Giving others a chance to be a blessing...

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward,

and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person 

will receive a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of water because he is a disciple, 

truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Matt. 10: 40-42

This passage has puzzled me for years.  Why?

Our passage is tucked into a chapter of Matthew where Jesus sends out his Apostles to learn ministry.  The context of the passage includes Jesus giving them a mission with clear instructions (vss. 5-15).  He then promises them they will face persecution (vss. 16-25), but they should not worry because whoever acknowledges him before men He will acknowledge before the Father (vss. 26-33).  Then he concludes with the promise that He came to bring not peace, but a sword (vss. 34-39).  (This is another tough passage!)  His final instructions are included in our passage.  They are a promise that whoever does receive the disciples will get a reward.

In this passage, the controlling verse is 10:40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."  

After affirming that His person and message would cause divisions even within families, Jesus promises that those to receive the truth of His person and message will share in the blessings of God.  In other words, receiving the disciples illustrates folks received their message.

Here is where I find the passage extremely interesting.  Why would Jesus say such a thing?  Somehow, openness to listen means blessings.  It illustrates a heart somehow prepared by God.  A person's attitude toward the messenger illustrates the condition of that person's heart.

What does this mean for us?

Because of our message, we are a blessing to society and to those we talk to about Jesus.  Merely opening our mouth and declaring that we trust in Jesus will allow people to experience a blessing.   I sure wish I would always remember this when I have a chance to testify about what Jesus has done in my life.  I am sure most of you feel the same.

Yes, some will be some will be shocked and dismayed by this testimony.  We should not worry about this fact.  Jesus says fear not for I am with you!  Such a testimony might cause division.  Jesus tells us that such division is part of the game if you wish to be part of the growth of the Kingdom.  As Jesus promises,

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Matt. 10:38-39.

In other words, why are we protecting our reputation with others and not concerned with being a blessing to others?  We fear the few who reject; and as a result, we rob people of the chance to be blessed by responding to our testimony. 

I can promise you that when we declare who Jesus is with love and integrity, most people respond favorably.  Some do not, but most will listen.  Particularly those who know you!  As they listen with openness, God will call some to faith.  The promise of this passage is that you will be a blessing.  You will be salt and light.  

Do you wish your life to count for something in building the Kingdom of God?  Be open to declaring what God has done in Christ.  Fear not for He will go with you.

Sins of a Dying Church #2

Sin 2.  Loss of Evangelistic Passion

Dying churches have little evangelistic passion.  They putter around in sharing their faith.  When Peter and John faced the tribunal in Acts 4, the accusers were amazed at the boldness of their faith.  When the tribunal demanded silence and ordered them not to preach or teach the name of Jesus or else face losing their lives, Peter and John responded, "We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (v.20).  Dying churches stop speaking about Christ to the world.  Evangelistic fervor becomes apathetic disinterest in a lost world.

As we will see later in the book, much responsibility rests upon the leadership of the church.  It is the responsibility of the pastor and other key leaders to exhibit this evangelistic passion.  In many thriving churches the driving force behind obedience to the Great Commission is the passion that the senior pastor maintains for the lost.  This passion will flow from the top down.  As the congregation sees his zeal, they catch the same fire.

Thom Rainer and Sam Rainer III, Essential Church, 17.

Most local churches should be appalled how much of our resources and energy goes toward our buildings and maintaining our programs that service the needs of our current members.

But we are not.  It is how things are done.  This is how our church functions.  Rarely do we ask if church status quo is correct.  

How long would Jesus last as the pastor of most local congregations?  

How about Paul?  

Both would be fired from most churches for not maintaining 

the current church ministries in a way that honors the past. 

How did we get here?

Maybe our model for doing church is wrong.

The local church exists for those outside its walls.

Seven Sins of Dying Churches #1

Why are so many people leaving the church?

As a pastor and church planter, I have a heart to reach the "dones".  This group of 35 million people grew up in the church or came into the church at some point in their life, but now they have nothing to do with the church.  Many still profess faith in Christ, they just think the church is not essential for their life and their spirituality.

I truly love these folks.  At this stage of my life, I can also identify with them.  While I know in my head and I have seen glimpses with my eyes that the church is the radiant bride of Christ, so often the church is concerned about things that appear to run counter to the gospel.  Even worse, though people recognize this fact, nothing appears to be done about it in 95% of the churches.

Yuck.

I get it.  I have lived and seen the ugly underbelly of fallen churches.  I have seen the hurt to individuals and families by the ungodly and uncaring attitudes of church people.  I have experienced churches and entire denominations that aren't really concerned with reaching a new generation with the gospel.

Yet, I love the Church.  I love Jesus, and He loves the Church.  I am compelled to try to make the local church reflective of the beauty of the universal Church.  When the church functions well, it is the most beautiful redemptive force in the universe.  Through the Church, the Holy Spirit flows and works.

So why do we see the beauty of the church so rarely?

Because the church is a fallen entity composed of fallen people.  If we are not constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit and the True Truth of the gospel, we fall into predictable patterns of sin.  What are these patterns?

Today I want to share a perspective written by Thom and Sam Rainer in their book Essential Church: reclaiming a generation of dropouts (2008).  As someone who has worked to help the church reclaim what is essential, I find myself in almost complete agreement with the conclusions of this book.  I share their observations for comment and consideration.

The following seven posts will include what the Rainers categorized as some of the more common transgressions that dying church commit.  I know I have seen them.

Sin 1.  Doctrine Dilution

Certain absolutes found within Scripture are so crucial that a Christian should be willing to sacrifice his or her life for them.  Cardinal truths such as the exclusivity of Christ must be followed if the American church is to survive this evangelistic crisis.  Watering down Scripture is not the answer to reaching a younger generation for Christ.  They do not want to be mollycoddled with tough doctrinal truths.  Teaching anything less than the absolute truths of Scripture will make the younger generation feel betrayed when they learn that a large gap exists between what the Bible really says and what they were taught in church.  Diluting the truth to cater to eighteen- to twenty-two-year-olds may work for a time, but low-dose Christianity stings the church much worse in the long run.

Essential Church, 16-17.

Our Testimony to Jesus

"With my mouth I will give thanks to the Lord;

I will praise him in the midst of the throng.

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one."

Ps. 109: 30-31

I have probably heard at least 1000 times the following statements made by a believer in Christ,

"I do not feel comfortable telling people about what I believe.  

I prefer to let my life witness for me."

Have you ever heard this excuse/reasoning?  Have you ever given it?  I am sure that all of us have.  These statements and the feelings behind them have been making the rounds in Christian circles since the time of Jesus.  Let's take a fresh look at this often accepted thought.

On the face of it, I completely agree.  If our life does not match our witness, then we are by definition a hypocrite.  Our life should be a witness.

Yet, to what are we witnessing?  

Let me lay out two different statements.

My life should reflect good Christian morality.  

My life should reflect my relationship with Christ.

While I think these two statements should equate, I do not think they mean the same thing.  I believe that by making them the same, we have made witnessing about Jesus something to which almost no believer feels comfortable.

Why?  The problem comes with thinking my morality has anything positive to do with witnessing for Jesus.

What about when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and I snap at my family, my co-worker, or myself?  What about the awful muttering that I do under my breath?  What about my struggles with my "hidden hangups and sins"?  How can I witness to truth when my life is not really right?

I believe almost all of us feel these tensions.  We know we do not have it all together.  We have so many struggles.  Witnessing must be for people who have their life together better than we do.

Such thinking destroys our desire to witness for Jesus.

There is another issue with equating the above two statements.  What if I do live "good Christian morality'?  (However I define it)  My guess is that my co-workers, family, and friends will think that I am a great guy.  They will think that I really have it all together.  They will think that I am dependable, solid, loving, ... you fill in the blank to what you think you should witness to.

Here's the rub.  Where is Jesus to these people in which I am witnessing?  They like me, but why would I assume they will make the connection that Jesus is the one who made me this way?  If I am honest, which I rarely am, I am witnessing more to my morality, my uprightness, my way of life.  

Furthermore, with this sort of thinking, I am now caught in the trap of reputation.  I have to work harder and harder to keep my "goodness" public.  I strive to maintain my reputation before others.

I don't know about you, but I know my secrets.  I know my struggles with living my faith.  I know those inner thoughts and that I don't always wake up on the right side of the bed.

In short, maintaining my reputation only proves I am a hypocrite.

What can be done about this?  To what should we witness?

How about cutting through the hypocrisy of witnessing to and through my great (or not so great) morality?  How about not fearing our shortcomings because we witness to the only perfect man in history?

I have found our most effective witness comes by confessing and telling others how much I need Jesus and how much grace He gives me daily.  

Something wonderful happens when I bring up the name of Jesus.  When I confess my need for Him and how He is my only hope, the Holy Spirit shows up to confirm what I am saying.  I have also found that when I confess my weakness, people listen to me because they have the same issues and problems. Somehow the Holy Spirit works through the confession of Jesus as our only hope to bring Him all the glory.

In other words, without mentioning Jesus we are not really witnessing about Jesus.  

Pointing to Jesus as your only hope and your present savior 

brings the power of the Holy Spirit into play.  

Our life should reflect our relationship to Jesus.  Does yours illustrate your dependence upon Him?  If it does, you have all it takes to be an effective and powerful witness to the gospel!

Are we "salty" to the lost?

"Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile.
It is thrown away.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ...

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled,
saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them."

Luke 14: 34-15:2

I love how the gospel writers put their narratives together.  Each of the authors took the same material and information, and they crafted it for different audiences.  We often forget that the gospels were not read with their chapter divisions.  Those were added much later.  Instead, the narrative of Jesus' life and ministry read like an action packed play.

In Luke 15, Jesus declares the heart of God for the lost.  With the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost sons, Jesus declares God great concern and pursuing love for the lost.

What is often missed is how he concludes what we read as Luke 14.  "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall it be restored?"

What is he talking about?  In the context, this small section is told by Luke between Jesus' teaching on the cost of being a disciple and the reality that the "sinners" of the day loved him (found him "salty') and the religious teachers grumbled at this fact.  

Matthew uses this teaching of Jesus concerning salt in a different way, and it is found in a different place.  Does this show an error?  No, I don't think so.  I am sure Jesus used this phrase often in its ministry.  It has many applications.

I believe it is clear that Luke is using the salt reference here to illustrate 

the reality of disciples being the preserving influence to the sinners 

that God is passionately pursuing.  

Jesus is the perfect example of a follower of God.  He pursues and is attractive to sinners.  Unfortunately, this also means the religious folks sometimes do not understand him!

One of the greatest contractions in the universe is how "religious" folks often make poor witnesses to God's grace, but the scandalous and the sinners are great witnesses.

Why is this true?  Why is this particularly troubling?  Because the goal of most church life is to make people "religious."  Good church folks are often marked by their faithful religious observance.

Yet, here is the rub.  I have often shared in these pages and in classes I teach on outreach that

90% of churches say they wish to grow, 

but 90% of these churches are not really willing to follow through to grow.  

Taking this a step further, 

I would suggest that 90% of believers claim they want 

to reach out to friends, neighbors, and co-workers, 

but about 90% of them rarely follow through.  

Why is this the case?

Excuses abound.  I have offered many of them myself.  Yet, I wonder aloud today "If the salt has lost its saltiness."

Personally and corporately if we are not seeing not-yet-believers being transformed by the gospel, we should pray that God will allow us to experience the joy of new birth as God transforms not-yet-believers into gospel followers.  We should confess and repent if we really do not have a heart for such work.  We should ask for God's heart for the lost.

The miracle working God of the bible will answer these prayers.  His desire is for the salt (us) to be salt.

Declaring our Faith

"With my mouth I will give thanks to the Lord;

I will praise him in the midst of the throng.

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one."

Ps. 109: 30-31

I have now been a believer in Jesus for about 27 years.  Man does time fly by quickly.  I have heard and seen much as I have walked with Jesus and worked with God's people.  One thing has remained consistent throughout these years.  Many, many believers are scared to death to witness about Jesus to their friends, family, and colleagues.

If I have heard it once, I have heard it a 1000 times,

"I do not feel comfortable telling people about my faith.  

I prefer to let my life witness for me."

Have you ever heard this excuse/reasoning?  Have you ever given it?  I am sure that all of us have at some point.  It has been making the rounds in Christian circles since the time of Jesus.  Let's take a fresh look at this common and at least tacitly accepted thought.

On the face of it, I completely agree.  If our life does not match our witness, then we are by definition a hypocrite.  Our life should be a witness.

Yet, to what are we witnessing?  

Let's look at two common assumptions about ourselves.  My life should reflect good Christian morality.  My life should reflect my relationship with Christ.

While I think these two statements should equate, I do not think they mean the same thing.  I believe that by making them the same, we have made witnessing about Jesus something to which almost no believer feels comfortable.

Why?

What about when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and I snap at my family, my co-worker, or myself?  What about the awful muttering that I do under my breath?  What about my struggles with my "hidden hangups and sins"?  How can I witness to truth when my life is not really right?

I believe almost all of us feel these tensions.  We know we do not have it all together.  We have so many struggles.  Witnessing must be for people who have their life together better than we do.  We think that when we get it together, we can witness.

Friends, this is not the way God designed it.

There is another problem with this living good morality equals witnessing of Jesus's saving grace.

What if I do live a life marked by good Christian morality?  (However I define it)  My guess is that my co-workers, family, and friends will think that I am a great guy.  They will think that I really have it all together.  They will think that I am dependable, solid, loving, ... you fill in the blank to what you think you should witness to.

Here's the rub.  Where is Jesus to these people to which I am witnessing?  They like me, but why would I assume they will make the connection that Jesus is the one who made me this way?  If I am honest, which I rarely am, I am witnessing more to my morality, my uprightness, my way of life.  

I also will have to labor hard to maintain my reputation.  I know my secrets.  I know my struggles with living my faith.  I think even if I think this is true, I am still in the same place as the rest of us hypocrites.  Lord have mercy.

What can be done about this?  To what should we witness?

How about cutting through the hypocrisy of witnessing to and through my great (or not so great) morality?

Instead, we undercut the charge of hypocrisy 

by confessing and telling how much we need Jesus 

and how much grace He gives us daily.  

What would happen if I merely confessed this truth?

Something wonderful happens when we bring up the name of Jesus.  When we confess our need for Him and how He is our only hope, the Holy Spirit shows up to confirm what we are saying.  I have also found that when I confess my weakness, people listen to me because they have the same issues and problems. Somehow the Holy Spirit works through the confession of Jesus as our only hope to bring Him all the glory.

In other words, without mentioning Jesus we are not really witnessing about Jesus.  I know that sounds harsh, but it is the truth.

May we repent of our fear and doubt.  May we repent of our self-righteousness and good deeds.  May we humbly declare that Jesus is our only hope and that in Him we find grace and mercy every day.

How to Bless Others...

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward,

and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person 

will receive a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of water because he is a disciple, 

truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Matt. 10: 40-42

This passage has puzzled me for years.  What does it mean?

As always, the key to understanding a passage of scripture is to understand the context in which it is written.

