issues or preferences such as music style, decor, schedules, and programs. Fueled by pride and/or a desire for personal gain, the overall negative impact on gospel proclamation and disciple-making is significant. As Christians, we must not forget that we have one enemy, and he is not sitting in the pew across from us!

We must move beyond our personal conflicts and focus on the mission of proclaiming Jesus Christ to a lost world and making disciples, united as a team. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, often referred to as the "love chapter" was addressed to churches and not a bride and groom. Imagine the kingdom impact when we love one another in the church accordingly: 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Likewise, let us make every effort to obediently follow Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

I am convinced that great kingdom impacts will be made when we put our differences and preferences aside, working diligently as a team united under the cross of Jesus Christ. In the Avengers, the earth's future was at stake--in our battle, the stakes are much higher. The eternal destinies of millions weigh in the balance between heaven and hell. We cannot afford to lose sight of this truth!

Get Out There!

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." John 20:21

 The Great Commission is recorded five times in the gospels and Acts, each time with a different emphasis. Matthew notes the authority of our Lord (28:18-20), Mark stresses the final judgment (16:15-16), Luke the fulfillment of prophesy (24:45-47), John links our commissioning with the prior coming of the Lord (20:21), and Acts sets forth the program for world evangelization (1:8). I will focus on John’s emphasis for the remainder of this post.

The Father sent Jesus into the world and became human like us. He was born, He grew, He suffered, and He eventually died. He did not make His proclamation from a distance. He stepped out of eternity and engaged sinful man face to face. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and second Person of the Trinity, left physical footprints upon this world! Prior to His ascension, Jesus turned this reality onto His followers-- commanding them to go out and engage the world face to face just like He did. As Christ-followers, have we fallen short in engaging the world around us to whom we are sent? 

We have been sent out by Jesus Christ (John 17:18), but many within evangelical Christianity are retreating from the world rather than invading it; ironic when we consider that the term evangelical communicates a commitment to the proclamation of the gospel. We have retreated to where it is nice or safe or nonthreatening. As far as anyone can tell from our actions, we are saying to the world that it can go to hell. I am convicted by Dr. David Platt’s comment in his book Radical, “…while some professing Christians have rejected universalism intellectually, practically they may end up leading universalistic lives. They claim Christ is necessary for salvation, yet they live their Christianity in silence, as if people around them will indeed be okay in the end without Christ.” (p. 142)

Something must change and it must start with our hearts. We must set aside personal preferences, agendas, distractions and fears to become consumed by our Lord, the gospel, and His Word so that we will go into our communities and make Him known. We must grow serious about engaging the world around us, following Jesus’ example as He engaged our world (Philippians 2:5-8). 

As we consider strategy, do we really need more special interest groups within our local churches, such as quilting bees, fishing and hunting gatherings, motorcycle clubs, or sports leagues? Why can’t we plug into the existing equivalents within our communities; building relationships and bringing a gospel presence to the world outside the walls of the church? Additionally, let’s find opportunities to become involved in local committees and boards. Let’s take part in book discussions held in local libraries and book stores. All of these are opportunities to go into the world as ambassadors for Jesus Christ (2Corinthians 5:18-20).

Dr. Howard Hendricks said that in the midst of a generation screaming for answers, Christians are stuttering. How true! We have the Word of Truth and the only hope for a lost and perishing world. We must get more serious about following Jesus into the world. I know that changes are necessary in my life and ministry. How about yours?

From Around the Web

I follow 10-15 different blogs each day. Instead of posting strictly "original" material on my blog, periodically I will start highlighting some of the good material that I have been reading recently, hoping that you may find the posts beneficial also.

•  Being the Dung Gate Guy. This post and video inspired a recent post on my blog. The 40 minute video is worth watching.
• Simon Prevette. A guest blogger on Kevin DeYoung's site wrote this power account of a man who powerfully impacted his church. Almost every church has "Simon Prevettes", one of Maywood's was Miss Ginny who recently was called home to glory.
• Is it Ok for Christians to Drop OMGs? Great posting and insight into one of my pet peeves. 
• 14 Tips for Time Management. Church consultant and researcher Thom Rainer offers practical suggestions to control our days rather than having our days control us.
• Why Gay Marriage is Good (and Bad) for the Church. Trevin Wax provides great insight to this issue in light of the recent Supreme Court decision.

