The Sacred Trust - The "Knee-High" Battle

by Mike Chong Perkinson
January 2007

"This is a sacred trust - never treat it as common." This resounding thought was deeply engraved into my heart by the Spirit of God in 1997. This incredible moment of conviction began to pave the way for who I am today.

I have come to believe over the years that our over emphasis on the “wineskin” (model, technique, program, etc.) at the expense of the “wine” (content of Christ in our lives) or at least diluting it, has been costly for the Church in North America. Mind you, I am not suggesting that models, techniques, programs, etc. are bad. They are not.

I am reminded of Uzzah who attempted to steady the Ark of the Covenant from falling off the cart (2 Samuel 6:4-7) just after the oxen had stumbled. He did what any one of us would have done. I believe Uzzah like many of us are well intentioned when we seek to help God out in this enterprise called Church. Particularly when it would appear the Church is stumbling and needs a creative touch from us to stabilize it. It was Dr. Jack Hayford who said that we have church down so well that the Holy Spirit could depart from our services and we would not know it for three years.

The problem I face in ministry is not that I don't know what to do. My problem like so many leaders is that I do know what to do and like Uzzah can find myself touching the holy thing, helping God out when I don't need to. This article won’t resolve the issue of what we touch and what we do not, but will help facilitate an on going dialogue with each other and hopefully an ongoing dialogue with God.

Jesus told us “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them” (Matthew 5:3, NLT). Wow, what a verse and what a promise. If I live a lifestyle of need, then the Kingdom of Heaven is given to me.

Our progressive inability to reach our culture has thousands of pastors back to a place of recognizing our need for Him - an absolute desperation is beginning to arise motivated by many factors but the need is rising. Because of this need, pastors and leaders are returning to a dialogue with God (prayer) and His Word for what to do next. We are, in effect, not touching the Ark and letting it be, as we trust that God might stabilize it Himself. Now, if I read my Bible right it says that good things tend to happen when people seek God, look to His Word and lean on the Holy Spirit. These are the ingredients of revolution.

I am encouraged by our spiritual landscape in North America. There are pastors by the thousands asking questions about effectiveness, why we are not reaching our culture, and what is the Church (maybe this is the question).

A revolution, like the revolution that sparked Pentecost in the Book of Acts, can only begin when people are broken enough to obey and pray. Maybe this is the beginning of the revolution that we return to being sons and daughters of God before we are pastors and leaders.

May we, like the followers of Christ in the Book of Acts, wait on Jesus as we look to see what the Father is doing in our neighborhoods, cities, states, etc. May we find the revolution so captivating that our lives are lived around the reality of this Kingdom where we love God with all of our heart, love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and make disciples as we live life.

We have been given a sacred trust and no matter how relevant or cool our ministries might be we have one thing the world can never give. We have Jesus. May you live Jesus, and from this life may the revolution grow.

Here are some questions for you to ponder in your dialogue with God.

• In what ways do you struggle with helping God out? Helping stabilize the Ark if you will?
• How has God facilitated a sense of need and desperation in you this past year?
• How has dialogue with others and God increased this past year?
• What do you see the Father doing in your home? Church? City? State? Nation?
• What are you willing to endure to see this revolution come to pass?

Reformation Redux

by Tom Johnston
January 2007

When Martin Luther started a dialog in October of 1517 around his 95 talking points, he didn’t intend to start a revolution. But he did. The Protest-tant Reformation was arguably the most significant event in Christianity’s second millennium. And boy, did it change things – and not all for the good. With the battle cry of sola gratia, sola fida, sola Christos and sola scriptura the forces of revolution swept Western Europe. And everything changed. Looking back from our vantage point, many today think the spiritual revolutionaries of the 1500’s went too far, some think not far enough, while others consider the Reformation one step in a longer journey. To be sure, the impact has had an irreversible, lasting effect on the Church universal. It all started with one man who wanted to talk about the issues.

A thousand years earlier Patricius (St. Patrick), a Roman Briton, took the church beyond the culturally-Roman world, to the Celts who were considered to be barbaric pagans. The standard practice was to Romanize/civilize before you tried to Christianize. By going to the Celts, Patrick went beyond that practice. What Patrick did in going to the uncivilized was truly revolutionary in his day. Many consider Patrick and those who followed after him to be the first true missionaries in the West since biblical times, crossing the boundaries of culture and language with the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Celts were reached for Christ, and incredible spiritual communities were formed, both as an outcome and as a means of mission. It all started with one man who wanted to share the life he had found in Christ with other people.

