Gordon|W|P|Excellent post, Brother. I recently had the opportunity to go to Pascagoula, MS, with a group of several churches to help in the recovery effort. I was amazed at the overwhelming response of Christians from all over the country. All one need do is ask the local people have they seen the compassion of God's people.
I often remind our church that spiritual carnality is the result of an over-exposure and under-response to the truth.
How many of us have heard the Word of God taught with clarity and passion, only to be relieved with the sermon was over and without giving much additional thought to the message proclaimed, begin making dinner or recreation plans as the service draws to a close. I’m afraid we are missing the point. God tells us that we are not to be mere hearers of the Word, but doers also. Doing begins when we make a commitment to change or transform or yield to the truth of Scripture.
Too many Christians like our sermons short, preacher’s funny, but not pointed, our lessons practical without imposing and puhlease don’t keep us too long. Consumerism has so invaded and pervades the church today that most people approach the message, if not the entire worship hour, with a "what's-in-it-for-me" attitude.
We are surrounded today by all kinds of religious messages, forms of communication, venues of worship and instruction, outlets of media and infotainment. And yet, so many struggle with a daily, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. One Christian thinker pointed out, “There is nothing so spiritually deadening as constantly handling the outside of religious things.”
Perhaps it is time we stop and ask ourselves if we are still responding to the truth of the Word of God. Are we sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He calls us to repentance and righteousness? When was the last time that you, under the moving of the Holy Spirit, left your seat and made a public and personal decision to respond to the Lord’s leading or a directive of Scripture? Do you ever take time to search your heart with the convicting discernment of the Holy Spirit as the final hymn is being sung? Do we ever just pause and let God speak to us before we rush back to our busy lives?
Too many of our churches have hard hearts filling church pews. We make spiritual decisions rarely and often only if someone has managed to hit the right combination of emotional buttons. We look at church services as times of inspiration and information rather than worship and transformation. Our focus is too often directed at the preacher and preaching or worship leader and singing than at the Lord.
When we attend church, WE are not the audience…..God is. We are not the center of attention. He must be. We are not the players. He is. And we need to allow His Word to plow the hardness of our hearts and to reveal the shallowness of our faith so that we can respond with transparency and humility.
Maybe if that happened in churches across the country, we’d start seeing more souls saved, marriages salvaged, lives restored and discipleship occurring. Perhaps there’d be less gossip and more growth. Maybe there’d be less cynicism and more sacrifice. We might enjoy sweeter fellowship and less self-centeredness.
The next time your pastor begins to close his sermon, why don’t you stop and ask God, “What did you want me to hear today?” and then just be still and let Him speak to you. I think if we all did that there would be more tears on our cheeks and fewer hardened hearts in the pews.|W|P|113865380159489645|W|P|Hard Hearts in Church Pews|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com J. Mark Miller|W|P|Thanks, Dan, for this post. As a worship leader, I often feel the same way while viewing the reactions of the folks to the music, or the prayer, or the sermon, or whatever. So many (the majority) come through the door each and every week, spend their requisite hour in the pew, then walk right back out like nothing ever happened.My guess is because nothing did happen. Nothing at all. It breaks my heart on a weekly basis.
Thank God all the more for those who open up their hearts to Him in worship and response to His Word and Spirit.
The Bush Administration woke up last week to discover that after years of working with one terrorist organization in “Palestine”, an even worse terrorist organization had won power in a surprise electoral upset as the radical Palestinian political movement "Hamas" upset the ruling Fatah party which consisted of a moderate brand of Middle Eastern terrorism (This was the party of Yassar Arafat in case you'd forgotten). This is a glaring example of why Democracy is not the panacea for peace in the Middle East that many in the neo-con world of Washington think that it is.
It is simply impossible for democracy to work in a positive way without the presence of a moral and upright people. John Adams once said, “Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.” A nation cannot be governed in a democracy if the people are not first self-governed and evil people will consistently refuse to govern themselves – instead, they will elect equally evil leadership.
Yassar Arafat was a terrorist. Few in Washington had the moral courage to say it out loud, but it is an indisputable fact. He loathed Israel until the day he died. He either lacked the will to crush Hamas, feared them too much or secretly sympathized with them, but make no mistake – under his leadership Hamas continued to flourish and the soul of Israel is reddened by the blood of hundreds who were blown into eternity by fanatics who, until their last breath, believed that Jews have no right to exist and that killing them is a noble act.
This version of Islamic Extremism is deeply engrained across the Middle East. Were it not for the strength of the House of Sahd, Saudia Arabia would be in their clutches. Egypt’s Mubarek has also kept them somewhat at bay. Syria is dominated by the Extremists. Listen to the words of Iran’s radical President and again, you will see a duly-elected terrorist leading a nation which is perilously close to a nuclear bomb and which has as a national policy – a determination that Israel has no right of existence (as does Hamas). Does anyone remember Afghanistan’s Taliban – Extremists Muslims again.
The devotees of this brand of dangerous Islam are legion and there is every reason to believe that if one were to establish real democracies in many of these nations, they would chose to elect for themselves, leaders who are terrorists, extremists and despots bent on the destruction of Israel and the West.
While President Bush and State Department officials were donning their rose-colored glasses for another round of “peace negotiations” which ended up with Israel giving away their land to these terrorists, Muslim clerics were busily recruiting another generation of like-minded radicals which not only were willing to strap on explosive-laden backpacks, but which were mobilizing for political takeover as well. The purchased influence from the masses by providing welfare and healthcare funded by the “donations” of filthy oil barons made ridiculously wealthy by the West’s need for energy. (And let us pause here and reflect on the continued success the Democrats and environmental extremists have had in preventing further oil exploration and drilling in Alaska while our very economy is held hostage to these people.)
American and Western democracy has been successful because principled people who have largely been committed to absolute standards of natural law and commandments rooted in Scripture have elected leadership that reflects their values. Good people elect good leadership. Evil people elect evil leadership. It’s really not complicated.
Only fools believe that evil people influenced by evil ideas will somehow miraculously convert to peace-loving people who have a respect for the rule of law when they enter the polling booth.
It is because democracy is a two-edged sword capable of elevating either the good or the wicked to leadership that we must recognize that the hope of America is not found in politics, but through the preaching of the Word of God from holy pulpits. Changed hearts, changed lives and changed values are what will drive a nation to elect good and godly leadership. It is far more important for America to be sending Christian missionaries that teach the absolute and unchanging standard of Scripture than it is to play diplomatic footsie with people who are, at their core, despisers of that which is good and Godly.
Democracy is not the answer to this world’s problems. The Word of God – Jesus and Scripture – is the answer.|W|P|113856597681768837|W|P|When Democracy Goes Awry|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Last night, I was able to do some training with around 50 of our Bible Fellowship Teachers. I thought the fact that the Carolina Panthers were playing during the evening hour, there would be a light turnout. I was wrong – I can’t see that it affected us one bit which makes me proud of our folks not letting a football game change their pattern of worship and training. As it turns out, they didn’t miss much anyway….but there’s always next year!
