From @edstetzer http://ow.ly/3nHs6:
Rather than seeking to be the next big thing – the church version of “America’s Got Talent” – let’s become the next transformative thing. Instead of our neighbors saying, “Wow, you’ve got a big church,” let’s create a movement where they say “Wow, your church makes a difference in our community, and around the country.”

I was listening to a good message this morning by Mark Driscoll on Idolatry. He was speaking to pastors and church leaders but starts with some great foundation which applies to anyone who wants to follow God. You can get it here

It confirms my growing belief that the problem we face is not so much the sin and idolatry in the world, but the sin and idolatry in the church at large…. And the problem we face in our church is often not the sin and idolatry in the church people, but the sin and idolatry in ME. Can I get an Amen/Ouch to that?

For any leaders/aspiring leaders in the church, here’s a quick summary of some specific idols and related heart-questions he covers:

1. Attendance: Does your joy change when attendance is up or down?
2. Gift: Do you feel God needs you and uses you because you’re so skilled, thinking “God you’re so smart that you picked me and you use me because I’m a good tool in your hand”
3. Truth: Do you think you’re more righteous than a simple Christian who doesn’t know or understand much. Reading books and overlooking humility.
4. Fruit: Do you point to your success as evidence of God’s approval of you
5. Tradition: What traditions are you upholding that are thwarting the forward progress of the gospel?
6. Method: Do you worship your method as your mediator?
7. Office: Are you motivated primarily by God’s glory or your title?
8. Success: Is winning what motivates you at the deepest level?
9. Ministry: Do you use the pressure of ministry to make you walk with God, or do you walk with God because you love him.
10. Innovation: Does it matter to you that your ministry be considered unique?
11. Leader: Who do you want to be like/your church to be like?

Communicating the gospel in a postmodern context can make us feel forced to compete with the entertainment industry. You might be able to compete if you have millions of dollars and that level of expertise. Most of us don’t. We have only one advantage that neither Hollywood nor MTV has. We have the presence and power of the living God!

Why in the world would we eliminate God’s power from our core strategy and actually move to a deficit rather than to an advantage?

I’m a creative, thinker, imaginer, dreamer, engineer, problem-solver, strategizer,  architect, designer type person. These elements of my character over the years have had a tendency to drive me crazy. What can start off as a simple desire to “be the best we can be” can lead to the traps of perfectionism and self-reliance.

There are many things that I can do well in my own strength. The funny thing is that even when these things turn out really well, they can end up ultimately not taking me – or the things I lead – any closer to where they need to be.

All this has increasingly led me – painfully sometimes – to this one conclusion: When all is said and done, there is only thing that really makes the difference…..and that is my readiness to surrender it all to God. And when it comes down to it, He is not only the only competitive advantage that we have. He’s the only one we need.

Little wonder that the church, too, has been seeking to grapple with understanding what  community is. More and more churches are coming back to what is in many ways a more accurate understanding of what church really is. Church as it is seen in the Bible: When it wasn’t a building, it wasn’t a set of programmes, and didn’t require masses of money just to be maintained. It was the people, living real life together, in pursuit of Jesus.

I wonder though, if maybe all this talk about community can lead to us mistaking what it is we’re here to do. Our mission is not to create community. Our mission is to show the love of God and share the good news of how we can find relationship with him through Jesus Christ.

Churches throughout history have died because they have turned into social gathering places and communities which are no different to any other you might find in the world. People find friendships and a sympathetic ear for their problems, but ultimately nobody is ever changed and the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ is never shared with the world. Consequently these little communities stay little. They get insular, introverted and weird, and eventually they die – either through petty relational issues, or through old age.

Relationship is really important. We need to share love without conditions or pre-requisites. Indeed Jesus said that is was through our love for one another that people would know that we are his disciples, and it was through the world observing how Christians related to one another and lived their lives that they came to be called Christians in the first place. Love in action produces ears which are willing to listen.

However we must never forget that the thing which ultimately satisfies our soul, sets us free, and restores us to the relationship with God that we need is not community itself. It is Christ. Interestingly real community is only really found where Christ is central anyway. It’s only when I am fulfilled in God that I am free to love people in the selfless way that true community requires. As I read in a book by Mark Driscoll, “Community is an effect of mission, not an effective mission”

There’s a great article here you might want to check out for more: Cause driven church – Erwin McManus

We looked at Peter stepping out of the boat and walking on the water to Jesus. (Matthew 14:22-33) What on earth made him do that? You can download it from our website (or listen here) and I hope that it’ll help you in your current situation. I hit a few main points so it went a bit longer than I normally would. If you can’t handle 38 minutes there’s always the summary slides.

If you’re more the one-point type of person or you don’t have the time to download anything then keep reading for my 30 second, 1 point answer to “How come Peter stepped out of the boat”.

Here it is….be prepared to be completely underwhelmed by it’s theological complexity….

Peter stepped out regardless of the storm because his desire to be with Jesus was greater than his desire for anything else. 

That’s it. Simple, huh?

