People in Protest!

In Ephesians 4:26, 27, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” If you have been following our political process, you know that many appear to be voting in the primaries strictly out of anger. Americans seem tired and outraged over the ineffectiveness of our government. Voters are frustrated with politicians who don’t carry out promises, who seem to be unresponsive to voter’s needs, and who allow the other political party to run over them. People are voting out of protest!

I believe our election cycle is revealing the condition of our society as a whole. Americans are overworked, overwhelmed, worried about their future, often consumed with responsibility, and feel that no one is looking out for them. Young people are frustrated to the point of violence (see my blog on “Gun Control”). 

This attitude often carries over into church life. People will leave a church because the music was changed; only to go to another church with the same style of music they rejected. Or, some members leave their church because a program was discontinued, only to change to another church that never had that program. Why? What is motivating us to become protesters in our culture and church?

Many feel frustrated over a lack of control or input in our circumstances. We have been voting for our political party for many years, only to feel betrayed by them. Are politicians laughing at us? Are they telling us anything just to get our vote? Do they think we are fools? It’s been said, “We need to take back control of our country.” In reality, it seems we never had control; after all, what is one vote in a million? In the past, we had confidence in the leaders we voted into office. But, because our politicians have often proven inept and untrustworthy, we no longer have that faith in them.

As a pastor, I see this same attitude very prevalent in our churches. People who attend church once or twice a month, but are not involved, feel a lack of input or control in church decisions. When change occurs, or doesn’t occur in the church, they become angry. We hear things from them like, “Where did this come from? I attend regularly and this is the first I heard about it. They only ask us to vote after the decision is already made! This is the last straw!”

There will always be people in the church who will leave out of protest or rebellion. I believe, however, the rebellious feelings within our culture have bled over into churches. I may not have answers to your political concerns, but allow me to try to address this as it applies to the church.

When you feel the church has made a decision that you do not agree with, or felt you had no say in, what can you do?

1.  Resist the temptation to rebel. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” This means that rebellion, like witchcraft, allows Satan into your life. As we give him a toehold in our lives, he can plant seeds of anger, resentment, bitterness, and gossip.

2.  Trust your leadership. Not everyone can have input in all areas, no matter the size of the church. Your pastor and staff are called by God to lead, and the pastor, more than anyone, will be held responsible by God for the health of the church. Your pastor is not a politician or a celebrity prepared to take the “heat” of every criticism. He is one of you—but called to lead. Also, trust your committees and lay leaders, because God has placed them where they are for a reason. When a pastor or leader ceases to be trustworthy, they should be removed, otherwise, trust the sovereignty of God by trusting them.

3.  Get involved. Anyone involved in a church ministry should have input on the planning level. How deeply you are involved in a ministry will determine your input.

4.  When your church decides to move in a direction—follow that direction. You are part of a family. Don’t leave out of protest. God is not in that at all and leaving is the easy way out. Your rebellion will only follow you to the next church. Leave your church only if God is leading you elsewhere. Then leave quietly, being careful not to hurt the church.

5.  Trust the Lord. He is sovereign and in ultimate control of all things. If you are in a leadership role, serve for the Lord. If a decision is made that you are not involved in, praise God that you don’t have that responsibility added to the many others in your life.

Authority exists in our lives to help and protect us. No one person can withstand shouldering the burden of every decision that has to be made in church or in life—that is why we have leaders. Let’s not allow our frustration with other parts of our lives affect our relationship with His church.

I hope this helps you accept and understand your role in church actions and decisions. As far as politics—good luck with that!

Your thoughts?

The News

 

In 1 Corinthians 15:14, Paul says“…and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” The word preaching is an interesting choice of words. Paul and the other writers of the New Testament could have used several other words to define their communication of the gospel, but they chose the word preaching which comes from a word meaning to herald. In New Testament times, there was no internet or newspapers to give people the news of the day. A herald or crier would walk through the streets or stand at a corner preaching or heralding the news.

In today’s news programs, both hard and soft news are presented. Soft news is “news you can use.” It’s practical news such as the latest fashion or diet—perhaps a heart-warming story or a sports report. Hard news is crucial news that affects you, such as politics, war, terrorism, or inclement weather. A crier or herald in Paul’s day would only be heralding hard news. The point here is that the gospel is hard news—news that affects your life in a profound way. News that is about life and death, about eternity—about a relationship with your creator.

Is preaching in churches today primarily about hard or soft news? In the interest of attracting the unchurched and keeping the attention of church members, are pastors today often emphasizing subjects such as burnout, stress, busyness, relationships, and emotional challenges? Or, are we heralding the good news of Scripture first and then applying it to various aspects of life?

