by Mike Chong Perkinson
Any developmental process must consider the aspect of becoming; that is, dealing with the growth of the organism from a single cell into multiple cells. In other words, it is not so much what an organism is that is critical but what it is becoming. The purpose of a thing defines the essence or the nature of a thing.
When it comes to church growth and leadership issues, the emphasis tends to fall towards function and the goals the group is pursuing. This is not to say that such consideration is wrong, but to assert that the old adage of “putting the cart before the horse” is often in play when it comes to building church leadership structures. What we are inferring is that the theological basis and purpose of the church is often assumed and left unclear, often misunderstood. The pastor or leader is pressed by competitive demands of success and financial pressures to produce something that is worthy of recognition – a product if you will. Without addressing the matter of pride and selfish ambition, the pastor naively pursues pastoring with an agenda to see people come to know the love of God but finds the demands of the organization and the product overtake the desire of the pastor to truly shepherd God’s people into a life of spiritual fullness.
The movement of our church age is more towards building bigger churches than it is building big people. Remember big is not better nor is small better – better is better. With such a system in place, one has to be suspicious of the underlying values and philosophical base that supports such a structure. All too often, at least in our opinion, we see powerful leadership structures, built within the holy walls of the church with great organizational skill and powerful results that resemble the things of the Kingdom in operation but lack in the deeper dimension of actual Kingdom life that is expressed most clearly in the Fruit of the Spirit.
To put it simply, we have worldly leadership systems and values baptized into the world of the church and pawned off as God’s wisdom and design. By this, we are not suggesting that worldly leadership structures are bad in and of themselves or that the church does not need assistance in organizational development. Instead, it must be acknowledged that the church is an organization that resembles the world’s organization and is in need of organizational assistance. However, the church is not a business, although it has many similarities, it is a design of our Father who, by His sovereignty, has ordained the church to be His primary vehicle of edification for the body of Christ. The church then needs to operate by the values and philosophical base that is set in the scripture regarding its existence and conduct. It is clearly defined in scripture who we are to be and how we are to function as the people of God. We need to be able to stop and consider “why we are” before we ask “who we are.” The “why” question answers the “who” question and releases us to find our purpose and our being at the same time. Once we have answered the nagging question regarding our existence, we can safely engage into the arena of life and function freely. Being always precedes doing and function always comes from life. Philosophically, it is impossible to separate being and function. Let me explain, will and function exist like two sides of a coin, both operating and carrying on a different role and yet, are uniquely tied to the coin. The coin is being (the state of “isness”). When we look at the coin, we can differentiate various elements of it like heads and tails or will and function. However, the various pieces make up the whole and that we call a “coin.” For there to be function we must have being just like heads and tails would not exist without the essence called the coin. (Obviously this illustration can be extrapolated further with more detail – for our purposes we simply want to illustrate the inter-connectedness of being and function.)
The church has fallen prey to the forces of our society in that it has embraced, almost unknowingly, the values of a success-driven society that puts function in front of doing; to the point of ignoring being all together. God is more interested in who we are becoming as persons. Our pathways for spiritual formation in the church should then be built upon the “irreducible core” of helping people develop in their love for God, love for each other, and the making of disciples as life is lived out.
And so, who are you becoming? What is church becoming? How do the ministry processes and systems in your church help you develop disciples that love God, love others, and make disciples? How are you doing in living out the “IC”?
May we all become the people God has built us to be reflecting His glory as we live life. After all, “the glory of God is a human being fully alive.” (Irenaeus)
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Leadership Bypass
by Tom Johnston
Very often when we discuss the issue of leadership development in the local church we are really discussing how a particular church develops leaders to serve within the context of that specific church. Most of us as pastors are engaged in leadership development for the needs of our own ministry. Certainly, such leaders are needed, but let us suggest to you a broader view, a Kingdom view. Jesus said,
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2 ESV
Leadership development in our churches must be about the harvest, not just about getting people to run our programs and church activities. Jesus’ concern expressed here is for the ingathering of people into His Kingdom, and not just the maintaining of those of the wheat who are already in the barn. As our good friend and mentor Dr. Bob Logan always says, we need to raise leaders from the harvest for the harvest.
