Stop Buying Curriculum

For far too long, churches have fallen prey to the smooth sales pitch:

Buy this! 

It's the latest and greatest disciplemaking curriculum!

Six easy lessons to fully committed disciples!

Yet Jesus never used curriculum. He established personal relationships with people. He said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." He lived and worked with his disciples, teaching them by his actions, words, and attitudes how to love God and love people.

The 21st Century word for this is mentoring. If you want to know more about it, I recommend this article.

So stop buying curriculum.

And start mentoring.

Build relationships.

Demonstrate by your life, your words, your attitudes, what it means to follow Christ.

Stop Segregating Your Youth

That's right - Stop segregating your youth! Half a century ago, churches thought that the thing to do with youth was to put them in a youth group. And the results have been devastating. Both to the youth and to the church.

Let me explain.

First - the Bible never sanctioned separating youth from adults.

Check out Deuteronomy 16:9-14, where Israel was commanded, during the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths, to "rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter," 

When Joshua renewed the Covenant, "he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones" (8:34f).

Under Ezra, when Israel confessed their sin, it was "a very great assembly of men, women, and children" (10:1).

I could go on.

See also 2 Chronicles 20:13, Nehemiah 12:43 and Joel 2:15-16. The point is well taken that the Bible always expected children to be part of the worshiping, studying, and serving community.

Second -  In a study conducted a couple of years ago, "Fifty-five percent of American Christians [were] concerned with modern youth ministry because it's too shallow and too entertainment-focused, resulting in an inability to train mature believers."

Adam McManus, a spokesman for the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches, wrote:

American Christians are finally waking up to the disconnect between the clear teaching in Scripture in favor of family-integration and the modern-day church's obsession with dividing the family at every turn. Age segregation, especially during the tender and impactful teenage years, not only hasn't worked, it's been detrimental.

Third - As everyone knows, most youth drop out of church. The reasons they drop out are multitudinous, but one reason is that they have been separated in youth groups, and see no reason to "graduate" from youth ministry to the church. It is so unnatural.

Fourth - Recent research validates the efficacy of intergenerational discipling. See, for example, Holly Allen's Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community and Worship. 

Youth need to build a large number of relationships with authentic Christian women and men. One or two youth leaders cannot get the job done. If you really want to disciple youth, put them in meaningful relationships with adult Christ followers. And it will happen. It worked for ancient Israel. It worked for the church in its first 1,950 years. And it will work again. Just try it.

 

Stop Inviting People to Church

Ever since I started following Christ at age 16, I thought that "the thing to do" was to invite people to church. Oh yeah - as a pastor, I led congregational programs like "Bring a Friend Sunday." And we had Sunday school growth campaigns, where the idea was to invite family and friends to Sunday school. And I continued in this mode through the last 31 years as a lay member of my church.


But no more! I challenge you to stop inviting people to church!

Yes, you read that correctly. Stop inviting people to church. I started thinking about this after reading David Platt, “I realized I was on a collision course with an American church culture where success is defined by bigger crowds, bigger budgets, and bigger buildings. I was now confronted with a startling reality: Jesus actually spurned the things that my church culture said were most important. So what was I to do?”[1]

You see, 21st Century Discipling is NOT about growing bigger churches, bigger budgets, and all those things. It's about sharing Christ with your oikos (Greek word meaning family, friends, close circle of relationships). Sharing Christ should be a normal, natural part of life.

We do it by the language we use, by the attitudes we display, by the way we spend our money, by the people we hang out with, and by sharing our faith story whenever possible. Can you tell your faith story in 2 minutes or less? Try this:

1. Find the one word that describes what your life was like before you started following Christ. Write 2 or 3 sentences explaining that one word.
2. Then write 2 or 3 sentences telling what happened when you decided to follow Christ.
3. Then find the one word that describes the benefits of following Christ. Write 2 or 3 sentences explaining that one word.

Here's my faith story, developed by this process:

When I was 16 years old, the main thing I wanted was to be happy. I tried everything I could think of to be happy, but the end result was that I was miserable. That's when I asked God to forgive my sins and I prayed, "Lord, I've tried it my way and it doesn't work. I'm ready to try it your way. I'll do anything you want me to do." And when he forgave my sin, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And ever since then, my life has been characterized by joy. Joy is so much more than happiness - happiness depends on circumstances, but the joy of the Lord is my strength, and I feel it even when circumstances are bad. 

