Where is Your Church’s Allegiance?

In his book, Mere Discipleship, author Lee Camp recounts the Rwandan civil war from the mid 1990’s. At the time, Camp was located in Kenya as a missionary.

In the book, he explains how Rwanda had been considered a textbook case of successful Christian Missions. Churches were being planted and were multiplying rapidly.

Then came the civil war between the Hutu and Tutsi.

Adversity has a way of revealing reality. The very churches that had long been considered a “success” were suddenly ripped apart. Not necessarily by gunfire, but by something worse: allegiance.

Although the new converts had claimed allegiance to Christ alone, it soon became apparent that when push came to shove, allegiance to their tribe was more important.

According to Camp, “the Jesus who taught his disciples to ‘love your neighbor’ was missing when young men were hacking old men, women, and children to death, simply because these neighbors were of a differing ethnic background… the ‘gospel’ imported into Rwanda failed to ever challenge the ethnic identities of its ‘converts’—they ‘became Christian,’ but many remained first and foremost either Hutu or Tutsi.”

Before you point the finger at Rwanda, remember, my fellow Americans, some of our own churches were torn apart in the 1800’s during our civil war as brother fought against brother. Our own Christian heritage has black spots in which we have to wonder where our allegiance truly lies.

So how can pastors and churches develop disciples of Christ who will stand the test of adversity?

Here’s one thought: remember that actions speak louder than words.

For some reason, we allow ourselves as ministers to be satisfied when people say all the right words. We think that as long as someone can answer questions in Sunday School or lead a small Bible study, they must be a strong Christian.

This kind of thinking leads us to miss the small “civil wars” taking place in our members lives already. I’m talking about the seemingly small ways that we are all hypocrites from time to time –yelling at your daughter on the way to Sunday school to memorize the verse about controlling your anger, or harping on the evils of abortion and in the same breath looking down on the single mom –even though she ‘chose life.’ And what about the way we carry on about prayer in schools when there is hardly any prayer in our churches.

You don’t have to look very far to find our small civil wars. We all have them –and praise God, He pours out His grace on us for these sins.

But forgiveness of those sins doesn’t mean that we should ignore them. This is where I think we are in danger. Why? Because every major civil war in history began with small skirmishes based upon allegiances.

So as ministers we must look beyond people’s words –“God bless you, I’ll be praying for you, Jesus is the way,” and look at their actions. Then, speaking the truth in love, let us “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of [us] may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). In other words, help your members make their ultimate allegiance to Christ –not self, not culture, not personalities, and certainly not politics.

Putting your arm around someone and saying, “Bob, I’m concerned about your anger issues,” or “Mary, can we talk about your frustration with Suzie” is just the kind of Christ-like diplomacy that can help disciples grow in their allegiance to Christ and avoid major conflicts in the future!

Until then, here’s a relevant question that might help you look beyond the “right words” to get an idea of your members’ allegiance:

If civil war broke out in our country today between Democrats and Republicans, would allegiance to Christ be stronger to allegiance to a political party?

Candlelight Services and Babel

I remember attending a candlelight worship service as a child. Everyone was given a candle as they entered the sanctuary. As the service began, the lights were dimmed and the pastor stood at the front of the congregation holding a lighted candle. After reading a Scripture about Jesus being the light of the world, He walked to the first row and used his candle to light someone else’s candle. Then, he asked that person to light his neighbor’s candle. One by one, the entire congregation spread the light through the sanctuary as each candle was lit person by person, row by row.

God’s mission is to spread His glory to all nations. According to that plan, God made mankind in His own image and commanded mankind to multiply and fill the earth. I imagine this happening just like the candlelight service I attended. All throughout history, as individuals receive the light of Christ and share the light with others, God’s glory spreads.

Of course, in order for the light of God’s glory to reach every corner of the world, people must take the gospel away from their home to unreached areas.

