God

church planting / God / vision — No Comments
2
Feb 09

Being radical, for the sake of Christ

One of the things I have struggled with a lot in my journey of church planting is trying to get other pastors to respect the vision I believe the Lord has given me for ministry here in Sacramento. Basically, I think it comes down to being radical rather than conservative. Is radical bad if it is for the sake of Christ?

I am 100% sold out to the vision I believe God put into my heart a little over 3 years ago to start a church here in Sacramento. Every time I have doubted and looked to other paths, doors have closed in my face and I have been re-ignited to stay faithful to this vision and carry on the mission to see unreached people know Jesus. I’m more comfortable with people that we in ministry call marginal. I am uncomfortable around inwardly focused Christians that believe the church should be about them and their needs.

Just about every single pastor I have met and discussed church planting with has a background that sounds something like this:

  • Went to college, but got on fire for God and felt a calling to do more.
  • Enrolled at a traditional seminary such as Dallas Theological Seminary or a Christian college such as Biola University.
  • Started serving at a church as an associate pastor of youth or some other specific ministry for at least 10 years before starting to accept thoughts of planting a church
  • Spent time as an associate pastor in a larger church and had a great salary and staff beneath them and a thriving ministry before taking less pay and more risk to plant a church.
  • Has served with others that have gone through the *exact* same process therefore they believe it is the right model to follow.

I respect the work and endurance and maturity that these pastors have developed through their process of serving the Lord. However, I think it is a rather convenient and conservative approach. I am sure it was 100% the will of God for these men to pursue this path, but it just doesn’t resonate with me. Does that make me ungodly? I sure hope not!

Jesus was a very radical person back in his day. Remember how he got angry and turned over tables at the synagogue in the presence of the everyone? How about that he was criticized for sitting with tax collectors and prostitutes? Then there was the instance where he was healing people on the Sabbath. Time and time again Jesus is seen doing things that rub the Pharisees the wrong way. He is anti-legalistic and through the blindness of those trying to uphold the law, they see this as wrong.

If we continually talk about being more like Jesus, why not embrace some of his radical positions for the sake of seeing people healed and delivered? Why not be radical and take the gospel to places currently outside of the influence of the church building. Jesus went from town to town and preached and exemplified his words. Taking the church to the people rather than doing all we can to attract them to us may sound really radical, but in the end, isn’t it what Jesus did? Isn’t it the basis behind the Great Commission and the work of the Apostle Paul?

I can choose to follow the conservative ways that have worked in the past. The ways that are known and accepted such as the Pharisees and the Jewish law. However, I’m moving in faith and believing that there are people not under the law that need to know Christ and his grace and eternal love and that it’s going to get messy and that I am going to fall short in some areas and make mistakes. That I may have to go out, not knowing where I can lay my head, but kicking the dust off my sandals and keeping on so that I can bring the message of hope to someone that may never otherwise know it. That in the end, all I have is a vision of God sharing a revelation with me about being something different for the sake of others outside of the church knowing God much as the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road.

Sometimes, being radical for the sake of Christ is a bit lonely, but God is there. May he be magnified, glorified, and lifted up as he uses unknown people in un-conservative ways for the radical transforming power of his gospel being shared in radical ways.

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Bible / God — 1 Comment
15
Jan 09

How do you trust in God?

I am always so amazed at the way Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church thinks. I believe him to be a genius, yet it has nothing to do with his intelligence (I am sure he has a brilliant mind). It has everything to do with his heart, passion and creativity.

I just read his blog post for today. It’s about trusting God as referenced in Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

How does Steven Furtick represent his trust in God?

Our church is not going to do a capital campaign, we’re just trusting God to bring the resources if He wants us to have them.

Can you really grasp the reality of that? There are several books written on how churches are to do capital campaigns properly. Pastors get attention for when they start a multi-million capital campaign and hit their targets.

We in the ministry trust in God that if we have a need to raise money and announce it to the church and our community, that God will come through and put it into the hearts of the people to give and have the need met. However, how much faith does that show compared to a church that won’t make a push for raising funds? Pastor Furtick says just trust in God without the big announcement. If God wants it done, he’ll find a way that points directly to his awesome power and to the fact that he is alive and with us today. That’s just over-the-top powerful, trusting genius kinda talk!

I put my trust in God every day, yet I feel like I still do too much. I’m still learning the art of patience and waiting on God in some areas of my life and ministry. After reading Steven Furtick’s blog today, I find myself challenged to really do what is necessary to make it all about God with nothing left that points to me when it comes to trusting him. As I embark on a time of having to cast vision and see how my community responds to both the gospel and a call to help support our upcoming church plant this year, I need to spend more time trusting God and not getting discouraged or over-zealous in my attempts at raising financial support. God will show me the way to get things started with the church plant and I must just be committed to put my best foot forward and prepare myself using the action steps in Ephesians 6.

Father God, today is the day that I ask you to show me how to give everything I have to you. May I trust your faithfulness and the vision you have shared with me in bold, yet simple, faithful ways such as Pastor Furtick is doing. Thank you for allowing me to receive your wisdom, strength, power, love and hope from Pastor Furtick’s blog. Keep my eyes open, my ears listening and my heart steadfast to hear your voice as you call upon me to trust in you. I am always so humbled by the examples of boldness in your people and may you always reward their trust in you by delivering upon your promises. Thank you that you are my God and allowing me to get to a place where others may see you through your actions in me so that they may declare you to be their God as well. I am in your humble service and excited to see where you lead me as I trust in you more and more. In the name of Christ, amen.

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God / jesus — No Comments
25
Dec 08

Thank you Jesus!