My one word was "miserable." And my second one word was "joy." By remembering those two words, I now can share my faith story immediately, and in less than 2 minutes. The timing is important, because we live in a sound bite generation, and most people will listen for 2 minutes, but they won't listen to all the details of your life story.

Give it try! Stop inviting people to church, and start sharing your faith story. Your oikos will listen, and will want to know more about this Christ you follow.

---

[1] David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2010), 2.

Love and Mercy

I went to the theater and saw "Love and Mercy," the story of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. Well, it was really two stories requiring two actors to play Brian Wilson. Paul Dano played Brian in the 1960s during his descent into substance abuse and mental illness, and John Cusack played Brian in the 1980s at the time of his rescue from drug addiction.

It's a powerful story of loss and redemption. There's nothing specifically spiritual or Christian about it, but it's a modern parable of good gifts lost and recovered 20 years later because of love and mercy.

And that story has captivated me for the past few weeks. I can't get it out of my mind. It reminds me of all the millions of lost people who Jesus found, forgave, cleaned up, put back on their feet, and gave a fresh start and a reason to live. It reminds me that no amount of scolding, condemnation, criticism, vilification, or disapproval can lead someone to faith in Christ. It reminds me of the old adage, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."

You see, it was his future wife, Melinda Ledbetter, who loved him when he was unlovable and over medicated by an evil and controlling therapist. She took action to get Brian out of the therapist's greedy hands. And with appropriate therapy, and some love and mercy, Brian was reborn.

Click here to hear Brian sing the movie's title song.

The lyrics say it all:

I was sittin' in a crummy movie
With my hands on my chin
all the violence that occurs
Seems like we never win

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I was lying in my room
And the news came on TV
A lotta people out there hurtin'
And it really scares me

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I was standing in a bar
And watching all the people there
Oh the loneliness in this world
Well it's just not fair

Love and mercy that's what we need tonight
Love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

Love and mercy. That's what I need. It's what you need. And it's what everyone needs. And the best source for true love and real mercy is our Lord Jesus Christ. May his love and mercy set you free from whatever is holding you in thrall. And may his love and mercy be spread from you to everyone else in your circle of influence.

Love and mercy that's what we need tonight.

The Charleston Massacre

I was on a teaching and preaching mission in Trinidad and Tobago when 9 Christians were murdered by a hate-filled racist on June 17. Just about everybody in the world has weighed in on this unspeakable tragedy, and today it's my turn.

Jesus spoke about coming persecutions in Matthew 10:22, "you will be hated by all because of my name." Yes, I know that he was not talking about race hate, he was telling his followers that persecution was coming, no matter the source. Specifically, he said:

I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:16-22).

 We were all rightly shocked and horrified by the Charleston massacre. Things like that just should not happen on God's good earth. But the sad reality is that they do happen. And they happen a lot.

• Christian Solidarity International has issued a Genocide Warning for Christian communities and other religious minorities in North Africa and the broader Islamic Middle East.
  
• 100 million Christians in over 60 countries are persecuted for their faith.
  
• '70 million Christians' martyred for their faith since Jesus walked the earth.
  
•  "It seemed like it was me, the gunman, and God," said Jeanne Assam, describing her feelings as she confronted a man who charged into her Colorado Springs church.

I could insert more and more links, ad nauseam. But I won't, because you don't need convinced, you only need reminded of the global persecution of Christians. 

And, sadly, we should not be surprised when haters enter church buildings and kill Christians. It has been happening all over the world (particularly in the middle east and in communist countries), and there is no reason it won't happen in the United States. As long as mentally ill haters are alive, they will find a way to murder and maim Christians. 

And so main message today is this:

Christians in America --

Get ready to be persecuted for your faith. Jesus told us it would happen, and we have been safe and secure for such a long time that we have forgotten this ugly part of living in a sinful world. 

I believe things will get worse for us in the United States. 

Be prepared. 

Persecution is coming.

A New Definition of Disciple

The more I read and think about this, the more convinced I am that we need a new definition of disciple. My reading, my thinking, and my experience lead me to the conclusion that true discipleship is generational. 

1. There are four generations of believers in 2 Tim 2:2 -- "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

     First Generation: Paul

          Second Generation: Timothy

               Third Generation: Reliable people

                     Fourth Generation: Others

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

2. Very often in the Bible, when God saved someone he saved their entire οίκος (oikos) -- household, family, close associates. See, e.g., Gen. 6:17-18, Joshua 6:17, Mark 5:18-20, John 4:39-42, Acts 10:24; 16:14-15; 30-33, and many other places.

