Reaching the Inner Ring

This week we are in Denver Colorado with our youth group on a ministries partnership with Calvary Baptist Church.  I am so impressed with the work ethic and enthusiasm our young people have displayed on this trip.  They are making a huge difference in this church's ministry to their community.

What makes this partnership interesting to me is that the area of ministry of this church is very similar to some areas around our church.  The church is located in an inner ring suburban area of Denver that was once a thriving bedroom community but is now transitioning as the inner city grows outward.

In cities all across America, the downtown area, like the Oklahoma City and Denver downtowns, are becoming more trendy and attractive to young professionals.  The result is that as real estate values rise, disadvantaged families are forced into the inner ring suburban areas.  So yesterday's suburban ministries in cities all across the country, are becoming todays urban (inner ring suburban) ministries.

Like us, Calvary Baptist has decided to stay in the city and turn it's face and ministry focus toward the needs of the transitioning neighborhoods around it.  Unlike so many other churches in their situation, they have chosen not to abandon the neighborhoods that are increasingly challenged with fragile and broken families, poverty, drug addiction and crime and are instead actively engaging the communities around them.  The result is that within three years this church has gone from about 30 people in regular attendance to over 400 last Sunday.   The ministries are gospel centered, the music is band driven and contemporary, the pastor teaches verse by verse and they have community groups that meet all over the area that are focused on missional ministry.

Our kids and youth leadership came here to be a blessing to this wonderful church.  But I think this church has also blessed us beyond measure and has taught us a few things as well.

Meeting Needs and Making Disicples

Over the past several months our church has become increasingly passionate about meeting needs in our community utilizing a gospel centered approach.  I believe the Spirit is leading us to target large categories of needs in a way that can have tremendous impact.  In an attempt to bring better focus and intentionality to these ministries we are breaking them down this way:

1.  Children and Elderly at Risk:  Over 70% of the children in the schools around our church are on government assisted food programs.  Many of these children are in what the DHS identifies as "fragile families".  There is a big role for the church to play in ministries that focus on caring for these families and to reach out to children with after school programs and age graded ministry.  We have recently begun an Orphan Care ministry that focuses on adoption, foster care and work with orphaned children in our community and around the world.  In addition, our Daycare ministry is a big part of the solution for many of these families.  In addition to children at risk, we also are focused on caring for marginalized elderly.    Just like the children in fragile families who are in need of care and direction, the elderly in our community are often the most vulnerable and in need of attention, love and care.  Our Deacon ministry to the homebound is significant in this area.  In addition, our Capstone Ministry is focused on keeping up with our older members and is reaching out to the elderly in our community.

2.  Unwed Moms:  Almost every social problem in our culture is the result of fatherlessness.  We cannot get serious about helping to redeem our community without thinking about the enormous challenges of the single mom.  A recent study of children in poverty summarized the issue this way:

Women who give birth outside of marriage tend to be more disadvantaged than their married counterparts, both before and after having a nonmarital birth. Unmarried mothers generally have lower incomes, lower education levels, and greater dependence on welfare assistance than do married mothers. Economic disadvantage may even extend into old age, with women who are single mothers for a period of at least 10 years during their life at greater risk of being poor at ages 65 through 75.  In addition, women who have a nonmarital birth have reduced marriage prospects when compared with single women without children 

3.   Behavioral and Chemically Addicted: In the wake of the deaths of celebrities like Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston there has been a lot of talk about the problem of addiction in our society.  In a recent story about Houston's death the New York Times observed "heavy drinking costs the United States about $224 billion annually." The problem of drug and alcohol addiction has reached epidemic proportions in our culture.  The church must respond.  Our Celebrate Recovery ministry is continuing to grow and have an impact.  We cannot seriously address the deepest needs we see around us without continuing to find ways to help people with their hurts, habits and hangups utilizing a scripture based gospel centered approach.

