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:

please see...

Ryan's new blog at www.jfokc.com/blog

Catalyst

Continuing the series...

Catalyst Something that initiates or causes an important event to happen and is not consumed in the process

Catalyst for Change in the Church
Colossians 3
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
When people live their lives in close proximity to one another, share their lives, and spend time growing to know each other change is inevitable. Now many of us dont like change. In fact, we fear change. However, the Bible teaches us that change is good. We are changed forever upon entering into a relationship with Jesus, and we can be further changed by the catalyst of His people and His instruction coming into our lives through His people.

Why do we need to be changed?

On the inside

Perfected?
First, we are not perfect. Now all you need is an honest friend or a spouse to point out your faults. In verses 5-9 we have what is referred to in the study of scripture as a vice list. This is a list of things people fall into apart from Christ. We all still have some rough edges. No one has completely mastered their sin nature. In fact, Paul has already conferred earlier in this letter that he still wrestles with the flesh (Romans 7). So we need to continue the war against the wrong things we fall into.

Prepared
Second, we are being prepared. God is working in us to use us to accomplish His purpose. Weve spoken on many occasions about how we are not accidents. We are creations of God for His good works (2 Timothy 2:20-21). 20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. As God cleanses us He also uses us.

Bring on the change

Catalyst Something that initiates or causes an important event to happen and is not consumed in the process

So how does this change occur?

Changes are brought about by a catalyst. Ordinary things are made extraordinary by the introduction of something that changes them at their base nature. The church was sprung from the mind of God with the idea that we would challenge one another, build one another up into a reflection of Christ by the changes in our lives, the teaching we have heard, and the actions we undertake. Look at verse 16. We must be a part of one anothers lives so that change occurs.

Let me say this today. There are many of you here this morning who have been believers for a long time. You have the benefit of being discipled from an early age. Yet you have never discipled anyone else. Your faith and the teaching you have received molds inside of you. You are like a sponge that has been soaked and never squished.

Others this morning are relatively new to faith. But you are slow to learn. You resist wise instruction and you allow the frustrations of your life to keep you from godly counsel. You say you want to grow in faith, but it is not a priority for your life.

Both things must change this morning. We need to begin to grow in depth as well as in width. We need to begin to disciple one another as well as support one another. Why you might ask? Because the Gospel is not just for us, it is for the world, and we need to be prepared to take it there.

Catalyst for Change Outside the Church
Isaiah 61
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
On the outside

What can be accomplished by a church of transformed believers? The real question is what cannot be? Stop and think about the possibilities. How about the restoration of families? How about the repair of a neighborhood? How about freedom from hunger and homelessness? How about the economic condition of a country? (Tony Camplo story) How about a corrupt government? (Bob Roberts story- )

See the Gospel is about all of these things. It is about a relationship with Jesus and being set free from sin, but it is also about being a catalyst for change in the world. It is about serving people who do not even believe as we do and doing so in a way that they glorify God, not us. (1 Peter 2:12)

The Gospel is the Good News, as the angel said on the night of Jesus birth for all people. We are catalysts for change by taking our faith to work with us and living it in our cubicles, our work stations, behind the counter, and at every door we come to. We are catalysts for change by volunteering our time with the less fortunate, helping our neighbors, and serving those who dont even know us.

Catalyst Something that initiates or causes an important event to happen and is not consumed in the process

And we are not just called to be catalysts for local change but for global change. We are called to be nation builders through service to those in other parts of the world. And we help build nations not just by sending money, but by going ourselves, and welcoming international people into our homes and lives. We build nations by planting churches of influence in other lands and by serving the governments of other lands in building their infrastructure and helping them to leave behind corruption and embrace the Gospel.

Community

Preached on community this morning- the need for people to participate in a church community and for people to serve the community around them. Check it out.
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Community- Journey Fellowship seeks to bless the community surrounding us as well as the community of believers who call our church home
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is deadShow me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:17-18 (NIV)

Romans 12:9-21

Community of Believers
When we start talking about the community and taking care of people, my first thoughts often go to what goes on in this church. I have never been a part of a group who is more thoroughly devoted to serving one another. I see this in so many ways. People come here with needs and people meet them, and not with a pious Ill pray for you. But in real tangible ways as well as spiritual ways.

