Continuing from my last post, here are my notes from Francis Chan at the RightNow Conference this past weekend.
Understand that as I was listening and writing notes, not everything I heard was written down. Taking that into account, some of what I write here will seem a bit disjointed and you may wonder how these things were said in the same talk. I may not remember myself, I'm going based on what I wrote and trying to remember what feelings were conjured up that made me feel like that was important.
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:00am
Do we really desire truth or do we discover what we want and then work to craft an argument designed to defend our assumed position?
Truth should be our objective, our goal. When Jesus said he was the way, the truth, and the life, we should take that to mean that Jesus is our goal. We should read scripture in its entirety and let it speak to us out of its own context. We must be as unbiased and objective as we can when we approach scripture. We will never be completely objective and unbiased, but we should at least be aware of our biases and assumptions.
What's the point with this?
Truth always leads us into greater fellowship with the Father, who is the source of all truth. When we present the gospel of Jesus, we must keep this in mind. Is what we're saying going to lead someone to Jesus or to ourselves?
As we look at scripture searching for truth about the church and her mission, it becomes clear to us that unity was important, was necessary. Looking in John 17, Jesus even prayed that we might experience unity, that we would be one. If this is the case, why are we surprised when we face division? Do we think the enemy is going to rest and simply allow us to be who Jesus wanted us to be? Isn't it possible that division comes from the enemy? Shouldn't we then re-think possibly why we say or do certain things? If we're not concerned about building up the Body, maybe our motives are wrong.
The church must also be outward-focused. Very rarely are people going to walk in the front doors of our buildings and say "I want Jesus." It certainly could happen, but most of the time we're going to have to be focused outward. It doesn't matter how inviting, contemporary, post-modern, or anything else our services are. In order to reach people, we can't force them in, we must take the church to them. We must exist to go into the world, willing to meet people where they are, and sharing with them the love of Jesus and how he is still active in the world today.
Then we must not be surprised at the trials we face. We will face oppression doing the work of Jesus. Instead of running from it, however, we must choose to embrace the persecution, counting the suffering as joy because it draws us closer to Jesus, who also suffered for the truth.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
RightNow Conference: George Barna
Spent the weekend at the RightNow conference in Dallas. In the following days, I'm going to be posting some of my notes from the weekend.
Thursday night George Barna presented church leaders with a talk about his latest book in which he spoke with 30 of the nations prominent and famous leaders, from Mike Huckabee to Lou Holtz. Following are 6 leadership checkpoints that he learned.
Leadership checkpoint #1
~Leaders can strategically change reality, but they cannot intentionally change people.
The point here is that we can create a compelling environment, we can set up circumstances to promote change in people, but we can't do anything to actually make the person change. The desire for change must come from within.
~Nobody is the "complete leadership package." It's important to work in a leadership team
None of us is as smart as all of us - Ken Blanchard
The best leadership teams are small in number, know each other well, have established an environment of trust, share vision, values, and passion, are vulnerable and communicate well with each other, and most importantly empower people to achieve the vision of the organization.
~One of the most under-valued and least common skills among leaders is listening.
You cannot listen effectively if you aren't willing to have your mind changed - Ken Blanchard
You never learn anything by talking - Lou Holtz
Good leaders aren't afraid to listen. They always want to learn, always want to grow, aren't afraid of change
~Leaders must master conflict and confrontation.
Good leaders aren't afraid of conflict and in fact, sometimes inspire conflict by the way they lead. Good leaders cause conflict because of their passionate pursuit of truth. Anytime truth is sought, those who believe the lie are going to be at odds with it.
~Success is helping people achieve their potential.
You can't change people; you can only help them achieve what they are capable of.
~You get what you measure.
We must learn how to measure things the right way. Not all measuring systems are objective. We must learn how to measure the subjective things. For ex. if we measure church success by large buildings, large crowds, or number of programs, that's what we'll get. If we measure quality of discipleship we may struggle to accurately measure it, but we'll get better disciples.
