The Kingdom Doesn't Grow like a popular movement
Most movements grow by force of one kind or another. It may be a dictator using military force to grow his control. It may be a company that uses money to bully others. It may be a tactical smear campaign aimed at discrediting an idea. It may be a grassroots campaign--force in numbers that cannot be overlooked. Or it might be a well planned boycott. So many things grow through force that it's tempting for Christians to adopt a similar model. I mean, if it works...Thankfully, there's another model, set by one who is supremely perfect--Jesus Christ. Christians are followers of Jesus, so it makes sense that we will seek to build the kingdom of God the way Jesus built his kingdom. What's astonishing with Jesus is how little force he used. Think about it. He didn't use divine power--the same power that spoke the world into existence--to blast his opponents out of existence. He didn't use 'show' force, the 'look what I can do' effect to grow his kingdom. Most of his miracles are followed with, "don't go around telling everyone what I just did." Didn't anyone tell Jesus he was missing out on a marketing opportunity? He didn't use crowd power. He passed on the 'look how big our group is and reckon with us' approach. I'm think about the feeding of the 5,000 here. Jesus had a massive group gathering around him and he looks them straight in the eye and says things that make almost all of them walk away (John 6:53, 66). A blown opportunity? Jesus didn't even call for strategic boycotts. Not once did Jesus or any of his apostles teach, "Boycott that meat market because their supply comes from idolatry," or "avoid everything Roman!"So how did Jesus' grow his kingdom? Humble service. Take a few minutes and read Phillipians 2:5 - 11. That passage ends with, "God has highly exalted him...so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." That's a statement of victory, Jesus is at the top. But how did he get there? What was his approach? Paul says that Jesus "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant." There it is! That's how God grows his kingdom. Not through show of force (and lets be honest, God could flash just a bit of force and everyone would bow and crumble in fear), but through humble, loving service. And don't go all social gospel on me. Jesus didn't grow his kingdom by eating with sinners, he used eating with sinners as an opportunity to proclaim his gospel and grow his kingdom. Humility that led to real, painful, life-giving gospel conversations.That's what Christians are called to do. Let God, through the power of the Spirit, grow his kingdom through our humble, loving service that leads to genuine gospel conversations. And that's encouraging. God's not asking all of you to start the christian equivalent of a fortune 500 company. He's not asking you to start a movement (although he does ask you to join the one started by Jesus!). Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9 - 12 and be blown away by the simplicity God calls us to. What God is asking us to do is love Jesus and love people--in gospel word and deed--with deep humility. I know, it sounds so strange compared to what we're used to seeing. But that's how God works. When the kingdom grows through humble simplicity no one but God gets the glory.
What we Believe: Pastors / Elders
(this post belongs to the ‘what we believe’ series and is aimed at communicating the doctrines [truth claims] our church teaches)It's always a bit awkward when someone who's familiar with church ask me what I do. I tell them, "I'm a pastor at Union View." Nine times out of ten the response is, "Oh, are you the youth pastor?" (That used to ruffle my feathers, but now I take it as a complement that I still look young!) My reply doesn't help matters much. "No, I'm not the youth pastor. I'm just a pastor." Usually a weird look comes across their face and they cut to the chase. "Well, who's the senior pastor." They're even more troubled when I tell them, "We don't have one."The introduction to the pastors / elders section of our church's constitution concludes with:
It is the conviction of this church that whenever possible the church should be led by a plurality of pastors; consisting of both vocational and lay. Pastors shall be equal in authority but may specialize in function.
