It's Friday folks! I'm sure that many of you are looking forward to the work week drawing to a close. Allow me to share some random thoughts with you to finish out the week.
I have spent the majority of this week participating in the Fresh Oil New Wine Conference hosted at Abba's House (Central Baptist Church). Over the last 3 years I have done my best to be a part of this wonderful event. We were blessed by the Worship, Preaching, Teaching, Fellowship, and Ministry of the Holy Spirit. God is doing some exciting and wonderful things in these days. I just long to be a part of it.
Some of the blogging that I did throughout the week dealt with the church. As a pastor, I'm constantly seeking God's direction for the Body of Christ and how we can better reflect Him in the world today. I think the greatest question we can ask is: Father, how can we walk in what You have commanded and promised? The lack of power, zeal, etc. that I listed in my concerns for the church cannot be impacted by careful planning and strategies, but by lives that are completely submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It's when we choose to move in His agenda that we see God restore the things that have been lost.
Another closing thought for the week is how do we keep people from making the same mistake that Philip made when speaking with Jesus? Remember...Jesus asked Him: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do have not known Me...?" The more I dwell on what was taking place in this conversation, the more I am determined to keep people from falling into religious ruts. Our quality of life as a believer isn't in how long we have walked with Jesus but how much we have grown in our understanding of Jesus. This comes through experiential relationship. Another way of looking at this is to consider some of your other relationships. Let's say that you are friends with Chuck. All that you really know of Chuck is that he is a great guy. He's friendly, moral, and lives by a code of life that is full of integrity. However, if you never spend time with Chuck there are certain aspects of his life that you will never know. You will never experience his passion. You will never know his heart. There may be things about Chuck that could help you in life. But since you have never had a meaningful conversation with Him - you miss out on the opportunity to see him at work. The same is true as it concerns our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we never spend time with Him in His Word, or living out His commands/promises - there are certain aspects of His life within us that we will never experience. If we do not spend time talking with Him (prayer), how can we expect to see Him at work for us and in us?
Last of all, let's talk about the role of the church as a family. I was listening to Perry Stone preach last night and he was talking about this very thing. As I was wrapped up in the message this thought occurred to me: "Why haven't we heard this message in the church?" What Perry was addressing was the lack of Spiritual Fathers and Mothers in the church. In essence we have created a generation gap within the Body of Christ. Since so many believers aren't willing to change in order to help the younger believers grow, they look for other avenues to gain love, acceptance, and guidance. So many of these young converts don't have a father or mother in the home. The Bible teaches that the older men should teach the younger ones and that the older women should do the same with the young girls. Where is this happening today? Unfortunately, what we see is a rejection of this younger generation. We don't like the way they dress, look, or the music they enjoy. Rather than coming alongside them, we push them away. God has called us to sow our lives into others. If you are an older believer I would encourage you to quit making church so much about what you get and more about what you give. The Christian life is best experienced when you are giving of yourself.
It truly is my prayer to see the church of the living God be all that she can be in the world. Remember that God is looking for a Bride without spot or wrinkle. If we continue to reject the children within the kingdom we will continue to reject the kingdom of God. I have no doubt that there are some churches that have a group of young people that there aren't sure what to do with (in fact I know it's true). I have heard the testimonies of how parents have literally asked pastors/leaders to keep certain kids away from their teens. Folks, if we push kids back out on the street through our neglect then we have ensured that they will never enter the Kingdom of God. May God give us compassion! May we seek to become fathers to the fatherless and mothers to the motherless. Let's bridge the gap!!!
Hope everyone has a weekend that is filled with the wonder of God.
8 comments:
I am not being critical in the least. But there is more than a generational gap in most churches. There is a "glass wall". The leaders and really tight with the leaders and the congregation looks in..... There is talk about what God is doing in the "leadership" but what is God doing in His body? If we are going to equip people, the glass wall must be shattered and people need to get involved with each other.... not just leaders with leaders. I know leadership "gel" is important, but somewhere there should be a method of engaging people on a personal level, not just getting them to show up for more programs and church.
What if there were a true spirit of hospitality where leaders invited "the ordinary" into their homes? What would that look like? Building up people takes time and effort. Church leaders need to realize that they are not there for everyone to "watch" and follow but there to serve, reach out and build up. The glass wall is killing the body.
Again, this issue is everywhere (at least everywhere I have been and everywhere friends of mine have been) ..... church leaders are so very busy and overwhelmed. I wonder if that is a ploy of the enemy to distract us from true fellowship and mutual edification?
Brother,
To begin with I don't believe the problem is with a lack of power and zeal, but a lack of obedience to the Word. But how can we obey it, if we don't know what it says?
Second, I'm totally with you on spending time in the Word -- it IS time with Him! Getting to know the God of the Universe through HIS written Word is powerful.
Third, it's hard to have that "family" order in the church, when we don't pay attention to the Word on His order in the home. Also, when you get a good picture in Titus 2 of what the older women are to teach the younger women (the Word gives specifics on this). . . well . . . that would be a good place to start.
Speaking of new converts, these young converts need a seasoned "family" in the church to take them in -- not to replace their natural family, but to offer them a context of Christian living. We think our programs are meeting the needs of young converts, but, these needs could be met more naturally, in the context of family -- after all, that's where the rubber really meets the road. It shouldn't be up to our Christian teens to teach or guide or really influence these young converts (I've seen many go wrong from the negative influences). That's another area where the "older teaching the younger" could make a big difference.
Consider teaching verse by verse through Timothy and Titus on Sun morning. Then folks will KNOW what the Word says about this and the church can adjust accordingly.
Bless You Brother, and keep up the good work at PBC!
As a people we have been "dumbed" down. Starting at birth the way our society treats individuals as cattle and herds them through day care, schools, bureaucracy and programs has carried over the the church. We train people to follow along with no thinking. Kids today "just want to know the answer" when working on homework and as adults they want the same thing. No thinking or understanding required. We no longer know what individual relationships and real fellowship look like nor do we reap the benefits of them. Many pastors wish they could get people to really connect with God and each other, but how can we sow weeds and get grass??? We have the same program mentality with people separated out by age, gender and so on. Couple this with the fact that most people still want a "King" (someone to talk to God for them, minister for them and TO them) it will take a serious rethinking to get the congregation outside their box. We enable people to continue in this path by doing for them what they should do themselves (read the Word, pray, teach their kids, minister to the sick, poor, lost, needy, teach younger generations). Instead of mutual edification, the pastor is forced to spoon feed and ends up exhausted. As long as we do that, people will not change.
As an answer, I suppose "necessity is the mother of invention" and people will have to be hungry before they will eat meat. Some mother birds knock their babies out of the nest to show them they really can fly. Pastors need to think along those lines when they consider programs and ministries.
One more thing, after reading about the "glass wall" it is important to remember than not ALL people are called to ministry, mission trips and ministry in church programs. How does someone called to evangelize from their post at work, post at home, or to the loooong process of friendship discipleship EVER really meet and get to know the leaders of the church? How are they encouraged to do what they are called to when most of the effort of church is talking about what God did on the last mission trip, ministry or program. In my mind churches and families would be best served celebrating what God does in the day to day life of the people, not what he does a couple weeks a year.
I do love the people of Pioneer and believe God is moving there. If ever there was a pastor open to God and truth, it is you Neal.
Thanks
It looks like Anonymous had quite a bit to say (LOL)!
I will do my best to answer all of these.
#1 - The Glass Wall.
I understand your reasoning. There does need to be better connections between the leadership and the congregation. It is actually a part of my thinking in the "generational gap" theory. It's plugging people in on the relational level (not just in a ministry or group). It's tough when you consider that you have 200 people per ever how many leaders you have. One on one time is hard to come by if you divide up in that way. However, if you get the body to share with one another, minister to one another, etc. It will make a HUGE difference!
#2 - Lack of Obedience
I think we are on the same page. The lack of power and zeal can lead to a lack of obedience or the other way around. In reality it's a lack of PASSION for the one who saved us.