While the care, nurture and discipleship of existing Christians are essential parts of the church’s ministry, and as such requires devoted leadership, we have allowed our leadership development track, to a great extent, to be driven by the needs of those already in the church. In doing such, we have spiritually neutered our “leaders,” validating their attendance at meetings and the performance of tasks within ministry programs. We have not, by and large, had the expectation that those called “leaders” should be involved in spiritual reproduction – sharing their faith and making disciples for Jesus Christ. Many of our leaders are nothing more than mid-level program managers in our local church organizations. Could it be that we need to let our developing leaders bypass serving the church through the myriad of things we seem to find to do (and some which really need to be done) and let them directly engage the harvest? We need an HOV lane on our development pathway for leaders, allowing them to zip by the slow moving traffic of the church ministry and operations, and let them engage directly in the harvest.
Another way we need to create a “bypass” for our leaders is to use developmental processes and sponsorship structures that empower people to go beyond us. We often find churches where the pastor uses the “Undergrowth Principle” – “you can grow as long as you’re under me.” Can someone get by you to a fuller expression of their gifting and calling, perhaps surpassing you in fruitfulness and effectiveness? Do you have an open-ended leadership development process, or does their road come to an end at the inside of the metaphorical door of your church? Robert Clinton has suggested in several of his works that we often encounter problems with people in the churches we care for simply because we are in the way of their further spiritual development. He suggests that many of those we call “rebellious” are actually people who have out-grown the current opportunities to learn and serve in our churches, and if we could facilitate them into new opportunities for both – perhaps in an expression of church beyond our own local setting, we would be serving the needs of the Kingdom more completely.
None of us have enough leaders – and the harvest awaits. We need to establish our churches as “leadership development engines” and see our role not just as shepherds but as equippers of the saints – and cut those saints loose in the harvest fields. Make leaders – lots of them, and give them over to Jesus, and watch what He does with them – in your local church and beyond.
Very often when we discuss the issue of leadership development in the local church we are really discussing how a particular church develops leaders to serve within the context of that specific church. Most of us as pastors are engaged in leadership development for the needs of our own ministry. Certainly, such leaders are needed, but let us suggest to you a broader view, a Kingdom view. Jesus said,
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2 ESV
Leadership development in our churches must be about the harvest, not just about getting people to run our programs and church activities. Jesus’ concern expressed here is for the ingathering of people into His Kingdom, and not just the maintaining of those of the wheat who are already in the barn. As our good friend and mentor Dr. Bob Logan always says, we need to raise leaders from the harvest for the harvest.
While the care, nurture and discipleship of existing Christians are essential parts of the church’s ministry, and as such requires devoted leadership, we have allowed our leadership development track, to a great extent, to be driven by the needs of those already in the church. In doing such, we have spiritually neutered our “leaders,” validating their attendance at meetings and the performance of tasks within ministry programs. We have not, by and large, had the expectation that those called “leaders” should be involved in spiritual reproduction – sharing their faith and making disciples for Jesus Christ. Many of our leaders are nothing more than mid-level program managers in our local church organizations. Could it be that we need to let our developing leaders bypass serving the church through the myriad of things we seem to find to do (and some which really need to be done) and let them directly engage the harvest? We need an HOV lane on our development pathway for leaders, allowing them to zip by the slow moving traffic of the church ministry and operations, and let them engage directly in the harvest.
Another way we need to create a “bypass” for our leaders is to use developmental processes and sponsorship structures that empower people to go beyond us. We often find churches where the pastor uses the “Undergrowth Principle” – “you can grow as long as you’re under me.” Can someone get by you to a fuller expression of their gifting and calling, perhaps surpassing you in fruitfulness and effectiveness? Do you have an open-ended leadership development process, or does their road come to an end at the inside of the metaphorical door of your church? Robert Clinton has suggested in several of his works that we often encounter problems with people in the churches we care for simply because we are in the way of their further spiritual development. He suggests that many of those we call “rebellious” are actually people who have out-grown the current opportunities to learn and serve in our churches, and if we could facilitate them into new opportunities for both – perhaps in an expression of church beyond our own local setting, we would be serving the needs of the Kingdom more completely.
None of us have enough leaders – and the harvest awaits. We need to establish our churches as “leadership development engines” and see our role not just as shepherds but as equippers of the saints – and cut those saints loose in the harvest fields. Make leaders – lots of them, and give them over to Jesus, and watch what He does with them – in your local church and beyond.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
"Personal Change Precedes Corporate Change": A Church Growth Strategy or a Lived Reality?
by Mike Chong Perkinson
Leadership and serving God’s people can be a very burdensome task if not properly approached. Exhortations such as “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9) and “Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Hebrews 12:12- 13) embody the reality of growing tired in the arena of ministry and our responsibility to continue.
