Impact of the Church

Years ago I read a book that changed my life and ministry, The Church Unleashed: Getting God’s People Out Where the Needs Are, by Frank Tillapaugh (1982). It was primarily writing about how our people need to be focused on those outside of the walls of our facilities. When all the church knows is the status quo, what he writes about is a real paradigm shift.

Recently I was reminded of these ten paradigm shifts by Os Hillman of Marketplace Leaders. Here is a summary of chapter 12 of his Faith at Work:

A paradigm is a model consisting of shared assumptions regarding what works or what is true. A paradigm shift is that “aha!” moment when one sees things in such a new light that you can never go back to the old ways again. A new paradigm is the new wineskin that will be needed to hold the new assumptions about what is true. To maximize our impact on our communities, we need changes in at least ten of our paradigms of how we currently view church.

1. From building walls to building bridges. “You are the salt of the earth, You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). We must see ourselves in relation to our communities, not just who we are inside the church. We are to infiltrate rather than isolate.

2. From measuring attendance to measuring impact. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast… mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” (Matthew 13:33). People are not impressed with our size or programs or how committed we are to the truth and how we fight for it. They want to see followers of Jesus living out what they say they believe. How can Jesus live in our communities, impacting the lives of others and drawing lost people to himself? Ministry must be holistic, reaching the person, not just their souls. (Galatians 2:10, Romans 1:15-17, Acts 10:36-38)

3. From encouraging the saints to attend the service to equipping the saints for works of service. “It is (God) who gave some to be… pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service.” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City writes that the process of mobilizing members into ministers “starts by articulating clearly and regularly a theology of “every-member ministry.” Rick Warren emphasizes the same thing in his purpose driven model. People must find needs and meet them with the goal of the expanding the kingdom of God.

4. From “serve us” to service; from inward to outward focus. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give” (Mark 10:45). Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church in East Los Angeles says that the single biggest factor in his church retaining people is not personal follow-up or joining a small group, it is being involved from the very beginning in service to others in the community. When members have told him that they want the church to meet their needs, his reply is: “You are the church and together we are called to meet the needs of the world.”

5. From duplication of human services and ministries to partnering with existing services and ministries. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). The Bible is filled with examples of how God used secular people in partnership with His people to fulfill His purposes. Think of Joseph and Pharoah, Nehemiah and Artaxerxes, and Esther and King Ahasuerus.

Instead of each congregation having its own food pantry, why not partner with the local community food bank? When needy people request food, congregations could refer these folks to their “partner ministry.” We form partnerships not around theology but around our common concern and love for the city.

6. From fellowship to functional unity. There is a strong case to suggest that there is really only one Church in a city or community (made up of all believers) that meets in many congregations around the city. In Philippians 2:2 Paul implored, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

Only unity of purpose around the vision of a transformed community is strong enough to unite pastors and churches of different denominations. Uniting the Church around a common goal is preferable to trying to unite the church around a cooperative project. Community transformation begins at the intersection of the needs and dream of a community, the calling and capacities of the Church (and the community) and the mandates and desires of God for a community.

7. From condemning the city to blessing the city and praying for it. Jeremiah 29 begins by saying: “This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem… to those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.” What follows are instructions on how to live as aliens in a foreign land. He says: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7).

For too long we as the Church have positioned ourselves as adversaries to our communities. The monolithic Church has stood from afar and lobbed in messages of condemnation toward the city and those who are trying to serve it. Maybe it’s time we begin blessing the city by blessing those who have given themselves to the city!

8. From being a minister in a congregation to being a minister in a parish. “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it” (Luke 19:41). A congregation is made up of people who attend a local church from a community. The minister typically feels that this congregation is his flock whom he must baptize, marry and bury. They consume his time and energy. Being in a parish is different.

A parish differs from a congregation in that it is a geographical scope of concern and responsibility. A congregation is a subset of a parish. Being in a parish gives one the God-given right to minister to anyone in the community, whether they are part of one’s congregation or not. Urban theologian, Ray Bakke, illuminated this point by writing that every minister has two functions: 1) to be pastor to the members and, 2) chaplain to the community.

9. From anecdote and speculation to valid information. Two pieces of information changed the course of Nehemiah’s life that resulted in the transformation of a community. In Nehemiah 1, he learned that the walls and gates of Jerusalem were broken down and her people were in distress. These two pieces of information were catalytic to his prayers and plans to restore a broken wall and a broken people. His burden to transform the city came from accurate information.

