Friday, February 26, 2010

Which Strategy Works Best?

I was reading Seth Godin's blog this morning catching up on some of his past posts. All his posts are short, to the point and give fantastic insight that can be applied to most organizations.

This was his question in a post called "Once in a Lifetime" (read the entire blog here).

"Should your product or service be very good, meet spec and be above reproach or should it be remarkable, memorable, over the top, a tell your friends event?"

He says you can't be both, you have to be one or the other. So here is my question: "Which goal would be better for the church?"

At first glance I thought it is best to be remarkable, memorable, over the top, a tell your friends event. Then I thought this is to much of an attractional attitude. Jesus had events that were all of this and people just wanted more. There were people who wanted to come and see what Jesus would do next. The feeding of the five thousand comes to mind. They knew of him, but did not really know him.

Then I started to think about it. A church that is very good at what it does, meets the spec of being like Jesus and is above reproach carries with it a sense of authenticity. It is not as concerned with just having a lot of people, it is concerned with seeing lives changed.

Jesus accomplished more with eleven changed lives than five thousand men he fed with two fish and five loaves of bread.

What are your thoughts?

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Safe Mode

I was playing "Call of Duty" the other day, doing a special ops. I played for one hour and five minutes and was almost done with the operation when I got surrounded and taken out. I threw the paddle down disgusted. I was so close. I took my time and methodically moved through the operation only to get to the end and lose.

When my Jr. High son got home I said I think we can beat this special ops mode together. It has become somewhat of a bonding time for me and Cole. We work good together. The only problem I have with Cole is he does not play in "safe mode." He moves fast trying to get through in record time. So I have to come and save him several times during the operation. That has become my role. At the end he will have 30 kills I will have 3 but I have saved his but numerous times.

Together we beat the special ops, that took me an hour and five minutes to lose, in just under eight minutes. We gave each other a high five and turned the game off.

I know it is just a game, but playing in "safe mode" is not the way to go. It takes more time with the same results. It is really kind of boring. And it is not the most effective way. Playing in "safe mode" is not playing to win, it is playing not to lose.

When I think back on times I have played to win rather than not to lose the results are usually good. We were Florida visiting my dad. We parked outside the Yankees training facility to just walk around. There was a gate open and I said, "Let's go!" My dad, playing "safe mode" said, "Were not suppose to go through there."

I was a grown up so I decided not to listen to dad that day and the boys, my cousin and myself proceeded through the gate. So dad reluctantly followed. I know he was uncomfortable, but I also knew he loved baseball. It was like leading a dog through a maze with a strip of bacon. It was hard, but he overcame "safe mode." I told him the worst they would do is tell us to leave.

As we walked down the fenced hallway we saw Bernie Williams taking batting practice. He had just had surgery and was in rehab. Before long we came to a concession stand and it was open. I started talking to the guy, he had a strong NY accent which gave away he was a true blue Yankee fan (I hate the Yankees). He told us there was a minor league scrimmage about to happen against the Blue Jays. That was great, but there was better news. The Yankees wanted Mike Mussina to get some innings in before they went to Japan to open the season. The only catcher Mussina uses is Jorge Posada.

We stood on the fence and saw 1/3 of the starting Yankees line-up as close as you could ever get. We saw Don Mattingly the batting coach. The Blue Jays walked by us giving the kids high five. It was awesome!

Afterward as we were walking back to the car my dad said, "You know, I never would have never walked through that gate on my own." You know why dad? (I know you will read this) Because you were living in "safe mode" that day. Now things don't always work out that way, but that day they did.

You know what the problem is with most Christians and churches? They operate in "safe mode." That is why they are not as effective. It becomes boring sometimes because we do the same old things and so it takes a long time for kingdom progress.

The men of faith in the Bible did not operate in "safe mode." The reason is they trusted God. It took them places that were uncomfortable--lions den, fiery furnace, before Pharaoh, in a fight with a giant, to the cross--but they encountered things and experienced God in ways they never would have imagined.

Let's make a decision together today--no more "safe mode' when it comes to our faith. Let's put the burden on God to give us the journey of our life.

Next time I play Call of Duty--NO MORE SAFE MODE!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Lamb of God

In John 1:19-28, John the Baptist is questioned by the religious leaders as to who he is. He tells them he is not the Christ, he is not Elijah and he is not the prophet like Moses. They come because they are anticipating and waiting for the Christ to come. They are looking for a redeemer that will be like Moses who will free them from Roman rule--like Moses did when they were freed from Egypt.

The next day, while they were still there, John the Baptist sees his cousin walking towards them. Someone he had played with as a child. Someone he had been to family gatherings with. All the time while they were growing up, I believe John the Baptist did not know who Jesus really was. ("I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God" John 1:32-34).

This time when his cousin approaches, John the Baptist gets to do what he came to do. He had lived for this moment, not because this was a relative, but because he came to prepare the way and announce the Christ. He had told the religious leaders that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'"

His cousin is in view and John the Baptist points to him and proclaims, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!"

Have you ever thought about what that meant to the Jewish people who there? Maybe they thought of the lamb that was slaughtered at Passover (Exodus 11-12). Remember the households that took the blood of the lamb and put it around their door would be spared the death of their firstborn as death passed over Egypt.

Maybe they thought of the Lamb that was slaughtered for the sin offering in Leviticus 4:32-35: “If he brings the lamb as his sin offering . . .He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. . .In this way the priest will make atonement for him, for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven."

Maybe it was the Lamb described in Isaiah 53:7,11: “He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was like a lamb led to slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth . . .After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

Think about John the Baptist's proclamation and what it meant for the Jewish people present that day. Think about what it means for us today. He is the Lamb that has come so that we can overcome death. He is the Lamb that has come so our sins can be forgiven. He is the Lamb who's soul suffered so we could be justified and our iniquities could be paid for.