On the day that we traditionally celebrate as the day of Jesus’ birth, I am overwhelmed with awe and wonder. I am reflecting on the joy of celebrating this holiday with my mom in past years and realizing that she won’t be here this time, but that the peace of knowing that she must be with the Lord and patiently waiting for our family to be reunited eternally someday is just making me feel thankful. Thankful that the Lord Jesus would come to earth and take away our sin so that we may be redeemed forever and live in the knowledge of his immense love. With all the difficulties and hardships going on around the world, I can’t help but hold out hope for a brighter tomorrow in 2009.

Father God, thank you for the gift of your precious Son and for all that means to us in this world. That you have overcome all and that no mountain is too high or massive to stand in your way. Thank you for redeeming us through our faith in Christ and for making this gift open to others. Your plan is perfect and your love is eternal. May your presence be known and your love felt in the hearts of millions more in the coming new year. Thank you for our families and friends and the love we can share with each other. Your love is love enough for all and I can’t stop praising your name and reflecting on your beauty and grace this day. You are my God and made a way for me to know you and to boldly share my love for you in ways that cause others to want to know you more. Thank you for your provision and for your favor upon me and my family as well as all that you do for your people throughout the universe. May everyone come to know rest in your arms and peace in their hearts this Christmas day. In the name of your Son Jesus the Christ I pray, amen.

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church planting / God / leadership / ministry / vision — 1 Comment
10
Dec 08

Vision: Where there is no vision, the people perish

Often times we in leadership look to Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) as an indicator of how important vision is to the church:

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he )that keepeth the law, happy is he.

If there is no vision, people will perish. Wow, that impacts me very hard! First of all, if vision is this important it tells me that I must be reverential in how I handle the vision. If God is going to trust me to be his messenger for a particular vision, I must do my utmost in being faithful to seeing it carried out. If I do not, people will perish.

Of course, God is God and therefore he will have his way done upon the earth whether I cooperate or get distracted or mishandle the vision or whatever. I did not make the statement in order to lay a guilt trip on anyone. Instead, it is a clear sign that God holds the opposite to be true: He gives us the opportunity to deliver his vision to his people in order that they may not perish.

Let us constantly remember that the vision is of God, appointed to us for the right time, and intended for his people. The vision is not ours as leaders of the church, but it is God’s and he has graciously appointed us to see the vision carried out. The message and focus therefore must always be on God and seeing God’s people come to know Christ eternally. It is not about bringing attention to us, the church, or programs and agendas. God has a beautiful, amazing, awesome, unthinkable plan. He uses us because we are predestined to have the faith it takes to see big things of God realized in our human world. He created us to not give up easily and to not make it about us.

I pray that those called and ordained for the work of messengers appointed to set in motion a vision of God to see those in their communities not perish and come to know everlasting life alongside our Heavenly Father will believe in the anointing to be true to the vision and keep the focus on God and his people. May you be encouraged by the task and praise God for all that he is going to take you through for the sake of some to know eternal love and grace and mercy even though we as caretakers of the vision may not feel worthy or equipped to see it through. Trust in the Lord and his choices and be faithful to keeping the vision fresh in the minds of his people daily. Until the time of final peace and joy, I pray in the name of the precious Son Jesus, amen.

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Bible / church planting / God / leadership / ministry / vision — 4 Comments
5
Dec 08

Vision: Make it plain on tablets

Vision is something that is so critical in the life of a church planter. Without it, things will fizzle out and chaos will ensue. However, is just having a vision from God the only thing it takes to plant a church? As important as getting the vision is having the ability to cast that vision. This is the struggle many within the ministry have. They get a vision, but they just can’t get other people to get behind it and be sold out to it like they are.

It’s easy to think that if God gives someone a vision to lead his church in a city, that God will also send people to them that will have a heart for the same vision. Sounds easy enough, but it just never works out that way. Sure, people will come together and new ministries will form, but ultimately it takes someone that can explain the vision and keep the direction of the new ministry moving in conjunction with the vision.

I’ve read several books on vision and vision casting and sat in on many seminars about it. However, through it all, the one thing I look back to when I need to reinforce vision within me is Habakkuk 2:2. Just as Prophets in the Old Testament were given a revelation from God for his people, I think we as church planters are given a revelation to connect people far from him in ways that are relevant and meaningful. The revelation will be for a certain people, in a certain city/community, and for a certain time. The revelation is the vision.

    Then the LORD replied:
    “Write down the revelation
    and make it plain on tablets
    so that a herald may run with it.

Above is the NIV translation of Habakkuk 2:2. As the most-popular Bible translation of today, this is how we generally see it. The Hebrew word for revelation really means vision. Habbakuk is being instructed by God to write the vision down and make it plain on tablets. Unfortunately, just doing a surface scan of this verse doesn’t give it the impact it should have upon us. The focus isn’t so much on the vision in this verse. Instead, it is on what is done with the vision that matters here. For that, let me give a clearer understanding by referencing the Amplified Bible translation of Hab 2:2:

    And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.

Is it starting to get a little clearer now? Habakkuk not only must write the vision down, but that vision must be written plainly on tablets so that everyone passing by may be able to read it and easily and quickly understand what it means.

It’s not just getting the vision, but it’s being able to make that vision so real and so plain that others can understand it and be impacted by it as if God gave it to them directly.

Whether it’s church planting or youth ministry or small group function or outreach event, if you feel God has expressed a vision for a ministry to you, can you take and write it out on a paper napkin and share it with others at the table in such a way that they get it and want to get behind it? Remember, the vision isn’t for us, it is for others and we are just the agents to share the vision with others and to see it carried out in God’s intended way. We are just the messengers as we in ministry already know Christ. Instead, we have been appointed to find a way for others to come to know Christ.

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