Tuesday, October 26, 2010

FAMILY MINISTRY: STRESS

Interesting that I would be reading this yellow pages of a book entitled Family Ministry and that there would a big section on stress in families that really caught my attention. 

A good question is posed to the family….what does the family value the most????  You and should carefully answer this and come up with several answers.  If it is the Lord, then what are our families doing to show that value.  Are we teaching about how to have a relationship with God to our children?  Are we keeping our relationship with God healthy and vibrant?  Marriage stress…parenting stress…work stress……Instant stress as we think of what to do.

If it is education, we work hard at helping our children with their homework, communicating with their teachers, or some even homeschool their children in order to spend a great amount of time educating their children themselves.  We even tell our kids that “this is their job they are to focus on”.  But what if a child comes home from school with a failing grade or you get a phone call about behavioral problems?  Instant stress!!

If it is recreation and extracurricular activities, families are covered solid with them these days.  We run to and fro in our minivans to get our kids to art, music, dance, sports, Scouts, etc.  What if we have conflicts with coaches or games or in performances….Instant stress!!

Stress can be created by demands from the environment or from within the family itself.  (Diana Garland, Family Ministry)  You have the power within you to take a look at the stress in our family and make some changes.  Most families don’t want to rock the boat though.  We are afraid to make the changes to reduce the worldly stress in our families today.  When your children leave the nest, it will be too late to “de-stress” then and you have trained them to accept the stressful environment they grew up in as normal. 

Make a list, pray and think over what glorifies God and make some changes now….it’s your family we are talking about.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

I cain't believe my EYES!!

I enjoy reading books. Telephone Baptist Church has a wonderful library with a wonderful librarian that keeps everything organized and in most cases current. Lately, I found one of the current books written by a well-known Southern Baptist pastor in 2005 that would be similar reading to The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I saw that I could tackle this book in a week or so, and found that I was the first one to check it out. Oh boy!!

Until I got to the first chapter or "principle" if you will. I have found that throughout the years, I have tried to train my senses to throw up serious theological flags if I hear or read something against God's Word. In some instances I have been successful at it, then at other times, things can whiz by me or completely take me surprise. I am still working on that!!

The place I read when I slammed on the brakes is: "Three days after the Crucifixion, He rose from the grave. Today He lives within those who pray a simple prayer like this: "Father, I confess that I need the Savior........."" I was okay with the first sentence, but read the second one carefully.....He lives within those who pray a simple prayer. Whoa!! Where in the Bible is the reference for this? I read Romans 10:9-10: "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting with salvation."

A couple of questions that comes to mind: What is the response to the gospel? Is Paul explaining a two part response to the gospel message? Did Paul put them in a particular order for a reason? Douglas Moo states that belief in the heart is clearly the crucial requirement. Confession is the outward manifestation of this critical inner response. The gospel, then, is "near" to us because it requires only what our own hearts and mouths can do; and when we respond, it brings near to us God's salvation. So, salvation is a result of confessing and believing.
But confessing what? Neufeld writes in Confessions that early Jewish Christians would declare "O Lord Come!" Lord had great meaning as the one shows surrender, associates Jesus closely with God just like 1 Cor. 16:22, "Maranatha!" What we label as the sinner's prayer may come as a result of the belief and confession, but it is not the immediate response of the gospel. It would come after believing with your heart and then confessing "Maranatha!". This is a great reason we have false converts today....they say a prayer and think they are saved. Never have they believed in their heart and confessed "O Lord Come!!"

I welcome your responses and comments. Sleepy Disciple

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Kingdom Focused Church

I must admit that through the years, I have collected many books to define what church is. The User Friendly Church, the Purpose Driven Church, Simple Church, recently Transformational Church, and many more. All telling us what the author's view of church from Scripture and how they relate to that view. It obviously was a defining moment in their life as they have written a book on those moments of knowledge and understanding.

Gene Mim's writes in his book, The Kingdom-Focused Church, that the definition of a Kingdom-Focused Church is: (drum roll...please) It is a church that exists to transform unbelievers into Christlike believers and mature these believers into kingdom multipliers of the message of Christ.

What activites of the church can you pull out of this definition? I can pull out presenting the gospel message to unbelievers, transforming unbelievers by teaching and preaching the Word, mature believers by understanding of Scripture and spiritual biblical disciplines, and then unnderstanding giftedness of believers in order to be fishers of men as they minister and present the gospel to others. I am sure there are many others, but at first glance this is what I read and see.

Mims says, "A kingdom-focused church makes, matures and multiplies disciples." How bad can that be. A focus on results of what a complete Christian is to be. So, if a pastor arrives at their called assignment, this result based definition should be easy to accomplish. Pastors are armed with the Word of God to move forward in the teaching, preaching and prayer ministy as they dig in to do the work they are called to do. What if, however, the church needs fixing?

