Free to Serve

Culture Change

What, exactly, is a change in culture? We often talk about the "culture" of a workplace. It may be an environment where workers are highly motivated, entrepreneurial, and inclined toward teamwork. Or, it could be a place where there is lethargy, isolation, and low expectations. The culture of an office has much less to do with the protocols of the corporation and much more to do with the hearts of those who make it up. Office culture consists in the motivations, interests, and inclinations of the employees.

What about church culture? Church cultures are not finally created by events, bylaws, structures, and schedules. The church culture consists in the motivations, interests, and inclinations of the church members. We should be just as eager to see the culture of a church mature as we are to see the mechanics of its ministry improve.

What kind of "culture" should we long for in our local church?

1. A palpable hunger for God's Word. Every conversation is laden with a yearning to know how the Bible applies to X, Y, or Z.

2. Dependence upon God for direction. In such a culture, prayer is not something we do to check a religious box, it is something we do because there is an overriding sense that without God's help we will fail.

3. An unwillingness to live the Christian life in isolation. We are constantly strategizing how to fold others into their lives, from non-Christian neighbors, to young believers, to seasoned saints.

4. A conviction that every gathering has a purpose. We aren't happy simply filling a pew on Sunday morning. We are intent to have fruitful conversations on Sunday, to plan even more fruitful meetings during the week, and to discern who the Lord may have brought into the building that day or a word of encouragement and exhortation.

5. A heart for grace. A gracious community is a place where people aren't surprised to discover sin in people's lives. It is a place where everyone realizes and admits that sinners fall and fail. It is a community where we are quick to overlook when others wrong us. Where we quickly forgive because God forgave us.

6. An expectation of holiness. A holy community is a place where we value God's reputation above our own. We know that we sin, but we don't allow ourselves or our brothers and sisters in Christ to remain in sin. It is a place where we are regularly confessing sin to God and to one another and fervently seeking sanctification.

How does a church get from point A to point B? I'm convinced for cultures to change God must do the work. If cultures are created by the inclinations, motivations, and interests of the human heart then we need God to do work in our hearts. How will God do this? Through His Word and Spirit. For the culture of a church to change, God's people must be immersed in Scripture and on their knees in prayer. There is no other way. Building plans won't change the culture. Special events won't change the culture. Church cards won't change the culture. Websites, blogs, and social networking won't change the culture. We need God's Word and God's Spirit unleashed in the human heart. Then the culture will change.

A Funeral Sermon

This morning I had the privilege of preaching a funeral sermon for the father of a man about to join our church. Over the past few days I've gotten to know the family members a little bit. Their loss is immense. He died too young. My words to them came from Luke 11:1-4. It is a shorter version of the Lord's Prayer: 

When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Here is, roughly, what I said:

On Serving Kids

C. H. Spurgeon wrote, "I had rather receive the title of S.S.T. [Sunday School Teacher] than M.A., B.A., or any other honour that ever was conferred by men." Sunday afternoon we had a luncheon to thank the volunteers who so faithfully serve our kids week in and week out. Terry Earl, our Children's Ministry Coordinator, put together this amazing video. To all who serve, thank you!

 

 

Spurgeon on Evangelism

In his autobiography, C. H. Spurgeon wrote about the desire he had to see the lost saved and the energies he expended to fight for their souls. Until our hearts break at the future destiny of unbelievers, we will never be evangelists:

I do not see how our sense of oneness to Christ could ever have been perfected if we had not been permitted to work for Him. If He had been pleased to save us by His precious blood, and then leave us with nothing to do, we should have had fellowship with Christ up to a certain point, but (I speak from experience) there is no fellowship with Christ that seems to me to be so vivid, so real to the soul, as when I try to win a soul for Him. Oh, when I come to battle with that soul's difficulties, to weep over that soul's hardness; when I begin to set the arguments of Divine mercy before it, and find myself foiled; when I am in a very agony of spirit, and feel that I could die sooner than that soul should perish, then I get to read the heart of Him whose flowing tears, and bloody sweat, and dying wounds showed how much He loved poor fallen mankind. (I:155)

God permits us to work for Him. That work is to battle with the difficulties presented by other souls. We need not get angry when they question or protest our faith. We simply try, as best we can, to give a reason for our faith, continue to love them, and pray that the Spirit and Word would change their hearts. This is Christian work.

Five Reasons Your Children Should Read the Bible to You

My kids and I are at the end of 1 Samuel. They are reading to me. It's an exciting time and I'm aware that it is beneficial. Here are some reasons why:

1. It gives them great practice reading. You are right there, able to correct and encourage where appropriate. You learn very quickly not only how well they can pronounce words, but where they are struggling to understand concepts. 

2. Words and ideas sink in better when verbalized. Reading aloud may be laborious, but few disciplines do a better job forcing us to think deeply about what we read.

3. It forces conversation about relationships. Everyone needs to learn how to relate to others. The Bible is full of people relating to one another. Sometimes this is done well, (e.g. David and Jonathan), but sometimes this is done poorly (e.g. Saul and David). Kids learn a great deal about appropriate and inappropriate behavior through the stories you find throughout the Bible.

4. It allows Scripture to drive doctrine. Our kids will have more confidence in what we and their Sunday school teachers teach them if they are reading the Bible for themselves and seeing ideas, themes, doctrines over and over again.

5. It humbles us. How do you explain to your children the fact that David took more than one wife? Why does God demand the extermination of entire cities? Why was Saul so envious of David? Why was David anointed as king long before he took over as king? These are all good questions, the types of questions kids ask and the types of questions that, frankly, most of us will have a hard time answering without some study. Better your kids see you struggling with Scripture but bowing down to it then your kids thinking you have everything figured out until they grow up one day only to conclude that you have very little figured out.

Maybe you have other reasons . . . 

Praying for Hinson

One of the often-missed facts of the New Testament is the concern Christians had not just for their own church but for the churches of others. You certainly see it in Paul's writings, but you also see it in the actions of local churches themselves. In 2 Corinthians 8 we learn that churches in Macedonia took up offerings to help other local churches.

The implications of this are legion:

--we should pray for other churches regularly;

--we should be a part of planting other churches; and

--we should encourage other churches.

To that end, I'd like us to be praying for Hinson Baptist Church, a historic church in SE Portland that has just received a new pastor, Michael Lawrence. Michael and I met in Washington, DC over fifteen years ago. The Lord blessed him as he served as an associate pastor in DC until he was recently called to lead Hinson. I am very grateful that Michael invited me to preach this last Sunday. First because it gave me an opportunity to see his ministry. Second, because it allowed me to preach to many of my family members who live in the Portland area. 

--Pray that Michael would have wisdom and humility as he leads Hinson.

--Pray that Hinson would contend for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints.