by Josh Duncan
I'm not going to lie and say that the thought of pastoring the next megachurch never crossed my mind over 2 years ago when we felt God call us to start a church. Honestly, I was convinced I knew everything I needed to know and was ready to set the world on fire for Jesus. I wish I could play the humble card and say that it was always all about Jesus, and that I didn't care how many people showed up each Sunday, but that wouldn't be exactly true.
Look, these thoughts that crossed my mind were not discussed with anyone, and if you've ever pursued anything, I'm sure you've had similar thoughts about what great success would look like and you allowed that to push you forward. Here was my problem though...
1. I was completely blind to these thoughts within my own life...
Ever so casually, one seemingly small decision after another, I made decisions that reflected my hope of building the church. The issue is Jesus never told me to build the church. He told me (and all followers of Jesus) to make disciples, and that He would build the church. Somehow, in all my years of "church," I missed that. I missed that our mission isn't about preaching, worship styles, buildings, budgets, websites, meetings, etc.
2. Jesus really doesn't care how many people attend a worship service that's mostly an impersonal environment where people can show up and leave without ever truly interacting with anyone... I believed that success was found in what could easily be measured. How many people are showing up? Is our attendance increasing? Are the offerings increasing?... The truth is if you're truly making disciples, you will see an increase in all of these over time. However, I've had to realize that just because you break attendance barriers (or don't break them as fast as someone else) doesn't mean that you're succeeding or failing. You can have 1,000s (or dozens) at your weekly service and not be making a single disciple. Jesus wants disciples...people who truly surrender and begin to follow Him.
3. God knows our motives, and He will expose them...
You say you want to do this or that.... Will you let God ask you WHY?
For example, someone says they want to be a pastor or start a church... Why?
Do you like to preach? Do you hate your "secular" job?
These are absolutely the wrong reasons to be a pastor or start a church. I believe Jesus would ask, "Do you have a heart for making disciples? Are you pouring your life into your family, neighbors, and co-workers? Are you making disciples within the church you currently attend?" If you're waiting on a paycheck or "title" to do what God's called all believers to do, then your motives are self-centered and not in-tune with His Kingdom.
My challenge to you is the same challenge God has given to me... Don't be obsessed with how big your church is or isn't. (It's His church anyway) Start following Jesus more than you do your favorite pastor or author. Start loving your family with all you have. Start pouring your life and faith into the people around you. Spend time with people. Invite them into your life. Invest your spiritual journey into them. Surrender to Jesus as Lord and call the Christians around you to do the same. It's time to be the church and to quit playing church one-day a week!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Do You Care? Time Will Tell
by Josh Duncan
I was reminded of a statement I recently made that went something like this, "If you care about something, you'll make time for it." For example, here in Knoxville, UT football is only a few months away, and people all across this state will be clearing schedules and making time to watch the game each Saturday. It's safe to say that people care about UT football because they make time to give their attention to it.
When it comes to following Jesus, your family, and being a part of the church, I've often heard people say things such as, "I care about my relationship with Jesus" or "I really care about the church" (the people, not the building or the service). However, I want to challenge each of us to wrestle with the reality of our situations. We often say we care, but do we prioritize our time to the things we say we care about?
Why time? Why is time the true test? Time is the ultimate test because time is the one thing you can't get more of unlike money or resources. We all have the exact same 86,400 seconds in a day. While there are some variables for each of us related to things such as jobs, essentially, we must choose how we will spend our time. As a result, how you choose to spend your time reflects what you care about most. (I understand some people must work multiple jobs to provide for their family, so scenarios like this are not what I'm discussing here)
So, give yourself a test as a follower of Jesus...
Does Jesus get a slice of your time on a consistent basis?
Okay, I know Jesus is with you everywhere you go, and you should be sensitive to that, but everywhere you go there's usually someone else (kids, spouse, co-workers, etc) or something else (other cars, radio, cell phone, etc). When does Jesus get QUALITY time with you? When do you shut off everything around you, read His Word, and spend time with Him and Him alone? Jesus cared about His relationship with the Father, and this is evidenced by the fact that He gave quality time alone with the Father on a regular basis (see Luke 5:16). If Jesus did this, do we really think it's optional or excusable for us to not do the same?
Do you spend time with your family?
When was the last time you had a real conversation with your spouse? kids? I'm not talking about a discussion over who should get voted off American Idol, but a real conversation where you are discussing life. When was the last time your family had your undivided attention both physically and mentally? It's so easy to think that because you're physically present that your're giving them your time. I can speak from personal experience and say that you're not present unless you're both mentally (mind is focused on them and not everything else you need to do) and physically there. The Bible says family time is where we make disciples and teach those closest to us how to follow Jesus (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9).
Do you spend time with your church family?
I'm not talking about merely attending a service where you may very well not talk to or interact with anyone. Do you regularly converse, encourage, and pray with other believers? Scripture gives a command to obey, not an option to consider, in Hebrews 10:24-25. The Bible says we are to love one another as believers. It's hard to express that love when you don't spend quality time with the people you're supposed to care about.
So, how did you do? Honestly, I need to improve some in each area. I'm challenging you because God's challenging me. It's time that followers of Jesus stop playing games and allow God to expose the imbalances and misuse of our most precious commodity, TIME.
I was reminded of a statement I recently made that went something like this, "If you care about something, you'll make time for it." For example, here in Knoxville, UT football is only a few months away, and people all across this state will be clearing schedules and making time to watch the game each Saturday. It's safe to say that people care about UT football because they make time to give their attention to it.
When it comes to following Jesus, your family, and being a part of the church, I've often heard people say things such as, "I care about my relationship with Jesus" or "I really care about the church" (the people, not the building or the service). However, I want to challenge each of us to wrestle with the reality of our situations. We often say we care, but do we prioritize our time to the things we say we care about?
Why time? Why is time the true test? Time is the ultimate test because time is the one thing you can't get more of unlike money or resources. We all have the exact same 86,400 seconds in a day. While there are some variables for each of us related to things such as jobs, essentially, we must choose how we will spend our time. As a result, how you choose to spend your time reflects what you care about most. (I understand some people must work multiple jobs to provide for their family, so scenarios like this are not what I'm discussing here)
So, give yourself a test as a follower of Jesus...
Does Jesus get a slice of your time on a consistent basis?
Okay, I know Jesus is with you everywhere you go, and you should be sensitive to that, but everywhere you go there's usually someone else (kids, spouse, co-workers, etc) or something else (other cars, radio, cell phone, etc). When does Jesus get QUALITY time with you? When do you shut off everything around you, read His Word, and spend time with Him and Him alone? Jesus cared about His relationship with the Father, and this is evidenced by the fact that He gave quality time alone with the Father on a regular basis (see Luke 5:16). If Jesus did this, do we really think it's optional or excusable for us to not do the same?
Do you spend time with your family?
When was the last time you had a real conversation with your spouse? kids? I'm not talking about a discussion over who should get voted off American Idol, but a real conversation where you are discussing life. When was the last time your family had your undivided attention both physically and mentally? It's so easy to think that because you're physically present that your're giving them your time. I can speak from personal experience and say that you're not present unless you're both mentally (mind is focused on them and not everything else you need to do) and physically there. The Bible says family time is where we make disciples and teach those closest to us how to follow Jesus (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9).
Do you spend time with your church family?
I'm not talking about merely attending a service where you may very well not talk to or interact with anyone. Do you regularly converse, encourage, and pray with other believers? Scripture gives a command to obey, not an option to consider, in Hebrews 10:24-25. The Bible says we are to love one another as believers. It's hard to express that love when you don't spend quality time with the people you're supposed to care about.
So, how did you do? Honestly, I need to improve some in each area. I'm challenging you because God's challenging me. It's time that followers of Jesus stop playing games and allow God to expose the imbalances and misuse of our most precious commodity, TIME.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Challenge from Sunday
by Josh Duncan
As we closed out our "Defining Church" series, I issued a big challenge to everyone. On May 6th, we said that we're no longer defining church as a service you attend or place you go to. Instead, we said church is Jesus guiding His people who are called out as a spiritual family to pursue His mission. At the same time, Sundays are still important because we should gather together as the church, but this changes how we view that gathering on Sundays.
In connection with this, I challenged everyone who considers Overflow to be their church family, to take a step forward and share in some of the responsibilities that take place on Sundays. When the responsibilities aren't shared properly shared by each part, certain people carry too much of the weight, and they are overworked and under-cared for. Now that we're no longer viewing "church" as a service where a few people do all the work and most people merely attend, it's essential that everyone share in the work necessary for us to gather on Sundays. However, I also clarified that sharing in the responsibilities is not the end goal for you. We believe Jesus wants you to be His disciple overflowing your faith in the rhythms of life. Helping out with these responsibilities is just part of supporting the church.
Since we've decided to not pursue a permanent building (check out previous blog posts for more on this), this means we'll always have some setup and tear down to do. The trade-off is we'll have more freedom to use our resources to bless others and spread the gospel. We're reorganizing our setup and tear down process to simplify everything as much as possible. As a result, we'll have a team of 7 people who do the setup and tear down each week: Kyle, myself, the sound tech and trailer driver for the day, and 3 scheduled volunteers. The goal I issued was that if 30 people would help fill those final 3 volunteer spots, no one would have to help with setup and tear down more than 1 time every 10 weeks! Good news... people responded, and we're right at 30. But did you respond? If not, email me (josh@theoverflowknox.com) to let me know you'll be 1 of the 30. Hey, if we get 40, it's only 1 time every 3 months! Now that's sharing the responsibility!
With the changes coming on Sunday morning starting June 3rd, I also shared how it's important to ensure that our kids volunteers don't have to volunteer more than one time each month. In order for this to happen, we challenged people to share the responsibility of loving and investing into our kids. Several people stepped up to help once each month, but again, the more people who help, the more the responsibility can be shared. Email me if you're willing to help out.
Finally, I challenged everyone to examine their financial giving. Our new format on Sunday mornings will allow us to be more in tune with the needs people may have or be aware of. I'm so excited about using even more of our resources to bless the people in our church and the people we know at our work places, neighborhoods, etc who are in need. As each person faithfully responds to give as God leads them, we'll have even more resources available to meet needs.
Perhaps you can start giving something if you haven't been giving at all. Maybe you commit to give consistently if your giving has been sporadic. Others may need to pray about tithing or increasing your giving. Giving and financial generosity is not something we want FROM you, but it's what God wants FOR you. It may seem strange, but giving is a blessing to the giver. God uses this expression of our faith to strengthen our confidence in Him. When you give, it's like you're saying to God, "I trust you as my provider."
Thank you to each person who responded on Sunday!
As we closed out our "Defining Church" series, I issued a big challenge to everyone. On May 6th, we said that we're no longer defining church as a service you attend or place you go to. Instead, we said church is Jesus guiding His people who are called out as a spiritual family to pursue His mission. At the same time, Sundays are still important because we should gather together as the church, but this changes how we view that gathering on Sundays.
In connection with this, I challenged everyone who considers Overflow to be their church family, to take a step forward and share in some of the responsibilities that take place on Sundays. When the responsibilities aren't shared properly shared by each part, certain people carry too much of the weight, and they are overworked and under-cared for. Now that we're no longer viewing "church" as a service where a few people do all the work and most people merely attend, it's essential that everyone share in the work necessary for us to gather on Sundays. However, I also clarified that sharing in the responsibilities is not the end goal for you. We believe Jesus wants you to be His disciple overflowing your faith in the rhythms of life. Helping out with these responsibilities is just part of supporting the church.
Since we've decided to not pursue a permanent building (check out previous blog posts for more on this), this means we'll always have some setup and tear down to do. The trade-off is we'll have more freedom to use our resources to bless others and spread the gospel. We're reorganizing our setup and tear down process to simplify everything as much as possible. As a result, we'll have a team of 7 people who do the setup and tear down each week: Kyle, myself, the sound tech and trailer driver for the day, and 3 scheduled volunteers. The goal I issued was that if 30 people would help fill those final 3 volunteer spots, no one would have to help with setup and tear down more than 1 time every 10 weeks! Good news... people responded, and we're right at 30. But did you respond? If not, email me (josh@theoverflowknox.com) to let me know you'll be 1 of the 30. Hey, if we get 40, it's only 1 time every 3 months! Now that's sharing the responsibility!
With the changes coming on Sunday morning starting June 3rd, I also shared how it's important to ensure that our kids volunteers don't have to volunteer more than one time each month. In order for this to happen, we challenged people to share the responsibility of loving and investing into our kids. Several people stepped up to help once each month, but again, the more people who help, the more the responsibility can be shared. Email me if you're willing to help out.
Finally, I challenged everyone to examine their financial giving. Our new format on Sunday mornings will allow us to be more in tune with the needs people may have or be aware of. I'm so excited about using even more of our resources to bless the people in our church and the people we know at our work places, neighborhoods, etc who are in need. As each person faithfully responds to give as God leads them, we'll have even more resources available to meet needs.
Perhaps you can start giving something if you haven't been giving at all. Maybe you commit to give consistently if your giving has been sporadic. Others may need to pray about tithing or increasing your giving. Giving and financial generosity is not something we want FROM you, but it's what God wants FOR you. It may seem strange, but giving is a blessing to the giver. God uses this expression of our faith to strengthen our confidence in Him. When you give, it's like you're saying to God, "I trust you as my provider."
Thank you to each person who responded on Sunday!
Monday, May 21, 2012
How Did We Get Here?
by Josh Duncan
When it comes to the direction our church is headed, it's important for each person to realize how we've arrived at this point. At first glance, you may want to assume these shifts were the result of one person's decisions or something we just randomly decided to do a month ago.
(No, I didn't receive emails or comments that have prompted this blog post. I just felt it's important for you to get a picture of the decision making process, which ultimately began more than 2 years ago...)
It begins with God and His vision for this church. Over two years ago, God began to birth a vision within Jennifer and me. We then began to share that vision with others. From the beginning, it was a vision that called us to not see church as a building or all about Sundays, but as a way to live life. We knew God was calling this church to be a movement that wasn't restricted to a specific location and consisted of small communities all over the city.
The truth is, God was convicting my heart for my actions. Ultimately, I was responsible for who we were becoming, which wasn't the church God wanted us to be. I had to come to grips with the reality that contemporary churches and traditional churches often share the exact same problem.... When making disciples isn't the focus, you create a consumer driven church that fails to give people Jesus and real relationships.
As we moved into the fall last year, I began to revisit this initial vision with Kyle (our worship pastor) and the men who hold us accountable (team of men and pastors who support our church from the outside). I knew for our church to take its next steps in line with the initial vision, we'd have to make some significant shifts. During this time, God was radically transforming my life as a disciple. This was essential if I was going to lead our church to make these shifts. I had to change what I cared about, and I had to give up the way of doing church that I had come to know.
Kyle and I then began having conversations with dozens of people in our church who had already demonstrated and communicated a desire to "be" the church and to make disciples. We began talking about the shifts we'd need to make, and we began to gauge what the Spirit was leading us to do. Unless there was a clear leading of the Holy Spirit stirring within the people, we knew the shift couldn't happen. This process was more than 6 months leading up to May 6 when we began sharing our next steps to the whole church. You can read about those shifts in these two posts...
-This Changes Everything
-What's Exactly Changing?
It's important to note there were two types of decisions made in this process.
1) General/Big Picture Changes: This took months of prayer, discernment, and conversations to sense the leading of the Spirit within the people. It became clear that God had brought together a group of people who were ready to make this shift. This decision wasn't made by Kyle and me. It was done in response to how the Spirit was moving within our people. The decision wasn't what to do, but would we respond to what had become clear for us to do. Kyle and I felt we had no other option but to lead our church to obey what God was leading.
2) Practical changes: These would be the changes to the Sunday morning environment and how this vision would practically play out throughout our church. These decisions were to ultimately be made by Kyle and myself because we had the time to wrestle through all the options and variables. We knew what the people were feeling led to do generally, so it was up to us to research and evaluate what we're doing to help make the best transition. At the same time, we still received some feedback from people who were first connected to the big picture vision of the church. We listened to those people who were committed to and invested in the big picture shifts we were making.
When it comes to the direction our church is headed, it's important for each person to realize how we've arrived at this point. At first glance, you may want to assume these shifts were the result of one person's decisions or something we just randomly decided to do a month ago.
(No, I didn't receive emails or comments that have prompted this blog post. I just felt it's important for you to get a picture of the decision making process, which ultimately began more than 2 years ago...)
We moved forward planning and preparing to see this vision become reality. We did this assuming we could cast a unique vision of church by packaging "church" differently (by different we meant contemporary on Sundays). So, we found ourselves talking about being the church and not seeing church as a Sunday event or building, yet a large majority of our planning, strategies, resources, etc were going into Sunday morning. Before long, I realized there was a disconnect between the vision we were casting and actions we were doing. While God was still touching people's lives, we weren't being true to the vision He gave us. We were way too focused on Sunday services. (For this, I apologize to those of you who were lost in the shuffle of us doing church. I apologize that we didn't prioritize helping you become the disciple of Jesus He wants you to be.)
The truth is, God was convicting my heart for my actions. Ultimately, I was responsible for who we were becoming, which wasn't the church God wanted us to be. I had to come to grips with the reality that contemporary churches and traditional churches often share the exact same problem.... When making disciples isn't the focus, you create a consumer driven church that fails to give people Jesus and real relationships.
As we moved into the fall last year, I began to revisit this initial vision with Kyle (our worship pastor) and the men who hold us accountable (team of men and pastors who support our church from the outside). I knew for our church to take its next steps in line with the initial vision, we'd have to make some significant shifts. During this time, God was radically transforming my life as a disciple. This was essential if I was going to lead our church to make these shifts. I had to change what I cared about, and I had to give up the way of doing church that I had come to know.
Kyle and I then began having conversations with dozens of people in our church who had already demonstrated and communicated a desire to "be" the church and to make disciples. We began talking about the shifts we'd need to make, and we began to gauge what the Spirit was leading us to do. Unless there was a clear leading of the Holy Spirit stirring within the people, we knew the shift couldn't happen. This process was more than 6 months leading up to May 6 when we began sharing our next steps to the whole church. You can read about those shifts in these two posts...
-This Changes Everything
-What's Exactly Changing?
It's important to note there were two types of decisions made in this process.
1) General/Big Picture Changes: This took months of prayer, discernment, and conversations to sense the leading of the Spirit within the people. It became clear that God had brought together a group of people who were ready to make this shift. This decision wasn't made by Kyle and me. It was done in response to how the Spirit was moving within our people. The decision wasn't what to do, but would we respond to what had become clear for us to do. Kyle and I felt we had no other option but to lead our church to obey what God was leading.
2) Practical changes: These would be the changes to the Sunday morning environment and how this vision would practically play out throughout our church. These decisions were to ultimately be made by Kyle and myself because we had the time to wrestle through all the options and variables. We knew what the people were feeling led to do generally, so it was up to us to research and evaluate what we're doing to help make the best transition. At the same time, we still received some feedback from people who were first connected to the big picture vision of the church. We listened to those people who were committed to and invested in the big picture shifts we were making.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
What's Exactly Changing?
by Josh Duncan
Over the past two weeks we've been "Defining Church" and communicating what this means for us moving forward. You can catch up by...
Watching the last two messages
Downloading the audio
Reading the blog post, "This Changes Everything."
In this post, I want to describe a few things specifically related to these changes. First, I'll define a few terms from a biblical perspective, and then I'll answer some questions from a practical perspective.
(This will be a VERY long post because I assumed putting everything in one post would be easier than making multiple posts. So maybe read a little bit over the course of several days. At the same time, I'd encourage you to read the entire post before making assumptions about what I'm saying.)
Church: Jesus, guiding His people called out as a spiritual family, to pursue His mission on the planet.
Before I say anything else, please notice the first word in the definition. It's Jesus. Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus existed before the church. Jesus determines the mission, and He's invited the church to join Him in His mission. There is no other mission than the mission He's called us to pursue. When you misplace Jesus in your understanding of church, you'll misplace Him in your expression of church.
Okay, yes, the definition of church above is a somewhat vague definition of church. Yes, I believe the church should have pastors and leaders. Yes, I believe the church should gather on Sunday. However, when you get down to it, we must understand that church is not a weekly service or a building. When Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He would build His church, He wasn't thinking buildings or worship services. Take some time to study the original meaning of the Greek word behind "church" and what the early church (the people) did. They fully submitted to Christ and sought to follow Him in all areas of their life as a collective family. Yes, they gathered together, but the gathering didn't define them. Their identity was following Jesus as Lord on a daily basis and joining in His mission.
I fully realize we are living about 2000 years after Christ and "church" today in the Southeastern US looks a lot different than it did then. Honestly, everything about life looks different than it did then. However, just because everything has changed, doesn't mean the main thing of the gospel has changed. The goal has never been to "get people to church." The mission has always been to make disciples. Therefore, whatever method of "church" we use is only effective if we make disciples.
On a side note, as you read through this, if you haven't taken time to do the study and research, then you can't really agree or disagree with what I've said already or will say below. Believe me, everything God has taught me about church and being a disciple has radically changed over the last two years. It's been a process. I've tried to ignore it, but His Spirit and His Word don't change just because I've become conditioned to see something (church) from a certain way.
This has all been hard for me to come to grips with. It's been hard to accept that my way of doing church looks radically different from His way and that I hadn't made His mission my mission. I've had to die to my flesh, which I must continue to do, repent of my impure motives, and start becoming a disciple myself. I've repented of my failure to make disciples within my own rhythms of life. I've confessed to our church my struggle with this and how I felt that at times we've been casting one vision of church with our lips yet doing something different in our actions. At the same time, I've challenged our church to take this next step forward and become who we've talked about being all along.
The problem with much of what we do as "church" in our culture is that it doesn't teach people how to follow Jesus 7 days a week within the rhythms of life (be a disciple). We've made a church-culture that basically says, some people preach, some people sing, and others attend. Therefore, let's gather together on Sunday, let the preachers preach, the singers sing, the attenders attend, and then we'll all be doing our part for God. The issue is that disciples aren't made in non-relational settings like church services. Jesus, our original example, made disciples through relationships. Worship services aren't wrong, but they can't be what "steers the church" because they don't make disciples. Unfortunately, a vast majority of most church's plans, leadership, and resources go into organizing worship services and ministries that simply aren't making disciples.
(Okay, perhaps at this point you should take a break, process through this, study the Bible, talk with God, maybe even research how the gospel is actually spreading in other places, and then come back later to read more.)
The mission: Make disciples. What's a disciple...
Disciple: Follower of Jesus, who listens to God and does what He says. (See Matthew 28:19-20 and take some time to study how the early Christians understood "Jesus as Lord.")
Disciples are not the "elite" or most visible Christians in the church as many people in our culture think. The Bible doesn't separate Christians from disciples. If Jesus is your Lord, you are to be a disciple... someone who listens to God and does what He says. As a disciple, you are to then join Jesus in HIS mission... making disciples/bringing people to accept and follow Him as Lord. The disciples are to do this together, collectively, as the called out ones of Jesus, as the church!
Therefore, we're changing what we care about as a church. Everything we do must be fueled by the desire to join God in His mission of making disciples. There's no way to paint this picture fully through a blog, so I'll just invite you to listen to the messages or better yet, start connecting with us and experience it for yourself.
So what does this mean practically for us....
Are we stopping Sunday services?
NO. However, what we do on Sundays and the way we view Sundays is changing. We've asked people to stop seeing Sunday as the main thing that defines them as a follower of Jesus. Instead, we want them to see Sunday as a gathering of the church... the people who are living for Jesus 7 days each week.
Practically speaking, beginning June 3rd, our start time is moving back to 10:30. We'll still have a gathering time where the band plays and teaching takes place. This will be basically identical to what we've always done with the addition of more testimonies and stories from the people who are following Jesus throughout the rhythms of their life.
The big change is that this time will only last about 45-50minutes instead of 75-90minutes. Then, the remainder of the time (30-45minutes) will be used to group people together for a time of connection, care, prayer, and celebration. This means we'll be fading out "small groups" as we have them right now even though those same people may still be gathering only now it will take place on Sundays as part of our gathering time.
Doesn't this approach exclude people who don't yet follow Jesus?
I've learned that people will ultimately become what you want them to become within the church. If you want new Christians to be attendees at a service, then you focus on your service. If you want them to be volunteers, you'll focus on your volunteer ministries, etc, etc.
We want people to become disciples and follow Jesus as Lord throughout their rhythms of life because this is what Jesus wants. Therefore, we think the best way for them to get a picture of being a disciple is to do life with those who are already following Jesus. This includes inviting them to gather with the church on Sundays! So no, it doesn't exclude them. This will actually create an authentic gathering where people can ask questions and seek Christ without being judged or condemned, which is an environment we already have in place to some degree. I talk more about how we'll reach the unbelievers in the message from Sunday, May 13th if you want to hear more.
How are we making disciples?
These adjustments will help change the way we view church, but this time on Sunday alone will not make disciples. Our time on Sunday will help people better understand how to be a disciple and how others are doing that, but our intentional way of making disciples is this...
For the past 2 months or so, I've been developing a team of people to lead in the disciple-making process. This group of people will soon begin meeting in small hubs of 3-5 people (Discipleship Connections) during the week about 2-3 times each month. These hubs will be focused on helping people grow in Christ and stay accountable to a vision of...
UP (what is God saying to me)
IN (how do I need to be encouraged by other believers or what struggles do I need to confess to them)
OUT (who can I/am I sharing my faith with).
As necessary or once a hub reaches 6 people, the group will then become 2 hubs. People will be added to these hubs as disciples make disciples through the everyday rhythms of life and/or through our Sunday gatherings.
What's the big picture goal?
More than anything else, we desire to help people become the disciple of Jesus they were meant to be. Therefore, we want to begin thinking of ourselves as a COMMUNITY of disciples on mission (like a small church of 50-100 people). Eventually, as we're making disciples and developing leaders, we'll launch new communities. This one community will become 2, 3, 4, potentially dozens, or 100s of communities all across the area in the years to come. Each community will function within the social space of approximately 30-100 people. They'll be small enough to care for one-another, but big enough to make an impact. These communities will live as disciples throughout the week, gather together on Sundays, and connect in Discipleship Connections as mentioned above. They will have biblical leaders/elders and function as a small church whose primary focus is making disciples. Just as each disciple needs to make disciples, each community should launch new communities.
So, once our current community/church becomes multiple communities (2 or 3), these communities will meet individually on Sunday as small churches. However, one Sunday each month we'll bring all of the communities back together for a large celebration to share stories of how God is moving within each community. By doing this, our focus is obviously no longer to build a large weekly service where 100s or 1,000s may attend each week. Instead, we want to make disciples who make disciples who gather together as a community (50-100 people) that seeks to launch new communities within the larger picture of what we're calling Overflow Knoxville! (NOTICE THE NAME CHANGE)
Are we against mega-churches and other expressions of the church?
I can't believe I even have to answer this, but I know someone is thinking we are... We are absolutely not against either. While I believe we must be willing to wrestle with what is truly happening when large crowds gather weekly to merely "attend a service," it doesn't really matter what a church does in terms of worship services if it's intentional about making disciples. My only question to anyone would be, what's "steering the church?" Is it the service on Sunday? Dozens of ministries? or Making disciples?
I'm friends with pastors and church planters who do "church" a lot different than we will, but they are truly making disciples.This is not a big-church vs small-church debate. We are for the church (the people of God) in every expression in every location!!!!! At the end of the day, making disciples is all that matters, so let's allow that to unite us!
