Evangelism and PROOF

I have recently finished reading two great books.  Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles and PROOF by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones.  I received both for free at the conferences I attended in Louisville in April.

Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles, Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2014 $14.99

       Evangelism is part of the 9Marks series on building healthy churches.  Each book in the series is an extension from Mark Dever's book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Dever's book is very helpful and I am thrilled they have continued to expand upon his original work.  J. Mack Stiles does not present a new method of how to do evangelism.  This is not FAITH 2.0 or EE 2.0.  From the foreword (by David Platt) and throughout the book it is clear that Stiles is arguing for a "culture" of evangelism that does not rely on programs, events, projects, and professionals (14).

After the Foreword and Intro Stiles Has five chapters and an Appendix. In chapter one Stiles argues that "...the Bible never uses results to guide or justify evangelistic practices"(24).  The point of evangelism is not to be good at a method.  It is to be faithful to communicate the message.  God can overcome bad evangelism or methods because it is the message, the gospel, that ultimately bares fruit.  Evangelism is defined as "teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade." (26)  Christians should persuade but not manipulate.  Churches should engage but not aim to entertain.  Stiles then defines the gospel and explains the urgency of why getting evangelism right is so important.  He says"Unbiblical evangelism is a method os assisted suicide for a church, so there is much at stake in getting evangelism right." (39)

In chapter two explains how to create a culture of evangelism where every church member is active in naturally haring their faith.  In chapter three Stiles ties the culture of evangelism to the church and how having a correct ecclesiology helps create a culture of evangelism.  Next, in chapter four Stiles argues for intentionality in our evangelism and how is should be considered a spiritual discipline for all believers.  Finally, in chapter five, Stiles offers examples of how each Christian can be a true Ambassador for Christ.

Stiles work is right on point.  It is convicting, to the point, and filled with great illustrations.  A great resource for pastors and laymen.  I pray that not only my church, but churches everywhere will cultivate a culture of evangelism.

PROOF by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 2014 $16.99

       I received copy of PROOF at Band of Blogger 2014 in Louisville, KY and I am so happy I did.  Jones and Montgomery have written a significant work about a significant topic at a very significant time.  PROOF is all about grace.  In fact PROOF is an acronym for planned grace, resurrecting grace, outrageous grace, overcoming grace, and forever grace.  The authors open with a chapter about the works based mindset that we all are born with and struggle to fight against even after coming to faith.  They state "at the root of every man-made deity and every human religion is the notion that our performance can achieve some sort of negotiated settlement with a Holy God." Therefore PROOF is "an alarm clock that awakens you from the delusion that life depends on you and frees you to discover the intoxicating joy of God's wild and free grace."

Chapters two through six then go through each point of grace.  Instead of following the acronym TULIP to describe the doctrines of grace the authors follow the Synod of Dort (A response to the false teachings of Jacob Arminius).  The strength of each chapter is the careful walk through the Scriptures (and particularly feasting on Ephesians) and how well each chapter is written.  PROOF is filled with great examples and illustrations from both authors.

The jewel of the book for me was chapter seven,  titled "Grace for Life."  In this chapter the authors walk through the reformation, the response to reformational teaching by Jacob Arminius's followers (not Arminius himself), and the rebuttal by pastors at the Synod of Dort in 1618.  The response to the heresy of the followers of Arminius did not represent new truths.  Many church fathers had already advocated these truths well before the reformation.  The idea of the TULIP did not develop until 1905 when a Presbyterian pastor in Brooklyn chose the flower to make the teachings more rememberable.  The problem with the acronym is that language and changes were made that had nothing to do with the decisions made at Dort.  It comes across as harsh in both the view of man and of God because of the language used.  The authors rightly reject the flaws and the false theology that can come from extreme views of the TULIP (i.e. Hyper Calvinism).  But they whole heartedly agree with the decisions made at the Synod of Dort.