Spiritual revolutions in the Church are often started without the intent to do so, like Luther. Sometime they are started by the intentional action of someone, like Patrick. Always there is a passion instilled in the revolutionary (whether they come to the revolution by accident or intention) by the Holy Spirit for something beyond the current reality. They have a vision for a better country (Hebrews 11:16), and hope to realize at least some of it in the Church of their generation.

When such spiritual revolutions emerge, they will not be ignored. They have a way of demanding attention, and they are dismissed only at one’s own peril. When confronted by such radical shifts like those brought on by Luther and Patrick, church leaders are required to respond. Try to stop it, you might be crushed by its momentum. Try to ignore it, it might pass you by, leaving you in the dust of history. Try to control it, you might find yourself loosing everything. Try to nurture it and mature it, you might find yourself partnering with God.

There is a revolution coming in the Western Church. In fact, it is here now. You can’t stop it – don’t even try. You can ignore it – and lose out big-time. And don’t fool yourself – you can’t control it. Find out how to partner with God in it, bringing this emerging move of God to maturity. Maybe like Luther you have found yourself in the revolution by accident. Maybe you are like Patrick, and you are called to foster the revolution intentionally. Whatever you do, find a way to surf this wave of the Spirit, giving your heart fully to the work of the Lord, because like Luther and Patrick, you want to play your part. The revolution starts with you – let Jesus refresh the wineskin of your heart.

“But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”

- Jesus, Luke 5:38

The Message of the Revolution

by Tom Johnston

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 ESV

The message of Jesus is the message of the Kingdom. It is this message, the proclamation of a new ruling order, which is at the core of the Revolution. The coming of the Kingdom of God is what the Revolution is all about – the overthrow of one world order for another. Jesus is the ultimate revolutionary – and He is still at work.

When Jesus was declaring the “good news” He was speaking forth the euangélion – the glad tidings of a victory which has established the empire – and consequently – a new peace (Isaiah 52:7). Also, euangélion was proclaimed at the birth of a new Roman emperor - a time of great joy and celebration, as this meant to the people that the government and peace they enjoyed would continue unbroken (in reference to Christ, see Luke 2:10-14). This term was a Greco-Roman political term, and in understanding it, we understand what the message of Jesus is all about. Jesus came proclaiming God’s right to rule on earth, and to be Lord in the affairs of men. He came to proclaim the overthrow of a rebellious world order and the re-establishment of the Father’s unquestioned dominion.

The message He preached was the Gospel (euangélion) of the Kingdom. It might surprise some that he did not come preaching the Gospel of Salvation. Salvation for humankind is not the core of the Gospel – the Kingdom is. Salvation for us is a blessed outcome of God’s kingdom rule in our lives. No Kingdom rule re-established, no salvation for humankind. The Cross is God’s weapon of His warfare (Colossians 2:15) in reclaiming His universe – and His people. The message of Christ and His Cross is the message of spiritual revolution, overthrowing the kingdom of darkness and re-establishing the Father’s blessed realm.

It is this revolutionary message we preach – a Christ-centric message. We are not preaching a human-centered (read: self-centered) message: the Self-improvement Gospel, or the Health & Wealth Gospel, or the Social-welfare Gospel. We preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, the message of revolution, which demands all from those who would enter the Kingdom (Mark 8:34-38). In that Kingdom (which is now, but not yet fully here), as a result of God’s rule, our souls are enriched forever, every need is met in Christ, every injustice is set aright – in the “now” in part and completely in the “not yet.”

In Mark 1, Jesus proclaimed the emergence of a new universal order, one in which we are to trust completely. We are to trust it in such a way as to rely completely upon it, changing our heart and mind, reorienting life and ministry around the commands of the King. The time has come for us to embrace this revolutionary message afresh, in our own lives and in our ministry, and join the Revolution of Jesus.

For the Sake of the Gospel

by Mike Chong Perkinson

Maryanne Hannan states a rather bold assertion in an article entitled “The Discomforts of Discipleship.” She opens up her heart and confesses that “I write about a set of beliefs that I support but do not fully live. My own writing disturbs my conscience more than what I read of others’ writings. Because I am unworthy of the message, should I stop writing?” (Spiritual Life 46:4 Winter 2000: 197) What an honest confession and one I’m sure that our hearts resonate with. Such honesty opens up the questions and let’s us ponder before the Holy Spirit the deep issues of our life. How do we deal with the internal paradox? Are we really doing all “for the sake of the gospel?” “Do I really believe all this stuff about Jesus? God? The Bible?”

