Measuring Spiritual Growth Part 2

Okay so if awareness of sin is the first step n spiritual growth, what is step 2? Step 2 is realizing that we are helpless in our sin and are in need of a Savior. The spiritual condition of anyone who is apart from Jesus is not good. Some theologians use the term Total Depravity to describe this condition. In other words, incapable of doing ANYTHING to change their own spiritual condition. There are people who argue with this description, usually citing examples of people who are not followers of Christ, but are doing good things in their lives. I would argue in return, that Total Depravity has less to do with our day to day actions and more to do with the implications of those actions.

For example, a person who has not met the Savior feels guilty about their sin, and tries to do something, anything to make up for it. But there is nothing they can do to erase that sin and even their good works are tainted by selfishness- trying to make up for their sin- and further, denying their need for something outside of their lives to help them- in short, still their own God. If you really look at it, that is what we are trying to be apart from Jesus- our own god- with control over our lives and creating our version of heaven on earth.

In the middle of this struggle, God inserts Himself in the Person and Work of Jesus. We cannot undo our sins and God knows that. He has been aware of it from time eternal, and He has set in motion a plan to deal with it- a Savior. And He goes one step farther, realizing that in our condition we would never think of a Savior, He makes Him known to us. God reveals our need for a Savior from our sin and reveals to us that He is that Savior.

Ephesians 1 speaks of this reality so powerfully, especially in verse 9 where Paul writes that God "made known to us the mystery of His will." What is this mystery? The message of the Gospel, that Jesus came to save sinners.

That is the next movement in a journey to Spiritual Maturity- responding to God's revelation that you cannot save yourself from your sin and acknowledging that God has provided that Savior in Jesus. A person who is becoming spiritually mature realizes that their holiness and righteousness and standing before God are not dependent on them but on Christ and respond accordingly in humble repentance and awe that God would choose to save us from our sins.

Coolest Night of My Life....

I will be returning to the subject of spiritual maturity later this week, but something else now commands my thoughts and I think I've digested enough of it to write about it.

Sunday, October 18th I spent about 10 hours on my feet volunteering for One.org and rocking out to the band that has done more to minister to me than just about anyone in the course of my life...U2.

Now before any of you naysayers come popping in here to be critical just shut up and listen for a minute. They may not be your favorite band and they may not be model "Churchianity" Christians but they are men of faith and it is their faith that does not just appeal to me, but it challenges me.

I became acquainted with the 4 lads from Dublin in high school with a video on MTV. "Where the Streets Have No Name" was filmed in downtown LA without a permit. It caused a massive traffic jam and was in the process of being shut down when it was filmed. In fact, the uncut version of the video has a police officer saying over the radio "Shut the g--d---- thing down, now!" Which is right when the band began to sing.

But it was in college, that my love of these guys became so pronounced. The album The Joshua Tree and the live album Rattle and Hum were deeply coated with Scriptural references. They spoke of faith in a way that was not so blatant and obvious like the CCM of my high school days, but was subversive and lived out- Bono calls it "drawing our fish in the sand" in a Rolling Stone interview.

I never lost my enjoyment of their music, but the advent of the internet put a ton of info about U2 at my fingertips. These guys were not just singing an occasional song about faith. They were living it. Embedded in it. To the point that it seemed to affect others who were looking for faith in something but having trouble finding it...including purportedly their own bassist Adam Clayton and one of the Gallagher boys from Oasis.

And it is their faith that challenges me and makes me a mega-fan. Bono in particular speaks eloguently of Scripture's call to minister to the poor and the emphasis in the life of Christ in serving the downtrodden. His organizations DATA and One.org are committed to making these commands into a reality.

Then there are the songs- Where the Streets Have No Name has always been my favorite and will always be. It is the one song guaranteed to make any bad day better. Add to that I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With or Without You. Then songs like Bad, October, Yahweh, Grace, Wake Up Dead Man, Ultraviolet, Beautiful Day, and City of Blinding Lights...and I could go on. Songs of faith and liberation and a celebration of life like no other.

So with all that history and emotion I spent the day at Owen Field volunteering for One and waiting for the show. At just after 9pm we hit the Pit and for the next 2 hours it was literally like time stopped. For me, it was the first time to be at a live U2 show and the energy was amazing. But what was most awesome, was it was not just about 4 guys on a stage, it was about something Bigger, Someone bigger. And people around me could tell. The Gospel was not preached and an invitation was not offered but there was Someone there. And it came in the hearts of the guys on stage. When Bono sang Magnificent, if you were listening, it was obvious who he was singing about. And when the song One came to a close and the opening strains of Amazing Grace were played, you knew that there was more to this show than a rock band and its fans.

