“Ultimately each church will be evaluated by only one thing. Its disciples. Your church is only as good as its disciples. It does not matter how good your praise, preaching, programs or property are: If your disciples are passive, needy, consumerist, and not moving in the direction of radical obedience, your church is not good”

by Neil Cole: I found this brilliant passage in an article by the late F.F. Bruce recalling a powerful teaching from E.H. Broadbent. The article by Bruce was addressing the things that went wrong with the Jerusalem church, one of which was legalism. So many of us look to the Jerusalem Church as the model we wish to emulate, but many things went wrong with that church. There are far more healthy examples in the NT than the mother of all churches.

I wanted to pass on to you this important lesson about sheep in a flock vs sheep in a fold:

Many years ago I (F.F.Bruce) heard E.H.Broadbent speak on the fold and the flock in John 10. He pointed out that the sheep in the fold are kept together by the surrounding walls while the sheep of a flock are kept together by the shepherd. Moreover, the number of sheep that any fold can contain is limited, while there was nothing to hinder the sheep which the good Shepherd led out of the fold having their number increased by the adherence of those ‘other sheep’ that had never belonged to the original fold. But, he went on, developing the parable, some of the sheep argued that in spite of the care and devotion of their Shepherd, they would feel safer if they had walls around them, and so they started to build some. But, said Mr. Broadbent, ‘sheep are not good builders.’ Some of the walls they built were effective enough in a way, but so restricted that they shut most of the flock out; there were other walls, on the contrary, which were comprehensive enough, but so badly constructed that they let several wolves in too, with predictable consequences. The moral is that the people of Christ need no walls to keep them together. We may learn valuable lessons from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, but Nehemiah’s wall is not a model for churches to follow.

We simply must let the Great Shepherd lead us and stop building walls. Bruce went on to apply this to the Jerusalem church as it grew more “zealous for the law”:

“The Jerusalem church, however, as time went on became increasingly concerned with ways and means of keeping the wrong type out. It was not so in the beginning, then the presence of God’s holiness among the believers was so manifest that ‘none of the rest dared join them’ Acts 5:13. There is a certain plausibility about the affirmation that ‘separation from evil is God’s principle of unity’, but it is not really so; God’s principle of unity is positive, not negative; it is the principle of unity in Christ; and separation from evil is a corollary of the principle, not the principle itself.”

Bruce concluded with this poem from William Barclay to summarize how ugly the fold can get…

“We are God’s chosen few,
All others will be damned,
There is no room in heaven for you:
We can’t have heaven crammed.”

May we not be found in such a way. Follow Jesus outside of the camp (Heb 13:13).

From: Prof. F.F. Bruce, “The Church of Jerusalem,” Christian Brethren Research Fellowship Journal 4 (April 1964): pp. 5-14

I hear it from the emerging Church movement. I hear it from the evangelical pragmatics, (that’s what Robert Webber calls them in his book ‘Young Evangelicals’). I hear it from training colleges…
What do young evangelists think of this word? Some are excited. To them, the Church, the training centers and the people with influence are finally waking up to the fact that the best Church growth and health practices are focused on mission. Some of us evangelists (who would still like to be classed as young), but who have been around long enough to become slightly cynical are somewhat less excited about this new push for contextualization.

Why? Simple: evangelists have been contextualizing the message since day one. It’s not a new thing, people. Most evangelists are crying out for the Church to be contextualized.

Have you heard the one about the magic plane ride syndrome? That’s where well-meaning Christians hop onto a plane and fly overseas where they expect to lead a whole nation or people group to Christ, when in reality that Christian has not even led a single person to Christ in their home land.

Evangelists know ‘you reach your own kind best’.

Contextualizing the message or process of evangelism will achieve little for the Church if the Church doesn’t respond in the same way. What happens is that a person might be saved, but immediately that person is expected (or has no other option but) to fit in with the congregation. But the reality may be that the message was so contextualized at the very beginning, the new convert may have very little in common with the people of the Church. We immediately take them out of their ‘belonging’ situation and expect them to believe and become something which is foreign to them. The result? Well who knows?

