Connecting People to People and People to God

Progressive Sanctification

I have been thinking about the text Matthew 7:13-14 as it relates to the believer.  Many times I think of this text in light of the unbeliever and the challenge of stepping through the door of the narrow gate.  But this week I have been considering it from the view of the believer and in turn progressive sanctification.  

The doctrine of Sanctification tells us that at the moment of salvation we are considered holy and righteous before God.  If we were to die and stand before God Christ would be there as our mediator and intercessor to declare us righteous and holy by his blood.  This is part of the miraculous events that occur when a person steps from death to life, from darkness to light.  From seeking salvation by every means to trusting Christ for that salvation.  However, we know when we make this step from dark to light that it's not the only step of faith we are required to take; it's the first step of many steps.  As Louie Giglio (or was it Erwin McManus) says- the confession of Jesus as Lord is the first yes of many yeses that will take place.  There is a sanctification process that begins at salvation that will take place until glorification- the day we die and are united with God or when Christ comes again.  

Many times we confuse or resist sanctification because we consider it legalism. We see a mature person in the faith, we see all that they do that we could never do and we see all that they don't do, have omitted from their life, that we are so wrapped up in we can't imagine life without and we just can't imagine our life ever looking like that.  Other times the expectation of the mature believer is cast upon the new believer or the new believer.  It's a burden that is not biblical and not fair, it's a shame it's common place in many churches.  

The part of sanctification I think that confuses us and the part of it I believe we're tempted to manipulate is this.  In almost every area of life the older we become, the longer  we've been with something and the further we progress the MORE we do and the more we're trusted with, the more we're responsible over.  However, in sanctification the longer we're following Christ, the longer we continue to tell him yes the less we're going to be concerned with.  Sanctification brings about a peace in life that simply boils down to telling Christ "YES."

That's the essence of sanctification.  When the calling gets stronger we say yes, when he tells us to venture out in faith we say yes.  When we're called to surrender this or that the response is yes.  We live life with and open hand and an open heart; hearing the voice of God and saying yes.  

Cruise Ship or Life Raft?

To give credit where it’s due last week I was at some meetings listening to Joel Smith who is the lead pastor of Daybreak Church in Mechanicsburg, PA.  I didn’t get a chance to talk to Joel or probably to put it more honestly I didn’t look for an opportunity to talk with Joel but Joel said something in one of this nightly sermons that really got the wheels churning in my head. 

Joel asked if our goal in life is to be a life raft of a cruise ship?  To make that more present and less future it can also be asked, is the life we’re creating and building for ourselves going to be a life raft or a cruise ship.

Cruise ship- I’ve never been on a cruise ship but I heard really good things about going on cruises.  I’ve been told it’s really fun to have so much stuff to do on the ship.  Then getting the chance to stop from port to port all the while doing it while playing shuffle board and swimming the pool it just a really fun experience.  I’ve also heard that the food is pretty outstanding and that alone is worth the cruise ship experience.  Cruise ships are built big, they are built for luxury and comfort. 

I wonder if for some of us the cruise ship) or perhaps the perfect vacation) is a pretty good description of our lives if we had everything we wanted.  We’d have food available to us at any time that we didn’t have to prepare ourselves.  WE would be denied nothing.  There would be no responsibilities, no pressing needs, no stress and no worries.  At 11 am everyday someone would come and make our beds and give us fresh towels, that is if we were out of bed already.   The sheets are softer than we’re used to, the pillows more expensive, the soap exotic smelling and we’re waiting on hand and foot.  Yeah, that’s a pretty good life. 

Life Raft- I’ve never been in a life raft either.  I hope to be able to always say that.  It would make for a cool story, if I survived.  But we’ve all read survivor stories or at least seen cast away.  I used to watch Survivorman featuring Les Stroud, a Canadian survivalist.  For the record Survivor man is much more hardcore than Man vs. Wild.  First of all because Les is Canadian and not British so he doesn’t have a wussy accent.  The other reason is that Les carries all his own equipment on his 7 days journey.  Bear Grylls sleeps in hotels and gets his camera crew to pick up lunch at the nearest McDonalds  (I can’t confirm most of those accusations). 

So one of the Survivorman episodes featured Les in a life raft after a simulated boat sinking.  He says it was by far one of the most miserable experiences of his life.   Most of the time you see him survive rather well.  He finds gross foods to eat and finds a way to boil water and keep warm at night.  In the raft Les could do none of these things.  He fought the current, fought to find direction and compass and he fought to keep his raft inflated.  Every bit of his resources and strength went into surviving.  Finally he made it to an island where he was able to find a way to survive a bit better but I can tell you one thing he didn’t spend one more second in that lift raft than he had to. 

I can only assume life raft vacations wouldn’t be a very good business venture, where as the cruise ship venture seems to be doing rather well. 