All of this has been whirling around in my head for over a week now. For U2, this is daily life. They perform and record. And their lives point to something greater- a God they serve. What if our lives, our daily boring, non-rock star lives were pointed to something else. What if everything we did was committed to making someone else known? Thanks again guys for reminding me as you did almost 20 years ago, that my life with Jesus is not meant to be lived in a bubble.

Measuring Spiritual Growth Part 1

This topic is tough to write about. I have struggled for a long time with defining what spiritual growth really looks like. Every time I think I have my finger on it there is a slippery moment where I have to stop and evaluate...what just happened?

So that being said, here we go with part one. I think we can measure spiritual growth from the first moments of conversion with an awareness of and new reaction to sin. I meet lots of people who are aware of the effects of sin on a daily basis, but few who realize they are the problem, not their circumstances. Awareness of sin is a huge moment in any believer's life. The moment when we stop and realize...this is a problem that affects more than just me and my life. This has eternal consequences. And in that moment we see ourselves for who we really are- sinners.

I stayed away from that word for years. I could blame the books I was reading at the time, but that's really not the case. I was just bothered by the sound of the word. It sounded so condemning and judgmental. And it is. But it is also the truth. And like all hard truths it is important how it is communicated. It's one thing to point fingers at others and assume the posture of the self-righteous. It is a whole different thing to point the finger at yourself and join your fellow sinners in the mud and mire that we are all stuck in.

For a good example of this as a first step of spiritual growth look at Paul's conversion in Acts 9. The first thing Jesus does is make Paul aware of his sin. It is in this moment that Paul realizes what he is and that he is without hope apart from Jesus. For further evidence, look at 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Look at Paul's description of himself. Spiritual growth begins with recognizing sin.

Coming soon pt 2...

Random Updates...

Been awhile since I hit the blog up. Life has been moving so fast the last couple of months it makes it tough to stop and process long enough to put down anything remotely coherent. Here's some random updates from life:

- Journey Fellowship is really getting some momentum. We have seen some amazing things happening over the last 3-4 months. People getting saved. Amazing testimonies about God's redemption and grace. And growth...we are seeing growth. I am very proud of our Elder Team and our membership as they step up to the plate to meet new needs and challenges- need nursery workers, set up team, etc we ask and people step up. If you live in the OKC area and don't have a church you are committed to come check us out www.jfokc.com

- My girls are awesome! Annalise is rocking 2nd grade. She reads like her daddy and does math like her mama. Plus, she's doing the ballet thing and looking to add swim team to her list of activities. (Thanks , Poppa, and Mamaw!) Mia is also doing amazing in her preschool and she is a fish! Annalise may get on a swim team, but Mia may one day be the female Michael Phelps (sans pot of course). Ella is walking and is definitely on her way to being the easiest going of the Abernathy children. And Amanda is organizaing and arranging it all around our crazy life schedules in addition to taking amazing photos and beginning to volunteer a bit for the Lankford campaign.

- In about 18 days I will be the happiest guy this side of heaven because I will be at Owen Field for U2! These guys are my favorite band of all time and I have never seen them live. Going to be an awesome show...too bad the Blackeyed Peas are opening for them.

- That same weekend I'll be in Burkburnett, TX doing a citywide Dnow. Speaking on Perceptions. Should be a fun weekend.

- Been reading some really good books lately. Largely playing catch up on some books I should have read last year- The Reason for God by Tim Keller and Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Also, reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years which has affected me in some ways I did not expect. Definitely his best book since Blue Like Jazz.

- Last of all let me pass on my Top 10 Songs so far this year (only criteria I like them and am listening to them!):

In no particular order...

Moment of Surrender- U2
Jina and Jimmy- Derek Webb
Love Story- Taylor Swift (I have daughters so sue me!)
Swagga Like Us- TI, Jay Z, and Kanye the Jerk
The Train- King James II
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight- U2
Radio Nowhere- Bruce Springsteen
Rescue- Jared Anderson
Let It Rock- Kevin Rudolf
How He Loves- David Crowder Band

Plus...the whole 21st Century Breakdown album by Green Day which is by far the album of the year!

Upcoming Topics as I have time: How do we measure spiritual growth? Are we using the wrong criteria? Also, where do pastors go to get fed? (I have some ideas...) Plus...things I have learned about conflict...

Celebrating 12 Years

Amanda and I are with our kids and good friends in paradise this week. Yesterday we celebrated 12 years of marriage. It's hard to believe i has been that long. It seems like only yesterday we were newlyweds starting our lives together in a little triplex in Shawnee, OK. We've been through some amazing times together and some sad ones as well. We have seen three beautiful girls born into this world. They are amazing reminders of God's grace to us. We have built two ministries together. Shocwave Youth Ministries at FBC-Bethany, OK and Journey Fellowship Church in NW OKC. We continue to labor together to serve Jesus and bring Him glory. We have built some amazing friendships along the way.

When you get married they have you promise for better or worse. There hve been both along our journey together. The truth is that there are moments that are really tough where that promise really means something. I am so thankful that I married an amazing woman who keeps her promises. We are not rich. We are not famous. We are however still madly in love with each other.

Thanks for saying yes Princess! The best is yet to come!

The Legacy

Everyone wants to be remembered for something. This month at Journey Fellowship we are studying the book of 2 Timothy. It's a book with some big theological meaning but overarching those truths is the idea of legacy, specifically Paul's legacy.

In this emotional letter to his beloved protege Timothy, Paul commends the message of the Gospel to his spiritual son. He encourages Timothy to guard the "good deposit" and to not be led astray by false teachers and heretics. He cautions Timothy that distractions and problems are going to come and he commends to Timothy the scriptures as his guide and the Savior as his hope.

These are the things Paul wants to be remembered for. These are the things he wants to pass on even after he is gone. What are you passing on? What will people remember you for? Is it time for a change so that your legacy is different?

News and Notes:

Awesome few weeks at JFC...Big Chris baptized three students 2 Sundays ago..very cool!

Great time at MASH VBS for kids...thanks to all the volunteers!

If you don't have one yet get yourself a new JFC t-shirt...only $9

Midrash..a monthly community discussion forum launches on September 8th @ Louie's on NW Expressway..great place to connect with friends and discuss the latest goings on in NW OKC!

See you at JFC this Sunday at 10:45 am for the third part of the Last Words series...

In Preparation for July 4th

Every year I prepare an Itunes playlist for July 4th. I love this holiday. For me it's a time for family and friends, the parade and carnival, grilling out, and enjoying the fireworks. It's also a time to be thankful for all the guys and ladies who have served in the name of freedom. I know a ton of them and meet more every day, so to Charlie Barnett, Toby Prince, Ron Duke, Bob Boyer, Morrell Willaims, Robert Wadley, Nathan Bowen, Virgil Hughes, Ron Abernathy, James Porter, the Moser men, Greg Bellah, and the tons of other guys and ladies who I know and love these are your songs for the Fourth...songs about war and loss and protest and freedom and sacrifice and the summertime freedom we enjoy because of your service...feel free to add others...and thank you...

America- Neil Diamond
Born in the USA- The Boss
The Hands that Built America- U2
American Pie- Don Mclean
Star Spangled Banner- Jimi Hendrix
8th of November- Big and Rich
The Way It Is- Bruce Hornsby
American Girl- Tom Petty
Fortunate Son- CCR
Boys of Summer- Don Henley
Pink House and R.O.C.K. in the USA- John Mellencamp
Summertime- Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
American Land- The Boss

Coming Out Swinging...

Passivity kills the soul. Have you ever thought about that? When we are passive we sit idly and wait for something to happen TO us so we can react. I am thankful I do not serve a passive God. If God was passive, He would have sit idly by and waited for a reason to create the universe. He would have waited for eternity because He is complete and sufficient in Himself, with no need of others. So God creates. He is active. And when sin enters the world, God once again goes on the offensive. He sets in motion, guides, and works in a plan for our redemption. And when the plan is complete, and Jesus is resurrected, God still does not sit idly by. He continues to work to reveal His love and grace to hearts of sinful, fallen children of wrath. God always comes out swinging.

What does your life look like? Do you sit idly by and wait for things to happen, to react, to counterpunch? Or do you come out swinging? This week at Journey Fellowship Church we take a fresh look at what life looks like when we have a Vision to come out of our bunkers and head into the community to make an impact. We are taking a fresh look at what it means to be the church rather than to meet as the church. I am excited to have Phill Larsen join me in teaching this week. Phill has a passion for ministry outside the walls of the church. He will bring the Word hardcore on Sunday.

So what's your life look like right now? Are you passive waiting to react or are you coming out swinging? My prayer is that we will begin to punch some holes in enemy territory with a passion for action like our amazing God.

May His Kingdom Advance...

Quick Personal Notes:

Just spent 2 amazing weeks at Falls Creek speaking to students from FBC-Allen and FBC-Elk City...awesome times

My wife and kids blessed my socks off on Dad's Day...steaks, pictures, and good family time

Still counting the days to U2 in October

Check out Journey's reworked website at jfokc.com

Pray for JFC students going to camp on Monday and their sponsors Big Chris and Tabitha

Let the Vision grab you!