Over the past two weeks we've been "Defining Church" and communicating what this means for us moving forward. You can catch up by...
Watching the last two messages
Downloading the audio
Reading the blog post, "This Changes Everything."
In this post, I want to describe a few things specifically related to these changes. First, I'll define a few terms from a biblical perspective, and then I'll answer some questions from a practical perspective.
(This will be a VERY long post because I assumed putting everything in one post would be easier than making multiple posts. So maybe read a little bit over the course of several days. At the same time, I'd encourage you to read the entire post before making assumptions about what I'm saying.)
Church: Jesus, guiding His people called out as a spiritual family, to pursue His mission on the planet.
Before I say anything else, please notice the first word in the definition. It's Jesus. Jesus is the head of the church. Jesus existed before the church. Jesus determines the mission, and He's invited the church to join Him in His mission. There is no other mission than the mission He's called us to pursue. When you misplace Jesus in your understanding of church, you'll misplace Him in your expression of church.
Okay, yes, the definition of church above is a somewhat vague definition of church. Yes, I believe the church should have pastors and leaders. Yes, I believe the church should gather on Sunday. However, when you get down to it, we must understand that church is not a weekly service or a building. When Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He would build His church, He wasn't thinking buildings or worship services. Take some time to study the original meaning of the Greek word behind "church" and what the early church (the people) did. They fully submitted to Christ and sought to follow Him in all areas of their life as a collective family. Yes, they gathered together, but the gathering didn't define them. Their identity was following Jesus as Lord on a daily basis and joining in His mission.
I fully realize we are living about 2000 years after Christ and "church" today in the Southeastern US looks a lot different than it did then. Honestly, everything about life looks different than it did then. However, just because everything has changed, doesn't mean the main thing of the gospel has changed. The goal has never been to "get people to church." The mission has always been to make disciples. Therefore, whatever method of "church" we use is only effective if we make disciples.
On a side note, as you read through this, if you haven't taken time to do the study and research, then you can't really agree or disagree with what I've said already or will say below. Believe me, everything God has taught me about church and being a disciple has radically changed over the last two years. It's been a process. I've tried to ignore it, but His Spirit and His Word don't change just because I've become conditioned to see something (church) from a certain way.
This has all been hard for me to come to grips with. It's been hard to accept that my way of doing church looks radically different from His way and that I hadn't made His mission my mission. I've had to die to my flesh, which I must continue to do, repent of my impure motives, and start becoming a disciple myself. I've repented of my failure to make disciples within my own rhythms of life. I've confessed to our church my struggle with this and how I felt that at times we've been casting one vision of church with our lips yet doing something different in our actions. At the same time, I've challenged our church to take this next step forward and become who we've talked about being all along.
The problem with much of what we do as "church" in our culture is that it doesn't teach people how to follow Jesus 7 days a week within the rhythms of life (be a disciple). We've made a church-culture that basically says, some people preach, some people sing, and others attend. Therefore, let's gather together on Sunday, let the preachers preach, the singers sing, the attenders attend, and then we'll all be doing our part for God. The issue is that disciples aren't made in non-relational settings like church services. Jesus, our original example, made disciples through relationships. Worship services aren't wrong, but they can't be what "steers the church" because they don't make disciples. Unfortunately, a vast majority of most church's plans, leadership, and resources go into organizing worship services and ministries that simply aren't making disciples.
(Okay, perhaps at this point you should take a break, process through this, study the Bible, talk with God, maybe even research how the gospel is actually spreading in other places, and then come back later to read more.)
The mission: Make disciples. What's a disciple...
Disciple: Follower of Jesus, who listens to God and does what He says. (See Matthew 28:19-20 and take some time to study how the early Christians understood "Jesus as Lord.")
Disciples are not the "elite" or most visible Christians in the church as many people in our culture think. The Bible doesn't separate Christians from disciples. If Jesus is your Lord, you are to be a disciple... someone who listens to God and does what He says. As a disciple, you are to then join Jesus in HIS mission... making disciples/bringing people to accept and follow Him as Lord. The disciples are to do this together, collectively, as the called out ones of Jesus, as the church!
Therefore, we're changing what we care about as a church. Everything we do must be fueled by the desire to join God in His mission of making disciples. There's no way to paint this picture fully through a blog, so I'll just invite you to listen to the messages or better yet, start connecting with us and experience it for yourself.
So what does this mean practically for us....
Are we stopping Sunday services?
NO. However, what we do on Sundays and the way we view Sundays is changing. We've asked people to stop seeing Sunday as the main thing that defines them as a follower of Jesus. Instead, we want them to see Sunday as a gathering of the church... the people who are living for Jesus 7 days each week.
Practically speaking, beginning June 3rd, our start time is moving back to 10:30. We'll still have a gathering time where the band plays and teaching takes place. This will be basically identical to what we've always done with the addition of more testimonies and stories from the people who are following Jesus throughout the rhythms of their life.
The big change is that this time will only last about 45-50minutes instead of 75-90minutes. Then, the remainder of the time (30-45minutes) will be used to group people together for a time of connection, care, prayer, and celebration. This means we'll be fading out "small groups" as we have them right now even though those same people may still be gathering only now it will take place on Sundays as part of our gathering time.
Doesn't this approach exclude people who don't yet follow Jesus?
I've learned that people will ultimately become what you want them to become within the church. If you want new Christians to be attendees at a service, then you focus on your service. If you want them to be volunteers, you'll focus on your volunteer ministries, etc, etc.
We want people to become disciples and follow Jesus as Lord throughout their rhythms of life because this is what Jesus wants. Therefore, we think the best way for them to get a picture of being a disciple is to do life with those who are already following Jesus. This includes inviting them to gather with the church on Sundays! So no, it doesn't exclude them. This will actually create an authentic gathering where people can ask questions and seek Christ without being judged or condemned, which is an environment we already have in place to some degree. I talk more about how we'll reach the unbelievers in the message from Sunday, May 13th if you want to hear more.
How are we making disciples?
These adjustments will help change the way we view church, but this time on Sunday alone will not make disciples. Our time on Sunday will help people better understand how to be a disciple and how others are doing that, but our intentional way of making disciples is this...
For the past 2 months or so, I've been developing a team of people to lead in the disciple-making process. This group of people will soon begin meeting in small hubs of 3-5 people (Discipleship Connections) during the week about 2-3 times each month. These hubs will be focused on helping people grow in Christ and stay accountable to a vision of...
UP (what is God saying to me)
IN (how do I need to be encouraged by other believers or what struggles do I need to confess to them)
OUT (who can I/am I sharing my faith with).
As necessary or once a hub reaches 6 people, the group will then become 2 hubs. People will be added to these hubs as disciples make disciples through the everyday rhythms of life and/or through our Sunday gatherings.
What's the big picture goal?