I was saved by faith in Christ at age 16, but nobody ever discipled me. I never told my mother, father, or brothers about the Lord and what he had done for me. My oikos never heard my faith story. I did not share Jesus with them, and this is the one big regret I have as a Christian. If I could have one do-over, I would go back and be discipled so that my oikos could hear and believe.

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

And today, after 49 years as a Christ follower, I'm not sure if I can really call myself a disciple. Oh, I'm a Christian for sure. I'm saved. I'm born again. But have I ever discipled anyone who then discipled someone else? I just don't know.

How about you?

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

Pew Research: America’s Changing Religious Landscape

On May 12, the Pew Research Center shocked the religious world with its headline, "Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population; Unaffiliated and Other Faiths Continue to Grow" (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/). This was so big that  it not only lit up the Internet, but mainstream news outlets reported and opined on it. 

Now that the dust has started to settle, I shall chime in. I offer my theory alongside all of the other theories about why this shift is happening. And my theory isn't based on research; it's based on 40 years of ministry experience and observation.

With few exceptions, I have observed that when both parents love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbor as themselves, most of their children do, too. It's that simple. This is not true 100% of the time, of course, but in my experience and observation, it's true most of the time.

When mom and dad pray, worship, tithe, go to church, love their neighbors as Christ would -- most of their children follow suit. I saw this in my family of origin, in my wife's family of origin, and in the extended families in the four churches I have served (three in Indiana and one in West Virginia).

The bottom line is -- if you want to see a return to Christian faith in America, it starts with fully committed Christ following parents. Period. 

OK, so enough of my non-scientific, non-research-based rant. Let's look at one paragraph in the Pew study that is consistent with my theory:

Religious intermarriage also appears to be on the rise: Among Americans who have gotten married since 2010, nearly four-in-ten (39%) report that they are in religiously mixed marriages, compared with 19% among those who got married before 1960.3 The rise in intermarriage appears to be linked with the growth of the religiously unaffiliated population. Nearly one-in-five people surveyed who got married since 2010 are either religiously unaffiliated respondents who married a Christian spouse or Christians who married an unaffiliated spouse. By contrast, just 5% of people who got married before 1960 fit this profile.

So what happens in a religiously mixed marriage? I don't know, but chances are that you don't have a mom and dad who are both following Christ and working together for the spiritual development of their children.

And before you call me a bigot for "being against intermarriage," let me quickly say that I'm just observing. Choices have consequences. If you want to see more adults following Christ, then they need to start out as children following Christ. And if you want to raise Christ following children, then you need both a mother and father who are Christ followers. That's all I'm saying.

So I for one was not shocked when Pew released its report. Anybody with eyes open saw this coming. And if we don't return to the precepts of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we are very likely to see a continued movement away from historic Christian beliefs in America.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deut 6:4-9, NRSV

The Truth

Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" And that's the eternal question that has haunted us forever. How do we know the truth? How do we know what is true? Where do we turn for guidance?

Well, there's a pretty good answer to those questions. And it's an answer that the church has kept pretty well hidden. I, for example, never heard of the answer until long after I had graduated from seminary, served as a pastor, and came back to teach in seminary.

Have you ever heard of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral? THAT'S the answer!

It's a method of discovering theological truth, based on the writings of John Wesley (1703-1791). The term, "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" was coined by Albert C. Outler in the 20th century.

You will remember from your junior high geometry class that a quadrilateral is a four-sided figure. Any size or shape will do, as long as it has four sides.

Wesley ran every theological idea through four tests before coming to any conclusions, and 300 years later, Outler named this theological method the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

So what are those four tests?

1. Scripture

For the Christ follower, the Word of God is the longest edge of the quadrilateral. For anything to be trusted as true, it must be consistent with Scripture. Every quest for truth starts here. 

2. Tradition

Any new idea must also be consistent with 30 centuries of Judeo-Christian tradition (see my post about tradition). For me, our tradition starts with Abraham, who obeyed God when he was called to leave his home and go to a new place. Ever since then, the people of God have been building a legacy of truth. And all new truth claims must not only be consistent with the Bible, they must also be consistent with tradition.

3. Reason

We are made in the image and likeness of God. God is a reasonable God. God has the capacity to think and reason. Because we are made in His image, we too have the capacity to reason. In our quest to discover truth, a thing must be consistent with the Bible, with 3,000 years of theological tradition, and it must be reasonable.