~Do not accept a leadership position unless you're ready to pay a stiff price. The more significant the outcome you seek to achieve, the more substantial the price you can expect to pay.
Leaders can expect to suffer for their convictions, but they never shy away from pressure or criticism. You really do get what you pay for.
Barna is incredibly thorough in his presentation. Often dry and occasionally so thorough as to be boring, he still presented a great talk with grace and poise. Made me reconsider my role as a leader and how I carry myself. Also made me think about the price I must pay to lead well. I pray that I always lead well and that God is honored in what I do.
Thursday night George Barna presented church leaders with a talk about his latest book in which he spoke with 30 of the nations prominent and famous leaders, from Mike Huckabee to Lou Holtz. Following are 6 leadership checkpoints that he learned.
Leadership checkpoint #1
~Leaders can strategically change reality, but they cannot intentionally change people.
The point here is that we can create a compelling environment, we can set up circumstances to promote change in people, but we can't do anything to actually make the person change. The desire for change must come from within.
~Nobody is the "complete leadership package." It's important to work in a leadership team
None of us is as smart as all of us - Ken Blanchard
The best leadership teams are small in number, know each other well, have established an environment of trust, share vision, values, and passion, are vulnerable and communicate well with each other, and most importantly empower people to achieve the vision of the organization.
~One of the most under-valued and least common skills among leaders is listening.
You cannot listen effectively if you aren't willing to have your mind changed - Ken Blanchard
You never learn anything by talking - Lou Holtz
Good leaders aren't afraid to listen. They always want to learn, always want to grow, aren't afraid of change
~Leaders must master conflict and confrontation.
Good leaders aren't afraid of conflict and in fact, sometimes inspire conflict by the way they lead. Good leaders cause conflict because of their passionate pursuit of truth. Anytime truth is sought, those who believe the lie are going to be at odds with it.
~Success is helping people achieve their potential.
You can't change people; you can only help them achieve what they are capable of.
~You get what you measure.
We must learn how to measure things the right way. Not all measuring systems are objective. We must learn how to measure the subjective things. For ex. if we measure church success by large buildings, large crowds, or number of programs, that's what we'll get. If we measure quality of discipleship we may struggle to accurately measure it, but we'll get better disciples.
~Do not accept a leadership position unless you're ready to pay a stiff price. The more significant the outcome you seek to achieve, the more substantial the price you can expect to pay.
Leaders can expect to suffer for their convictions, but they never shy away from pressure or criticism. You really do get what you pay for.
Barna is incredibly thorough in his presentation. Often dry and occasionally so thorough as to be boring, he still presented a great talk with grace and poise. Made me reconsider my role as a leader and how I carry myself. Also made me think about the price I must pay to lead well. I pray that I always lead well and that God is honored in what I do.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Subjective Nature of Discipleship
What have we done in this world to turn a concept such as discipleship into a binary system? We’ve muddled up the whole Bible and watered down the truth of scripture by boiling it all down to bullet points. We’ve turned salvation into a 5-step process dependant upon our belief in key scriptures and removed the lordship of Christ from the whole equation! The fact of the matter is this: discipleship has no objective measure. I can’t pull out a disciple-stick and see how much of a disciple you are. In truth, I can’t really know anything about your level of discipleship because I can’t read your heart. True, there are certain outward actions you’ll have if you are a disciple like love and the fruit of the Spirit, but I’m no one’s judge and can only truly know my own heart, which is often easily swayed and confused.
Why am I writing this?
Who really cares anyway?
If we can’t come up with a better way to disciple people, the church, the Body of Jesus Christ on earth, is going to die. We’ve already seen a steep slide in the faithfulness of Jesus-followers, so much so that there aren’t many true followers of Jesus left. We are living amidst the Pharisaification of the church, so much that the church has become what the Temple was and is to Jews, a place to worship, not a living, breathing organism bent on doing the will of God.
Perhaps it would serve us to look at why this has happened to Jesus’ beloved bride.