This passage is tucked into a chapter of Matthew where Jesus sends out his Apostles to learn ministry.  In chapter 10, Jesus gives his disciples a mission with instructions (vss. 5-15), He then tells them they will face persecution (vss. 16-25), but they should not worry because whoever acknowledges him before men He will acknowledge before the Father (vss. 26-33).  Then He concludes with the promise that He came to bring not peace, but a sword (vss. 34-39).  (This is another tough passage.)  His final instructions are included in our passage above.  They are a promise that whoever does receive the disciples will get a reward.

This is one tough passage.  How do we interpret and understand it?

In this passage, the controlling verse is 10:40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."  After affirming that His person and message would cause divisions even within families, Jesus promises that those to receive the truth of His person and message will share in the blessings of God.  In other words, receiving the disciples illustrates folks received their message.

Here is where I find the passage extremely interesting.  Why would Jesus say such a thing?

The obvious answer is that His disciples will be telling about and performing miracles to prove the Kingdom of God is here in the person and message of Jesus.  Thus, to receive them means to believe them.  At the very least it means to affirm an openness to listen.  To such openness, Jesus promises blessing and reward.

We are a blessing in society when we live and declare the reality of the Kingdom as we found it in Christ.  Some will be shocked and dismayed by this testimony.  In fact, in some areas of the country, nothing will make you more unpopular and an outcast than declaring that you believe in Jesus.

To this rejection, Jesus says fear not for I am with you.  Our testimony of faith might cause division.  Jesus tells us that such division is part of the game if you wish to be part of the growth of the Kingdom.  He tells us,

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Matt. 10:38-39.

In other words, why are we protecting our reputation with others and not concerned with our faithfulness to Jesus?  He is worth some division and persecution.  In fact, as we testify to the reality of His Kingdom, we will find true life as we take our reputation from His love for us.

In my experience, when we declare who Jesus is with love and integrity, most people respond favorably.  Some do not, but most will listen.  Particularly those who know you.  As they listen with openness, God will call some to faith.  I have found this to be true even as I have lived in some of the most secular areas of the United States.

The beautiful promise of this passage is that we will be a blessing.  We will be salt and light.  All that is needed is for us to be willing to open our mouth and declare what God has done for us in Christ.

Why aren't people converted anymore?

"Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day.  However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect.  The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones.  We tend to draw conservative. buttoned-down, moralistic people.  The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church.  That can only mean one thing.  If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.  If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think."  

Tim Keller, The Prodigal God, 15-16.

I often have discussions with folks about how to reach out into our postmodern world.  Some of these discussions are pleasant and encouraging.  Others are perplexing and discouraging.  I am glad many are having this discussion, as I think the question of how to reach our generation with the gospel is the most important of our day and age.  In fact, it is the most important question for every generation.

(An aside before I begin.  In 1830, the mission agencies trying to reach the Western territories with the gospel spent more money than the entire Federal government.  That was a generation who understood the importance of this question.)

How does God work in today's world?

In the past five years I have heard often from pastors and Christian leaders that people are not converted like they used to be.  I could not agree more.  Leaving tracts on tables, one week gospel crusades, and impersonal evangelism techniques are not effective.  Today, people often belong to the church before they believe the message of the gospel.  I have seen this happen again and again.

So far, we have agreement.  The problem is that such a statement is often followed by an explanation that people are not converted anymore because the process of conversion takes on average 7 long years.  Then, when people are converted, they are not really that committed.

I find this strange and perplexing.

While I hear the basis for their thoughts, I think they might wish to look at their understanding of the gospel.  The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.  It transforms hearts and then minds.  It brings forth the fruit of righteousness.  If we are not seeing conversions and transformation, we should ask ourselves if we understand and proclaim the good news of the gospel.  (please take this as a wound from a friend and not a wound from an enemy.)

I find that people are very hungry for the true gospel of God's grace.  They thirst for His righteousness to transform their hearts.  In fact, I would say the fields are ready for harvest!  We just need the tools to enter into the harvest field.  The greatest tool of all is the gospel of grace.  Unfortunately, this gospel and living in light of it often do not mark believers in Christ.

Most believers have been told or somehow have assumed that the way to reach out is to live such a good life before non-believers that they will naturally ask why you are so different (see yesterday's post).  As I have talked with believers in different parts of the country, it has been confessed that this method of evangelism  does not work.

Why?  I believe most non-believers are very skeptical of anyone who comes from an overtly religious position.  If an individual or church desires to reach out to others in this culture, you need to learn new strategies.

All of this to say that Keller's opening quote should provide us with a basis to think of these new strategies.  The point of his book is that the real gospel provides a basis to reach out to those with no religious background or inclination.  It also provides a basis for reaching out to the confused and moralistic religious folks.

Jesus is alive and real.  He is still searching for true worshippers.  We participate in this search when we live out and proclaim the gospel of grace.  Somehow and someway, the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the true gospel to bring about conversions and life-transformation.  We should expect to see these results personally and corporately.

Tomorrow I will explore what this looks like in real life.

Can a Hypocrite Witness for Jesus?

"With my mouth I will give thanks to the Lord;

I will praise him in the midst of the throng.

