LORD, GET ME OUTTA HERE!

Have you ever prayed that after a long and difficult Sunday or deacon’s meeting? I think most have. We long for a situation we think describes the New Testament Church. Of course, we see that as the ideal NT church and not the really messy ones described in the NT. Was the NT church all that different from many we see today?

The first church (Acts 5) contained a wealthy family whose spirituality was so hypocritical God judged them with death. The Galatian church was legalistic regarding the very essence of faith, the Gospel. The Ephesians continually had issues with governance, leadership (read Paul’s instructions to Timothy), a lack of unity, and worst of all, they left their first love. The Colossian church was filled with the wisdom of this world. The Church at Rome needed a strong foundation. Shall we really discuss the issues at Corinth? And then there are those others in Revelation 2-3.

It seems only two, Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) and Philadelphia (Rev.3:7-13), were complimented by the Lord. I find it interesting that Smyrna was a persecuted and suffering church. Philadelphia kept the Word of God in obedience and persevered through a time of  persecution.

So really, is it any different? Maybe, then again maybe not. There are great churches and great places of service that are life-giving in many ways. Then there are those that are life-draining. It was true then, it is true today.

Most of us abhor slavery. Our own nation experiences today the effects of having enslaved a race of people. It is tragic beyond description. And wrong.

Yet Paul’s favorite term for himself in his relationship to Jesus was “bond slave”. He saw himself indentured to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we respond when we want to pray, “Lord get me outta here!”?

I recently had conversation with someone who conveyed a story of their church during a very, very difficult period of time. As I recall there was a guest worship leader and sometime during the music portion of the worship service the leader began to softly sing “Tell It To Jesus”. Spontaneously people got up out of their seats and came to the altar to pray. The Spirit of God seemed to hover over that congregation. Today, they have rebounded from those days and it is a thriving congregation once more.

We (myself and colleagues at the SBTC) visit with many pastors. Some are rejoicing in great victories. Others are navigating difficult issues. Two admonitions stick in my mind, both from great men of God.

The first is a statement I heard from Jerry Vines during a SWBTS chapel several years ago. He said, “If you are in this (meaning “ministry”) for any other reason than Jesus, you are going to die a bitter old man.”

The second was in a message by Charles Stanley at the SBC Pastor’s Conference years ago. He said, “Have you ever considered that your green grass is somebody else’s brown grass”?

We must remember who we are in Christ, and whose we are. And yes, tell it to Jesus.

THE SIX TRIALS OF JESUS

No news to you, but Sunday is Palm Sunday, which begins what the Christian Church calls either “Passion Week” or “Holy Week”. This week moves from the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ron Barker is with the Evangelism section of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Ron sends out an email (R-Gram) to those who choose to subscribe. If you wish to subscribe you may email Ron and request he send the newsletter to you. It is weekly and free. The email to subscribe is prayassist@scbaptist.org. In that R-Gram he gives the chronology of events in the six trials of Jesus. I share this with you in the spirit of passing on what a friend has shared with me to help with your personal study and preaching.

Event                                                                                                                                 Approximate Time

1. Prayer and agony at Gethsemane (Synoptic gospels)                                                   1:00 a.m.
2. Betrayal by Judas and arrest of Jesus (Mk. 14:43-46; John 18:12)                         1:30 a.m.
3. Irregular, unauthorized inquiry at Anna’s residence (Jn. 18:13-23)                      2:00 a.m.
4. Unofficial trial at Caiaphas’s residence (Matt. 26:57-68; John 18:24)                    3:00 a.m.
5. Formal, official trial before Sanhedrin in their chamber to confirm capital sentence (Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66-71)                                                                                                                                                                     6:00 a.m. (“when it was day”)
6. First interrogation by Pilate at official residence (Mt. 27:1-2; 11-14; Lk. 23:1-7; John 18:28-38)                                                                                                                                                                                                      6:30 a.m. (“when morning had come…and it was early”)
7. Audience/mockery before Herod (Luke 28:8-12)                                                           7:00 a.m.
8. Final judgment of Pilate (All Gospels)                                                                                   7:30 a.m.
9. Scourging in Praetorium (All Gospels)                                                                                 8:00 a.m.
10. Nailing of hand and feet to the cross (All Gospels)                                                          9:00 a.m. (“it was the third hour”)
11. Darkness (Matthew, Mark, Luke)                                                                                            12:00 noon (“when the sixth hour had come, darkness fell”)
12. Death of Jesus (all Gospels)                                                                                                       3:00 p.m. (“and at the ninth hour”)

In less than twenty-four hours, Jesus goes from arrest to execution!

We are praying God will bless each of you with the anointing of the Holy Spirit as you prepare both the messages and the messenger for this important time in your ministry.

LOVE LIFTED ME

Have you ever sung the hymn, “Love Lifted Me”? When I was an older boy and young teen, my peers and I were not the most “holy” group in the church. So, we would sit in the back, singing “I was sinking deep in sin” and turn to a buddy and say “Wheee!”

We understood sin only as a behavior and had little if any knowledge that sin was a condition of the human heart. We were already deep in sin but thought since we hadn’t had opportunity to commit the big ones we were OK. Cultural changes came so fast “change” almost became a sedative.

I given serious thought to the concept that one reason we love change is that it provides an escape from accountability. When things are changing so fast, or we are causing them to change so fast, there is little time to evaluate whether or not the changes are worthwhile and productive. And one cannot be held accountable without proper measurement.

Do not hear this as a rant against change.

But when we are so focused on the things related to the administration and growth of the church we can easily lose sight of core biblical truth.  Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)

Jesus actually said that. No amount of exegetical maneuvering will change that simple statement. It even works in context.

“Know” – intimate knowledge. Not just intellectual awareness, but deep, intimate knowledge. On another occasion Jesus said, “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life.” (John 14:6)

We youngsters, steeped in sin and blinded by the error that the essence of sin was badness, were laughing our way to perdition because we had not committed the “biggies”. No amount of self-reform would change us. There had to be deep conviction that what was wrong with us was internal, not external. And only the truth could set us free.

In a similar way, I believe we in the church have spent years cleaning the outside of the cup using our different methods, programs, and emphasis, while the inside has been stained beyond recognition.

I am encouraged by what I hear from the Great Commission Resurgence commission report. It points us to Jesus. Perhaps we as a people called Southern Baptists will be blessed by God with a deep conviction that what is wrong with us is internal, not external. May we return with words in repentance and submission to Him.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

THE SBC IN 2010…A VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS

This post is not intended at all to complain or to offend anyone but the Devil. And I pray I offend him every single day with every single action. Unfortunately, I do not. But I seek to do so.

This post’s intent is to challenge all who seek to be used to advance the purpose and intent of our Sovereign God. It is an observation with that challenge especially for younger pastors in chronological age and those who recognize they are aging, but refuse to get old.

There is a difference. Some of you young guys are already old and seeking how you may “climb the ladder of  success.” You are already on the road to irrelevance in the Kingdom of God.  And some of us who are aging are not as “old” as our appearance.

My observation throughout the years has been that of being close to some “insiders” and yet not close enough to influence decisions. In other words, I have been in the house but not at the table. At times I feel somewhat frustrated but then I review the ministry God has given and I am overwhelmed by the grace and mercy extended me.  I am very grateful some things I wanted early in my ministry were kept from me. And I look forward to the future although I do not know what that will be. Our all-seeing, all-knowing, all-present God is always faithful to us, even when we are failing in our faithfulness to Him.

Thus, my view is from the cheap seats. Here are some of my observations.

A Great Commission Resurgence is much-needed. But my question is why a denomination that believes Scripture is both inerrant and sufficient needs a Great Commission Resurgence? Please do not interpret that as critical of the concept or the committee. Hear the question: Why do we need? And if we do need this and it is biblical, why are we waiting for a committee report to obey God? How many times must Scripture speak before we obey?

There are churches that no longer visit prospects. I was actually told by one staff member that he typically waited until someone visited twice because the second visit indicated there might be serious interest about the church. I have had others, seminary trained, who simply do not visit. Some talk of “attractional” methods. Tell me what is attractive about a church that has lost its passion for Christ and those for whom he died?

Where does a local GCR begin? It begins with leadership in precept, principle, and example.

We have emphasized church growth, then church health, now we have a Great Commission Resurgence committee. God bless them. Those who initiated and suggested this were people of integrity and passion. The same is true for the committee. They seem to desire to be catalysts to move the SBC as a body toward incremental and necessary change.

But you, pastor, do not have to wait until Orlando to change. What is the Spirit saying to the churches? I submit the same things he has said all along recorded in Revelation 2-3 and other passages applicable to the subject.

Has “revival” become a cop-out for such things as passion, caring, obedience and hard work? We do not really know much about revival other than what we have read. We may have had what some call “mercy drops”, but a national or denominational revival/awakening has not been seen by anyone alive today. Biblically, those are mostly Old Testament passages. It is not the cry of the New Testament. The closest in the New is a call to a busy church to remember their first love, turn around, and return to that first love. And I believe that is a first love of loving Christ as well as loving others (Rev. 2:1-7). It seems consistent with the Great Commandment of Matthew 22:34-40.

There is an article here in the Southern Baptist Texan. It is well written and acknowledges that revival/spiritual awakening seems to be predicated upon prayer and the Sovereignty of God. There are those that reduce God’s Sovereignty to man’s formula. We would not do so in precept, but we often do in principle with our methods. Roy Fish, one of God’s greatest gifts to Southern Baptists and the world, is quoted in the article. One of the most crucial concepts is this: “Yet Fish added that awakening—a term he uses synonymously with revival—is not merely the result of believers meeting certain conditions in a formula. In fact, two churches could seek God identically but  only one congregation experience revival, he said.”

So my observation is this. We as leaders should lead our people to passionately pursue communion with God through prayer privately and corporately. I do not believe it offensive to lost people who are intelligent enough to know they have entered a place of worship called a church. They may even have expectation that we would pray.

Justice is big stuff these days. It is ”big stuff” and later blog posts will address the subject.

What is justice? This particular post will not go into theological definitions and nuances of the term. However, one has said that justice is righting past wrongs. This particular definition was given within the bounds of biblical truth. One could also say that in a great sense justice is cooperating with the mission of Christ to push back the darkness (see Isa. 61 and Luke 4). If that is true, then not only good works, but also prayer and evangelism become part of any biblical concept of justice.

I may give a cup of cold water and/or food in Jesus’ name, and I should. But if I do not give biblical hope, that person may perish on a full stomach and spend eternity apart from God’s grace but eternally present with His wrath. Good works should not at all be manipulative for the purpose of getting ”decisions”. But somewhere in the conversation, eternal hope through the Gospel of Christ must be clear.

Doing all the Great Commission indeed involves evangelism, discipleship (inclusive of prayer and justice), and bringing people into the local Body of Christ. Again the question: Why do we need a GCR committee?

If indeed there is need, and there appears to be, then is not our immediate and personal response that of heeding John’s call to the Ephesian church in Rev. 2:1-7?

Like I said – it is my view from the cheap seats. How many more churches could be started, mission trips taken, and people helped with the monies we spend trying to motivate professing Christians to simply obey the elementary commands of Christ? Think about it.

“BLESSED ARE THE HUNGRY, FOR THEY SHALL BE DISCUSSED…”

or something like that. I think it is time to write another Bible. Oh, I don’t mean the one we have isn’t good enough or isn’t inerrant. It surely is. But let’s face it. Somewhere in the past and likely for several reasons the conservative church in North America has built a fence around its practice that seems far from what the text actually says and teaches. Look at the Beatitudes (in a humorous fashion) as an example. Does this show practice more than the inerrant text?

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the back pew.

2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall do so in isolation.

3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall be considered as having poor self esteem.

4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be considered fanatics.

5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be taken advantage of.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall not serve on our committees.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called naïve.

8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for they shall be given the left foot of fellowship.

9. Blessed are you when they shall revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil about you (often truthfully), for religion’s sake.