We, too, need correct information about the real needs of our community as well as the resources we have to meet these needs. Do we know the demographic information of our community? Do we know the number of churches? Do we know the spiritual history of our community? We also need to identify the spiritual assets of our community – the number of faith communities and believers. Together, these two research pieces give us a picture of our “mission field” and our “mission force.” Armed with accurate information, we can determine best how to go forward.

10. From teacher to learner. “Everyone should be quick to learn, slow to speak” (James 1:19). It is interesting to note that for the historic African-American churches, the concept of holistic ministry is not a new one. They have never suffered from trying to split effective evangelism from social justice or meeting the needs of those around them. It’s how they’ve always done church.

The effective churches see the community as one that is full of assets more than full of problems. Where do we go from here? From Isaiah 65:17-25, Ray Bakke outlined seven characteristics of a healthy community from the heart of God:

  1. Public celebration and happiness (Isaiah 65:18-19);
  2. Public health for children and the aged (Isaiah 65:20);
  3. Housing for all (Isaiah 65:21);
  4. Food for all (Isaiah 65:22);
  5. Meaningful work (Isaiah 65:22-23);
  6. Family support systems (Isaiah 65:23);
  7. Absence of violence (Isaiah 65:25)

This list outlines our potential marching orders. The Spirit of God is at work. There is a good chance that the next great movement of God will involve putting the Church back into community where it can be the leaven, salt, and light God designed it to be. Will we join God in this transforming work? For the sake of the gospel, the Church, and our communities, in faith – let’s move forward!

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The Missional Church

I love this concept; it’s very simple and looks sneakingly similar to what we see happening in the New Testament. The early church met in homes in their communities (house to house; Acts 2:2, 5:42, Philemon 1:2), not just in a large “church” gathering.

Churches that are in traditional roles in the community will not think like this, perhaps like trying to turn an aircraft carrier (it takes a slow, wide turn). But even in this Navy ship illustration, the ship has to be moving in order to make the turn.

Take a look at this brief missional church video. What do you think? How can we change the “church” mindset toward making disciples who in turn make other disciples (making disciple-makers rather than more believers)?

Here is a video on authentic and biblical discipleship… how can we more effectively make disciples?

There are several questions that must be asked…

  1. Who is doing this?
  2. Where are you doing this?
  3. What is the context of your congregation’s community?
  4. What do you think is the key to transforming your congregation into a fellowship driven by purpose and mission?

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Being a Missional Class

Allen Taylor mentions that while our Sunday School classes are great places to catch up with friends each week, there is a greater purpose:

Sunday School leaders believe that Sunday School is about Bible study and fellowship. While this is true, it is shortsighted. Sunday School is a great place to visit friends and socialize with those who share a similar worldview that is Bible based. It is also a place where the saints of God are mobilized to carry out the commission of Christ.

You see, Sunday School is social and relational, but she is also missional! We must embrace evangelism if we are to be a Great Commission Sunday School, and we must accept the responsibility of ministering to people’s needs. We often relegate Sunday School to Bible study and fellowship because that is mostly what takes place in the classroom on Sunday morning. Evangelism and ministry are often overlooked because they function outside of the Sunday morning classroom.

We naturally gravitate toward that which is easier and more convenient. We naturally drift away from that which takes more effort and labor.

Let’s remember that we have a purpose in meeting together each week. So, just what is that purpose?

In my book The Six Core Values of Sunday School, I state,”My philosophy of a Sunday School class is: The class is a miniature congregation, and the teacher is a miniature pastor.” That being the case, a “miniature pastor” must meet criteria that exceed just having a pulse. We must have godly, committed people leading and shepherding our classes.

When you drive the success of Sunday School down to the lowest common denominator, you find it one class at a time. A Sunday School organization is only as good as the contribution of each individual class.

When we take that one step further, we find that the success of the class is the teacher. Therefore, we need teachers who will toe the leadership line if we are to have a healthy, growing Sunday School ministry.

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Church Growth Strategies

I don’t just post articles from someone else, but I read *Bill Wilson’s “Confessions of a Church Consultant”  today and had a flashback to the “Great Commission Consultation” that our church experienced in February 2010. Our church had a negative reaction, today I believe I know the reason why. Here are the highlights from the article and my comments:

Here is a secret: Congregational strategic planning is frequently a waste of time and can be counterproductive. Many congregations engage in strategic planning; some opt to conduct the process internally, while others hire an outsider to help.

Our local association provided what was billed as a church growth guru who was effective in many other areas of the country. Our church had been on a plateau for several years and sometimes it takes a fresh look at one’s situation, from the outside, to see what we often fail to see on our own. So we opted for the outsider to inspire, challenge and motive us toward being all that we can be for the kingdom in this place.

Consulting with congregations is all the rage. Most take some form of corporate planning and apply a thin veneer of spirituality to a secular model. Behind these plans is a paint-by-number approach to your future that, if followed, promises to produce a set of core values, a mission statement, SWOT analyses, strategic initiatives, SMART goals and the like.

This was the main focus of the consultation, there really was a “paint-by-number” approach. Other churches in whom I knew staff members had the same prescriptions for the same unhealthy diagnosis. If you don’t have retention of people who visit your church, you need an assimilation process. The same prescription included the Nelson Searcy assimilation model (from the Journey Church in NYC). It is a fine model, especially for churches who have no real strategy at all, but is not every church different? We have different styles, different communities, and different reactions to gathering information… the point is that if there is an assimilation hole, the consultation guy filled it with this assimilation product.

Some vary the theme and design a process that produces the same thing in every church that uses the plan. This sort of prescriptive planning is used by those who know what your future should be and have a not-so-subtle agenda of turning your church in a direction that they have predetermined. If you get hooked into one of those plans, expect unnecessary conflict and unhealthy upheaval.

The idea of a “predetermined direction” stands out for me. The guy came with an idea of what a healthy and growing church looks like, with stories and illustrations where he has turned other churches around using this same strategy. I think we have a tendency to be covetous of other churches when we see God moving over there more than over here. So we took the plan and presented it to the church and got all sorts of unanticipated “conflict and upheaval.” We talked as a body, shared the same feeling of being scolded; the founders of the church (who grew this congregation to what it is today) must of somehow failed because we have not kept the main thing the main thing (the Great Commission – If he only knew how mission-minded this church is). It is almost like this guy knew we could be a mega-church if we would only follow his plan, when all along our people simply chose to be faithful to God, follow his leadership and allow the Lord to cause the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

The truth is, far too many of these generic plans are a waste of time and energy because they give only lip service to the question of divine guidance. Oh, there is the obligatory prayer emphasis, but what is lacking is genuine spiritual discernment. Without this, the planning becomes an exercise in stating the obvious/inevitable, and wastes a valuable opportunity to deeply consider the future God has in mind for you.

I felt there was a lot of activity during this time, and we developed a few ideas for a new direction, but our people did not embrace the consultation, or respect the consultant since he came across as a know-it-all with a condescending attitude of who we are. We have a solidly strong church and he spoke to us as if we where dying and one day the doors would close if we did not make changes. Real and earnest spiritual discernment and seeking God’s guidance appeared to be lacking.

A spiritual discernment process is very different from a corporate strategic planning model or a biased approach to your future. Spiritual discernment begins by admitting we do not have the solutions. Spiritual discernment invites thinking, praying and reflecting at a level that most of us studiously avoid. Spiritual discernment is messy, often slow and extremely complicated. Most churches want neat, quick and simple. Sorry, but neat, quick and simple work in this area (like most of congregational life) will lead to shallow, predictable and counter-productive.

The article includes a time-tested pattern of spiritual discernment for individuals and organizations:

Spiritual discernment begins with disorientation: Something happens to knock us off our feet. Some event or series of events conspire to turn our world upside down. It may be an unpleasant experience such as a death, or a beloved pastor’s departure, or some crisis. Whatever it is, our life and world is shaken and we experience high anxiety. Throughout Scripture, disorientation is the portal God uses to break into ordinary lives and do extraordinary things. (remember Joseph, Moses, Esther, Mary, Paul, Peter, etc.) God’s people are constantly finding themselves thrown off balance and unable to manage things using old frames of reference.

The next phase of spiritual discernment is a time of reorientation: On the heels of our crisis, we look around for something or someone to hold on to that will help us make sense of our shaken world. We find that the promises made by culture, leaders, politics, money, possessions and an array of false gods are empty. We turn once again to the One who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. All of our self-made structures, programs and hollow leadership models collapse under the weight of the issue before us. In their place we rediscover our reason for being as a congregation. Our pride gives way to brokenness and humility as we reconnect to our mission and purpose. We lean into our future with a willingness to lay aside those things that have distracted us from our true calling.

