I run the risk at times of being a little cranky about church effectiveness. I don’t want to be like some of my friends who are certain the church world as such is an abomination. Mainly because that just isn’t true. But we are significantly ineffective. And probably the area we are most ineffective in is evangelism that leads to national transformation. I have a coaching seminar available to churches. The coaching package is guaranteed to increase your effectiveness as a congregation by three times at least. I have filled three dates since I last mentioned this. I am not boasting but I am very good at setting up systems that will increase greatly any church’s growth through reaching unconvinced, broken, bound, and curious people. I have a money back guarantee if you find after the first session it isn’t for you. Ok- let me share a couples thoughts I like to walk through to tinker with a church’s paradigm about ministry. I already stated last week that almost 100% of the time we have to revisit our definition of what a mature Christian looks like. Today is an exam I like to give to church leaders and members to expose some misshaped paradigms about church. 1. What is the most essential trait a leader in a church must have? 2. Where do you find God’s presence and gifts the more intensely? 3. What is the rhythm of the biblical pattern for church? Ok think about your answers. Remember I am not talking about glibly getting your answers from any church culture - and particularly yours. So here’s the biblical answer to each of the paradigm quiz 1. The essential trait of a leader in any church is praying for, making room for, bringing new people to the church. The last and most important command Jesus left with the church was “go into all the world, baptizing and making disciples.” If you as a leader are not fulfilling Christ’s most intense command how can you lead. Really this is easy. If a leader will start praying for lost peoples, lost friends and lost people by name that is a prayer that God MOST WANTS TO ANSWER. I could load you down with may other passages that show all the key leaders of the church in the book of Acts were primarily involved in evangelism---bringing new people and reaching the lost. Check me out. 2. I am a guy hungry and committed to experiencing God’s presence in our worship services, prayer meetings and believe strongly in the prophetic in breaking of the word when the church gathers. But if you observe Jesus and Acts you will find that the presence of God was most powerfully present in the presence of the enemies of God or those God was seeking to bring into the movement. Jesus said it clearly several times......’I didn’t come to minister to well but to those who needed a doctor,” “the story of the prodigal son,” “I send you for as sheep to wolves,” “leave the 99 and pursue the one lost,” “he eats with tax collectors and sinners,” “John said he intended to bind the strong man so he could pillage his house,” and “he chose Zealots (first century terrorists, tax collectors (the most hated of people)...and so on. Here’s a quiz I like to add on this point: Who would Jesus chose to be present with the most?......Bernie Maddoff or me as a Christian. - I have to say it but if you took Jesus’s pattern of ministry which we are supposed to it would be Bernie Maddoff. If that statement troubles you you just discovered why you probably haven’t led anyone to Jesus in ten years. Where would you be more likely to see the power of God fall? On ministry to Bruno Mars or Sunday morning service. I would say within ministry to Bruno Mars if you follow the ministry of Acts and Jesus. I crave the intensity of God’s when I ministry to a non-converted hard case. It gets intense. Try it it’s addictive. Does that mean that church is unimportant or substandard? NO. That’s the point the church in verb form is vitally needed not just church in the noun form. As angry as some people get with me I can guarantee you the power and glory leaves the church equivalent to the waining passion for reaching a lost community. It’s just the way it is. I can take any church and easily help to show how a reasonable and even slight paradigm shift can bring great fruit and power on a congregation. 3. If you really study the ministry of Christ and the NT you will find that the early church proposition was that the church was not a SUNDAY TO SUNDAY affair. It was a MONDAY TO MONDAY affair. Church IS often boring because people haven’t gotten into enough ministry during the week to need more input. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK I HAVE EVER READ AND RECOMMEND IS JOHNNY ENLOW’S BOOK - THE SEVEN MOUNTAIN PROPHECY. I believe hell hates that book more than any book written the last 30 years. Enlo, if you read him will help you see what a Monday to Monday church looks life.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:37:01 +0000
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