4. Experience

Many Christian groups affirm the first three sides of this quadrilateral, but they stop short of experiential truth. The Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). If something is true, it will be true in the Bible, in tradition, in reason, and in our personal experience. "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!"

So there you have it, my friend. Jesus' promise that we shall know the truth is fulfilled. We know what is true by putting it to these four tests. Praise God for simplicity, for clarity, for understanding, and for confidence in our beliefs.

As Shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof

What a crazy idea -- playing a fiddle on the roof of a house! You won’t ever see me on a roof, walking, standing, sitting, OR playing a musical instrument. I would be the shakiest of the shaky. I like to keep my feet planted on terra firma.

But it’s a metaphor. Even though I am not physically on a roof, navigating the bumps of life is pretty shaky – just about as shaky as a fiddler on a roof! And that is exactly the point Tevye makes in his opening monologue:

Life wasn’t easy in Anatevka in 1905. Neither is it easy in America in 2015. Metaphorically, every one of us is a fiddler on a roof, trying to serve God and live a good life without falling and breaking our necks. For sure: it is not easy. Sort of reminds me of Amy Grant’s song: 

“We believe in God, and we all need Jesus, 

‘cause life is hard and it might not get easier.”

Tevye anticipates our question, “So how do you keep your balance?” and his answer is one word: TRADITION! Note that he uses the singular, not the plural: Tradition, not traditions. To be sure, he illustrates with several of their local traditions: “How to sleep. How to eat. How to work. How to wear clothes.” But the power is not in the specific habits and practices, but in TRADITION itself.

TRADITION as understood by The Free Dictionary:

1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially
by oral communication: cultural practices that are preserved by tradition.

2.a. A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage: the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

b. A set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents
influencing the present: followed family tradition in dress and manners.

3. A precept or a body of precepts that are not written in the sacred book of a religion,
such as the Bible, but are considered holy or true.

4. A style or method of an activity or practice, especially of artistic expression, that is
recognized and sometimes imitated: satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift.

TRADITION, you see, is a good thing, and certain specific traditions may or may not be good. While some people today are throwing off all sorts of traditions -- and tradition itself -- they are only hurting themselves, because their lives will be fuller and more meaningful if they were to understand value TRADITION.

And while I would quibble with Tevye over the following (I would change “traditions” to “tradition”), I wholeheartedly support the philosophy he expresses: “And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as…as...as a fiddler on the roof!”

From the perspective of a disciple, I would say, “Because of our Tradition, every one of us knows who he or she is, and what God expects us to do. Without the Christian Tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”

Uncle Tom Speaks

There has been a lot of controversy in recent days about religious rights:

1. A pizza shop had to close temporarily due to threats against them because they said that they would not cater a gay wedding.
2. The Indiana governor and legislature managed to mismanage themselves in a rather public and embarrassing manner.
3. A bakery was run out of business due to a heavy fine because it would not bake a cake for a gay wedding (click here for an interesting take on what this bakery might have done differently).
4. And so on.
5. And on. And on. And on. 

I've been thinking about these issues. I've been focusing on what a disciple of Christ should do when asked or compelled to do something that goes against their beliefs.

And I've decided that we should do as Jesus said in Matthew 5:41, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” The writer of the blog mentioned above applies this logic and concludes that a baker should bake two cakes for the gay wedding. Fair enough. 

But I'm drawn to the practice of a local dentist who belongs to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He tells his patients about his faith and explains that if they ever have a dental emergency on a Saturday, that he will come in and treat them but that he will not, indeed cannot, accept any pay. Why? Because the patient has an emergency need and he can help, but accepting pay would be working on the Sabbath, which his faith forbids. I like it!

So I say to Christ followers near and far: 

If a gay person or gay couple wants to hire you to do something, accept it gladly as an opportunity to be a servant like Jesus. But don't accept any pay. Bake that cake for free! Do the wedding photographs for free! Do those floral arrangements for free! And do it in the name of Jesus!

But there IS one place where Christ followers must draw the line -- we can work and serve others, but we must never inflict pain or suffering. And here's where Uncle Tom speaks to us. Harriet Beecher Stowe published this powerful book in 1852, and it became the best-selling novel of 19th century. It fueled the growing abolitionist movement.