The catch is this.  Cruise ships by design don’t save anybody.  They can’t.  They just aren’t built for that.  They’re too big; the people that could do the saving are too far off the water to do any good.  They don’t have the tools.  In all their grandeur they simply don’t have the tool necessary to save people.  Every couple of years someone falls off of a cruise ship.  (See above with all the eating and drinking).  The cruise ship never turns around to get the person that fell overboard.  They call the coast guard.  Most of the time the cruise ship doesn’t even know for a day or two that anyone fell overboard.  It’s only when the friend or family member with them notices that it’s reported.   How comforting and convicting.

But the life raft.  They save people.  They are crude and not complicated but they save people.  So for the sake of saving lives we have to consider how we live our life.   We really have to embrace and be the life raft if we want to save somebody…anybody.  If we want to save people from poverty, from depression, from oppression, from themselves, from drowning in all the trials and troubles of the world we have to embrace living life in the life raft.  As scared as we are if we want to save people that’s what it’s going to take.  That’s big time.  It’s not something we step into lightly, it’s serious but it’s necessary. 

Cruise Ship or Life Raft?

Structure serves Vision

Pastors, church leaders and regular church attenders/members this one’s for you.  Depending on which group you represent you’ll feel differently about this article.  Some of you might be angry, others might agree, some will feel defensive, others down right hostile.  That’s ok.  I need a few more haters in my life.

Structure= church organization (pastor, elders, deacons, governing board, ministry leaders, congregation, etc)

• When the structure of your church stops serving your vision your structure is wrong and needs to be fixed.
• Chances are high that if your vision neatly fits into your current structure then your vision is too small and possibly not biblical. 
• If your structure is not set up to empower your ministry leaders to make key decisions in a timely manner then your structure is broken.
• If every decision that is made goes through one person your structure is broken.
• If you have more committees in your church than people that came to know Jesus Christ last year your structure is broken.  
• When your church is more focused on filling board seats than it is reaching the lost- broke. 
• If people in the congregation aren’t free to flow from one ministry to another- broke.
• If your vision and ministry plan gets voted on- BROKE! 
• If the board's primary role is to serve as a referee to keep ministry in bounds and playing by the rules- BROKE.
• If the board is not there to empower, equip and encourage ministries and ministry leaders to be the BEST they can be for the Kingdom of God- BROKE.  

Happy Reformation Day

Reformation Day

October 31, 1517 is the date that Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses on the door of All Saint's church.  He called into question the authority of the priests pressing things upon the people that were not stated in the scriptures, mostly the sale of indulgences to get loved ones out of purgatory.  Since no one had the scriptures available to them it took and inside man to get the job done.  

This action sparked the protestant reformation and officially created a divide from the catholic church.  Today protestant churches are found on almost every corner.  

Because of this protest almost every believer is now able to have a Bible in their own hands.  It's hard to believe that something that was once fought so hard for is now taken for granted.  In 2007 the average american had 4 bibles in their home.  That's pretty cool.  Too bad most believers don't read it.  

Leaders

We are so blood thirsty for numeric confirmation of our greatness we will betray the very gospel we have been commanded to teach and proclaim. -Matt Chandler

I posted this as my facebook status today and I thought I'd share it here.  Just to be clear I am certain that Matt Chandler isn't implying that all big churches or growing churches have compromised the gospel.  I don't believe that either, I just thought I should clarify so i don't come across as a hater especially when I'm not trying to be.  On the other hand he states very clearly in the sermon that quote is excerpted from that it is tempting to water down and give people what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.  Those are often two very different things.  

Before I heard this sermon and this quote I was pondering a question for pastors, church staff and leaders (both paid and unpaid) and then as it flows those that attend church and have chosen a place of worship.  

First the pastors, church staff and leaders (paid and unpaid) the questions I ask myself:

• Does my church, The Bridge Church, exist to validate me and my ministry?
• Does the success of programs validate my giftings and ministry?
• Have I created a church culture or system that highlights my strengths and covers my weaknesses?
• When the ministry gets tough or appears to be failing am I quick to bail?  This can be mental, as in checking out and emotionally removing oneself, or actually physically in looking for a new place to showcase your gifts.
• Do I find myself moving from ministry to ministry seeking the "perfect" fit?  
• Are you using your place of service for validation and an ego boost?
• You know the "right" answers to these questions and you know the real reason you should be serving.  Are you using or being used? 

For the church attenders, read that, members of the royal priesthood, the unprofessional christians.  The ones living day in and day out in the places and with the people that matter.  I don't want to make it sound like any believe is ordinary, we are all called to something exceptional.

• Does my church exist to validate my faith or does it encourage me in and enhance my faith?
• Am I actively contributing to my community of believers?  
• Is the contribution of myself making my community (church) more complete?
• When trials and tribulations come in the church am I quick to bail (either mentally or physically)?
• Am I using my church for programs, preaching, etc or is God using me in my church?

