It seems that each time I read the Bible, I come up with something new. It may not be a revelation to you, but to me, it seems like a buffet of knowledge each time I discover something I didn’t know. For example, last week I was reading and it suddenly occurred to me how relatable the Bible is. Now I realize that I probably should have come to this conclusion a long time ago, and I think to some extent I did. It just seemed to hit me in a new way last week.
I’m sure it’s just me, but when I read a story in the Bible about someone who has failed, I usually see the story as a warning not to do the things that were done. The story was written as a lesson to be learned. Don’t do this! But it suddenly struck me that I can totally identify with each person who missed it in each story or account that I read. For example, I read about Peter denying Jesus during his trial. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny him three times that night and Peter vehemently denied that he would ever deny Jesus. But here he was a few hours later, having done just that. He even swore! One of my first thoughts is one of condemnation. How could Peter act like this? He had spent the last three years following Jesus every day, and yet he not only denied even knowing him, but he accentuated his denial by swearing!
And then, I realized that I probably would have done the same thing if I were in Peter’s sandals. I’ve just seen Jesus arrested by a crowd of armed men and taken away. I’m waiting for word on what will happen to him. I’m not even sure why he was arrested! Now I’m surrounded by a crowd of people I don’t know and am questioned about my relationship with a man they see as a criminal. My first instinct would have been to laugh it off until I knew a little more about the situation. When questioned a second time, I’m sure I would have responded like Peter did. Are you kidding? Me? With Jesus? Who is Jesus? I mean, I’ve heard of this guy, but hang with him? Not me! And then when the third accusation came, I would most likely have panicked. I may have even sworn to emphasize my denial and to show that I could not have been with him. Followers of Jesus don’t swear! Everyone knows that!
I think of Jacob deceiving his father Isaac to steal the birthright from his brother Esau. And I am reminded of the times when I have been dishonest in order to get something that I really wanted or I thought I deserved. How many times have I tried to argue with God about how qualified I was to do what he was telling me to do like Moses did? I’ve stood up for what is right like Joshua did when returning with the other spies from the land of Canaan. And then, just like him, I’ve seen my blessing delayed and felt like I was being punished for doing the right thing. Like David, I’ve been tempted by an alluring woman. Like James and John, I’ve shown pride and sought the best for myself. Like Thomas, I’ve often doubted that God was doing anything because I couldn’t see it.
The point is, I’ve acted just like the people in the Bible who have done it wrong. They missed it. Some worse than others, but each one acted in a way that was not the best way to act. Each one did something that they were not proud of. I doubt that any of them realized that their mistakes would be immortalized for thousands of years for all the world to see. But each one of them served a purpose in God’s plan. He used their mistakes and shortcomings to mold them into the people he needed them to be. Peter became the head of the church. Jacob became Israel, the father of the Jewish Nation and ultimately, Jesus. Moses led Israel out of captivity in Egypt. Joshua led Israel into the land that would become the Israeli nation. David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. James preached the gospel after the resurrection and John gave us the book of Revelation. Tradition tells us that Thomas may have been the first missionary to India, spreading the gospel after the resurrection. How many will remember me for the mistakes I made?
Peter became the head of the church. Jacob became Israel, the father of the Jewish Nation and ultimately, Jesus. Moses led Israel out of captivity in Egypt. Joshua led Israel into the land that would become the Israeli nation. David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. James preached the gospel after the resurrection and John gave us the book of Revelation. Tradition tells us that Thomas may have been the first missionary to India, spreading the gospel after the resurrection.
How many will remember me for the mistakes I made instead of the things I’ve done right? The good news is, in spite of my shortcomings, I still have potential in the Kingdom of God. Just as these people were disappointing in their service to God, their mistakes helped shape them into the people God intended them to be. Without missing it the way they did, would they have turned out the way they did? Their mistakes helped shape their future character. This was the character that was necessary for them to fulfill their destiny in the Kingdom of God.
Don’t allow failure to shape your vision of yourself. Your failures are creating the character necessary for you to fulfill your destiny as well. Just keep becoming the person that God needs you to be in order to accomplish what he needs to accomplish through you.
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Waiting. I have to say that waiting is one of the most difficult things that we have to do. There’s a verse about waiting that we like to quote. “But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength…” We like to remind ourselves that once the wait is over, it will all be OK. But what about during the wait? What happens while you wait? How well do you wait?