There is a lot of emphasis in our church culture on reaching the postmodern generation. It is driven by a heart that desires to see this unchurched generation find a relationship with our loving savior. I applaud all these attempts and ask God on a daily basis “to raise up more laborers for the harvest.”

Ironically, I find myself deeply challenged in this new day where old methods of reaching the unchurched find themselves rather impotent. I’m not challenged because of an inability to adjust and adapt to an ever-changing culture, but find myself asking the question that stuns me into reality. “Am I doing all this for the sake of the gospel?”

It’s easy to answer the question with a blatant, “yes!” However, if I allow the Holy Spirit to peruse my heart, I find that I am forced to ask whether I did enough for the sake of the gospel or whether I did everything for the sake of the gospel. There is a large difference. Paul emphatically and poignantly explains:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (I Cor. 9:19-23, NIV)

When I listen to the words of Paul I am confronted radically with the issue of motive. He lived his life “for the sake of the gospel” and did everything he possibly could for the gospel. Am I maintaining my stand for a postmodern church that effectively contextualizes the message of the cross for the gospel or for myself? Is my position determined more by a western Enlightenment autonomism (self-rule), or is it determined by what Paul Tillich called “christonomism,” the rule of Christ? Hard questions to ask and frightening at that, but questions that must be asked by the Church. If we are going to be a people that live out the gospel, then we need to be confronted by its message, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and living in the love and grace that Christ so wonderfully demonstrated for us. Contextualizing the message is right, but we must incarnate it – that is live it out in front of the world in honor of our God.

Dr. Robert Webber writes; “Spirituality is essentially turning our backs on evil and embracing what it means to be fully human. God in becoming a man actually shows us what a true human being looks like . . . showing us what it means to be a true servant and a person of love, joy, and peace.” If it is true that Jesus has come to give us life and it abundantly (Jn. 10:10), then it only seems logical to assume that those in the church would be living a life that is a cut above the world. The church then should be full of people who are out living the world – we should be a model of what a human being really is. Jesus was that model for us and demonstrated what a life could do when it is fully submitted to God. As people look at our lives, are they reflections of a life that has been radically transformed – reflections of the heart and holiness of our Father? How do our lives reflect the love, joy and peace of our Father?

I often wonder if we, the Church, have somehow missed the essence of Jesus’ admonition to love God with all of our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. Our focus tends to be on the arena of external living. You know, memorize scripture (so that we can be right), stay away from evil (translated means “those awful and disgusting sinners”), pursue righteousness (often means run from the world and retreat in safety) and pray for the world (which often means we seek to find ways to force our personal agendas on others). There is nothing wrong with the practices just noted, I am in question about the heart that is practicing them.

The gospel is about freedom and a new life in Jesus. Paul pens these wonderful words in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (NIV). It is rather apparent that the gospel can become many things, often serving the self-interests of those who are promoting its truths. Franciscan peace activist, Sr. Rosemary Lynch, tells how she is able to remain so cheerful and forge on with her difficult work. She tells a powerful story of how as a child she thought the actual words to the hymn “Oh Lord, I am not worthy” were actually “Oh Lord, I am not worried.” To the mind of a child it made sense – If we are loved by God then there is no need to worry. What this tells me is that when we realize how much we are loved by God, our hearts melt in humility and humanness finds its true expression. In other words, it all starts with the love of God as was so wonderfully and radically demonstrated on the cross.

Before I conclude let me say that this article is not an invitation to excessive self-scrutiny – after all such does not elicit true humility nor does it bring rest from the burden of life. And so, “am I doing everything I can for the sake of the gospel?” What a question – I like it because it forces me to sit at the feet of the one who knows. Something each of us should consider doing – after all, He is the one who brings definition and release to our existence. May we find the life He has for us and may we be the people that dynamically reflect the love, joy and peace of our Father!

May our prayer be:

“For the sake of the gospel, O God, that is my plea.
For the sake of the gospel help me to lay aside all pettiness And meanness of spirit.For the sake of the gospel let me find ways to overcome conflict and divisions.For the sake of the gospel may I not substitute what is not gospel for the gospel of compromise the gospel out of fear or betray the gospel out of self-interest.For the sake of the gospel help me to stand fast for the gospel.For the sake of the gospel help me to be faithful to the gospel.And finally, O God, for the sake of the gospel enable me, above all, to distinguish what is gospel from what is not the gospel.For the sake of the gospel enable me to discern the line I must never cross.
For the sake of the gospel enable me to know when to yield and when to stand fast.Through Jesus Christ, your gospel. Amen.” (E. Glenn Hinson, “Reconciliation and Resistance,” Weavings 15:6 Nov/Dec 2000 : 46)