Calvinism is a very hot topic right now.  Some for good reason and a lot for bad reasons.  PROOF is a great work that provides balance and understanding to the history of the debate and how and why it has caused issues now.  The authors state that "the point of PROOF is...to point you away from Calvinism-or, perhaps more precisely, to push you away from Calvinism as a system and toward the gospel of God's grace."  To this I say AMEN.  The authors provide several charts and graphs to describe the prevalent views of grace right now and how each other view is wrong.  Again, this chapter, this book is very helpful. The disunity and the controversy over this topic seems to come from parties who do not have balance.  One party over emphasizes God's sovereignty, the other party over emphasizes man's responsibility. Balance is needed.

What the Synod of Dort and PROOF push is the Scriptures, not a system of rational or theological statements.  The more I read the Scriptures the more these truths of grace become evident.  God is indeed completely sovereign and yet man is also responsible.  What we need now is balance and PROOF is a great step forward to balancing God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.  Those turned off by Calvinism will benefit greatly by carefully studying this work (they provide great appendices and 'proof' texts).  On the flip side those who are extreme in their understanding and proclamation of Calvinism will greatly benefit as well.

I whole-heartedly recommend every believer pick up PROOF and glean from the wisdom and great exposition of these two authors.  I pray this work will bring unity (especially within the SBC) and enlightenment to the truly amazing and irresistible grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Great Posts from Moore and Tchvidjian

"..the gospel ought to drive us to ask for, and to receive, forgiveness from one another."

Dr. Russell Moore's Reflections on Tullian Tchvidjian's Apology

I agree with Dr. Moore's summary that the argument was more about "emphasis" than "substance." Moore has great thoughts on the issue of forgiveness. I love when he says "But then we remember that we’re Christians. And nothing makes us look weaker than crucifixion. Let’s love one another, and forgive one another."

In other words...forgiven sinners forgive. It's not easy to apologize and it's equally as hard to forgive. Christians are called and will do both.

You can read Tullian's apology here.

Praise the Lord for forgiveness and reconciliation.




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How and I doing? Nine Heartfelt Remarks from Pastors and Church Members

Thom Rainer posted two really good posts last week about pastors and church members. And feedback between them. Sometimes there can be a great disconnect between pastors and their congregations.  I am sure there are a number of factors that cause this disconnect (cultural and age differences etc) and Rainer in these two articles does a great job of trying to bridge the gap.

As a pastor I want to be as transparent as I can be (for better or worse) as I lead. I ask for and I welcome feedback and would appreciate any of your thoughts after reading these two articles. I can identify with a lot of the points from Pastors to Church Members. Especially #7 "Please don’t criticize me or ask me to do something right before I preach." How about you (pastor or church member) what points can you relate to?  Read both articles. How am I doing (CM to Pastor)?
Nine Heartfelt Things Church Members Would Like to Say to Their Pastors

Nine Heartfelt Things Pastors Would Like to Say to Church Members

Basketball with Dad

I love sports.  Watching, playing, even talking about sports.  I prefer football as an adult, played a lot of baseball when I was younger, and dabbled in soccer and basketball.  Anyways...

Nowadays I live next to several indoor/outdoor basketball courts.  I'm not very good or graceful but there is something relaxing about shooting hoops and free-throws.  As a pastor my mind is always running...and usually at high speeds.  Basketball is a good discipline to simply clear my mind.

Basketball has also become a great training tool for raising my children and particularly my boys.  Deuteronomy 6 makes it clear that we are to be training our children day and night.  So tonight, my oldest son Andrew (5) is using my full size basketball (too heavy for him) and trying to make into the elementary hoop on the playground (about 8ft).  I have been guilty in the past of celebrating when he makes a goal and correcting his form or effort when he missed.  Andrew is a perfectionist but also loves to celebrate victory and often cries if he loses. Tonight...he didn't make one shot.  He came close.  But no net.  The difference tonight.  No tears.  After each miss I encouraged him to keep trying and after each try I told him how proud of him I was for trying.  30-40 misses later, I hugged him and celebrated him as my son.  He smiled from ear to ear.  He kept trying not to earn my favor.  He kept trying because he knew he had my favor.

Pauls says in Galatians 4:4-9

"4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?"