I believe we should go further and explore contextualization in the context (ha ha) of the entire discipleship process – from pre-belief right through to re-producing follower of Jesus.

Another story which somehow had been sitting in the draft section for way too long.

Can I tell you two stories, both of which occurred to me last week.

I was driving home with my 4 year old daughter and my 3 year old son, when they both unexpectedly started singing this song; ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when clouds are grey’. I grinned from ear to ear!

I was sitting in a prayer meeting last week and I heard the story again about Abraham receiving a visit from the Lord and my Senior Pastor made this statement ‘do you like God?’

You know I have never been asked that before. I have been asked ‘do I love Him?’ To which I have always thought, of course! I have served God. I would like to think I have honored God. I have given huge amounts of my time, money and efforts to Him. I have thrown away any real chance of ‘making it’ in life. OF COURSE I LOVE HIM!

‘But do I like Him?’ Do I like Him mmmmmm…

If I was sitting in the back seat of a car and God was driving, would I burst out singing, ‘you are my sunshine’?

This thought has now nagged me for days. It has made me think, what does it mean to like God? Is it important?

So I endeavored to think of people who I like, and of the things I do and experience with those people.

Here is a list of things I could think of;

Most generally have a common interest connection
Most are not self centered, or ego centric in anyway
Most listen and speak kindly and encourage me
Most seem happy when I am with them
Most are truthful with me
Have fun together
I am relaxed near them
I don’t feel pressured to pretend
I am free to express myself

Hang on a minute I see something here… Yes I do like God! I feel and experience every one of those things with God. Yes I do love and like Him! Phew what a relief. I thought I was in serious trouble then.

I wonder what happened to this guy?

“ship wrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown”… watch the video and say the those words out loud.

The boisterous opponents of the Church are becoming increasingly vocal:
‘All the Church wants is money!’
‘Fanatics like them cause wars!’
‘Bunch of hypocrites!’
‘They don’t know how to have fun!
‘The Church has no place in politics/schools/the media’

Every day the opportunity for Aussies to hear about belonging to a community of God becomes more remote. Every day Mr/Ms Average Australia sees less need to go to Church. And more often than not, the wider Church body has one response:

Silence.

Do you hear it? In many Churches it’s deafening.

In stark contrast to society’s clanging vocal opposition to the Church, there comes the feather-light whisper calling us to experience life the way it was intended to be.

We were created to belong in a vibrant, life-changing community like the Acts Church which spear-headed the culture of its day and influenced future society.

They weren’t so much reacting to culture, but rather changing it and leading the way.

Sounds good, doesn’t it.

How can today’s Church lay hold of that vital role? How can the Church help the average Aussie change their mind about the role and relevance of the body of Christ? How will the vocal opponents be silenced?

Those of the gambling persuasion are betting the Church will soon flounder and a whole generation will be lost to the experience of Christian community.

However we know something they don’t… Christ himself promised the gates of hell shall not prevail.

How can today’s Church be culture-changers?

By charging into battle. The Church was not created for self-defence. She was created to go off to battle.

When it comes to the battle for cultural change, some still think in terms of structural renewal for the Church, that is, to go on the attack by changing structures or programs. However, structures or programs don’t necessarily change anything. In fact structures will inevitably crumble and fall if the few key people running them move on.

Some equate preparing the Church to be culture changers to changing the Church stylistically to be more contemporary. But it doesn’t mater what style of Church we try to present if we’re still only reaching the converted. It’s irrelevant. It’s not leading culture and community, merely reacting to culture. It’s the Church on the back foot… certainly not marching into battle and beating down the gates of hell for the souls of mankind!

To become cultural pioneers, the Church needs a complete paradigm shift… a re-emphasis on following Christ, not just a preoccupation with belief.

