This morning one of my friends sent me a link to the video below in which John Piper exhorts leaders to articulate their vision for their church, small group, missions agency, etc on a regular basis and in fresh new ways. The encouragement and reminder from Piper is well worth watching this two minute clip.
Category: Leadership
Who is Responsible for Religious Liberty In America?
Just recently in my Baptist Heritage class, I learned an interesting fact regarding who was responsible for religious liberty in America. Specifically, who was responsible for the establishment of the Bill of Rights and a separation of church and state. Here is what one author has to say:
In tracing the emergence of religious liberty in America, Joseph Dawson concluded, “If the researchers of the world were to be asked who was most responsible for the American guarantee for religious liberty, their prompt reply would be ‘James Madison.'” However, Dawson continued, “If James Madison might answer, he would as quickly reply, ‘John Leland and the Baptists.'” If that sounds too partisan, overlooking the role of other denominations, it does focus upon Baptists’ great contribution in winning religious liberty in America. Baptists provided many of the ideas undergirding religious liberty, and they spearheaded the public agitation which led to the Bill of Rights [1].
Without my Baptist Heritage class, I would have never known that Baptists were intimately tied to the fight for the Bill of Rights. I am grateful for their work as well as the sacrifice and persecution those men faced in working toward Religious Liberty in America.
Resource
[1] Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage, 283.
Leadership Through Daily Scripture Reading
Have you ever wondered why reading through the Bible every year is important? Have you ever wondered why leaders in churches consistently talk about reading your Bible everyday? Have you ever thought about how your Bible comes to bear on the leadership of your family, small group, or even church?
Leadership Through Personal Scripture Reading
Bible reading plans are a dime a dozen, with each one offering you a different way to read through the Bible. However, before we throw our latest plan off to the side, I want us to think through the importance of our daily Bible reading for our leadership. I am not just talking about leadership at a vocational pastor level, but at all levels because we are all called to be leaders/shepherds, whether that be in our homes, our small groups, or over a local congregation.
Personal Confession
I often find myself reading Scripture in order to gain knowledge. I want to know who the kings were at the time of Isaiah’s prophesy, how many times Jesus told His disciples He was going to die without them understanding what He was telling them, or what churches Paul started on his 1st missionary journey. In doing so, I often fail to see how the text comes to bear on my life in particular.
Reading Scripture for Personal Growth, not Just Knowledge
In saying that, I am not saying we should not understand the facts and broad movements of Scripture. Those things are necessary and very important if we are to understand what God is communicating to us, but we must not stop there. We must dig deeper into each text we are reading in order to understand how the text comes to bear on our lives. In other words, our reading of the text is not complete if we just have the facts, we need to understand what the particular text is teaching us about God (His character or what He has done for us) and about mankind.
Once we understand what the text is saying about God and about mankind, we need to probe our own lives to see if we are dealing with the same sins mentioned in the text. As we make that a daily practice, we will begin to understand what Scriptures speak to different issues we are dealing with, as well as we will begin to root sin out of our lives. When we understand what Scriptures speak to particular issues/sins in our lives, we can then determine what others around us are struggling with. But not only will we know what they are struggling with, we will know what Scriptures will help them in their struggles because we have personally sought to apply them to our own lives during our daily Scripture reading.
Importance of a Daily Reading Plan
Notice, I said, “as we make that a daily practice.” Here is where the daily Scripture reading plans come in. They serve several functions:
(1) To keep us on track
(2) To provide us with accountability
(3) To expose us to a wide range of Scripture, which then causes us to probe our lives in different ways.
So, before you throw your daily reading plan aside, think about its function and what it is helping you to achieve.
Conclusion: Tying It To Leadership
If we want to lead/shepherd others, and we all are called to lead/shepherd others, then we must first understand how the Scripture comes to bear on our own lives. As we understand how the Scripture comes to bear on our lives through the daily reading of it, we are then better positioned to understand how Scripture comes to bear on others lives, as well as we are able to provide them with places to go in God’s Word when discussing with them the particular issues/sins they are dealing with.
So if we want to be a good leader/shepherd, we must first shepherd ourselves with God’s Word by reading it daily and reading it widely, as well as by asking ourselves more about the text than simple who did what and where did they do it. We must ask ourselves: What is God telling us about Himself and about mankind? After which we have to be willing to probe our own lives to see if we view God the way the text presents Him or if we are dealing with the sins the text presents.
I hope that you now see the importance the daily reading of Scripture plays in our lives. It is not for the sheer facts or to check another box off of a list as we go through the day. It is so we can, first, personally grow to be more like Christ through understanding and subsequently rooting sins in our own lives out, and, second, so we can help others deal with sins in their lives in a biblical manner.
Some Additional Things to Keep in Mind
As we read the text, we should also seek to understand how we can use it to counsel others through difficult seasons in their lives. In other words, we should not solely ask, what attitude toward God does this address or what sin is illumined in my life, we have to also ask how could/would I use this Scripture to counsel others who are hurting.
Most importantly, we have to understand that when we discover a particular sin we are dealing with through our daily reading of Scripture, we do not root that sin out solely in our own power. It is by preaching the gospel to ourselves that we deal with sin in our lives, as well as by taking certain measures to remove the temptation for that particular sin. This means that we have not truly dealt with a sin if we do not deal with it at the root level.
May I recommend several resources to help you with this. First, I recently wrote about preaching the gospel to ourselves. You can read it by clicking here. I would also recommend two other posts I wrote: Understanding Your Idols and The Functional Centrality of the Gospel. Second, I would recommend you pick up: Counterfeit God’s by Timothy Keller, as well as How People Change by Lane and Tripp.
If you are interested in different reading plan, my friend Dustin Bruce highlighted some in a recent post on his blog Gospel Spirituality. You can check it out by clicking here.
How Do We Eradicate Injustice and Poverty?
In order to eradicate injustice and poverty in the world many ideologies, or systems of ideas and ideals, have been put forth. Two notable ideologies as of late are Communism and Free Market Capitalism.
Communism and Free Market Capitalism
Whereas Communism (Marxist Form) supposedly eradicates all class lines and injustice by providing for the needs of its people through a centralized government, Free Market Capitalism puts power in the market, believing, when given free rein, human behavior will automatically drive toward that which is most beneficial for society [1].
In believing their respective ideology will fix societies problems, each party raises their system to a Messiah like status, arguing vehemently for their ideology, while demonizing the other. In raising their ideology to a Messiah like status, both camps believe they will fix society without any dependence on God or a moral code.
Trying to Fix Society With an Ideology Will Lead to Disaster
For one, each ideology serves as a “limited, partial account of reality that is raised to the level of the final word on things” [2]. With this mentality in place, no other ideology has the right or ability to provide an idea, thus blinding those putting forth their ideology to the negative attributes and effects of their own system, while at the same time handicapping themselves because they are too narrow-minded to seek answers outside their own ideological system.
In addition, those putting forth an ideology irrespective of God will always be blinded to the affects original sin has on people’s actions. Whereas their ideology may work in a perfect world or in books, they are quick to forget we live in a world corrupted and marred by sin, one where people function much differently than one would hope. The oppressive states of Russia, Germany, China, and North Korea, as well as the world’s financial crisis of 2008-2009 are just a few indicators that sin throws a major wrench in the initial thoughts of a utopian society created by a particular ideology [3].
Thus, given the blindness of those putting forth their ideology to its negative affects, and the fact that those putting forth one of these particular ideologies are attempting to fix society without any regard for God, an universal moral code, or original sin does nothing more than insure their failure to solve the problem of injustice and poverty.
Read what C.E.M Joad, a leading British agnostic philosopher turned Christian after WWII has to say,
The view of evil implied by Marxism, expressed by Shaw and maintained by modern psychotherapy, a view which regards evil as the by product of circumstances, which circumstances can, therefore, alter and even eliminate, has come to seem [in light of World War II and atrocities by both Nazis and Stalinists] intolerably shallow… It was because we rejected the doctrine of original sin that we on the Left were always being disappointed, disappointed… by the failure of true socialism to arrive, by the behavior of nations and politicians…above all, by the recurrent fact of war [4].
The Answer
The answer to solving injustice and poverty is for us to mend our relationship with God [5]. The only way we can mend our relationship with God is through faith in the gospel message. The gospel tells us that God provided a means for our relationship with Him to be made right through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Through Jesus’ sacrifice and subsequent resurrection, we can experience a mended relationship with God. When we believe that Jesus is our Savior, who paid the price for our sins in His once for all sacrifice, our relationship with God is mended, and we receive a new heart. A heart that abhors injustice and poverty. A heart that does not desire to assert its own selfish desire for success and power over others. If one truly follows the commands of Scripture as put forth in Philippians 2:3-11, injustice and poverty will be eradicated.
“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ” (Phil 2:3-11)
Here is the catch though, men are not going to serve others, counting them more important than themselves and take up the self-sacrificial attitude and actions of Jesus, unless their hearts are changed and sin no longer has dominion over them. Imposing a system or ideology on society without any regard for the corrupting affects of sin will always lead to failure, but exposing a man’s heart to the gospel will lead him to be humble and self-sacrificial, even to the point of death.
Conclusion
So then, the answer to solving the world’s problems of injustice and poverty should not begin with an argument for Communism or Free Market Capitalism because both systems, to their detriment, neglect the corrupting affects of original sin; rather, it should begin with the proclamation of the gospel. For the gospel alone is the only thing that can deal with the real problem behind injustice and poverty, which is the problem of sin (Rom. 3:23).
Resource
[1] Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods (New York: Dutton Press, 2009), 105-106.
[2] Ibid., 104.
[3] Ibid., 105-106.
[4] Ibid., 105 quoted from C.E.M. Joad, The Recovery of Belief (London: Faber and Faber, 1952), pp. 62-63.
[5] Ibid., 107.