Never forget what John the Baptist lived for--the moment he could point to Jesus and tell the world he is "The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!"

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

What Church Would Jesus go to?

I just started reading "The Intangible Kingdom" by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. In the second chapter they are talking about not being anti-church but pro-church, "the type of church Jesus would go to, the type he died to give flight to." This made me start thinking about what that church would look like.

I posted the question on my Facebook page and hope to get some responses. I am not sure I want to answer this question because I am afraid it would be to much about "me." What I would like to see the church become. To really answer this question one really needs to get into the heart of Jesus and listen to his heartbeat.

I do not want to answer this question because I am afraid. I am afraid of what it might reveal about myself and the church I serve at.

I do not want to answer this question because it may be to hard. Not hard to answer, but hard to become that church. Too many paradigms to change and people who would get upset. It is easier just being the church which has lost its voice and influence in our culture.

I want to answer it because I love the church and I love Jesus and what both are suppose to represent. I want to answer it because then Jesus becomes the focus and he becomes the draw. It is no longer about buildings, budgets and programs, it is about life, a life lived out to please Jesus and fulfill His mission. I want to answer this question because it would be refreshing to be a part of a movement like this.

What about you? What would the church Jesus would go to look like? Any thoughts?

Monday, February 15, 2010

Incarnation

The incarnation simply means Jesus was both God and man. This is such a difficult theology to understand. John starts his gospel bringing this teaching to the forefront (John 1:1-18). This is such a hard teaching for us because it is difficult to believe Jesus is both divine and human.

Maybe the problem we have is that we look at it backwards. When we think about man becoming God it is an impossible concept. But when we think about God becoming man, it becomes very possible. Because the abilities of God are limitless.

Have you ever thought about what it meant for Jesus to become a man? Philippians 2:5-8 points out that Jesus gave up "equality with God." He became a man, but more than that he "made himself nothing taking on the very nature of a servant." He was obedient to God, which led to his death on a cross.

Jesus gave up his position beside the Father. He had anything he wanted and what he did not have he could speak into existence. He limited His divine nature living as a human being. Even within His humanity he chose a lesser position. He could have come to a wealthy family within the Pharisees. He could have had the riches of the earth yet he came as the child of a carpenter. He grew up in a small town called Nazareth. A place which Nathaniel asked the question, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Here is something else to think about. Jesus took part in creating the law that was handed down to Moses. When he came to earth as a man he was now living under the law he created. Just because he was the creator of it he did not have special privileges. He lived under the law better than any man who has ever lived. He fulfilled it perfectly. Maybe he did because as the creator of the law and knew it was the better way to live. He avoided the consequences of living outside the law. And as a man he had the most incredible relationship with the Father that a human could have.

When he gave up everything to become a man he also knew where that would lead him. He knew before he came that he would have to die like everyone else. He also knew when he would die and how he would die. He lived so he could be beaten and nailed to a cross, dying a humiliating death.

That is what the incarnation meant for Jesus. When God became a man. We get caught up in trying to explain the incarnation without really focusing on what it meant for Jesus. It is in this that we see the story of love and grace.

While we chase after things that do not matter, wealth, fame and position in society, Jesus gave all that up. He gave up more than we can imagine. Why? Because there was something that mattered more to Him.

You . . . Me . . . all of humanity.

He did it so that we could have what he understood, what he left behind. He did it so we could be restored into an authentic relationship with the Father. So we could have eternal life in the presence of the Father forever.

This is what the incarnation means for us.

Who got the better end of the meaning of incarnation?

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Is the church just a Giant Hairball?

I had an elder ask me yesterday if all the churches were struggling to reach people far from God? I have been thinking about this question ever since. My first thought was that people are not big fans of the church anymore. Somewhere through life they have come to dislike the church. That response blames the wrong people.

I do know of some churches that are doing well. Rivertree Christian in Jackson, Ohio. Velocity Christian and Momentum in Cleveland, new church plants, are seeing people who are far from God find room for God in their lives.

Some churches are growing numerically, but their growth is not necessarily kingdom growth. Their growth comes mostly from people moving from one church to another. There are a few people making Jesus Lord for the first time in their life.

So why is the church struggling to reach people far from God? The main reason is that most churches do not make it a priority. Churches will say they are about reaching people far from God, but their actions say otherwise.

Gordon MacKenzie, a graphic designer for Hallmark wrote a cool little book called, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball." His point is that every organization has a giant hairball. The hairball is the organizations bureaucratic structure. The goal is to not get sucked into the bureaucracy of the organization but to orbit on the outside. The outside is where you can make the difference.

The hairball is what's unattractive to those who are far from God. Most of us are guilty of getting caught in the giant hairball. I fight it all the time and lose the fight often. The key is to orbit on the outside and not become a part of the institution that is loathed by so many. Orbiting the hairball places us in a position to rub shoulders with those who are far from God.

Jesus orbited the hairball. He stayed on the outside of the religious establishment. He rubbed shoulders with sinners and tax collectors. He also got criticized for it. You know you are orbiting the hairball when people criticize you for not participating in what the hairball represents.

If churches, followers of Jesus, are going to be serious about reaching people far from God, they are going to have to be willing to break the rules of tradition. They are going to have to break ties with the Church growth movement (a giant hairball). They are going to have to stop being seeker sensitive and become a seeker.

How about you? Are you ready to take seriously the mission of the church which is to reach people who are far from God. It is time to give up the hairball. You know what a hairball is good for? Choking.