Closing Doors

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What motivates people to come to church? I recently had this conversation with someone who attends church whenever the doors are open. We recently began a men’s group for the express purpose of promoting and encouraging men to follow Christ. The conversation began as a response to our men’s discipleship group. I was told, in effect, that the group was useless as it does not give men answers to the problems they face in daily life. Right. It is not meant to. It was designed for the express purpose of encouraging men to be disciples.

But the conversation was very productive. I was asked what my goal for the church was. I explained that I want the church to become a place where people are saved (come to know Jesus as Savior), learn to be disciples (follow Christ), and are sent out as servants with the gospel of Christ. The response I received was very revealing. It began with a sigh, a lowered voice, and a slumping of the shoulders. Considering that non-verbal cues account for 93% of communication, that was a loud expression of disapproval.

Next came the statement, “I was hoping you would understand why people come to church.” Essentially, I was told that people come to church to find answers to their problems. “Everyday life beats people up. They come looking for answers to their addictions, personality disorders, family problems, relational problems, etc., etc.,” I was told. In effect, I was being informed that I was out of touch with people. There was no complaint that I had not addressed an urgent need in one’s life, but the general sense was given that I did not understand people. Hmm.

Immediately after that conversation

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Membership -vs- Discipleship

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As a church, we need to lose the concept of “Church Membership.” Nowhere in scripture are we called to church membership. Instead, with acute clarity, scripture makes it clear that we are to be followers of Christ (see Matthew 4:19).

The word “membership” carries with it ideas that are contrary to the spirit of being a disciple. When one seeks membership in an organization, they are seeking the entitlements and benefits of that organization. With membership comes perks. However, with discipleship comes obligations and duty. Members seek to have needs met. Disciples seek to serve.

In any given church, you have people who match the description of each type. Those who joined the “membership” expect a return on the dues (tithes) they pay into the system. Their contributions earn them the right to receive membership benefits. I recently spoke with a man who was an amateur artist.  At best, his works were tolerable. Some of them expressed nice sentiments. One such picture attempted to communicate the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ – very nice thoughts. As a picture, it failed. The man told me he was very upset that a staff member at his church would not place the painting in the sanctuary during worship, and he even expressed annoyance that his pastor did not use it as a prop in his Christmas sermons. As he explained this, he dropped the hint that he was involved in “membership” and therefore expected his rights to be upheld. He said, “I’m going to the deacons since the staff member won’t use my painting!” Whoa! He saw the deacons as the governing board that makes sure members’ rights are seen to.

In contrast, a servant does not seek

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Trust and Obey

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It is interesting that the Bible clearly indicates that people who claim to be believers will, unfortunately, be cast from His presence into hell (Matthew 7:21-23). This raises a very important question about faith: how can a person of “faith” go to hell? Or, how can believers who serve the Lord still be condemned?

Some might argue that the reason is that people ultimately will be judged according to their works. While it is true that works are a sign of genuine salvation, works cannot earn one a place in heaven. If that is true, then what is the answer?

The answer lies in Jesus’ response to those who claim to know Him and seek to offer their spiritual resume to Him. He responds by telling them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Notice first that when they face Jesus in judgment, they demonstrate that they themselves do not know Jesus by virtue of the fact that they have to tell Jesus what they have been doing in His name. On the one hand, that is an admission that they, too, do not know Jesus relationally. One only brings a

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The Strength of Hope

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What is so special about Easter morning that sets it a part from every other morning? The answer is simple. Easter morning, like no other, represents the fulfillment of promises and the giving of hope.

As we think about the first disciples and apostles we cannot overlook what that first Easter morning meant for them. They woke to that first morning with a heaviness and sadness that would be hard for us to understand. All their hopes had vanished. Everything they had longed for and hoped for in Christ seemed, at the moment, to have evaporated.

Isn’t that just like people, to lose all hope so quickly. Truly Jesus knew what He meant when He said that we are helpless and harassed like sheep without a shepherd. But little did those first followers of Christ realize that their darkest hour was in fact their greatest victory. It would take them a little time to understand this great truth. But soon, every apostle and disciple of Christ would be traveling the known world telling every soul they could about this victory that Jesus Christ achieved on their behalf.

So, Easter is significant because in it we recognize that God the Father has fulfilled every promise He has ever made. The bible says,

“As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you … was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:18-20).

The apostles, and first disciples of Christ, did not realize Continue reading →

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

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There are some things more dangerous than a loaded gun in the hands of a criminal without a conscience. Ideas. specifically bad ideas in the minds of a people who have lost their conscience. In our culture today we are swimming in an ocean of bad ideas. The problem is that we are so used to the intellectual pollution that we have forgotten what good, wholesome, healthy, God-honoring ideas are. As a result our collective conscience had died.

