Dialogue or Debate?

Meet Susan.  She is an agnostic.  She does not like people who emphatically say there is not a God or people who say there is a God.  She cannot tolerate when Christians proclaim that Jesus is, "The way the truth and the life" (John 14:6).  Imagine you entered into a conversation with her and this is what she had to say:

You as a Christian have an answer you are trying to confirm.  I have no answers and am looking for truth.  In my world when you suggest that God is merciful and loving yet sends people to hell...that sounds like a contradiction.  How can you make such a claim?

How do you respond to Susan?  What is your natural inclination? Perhaps for many the tendency is to respond like this Christian teacher:

Students:  How do you know that Jesus really did that?

Teacher: Because it's in the Bible!

Students: How do we know that the Bible is true?

Teacher: Because God gave it to us!

Students: How do we know God gave it...

Teacher: Enough Mr. Johnson!!

Now, let's consider the answer Jesus gives to someone asking questions.  Nicodemus came to Jesus with some questions and Jesus spent some time giving him answers:

Rabbi (Jesus), we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.  Jesus answered him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?  Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit' (John 3:1-8).

Notice a few things about this conversation.   First, Jesus did not just give rehearsed cliches as answers.  He took the time to explain the truth and even used a metaphor to instill truth into Nicodemus.  Second, it is clear that Jesus and Nicodemus are having dialogue and it is simply not just a debate.

Nicodemus left this encounter still as a non-believer.  Later in the Scriptures we do read that He came to faith in Jesus trusting Him as his personal savior.  I have to believe that similar conversations went on between Jesus and Nicodemus until he crossed that threshold into faith.  So, as believers follow the example of Christ let's go find some people to have genuine dialogue with about the truth as revealed in the Scriptures.  If you are one given to debate every time someone questions a truth claim about the faith then remember this saying, "You may win the battle and lose the war."  That is you may win the argument but lose the relationship with that person.

Update

Wow, it has been a crazy couple of weeks.  I have been silent on this blog during this time and realized I needed to bring you all up to speed.  So, it is time for an update.  God has been opening and closing doors over the last month and we are excited to continue on this journey.

In November we completed what is called a church planting assessment through the North American Mission Board.  This was one of the most intense experiences of our lives.  It involved several interviews in which they asked those really hard questions about our devotional life, marriage as well as addressing our visions and philosophies for the church.  Then there were time slots for public presentations.  These were fun.  You presented and then they critiqued.  In the end this proved to be one of the most profitable things we have done thus far in our ministry.  It clearly revealed strengths and weaknesses as well as brought clarity of calling.  If anyone has even an ounce of interest in church planting it is in my mind a necessity to have an assessment done.

In the end they did approve us to be church planters which means the work has just begun.  We are now in the "incubator" stage.  A church planting coach has been assigned to us and we are writing out our ministry blue print.  This is the primary focus over the next few months.  This is the time in which we are counting the cost.  We desire to be like the wise builder that Jesus referred to:

25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:25-33).

We are preparing and counting the cost so we can finish what we start.  Please continue to pray for us!

Core Value #2: Missional Community

The word missional has become a popular slogan for many of our churches and denominations today.  This missional movement has swept through and crossed all denominational lines.  With this mass popularity has come much confusion and complexity as to what this word really means and what it means to serve in a missional community.  Missional simply means to be on mission.  It embraces the understanding that just as Jesus Christ was sent into the world that he also sends us out into the world (John 20:21).  So, to belong to a missional community means that everyone is outreached focused with the chief motivation of our lives being a fulfillment of the great commission (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). Every member of the missional community gets on the playing field participating in the expansion of gospel ministry all over the globe.  As John Piper says there are really only three types of people in the church when it comes to missions, "Those that are sent, those that send and those that are disobedient."

The Antioch Church certainly was a missional community.  Their focus was on fulfilling the great commission not just on building their own congregation.  Consider that fact that Paul and Barnabas are the traveling evangelists who came there to build up the congregation.  They were like the consultants and the experts in their midst.  It was a great blessing to the church to have them present for a full year to teach and disciple them.  Instead of holding tight to Paul and Barnabas they sent them out to carry out the great commission which was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be this type of community will often require sacrifice.  It means we may have to sacrifice our best generals or even those large givers!  This is what it takes to build the Lord's Kingdom.  It means we will have to at times sacrifice our kingdom.  Brian Bloye experienced this at his church.  He is a church planter and had successfully planted a nice mid sized church.  In the church planting world he was already extremely successful and he could have easily maintained at that level leading a very comfortable lifestyle.  He knew more was required though.  So, what he did was took his core team from this church and sent them out to plant another church.  Within this group existed those that volunteered the most time to the ministry and the largest financial contributor.  Yet he still sent them out and what has taken place since then is really remarkable.  Now, his ministry is flourishing as the culture in this community is one that embraces the missional lifestyle.  Let's be people that go out on mission to impact lives for the glory of God!

