Three Substitutes To Discipleship

This past Sunday, I spoke on two of the most significant Scripture passages that occurred post-resurrection—Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20. 

Matthew 28:18-20

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.”

So, what do we do instead of getting involved with people’s lives? 

1. We substitute “busyness in the building” in place of OBEDIENCE. We go to meetings on discipleship. We go to classes on discipleship. We study the word about discipleship. We discuss our need for discipleship. And all that keeps us busy enough up at the building to keep us from having to engage with lost people. When we have all these classes, studies, meetings, and trainings DETACHED FROM MISSION & RELATIONSHIPS—we do it as a way to justify how we spend our time and how we're not making disciples. It is much, much easier to sit and listen to teaching than listen to people’s deep, complex problems and horrible decision making. 
2. We substitute events/programs in the place of the PROCESS of discipleship. We expect the church to set up events that might lure in the lost—and they might accidentally rub up against salvation and get it on them. Many people believe the paid staff guys job is to create and organize events or provide the newest programs so people can bring their acquaintances to a building/event where somebody else might share the gospel with them—and they don’t have to!
3. We substitute decisions in the place of discipleship. We focus on people “making a decision” or “making converts” instead of making disciples. When people do walk an aisle—pray a prayer—join a church—What happens next? That person should be bombarded with people trying to walk them to deeper growth. Somehow it gets communicated or conveyed that now the new believer must spend all of their time at church events, church attendance, church classes, church committees, and church busyness—NEVER LEARNING TO REACH LOST PEOPLE AROUND THEM AND THEN DISCIPLE THEM—and within two years that person is completely removed from the context of lost people they had when they first followed Christ.

In Matthew 28 (the Great Commission) most of the emphasis is usually put, obviously, on the main command to “make disciples” in verse 19. However, it is easy to look past the two “bookends” that surround verse 19. 

Matt. 28:18 Jesus says, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to Me.” 

Matt. 28:20 says, “And behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.” 

As we attempt to become disciple-makers, we often look past those two essential elements. Jesus does command His followers to “make disciples, baptizing…and teaching” people to obey all of His commands. But Jesus bases the hope of actually making disciples off of the reality that He is the One who has authority over all things. 

Jesus has authority over all His disciples (past & present) because He is the One who created each person, He is the One who bought salvation for His followers, He is the One who continues to mature and sanctify His bride, and He is the One who will ultimately glorify us for all eternity. Therefore, Jesus rightly has complete authority over all of His followers. 

But Jesus also says He has authority on all of heaven and earth. This authority has been given to Him by the Father. That is significant because as we are clarifying the gospel to lost people around us and as we are discipling people in our lives—we need to remember and trust in that truth. Jesus has the power and authority to soften hearts and bring them to repentance. We do not have that power or authority. 

That is the front bookend to remember as you are intentional with relationships in making disciples. 

On the back end, “Behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.” 

Again, we need to remember that Jesus ascended to heaven after the resurrection because that was the best and wisest plan in the Godhead. The Holy Spirit was promised to be sent to indwell, empower, and enable individual and corporate believers like never before in history. 

When we don’t remember that Jesus has all authority—we become discouraged in the difficulties and circumstances. And when we don’t remember that He is present with us through the Holy Spirit—we are not trusting and relying on His power but our own. 

Let us look carefully at how we spend our resources of time, relationships, and money so that we can live for the glory of God in obedience to making disciples. 

Let us look carefully into whether we are substituting imposters to true disciple making. 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info

Woe to him who is alone...

“But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:10b

Of all that Solomon laments in Ecclesiastes, this may be one of the saddest pictures he paints. Sure, the endless treadmill of life is exhausting, for as he states numerous times throughout this OT book, life lived beneath the sun can never bring contentment. Over and over, Solomon claims that everything is meaningless, a striving after the wind. Whether wealthy or poor, whether foolish or wise, each discovers the same purposeless, pointless vanity; each is appointed a time to be born and a time to die. For the one who thinks that perhaps there is something to be gained under the sun, the old king offers evidence to the contrary. Riches and relationships, pleasures and popularity, status and success, were all his, yet they failed to fulfill their promises; each season was incapable of bringing his soul satisfaction. So sad… So terribly disappointing… But woe to the man who learns this lesson in isolation.