Please understand, I think there‘s a place for application of Scripture in preaching. I recently completed a sermon series on “The Relationship Principles of Jesus.” Seventy percent of Jesus’ messages were on how to apply His teachings. I guess my question is, “Have we crossed the line from preaching the Scripture to using the Scripture to teach soft news?”

As I said in last week’s blog, we often struggle with how far to take attractional evangelism. Pastors want people to invite their friends to church. Members do not want their friends to be offended or embarrassed. We pastors want our messages to be relevant to the church and their guests. Many feel if we “tell it like it is,” that is, hard news in a hard way, we will discourage people from inviting their friends. Then evangelism will suffer.

I have a deep burden in my soul to reach people for Christ. Church members need to invite their friends to church. So how can pastors and members work together to reconcile these issues? How would it look? Here are some thoughts:

1.  Pastors would be committed to preaching the hard news of the Bible, not exclusively using it to preach soft news.

2. Pastors would preach the hard news with a gracious heart, admitting that they too struggle with sin, guilt, doubt, and failure. The pastor who preaches hard news in a hard way may believe he has earned that right through his good life and works, but in doing so demonstrates that he is not seeing or appreciating the grace of God in his own life.

3. Pastors would preach the Word, explain the Scriptures, and apply them to everyday life. This would include soft news when applicable. He would be careful to leave out terms that only the churched would understand, and handle “hot button” issues with truth and grace. 

4.  Members would invite their friends by sharing with them that their pastor teaches the Bible in truth and power, but with a heart of grace. They would encourage their friends to come and hear the truth that will help them understand Christ and how to live in this world.

5.  Pastors would weave the gospel message of salvation into every message. Some are critical of the salvation message merely being added on to the end of a sermon. Yet, every passage of the Bible screams the gospel of Christ .Every member should be assured their guest will hear the gospel and have an opportunity to receive Christ. 

An understanding between pastors and church members would go a long way in having both the heralding of the Word and attracting unbelievers to the church.

What do you think?

The Dark Side of Attractional Evangelism

When I was growing up, church evangelism consisted of inviting others to church. My generation didn’t embrace that method, instead we took the gospel of Christ to the people outside the church.

While in college, I was a transitional pastor of a church. One of the church members joined me as we visited people in the neighborhood each Sunday afternoon. One Sunday, as we walked away from a house, he commented that he had never been with a pastor who actually shared the gospel in homes. He said, “We just invited them to church.”

Today, the pendulum has swung the other way. People are critical of the more confrontational evangelistic approach. American culture has changed from a front porch to back porch mentality. People do not want to be disturbed once they have cocooned themselves within their home. In keeping with today’s culture, churches are again encouraging people to invite their friends to church (as though it’s a new idea). With a resistance to home visits in most communities, churches have become reliant on this method. In fact, chances are, if your members are not consistently inviting people to church, your church is probably not growing. It’s a good policy to develop a church that connects with unbelievers, and some practices that may help are:

·         Being intentionally friendly

·         Having 4 to 5  connection points for guests as they enter campus

·         Eliminating “churchy” or “insider” language in the preaching

·         Realize that guests may not be familiar with biblical stories

·         Clearly communicating the next step your church wants guests to take

So, what is the dark side?

1.  Going too far to accommodate the unchurched.

Attractional churches can become fearful of offending. Certain biblical teachings are being ignored or even wrongly interpreted. Many of these churches are sound on the gospel. They may couch the gospel inside a message on marriage, success, or relationships, but the gospel is still preached. After all, the reason to have an attractional service in an attractional church is to reach the unchurched. 

Yet, pastors often struggle with how to handle social issues, tithing and giving issues, passages of Scripture that confront sin, or judgment of sin. Christians who are sitting in churches dealing with these issues want to know what God says and what their pastor believes. 

If you are going to be attractional, you might think you have to be careful not to offend the guest, which might in turn embarrass the member who invited them. This may then lead the member to be hesitant in inviting guests again. If your people are too afraid to invite their friends, how will your church reach people?

2.  If attractional ministry is your primary method of evangelism, then it is less likely that your members will learn to share their faith. Why should they do that when they can simply invite friends to church and let the professionals present the gospel?

3.  You may rely too heavily on members inviting others. If the members do not catch the vision, where do you go from there?

4.  The darkest part of the dark side is building a church around what is comfortable to the world. To develop a church around the theme, “a church the unchurched will feel comfortable attending” is an eerie vision. What does a church really look like if a person who is outside of Christ, has unforgiven sin, no spiritual life, can come and feel perfectly at home? Where is the conviction of sin? Where is the need for God? Jesus often preached difficult things (see John 6) and many left Him.