Many people misunderstand Tom. They see him as a submissive, cowardly black who bowed to the will of the white master. But that is so wrong! Tom's refusal to flog a woman is why Simon Legree ordered his death. Read this snippet:

• "And now," said Legree, "jest take this yer gal and flog her."
• "I beg Mas'r's pardon," said Tom; "hopes Mas'r won't set me at that. It's what I an't used to,—never did,—and can't do, no way possible. I'm willin' to work, night and day, and work while there's life and breath in me; but this yer thing I can't feel it right to do;—and, Mas'r, I never shall do it,—never! Mas'r, if you mean to kill me, kill me; but, as to my raising my hand agin any one here, I never shall,—I'll die first! Mas'r Legree, I can't do it. I never will do a cruel thing, come what may."

And Legree ordered two slaves to beat Uncle Tom to death. 

The lesson? 

Do what you are legally required to do (such as bake cakes for gay weddings), unless it requires you to raise a hand against another. And I'm thinking that you ought to do it gladly, without pay. For the sake of Christ.

Making Friends for Jesus

When I was 5 years old, our family was shaken to its core. It was a hot August day and I was playing outside. The windows were open – these were the days before air conditioning! – and I heard the phone ring, and then I heard my mother crying. I remember a newspaper man coming to the house for a picture of my father, who had been seriously injured in the factory where he was employed.

A machine had exploded and Dad was hit by flying metal. It sheared off about half the fingers on his left hand, which he had raised to shield his face, and opened a life-threatening gash into his forehead. His brain was exposed to the atmosphere and to infection. He was in a coma. We didn’t know if he would ever wake up. We didn’t even know if he would live. Picture my mom, 32 years old, with four boys between the ages of 2 and 14, her husband somewhere between life and death.

Across the street and down seven houses lived Ollie Ewell, a Christ follower. She heard about this tragedy and knew that a young wife and mother needed a friend. So Ollie, the hands and feet of Christ, took a risk. She walked down the street, knocked on our front door, and introduced herself to my mother. They became lifelong friends, coming to see each other as sisters. Ollie was a disciple of Jesus and faithfully did what her Lord wanted done. A simple act of love to a total stranger – a young mother who needed a friend.

Eventually my father recovered, returned home, and went back to work. Some years later, I started going to church with Ollie and her family. And on Tuesday of this week (March 24, 2015), Ollie went home to be with God at the age of 92. I firmly believe that my coming to faith in Christ is a direct result of Ollie’s act of friendship in 1955. I further believe that any good I might do for the Kingdom is now credited to Ollie, for none of that good would ever have been done without Ollie’s walk of friendship sixty years ago.

I write this today to encourage you to do what Ollie did for my mother when my father lay between life and death in the hospital. Be a friend to the friendless. Bring hope to the hopeless. Bring joy to the joyless. Take seriously Christ’s call on your life. Be Jesus to every person you meet. Treat everyone as a child of God. Give gifts of love, acceptance, and friendship to those in need. Make friends for Jesus. After all, it’s really what he wants you to do!

Biblical Reconciliation

My employer is Anderson University School of Theology, whose mission is to form women and men for the ministry of biblical reconciliation. Lately, we’ve been talking about the meaning of biblical reconciliation. Prospective students, and others, wonder what we mean by that. So let’s think about it for a few minutes.

“Reconciliation” implies that a relationship has been broken. Two parties need re-conciliation. So at its root, reconciliation denotes the healing of relationship.

It seems to me that the whole Bible is the story of God’s work to heal his relationship with humanity, which was broken in the garden when Adam and Eve chose disobedience. Their disobedience broke their relationship with God, and the whole rest of the Bible is the story of God’s initiative to heal that brokenness.

Building on the idea that Adam and Eve’s sin broke their relationship with God, my understanding of sin is any thought, attitude, word, or action that is harmful to relationships: our relationship with God, with creation, with other people, you name it. I can’t think of a sin that doesn’t fit that definition. Any thought, attitude, word, or action that is harmful to relationships.

So everyone needs reconciliation. Everyone needs healing of relationships. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And all have the pain of broken relationships with family, friends, neighbors, nature, and “others” (like ISIS, Al Qaeda, and so on). So everyone needs reconciliation. Everyone has relationships that need healed.

II Corinthians 5:18 says that God has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is to say, God has given us the ministry of healing broken relationships. Along two dimensions: vertical and horizontal. It is ours to help people reconcile with God and with others (and with creation).

And so the seminary’s mission might be understood as forming women and men for the healing of relationships. This is only accomplished with prayer, with humility, with dependence on the Holy Spirit (who is the Reconciler), with obedience to God (who commissions us to disciple others and who commands us to love God and neighbor), and with the full understanding that we ourselves also stand in need of some healing of relationships.