On top of this Satanic attack in all facets of our lives brings a level of frustration and tiredness all by itself. Questioning God, ourselves, and our ability to lead God’s people, all lead to the demise of ministry if we permit the evil one to have any foothold on our faith. The distractions the enemy places in our lives quietly drain from us the very life we are trying to offer people. Since, we cannot remove the distractions from this existence a more focused understanding of God’s call on our lives must be implemented and practiced daily.
Finally, ministry involves us as persons and so, we do the work of God as human beings who find some sense of fulfillment in obeying our Lord. In some way, we all minister in the areas of life where we are still working out our own understanding of God, theology, and brokenness. Frederick Buechner was not far off when he said “all theology is autobiography.” This is not to suggest such a subjective element is negative, but to simply make an observation. Now, combine this with the hedonistic model of life our society embraces and you have all the makings of a ministry that is centered on the self and personal fulfillment. Hence, the people become a means to an end and internal comfort is the utmost priority people tend to seek. One could say the highest moral reality is to feel good. I find such a philosophy difficult to digest when we read of Jesus and His personal torment surrounding the finality of His mission: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Following in the spirit of Christ, we find Peter making a bold declaration regarding the reality of suffering. He says:
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (I Peter 2:20-21, NIV)
It is intensely difficult to encourage people, in our day and age, to adopt a philosophy of life that is willing to give itself for the glory of God, the establishing of His presence in this world (Kingdom centered living which involves sacrifice), and the restoration of the Imago Dei (Image of God) in individuals (Paul tells us we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). The type of people we often encounter in our church work are those who are trying to find a church to meet their personal needs (needs are not bad in and of themselves), rather than finding a place where they can glorify God and offer their service or gifts for the glory of God and advancement of the Kingdom on earth. I am not inferring that seeking God or a church to deal with one’s brokenness is wrong, but that the church never moves from existing as an oasis for personal fulfillment to an oasis that provides comfort to a lost and suffering world. Yes, there is a time for healing and rest, but many never want to move out of this stage in their lives. After all, the healing stage involves a tremendous amount of meticulous attention from others; being the center of the world is a wonderful feeling many do not want to give up. How do we overcome such a difficulty? Although, many are seeking truth in our day and age, the general populace is not interested in following Christ via the 'take up your cross and follow me' mode, but rather “help me to do what I want to do and I’ll attend your church” philosophy. The old Puritan adage is so true: “The truth will set you free, but it will kill you first.” Maybe this is what “personal change precedes corporate change” really means. Not the simple shift of a paradigm or a model to more effectively do church but a transformation that allows us to be the church.
THE PROBLEM
Sinfulness is a large problem and has been since the dawn of time. We are, unfortunately, creatures who want dominion in our lives and a God who will see to it that our wishes are honored. Religious devotion is the norm with very little concern for the element of holy living and the establishment of the Kingdom or reign of God in our hearts. The prophet Hosea spoke well when he uttered the charge against Israel:
Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying. (Hosea 4:1-3, NIV)
A religious contract has been negotiated by many with God. A contract God has not agreed to in any way. This contract involves religious devotion (going to service and tithing and moral living) from the human side and blessing, peace, and happiness from the divine side. In other words, we give some praise strokes and in return He gives us happiness. Much like investment happy America, we want a maximum return for a minimum investment.
All of this makes me wonder if the slogan “personal change precedes corporate change” has been, at times, reduced to nothing more than a new and fancy slogan to help us “super size” our churches with very little emphasis on super sizing the saints. One would think that the greatest marketing tool we have in our repertoire is a transformed life living in the love and power of the Holy Spirit. Just a thought, but living as real and genuine Christians might actually allow us to truly impact our culture. Just a thought.
THE SOLUTION
Our nation is in dire need of repentance. The Church needs to turn from our religious playground and fall on our knees and cry out to God Almighty for grace and mercy. Much like the people of Hosea’s day, we assume God must forgive us, “He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds” (Hosea 6:1, NIV). As a result, repentance is optional and our great American ideology of entitlement tells us God has to forgive us because we are entitled to it. No wonder God says, “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears” (Hosea 6:4, NIV). Our commitment to God is so flippant. God help us.