 

The Symphony of the Lamb

Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. (Nehemiah 3:14)

Sermons are rarely preached from Nehemiah 3. The chapter is a long list of tongue-twisting names who participated in rebuilding Jerusalem’s destroyed walls under Nehemiah’s leadership. Two errors can be made when this chapter is approached—skip it entirely or only focus on Nehemiah’s great leadership to get the people to work on the wall. When either of these errors are made, we miss the richness of God’s people stepping up to perform their part of the work to complete the task. Every name listed, including the Dung Gate guy, worked together on a common purpose to get the job done. We need to embrace the same mindset in our churches today!

It is easy for us to embrace a “me mentality” in ministry—“I am an elder”, “I am a Sunday school teacher”, “I lead worship”, or “I (fill in the blank)”. We often function as individuals in silos rather than as an essential component of the body. It is important for the local church to have a “we” mentality instead, where each Christ-follower serves in his or her unique capacity and calling for a greater whole— like we see in Nehemiah 3. When the silos come down, the gospel is proclaimed, disciples are made, communities are reached, and needs met. 

I love classical music and have attended the symphony on several occasions. One of my favorite pieces is Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. If played by a violin, French horn, or tympani alone, it wouldn’t be impressive, even though the individual instrumentalist played well. But, when all of the instruments in the orchestra come together and play the piece- it is an awesome performance! The same is true in the local church. While each of us may be “playing our parts” well, God’s Symphony is not experienced until everyone plays together. In Nehemiah, those that came together rebuilt the wall, in our churches lives and eternities will be changed.

I pray that within the local church(es) we will keep our eyes on the Great Conductor, faithfully and obediently serving in our unique capacities—playing in the Symphony of the Lamb (in two movements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission).

"Let us be banded together as one man; let us contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; let us pray with fervor, let us live in holiness, let us preach constantly, and preach with fire, and let us so live, that we may impress our age, and leave our footprints on the sands of time."

 - Charles Spurgeon

I Am a Church Member

Church membership is often approached similar to a country club membership. We join a church to see what we can get out of it. The pastor is to feed us through his sermons. The music is to fit our style. Programs and ministries are for our benefit. Deviations are not acceptable. We determine what we like and don’t like and are members who expect perks, privileges, and service. Not only is this description unbiblical, it is harmful and crippling to the local church.

In his 75 page book I Am a Church Member, Dr. Thom Rainer addresses his hypothesis that “congregations across America are weak because many of us church members have lost the biblical understanding of what it means to be part of the body of Christ” (p. 5). As an Elder in the local church, I consider this book essential reading for all members and prospective members. It should be discussed in small groups, Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and new member classes. The chapter titles succinctly identify the core attitudes of biblical church membership:

• Chapter 1: I will be a functioning church member
• Chapter 2: I will be a unifying church member 
• Chapter 3: I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires
• Chapter 4: I will pray for my church leaders
• Chapter 5: I will lead my family to be healthy church members
• Chapter 6: I will treasure church membership as a gift

The "love" chapter in 1 Corinthians (13:4-7) is usually included in weddings as a charge to a bride and groom. Yet, within the proper context- the verses are directed toward the local church and how members are to relate to one another. Rainer stated, “if we could just abide by the principles of the love chapter, we would have completely healthy churches. It would be a revolution! The principles of these verses are sufficient to cause a revival in most churches!” (p. 13-14).  I couldn’t agree more.

Imagine the difference in our local churches if members took the following pledge contained within the book:

• I am a church member. I will seek to be a source of unity in the church. I know that there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other local church members. But neither am I. I will not be a source of gossip or dissension. One of the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can in God’s power to help keep the church in unity for the sake of the gospel.
• I am a church member. I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires. That is self-serving. I am in this church to serve others and to serve Christ. My Savior went to a cross for me. I can deal with any inconveniences and matters that are just not my preference or style.
• I am a church member. I will pray for my pastor every day. His work is never-ending. His days are filled with constant demands for his time- with the need to prepare sermons, with those who are rejoicing in births, with those who are traveling through the valley of the shadow of death, with critics, with the hurts and hopes of others, and with the need to be a husband and father. My pastor cannot serve our church in his own power. I will pray for God’s strength for him and his family every day.
• I am a church member. I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well. We will pray together for our church. We will worship together in our church. We will serve together in our church. And we will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church, because He gave His life for her.
• I am a church member. This membership is a gift. When I received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I became a part of the body of Christ. I soon thereafter identified with a local body and was baptized. And now I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church. I pray that I will never take my membership for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to serve others and to be part of something much greater than any one person or member.

I am a church member. And I thank God that I am.