Projects, Programs, People

Jesus is into people.
I mean really into people. So much so that he offers himself as a substitutionary sacrifice to save us in ways that we cannot save ourselves. This is the heart of the gospel of Jesus and it is an incredible and life transforming to be loved by God in this way.

I believe that this how we should be like Jesus: really into people. Jesus has a heart to save the lost and so should we. Jesus cares for the broken and so should we. We are to reflect Jesus in how we think and how we act. The challenge each generation of Christians faces is how to do this. Because the Bible tells us what to do, but allows us freedom in how to do it in our culture, context and time. 

Timeless truth. Timely methods. 

What others far more educated that me see in Western society is that the corporate ideas of events and outsourcing have found root in the church. It is summed up in a line from the Kevin Costner film Field of dreams where he says "If you build it they will come" and so we build ministries, events and programs in the hope that they will come.

Consumers are fickle

What large scale analysis has shown across the world is that whilst people might come in numbers they will not come in heart because what we are doing is using consumer models that perpetuate the consumer mindset instead of creating maturing disciples of Jesus. If someone else offers a program that is better...brighter...louder...funnier...cooler...they are gone and entire ministries disappear overnight because it's not about the programs or the projects. We saw this a number of years ago in Cape Town where a major international church planted in the city and almost overnight the church had 3000 people - almost all from other churches. I know of at least one congregation that lost half its band in one week.

Consumers are fickle.

So how do we change this? Listening to what others are saying and studying the scriptures leads one to the truth that the answer lies is not a program nor a project. Jesus cares about people and so should we. Jesus does not care much for projects or programs and I believe that the answer to this lies in building relationships where the truth of Jesus is passed on from one to the next. Not just bible knowledge but also the knowledge of how to serve, love and care for others. Knowledge about how to pray, discern and follow the call of the Holy Spirit. Programs and projects simply lack the power to do this.

Jesus leaves us two enduring images in Matthew 28 and Acts 1: We're to be disciple-makes and witnesses. And these are things we can all do because it does not require programs that cost money, it needs no flashing lights, Power Point and we don't need a theological degree to make disciples nor to be a witness.

Disciple-makers 

We make disciples by apprenticing people and showing them what we have learned to by God's grace.

I love DIY and I have a garage full of tools that I have learned to wield well to make all sorts of things as our family has need from pop-guns to bookshelves. Much of what I do I learned from my dad. He was always fixing something: cutting wood to size for cupboards in the house,repairing broken brickwork, fixing damaged wiring and building things he needed. I watched, and in time I helped, and then I did it myself. In many ways I have learned far beyond what my dad was able to do simply because I have had access to more tools and technology from a younger age. Importantly, I had someone to show me how.

In the scriptures we see people learning to follow God, not by reading their bible alone but learning from others what it looks like to serve the poor, teach scripture, pray for the sick and call people to follow Jesus. Paul writes to the dysfunctional church in Corinth and says  Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1

A disciple-maker imitates Christ and calls others to do the same

Witnesses

To be a witness is to tell others about what you have seen and John writes it like this:  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.1 John 1:1–4

Do you see the tangible words he uses? Heard, seen, looked at, touched...All the early church did was tell others about what Jesus had done for them and this does not need a title nor an education. You simply tell others how Jesus gave you hope when you had none. How Jesus saved you from your self absorbed life. You tell them how Jesus has made you joyful, hopeful, helpful, grateful and free! 

We're all called to be disciple makers and witnesses

What if each of us who love Jesus walked alongside others with whom we share our lives; friends, family, co-workers and colleagues and what if we discipled them to Jesus, then discipled them in Jesus starting by telling our stories? What if as we live out gospel centred lives we drew others in to walk that journey with us? 

Is your group going to serve at a home for abused women? Take someone with you. Are you going to the hospital to pray for someone who is ill? Take someone with you. Joining with others to gather under Christ to eat and gather round the bible? Take someone with you. Show someone what it looks like to follow Jesus who is Lord of all.

I have a simple faith (some might argue naive) that if we're faithful in following these biblical instructions, Jesus will grow his church. Not a church willed with passive consumers but with passionate disciples who will also disciple others by passing on the good news of what Jesus has done for them.

Home groups must be about gospel mission or else they fail at fulfilling Jesus mission

We've been encouraging our HomeGroups to move from internal self focused ministry to Gospel mission for some time now and we're seeing great fruit of this. This is a journey that we're on and we're learning each day what it means to get the gospel out there.One of our groups has adopted St Mary's home, a refuge for abused women as Jesus calls us to identify with and bless those who are the underdogs, the oppressed, the hurting and the broken. We're trying to take this seriously as a church and each group is seeking God's guidance as they minister into the community into which we have been called. This is a radical change from inward focused home groups ministry that we've been operating with in the past.