To point the finger at our nation is not adequate nor is it proper to simply adjust the direction of our finger and place the blame on the hard-hearted state of the Christian community. My heart breaks for the state of the nation and the Church. The increase of violence, terrorism, and apathy in our land only amplifies the predicament we find our world in. The prayer of Nehemiah is a model for all in leadership to emulate:
I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (1:6b-7, NIV)
As strange as it might sound, the sin committed by our city and nation is also our sin. As a people of God, we too, have contributed to the sin of the nation by not turning our own lives to His ways. Joshua 7:10-15 records the reply of Yahweh to Joshua over the lost battle at Ai, where 36 men were killed because of sin in the camp. We know the story, Achan was the one who looted from the plunder and took some of the devoted things (7:20-21). Strangely enough, when Yahweh speaks, it is Israel, not Achan, who is indicted and punished.
Much like our physical bodies, when one part is out of sorts, the whole is impacted. We cannot turn our eyes from the nation and bury our heads in the sand of religious denial and pretend to be a holy people when injustice is taking place around us. Isaiah confronts us with his words:
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (1:15-17, NIV)
Our worlds are so limited, so small. As long as the problems and the demise of our cities are not a threat to us, we are minimally impacted. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. What keeps us from weeping over cities? Maybe what we need to do is repent personally over the disobedience we have been involved in. Is it possible we need to repent over a heart that really does not care for our neighbor, but only for the peaceful advancement of our own little world?
I am not suggesting we plunge into a social agenda only, but that we ponder what it means to be a follower of Christ in a broken and lost world that is much bigger than the small islands of existence we live upon. I invite you to ask the Lord what it means to glorify God in our personal worlds. We can’t touch the world at large until we touch the lives in our world. May God help us become people who have rivers of living water flowing from their lives (John 7:38), so that the world might know how good and awesome our God is! May personal change truly precede corporate change as we become the sons and daughters our Father intended us to be.
Leadership and serving God’s people can be a very burdensome task if not properly approached. Exhortations such as “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9) and “Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed” (Hebrews 12:12- 13) embody the reality of growing tired in the arena of ministry and our responsibility to continue.
On top of this Satanic attack in all facets of our lives brings a level of frustration and tiredness all by itself. Questioning God, ourselves, and our ability to lead God’s people, all lead to the demise of ministry if we permit the evil one to have any foothold on our faith. The distractions the enemy places in our lives quietly drain from us the very life we are trying to offer people. Since, we cannot remove the distractions from this existence a more focused understanding of God’s call on our lives must be implemented and practiced daily.
Finally, ministry involves us as persons and so, we do the work of God as human beings who find some sense of fulfillment in obeying our Lord. In some way, we all minister in the areas of life where we are still working out our own understanding of God, theology, and brokenness. Frederick Buechner was not far off when he said “all theology is autobiography.” This is not to suggest such a subjective element is negative, but to simply make an observation. Now, combine this with the hedonistic model of life our society embraces and you have all the makings of a ministry that is centered on the self and personal fulfillment. Hence, the people become a means to an end and internal comfort is the utmost priority people tend to seek. One could say the highest moral reality is to feel good. I find such a philosophy difficult to digest when we read of Jesus and His personal torment surrounding the finality of His mission: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). Following in the spirit of Christ, we find Peter making a bold declaration regarding the reality of suffering. He says:
But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (I Peter 2:20-21, NIV)
It is intensely difficult to encourage people, in our day and age, to adopt a philosophy of life that is willing to give itself for the glory of God, the establishing of His presence in this world (Kingdom centered living which involves sacrifice), and the restoration of the Imago Dei (Image of God) in individuals (Paul tells us we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20). The type of people we often encounter in our church work are those who are trying to find a church to meet their personal needs (needs are not bad in and of themselves), rather than finding a place where they can glorify God and offer their service or gifts for the glory of God and advancement of the Kingdom on earth. I am not inferring that seeking God or a church to deal with one’s brokenness is wrong, but that the church never moves from existing as an oasis for personal fulfillment to an oasis that provides comfort to a lost and suffering world. Yes, there is a time for healing and rest, but many never want to move out of this stage in their lives. After all, the healing stage involves a tremendous amount of meticulous attention from others; being the center of the world is a wonderful feeling many do not want to give up. How do we overcome such a difficulty? Although, many are seeking truth in our day and age, the general populace is not interested in following Christ via the 'take up your cross and follow me' mode, but rather “help me to do what I want to do and I’ll attend your church” philosophy. The old Puritan adage is so true: “The truth will set you free, but it will kill you first.” Maybe this is what “personal change precedes corporate change” really means. Not the simple shift of a paradigm or a model to more effectively do church but a transformation that allows us to be the church.
THE PROBLEM
Sinfulness is a large problem and has been since the dawn of time. We are, unfortunately, creatures who want dominion in our lives and a God who will see to it that our wishes are honored. Religious devotion is the norm with very little concern for the element of holy living and the establishment of the Kingdom or reign of God in our hearts. The prophet Hosea spoke well when he uttered the charge against Israel:
Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying. (Hosea 4:1-3, NIV)
A religious contract has been negotiated by many with God. A contract God has not agreed to in any way. This contract involves religious devotion (going to service and tithing and moral living) from the human side and blessing, peace, and happiness from the divine side. In other words, we give some praise strokes and in return He gives us happiness. Much like investment happy America, we want a maximum return for a minimum investment.
All of this makes me wonder if the slogan “personal change precedes corporate change” has been, at times, reduced to nothing more than a new and fancy slogan to help us “super size” our churches with very little emphasis on super sizing the saints. One would think that the greatest marketing tool we have in our repertoire is a transformed life living in the love and power of the Holy Spirit. Just a thought, but living as real and genuine Christians might actually allow us to truly impact our culture. Just a thought.
THE SOLUTION
Our nation is in dire need of repentance. The Church needs to turn from our religious playground and fall on our knees and cry out to God Almighty for grace and mercy. Much like the people of Hosea’s day, we assume God must forgive us, “He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds” (Hosea 6:1, NIV). As a result, repentance is optional and our great American ideology of entitlement tells us God has to forgive us because we are entitled to it. No wonder God says, “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears” (Hosea 6:4, NIV). Our commitment to God is so flippant. God help us.
To point the finger at our nation is not adequate nor is it proper to simply adjust the direction of our finger and place the blame on the hard-hearted state of the Christian community. My heart breaks for the state of the nation and the Church. The increase of violence, terrorism, and apathy in our land only amplifies the predicament we find our world in. The prayer of Nehemiah is a model for all in leadership to emulate:
I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (1:6b-7, NIV)
As strange as it might sound, the sin committed by our city and nation is also our sin. As a people of God, we too, have contributed to the sin of the nation by not turning our own lives to His ways. Joshua 7:10-15 records the reply of Yahweh to Joshua over the lost battle at Ai, where 36 men were killed because of sin in the camp. We know the story, Achan was the one who looted from the plunder and took some of the devoted things (7:20-21). Strangely enough, when Yahweh speaks, it is Israel, not Achan, who is indicted and punished.
Much like our physical bodies, when one part is out of sorts, the whole is impacted. We cannot turn our eyes from the nation and bury our heads in the sand of religious denial and pretend to be a holy people when injustice is taking place around us. Isaiah confronts us with his words:
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. (1:15-17, NIV)
Our worlds are so limited, so small. As long as the problems and the demise of our cities are not a threat to us, we are minimally impacted. Jesus wept over Jerusalem. What keeps us from weeping over cities? Maybe what we need to do is repent personally over the disobedience we have been involved in. Is it possible we need to repent over a heart that really does not care for our neighbor, but only for the peaceful advancement of our own little world?
I am not suggesting we plunge into a social agenda only, but that we ponder what it means to be a follower of Christ in a broken and lost world that is much bigger than the small islands of existence we live upon. I invite you to ask the Lord what it means to glorify God in our personal worlds. We can’t touch the world at large until we touch the lives in our world. May God help us become people who have rivers of living water flowing from their lives (John 7:38), so that the world might know how good and awesome our God is! May personal change truly precede corporate change as we become the sons and daughters our Father intended us to be.
The Revolution: Of the Heart, From the Heart
by Tom Johnston
The great harvest of souls we all seek – and Jesus desires – can only come as God works a great transformation in His Church. Not just a change of systems, or of formats, or of ministries and programs, or ways of holding services, but of true inward transformation of our hearts. We all know a revolution is needed in the Church so a revival can happen in the world. But this revolution is not simply structural, but takes place within the heart of every Christian leader and disciple.
I was confronted in my devotional reading recently by Luke 6:46 (ESV):
"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Ouch. We need to own this one. I need to own this one. Jesus goes on to speak about how if we do what He says we will have a firm foundation for life, standing up to the floods which come. Amazing. The Church in the West is being washed away by the floods of culture and irrelevance, among other things. People in the Church have lives which are as much storm-damaged as those outside. The stats indicate little difference, or in other words – little true transformation.
