It's Going to Be Okay

One mission, one message, one people.

Witness, mercy, life together.

Do you see a similarity? The priority is telling what we have seen and heard, being all about God's mission, bearing witness to Jesus. The outward action is connecting people with the Gospel through word and deed, sharing the message, showing and speaking the mercy of God. The solid foundation is the community of faith, the church, God's people, our life together.

When our focus is truly on the mission of God given in the Scriptures, changes in leadership or the tweaking of programs do not move us away from what we are called by God to do.

This is the beauty of a Biblical church.

Personal agendas and axes to grind may be floating around the periphery of the mission. Quests for power or desires to control may simmer beneath the surface of personalities involved. Ministry emphases may be articulated and prioritized in different ways. In the mix of it all, some personalities will be more abrasive than others. But if the Word runs the show, the head of the body, Jesus Christ, will prevail. His Church will move forward.

Of course, we must be good and attentive stewards of the mysteries of God. We are called to unity, kindness, forgiveness, and love. But we do not have to be afraid. As the Bible says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). By God's grace, we are equipped to move forward with strength--even in the midst of change and turbulence. Hebrews 10:39 declares, "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."

In His grace and mercy, God moves us forward in His mission. With humility and gratitude, we are called to run the race set before us as servants of the risen Savior. We need to be on guard and always be watchful, but we do not have to be afraid.

God's mission is going to be okay.

Discovering Your Faith Language

I had the privilege of serving at a Christian camp over the weekend. Even though I was there to teach, I learned so much more. As it happens so often, God placed before me the remarkable stories of His work among His people.

As I spoke to these dear and faithful servants of Jesus, I heard them speak about their trials and challenges in a "faith language" that inspired me and led me closer to the Savior. It made me wonder if workers in the harvest field need to discover and develop their "faith language."

I'm not talking about preaching. I'm talking about using language that shows you remember God's work. I'm referring to the natural references you make to your Savior who promised to be with you always. I'm thinking of language that reflects your trust in God who hears your prayers and knows your needs. Over and over the Psalms make reference to declaring to the assembly what God has done: "Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders" (Psalm 107:32).

When people are assembled and you're talking about your life, are you making sure God has his rightful place in the story? Or are you leaving out the most important person?

At camp, I heard men talk about how God walked with them and taught them as they navigated the difficult and stressful world of business. I heard couples talk about Jesus' presence in the midst of cancer diagnoses and treatments. I heard some tough dudes utter statements that told of changed lives and eager ears awaiting the voice and guidance of the Lord. I heard moms talk about how they were eager to make Christ's difference and how this world is nothing compared to the glory of heaven.

It was faith language. It was natural. It was winsome. It communicated a real and present God, a good God, an active and living God. It caused me to want to know Him more.

What if you practiced your faith language this week? What if you made sure to include your Savior in your conversation? What if you let the assembly know who the main character of your story really is?

Just think, instead of figuring out an evangelism technique or getting nervous about sharing a testimony, you could simply speak in faith language that glorified God and showed the people in your life that He's the real deal and that they can know Him too.

Will you try it this week?

The Pretty-Ugly Factor

Honda and Toyota came out with some redesigned vehicles recently. These Japanese automakers used to be lithe and nimble in design, production, and sales. Vehicles were inexpensive and reliable. In fact, they were beautiful. They were pretty automobiles. But since the car companies have grown and expanded, some quality glitches have surfaced. And some of their designs are downright ugly.

The same thing happened to GM, Ford, and Chrysler in the course of their history. For a while, the American automakers churned out some ugly vehicles. Bloated versions of the Ford Thunderbird and Chevy Impala appeared in the '70's and 80's. Cadillacs looked like boats on wheels. Remember the Pontiac Aztek? Yikes!

American automakers seem to be coming back with some sleek designs these days, but what gets into a company to become ugly? Can the church learn anything from this swinging pendulum? Let's try:

First, the car companies took the easy road of tweaking what exists instead of inventing something new. The result can be very ugly. In the church, tweaking routines and old ways can happen for a while, but keeping the old around for too long will result in something that people view as irrelevant and meaningless. Car companies will always make cars, and the church should always reach people with the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ. But never inventing new ways to reach out with the Good News of Jesus adds up to laziness. Never creating innovative ways to communicate the Gospel will hurt the work of the church. It's ugly.