Think about the enormity of God’s command to multiply and fill the earth when it was first spoken to Adam and Eve. They didn’t have television or the internet to spread the gospel around the world. No, world-wide glorification of God would require that generation after generation of their family move away –out from home in order to spread around the world.

That’s where the account of the tower of Babel comes in. The people of Babel had all settled together and agreed to build a city and a tower. The tower would serve to make them famous and keep them together in one place. The only problem is that God alone deserves glory and He had created mankind to spread His glory all over the world. See the problem?

At that time in early human history, all mankind spoke one common language. So, in order to force the people of Babel to abandon their plans for fame and perpetuity, God confused their language so they could no longer communicate and work together.

Here we see how the effects of sin always tempt us toward rebellion against God. Yet, man’s rebellion did not change God’s mission or the purpose for which God created man.

The First Gospel Message

It didn’t take long for sin to enter the world. Genesis chapter 3 records the event as Satan tempts Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. After the first couple eats the fruit and falls into sin, they immediately go into hiding. Imagine that, hiding from the God who created them and all the places in which they attempted to hide!

In verses 8-9, God summons Adam and Eve to a meeting. I imagine it was somewhat like visiting the principle’s office. The first couple knew they had sinned and they were ashamed. Now, they had to face the consequences.

We all know what happens next. First, God cursed the serpent (Satan) and said that from that day forward the serpent would crawl on its belly (Just imagine how it moved before that time).

Next, God announced, among other things, that because of sin man will from now on have to work harder with less return and woman would have to experience pain in childbirth. Further, the first couple would be banned from the garden and their bodies would no longer be eternal. Instead, they would one day die. Worse, on that day, they died spiritually as well.

But that’s not all that happened in that meeting. After God announced the curse upon the serpent, He pronounced hope for the future.

Notice what God says in verse 15: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

The offspring of woman mentioned in verse 15 is Jesus. That’s right, the first announcement of the gospel is in Genesis 3:15!

Sin did not put an end to God’s mission to be glorified among the nations. It did not change mankind’s mission to be fruitful and multiply image bearers around the world. Instead, sin tarnished the glory of the image bearers to the degree that they would not glorify God. That’s why Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

In order to accomplish the purpose for which God created mankind, His image must be restored in humans. The offspring of woman, Jesus, would come to restore that image. He would bring the second birth. Just as everyone is born into sin, through Christ, we are re-born into righteousness. He makes us a new creation which reflects His glory. Only through Christ can we fulfill our created purpose to glorify God and bear his image to all nations!

Do you know Christ? Have you been reborn into His image?

Eight Ways to Improve Your Church “Care Plan”

Loss is hard. Although everyone handles grief differently, I’m convinced that nobody handles it easily.

One of the ways that Christ comforts His children is through His body –the church. Romans 12:15 reminds us to “weep with those who weep.” After all, that’s what Jesus did. When His friend Lazarus died, He wept with Mary and Martha over their loss (John 11:35).

So when Jesus gives us, His ambassadors on earth, an opportunity to represent Him through comforting those experiencing loss; we must not take it lightly. That’s why I think it is vital that every church think through their own “care plan” now.

Pastors, loss is coming to your church –probably sooner than later. Have you taken the time to make sure your people will represent Christ in the best way possible? Or will you just hope and assume that things will work out?

If you are like most pastors, you probably have people in your church that have always taken care of the hurting. These people have served as unofficial “grief coordinators” for years without any formal structure or plan initiated by church leadership. You may be tempted to think, “I don’t need to worry about this because they always take care of those things.”

But what happens if the lady who normally coordinates food for grieving families is on vacation?   What if the deacon who normally visits the grieving is in the hospital?

I want to encourage you to take some initiative here. You are the pastor –its your responsibility to make sure that the church has a plan. This doesn’t mean you have to do all the work, but instead, you need to make sure a proper plan is in place to make sure all the work gets accomplished.