But there is hope – all we need to do is return to the firm foundation of the commands of Christ. Now, I am not making some pitch here for some kinds of return to doctrinal “purity” or “orthodoxy” (whatever that means to you in your stream of the church - I hope you are already there!), or a certain perspective on Scripture. But rather a return to orthopraxy – actually doing what Jesus said to do. Seem too simple? Read on.
Here is my point. Jesus statement in 6:46 falls just after the Sermon on the Mount, the ethical teaching of Jesus – you know, care for the poor, treat others like you want to be treated, don’t be judgmental or critical, be forgiving, show love to those who hate you. That’s right, we know this stuff. But do we really, as the Church, do it? (And are we really the Church if we don’t? But that’s another article.) The real issue Jesus is pointing out here is the heart – when it is good, goodness flows from the life. When it is bad, rottenness flows (6:43-45). It is the heart issue which He is speaking to – not just the behavior. We so often seek to modify our own behavior and the behavior of those we minister to (Pavlov did this once with some dogs), but what Jesus is talking about is a heart which is devoted to the King and His Kingdom – “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord…”
The Revolution must first come to our hearts – we must be taken captive by the King:
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14, ESV)
From our hearts the Revolution of the Kingdom can spread to those around us in the Church, and then to the world. Goodness is infectious, hope contagious, love exemplified is unstoppable. Holy passion for people, birthed in us by the Spirit of Christ Jesus, will be what motivates us all to engage in His mission of reaching those who have yet to love Him. If the Church in the West can just become revolutionized in its’ heart, a spiritual awakening/revival/revolution will occur, and the West will be won (one?) again for Christ.
May your heart be revolutionized, again and continually, by Jesus. May you become a Kingdom revolutionary of goodness, of light, of love. May we all be empowered with such passion for Christ and from Christ that we live a simple and authentic faith, doing the good works of Jesus, living as an example to the world around us.
The great harvest of souls we all seek – and Jesus desires – can only come as God works a great transformation in His Church. Not just a change of systems, or of formats, or of ministries and programs, or ways of holding services, but of true inward transformation of our hearts. We all know a revolution is needed in the Church so a revival can happen in the world. But this revolution is not simply structural, but takes place within the heart of every Christian leader and disciple.
I was confronted in my devotional reading recently by Luke 6:46 (ESV):
"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Ouch. We need to own this one. I need to own this one. Jesus goes on to speak about how if we do what He says we will have a firm foundation for life, standing up to the floods which come. Amazing. The Church in the West is being washed away by the floods of culture and irrelevance, among other things. People in the Church have lives which are as much storm-damaged as those outside. The stats indicate little difference, or in other words – little true transformation.
But there is hope – all we need to do is return to the firm foundation of the commands of Christ. Now, I am not making some pitch here for some kinds of return to doctrinal “purity” or “orthodoxy” (whatever that means to you in your stream of the church - I hope you are already there!), or a certain perspective on Scripture. But rather a return to orthopraxy – actually doing what Jesus said to do. Seem too simple? Read on.
Here is my point. Jesus statement in 6:46 falls just after the Sermon on the Mount, the ethical teaching of Jesus – you know, care for the poor, treat others like you want to be treated, don’t be judgmental or critical, be forgiving, show love to those who hate you. That’s right, we know this stuff. But do we really, as the Church, do it? (And are we really the Church if we don’t? But that’s another article.) The real issue Jesus is pointing out here is the heart – when it is good, goodness flows from the life. When it is bad, rottenness flows (6:43-45). It is the heart issue which He is speaking to – not just the behavior. We so often seek to modify our own behavior and the behavior of those we minister to (Pavlov did this once with some dogs), but what Jesus is talking about is a heart which is devoted to the King and His Kingdom – “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord…”
The Revolution must first come to our hearts – we must be taken captive by the King:
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14, ESV)
From our hearts the Revolution of the Kingdom can spread to those around us in the Church, and then to the world. Goodness is infectious, hope contagious, love exemplified is unstoppable. Holy passion for people, birthed in us by the Spirit of Christ Jesus, will be what motivates us all to engage in His mission of reaching those who have yet to love Him. If the Church in the West can just become revolutionized in its’ heart, a spiritual awakening/revival/revolution will occur, and the West will be won (one?) again for Christ.
May your heart be revolutionized, again and continually, by Jesus. May you become a Kingdom revolutionary of goodness, of light, of love. May we all be empowered with such passion for Christ and from Christ that we live a simple and authentic faith, doing the good works of Jesus, living as an example to the world around us.
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