One office, three namesLet me explain those two sentences, beginning with the word pastors. The Bible uses the terms elder, overseer, and pastor interchangeably to refer to one office or position of service. You can read examples of this interchangeability in Titus 1:5 - 7; Acts 20:17 & 28, and 1 Peter 5:1 - 2. We have chosen to use the word pastor because it is both biblically accurate and easily recognizable. However, it would be equally right to say we believe in a plurality of elders or overseers. The three terms refer to the same person. So, a church that has pastors also has elders and overseers. (That's why Paul can give the qualifications for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3 and not worry about giving separate qualifications for pastors or elders.) The different titles more often than not focus in on different responsibilities a man filling that office has.More than OneSecond, let me talk about plurality. When possible we believe the church should be led by a group of pastors who have equal authority. I recognize there may be some temporary situations that only allow for one pastor, but a church should be seeking a plurality of pastors to lead. I also know that the model I'm describing goes against the popular model that many have grown up in. If you've grown up in a Baptist church (as well as many other denominations) you're probably familiar with the structure of a senior pastor who makes the decisions and, if the church is large enough, several associate pastors who are under the authority of the senior pastor. I do understand the mindset and pluses of that model from experience; however, at the end of the day I believe the Bible gives a different model for pastoral leadership. Namely, a plurality of pastors who are equal in authority who together make decisions and lead the church. My biblical support comes from a number of places. Here are two for you to think about. First, there is no biblical mention of the senior / associate pastor model. You can read the Bible from cover to cover, especially the New Testament, and you won't find separate qualifications or job descriptions for varying pastors. The New Testament only know one concept of a pastor; namely a man who leads a shepherds the flock. So, if your church has two or twenty pastors they all have the same biblical job description (which includes an equal level of authority). Different pastors may have different levels of responsibility, but expectation and authority to shepherd the flock is the same for every pastor. Second, nearly every time the world elder (which, remember, is synonymous with pastor) occurs in the New Testament it is in the plural. Consider the implications of these three verses.
Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him.
The Bible assumes that multiple elders will be in every church. Paul even commands Titus to appoint elders (plural) in every town. And keep in mind, during the time of Paul there wouldn't have been multiple churches in every town like we have now. So, the expectation was that multiple men would be set aside as pastors/elders to lead the local church.(Hopefully you caught the word 'men' above. We also believe that only qualified men should serve as a pastor / elder. I'll explain why in my next what we believe post.)When you put all this together you get the foundation for what our church believes and practices. The local church should be led by a plurality of pastors who are equal in authority. To put it another way, when we say 'the buck stops here' the 'here' isn't my desk, it's at the feet of all of our pastors. At Union View we have vocational (paid) pastors and lay (unpaid) pastors who together shepherd the flock of God. We lead with a plurality that must be in complete agreement on every decision. If we disagree we pray until we agree. We hold each other accountability, encourage each other, pastor each other. I can honestly say it's a complete joy to serve with a plurality of pastors.Resources on a Plurality of Pastors / EldersBiblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, by John Hammett*40 Questions about Elders and Deacons, by Benjamin Merkle**Both of these men serve a professors at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Do Not Be Afraid
Fear is a debilitating sickness. It is a sickness of the mind and soul that can spread to every part of your life--your work, your relationships, your mission, even your body. It's no wonder that fear is one of Satan's go to weapons. The right amount of fear in the wrong place will literally stop you in your tracks!During his year and a half stay in Corinth the apostle Paul had a serious battle with fear. In his first letter to the Corinthians he looked back on his experience and wrote, "I was with you in a state of weakness, fear, and much trembling" (1 Cor. 2:3). The threat that fear would bring his gospel ministry to a halt was so great that Jesus appeared to him one night to give courage and strength.
And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Acts 18:9 - 10
Wow, can you imagine that: Jesus giving you a fear destroying dream? Sounds great! And I'm certain it would be great. However, the best part about what happened in Acts 18 was not the dream, but the truth that Jesus gave Paul in the dream. It was the message Paul received, not the dream in and of itself, that pushed Paul passed his fear. Jesus commanded Paul, "Do not be afraid." Now how do you obey a command like that? You're struggling and someone says, "stop it!" You want to stop it, you just don't know how. No one likes being caught in the thick of fear, we it want to stop. But how? Thankfully Jesus gave Paul some truth that enabled his command. (Like Augustine said, "O God, command what you will and give what you command.") The great thing for you and I is that the enabling message Jesus gave Paul is resoundingly true for us today and can absolutely destroy your fears. There are two parts to what Jesus goes on to say.
- I am with you. There is no greater comfort than this word. Jesus, the creator and sustainer of the universe, the one who wields power over every molecule is with you. Jesus put it this way to his disciples. "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus has literally overcome everything that you could possibly fear--and he is with you!
- I have many in this city who are my people. It's true that "I am with you" is enough. But there is another great truth Jesus gives. He looks at Paul an says, "You're not alone. I have other sons an daughters in this place. Yes there are hardships and daunting tasks that cause you to fear, but I am with you AND I have others in this city doing my work." Jesus is talking about the church. There is great comfort and strength in the body of Christ. And, make sure you catch this, it's NOT 'strength in numbers.' It's strength and comfort through what only the church can do: prayer, biblical encouragement, speaking truth into one another's lives, partnering together for the sake of the gospel. No matter where you are, whatever city, whatever country, there are others in that place that belong to Jesus.