Core Value #1: Shared Leadership

Studying the church at Antioch brings us to a clear conclusion on what an essential core value is of a Biblically sound church.  This core value is shared leadership.  The leaders were gathered together worshipping the Lord and the Holy Spirit spoke to the leadership team to set apart Paul and Barnabas to send them out on their missionary journey.  The interesting thing about the lead team at Antioch is there was great diversity among the group.

First, just simply consider the ethnicity of all of the leaders:

• Barnabas was from Cyprus and a Hellenistic Jew.
• Simeon (Niger) was black.
• Lucius from Cyrene was an African.
• Manaen from Palestine was a Grecian/Herodian
• Saul (Paul) was from Tarsus and a Hebraic Jew.

Never in a million years would we think to assemble such a "motley crue" group together.  This is the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit of God unites the hearts of people with different backgrounds in order to carry out the great commission for his glory and honor.  In God's economy he does not just choose one type of person to be a leader, but he raises people up from every nation, every tribe and every tongue.

In addition to their diverse ethnic backgrounds clearly different gifts exist among the group.  Some were prophets and teachers.  Paul was an apostle and a missionary.  Barnabas was given the missionary gift as well.  God gives different gifts according to the grace given to each person.  It is our duty to band together with those individuals that have very different gifts and all exercise our gifts for the glory of God.  This is what was taking place at the church.

God does not want his leaders to go out as "lone rangers"!  We are called to band together with other godly leaders and charge forward as a unified group.  We are to be unified even in the midst of our diversity.   It response to my last blog post our good friend Becca Carr shared some very insightful thoughts on this concept of "Unity in Diversity":

What strikes me is the "unity in diversity" that was, and can only truly be, accomplished in Jesus that was displayed in the church then. how beautiful, and how really glorifying to God it is when we can sincerely neglect to take into account each other's backgrounds, levels of education, ethnic culture, or whatever differences we may have, and see and treat each other for what we really are - fellow sinners saved by God's grace and mercy. it's so liberating to forfeit any competition we may feel with each other, and know that His value of us isn't effected by how we are evaluated by others. i think when we allow the Holy Spirit to show us how deeply dependent we are on His power to do anything good, how incapable we are in ourselves, it won't be difficult to have that sincere humility and selflessness that Paul and Barnabas had.

This shared leadership concept is a core value for me in my ministry.  For one thing I know that I have way to many weaknesses to build a sound ministry as a "one man show."  It just won't work.  This is why the Bible time and time again calls for a plurality of overseers to lead and direct the church.  I am earnestly praying and on the lookout for leaders who feel called to unite together for a common vision and purpose reaching people for Christ.  Identify the way that God has uniquely equipped and called you and go and fulfill that calling!

Antioch Church

The church at Antioch appeared in the drama of the early church play on two significant occasions.  They were a vital character in moving the plot forward for the expansion of Christ's church.  The term "Christian" was attributed to those followers of Christ who faithfully testified of their Lord in Antioch.  This church held a special place in the hearts of Paul and Barnabas as they spent an entire year at Antioch depositing the truths of the Scriptures into the believers bank accounts (Acts 11:26).  Essentially these two godly men where obeying the great commission teaching and instructing the believers to obey all that Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20).  From this account we learn that Paul and Barnabas were more than just those "soul-winning" missionary types, but they also believed in "soul-saturating" by continually informing the people in the doctrines of the faith (Acts 2:42).

In Acts 13 we glean even more insight about the infamous Antioch Church.  In three very brief verses (Acts 13:1-3) we learn so much about what made this church so unique and special.  A culture was created in which diversity was not only allowed but celebrated as the church leaders came from completely different ethnic backgrounds and we read about them being united together worshipping the Lord, "Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch and Saul" (Acts 13:1).  Furthermore, we see that they not only were from different ethnic backgrounds but they had a diversity of gifts as well.  Some present were gifted as teachers and others as prophets.  Paul (Saul) was of course appointed as an apostle.  Paul and Barnabas clearly had the missionary gift and calling.  No two individuals are alike nor does the Lord distribute the same gifts to every individual.  All are given different gifts and are commanded to use them according to the measure of grace they are given (Rom. 12:3, 6).

Paul and Barnabas were the missionaries that came to the church at Antioch.  They were the "experts" who had been to this rodeo before and they were there to instruct the church in what they know and have learned.  Clearly they were the most seasoned and qualified leaders at the church.  Notice, though that they did not suffer from a case of "spiritual elitism" in which they viewed themselves as the only leaders in the group.  In fact they submitted themselves to the leadership at the church!  The church at Antioch sent them out on their next missionary journey (Acts 13:3).  Paul and Barnabas presented themselves as servants to the church and lifted others up to exercise their gifts for the glory and honor of God.

The Antioch Church claimed their stake in the annuls of church history as a church focused outward and can properly be called a sending church, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off" (Acts 13:2-3).  I am sure that after serving the Antioch Church for a year that the people had a deep love and affection for them.  It would have been profitable for the church to keep Paul and Barnabas around.  A culture of true Kingdom building was created in the midst of this church.  Notice I said "true" culture of Kingdom building.  All churches seem to have a focus on kingdom building.  The problem is that many focus on building their kingdom rather than His Kingdom.

This mindset adopted by the Antioch Church is the proper one to have.  It is our calling to have a vision for being a sending church and to set aside times to worship to seek out the Lord's calling.  John Piper says that there are three types of people that exist in every church, "Those that send, those that are sent, those that are disobedient."  The question is which category to you fall in?  Let's model our lives and ministry after the Antioch Church and be sent ones and senders for the glory of God.

DID YOU KNOW: The city of Antioch was held by Muhammed Ali for a period of about 9 years.  Well, this was not the boxer but Muhammed Ali of Egypt who lived in the early to mid eighteen hundreds.

Step in the Water

One of the most well known recorded miracles in the Bible is the event in which God parted the Red Sea.  An often overlooked miracle that took place under the command of Moses successor Joshua was the parting of the Jordan River.  God divided this river so Joshua and his followers could cross to begin their conquering campaign.  It is interesting to note that it was not until they stepped in the water that the river parted, "the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water...that the waters which came down from upstream stood still" (Joshua 3:15-16).  What we read here is that the priests performed an act of faith.  They believed that the waters were going to part but it was not until they took that first step in the water that it actually happened.

In our lives it is often necessary to take this step of faith as well.  God will give us plans and promises and He still requires us to take that first step.  We often seek after blessings and miracles and yet we are usually to afraid to dip our toes in the water.  We are afraid of getting wet!  We let fear hold us captive. We fear instability, criticism or failure.  There are moments in our lives that we need to decide that it is o.k. if we happen to get wet.  We need to step into the water and see what the Lord might do!

Is there something that you have felt the Lord prompting you to do?  Maybe there is a family member or close friend that you need to witness to?  Maybe there is a ministry you have felt to urge to start?  If this is the case I plead with you to face your fears and step into the water.

Lessons from William Carey

I just completed a biography that has completely changed my life.  This book I am referring is a narrative about the life of William Carey.  Carey was an ordinary man with an exceptional calling that caused him to persevere through the most adverse circumstances and outwork men of more ability and scholarship.  Here is a summary of the four main points from the book that lit a new fire within me:

1. Carey believed in having a big vision for achieving great things for the glory and honor of God.  His famous quote is, "Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God."  Following Carey's example we as Christians should be willing to take risks and pursue endeavors that many people may refer to as impossible.

2. Carey believed in consistently and diligently working to achieve his God given goals.  In his journal he wrote that if there is anything true that people can write about me it is this, "I plod.  I am a plodder." What he meant by this is that he continues to press on even when adverse circumstances afflict him.  We could learn a lot from carry about getting back up when we have been knocked down.

3. Carey believed in being willing to make mistakes.  He along with his time translated the Bible into forty languages.  Many of these were sub par translations.  He was aware of the inadequacies within himself and of the translations, but he determined that a sub par translation of the Word of God was better than no translation at all.  He also concluded that the only way to get feed back of how to correct it was to get it in the hands of the people.  Carey firmly believed, "the man who never makes a mistake never makes anything."  We must be willing to put ourselves out their even if it means we will make some mistakes along the way.  Many of the translations would never been put to print if Carey had waited for the "perfect" one.

4. Carey believed it was his responsibility to evangelize the lost as well as reform the social evils of his day.  Two corrupt practices were prevalent in India during Carey's missionary days there.  One practice was referred to as infanticide in which many infants were brutally murdered for not wanting to eat.  It was concluded that these children had an evil spirit within them thus justifying the murder.  Another heinous act was sati.  According to sati, widowers must be burned alive with their dead husbands.  Carey put countless hours in seeking reform in these areas.  The lesson learned here is that we as Christians and especially God called preachers have a duty to strive for moral reform of the social evils of our day.  The greatest social evil of our day is Abortion.  I encourage everyone who is reading this to consider what they can do to get involved in attempts to bring an end to this horrific social evil.