Christians are adopted as sons.  We were slaves! Now we are sons! We were enslaved to sin but now we know God.  He knows us and we have his favor.  Therefore when he calls us to walk in the good works that He has prepared beforehand for us (Eph 2:10) we do it out of joy because we are not earning favor with God. What disciple(s) are you not walking in? In what ways are you trying to earn favor instead of walking in the favor that was earned for you? Your not called to perfect living. You are called to obedient living.  There will be days like today where you miss everything...and the Father wraps His arms around you and says "I love you...son."

  

Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible

In Knowable Word, Peter Krol has written a very short, readable, and reproducible book on the most important topic of study there could ever be: The Bible.  I am confident that biblical illiteracy is a major reason for church declines over the past decade or so.  Many people think that the Bible is foreign or irrelevant.  Even worst, a lot of church goers think they know "enough" of the Bible because they know some of the key verses.  Krol encourages his readers to not be afraid of the Bible and to read it...A LOT!

The strengths of Krol's work is the approach and examples he gives the reader. He writes as if you are in his office or meeting with him over coffee for discipleship.  Through the book he goes through Genesis 1:1-2:3 using the inductive study method of Observation, Interpretation, and Application.  A long the way through the process of breaking down the text, looking at key weds, repetition and etc, Krol gives forms and outlines that the reader could easily and quickly adapt to help them in their studies.  Even better yet, Krol has a whole website/blog dedicated to the the to topic of the book that can be found here. 

My favorite line from the book is "God’s knowable Word smashes like a jackhammer and repairs like a blowtorch. It rips us apart and puts us back together. It identifies exactly what is wrong with the world: me and you. It shows us the solution: Jesus. It gives us hope that we can break the patterns of brokenness and replace them with more life-giving options. Let it speak to the details of your life."  The more we read the Bible the more we are changed which is why I encourage this book for any Christian who needs a refresher or a beginning approach to studying the Bible.  

No book is perfect of course.  Krol does give an example of how Genesis 1 was basically applied to his life.  Though not wrong, I disagree with some of the conclusions and observations he has on Genesis 1 and the way it applies to us today.  I also would have liked to see more emphasis given to the meta-narrative or overall story of the Bible as a way to help readers begin to read and understand the Bible.  He briefly mentions it in the last chapter but it is more of an after thought.  Finally, though Krol does encourage his readers to read the Bible a lot I felt that he put the bar too high and then provided little direction.  Which then, in the end, may discourage his readers from even trying.  He could have encourage a progression of reading long chunks of Scripture and then given direction on how to read the Bible with the "Big Picture" in mind, but in this work he primarily stinks to the OIA method instead.  

Again, any work on helping people understand and read the Bible is worth reading so I do recommend that you read this work and more so I pray it encourages you to read the Bible more.  

It's Worth the Effort!

Replant: Review and thoughts on Revitalization

       Thom Rainer has a great post about the dangerous denials of dying churches.  I mentioned his newest work Autopsy of a Deceased Church in a  previous post.  Rainer has produced a lot of helpful blog posts, polls, and written material on a critical need right now in churches.

       Society has rapidly changed in the past 5-10 years in areas of technology and communications (which are obvious, and hard to keep up with).  Those changes are easy to see, but changes within the home and within ways people and families operate on a day to day are also happening just as rapidly but they are not so easy to see.

       One of the main take aways from all of the different resources on Church Revitalization I have recently reviewed is that a church must match its cultural identity.  Be contextual if you will, which means if churches aren't changing with their culture then not only are they behind...they are probably unhealthy or worse...dying.

       In the book Replant by Mark DeVine and Darrin Patrick, provide another great resource on Church Revitalization.  The story is given in which a once prominent church in Kansas City is all but about to cease from existing.  DeVine, who was teaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at the time, agreed to become an Interim Pastor for this church.  He took this opportunity seriously because of the perceived unhealthiness that became clearer as he continued to preach and serve.  In short, the church was being run by a small group (who though faithful and willing) who were simply unqualified-both biblically and in giftedness-to lead.