It is my belief that in the beginning, the simplification of the gospel was pursued in order to provide a concise, easy-to-remember method for leading people to Jesus. It still serves as that. I believe that church leaders were in pursuit of an easy way to evangelize. What has happened because of it though is that we have turned it into a rite of passage, a secret handshake if you will: a way to tell who’s in and who’s out. Then we used this methodology to exclude those who were out and to make them feel like garbage because they weren’t in. “Don’t you want to believe in Jesus too? If you don’t you’ll go to Hell! Hell is a terrible place, filled with demons that look like they came out of some demented video game and with hot air blasting in your face all the time! You don’t want to go there, do you?” The problem with this is that no one in their right mind would answer, “yes” to those questions. No one wants to spend forever in that situation.
So we have thousands of converts or proselytes, but no disciples. Isn’t that what Jesus told us to do? Make disciples?
I’m reminded of the passage in Acts 15 when the church had a huge committee meeting to determine whether the new Gentile converts needed to participate in all the Jewish rituals in order to become “real” Christians. It became such a big deal that Paul and Barnabas came back from the mission field and even Peter showed up to have a say. They came to this basic understanding (forgive me if I paraphrase): “What a ridiculous argument to be having! We know that God determined to save the Gentiles as they were, giving them the same Holy Spirit he gave us. Why on earth would we require them to perform the same rites and rituals we’ve been doing since we were Jews? He cleansed their hearts by faith, not by some outward show!”
What does this say to us?
Is it possible that what we understand, coming to the Bible with all the assumptions and cultural biases we have, that we might not understand everything about salvation? Is it possible that the five scriptures we use that belong to our favorite evangelistic method aren’t the only ones that are necessary for understanding Jesus? Could it be true that, while noble, our evangelistic intentions aren’t complete? Doesn’t God want more from us than proselytizing? Didn’t Jesus ask us to make disciples?
This leads us back to the subjective nature of discipleship. How do I know when someone is a disciple? The simple answer is, you don’t. We can’t know the hearts of men. All we can do, then, is lead by example. It seems that early teachers and philosophers had a pretty good method for teaching. They would take on one or two pupils at a time and let them observe. Then they simply lived their lives, engaging their disciples in conversations about life. In this way, the pupil learned from the master. It is the same with apprenticeship. The apprentice spends time with the master, learning from what the master does. When the time is complete, the apprentice strikes out on their own, eventually taking on their own pupil.
This creates tension for us, though, because it requires something from us we don’t want to give. It requires effort. It requires time. It requires patience and love. Evangelism in itself, while intense and demanding, is really the easy way out. When we make our efforts about winning a convert or making a proselyte, whether we succeed or fail, the job is done. Taking on a disciple not only requires an ongoing effort to teach and love, it requires us to be active all the time. Little is gained by telling an apprentice to “do what I say.” Only by actually doing the work ourselves can our disciples see what truly needs to be done. Then we’re never completely sure that they get it. It is, however, much more likely that they will if we give them an example. That’s why it’s not arrogant for Paul to tell other believers to “do what I do.” It’s simply discipleship.
May your eyes be opened to the need for discipleship. May you become the discipler Jesus needs you to be.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Shalom
Sunday night starts the most holy day of the year in the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This is the day of the year on which, traditionally, the sins of the nation of Israel would be forgiven. Being that the Jewish faith is the history of the Christian faith, I decided to do some research on Yom Kippur and found some interesting facts.
Even way back in the Old Testament, God was very interested in being at peace with his people and with his people being at peace with him. I find it somewhat amusing (sad?) that this was a very hard thing for them both to accomplish. The more I read the Old Testament, the more it sounds like the journal of an exasperated parent more than the musings of a lover. God simply wants his people to get it and be at peace, but they refuse to. So he implements these ceremonies that give visual, very clear pictures of what God wants from his people. There was a specific ceremony on this day involving two goats. One of the goats was sacrificed as a sin offering in accordance with those laws. The other was led out into the wilderness.