So here are a few suggestions to be proactive with your church’s grief care:

1)   Share your heart. Make sure everyone in the church understands what you want to accomplish in grief care and why it is important. Give them biblical reasons.

2)   Recognize those who already serve. Identify everyone who already takes the initiative to serve those suffering from loss. Ask around to make sure you have a list of everyone (you don’t want to miss somebody). Then, have some sort of appreciation event (banquet, small meeting with thank you cards, recognition in front of the church body, etc.) to communicate your appreciation of their work and your desire to understand the process that normally takes place. Never suggest a new process until you’ve taken the time to understand the old process.

Ask those who have served in the past to help you identify possible weaknesses in the existing plan. Ask them how someone could potentially fall through the cracks. Then, encourage them to help brainstorm ideas to strengthen the process.

3)   Don’t try to take over this ministry. Don’t steal this ministry from your people. Instead, be sure to empower the congregation to take ownership of caring for the grieving. This doesn’t mean you neglect the hurting. Instead, it means you “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12) and enjoy ministering together.

4)   Communicate with the grieving person’s support system. Don’t act as if your church is the only source of care the person will receive. Most of your members have friends and family who will support them in their loss as well. Be proactive in communicating and working together with others to provide care. It’s a great opportunity to show that the church is a ‘team player’ concerned more about people’s needs than protecting their ‘own turf.’ Who knows, it might turn into a great opportunity to share the gospel.

5)   Offer to communicate on behalf of the grieving. Ask them if they would like for the church to utilize announcements, bulletins, social media, etc. to communicate things like 1) hours they can receive visitors, 2) where they can send food/memorials, 3) ways they can pray for the grieving.

6)   Put their loss on the calendar. Someone within the church needs to keep up with a “loss calendar.” This is a powerful tool that enables you to follow up with calls and cards 3 months, 6 months, and on yearly anniversaries of loss. One of the most difficult realities for grieving people is the realization that others are forgetting their loss. A timely note in the mail or call on the telephone can bring incredible joy.

7)   Go disposable. Maybe it’s just because I’m a guy, but when I experienced loss, the last thing I wanted to do was wash dishes and return them to people. Stacks of orphaned dishes are demoralizing. Ask your people to take dishes in disposable storage containers. And, if your church has a supply of napkins and plasticware, consider having a volunteer who sends a packet of these supplies to the house of the grieving family.

8)   Remind your people to look for more needs than food. Yards need to be mowed, trash needs to be taken out, and floors need to be cleaned. During the holidays, a little “decorating help” can be a huge blessing.

Just Stop!

“Just Stop!” Maybe you’ve heard this phrase (or a variation of it) uttered from the mouth of a parent. Perhaps it has tread across your own lips.

Its funny how words like these can take on different meanings based upon the context in which they are spoken and the tone with which they are exclaimed.

For instance, “Just stop,” could mean, “Quit making that annoying noise that you have been repeating for the past hour and a half.”

Then again, it could mean, “Hit the brake on your bicycle before you hit the tree.”

The first example is a corrective measure. The second is a warning. But there is also a third way this phrase could be used.

A few months ago, my son and I were spending a night away from home. We went out for a walk down a long dirt road in the woods. Bryce was laughing, making funny noises, and running circles around me, when all of a sudden, I said, “Just stop!”

But it wasn’t a corrective measure and it wasn’t a warning. In fact, if you had heard the tone of my voice, you would have realized that something important was happening and I didn’t want Bryce to miss it.

We both stopped and I pointed toward the woods. The sun was almost gone and lightning bugs were everywhere. Our little walk was suddenly illuminated by one of God’s marvelous creations: The very first mobile light sources!

I wanted to make sure Bryce took it all in. I wanted to help him marvel at God’s creation.

In Exodus 14, right before the children of Israel pass through the red sea on dry land, Moses says, “Just stop.”  Okay, that’s my paraphrase. His actual words go like this:

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:13-14).

Here Moses was saying “Just stop” in the sense of, “Something important is about to happen –don’t miss this!”

God was about to do something huge. In fact, it was so big that Moses described it as, “The salvation of the Lord” from Egyptian captivity. What a tragedy it would have been to miss the parting of the Red Sea and the defeat of the Egyptians!

In verse 14, Moses gets more specific about what is about to happen. He explains that the Lord will fight for the Israelites. Consider the power of that idea. God Himself, with unlimited power and strength will fight on your behalf. What a marvelous foreshadowing of the victory Christ would accomplish on our behalf“ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

I love the last phrase Moses utters in verse 14: “….and you have only to be silent.” Wow! In other words, Moses was saying, “Just stand back and watch God do all the work.” It was a call to, “just stop” and stand in awe.

It’s the same call we have at the cross of Christ. Like the children of Israel’s plight against the Egyptians, we are powerless in and of ourselves to do battle with sin. Instead, Christ has fought the battle for us on the cross. Victory is ours through Him. “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Now, just stop and stand in awe.

World Famous

Suppose two concerts were taking place in your area on the same night. One concert features a local band while the other concert features a world-famous band. Which one do you think will have the largest crowd?

Most likely, the world-famous band will attract the most people. Why? Because we assume that the band with more fame is better. Fame is typically an indicator of worth or value.

Doesn’t it stand to reason that the most valuable person in the world should also be the most famous? Consider Psalm 29:2: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”

In the beginning God created all things for a purpose. That purpose is to glorify Him and share the overflow of His joy. That’s why God desires and demands global glory.

God’s purpose in creation was to create a people who would bear His image around the world. What does it mean to bear His image?

Have you ever noticed how people dress like their heroes? Men wear the jersey of their favorite athlete. Women dress like popular actresses or musicians.

We imitate the people we adore. Likewise, as worshippers of God, we should reflect Him in the way we live. We are created to bear His image.

Even more, God desires image bearers from all over the world, so that His fame and glory are global. Humans are created differently from all other creatures in order that they might bear God’s image in this way. That’s not to say that the rest of creation doesn’t glorify God. After all, the Bible states that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). But there is something different about mankind. Humans are created as the pinnacle of God’s creation with a far greater purpose: to glorify God around the entire planet!

If a band can achieve world-wide acclaim, don’t you think our great God deserves it infinitely more?

Tackling in the Blink of an Eye

Seventh grade football: I played tailback and linebacker.

On defense, the number one rule my coach stressed was, “Don’t close your eyes when you tackle.” Good advice.

A week or two before the season started, we had a scrimmage. All the parents came out to watch. Even the local paper was there.

During the game, as I was making a tackle, the newspaper photographer snapped my picture.

The next day, my picture was in the sports page….

You probably see where this is going.

According to the internet (which must be true) the average human blinks 10-15 times per minute. So what are the chances that the photographer snapped my picture during a blink?

Apparently the photographer’s timing was impeccable.

I remember my mom cutting out the picture and showing it to me. She was so excited. But as soon as I took one glace at it, I had a sick feeling in my stomach.

My sick feeling was confirmed when later at practice, my coach pulled out the picture. Like my mom, he had also cut it out of the paper. Only, he wasn’t so excited about it.

He held it up during warm-ups and asked me to come stand in front of the whole team. He asked, “what’s wrong with this picture, Attebery?” I knew exactly what he was getting at, so I answered, “My eyes are closed.” There was no use going with the blinking explanation at this point.

“And do we close our eyes when we tackle?” asked the coach. “No sir,” I said.

Then, the worst thing ever happened. Coach made everyone run laps. Everyone, that is, but me. I just stood there and watched. Ouch.

It reminds me how everything we do in life affects others -no matter how big or small the action or attitude.

This can be negative (like my tackling) when we sin. But it can also be positive when we live in obedience to Christ and serve others.

So take Galatians 5:13 to heart today. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

You never know how your life can impact others –in just the blink of an eye!