4.  Extended Adolescent Male:  One of the outcomes of fatherless homes is that young men have little direction on the meaning of manhood.  This leads to what Robert Lewis calls "visionless men".   Men not taking responsibility for their lives is one of cultures biggest problems.  Boys who grow up in fatherless homes are much more likely to end up in poverty, commit crimes or get involved in a culture of addiction.  It is our passion to cast a strong vision for biblical manhood and to reach out to young men in our community who desperately need role models and resourcing so that they can embrace God's purpose for their lives.

Of course, the ultimate answer for all of these social problems is the gospel.  The Church is to be about the business of both meeting needs and making disciples.  We strongly believe the church has the answer for all of societies most pressing problems.  That means our responsibility to meet those needs and to disciple people in the faith is even greater.  Jesus taught us that we are to be salt and light to a world that desperately needs redemption.  He taught us to go into the world and make disciples. We therefore only have credibility when we passionately reach out to the "least of these" by first meeting their needs and then disciple them along the way.  We firmly believe that to be His church is to love ALL people to Christ and help them on their journey with God and others.  It is our reason for existence as a church on 30th and Council.   The "loving people to Christ" is the meeting needs part of our mission while the "helping them on their journey" is the making disciples side of it.  It is not either/or for us- it is both/and.   I will write more later about our specific ministries and how they fit in to these categories.

A Book A Month In 2012

The new year is a good time to make a commitment to personal growth and one of the best way to accomplish this I have found is to welcome good mentors into your life.   A good mentor is someone you respect who you can meet with on a regular basis both in person and in print.  Some of my most important mentors through the years have been Christian leaders who have impacted my life through their writings.   Why not make a commitment to read a different book at least once a month this year?  Here are some recommendations for you (in no particular order):

The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright

This book is considered by many Christian scholars to be the most complete work on the theology of the resurrection of Christ.   In my opinion it is a book that should be read every few years.

Basic Christianity by John R.W. Stott

This is another one of the Christian classics that should be in every families library in my opinion.  It is a concise and beautifully written summary of the meaning of the Christian life.

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

In this book Sproul does a masterful job of describing the incredible riches of the glory of God and how our awareness of His beauty and goodness changes how we see life and see ourselves.

Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson

I put this book in the "Oldie but Goodie" category as it was written in the 1980s but the terrific logic and insights brought to bear in this book are just as current today as they were back then.  Johnson is a terrific writer who does an excellent job at equipping believers in the defense of their faith against the biases of darwinian evolutionist belief so prevalent in current culture.

Londonistan by Melanie Phillips

A fascinating explanation of the sociological changes that are taking place in London and in other parts of Europe as a result of the loss of a traditional Western Christian world view in lieu of the new dominant religion secularism and the resulting dominating values of political correctness and equality.  

Turning Points by Mark A. Noll

Mark Noll is one of my favorite writers and in this book he does a terrific job explaining the most important historical events in Christian history.

The Story of Christianity Part One by Justo L. Gonzalez

Widely believed to be the most complete work of Christian history from the time of Christ to the reformation.

The Story of Christianity Part Two by Justo L. Gonzalez

This year I'm beginning a new Wednesday night tradition called "Coffee and Theology".  These two books will be heavily relied upon as we study Christian history together.

The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis

The classic allegory of heaven and hell written by C.S. Lewis is a Christian classic.

The Language of God  by Francis S. Collins

Francis Collins is the brilliant scientist who was largely responsible for the discovery of the human genome.  He is also a devoted Christian and sees no conflict between his Christian beliefs and his practice and application of science.  This book is his explanation of that.

Summa Theologica  by Thomas Aquinas

This book is not only a Christian classic, it is also seen as one of the most important books in philosophy and Western thought.

Uncharted Path by Lee Myong-Bak

In this autobiography of the president of South Korea Bak gives an account of his rise from terrible poverty after WW2 to become head of Hyunai, mayor of Seol and eventually the presidency.  Bak gives his mother credit for raising him in a strong Christian environment.

Is God a Broncos Fan?

Last Sunday Tim Tebow, the son of former SBC missionaries and devout Christian NFL quarterback,  led the Denver Broncos to another miraculous finish over the Chicago Bears thus sparking more speculation that God must be looking over their turnaround season.