Over the past 2 years we have seen people give of their time to help marriages in trouble, people visit the hospital after a serious car accident, house warming showers, baby showers, celebrations of life and death. Its a beautiful thing to see the Body of Christ be like this.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

We have fulfilled these commands of Christ in many ways. Now we are far from perfect. We have failed in some ways. We struggle with honoring one another above ourselves. We have conflicts and disagreements from time to time. I want you to know this morning that those things you have against others in this room this morning need to be dealt with. There needs to be forgiveness and putting the past in the past this morning- from the simple slight to the very real broken relationships, it all needs to be dealt with. This morning we need to come together as the Body.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Listen to these words- live at peace, do what is right, bless, live in harmony, overcome evil with good. These commands not only set you free from bitterness and anger, and hate, but they set the church free to be the best it can be. Holding back your gifts, and talents, and resources because you are angry at someone or feel you were slighted is not only hurting you, but hurting others who might depend on you and who you might serve with.

This morning I think God is calling us to repentance and recommitment as a church community. We are the Body. We have a responsibility to live at peace with and love one another.

What if

What if the community came to the church first?
What if the church welcomed the community inside the walls first, and asked them to believe later?
What if the meeting of physical needs led to the meeting of spiritual needs?
What if the church did not exist in this community?
Would anyone notice except those who are already here?

Matthew 25:31-46- sheep and goats

A few weeks ago I was asked the following question by a book I was reading and it has not left me alone sense. If your church shut down, who would miss you besides the people who go to your church? For the past few weeks, that question has kept me up at night, been the forefront of my prayers, and has vexed everyone I have asked, both from our church and others. It leads me to a conclusion I do not like. We have missed something vital.

When Jesus is preparing the disciples for His crucifixion, He spends an extended amount of time telling them to be looking for Him, to be prepared to encounter Him. And then He tells them of His return. How He will come with His angels, on a throne, and that He will have all of humanity gathered before Him and then He will separate them on His left and right. It will be a glorious day. And then He will speak to both groups, sending one to eternal glory and one to eternal punishment. The criteria is interesting.

The group going to eternal glory will be those who served then needy, the broken, the imprisoned, the sick, the hungry. Those going to eternal punishment will have failed to do so. Thats when I started to get a little queasy.

See we started Journey Fellowship with the idea of doing these things. Helping those in need, serving the poor, being a refuge for the hurting. We still pay lip service to those ideas. Somewhere along the way it was the work that got lost. We talk about it, but fail to do it. Or, we do it when it comes to us. But that is not what we are called to do or be.

Believers in Community

The church is supposed to be a vital part of the community, not another optional activity. We have ceded our influence to politics, social services, and private agencies. We say, They are better equipped. They know the system better. They have specialized training and manpower. But they do not have Jesus.

See the church was the original source of all of these ministries. We took in the hurting and needy. We helped people get back on their feet. We fed people who were hungry. We sheltered the homeless. We visited those who were in prison. We provided educational opportunities.

The task of rebuilding this influence seems overwhelming. It is easy to do nothing. It will require work to do something. And were small right now. But we must do something. This passage has three themes of provision- hunger, hope, and home.

Providing for the Hungry- we need to build an emergency food closet for needy families
Providing Home- we need to provide the means for people to build a home for themselves by going to work- SS cards and state IDs
Providing Hope- we need to provide a way for the many struggling families in our area to have a source of pride for their community- children are a parents greatest source of pride and enjoyment- PCO football team

Back from a Long Absence...

Sorry it's been awhile. Let's just say Easter season for a pastor is like summer for a youth pastor...only with more variables. Notes from the Easter series were not really blog friendly, but I thought folks might enjoy this take on the Great Commission. Also, I want to thank Rex Miller who has commented a couple of times for writing a great book The Millennium Matrix. Still working on the application, but I loved the questions and observations in the book. Also just finished Transformation by Bob Roberts. A highly recommended read. Now for the notes.

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16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

“The measure of a church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.”-

The Church- God’s Idea
When you get right down to it, the church was God’s idea. When Jesus prepared to leave the disciples, He left them with a plan, a mission, that resulted in the formation of the Church. Now that’s Church with a capital C. See the church was God’s idea from the beginning. He never intended for men and women who followed Jesus to do so isolated from one another. Following Jesus was a community call. And the church was God’s plan to unite people.

The Church had a singular purpose, to take the Gospel to all nations. And the church had a singular goal, the salvation of mankind. That is the command given to the disciples in Matthew 28- go and help people to become disciples, welcome them into the community of the church, and teach them to do the same thing. What a mission!

Today some churches focus on simply teaching. They are interested in correct doctrine alone. There is nothing bad about knowing what you believe and why you believe it, but alone it produces an asceticism that is unhealthy and unbiblical (James 2:14-26)

Other churches focus solely on actions. People are encouraged to conform to a certain lifestyle alone- be it celibacy, serving the poor, building up large amounts of possessions, not using medicines, etc. This social gospel focuses on how men can make one another’s lives better and leaves God out of the equation.

The church is called to be both. We are called to share the Gospel and teach one another what we are learning from Scripture. All methods are open to us- lecturing, music, the arts, film, books, classroom settings, etc. But the church is also called to put that teaching into practice outside the walls. It is this two pronged approach that Jesus lays out in the Great Commission- make disciples- model for people what they are to do, teach
them- explain to them the reasons for the changes in your and their life.

So what is our motivation for doing this work?

1. Our own relationship with Jesus- if you are in a relationship that is good you can’t help but talk about it- sharing our faith flows naturally out of our own faith

2. The command of Jesus- being a Christ follower means giving up your own agenda and adopting Christ’s agenda- and taking the Gospel to the nations is the agenda!

3. The reality of hell- knowledge that without knowing Christ men, women, and children will spend an eternity separated from God in hell- this adds urgency to the need for evangelism
So here’s the question for the ages, why are we not seeing more people coming to Jesus and becoming a part of our church or any church for that matter?

Danger Signs

Comfort- we have enough people here already- the more people we reach the more complicated gathering together becomes- how will we take care of the kids- we don’t have enough room- if we grow I won’t know everyone- OR- everyone I know is already a Christian- it’s hard to make friends with people who have little in common with me- people know I am a Christian and they don’t like me-
Both of these issues are problems of comfort. We like to be comfortable just as much as anyone else. But we are not called to be comfortable, but to be faithful.

Familiarity- the brother danger to comfort- we know how it’s done- we think because we have shared our faith once or twice we have it mastered in method and are just waiting for the right opportunity- that’s backwards- the Gospel is relevant in lots of areas of life- we need to be looking for creative ways to inject faith into the conversation- Kori’s Da Vinci Code story- we need to get it out of our heads that there is some secret method to sharing the Gospel- there’s not- we also fall into the trap of familiarity when we only associate with Christians- we forget there are people going to hell and living lives apart from Christ- we become comfortable in our American world with our American conveniences and we shudder at the thought of going somewhere else without all of these familiar things

Apathy- it’s someone else’s job- the era of paid ministers at churches has bred this- we think someone else is responsible for doing our evangelism- it’s not like your job where you can delegate- evangelism is everyone’s job and each of us will answer to God for how we spread His message, or failed to-

Reckless Evangelism- The Sea Doo story

We need to shake off the dangers and focus on the end result. Our church, all churches, need to have a greater focus on reaching those who Jesus misses most- both at home and abroad. We need to shake off this passivity and get active. The greatest thrills, the biggest feelings of being alive are found at the moment of greatest risk.