Father's Day Playlist

Music is a huge part of my life. I love escaping into a good song to either echo or improve my mood. I have a playlist in my ipod for almost every occasion: Memorial Day, 4th of July, Summer Kickoff, lake playlists for accountability retreat, date night, going to school songs for Annalise, and on and on. I even have the official Father's Day playlist. Here it is:

Takin' Care of Business- Bachman Turner Overdrive
Gory Days- Bruce Springsteen
American Man- Velvet Revolver
Jesus Walks (Remix)- Kanye with Common and Ma$e
Ain't Nothin' Wring With That- Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Freedom Fighter- Creed
Fortunate Son- CCR
Stand By Me- Ben E. King
Lord Give Me a Sign- DMX
Worker's Song- Dropkick Murphys
Ruin Me- Jeff Johnson
Who Says You Can't Go Home- Bon Jovi
Father Let Me Dedicate- Matt Redman

What songs would you add? Here's my criteria: It does not have to be directly about being a dad. It has to be a man song (Cinderella and Butterfly Kisses need not apply). It has to be sung by a guy (Whatta Man by Salt n Pepa does not make the cut). Give me some suggestions or post your own playlist for Dad's Day.

Happy Father's Day to all my bros out there who know how tough it is to be a dad. Watch some golf, cook a steak, do something "mannish," and pray with your family this weekend. There's nothing more manly than a dad who can get on his knees with his family and ask God for His blessing on them. Be the man!

Betrayal...

The only thing more confusing than betrayal by a close friend is when it is done with silence beforehand and after...when you are left wondering what the heck you did to invite such a heinous violation of loyalty and friendship. Needless to say the final decision on the "sacrament" drama did not go the way I thought it would...more to come later...

5 Years Ago...

5 Years Ago yesterday was my first day as the pastor of Journey Fellowship Church. I do not remember what I did that day. To be honest, if I had known how challenging and draining these last few years would be, I don't know that I would have done it. It would have been easier, more stable, and far more financially lucrative to have simply left the church I was serving and gone on down the food chain to the next big thing. There were offers and there was opportunity, but in the end Amanda and I decided to do something hard and scary, we decided to follow God's leadership and forge something new.

There are times when it makes me a little bitter. Every friend I had then is driving a nice car, has savings and retirement, and is largely living debt free and happy. They have big youth groups, interns, paid vacations, and lots of older people in their churches who shower them with gifts and perks and "bonuses." And it would be nice to have all of those things.

But...and there is a but...I would be living a lie. I was not meant for those things. I was meant and called for something different, not greater, just different. And that's why I am writing this tonight, because 5 years ago I did something that I am so thankful that I was asked to do...I planted a church. And it's not just any church, through the past 5 years it has begun to become the place that God dreamed it to be...a place where anyone can walk in, be accepted for who they are, and meet Jesus.

See that's what God dreamed in me for years, even before I knew it. From the time I was young, I was given the ability to be friends with anyone. Amanda says I can talk to a brick wall. And because of that, God has given me a heart for people, especially people who do not know Jesus. And that is who JFC was built for.

A church like this does not get started without a ton of people. And I want to take a few minutes to say Thank you to those who have walked with us along the way (and those who have inspired us):

- to James Lankford who made the mistake of telling me about guys who were planting churches because their churches were broken and they could not bear the thought of people going to hell because of it

- to Ted Lam and Bo Holland and the CBA who believed enough in the dream to give money and training

- to FBC Bethany and Charlie Womack- who let us go even though it was at a difficult time and who gave even when there was not much to give

- to the Kerrs, the Perrines, and the Hopkins who believed enough to come and help us get started and then stuck around

- to the Koonces and the Busserts who prayed and supported and gave even when it hurt

- to Mammaw and Grandaddy who bought groceries, gave money, prayed and supported even though it did not make sense

- to Fila Phill who led worship and set up and slept on my crappy couch just to be a part

- to all the people who came and stayed a season to help us get started Reg and Judy, Big Mike, Gina G, Lynz, Regina and Cody, the Blooms...and the list could go on

- to the Hungerfords who led us in worship for many years

- to the Dynamo folks who rented us space even though we could not guarantee we could make rent

- to Mark Driscoll, Donald Miller, Mike Yacconelli, Tim Keller, and Ed Stetzer who have provided inspiration and illumination along the way

- to Mike Janssen and Zac Workun who have been friends along the way who have encouraged and fought and served along with me

- to Tommy Haines who would not let me throw in the towel and who every week provides me with a place to vent, celebrate and laugh

- to guys like Craig Smith who have booked me to speak so that I could make some extra cash and always managed to call at just the right time with encouragement and insight

- to Brad and April and Jay and the crew at FBC-Sulphur who have put their money where their hearts are and have invested in this church

- to the Huffs who loaned me a car when I had no car and no dollars to buy one and to Merle and Shirley who gave one away that they could have sold

- to Dan and Patty VZ who gave me a job and helped me to feed my family and make the house payment by keeping me on for 5 years...you have no idea how awesome you guys are

- to the Abernathy and Curtis families for love and support

- to my brothers Lok, Young, and Bull- I would have never made it this far without you...