The Bible doesn’t specify how long Joseph was in prison, but I imagine that regardless of the length of time, Joseph was rather uncomfortable. He knew that he shouldn’t have been there. In spite of being put in charge of the prison, he knew that he had the skill and experience to be more than he was – to do more than he was doing. And yet he was in prison. And he was there because of something completely out of his control. He had done nothing wrong but was in prison nonetheless. Day after day he waited to see what God would do. Would this be the day that God would vindicate him? Would the people who had done this wrong to him ever find out that he was innocent? How long would he remain in this place in his life? I suppose at times Joseph must have questioned everything. Am I here because I deserve it? If I had only not gone in to clean her room, she wouldn’t have grabbed my shirt that day! Should I have avoided her more than I did? I knew she was after me. Do I deserve to be where I am? And to all of these question, he maintained his innocence. He had to. Deep down, he knew his own motives. And yet… here he was. In prison. Waiting.
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I find myself in Joseph’s prison often. Feeling like I’m being punished for something of which I am innocent. Having no option but to wait. No other choice. I’m just waiting on God to vindicate me. Like Joseph, I don’t know what God has in store for me. I don’t know the timing of what he has planned for me. I don’t know if or when I will be free. So I wait. Because I have to. I have no choice but to trust that God will make everything right. If you were to ask for my story during this time, it would be one of woe, doom, and despair. But my story isn’t over. Not yet. God has a plan for my life. I don’t know how it will work out, but I know it will. So I wait. How well do I wait? Do I use the gifts that God has given me, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem? Who knows when something I do or say will be the ticket to God’s purpose for my life?
I suppose this post couldn’t come at a better (or worse) time. This past week we have seen two African-American men killed by police and a sniper kill 5 policemen in Dallas, TX. It seems that racial tensions are at an all-time high. Even in the church! And that’s where I want to focus our attention this week. You see, the church has a desire to be diverse. Even in times of racial division, the church has a desire to be culturally diverse. According to a survey by LifeWay Research, 85% of all Protestant pastors believe that the local church should strive to be racially diverse. Yet that same survey showed that only 13% of Protestant churches actually had more than one predominant racial or ethnic group in their congregation.
Let’s begin by creating a little diversity in THE church, not necessarily your church. How can we create diversity while at the same time preserving unity? Start by reaching out to churches who are different than you. Here are 3 simple ideas that will work for creating both diversity and unity in the church:
As I was looking over some articles recently that were discussing some of the current trends in Christianity and the church, I started thinking: What were the trends a decade ago? What was happening then that led to where we are today? Have any of the predictions about the state of the future church come true? I dug a little deeper and was able to find some interesting data regarding the church in 2005 – 2006. Here are some of the statistics and trends related to Christianity and the church:
Have you ever questioned why you are here? That’s the question all of humanity has been pondering since the beginning of history isn’t it? What is this all about? What is the meaning of life? What part do I play in this whole “life” thing? Is there such a thing as purpose? If so, what is MY purpose? Do I even have a purpose?
So how do you figure out exactly what you are supposed to do with your life? Well, the answer really is that you generally discover your purpose more than you figure it out. And discovery usually means that you are searching for something. In 1970, a chemist named Spencer Silver was working for 3M labs. He was working on the development of a strong glue. He failed miserably. What he came up with was an adhesive that wouldn’t even stick 2 pieces of paper together. He found that the glue stuck to either one piece of paper or the other.
One of the most important systems that you can put into place is Small Groups. With the rising use of technology, I have often asked pastors the question: Why would people get out of bed on a Sunday morning and come to your church? Why not just stay at home and watch one of the mega-churches on the internet? The answer is usually: community. It isn’t the style of music or the great preaching that will bring people to your church week after week. It’s other people. Not that music and preaching don’t have anything to do with it. They do. But the main thing that will keep people coming back to your church is other people. It’s a sense of community. Of belonging. One of the best ways to promote community in your church is to have small groups. Remember – it’s not just doing small groups. It’s doing them well. Developing your leaders and making sure that they are
Remember that when people visit your church as first-time guests, they are usually there because of a need in their lives. They are checking to see if your church can meet that need. If it can, they will stick around. But once the need is met, they will continue to attend because of the relationships they have made in your church.
In the first 10 to 12 minutes upon entering your church campus. This critical first impression will have a great impact on whether your guests will return or not. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. With this in mind, it is vital that your parking area is not only well-maintained but also have clear signage and directions about where to park. If possible, have a section of your parking designated specifically for first- time visitors. This area should be closest to the entrance and be clearly marked. Your campus should be landscaped and clean. The exterior of your building should look like a place that someone who isn’t familiar with your church would want to check out.