Risk #1- New people- it’s time to get uncomfortable- We need to make an intentional commitment to making new friends, encountering our co-workers, and committing to seek out internationals who come here for school or work so that we can see the Gospel expand beyond our borders- 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Risk #2- New places- it’s time to go adventuring- whether it’s getting involved in a sports league, becoming involved in a neighborhood pastime, or working with the homeless- we need to see some new places- further, we need to turn our eyes outward to beyond our borders to people who have not heard the Gospel and will not until someone pushes their fear to the side and comes with the message of the Good News- Romans 10:14-15 14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Risk #3- New priorities- to shake off apathy we must have a cause, something we believe in and seek to see ahead of all else- our priority must become the Gospel- not building a big church, not being comfortable, not having conveniences- the Gospel- Jesus needs to come first- Romans 15:17-21 17Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. 21Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand

Consumed Pt 2

Got a week behind. Here's pt 2 with pt 3 coming later in the week.
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Consumed Pt 2
Worship Lifestyle

Leave It at the Door

There’s a song we sing sometimes here at Journey Fellowship called Madly. It’s a song about how much we love Jesus and how we are offering our lives to Him. It has a curious line in it that says “Let what we do in here fill the streets out there, let us dance for you, we will dance for you.” When we sing that song I often wonder, “Does anyone know what that means.” What does it mean? I want us to take a few minutes from Matthew our worship pastor about why he uses this song in our worship gatherings and what he thinks this song is calling us to.

Why would someone write a song about this subject? I think because we have a problem understanding what God is calling us to when He calls us to worship. What causes us to leave worship at the door? What are we really saying about God when we limit Him to one place? What has to happen for us to become people who do in the streets what we do here?

Worship Life or Worship Lite?

The real problem starts with how many of us have been trained. Our mindset is wrong. My daughter is four and we are learning about training and mindsets right now. I can teach her how to do something and to her it’s right no matter what, because she has no previous experience to compare it to. For example, Annalise can tell you how to pack her lunch for school. She knows the order, the ingredients, and the proper utensils. Try to make it in a different way or order, even if it comes out the same, and you’re in big trouble because she has a mindset but no experience to compare it to. Worship for many of us is for Sundays. We grew up hearing we’re going to church to worship God today. We’re going to a worship service or gathering. We were told we are going to God’s house. All of those phrases are not bad, but they are incomplete based on scripture. According to the NT God does not live in a house anymore- He lives in us. Space is no longer sacred- we are! Further, we do not worship God just on Sundays or just at certain times. We have left behind the dull rituals of “religion” and been taken captive by a vibrant faith in a living unbounded God who desires to be a part of every aspect of our lives. Don’t believe me? That’s ok, look in Romans 12:1-2.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Now let’s look at the first verse to get a grip on worship life vs. worship lite.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy
First, worship life has a view of God’s mercy. Worship lite usually focuses on God’s requirements. Remember, worship lite has to do with a specific day, time, or activity. Do you remember growing up and hearing people telling you or other kids- don’t do that or God will be mad. Or, we don’t run in God’s house. Or, my personal favorite, you better act right at church or God’s going to get you. Now that’s a threat. Worship lite ends at the doors of the church house. It limits God’s power to an area. Worship life has to celebrate God’s mercy because it means God is with us and in us all the time- even when we are failing Him. Worship life reminds us that we are constantly dependant on God’s grace, revealed in Jesus.

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship
Second, worship life views our whole lives as part of worship. Worship lite involves only our mouths and our endurance. Worship lite focuses on singing when we are told to, shutting up when we are told to, and not leaving early. Worship life involves every part of us. Our jobs become sacred spaces where spiritual things happen- where we are learning from God and where God is using us to build His kingdom. Our families become places where grace and mercy come to life. We become more spiritual people because we no longer view our spiritual lives as locked up in a building and pulled out for use once a week.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
So this is where worship life gets complicated. Worship lite has few demands beyond Sunday. There is nothing else to do unless you are a part of one of those weird churches that has small groups that meet during the week or encourage you to read the bible for 5 minutes a day on your own. Worship life is much more.

Worship life, remember, is about your whole body and life. It’s about what you do all the time. So worship life calls you to a life of difference. Now this is not a life of LAW- it’s a life of obedience. Obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in your life as it is informed by scripture, wise teaching, and God’s truth. Some people are very uncomfortable with this idea. They want conformity, but God did not design the church to produce people that all look and think alike. That’s why we have a variety of gifts and talents that come from God and balance the church. Think for a second about a church filled with prophets and teachers- they would never get anything done and they would be too busy condemning one another, the world, etc to have any mercy on those who Jesus misses the most. N the flip side, a church with no prophets and filled with merciful people becomes a place where there is no right and wrong and everyone is accepted with no push to be more like Jesus.