- to my 3 beautiful girls, daddies angels- I am building a church for you girls- follow Jesus

- to the only love of my life, my Princess- thank you for saying yes, thank you for being the best mom and wife in the world, and thank you for never losing faith in this journey even when I wanted to

- most of all to my Jesus- You are the only One I would do this for, and You are the only One who makes this all worth it, thank You for saving a wretch like me and for giving me the chance to play a part in Your kingdom...may the Kingdom advance

- last of all to the families of Journey Fellowship Church- the crazy band of brothers and sisters who love Jesus more than themselves and who are committed to going where He goes...keep pushing...do not quit...we have only just begun

5 years is not a long time and yet it is like a lifetime. If you are looking for a place to serve Jesus and leave religion behind, we invite you to come and experience Journey Fellowship Church. We exist to connect people with Jesus, to build strong Families, and to transform a Community. Come and join us on the journey of lifetime with Jesus.

May His Kingdom Advance...

-

Personal vs. Private

I hear a lot these days about a personal relationship with Jesus. And I want to affirm the sentiment, in as much as, it refers to each person needing to come to a God led moment of commitment to following Jesus- whether you call it justification, being saved, moment of decision, or when I was saved by God- every person must ultimately, individually make a decision to follow Jesus. You cannot be born into it by family connection. Baptized into it by church affiliation. Or be accepted into it by association either through joining a church or participating in religious activities. As Jesus told Nicodemus- "...no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3.

In this, I think we can all agree there is a personal relationship with Jesus. But in our day and time, personal has come to be private. As in, it's between me and God. Stay out of it and I'll leave you alone. In no way, is that what Jesus intended or the church practiced. But in our churched, religified society we have made this the norm. There is no room for accountability or question. We have gone off and remade Jesus in our image instead of being made to look like Him. And that's on both sides of the debate. Some condone things that are condemned in scripture- greed, gluttony, selfishness, lustful actions. And come condemn things that scripture says are acceptable- unity in the Body of believers, church discipline, disagreements over secondary and tertiary issues like tobacco, alcohol, and birth control.

There is a two fold disaster that occurs when a personal faith becomes private and we are seeing the effects of both in the church in American today. First, a private faith is not shared. We are seeing fewer and fewer people beginning to follow Jesus in America today. While the Gospel is exploding in other nations, it is imploding in the most churched country in the world. And part of that is because of our commitment to private faith. Why share something that is between us and God and is just for our personal benefit? We will see this change when we realize that just as Jesus offered Himself for the world, so He calls us to offer ourselves as "living sacrifices" (Romans 12:1) giving our lives both literally and figuratively to make the Gospel known- (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Second, our "private" faith means anyone who calls us to account for our sins or struggles is "judging us" and should butt out. This is a huge problem in the church and one we cannot ignore anymore. We are told very bluntly in 1 Corinthians 5 that we are not to be judgmental of people who are not followers of Christ. In fact, we should expect them to act like people who do not know Jesus, because they do not! But we are to judge, call to account, and challenge in loving fashion those who claim to know Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 "For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. "Purge the evil person from among you."" When someone thinks their faith is "private" this is impossible to do. But are called to be a body- all united together0 and what hurts the arm is the business of the shoulder and the feet as well, because it affects them as well.

I pray that we can move on from private faith. Be accountable to one another. Listen to those who ask yo0u questions. Learn from those you disagree with. Be teachable and humble and remember your faith affects far more than just you.

The Messiness of Relationship...Why Some People Like Rules

¹For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ²Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
⁶in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
⁷Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'"

⁸When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), ⁹then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.- Hebrews 10- ESV

From the time we are teenagers, relationships are a very scary thing. I still remember making the phone call for my first date, and getting shot down. It's that innate fear of rejection of not being chosen, or affirmed, or good enough that powers so many of us to rule based religion, instead of relationship. And it's pretty much everywhere you go in the Christian church today. We sell books and curriculum about it. We fill conferences with it. And we preach it at church because it's easy and measurable. The problem is it's wrong.

Now before you quit reading in disgust, I do believe a person who follows Jesus looks different, acts different, works different, and is completely, wholly, and utterly changed. (2 Corinthians 5:17- new creation) The problem is we want to decide what the changes are, how fast they should happen, and most of all determine which ones are the most important. So we quantify, analyze, methodize, and harmonize a relationship with Jesus into a religion of rules and policies- all lifted straight from the Bible of course- to land at the brass ring- "holiness."

The problem is the Bible has a lot to say about our pathetic attempts at holiness. It calls them rags- filthy rags as a matter of fact- and the level of filth is pretty nasty- I'll leave it to your imagination. So why all of the focus on creating holiness? Because we are scared of a relationship with God.

See a relationship is messy. There is a level of loss of control. We do not always know quite how we are doing in a relationship. There can be surprises. And there is a level of fear that is associated with a relationship. Most of us have messed one up by doing something stupid in the past. And I'm convinced, that many of us, think we're going to screw this one up as well. That somehow or another we will have to demonstrate to God how good we have been and how He has to take us back. But that's not the story Jesus tells.