      DeVine then made it his priority to biblically persuade the members that things were not being done properly and that there was change needed.  Of course this change did not happen overnight and DeVine tells the riveting story of how slowly, leaders change and so did the church.  Ultimately the facility and members needed outside help.  It was a large building in a more downtown area.  Most of the members did not  live in the community any longer and the church has lost its witness among the surrounding neighborhoods.  DeVine was confident that on their own the members would not be able to hire the right guy, they need someone to do that for them. DeVine looked for local churches to essentially adopt and take over but no one in Kansas City was lead to take on this dying church.

     Enter Darrin Patrick.  Patrick's comments are brief throughout the book.  Essentially his church in St Louis, MO was not in a great position to take on such a demanding task but took a leap of faith.  DeVine records this process and how Patrick's church was able to take over all funding, buildings, property and etc and essentially plant a church planting team within the existing church to start over.  The church had a tough decision.  Change or die.  By faith they changed, someone took over, and they now run over 1600 in worship.  An incredible story.

      The biggest takeaways I had are this.  1. DeVine stressed the history of the church (the people) and the brick and mortar as pictures of the grace of God and His work.  He celebrated the history of the church and even more so wanted the church to not die and to continue.  Sometimes it is easy to see problems and stress over reasons why the problems have to come to this point and forget to remember the grace of God that you are even here at this point whether healthy or unhealthy by grace.  2.  This was a Baptist church that asked for help which seems like a rare thing.  Autonomy can be a great thing but it can also be an idolized thing like anything else.  Unhealthy churches should seek healthy churches to partner with in some way to begin the process or revitalizing.  Churches should be autonomous but they should also cooperate and network with one another.  DeVine and Patrick's story is not meant to be THE model of revitalization.  Most churches will not take the same path.  But their story in a must to read and wrestle with.

       Replant was an easy but challenging read.  I would recommend it to pastors and church members and particularly seminary students unsure of what the Lord has in store for you.  Church planting is a great need but Church Revitalization is an equally great need as well.

"Emily giveth, and Emily taketh away." Sobering thoughts from Dr. Al Mohler

Dr. Mohler's Article about Emily Letts is right on point.  If you haven't heard...Emily Letts is trying to take the guilt away from those who have abortions.  So she filmed her own abortion and is parading it as something she has "no guilt" over.  Romans 1:18-32 came to mind while reading this story.  Emily Letts is just another person trying to suppress the truths about God and about what it means to be made in the image of God.  She has "exchanged" the worship of God for the worship of her own 'power' and self.

I pray that the Lord would use this video in the compete opposite way and that it would prevent thousands and millions on innocent lives from being aborted.  I pray that the Lord would bring Emily Letts to repentance...and I pray that the Church would speak up for the "least of these."

What I've Been Reading Lately...Brief Reviews

 


The Word Became Fresh by Dale Ralph Davis

Davis has written some great commentaries on Samuel, Kings, and Joshua.  This work claims to be a preaching book but it is far from it.  That's not all a bad thing though.  Davis writes as if the reader were with him as he prepares to read, study, and preach form the Old Testament.  He drives the reader to preach and teach from all of the Scriptures and not just pass up  the hard topics (Chapter 5).  This was a fresh read and just a good reminder of how to approach the Old Testament.  The casual style of Davis makes this work accessible for all audiences, not just pastors or those in academics.

Intentional Parenting by Thad Thompson

I always like to resources for parenting and specifically those that train parents on how to disciple their children.  Thompson doesn't disappoint.  Cruciform Press aims at publishing short but powerful books (100 pages or so) for $9.99 which is great for church members and those with busy schedules.  
Intentional Parenting, is a great beginning point for parents seeking to be obedience to Scriptures call to parents to be the primary disciplers of their children.  Thompson goes through 7 areas parents need to  go through to be intentional.  They are Gospel, The Big Story (biblical theology), The Big Truths (systematic theology), The Great Commission, The Spiritual Disciplines, Christian Living, and Having a Biblical Worldview.  This is more than just how to have "Family Devotions" but is not overwhelming and a great resource for parents to read.  

Revitalize by Alvin Reid

I received this book through The Church Revitalization Conference hosted by NAMB.  I am so glad that church revitalization is getting some publicity alongside church planting. Both are necessary. Dr. Alvin Reid has written fantastic resource on a much needed subject. The book is short, to the point, and packs a punch. In between an Intro and Conclusion are five chapters based on the acronym VITAL (Visions, Ingestion, Traction, Alignment, and Leverage). Revitalization is a process, not an event or program. Revitalization is not just numerical growth, or returning to the glory days, or following a formula. Revitalization is "recapturing of the mission of God as seen in Scripture to the people of God living mission regardless of vocation or location" (8). Reid rightly acknowledges in the introduction, that all revitalization begins with prayer. Each chapter is packed with practical advice of how to begin the process of revitalization. Again, it's not a formula, but a process, a process that begins with repentance and prayer. I can't recommend this book enough. Pastor's and church members will benefit from this work.    

Jesus on Every Page by David Murray

Biblical Theology has greatly impacted my life. Too often books in this field are very academic and not ones I would recommend just anyone reading. Murray has began the process of bridging the gap between the academic world and church laity. BOTH those in the academic world and the normal church attendee will benefit from reading Murray's work. It's not too long and it is written from a testimony style or point of view in which Murray relates how he has come to read the Old Testament over years of study and growth. Murray is great at alliteration as seen in the chapter titles Christ’s Planet, Christ’s People, Christ’s Presence, Christ’s Precept, Christ’s Past, Christ’s Prophets, Christ’s Pictures, Christ’s Promises, Christ’s Proverbs, and Christ’s Poets.  Pastor's, Students, but most importantly the normal church member will greatly benefit from this work.  Murray masterfully points readers to Christ through the Old Testament as He did in Luke 24. 

Moore on the Supreme Court Ruling Yesterday

"...the Supreme Court didn’t violate the separation between the church and the state, rightly understood. The Court instead upheld it, and did the right thing."

Here is the article in full.  Time Magazine's Article with Dr. Moore

Moore was also quoted in a summary article by Facts and Trends who have a link to the amicus submitted by Moore and the ERLC.  

If you are unaware of the ERLC (The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) then you are missing out on great resources which can be found online at  www.erlc.com

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is dedicated to engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. Our vision can be summed up in three words: kingdom, culture and mission.

Brief Review of "Autopsy of a Deceased Church"

Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer

       In Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer expands upon the most looked at blogpost from his website on why churches are dying and I am glad that he has.  In the same mold as I am a Church Member the book  is short, to the point,  easy to read, and has challenges at the end of each chapter.  

       Rainer interviewed 14 different churches from different areas and contexts around North America and then summarizes his findings.  The point of the book is clear "...observing an autopsy is only beneficial if it is received as a warning to the living. This book is not about dwelling in the past, but bearing fruit in the future" (page 8).   Rainer's desire is to help prevent churches from dying and he goes through issues of finances, prayer, community presence, pastoral tenures, evangelism, preferences, the past,  and the building.  Each of these can be very sensitive issues, cause church splits, and closures, but they must be discussed.  

       Church revitalization was not the popular choice of fellow seminary class mates and was is discussed much in class (unlike Church Planting, which was all the rage).  I am glad that this trend is changing.  With NAMB offering Revitalizing Conferences with Johnny Hunt and more people getting in the discussion and strategy of Church Revitalization I am hopeful for the future of churches in decline.  Rainer's work is a much need punch in the gut, slap in the face, or shoulder grab and shake to wake churches up to the reality of our present day.  Where my family and I lived in Louisville, KY there was a baptist church with building that could hold 300-500 people right around the corner from our house.  Unfortunately, the membership declined down to 30 and the church sold it's building to a Islamic group who turned the baptist building into an Islamic Center/School.  This is real, and Rainer's work is very honest, helpful, and a step in the right direction. Don't miss this, and if you haven't read "I am a Church Member" make sure to pick that up too.