The JOY of Pastoring

#20 June 28, 2010

Part 1

I am often asked about the Structure for a Healthy & Effective Church. This is a trick question. Why? Because most of the time the person or group making the inquiry really thinks that there is a "Magic Bullet" hidden away in my brief case. For a small fee (usually they are thinking very small) I will work some voodoo magic and they will be robust, thriving and healthy in about 90 days max! WRONG!

There are essentially three (3) ministry venues that MUST function with excellence for a church to achieve both numerical and spiritual growth. They are:

A. Worship - warm, vibrant lively rejoicing in the God who alone is God. All ages, ethnic groups and genders can join together in this expression of praise and devotion to the Sovereign of the Ages.

B. Fellowship & Instruction - fellowship that is transparent but not threatening. Instruction that systematically equips people in the TRUTH of God's Word. Not what someone thinks about God's Word but God's Word. Those being taught must participate in active learning.

C. Intimacy & Accountability - small groups must build trust. People must reach the point of trusting one another so that they share the deepest life issues. They not only permit but long for accountability that they know will enable them to overcome the selfishness of sin. All participants know and practice the one another commands of the NT. They voluntarily submit themselves to an on-going accountability structure that actually produces spiritual transformation. They love one another as Jesus described in John 13:34-35. **NOTE - Small Groups are not defined on where you meet, how the chairs are arranged, curriculum, etc. They are defined by Intimacy & Accountability. This takes time, Transparency & Vulnerability.

Part 2

Today we enjoyed all of this and more. We focused in our worship assembly on God's Word and the joyful privilege of distributing thousands of Bibles to the BILLIONS of people in China. We received an offering that will purchase 100+ Bibles for those people. When the service 'ended' there were people still loving one another and sharing for at leat 30 minutes. There was a new little man there (4 weeks old). He never made a peep in 90 minutes. What a champion.

This service was followed by our Sunday afternoon Small Group. We ate lunch together. 7 'guys' ate lunch together and talked about their earthly fathers. Talk about rare! It was a joy to me as a Pastor to be part of this level of disclosure and how our fathers shaped our lives. Topped this off with Breyers Ice Cream and Pecan Sandies. Talk about blessing!!

We then viewed session #7 of Paul Tripp's War of Words - a study on proper Christian Communnication. One of our Interns added some additional material that equipped God's people to both listen as well as speak. Good Stuff.

We closed with prayer for one another and for Pastor Greg Dowey who is in China this week distributing Bibles.

Then, I came home and THE TRIBE smacked the deads (Cinn. Reds) right square in the CHOPS! Please understand the reality of this Ministry Structure. It has taken 13 years, much spiritual energy and many many battles to reach this joyful condition. But, it is absolutely worth the struggle. I plead with Pastors reading this to invest themselves in a group of people and pursue this profile. Sola Deo!

Straining at Gnats

#19 June 21, 2010

Part 1

I pastor a Southern Baptist Church. The SBC just conducted their annual Convention held in Orlando FL. Like so many Denominations, there was much harumphing and pious pronouncements - -ad-infinitum, ad nauseum.

The faithful anticipated this assembly with high expectations. The focus of their (our) expectations was the initiative known as Toward a Resurgence in The Great Commission. After many years of corporate denial, finally someone found the courage to serve as 'the little boy at the parade'! They shouted to the world - the Emperor has no cloths. No, the Emperor is Butt Naked!! There were many promises made that real substantive issues would be addressed, corrected and implemented in our ministry future. This writer personally corresponded with personnel serving on the Task Force. I received assurance that this would indeed be the case.

The statistical decline has been a Documented Indisputable Fact for decades. But, the establishment continued to substitute genuine fulfillment of the GC with the number of reported baptisms (both Jesus and Paul found affirmation of ministry in NOT baptizing - they were focused on making disciples!). The lie on this point is that according to our own research on those reported baptisms, fewer than 10% of those baptized could even be located one (1) year after their baptism. If you cannot find them, it is quite evident that you are NOT engaged in intentional effective discipleship.

So, in light of this discovery there was instant repentance, a modification of our theology of evangelism and our methodology in qualifying people for entering the waters of baptism correct? WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! Why?

The SBC reports a membership of 16.3 Million. However on our best Sunday we may get 6.7 million in attendance. We must continue this charade at all costs. Never mind that it is not just the little boy at the parade that knows this is a BIG FAT D_ _N LIE! The whole bloody world knows this pathetic Truth and they scoff by the millions. We express a pseudo concern for the lost when we perpetuate such shameful accounting. This kind of duplicitous and shameful accounting destroys the integrity of the Gospel in the eyes of lost and redeemed people alike. But, when you insist on doing ministry with a corrupt theology and a corrupt metric, you are satisfied with the husks of the pig pen. We could go back home and find the Father rejoicing to forgive us and receive us but PRIDE prevents this wise and prudent action.