The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 is often told as a story of justification (the moment of salvation) but there is a problem with that telling- the prodigal is already a son. He is in the family. He just leaves. He seemingly messes up the relationship. He does the unthinkable and goes off on his own leaving his Father behind. But it's when he comes back, that we see how relationship with God is going to work. He is welcomed, celebrated, restored.

See, when we have a relationship with Jesus things get messy. We make mistakes, but we do not stay in them. God calls us back and out of them to Him- where we belong. That's the reason why rules based religion- and NP (see previous post)- are so dangerous. It's not just that reducing following Jesus to a check list is bad- it's also that you can keep the rules and never be in the family- and fit right in. In fact, the only way to find these poor misguided people is to question there special rules in light of scripture and watch their reaction or to watch how they treat people who do not follow their rules. That's what Jesus did to the Pharisees and He revealed their hearts- they loved their rules not God.

Now I know some of you are asking, "So does that mean I can do anything I want?" I would say, that's the wrong question. If you are a follower of Jesus, the question you ask is "Can the thing I am doing please God? Is this permissible for me? Does this violate Scripture?" The freedom of a relationship is not a freedom to do harm, but to do good. To nurture and build the relationship- not to do everything you can to tear it apart. Let me leave you with this passage from Paul on the liberty we have in our relationship with Jesus from Galatians 5:

¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under

¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The New Pharisee-ism

"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.' "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. (The Message- Matthew 23:4-8a)

I'm using the Message to start this off for two reasons. First, so that my friend Mike Kerr will get off my back about a comment I made about the Message 3 years ago (I used it. I'm not all that smart. You happy now bro!) Second, because Peterson captures the essence of the passage so well, that I think it fits today's subject matter.

For those of you who grew up not going to church, or who still don't go, the Pharisees are the ultra-religious, judgmental, fundamentalist, pains in the can who are (they think anyhow) instrumental in getting Jesus crucified. (For the record, His death was not an accident, it was the plan since Genesis 3. It was God's response graceful to our sin. No one person or select group of people are responsible for the death of Jesus. So anti-Semites head to another blog, please.) Back on track, they are probably like the caricatures of Christians, that most of you do not like.

I'm talking about a New Pharisee-ism today, not because I think it's new, in fact the term was coined long before my time, but because of some issues I have read about recently that remind me that this problem is alive and well.

This New Pharisee-ism (NP from now on) is the practice of adding new laws, rules, and standards to Scripture. In short, it questions the sufficiency of Scripture to be our guide as wel follow Jesus. Amazingly, the people most guilty of this NP are most often people who extol their beliefs in the sufficiency of Scripture. Sound crazy? Read on...

Example #1:
Christian school to teen: Skip prom
The Associated Press

FINDLAY, Ohio - A student at a fundamentalist Baptist school that forbids dancing, rock music, hand-holding and kissing will be suspended if he takes his girlfriend to her public high school prom, his principal said.

Example #2:

True Lips Wait? Sexual Abstinence, Romantic Longing, and Monogamous Lips

www.almohler.com

"In a culture where casual sex is the norm, some Tennesseans have taken the purity pledge to a whole new level, through a practice that some teens refer to as the 'Virgin Lips Movement.'"

There is no explicit biblical ban on premarital kissing, but any honest person knows that there are kisses that can only be considered sexual, naturally leading to the sex act itself. These young Christians are not afraid of their bodies, they are afraid of sinning against God and losing something precious to themselves as well.

In a world that has made monogamy an embarrassment, these young Christians want to offer their future spouse the gift of monogamous lips. In an age of instant sexual gratification, these young believers believe that true lips wait. This is what a counter-revolution looks like.

End examples...on to opinion...and hopefully the Bible...

This type of nonsense really bugs me. Here's why. In the city, state, and part of America where I pastor the Bible never seems to be enough with the religious establishment. So many religious leaders feel the need, the almost compulsion, to add to Scripture. For example, Scripture explicitly says not to be drunk. On example, Romans 13:13- "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy." That's pretty clear. Being drunk. Not an option. Having a drink in American and being under 21- not an option. We are to obey governmental authorities. (1 Peter 2:13). But to some people, being over 21 and choosing to have a drink is sin. This is not an area of personal freedom. That my friends is NP. Adding to Scripture.

The two examples above only serve to further highlight my concern. So many of us are afraid of the freedom we have in Jesus. We run from it. So scared to make a mistake. My friends, that is not what grace is about. Far from it! Grace is freedom to fail, freedom to make a mistake, so that we no longer live in fear. 1 John 4:13-18 makes it clear that those who are "in Christ" (saved, following Jesus, Christians, whatever label you like for a Redeemed person) are on longer walking around afraid. If this is so, why are we so busy making extra rules to keep us away from sin? Even adding to the Bible- which is sufficient to guide us- because it does not go far enough.