In the fourth chapter of his journal Solomon describes the oppression that he witnessed under the sun and goes on to explain that the very thing that leads some into excessive labor, causes others to pull away and give in to laziness. It is no surprise that he says this too is vanity. But in the verses that follow, the “Preacher” identifies this significance of avoiding such striving in solitude. In short, he says that together we can be more productive and resourceful. It is here that we find comfort, confidence, and companionship. Essentially, there is strength and safety in numbers; and there is caution given to those outside of community – “woe to him who is alone when he falls.”

Are you able to identify with Solomon? Have you felt the heaviness that accompanies this world? Are you familiar with the grittiness and gravity of life lived beneath the sun? Do you see all the various forms of oppression? Can you resonate with the “Preacher” at all? Even more importantly, if you were to stumble or be tripped up, perhaps even thrown to the ground by the burdensome bully called Life, would there be anyone there to see you fall? Would there quickly be a loving hand extended to you? Would you be picked up and dusted off, offered a warm blanket or a caring shoulder to cry on? Unfortunately, far too many would not be able to answer this in the affirmative.

I must be honest and say that most of my life was lived outside of true, life-giving, gospel community. But by God’s grace, it is now something my family is privileged to experience. Just yesterday we were able to spend time with a sweet group of people that make up our d-group (discipleship group). And while our gathering added on to an already busy Sunday afternoon full of other activities and obligations, it also encouraged us to hit this week head on with intention and purpose. This community of believers and friends is far from a finished, polished product; by no means is it perfect, nor is everyone completely transparent all the time. We are being sanctified as individuals, and transformed as a group, and because of that, we know our involvement is vital to our overall growth and maturity as a family. Also, please note that it has taken some time to develop.

For every Sunday that we’ve enjoyed a full house of fellowship, we’ve also had a smaller gathering of only a few. It takes time to build a group; it takes some time to become as family. It takes work to reprioritize, organize schedules, develop trust, and establish group consistency. However, once it is discovered, so is the genuine love and joyfulness that comes with it. This type of community provides a safe place to be known. It’s an environment where we can share prayer requests and personal concerns; it’s a place to express doubts and ask hard questions; it is where the people of God remind each other of His gospel and mutually encourage each other to focus on living for His mission – to make disciples of all nations.

There are lots of things that keep us from pursuing such community. In his book, Community, Brad House says this: “The marginalization of community within the church and culture has not come from conviction but from apathy and isolation brought on by sin. Isolation is our response to sin. Community is our response to reconciliation (p.42).” In another place he reminds us, “Sin always separates what God joins together (p.32).” This describes in part why I was hindered from seeking to get plugged-in. I was somewhat ashamed of my sin and afraid to share parts of my story. I also knew that being around others might expose some darker places in my heart – the deeper hurts I had vigorously toiled to suppress. I was fearful of being known and possibly facing rejection.

And perhaps fear is that main deterring culprit for you as well; it’s that thing that keeps you from getting connected. It is scary to think about making yourself vulnerable to others. What will they do with what I have to say? Are they safe? Will they judge me? Will they tell everyone about my struggles? Well, maybe they will. Perhaps they’ll judge you. They might trample on your heart… But if so, then such people are to be pitied, for one day they will have to answer to the One who covered our sins, paid our debt in full, and reconciled us unto Himself. I understand being hesitant. Really, I do. However, I must tell you that the risk of putting yourself out there is worth the reward of finally being known – finally feeling free and at peace in your own skin. Truly, we have been called into gospel-relationship with one another so that we might remember that it was for freedom that we’ve been set free.

There are a million other excuses we can give for neglecting our call to community, and they all seem quite justifiable. Yet in light of Scripture, it is foolishness to suggest that we are above the need for community. For to again quote from Community, “There is no biblical support for personal, autonomous Christianity (p.47).” So then, why do so many of us live under the guise that it is safe for me? Why do we think that it is unnecessary for us or that we are somehow excluded from this kind of environment? Oh, my prayer is that we might trust God enough to make ourselves vulnerable with each other. Like so many things in life, that which is most precious and dear, often requires the most labor and sacrifice. We all have much to offer, and we are all so desperate for His grace and goodness. It would appear that our Father often sends His mercies to His people, through His people. As we search for divine purpose and meaning beyond the sun, may we be found seeking it out together.