Five Items For a New Pastor’s To-Do List

Have you ever noticed how ideas seem to flow when you don’t need them? Throughout the year, you might have a dozen great ideas for a weekend getaway; but when a weekend is finally available for a trip, you can’t think of anything to do. Or maybe you’ve had a million “when I get around to it” moments only to find that on a rare day off, you can’t remember any of them!

Being a pastor is much the same way. For years you may have thought, “If I was a pastor, the first thing I would do is….” And then, when that moment finally comes –a church calls you to pastor- you can’t figure out where to start. Being chosen to pastor a church is a great honor. Much like the first moment holding your newborn, you are overcome with one thought –“I want to do this right!”

So, here are a few thoughts for new pastors to get started off on the right foot. Some of the ideas may not work in your context. In fact, your church may think some of the suggestions are down-right ridiculous. However, somewhere within this list, I hope there are some ideas that might help you get started.

1) Let the church know what’s important to you. You don’t want your people having conversations such as “I wish he would have told us that he likes to preach three hour sermons,” or “I had no idea he would take off every Sunday his NFL team is playing.”

You especially need to tell them what kind of boundaries you expect for spending time with your family, studying for sermons, and spending outside of the office. These are the kind of issues that everyone respects when you explain it upfront. But if people see you out of the office or hanging out with your children during normal business hours –unless you have explained your priorities and practices up front- you are setting yourself up for criticism.

2) Identify the leaders in your church. If you are expected to lead, you must know who else is leading. Ask people in your congregation to help you identify the other leaders. Ask them who makes decisions, who people listen to for advice, and who has influence.

3) Spend time with your leaders. After you have identified the leaders in your church, you must spend time with them. Take them to lunch or have them over to your house for dinner. Ask them what they love about the church. Ask them their concerns. Then, ask them how you can work together to tackle those issues.

Don’t worry about sharing your vision at this time. Right now its more important to understand the current vision of the church and what God has laid on the heart of the current leadership. If you will invest in them now, they will buy into your vision later.

4) Visit every member of your church. That’s right –every member (even the ones that never attend). I know this sounds daunting –maybe even impossible. But you can’t imagine the benefits.

Because this will take a massive amount of time, I suggest asking the church to allow you to do this before starting office hours or preaching. This may sound crazy to them at first, but ask them to consider spending a few more weeks operating as they have during the pastor search (at this point they’ve probably gotten used to the routine). Tell them that you really want to get to know everyone and begin building relationships (You never know until you ask).

Then, ask your deacons, Sunday School teachers, Small Group leaders or other leaders to join you. Let them set up the meetings and introduce you to the people they care for. This will build strong relationships with those leaders as well.

Make every visit in the members’ homes. This lets them know you want to have a relationship with them -plus it’s always nice to know where they live in case of emergencies. Take them a card with your name and number and encourage them to put it on the refrigerator. If they haven’t attended for a while, let them know that you would love for them to start fresh with your arrival. Be sure to pray with each family and then, if they’ll let you, take a picture of them and post it in your phone with their contact information. That way, when they call you, you will have their picture pop up beside their number to help you remember who they are.

5) Spend time learning the church. If the church will allow you to postpone preaching until you have visited every member, then take advantage of Sundays to visit every Bible study class, children’s program, and other ministry group possible. Just pop in to say “hi” and introduce yourself. It will build relationships and also help you understand what goes on each week.

If you can, spend the first few Sundays in the crowd during the worship service to familiarize yourself with the church’s unique practices (every church has them). Try to understand why they do things the way they do them. Ask lots of questions to members after the services such as, “Do you always take the offering after the third song?” “Is that something we should keep doing?” “Why does that man on the front row always get up and walk out ten minutes into the service? Does he have a special need I should be aware of?” “What is that song that everyone sings during the welcome time? Why aren’t the words posted anywhere?”

If done in a loving way, these kind of questions will not only help you understand the culture, but also let the members know how much you care about them. Most members will embrace change in the future if they know that you have a deep respect for the past.

Get Started

This is by no means an exhaustive to-do list. But its a great place to get started. So go ahead -don’t procrastinate. You have a church to pastor!

Which Way Are You Going?

Apostasy refers to a person who has once heard, understood, followed, and professed the gospel of Christ, and yet turned away. This is not the same as a person who hears an evangelistic plea and says, “no, thank you.” This is a person who has been walking the walk and talking the talk before abandoning the faith.

The Greek word for apostasy is closely related to the word for divorce.

Be clear: Apostates do not lose salvation, rather, they demonstrate that they never knew Christ at all. These are the people of whom John explained, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (I John 2:19).

Pastors must warn their people to be careful and to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.”

Recently, I heard a friend preach on apostasy from 2 Peter 2:9-10. He explained that in verse 10, where Peter describes apostates as “indulging in the lust of defiling passion and despising authority,” the Greek word translated “indulge” is the same word translated “go” in the Great Commission. In other words, instead of going to make disciples, apostates go in the opposite direction –indulging in their own passions and rebellion.

My mind immediately raised the question, “which way am I going?”

We all sin. Yet, for the believer who is in Christ and kept by the Holy Spirit, we can never continue in sin for the long run. The Spirit convicts and we are brought to repentance.

This is why I constantly come back to God’s Word as the standard of my life. It is the reason I must be involved in a local church for mutual edification. This is why I strive to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8).

While Bible reading, good works, and church attendance in no way save me –they are evidences and measurements by which I can be encouraged in my assurance of faith.

I am a vile sinner redeemed by a glorious Savior. Praise God He affords us assurance (I John 5:13) and warns us of apostasy!

If you are continuing in sin without any conviction, you must be concerned for your soul. Ask yourself, do I really know Christ? Which way am I going –obediently making disciples or rebelliously indulging in sin?

First

We naturally understand that being first has value. Have you ever argued over a toy and said, “I had it first?” Or have you seen two people fight over a place in line by saying, “I was here first?” First implies we have rights that those who come after us do not have.

When it comes to being first, nobody can compare to God. He was here from the beginning. In fact, God was before the beginning! How else would he be around to create everything?

Just the thought of a time before time is exhausting for our human minds to comprehend. Yet, there is an important reason to consider what was before the beginning.

Only God existed before the beginning. Only God is eternal. Only God has no beginning. He has always existed.

Even more, God existed as the Trinity (one God in three persons) for all eternity past. God the Father, Son, and Spirit have always dwelt together forever in eternity past.

So why is this important? For several reasons:

First, the fact that God has always existed means that all creation depends upon Him. Because God created us, we belong to Him. The Bible says that the earth and everything in it belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). According to Scripture, there is nothing that completely belongs to us. It all belongs to Him.

Second, God’s eternal existence in the past means that God does not need anything or anyone. He is sufficient in Himself. No other person in the universe can make that claim. As humans, we are created to be dependent. No man can survive without food, water, air, shelter, and human interaction –all of which were created by God. Ultimately, we are made to be dependent upon God. Conversely, God is not dependent upon anyone. He would have been perfectly happy if He had chosen to continue without creating anything (including us).

So why did He create the world? Why did God create us?

The answer, in short, is for His own glory. While that may seem selfish for us, remember that is completely right for God. He alone is worthy of all glory!

Think about it this way: If we enjoy earthly things that are glorious (the Grand Canyon, beautiful music, a grand sunset, or a display of athletic talent), imagine how much more joy is to be found in God! Now, consider the fact that for all eternity past, God enjoyed that glory. But instead of keeping it all to Himself, He decided to create a place called heaven full of angels to enjoy it with Him and to echo His glory. In addition, He created the universe and humans to reflect and enjoy His glory as well.

The more we enjoy God, the more we glorify Him. The more we glorify Him, the more we enjoy Him!

How awesome is our God!