Guests with children will need to know what they do with them. Do you have clear signage that points them toward the children’s area? Better yet, is there someone who will help them find it? By help, I mean someone who will ask about their children’s ages and names. Someone who will walk the parents and children to the proper area and then introduce them to the teacher of the class? By name. Someone who will escort the parents back to the main seating area and even introduce them to a few people along the way? Don’t treat them like visitors. Treat them like guests. After all, that is really what they are. They are guests in your church. Treat them as you would treat a valued customer in your business. A visitor is a person who comes to inspect, or stay at a place for a short time for a particular purpose. A guest is a person who is welcomed into another person’s home. A person to whom hospitality is extended. A guest is a person held in honor who is due special courtesies.
The second point at which a decision is made about whether to return to your church is during the closing 10 minutes. What happens during the minutes following the dismissal of service and your congregation heading out the doors for Sunday dinner? Usually, that’s the point at which they all gather with their friends to catch up on what they have missed during the week. At most churches, it becomes a gathering of cliques. Circles of friends gather to chat with each other. There’s nothing wrong with this. In fact, if people rush out the doors as soon as they are dismissed it’s usually a sign of an unhealthy church! But keep in mind your guests. What are they feeling during this time? Left out would probably be an accurate description. What they will remember more than the first 10 minutes will be the last 10. Those will be the memories that are freshest in their mind.
I agree that churches should grow. I’m just not convinced that larger equates to better. I’m also not convinced that attendance should be the only, or even the best, indicator of a healthy church. Sure, reaching more people with the message of Jesus is critical to the survival of the church. But reaching more people through an unhealthy church is not good. That would only add to the number of people who are unhealthy. We all recognize that not all growth(s) on (or in) your body are good. Even though growth is necessary for our survival. It’s not growth that is necessary. It’s healthy growth.
Tom Peters says “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders. Leading leaders will take you much further than simply leading followers. Leading followers adds to your abilities as a leader. Leading other leaders doesn’t add to those abilities, it multiplies your abilities. When dealing with leaders, they will think much like you do, they will have the judgement and strategical thought process that you have. They are able to see the big picture. And they care. Here are some tips for leading others who are capable of leadership as well.
Great content can be found anywhere on the web. So in order to continue attracting people to our churches, we must make the experience greater than simply great music and an engaging sermon. There must be something else. Something that answers the question for you: Why would anyone want to come to my church? As we discussed last week, it is simply not enough to expect that all Christians will come to church weekly. That mindset has shifted in our culture. We need more than just an expectation that people’s sense of Christian duty will drive them to our churches week after week. What are some of the things that will attract and keep more people?
A sense of something bigger. People – and especially younger people – feel a need to be a part of something bigger than themselves. People don’t need more entertainment. They can find entertainment more now than at any other time in history. They don’t need to be entertained in church. They need a sense of God. People can find great content online, but they can feel like they are a part of something greater than themselves spiritually only through attending a local church. The church as a whole is shifting toward a more focused sense of mission as opposed to vision. Knowing why you exist is becoming more important that the methods by which you carry out that mission.
Community. People can enjoy great content online, but they don’t get a sense of community by streaming a service from a church on the other side of the country. Even younger people who have grown up with technology and who have a different definition of “community” than us older folks, want real, genuine community. The trend of multi-site churches has reinforced the idea that people actually want smaller, more intimate settings for church. If you want more people in your church, you need to place more emphasis on things like small groups, discipleship classes, and ministries that cater to specific needs, such as single parenting, marriage, and finances. If we’re talking about attracting more young people to the church, the most positive church experiences among millennials are relational.
An opportunity to serve. One of the things that you absolutely cannot do by streaming church on Sunday is to be actively involved in the mission of the local church. You can only do that through attendance. Depending on the level of involvement, you may even be required to attend more often than you normally would. The key to active involvement though is not simply plugging bodies into positions. That may actually lead to less attendance. The key is to find people’s passion and plug them in where their passion lies. To do this may require some up-front work on the part of the church, but it is well worth the investment of time and, in some cases, a little money. At our church, we use three tools to help us identify passion. We use StrengthsFinder to help us identify natural talent and abilities, and we use the True Colors personality test to help us identify personality types. We also use the Saddleback Spiritual Gifts test to help identify spiritual gifting. I am not involved in any way with these products. I am just giving you the tools that we use. They may or may not be suitable for your use. Once we have identified a person’s natural abilities, their spiritual giftings, and their personality types, it becomes much easier to plug them into a ministry that they will enjoy being a part of. If they enjoy doing something, chances are that they will burn out less often, show up more often, and be better equipped to do the work of the ministry than if we had just plugged a ministry hole with a body.