Second, the car companies became out of touch with people. They lived in denial. Instead of considering people's genuine needs and feedback, they plowed ahead as institutions with blinders on. They were big ships that resisted the blowing winds of change. The church must listen to people. True, it can't be blown around by the winds of untruth and relativism, but it has to hear what people are saying. The church must know how people are hurting and where the world is sending them. If the church really listens, it can bring God's truth to peoples lives in a vibrant and powerful way. That's a beautiful thing.

Third, the car companies drifted into valuing survival over service. They let the bottom line of profits erode their focus on people. Once a local church is born, the tendency to focus on survival becomes an enticing false god. Staying in "business" can replace the risk-oriented, life-sacrificing spirit of laying it all on the line for Jesus and His Kingdom. A survival spirit will take the heart and purpose out of an organization. If the church forgets that it is here not to be served, but to serve and give its live as a ransom for many, it will become an ugly, bloated, beast.

Fourth, the car companies lost the joy in their work. They cranked out products. They kept the lines running. But they let the joyful art of automobile design and creation slip from their grasp. All over the Bible, the church is described as the Bride of Christ beautifully adorned. God bestows a crown of beauty on His redeemed. The feet of the one who brings good news are beautiful. God's work is not a joyless grind. Lives are being changed for eternity. If the people of the church lose their joy so the "assembly line" can keep running, something may need to change. Purpose may need to be revisited. The living Word may need to be inwardly digested. Reaching out may need to be rekindled. Why? Because God's Church is a beautiful thing!

(Church Planting Series, Part forty-three)

Hall of Fame

I watched the Hall of Fame induction speeches on Saturday. The theme of each speech was remarkably similar. Each football player recounted how impossible it seemed for him to one day play in the NFL. Speaker after speaker told of their upbringing in poor, working class neighborhoods; in single-parent, disadvantaged surroundings; in an environment that pulled them toward rebellion or despair; in a situation that systematically told them "you can never have a better life." But there they stood, miracles of human beings. Some gave glory to God and praised Jesus. Others sighed in relief and disbelief that their lives were now being cheered by a throng of fans on a sultry night in Canton, Ohio.

I watched. I listened. I saw a picture of heaven.

As I sat in awe at the athletic accomplishments of these men and as I listened to the ups and downs of their lives, I saw that they were being enshrined in spite of their imperfections and in the face of the walls of impossibility that stood before them. Poverty, bad influences, poor decisions? They were being enshrined. Failures, imperfection, stumbles along the way? They were being enshrined. Good games, bad games, bad press, good press? They were being enshrined. On that evening in that place and at that time, their lives were being lifted up. In that moment, they were all good. Everything was just right. Grace covered the blemishes, and their achievements were bigger than life, projected on the giant screen behind them.

I thought of Jesus' dialogue with believers at the heavenly enshrinement in Matthew 25: "Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

The "sheep" responded: "When did we do all this?" Jesus told them, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

In other words Jesus enshrined a bunch of lowly, disadvantaged, fragile and failing people. He made their lives all good. Everything was just right. Grace covered their blemishes and their achievements were bigger than life. They were now in God's Hall of Fame.

This applies to you, of course. But it also applies to the people you meet and are with. As a servant of Jesus, you will meet many broken, dysfunctional, hard-to-get-along-with, unreliable, vacillating, insecure, poor-decision-making people. You will get frustrated and be tempted to push them all out of your life. You will be tempted to give up all hope when they don't get their acts together in a timely or efficient way. You will be tempted to lash out when they hurt you or let you down.

But remember, these are God's Hall of Famers. One day, on that Great Day, if these hobbled human beings stumbled along with a shred of faith, they will be enshrined. Their lives will be lifted up. Everything will be good. Grace will have covered their blemishes and they will be celebrated by the throngs of heaven.