Jesus reminds us that what we do for the least we actually do for him Matthew 25:35–40  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

It is great that to see families doing this together. The best thing that we can teach our kids is to serve as Jesus serves us. Knowledge of the Bible is important as is the basic spiritual disciplines of study, prayer and giving, but what our kids need to see is faith in action. As they watch mum and dad serve, love and care for those who need help they will learn what it means to really follow Jesus. Because Jesus is God in action. We see it as he seeks justice, opposes the rich and the proud and lifts up those oppressed, hurting, demonized and far from God. We're called to be like him and we too are a sent people - sent by God to make a real difference in the world. Making a difference always starts with building relationships because we need to earn the right to be heard and so as this is what this group is doing as this new shelter launches. In time they will learn to care for those oppressed by domestic violence, they will learn to give counsel and minister the Gospel of Jesus to those who will come here to find refuge and shelter. And it will all be for Jesus glory.

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

How to read your bible and how to encourage others to do the same

The Bible is central to the Christian faith and yet it is often ignored by many because it can be a challenging read and, if you start in the wrong place it can break your resolve to get to know parts of it well. It is very difficult to be Jesus disciples without having his word to guide us and encourage us. It is very hard to call others be Jesus disciples if God's word has not flavoured our thinking and acting for Jesus.

In a nutshell, the Bible is a book about Jesus. It's his story and if we can keep that single truth in our minds and hearts as we tackle it we will find a deeper appreciation of the scriptures and a greater love for the God who wrote them. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. - John 5:39

Everyone comes to the scriptures with some sort of a lens through which they interpret what they read. Some read it through the ‘rule book’ lens leading to despair, because how can we ever meet up to those kinds of expectations? Others read it through the lens of a guidebook leading to worry because there is so much of our lives the bible does not speak about.

There is only one lens through which to read the Bible and that is through Jesus and the good news about him. What is this book saying about Jesus and my relationship to him? What is this book saying about Jesus grace and my response to it? What is this book showing me about what Jesus has done for me in his death, burial and resurrection?

The best place to start reading is in the New Testament so that we can get to know Jesus and his story and allow his life to flavour our reading in other parts of the Bible. If we read the bible through any lens other than Christ we will either dismiss it as an interesting ancient literary artefact or we will find ourselves trapped in rule based moralism with no way to find forgiveness of sin.

The Bible is the story of God’s rescue plan to save a broken and sinful world by sending the rescuer, Jesus. It contains the tools to diagnose sin and then points us to the one who can heal our terminal illness, Jesus who is Saviour, Lord and King!

With that brief introduction in mind here are some helpful hints to reading God’s word:

1. Use a good bible as there are different styles of translation and not all are equal. Two excellent translations are the ESV which is a very good translation and is as close to the original text as you are going to get in English and then there is the NLT which is an easy reading translation especially for teenagers.


2. Make notes, underline and scribble in the bible itself, mark passages you want to come back to, underline helpful points and put question marks in the sidebar where you need to understand more. The contents of the book are holy, but he book itself is just paper.


3. Find a mature Christian who you can ask for help in understanding tricky parts of scripture. This book is written to the people of God and reading it is something of a team event. If you are married it is good to spend time in scripture together so that you can hold each other accountable and each can encourage the other.


4. Pray before reading that God would fill you with his Holy Spirit and that the Spirit would give you wisdom, insight and understanding so that you would be obedient to the commands in the scriptures


5. Allow scripture to read you. What do I mean by this? Allow your life to be interpreted by scripture, where is the Bible calling you to repent and trust Jesus and where is it encouraging you? Our lives are to be lived under the light of scripture and we must allow scripture to speak into how we do everything we do. (Hebrews 4:12)


6. Start by reading for 5 minutes a day. If you do less you will not gain any substance, more and you might find too much to chew and swallow in one go, some of it is really meaty. If you find a verse that is especially meaningful to you write it down and stick it on the fridge or on the bathroom mirror to remind yourself of God’s promises to his children. It is good to keep a journal as you make this journey with Christ. (Acts 17:11)


7. Start with Mark’s gospel, it is a chronological account of Jesus life and a great place to get a handle on Jesus and his work. Then head to John, Acts and to Galatians and from there you can start unpacking the rest of the New Testament. There is no right and wrong in this but some of the meat in books like Romans will be too much for a new believer to handle.


8. The Psalms are a great place to learn the language of worship and prayer. You would do well to end each time with God’s word with reading a psalm out loud, hearing the word of God is a powerful tool in allowing it to transform our lives. Think of it as love poetry to God as we speak of his greatness and ask for his deliverance.


9. Pray blessings from the word over your children and your spouse and tell others about the wonder of what you are reading in God’s word as it points you to Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith.


10. Finally: do the word. Act upon it’s instructions, be obedient to the commands to serve, love, witness and worship. It’s no use to read about them and not do them! (James 1:22-25)

There is no greater book on this earth. It is the incredible story of God’s love for humanity and his self-sacrifice to save us. This book contains the great promise of resurrection and eternal life for those who trust Jesus. May the word of God live in you richly!

Tim Keller ten tips to witness

Tim Keller is a giant of the faith and one if the best theological thinkers of there. Here are ten pretty ordinary but really helpful tips on evangelizing people so that they too would love Jesus. Worth passing on to all those you lead.  Tim Keller’s top 10 evangelism tips | salternlite