Category: Approach God (Page 10 of 18)

My Kingdom Come, Not Yours God

used from http://christinaammerman.com/why-you-cant-make-more-money/

I’ve been on a little bit of a John the Baptist kick the last couple weeks. My favorite thing about John is his dedication and faithfulness to his call to prepare the way for Jesus. In addition to that, I love the humility that comes with his faithfulness. His whole ministry revolves around him decreasing so that Christ can increase. I hope to be half that type of leader and follower. There have been times, while leading various ministries that I have had to stop and check myself to make sure that I wasn’t trying to build my kingdom, over God’s Kingdom. In those times I would reflect on John the Baptist to help baseline what I was doing and to check myself before I wrecked myself. I am truly sorry for that, but it was necessary.

In that baseline, there were a few measures that I used as filters to help determine whose kingdom was being built. Obviously this isn’t all inclusive, but they were helpful. Here’s three ways that know that your pastor/church leader is more concerned about building God’s Kingdom, rather than his.

1.  He points people toward Jesus, rather than himself.

The most important thing that John knew to be true was that nothing was about him. He knew that he existed for one purpose and that was to point people to Christ. He spent his life preaching the coming of The Christ and that rattled and frustrated the religious leaders. There was a lot of speculation that he might be the Messiah, or Elijah or the Prophet of old, but John was quick to confess, “I am not the Christ.” In fact, John was very clear in what his purpose was. He said that he baptized with water “that he [Jesus] might be revealed to Israel.” Everything John said pointed people to Jesus. 

I heard a story at work last week about a lady that said she was surprised at how much they talked about Jesus during an Easter Sunrise Service. I’m not going to mention how ridiculous that statement is. The point is, that should never be anyone’s response to our churches. Even if the only thing an unbeliever knows about Jesus is His name, they should not be shocked to hear it over and over in our churches and dare I say our everyday life. As Christians in general, everything we do; the way we talk, work, interact with others, lead, follow, serve, love, everything, should point toward Jesus. That requirement is increased with church leaders and pastors because their positions only exist to point people to Jesus; and yes that includes preparing people to work in His ministry. Leaders that talk about their accomplishments more than what God is doing, are probably more concerned about their kingdom.

2.  He prepares goers.

Even before Jesus commanded His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations,” John the Baptist was preparing disciples to follow Jesus. John explained himself as “the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” He saw himself a person called to prepare people to follow Jesus. He knew his task, his calling, was to prepare people for Jesus’ arrival, identify Him once He had come and then move out of the way. A leader that is concerned with building God’s Kingdom prepares people to follow Jesus and equips them to go “do the work of the ministry.” Leaders and pastors are preparers; they are equippers. If a pastor doesn’t understand that, then they don’t understand their role in the body and they’re likely to be less concerned about building God’s Kingdom and more about building one around them.  The other side of that coin reveals a leader’s willingness to release people as they’re prepared. Not only did John prepare people to go with Christ, he didn’t stop them when it was time for them to leave. That brings us to our last point.

3.  He doesn’t discourage people from leaving.

John the Baptist was a pro at this; you might miss it if you don’t read carefully. John 1:35-37 says, “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” John was so pro, he didn’t even say anything to the two disciples; he just let them go. They knew what they were called to and they followed, with no objection from John and both stayed with Jesus. John had been preparing people for Jesus’ arrival and that included his disciples, who he obviously expected to eventually leave him so that they could follow Jesus.

I once heard a pastor say, “The right way to view your congregation is to consider every person, sitting in every pew a church planter.” The point he was making was that Jesus didn’t make any of His followers exempt when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” and “…you will be my witnesses…to the end of the earth.” All His followers received the Great Commission and we’re all obligated to building His Kingdom. Of course that doesn’t mean that every congregant will plant some huge mega-church, but everyone is gifted to contribute to building The Kingdom in some way. When I’ve had the opportunities to lead, I always tried to encourage an atmosphere of “Yes”. If someone came and said they wanted to start something new, my first response was “Yes.” That didn’t mean I led it, funded it or even resourced it, but I absolutely encouraged them, spent time cultivating the passion for it and providing guidance and counsel as I was able. If it didn’t work, ok, try again next time. If it did work then sweet. While discernment is a gift and wholly important, I struggle with the idea that a leader can or should tell someone that they’re not called or meant to lead or minister in a certain area or way. It almost places your vision higher than what God may be calling them to and because we’re not able to see how God works in another’s heart, I’d rather say yes, than be the roadblock to God doing what He wants.