As you know, this is NOT what Jesus said in Matthew 5:3-11. But I thought it might provoke some thought.

My observation is that we tend to write our own Bibles by the way we live our lives. Some write them by omitting certain Biblical teachings. Others write them by adding to certain Biblical teachings. And my soul, we just cannot have mystery and obscurity – we must know everything the Divine was thinking. How else can we lead the people of God?

Every generation produces its own religious fads. unfortunately, some follow them. One extreme is to become cultic. Another is to drop out from religious fatigue.

Obviously the above errant and uninspired “Beatitudes” are my attempt to illustrate the point. I have  heard talk of the failure of delivery systems designed to feed the hungry (literal, physical hunger) as being ineffective. I applaud feeding both the physically hungry and the spiritually hungry. Do we need different delivery systems?

May I suggest the local church? Is it not effective? If not, why not?

The Evangelical church in America that is a product of the Church Growth movement is pretty anemic. Why? Think of sermons like “Five Reasons Why It Is Dumb to Play in the Freeway”. Think of those Bibles for sale that are not actual translations, but are paraphrases. Many do not recognize these are one person’s commentary on the text. Think of people in the pew that really want “iChurch”. Think of prayer-less congregations and congregations so desperate for ‘converts’ that anything and everything is accepted. Think of hundreds of “Christians” unable to give a reason for the hope that is within them. But in all sincerity they come. They haven’t failed; leadership has failed them. The failure of leadership is a failure of prayer and making the Gospel plain. “If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (1 Cor. 14:8, NKJV)

Perhaps it is time to dig deep in the passages of the New Testament that speak of repentance. I know the Old is also inerrant, but we are in the New Covenant and that is what the New Testament is about – life in a new covenant. And that life in the Spirit is different than the revivals of the Old Covenant.

Some pastors are called to situations they did not create. So let me ask you, “How long has been, pastor, since you have preached a message on repentance and done so with a broken heart?” Pray until God breaks your heart for those whom God has assigned you (think Calling), then dig deep and preach from the overflow!

You see, the inerrant Beatitude actually says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6, NKJV).  May you be filled to overflow as you serve in Jesus’ Name!

Inside-Outside: The culture of the church

These are thoughts written some time ago in the context of my blog and brought back here for current reflection. The question is important, and is the beginning of some posts on justice issues. In a sense, community does not exclude biblical justice!

I was once asked to help a congregation develop a small group ministry. This was a very good congregation with a long and admired history. They have recently relocated to a different community. The issue at hand is that they are getting many visitors to the Sunday worship service but these are not being assimilated into the Sunday School or other areas in the life of the church.

Some wanted to drive small group with curriculum. Huge mistake. No doubt we should teach within the boundary of the Apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42), but small group is a method of developing Community, and Community is about relationships.

Which brings me to the point. Why the Church? Why the “called out ones”? Often in discussions some want to push every word to extremes. For example, if I asked “Do you go to “church” or are you the church? Some would take one extreme or another and shape the conversation around whether or not one should attend public worship. That is missing the point.

The point is about identity as a follower of Jesus and how we live that out with others. We are called, transformed, and sent with the gospel message. The new community of which we are a part is a relational community.

Within the biblical parameter, there is mutual accountability. Accountability can only be positive in an environment of loving relationships. In the context of evangelism, no one is won to Christ by someone they do not like. In the context of the church, no one will submit to accountability or discipline unless they believe the church or the other person genuinely loves them.

Love does not gloss over sin or bad behavior. Confrontation is sometimes necessary and almost always painful. The Bible uses a phrase that we sometimes over-use and by doing so we can negate its impact: “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head – Christ” (Eph. 4:15).

I confess my guilt in using this verse as an excuse for sometimes blurting out words that are truth, but not said in a loving way or with the intent of helping the hearer ‘grow in every way into Him’.

Many churches have what I call an “inside culture”. These are wonderful people who are very out of touch with the desires of the culture around them. In order to be part of that church, one must first learn the “inside culture” and adapt their life to it. That will happen less and less. And it is death to a convention of churches.