The pastor doesnt have the wrenches and tools needed to tighten up or to replace some parts. He is not equipped to handle the situation, esp. when a church doesnt want to make disciples much less mature them. Everyone is happy with where they are at. Leadership is discouraged and worried about the moment instead of the kingdom. Job security, if you will, is in question and the pastor doesnt know if really wants to be here after a few short years and the church may feel the same. This is the reason why we have so many pastors leaving the ministry and choosing secular employment and some forsake church all together.

The reason I pick on Mim's book is that he wrote a profound statement on page 20, "Programs depend on people and resources, while a kingdom focus does not. A kingdom focus is utterly dependent on God. People sitting out there in the pews don't give their lives to Christ because they like up-tempo music or great Sunday School lessons...they commit their lives to Jesus becuase they see a need in their lives and because they recognize that Jesus can satisfy in a way nothing else can." WOW!! What a huge statement!! I see the need in this statement. The need to lead people to this Jesus...the One the Bible and Mim's is talking about. He is my Jesus, my Savior, my Messiah!! The head of the church, the forgiver of sins, the King of Kings!! Without Him I am nothing!! Let's keep our eyes focused on Him and what He wants for us and then Do it!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

WARNING!! WARNING!!

Have you ever heard, "We just do this around here" or "we can't do that" or "we don't that for a reason"? I have heard this in churches I have served more than I have heard...."GO FOR IT!"

You don't know how much time I have spent over the years thinking and praying and reading and thinking and praying and reading over how to accomplish spiritual growth, making disciples and multiplying them, and leading the church to be "missional" in all that we do. Many books that other pastors that have written about their success at their church REALLY only works at their church. It's like a chemistry that is put together with community, culture, willingness and with passion. So what works for one, under that pastor and leadership, in that community, may or may not work for another. (I know they are all to work the same, Scripture says so..:))

So here is how it may or may not work: Church has it's identity, country club or open gym, and its makeup is essential to her success. She is the bride of Christ that is supposed to go "make disciples". Disciples are supposed to multiply, what is the deal? And when the leadership wants to lead toward this, "I don't want to do that!" is the answer. (Or many other road blocks) I believe this is the reason many pastor's leave their post to find a church that is willing to DO SOMETHING for the kingdom. Unfortunately, they leave to find that the next church is the same as the one they left.

Vision and Mission of the church can be stated, but if it is not working there is something going on under the rug that is being ignored for years, if not decades. For example, one church I served in had several people who had severed relationships and they would not reconcile to each other. It was obvious to me, but not to them why the church continued to suffer with sickness. Blindness set in and lasted for over 10 years. What is that church doing for the kingdom?? Think about that one!!

Last week, we had 20 children converted/saved as Christ is their Lord and Savior. Most of them have been a part of the Sunday School, Fisher of Kids, and Awana ministry we have at TBC and I believe that it is a direct result of knowing the Gospel and given the chance to respond, God called them unto Him. It was amazing that most of these kids could tell you the Scripture verses about salvation. And it also helped to have a church wide emphasis of prayer for VBS. This is impacting the kingdom of God!! The family ministry we do with their parents and kids is so vital. TRANSFORMING LIVES TO BE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST!!

We are not perfect all the time or maybe even some of the time at TBC. We have a way to go as far as followers and leaders are concerned. But we must always be thinking about the kingdom and what we are doing to live in it, expand it, and show others what it is. I have been disappointed many times trying to lead in this area and I am trying to make this a matter of prayer and study as we present ourselves to God to use us as His insturments. Let's see what wisdom God gives me on this....hhhhmmmmmm!! Brian

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Why arent YOU Growing the Church, PASTOR!!!!!

Look, I have to vent!!! Recently I have several friends in ministry that are pastors that are leaving a church that have blamed them for "NOT growing" the church. Attendance is starting to decline after they have been there for over two years and some church members either starve them out by cutting their pay or start making negative comments to other church members about their performance (in other words, they arent happy and they will get vocal).

Where is the passage that the pastor is supposed to PHYSICALLY grow the church? Someone please show me. My heart breaks for these godly men that spend their weeks preparing the Word of God to preach and teach. They spend time in prayer. They have office hours so that they can be available to answer the phone when people need their pastor. They have sweet wives and children that they sacrifice their time with, in order to serve God and their church.

I read in Ephesians 4 that "equipping the saints" is the priority. My brother in Christ, Bill S, loves to hear me say that because he says he is agreement with me. So the pastor is to "equip" the saints to be MINISTERS AND AMBASSADORS of CHRIST. I have said time and time again, we are not going to have a visitation program at church so that I can give up my Tuesday nights with one other person that will show up and go visiting with me. That doesnt accomplish anything for anyone...and puts another thing on my plate to do. Visit in your daily life as you GO (according to the GREAT COMMISSION).

It starts with a calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Peter heard it from Christ, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) Are you expected to immediately be a mature beleiver in Christ? No!! Jesus spent three years training and showing Peter what the kingdom of heaven is all about. He showed him and even sent him out to do great things in the Lord's name. Peter writes that the we should "long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." (1 Peter 2:2) Growth is EXPECTED from the FOLLOWERS!!

The problem is today that believers in Jesus Christ don't want to grow. This is a spiritual growth not a physical growth. An internal change within your heart by doing major renovation....out with the old sinful habits and in with Christ's righteousness and Holy Spirit which sanctifies you continually. But we take the old American traditional definition of success and we have chained the body of Christ to it!! We have turned physical success as a person and physical church growth into RELIGION!! Where in the world is the relationship with Christ and the desire to grow daily in our heart and minds??? Where has that gone??

We are in some major trouble, church, and we are blaming the problem on the pastor who is not growing the church so we can be and look successful amongst our RELIGION!!! If someone were to ask you "how is church going"...what's you're answer?? (Would you answer based on the physical successes of the church???)

Saturday, May 29, 2010

The Disciple Making Church and Pastor

So recently, I have been diving into discipleship and gettting to the heart of the matter in the church and the responsibility of the pastor. (It helps when you do research with Barna's Growing True Disciples and Bill Hull's The Disciple Making Pastor for your doctoral work)

Here is the crisis: What kind of people is the church producing today?
The American church (claims to be 350,000 evangelical churches) is weak, self-indulgent, superficial and has been transformed by culture. That's it; plain and simple. In the part of the NE Texas where I live, there are 7 evangelical churches for 3500 people in population and the church that I am called as pastor roughly has 125 in attendance every Lord's Day for worship.
But the trend is several people dying each year that equals the number we have join either by conversion and baptism or by transfer. This staggering fact ought to alarm us!!!

We are not reproducing......we are trying to multiply!! If we multiply, we are being successful, pastor gets a big raise and people are happy. It's the American way!! Look at our shopping malls and restaurant chains. When business is good we see multiplication. That is not what Christ had in mind for the apostles in Acts 2 when three thousand were converted and baptized. They didnt immediately branch out planting new churches. They worked on their spiritual development and met together to worship, break bread, and fellowship and to be under their teaching. They were babies and the goal was to reproduce themselves to have teachers, preachers, evangelists, and missionaries.

So, if in fact, the goal is to reproduce, then what are we to do. We need to quit focusing on failing evangelism and mission efforts to focus on growing what we have to then launch disciple makers into the world. Isnt that what the apostles did? I am going out on a limb here......a strong one I hope....True disciple makers will not fail in evangelism and missions if they are mature believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and understand their purpose in Him.

Leave your comments, gripes, complaints, strong feelings and emotions. This is the beginning of a long series of blogs that I wnat to touch on as we look at a crisis in the church today....Brian

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Early Christian Baptism....Third Century Church

I have done some research on the history of Christianity and baptism wanting to understand what was taking place after Acts and the Epistles of Paul (third century church) :

NOTE: Remember in the book of Acts, we read that converts were being baptized immediately.

According to the History of Christianity written by Justo Gonzalez, many people who were converted at this time were either those who lived Judiasm all their life and had some basic framework of living for God, or others that were from the Gentile population that had some background in worshipping many gods. The Gentile population grew quickly in churches as they were starting across the land. It was vital that as people were converted, a period of preparation, instruction, and trial took place before baptism.

Baptism took place once a year. It took place on Easter Sunday. The "catechumans" were the baptismal, newly converted, candidates that went through intensive training and shortly before their baptism they were to be examined to see if there were signs of deep conviction of the Christian life. (What a difference from what we do today????)

On Good Friday and Saturday, the candidates were to fast and pray, and then be baptized on the morning of Resurrection Sunday around the same time as the Ressurection of Jesus. Interesting enough, the candidates were completely naked. They seperated the men from the women. I wonder if this was embarassing for the elders of the church.

After the immersion, they came up out of the water to receieve a white robe symbolizing their cleanliness. They were given water to drink to as a sign of being thoroughly cleansed inside and out. They were anointed as being part of a royal priesthood, and given milk and honey symbolizing a sign of the Promised Land, which they were entering. The church along with the candidates proceeded to the meeting place to partake of the Lord's Supper.

According to the Training of the Twelve, baptism was to be done in "living" running water. If there none to be found or in an area where water was scarce, water was poured over the candidate's head three times in the name fo the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Compare what we do today with the Third Century Church. Why only once a year? What is different from today? Should there be more symbolism or leave most symbolism out? Should the church train and test candidates before the baptism as this church did?
I'll be back to show you more if you will follow...thanks, Sleepy Disciple