Please know I am not the typical critic here. Some say these attractional churches end up making church look like a circus. Who’s to say God doesn’t enjoy a good circus? In a day when attractional evangelism is a key, I don’t want to miss the boat—but I don’t want to drown in the ocean either. I want to point people to the light, but not at the expense of sending myself and my church down a dark path. I feel a deep burden to see people saved. Yet, I long to see Christians discipled in the Word and standing strong in their faith. The day of confrontational evangelism and believers worship services seem to be a simpler time.

How far should attractional evangelism go? Should we go back to older methods? There is much at stake.

What do you think?

Getting Connected

When Jesus washed the disciples' feet in John 13, He said, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (John 13:14, 15).

The living parable that Jesus was teaching is that all of us have bathed (salvation), but we get our feet dirty (sin). We need others in our lives to help us with our sin (bad attitudes, weaknesses, blind spots).

When we were children, our parents constantly pointed out our blind spots. It was their job to correct us so that we could grow to become better people. What happens when we become adults? Who is going to point out our blind spots? Who is going to wash our feet? Who will, humbly and gently, help us discover where we need to change in order to lead us to become more mature believers?

This Scripture illustrates the need we have for community. Christianity was designed to be in community, and that is why Jesus said, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). His church is the vehicle where Christian community comes into our lives. It is where we make connection with others.

Not everyone can confront us with our shortcomings. The criteria for this are two-fold:

1.  The person must know you well. Paul Tripp states that, “We think we know ourselves better   than anyone. We talk to ourselves more than anyone else.” Our reaction to those who try to correct us is often, “They don’t really know me.” In order to be qualified to help someone, we must be close enough to know them.

2.  The person must love us.  They are not trying to change us for their benefit—but for our benefit.

Where do we find these people? We find them in church, but even more so in a Christian Small Group setting. The twelve disciples had their own “Small Group.” Jesus was originally speaking to His “Small Group” about the washing of feet. Once we are part of a Small Group, we look for God to lead us to special friends—friends that we connect with, who love us, and have our best interest at heart. It is in the context of these relationships that we find people we can trust, who will have the courage to confront and help us.

As important as community is, it is often the case that pastors are left out of community in the church. Again, citing Paul Tripp, he tells us that because pastors are often looked on as being held on a pedestal, an example of victory, any evidence of struggle is, at the least, awkward for the congregation. Pastors, therefore, can be isolated from real community. I have been guilty of this for some time. I share this because I’m sure there are some of you who also feel outside a close Christian community. You do not have a Small Group, or if you are part of a group, you may be hesitant to be transparent, even with your closest friends. After all, it’s none of their business.  But, it is their business—Jesus said so.

I have recently taken steps to find close community again by reconnecting with other pastors and attempting to minister alongside them. In time, as I try to serve others, I know God will place loving friends in my life who will connect with me.

What about you? Are you in a church? Have you joined a Small Group? Christianity is a Christian community project. Who is washing your feet?

What are your thoughts on this?

Three People in Your Church

I have discovered there are three types of people in every church—customers, owners, and investors. Your members will be motivated based on the group to which they belong.

1.  Customers – When we think about customers, we first think about a consumer who never wants to contribute. However, a customer is simply a person who comes to church for what is in it for them and their family. When searching for a church, most will be asking questions such as, “Do I fit in? Is the Word being preached? Do I like the music? Can I make friends here? Do they have programs for my children?” We want to know the “value” the church has to our life. If people stay at the customer level, they will never have a commitment to the church or its vision.

An apt illustration is when we go to a restaurant we really enjoy. We notice there is a new menu—and with it price changes. Now the steak you want is more expensive. The value has changed. You don’t complain, you simply eat your meal and don’t go back. 

Like a restaurant customer, the church customer may join and participate in activities. However, he is there because the value is good for him. When the price gets too high (giving, serving) or the perceived value is lowered, he does not usually cause problems—he just leaves.

2.  Owners – I love owners. They are usually committed to the church and have demonstrated loyalty and heart to serve. However, if there are problems in a church, it will usually come from owners. When the value changes for owners, they do not leave graciously, they complain or even revolt. If your favorite restaurant is one where you meet your friends every week, or have been a local patron for many years, you are not immediately going to try somewhere else. You may try to appeal to the manager, but if, in the end, you are not satisfied you will be upset and decide to go elsewhere.

When change occurs, those who are owners will often appeal humbly in the beginning. However, owners are the ones who eventually write the letter to the congregation, sign petitions, and gather followers to their cause. I recall when the music changed at one church, a member approached the worship leader, and with great anger said, “I can’t believe you stole my church!” Owners are motivated by their love for the church and their need to remain at a comfort level with change.

3.  Investors – These are the owners in the church who have bought into the vision and desire the kingdom to grow through the church. They want to invest their lives in the eternal. These investors can be compared to those who have either financially invested in the restaurant or vested in an emotional way. They seek solutions to problems and look to the future welfare of the business.

The investor in the church is usually an owner who sees beyond himself, through the eyes of God. He does not ask how a decision in the church will affect him, but how it will affect reaching the non-believer. The investor is motivated by vision—one that expresses love for God and others.

As pastors, we need to recognize where people are in their journey. Then we need to lead them to step up and become an investor in the kingdom. Only then will they grow to become loyal Christians who truly follow the Lord’s heart.

What do you think?

Leadership by the Pitch

Over my 30 plus years of ministry, God has taught me much about leadership. Life experiences in the pastorate have brought many lessons, some of which I would like to share with you over the next few weeks.

The first is that I need to lead by the pitch. During my pastorate in Atlanta, I had the privilege of planting a church. Even as I look back, I feel my motives were good. I wanted to reach people for Christ and help them grow in their faith. The church grew rapidly the first five years. However, the area where the church was located began to change, and church growth became more difficult. Being a highly driven person, I placed tremendous pressure on myself to top the successes of the previous years. I began to take greater ownership of “my church.” The once godly motives had turned into a pressure to perform. My joy for ministry was waning.

When God convicted my heart of the error of my way, I relinquished that ownership and began to relax my ambitions. I turned the ownership over to God. I was no longer a slave to success, but the pendulum swung too far—there became a leadership void in the church.

Jesus said, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." (Matthew 16:18)  Paul added, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." (I Corinthians 3:6) Realizing I had backed away too far, I asked God to define my role as a pastor/leader.  Since only Christ can grow the church, what was to be my part?

God gave me the answer in a most unusual place.  I was reading a newspaper interview with Atlanta Braves pitcher, Greg Maddox.  Maddox was in the midst of winning four consecutive Cy Young awards, as the league's best pitcher.  At the time, he was pitching well but the Braves were not scoring enough runs for him to win consistently.  The reporter asked, "What is the problem?" Maddox’ response was, "It's not up to me to win the game, but to make the right pitches." That was it!  It's not up to me to grow the church, but to obey God and allow Him to use me in a pastoral leadership role. The pressure is not on me to win the game, but to obey Him in each step He desires me to take. I am to work hard and make the pitch the best one I can throw. God calls the pitch, we make it, but He ultimately wins the game. This has been one of the most liberating leadership lessons of my life.

What are the right pitches? They are different for every leader. In upcoming blogs, I will share some pitches that God has led me to make, and the resulting lessons I learned over the years.

I hope you find these helpful.

Relationship Barriers

Life is about relationships. If your relationships are good, life is good. If your relationships are bad, nothing else can substitute. Many come home to a distant marriage, where every word must be weighed. Parents arrive home to hear their teenager run upstairs to avoid conversation. Others are worried because they are at odds with someone at work.

Jesus says the whole law can be summed up around two relationships. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:36-40.

All law can be summed up in loving God and loving people. Often our relationship with God is far less complicated than our relationships with others. Repairing our relationship with God is one-sided. God does not need to be fixed. Our relationships with others are more complicated because we deal with weakness, blind spots, stress, and lack of communication on both sides. Why are relationships so difficult? I believe there are at least seven barriers.

1.  We want to love and be loved for own sake. We reach out to others because we need a friend, not to be a friend. There are many self-help books on how to be a more loveable person, but not many on how to be a more loving person.

2. We have blind spots. There are areas in our lives we do not see. Our loved ones may see a weakness in our lives, but we are blind to it.

3. We desire mutual love. It’s very painful to love someone more than they love you.

4. We place others before God. Our happiness depends on someone else’s happiness. This is often seen in our relationship with our children. If they are unhappy, we are unhappy. This is because someone other than God is on the throne of our lives.

5.  We want the same type of love that we give. However we express our love, we want others to express love to us in the same way.

6. We want the same kind of logic that we give. This can cause a breakdown in communication. Either we cannot logically express ourselves, or we cannot see another’s way of thinking.

7.  We hide behind masks. We’re afraid people will find out who we really are.

The beginning step to good relationships is humility. It’s only as we humble ourselves before God and receive His grace that we can give grace and understanding to others.

 What do you think?

For further study on relationships, you can view my series of messages at  http://crosslifechurch.com/sermons/