I never wanted to lose people, I loved them and moving on sucks, but if they came to me and felt like God was calling them to something new, I didn’t try to make them stay or discourage them from what they felt God was saying to them. As a leader it wasn’t my place to define God’s call on them. Instead, I was called to equip them to leave. When you view it that way, it becomes far less about your ability and kingdom and completely about God’s infinite ability and The Kingdom. 

Building our kingdom is about adding. We add until we overwhelm an area. We add until we’re confident we have enough to be a “major player” in whatever game we’re in. It rarely involves multiplying. It may involve duplication, because we can still control that because it’s simply and extension of the same. But, multiplication is different than duplication. (To be clear and before any pastors flip out, this is not a dig on churches planting campuses. I attend a church with seven campuses and they have a heart for sending and it’s evident that the lead pastor is wholly concerned with building God’s Kingdom.) Multiplication is not “more of the same” and brings the very real and almost assured element of change. There may be similarities, but multiplication in God’s Kingdom, surrenders human control to divine control and allows that new thing to be what God has called it to be, for the sake of His Kingdom. Not everyone will go, but as leaders our commission it to prepare everyone as if God is going to call them to go.

What are some other ways that might show a leaders heart for building God’s Kingdom?

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In Memory of Jesus

empty tombWe’re approaching that time of year when the obligation of a years worth of missed church prompts us to put our family in sundresses and slacks, load them into the car and head to the nearest, often most popular, church. It’s the time of year when even small churches get to experience an attendance boom. It’s the time of year that a lot of pastors focus a lot of attention on preparing for because of the potential for congregational growth. This Sunday, pastors will preach their hearts out about the death and resurrection of Jesus in an attempt to draw people into Jesus and eternity. It’s Easter!

Last week there was a knock on my door and when I answered it a lady in a nice spring hat, the kind of hat that you expect to see in a country church in Georgia, handed me a flyer. As she handed it to me she said, “We’d like to invite you to a memorial service for the death of Jesus.” At the time what she said didn’t even register and I said, “Thanks, I already have a church, but have a good day.” After closing the door and looking at the flyer, I saw that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses and what she said clicked, “a memorial service for Jesus’ death.” I think that’s how most people, especially those that aren’t Christians or even the “Christians” that only attend on Christmas and Easter, look at Easter; a memorial service for Jesus’ death.

I get to work at Arlington National Cemetery. I say “get” because it’s a really cool place to work. Aside from the honor of getting to work in a place where so many heroes have their final resting place, it’s steeped in history. Anyway, I get to work there. Every year they host an Easter Sunrise Service at the amphitheater at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It’s this gorgeous, all marble, amphitheater on the back of the tomb. The service is huge, something like 2000 attendees. People come from all over the to attend. A few days ago my boss told me that last year he had spoke with a woman that traveled from Buffalo, New York to attend. He said she told him that the service was nice, but she “didn’t expect there to be that much ‘Jesus’ in the service.” WHAT? It’s a church service, on Easter. If there are ever a time you should expect to hear the name Jesus in church, aside from all the time, it’s on the days of His birth and His resurrection. But there it is. People don’t expect to hear Jesus in church anymore. Side note: that’s one of the reasons I’m convinced that church is for the believer. If people do come expecting to hear about Him, it’s in the form of a memorial service. For Christians, we have to be careful to not treat it as a memorial service. Easter is not a memorial of his death. Easter is the day that we acknowledge His resurrection & celebrate of His victory over death.