The answer, I think, is that we are scared of what will happen in a relationship with God. We are a lot more deeply invested in a relationship than we are in a rule. That's why it is easier to follow a rule than to live in a relationship. We can blame the rule- "I can't kiss you because it will make me sin against God." Rather than have to explain our relationship- which is messy, especially if not everyone is doing it. So, "I do not drink alcohol because God has not given me that freedom" becomes "It is a sin to drink." How confusing it all becomes, especially when we have to try to explain those made up rules to new believers or those who do not know our Jesus.

So I leave you with this passage from Romans 14. Think about it.

¹As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ² One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵ One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹for it is written,

"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God."

¹²So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Next blog will be about the Messiness of Following Jesus.

Bits of Wisdom

Pastoring is not my only job. When we planted Journey Fellowship, there was not enough financial support to make ends meet so I started working for a company run by a man who I had known casually for several years. Over the past 5 years, Dan has become a friend and a mentor to me in several areas, in addition to being my boss. We spent some time together today hashing through a bunch of stuff, not the least of which were some big questions about the place of faith in life.

Dan is a man who daily integrates his faith with his life. He is honest and a man of high integrity, not to mention a man who knows his Bible. We were talking today about essentials. What do we have to agree on to agree to work together. Dan mentioned that he felt there were many things he could overlook, but the one essential was the person and work of Jesus. Who do you believe Jesus to be and what do you believe He accomplished in His death, burial and resurrection? That's why I like Dan so much. He gets it.

That set of essentials is what we are all about at JFC. We know the most important thing is what the Bible says about Jesus, where He came from, what He did, and what that means for us as people- humanity, sinners to use a tough term. Because we choose to only separate over these closed hand matters, we have freedom to invite people from all walks of life to come and meet Jesus. And as a result, we see people meet Jesus on a regular basis. Our church is made up of people from Nazarene, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, and completely pagan backgrounds- just to name a few. Some of us grew up in church and some of us only made it to church for the first time last month, but we are all learning to chase after one thing- Jesus.

Is that a messy way to do church? You bet. Does that mean we have conflicts and discussions over some things? Sure we do. But it also means we have a standard for settling those conflicts that is not rooted in tradition or opinion. We simply go to Scripture, and what it says we do. That means we leave a lot of debatable matters to an individuals conscience as scripture has told us to do. So we can focus on the main thing, making Jesus known and helping those who know Him to follow Him more closely. I like to think that's changing a community one person, one family, one neighborhood at a time. Last time I checked that is what we are supposed to be about. Thanks Dan for reminding me of that today.

Moving Past the Negative...

Meeting was...

I'll leave it at that for now. Will probably blog it this weekend when I have more time to digest.

One of the things I have missed about blogging is being able to share what God is doing at JFC. It's been amazing! Over the past six months we have seen God's hand at work. First, we are seeing people saved and people restored to the church. A large part of the ministry God has given us in this season of time is a real ability to reach people who have been angry with God, or Christians, or church or who had never given any thought to Jesus at all. It is so exciting to see folks getting it and then to see those people become some of our front line evangelists and bridge builders. Of course, a lot of these people are young, in age and faith, but their passion and enthusiasm make them excellent community connection points.

Further, we have seen our small group ministry begin to take shape. Now it's not perfect yet, far from it, but we have people who are making an effort to meet and when they do meet they are accomplishing some things. Of course, it helps that they are guided by some phenomenal curriculum produced by Song of Solomon ministries. Vintage Jesus is 12 lessons on who Jesus is and what He came to do. Great stuff! And yes for all you haters, it is taught by Mark Driscoll- God forbid we use good Bible teaching from Mark- it might make us think! :)

We are also seeing new leaders rising to the fore, not the least of these are the elders. But beyond the elders, we have a good team of leaders falling nicely into place- small group leaders, a ministry assistant, an older children teaching team, and a lady who has a passion for women's ministry who is awesome. This is such a huge change from several years ago and I am so amazed at what God is doing.

Finally, personally, I am enjoying a personal spiritual renaissance. It's not just a return to blogging, but a return to a passion for Scripture, reading for personal edification, enjoying times of slowness and solitude to hear God's voice, and rediscovering a passionate love for Jesus and what He's doing. All of this gives me an amazing sense of peace and excitement for the coming days.

May His kingdom advance...

Cooperation...A Long Story and A Simple Idea

I have a meeting tomorrow that I'm not really looking forward to. It's with some good friends and that's usually a good thing, but not tomorrow. I have been invited to this meeting because of a word. A word that is used my church's statement of beliefs. That's right a word. I'll tell you the word here in a minute.

