Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I WANT THE LOST!!!

I never really noticed it happening while it was.  I suppose none of us ever really did, but it happened and we were every bit a part of the problem.  For me it wasn't until I found myself deleting phone numbers from my cell phone.  I began to notice the greater number of people in my phone were believers.  In fact, I am not so certain that I had but a handful of people who didn't know Christ.  That grieved me.  Fortunately though God never stops working on us.  

Much of the world of church planting lately, with trends around, behind, and in front of me, rubs me the wrong way.  I find too many church planters are looking for more Christians with whom they can plant a church.  Now I don't mean for a moment to take away from the fact that I don't believe we do well to plant churches with anything less than believers.  However, I am beginning to ask the deeper question, if indeed God wants us to be about church planting in the fashion we have been so engaged in, or if there is the need for emphasis not on a Sunday morning worship service, small groups, and ministry opportunities (and all our other "Christianese" terminology), but a need to start with a team who wants to win souls, and upon winning souls, watch God grow a church. 

I have spoken some of this before, but it is continuing to strike me that we seem a bit wayward in such an approach.  God doesn't call us to plant churches, but He does call us to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20).  He doesn't call us to have a public launch, but He does call us to mobilize people for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-14).  He doesn't call us to count heads every week, but that we present everyone mature in Christ (Col. 1:28).  I say this to shame nobody but myself.  My own presuppositions about how to do all this have been increasingly exposed.  My heart is ever being transformed.  Instead of measuring success by a number, and a growing number, I am seeing it more clearly in terms of how God is conforming me and those around me into the likeness of Christ.

For those out there who feel the need for "social validation" by more numbers, go ahead and take all those who think like you.  For those out there who want to have seats full of bodies on week one, take whomever comes.  I would rather not busy myself with those worries, with those expectations, with that unnecessary weight.  Just give me souls!  I want the lost!  The lost don't know how to "do church."  The lost don't care about our neatly folded bulletins, or our well-planned service structure.  They need to know of their brokenness, their sin and the glories of the all-sufficient Christ who will satisfy them forevermore. So I want Christians to join me in this if their heart will be compelled to activity as regards the GOSPEL.  But if they won't engage a non-believing world actively with the gospel and instead make it about church activities as they have known, I have known, you have known, I would not have them.  My hearts cry continues to cry, "Give me the lost, I want the lost." And I labor in prayer and activity toward making disciples who make disciples who make disciples.  All for the GLORY OF CHRIST.

Monday, November 25, 2013

The Dead Keep Speaking - (reflecting on Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

Sadly Dietrich Bonhoeffer died far too young, and before he could pen all that his hand and mind would have crafted.  But a glorious reality comes to light in all of this.  Only the Gospel allows the dead to keep speaking, because Christ is alive and because of that, it (the gospel) is alive.  So as of late the few little pieces of Bonhoeffer's legacy of writing that I have been able to consume have meant a tremendous meal for me to eat.  In fact, I am finding there is so much that I need to share it.  I may eventually write on all these matters, but for now listen to these powerful words from his work Life Together.  My reflection is for now limited to the header above each.

We Make Far Too Little of Corporate Gatherings
"It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather in this world to share God's Word and sacrament.  Not all Christians receive this blessing.  The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the Gospel in heathen lands stand alone." 

Learning to Share in the Gospel Together and Not Just Leaving it to Our Pastor
"God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a man.  Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God's Word to him.  He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth.  He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ.  The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother's is sure."

Small Groups Don't Do FOR Us What a Fixation on Jesus Does TO Us
"The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it." 

I Need to Pray More...a Lot More
"A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses.  His face, that [before] may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner."

We, the Church, Need to See Our Misrepresentation of the Gospel
"The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner.  We dare not be sinners.  Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous.  So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy.  The fact is that we are sinners!  But it is the grace of the Gospel, which is so hard for the pious to understand, that it confronts us with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come, as the sinner that you are, to God who loves you."

Oh For Confession Like This With One Another
"In confession the break-through to community takes place.  Sin demands to have a man by himself.  It withdraws him from community.  In confession the light of the Gospel breaks into the darkness and seclusion of the heart.  The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power.  It has been revealed and judged as sin.  It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder.  Now the fellowship bears the sin of the brother."

Friday, November 22, 2013

Letting Jesus Qualify Love

I am beginning to wonder if the love of man to his fellow man as outlined in the law (then later clarified by Christ) is to be distinguished from the love of brothers and sisters (as in Christ) unto one another. I only mean that the qualifications placed on it are not as far reaching as the love for members of Christ's body, one to another.  Now before you completely discard this idea, consider some of the words of Christ that seem to indicate this. 

Ultimately what we find is that we are called, indeed commanded, to love both people who are not members of Christ's body (Matt. 22:39) and we are to love one another as members of Christ's body (John 13:34).  However, the qualifying words of each of these mentioned relationships and the love that is to be held between the two gives us reason to believe they are different.  One goes much further reaching.  Jesus simply sums up the commandments regarding relationships between humans and keeping of these with the word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  But as regards the relationship among His own disciples He says, "...love one another, just as I have loved you." 

Now on the surface these two commands look like one in the same.  But there is a great distinction made in all this with what follows the commands themselves.  His qualification of each love is in the words following the word "as."  In the first instance of the love of people to anyone and everyone it is listed "as yourself."  Nobody would for a moment deny that there is built into them an intrinsic care, concern, desire for what is safe, joyful, in his/her best interests.  None of us has to look hard to realize we care about our self and it is this self-care to which Jesus appeals that indeed if we had this for one another we'd be fulfilling this original law.  But when appealing to His disciples to what standard of love they need to have for one another (as disciples of His) it is said to be "as I have loved you."  That is, Christ is somewhere in here qualifying a love that they do not know in and of themselves.  It is a different love than they have ever known that can no longer be qualified merely by the self-care. 

I would argue that the love to which Jesus is calling ("as I have loved you") far exceeds any self-care, intrinsic love that we have for ourselves.  This is the highest love known toward man.  I am no longer to measure the standard of my love for others by anything of me, but now Christ becomes the ultimate measuring standard.  If this doesn't convince you then consider further the words of Jesus.  In its entirety His word to the disciples is, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."  What about this commandment is new?  They know they need to love one another.  They have heard it before that they are to love their neighbor.  They are familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan.  What makes this new is the very qualification to which Jesus directs our attention.  It is this new standard, namely CHRIST'S LOVE. 

We haven't known this type of love in the body of Christ.  We talk about it, in part.  We act as though engaging in it is who we want to be, but rarely attempt.  The reality is that we cannot perfectly attain to it.  There is no way my love for another will ever reach that of Christ.  So what?  Give up?  Never!  But to keep the standard of such Divine heights, and to keep our love for one another dependent upon His enabling He gave this to us (John 15:5).  To keep us from becoming ineffectual in our witness to the world He gave us this command (John 17:21).  Even to allow us to participate in a greater joy than what we ever conceived, He gave us this command and highest standard (John 15:11).  To allow us to show just a reflection of the glories of the gospel, He gave us this command (1 John 4:11-12). 

So love your neighbor.  Love them greatly.  Give for their sake.  And go love in increasing measure those with whom your participate in adoration of Christ, your local body.  Let the world see the powerful transforming work of Christ, even to unite people, who show off Christ by serving one another, sacrificing for one another, meeting the needs of one another.  The gospel commands not merely a commitment to Christ, but a commitment to one another.  It is no gospel to love Christ and care nothing or little, commit nothing or little to, sacrifice nothing or little for, and give no or little time to your brothers and sisters in Christ.  The gospel demands of us commitment to Christ and commitment to one another.  In this is freedom, and joy, and peace, and power because THIS IS THE GOSPEL.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Make Much of Christ!!! (And Christ's People?)

We make too little of God's people.  There, I said it.  Our priorities are fixed concerning matters related to work.  And even among our time playing, we have a great tendency to preserve such a window that nothing will hinder us from what we enjoy.  We make much of church, as far as the "activity" of church.  Call us legalistic, we may be.  Call us in love with the Lord, we likely are.  But don't call us in love with God's people, because we care far too little about actually meeting with them. 

When is the last time you missed a main church service and actually felt compelled to call or visit face-to-face with people you know and love who are a part of the same church to tell them you wouldn't be there, or weren't there?  On the other side of that coin, when is the last time you missed a service and were actually called by a church member?  And when was the last time both of these happened?  I am not for a moment saying the impetus of a call from either party should be driven by legalism.  However, it should be happening.  But the fact is we care little about the body around us.  

This is hardly becoming of the gospel.  We do rightly to get together and make so much of Jesus as we sing together, as we collectively give our tithes/offerings for the sake of the advancement of the gospel, and as we listen to the gospel proclaimed as the Word is read and preached.  In this we do well to rejoice.  This is the glorious purpose for which we can, do, and should gather.  But not to be lost in all this is that we are gathering.  We are gathering with others for whom Christ's blood was shed.  

Ultimately what I am coming to realize is that our ability to connect with Christ is every bit ours as individuals.  But we have an entire week to engage with Him in our many moments of solidarity.  We have but one window on the weekend to gather together to engage with Him.  My point is that it is a unique opportunity to connect with Christ which is only enhanced as we engage with Him both with one another and even because of one another.  That is, we all worship as individuals, but His glorious power is so wonderful that despite all our many differences, backgrounds, sin struggles, joys, pains, trials and temptations, He unites us to worship as a body.  

I am challenged by the words of Jesus who tells us that our being made "one" would be every bit powerful in speaking to the world and causing belief (John 17:21).  I believe this is nothing more than the echo of Jesus' previous words of what it is to "love one another" (John 13:34-35).  But how do we love when we don't miss the ones who are missing?  And how do we love when we don't show to worship Christ with the local body to which He's called us?  And how do we expect the world to want any bit of what we have?  Why would they?  Ultimately the gospel commands us to commit to one another.  It commands us to gather together.  It commands us to love one another.  Our Sunday gathering is not the totality of this, but it is the introductory level of commitment that we should affectionately show Jesus, and His people of whom we are built together with.  We miss the greater gospel application, even in all our affectionate singing, in our copious note-taking, in our weeping during communion, if we don't as greatly celebrate Christ's people around, with, among us, and prioritize meeting together with them.  

This is the call of Christ.  It is not a call to never miss a Sunday, but it is a call to feel something missing when you do miss gathering with God's people.  Too, it is a call to let God's people know they were missed when they weren't there.  This is the Gospel.  This is what it calls of us, and in this we make much of Christ.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Gospel Intentionality

For most of my life I have prayed.  I remember some of the earliest memories I have are of being in church, and my little Sunday school class in that old church building basement, praying about a variety of things.  I remember the impression I got from my parents that prayer was important.  Oh how right they were.  I remember even by the time I was ten years old making a list one new year's eve putting down the names of a number of family members and friends who didn't know Christ and praying that they might know Christ.  

I have continued in such for all the years since first learning about prayer, and in the meantime learned much more about it all.  Yet, I don't feel I really grasped much.  Indeed even now I hardly understand it, but at least one thing has become all the more clear to me.  It is right to pray.  It is right to think of people and pray that God might save them, call them, draw them to faith in Christ.  It is every bit proper to do this.  Keep praying all you who pray to God for Christ to be known in the lives of those who don't know Him.  But don't miss out on your responsibility.  

It is as though for so many years we figured the gospel would somehow magically or miraculously be known to those we pray for apart from human involvement.  And for those on our lists who lived right next door, somehow we were willing to identify it was God's job to save them and so we prayed, but side-stepped our responsibility in telling them.  

I bring all this up because lately it has really struck me.  I want to see God birth a brand new local body of believers (a church) out of the efforts I make here.  It is why I moved my family, it is why I wrestle in planning, meeting, dreaming, praying every day.  But I have come to realize that I don't do right to merely pray for souls.  It is too generic to say, "Lord, give us the lost."  It is inadequate to say, "Send revival."  It is insufficient to pray, "Save these souls Lord," if we are not engaging them with the gospel.  

Lately I have found myself praying all the more for the salvation of souls around me.  Suddenly I say, "Lord save Donald and allow me to get into his world."  And you know what?  I have found I desire to meet with him over a coffee to talk life.  I may not know him well, but I need to get to know him better and find ways and means through which I can better make the gospel known.  And so I find my prayer is working in that I am finally getting involved at the level at which my prayer should have drawn me in the first place.  God ever delights to use humans to bring this divine message to lost souls.  I call it Gospel Intentionality.  It is my way of saying that rather than solely praying, I will also put together a plan (flawed at best) to get into the lives of non-believers.  

So start where you are at.  Start by identifying even just ONE.  Identify one person around you (at work, school, places you "play", neighborhood) with whom you can start engaging.  Think of taking your relationship with them to a deeper level.  If you don't know them well, get to know them better.  If you can already talk to them, talk at a deeper level.  And allow for all to continually lead to the GOSPEL.  Be intentional.  Even today, set up an appointment to meet a couple for dinner, or an individual for coffee, or invite someone over to your place for dessert, and do what so many have done before you: boast of what JESUS has done.  This is the gospel and it requires we are intentional.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Delighted that God Draws People to Christ (Part 2)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." - Jesus

It is a fascinating thing Jesus says here (John 6:44) of the work of the Father.  It is undoubtedly the work of God to enable humans to believe in things spiritual.  Nobody who is a follower of Christ would argue any bit otherwise.  God played some role in initiating something such that we might engage in this relationship with Him.  However, there is a distinction we must make.  Is God drawing everyone, and some choose to believe and follow?  Or is Jesus concluding that God draws some, and those He draws come (believe)?  Fortunately Jesus speaks further and unpacks matters that tell us just who it is God is drawing.  

There is little Jesus says in this episode that isn't controversial.  He has been talking about Himself as the bread (6:35), as one sent from heaven (6:42, 51), and whose flesh and blood these people must consume if they are to live (6:53).  It is clearly stirring controversy among those who listen, after all the Jews "grumbled" about him (6:41), and later "disputed" what He was saying (6:51).  So offensive was the language of Jesus that these disciples of His were "grumbling" (6:61).  And a number of them are so disturbed by His teaching that they ultimately left.   

Jesus tells His listeners that the words He is speaking are "spirit and life" (6:63).  That isn't so controversial.  But then He says, "There are some of you who do not believe" (6:64).  John adds a short commentary here that Jesus knew those who didn't believe, and even who it was who would betray Him, an obvious reference to Judas (6:65).  But why don't they believe?  Peter, one who does believe, later gives this great testimony to the fact that these very words are what convinced him to stay with Jesus and believe Jesus is the Holy One of God (6:68-69).  So why don't these people believe who Jesus talks to very directly about their disbelief?  

The fact is John's commentary in the second half of verse 64 breaks up the flow of Jesus' idea.  If we track Jesus' thoughts uninterrupted reads, "But there are some of you who do not believe.  This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."  So then, Jesus very directly answers the question about what God is doing and who He is drawing.  For these people who don't believe, it is because God has not drawn them.  Further, in 6:37 He says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."  So how is it then that anyone could conclude the Father is drawing everyone, if there are some who don't believe, since Jesus says here that everyone God draws will come?

The fact is there are people, even in this story who don't believe.  There is Judas who was ultimately "going to betray Him" who doesn't believe (6:71).  The words of Jesus make it clear that the Father isn't drawing everyone.  If He were drawing everyone there would be no one who didn't believe.  But there are some, a lot who don't believe, and this is because God hasn't drawn them.

This isn't bad news.  This is the good news.  If you are in Christ, this is phenomenal news.  Fact of the matter is, every one of us deserves nothing of the grace, goodness, everlasting life from God.  So His drawing anyone to faith in Christ unto salvation is astonishing.  Let that take your breath away.  He is not required to draw anyone.  Secondly, God is drawing some to Himself.  Don't lose sight of this amidst what you might otherwise view as injustice.  Allow the first observation to remind you what you, I, and everyone else ISN'T OWED.  But still God draws some.  And if He draws them, they will come.  Thirdly, it is through the proclamation of the glorious gospel of Christ, these words, that God is drawing people.  Share this message.  It will not (necessarily) be that everyone who hears will believe.  But it will be that those who do believe will believe on account of the Word of Christ.  So share it, and share it boldly.  



Monday, November 4, 2013

Delighted that God Draws People to Christ

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." - Jesus

The profoundly deep, and controversial statement made by Jesus moves me...again today.  I spent much time mulling it over, studying it, reflecting, talking about it, and listening to what others have had to say about it.  I ultimately find great interest in learning just how it is the Father is drawing people to Jesus because I am crazy enough to believe we are participate in such.  If you have any understanding of the Great Commission you must conclude the same, and so you too should be in pursuit of answer to this question: How is the Father drawing people to Jesus?

The quote mentioned is from John 6.  A little context might help so here goes.  To open the chapter John points out that a "large crowd" was following Jesus because "they saw the signs he was doing on the sick" (v. 2).  We find out this crowd consisted of about 5,000 men (not to mention women and children present).  This is a massive following.  Yet as the day ends we find Jesus has removed Himself from these people.  They want to make Him king, but on their terms.  Jesus has no part of it and escapes from them.  

The next day there is a still a sizable group, enough such that John calls them "the crowd that remained" (v. 22).  Quickly we find what is at the heart of their pursuit of Jesus: they want more bread to eat.  But Jesus will have no part of the matter.  Not that He couldn't just as soon make more bread for them and anyone else for that matter.  It is that He instead wishes to convey matters that are far more important, spiritual matters, eternal matters, not just the petty issue of what to eat for lunch to take away the stomach aches of those around Him.  

There is something interesting about these groups of people needs to be noted.  Nowhere is it mentioned that they believed in Jesus.  Don't be deceived, the use of words like "following", or "seeking" Jesus looks so much and sounds so much like belief, but the context lets us know they didn't believe in Jesus.  And the drawing God is doing is such that people will believe in Jesus (see v. 35 of Jesus' use of the words "come" and "believe").  So apparently, God isn't using signs to draw people, nor is He using a welfare program.  Footnote: how pathetic are our efforts to attract people through better music, better programs, better buildings?  After all, Jesus put on an infinitely more amazing show, fed a far better meal, and still these people didn't believe.

As this story continues and Jesus continues talking and teaching about the need for Him, the true bread, sent from heaven, people begin to "grumble" (v. 41).  His words are offensive.  It gets worse though. He continues by telling them they to have eternal life they will ultimately need to "eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood" (v. 53).  Those listening were so appalled at these words that you get the sense they departed.  No longer are we dealing with a large crowd, or even a crowd, but presumably a small group of Jews in the synagogue (vv. 41, 52, 59).  And the more Jesus talks the more people leave.  

Then a few verses later (v. 60) many of his own "disciples" were notably bothered by His words.  They began "grumbling" about the matters of which Jesus spoke.  Soon thereafter these who previously considered themselves "disciples" of His, who learned from His teachings "turned back and no longer walked with Him" (v. 66).  You might conclude that if only Jesus stopped talking He might salvage a few people.  And it might appear that it isn't the words of Jesus through which God is drawing people to believe.  I mean we saw over 5,000 when He was performing signs, and a modest crowd seeking bread, and at least a group of Jews, alongside a group of disciples, but as Jesus taught they all left.  Then looking at the 12 (seemingly all who remained) Jesus said, "Do you want to go away as well?" (v. 67).  To this Simon Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God" (vv. 68-69).  

So it was that the very thing that repulsed the rest of the people, the very reason for which those others couldn't remain near Jesus, was indeed the very thing upon which Peter says his faith is grounded.  It is the Word of Christ, these words of eternal life.  The point is not that everyone who hears the Word will believe, however it is every bit true that nobody will believe if they don't hear the Word.  (I will pick up part 2 of this soon to show a bit further what Jesus lays out concerning this reality of why some believe and others don't)

So speak the Word of Christ.  I want to plant this glorious gospel believing fully that God has people He is going to draw to Christ through it.  Why wouldn't I partner in this?  Why wouldn't I take the joyful responsibility to do that and join Him in what He delights to do to draw people to Himself?  You and I better believe the claims we make of Christ, that Scripture first make, are every bit controversial, but they too are every bit powerful, and sufficient for eternal life.  God is drawing people to Christ, through THE WORD of CHRIST.  Make this glorious gospel known, and rejoice greatly in Him.