I want us to remember these two truths. Jesus, our Savior King, looks at us and commands us, "Be bold, do not be afraid, keep on sharing my life-giving gospel with everyone you can!" The command is daunting, but praise be to God that it doesn't all fall on your shoulders to make it happen. Jesus is with you! And you're not alone! Right now you are called to the mission of Christ. Jesus himself is with you, and there are others who belong to Jesus that have been called to labour alongside you. So don't be afraid, keep speaking the truth and do not be silent!
Shootings in Colorado, leukemia, the death of a friend, and one question: why?
Some weeks press the reality of evil and suffering more than others. This week three things happened that reminded me how living in a world broken by sin brings real and painful suffering.I'm sure your morning began like mine; twelve killed and many more wounded by a gunman who opened fire on an unsuspecting crowd of movie goers. Senseless violence. What could possibly justify the killing of random individuals?In the midst of this terrible news my daughter Rebekah was sent to Duke Hospital for a persistent fever. A fever in a leukemia patient could be a sign of an infection gone crazy. Since leukemia patients have suppressed immune systems, a bacterial infection can easily get out of control, do great damage to internal organs, and in extreme cases cause death. She'll be there at least until Sunday as we await results from her blood cultures.Finally, a long time family friend, Billy Wooten, died after a courageous and, most importantly, faithful-to-Christ battle with cancer. I knew Billy from a young age, the volume of his laughter only eclipsed by the tenderness of his heart. That last line might not sound manly--of if you knew Billy only shortly you may not think it--but there is no greater mark of a man than heartful tenderness in the right places. You learn a lot about a man when you pray with him, and that's one of the most frequent memories of Billy I have. For years Billy would meet with me and my then girlfriend (now wife) Lauren before Sunday services to pray. Praying with Billy confirmed my suspicions; he was a man who love Jesus more than anything. In fact, every ounce of greatness anyone saw in his life was owing the savior he follows and loves (note that the last two verbs are in the present tense).And that brings me back to where I started. This week the reality of evil and suffering has been unavoidable. And in these moments, like countless Christians before us, we ask, 'Why?' We may not want to admit it publicly for fear of being counted among those of weak faith, but the question lies in our heart. But when you ask why you're in good company, so don't be dismayed at the presence of that powerful one word question. Job asked why when he suffered; David asked why a hundred times about his own life and kingdom; Habakkuk asked why when he saw death and destruction. I don't know about you, but I'm O.K. with my name being tossed in the same hat as those men.So ask away, with one caveat. Don't stop until you find the biblical answer to your question. It's easy to look around and think that evil, death, and suffering are ruling. They are not. Christ is ruling, and if we miss that we fail to see the gospel of the King who's kingdom broke through into our world some 2,000 years ago. The King of peace, grace, and joy is here and his kingdom is growing, not diminishing (Daniel 2:34 - 35). So why the heartache? Why doesn't the King put his foot down? Let me give the short answer and then point you to some resources.The short answer is best summarized in Tim Keller's book The Reason for God. Keller writes:
The Bible says that Jesus came on a rescue mission for creation. He had to pay for our sins so that someday he can end evil and suffering without ending us.
Never forget that sin is the root cause of all evil, pain, and suffering. God could end all the terrible things right now, but to do so he'd also have to end the sinners who constantly bring sin into the world (in case you're not following, that's you and me!). However, in deep grace and wisdom, the King has found a way to end sin without having to end his children. Through Jesus and the salvation God offers to sinners, God is ending evil, pain, and suffering, but he is doing so in a way that doesn't mean the end of us! "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways" Romans 11:33.Here are some resources that will help you think through this issue. I've arranged them according to difficulty.Previous blogs I've written:
Why I'm not mad at God: how tragedy can drive us to holiness
Responding to a question about suffering
'Intermediate' books on suffering
The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Piper & Justin Taylor
'Complicated' books on suffering (hard reads, but big lessons!)
A Creation-order Theodicy: God and Gratuitous Evil, Bruce Little
The Many Faces of Evil, John Feinburg
God and Evil: and introduction to the issues, Michael Peterson
**I own these books and will be more than happy to loan them to you.