ECIPLESHIP for Passionate Christ-Followers

It would be natural for us to assume that only others are living by a half gospel, but not us. (See yesterday’s blog.) The danger of spiritual waywardness, however, is that an evangelical, religious or respected person doesn’t usually see how far from truth they might be. In fact, we usually don’t want to look at our distance from God, nor our departure from truth, when we’re not being fruitful for God. Instead, one tends to become more adamant about the things they have correct while reasoning away the things they are missing.

We all have blind sides.

Here’s my gut feeling: A majority of Christians in our churches every week have a form of Christianity but are missing the real thing.

What would some of the warning signs be for such people?

• A lack of passion about living daily for Christ
• An unwillingness to give God a first portion of their income
• An absence of committed service to others in the name of Jesus
• An infatuation with one’s own needs, wants and agendas
• Failing to be salt and light for others who need to know Jesus

A friend of mine wrote the following:

There are certain things the Word tells us about what a true Christ-follower looks like. It’s much more than being good, having said the prayer, attending church, or doing what nice 21st century church-goers do. It’s being a radical, passionate, sold-out disciple of Jesus.

It’s being a truth seeker, world-changer and kingdom builder.

So many Christians are living by a half-gospel. Here’s what I mean by that. We teach that all of humanity is fallen through sin and that we can be redeemed through Christ. Without a doubt, that is true. But this is where many Christians and a host of evangelical churches leave it. This is only a half gospel.

God has a calling for each of our lives. It’s easy to miss and costly to follow.

Abram was living in The City of ancient history — Ur of the Chaldeans. Without a doubt, he had life figured out there. His routine, much like ours, provided a sense of security, rhythm, and predictability to his life. But God told him to leave all of this in order to go into the land of Canaan.

When we hear God’s call–when our spiritual ears are open enough to sense God’s true desire for our life–it almost always requires us to leave something.

• Security
• Material possessions
• Personal dreams and agendas
• Life as we know it
• Our comfort zone
• What we have built up to this point

So Abram uprooted and left everything he knew because he heard God’s clear directive for his life.

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

God’s call on our life may take us out of our lazy boy and across the street to a lost neighbor. It may require us to pack our bags and go far away–for a season or the rest of your life. It may beckon you to step out of your comfortable routine and risk a relationship–or give up some free-time to intersect your life with someone who needs you. God’s call does require action. Difficult, costly, decisive action.

Always, when God calls, He has a better plan for our life. Always. It often includes greater influence, Kingdom significance, and being a blessing to others in deeply meaningful ways. It also costs us something — everything. We need to abandon whatever it is that may hold us back from recklessly following. It’s a risk. It requires crazy faith. This is what it means to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

God has a calling for each of our lives. It’s easy to miss and costly to follow.

Hollywood’s best writers and producers cannot outdo the stories of the Bible. The story of Judah and Tamar is just one example, but a good one. Bottom line, Judah was quick and eager to cast the death sentence on his daughter-in-law for being pregnant “as a harlot” until he found out that HE was the father. Tamar, and the twins in her womb, were spared, Judah was humbled, and key figures in the line of Christ became a reality. Their names were Perez and Zerah–children born our of wedlock by Tamar’s father-in-law. Sordid.

As I was reading this account, however, I was reminded of God’s hand, even in the most unusual of situations and degraded human activities. Somehow, in majesty of God’s wisdom and the abundance of His grace, He makes something stunningly good out of our worst ugliness and failures. He redeems our sin actions whenever He wants. The irony is that often our sin is the very thing He turns into a precious gem for adorning His Kingdom. That’s grace. Only God would even think of such maneuvers.

When I reflect on my life, I realize that my ungliest moments were turning points in my spiritual journey–key steps that God used to shape me into who I am today. It makes me grateful for a God who can do such things. It makes me hopeful that God will still take my stupidity and make something Kingdom worthy out of them. It humbles me to know that God can salvage something beautiful out of my ugliness.

So, what do you need to offer to God today? In what do you need to be humbled–to face the truth of something that you actually did. Maybe it’s time to be a like Judah, the man who ate humble pie after quickly casting judgement on another even while overlooking his own (and maybe bigger) issue.

God loves to redeem our human weakness into Kingdom strengths.

Cool.

Right now life is crazy. Nonsense. Confusing. Amusing. Goofy.

What fun!

We had the great privilege of being honored by our church last Sunday. After 16 years, there were lots of stories, video out-takes, and a little toomuch comfort in making fun of me as I exit. What a blast we had! What an overwhelming sense of honor I was given.

One of the crazy and fun groups we've had helping us this week.

This week, we have Edinbrook people coming over every day to help sort, carry, clean, and laugh. We still have lots of laughter going on. We are humbled at the outpouring of support and love by our friends. There are no words to describe what’s happening in our hearts these days. Wow!

The house is no-longer a home. Nothing is “in its place” any longer. I can actually see the floor of the garage (that’s good!).

On Friday, we drive away. This is where we have raised three children, been to hell and back in some of life’s most excruciating experiences, met God over and over in life transforming ways, entertained hundreds of people, and found a haven from a needy and broken world. We’re leaving it to embark on the next chapter of our lives.

Of course, I love reading books…especially great stories. You find yourself on the edge of your seat, at times. What will come next? Will they survive? How will they get through this or what will be the breakthrough here? That’s a little how we feel, except we’re the story. We’re stepping into the next chapter. It will be different…and it will be good. God is writing the story…

It’s all too much.

With all of the change happening in our lives, we find ourselves exhilarated and numb, energized and exhausted, reflective and anticipating. It’s one of the saddest and most wonderful times in my entire life. We end a chapter of amazing ministry with a church we deeply love to engage in a global effort of a magnitude I never even dreamed for myself. We are simplifying our lives so dramatically to engage in a world-wide initiative of profound complexity.

It’s all too much.

But God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

It’s happening again. When “life” is too big for me, God comes through. When a challenge faces me that I can never handle on human strength, God provides His. When it’s all too much, God is more than enough.

So this week, I’m already deeply involved in my new ministry. I just spent yesterday with my Regional Directors (each one oversees a section of the world working with the missionaries in those areas to reach optimum effectiveness and impact). It was so good to think ahead and consider how we can find God’s wisdom in each setting–how we can come alongside missionaries in those places and encourage them toward greater influence. But I’m also wide awake at 3AM reflecting on 16 years of ministry, relationships, and dreams that are now coming to a close and considering what I might possibly say of any significance on my last Sunday just three days away.

It’s all too much. “So now, I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

I’m on a new adventure! Yesterday was my first day “on the job” as Executive Director of International Ministries for Converge Worldwide (Baptist General Conference). It was awesome!

I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in this capacity. I feel God’s blessing and pleasure in so many ways. I am eager to serve Him in a way that honors Him every day.

As I think about this amazing opportunity before me, I’m reminded of Ephesians 3:7-8:

“By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”

With this passage in mind, allow me to share a few parallel thoughts:

• By God’s grace (unconditional kindness extended to me) and power, He has chosen and “moved” me into this role. The list of God-things that took place to see this happen is incredible. I did not seek this office—God moved me here by His “grace and mighty power.”
• It is a privilege. What a rare opportunity I have to serve a lost world, our missionaries around the world, and our Converge Churches across the world. I GET to do this…
• It’s all about “spreading this Good News” to those who need to hear and be transformed. It will be fun to strategize, plan, partner, and engage in ongoing, new, and creative initiatives to be as effective as possible to see this happen. We certainly don’t want to sow sparingly.
• I feel like the “least deserving” of this privilege. I am humbled and grateful that God has placed me for such a time as this.

The adventure is on! I have a feeling it’s going to be wild, crazy, and terribly exhilarating.

This is my last post as Pastor of Edinbrook. In fact, I’m writing as the minutes wind down on 2011, which marks the end of one era of my life and the beginning of another. But I will never be the same for having served at Edinbrook Church for nearly 16 years. This is the sixth of 6 Truths Learned as I draw the curtain on my pastoral ministry.

The last Truth Learned may seem a little shallow, but it proved to be life-giving for me through the years–and I think, for our Eteam too.

#6 Truth Learned: Laughter is good medicine. It lightens the load, is attractive to seekers, and provides strength to persevere.

I laugh a lot. I find humor in people, every day events, animals, mistakes, and you name it. Laughter has actually enabled me to not take myself too seriously, release stresses that would have hurt me, and enjoy life.

One fairly famous pastor once said that humor has no place in preaching. Contrary to that, I found that when I had fun while communicating truth, people caught what I was trying to say. It also encouraged our church to stay real. There are lots of things that God gave us to enjoy.

I’ll never forget the late afternoon that Mark Thurston and I thought we were all alone in the church. We started a wrestling match (this happens from time-to-time) and soon found ourselves panting and wrestling on the floor of the church office. Suddenly, the door of the office opened, a woman we didn’t know opened the door, looked with horror at the two of us–one on top of the other–and said, “Oh my. This is not a good time.” She walked away and, as far as we know, we never saw her again. Mark and I have laughed so many times at this stupid little event. We can’t change it, so we might as well enjoy it.

How about the time the Sunday morning fire alarm went off. We were just about to collect the offering when the alarms went off through out the building. Every one needed to exit until the Fire Department gave us the green light to re-enter. Of course, the entire first service would miss the message I was convinced God wanted us to hear. With 800 people in the parking lot, I called them all together, stood on a bench and preached my sermon. And had lots of fun doing it! By the way, in my 16 years of ministry here, no other sermon elicited more emails, notes, and feedback than that one. And it was good feedback, too!

I’ve learned to laugh at myself, as well. I do lots of stupid things. I’ve decided I might as well face it, humble myself and enjoy my goofs (at least, if they’re not too serious). One that really stands out is the time I wiped out preaching. In the former worship center, someone removed a section of the stage on a particular Sunday morning. I didn’t realize it, however. I was preaching like crazy, moving here and there. Suddenly, I stepped off the stage and totally bit the turf! I was as shocked as everyone in the congregation. I got back to my feet, up on the stage, and stated, “Well–that hasn’t happened before!” We all had a laugh on that one.

The proverb tells us that “laughter is good medicine.” Research has actually shown that laughter releases stress, produces endorphins (which make us feel good), and that happy people live longer.

I’ve also had so many comments from unchurched people over the years that Christians often turn them off because they’re too serious. I’ve never been accused of that.

#6 Truth Learned: Laughter IS good medicine.

Thanks, church!

It’s 11:59PM. Happy New Year. God bless you all. I love you!!!!

In my last week as pastor of Edinbrook, I am reflecting on my journey as your leader. I’m sharing a “Truth Learned” each day this week–-insights I have gleaned through my 16 years as pastor of this WONDERFUL church.

Our me-centered American culture has deeply affected our Christian faith. It shows up ALL the time in church-life. About 8 years into my pastorate at Edinbrook, I realized that a watershed choice needed to be made. This is the essence of truth #5…

#5 Truth Learned: I needed to decide whether we would be a church of consumers or owners.

By default, a church will be a church of consumers. Our human nature pushes us this way (“It’s all about me”) and our American culture reinforces it (“You have a right to have what you want”).

As a result, church-goers naturally:

• Look for churches that meet their own needs rather than obeying Christ’s commands.
• Think they should have music, programs, and services that make them happy.
• Want the church to serve them more than them serving the church.
• Give of their resources when it’s convenient or in a way that doesn’t severely affect their chosen lifestyle (that’s why the American “Christian” gives an average of 2% instead of the Bible’s stated 10%).
• Would like things to stay the way they’ve had them.

This me-oriented Christianity flies in the face of everything that Jesus taught us about following Him, however. Philippians 2, for instance, states that we are to have the attitude of Jesus who “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a bond-servant.” A true Christ-follower is completely selfless. They live their lives for The Great Cause of drawing people into relationship with the Living God. Unfortunately, the minority of Christians actually get this or live it.

I made a decisive choice that I would rather have 5 sold-out followers of Jesus rather than 500 who are playing church. This meant that my teaching and challenges and expectations would change dramatically. It meant that many consumers would be unhappy with the new directions and choices we made. It meant that lots of nice and good people would walk away because they were no-longer getting what they wanted.

This is exactly what happened. This is exactly what needed to happen. BECAUSE it’s not about us.

It’s all about Jesus and His call on our lives. OWNERS GET THIS!

Owners are ready to do whatever it takes since they’re not in it for themselves. These are the ones who are ready to give their lives for the cause of Christ. Owners know:

• If not them, who?
• If not now, when?

Jesus created owners when He poured His life into the disciples. Consequently, they changed the world. And so will Edinbrook, because we are now a church with a lot more owners than consumers.

The sifting process was difficult, painful, and absolutely necessary.

#5 Truth Learned: I needed to decide whether we would be a church of consumers or owners. I’m SO GLAD I chose the latter…

In my last week as pastor of Edinbrook, I am reflecting on my journey as your leader. I’m sharing a “Truth Learned” each day this week–-insights I have gleaned through my 16 years as pastor of this WONDERFUL church.

My next Truth Learned created some of the most painful interactions of all with people. But when I committed myself to leading our church in this direction, it made such a profound God-honoring difference that I still can hardly believe it.

#4 Truth Learned: Aim Young.

Believe me–I know this can be controversial, argued adamantly on both sides, and can even seem like a slight to the older crowd. But hang in here with me, because there are some REALLY GOOD reasons for taking this approach–and whether everyone likes it or not, when embraced, everyone wins!

The easiest thing for a pastor to do is appeal to the long-timers. The middle-aged and upward are the givers, the ones in positions of leadership, those most vocal, and the ones that often find change the most difficult. They have usually perfected their arguments quite well, too. SO–deciding to “shape” the ministry to reach a younger audience is very risky and extremely difficult. I’m convinced, however, that when done carefully and with intentionality, it can produce spiritual health and vitality in the church that would be missed any other way.

Here are a few reasons why aiming young is so important:

1. We are able to create a love of church in young people that carries into the rest of their lives. If we lose our youth because church is “boring” or fails to connect with them, we lose so much of what they can offer the church TODAY as well as preparing for a strong vibrant church in the future.
2. Those who are to be more mature have the privilege of sacrificing for those who are not. When the church sacrifices for one another, everyone wins! We become stronger, blessed by God, less selfish, more other oriented. A church comes alive when this is the motif of Body-life together.
3. We stay on the fresh edge of ministry techniques, song-writing, communication techniques (that also connect with our culture at large), and relevant to our community. The church is famous for being 10 or 15 years behind the times. When we aim young, we force ourselves to in touch with current trends. If we don’t, we will lose our youth. This is healthy on SO MANY LEVELS!
4. We don’t make our children stumble. When the “older crowd” demands certain styles or traditions that are totally irrelevant to the next generations, we are creating a distaste for church for our children. I know this can be argued from many perspectives, but he bottom line is that this is reality. Ask almost anyone under 25. Jesus made it clear that, “It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble,” Luke 17:2. This strong statement was made about doing whatever was necessary to bring the young ones into the fold.
5. We sing new songs. I find it fascinating that Scriptures never tell us to sing old songs, but 9 times it tells us to “sing a new song!” When our worship becomes rote, when it’s more routine than heartfelt, we fail to engage our will, emotions, and soul into the experience. (See my blog post, IMAGINATION AND MEMORY, November 21, 2010). It’s like praying old routine prayers that no-longer engage the mind. In fact, if we primarily have old songs, we live in the past rather than the present. We reflect on how a song impacted us way back then, but often fail to connect with God in the now. Aiming young forces us to receive and consider the new songs God is giving us for today. And He gave us many through our amazingly gifted artists and song-writers at Edinbrook these past few years.

There was a season at Edinbrook about six years ago when I had godly committed youth coming to me in mass numbers and saying something like this: “Pastor, I love your teaching, but I cannot sit through another worship service where I find it almost impossible to worship.” After much agonizing prayer and consultation with people I deeply respect, I knew a change needed to take place. Hands down, it was one of THE most important decision I made in my years at Edinbrook. It was also the most controversial and frustrating for so many people.

When this re-aiming took place, however, a new vibrancy entered our church. We have become a worshiping church as result with lives being changed and transformed every Sunday. We have young people growing up and loving church. We have youth, from little children, to teens, to 2o-somethings who are whole-heartedly engaged. We have a vigorous health that we never had before nor would be able to have any other way. It’s purified our Body, forced us to be selfless, compelled us to be in touch with our changing world, and provided us with freshness that makes our worship of God REAL.

Aim young. I would do it all over again because EVERYBODY WINS!