How did I get into this? Well, the elders at JFC have been working on an official statement of beliefs. Simple stuff, basic orthodoxy. Nothing controversial. Nothing that anyone would hear and go, O man, I can't believe you guys believe that. Journey Fellowship is a pretty simple place. We believe the Bible is true, Jesus died and was raised, God reveals Himself in three distinct ways, salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus, Jesus is coming back. We are not theological trailblazers. We are orthodox, largely evangelical, and very much crazy about Jesus.

The word that got us in so much trouble is how we refer to baptism and Communion. Many of our evangelical friends use the term "ordinances." I used that term for years myself. I never really thought about it or what it meant. I just grew up with it and never questioned it. Then I got into this church starting/pastoring thing and words and practices became really important. They are important to me now for 2 reasons:

1. because I grew up and learned to think for myself and
2. because I am now reaching people who ask questions about everything and I want to have a reason for what we do and say.

So we wanted to define what we believe baptism and communion are in our faith, this following of Jesus, Christianity. And initially we went with the term "ordinance" because it was what we had always known. Then we made the mistake of reading some books, a dictionary, and some old dusty theology. We rediscovered a word. That word is "sacrament." We thought we found something really cool. A word that described what we felt about, and what we felt like the Bible described the practice of baptism and Communion- "sacrament- an outward action that reflects an inward reality." Sounds simple enough, right? That's what I thought. Especially when ordinance means a rule or law, especially one enacted by a community.

(Side note: When I think of Communion or baptism I think of obedience, like a rule or law, but not is the sense I think of a law- more out of a sense of doing something out of love. I obey the speed limit because it's the law, I clean the kitchen for my wife out of love. I was baptized because I love Jesus and want to obey Him, not because I was afraid He would reach down and smack me. Getting the picture?)

Unfortunately, we have discovered that for some people. these friends of mine, "sacrament" has some cultural baggage in some evangelical circles. These circles think by saying baptism and Communion are "sacraments" we are saying they are necessary for salvation, or "aids to grace" in the theological parlance of the day. The rest of our statement of beliefs makes it clear that this is not our position, but the schism remains, at least on their side.

I write all this to plead with my friends who follow Jesus, particularly those who pastor or work in networks of churches, please, please, please think about how to cooperate with one another, instead of how to create division. There is a complete and total lack of willingness to listen and to look for areas of agreement in our churches, especially in our state (Oklahoma). Let's make it simple. Do you believe that Jesus came, died and rose again? Do you believe that His death was a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of mankind? Do you believe that in order to be forgiven and to enter into a relationship with God a person must trust Jesus for salvation? Can we agree on these basic things? If so, then what can keep us from cooperating? I'm sure I am overlooking something and it will be pointed out. That's cool. I will bet I am not overlooking much.

I'm not excited about my meeting tomorrow. I hope it ends well and we can part as friends or unite as partners in reaching people for the Kingdom. May His Kingdom advance...

Reboot

I have laid off of blogging except for the occasional facebook note for the past year or so. There has been so much going on with Journey, family, other job, etc that it's been hard to make the time to really blog. But with the advent of elders at Journey, and with a renewed interest in reading for learning I'm thinking through a lot of things and I think blogging is a good way to walk through some of them.

One of the big ideas I'm chewing on right now is the idea of partnership. What is the purpose of partnering with others? On a personal level, as a Jesus guy, I know that relationships are important because God did not create us to be alone. We are made to exist in community- in marriage, friendship, discipleship, etc- just as God exists in relationship- the Trinity.

But what about as churches? What does partnership look like? I have been walking this road for the past few weeks with a group we would like to partner with. We believe what they believe about Jesus, but the discussion of entering into partnership has been awkward. We speak a different language in some ways, even though we mean some of the same things. It is frustrating to not be able to blast through something that seems so simple, because of semantics.

That leads me to this thought...for me I am committed to work with and partner with anyone or any group that meets the following criteria- they believe Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for sin, and that a relationship with Him is the key to knowing, understanding, and experiencing God as we were created to do. Beyond that, I will leave the fighting to the other guys.

Personal Thoughts and Notes:

Got U2 tickets for the Norman show! This will be my first time to see the boys from Dublin live. I can't wait! We are in section 22 row 57. Have no idea how good those are and don't care. Now does anyone have a backstage pass they want to share so I can finally meet Bono?

Do you twitter? Follow me @absonjourney There is nothing more fun than 140 characters about nothing!

Best food I've had in awhile was at Mama E's with Mike Kerr a couple of weeks ago. Try the Soul Food Special!

My wife dared me to read the Twilight series. I am reading it because they are the only books she has ever finished. They are ok, a little too girly for my tastes. Give me more blood.

Also, slowly reading Vintage Church by Driscoll and Brashears. Yes I still like Driscoll. Great book, probably the best one sense Confessions.

Last but not least pic of the fam from Easter: