The Greatness of Andy Stanley

Have any of you heard Andy Stanley preach? Wow. He has to be one of the best communicators of our day. I seriously enjoy him so much more than his father, Charles Stanley.

You can listen to his sermons at http://www.northpoint.org/sermonaudio

Seriously, check it out…time well spent

The Church of Yesterday

(This is the first in a series of three articles that I am working on for upcoming “Flowing from the Heart” in “The River” newsletter put out by the church I pastor. This isn’t final, yet, but I thought I would give you all a sneek peak. Let me know what you think… I owe much of this article to Scott Boren and his book, “Making Cell Groups Work” his thoughts have echoed my own for some time.)

This past memorial day I was talking to my brother-in-law about his job. During the conversation he was telling me that he handles FOX Theaters advertising in the Detroit Free Press. I told him that the Fox Theater helped play a roll in the diminishing of Christianity’s influence on the majority culture. My grandmother-in-law’s ears perked up then; her husband was a Baptist pastor for over twenty years. In short I explained to them what I am about to explain here. I told them about the church of yesterday.

My grandmother-in-law can recall the “good ole days” when Christianity was the moral center of our society, when neighborhoods, small towns and big cities all over America held the Christianity in high regard, when churches were built in the center of communities, and not just for worship, but for things like town meetings, social gatherings, and even school. They were days she still wished were here. Those days represent the church of yesterday.

What my grandmother-in-law grew up in was what some historians refer to as “Christendom”. Christendom simply refers to the institutionalization of Christianity. It began when Emperor Constantine made the Edict of Milan in 313 declaring Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. For the next 1,650 years, the church lived within the safety of Christendom, where it held much prominence, authority, influence, and respect of the people.

Christendom was (as we will see in coming articles the past tense is more than opinionally used) a period when Christianity was a cultural establishment, a union with the majority culture, which came in two forms. First, state churches created governmental Christianity. European Catholicism, German Lutheranism, British Anglicanism, and Swiss Calvinism embraced this as the predominant model. Second, social Christianity was developed into the American form of Christianity. Denominations arose that were independent of the official government, which comprised what we refer today as “Protestantism,” which has historically been equated with Americanism. This is why everyone you meet in America is a “Christian” even though they don’t attend church, etc.

Throughout history, countless events occurred which illustrate this union. Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as emperor in 800. Frederick of Saxony protected Martin Luther from Catholic persecution for political reasons more than religious one (by-the-way, if you get a chance, rent “Luther” on DVD or VHS, you wont regret it!). Because Henry VIII of England could not obtain permission for divorce from the Pope, he established Anglicanism. The Pilgrims founded Massachusetts Bay Colony to escape persecution from England, as well as to create a truly Christian society. The First Great Awakenings were not limited to the church; the movement also gave rise to the American Revolution. All but one U.S. President has claimed membership to a Protestant church (J.F.K was Catholic). Because of this the lines have been blurred between where the majority culture stopped and the church started.

As our society’s moral center the church was the most respected institution in society. The church informed, advised, and taught people how to live in society. As the culture expanded, the influence of the church expanded. Clergymen were often the most educated and respected men in society. The churches of yesterday grew in authority as they grew in size, thereby increasing their ability to influence the agendas of society. The Christian faith of yesterday was a private affair; often the term “personal” described growth, salvation and a person’s Christian life. Church was viewed as a place where certain things happened. A church plant I heard of made the point to describe themselves as “a people not a place” to illustrate the difference between them and the church of yesterday. Church was then the building on “1st and Main” where official services were held, led by official leaders.

Although many in my generation look down on the church of yesterday, listening to my grandmother-in-law talk about her experiences in it makes me have a great respect for it. In some ways I have been involved in churches of yesterday, even in my day. I know people are being saved in those types of church. The U.S. was founded on the principles of Christendom. I am thankful for what he has done through the institutionalized church of Christendom.

But, the age of Christendom in America is over. The aim of Christendom was to make “faith credible to the powers-that-be so that Christians might now have a share in those powers.” That was yesterday. The “powers-that-be” could care less about what the church has to offer today. In essence this is what “post-Christendom” is. We are living in an age wherein Christianity is no longer the center of our culture.