More than anything else, we desire to help people become the disciple of Jesus they were meant to be. Therefore, we want to begin thinking of ourselves as a COMMUNITY of disciples on mission (like a small church of 50-100 people). Eventually, as we're making disciples and developing leaders, we'll launch new communities. This one community will become 2, 3, 4, potentially dozens, or 100s of communities all across the area in the years to come. Each community will function within the social space of approximately 30-100 people. They'll be small enough to care for one-another, but big enough to make an impact. These communities will live as disciples throughout the week, gather together on Sundays, and connect in Discipleship Connections as mentioned above. They will have biblical leaders/elders and function as a small church whose primary focus is making disciples. Just as each disciple needs to make disciples, each community should launch new communities.
So, once our current community/church becomes multiple communities (2 or 3), these communities will meet individually on Sunday as small churches. However, one Sunday each month we'll bring all of the communities back together for a large celebration to share stories of how God is moving within each community. By doing this, our focus is obviously no longer to build a large weekly service where 100s or 1,000s may attend each week. Instead, we want to make disciples who make disciples who gather together as a community (50-100 people) that seeks to launch new communities within the larger picture of what we're calling Overflow Knoxville! (NOTICE THE NAME CHANGE)
Are we against mega-churches and other expressions of the church?
I can't believe I even have to answer this, but I know someone is thinking we are... We are absolutely not against either. While I believe we must be willing to wrestle with what is truly happening when large crowds gather weekly to merely "attend a service," it doesn't really matter what a church does in terms of worship services if it's intentional about making disciples. My only question to anyone would be, what's "steering the church?" Is it the service on Sunday? Dozens of ministries? or Making disciples?
I'm friends with pastors and church planters who do "church" a lot different than we will, but they are truly making disciples.This is not a big-church vs small-church debate. We are for the church (the people of God) in every expression in every location!!!!! At the end of the day, making disciples is all that matters, so let's allow that to unite us!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Questions Answered, (Final part)
by Josh Duncan
This is the final part of the "You Asked For It" blog posts. You can check out the other parts by clicking on the links below...
-WATCH the messages
-Download the AUDIO from the messages:
-Blog Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Why is homosexuality a sin? Is it worse than others?
Like some of the other topics we've dealt with, this is yet another very controversial issue in today's culture. Especially in light of the President's recent comments about this issue, the view of the Bible is becoming less and less accepted. Nevertheless, the tides of culture can't change how we interpret Scripture, so here are some thoughts related to this question above.
The person who asked this question seems to have already concluded that homosexuality is a sin (note the wording of the question). It's a sin because sin is anything that violates God's standards. God's standard for sex is that it's expressed between a man and a woman within the context of marriage. Any form of sex outside of this standard is sin. So, in order to move forward understanding what the Bible says, here are some passages that indicate homosexuality is a violation of this standard:
Leviticus 18:20, 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28.
While the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, I get overly frustrated when homosexuality is openly condemned as some "elite" sin within the church. Yes, it's obviously a lifestyle sin, which means its impact or consequences may be a little different than a sin such as telling a lie. However, in the church, we seem to harp on homosexuality as we overlook the fact that research shows most men within the church routinely struggle with looking at porn, lustful thoughts, and masturbation. Sexual sin is dangerous, regardless of exactly what it is. Specifically, Romans 1 talks about how God will give people over to their sexual sins as they are blinded to the truth and the reality of their situation.
Homosexuality, like any other sin, needs to be removed from one's life. However, the responsibility of the church is to love all people and show them Christ, regardless of their past decisions or present situations. If you disagree with this, just look at how Jesus (our perfect and best example) dealt with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4....
Here we find a woman, living in sexual sin (living with a man she isn't married to), and she's also been divorced multiple times. However, Jesus treats her as an individual, as a person, even though His "religious" culture said He shouldn't (research the Jewish & Samaritian tension if you don't know what I mean). At the same time, Jesus eventually shared the truth with her in a powerful way.
The lesson I learned from this... the church needs to follow Jesus' example and not allow someone's lifestyle to determine how we treat them.
If you'd like to see more thoughts on this issue, check out the following link. I tend to agree with everything posted on this site; HOWEVER, I have NOT read each of the articles listed, so I'm not saying I agree or disagree with what is posted by referring you to this site. I'm just mentioning it as a resource... http://carm.org/homosexuality
This is the final part of the "You Asked For It" blog posts. You can check out the other parts by clicking on the links below...
-WATCH the messages
-Download the AUDIO from the messages:
-Blog Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Why is homosexuality a sin? Is it worse than others?
Like some of the other topics we've dealt with, this is yet another very controversial issue in today's culture. Especially in light of the President's recent comments about this issue, the view of the Bible is becoming less and less accepted. Nevertheless, the tides of culture can't change how we interpret Scripture, so here are some thoughts related to this question above.
The person who asked this question seems to have already concluded that homosexuality is a sin (note the wording of the question). It's a sin because sin is anything that violates God's standards. God's standard for sex is that it's expressed between a man and a woman within the context of marriage. Any form of sex outside of this standard is sin. So, in order to move forward understanding what the Bible says, here are some passages that indicate homosexuality is a violation of this standard:
Leviticus 18:20, 20:13, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-28.
While the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, I get overly frustrated when homosexuality is openly condemned as some "elite" sin within the church. Yes, it's obviously a lifestyle sin, which means its impact or consequences may be a little different than a sin such as telling a lie. However, in the church, we seem to harp on homosexuality as we overlook the fact that research shows most men within the church routinely struggle with looking at porn, lustful thoughts, and masturbation. Sexual sin is dangerous, regardless of exactly what it is. Specifically, Romans 1 talks about how God will give people over to their sexual sins as they are blinded to the truth and the reality of their situation.
Homosexuality, like any other sin, needs to be removed from one's life. However, the responsibility of the church is to love all people and show them Christ, regardless of their past decisions or present situations. If you disagree with this, just look at how Jesus (our perfect and best example) dealt with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4....
Here we find a woman, living in sexual sin (living with a man she isn't married to), and she's also been divorced multiple times. However, Jesus treats her as an individual, as a person, even though His "religious" culture said He shouldn't (research the Jewish & Samaritian tension if you don't know what I mean). At the same time, Jesus eventually shared the truth with her in a powerful way.
The lesson I learned from this... the church needs to follow Jesus' example and not allow someone's lifestyle to determine how we treat them.
If you'd like to see more thoughts on this issue, check out the following link. I tend to agree with everything posted on this site; HOWEVER, I have NOT read each of the articles listed, so I'm not saying I agree or disagree with what is posted by referring you to this site. I'm just mentioning it as a resource... http://carm.org/homosexuality
Thursday, May 10, 2012
This Changes Everything
by Josh Duncan
Have you ever played the "What if" game? You know, it's the conversations where you think through all the "what if" scenarios. I'm constantly trying to stay one-step ahead on life, so I play this game quite often. I want to have a plan A, B, and sometimes C for situation 1, 2, and 3, but I've learned this is usually a waste of time in the end.
Here's a what if question for you to wrestle with... "What if you, me, and everyone else in America could no longer go to church as you do each week? Would you know how to follow Jesus if you didn't have a building to go to, couldn't go to worship services with awesome music and teaching, participate in organized ministries, etc?" What if "church" in America came under persecution, and we were forced to live as the church in China?