That's what God's redemptive gift of His Son has accomplished. Sin-cold corpses have been raised up to stand on the victor's podium. A bunch of nothings will be celebrated as the greatest somethings.

When you feel like you're wasting your time on persistent problem people, press on. You're rubbing shoulders with God's Hall of Famers.

(Church Planting Series, Part forty-two)

Genuine Theology

There's a lot of talk in the church about talking about theology. Theology is a fine subject. Martin Luther elevated theology (the study of God) as the head of all subjects. He said, "Whatever we may do, let us see to it that we do not lose the Bible but read and preach it! When theology flourishes, everything goes on happily; for theology is the head of all branches of knowledge and the arts."

Theology is a worthy pursuit. It is the core of the mission of God and, therefore, the center of the mission of the Church. But there is a danger. Not all conversation claimed as theological is really about theology. Someone may assert that he is discussing theology when, in reality, he is not discussing the things of God, but the things of man.

Jesus rebuked Peter when his theology went the way of man. After Peter confessed Christ as the Messiah, the disciple went on to try to keep Jesus away from suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus responded, "Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men" (Mark 8:33).

Peter thought he was talking theology. Jesus let him know that theology can easily drift into an anthropological gutter when placed in the shaky hands of sinful men.

Even Luther realized this danger. He said, "The proper subject of theology is man, guilty of sin and lost, and God, who justifies and is the Savior of sinful man. Whatever in theology is sought or argued outside this subject is error and poison."

As you venture into the high calling of bringing lost people the Good News of the Savior, you are immersing yourself in theology. But there will be people around you--even people in the church--who claim that your theology is secondary to the "real" theological issues they want to talk about.

Be on guard against such theological misdirection.

Putting lost humanity and the Savior God on the back burner, servings of pseudo-theology may be placed before you. Debates about music, church adornments, vestments, worship style, ministry titles, structure, hymnals, uniformity in practice, and the like will be served up as theological conversation. But this is not theology. Dare I say that even some debates about communion practice and the pastoral office are not in the realm of genuine theology.

Oh, it can be worthwhile to discuss these subjects. But, too often, human pride can commandeer god-subjects and elevate them even above the cross of Jesus Christ, above real theology. No one would admit this affront to the cross, but if someone spends more time thinking, talking, writing, and debating about anthropological issues, where is his heart?

Paul cautioned believers in Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Why? Because theological misdirection will pull us away from the cross and away from God's mission.

I hear a lot of talk about who's breaking worship rules, how pastors are supposed to dress, how worship services are to be outlined, and why some pastors and congregations are to be looked at with suspicion and disregard. But I don't hear a whole lot of genuine theological conversation. What if we discussed our obedience to the Great Commission? What if we discussed our personal alignment with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5)? What if we talked about our ministry of reconciliation and our adherence to Christ's command to forgive and to love each other? What if we discussed what it means to have a Christ-like attitude in light of Philippians chapter 2? What if we debated how the church can grow and develop as the light of the world (Matthew 5)? What if we discussed how the Word of Christ can dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom (Colossians 3)?

What if we minimized anthropological smokescreens and pride-filled platitudes and started to venture into genuine theology?

(Church Planting Series, Part forty-one)

Struggle Well

My daughter is teaching third graders over the summer. They're wild, wooly and drama-filled. It's summer vacation. They don't want classrooms, rules, or structure. They want freedom! It's my daughter's job to facilitate some semblance of order in the middle of this chaos.

Recently, she weathered a particularly rambunctious day with the students (read: she wanted to quit). I was proud of the way she handled the behavior cyclone. Instead of blowing up, yelling at the kids, and chucking the whole mess, she assessed the situation. As she navigated the turbulence of 16 rebelling eight-year-olds, she did her best to communicate with them and serve them. She realized that many of them have no foundation of discipline at home. She understood that she still had to get her job done, care for these little human beings, and help them understand what boundaries and good behavior are.

In other words, instead of struggling poorly, she struggled well.