For he stands at the right hand of the needy one."

Ps. 109: 30-31

I have probably heard at least 1000 times the following statement made by a believer in Christ,

"I do not feel comfortable telling people about what I believe.  I prefer to let my life witness for me."

Have you ever heard this excuse/reasoning?  Have you ever given it?  I am sure that all of us have.  It has been making the rounds in Christian circles since the time of Jesus.  Let's take a fresh look at this often accepted thought.

On the face of it, I completely agree.  If our life does not match our witness, then we are by definition a hypocrite.  Our life should be a witness.

Yet, to what are we witnessing?  

My life should reflect good Christian morality.  My life should reflect my relationship with Christ.

While I think these two statements should equate, I do not think they mean the same thing.  I believe that by making them the same, we have made witnessing about Jesus something to which almost no believer feels comfortable.

Why?

What about when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed and we snap at my family, have a bad day at work, or spend our time and energy belittling ourselves?  What about the awful muttering that we do under our breath?  What about our struggles with our "hidden hang-ups and sins"?

How can we witness to truth when our life is not really right?

I believe almost all of us feel these tensions.  We know we do not have it all together.  We have so many struggles.  So we reason that witnessing must be for people who have their life together better than we do.  Is there any wonder why the average PCUSA member invites some to church with him once every 17 years?  (An old statistic, but I am sure it remains true!)

Furthermore, what if we do live "good Christian morality?"  (However we define it)  My guess is that our co-workers, family, and friends will think that we are a great person.  They will think that we really have it all together.  They will think that we are dependable, solid, loving, ... you fill in the blank to what you think you should witness to.

Here's the rub.  Where is Jesus to these people in which we are witnessing?  They like us, but why would we assume they will make the connection that Jesus is the one who made us this way?  If we are honest, which we rarely are, we are witnessing more to our morality, our uprightness. and our way of life than to Jesus who transforms us.  

Furthermore, such thought has another negative consequence.  Since we are examples of good morality, we have to labor hard to maintain our reputation.  Boy do we labor.  We know our secrets and our struggles with living our faith.  If others knew these issues, they would reject our witness.  They would reject us.  They would know that we really don't have it all together and that our reputation is better than our reality.

The problem with maintaining our reputation is that we know intellectually that only the deluded and foolish think they have it all together.  Yet, when we equate our morality with our witness, we prove by our struggle to maintain our reputation that we are hypocrites.  Lord have mercy.

What can be done about this?  To what should we witness?

How about cutting through the hypocrisy of witnessing to and through our great (or not so great) morality?  Instead, we undercut the charge of hypocrisy by confessing and telling how much we need Jesus and how much grace He gives us daily.  We all need Jesus.  What would happen if we merely confessed this truth?

Something wonderful happens when we bring up the name of Jesus.  When we confess our need for Him and how He is our only hope, the Holy Spirit shows up to confirm what we are saying.

In my life I have proven this to be true time and time again.  When I confess my weakness, people listen to me because they have the same issues and problems. Somehow the Holy Spirit works through the confession of Jesus as our only hope to bring Him all the glory.

In other words, without mentioning Jesus we are not really witnessing about Jesus.  

Our life should reflect our relationship to Jesus.  Does yours illustrate your dependence upon Him?  The greatest sign of dependence is living real repentance and faith.  Real repentance means confessing your issues not hiding them.  The good news is that such a lifestyle undercuts our pride, illustrates our need for Jesus, and brings the blessings of the Holy Spirit to empower our witness for Jesus.

Cures for Hardness of Heart

"All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore and make disciples ...
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

Where is God and why is He not working through me?  

I wish to see people come to know Jesus.  

Why is no one interested?

Last year, I had a message from a young lady in south east Asia who shared her desire to see people come to know Christ.  The problem was that she was seeing no fruit.  She explained that she did not see any conversions and that most of the people to whom she shared the gospel expressed no spiritual interest.  

In other words, this young lady is experiencing the Christian life of most of us!  She hears from others how they can witness freely and see results.  She wants to know the same success.  She really wants God to work in and through her.  The problem is that through her witness, only a few had expressed interest in Christ.  

So, is she doing something wrong?  I would guess the answer to be no.  While she probably could be better at knowing and presenting the gospel, I can read between the lines to see that her heart is in the right place.  She desperately wants to see God's name exalted in her life and in the lives of her not-yet-believing friends.

This heart attitude is where most believers fall short in being used by God.  For many, complacency and selfishness drive our Christian life.  We view Jesus and the Holy Spirit as our personal saviors and helpers.  We seek to be healed of our hurts and hang-ups, and then we might tell others about Jesus.  The problem is that we never completely "get over" our hurts and hang-ups so we never get around to sharing the gospel with others.

This is where many of us go wrong!

The Holy Spirit must go somewhere in our life.  His purpose is to exalt the name of Jesus and the bring glory to the Father.  As we share about Jesus' work in our life and the truth about who He is, the Holy Spirit shows up to bring glory to Christ.  In the process, we are changed and transformed!  

Yes, the biggest reason most of us do not grow much and do not see people come to faith is that we do not share the life-changing message of the gospel!  Our "fear of rejection" illustrates a profound lack of faith.  Our desire to "be made right and holy" before we share our faith illustrates a profound misunderstanding of how we grow in grace.

Our friend in Southeast Asia does not appear to have this problem.  I am so glad!  So, what could be wrong?  If she is sharing her faith with a right heart, why is there so little fruit?

For the past twenty years I have worked in several places in America known for their secularism (The University, Maine and now Seattle).  For eight years I labored in Northern New England, an area with the lowest percentage of church attendance  in the USA that boasts in having the highest level of "noners" (those claiming absolutely no religious affiliation or preference) in the United States.  New England, and Maine in particular, has been called the grave-yard of preachers because of the rocky spiritual soil.  I know many sincere pastors and Christians who have seen little or no conversions through their witness.

Does this mean we are all failures?  I know many need to get past the fear of rejection and witness.  Others need to stop thinking of Christ as their personal savior and see Him as the answer to virtually all human questions and needs.  Their friends and co-workers need Jesus!  But there is something more at work here.

Most believers don't understand that there is a spiritual component to an individual's hardness of heart.  As a result, they don't deal with this spiritual component in their sharing of the gospel.

In scripture, we are told that Satan has blinded the eyes of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4).  In my experience and in the book of Acts, I have seen some groups of people responded more favorably to the gospel, while other entire groups of people rejected the gospel.  Even Paul witnessed little conversions in Athens (Acts 16:16-34), while seeing great revival in Berea (Acts 16:10-15).  Did he do something wrong in Athens?

Some would argue yes, but I think not!  The people of Athens were more worldly and secular than the people of Berea.  By this I do not mean "evil" but instead I mean that they looked and believed in natural causes more than spiritual answers.  Worldly and secular folks rule out the work of God from consideration.  Obviously it is harder to witness to these folks!

For example, the Stoics mentioned in Acts 16:18 most likely would have been very moral people marked by great self control.  They might be "more righteous" in their conduct than anyone we know!  Yet, they rejected the supernatural as superstitious "babbling" from a weak mind.  Of course they reject Paul's message.  They probably did not even listen to it.

I would argue that such thought is the very definition of worldliness.  It is also the mark of those controlled and dominated by the blinding influence of the evil one.

Our friend in Southeast Asia labors to witness for Jesus in an area dominated with the same sort of worldly and secular thought.  The spiritual blindness is real, deep, and pervasive.

What can we do?

First, pray like your life depends upon it!  In fact, pray like the lives of those to whom you witness depend upon it.  Ask for the Lord to send a spirit of revival and transformation.  Pray that the veil will be lifted so they may see their real need and embrace Christ.

Second, do not give up!  Keep praying, witnessing, and most importantly washing yourself in the gospel.  It will be easy to forget the gospel if you do not have others around you to remind you of its beauty and truth.  Find a community of like-minded believers to encourage and pray with you.

Finally, rejoice in the spiritual interest and conversions you do see.  It may not match the volume or experience of others in different towns or place, but who cares!  You do not live in those places.  God has called you to your specific place and to these people.

In other words, please remember that there is nothing wrong with you!  In fact, God has shown great trust in you by placing you in such a difficult environment.  Keep witnessing to the truth and praying for God to send His Spirit to open the eyes of unbelievers.  Immerse yourself in the gospel.  Gather with a community of believers who share the same Lord and the same struggles.  Remember that today may be the day the revival starts through your witness.  To God be the glory in that wondrous revival!

The Real Difficulties in Witnessing about Jesus

We want to see people come to know Jesus.  We want to see people in heaven with God forever.  We want to see people become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  That's what you and I long for.  That's way you're reading this book.  You and I won't be satisfied until God's hand is stretched out and we're seeing more fruitfulness.

This chapter is about identifying and taking down barriers- old ways of viewing and doing evangelism. If we don't first understand what's holding us back, we won't be ready to embrace important new ideas.

Often when we start to make witness a passion and a priority, we run into a major barrier: our "boxes," mental models of ministry and evangelism that keep us from pouring our passion into new ways of witness.  If we are growing in our passion for witness but pouring our efforts and energy into the same structures and strategies we've always had, we will see little increase in fruitfulness.  After a time we will get discouraged and our passion will disappear.

Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box, 17.

Sharing your faith.  Evangelism.  Outreach to the lost.

So many people talk about these issues, but so few do them with regularity.

How could I say such a thing?  Are not most bible believing Christians interested in evangelism?  Yes, as a concept we are interested.  Unfortunately, it is like the old saying that we love the poor and the homeless in general, but having them around us makes us uncomfortable when faced with a specific person.

We know we should engage in active outreach.  We know and memorized the great commands of scripture (Matt. 28:19-20).  We know and have heard of the heroes of the faith who began and encouraged movements of grace by the power of the Holy Spirit (I think of Jonathan Edwards or the Wesleys).  Yet, I find most of us are more interested in the concept of outreach than we are in doing anything about it.

Why?

I think many of us are scared to death of witnessing for Jesus.

I think others are so self-consumed that they figure once they get their life in order they will begin witnessing (unfortunately this will never happen).

I think that many of us have false and misleading views of evangelism and outreach.  We think of a method or a knowledge base that we must know and understand so we can be effective witnesses.  We know what worked (sort of?) in the past, and we hold to this method as the best way to move forward in outreach.  Yet, the conditions never appear to be just right.  In time, we talk about evangelism and outreach, but we do very little to make it happen.

The beginning of Richardson's book helps us identify the "boxes" or categories we have firmly in mind when we think about "proper evangelism."  I say proper, because most of us have some notion of how it should be done.

While this is true for individuals, it is particularly true in churches.  As Richardson states,

It is my belief that most churches do not engage in effective evangelism and outreach because we corporately have invented, maintained, and enforced methods of thought and ministry that actually work against effective outreach.  

This is quite a mouthful and it could be taken as quite accusative.  I do not intend it to be!  I work as a church revitalizer.  I love the Church.  I wish to see each local body of Christ moving forward in effective ministry.  I believe following the NT pattern, a healthy church will be constantly growing deeper in the gospel and outward in ministry.  Such a church will be marked by at least 5-10% growth in new converts per year, and it will have many young believers who need to be discipled.

The problem is I work in a denomination where this is seldom the case with our established churches.  I also find that my denomination is not alone in our struggles for healthy growth!

So, what do we do?  We talk about outreach.  We spend money on programs.  We look for and reward those individuals and churches who have effective ministry.  Yet, nothing seems to change.  In fact, our churches grow older, we find less children in the pews, and we can see strange and scary handwriting on the wall that says something has to be done.

So, we talk more about outreach, we get a new leader/pastor, we spend money on programs, and often still nothing changes.

Is it hopeless?  Is growth and outreach into this culture impossible?

Perhaps it is if we expect that God will and must work through the same means as He did generations ago.  Perhaps the problem is not our passion for the lost, but our way of thinking about how to "do church" and "do outreach."  

I honestly do not believe that individual and corporate evangelism is particularly hard in today's world.  I find that people are open to talking and very needy!  The problem is that our methods of operating need to "fit" with the way people dialogue and think.  Notice I did not say our theology should adapt!  Most of the time this is not true.  If we lose the gospel, we have no real purpose and no real message.  

What needs to change is our methods of ministry.

Some individuals and churches will change easily while others just cannot make the transition.  In 20 years, those that change will still be going strong while those that refuse to address their ministry "boxes" will be ineffective and possibly closed.  Thankfully God in His sovereign love will raise up other churches and other denominations to reach this generation!

May our sovereign Lord raise up such leaders because the next generation needs to hear a fresh and anew the song of the gospel!

Declaring the Kingdom

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward,

and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person 

will receive a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of water because he is a disciple, 

truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Matt. 10: 40-42

This passage has puzzled me for years.  What does it mean?

It is tucked into a chapter of Matthew where Jesus sends out his Apostles to learn ministry.  In the context, Jesus gives them a mission with instructions (vss. 5-15).  He then tells them they will face persecution (vss. 16-25), but they should not worry because whoever acknowledges him before men He will acknowledge before the Father (vss. 26-33).  Then he concludes with the promise that He came to bring not peace, but a sword (vss. 34-39).  (This is another tough passage!)  His final instructions are included in our passage.  They are a promise that whoever does receive the disciples will get a reward.

This is one tough passage!  How do we interpret and understand it?

In this passage, the controlling verse is 10:40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."  After affirming that His person and message would cause divisions even within families, Jesus promises that those to receive the truth of His person and message will share in the blessings of God.  In other words, receiving the disciples illustrates folks received their message.

Here is where I find the passage extremely interesting.  Why would Jesus say such a thing?

The obvious answer is that His disciples will be telling about and performing miracles to prove the Kingdom of God is here in the person and message of Jesus.  Thus, to receive them means to believe them.  At the very least it means to affirm an openness to listen.  To such openness, Jesus promises blessing and reward.

We are a blessing in society when we live and declare the reality of the Kingdom as we found it in Christ.  Some will be shocked and dismayed by this testimony.  Jesus says fear not for I am with you!  Such a testimony might cause division.  Jesus tells us that such division is part of the game if you wish to be part of the growth of the Kingdom!  He tells us,

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." 

Matt. 10:38-39.

In other words, why are you protecting your reputation with others and not concerned with your faithfulness to Jesus?  He is worth some division and persecution!  In fact, as we testify to the reality of His Kingdom, we will find true life as we take our reputation from His love for us.

When we declare who Jesus is with love and integrity, most people respond favorably.  Some do not, but most will listen.  Particularly those who know you!  As they listen with openness, God will call some to faith.  The promise of this passage is that you will be a blessing.  You will be salt and light.  

Do you wish your life to count for something in building the Kingdom of God?  Be open to declaring what God has done in Christ!  Fear not for He will go with you!

Jesus' Abiding Promise of Faithfulness

And when they say him they worshiped him, but some doubted.  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age."

Matthew 28: 17-20

I would like nothing better and nothing more than to personally see and talk to Jesus.  I think it would be the best experience in the entire universe!

So why do the disciples doubt even after they see and talk with the risen Jesus Christ?  What is happening here?

What did they doubt?  