I know your first thought is probably along the lines of "Who really cares about this scenario? This will probably never happen anyway." If that's your thought, then I can't argue with your initial response, but there's a deeper issue behind this question: "Do you really know what it means to follow Jesus?" This is a question God asked me about a year ago. Honestly, I didn't think God needed to ask me that question. After all, I was planting a church, so of course I knew how to follow Jesus, right? That question was only the beginning of what God was trying to show me personally.
Here in America, particularly the south, I've come to realize that we think about 90% of what it means to follow Jesus involves going to church. The problem is, this isn't what the Bible says should be the main expression of our faith in Christ. Yes, we are supposed to gather together on Sunday, and we shouldn't forsake that, but if our identity in Christ is found in church-attendance, worship songs, ministry-involvement, etc then we're greatly mistaken. When will we lose our obsession with "church" and start surrendering our lives to Jesus so that our faith is overflowing throughout the rhythms of life?
This past Sunday, we defined church from a biblical perspective, and to be honest, this definition changes everything. We must stop reading Scripture with the "song of church" that's stuck in our heads. Church isn't something we go to or an event we attend during the week. It's who we are. The word "church" is actually "Ecclesia" (Ekklesia) which is a combination of two words meaning "Called out" or the "assembling of the called out ones." When Jesus said He would build His church in Matthew 16:18, He wasn't talking about what we've come to know as "church" today. He was talking about mobilizing a movement of people, a spiritual family, who was called out to join Him in His mission. As you come to grips that much of what we know of and do as the church isn't exactly what Jesus said He would build, you are left with two options: 1) Just settle for doing what we've always done OR 2) Do something to get on track.
For us as a church family, we're surrendering fully to this idea of being the church. I challenged our people to let this past Sunday be the last time they go to church. It's time we change what we care about and how we view Jesus, our relationship with Him, our relationships with each other, and His mission on this planet! We're allowing the words of Christ to not only impact the way we think of church, but the way we act as a church as well.
Some may say, "you're just playing with the words. Everyone knows we should be the church." Actually, no. We're not just playing with the words. For us, this is serious. We're making radical shifts in our behaviors. We are what we say (check out Matthew 12:34-35), so we're changing how we describe church and how we act as the church.
If you'd like, you can watch the message from Sunday by clicking HERE and hear about these shifts for yourself. I'll also be discussing these shifts over the next few weeks through this blog.
Have you ever played the "What if" game? You know, it's the conversations where you think through all the "what if" scenarios. I'm constantly trying to stay one-step ahead on life, so I play this game quite often. I want to have a plan A, B, and sometimes C for situation 1, 2, and 3, but I've learned this is usually a waste of time in the end.
Here's a what if question for you to wrestle with... "What if you, me, and everyone else in America could no longer go to church as you do each week? Would you know how to follow Jesus if you didn't have a building to go to, couldn't go to worship services with awesome music and teaching, participate in organized ministries, etc?" What if "church" in America came under persecution, and we were forced to live as the church in China?
I know your first thought is probably along the lines of "Who really cares about this scenario? This will probably never happen anyway." If that's your thought, then I can't argue with your initial response, but there's a deeper issue behind this question: "Do you really know what it means to follow Jesus?" This is a question God asked me about a year ago. Honestly, I didn't think God needed to ask me that question. After all, I was planting a church, so of course I knew how to follow Jesus, right? That question was only the beginning of what God was trying to show me personally.
Here in America, particularly the south, I've come to realize that we think about 90% of what it means to follow Jesus involves going to church. The problem is, this isn't what the Bible says should be the main expression of our faith in Christ. Yes, we are supposed to gather together on Sunday, and we shouldn't forsake that, but if our identity in Christ is found in church-attendance, worship songs, ministry-involvement, etc then we're greatly mistaken. When will we lose our obsession with "church" and start surrendering our lives to Jesus so that our faith is overflowing throughout the rhythms of life?
This past Sunday, we defined church from a biblical perspective, and to be honest, this definition changes everything. We must stop reading Scripture with the "song of church" that's stuck in our heads. Church isn't something we go to or an event we attend during the week. It's who we are. The word "church" is actually "Ecclesia" (Ekklesia) which is a combination of two words meaning "Called out" or the "assembling of the called out ones." When Jesus said He would build His church in Matthew 16:18, He wasn't talking about what we've come to know as "church" today. He was talking about mobilizing a movement of people, a spiritual family, who was called out to join Him in His mission. As you come to grips that much of what we know of and do as the church isn't exactly what Jesus said He would build, you are left with two options: 1) Just settle for doing what we've always done OR 2) Do something to get on track.
For us as a church family, we're surrendering fully to this idea of being the church. I challenged our people to let this past Sunday be the last time they go to church. It's time we change what we care about and how we view Jesus, our relationship with Him, our relationships with each other, and His mission on this planet! We're allowing the words of Christ to not only impact the way we think of church, but the way we act as a church as well.
Some may say, "you're just playing with the words. Everyone knows we should be the church." Actually, no. We're not just playing with the words. For us, this is serious. We're making radical shifts in our behaviors. We are what we say (check out Matthew 12:34-35), so we're changing how we describe church and how we act as the church.
If you'd like, you can watch the message from Sunday by clicking HERE and hear about these shifts for yourself. I'll also be discussing these shifts over the next few weeks through this blog.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Questions Answered, Part 3
by Josh Duncan
Feel free to check out Part 1, Part 2, or any of the messages from our "You Asked For It" series.
What is the highest role a female should have in the church according to Scripture?
This question is so hard to deal with in today's culture, but I'm thankful the question ended with "according to Scripture," so all I can do is point you to the Bible and let it speak for itself as I would with any issue.
Let me begin by saying that Bible isn't against women as some believe. If we believe that women should only work in the nursery, decorate the church building, and cook food when needed, we are greatly mistaken! The women, just like the men, should be empowered to be the church. Women and men who follow Jesus are called to be disciples who make disciples.
Now, for the more difficult issue regarding the "leadership" role a woman should have in the church... The Bible teaches that the role of pastor/elder/overseer in the church is to be held by a man (1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1). At the same time, I think we must understand what this means. It does not mean women can't be active in the church and in visible positions. For example, I see nothing wrong with women leading music, praying, sharing testimonies, reading Scripture, or even teaching in certain settings. This role of pastor/elder/overseer is the role of the one who leads and directs the church. These are the people who God holds accountable for the direction and unity of the church.
Therefore, when it comes to the "highest role" women can have, we must understand this is a difficult issue because there really aren't that many "roles" within the church described by Scripture; however it does limit women's involvement at the point of being a pastor/elder/overseer.
Again, don't shoot the messenger, but don't shoot the message either. Instead, I encourage you to study the Word for yourself and understand the bigger picture. Here's an article that will give you much more info on the issue if you'd like to read it... http://carm.org/should-women-be-pastors-and-elders
If someone is a Christian, is it necessary for them to attend church?
I'll begin by answering this question with a question... What do you mean by church? If by church, you mean a mostly non-relational weekly service where the main focus is one person preaching a 30min-hour long message, then no, I don't think they must attend that. However, if by church you mean be involved in relationships with other believers who gather together as a spiritual family to make disciples under the leadership of a pastor(s)/elders, then yes.
If you are a Christian, you can't avoid the church (see Hebrews 10:25), but if much of what the church has become today in America doesn't interest you, then I can't blame you for not wanting to "attend" that. However, you still must seek out a body of believers that you can connect yourself with to grow in your understanding of Christ, His Word, and His mission, and this isn't done through watching a TV preacher or gathering with a group of people who refuse to be under the leadership of a pastor(s)/elders.
Feel free to check out Part 1, Part 2, or any of the messages from our "You Asked For It" series.
What is the highest role a female should have in the church according to Scripture?
This question is so hard to deal with in today's culture, but I'm thankful the question ended with "according to Scripture," so all I can do is point you to the Bible and let it speak for itself as I would with any issue.
Let me begin by saying that Bible isn't against women as some believe. If we believe that women should only work in the nursery, decorate the church building, and cook food when needed, we are greatly mistaken! The women, just like the men, should be empowered to be the church. Women and men who follow Jesus are called to be disciples who make disciples.
Now, for the more difficult issue regarding the "leadership" role a woman should have in the church... The Bible teaches that the role of pastor/elder/overseer in the church is to be held by a man (1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1). At the same time, I think we must understand what this means. It does not mean women can't be active in the church and in visible positions. For example, I see nothing wrong with women leading music, praying, sharing testimonies, reading Scripture, or even teaching in certain settings. This role of pastor/elder/overseer is the role of the one who leads and directs the church. These are the people who God holds accountable for the direction and unity of the church.
Therefore, when it comes to the "highest role" women can have, we must understand this is a difficult issue because there really aren't that many "roles" within the church described by Scripture; however it does limit women's involvement at the point of being a pastor/elder/overseer.
Again, don't shoot the messenger, but don't shoot the message either. Instead, I encourage you to study the Word for yourself and understand the bigger picture. Here's an article that will give you much more info on the issue if you'd like to read it... http://carm.org/should-women-be-pastors-and-elders
If someone is a Christian, is it necessary for them to attend church?
I'll begin by answering this question with a question... What do you mean by church? If by church, you mean a mostly non-relational weekly service where the main focus is one person preaching a 30min-hour long message, then no, I don't think they must attend that. However, if by church you mean be involved in relationships with other believers who gather together as a spiritual family to make disciples under the leadership of a pastor(s)/elders, then yes.
If you are a Christian, you can't avoid the church (see Hebrews 10:25), but if much of what the church has become today in America doesn't interest you, then I can't blame you for not wanting to "attend" that. However, you still must seek out a body of believers that you can connect yourself with to grow in your understanding of Christ, His Word, and His mission, and this isn't done through watching a TV preacher or gathering with a group of people who refuse to be under the leadership of a pastor(s)/elders.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Questions Answered, Part 2
If you missed the messages during our "You Asked For It" series, you can check them out by clicking HERE. For part 1 of this series of blogs, you can click HERE.
Topics for today...
If you've been divorced and start dating again, is it okay to have pre-marital sex?
The culture we live in today is obsessed with sex. We can't ignore this reality. Nevertheless, while it may seem "out-of-date" and "old-school," as followers of Christ we must be clear on what the Bible says about sex. Any sex outside of the context of marriage is sin and considered to be sexual immorality. Therefore, it makes no difference if the person is a teenager, adult, single (never-been married), or divorced. Sex outside the context of marriage is always wrong.
Here's an article with more thoughts on this issue... http://carm.org/pre-marital-intimacy
What does the Bible mean by unequally yoked?
I'm assuming this question is referring to 2 Corinthians 6:14 where Paul says that believers are not to be bound together with unbelievers. The meaning behind this passage is that followers of Christ should not commit themselves to certain things with those who don't follow Christ. The text doesn't say exactly what this means, but I've often equated this to be any long-term endeavor such as marriage or serious business arrangements. The reason why Christ-followers shouldn't be unequally yoked is because there are two vastly different perspectives on whatever is at hand: One is led by Christ and should be seeking the glory of Christ, while the other is led by themselves/their flesh. At the same time, this verse doesn't mean Christ-followers are forbidden to associate with unbelievers. If we are to fulfill our mission (make disciples) we have to build genuine relationships with those who don't know Christ.
Just a side note on this verse, I don't believe this verse has anything to do with interracial marriages. Some will say that "unequally yoked" means two people of a different race shouldn't marry. To say that is a total misuse of this passage.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Questions from Sunday Service
by Josh Duncan
A couple months ago, we surveyed our church to ask for topics they would like to have a biblical perspective on. We said nothing was off limits. If you'd like to check out any of the messages, you can do so by clicking HERE.
A couple months ago, we surveyed our church to ask for topics they would like to have a biblical perspective on. We said nothing was off limits. If you'd like to check out any of the messages, you can do so by clicking HERE.
At the end of the service this past Sunday, we allowed people to text in their questions. Some of those questions we answered on the spot, but for those I felt needed more explanation, I'm going to deal with those through this blog over the next few weeks. I'll provide some general thoughts of my own based on Scripture, but then I'll refer you to more-thorough resources, which basically say what I would say anyway. Additionally, I encourage you to explore the Scriptures yourself. As I said in the final message of the series, each of us has the responsibility to know why we believe what we believe, and "why we believe" something should not be just because a pastor or denomination told you.
What will happen to those who die without ever hearing the gospel?
This is obviously a question that carries much weight. It's questions like this that make me frustrated when we debate issues like worship styles instead of making disciples. Several things to consider with this question. First, just by the nature of this question, the conclusion has been made, and rightly so, that salvation is not possible apart from surrender to Jesus Christ (responding to the gospel).
Second, we must deal with the issue of how people hear the gospel. Romans 1 is a great place to go on this issue. In this chapter, we see that all men are without excuse because God generally reveals Himself to everyone. At the same time, we see in Scripture that a more specific revelation comes from both God Himself and via the church (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20). This is why the Great Commission is the something that we cannot play around with.
When you get down to it, the Bible teaches that those who die without Christ are eternally separated from God. It doesn't give any loopholes to this truth. If there were exceptions to this, just think of the implications... If people can earn salvation by default, should they not hear the gospel, then couldn't we just tell all Christians to stop sharing their faith so that people can default into Heaven because they didn't hear the gospel? Clearly, this goes against the command to "Go, make disciples."
At the same time, I believe God desires that none should perish, so in some way, He gives people the opportunity to know Him and respond to Jesus. As believers, we cannot be lazy or apathetic when it comes to sharing the gospel.
Here's a great article that provides a very detailed response to this question. I fully agree with this article, and I believe it gives a very biblical perspective on the issue... http://carm.org/those-never-heard-gospel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)