Authenticity in the Church

Pretty interesting conversation this morning about authenticity.  With all the churches out there using this as a catch phrase it begs the question:  Is authenticity a good thing in the church?  Hear me out.  True;  authenticity in your relationship with God is no doubt desirable and should be the goal.  However,  when it comes to the authenticity of a gathering that is made up of self serving consumers….  Is an environment that’s “authentic” for us, actually a healthy environment?   The point is; our authenticity is a very ugly thing.

Which proves our need for Christ right?!  Yes,  but you can’t argue that our search for authenticity hasn’t become self serving.  thoughts?

Luke’s Gospel

Pretty cool

This and That

I haven’t been posting much lately. Had a lot of stuff going on.  The jaw surgery has been a long recovery and honestly I haven’t felt like writing much. The recovery has also conincided with the closing of Skyline.   At this point, I can only share just a few thoughts. I know I ‘ll have much more to say as time passes.  I think I’m going to do a series of post on the experience in the coming weeks or months.  Working in ministry for 6yrs prior,  now pales in comparison to the experience of helping plant a church, work there for 4 yrs, and then see it’s time come to a close.  At this point I’m so grateful for the journey God has allowed me to go on and the invaluable things I’ve learned through being able to view things from different perspectives.  There are 5 or 6 others that could write books along with me I know.   I just don’t have the words right now; More on those people later…

A Herald

Herald- noun :  A person that proclaims or announces;  an official messenger;  A person that precedes or comes before;  A forerunner

We’re all heralds of something or someone.  What is it that we are using the one life we’ve been given to make known- to herald.  What person place or thing is it?  Some type of business,  a type of music (our favorite band), a piece of technology,  a football team, our church, worst of all ourselves.   What a waste of a life.   Don’t waste your life;  Make him known,  it’s why you exist.

Question… Some would say:  What if I make him known through  my business, my music,  technology, sports, my church? How is that not the same?

Answer… It is the same, if your truely making him known.  More times than not it becomes about – my business, my music, my technology, my team, my church.  So we’re back to the same question.   If someone views your life objectly – What or Who do you herald?

Setting the Sail

Yesterday on my drive home I was listening to a Q & A session from the Advance 09 conference that was recently held the first of this month in Durham, NC.   The panel included the likes of John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer and so on…  Anywho,  during the discussion the question came up of how, if at all, can pastors/ministers help foster a true revival or move of God in their church.  In other words,  is there anything the leadership can do that will cause a move of God to take place in their church.  I really liked Driscoll’s response to the question.  He said  “you can set the sails but you can’t make the wind blow”.  This in and of itself is a pretty common sense statement,  but it sparked another thought in me.  I thought about how many times we in leadership neglect setting the sails and “preparing the ship” for sailing because we’re too busy trying to make our own wind. Do you get what I’m saying?   I don’t mean that we’re necessarily trying to play God or pull on people’s emotions, I’m just saying that we become completely in gulfed in God moving in a certain way because we’ve done these certain things.  It’s obvious then how we can become so discouraged when things don’t progress as we think they should.  Just a reminder to myself to always due dilegence and pray that God………….

The Disappearance of God

I received a copy of  Al Mohler’s new book “The Disappearance of God” just a few weeks ago.  I’ve really been looking forward to reading this one and once I got started it went pretty quickly.  Took me about 4 days, and I read at a snails pace. Anyway, here is a link to find out more info and/or purchase the book.

I can say that this book has challenged me in several areas.   Dr. Mohler does well in laying the case for the threat “the church” as a whole faces by being forced into the mold of culture around us.  It seemed as though every “but what about” thought I had, he answered clearly as I moved along.  One thing I really appreciated is that throughout the book his desire for unity around Christ came through.  His stance on various topics always came across as helpful regardless where someone stood on the issue.  I really appreciated that,  as I’ve watched people on both sides of an arguement continue to be little the other all the while not realizing that they are sometimes be littling Christ to the world around them.  I would highly recommend this especially to anyone who has been in or around “church” of any kind for a while.   I think it may be a more difficult read for those that haven’t,  but would be helpful none the less.

Thoughts?

The Bible is about Christ

Go figure.

Do you think our teaching methods in ministry “teach”  people that the Bible is about them?  Big question I know.  I was listening to a sermon from Tim Keller the other day and he talked about how we should try to view text through the “window” of Christ.  He gave this list of illustrations as to how we can draw Christ from every bit of scripture.  It should be easy considering it is about him.  Here’s the list:

 

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

 

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

 

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

 

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, “Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me,” now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, “Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us.”

 

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

 

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

 

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

 

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God’s justice, now gives us water in the desert.

 

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

 

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people’s victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

 

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn’t just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn’t just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

 

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

 

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He’s the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

 

The Bible’s really not about you – it’s about him.

Inoculated with Jesus

Numero Uno

I’ve been spending the last several months trying to be concious of and better my listening skills.  This is something I’ve been really bad at to this point.  I’m always inclined to speak before I should.  Now that I’m attempting to be aware of not speaking to soon;  the real struggle comes in finally getting to the point where I understand the person and still not speaking.  Listening is kinda like communicating vision. I once heard someone say,   “When you feel like you’ve spoke about the vision too much;  share it again”.  Listening is the same way,  when you get to a point where you feel like you have a grasp of what the person is trying to say;  shut your mouth for just a few moments longer. As I said  this is a real challenge for me;  but with help I’m moving forward.

Now the reason for the post.  The common theme that seems to come up in everyone I’m listening to lately is the same thing that eats at me.  What is this number one question on people’s minds?

“how do I know if I’m called to do this?”

“This”  being whatever it is they feel like they’re supposed to be pouring their lives into.  Well I’ve always struggled offering good advice on the subject because I’m pretty indecisive myself.  I came across something from Tim Keller about  the 3 main things we should look for.  I hope it’s as helpful to you as it has been for me.

Three things we should always ask ourselves when trying to determine if we’re called to do something:

Do you have a passion for it?

Do those around you affirm this?

Is there an opportunity? 

I would love to delve into each one of these,  but I’ll leave them for you to mull over yourself.  Great stuff if you ask me.