So what does this renewal look like? What patterns are we breaking? Let’s look at Ephesians 5 for a minute. The first part of this section talks about what we touched on last week, being obsessed with things instead of God. Remember, the old way was making idols out of stuff. We were consumed with getting and keeping. After Paul finishes that description in vs.7 by calling is to avoid close association or binding relationships with people who are controlled by idols, he begins to explain to us how to live in a worshipful way.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what are the instructions that we are given in this passage?
Live to please God- we don’t just live haphazardly and make it up as we go along. We have a goal, an objective and that is to please God. Paul further reiterates this in 1 Cor 9:24-27 when he tells the Corinthians to run their lives pursuing the prize of following God.
Do not participate in evil, and protect others by not allowing evil to do it’s work unknown – As Christ followers we are not simply called to criticize those things God calls evil, but to actively work to defeat evil and to see God triumph- that is Kingdom expansion!
Live wisely- apply the knowledge God gives you to life- form the best plans and use the best means for their execution
Use every relationship, position of authority, and moment to make God known – this is the very definition of worship life- our lives are an extension of God into the world- we are His representatives everywhere not just at a certain place on a certain day at a certain time- when we are firing an employee, when we are disciplining a student, when we are calling a creditor, when we are dealing with our insurance company, when we are disagreeing with our spouse

Results of Worship Life

In both Ephesians 5 and Romans 12 a phrase is used that reveals for us a huge benefit of worship life.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Vs 2- Romans

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. vs 17- Ephesians

Knowledge of God’s will. Why do we so often find it hard to know what God wants for our lives? We only encounter Him, hear Him, seek Him once a week. We do not listen for God’s voice in the voices of our kids, our coworkers, our books and music, our conversations, our times of scriptural meditation. We think God only speaks at church. We have lived with worship lite for so long we have no clue that there is Life out there and we’re missing it. God wants our lives to be echoes of our gatherings here. For our lives to dance before Him in worship as we go about our lives. Your life is meant to be a life of worship. God is calling you to turn off the “lite” and embrace the Life. And as your life becomes a life of worship you will begin to see and sense God’s will, God’s purpose, God’s promise for your life.

Consumed Pt 1

Here's the first part of a new series on worship called Consumed. This week we're taking a look at the things that we replace God with.
Abs

Consumed Pt 1
Worship Objects

Probably the most frustrating thing for many of us is the crowd that exists in our lives. Now I’m not talking about people this morning, I’m talking about stuff. I walked into Panera this morning with two bags containing 4 books, an ipod, 2 notebooks, numerous pens and papers, a laptop, and a thumb drive. I had to put it all down before I could even order. It’s crazy how stuffed with stuff, and the stuff we use to get that stuff, our lives can become. I’ve often wondered what God thinks of our stuff. Does it really hold no value to Him at all? Can our stuff be useful to God or is it just there to crowd Him out? For the next three weeks we are going to take a look at our lives from God’s persective. What is in our lives that keeps us close to God? What consumes us to the point that it damages our relationship with Jesus? How do we maintain balance in our lives? What does that balance look like?

Luke 12:13-34
13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

I WANT

In a land rife with consumers willing to spend, demographics matter even to farmers. That’s the message retail analyst Kenneth Gassman brought to the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s 78th Annual Convention on Dec. 1 in Williamsburg.
“We are a nation of consumers,” Gassman said in an afternoon educational session titled “Who’s Pushing the Shopping Cart.” Consumer spending reflects two-thirds of the U.S. gross national product, which is significantly higher than those of other industrialized nations.
- http://www.vafb.com/conv/2003/news_gassman.htm

Possessions, the driving force behind so much of what we do. We work so we can pay the bills, but what are the bills that are piling up around us? When 2/3 of the GNP in America is produced by consumer spending, I would say buying stuff is important to us. Negative savings- a people who want it now When savings in America was at -.5%- in other words spending more than we make- and according to CBS News- Consumer debt has more than doubled in the past 10 years to record levels, making it hard for many families to cope. Consumer debt hit a record $1.98 trillion in October 2003, according to the most recent figures from the Federal Reserve. That debt — which includes credit cards and car loans, but not mortgages — translates to some $18,700 per U.S. household.- We know we are a nation that wants our stuff and sooner rather than later.