Bad thinking does not lead to dead ends. It leads to dead people – physically, morally and spiritually. Take abortion for instance. When a woman aborts her child, the child is not the only casualty; usually the mother is as well. The baby dies a physical death, and the mother, having already died a moral death, begins to experience spiritual death as well.

Why did mommy have an abortion? Because somewhere, someone told her that it was a good idea. Before that, some politician convinced a rogue court that it was an idea implicitly embedded into the constitution. Before that some activist convinced women that it was an idea that would promote a woman’s health. Before that, it was practiced by Continue reading →

Bleeding Green

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Scratch below the surface and one will discover that just about all churches bleed green. No, they are not environmental enthusiasts; they bleed the older green, the type that has defined civilization since the time of Nimrod. Greenback is another slang that most churches would not wish to be associated with. But there it is. Churches need money, spend money, and like all people and organizations, can’t live without it.

The hard reality is that everything costs money. Life is expensive. Just ask new parents who are spending what was once going-out money on diapers and formula. Spending money on others is hard work. It takes intentional effort not to to spend it on yourself. Window shopping can be a painful experience. Seeing the things you really want but having the discipline not to buy it – even better, using that money in a way that gives someone else what they want, even when those things generate zero interest on your part.

Oh, but there is the rub. Using money on what blesses others. Church life, at least as defined by the Bible, is about learning to follow Christ. Christ followed the Father, and in so doing He was obliged to spend a tremendous amount of capitol on others – even others who violently reject Him. Of course His currency was His blood – and he spent it all, giving it freely away to those who would become eternally rich by His offering.

I don’t like to part from by greenback. Most churches don’t like to either. I suspect that Jesus was not too fond of being parted from His blood. In fact, the Bible tells us that He pleaded with His Father to take that cup from Him. The Father declined. Jesus spent it all. We are saved.

Why do we find it so hard to spend on others? We sometimes cling to our money as though it were our blood. The funny thing though, the Bible indicates that when we freely give away, the more we receive. In fact, the investment strategy of the Bible is very different from that of the world. The world says, build and save. God says, give it away. When we do, God replaces what was given. When we invest in others, God promises we will receive a return. But when we save for ourselves we seem to have a diminished return. Maybe we should view our money like Jesus view His blood – as a blessing to others?

Hum, maybe we should bleed green? If my money is your blessing, then what am I saving it for? And if God seeks to replace what I use to bless others, what am I afraid of? I won’t go hungry or homeless. I may have to sacrifice something, but … well, Jesus bled for me. Praise God for all those who have bled for me!

Unleashing the Power!

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Much mischief has come to the church from people operating on manmade expectations. People like busyness, and they like productivity. But, some people seldom consider the impact that is being made for the Kingdom of God. I had a conversation with a man who told me about all the wonderful stuff his church was doing just a couple of years ago. However, he forget to mention the crisis that took place during that time: the number of people who left; the conflict in the church staff; the dishonest way certain committees attempted to manipulate church circumstances; the many people who weekly attacked the pastor after every sermon – and oh, there was the deacon who left his wife and kids and ran off with a woman in the choir half his age – oh those good old days! But, the church had programs, and appeared to be productive!!

And people wonder why churches cannot reach their communities. We have forgotten the gospel. The gospel is not about busyness and programs and productivity. It is about life transformation. It is about becoming a new creation in Christ. It is about righteousness and Godliness. It is about having the entirety of one’s life turned upside down – or should I say, turned right side up. It is about learning to live for God, as one learns to love God. That may not be very flashy. It may not have the outward appearance of being “productive,” whatever that means in the economy of God’s kingdom. But, it is the very heart of the gospel.

Paul said “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation….” The church that expects to see power again (we once called that revival) must make the gospel the center of church life. I don’t want the “good old days” to come back to the church. I want the power of God to rock the foundations of the church!

A couple of weeks ago there was an earthquake about sixty miles from where we live. A friend’s house now has a nice long crack on his basement floor because of it. The power of that earthquake reached far beyond its epicenter and impacted by friend’s house sixty miles away. The church will reach its community only when it learns that the gospel can unleash the power of heaven. When it does, homes and lives and families far from the church will feel the impact.

The reality is that the church that does not know the power of God must substitute true transformation with superficial busyness. A pox on that house! Let us get back to the gospel! And maybe God will have mercy and pour out the fullness of His Spirit, so we can once again see lives transformed through the gospel of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

The Nation that Forgets God

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“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).

Someone has rightly said that when a nation forgets God they are building their own gallows! A quick reading of the book of revelation confirms that observation. I think I can say without fear of contradiction that our society today is attempting to remove God from all areas of influence and authority. We are on a fast track to “forget” God. But, we need to remember that there is a high cost in doing so.

Historically it seems to be the case that the country who forgets God tends towards tyranny. Just two examples come to mind. The French revolution was really a wholesale rejection of God. It wasn’t just a rejection of the aristocracy. In the minds of the revolutionaries, the aristocracy represented an authority from God, and that could not be tolerated. So, they attempted to scrub God from every sphere of society. Instead of liberating themselves, however, they only consumed themselves at the guillotine.  Another example is seen in communist Russia. The state attempted to replace God, and the people suffered under one of the most brutal totalitarian forces the world has ever seen.

I believe there is a very real relationship between removing God from society and that society experiencing a form of slavery, as they find themselves under the boot of tyranny. But, we need to remember, it is not governments that forget God, it is the people who forget God. Governments are usually an expression of the people of the time. The French revolution was the result of the Jacobins, and communist Russia was the result of the Bolsheviks implementing Marxist ideology – both of which were atheistic in nature.

It has rightly been said that those Continue reading →

Give Me Eyes to See!

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Leading a church that has been in decline for many years can be a very difficult thing. Over the years the people in the church come to understand Christianity very differently from what is actually presented in scripture.

I was reading through the book of Luke this morning when I was reminded of a significant truth. Jesus seldom attempted to reform the Pharisees.  He warned them, but did not spend much time with them. In many ways they are the equivalent of what we see in many of our churches today. They were raised in an environment where true Biblical doctrine was obscured by cultural manifestations of their faith.

The same has happened today. And just as the Pharisees became the gate-keepers of the “faith,” there are people in the church who see themselves in the same role. Over the years they have developed unhealthy expectations of what the church is, what the church should be doing, and what the pastor should be doing as well. When their expectations are not met, they become upset.

Not all such people get belligerent or angry. Some simply withdraw and believe that the church is going in the wrong direction. The result is that the church’s unity slowly becomes fractured. It’s not a compound fracture where the bone is visibly broken, and which renders a person incapacitated. It’s more like a slowly developed stress fracture. Stress fractures may not incapacitate a person, but they can cause a dull pain that slowly gets worse. As the pain of unfulfilled expectations grows, so grows the subtle disunity of the church.

Jesus warned about disunity when He said Continue reading →

Response to Bill Nye, the “Science Guy”

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Does teaching Creationism hurt science? Of course not! I think the “Science Guy’s” reflexive response brings into question his true credentials as a scientist. Since when does science seek a monopoly on a particular idea? The whole scientific enterprise, when done properly, seeks to disprove idea’s not hide behind rhetoric. That’s what peer review is all about. Someone presents a hypothesis, and everyone tries to disprove it. When they have failed, the hypothesis becomes a theory. The scientists who promote evolution seem to have a problem. They do not want any competing alternative to their hypothesis. The fact is that there are scientists who engage in scientific research who can show evidence for a young earth. So, why not hear them out? Could it be that there is in fact scant evidence behind the hypothesis of evolution? And could it be that they do not want the public to see that there is real evidence for an alternative point of view?

The reality is that evolution is more of a philosophy. Any scientific “research” is always done with some very important qualifications in place. For example, when evolutionary scientists approach something that might be deemed evidence for evolution, they always begin with the philosophical commitment that the earth is really, really old. But, what if the evidence says otherwise? Because of their prior commitment to their “belief” in an old earth, they will not consider anything that tells them something different. The reality is that the hypothesis of evolution has almost no tangible evidence. Everything that is presented as such is usually clouded with a heavy dose of philosophical fussy language. When all the hypothetical meanderings are cleared away what is left is something that is far removed from true scientific evidence. Evolution rests on creative rhetoric, nothing more.

And as to the Science Guy’s ill-conceived rhetoric that studying the Bible will “Hurt” science, or those who study it, he forgets two important things. First, it was Bible believing Christians who began much of the scientific enterprise to begin with. For example, Sir Isaac Newton said that doing science was “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” Because he believed in a rational God who can clearly communicate, Newton believed that the universe must be rational, and therefore subject to rational inquiry. Second, the philosophical theory of evolution has “hurt” more people than every other “ism” combined. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche considered the practical consequences of evolution and discovered that if life is an accident, then there is no foundation for ethics, truth, or morality. Instead he proposed the “Superman.” No not the guy in the blue cape who can leap tall buildings, but instead the guy in the military uniform who can subdue others to his will. The man who attempted to perfect Nietzsche’s idea was named Adolf Hitler. Hitler is a direct consequence of the very bad philosophical influence of Natural Evolution.

No, evolution is a bad idea with no real scientific support. And it is itself an idea that has proven to bring true pain and suffering into God’s beautiful creation.