Finally, a spiritual discernment process leads us to a new orientation to life and ministry: We reorder and re-prioritize our life as God’s people so that we are on his mission, not ours. We find a depth of meaning and fulfillment that has been missing. We sense passion and engagement rather than lethargy and apathy. Because we have taken seriously the voice and movement of the Holy Spirit, we no longer rely on others to prescribe our future, but we create that future as collaborators with God in an ongoing process of regeneration and renewal. Our time spent in re-visioning our future has produced a new spirit of openness to God’s leadership. We begin the hard work of aligning every part of our life with our new vision.

Bill Wilson* reminds us that we need to be a congregation who resists the temptation to cut corners and go for easy solutions to complex issues. Instead, let’s journey along the narrow and challenging way of spiritual discernment. That sort of spiritual journey leads us to become the people God intended us to be.

*Bill Wilson is president of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem, N.C.

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Successful Home Cell Groups

This is the story of Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho, pastor of the world’s largest church, in South Korea. I read his book years ago and would love to see the movement of God take place in our church. He is able to pastor over 830,000 members (in 2007). They conduct seven worship services each Sunday, three on Wednesday, with several other gatherings during the week, along with two sunrise prayer services every day except Sundays, and a weekly six hour all-night prayer service each Friday beginning at 9:30 pm!

He has been theologically controversial; Cho’s teaching “is nothing short of occultism…” and “a departure from historic Christian theology…” (p. 353 Christianity in Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff). So, I don’t want to promote his theology (Full Gospel, Assembly of God, health and wealth type), but his success with small groups cannot be denied.

Gradually the idea began to form in my mind: Suppose I released my deacons to open their homes as house churches. Suppose they taught the people, prayed for them and helped them, and suppose the people helped one another in the same way in those home cell groups. The church would flourish in the homes, and the members could even evangelize by inviting their friends and neighbors to the meetings. Then on Sunday they could bring them to the church building for the worship service. That would exempt me from laboring in visiting and counseling, and other time-consuming work. I would be free to pastor–to teach and preach and equip the lay leaders for ministry. (Cho)

  1. The early church model was house churches (Acts).
    1. Use the deacon’s homes.
    2. But deacons work long hours and can’t do it.
    3. Besides, we pay a pastor to do this.
  2. Use the women of the church.
    1. House churches – Romans 16:1, 3, 6, 12
    2. Deaconesses – Romans 16:1 NLT
    3. Obstacles.
      1. Men under the authority of women.
      2. Lack of discipline: Became very long meetings, Took on a party atmosphere.
      3. Outside speakers: Took offerings for themselves. Sometimes questionable doctrine.
      4. Money: People borrowed from each other. Investment strategies carried out.
      5. Attendance: Too many people meeting in one home. Rule: split after reaching 15 families.
      6. “Borrowing” from the offering: Since it was not turned in until Sunday. A treasurer was elected.
      7. Ego and authority of house church leadership: Leaders demanding loyalty to them, not the church. Sheep stealing to start their own church.
  3. The security of cells.
    1. Meaningful involvement.
    2. Intimate, personal ministry.
    3. The exercise of spiritual gifts.
    4. The care for one another: made needs known.
    5. Familiar locations for outsiders: Saturday nights at homes: men did not work all day. Office complexes and factories during the day.
  4. Evangelism.
    1. Door to door invites resistance (like Mormons).
    2. A cell group is the nucleus of the neighborhood.
    3. Unbelievers become curious, the group is a magnet.
    4. Holy eavesdropping discovers needs.
    5. Cells develop men as spiritual leaders.
    6. Cells get the church into apartment complexes.
    7. Cells make the church a living organism in the city.
    8. Cells don’t lose people out the back door.
  5. Practical reasons for home cells groups.
    1. Churches don’t need to plateau.
    2. There are no space limitations.
    3. There are no parking problems.
    4. The church is not built around a single personality: If the pastor leaves, the church is still strong. The underground church in China (99% of leaders in China are women).
    5. There is no need to proselytize.
  6. How does one begin?
    1. The pastor must be convinced of this strategy, or the effort will become stagnant. The meetings will become ritualistic. The cells will become a cancer if the is no loyalty or accountability.
    2. Start small: Begin with a dozen key leaders. Choose leaders with enthusiasm, testimony, dedication, Spirit-filled, with time and money.
    3. Train them: Prepare group lessons. Gather curriculum. Teach how to lead singing, pray, worship.
    4. Minister to one another: share needs.
    5. Be evangelistic: bring lost people.
  7. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit: koinonia.
    1. Fellowship.
    2. Partnership.
    3. Distribution.
    4. Multiplied and empowered ministry.
    5. Priorities: Jesus Christ is number one. You are second: maintain your devotional life. Family is third (wife and children).
  8. Motivation for the leaders.
    1. A new born child needs food and meaningful touch.
    2. Recognition: certificates, words of encouragement.
    3. Praise: tells others how they are doing.
    4. Love: care, concern, never take them for granted.
  9. Dream, set goals, believe, be enthusiastic, get ready.