Shalom.

World Congress on How Not to Mess up the Great Commission Too Much

At the World Congress on How Not to Mess up the Great Commission too Much, the keynote speaker said, "Aim lower, Think smaller, Give up, and Go have a cup of coffee."

For the full recording of his 5 minute talk, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGECz1-CwS0 

and take his comments to heart!

Accountability

That’s not a very popular word these days. It goes against the grain. Especially in America, where two of our culture’s core values are freedom and autonomy. Accountability is surely no way to attract crowds and build a big church!

But accountability is an indispensable component in discipling. We must mutually submit to one another and hold each other accountable for the most important commitments in our lives.

John Wesley practiced accountability in his class meetings, which “encapsulated several of the key principles of New Testament Christianity: personal growth within the context of an intimate fellowship, accountability for spiritual stewardship, ‘bearing one another’s burdens,’ and ‘speaking the truth in love.’”[1] Perhaps you have heard of the famous question, “How is it with your soul?” In other Wesleyan venues, this general question was broken out into specifics such as, “What known sins have you committed since our last meeting? What temptations have you been met with?”[2] and so on.

 In my judgment, Wesley’s method was consistent with Ephesians 5:21, which reads, “Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ” (NRSV) and James 5:16, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective,” and many other scriptures.

The Bible is clear that we are to submit to one another out of respect for Christ, that we are to confess our sins to one another. So I don’t have an issue with accountability. But such is simply not fashionable these days. American values conspire against accountability, and it’s certainly no way to grow a church.

So I want to tell you about a church where the members are mutually accountable to one another. Last Sunday some of my students and I visited Onward Church in Fishers, Indiana. Onward was planted just over three years ago, by Pastor Gary Stump, who resigned as pastor of a mega church (which was based on the attractional model) that he had planted a decade earlier. He realized that while he had succeeded in making about 1,500 church members, he had utterly failed to make disciples. So he planted Onward Church on the discipling model.

Here is where accountability comes in. As my students and I entered the worship area, we each received this card:

Accountability!

Part way through the service, Pastor Gary asked everyone to complete the card. He allowed a few minutes for this to happen, then asked the people to drop the card in the offering basket. Accountability!

You see, it is simply not good enough to preach and teach biblical truth. We must take the next step and ask each other how we’re doing at living what we say we believe.

After worship, I asked about the results: What are the members of Onward Church reporting on these yellow cards? Ed Watson, director of small groups, told me that they surveyed the membership on each of the first three Sundays of this year, and that after eliminating duplicate responses, here is what they reported for all of 2014:

1. How many people would you estimate you have shared your faith with this year?
654

2.   How many people have expressed a decision to place their faith in Christ?    
101

3.   How many people have been baptized this year?   
16

4.   How many people/groups have you led through the T4T short-term discipleship lessons?  60 people/14 groups

5.   How many people/groups have you led through the “Thru the Bible” study material? 
76 people/ 15 groups

6.   How many groups are you currently leading? 
16

7.   How many of the people that you led have started their own group?
12

Accountability! Disciples holding each other accountable for what they believe! I don’t know about your church, but my church members surely would not have been able to report these kinds of numbers.

There are multiple factors that go into making Onward Church what it is, and accountability is only one of those factors. But I know that Pastor Gary would say that it is an indispensable factor! Without being accountable for sharing their faith and discipling others, they would not have been nearly as effective in their individual and corporate ministry as they were last year.

It is time for a fresh revival of accountability among the people of God.

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[1] D. Michael Henderson, A Model for Making Disciples: John Wesley’s Class Meeting (Anderson, Ind.: Francis Asbury Press, 1997), 14.

[2] Ibid., 118.

We do not live to ourselves. . . . we live to the Lord.

I’m not very old, relatively speaking; I’ve only been around for 65 years, so in the grand scheme of things I’m really not that old. In my short time on this earth, I have never seen social change as rapid as the gay marriage change that is sweeping our country. I saw the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, etc. And each of them took many years – decades, in fact. But, for a variety of reasons, the current social change is the fastest I’ve ever seen. And it comes under the umbrella of the much larger topic of human sexuality (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, you name it).

As denomination after denomination deals with this issue, the inevitable result seems to be church splits. Good people on different sides of the issue take their stand, dig in their heels, and form splinter groups.