If we say we love Him then we will keep His commands.
#3 - The Herding Process
I'm curious about the "dumbing down" process. Personally, I never experienced it in the church. I have always had strong leaders who taught the Word, encouraged me to get involved, and made sure I was free to follow the Lord.
As a pastor, I try to encourage creativity. I don't want to lead in every area & simply don't have the time or talent to do so.
I do agree that we see this in other areas of life - especially in the public school system.
I would disagree on the ministry and missions part. However, if we are looking at ministry as simply something that "called" people get to be a part of then I get it. At PBC, ministry is something that everyone can be involved with. It's simply meeting needs with love. Sure...there are some people called to preach, pastor, etc. but when it comes to touching the lives of others anyone who is saved can do that. Missions is the call of every believer. You don't have to go overseas or even out of the state but we have all been commissioned to "Go".
I appreciate these thoughts. Do me a favor and post a name in your comments if you don't have a google account. I'm not asking for a full name but just a way that I can separate the comments.
Blessings to you all.
I am the first Anonymous. I didn't put my name because I wished the Lord to be responsible for the outcome and not to "shade" the view of the reader by my name being "in the way". Here is an idea. What if the leadership families simply "adopted" secretly several families each to build friendships/relationships with (pray for them, dinner invitations, personal conversations after church and such). Work at it over a year and then formed small groups. After meeting in small groups for a year then.... ask for "volunteers" from the small groups to secretly "adopt" families and start all over again. It may sound goofy, but sometimes you have to do something on purpose or it WILL NOT happen.
People don't know what they are missing.
As for the suggestion about reading through Timothy and Titus, I concur. Older is not just simply "older in the Lord" it is really an age thing. We have a lot to learn. People with older children need to come alongside young families. We need to be welcoming of those that are different. Of course, not everyone is teachable. But those of us that REALLY want wisdom from the older generation... well, there is a God given mandate for them to teach us and us to learn. (This isn't a concern about the pastor's age, it is about the Body working as it should.)
All of these ideas (glass wall, small groups, older/younger) seem to work together. People have to be connected, or none of it will happen.
The program mentality, well Neal, you have personally broken that mold.... but there are a lot of people who haven't. You are trying your best, but there are a lot of people who really just want to "check the box", write their 10 %, and let you tell them what to do. That I suppose is the dumbing down.
As for me, I'm ready to secretly work to build that network inside the body. People need each other and they really have no idea how much. I have attended a church for 8 years before and had NO connections except the pastor. How is that for sad?
I am praying for real/true outside-the-building's-walls fellowship to happen. I feel pretty certain God will come through, but we have to start somewhere. Small groups didn't take off as we hoped.... let's try building relationships/friendships outside the leadership on purpose first .... whattya say?
To the 1st Anonymous:
Love your idea about adopting families. It's creative and it will work.
I also appreciate you encouragement in all of this.
Last week I was having a conversation with my friend Wes and we were talking about how hard it would be to lead a group of people you never spent time with. Many pastors are actually trained to keep a "professional distance".
I love the vein of thinking and hope this is an area where our church can finally break the mold.
Thanks.
YOU can keep YOUR distance if you need to. That way no one is in the "pastor's group" and therefore closer to the Lord . There are plenty of other people in leadership who can work on this goal.
It isn't so much that leaders are "closer to God" and therefore more able to do this. But as I mentioned.... many in the congregation view it that way and won't really budge unless someone "official" moves them along and it is "safe" because they are with the "official" person. Once they are in a small group and see what BEING the Church is like.... well their previous way of thinking will go right out the door.... they will be FREE!
1stAnon
I hope that I didn't leave you thinking that the best approach is that leadership is to keep their distance. That isn't what I meant. I don't agree with that approach.
I do believe that the church that learns to get smaller while it grows larger is the church that is able to maintain the importance of relationship and fellowship. The early church made it work even when the launch of the church produced 3,000 converts! Surely we can do that with our 200 member churches.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
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