Oh, the temptation to struggle poorly! As you serve Christ and His people, it is so enticing to lash out when they rebel. It feels so natural to give up, become disheartened, and walk away. When hard times hit, you feel weak and weary, disheartened and depressed. It's during those times you want to abandon your calling, tell God to find someone else, and take a permanent vacation. Or you lose your temper. Or you lose yourself in destructive behavior. There are so many ways to struggle poorly.

But Jesus opened a new way through struggle. The Apostle Paul said, "Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings" (Romans 5:1-3). Why? How? Because "hope does not disappoint us." Yes, we struggle. But in Christ Jesus, we can struggle well.

Jesus shattered the barrier of hopelessness when He rose from the dead. When grief fills our hearts, when depression envelops our souls, when temptation wracks our bodies, when frustration strains our emotions, we've been given a way through it that brings glory to God and bears witness to His name. In Christ, we struggle well.

Paul captured that divine dynamic in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

As you serve Jesus, you will be tempted to struggle poorly. You'll be tempted to conform to the behavior of the world. But you are called to something better. The Spirit dwells in you for a greater purpose. You are here to struggle well, and to see that light of Jesus Christ shine in the hearts of those who are lost in darkness.

Read more about struggling well in my new book "Struggle Well: Living Through Life's Storms." Click the link on this page to take a look at the book--complete with study guide.

(Church Planting Series, Part forty)

Should You Invite People to Church?

When one of my daughters was in high school, she invited me to go to a high school baseball game. The main reason she invited me was that she needed me to drive her there so she could watch her boyfriend play. Needless to say, I wasn't all that excited about attending the game. I could see much better baseball in other venues. The game was being played at an inconvenient time after a long day at work. And I didn't want to cozy up to the boyfriend too much. But I went. I went because I wanted to spend time with my daughter and show my support for her.

During those same high school years, I was invited to attend a meeting of the Principal's Council. This was a group of parents who got together with the principal to hear the latest news and to help shape the direction of the school. This was a worthy cause. My children were in high school. I wanted to help make a difference. I went willingly and with a sense of purpose.

Which scenario is most like an invitation to church?

It may be scenario number one, the ball game. You invite your friend Bob to church. He isn't that enthused about going. He's one of the more than 80% of the people in our culture who doesn't think faith or church attendance is all that important. He can hear better speakers and better music in other venues. The time of the service is in the middle of his restful weekend. And he doesn't want to be pestered by a bunch of religious people. He may go because he cares about you, but he doesn't wake up in the morning with a deep desire to attend a church.

But what if you aimed for scenario number two? What if you didn't invite Bob TO church, but to BE the church? What if your church was so committed to transforming your community that you could invite your friend Bob to help mentor and tutor kids twice each month in a program that meets in the local public school? Bob, like the vast majority of all human beings, wants to make a difference in the world. He wakes up in the morning and wonders why he is here. He wants to leave a legacy and help make people's lives better. So Bob enthusiastically agrees. He's in! As he volunteers, he gets to know you. He asks why you and others are giving their time away like this. He finds out that it's rooted in the self-sacrificial Spirit of Jesus. After a couple months, he is intrigued. He wants to meet more people like you--people who give themselves away to help others. He asks if he could go with you to church.

Do you see the difference? There will be people who are receptive to an invitation to church. But percentages show that most people who don't know Jesus won't want to start there. That means you have to figure out a way to infiltrate the world with Christ's love. You have to show the world how good, right, helpful, and life-changing the Savior is. Once they see the Spirit of Jesus, they won't be able to stay away.

What kind of invitations are you offering? Keep inviting people to church. Keep asking people who are interested in God to hear His life-changing Word. Keep bringing people with you so they can experience the miraculous reach of the Gospel.

But will you also invite people to BE the church with you? Will you help develop your outreach to the lost, lonely, disenfranchised, forgotten, and weak? Will you be a church that cares about your community and makes an effort to lift it up in the name of Jesus? Then, will you invite people who crave purpose to be part of the greatest purpose there could ever be?

It will make church much more than a high school baseball game.
(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-eight)