That’s not to say His death is inconsequential. On the contrary, the cross is essential to our faith. Without it there is no forgiveness of sin. It was on the cross that Jesus took on all of sin for all eternity. It was on the cross that sin was crucified and the debt of it was paid. It was on the cross that we we’re freed from our bondage to death. The cross is crucial, but it isn’t the end all. Likewise the tomb was important in the process. But, neither is it the focus of our faith. While the empty tomb plays an important role in our faith, it is not the center of it. The tomb was simply a launching point for the greatest event in all of eternity. It was the stage that would showcase a phenomenon that would change history forever. So, we ought to simply pause at the tomb. We pause to marvel and awe at the wondrous miracle that took place there. Then we are to run from it, but not in despair. We run in glad celebration. We run to other believers so that we can celebrate the splendor of the Good News that the tomb lay empty. We run to tell others that haven’t heard, so they might be brought into celebration with us.  Our faith has little to do with the tomb and everything to do with why it’s empty.

It’s empty because He lives. The cross without the resurrection is, essentially, the same thing that the Israelites had been doing for millennia; simply a sacrifice for sin. It’s the resurrection that changes everything. Forgiveness of sin is inconsequential if the end result is the same. Going to the grave without sin is still going to the grave. But, it’s the resurrection that changed that and that’s what we’re celebrating. On Easter we celebrate that “the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” is made available to us. I’m actually glad that people feel obligated to attend church on Easter. It provides the opportunity for them what Easter is really about and provides us the opportunity to explain that to them. I still believe that the church gathering is intended for the believer, to prepare them for the work of the ministry (i.e. living life with others), and to celebrate Jesus, but I also know that we can’t get around the fact that unbelievers will come this Sunday and we should be prepared to preach the cross, Him crucified and why His resurrection matters.

Here’s links to the Easter story:

Jesus’ Trial
Jesus’ Crucifixion
Jesus’ Burial
Jesus’ Resurrection

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I am for you

You, Me, WeWith Indiana passing the Religious Restoration Act into law, there’s been a lot of debate over it. I even joined the conversation. Even though the law doesn’t specify this, many Christians are looking to these types of laws to allow them to refuse service to people based on their own religious convictions; specifically providing services to gay couples that they determine would communicate an agreement with their lifestyle. My stance, like a handful of other Christians, is that Christians should not look to use this law as a means to usurp Jesus’ command to love their neighbor and to serve others. As I read through various articles, from both sides, I started to question what I’m trying to communicate through #ApproachGod.

I started to wonder if I had crossed a line and turned #ApproachGod into a vehicle for calling out all the things I didn’t agree with that Christians do; basically a “shaming” page for Christians. I also started to think about how unfair it must seem to expect Christians to behave a certain way and essentially let everyone else “off the hook.” Why should Christians be expected to be loving and welcoming and then not expect that from others? It just doesn’t seem fair on a lot of different levels. But that’s just how it is and it has to be that way. It’s what Jesus calls us to. It’s what sets us apart as His followers. The bible was written for Christians. Jesus was teaching His followers, us, to live and love a specific way. None of it was pointed toward or given to those that don’t believe in who Jesus is.

Jesus said, “…deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Self denial, carrying a cross and following aren’t easy tasks. Jesus never said it’d be easy. But, He also didn’t force us to pick up the cross. He actually gives you a choice and not everyone chooses Him; the rich young ruler didn’t. That’s the beauty of Jesus; He never forces Himself on you. Everyone of His followers are followers because they said yes; you chose to follow. He chose you, made an offer and you said yes. There’s so much more to that “yes,” but that requires a whole other blog, maybe 20, to cover that. But, regardless, YOU chose to surrender, which means you were accepting His command to love and serve others. There’s no way around that.

All that to say this, I’m for you. If you’re a Christians and you’re genuinely seeking to follow after Christ, I’m for you. If you’re not a Christian, and I’m for you also, just in a different way. No blog that I write is ever intended to call out Christians. They’re my people and I genuinely love them. I have friends at all different levels of maturity in Christianity and all different areas of conviction for various things, and I genuinely love them all. #ApproachGod is never intended to call Christians out, but it’s always intended to call them up. Every letter that an apostle wrote, that is now what we call the New Testament, was written with the intention of helping its recipients grow deeper and wider in Christ. My desire is that #ApproachGod will a dialogue within our faith communities that help others realize their ability, through Christ, to approach God and to help bring others into His presence. Jesus said, “…all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” I love you guys and I’m always open to dialogue.

I’ll end with Paul’s word to the Ephesian church,

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call…

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