We don’t need more believers, we need followers of Christ. Passionate followers of Christ can win the battle for cultural change.

The world has always needed passionate followers of Christ. Look at the early New Testament Christians. They were consumed with a passion for the lost because Christ was. They were willing to die for that passion because Christ was. Now days Aussies call that sort of fanaticism evil, almost on par with terrorism.

To make matters worse, within the Church those who are passionate followers of Christ have been labeled as ‘over the top, or as some have said, ‘just not cut out to be leaders in the Church’. Some are put in the box of ‘Evangelist’ when they’re not they’re simply passionate followers of Christ who live out their worship each and every day and obey the teachings of their Saviour.

I’d like to share my story. I have been told by some Christian leaders that I am not a Pastor but rather an Evangelist (due to what they identify in me as an excessive amount of or extreme preoccupation with fulfilling the Great Commission). I remember not being considered for a pastorate in one Church because, according to the Senior Pastor, I was too evangelistic.

It has taken years of wasted time and effort for me to understand these people were just plain wrong. I am not a big E Evangelist in their sense of the word, that is, someone who simply reaps the harvest and performs no other pastoral functions whatsoever. In their eyes, the primary role of the Pastor is to tend the (converted) flock, leaving the harvesting of the heathen to the ‘Evangelist’.

These leaders are walking in a different paradigm to me. I am a believer and a follower of Christ… a Pastor who not only believes in the primacy of the Gospel as do all of my peers (hopefully). But as a result, I also believe in the priority of evangelism as being the foremost consuming purpose in my life. That does not make me an Evangelist. It just makes me a typical follower of Christ who has the purpose and priority of God right!

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not talking here about the ‘office’ of the Evangelist, moreso commenting on the role of the Pastor. Nor am I saying let’s give up what structural renewal programs we have going and forget about making our services generationally relevant. But I am talking about refocusing our time and energy towards what I know is your main concern… the reaching of this lost generation.

Stop and listen carefully… do you hear it? The sound of thousands upon thousands of every day Australians limping through this life and falling into an eternity without Christ.

Listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, as he tells us to go and make disciples. Let them hear that Jesus came so they may have life to the full now.

So to you my fellow Pastors: I know you believe in the primacy of the Gospel, and the priority of evangelism. But do you want to be culture-changers? Do you want to turn this nation inside out so people look to the Church to lead the way?

To turn the present situation around start by asking yourself: does my diary reflect my so-called priorities of the primacy of the Gospel and the priority of evangelism?

It is time to get passionate! Passionate about the things that really matter! The things which can change not only your Church, but the whole of society.

Do you hear it?

~Dean Thomas

TED provides a wealth of information and inspiration, it shows the best and worse of humanity. I was amazed to discover that Billy Graham was once one of the key note speakers, and despite his age, when it was given, the message is still relevant and insightful. Christians should be involved in this revolution of science and technology! We should be leading the way! Not sitting on the sidelines mocking!

I remember as a young kid standing in line on the edge of the soccer field as two of my primary school mates picked the day’s lunch time soccer teams. Without fail, I was the last to be picked for soccer (not so with rugby, but soccer was a sad sad story for me).

I never understood the rules, in fact I couldn’t figure out why would soccer need rules. I mean how boring - no tackling, no pushing, no fending… may as well as play cards.

Even when I was on the field in the team playing no one would pass me the ball. So many times I remember thinking… ‘Man look at this, no one is in front of me, kick it to me! I’m completely open!’ I think I was so bad no one bothered to mark me.

If only they could have seen what I thought was in me - the ability to go the length of the field and score. If only they could see my hidden capacity, my hidden potential… But sadly, when the rare occasion came and I was given the chance to shine and make the play of the day… I never quite managed to kick that goal.

One time I was given the shot, the perfect opportunity, no one around me for a mile. The only person in front of me was the goalie. I lined it up… took an almighty swing at the ball… my foot connected… and it landed directly into the waiting arms of the goalie. He didn’t even have to move. It was, in effect, the perfect pass to the opposition.

I was so mad and frustrated I proceeded to run up to the goalie and attempted to kick the ball out of his hands. It wasn’t fair! Why should he be allowed to stand there and block my shot? Why should he be allowed to use his hands when I am not? Why did he have to ruin my chance of the play of the day?

Most of us might have only that small window of opportunity to show our potential. You might get a shot because your team is so far behind (or in front), that it doesn’t really matter, so the coach sends you out. Perhaps the coach is so mad at the team that he turns to you, and he might even call you by the wrong name and point or gesture for you to run on and give it a go. Therefore, you are getting your one brief chance to save the day.

Unfortunately in my childhood soccer career I never capitalised on my opportunities. I never really achieved the outcome I dreamed of.

But here is the thing… most of us have gone our whole Christian life not really living up to the potential inside of us. We’ve never been given the chance to step up and take that one shot. We have never even had the chance to take the risk.

Now I know some of you reading this have had an entire lifetime of ‘taking the shot’. Some of you are doing that right now, and to you people I am very thankful because you have taught me a vaulable lesson. Life is all about seizing those divine moments. You have taught me to take every opportunity because who knows if that next opportunity to step up will be the last one I get?

Wouldn’t it be horrible to be sitting in a pew on the sidelines and miss the calling from the great coach telling us to get in the game, and to take the shot regardless of how unlikely it might be!

Some of you might be also be thinking that you are seizing the opportunity… you are taking that shot, but you’re missing the mark. Well it is to you that I’m writing. I hear and feel your concern. Nothing is more frustrating than sensing God is calling you up to make some major play, but when the chance arises you are not kicking a goal but more like passing the ball to the opposition!

You know if Jesus is the greatest leader who ever lived, (which I am certain he is) then every single individual who enters into a relationship with God, has the leadership potential of Jesus inside of them. Every single person has the opportunity to lead her or his side in scoring!

Think about that for a moment. No matter who you are!

We are funny people - we like to do endless self-assessments to examine character, personality, gifts, energy levels, blah blah blah… and what nearly always ends up happening is we compare ourselves with others. We end up saying, ‘Well I can never be like them’. But what I want you to realise is that it doesn’t matter how you are crafted or what shape you are or what your personality is, what your strengths are, no matter what is the sum total of all the information you have about yourself, if Jesus Christ lives within you, you have leadership potential waiting to be unleashed within your personality, your spirit, your life.

Have a look at Matthew Chapter 5:13-16

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Remember the backdrop: Jesus is speaking to thousands of people, and amongst those thousands of people we find they really did not have a lot to do. They weren’t at work, when it was time to eat they did not have any food, so one can assume the crowd consisted of mainly the homeless, the unemployed, the outcast.

The first thing I want to draw your attention to is Jesus’ capacity for casting and creating vision.

How do I get that from this passage? Just bear with me for a minute or two.

According to Webster’s dictionary ‘vision’ is the ‘power of seeing’, the ability to ‘foresee and to perceive’.

The Old Testament tribe of ‘Issacar’ was a very small tribe, but it was recorded of them as being able to ‘understand the times and know what to do’.

They could perceive and they could forsee. It is one thing to be kind of a visionary who just casts a huge picture of what the future should be like, get people all rallied together and get them all on the same common course. I could name many Christian leaders just like that. But this is not really what Jesus does here.

He doesn’t really paint the big picture of the Kingdom of God here. He doesn’t paint the huge picture of the entirety or heaven or hell or whatever else you might think he would do. He doesn’t even paint the picture of what his kingdom, his personal influence will be. He looks at the multitude and instead of saying to them ‘this is what I can do if you will join me’, he looks at them and says ‘this is what you can do if you will trust me’.

I love this - Jesus goes beyond being a vision castor to a vision creator. He goes beyond just being a visionary to creating a vision environment. He looks at the multitude and says, ‘You are the light of the world’, ‘You are the salt of the earth’. Remember who he’s talking too. He is not talking to the cream of the crop, he is talking to those who are the under-estimated, the ones thrown into the game because everything else is hopeless or because they just make up the numbers.

No normal person would ever have looked at these people and said, ‘Oh yeah, these are the salt of the earth’, ‘Yeah these people are the light of the world’.

Let’s not forget that Jesus didn’t have a microphone in those days and he’s probably sitting and in a very conversational approach, they had to pass this conversation down from person to person, group to group (no microphones), and in my mind I could kind of see this happening. One turning to another, ‘You are the salt of the earth’, I can imagine and hear and see the scene.

Person after person passing on the information ‘You are the salt of the earth’. People turning to the next huge ”fragrant” fisherman - ugly, smelly, toothless, bearded - and saying, ‘You’re the salt of the earth’. By the time it gets right to the very back of the crowd, the message is probably ‘I think he said you assaulted someone on earth’.

Because that is not what they were expecting to hear. But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘Everyone else wants to throw you out, but I’m telling you there is something extraordinary in you. If you live up to your God-given potential, like salt, you will be the ones who preserve the values and beauty and essence of humanity’.

And he goes on, ‘You are the light of the world’, and says, look when you have a light you aren’t supposed to hide it under something, you’re supposed to set it up on the hill.

You know as well as I do that when you have the refuse of the world, the homeless, the hopeless, the troublemakers, the criminals, that you don’t want to go and highlight those people.

When we were in LA we did the usual open top bus tour. Actually it was a flat bed truck, the bus seats were just bolted on top! You feel like a real tourist, sitting up there on the back of the truck looking at everything (to make it worse I think we were the only ones on the truck).

Not at any stage did the driver (make that the recorded message) point out the homeless, the ghettos, the under-estimated. It pointed out the homes of the rich and famous, the recording studios, the hollywood sets and the like.

Jesus looked at these unloved and unvalued people and said, others may underestimate you, may never pick you, but I am telling you that there is God-given potential that should be on a hill! For all to see!

And if you would just shine you would bring light into an incredibly dark world.

What would happen if all of us in normal fashion stopped trying to pursue our dream, our visions, our goals and our lives, made our dominant vision gift ‘seeing greatness in other people’.

What would happen if every day we began looking at other people through the eyes of God and began to see their value? What if we began to look at the people around us who irritate us and drive us crazy, and saw them as ‘the salt of the earth’. That person is the light of love.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation surrounded by people, and when you walked away you thought less of yourself? These people are vision blood suckers. The moment you think you can, they remind you that you can’t! ‘Have you looked in the mirror? Do you know who you are?’

And so they have all the facts! Because all of us are flawed enough for anyone at look at us and say, ‘Are you kidding? You….. don’t you remember who you are?’

I think that’s why a lot of us struggle going back home to parents and family. Do you have an extended family who don’t like to let you change? They still see you the way you were. And you have worked so hard all year long to go on a diet and loose 5 kilos, you get your hair done, you just do everything you can to look younger and healthier, and you’re trying to change, and maybe it is real change.

You used to be selfish, but now you’re generous. You used to be proud but now there is a genuine humility in you. You used to be so many other things, but you know you have worked so hard to change, but you visit them and they just keep telling you who you were.

What’s so good about Jesus is that he not only exemplified the best things about humanity, but he also sees it in us, and he calls it out from within us!

Have you ever been around a group of people or an individual, that when you leave them you see yourself with greater potential than you ever did before?

We should be a people who, when we cross paths with others, they begin to see their life in a new way.

Look I am going to stop there, because I don’t think we need convincing. It’s plain and simple. It’s time we started being that visionary people Jesus called us to be. Not just people who say, ‘Come and join us, and see what we can do’. But, ‘Come and trust in God, and watch what He does with you’.

It is time we started to let go of all the things which hold us back as the people we used to be and let go of all that restrains us from reaching our potential.