This second goat is the focus of an interesting visual. Upon this goal was placed all the sins of the nation of Israel, then it was released into the wilderness. This goat was set free. The visual picture is stunning. On the one hand, you have a sacrifice, we are familiar with that visual. Blood covers over sins, the sacrifice is burned, no more sin. But on the other hand you have this goat, being set free with the sins of Israel on it's head. Technically the sin still remains, but the goat is gone. And the Israelites saw it leave.
I wonder if it was frustrating for God to have to resort to minute detail and very specific ceremonies in order for his people to get what he was saying. I wonder if he wouldn't rather people just understand him. Instead, he had to send a goat into the wilderness for people to see their sins departing. I understand the wrath of God and I kind of get the holiness of God, but it seems that at his heart, like John says, God is love. I wonder if he wouldn't rather his people simply be at peace with him.
Which brings me to shalom. In researching this word, it has such a greater definition than peace. It means completeness, wholeness, perfection, health, safety, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony, welfare, soundness. It is this term that God desires for his people. Perhaps this Yom Kippur can be a day of atonement for us. Perhaps we can begin to be still and rest in knowing God is God. Perhaps we can begin to understand shalom.
Another interesting tradition in Jewish life is Erev Yom Kippur, the day before Yom Kippur. I believe this is just Jewish tradition, but I still find it interesting. On Erev Yom Kippur, people go to those whom they have wronged and ask for forgiveness. Before they seek atonement for their sins on Yom Kippur, they ask forgiveness from men. This sounds like Jesus when he exhorted us to leave our sacrifice at the altar to ask forgiveness from a brother we had wronged.
May your Yom Kippur be blessed and may you find shalom.
Even way back in the Old Testament, God was very interested in being at peace with his people and with his people being at peace with him. I find it somewhat amusing (sad?) that this was a very hard thing for them both to accomplish. The more I read the Old Testament, the more it sounds like the journal of an exasperated parent more than the musings of a lover. God simply wants his people to get it and be at peace, but they refuse to. So he implements these ceremonies that give visual, very clear pictures of what God wants from his people. There was a specific ceremony on this day involving two goats. One of the goats was sacrificed as a sin offering in accordance with those laws. The other was led out into the wilderness.
This second goat is the focus of an interesting visual. Upon this goal was placed all the sins of the nation of Israel, then it was released into the wilderness. This goat was set free. The visual picture is stunning. On the one hand, you have a sacrifice, we are familiar with that visual. Blood covers over sins, the sacrifice is burned, no more sin. But on the other hand you have this goat, being set free with the sins of Israel on it's head. Technically the sin still remains, but the goat is gone. And the Israelites saw it leave.
I wonder if it was frustrating for God to have to resort to minute detail and very specific ceremonies in order for his people to get what he was saying. I wonder if he wouldn't rather people just understand him. Instead, he had to send a goat into the wilderness for people to see their sins departing. I understand the wrath of God and I kind of get the holiness of God, but it seems that at his heart, like John says, God is love. I wonder if he wouldn't rather his people simply be at peace with him.
Which brings me to shalom. In researching this word, it has such a greater definition than peace. It means completeness, wholeness, perfection, health, safety, tranquility, prosperity, fullness, rest, harmony, welfare, soundness. It is this term that God desires for his people. Perhaps this Yom Kippur can be a day of atonement for us. Perhaps we can begin to be still and rest in knowing God is God. Perhaps we can begin to understand shalom.
Another interesting tradition in Jewish life is Erev Yom Kippur, the day before Yom Kippur. I believe this is just Jewish tradition, but I still find it interesting. On Erev Yom Kippur, people go to those whom they have wronged and ask for forgiveness. Before they seek atonement for their sins on Yom Kippur, they ask forgiveness from men. This sounds like Jesus when he exhorted us to leave our sacrifice at the altar to ask forgiveness from a brother we had wronged.
May your Yom Kippur be blessed and may you find shalom.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Pride (Not in the name of Love)
Throwing that title out for my friend Rick. U2 fans should get that one.
This morning I was spending some time reading and praying and I discovered something about myself that I knew, but didn't really grasp the depth of it. I did not like what I found. I am a prideful person. Perhaps most of us could say that, but I am a prideful person. I never realized how deep it goes, either. I'm reading John Burke's (No Perfect People Allowed) newest book "Soul Revolution" and was very convicted. Throughout the book he invites readers to take the 60-60 challenge. This is to spend 60 minutes a day with God for 60 days. In the first chapter he asks a couple of questions, "What do I really desire?" and "How will I really get it?" As I sat and thought about my answers, I didn't like the response I got from myself. I want really selfish things. I want people to like me. I want to be thought of as intelligent. I want to be thought of as cultured. I want people to come to me for advice. I want money. I want nice things. I am very ashamed as I write this right now. The other thing is (this hurts) I thought I was above all those desires.
It's a painful thing to realize how deep you are into this stuff. I only hope that I can allow myself to be rescued. In my spirit, I don't want to be like this. Deep inside there's a longing for me to let go of these desires and completely trust in the Father. I want to experience him in a very real way every day. I want to know him more.
I pray you'll all forgive me. This is one of the most painful things I've ever written. I would welcome your prayers.
This morning I was spending some time reading and praying and I discovered something about myself that I knew, but didn't really grasp the depth of it. I did not like what I found. I am a prideful person. Perhaps most of us could say that, but I am a prideful person. I never realized how deep it goes, either. I'm reading John Burke's (No Perfect People Allowed) newest book "Soul Revolution" and was very convicted. Throughout the book he invites readers to take the 60-60 challenge. This is to spend 60 minutes a day with God for 60 days. In the first chapter he asks a couple of questions, "What do I really desire?" and "How will I really get it?" As I sat and thought about my answers, I didn't like the response I got from myself. I want really selfish things. I want people to like me. I want to be thought of as intelligent. I want to be thought of as cultured. I want people to come to me for advice. I want money. I want nice things. I am very ashamed as I write this right now. The other thing is (this hurts) I thought I was above all those desires.
It's a painful thing to realize how deep you are into this stuff. I only hope that I can allow myself to be rescued. In my spirit, I don't want to be like this. Deep inside there's a longing for me to let go of these desires and completely trust in the Father. I want to experience him in a very real way every day. I want to know him more.
I pray you'll all forgive me. This is one of the most painful things I've ever written. I would welcome your prayers.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Make Disciples
I was just reading back over the Great Commission and something stuck out to me. I've heard many discussions on what Jesus meant when he said "go." I've heard some say Jesus meant "as you are going, make disciples" and I've heard others say Jesus meant "go and make disciples." The difference is subtle, but there. One implies Jesus means to actively go and make disciples, sort of a call to missions. The other implies that as you go about your normal activities, pursue relationships in which you could make disciples.
I'm not sure that either is 100% accurate. I am no Greek scholar, so I have very little credibility with this subject in the area of languages, but it seems to me that Jesus might not have been making a distinction. Perhaps the verb tense and usage are not as important as the simple idea that we are supposed to make disciples. It seems to me that Jesus is more concerned with our action in this area as opposed to our understanding of ancient languages. Now I'm all for scholarship and accuracy, but I think Jesus is more concerned with action and lifestyle.
I pray that I'm more focused on making disciples than debating theology.
I'm not sure that either is 100% accurate. I am no Greek scholar, so I have very little credibility with this subject in the area of languages, but it seems to me that Jesus might not have been making a distinction. Perhaps the verb tense and usage are not as important as the simple idea that we are supposed to make disciples. It seems to me that Jesus is more concerned with our action in this area as opposed to our understanding of ancient languages. Now I'm all for scholarship and accuracy, but I think Jesus is more concerned with action and lifestyle.
I pray that I'm more focused on making disciples than debating theology.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Jesus Wants to Save Christians
Just picked up this book by Rob Bell last Sunday. Remarkable! I've always enjoyed hearing Rob preach, but had a hard time getting into some of his books, but this one has been amazing! He walks through scripture parallelling Old Testament promises with New Testament realities. It's really been an incredible journey. Check it out!
Up next: The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre
Up next: The Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