I’ve had a few folks ask me about the hullabaloo around the newly released movie “End of the Spear” which is the story of martyrdom of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and three other missionaries in the Amazon jungle fifty years ago. It was recently revealed that one of the lead actors in the movie is Chad Allan – an open homosexual and an advocate of radical homosexual causes. The company that produced the movie – ETE Productions (Every Tribe Entertainment)– is a self-described “Christian” entertainment country allegedly designed to promote cinema and other entertainment opportunities which would have a Christian worldview. Additional questions arose questioning the lack of a clear presentation of the gospel in the movie.
People I respect and admire have rallied others around their disappointment in ways that range from letters of question or condemnation to pseudo-boycotts. This all seems to have come to a head in the last few weeks. Now for my part in the saga….
A couple of years ago, Steve Saint, son of one of the martyred missionaries – Nate Saint – spoke at the Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church (John MacArthur). One of my dearest friends and others who were there told me that Steve’s testimony was electrifying and challenging. On somewhat of a lark, I decided to contact Steve to see if he would be willing to come to Northside as a keynote speaker for our Global Outreach Conference which we hold the last week in February. To be my delight, he accepted an invitation and will be speaking at our Celebration Services on the last Sunday in February. I had no idea at the time that a movie was being made, that Steve would release a book by the same title or that there would be any unusual attention on his sttendance other than that garnered from his personal story.
I am delighted that Steve will be in our services in February. I have not, for a second, entertained any thought that I wouldn’t be anything but delighted or that I would make any changes in our plans. I have not seen the movie, but I have every intention of doing so. My friends who have seen the movie have told me it is wonderful, powerful and stirring. In fact, I’ve been amazed at how they and others have discovered that folks who have seen the movie, upon finding that Steve is scheduled to come to our church, have indicated that they plan on coming to hear his story personally. It looks like many will attend services that day just to hear and meet him – some that are unchurched and unsaved.
What are my feelings on the controversy? Let me sum them up briefly….
1. I’m generally not surprised when unbelievers act like unbelievers. Therefore, it really doesn’t surprise me to find out that Chad Allen is gay any more than it surprised me that a Catholic portrayed Jesus, that it was rumored that one of the player in the “Passion” was gay or that divorce or promiscuity is rampant among the vast majority of actors and actresses.
2. I’m disappointed that Every Tribe Entertainment lacked the discernment evidenced by their decision to hire a homosexual activist to portray an evangelical folkhero. It either shows an appalling “deafness” to how many conservative Christians think or a disturbing absence of wisdom and discretion….either way, it’s really quite a blunder. But again, most people wrapped up in the Hollywood culture are not known for their possession of a keen sense of moral absolutes.
3. I think Steve Saint’s comments regarding Chad Allen were the gracious words of someone who knows he can’t change what has already occurred, but at the same time recognizes that he might have the opportunity to reach someone who is obviously not a real follower of Jesus Christ. What would he have gained had he made a big stink about this? On the other hand, do you think he’ll be able to talk and converse with Mr. Allen due to his gentle response? It kind of reminds me of the times when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in Sychar or to the woman caught in adultery.
4. A movie is just that – a movie. A portrayal by people pretending to be people that they usually have never met and certainly do not know if the person they are portraying ever existed at all. It’s fantasy, acting, imagination. It’s NOT a sermon. It’s not Scripture. It’s not Truth. Call me simple, but I don’t watch movies expecting them to be true. I do enjoy them for their entertainment value and their ability to provoke thought and conversations – but rarely more than that. I felt that way about the “Passion” and I feel that way about “The End of the Spear.” It’s just a movie.
5. I love and appreciate people who want to take stands on moral issues, cultural trends and other issues. But I also think that we at times tend to be reactionary and at times excessive in our rhetoric. I don’t think Jason Janz (the individual who first and best made this situation public in the blogosphere) has been rhetorically excessive. I think he makes a valid point. I think communicating his thoughts to ETE was a wise thing to do. Beyond that, I don’t know that it matters all that much.
That said, I plan on seeing the movie. I’m very much looking forward to Steve Saint’s visit to our church. I was touched as a boy by the books written about these martyrs and I hope my children will be touched as well. Everyone who knows me or our church knows where we stand on homosexuality. That said, I hope and believe that Chad Allen will be called by the Holy Spirit to repentance better by our love and gentle, but straight words of truth more readily than through a good sound thrashing by over-wrought rhetoric. Speaking the Truth in love is an effective strategy and it also happens to be Biblical.
On other topics…
For Northsiders…I’m a little ticked off at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for having successfully recruited our beloved Director of Food Services from our ministry to join theirs. They tried to do so a couple of years ago and were unsuccessful. Unfortunately, this time they were. Stephen will be enjoying a significantly lighter work load in his new spot and we’re happy for the changes that will foster for him and his wife. We’re still looking forward to his ministry to us at the organ and in other ways across the Northside campus.
Again for Northsiders…we’re all looking forward to a fun time Saturday as we groom out the road bed for our new connection roads which will be part of our major parking lot reconstruction project this year. If you haven’t let us know you are going to be helping out, please call the church switchboard right away. If you want to bring tools, we suggest rakes, perhaps some wheelbarrows, gloves, lopping shears and light chainsaws (only if you are experienced using them). You’ll want to wear work boots as well as it is a bit muddy back in the woods. We’ll have biscuits in the a.m. and lunch a little after noon.
Today marks the anniversary of the infamous Roe vs. Wade anniversary….one of the darkest days in American history. The blood of 40 million babies cries for relief from the abortion mills of this country. An entire generation of young people with potential, souls and individual gifts has been lost forever. Let’s pray that new Supreme Court Justices Roberts and Alito take a stand for life in the future and that drifting and weak-willed Justices like Justice Kennedy realize that they have a responsibility to protect the lives of the pre-born. 
I hope that every adoptive parent will join me in thanking the Lord for those birthmothers who chose life for their infants and have graced so many Christian homes with beautiful children.
I’m out of time for tonight, but will try to update this blog as possible in the coming week.|W|P|113806772021021553|W|P|Monday Meanderings|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Cindy Swanson|W|P|Dan, your views on the "End of the Spear" controversy are balanced and wise. I am disappointed that ETE knowingly hired a gay actor, and I still believe it disrepects the memory of the slain missionaries. But your comments reflect a bigger picture. Thanks! Dan Burrell|W|P|Kim.Kim...I see from your profile and blog that you are a birthmother who chose life. I'm sure your daughter and her adoptive parents are very grateful that you chose life. But make NO mistake...Adoption and Abortion are not "separate" issues (for the record...there are 2 "a's" in separate, not 1). The are intricately interwoven. Many adoptable babies are aborted by mothers who (ironically enough) can not bear the thought of giving their children "away" -- so they have them dismembered in utero. It is naive and simplistic to be unable to link the two issues.
But thanks for reading my blog.
Dan
Christy|W|P|Dan, I would encourage you to read Steve Saint's book as it gives a more personal insight to his life and the relationship he has with the tribe. I have had to opportunity to hear Steve speak twice and both times were thrilling. My two oldest boys fell in love with Mincaya when he was with Steve at our church this last Christmas (BTW we attend the same church). It is unfortunate about Chad Allen, but your guess was correct, I cannot imagine Steve handling it any other way. B Chris Goeppner|W|P|remember me? chris goeppner, PBC...........nice post. its fun to find people from the past blogging. i'll check often. by the way my wife and i are adopting 2 from russia.
It’s Monday and I’m back in Boston. Last fall, I was asked to join the Board of Trustees of Boston Baptist College. If you’ll recall, I teach here each January and actually wrote a few articles a couple of weeks ago from Beantown. In all honesty, I have a LOT on my plate right now and I was a little hesitant to agree to be a part of another college board. I already sit on several and I don’t want to spread myself to thin.
But Boston Baptist is such a unique school in such a needy part of the country that I simply had no peace about saying no. My friend and peer, David Melton, just recently assumed the Presidency of BBC and I have several good friends and colleagues who are also on the faculty and administration.
I would simply say this as I get ready to enter into 3 days of meetings with them, if you have a passion for seeing young men and women prepared to minister in one of the most important parts of the world, you should check out Boston Baptist. I’ve worked there, visited there and have sent young people there. It is unique among Christian colleges on multiple levels. But it’s small – fewer than 200 students on a modest campus nestled in the old Hyde Part of Boston. They aren’t affiliated with a church. They don’t have any deep-pocket benefactors. If you send them $50 a month or write them a check for $1,000, it matters like it would in few colleges of which I know. I’d encourage any readers of this blog to contact me (dburrell@northsidebapt.org) if you’d like more information on how you could support this school financially. If you are a pastor, I’d give serious consideration to supporting this college in my monthly budget. (Individuals could do this also.) Vist their website at www.boston.edu. Consider giving them a one-time gift or finding out a specific need that they might have which you could fill (for example – they are constructing a new dormitory for 32 students which will need furnishing). Assisting their student scholarship fund is another way to be a practical blessing to both the school and a student. Boston Baptist is not a liberal arts college – It is specifically for those preparing for ministry. As such, they are largely ineligible for government support, grants from most charitable organizations and outside funding.
New England was once a launching point for the Gospel. Today, it is a mission field where few people go to church and fewer people are actually believers. I’m consistently challenged as I teach there at how the vast majority of the students enrolled there have as their goal staying in New England and planting churches or ministering in other ways right in their own front yard.
I’m actually jotting these notes as I am in flight from Charlotte. I understand that several inches of newly fallen snow await my arrival. It was in the 70’s in Charlotte last week. But I’m glad to be going to a place that is warm to training young people and I hope you’ll pray for and support in any other way in which the Lord leads you, Boston Baptist College
BTW….David promised us a trip to the Harvard Faculty Club this week as it was closed when I was there earlier this month. I’ll let you know if I get to go.|W|P|113806020888475348|W|P|Back in Beantown|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Hopefully, you'll be at a live worship service at a good Bible-teaching church tomorrow, but if your work or illness won't allow it (or if you are in a Western time zone), don't forget to stop by our live internet stream of the celebration service of Northside Baptist Church at 10:30 Eastern Time. You can access the correct page on our website by clicking HERE.|W|P|113787743432556594|W|P|Don't Forget to Watch|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
In Haggai, the people were dealing with famine, economic hardship and external threats because while God had recalled them to Jerusalem to rebuild his Temple, instead they had built ornate and sophisticated houses for themselves while the Temple project languished from inattention. Haggai calls the people to obedience and points out their lack of obedience has resulted in a loss of blessings.
For those who (mistakenly) think that only the experiences of the New Testament apply to today's believers, I'd point you to the book of Acts. Again, one of the first lessons in this record is simply this -- Don't expect blessings if you aren't obedient. Or perhaps more succinctly one can say, "Blessings follow obedience."
The opening scenes in the Book of Acts tells us that the disciples left the place of Christ's ascension and went to the upper room which was about a "Sabbath's Day Journey" to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. A Sabbath Day's journey was the maximum distance one was permitted to travel on the Sabbath under rabbinic law. It was two thousand cubits or about one-half to three-quarters of a mile.
They went to an upper room which was a common part of the residential architecture at that time. These top floor assembly areas were used for everything from guest houses to celebration halls. This one must have been part of a rather large house, because it held at least one-hundred-twenty people.
By returning to Jerusalem, they were obeying the directive Christ had given them. If the disciples, energized by the repeated appearances of Christ had run off to begin their ministry at this point, they would have fallen on their faces. They would have been absent of the most important ingredient of their ministry - the Power of God. This is where we find the tremendous lesson in this passage: Obedience precedes blessings. If they were to enjoy the power of God on their lives and ministry, they first had to obey him by returning to Jerusalem and waiting for the promised visitation.
I wonder how many of us are powerless in our Christian living and ministries because we presume that God will bless us in spite of our disobedience. Even more preposterous, we get frustrated with God because He doesn't accede to our demands while we ignore His. It is the height of arrogance for a Christian to anticipate God's blessing while living in disobedience.
Biblical obedience really isn't all that complicated. There are several characteristics that stand out to us through the example of Scripture.
First, it is current - Immediate, not when it is convenient or when we are convinced that we "should" obey. Jonah thought that he would or could obey God whenever it was convenient for him. Indeed, he took flight and went in the opposite direction after having received a directive from the Lord. Of course, we know it caused him to eventually have to endure a rather uncomfortable journey in the belly of a great fish. I'm sure he would have been quite the advocate for immediate obedience after that trip!
Biblical obedience is also complete obedience. Partial obedience is disobedience. Do you remember how Saul lost the blessing of God on his Kingdom? It was when he willfully chose to ignore a portion of God's command to totally wipe out His enemies. Instead, he partially fulfilled his task and saved some of the royal family and some of the livestock. As a result, God's prophet declared him a "rebel" and announced that God was "repenting" of making him King over Israel. From that point forward, Saul was little more than a lame duck. In God's economy, partial obedience is no obedience.
It is also contented obedience. Have you ever watched someone obey through gritted teeth? They may be obedient, but they aren't happy about it. When we obey with a wrong spirit, we lose the blessing of Biblical obedience. Once again, Jonah provides a good example of this. God used him to bring about the greatest revival a civilization might have ever seen as the wicked Assyrian Ninevites repented of their sin and God spared their lives. Jonah's response was bitterness, anger and discontent. Our last image of Jonah throughout Scripture is an unhappy man sulking in the desert heat asking God to kill him. Wow! Did he ever lose HIS blessing?
God never asks of us what we cannot perform or give. He is not limited by what we lack. He simply asks that we be willing to obey.
Let's not lose our blessings by refusing to obey the Word of God and the Spirit's call in our own lives.|W|P|113778441770726126|W|P|Of Blessings and Obedience|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I enjoy biographies and recently I read an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp in one of John MacArthur's commentaries that inspired and challenged me. Many of us have heard of one of the seven original churches in Asia Minor located in Smyrna. Smyrna is located about 65 miles north of Ephesus. Today it is still a city of a couple hundred thousand. During this time it was known for producing the ointment Myrrh. It was a beautiful city and it was the heart of Emperor worship being extremely loyal to Rome. The church at Smyrna was a persecuted church.
Polycarp was a bishop in the church and lived to be eighty-six years old. Christians were considered "Atheists" because they did not worship the myriad gods of the Greeks. The Romans, who ruled the world at that time, recognized the pagan gods of Greece and even the Jewish religion, but at that time, they did not recognize Christianity in any form. In an act of hatred toward the Christians, the leadership at Smyrna demanded that something be done about Polycarp - this influential Christian.
They began a search for Polycarp. He didn't want to run away, but was finally persuaded to do so by follow church members. He stayed with friends who were a short distance from the city. The government began looking for him throughout the countryside, but he had managed to slip away from house to house. Finally, the pursuers found two teenage boys and began torturing them looking for information about Polycarp. Eventually, one of the boys broke and confessed that he knew where he was and told them. They took the boy with them because their plan was to make Polycarp play the role of Christ by executing him and they would make this teen undergo the punishment of Christ's betrayer, which was done by hanging.
When they finally caught up with Polycarp, he might still have escaped, but he chose not to flee any more but to accept his fate. While the early church did not yield to the spiritual authority of the government, they did yield to their civil authority as we are commanded to do in the Scriptures. When they found him, he offered them a meal and asked for an hour to pray. For the next two hours, he prayed and in the small house in which he was staying he could be heard by everyone in it. So fervent were his prayers that some of those who had come to take him away began to repent that they had come against so godly an old man.
He was taken back to Smyrna. The local leader met him and tried to persuade him to declare Caesar as Lord and to sacrifice and to observe the ceremonies that worshipped Caesar as Lord. At first he was silent, but finally he said he wouldn't do it.
After that, they turned on him and threw him out of the chariot so fiercely that they dislocated his leg. But he walked of his own power into the stadium.
Once in the stadium, the people were screaming for bloodshed in a scene reminiscent of today's all-star wrestling venues. Again he was urged to recant. Still he refused. He said, "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior? I am a Christian. And if you wish to learn what the doctrines of Christianity are, appoint me a day, and thou shalt hear them. "
The proconsul then threatened to release wild animals on them to which Polycarp replied, "Call them then, for we are not accustomed to repent of what is good in order to adopt that which is evil: and it is well for me to be changed from what is evil to what is righteous." So the proconsul upped it even more and threatened him with being burned at the stake to which Polycarp replied, "Thou threatenest me with fire which burnethfor an hour and after a little is extinguished, but art ignorant of the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt."
They then burned him at the stake.
Polycarp was faithful to the end. May we each aspire to such a testimony.|W|P|113768519075007066|W|P|Even in Death, Polycarp Still Speaks|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Gordon|W|P|This reminds me of the story I heard about John R. Rice once, when two bootleggers threatened to kill him if he preached against whiskey again in a Kentucky revival meeting, he answered, "You can't threaten me with heaven!"Thanks for this inspiring post.
In the Inquirer's ongoing series on Evangelicalism, Rick Warren was featured in an article on the "Purpose-Driven Pastor." As I've stated, I'm not an anti-Rick Warren crusader who sees no good in anything he's written or done and relishes everything negative I can find on him or Saddleback. I've been to Saddleback twice, I've read Warren's books, I have friends who attend there and acquaintances on staff there. We use some of the principles of Purpose-Driven Church in our ministry. As with everything else I find in broader Christendom, I've appreciated the Biblical liberty I have to eat the meat and spit out the bones as I've had to do with so many other books, trends, sermons and movements. Discernment should prevent us from becoming blind sychophants and it should also permit us to see and appreciate the gifts that God has given him. Warren is no more the False Prophet of the Anti-Christ than is any other pastor or spiritual leader who gets swept up in his own pride or wanders unintentionally into something that is philosophically unsound. Always -- Always, we should examine every one who would say "Thus saith the Lord" from the foundation of Scripture -- both in word and deed.
With that said, I can't begin to express my aggravation and disappointment with what appears to be a direct quote from Warren in the Philadelphia Inquirer article.
Here's what it said...
Warren predicts that fundamentalism, of all varieties, will be "one of the big enemies of the 21st century."
"Muslim fundamentalism, Christian fundamentalism, Jewish fundamentalism, secular fundamentalism - they're all motivated by fear. Fear of each other."
The reasons for offense are myriad.
First, to lump fundamentalist Christianity into the same pile of heresy as Muslim, secular and other "fundamentalism" is ignorant and dishonest. Such a shocking overstatement is intellectually offensive. It puts Warren squarely in the league of rhetorical excess as demonstrated by Ray Nagin, Hillary Clinton and Pat Robertson. And thus, he owes broader fundamental Christianity an apology for such an egregiously outrageous statement.
If he doesn't understand the differences between Christian fundamentalism which is based on an absolutist worldview that Truth is God and God is Truth and found in the Living Word of God (Jesus) and the written Word of God (the Bible) and the beliefs of any other religion, philosophy or worldview which rejects that Absolute Standard, then he needs to be quiet. It's better to be silent on subjects wherein one is ignorant than to elocute foolishly and be found a fool.
The Battle for Truth is the single most important battle that has ever been waged. It's first shot in Creation was fired in Eden and it rages to this day. To imply that Fundamental (Orthodox) Christianity is tantamount to orthodox Islam, Judaism or Secularism is profoundly absurd. They are polar opposites theologically. Whereas the "middle ground" may be acceptable in politics, social relationships and personal preferences, it is the broad way to destruction spiritually. As I often say, "Compromise is the lifeblood of politics, but it is the deathknell of theology." Truth matters. It is the foundation on which everything else is anchored.
Beyond that, to simplistically reduce fundamentalism to a position motivated by or based upon fear is equally absurd.
First, fear is not always a "bad thing." Lose the fear of pain or death and people will be jumping off buildings, driving 180 miles an hour on curvy roads and playing Russian Roulette with impunity. The Scripture tells us that the "fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." It is the fool who refuses to fear God and the consequences of ignoring His Truth.
Secondly, one cannot comprehend fear if he is not aware of security. If you love flowers, you hate weeds. If peace is important to you, then conflict and war should disturb you. Fear is what we should feel when we ignore or reject Truth.
Finally, fundamentalist Christianity is not simply about fear. To say such a thing would be the equivalent of saying that people who prefer a sonata played by a concert pianist over the random plunkings of a toddler are motivated by "fear". Fear is not what should motivate us as much as it is the consequence of knowing truth and then examining our own depraved condition in light of that truth. I should be scared spitless at the thought of standing in judgment before a righteous and holy God. But equally powerful is the love that same God extended toward me through the sacrificial and vicarious death of His Son. The love rescues me from fear. The person riding in a car down a road where a bridge has been destroyed knows no fear in his ignorance. But those who understand the devastating impact of sin, the complete inability of man to save himself and the inevitability of death and eternity should indeed have a fearful response to his impending destruction. Thus, the light of God's love shows us a narrow and singular escape from our destruction -- complete and total submission to His plan for our salvation through Jesus Christ.
Warren's attempt to smugly and neatly stereotype all forms of fundamentalism into one common package is just wrong. Once again, we see an iconclastic spiritual "guru" hop onto the infallibility of his own perceived authority and say something confusingly stupid. Like so many others before him, Robertson, Graham, Schuller and others, he missed an opportunity to make a clear and bold statement for the gospel by attempting to ingratiate himself to the masses and the media. He (and they) should know better.
But this can serve as a warning to all of us pastor-types and even some of us bloggers. Words matter. Thus we should speak slowly and carefully. Think about the implications of our statements. Strive for humility. And when we get it wrong -- quickly and forcefully admit and correct our error.|W|P|113759819539865799|W|P|All Fundamentalists are NOT the Same, Mr. Warren|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Kim|W|P|Perhaps if Mr. Warren rubbed shoulders with the world a little more, i.e. on a secular college campus, it would be achingly clear that there are those of the other "fundamental" religions that are realizing how that they do not really have any lasting fundamentals to stand on at all. That's where we see fear, in the absence of those important fundamentals. At a literature table today, a Muslim student said pretty much insinuated that to us. And these kind of searching comments come to us week after week. Thanks for speaking up on this. Nephos|W|P|I appreciate your thoughts. I'm reminded of the warning of James 3:1, followed by the passage on the power of the tongue!Thanks for the balanced perspective.
To some, this post will seem self-serving. Such a response would be cynical and after struggling with the thought that some might misunderstand what I'm about to address, I've decided to go ahead and write about it.
Have you ever considered that shepherds sometimes hurt?
By shepherd, I mean pastors. The guys who stand before congregations large and small several times a week trying to share a Biblical Truth that will take root in the hearts of those who listen. The one who marries and buries people. The one who misses family events so that he can be there when you need him. He listens to your problems and prays with you and cries with you. He sits in his office late at night praying that God will inspire him to preach one more sermon, solve one more problem, write one more lesson, carry one more burden even though he feels empty and drained.
This week, I've heard from a pastor who was attacked by his best friend. I corresponded with one who has a child who is absolutely breaking his heart. I've left messages for a young man who wants to be a pastor and whose child is fighting a life-threatening illness. I've prayed for three different men in the ministry whose depression gets so bad that they can barely get out of bed some days. I listened as a bi-vocational pastor shared his dream to buy an abandoned old building in a major metropotian area and which is one of only two properties even remotely available to use as a church --- asking price? $12 million. I learned of a missionary who has lost 50% of his support since his last furlough. I know of several pastors whose wives are struggling with cancer. I regularly hear from pastors who have a member, or a small contingent of disgruntled folks, who are bent on forcing them to quit often using tactics that would make the mob blush. These guys are broken, frightened, have young families and feel all alone.
There are tremendous blessings in ministry. Please don't infer anything different. Good shepherds don't enter the ministry because of the glamour -- they do so because they are obedient to the calling. But that doesn't mean that they don't hurt and struggle.
Therefore, I want to offer some suggestions on how you might want to help your (under)-shepherd when he is hurting....
First, genuinely pray for him. Not, the kind of pray that is more of a glib expression than a certain reality. Not the kind of prayer that includes world peace, everyone who is hungry and Cousin Jethro's upcoming parole hearing in the same breath. But an intense and personal prayer which asks the Lord's protection on him body, soul and spirit, that he be filled and walking in the Spirit, that his family would be encouraged, that he would be edified by the church and that he would have unusual wisdom and stamina. Very specific prayers for very specific and real needs.
Secondly, allow your pastor to be human. Every pastor knows that certain professions have an aura in which people don't really want to think of them in anything other than professional terms. The President of the United States, the Pope, your doctor, celebrities -- we really don't want to think of them as having things like dirty laundry, requiring oil changes in their vehicles or wanting to sit in the living room in old comfortable clothes watching an NFL playoff game. But pastors are people too. Our kids get detentions. The dog piddles on our carpeting. We wake up in surly moods sometimes. Our breath smells when we eat garlic. It's life and we live it. Don't have unrealistic expectations of him or his family. Let him enjoy a day off. If you don't have to call until business hours, give him that courtesy. Don't be upset with him when he reschedules a meeting so that he can see his son play basketball or his daughter play a recital piece.
Next, if you offer a criticism -- be kind and offer suggestions. If you are leader, you will be criticized. If you can't deal with that -- you have no business in leadership. But there are different kinds of criticism. There's what my dad used to call "belly-aching" -- which is generally just an unpleasant venting and criticizing session. Then there's also constructive criticism which not only identifies a problem, but which offers a solution. Don't be offended if your pastor already knows its a problem, but hasn't come up with a solution or if you offer a solution and he tells you why it won't work. If both of you try, you might be able to continue the dialogue until a reasonable solution or an acceptance of the current state is reached. Pastors should not be afraid of good suggestions and valid criticisms -- when we cut ourselves off from feedback, we make ourselves less effective.
Fourth, make sure your pastor is getting some "recharge" time. Most evangelical pastors that I know (not all, but definitely MOST) work 60 hours or more per week. Even when they aren't at work, they are generally on "call." If they take Saturday's off, they do so with the pressure of the next day weighing on their mind throughout the day. Add to their schedule evening services, meetings, events and visitation and you'll find that their schedule can deplete them physically, emotionally and spiritually over time. FORCE/REQUIRE your pastor to take periodic vacations. Make it possible for them to attend conferences or go on a missions trip each year. Work to protect their private time. If you own a personal retreat or have access to a secluded getaway, offer to let him go there to study and read and plan and rest. Many pastors struggle with depression and discouragement and a few days each month spent planning and refreshing themselves will help them rid their minds of the clutter that weighs them down.
Also, make your comments to them about such exercises positive. Every pastor I know endures comments like, "Wow...I wish I got a car as part of my compensation package!" or "It must be nice to be able to work only 1 day a week." or "Sure must be sweet to take a vacation and call it a conference." I could list a hundred cruel things said to pastors when they are trying to make themselves more effective in the ministry that truly suck the joy out of what you are doing. People are often just trying to be witty (they failed) or they are simply petty and small-minded when they say it, but it adds guilt and robs joy from the pastor.
Next, give your pastor professional tools and privileges. A cell phone is a must today. Take care of his travel costs as he ministers. Give him a book allowance. Send him to seminary classes if he so desires. Every real professional must take professional development work. Lawyers, doctors, teachers, architects, contractors, real estate agent and many other professionals must take continuing education courses and seminars or they will not be recertified in their fields. Should not the one whose responsibility it is to watch over your souls be afforded the same courtesy?
Finally, be thoughtful. Offer to watch their kids so the pastor and his wife can get a night away. Remember his birthday or the anniversary of his call to your ministry. Allow him to vent privately or be humanly frustrated without using it as fodder for gossip to others. Let him know when he does something that makes a difference in your life. Protect him from the unkind words or actions of others. If you'll minister to him, he'll be a better minister to you.
I'm not writing this from any sense of deprivation in my own life. After 23 years in the ministry, I realize how blessed I have been by the people I've served. But there are a lot of guys out there who are struggling and could use a word of encouragement or a reminder that what they do matters. If you'll invest in your pastor, he'll be better able to invest in you.|W|P|113742005706598638|W|P|When Shepherds Hurt|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com David Beck|W|P|Hello Pastor Burrell,Since you claim to think outside the box, may I graciously offer a reason why the problems you cited in "When Shepherds Hurt" are so pandemic.
People who claim to be Christians have made so many contracts with the World that they cannot help but live lives that will ultimately be racked by those hurts. Pastors are right in the middle of it. Not having the resources they have, working 60 hours a week and all the rest of it a merely symptoms of what happens when we choose to become a friend of the World and in doing so make ourselves an enemy of God.
The church grafts itself to the World chiefly through its 501c3 contract wherein the leadership says to God, "We're giving lip service to you about how you'll provide, but instead we really have to put our trust in Caesar to get us a bunch of cool stuff."
If you are interested in looking further outside the box, I invite you to look at my website, www.yourownjesus.net.
Thanks for allowing me to have input here.
David
Ken Lewis|W|P|Leading people is hard and leading people through influence rather than direct authority is even harder. I have long said that Pastors, teachers and police/military members are the most important and least appreciated (paid) professions in our society. These professions continue to demand a 'calling' to join because you sure wouldn't sign on for fame or fortune.
Thank God we have committed and talented leaders across this nation and around the world who are willing to commit their lives to sharing the Gospel and ministering to others. Knowing the great majority of fine men of God could make a lot more money and enjoy more time with their families (with a lot less stress) outside of ministry makes their sacrifice all the more noteworthy.
I pray that more well meaning followers will come to better appreciate their pastoral staff and behave like it.
Because I'm holed up in a motel room working this week during the afternoons, I've had the opportunity to catch a pretty regular stream of the hearings for Samuel Alito as a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. I understand politics and how it works. I understand how politics works in a world covered by the electronic media second by second.
That said, this is absolutely one of the most nauseating and absurd political exercises that has ever been inflicted upon the American populace and it absolutely shows in perfect detail that complete and total intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the Democratic party as this once proud political institution finds itself hostage to the most extreme and maniacal element of any political party this side of Greenpeace.
The Supreme Court hearing process has turned into the equivalent of a barbaric gauntlet wherein men and gals wearing expensive suits stand in two lines and those on the left side of the line do their best to beat the stuffing out of the nominee while some of those on the other side do their best to pull him through to the end. Those doing the "beating" have no rules of decency, do not care about the family members of the person they are beating, will use anything they can find or manufacture to swing for the beating and have a singular goal -- to land as many blows as possible in the hope that one of them will destroy the individual making their way through the guantlet. They are no less savage than those who performed this primitive ritual in days gone by.
If I was a Democrat, I'd be ashamed --- ASHAMED to have people like Chucky Schumer, Joe "the Plagiarist" Biden, Teddy Kennedy and the lesser liberals represent me and my party. They lied, they accused, they berated, they lectured, they pontificated, they lied some more. In their extremist world, a person who conscientiously objects to abortion is unqualified to serve the public even though somewhere over 50% of the people in this country are opposed to some forms of abortion. Isn't it sad that they stake their whole political identity on the right of women and doctors to murder pre-born children?
The Democrats have made Joe McCarthy look like an altar boy. Their arrogance and viciousness should anger dignified and civilized people. They have defamed and abused the good name Alito has worked a lifetime to acquire. I can't imagine a more barbaric exercise being televised -- and Democrats are against public or televised executions? Why?
Just now they are reporting that Mrs. Alito left the room in tears. Perhaps that says it all. What kind of person could sit in a room while the person they love most is verbally flayed for two days without it affecting them? No wonder people don't want to serve this country on courts....who in their right mind would want to endure this.
Several years ago, I spent nearly an hour with Justice Clarence Thomas in his office in a private appointment. We talked about his hearings and the viciousness he had endured. I looked on his walls and they were covered with framed editorial cartoons that chronicles the attacks madeon him. Fifteen years after he had been seated, Justice Thomas remembered. Every day he remembered. He is now immune to their cutting remarks as he sits in a job where he can't be dismissed on a whim. But make no mistake, he remembers.
These people are human. They bleed when they cut. And I hope the future Justice Alito will never forget what the liberals, the elected tyrants, the liars and demagogues who have trashed his reputation did to him in January of 2006. I have no doubt from what I've seen and heard what kind of man Lance Alito is that he will never resort to revenge from the bench. But I hope he gets a small thrill, when he takes the constitutional position that abortion is not a guaranteed right under the constitution. He will survive this gauntlet. I just hope his heart and soul does.
I hope history buries Chuck Schumer in the scrapheap of forgotten demagogues where he so richly belongs and the sooner, the better.
Note to my BBC students....if you've watched any of this on TV, you are watching the consequences of a worldview that is both postmodern and relativistic. For the liberals, the means are irrelevant, goals are primary and not subject to morale confines and changing rules and definitions are perfectly acceptable as tactics.|W|P|113702097797228268|W|P|No Wonder People Despise Politicians|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com m11_9|W|P|Maybe it will change, but liberals control the process so much that the conservatives actually lie about thier past thoughts. A paraphrase, "I have never discussed or formed an opinion on Roe, and will approach it with an open mind". Wasn't that Thomas? If it were not for abortion politics the process could be more open and honest, but that third rail has caused even the conservatives to hide thier true views and become stealth candidates. You folks are just told to 'trust' the president, when he hasn't earned that trust otherwise(especially by never vetoing anything, ever, in 5 years, which should be completely unacceptable to true conservatives)
This entry comes from the historic city of Boston -- home of Boston Baptist College (formerly known as Baptist Bible College East). BBC is the only Bible college in the state that is recognized the state board of higher education and under the leadership of dedicated educator, David Melton, this school is making significant strides into being a beachhead for training young New Englander's for reaching this needy area of the country with the Gospel.
This is my fourth year of teaching at BBC. Every one who graduates from BBC must take the course that I teach. (I actually teach the front end of a 2-week interterm course -- I provide the heavy lifting of 25 hours of lectures on Worldview, Philosophy, Comparative Religions and Apologetics. Next week, they begin work on an application practicum, visit some non-Christian institutions and do some practical exercises.) It's a pretty intensive topic. For example today we compared a Theistic Worldview with a variety of other perspectives including Pantheism, Panetheism, Atheism, Naturalism, Postmodernism, Existentialism, Nihilism, New Age and a lot of other "isms". Watching students try to get their intellectual arms around the nihilistic and existential concepts of ultimate reality, living in a box of experience and the ramifications of those philosophies is a fascinating and challenging exercise. Those that don't slip into a coma, end up with a level of discernment that will be a useful tool as they challenge a culture that has long since abandoned a Biblial Worldview.
Each year, I enjoy taking in a different facet of Boston and the surrounding area. I hope I will be able to eek out a couple of hours to do that this year. One of the highlights of this week is when President Melton, a Harvard alum, takes us to the Harvard Faculty club for lunch. They serve a banana/bread pudding there that certainly was first created in Heaven. (It might well be the most spiritual thing on the entire campus.) It's a blast to sit in a dining room decorated with over-stuffed chairs, cherry paneling, art and sculptures as tweed-jacketed professors (replete with leather-patch elbows) hold conversations in foreign languages about topics I don't even fake trying to comprehend. I feel smarter just being in the room. I always keep thinking, "How did I end up here from Moberly, Missouri (my hometown)?"
I do have a few observations about my time in Boston....
- I always think of New Englanders as fairly-well educated folks. If that is this case, I'm always amazed at how many of them smoke. Maybe its because they have strict indoor smoking laws or something, but there are a LOT of smokers here...or at least more than I expected and I live in North Carolina. As for good breeding, I dropped by a mall earlier this evening and some 20-something lady with a baby and holding a cigarette hocked up a loogie and nearly spit it on my shoe as I was walking by her.
- I'm quite surprised at the number of Muslims in this neck of the country. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering some of them used Boston's Logan Airport as a starting point on 9/11, but everywhere I turn, there's another Muslim family, speaking Arabic and wearing their garb. Of course, I see a lot more in Charlotte than one would think as well.
- It makes me sad to see all the old churches that once actually were part of the work of the Gospel and which now are nothing more than social clubs or dead monuments to what once was. The place of Moody and other great revivalists is now a cold mission field in need of a new spiritual awakening.
- In a wierd quirk, along Interstate 93, it is legal to drive on the shoulders of the roads during certain hours. It is unnerving to see folks buzzing along the break-down lanes at 70 mph. But it is also cool and I always try to drive on them as well just for the cheap thrill of it all.
- The food in Boston is just great all the way around. From Italian to Seafood to everything in between, it is just great. I'd weigh 300 pounds if I lived here.
- We are experiencing a heat wave here. It's been in the 40's daily. Two years ago, I don't believe it got above 0 degrees most days and and every year it seems to snow. I'm thinking people who buy natural gas to heat their homes gotta' be happy about this warm snap.
Well, that's my update. Nothing substantive, but just some miscellaneous thoughts as I enjoy teaching another generation of Boston Baptist graduates.
|W|P|113694705208045044|W|P|Greetings from Boston|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Four-day work weeks are mixed blessings. I enjoyed taking Monday off, but of course that leaves me with the same work crammed into four days. My blog numbers have been at record levels this week and I’ve been getting a lot of “fan” and “not-a-fan” email (more of the former than the latter, I would hasten to add). I don’t have time for a whole-blown blog entry for today, but I have a lot of niggly little comments I’m going to post to allow some desk clearing. So, as usual, in no particular order….
1. Next week, this blog will be brought to you from Boston (technically Dedham), MA where I will be teaching a Senior Level Course at Boston Baptist College where my good friend, David Melton is the new President. This is my fourth year teaching this course and I really look forward to it. The course includes philosophy, worldview, comparative religions and some apologetics. Coma-inducing for slow thinkers, but more fun than Disney if you like intellectual exercises. David Melton holds a graduate degree from Harvard and is one of the rising young-stars among fundamentalist thinkers. Boston Baptist is a small, but important school that is training young people to stay in the New England area – one of the most needy and hardened parts of the country.
2. It’s interesting for me to see which of my blog entries create the most interest. Without a doubt, the top interest article in 2005 was my “Review of the News for Fundamentalists and Evangelicals”. I’ve been linked to some very large aggregators, linked to multiple blogs, received inquiries and comments from folks ranging from the editor of a top Evangelical Magazine to Pastors and administrators of schools. The greatest criticism and commentary has come from my Catholic friends – several of whom are great guys with excellent knowledge of their beliefs. Apparently, I have made some within the leadership of some of the Fundamentalist institutions I mentioned a bit “nervous” to which I would reply, there’s no reason to be anxious unless you have something about which to be anxious. I’m not Geraldo, for Pete’s sake. With my thoughts and 50 cents you can get a cup of coffee. But remember this, you often learn more from your critics than you do your complementors, so think about it. And yes, I’m still going to post something about the state of Fundamentalist Christian institutions in the weeks to come.
3. I didn’t post anything about Pat Robertson (at least this time) and his asinine statements regarding the illness of Prime Minister Sharon. He should be ashamed to share the title of “Stupidest Comments of the Week” with none other than the President of Iran. I do believe his comments are indicative of an arrogance that goes hand-in-hand with our national propensity for turning religious leaders into icons. He’s unaccountable, arrogant and disruptive. I received correspondence from one of our faithful and dear missionaries who has served the Lord with New Tribes Missions in Venezuela for years. They are finalizing their packing as they have been expelled by the “Dictator” of Venezuela who, reacting to stupid earlier comments by Robertson that suggested the US should assassinate Chavez, expelled all the missionaries. Their expulsion and the spiritual impact it causes is on Robertson’s hands as far as I’m concerned. Other than that, Robertson is not worthy any more of my ink.
4. I’m giving my annual “State of the Church” message this week to the membership of Northside Baptist. I may put portions of it on this blog sometime next week or you can hear it at www.northsidebaptistchurch.com. Beginning this month, you may also view our services in their entirety via live video stream from your computer.
5. I don’t think the Republicans really realize how bad the November elections are going to be for them unless they get their acts together and NOW. I predicted last year that they would lose at least one of the houses of Congress if nothing changes before November and I’ve seen nothing happen that would make me change that prediction.
6. John Piper is one of the most interesting guys I read. Some of his stuff really challenges me. I’ve been put off a few times by other positions associated with him including the recent controversy on accepting paedobaptism as legitimate (though their elders have recently put that position ‘on hold’.) Particularly disturbing is one of their statements in their articles of belief that sounds too much like progressive justification for me. But he is one of the most prolific Christian pens going right now and is, without a doubt, a major voice of evangelical Christianity today. News is now public that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Though the prognosis looks good, we should still be praying for this brother.
7. Lots of folks asked me for my opinions on the Narnia movie and King Kong. Liked Narnia. Didn’t like Kong.
8. I get a lot of emails…I mean a LOT. Often more than 100 a day. I find that I’m just overwhelmed trying to answer them all. Particularly for our Northside family, I want to assure everyone that I personally read every single email. I do my best to respond to as many as I can. (In fact, I plan on spending a lot of my down time in Boston doing just that.) However, I just can’t humanly reply to every single one as much as I’d like to do so. Please forgive me if you don’t hear back from me, but do know I appreciate hearing from folks and I do read every one I receive. I’m not trying to be rude, I’m not important, you ARE important – there’s just not enough time in my life to always do what I’d like to be able to do.
And with that, I need to run. Be in church on Sunday! Make it your plan to be engaged in the worship by praying, listening, singing, responding. Find someone near you and reach out to them in edification. Make it your mission to encourage them. And as always, thanks for reading my lil’ ol’ blog!|W|P|113658077541206878|W|P|Friday Odds-n-Ends|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Gordon|W|P|Sadly, I agree with your comments per Pat Robertson. Do you think he feels the need to generate interest in his ministry by making such ridiculous statements or is he that impulsive?
If someone were to ask you if the church you attend is “friendly”, I imagine that you – as most others – would answer, “Sure!” I mean, “we’re” friendly, aren’t we? We shake hands, we know folks, we pray for each other, we give the visitors special parking and a little sticker to put on their lapel. Doesn’t that qualify as “friendly?”
As a transplant to “true” Southern culture (not to be confused with the culture of South Florida where I previously lived), I have found that we often confuse being “friendly” with being a “friend”.
In our minds, perhaps. We “aim” to be friendly. We “feel” friendly. We even want to be friendly. But probably, in too many churches, guests feel like outsiders in spite of our intentions.
When you consider how much effort is spent trying to get people to come into the church, you’d think that we’d be a little more mindful of how we treat them once they do drop in for a visit. We advertise, promote, invite and even bribe people to come visit our church, yet there is growing evidence that we are putting our attention in the wrong place.
Studies have shown that the single most important factor in predicting whether a church will grow is not the number of visitors that come through the doors; it is the percentage of them that stick around. It is the Velcro Factor; not the Magnet Factor.
Research indicates that there is very little difference between growing churches and churches that are at a plateau with respect to the Magnet Factor. Both growing churches and stagnant churches have visitors. Both have around 3% - 5% visiting. This is plenty of visitors to meet, evangelize, disciple and get to know. The big difference between growing churches and flat-lined churches is that in growing churches, the visitors stick around. Growing churches are sticky. This is the single most important factor in predicting the growth of a church – The Velcro Factor.
The single most important factor in predicting the Velcro factor is the Attention Factor - how much personal attention we pay to visitors. The single best way to pay attention to visitors is to see that someone - and hopefully several someones - invite visitors to lunch, pizza or an evening of fellowship. The single most important factor in predicting whether people invite visitors to lunch is the example of the leadership (pastor, staff, deacons, teachers, disciplers, class officers, ...).
Now keep in mind that in many cases we might even be dealing with folks who do not have a relationship with Christ. Perhaps they came as a result of a special invitation from someone, maybe they are going through a crisis in their life, maybe there was a special speaker or even that drew them into your church. In these cases, building a relationship wherein we can communicate the Gospel of Christ is of utmost importance.
Few people will stumble into a church, hear a gospel sermon and find themselves at an altar repenting of their sins and accepting God’s grace for eternal life. In today’s culture, people are often cynical or at least inquisitive. The idea of quickie conversions that largely consist of an emotional response to a manipulative message and crowned with a repeat-after-me prayer is as ludicrous as it is unscriptural. Indeed, some conversions are faster than others – we must not take shortcuts to teaching the full message of the gospel to those being called by the Holy Spirit to salvation.
Part of communicating the gospel is establishing a relationship, ascertaining one’s spiritual need and patiently answering questions and explaining Truth. This means we need people skills and a spirit of hospitality. That’s why Paul reminded us that we are “Ambassadors” of Christ Jesus – our demeanor, our attitude, our love for people are all used by the Lord as He draws people to Himself.
Perhaps this is why Paul noted that hospitality is to be a qualification for leadership in the Christian church: Church leaders must "be given to hospitality." Titus 1:7-8
We must not only have guests in our home or take them to lunch or invite them to an event with us, but we should enjoy it. It is the most important thing. If we do that, we can lead others to do so. If we do that, we can enjoy a healthy Velcro Factor and see plenty of visitors join, many of them accepting God's love for them for the first time.
Since beginning to think about this, I’ve watched the behavior in my own church – not just our members, but my own. Often, it is easy to spot a new face and go up and welcome them warmly, shake their hand and ask them how they are doing. But then, we tend to move quickly on to more familiar territory where conversations are conducted and continued. Hugs are exchanged. Plans are made.
As a pastor, I’ve rarely experienced what it is like to attend a church as an “outsider” for the first time. I’m either in my role as a pastor or I’m an invited guest to speak. I recall visiting in a large church in Greenville, South Carolina a few years ago with a black friend and noting the underlying racial tension that existed in what was an all-white congregation. I can remember wanting to bolt from the door feeling out of place and uncomfortable.
I’m committing to becoming more hospitable to those around me. Whether it is toward the waitress at the restaurant that waits on me regularly or the family that’s just moved to town and are looking for a church (and a doctor and a barber and the right grocery store), I want to go beyond being “friendly” and genuinely be a “friend.” Somehow I think if I change my focus on what is really “friendly behavior” I’ll be able to point them to Christ and His family with greater ease and success.|W|P|113649697355707571|W|P|Factors of Friendliness in Church|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
The edgy and controversial new movie, “Brokeback Mountain” has been an instant favorite of the artsy and leftist Hollywood crowd and liberal activists and the recipient of fawning reviews of the majority of professional reviews. It is being depicted as a “breakthrough” movie which will forever change the way we view homosexuality, cowboys and homophobia. If I were a betting man, I’d say the producers should start writing their Oscar speeches as the Academy loves to recognize financially unsuccessful, but snobbishly liberal movies like this one at the annual Academy Awards.
I’m a big fan of westerns and cowboy stories and the whole American Expansion genre of movies, books and art. However, I have no more interest in paying eight bucks to view a propaganda piece which has been created to trash Christian values or promoting unbiblical ones than I am in sitting in a brightly lit gulag listening to a tape of Fidel Castro espouse the virtues of Communism.
That said, Al Mohler offered a commentary (see at www.albertmohler.com) recently that provoked a lot of thought in my own mind and some interesting conversations with male friends of mine. Mohler, President of Southern Seminary and a leading evangelical thinker and scholar, opined on the impact that the in-your-face promotion of homosexuality is causing on authentic relationships between men. I think he has a point.
In the “Brokeback Mountain” story, apparently two cowboys fall in love, marry women while maintaining a private sexual relationship between themselves which revolves around periodic trips into the wilderness under the guise of fishing or hunting. Using soft camera focus and “tasteful” editing, the producer works to convince the viewer of the beauty of their physical relationship that centers on their homosexual attraction and the pain they have because their love is not accepted by an [implied] bigoted culture.
When I was a kid, groups of teenage boys thought nothing of heading for the woods for a few days of fishing, exploring – even skinny dipping. Men often went on trips together to enjoy some male fellowship, hearty exercise or sport and the kind of camaraderie that most women would find unappealing, if not irritating. It wasn’t about anything remotely sexual. It was just a couple of guys or a group of men hanging out, enjoying their friendship and being – well…men. There was usually food involved, some gross conversation, a complete absence of scatalogical discretion and often a good deal of rough housing. But there was absolutely no kissing. None.
What is commonly called today, "Male Bonding" has historically been an important part of a man's life and part of attaining manhood. It's where brothers made memories with each other. It's when fathers and sons discussed the important and the mundane. Whether on a ball field, on a fishing trip, in a gym lockerroom or at a Church men's retreat, there were life lessons that could best or only be taught when guys get together.
Today, we have a culture that has sexualized so much of life that there is almost a stigma attached to the kind of relational non-sexual intimacy that men used to enjoy and take for granted. Men think twice before giving a hug and thumping someone on the back with affection. Sharing a tent, taking a cross-country trip or popping someone on the rear-end with a towel after a hard-fought basketball game is likely to invite smirks or raised eyebrows by people who have now bought into the notion that men can’t be close friends without there being some sort of underlying homosexual attraction.
Extremist gays have gone as far as to suggest that relationships recorded in Scripture between men like David and Jonathan, Paul and Barnabas or even Jesus and John were somehow perverted instances of homosexual “love.” By doing so, they hope to rationalize acceptance of their Biblically condemned conduct or at least cloud or confuse those who are woefully ignorant of both Scripture and relationships.
Men need other men in their lives. Men sharpen each other, challenge each other, understand each other. Men were not intended to live solitary lives or lives only around their wives. Men are more than “work” relationships and even “family” relationships. Scripture is filled with male relationships which exhibited deep and heart-filled love, loyalty, devotion and sacrifice. David described his love for Jonathan as exceeding the love he had for his wives.
Many men today are living lonely lives or lives made emptier due to the absence of a male friend because of the new stigma of homosexuality brought into our national psyche by the aggressive agenda of liberal activists. Men ought not be intimidated out of having authentic and healthy relationships with other men simply because Hollywood and homosexuals are too shallow to understand that the world does not revolve around sex.
Healthy male relationships make for stronger Christian leaders, more accountable husbands, more balanced fathers and positive and encouraging relationships. Don’t let the ridiculous characterizations of people who don’t understand God’s plan for relationships, sexuality and accountability keep you from enjoying the companionship of a Godly friend.|W|P|113640989093250403|W|P|"Breaking the Back" of Authentic Male Relationships|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com S.G.|W|P|That is just an excellent post. Now you can't hug a brother without a niggling worry that the hug will be misperceived. Sad