I do not believe that some doubted Jesus was the Messiah.  After all, they just worshiped him!  Such a theory does not fit the context.  I think a clue to Matthew's intent is found in what Jesus does next.

Immediately after the confession of their doubt, Matthew records that Jesus gives the disciples the great commission. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples..."

I think these early Christ-followers doubted that God could use them.  

Why?  

They had rejected him.  Peter might have been one of the biggest doubters as he had sworn his fidelity to Jesus and then denied him three times in an evening.  These Christ-followers had more questions than answers.  In the last week of Jesus' life, they had fought over who was the greatest.  They no longer had the assurance of Jesus' presence in a physical sense.  From the biblical accounts, it is obvious the risen Jesus did not show up on command.  He had appeared, but when would be the next time?

They were living and believing just like we often do today!  How could Jesus use them?  They were so disappointing.  They were struggling.  They did not have all the answers.  They now did not have Jesus' physical presence.  How could God use them?

"Surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age."  

Jesus concludes with words of promise and hope.  Words of Grace into the midst of the disciples fear and doubt.  He was not leaving them as orphans!  He would lead them!  He would work in, through, and even in spite of them.  He would use their strengths, their weaknesses, their sin, their doubt, and their times of faith.  He knew their past, but He did not condemn.  He gave a command to go and make disciples sandwiched between the promise of His power and authority (it is really about Him and not us), and his promise of abiding presence.

How can God use you?  How can He use me?  

Real ministry is about trusting in His grace that He can use you even with and in our weaknesses.  His power works through broken vessels (2 Cor. 4:7).  The keys to being used by God are three:

1.) Recognize and confess that we are broken "jars of clay."  Don't put on airs or think your answers will change anything or anyone.  Confess your need for God to work!

2.) Ask God to work through us. Ask Jesus to use you at work, at home, or where ever you find yourself.  Walk in partnership with Him!  Talk with Him about people and situations.

3.) Be open to God's leading.  In other words, have your eyes open to opportunities to love God and neighbor.  Sometimes this means speaking.  Often it just means going out of your way to express love and concern.  As you do this, you will be amazed at the opportunities that will arise to speak about what God has done in your life.

Authentic grace means that God can use people like the disciples, like you, and like me!  Do not fear for Jesus is the risen King!

Renewal Through Church Planting

 I grew up in a fairly typical mainline denomination.  As I recall, the goal of the Christian faith was for us to be nice people.  Yes, there was some debate on what it meant to be nice (typically divided along political lines), but all tacitly agreed that Christian people should be nice.

The problem with this definition of the Christian faith was that my family, in particular my mother and grandmother, were very involved in church politics.  I heard about and most importantly felt the tension between these "nice" people.  I also witnessed many things in the church that was far from nice.

When I became a believer in Christ, I was amazed to hear that the purpose of the church, indeed of my life, was not to be nice, but to proclaim Christ as my only hope.  I was so encouraged to hear that the Church is the only institution in the universe that exists for others.  The purpose of the Church is to live out and proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord!

This does not mean that we are not to be good and honest folks.  What it does mean is that we don't need to pretend that we are always nice people who have it all together.  In fact, when we are honest we can confess our need for Jesus, find His mercy afresh and anew, and grow in holiness through heart transformation.  What an inversion of the message I grew up hearing!

Moreover, the purpose the Church is to die to itself so that it might proclaim Jesus is Lord to those who have not heard or known God's grace.  Instead of fighting over ministry "turf" or personal preference, the uniting factor was seeing Christ proclaimed and the Kingdom growing.  

How is the best way to do this?  How do we proclaim Christ and see the Kingdom advance the quickest in a city, country, or region?  Since this is our goal given to us by Jesus, how do we reach it?

I think the follow quote by Tim Keller captures how the Spirit is moving through the entire world today.  The Spirit is on the move!  He is propelling believers out of their personal preference, their comfort zones, and their quest for personal piety above all else.  He is calling us to die to self so that we might live for others.  

How?  Through church planting.  These new churches breathe new life into the body of Christ.  They provide new ideas.  They also are powerfully effective at reaching new, unchurched people.  As Keller states,

“Numerous new churches are the only way to really expand the number of Christians in a city. New churches reach the non-churched far more effectively than longer-existing churches. Dozens of studies confirm that the average new church gains most of its new members from the ranks of people who are not attending any worshipping body, while churches over 10-15 years of age gain 80-90% of new members by transfer from other congregations. This means that the average new congregation will bring new people into the life of the Body of Christ at 6-8 times the rate of an older congregation of the same size. …

Planting lots of new churches is one of the best ways to renew existing churches. New churches bring new ideas to the whole Body. It is the new churches that have freedom to be innovative and they become the ‘Research and Development’ department for the whole Body in the city. …

We firmly believe that the vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for reaching a city. Nothing else–not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, mega-churches, consulting, nor church renewal processes–will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting. This is an eyebrow raising statement. But to those who have done any study of the subject, it is not even controversial.”

Tim Keller, “Being the Church in our Culture”

So, what do you think?  Is this true?  What does this mean for churches that are 10, 15, 20, 50, and 100 years old?  What does this mean for you?