How to Get Our People and Ourself on Mission
Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to get on mission for Jesus and stay on mission? For most of us, we are excited to say we are living missionally, we throw the vocabulary around because it sounds cool, but the actual practice of living missionally is difficult. Why is it hard to live missionally? How we can actually get started and sustain our mission?
How Can we GET on Mission and STAY on Mission?
If we want ourselves and our people to be on mission for Christ, our affection for Christ must be the dominating affection of our hearts. If something else is the dominating affection, such as acceptance, status, or materialism, then mission will not be fully realized, and it is probably not going to start. Living on mission and staying on mission is a heart issue. It is not a program or strategy issue, which means we must attack a lack of mission at the heart level.
How can we increase Our affections for Jesus?
(1) We must have an unwavering commitment to understanding the Gospel in a greater way.
We have to be willing to make a commitment to understanding how every aspect of our life is affected by the gospel, and how every aspect of our life can be a gospel moment. Here is what I mean. Our life is a gospel moment when others witness the radical change Christ has performed in our lives. For instance, when a Christian’s view of sex, money, and power is radically different than our cultures, the gospel’s power to transform our life is demonstrated, not only to the world, but to ourselves. But that gospel change won’t result unless we commit to understanding the gospel in a greater way. An understanding that should result in our affections for Jesus changing as we recognize how wicked and depraved we really are and how great Jesus’ salvation really is.
(2) We must be willing to fail.
In our willingness to fail, we show we realize we are not the ones who expand the kingdom; rather, it is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who expand the kingdom. As we depend on God, see Him sustain us, and even use us to expand His kingdom, our affection for Him should increase and stimulate us to further mission.
(3) The travailing of our souls should cause us to pray.
As we face the laborious task of mission, our soul will inevitably groan with pain, because, let’s be honest, being on mission is hard, much harder than we might have first thought. The difficulties of mission should drive us to pray more often and more fervently. Prayer creates intimacy with Jesus and that intimacy should increase our affections for Jesus.
(4) Become an expert in proclaiming Jesus.
We become an expert on proclaiming Jesus by studying Scripture. As we study Scripture, we should gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and that should increase our affections for Him.
Conclusion
Changing the affections of our heart is key to getting on and staying on mission, which we are able to influence by committing to understand the gospel more deeply, be willing to fail, praying, and becoming an expert in proclaiming Jesus’ message through the study of Jesus’ Word. Doing these things should change our heart’s affections and drive us to mission, one that is more joyful and sustainable.
Resources
This post was developed from Tyler Jones’ sermon “The Church Planters Mission,” which you can find on iTunes under the Acts29 Network Podcast, or by clicking here (Note: it will be the one initially highlighted in light grey).
A great article on the subject of evangelism is Brent Nelson’s article Woe to Me if I don’t Evangelize
Thinking Out Loud: How do we encourage inquirers?
This week I came across a post by Thabiti Anyabwile entitled, “What About Altar Calls?“, which I also highlighted in this weeks Interestingness. His article has caused me to think about altars calls this week, and to ask a question of my own, which I am hoping you can help me with.
Background Information
First, let me give you some background information. In his article, Thabiti answers the question: “Why he does not do altar calls?”
In order to answer that question, he provides a list from Pastor Ryan Kelly of Desert Springs Church. The list is as follows:
1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the N.T.
2. The altar call is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology.
3. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa).
4. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.”
5. The altar call partially replaces baptism as the means of public profession of faith.
6. The altar call can mislead us to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.”
7. The altar call can confuse people regarding “sacred” things and “sacred” places, as the name “altar call” suggests.
8. The altar call is not sensitive to our cautious and relational age where most people come to faith over a period of time and often with the interaction of a good friend.
9. The altar call is often seen as “the most important part of the service”, and this de-emphasizes the truly more important parts of corporate worship which God has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing).
10. God is glorified to powerfully bless the things He has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing), not the things we have invented. We should always be leery of adding to God’s prescriptions for His corporate worship.
After giving his reasoning, Thabiti explains that their church does give people an opportunity to respond to their services, they just do it differently. Thabiti says,
“We give them a number of ways they may follow up on what they’ve heard, from talking to an elder or Christian friend after the service, to scheduling an appointment during the week, to letting us know they would like us to visit with them, and so on.”
My Question
My question is not regarding Thabiti’s practices, which I am in agreement with. My question is about how to facilitate a way by which someone can talk with an elder, schedule an appointment, or let you know they want to visit.
Here are my questions:
- How do the elders effectively communicate their desire to talk further with someone who has questions?
- How do you go about encouraging others to take the elders up on their offer?
- What systems can we put in place to make it easier for people to contact and schedule an appointment with the elders to talk further?
- Or do we even put a system in place at all? Do we just let the Holy Spirit work in people’s lives?
- Or should we still do altar calls, just do them differently? That raises another questions: Is there a better way to do altar calls? In other words, are there better ways to allow people to respond at the end of the message than we are currently practicing?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please post them in the comments below.
Christianity Matters 