Again we all know the "right" answers to these questions.  My point is that when we make a personal decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to make him Lord of our lives we also commit to being a part of and contributing to His bride, the church of Jesus Christ.  We don't do this to build an empire of (insert your church name here) but to build the church universal because it proclaims the only message that will redeem the world.

We, me and you, are the church gathered, when we meet, and we are the church scattered when we go. 

Meeting

The passsage in Hebrews that says "do not forsake meeting together" is a good one.  It's especially applicable today when so many people consider attending church twice a month as "regular".  I really want to go on a tirade about this subject but I've decided no to today.  The only thing I'll say before I move on to my next point is that I really don't understand how someone can wake up on their day of worship, consider the God in the heavens and the object of their worship and affection and then come up with something they'd rather do than to go and worship Him.  I just don't get it.  

Whether it be out of desire, duty, or something else; I don't see how that pull isn't so powerful that it only wins 50% of the time.

I think equally dangerous in our thinking is the thought that our weekly gathering to worship defines us as believers.  I just started reading finally alive by John Piper.  He notes that by statistics it appears that "born agains" show no difference in behavior and lifestyle than those are not born again.  Many have used this statistics to say that there is no difference. no change, when a person comes to salvation in Jesus Christ.  Piper declares that this simply means the church is full of people who assume they are born again but are deceived.  Wow.

So all that to say, yes, we can't forsake meeting together but by all means lets not let our meeting together deceive us into thinking that is living out the gospel.  That takes place the rest of the week.  Our meeting together is just a rally, a brief respite from the work, our one hour of vacation, of rejuvenation of refueling before we get out there and get back to living out the gospel.  

Humbled

While I'm busy plugging away at this week I need to pause and rejoice in the Lord as to what he did on Sunday.  

Easter 2009

We had more people in morning attendance EVER.  The only Sunday we had more was our Launch Service.

We had more first time visitors than EVER before.

We saw more decisions made for Christ than EVER before.  

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I was driving the car yesterday and actually about to get out and go into the building when I was struck by a thought from God.  I asked God why now, why did you chose this time to spark the movement you began in The Bridge Church?  Why after all this time?  

Don't ask a question you don't want the answer to.  God said- it's amazing what I can do when YOU get out of the way.  Wow.  So often I think I'm the pace setter for the church and while I do believe the role is to be the primary vision caster I can't deceive myself and think it's all on me.  It's when others set the pace that God has started to work.  This was a huge encouragement to me when last night, at our Bridge ONE Hundred meeting, we started talking about where God was leading us as a church.  I think for the first time I got it right when I stepped back and let the conversation take place w/out my input.  God was glorified as we wrestled.  What's amazing is that He led the conversation right to the place that he has pointed my eyes on but we came out better and with more passion that if I would have stood in the way.

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I'm also humbled by my sons.  I have two, they are ages four and one.  I also have an incredible wife who is as called and gifted for ministry as I am.  This means that WE both desire to be part of active ministries in the church.  I try to be disciplined to come home early on days I have evening meetings so I can spend time with my family.  Yesterday the boys and I wrestled on the couch for about an hour.  Then after dinner we all went to the church for a meeting.  Both of the boys were incredibly behaved allowing both of us to invest our gifts.

I never want to sacrifice my family on the altar of ministry but I also am not afraid for my sons to see me make sacrifices for ministry and lead them in doing the same thing.  In the end it's about me being intentional to find family time and not allow ministry time to steal that.  

But he hesitated.

I'm back in Genesis for my daily time in the scriptures.  The words in Job had such excellent timing in my life, it's amazing how we call the scriptures the WORD of God and indeed God continues to speak through such an ancient text to our lives today.  The human heart and human condition hasn't changed much in 6000 years.

We've all heard of the story of Sodom.  There is a man named Lot that lives in the city, the Bible says the "the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave".  Abram in an intergalactic conversation with angels pleads for the lives of the righteous that live in Sodom.  The LORD agrees that indeed if righteous are found in the city He will spare them.

The angels go into the city as men, Lot greets them and welcomes them into his house.  Over the course of the night Lot has to protect the men from being raped by the people of the town.  Yes, this one get an nc-17  rating.  The angels blind the crowd and in the early morning, while it is still dark they command Lot to flee for the city is going to be destroyed.  

When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city."

But he hesitated.

How telling!  How...like me!  We hear the voice of God as a command.  Sometimes that command is regarding sin in our lives, others times directions.  Sometimes the command involves a difficult conversation we need to have with someone like removing them from leadership, or pointing out an area of their life that is consistent with the one they are claiming they are living.  But we hesitate.  

I believe sometimes our greatest sin is disobedience by hesitation.  It's easier when we hesitate because it doesn't appear to be willful rejection of God but rather passive rejection.  

There isn't time to hesitate.