Does not love teach us to take proactive steps to develop biblical community in such a way as to break down the walls in order for us to develop healthy relationships and become catalysts for the transformation of soul that only Christ can bring?

Do you see an “inside culture” that is prohibitive in reaching people? How do you deal with it in your context?

Camelot, Camels, and Center

My first date with my wife was to see the movie Camelot. We sat in the balcony holding hands as Arthur and Guinevere romanced and sought to build the round table. Unfortunately Lancelot captured Guinevere’s affections and she and Lancelot betrayed Arthur. Mordred, the illegitimate son of Arthur exposed the affair with the intent of destroying Arthur and taking his throne. The end scene in the movie was on a battlefield on which Lancelot and Arthur would lead their Knights to fight to the death. Guinevere came out of the fog to reveal she had taken refuge in a convent. She wept out a movie version of repentance to Arthur, who forgave her.

Of course, the movie is fiction and most scholars regard the story as fiction as well. Arthurian scholar Norris J. Lacy commented that “Camelot, located no where in particular, can be anywhere”.

That has certainly been true in American politics with the Kennedy administration. It is often referred to as “Camelot”.

My question is this. Is that also true of some past history in denominational and church life? And if so, was it ever as good as some remember? I hear people talk about the “old days”. In my own mind I have mostly been an outsider. But I have listened. And I have come to believe that much of what some talk about is Lacy’s definition of “Camelot” – located no where in particular, can be anywhere.”

Which leads to the question, ‘Is this why some insist upon swallowing camels’? Jesus refers to some in his day as “blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel” (Matthew 23:24). What was the problem in Matthew 23? Seven woes are pronounced upon those who preach but do not practice (23:3).

You see, Camelot exists only in the imagination. No doubt there have been good times and bad times in history, but we do not live in history. We are informed and somewhat shaped by it, but we live in the present and prepare for the future. The Scriptures speak of David as serving the purpose of God in his own generation, then dying (Acts 13:36).

And I remind you – Camelot did not end well and camels are very difficult to swallow!

May I offer a suggestion in the form of a question for 2010? Whether it be the local church in which we serve, the denomination, or the Great Commission Resurgence – can we find our center in Christ?

I have never doubted the inerrancy of Scripture. I learned that at my father’s knee as a child. My parents could not give theological reasons nor did they use the term “inerrancy”. But they did understand and teach that the Bible was God’s word and there was no error in Scripture. We have what God wants us to have. So, the sufficiency of Scripture was learned as a child. But as an adult I have also learned the superiority of Scripture.

If ministry methods, traditions of men, and social mores not taught in Scripture become equivalent to Scripture in our processing of discipleship and community, then are we perhaps swallowing a camel in search of a non-existent Camelot?

The revival we seek will only come when the Christ of the Bible is at the center. We can be described by boundaries we create, but we cannot be defined by them. A follower of Christ can only be defined by radical commitment to Him and the extension of His Kingdom.

The Christian life is one that requires an empowerment not from ourselves. We can only be empowered from Christ the center, not the boundaries. Thus, to live life together from the center is to live centered in Christ and focused on Christ.

Jesus taught us that the only thing attractive to humanity is the uplifted Christ (John 12:32). In the cross-resurrection event is both judgment upon sin and grace for the sinner. It is Christ the center that enables life for the sinner.

Historically, one generation does not pass down their vision to another. God is fully capable of calling, gifting, and giving vision to each generation. The question becomes “How may we flow together in a multi-generational world and church to the glory of God without segmentation that dismisses those not like us?”

I offer that we all submit to Christ as the center and one generation resources the next – not just in terms of money, but in terms of all we have. We resource with people, money, creativity, respect, honor of others, etc.

In other words, recognize that Christ dwells in the hearts by faith of all who have been born again. He has gifted each one. Now in your congregation and sphere of influence, how can that gifting be utilized for the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom? What resources do you and your congregation bring to the table?

We might begin by with taking the camel off the menu and understanding that Camelot is fiction. Christ alone is reality (Col. 2:8-17).

May 2010 be a year for you in which you and your congregation see the abundant blessings of God and His favor.