So what is the effect of all this stuff?

It has some pretty chilling effects on our national morals and habits. We have become a nation of 2 income families- which means we are a nation of day cares, nannies, and latch key kids. This breeds a generation that is growing up without the benefit of nurture and care from anyone they are blood related to. And this is a problem.

It’s a problem for our marriages as well. In fact, in the church as well as outside the church, debt, financial stress, and 2 people working, is negatively affecting marriages. The “mythical 50% divorce rate” as it was called at the end of the last century, is not a myth. And divorce is as prevalent in the church as it is in those who never darken the door of the church.

All this tracks back to a principle, a truth, that Jesus himself spoke to. We have taken to defining ourselves by what we have or do not have. It’s not “keeping up with the Jones’” anymore. It’s feeding our own wants and desires. Jesus once told a crowd- “A man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions.” When did He say it and why? What does it mean for us today? Let’s take a look in Luke 12.

Getting Mine

13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
So this guy comes to Jesus, a rabbi well versed in the law, and demands justice. I’m sure he has all his data together and I’m sure he’s not trying to steal. He just wants what is his. Sound familiar? We work hard and we play by the rules, so what’s the problem in getting ours? What does having things have to do with God anyhow? Notice, this guy is not coming with a spiritual question. This is a straight business deal, a legal matter, but Jesus turns it into a spiritual matter.

That’s the first thing I want you to hear this morning- Everything is a spiritual matter. Whether it’s a financial decision, a parenting decision, a relationship decision- it’s all a spiritual matter. Every decision has spiritual ramifications- that’s why Paul tells us to pray continually (1 Thess 5:17) - b/c God has an interest in our lives.

So when this guy comes up to Jesus and wants his rightful inheritance Jesus asks the questions- What is the reason behind the request? He does not ask this out loud but in His warning- be on your guard against all kinds of greed- I other words “why do you need the money?”

I know nothing about this guy, but I’m going to assume something for a moment- based on Jesus’ ministry and reaction to the poor and downtrodden and His commands to love mercy and justice- I’m going to assume the guy asking for his portion was not hurting. He wasn’t in need- just in want. I think this is even more justified when Jesus follows up with the phrase “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Now maybe I’m selling this guy short. Maybe he needed the cash- but his attitude is a lot like ours- I want mine.
Now remember earlier when we talked about having stuff and how much we have? Well Jesus goes even further in discussing this by telling a story- a parable- following His warning. 16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Ouch, spiritual truth #2- having stuff does not indicate God’s favor any more than not having stuff indicates God’s disfavor. We are not followers of the great ATM in the sky. God’s desire is not for us to get a bunch of stuff and keep it for ourselves. In fact, it sounds from the story as if stuff can get in the way of God.

How can this happen? Well think about it for a minute. Stuff requires our attention. The car requires a wash and wax, the ipod requires new music and a charge, the computer needs updates, the toys must be played with, the monster must be fed. The more stuff you have the more time it takes to deal with all of it- and there is one thing you cannot earn, buy or make more of- TIME. And since you have a limited amount of time- God’s time gets less and less and storing up stuff lowers the amount of space for things of God.

And God needs space in your life- because everything is a spiritual issue- remember truth #1? So here’s the deal- if something is going to further cut into your time do you really need it? It’s an economic decision- will I have to work more to have this. A time management decision- how much more time will come out of my day to use this item? And ultimately a spiritual decision- how will the greater need for finances and time impact my spiritual life- my time with God. And I’m not just talking about a personal devotional life- I’m talking about time to listen to, learn from, serve, be loved and touched by- God. Jesus seems to be saying- the more we clutter up our lives with earthly treasure the less space we have to be given spiritual treasures that will last.

