RE-IMAGINING THE CHURCH

Ephesians 6:10-23

Eugene Peterson [in The Message Bible] gives us a fresh look at a familiar passage.  He removes the ancient references to Roman armor and weaponry – which some will miss and even criticize – but he sustains the intensity of the battle that rages daily in our lives between the Devil and God!  Sometimes a fresh rendering gives us a renewed awakening!

^10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

^13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Wouldn’t it be great if Christians could get together once a week to share how the battle is going, where they’re weak, where they’re strong, to what extent we need help and how, and to pray specifically for and resource one another in these areas? 

Okay, okay, I’ve got my tongue in my cheek.  We do get together weekly – to a large extent – but there’s very little sharing about our struggles, weaknesses, failures and needs.  Instead, we fulfill a structured form of worship and listen to the results of one person’s study and reflection on the Word.  [I was that person for over forty years.] 

Two decades into the twenty-first century, I'm thinking that it might be time for a new reformation that sends the church back into the home [where it started in the first several centuries].  I’ve said for many years that one government decision could immediately close well over fifty percent of our churches.  That decision would be to tax the church!  We are vulnerable in a liberal, socialism-drifting culture!  The unimaginable has become the expected! 

The ‘underground church’ has met for centuries in secret in homes and other hidden places.  It still meets this way in many countries.  In reality, we might be wise to begin to reorganize the church in America to survive even tougher times that might lie ahead! 

Either way, we need to recapture the kind of environment that Paul portrays in this chapter!

·         Decreased formality

·         Increased intimacy

·         Consecrated and focused, specific prayer

“Be prepared.  You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.  Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet…Pray hard and long.  Pray for your brothers and sisters.  Keep your eyes open.  Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.”

MUSTARD SEED AND LEAVEN

Romans 14:18-20

Jesus said, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?” [v.18 NASB]  “How can I picture God’s kingdom for you?”  [v.18 TM]

He then lists two very commonplace items that the people of Israel would have been familiar with:  a mustard seed and leaven. 

        

     

The implication is obvious – right?  Jesus' teaching clearly describes the kingdom of God as something that increases – that multiplies – that grows!!

Isn’t it fair to say that a body of believers who identify themselves with Christ as His Church – would grow?

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In 2009, my conference superintendent, Paul Walters, came to visit me at New Middletown, Ohio.  We had seen good growth and were occasionally breaking the two-hundred barrier.  There was a great deal of excitement in the air and new believers were coming to faith in Christ and being trained and deployed.

He questioned me about the future for the church.  In all sincerity, I told him that if in three years the church was still a church of less than two-hundred, I would turn it back over to him to appoint a new pastor who could keep it growing and multiplying. 

Three years later, the church had plateaued at around 160.  It was still a vibrant church with exciting things happening, but something was wrong and I couldn’t figure it out.  Even though Paul was no longer my superintendent, I kept my word and left the church to new pastoral leadership.    

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If we are adhering to the principles that Christ taught and modeled, then we should see growth!  There should be a continuing influx of new believers who add enthusiasm, joy and new gifts and ideas to the body of Christ! 

However, this kind of growth is hindered in many churches by an entrenched guard who are reluctant to give up their role of influence and leadership.  New people are almost forced to endure a long period of waiting before they are given a ‘voice’ and an opportunity to flavor the ministry of the church.  This is NOT a good thing!  Even the youth of the church are rarely given an opportunity to express their opinions about the direction and life of the church – even though, in some cases, they are the maturing  sons and daughters of the key leaders! 

The wise pastor and church will ease the restrictions on participation in the leadership and influence of the church!  If a person shows the fruit of following Christ and has earnest desire to participate, they should be welcomed and given an opportunity to voice their thoughts and opinions!  This is key to keeping the church growing!  

Terms like “the old guard” and “senior saints” are offensive and speak of an unwillingness to change!  Terms like this speak of a seniority that comes with time spent as part of the congregation.  They sound the death knell of the church if unchecked! 

New people and youth representatives –gauged by maturity and wisdom – need to be deliberately placed on decision-making boards and teams so that their influence can be considered and evaluated. 

Over forty+ years of pastoral leadership, I’ve had to deal with stubborn and ungodly leadership structures again and again.  It takes courage to challenge these entrenched systems.  People who have attained leadership and influential position can be very carnal and mean!  Manipulation, intimidation, and even threats of violence can characterize their behavior.  I could tell you stories!

Romans 14:17-20a [NASB]

“…the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.  So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God…”

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Lord of the Church,

There are many churches that haven’t had a new convert in years!  Wake them up!  Stir them into salvation-action! 

There are many churches experiencing leadership strife!  They are distracted and are filled with people who hold grudges and plan subversively.  Recapture their hearts and revolutionize them through Your love and compassion! 

Today we see lots of churches that are big enough to hide in!  And people go to these churches as consumers, knowing that they won’t be asked to do anything or accept any responsibility for the ministry of the body!  They want the benefits without making any investment.  Shake up their world enough to make them dependent on You again and then deploy them to serve!

Lord, the Church in our culture is weak and ineffective.  And as a result, it is shrinking!  Call visionary leaders who will be willing to work outside of established parameters – exercising dependence on only You!  Grant them Your favor as they influence others to give their lives to the kingdom of God! 

Help us to see a spiritual revolution in our land and in our day! 

For the Kingdom’s sake!  Amen.

WE NEED A MODERN DAY ZECHARIAH

 Zechariah 7 is a chilling chapter to read. 

Who is Zechariah? 

He was one of two prophets that God appointed to minister to Israel after she returned from the bondage of Babylon [the other was Haggai.]

Their approaches were very different!  Zechariah used visions to draw a picture of what could be if the people trusted and followed God! 

In this chapter, the people are trying to decide if they should have a special commemoration of the fall of Jerusalem 70 years earlier). 

God responds: “You’re interested in religion, I’m interested in people!”  [TM]

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It’s so easy for churches to get distracted!  We prop up traditions that no one remembers the meaning of.  We maintain programs for the sake of longevity!  We fail to evaluate the effectiveness or need for certain ministries. 

In this chapter, God reminds Israel what really matters:

“Treat one another justly.

Love your neighbors.

Be compassionate with each other.

Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.

Don’t plot and scheme against one another – that’s evil.”  [vs.9-10]

Wait a minute!  Do you mean these things are more important than the big celebration we have planned?

YES!  These are the things that really matter to God!  These are the practices that He wants to use to define us! 

In Zechariah’s day, everyone was busy fixing up their own home and establishing norms for their lives after returning from seventy years in Babylon. 

Meanwhile, God’s house was still in ruins.  No one was working on it!  Worship experiences were a shambles.  And God sent two men to try to awaken the people and motivate them properly! 

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I know of two churches – in my limited purview – that are growing and healthy.  Neither of them are from my own tradition of Free Methodism. 

One of them I attend – Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  Some of its growth seems to be ‘transfer growth’, however this is going to happen to any church that shows signs of life and vitality! 

The other, I only know from its online presence.  I formerly was part of the Cornerstone Church in Akron, Ohio.  They recently had 900 attend their Easter services and are in a hopeful building campaign to increase their reach!

My own denomination recently reported a total USA/CANADA membership of 69,880.  Only ten to fifteen years ago the USA membership alone was close to 100,000. 

Are we distracted?  Have we lost our vision?  Perhaps we’re too busy copying one another’s methods instead of being independently creative and searching the mind and heart of God for our local situation? 

I’m no expert.  My opinion is just ‘my opinion’, but it seems clear that there is something wrong to be losing so many members! 

Almighty and Sovereign Lord,

Renew Your Church!

Call those who will SUBMIT to You and follow You!  Use lay people to stand up and speak their piece when pastors take sole control of the church!  WE ARE THE CHURCH!  Remind us of this and enable us to work steadily and in stride with You and Your Holy Spirit! 

Help us to see Spirit-change before it’s too late and You bring judgment on our nation and on the Church! 

For Jesus and His Kingdom’s sake.  Amen. 

EXPERIENCING GOD!

In the final chapter of Isaiah (66), God declares how displeased He is with the worship of His people.  God finds it to be vain, meaningless, and self-serving!  The people ignore God and His messages and do the very things that God has declared evil!  Some have remained faithful, but they are hated by their families who mock God and ridicule them! 

Here we have an incidence where the people are faithfully exercising the practice of worship and suddenly receive a message from God that their worship practices are missing the mark! 

How would that go down in our churches today if we were to suddenly get a message from God telling us that our worship is a colossal disappointment to Him? 

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I learned so much about worship over my years of leading the church!  My education began in my home church during my growing-up years.  It was impacted by worshipping in a very large campus church while I was in college.  Then it was further tempered by the seminary communities that I participated in for over a decade.  Then, suddenly, I was forming and leading worship in small Free Methodist churches.

I prepared studiously and read voraciously.  I experimented with various forms from liturgical to charismatic.  I sat at the feet of those who seemed to be most successful in growing great churches.  I read their books, visited their churches and attended their seminars.  I was not lacking in zeal or effort!

Over time, my passion became focused.  I wanted people to experience the presence of God the way I had experienced it so many times! 

During my thirteen years at the Oakland Church in East Liverpool, Ohio, I found quite a number of kindred spirits who worked with me to create a vibrant worshipping environment.  This coincided with the explosion of the praise and worship movement of the 1980’s and 1990’s.  God taught me so much during these years!

One example:

I began to notice that there were three sensitive women in that congregation who would often manifest the presence of God moving in our midst through the expression of tears.  As I would close services, if I saw these three women using handkerchiefs to wipe away tears, it was a signal to me that God was moving and I should tarry!  This signal never led me astray!

Then, in 1994, the book, EXPERIENCING GOD: HOW TO LIVE THE FULL ADVENTURE OF KNOWING AND DOING THE WILL OF GOD, came out [by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King].  It was one of the most formative books I ever read – and I consumed it! 

I began to form and shape worship with the hope and intention that in the process of our worship, the people would ‘experience the presence of God!’  Frequently, I experienced the presence of God even while I was preaching!  I often had to take a moment to compose myself before I could continue!  Although a man who rarely experienced tears, they came frequently as I was trying to proclaim God’s Word!

My personal pilgrimage led to being the Lead Associate Pastor at Cornerstone Church in Akron, Ohio, where I eventually became the worship leader.  Under Brenda Young’s superb and passionate leadership, this church was exploding with new believers!  Three packed-out services every Sunday were characterized by passion, spontaneity, and spiritual hunger!  People were clearly experiencing the presence of God! 

First-time attenders would often ask us why they couldn’t stop weeping throughout the service.  Over and over, Brenda and I got to explain to them that they were experiencing the presence of God!  It was something brand new to them!

When I returned to being a solo pastor in New Middletown, Ohio, after several years we participated in an awkward national survey where our people literally took about ten minutes during worship to fill it out.  It was sealed in an envelope and sent back to the creators.  Months later, we received the results of the survey and were totally blessed to find that a large percentage of our people reported that they regularly experienced the presence of God during worship!  By God’s grace and through His faithfulness, we were hitting the mark!  PTL!

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Years have passed.  I am now retired.  I no longer form worship.  I sit in the pew with everyone else.  I am worshiping in a tradition that is very formal and predictable.  I have great respect for the leadership of this church and am learning to love the people.  This church is growing – although some of this growth seems to be ‘transfer growth’ – which is inevitable when a church begins to see good things happen.

I yearn to experience the presence of God!  Don’t you?  Experiencing His presence exceeds any other thing I am capable of knowing in this world! 

Fanny Crosby [1820-1950] knew what I’m talking about.  She wrote about it in her hymn, “Blessed Assurance”:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Lord,

If these little glimpses/experiences I’ve had are a foretaste of glory divine, then I can’t wait to be with You forever!  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Amen.

NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS

It’s a relatively obscure passage tacked on to the end of II Samuel 12. 

What’s REALLY important is what fills the preceding vignettes:

·         Chapter 11 – David stays home from the battles of Judah [against the Ammonites] and ends up sinning with Bathsheba!

·         She becomes pregnant!

·         David conspires to have her husband come home from the battlefield and sleep with her – but the plan fails!

·         So, David conspires again by ordering Joab to put Uriah [her husband] in the thick of the battle and then withdraw – leaving him to die!

·         Joab follows David’s orders and Uriah dies in battle; however, eighteen others also die with him!

·         David brings Bathsheba to the palace and takes her as his wife.

·         Chapter 12 – God sent Nathan the prophet to David with a story about a wealthy man who takes his neighbor’s pet lamb and butchers it for guests that have come to visit! 

·         David becomes angry with the injustice of this story! 

·         Nathan pronounces the judgment: “Thou art the man!” referring to David taking Uriah’s wife!

·         David realizes that he has sinned against God!  Through Nathan, God announces a sad reality:  “you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…”

·         God then announces through Nathan that Bathsheba’s child will die!

·         David fasts and prays, but the child does die!

Then comes our relatively obscure passage.

All this time, Joab – David’s military commander – has been battling the Ammonites.  He has them ALMOST DEFEATED!  He sends a message to David:

“I’m fighting at Rabbah, and I’ve just captured the city’s water supply. Hurry and get the rest of the troops together and set up camp here at the city and complete the capture yourself. Otherwise, I’ll capture it and get all the credit instead of you.”

David is so distracted!  He’s lost his sense of mission and obedience to God!  He never should have stayed home from the battle!  All his pain and future misery could have been avoided – if he had just stayed focused!  There’s mockery in Joab’s message!  He – of all people – knows how far David has fallen!  Yet, in his dedication, he still honors David! 

David has sown seeds of adultery and murder and those seeds will – unfortunately – grow to fruition very quickly!  In the next chapter, one of David’s sons rapes his own sister!  Further down the path, David’s sons will scheme against and kill one another!  All because of the seeds David planted in his own life! 

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Almighty and Ever-Watching God,

We can never allow ourselves to stray from Your ways!  We don’t want to plant seeds of destruction in our family!  Temptations are a part of life!  They’re real!  They often have to do with sex, power, and greed!  We must be ever on the alert!  We must not give in to temptation!  We must stay focused and determined and faithful!  We want to finish well and preserve the integrity of our family for future generations! 

Help us!  Oh, God, we need Your daily help!

Amen!

LOOKING BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF DIMENTIA

Imagine not being able to remember who you are!  Or how to pack for a trip.  Or to be super-focused on what the plan for the day is.  To be unable to remember how to do the laundry or cook.  Imagine crying out in the pain of this reality many times every day!  Imagine longing every day to go back and live in the place of your childhood – even though it’s not possible to do so.  Imagine becoming so disconnected that you no longer care about your closest family and friends.  Imagine the mental chaos of not being able to remember key events and people of your life! 

This is the reality for many people today who are struggling with various forms of dementia. 

Now imagine being the sole care-giver for this person.  Day in and day out, you have to deal with their confusion, impatience and anger.  They are totally dependent on you for everything.  You have to do all the cooking, cleaning, outdoor maintenance, shopping and laundry.  You can’t leave them alone, so they have to accompany you everywhere you go!  You may have to help them dress or with personal hygiene.  You get no respite from this scenario!  Imagine the exhaustion and discouragement that accompanies you in this seemingly never-ending scenario.  Yet this is the person you stood and exchanged vows with many years earlier!  You’ve raised a family together, travelled together, worked together, and vacationed together for many years!  In the midst of your weariness, you’re determined to stay faithful and take care of them – even though, at times, they cuss you and may even try to strike out at you.  Your love carries you from one weary day to the next! 

This also is the reality for many people today who are living with a spouse (or relative) who is dealing with the ravages of dementia! 

From my limited understanding, family history makes certain of us more vulnerable to this fate than others.  Imagine growing older with the fear that someday you may be a burden to those you love the most!  Imagine the fear that you face when you can’t remember a name or fumble to recall a password.  Is this the beginning?  What safeguards can you take to protect your loved ones and provide for your future care?  It’s a frightening proposition!  No one wants to be a burden to their spouse and family! 

There are some ways that we can support and help in situations like these:

1)      We can pray for them!  Put them on our daily prayer list because their struggles are daily!  Call on God to renew the mind of the one struggling with dementia!  Call on God to give energy and patience to the caregiver(s).  Pray for those doing research in the areas of Alzheimer’s and dementia!  Pray for a breakthrough!

2)      Carry in a meal once-a-week!  Stay for a few minutes to set it up and encourage them.  Even sit and eat WITH them and pray over the meal asking God to bless them and help them in their daily struggle!

3)      Respite for the care-giver is SO ESSENTIAL!  They never get a break!  It doesn’t have to be a whole day!  Could you just sit with the patient for two hours?  Long enough to go and get a haircut?  Long enough to play a round of golf?  Two or three hours to allow them to go and do whatever they want without guilt or worry!  Can you rally a few other family members, church friends, or others to make this happen several times a week?

4)      Stay in contact with the couple (family).  “I’m going to Aldi’s today, can I pick up anything for you?”  “Joe and I are making a Walmart run; we’ll be going right by your house – what can we get for you?”  “Our kids are off school for the summer and would like to cut your grass for you!”  You could add so much value to these lives by just caring enough to call several times a week! 

5)   "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  Luke 6:31

WEAVERS OF LIFE

There’s a verse in Psalm 22 that screams of God’s cooperative venture with women! 

“You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.  Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.” [vs.9-10 NASB]

After Travis’ death, I wrote a blog article titled, “A Mother’s Grief” that runs parallel to what I’m sharing here.  If you’d like to read it:  Hal-lelujah!: A Mother's Grief

God cooperates with the woman who brings a child into this world!  God arranged for the process that creates children – it was God’s plan!  Regardless of what you hear from the WOKE movement, men don’t have wombs! 

Another David psalm [#139] records: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” [vs.13-16 NASB]

What an intimate venture between God, a woman, and her husband – but especially between God, the woman and her child(ren)! 

She ‘houses’ that forming infant during its most delicate moments, days, and  months!  She shelters it!  She is its protector – night and day, 24/7.  She becomes aware of its presence fairly early!  She develops a relationship with that child LONG before it is ever born!  It draws its sustenance directly from her body! 

Her influence in those earliest days – and then after birth – will NEVER be equaled by anyone else!

I hope you see from this how significantly God has honored women through this potential!  There is nothing that compares to it! 

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However, when a child dies before its mother – which should never happen – no one will suffer more than the mother!  Whether death comes from war, suicide, accident, sickness, natural catastrophe or an act of violence – it will affect her more than anyone!  She will literally FEEL the loss!  Even if that child never gets to enter this world, the mother will FEEL the loss at a deep, deep level!  Inconsolable grief!  Pain!  The deepest sense of loss! 

And the greatest source of comfort for her – next to the arms of her husband – will be the arms of God!  He who shared the deepest intimacy of this process will also feel her pain and HE WILL RESPOND TO IT! 

If you’re feeling that pain today, turn to God – no one understands like He does!  He’s been with you in this venture since the moment of conception – AND HE CARES!