Tebows accomplishments this year have raised a lot of eyebrows around the NFL:

• He's now 7-1 after becoming the starting quarterback for Denver.
• The team was 1-4 before Tebow and most thought their season was over before he took the reigns.
• They now lead their division with an 8-5 record and are favored to make the playoffs.
• Despite a very low passer rating and one of the worst completion ratios in the league, Tebow seems to always find a way to win.
• Tebow has led his team to come from behind wins in dramatic fashion in the final minutes of the last four games.
• It's not just that he wins games, it's HOW he wins games that makes people think God must be on his side.  For instance, last Sunday all the Bears had to do was run out the clock but their star running back Marion Barber inexplicably ran out of bounds and gave Tebow and the Broncos time to tie the game.  In overtime, Barber fumbled the ball when his team was in field goal range to ice the game.  Tebow responded by leading his team down the field for a winning field goal.
• In all of his interviews, Tebow gives credit to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the victory.  

I'm a Tebow fan.  I love how he stands up for his faith and how he uses his platform as an athlete to talk about what's most important in his life.   His boldness for the gospel is getting mixed reviews however.  Even the New York Times has pointed out that the opposition to Tebow seems a little inflated when one considers the other cast of characters around the league: 

"The intensity of the derision strikes me as unwarranted, in that it outdoes anything directed at, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, accused repeatedly of sexual assault, or other players actually convicted of burglary, gun possession and other crimes. In a league full of blithe felons, Tebow and his oppressive piety don’t seem like such horrendous affronts at all.  (Frank Bruni, New York Times, December 10, 2011)

Two questions come to mind regarding the Tebow craze:

First, Is it right for Tebow to talk about his faith in such a public way?

Why would it not be?  As Christians we believe that all other truth fades under the glare of that one brilliant truth that God loves us and died on the cross for our sin.  So if a person has truly bought into the truth of the gospel, they have no choice but to center their entire being on the reality of what Christ has accomplished on their behalf.  So in this regard Tebow is only doing what comes natural for any follower of Christ.

Because we believe in the truth of the gospel, we believe that Christianity cannot be moderately important.  It is either of ultimate importance or it is a lie and a hoax.  There is no middle ground for us. It would be hypocritical and dishonest of us not to talk about our faith.

And for those who criticize him for expressing his passion,  I would ask "what's wrong with passion?"

People are passionate about all kinds of things whether it's fashion, art, politics, music, sports, money, sex, or self-aggrandizement (the passion of choice for most sports celebrities).

Tebow lives in a world of superstar athletes who continually vie for public attention to promote their own particular brand for personal gain.  It's the sad nature of professional sports today.  This is just one of the things that makes Tebow stand out as an NFL player.  He is a guy of superstar status who regularly makes the headlines but continually deflects the glory away from himself.

For example, after the win last Sunday he told the press,  "My teammates make me look better than I am".

How often do you hear that coming from a marquee athlete after a game?

Kyle Grant is an ESPN blogger who points out that Tebow is probably the most decorated college athlete in history who exhibits all the qualities every coach dreams about such as unselfishness, leadership, determination, team mentality and work ethic and yet is also the most hated in memory.

There are numerous twitter and facebook accounts dedicated to the dislike and even hatred of Tebow.  A comedian on the Daily Show has a video that has gone viral describing how he hates Tebow as much as he hates Osama Bin Laden.

So why does Tebow make so many people crazy?  Why is he described as one of the most polarizing players in sports today?  The answer seems to be that people don't like the fact that his particular evangelical Christianity seems so intolerant and exclusive.   One recent poll showed that nearly 70% of respondents said they believe that Tebows evangelicalism is "too polarizing" for the NFL.

So in other words the hatred of Tebow stems from a particular worldview that is in play in popular culture.  This belief reflects the ethos of Western European secularism which says that everyones version of the truth is equally true and important.  Therefore those who ascribe to absolute truth such as what is taught in evangelicalism are therefore thought of as "intolerant."

As I have pointed out many times on this blog, that belief in and of itself is also narrow and intolerant.   Ironically, the tolerance motif is especially intolerant of intolerance.

Everyone has belief that is narrow and exclusive whether they want to admit to it or not.  The person who says "I don't believe in absolute truth" is in fact articulating an absolute truth.  The person who says "I don't think a person should push his or her beliefs off on other people" is pushing his belief off on other people.  As C.S. Lewis points out,

“You can’t go on “seeing through” things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. To “see through” all things is the same as not to see.”

So to the question "is it right for Tebow to proclaim his belief?"  I would answer that of course it is!  Anyone who says his belief is too exclusive and narrow is being hypocritical about their own exclusivity and narrowness.

A second question relates to the nature of God and His particular grace.  Does God care about football games?   The words "divine intervention" are being used by sports writers describing Broncos wins these days.  Could this be true?  Is God pouring down his special blessing on the Broncos football team in order to show favor on one of his choicest servants?

The simple answer to this is of course not.  The BIble teaches that God does not play favorites, that His ways are not our ways and that the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:44).  To say that God has special interest in a football game is a ridiculous proposition.  Tebow himself has made this clear in interviews.

The question itself reveals a simplistic understanding in Christianity that points to a bigger issue.  That is the belief among many people that if one just prays hard enough and believes the right way and does the right things, God will rain down his blessings.

This is the belief that "if I do my part God will do his part" that is so destructive in some circles of American Christianity.  It is man-centered works based religion that flies in the face of conventional biblical doctrine.

Scripture teaches us that God is sovereign and that He sees our life from the perspective of eternity and that His will and ways are not dependent upon our whims and wishes.  God does not plan His day around our concerns.  In fact, God exists in eternity and is not bound by time and space and the limitations we experience in this life.  He sees our life's beginning and ending all at once.

There is actually a direct answer in scripture to the question of whether God chooses sides. In Joshua 5:13-20 we have an account of Joshua asking the commander of the Lord's host "are you for us or against us?" as he was preparing for a battle with the army of Jericho.  It was a great question that all of us naturally have as we go into any battle:  "Whose side are you on anyway God?"  Maybe you've asked that questions a few times yourself?  "God, are you for me or against me?"  is a question most people ask at some point in their life.

The answer he was given was "neither."  

I have always found that to be a fascinating answer.  God does not pick sides in the battles we fight in this life.  He is only interested in seeing His will carried out in our lives no matter what the circumstance.  One of the most important life lessons any of us can ever learn is that God is not as interested in our circumstances as He is interested in our character.   Look at what the Bible teaches in James 1:2:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

God uses our circumstances to forge something greater in us than what we can see or understand in this life.  Sometimes losing the game accomplishes a greater eternal reward.

So in other words Christian doctrine teaches us that it would have been just as appropriate for Marion Barber to give God the glory for His game losing fumble as it was for Tebow to give God glory for the game winning drive last Sunday.   Sometimes life's fumbles teach us more than life's game winning drives.  I know that has certainly been true of my life!

So let's applaud Tebow for his strong stand and bold faith as a genuine follower of Jesus, but let's do it in a way that does not mislead people into believing that we think that somehow God is a Broncos fan.

When Good Men Do Nothing

Joe Paterno is the winningest coach in division one college football.   He has won more bowl games than any other coach and is the only coach to have won all four of the major BCS bowls.  He has been coach of the year over 20 times and is considered to be a living legend.

But because of one decision he made about 10 years ago his good reputation has now forever been altered.  For all of the wonderful decisions he has made in his life and all of the good he has done he will be remembered forever for one fateful choice.  It was the choice of what not to do.  It was a decision of indecision.

Joe Paterno was fired by the Board of Directors at Penn State University this week because of a choice he didn't make.  When he learned that the sexual abuse of a child was happening under his watch he chose not to call the police and report it.  Instead, he passed it off to someone else.

The horrifying stories of apparent systemic child abuse in the Penn State University football program invoke some strong reminders about what is most important to us.

First and foremost on all of our minds is that a good, just and moral society protects the most vulnerable and powerless.  In a society influenced by the laws of God children are protected and nurtured.  Scripture demands it (Matthew 18:1-6) and human nature understands it instinctively.

A second and profoundly important truth that should be taken away from this is that this tragedy became even worse because good men were not assertive and aggressive in dealing with it.

This is a reminder to us that one of the biggest problems in our society is passivity.

The original sin in the garden was not just that Eve gave in to temptation but also that Adam was passive.   And that pattern of passivity causes profound dysfunction in our culture.  People are asking this week, "how could this happen?"  The answer is that it happens because people choose passivity.

The abuse itself is bad enough, but the culture of passivity that enables the abuse is just as bad.   It was the English philosopher Edmond Burke who once wrote,

"All that is needed for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."  

So as we unpack our emotions of anger and disgust in hearing these terrible stories coming out of Happy Valley Pennsylvania, let us be reminded of the nature of our sin.   Our sin is not just that we give in to temptation.  Our sin is that we bring idols into our heart.  We idolize our desires, our hopes and dreams and careers and football coaches and football programs.  We idolize ourselves. But one of our biggest problems is that like Adam, in our sin we choose passivity.

May we all be reminded that every single day we are constantly making the choice between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of me.  The kingdom of me is all about protecting self, protecting jobs, careers, programs paychecks and reputations.  The kingdom of God on the other hand rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and longs for the applause of heaven more than the applause of man.

Finding LIfe

Sunday was a day of incredible worship and celebration.  Many have told me it was the best worship experience they've had in a long time.  It was a day that included 22 baptisms, great stories of missions around the world, terrific music and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

In our staff meeting on Tuesday as we reflected on the great day, our youngest staff member Michael McAfee made the observation that perhaps the reason our worship was so over the top was that such a large percentage of our body was out serving in the community during the week in our "Loving Our City" events.   His idea is that our hearts were filled with joy because we had focused on others all week long.

I think he's on to something.

After all, the more we give our lives away, the more  we find it.  This principle found in Matthew 10:39 is not just true of our individual lives, but also true of our lives together.   A congregation that is on mission together in loving and serving their community for the sake of the gospel is a dynamic joy-filled congregation.  And that joy is manifested in worship.

Our intention is that every person who is a part of our church will be a part of a group and that every group will be on mission serving in the community in some way.

 This is one of the reasons our oneness weeks in the future will be so important to our overall strategy.  And it is why I believe we will find the more we participate together in these events the more life comes into our worship.

Reversing the Curse

This past week our church has been involved in many different "loving our city" events across the Oklahoma City metroplex.  These activities highlight ongoing ministries our church supports all year long.  One of the benefits of us doing this together several times a year is that it creates a kind of synergy that is crucial for our success.   Our hope is that more and more of our church family will get actively involved in one or more or these important ministries.

This is all a part of our dynamic mission to "love all people to Christ".  Why is this so important to us?  The simple answer is that redemption is the work of Jesus and when a group of people are passionate about doing His work, redemptive activity is the natural result.

To understand the deeper meaning of Christ's redemptive work it is important to think about what happened at the fall.  When Adam rebelled against God the result was not just a separation between Adam and God, but also a decaying affect on his relationships, his emotions and of the physical creation around him.  The curse brought death and the deterioration in all aspects of Gods' creation.  So what did Christ's work on the cross accomplish?  Not just redemption of our relationship with God that results from our salvation through His blood sacrifice, but also a reversal of the curse in all of His creation that will finally culminate some day with His coming at the end of the age when His kingdom is finally and completely restored.

The word "savior" in the Greek language is a word that can also mean "healer".  That is what Christ does- He heals the wounds brought about by the devastating impact of the fall.  This is why what we are doing this week and all year long in our community is so important.  It is the gospel lived out for the redemption of our community.  We are not just passionate about bringing people to Christ, we are also passionate about healing the wounds we see around us in our homes, our schools, our streets and our relationships.

The practical implications of this biblical teaching is that we as His church are to continually be about His redemptive work until the day He receives His bride.  Until then the bride of Christ is His primary agent for bringing about this redemptive work as His kingdom advances.  So in a very real sense, Oneness Week for us is not just solitary acts of kindness and giving, but they are all about curse reversal.