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Vision, Planning and Growth

According to Webster’s Dictionary, the word vision refers to “imaginative foresight.” This foresight is absolutely necessary for a leader, both for the group they serve as well as for themselves personally. Without vision, we cannot see the end from the beginning; then we need to make incremental steps toward reaching the desired goal. Otherwise, the best-case scenario involves the leader spinning in circles.

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. — Proverbs 16:9

Consider the story of former Atlanta Braves pitcher Pascual Perez. In August of 1982, only a few days after moving to a new home outside of town, he jumped into his car and headed to the stadium for a game he was scheduled to start. While on the freeway, he began looking for something resembling the downtown skyline. Three hours later, he still didn’t see the stadium! It turned out that Perez didn’t know the correct exit to take off of Interstate 285, a circular bypass around Atlanta. As a result, he literally drove in circles around Atlanta, finally getting to the game during the fifth inning. By then, his reputation had been cemented as “I-285” Perez. He never heard the end of it.

Looking forward is a critical aspect of a successful leader. But in order to accomplish this, a person must be determined to carry out what God has planned. I recently read a good question to ask at this point is, “Would I be willing to do this even if I never got paid for it?” Once that is answered, planning is necessary, both in terms of goals and actions, to help make the vision a reality. And since vision is much bigger than just one person, God has to be involved in the process. As the Bible says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Then as God directs and leads, one can effectively put the vision into action, instead of driving around aimlessly.

By way of reminder, the vision of the discipleship ministry at King’s Grant is to “move people toward higher levels of commitment to Christ and His church.” So, what does that involve?

  1. Movement: We cannot remain in the same place; we desire to move away from the status quo toward obedience to God’s call and command.
  2. People: We work with a group of volunteer believers. The old phrase is correct, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” People have their flaws and their own stubborn wills, but leaders know what growth should look like. But motivating others to desire to attain it is quite a challenge.
  3. Higher levels: This means that we seek to be in the position to hear from God, just like Moses went up to the mountain to receive God’s Word. Sort of like the higher he got, the closer he was to God.
  4. Commitment: This refers to the amount of energy and passion we bring to the table. We become what we are committed to, just like in marriage, friendship, teamwork and even our salvation. If we are committed to our salvation, we will actively seeks ways to live it out and bring others into our spiritual journey.
  5. Christ: It is all in vain if we do not exist for Christ, His kingdom and His mission.
  6. Church: We are more than a social club on Sundays; we have purpose, a mission, and a passion to do that which God calls us to do. The body of Christ is the hope of the world; and the church gathered is the keeper of the Great Commission.

So we need to develop a plan to grow in faith. Since we have a vision of what a disciple of Christ should look like, we can dream of how we can get there. This weekend is the Men at the Cross conference (October 30, 2010). By the end of the conference every man will receive the challenge not only to become a disciple of Christ but to disciple other men. A man’s first discipleship group is his own family; what an awesome responsibility, and privilege. Let’s not drive around in circles forever missing the proper exit. Actually, if we just let Christ sit behind the wheel, maybe we will get to where we need sooner rather than later.

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Church Leadership Assumptions

I discovered a wealth of information from the leadership seminar notes of the Norfolk Area Baptist Association Minister’s Conference on May 13, 2010. This is pretty intriguing information about the relevance of the church in today’s culture.

The Church in America is in desperate need of a new model for the local church. We currently develop churches based on a model of ministry that was developed several hundred years ago, rejecting the fact that the society for which that model was designed no longer exists.

“The constant cry of the unchurched, ‘The church is irrelevant to the way I live’ cannot be addressed until the model itself is renewed to acknowledge that the times have changed. Our approach to meeting people’s needs with the unchanging truths of the gospel must reflect our sensitivity to that change.” — George Barna

Why don’t you go to church?

  1. Churches are always asking for money
  2. Services are boring and lifeless
  3. Services are predictable and repetitive
  4. Sermons are irrelevant to daily life as it’s lived in the real world
  5. The pastor makes me feel guilty and ignorant, so I leave church feeling worse than when I came

“There is much to be said for people feeling that they are part of a winning team. Adults these days are too busy and under too much pressure to cheerfully and willingly offer their free time to activities that continually fail.” – George Barna

False Assumptions in Church Leadership

Here is an excerpt from an article by Dave Travis. The article challenges us on several fronts and I think it merits your attention. Travis writes, “These false assumptions lead to misguided ministry, out of touch with those who need to be reached.” He shares the false assumptions and then contrasts them with his view of reality:

Assumption – We live in a church culture.
Reality – There are far more people out there with no connection to the church than we care to admit. Kennon Callahan said it best in his book, Effective Church Leadership, “The day of the churched culture is over. The day of the mission field has come.” Leaders need to do a gut check in order to see the persons in their neighborhoods as persons that we can reach. Leaders should represent the unchurched to the churches’ teams and committees, helping to keep focused on the need to reach them for Christ.

Assumption – People will be committed to a cause or a group.
Reality – In days like these, you can’t count on anything. Too often, the members of church leadership teams don’t show up. Some of our leaders are committed to too many ways of making a difference. When congregations have too many focus points, everything looks diluted. What are the one or two ministries where you can have an impact?

Assumption – People know reality is not what they see on TV or movies.
Reality – The media is defining what is real for many people. Frequent stories of violence and decay distort reality for many. In the movies and on TV we see sin without consequences leading many persons to believe that there should be no consequences in real life. Church leaders need to be able to communicate both sides of reality. No, there is not as much crime as some media portray but yes there are consequences to bad choices.

Assumption – We assume that our culture is word-oriented.
Reality – It is visual. Computers have revived writing as a skill but it is not a pen-and-paper effect. It is actually a visual effect. Bookstores are expanding, but profits are found in readers over 40 who buy for themselves and their children. The emerging generations respond to visual stimulation. We need to consider our communication styles and media within the church and to the larger community.

Assumption – We assumed the solutions to our life situations and problems are passed from an older generation to a younger.
Reality – The present culture is extremely mosaic and eclectic. With the half-life of technical and specialized education now lasting under five years, older generations are learning from younger people, not vice versa. We must be willing as individuals, in our committees and teams, and as a larger organization to seek out solutions from the best providers.

Assumption – We need to bring people into the church to make disciples.
Reality – We need to equip people to go out to make disciples in the world. It’s not what happens inside the four walls, but what happens outside that counts. We must equip leaders to be equippers of others who minister in the marketplace, in the neighborhood, and on the mission field.

Assumption – Eventually we will learn what we need and return to a stable state.
Reality – There is no stable state, and there probably never was one. Everyone, church leaders and church members, must be constantly learning to handle the changes in our culture. Change will only increase in the next decade. We must not build hope for a false utopia. A life lesson for all of us: when you find yourself in white water you’d better learn to row and keep on rowing.

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Do You Love God Enough?

My Sunday morning Bible study is taking a fresh look at Peter and how his life often mirrors our own at various times in life. This week we are looking at the denials during of Peter on that dreadful Good Friday, and the restoration that took place after the resurrection.

BTW, have you ever considered why that day is called “Good Friday,” knowing what happened to Jesus, the crucifixion and all? Long ago I saw a B.C. cartoon that put is perfectly. BC and Grog were pondering the meaning of the term: “Why do you call Good Friday, “good” — a term oft misunderstood. You who were saved by the blood of his cross — you can call Good Friday good.”

There are important times in our lives when we either stand up for what we believe or cave in to the pressure around us. Peter saw himself as the kind of man who stands firm, but he overestimated his commitment on at least one occasion where he denied even knowing Jesus.

Though there is often a heavy price to pay for being uncompromising about our faith, the price of caving in is heavier. The good news is that even when we fail, God doesn’t give up on us. In fact, those who fail are exactly the kind of people Jesus came to redeem and restore.

Pledge: Matthew 26:17-35
The disciples were as human as anyone, and one night they got proud and jealous. When Peter declared that he would never deny Jesus, even if everyone else in the room did, he probably didn’t cultivate many warm, fuzzy feelings among the disciples. In fact, the text implies he was saying he was more faithful than the other disciples, which was likely quite offensive.

Peter could have simply said, “I will never forsake you,” but he didn’t. He compared himself with all the others and affirmed that he would be the strongest and most faithful of the disciples. As Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” And Peter would soon land hard.

In 1 Peter 5:5, Peter quotes an Old Testament passage about God opposing the proud but giving grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34). He then urges his readers to humble themselves under God’s hand in order that they might be lifted up at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6).

  1. In what ways did Peter experience the realities of this passage? In what ways have you?
  2. How have you seen spiritual pride manifested in Christianity in general? In our church? In your life?

Denial: Luke 22:54-62
In a time of trouble and fear, Simon the Rock denies ever knowing Jesus, three times. Fear of people’s opinions or their swords tend to do that. It diminishes God’s power and messes with our perspective, and then makes us unwise.

Luke records an interesting detail of Peter’s three denials. When the rooster crowed, “the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter” (Luke 22:61). Remember the first time Jesus gazed at Peter was when they first met (John 1:42) when followers were gathering around this Messiah. Jesus saw Peter’s potential underneath his rough exterior and called him a rock. Now, on a cold night years later, as disciples are scattering and abandoning this Messiah, Jesus again gazes into Peter’s soul. And Peter leaves and weeps bitterly (Luke 22:62).

  1. If Jesus stood before you right now and gazed into your eyes, what do you think he would see?
  2. Knowing that your heart is laid completely bare before him, how would you feel about being in his presence? Why?

Restoration: Mark 16:7; 1 Corinthians 15:5; John 21:15-17
Peter’s denial of Jesus was dramatic and devastating. Perhaps more than any other disciple besides Judas, he failed. Not only did he abandon Jesus in a crisis moment, he vocally disowned him. His confidence in his complete faithfulness had proven unfounded.

In at least three instances, Scripture provides a glimpse of God’s mercy toward Peter after his failure.

First, there is a small but important mention of Peter in Mark 16:7. When three women arrive at the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body, an angel tells them Jesus has risen and then gives them instruction: “Go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Clearly, God had plans.

Next, Peter is apparently the first disciple to see Jesus after the resurrection, alone. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:5 that Jesus first met with Peter before meeting with the rest of the disciples, as though the two of them had an important matter to discuss apart from the group.

Finally, toward the end of John’s gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Three times (John 21:15, 16, 17), perhaps once for each denial, he asks Peter if he loves him. Peter takes advantage of the opportunity to counter each of his denials with a confession of love and loyalty. He is not only forgiven but fully restored.

I wonder if Jesus is asking Peter if he loves him enough. I suppose it is one thing to love Jesus enough to believe in him, but it is a whole new level of commitment to love Jesus and do something about it. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” and the response is affirmative, but if loving him is true, a command follows, “Then tend my lambs, shepherd my sheep and tend my sheep.”

  1. What’s the difference between forgiveness and restoration?
  2. Have any of your failures caused you to doubt God’s willingness to restore you? Why or why not?
  3. Under what conditions do you normally forgive someone? Is there any failure too great for you to forgive?
  4. Do you love God enough? I mean enough to risk getting out of your comfort zone and do something great for his kingdom?
  5. What might Jesus be asking you to do to demonstrate your love for him?

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Passionate About God?

My Sunday morning Bible study is taking a fresh look at Peter and how his life often mirrors our own at various times in life. Many Christians are sports nuts, real fanatics when it comes to their favorite team. There is excitement, confidence, discussions, and even boasting about the greatest team ever. Take this same sports fans and follow him to his local church, and what might we find? Rather than a game face he puts on his hymn face, he’s looking at his watch rather than the game clock. He might be more familiar with the team’s program and statistics than with God’s playbook, the Bible. Peter’s zeal for God put him in a few interesting situations:

Walking on Water (Matthew 14:22-23)

His zeal brought out a bold attempt at the impossible, to walk on the water. Jesus is not with them; He sends them into the boat while he dismisses the crowd (Matthew 14:22) and then he goes to the mountain to pray (Matthew 14:23). The boat is fighting with the waves while the wind was against them (Matthew 14:24). Jesus comes to them walking on the water (Matthew 14:25) and the disciples become afraid (Matthew 14:26). Peter makes an amazing statement, “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you on the water” (Matthew 14:28). He does not necessarily ask to walk on the water; he asks that Jesus command him.

Jesus gives one command, “Come” (Matthew 14:29). There is no assurance that everything will be alright, that he would be safe, even that he would be able to walk on the water. Peter knew nothing except his Lord gave him a command and in obedience he steps over the rail and starts walking toward Jesus. From our perspective we see eleven frightened men sitting in the boat, and one guy stepping into the unknown for no other reason than, out on the water is where Jesus is. Jesus is not in the boat, he’s out on the water, so that’s where Peter wants to be. Jesus invites him to come.

After a moment, Peter sees the wind and waves, perhaps realizing where he is, and that water walking is impossible, so he sinks (Matthew 14:30). So, where are we in this story? Imagine what God can do through you if you would only keep your eyes on Jesus. When Jesus calls you to step out of the boat and attempt something great for the kingdom, on what do you typically focus your attention?

Witnessing the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-8, Matthew 17:1-8)

Only a week after some extended teaching time with his disciples, Jesus takes the inner circle (Peter, James and John) to a high mountain (Mark 9:2). Scholars tell us this was probably Mt. Hermon or Mt. Tabor, but location is not as significant as what happened there, Jesus was transformed before their eyes (Mark 9:2-3). They had a vision of Jesus in all his glory. After the vision came the visitors, Moses and Elijah, appearing and talking with Jesus (Mark 9: 4). Moses represented the Law of God and Elijah represented the prince of prophets. Impulsive Peter then speaks up and interrupts their conversation, something about it’s good for them to be there and three shelters (or tabernacles) should be built (Mark 9:5). Fear also surrounds them, not knowing what to say (Mark 9:6).

Catch this. Matthew 17:5 adds an interesting comment, “While he was still speaking.” God interrupts Peter to tell him that “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him.” Scholars tell us that the word for “beloved” is actually “unique” or “priceless.” Peter had Jesus in a box called, “Great Men of History” and did not see the uniqueness of Jesus. Notice he recommended three tabernacles be built, rather than only one (Matthew 17:4); because only one person deserved to be honored. Stop speaking, stop planning, and just listen to Jesus. After we encounter God, the proper response should be the same as the inner circle, fear (Matthew 17:6). When we finally “get it” and realize the awesomeness of God, we should fear. Max Lucado says, “Fear of the Lord is the deeply sane recognition that we are not God.”

So, Peter was passionate about God, even though he did not have all of his theology in order. How can we develop a similar passion? How can we get out of our comfort zones?

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Does God Call Each of Us?

My Sunday morning Bible study is taking a fresh look at Peter and how his life often mirrors our own at various times in life. We started with the events surrounding the calling of Peter to be one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.

The Look (John 1:35-42): Andrew learns about Jesus first, and then goes to his brother Simon (Peter) and tells him that he’s found the Messiah, who is the promised and long-awaited deliverer. Peter believes enough to accompany his excited brother to see Jesus (John 1:41-42). What I would like you to notice is John 1:42 where Jesus looks at Peter. The New Living Translation says Jesus looked at Peter intently. I see this to mean that Jesus gazed at Peter, perhaps peering right into his soul. I see no casual glance here.

As Jesus looks at him, perhaps he sees Peter’s potential to do great things for the kingdom. In the course of this gaze, Jesus gives Peter a new Aramaic name, “Cephas” (meaning “Peter” in Greek) which in English means “stone.” When Jesus looks deep into your soul, what obstacles might he see in your life that could hinder your service to him? What potential might he see in you to do great things for the kingdom?

The Call (Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11): Here we see Jesus walking along the shore and telling Peter, Andrew, James and John that they should follow him (Matthew 4:19). Jesus seemed to have enough clout since these rough men left their businesses and families to become disciples of Jesus. Later we find Jesus needing to use Peter’s boat as a stage to teach the people (Luke 5:3). After the teaching session, Jesus has Peter go out for a catch of fish, this time going into the deep water (Luke 5:4).

My observation is this: these stories are not simply three versions of the same story of Jesus calling Peter to become one of his disciples. I believe that these stories are included in the New Testament to show us the persistence of God. Each time, Peter gains more information until he finally declares his sinfulness (Luke 5:8) and leaves everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11). I believe that while Peter was around Jesus, he actually paid attention to his teaching, so when the time was right, he became fully committed to Christ and his mission.

How often do we believe the right stuff about Jesus, and even hang around him for a while, before we totally surrender to him? My original question is to ask, “Does God call each of us, or only a select few, to be in his service?” Aren’t you glad he’s persistent, and does not give up on us?

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