There was pontification on the evils of the oil spill corrupting the environment and of divorce corrupting the family. Resolutions were adopted on these issues - - only to get stuck in some dusty file drawer never to be seen again. But, there was no action taken on the issues that are corrupting the message of the Gospel; a seriously flawed Doctrine of Soteriology (the majority practice a synergistic rather than a monergistic approach to salvation). To bolster the sagging numbers (those numbers to be worshiped and preserved above all else) the trend is to baptize children at younger and younger ages. One report indicated that 38% of the reported baptisms were children five (5) or under. Ed Stetzer had an article titled Toward Paedo-Baptism written in alarm at this trend.

Part 2

The issues that flash like neon lights in the night that should have been addressed in deep humble repentance and contrition are:

1. The loss of church discipline. Not punishment at the end of the line but Life in Community and people holding one another accountable at the first hint of sin and departure from the narrow way; cf. Life Together by Bonhoeffer.

2. The corruption of the gospel in permitting the 'sinner's prayer' as a substitute for genuine Holy Spirit generated repentance and confession. Pseudo conversions have filled the pews of our churches with unregenerate people who are at ease in Zion. Evidence of this is we need entire departments in our State Conventions titled "Conflict Resolution". If the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the members, no Department from the Baptist Building is going to calm the troubled waters!

3. The use of one a dimensional metric - numbers as the sole dynamic by which we measure ministry effectiveness. More is better - - Buildings, Budgets, Baptism and Butts; or, the ABC's Attendance, Baptism and Cash. God is interested in the Transformation of His people into the fullness of the Image of Christ not mere numbers.

4. Classifying Sin. We will bust you in a minute for drinking an ounce of alcohol but you can be a glutton and weigh 450 pounds and all is well. What would happen to the pulpits across the SBC if we applied some sort of wellness standard to our Pastors that included a BMI index?

5. A Corrupt Polity. The church is not a democracy. No wonder there is chaos. People who have not attended for 5-6 years return to reap havoc via the practice of so called Congregational Polity. Ludicrous.

6. Unqualified Leadership. What would happen if all those who wear the mantle of "Leader" were to be examined by the text of Scripture as to qualification for service in the Body of Christ as a Leader? I work with hundreds of churches each year, many SBC and this is an undisputed fact.

7. The Absence of the Authority of Scripture. There is precious little exegesis to support ministry practices. When there is a credible attempt to apply the principles and precepts of the clear and unambiguous expressions of Scripture, those promoting such are shouted down or perhaps summarily dismissed.

Seven is the perfect number so I will cease. Not because there is not more to say, but enough is enough. I remain an SBC Pastor. But, I will no longer serve in silence. I intend to appeal to those in positions of Leadership to act. I will do so with Grace. I will do so with Passion. I will do so with Tenacity. Those who have served with me know full well what "Tenacity" means.

I invite any who read this post and find affinity with what I have written to join me. I plead with my brother Pastors to be found as Joshua and Caleb. The other ten were miserable cowards and their carcasses rotted in the wilderness. Rightly so.

My prayer is that God will not do less than bring the full splendor of His Holiness and Mercy to bear on our pilgrimage. When He does, we will be TRANSFORMED for His Glory! Amen.

Listening FOR the Word of God

#18 June 7, 2010

Part 1

This article is in many ways a study in the use of prepositions. A preposition is:

A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount. In the sentence She went to the store, to is a preposition which shows direction. In the sentence He came by bus, by is a preposition which shows manner. In the sentence They will be here at three o'clock, at is a preposition which shows time and in the sentence It is under the table, under is a preposition which shows place.

A preposition always goes with a noun or pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. The preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that is why it is called a preposition. The preposition and the object of the preposition together are called a prepositional phrase. The following chart shows the prepositions, objects of the preposition, and prepositional phrases of the sentences above. (quoted from the Interlink Language Center).

There was a time when Christian people gathered together to hear a Sermon could listen TO the Word of God. In the present culture you now must listen FOR the Word of God. What passes for preaching is very often an eclectic collection of alliterated outlines, poetry that has utterly no basis in sound theology and illustrations and stories, very often of an apocryphal nature; no credible citations of source or the identification of people and places . The purpose of such methodology is to produce an emotional buzz. The speaker then gives what is commonly known as an invitation. They plead with pseudo earnestness for the listener to 'respond'. To what? An objective analysis of 50 sermons chosen at random will prove this thesis in spades. There is precious little careful exegesis evident in what passes for 'preaching'. Follow the links for validation of my thesis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBwBG3brj1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKN4EgMPY_g&feature=fvsr

Part 2

The following simple principles will serve as a guide for those who want to hear, apply and obey what the Special Revelation of God, The Scriptures say to mankind.

1. Does the speaker actually read, explain and apply what the text says?

2. Does the speaker do so "in context". Does the interpretation fit the text when examining what appears immediately before and following the pasage being proclaimed?

3. Would the original hearers understand this passage as the speaker is explaining it?

4. Has orthodox Christianity understood this passage as the speaker is applying it?

5. Does the speaker's explanation lead the listener to a common sense meaning of the text?

I close with the words of one of my favorite OT Prophets, Amos.

"Behold, the days are coming", declares the Lord God, "when I will send a famine on the land -- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. (Amos 8:11)
We are there and it is devastating. Listen with discernment. As John instructed us, test the spirits (1 John 4:1).