Now that you’re all cheered up, let me say that there is hope in all of this! As I have said many times to the people of Pigeon River Baptist Church, “The darker the night, the brighter the light.” Next week I want to write about “the church of today,” and give it some attention (I’ll also get to the importance of the FOX Theater in that article, in case you were wondering). I do not believe the church of today is going to last. It is filling the void in the cultural vacuum, but it has no lasting substance; no staying power. The church of tomorrow is perhaps our best hope (I speak as a man). I will address it in detail the following week. Stay tuned!

Lord’s Table (SCF) Update

The fight continues…

Beginning Weight: 232
Current Weight: 215

I had one week of inactivity, which hurt me, but my eating habits are getting in order, and that is the most important thing. If I continue to eat what I need and not overeat I will be at my ideal weight sooner than I think. Although my ideal weight is not the primary goal, it will be the fruit of that goal met, and sustained in my life. Keep the prayers coming!

Setting Captives Free link: www.settingcaptivesfree.com

To ESV or Not to ESV…

…that, is the question.

If your a regular around these parts then you know I have been looking into changing the translation that I teach and preach from (see the article on ESV below). I have been checking out the ESV because of its word of word translation and its high recommendations. Here’s some sound advice I received from a valued friend and schooled voice on the subject. Enjoy.

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Toby -

Switching a church from one Bible version to another is an important decision which I believe will have effects down the road that are critical but not immediately apparent. I personally believe that what you are switching to depends a lot on what you are switching from. For instance, if your church was using the NIV and wanted to switch to something more literal, I would probably recommend the ESV. But since you are contemplating switching from the KJV, then my preference would be the New King James Version (NKJV), and for the following reasons:

The NKJV has a familiar ring to it – one of the translators’ main goals was to make it read wherever possible like the KJV. Those people familiar with the KJV style or who have memorized portions of the KJV find the transition from KJV easier. Archaic language and obsolete words are modernized, but the original style and word order are retained as much as possible.

The New Testament of the NKJV is translated from the older (in my opinion more reliable) Greek texts from the Erasmus/Stephanus/Beza tradition, sometimes referred to as the Textus Receptus. The newer Greek texts, based for the most part on Westcott and Hort’s research, do have something positive to recommend them in certain instances, and where that is considered relevent the NKJV translators have included marginal notes for the sake of accuracy and clarity.

I have a copy of the English Standard Version and I have done some reading in it and I find it quite reabable for a translation endeavoring to be a word-for-word translation. Except for the above considerations I would choose the ESV over the other newer versions such as the NIV and the NASB. However, the New Testament in all three of these translations comes from the Westcott & Hort Greek tradition. In my opinion there are few places where the Westcott & Hort improves on the Textus Receptus, and numerous places where it falls short. (That in itself is a long and complicated debate.) For that reason, I personally would regard the NKJV as a somewhat more accurate translation.

The ESV seems to be the more readable of the versions which endeavored to be the most word-for-word literal. However, in most instances it has its own unique style which seems to me to be quite different from the KJV and NKJV style. As a result I believe it has a less-familiar ring to it than the NKJV has. I think maintaining as much familiarity as possible is important, and that is why I say that it matters a lot what you are switching from. I personally give great weight to that consideration. I believe this is especially important for young people who are “soaking it in” so to speak and who are accustomed to hearing the familiar KJV passages repeated. Repetition and familiarity are essential to memorization, or hiding God’s Word in the hearts especially the hearts of children.

If I had to choose among the NIV, NASB, and ESV, I would probably choose the ESV, especially for personal study. But for a church which is accustomed to using the KJV, I would choose the NKJV over the ESV because it preserves the KJV verbage and familiarity while providing the reader with more modern usages and up-to-date vocabulary.

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Adam’s Addiction

(Not to be confused with the band Jane’s Addiction…are they still around?)

I just got done wiping cookie crumbs off my fingers so I could type this. I helped a family move a piano and I was rewarded with the joy of helping them and with a dozen of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies I think I have ever tasted. They are simply amazing, and I have eaten several of them today. I have had to say “no” to them all day yesterday as my eating plan didn’t call for them (does any?). But today I could say, “yes” and yes I did!

I have an addictive personality.

Not just with food (which I am getting past), but with just about everything else too. Any girl who is reading this can testify that I am not that much different from the average Joe. Men, by nature, are addictive creations. We are prone to be addicted. That’s not to say that women aren’t, they are, but just not as badly. How many hobbies do women have? How many men sit at home wishing their wives weren’t out doing this and that every night of the week? “Sorry, guys, I can’t come out and play my wife is having her poker night. Yeah, and tomorrow is her b-ball night. Then, she’s golfing tomorrow, and going bike riding that night. Does she even realize she has a husband and kids at home!?” Exactly.

Houston, we have the problem.

While it would be safe for you ladies to blame us, it also needs to be noted that we come by it honestly; by our father Adam. God created Adam with an addictive personality. Seriously. God created Adam to be addicted to him and to Eve and to his family and to the world and responsibilities he gave him. Of course, now a days men are addicted to exactly the opposite of that. Hmm, I wonder why that is? Oh, yeah…sin!

Sin has caused men’s God-given addictive personalities to become self-centered rather than God-centered, and when God is out of place, everything else is to. But, for the follower of Jesus, he has be redeemed to become what he was intended to be. God has bought us back through Jesus, and we have been “born again” being delivered from the penalty of sin and being set free from the power of sin. God saved us so we could become what we were intended to be. God saved us so that we could once again be addicted to all the right things.

If you’re a follower of Christ then your addictions should be what God intended them to be. They should be to God, to your wife, to your family, to your church, to your world. Men, we should be like Stephanas and his household who Paul says “have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.” (1 Cor. 16:15) What are you addicted to? Are you addicted to the things God re-created you (redeemed you) to be addicted to, or…?

Turn off the sports, and turn on your wife.

Put away the clubs and take your kids outside.

Be cautious of your God-given addictive personality and channel it the way God intended.

Man Crush FAQ’s

(I laugh everytime I read FAQ…my good buddy used to string it out, “Fa..Q” anyways…)

Here are the most frequently asked questions concerning my “man crush” verbage.

1. What do you mean by “man crush”?
Although it is quite normal, and encouraged, that girls have “crushes” on men, it is also normal and encouraged that guys have crushes on men. After all, what better species is their than men? Seriously (as if any of this is serious), the “crush” that a man has on another man is not the same as the “crush”, although they are certainly similar. Basically it is loving who and man is and what he says and does so much that it fringes on the girl-like “crush”.

2. How many “man crushes” are you allowed to have?
You are allowed to have three man crushes.

3. Why three?
I don’t know. Good number, I guess. I just feel like if there is more than three then I am “cheating” on the other three…wierd, I know.

4. Where did the “man crush” originate?
What? You don’t think I am creative enough to come up with this all by myself? Well, “trust your feeling, Luke,” because you’re right! I got “man crush” lingo (long with “greatness,” “bruthuh”, “the greatness of”, etc) from a local sports radio station I used to listen to in Dallas, TX: 1310 The Ticket. My favorite shows were “BaD Radio,” and “The Hardline”. One of those shows talked about man-crushes and I think defined it similarily to what I have here. I’ve been using the lingo for the last 6 years…”and beyond!”

Thinking Small

I have been pondering small groups in the context of the local church for some time now (probably two years or more). At first I saw them as an excellent means for church growth (which they are). I saw them as a tool for discipleship, accountability, evangelism, prayer, study, discussion, fellowship, etc (which they are). In essense, I saw them as a program to add to our church (perhaps in the place of one or two of our services).

I no longer see them as such.

I now see that for small groups to truly accomplish what they were intended to they must become the very fiber, foundation, and fabric of a church. They can not be a program, but rather the structure of a church. In other words, the church is structured in cell-groups.

I know churches that offer small groups to their members because that’s what they’d prefer over Sunday school, or whatever the reason. In my thinking, now, I don’t think I would lead a church to add small groups, but rather to be small groups. To have cell-structure.

The church would be the church when it met in individual homes, and it would be the church when it came together corperately to celebrate and worship together. It would be the church on Monday as well as Sunday. It would be able, according to this structure, to penatrate contexts more effectively, and it would be better equiped to live life and use its gifts in this structure. In this structure people would really have something to celebrate about on Sunday, because they have lived it together Mon-Sat. In this structure all the things instructed of us in Scripture could be played out: worship, evangelism, good deeds, fellowship, discipleship.

It was this structure that the church in Acts had, and all the churches in the New Testament had. It was the structure that “turned the world upside down”. Of course, this structure only works like this when you have Christians whose hearts are filled with Christ. If the heart isn’t there, forget about what structure is in place. But, a new wineskin needs to be brought forth to hold new wine! The strucute facilitates the heart. For more on this see my post, “Counter American Christian Culture” here. (you scroll down on this page)

As our church grows closer to Christ; as we continue to submit to the Lordship of Christ and seek to glorify him in all things there will be a craving for something more – the new wine of Christ will need a new wineskin to match it – the old one will burst! It will not work! It will not contain the new wine! Someone mentioned the other night that our church (perhaps the church I help lead specifically, or “church” in general) needs a “radical change…a change that would shake up the whole culture of our church”. I believe the answer to this big thinking, is to think small.

House MD

Anyone here a fan of the new House M.D. television series on FOX? My wife and I love it. We haven’t consistently watched a TV series since The Practice on ABC (which was greatness by-the-way). House isn’t a show for younger viewers, and it does have some adult related content, but the writing and plotlines to the show are great. They also deal with some pretty contraversial stuff on there, and it makes you think…don’t wanna do that now do we?!

ESV Link

Many of you know I have been reading the ESV (English Standard Version) to compare it with the KJV (King James Version). This has come out by the akwardness I feel in using the KJV in public speaking. Elizabethian English is great, scholasitically, but doesn’t flow well in normal speech and public speaking. The archaic words need defining which complicates things, and often when you speak “another language” people tune out. I find myself more often than not parapharsing as I read the KJV, so I think, “Why paraphrase, why not get a good, modern translation and use it?” Anyways, the ESV comes highly recommended (Sproul, Piper, etc), enough to make me check it out. It’s great for personal reading, and I am sure public speaking (haven’t tested it yet).

If you care about such things, here’s a link provided by a friend, which gives an honest critique of the ESV. It’s worth checking out: http://www.christiancourier.com/feature/december2002.htm

Live it Up

Hearld Time Article for the column “Inspiration Today” to be printed in Wed, June 1st’s addition.

For the past year I have been leading Pigeon River Baptist Church through a study of the book of John. In this book, John writes about the life of Jesus. John’s purpose in writing this is so that we might see Jesus for who he is and believe in and follow him and receive eternal life. As I begin to read through John – which is a book devoted to Jesus’ deity (He is God), I began to see his humanity. How can you not read the account of Jesus turning the water into wine (an act of deity) and not see his humanity (he’s enjoying himself with his friends and mother at a wedding). And, he’s at this wedding until the wee hours of the morning. At least he’s there long enough for the drinks to run dry, and at a wedding, that’s late!

The Pharisees hated this. They were never invited to the gatherings that our Lord was. They were too stuck-up, clean, self-righteous and arrogant for them anyways – and if you have ever known anyone like that your stomach cringes at the thoughts of having them at a party. One of the reasons the Pharisees hated Jesus was because he was popular. He was stealing the show. Why? Because Jesus genuinely loved people and proved it by meeting their needs. But, have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, Jesus was fun to be around?

I don’t mean to suggest that in a demeaning, flippant way. I mean fun in the living it up way, or living life to its fullest way. Jesus really knew how to enjoy life. He knew how to laugh at things God had done and what others had done (after all, God laughs). Have you ever thought about what might make God laugh? How about the oddities of the Bible…a teenage girl gets pregnant out of wedlock, has a baby who is the Savior of the world. This Savior goes to be baptized by his cousin, who is some strange bug eating, leather wearing guy, who hasn’t shaved or cut his hair in thirty years – oh, and he lives in the woods. So far this story could have been written in Frederic or Vanderbilt and would probably fit right in! I find that funny. Maybe you don’t. Again, I am not being demeaning. But just think about how odd that is.

Or what about some of the crazy things God had his prophets do. The streaker Isaiah? The guy runs around naked, declaring, “thus saith the Lord!” Or, how about Ezekiel? Remember when God told him to cook his food over his own feces. Was God thinking, I wonder if he’ll do it?! That’s funny to me. Again, I apologize, but I just think God has this glorious, awesome sense of humor, and as a guy who loves humor, I enjoy it, and I see it a lot in Scripture.

In reading that you want to instantly say, “Well he did that to fulfill prophecy,” you want to “dress it” up as I call it. You want to explain it and explain away the oddities. Maybe God designed it that so the oddities would be talked about! Maybe so those people who are odd might say, “Man, I can dig a God like this – he comes right down to my world”. Which is what Jesus did, by-the-way. He didn’t come down born into a king’s house, dressed himself in the finest apparel and then was raised in the perfect home. He came into the life of the average trailer-trash, redneck in Northern Michigan!

Some may scoff at that – you may be one of them, but me, when I read that, I think, “Now here is something my old stoner bubs would relate to.” Maybe that’s why those types in Jesus’ day swarmed to him. People who know how to enjoy life, and live life the right way, are attractive people. I think Jesus was a lot like that. I think he knew how to fully enjoy life as a human should – as a perfect human can (and will!). Sitting down after a good meal and enjoying a glass of wine with his friends, discussing the Scriptures, and teaching them about life – man, that is life! Spending time with children on his knees, playing with them, hugging them (them hugging him), and blessing them…don’t tell me Jesus didn’t know how to live life! Helping people come into a right relationship with God and each other and this world they were made to enjoy – that’s living life! Knowing that every step you took, every bite of food you ate, every joke you laughed at, and every verse you debated with the Pharisees was glorifying the Heavenly Father – that’s living life!

We’ve got to see this if we are to live life the way Jesus did, as a human. I think sometimes we disconnect from who Jesus really was because we think, “I can never live like him (even though we’re told we’re to be conformed to his image) because he is God, and I am not.” Yeah, but don’t forget, he was fully human. He lived life as a human – he did everything you and I do (and more!) as a human. Everything. And, he lived it up. He lived life to its fullest.

Are you living life to its fullest? Are you living as Jesus did? Are you enjoying each moment God gives you breath to enjoy, or are you sitting here reading this hating your job, your co-worker, you wife, or the weather? Are you thinking of not how you can glorify God by going out to lunch today, but that you are glorifying God today by going out to lunch to enjoy good fun, and to thank him for creating you to have the capacity to enjoy it. As my dad used to jokingly say, “Just think about what life would be like if we never evolved taste buds!”

For a “keep this in perspective” person, living life to its fullest was Jesus’ perspective. You say, “Well, didn’t he come to ‘seek and to save that which is lost’? He didn’t waste his time with the things of this world.” Yes he did, and yes he did, and in both of those he was living life to its fullest. I am not inspiring us to go out and abandon our Commission. I am saying the Commission is part of living life to its fullest! You can’t live life to its fullest if you do not actively, guided by the Spirit, share Christ with others. Jesus did it, and he did so in showing us how to glorify God by living as we were meant to live. That’s the perspective: live as you were redeemed to live. Live like Jesus. Live life to its fullest. Live it like Jesus did. Live it to the glory of God. Live it up.

A New Hope

I was up late tonight after helping my mother-in-law move some things into her house and decided that while I was wondering around on the internet I’d watch “Star Wars: A New Hope”. I’ts great, especially coming off “Sith”. It’s weird thinking of Vader as Anikian Skywalker. It actually make watching the move more interesting for sure…I understand the whole “Empire-Rebellion” thing a lot more than I did at age 4 when I first saw it!

Earthly Empires

How evangelical churches are borrowing from the business playbook.

Check out this aritcle http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934001_mz001.htm

Chronicles of Narnia Preview

Last night I went to the late show to see Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith (sweet flick!). They showed a preview at it of the Chronicles of Narnia, “The Lion, the Witch and the Waredrobe”…

WOW!! Does it look amazing! It’s supposed to come out in December. Wow. I almost want to pay the money to see the preview again. I’m going googling…

Leperacy Update -2

I went to the Dr.’s yesterday and they put me on a strong antihistimy (sp?) to help with the rash. The rash subsided yesterday evening (and I was able to see Sith!), and haven’t had any issues with it since (praise God!). I am still closing out the antibiotics, and may take the antihistimy tonight as well just for the extra insurance for Sunday (I have to speak twice).

Thanks for your prayers. I seem to be on the road to recovery.

SCF – Lord’s Table Update

For those who care, yesterday was day 14 for me on my Lord’s Table eating plan. God has been helping me to learn correct eating habits and teaching me to be satisfied in Christ. At the end of each seven days we have to weigh in. Here’s what my weigh in looked like yesterday:

Beginning weight: 232 (which was 1 point in to the obese category – that stinks!)
Current weight: 215

Also, my blood pressure has dropped from 140/90 to 110/60 as of today! Who-hoo!

I haven’t been able to excerise this week because I have been in hiding because of my pseudo-leperacy (see posts below), so I am feeling kinda bummed. But, as soon as this is over, I’ll be back to walking and b-ball, full force. Thanks for your prayers.

Here is SCF’s website: http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/