Too often worry about our own plans, fears, failings, or personal comforts. As you look at the life of Peter you don’t see much of the leadership qualities we admire and value. You don’t get the impression that he had burning sense of ambition or desire for status. You don’t find a guy that was that educated. He probably wasn’t even the greatest church leader.

In fact the only quality he seems to possess is an overwhelming desire to follow Jesus anywhere. As he stepped out – time after time – in obedience to Jesus’ call, he discovered friendship with God and he was used for amazing things. Check out the book of Acts to see what happened when Peter stepped out in the power of the Holy Spirit: 3000 people getting saved and added to the church following one preach, sick people getting healed, people getting raised from the dead, Churches being established and growing.

Don’t worry about things you can’t figure out, about your comforts or fears. Just love Jesus more than anything else. Desire Jesus and follow his voice. Even if you mess up you’ll discover that Jesus rescues you, and you’ll discover what the disciples found when they were with Jesus – peace in the middle of the storm

As G.K.Chesterton said…

Let your religion be less theory and more love affair

Wise words indeed.

If you’re interested you can download all the messages, slides, and group study notes from our download browser, and I’m sure Wolfi will post some thoughts on his blog as we go along.

What got me thinking today as I was looking at the background of Ephesians is how central Ephesus seems to be in the spread of the gospel.

We know more about the church in Ephesus than any other, Paul ministered in Ephesus for a couple of years, sent Timothy to Ephesus (and wrote his letters to him while he was there) and John settled in Ephesus and wrote his gospel and three letters there.

The letter to Ephesians is unlike other epistles. Most bible commentators agree that this letter was intended to be a general letter for wide circulation, and rather than addressing specific personal or church-related issues, it simply and clearly outlines the gospel and how we – the church – should live in light of it.

So, why Ephesus?

What strikes me about the ministry of Paul is how strategic the places are. Ephesus is no exception. It was a thriving centre of commerce, finance, and culture, but most importantly it was a key trade route and stood at the doorway to the Asian interior.

When Paul received the gospel and his commission to preach it, his primary concern doesn’t seem to be in building a big, static church. His primary concern seems to be to build churches that would make disciples of all nations.

Travellers from Persia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and further afield. All of them would have come through places like Ephesus and heard the gospel. Many of them would have believed it, been changed by it, and carried it all over the world.

Paul didn’t rate success just on how many people came to church, but how many people came through church.

That’s why:

• How many disciples are made matters more than how big your church is.
• How many people are sent out to make disciples is more important than how many people gather on a Sunday.
• A kingdom vision is even more important than a local church vision.

And that’s why even though I’m a country boy I’m part of a church that has as it’s mission to “make disciples of all nations” and is based in London – the city with the greatest potential to reach the whole world.

When you’re alone too much you lose perspective. If the enemy can isolate you, he can influence you. God designed his family to stay connected or as Paul says ‘So that all the members care for each other’ (1 Cor 12:25)

Peter had no hope without his friends – Granny Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the lost boys. He needed their help to remind him of who he was, encourage him, and help him learn all he needed to be able to defeat Captain Hook. We all need friends like that.

That’s what the church – the community of believers – is for.

“In the final analysis, could it be possible that a considerable number of sinners love their sin more than some Christians love their God? Could it be that Jesus’ bride is unsure of her true delight, desire, and devotion? The world looks at her and says, “I’m not sure she loves her Jesus as much as I love my sin.”

If you’ll permit me the freedom to rant a bit (it is my blog after all) I have some thoughts which arise from this…

I think the world is sick and tired of people who act like they have all the answers, who instruct them in how they live their lives, who teach them what is right and wrong, who tell others that they should give their lives to God and then so obviously hold most of their own lives back. I think the world is looking for more than text book answers and a bit of Bible-bashing. Surely the world wants more than just “stop doing all those things you enjoy and do this instead”

What does the world need? 

I believe the world is need of many answers to rescue it from the mess it is in, and many people need rescuing from the path they’re on. I’m also fully persuaded that the world needs more than talk. I think it wants to see a people who live by what they say. The world needs to see a people are so fully devoted to God that their lives actually look different and attractive. A people who are slower to give answers and quicker to live lives which cause people to actually ask “tell me the reason for the hope you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) or even “please can you tell me why your life seems happier and less messed up than mine”

Do you love me more than these? 

There’s a moment, recorded in John 21, when Jesus approaches Peter and says “do you love me more than these”. I think it’s an appropriate question for all of us who call ourselves Christian. Do we love Jesus more than sin? Do we love Jesus more than immorality, wrongful sexual desires, material satisfaction, money? Are we living lives that demonstrate that while sin and the patterns of the world lead to pain and destruction, righteousness and obedience to God leads to fulfilled joy, peace, hope, and good things in life?

I don’t claim to be the most successful person who ever lived at getting this right. I think, like most of us, there are times in my life when I’ve been full of opinions and empty of fruit. One thing I can say though, is that I’m committed to living a life which is slower to speak and quicker to love Jesus with everything I have.

What do you think people are really looking for? Thoughts, comments? Post them below.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. - 1 Peter 3:15

For any worshippers out there, check out the latest post on my worship blog, “Habitual Worship”