Fighting the I Want

In order to overcome this desire to consume- to our own spiritual detriment- we must go to war. In a war, there are objectives- we are fighting for something. In this case we are fighting to rid our lives of things that prevent us from pursuing and receiving God’s best. When Jesus discusses this battle following this parable He seems to take a scorched earth policy towards stuff. Listen to this…
22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jesus gets right to the heart of the battle with stuff. We want stuff because we do not trust God to give us what is best. God is going to provide for you. So you do not need to store up a bunch of stuff to get you through when God fails. We often accumulate stuff to comfort us as life takes a nosedive- who has ever gone shopping- for a new dress or a new toy- when feeling depressed or upset at life? Instead, Jesus tells us to trust God, not our ability to provide when it seems things are going bad.

Going further, Jesus tells us to overcome our love of stuff by putting it to use for the kingdom. Notice He does not say throw it away. He tells us to sell it and give what we receive to those who do not have. Now the question is, what do we sell? The answer is whatever has taken you hostage. And my friends, you are not the best judge of this answer. Ask someone who loves God and loves you what has taken you hostage. What is keeping you from doing the things God asks you to do? Start with the basics and work outward. What keeps you from being a part of the gathering of God’s people? What keeps you from being with your family? What keeps you from spending time with God? What creates the inability to tithe? What prevents you from serving others? What keeps you from being able to give freely to others? As you work through, you will find many things that are not necessary. Sell them. Give the proceeds away. As your life becomes simplified, you will be more free than you have ever realized.

Covenant Community

I've continued to read and finish Millennium Matrix over the past few weeks. I've still got to get to answering the questions I posted on a couple of weeks ago. The delay in those answers...just the birth of my second daughter...Mia Kate was born on February 16th at 12:10p and weighed in at 8lbs 7oz with 19" in length. She looks a lot like big sister...

So in thinking about community I ran across some ideas in Matrix...the idea of covenant. It's a lot deeper commitment than most other relationships. It implies a level of dependence most are by nature uncomfortable with. We really value independence and self reliance in America and Christianity, as expressed in the Bible not the burbs, is very much antithetical to those ideas. Being a Christ follower is all about being dependant and reliant. We rely on Jesus to pay for our sins, we rely on the Holy Spirit to guide our steps, we rely on God to be true to His word, and we should rely on one another to walk with us on this journey. This is what I have been preaching about the last few weeks, the interweaving of our lives as a part of the Body of Christ. A friend of mine asked me "Is such-and-such church like that?" I asked him why that thought entered his mind and he told me "I always had this sense that I never really belonged, I was always outide the group." What breaks these barriers? How do we build covenant communities?

Matrix seems to suggest transparency is a large part of this building process. It is not the only element discussed, but it is one I want to champion for a moment. Transparency in relationships is crucial because it levels the playing field. Everyone is themselves and is able to be met at the point where they are- just the way Christ first meets us. When we are transparent we are able to "spur one another on toward good works" because we know where one another need to grow. We are able to "pray for one another that we might be healed" because we know where we need to be made whole.

As a pastor, I want everyone at my church to experience commuinty. I want everyone to feel they can be transparent. I want our church to be a place where reality is more important than personality. I want to see a church that is a covenant community.

Abs

Love Me Love My Luggage

UKnow Series pt 3-
Last of the series. What is our respose to the pasts of others?

Romans 15:1-13, Eph 4:1-6, 2 Cor 5:16-19

Love Me Love My Luggage

“Accept one another…”

In a world of division this is a tough command. A definition of tolerance that has overtaken our world has made churches and Christ followers very leery with using this term. This is the intent of the passage in Romans 14 and 15. The church at Rome is a real mixed bag. There are diaspora Jews and pagan Gentiles trying to co-exist in the same place. The customs, acceptable practices, and lifestyles were as varied as we face today. You had Jews who had lived in accordance to the laws of God given through Moses and Roman Gentiles who had given themselves to every god they could create. You had Jews who had betrayed their countrymen and their heritage by serving the roman government and others of no religion whatsoever. All these people were trying to be the church in a place hostile to the Gospel. In the midst of all of this comes the Gospel. A Gospel open to everyone that asks not for the following of rules but for the following of a Messiah. It has no idols to bow to, no cleansing rituals, and no barriers to direct communion with Diety. Needless to say, there was some confusion.

So let’s get back to tolerance for a minute. I’m not talking about “tolerance” as in everything is equal and if it’s okay for me then it’s okay. I’m talking about acceptance. I’m talking about meeting people where they are in life and accepting where they have been. See the problem we suffer from today is not so much a diversity of creed and religion as it is a diversity of background. And many people who are hurting feel very hesitant to be open about their pasts and their own struggles because we as the church have such a hard time dealing with sin in our own pasts. We have this trouble because we are still caught in an old mindset. We are still competing to see who is the best. Yet it is clear in scripture that there is no competition. We are all failures. We all fall short. Just because you fell short by lying and I fell short by lusting does not mean that you win God’s favor more than me. Nor does it mean that you have any right to place yourself in a position of superiority over me in church, in Christ, or in life. Yet we fall into this trap, mostly subconsciously, when we turn our backs on people who do not meet our standards of holiness. We have failed to remember how we came to Christ in the first place.

“…just as Christ accepted you,…”

So how does Jesus accept us? Let’s take a look at some of the people Jesus met and accepted.

Levi and Zacchaeus the tax collectors- men who were traitors to their people and thieves to boot

Woman at the well and woman caught in adultery- people in the midst of sexual sin

The Centurion- a person of authority who was part of a corrupt political system
Demon possessed men and children- people who were afflicted and in bondage to the forces of darkness

The man being executed with Him- a thief whose crimes were so heinous that he is being killed by the state

Peter- who denies even knowing Jesus in His moment of greatest need

Do you see? Jesus accepted anyone willing to put their faith in Him and at that moment before they had done anything other than express willingness. This is where we struggle and it’s why we have a hard time being honest about sin. We fear, and often rightly so, that our sins will ruin us at church the way they would ruin us in our workplaces, our social settings, or our families. This is what the Enemy uses to keep us in prison. We don’t open up about our sin struggles because the church acts just like the world. We judge, we mock, we reject and then we try to cover it up in God language to make justify our actions. There is a difference between holding someone accountable and putting someone on spiritual probation. When believers are honest about their struggles and failures it is our calling to meet them where they are and to partner with the Holy Spirit to help them to overcome sin. This is why so few people experience the freedom from sin, guilt, and heartache that Christ came to offer because there can be no healing until the wound is cleansed and the past put to death.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

This is what Paul is calling for in Ephesians 4. We can accept one another and our past failures if we can fulfill the call of verse 2. Humility, gentleness, patience, and forbearance are the marks of a church that values unity. These are things we must embrace as a church as we seek to reach the people we know, love and work with and as we seek to come to know one another better as a community.

Now this raises the inevitable question, but what about sin? What do we say about sin? Well first we say that those who are in Christ are no longer slaves to sin. We have been separated from our pasts as we talked about last week. Therefore, we no longer spend time comparing resumes of righteousness and iniquity trying to prove whose more committed to God. That’s the way the world works, but not us. Look at 2 Cor. 5 in the NLT:

16 So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!

Second, we say that those who struggle with sin have a safe place to confess and be prayed over and held accountable without fear of being trashed either publicly or privately. (James 5:16)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

“…in order to bring praise to God.”

A better translation of praise is glory. What does it mean to bring glory to God? It means to raise His reputation, to make others’ opinions about Him grow, or to cause people to view Him in a better light. Stop a moment and think about the people in your world. How do they view God? What opinion do they have of Him? How would your treatment of other believers influence that one way or another? Are you in a “holiness competition?” Do you secretly or obviously discriminate against other believers because of what you know about them? Are you preventing openness, effective prayer, and healing from happening because of your judgment?

The church should be the one place in the world where it is safe to be real. The support and acceptance of the Body is illustrated over and over again in the New Testament. It’s not an attitude of do whatever you want and it’s okay, but an attitude of whatever you have done does not keep you from the grace of God and therefore does not keep us from being a part of the same community.

This morning I want to ask you, Do your relationships with other believers move men and women to praise God? If someone saw how you related to the believers around you would they want to be a part of the God’s kingdom? Do your words about others build up or tear down? Do you spread the pasts of others in order to enhance your own standing? Who do you desire to glorify, God or yourself?