Might I offer an alternative to denominational splits and backroom political maneuvers? It seems to me that a Christ follower might want to consider the 14^th chapter of Paul’s Letter to the Romans:

Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you eat; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (NRSV).

Yes, I know that Paul was writing about the morality of eating food that had been offered as sacrifices to pagan idols. Today’s LGBTQ issues were not on his radar; they didn’t even exist in the first century. I get that. But read this text deeply. And look at his main points:

1.      Do not quarrel over opinions.

2.      Some believers accept things that other (he calls them weaker) believers cannot accept.

3.      The two must not despise each other.

4.      None of us is to pass judgment on fellow believers.

5.      We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

6.      We should resolve never to put a stumbling block in the way of another.

7.      Anything is clean or unclean for the one who thinks it so.

8.      If your brother or sister is being injured by anything you do, you are no longer walking in love.
9.      Do not let your behavior cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.

10.  Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

11.  Do not, for the sake of your conscience, destroy the work of God.

Eleven pretty good, pretty strong, and pretty clear points. And I think they apply to many (perhaps all?) conscience questions, including this one. It seems to me that the underlying principles are:

1.      Love for every person for whom Christ died.

2.      Respect for every person for whom Christ died.

3.      Pursuit of peace and mutual upbuilding.

4.      Willingness to put aside one’s personal preferences for the spiritual good of another.

Before you beat me up over this, know that I have read and studied the biblical passages about homosexuality. My conclusions are, first, that the Bible makes it clear that homosexual practice is not consistent with Christian living. Period. And I am aware that people of good will disagree with me on this.

Second, that this issue is not really very important in the grand scheme of things, because the Bible talks a whole lot about God’s love for all of humanity, a whole lot about our responsibility to care for the poor and the oppressed, and very little about homosexuality.

And third, because there is no record that Jesus ever spoke of this issue (he spoke most often about our possessions and how we use them), I conclude that if this issue were really important, at least one of the Gospel writers would have included whatever, if anything, Jesus may have said about it. Near the end of his Gospel, John wrote that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31). My conclusion is that the fourth Gospel writer (and likely the first three!) made some strategic choices of what to include and what to omit, and that the most important things for our salvation were written down. Therefore, homosexuality is not all that important for our salvation.

So, knowing exactly what I’m doing, I humbly offer a paraphrase of Romans 12, changing the issue from the original to the current.

Welcome those whose beliefs on homosexuality are different than your own, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in practices that you don’t believe in. Those who do must not despise those who don’t, and those who don’t must not pass judgment on those who do; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. And there are those who believe they practice one form of love in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; and there are those who believe they practice another form of love in honor of the same Lord and give thanks to God. Who is able to judge whether one’s belief is more correct than the other?

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you believe and practice sexually, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let your sexual beliefs and practices cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not sexual belief and practice but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 

Do not, for the sake of sexual belief and practice, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for you to make others fall by what you do; it is good not to practice certain sexual acts or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble. The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they behave in certain ways, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (JHA, based on NRSV).

We do not live to ourselves. . . . we live to the Lord. Peace and joy and righteousness in the Holy Spirit to you and to all. I welcome your comments.

How Disciples Handle Conflict

A few days ago, I got involved in a social media dust-up with a good friend. He posted something and I responded. I thought nothing of it, but my response rattled his cage. He was surprised by my response, so he contacted me privately to ask if we could talk.

Talk we did. He explained himself and I explained myself. And we resolved our issue; our friendship was intact. Talking face to face, reading body language, hearing tone of voice, we were much better able to communicate than through social media.

And I got to thinking about his action. Surprised by my response, he asked if we could talk. He asked if we could talk. He did exactly what Jesus commanded in Matthew 18:15-20:

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love. Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”

The Message

 And that is how disciples handle conflict! When we make a practice of what Jesus told us to do, “go and tell him—work it out between the two of you” works; it really works! But when we don’t make a habit of this, “going and telling” becomes hard, and few who name themselves Christians actually do it.

Ever since I discovered this peacemaking, reconciling teaching, I have tried to practice it. I’m sure that my practice has been less than perfect. I’m sure that I’ve missed the mark at least a few times. But “going and telling” has always been my hope and my goal. And when my friend did it, it warmed my heart.

One final observation: Note Jesus’ promise in verse 20, “And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” How many times have we Christians taken that verse out of its context? For example, when the weather is bad, and only a handful of people show up for church, we often hear something like, “Well, let’s go ahead and have church, because Jesus said whenever two or three gather in my name!”

True enough, Jesus did say that. And I believe it. But take a look at the context – He made that heart-warming promise at the end of his teaching on how to handle conflict! What we have here is the solemn promise of the Son of God that whenever two or three of His disciples get together to resolve conflict that He will be there! Glory to God! We need not be afraid to “go and tell” because Jesus Christ himself will be right there with us as we work it out. No fear!

So my fellow disciple, next time “a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you.” You have Jesus’ word that He will be there. 

Important Information from Willow Creek

Everybody knows about Willow Creek Community Church (South Barrington, IL). From its inception, it was built on the attractional model – offer professional Christian entertainment and people will pack the place out. It made the “seeker sensitive” idea famous . It was phenomenally successful at growing bigger and bigger.

But then it took a good hard look at results. And shocked the Christian world in 2007 when it announced that it had failed to disciple people, and that “increased involvement in church activities ceases to predict spiritual growth.”[1]

It undertook a massive research project to discover factors that enhance spiritual growth, and I want to report some of them to you (I also recommend that you get the book, Follow Me, so you can read it for yourself and get all the juicy details!). So what I’m writing about today is not just somebody’s theory or nice idea. This is research-based information, and you can count on its usefulness in your ministry!

The first big discovery was that people follow a “Spiritual Growth Continuum,” which has four segments:

1.      Exploring Christ (people who believe in God but aren’t sure about Christ in their lives)

2.      Growing in Christ (those who have accepted Christ and are in the first steps of following Him)

3.      Close to Christ (people who daily build their relationship and obedience to Christ)

4.      Christ-Centered (those whose relationship with Christ is the most important thing in their lives)

See what I’m talking about here? A path of discipleship, where a person walks from exploring, through growing, into closeness and finally lives a Christ-centered life.

Second big discovery: There are three movements between these four segments:

1.      Movement 1, from Exploring Christ to Growing in Christ

2.      Movement 2, from Growing in Christ to Close to Christ

3.      Movement 3, from Close to Christ to Christ-Centered

So far so good. Big discovery number three is called the “Catalysts of Spiritual Growth.” Here, Willow Creek’s research found four kinds of things that actually influence and enhance spiritual growth (discipleship):

1.      Spiritual beliefs and attitudes (e.g., historic Christian theology)

2.      Organized church activities (e.g., worship, Sunday school, youth groups)

3.      Personal spiritual practices (e.g., Bible reading, praying, tithing)

4.      Spiritual activities with others (spiritual friendships, outreach, serving others)

From the research, I created this chart, which tries to picture the four segments, three movements, and top activities that enhance spiritual growth:

Note that the practices are listed in order of their strength in the life of the believer, as determined statistically by Willow Creek’s research. For example, in Movement 1, the three most powerful Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes are (1) Salvation by Grace, (2) the Trinity, and (3) Personal God, in that order. Belief in Salvation by Grace is the #1 most powerful belief, #2 is belief in the Trinity, and #3 is belief in a Personal God. (If you want the complete list of all the beliefs and attitudes, you’ll have to buy the book!)

So here is how to use this chart:

Discipling at its best is personal, one-on-one. Yes, it can and does happen in groups, too. But it happens best in the relationship between a discipler and a disciple. So for example, if you are discipling someone in Movement 1, you will want to engage that person in conversation and study about Salvation by Grace: That person has already accepted Christ, because they are moving toward Growing in Christ, so your role is to help them explore their salvation and develop the understanding that they were saved by grace (not by works, etc. – you know the drill J).

You will also want to teach them about the Trinity – this deep mystery of one God in three persons. Nobody fully understands it, yet we believe it. That is why Willow Creek labelled it “Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes.” And, of course, your disciple will also need to work on belief in a Personal God. If you can help them with these three things, that’s pretty good.

Intermingled with all of that, you will also want to involve your disciple in the top three “Organized Church Activities,” along with the “Personal Spiritual Practices” and “Spiritual Activity with Others.”

Likewise with a disciple who is in Movement 2 or Movement 3. It seems to me that this simple chart provides enough agenda for a pastor or any discipler to stay quite busy guiding a developing disciple toward Christ-Centered living.

Enough of church programs, committee meetings, budgets, bylaws, and buildings! Let us get on with the work of discipling others, and let us use the best practices discovered by trustworthy research!

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[1] John Ortberg, “Foreword,” in Follow Me: What’s Next for You? by Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson (South Barrington, IL: Willow Creek Resources, 2008), 3.