Matt Fowler
NBC Family Pastor of HS
@fattmowler

House, Brad. Community: Taking Your Small Group off Life Support. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

DOES GOD HATE YOU…OR LOVE YOU? (Week 2 of a 2 Week Series)

In my last blog, in this two-part series, I wrote about a tendency in some people/churches to focus only on our sinful depravity (click here for that blog). This leads some people to have a difficult time believing God does truly love them. They wander through life with a worm theology thinking God, at best, tolerates them, but really can’t stand them. 

This week, we’re going to look at the other end of that pendulum. 

These are churches that are afraid to confront you with the reality of your sin. There is a mindset out there that people only want to hear encouraging, uplifting stories that build them up so they can face the upcoming week. And sadly (tragically) many people believe that is actually the goal of the church. Unlike the people discussed last week, these people have no problem believing God loves them. They believe the whole Bible is written about mankind—not God. They place “man/woman” at the center of the universe instead of a high and exalted view of God. 

These churches are in a dangerous place also. Their only emphasis is “God loves you.” And that sounds ok. But it should utterly shock us that God loves us if we understand the complete gospel message. God does love us, but it is through amazing grace that He loves us because of each individual person’s onslaught of daily rebellion and sin against this Holy God. We need to be shocked, daily, that God loves us—which then turns into deeper awe and amazement and wonder and humility and praise and worship and honor and glory to Him. 

If you’re in a church that never mentions your depravity or your sinfulness—there are several factors that may have led to that. I will go into two of those of the most dangerous factors (there are more—but I’m just hitting two). 

1) Your leaders have bought into the secular (non-Biblical) “self-esteem” and “self-empowerment” philosophy that has been growing in popularity for the last two decades in pop-psychology. The culture of American Christianity saw people’s desire  for this and started selling it in the church. It has grown large churches and sells millions and millions of dollars in books. Let’s examine this a little more closely. 

—The idea has spread that since so many people are depressed and have had such difficult circumstances that we need to rescue them by reminding them of their high value in order to increase their self-esteem. Once their self-esteem jumps to it’s rightly elevated position, these people will be “cured.” 

—What I am not saying: I am NOT saying that people with different forms of depression just need to pray and it will all go away. Depression/anxiety usually is a complex mixture of factors. Nor am I saying that people are wrong for facing depression due to either physiological or circumstantial issues. I’m not trying to speak towards the depression at all. I’m trying to speak towards what our “answer” is for so many people dealing with these type of issues. 

—Problem: People’s low self-esteem is not our main problem. Sin is our main problem. And in saying that, I’m not saying that every person who has depression is living in unrepentant sin and this is their result. I’m saying that our answer is not to build up self-esteem, but to restore people to a gospel-driven identity. 

—Jesus didn’t come to restore self-esteem. He came to “seek and save that which was lost.”

Look at the Man we want to follow:

Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

—Notice "we esteemed Him not." Jesus wasn't esteemed by people. Almighty God in the flesh was lowered in people's estimation and value of Him. It seems like part of God’s design for Jesus was not a focus on self-esteem, but humility. And if a person has humility and understands their identity in relation to God Himself—they will have a healthy self-esteem as a by-product. 

—What if we restore ten million people’s self-esteem and yet leave them without a Savior or seeing their need for a Savior. We’ve only given them a misguided, but possibly happier trip through life and an eternal hell after this life. 

—There are some cases where people have been abused (emotionally, physically, verbally, etc) so much in their own personal value estimation that they need to have a different perspective. But what is the Biblical perspective we want them to have? Is it merely to boost self-esteem and self-empowerment? And yes, because of the circumstances many people have endured, they do need to believe that they are not determined agents of ruin with no hope in the future. But again, what is the Biblical view of themselves we would like to see re-formed? 

—We want people to have “gospel identities.” Meaning this:(follow closely) even though I have a heart that constantly disguises it’s motives and desires (Jeremiah 17:9) that is more corrupt and rebellious against God’s holiness than I can imagine—what Jesus did in my place on the cross both removes my sins (past, present, future), but also gives me hope for graduated change and transformation internally at the heart level as I continue to fix my eyes on Him (2 Cor. 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:17,21) and ask the Holy Spirit to work in me (Matt. 6:33; Luke 11:5-13).  So, my perspective/thinking is not focused on me being the change agent nor me being the focal point—but instead the living, reigning Jesus Christ changing my thoughts/feelings through the Holy Spirit and Christ being exalted in my eyes and heart through that process. I respond, by faith, to shift my thinking to my new identity supplied by Christ (justification & sanctification). My identity is wrapped up in what Christ has done for me, in me, to me, and through me for His glory. 

And even if I have been so abused and dejected and suffered through so much anguish that I think I’m a horrible person with nothing to offer—instead of having great pride about myself (which is actually one of our greatest sinful areas) I can have humility in identifying more with Christ as the tortured, abused, rejected, hurt, despised, and ultimately abandoned One. And again, with my identity wrapped up in what He accomplished and still looking to Him as my only hope for change—I am able to forgive my abusers and circumstance to trust in Him. 

So, the first danger is buying into the self-esteem fixation instead of gospel identities supplied by what Christ has already accomplished. 

2) Your leaders are afraid to offend you or hurt you. Everyone has heard something close to “I don’t want to go to a church that makes me feel bad about myself. I want to feel better about myself when I leave.” Like I said, something close to that. 

But let’s examine that thinking and philosophy that drives and directs many churches. 

—It has been clearly spoken of in videos and other media outlets that some leaders are afraid that speaking of sin—specifically, calling out sin in people’s lives, will drive those people away from the church. Therefore, since people do not want to hear about their hearts’ true condition, we will cater to that by instead telling people all of their good qualities. 

—Some leaders have gone as far as to say that they purposefully refuse to bring up sin in the pulpit because people do not like to hear that or feel bad about themselves. But what is it that Jesus agonized over on the cross? People’s sins. 

What was it that every living person could not free themselves from or remove from themselves? Personal sin. 

—To proclaim God’s word to people requires us to highlight the good nature of God’s holiness and righteousness. God’s word is also very clear requiring us to speak to each other about our sin and to seek God’s forgiveness because it is an affront and injustice on His holy character. Now, if we stopped there and only told people how miserably they have sinned and how horrible they are for doing that it could lead back to the problem we discussed last week. But if we go on through the Bible to see that all of the OT and NT in the Bible were pointing to Christ and His cross. The cross was always ultimate before the foundation of the world. Therefore, people who are saddened, broken in spirit, and humbled by the reality of their sin against such a great and holy God—their natural response would be to treasure Jesus and what He has done. They go from sorrowful to rejoicing—from being brought low to being lifted high in thought and feeling because of the truth of Christ. None of that is possible if we do not see the reality of God’s high and holy standard contrasted with the wickedness of our hearts. 

—Teaching from God’s word, therefore is not something that ONLY makes me feel bad about myself or my sin. It should do that however. But it should also lift my head up to the beauty of Jesus and what He has done. 

—Some people feel like they have sinned so much that there is no way God could forgive them. They feel like God’s grace is for “better” people. People who haven’t blown it as bad as they have. The truth is that no matter how bad we’ve blown it—no matter the depth or degree of our sin—Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient. 

So, the second danger is being in a place where your sin is not confronted. Remember, it is sheer grace to have sin confronted and done away with!

That truth and reality should humble us in spirit and at the same time restore our hearts in worship to this worthy King! 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info

LOVE GOD & LOVE PEOPLE MORE THAN YOU LOVE YOUR “IDEAL CHURCH”

{ I wrote this blog a few months ago considering how we need to be careful NOT to love an "Ideal Church" more than we love the actual people God has surrounded us with. Then I saw a similar blog on The Gospel Coalition--so I decided to share this as well. }

I’ve noticed a couple of strong patterns over the last fifteen years. 

FOR PASTORS & LEADERS

• The first pattern I’ve observed has to do with pastors and leaders in churches. It is the tendency to love the “Ideal Church” (out there in the future) instead of the present church—“as is”—meaning the people that make up your church.

{ Check out this other blog: Love the Church More Than Its Health }

Many pastors and leaders have been exposed to the different views of what makes up a “healthy church,” or what makes up a “Biblical church.” Most pastors desire to see their congregation grow in knowledge of Christ and into maturity through solid Biblical teaching and methods. There is nothing wrong with that. 

Where things go wrong is when pastors stop loving the people God has placed around them to become so frustrated with their lack of knowledge or understanding of what makes a church healthy. 

At that point, the pastor has begun to love his “Ideal Church” more than the actual church he’s in. 

Many pastors find it easier to lock themselves away in their study chamber in order to read more and more while never engaging with the actual people in their congregation—much less lost people in their community. This focus on being so “right” or “doctrinal” in their teaching can lead to a disconnect in their own loving engagement with others. 

That leader’s influence can also create a congregation that comes to listen and take notes—but just like their pastor—with no intentions or plan for actually lovingly engaging with lost people or even immature believers. 

That church has become too doctrinal. Not loving. Not growing. Not mature. Not producing disciples who know how to produce other disciples. 

But because of their doctrine—they measure spiritual maturity in head knowledge. This is common in many churches who start off desiring to have that rich Biblical teaching. 

If you’re a church-goer, you may not know this, but pastors get to hear, all the time, their congregants giving their own suggestions and preferences of how the pastor should run the church. 

Sometimes that’s ideas the church member has heard from some detached television preacher or from a sermon they’ve heard online. “Why don’t we just do it like they do, Pastor?”  

Sometimes pastors hear opinions being handed down from any number of pastors or authors who have horrible theology and overwhelmingly unhealthy church practices. But it seems like such a good idea until you do some research and study. 

Pastors deal with people in their congregation who have never read two paragraphs—much less— thirty books on what the church’s purpose and practices should be. Hopefully, pastors are trusting that God’s word will always be the authority for all life and growth of the church. 

Yet people have their personal preferences. Pastors deal with Christians who would consider themselves mature, but their immaturity shows up in incredible ways when something doesn’t go their way. They deal with people who listen to various dangerous, if not false prophets, on a daily basis. They deal with people who love the emotional rush of shallow worship songs with man-centered theology. They deal with people who don’t realize they’re serving an emotional need in their own heart and not Christ when they serve in their position. 

And many churches have pastors doing the same things! 

But for those who’ve been exposed to rich doctrinal stances and the reasons those are so significant—it is easy to become frustrated with the congregational make up they presently serve and become fixated and in love the Ideal Church they want to transform their people into. 

Now, in expressing the danger of loving that ideal of the “healthy, Biblical church” to the detriment of loving your actual people—I do not mean to imply that we should not strive to grow our churches in solid Biblical teaching exposing them to the whole counsel of God and the rich doctrines that guide our message and methods. We must strive for those kinds of churches! But we do not become disdained, indifferent, or unengaged with the people who make up our current landscape. 

“CAN’T WE ALL JUST LOVE JESUS AND GET ALONG?”

Sadly, many people would cry, “Can’t we all just love Jesus and get along!” Some of that crowd thinks that drawing lines in doctrine or practices is a negative thing that wastes time. It only takes a few paragraphs of church history (I would suggest Historical Theology by Dr. Gregg Allison) to see WHY doctrine and practices do matter. 

• But, our theology and doctrines should lead us to more loving lives of grace and truth. 

• That grace and truth and love should be what people run into when they come across us both in the public square and our local assemblies. 

• Can’t we have churches that are filled simultaneously with rich Biblical teaching and doctrine that leads to immeasurably loving expressions seen clearly in missional endeavors? Can we not be churches characterized by that? 

I say this first because I’ve spent so much time around other pastors and leaders in many various churches, seminary classes, conferences and ministries. The tendency is to love that “Ideal Church” we would all like to see formed (sometime in the future) while looking right past the very people God has placed directly in front of us. 

When it comes to discipleship, this danger of loving the “Ideal Disciple” will immobilize you!

I’ve had many guys come up to me who desire to truly start discipling other men. Often, they ask how to know which guys they’re supposed to disciple. That usually means they are looking for that sharp, intelligent, mature, impressive, no-messiness, got-it-all-together person, right! Well who doesn’t want a church full of those disciples! 

Thankfully, Jesus didn’t have that perspective. His select few screw-ups set the world on fire! All Jesus had to work with were people like us. 

Many times I ask men which guys God has placed right in front of them on a weekly basis. Many times, people want to disciple someone who has it all together or at least doesn’t have such rough edges. God usually has different plans. 

So, whether it’s a “healthy church,” or a “missional church,” or a more “Biblically-minded church,” that we’re after—we need slow down and evaluate whether we love that Ideal Church or the actual people we see face to face each week. Do you love your Ideal Church or do you love the people surrounding you? 

FOR CHURCH MEMBERS & THE FLOCK

• The second pattern I’ve observed is from the perspective of the church member.      Many times people look for a church that meets all their ideas of what makes a perfect church FOR THEM.

The difficulty is that human, flawed, sinful, opinionated, imperfect people are all that makes up a church. Jesus knew this. 

For some people—they focus on their “Ideal Church” and miss out on the lives and relationships of the church God has placed them in. It’s so much easier to love the “ideal church” than the actual people around us who have strong opinions and rough edges. 

This pattern is expressed in many ways. We’ve all heard them. 

“Well, we like the preaching, but we want worship that is __________ (fill in blank).” 

“We love the style of worship of your church, but I want preaching that is _________ (fill in blank).”

In both of these cases, I would love to awkwardly and confrontationally, yet lovingly, remind them that the entire setting for Sunday “Worship Services” should all be expressions of worship:  the excited, expectant arrival to hear God’s very own words to us, 

the gathering as God’s family, 

the fellowship of the redeemed, 

the singing of songs TO GOD (not unto us), 

the preaching of God’s word, 

the tithes and offerings, 

the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, 

the reading of God’s word,

the prayers of the saints, 

the teaching of lessons, 

and the response of God’s people

—all of it—expressions of worship TO GOD (not to us).

So we have people who are either uneducated on the purpose of people gathering as local assemblies, immaturity in faith, and naivety in the structures and forms of churches. But in all those cases, it is easy for people at all levels of maturity to have their own preferences and falling in love with that “Ideal Church” out there instead of plugging in and trying to see their current church take steps at becoming better in those areas. 

I think that teaching people to love “the church” means teaching them to love and engage with the people around them—looking past their opinions and shortcomings. It means to look past their own preferences of style or format or preaching or song lists to actually focus our minds on what God has done and what Christ has accomplished in our place. It means to worship the Trinity for enabling former rebels to gather together in unity to worship. All that we have in common is our sin and His provided reconciliation. 

• So, we need to LOVE GOD MORE—instead of our “Ideal Church.” 

• And we need to LOVE PEOPLE MORE—instead of our “Ideal Church.” 

We do desire to see growth and further Christlike transformation occur to become more Biblical and healthier local assemblies of Christ followers. 

But most importantly, we want love for God, overflowing from the very heart of God, to spill into love for others that creates an environment of true Christlike love. 

• Again, our theology and doctrines should lead us to faithful love for God and for one another filled with good deeds. 

I appreciate immensely a team of pastors at New Beginnings who, behind closed doors, truly care for, pray for, and strive to shepherd the flock under their care as “those who will give an account” one day to the Chief Shepherd. 

I appreciate also the beautiful arrangement of people God has placed us among over the last fifteen years. Whether it was a discipleship-oriented church plant in NW Arkansas, a large number of twentysomethings and young marrieds in Tahlequah, or the parents and families we work with at NB.

Thanks Phil, Terry, Matt, Mike, John (and Todd) for loving the church we know as New Beginnings!  

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info

3 Deadly Sins In The Church

One of my last classes at Southern is a class on Church Planting. I’ve been looking forward to this class for a long time.  It has some great projects we’re thinking and working through in order to come up with a workable plan for any church to be able to get involved with church planting. I have been reading about church planting and studying some of the newer movements (Redeemer City To City Network, Soma Communities, Acts 29 Network, Sojourn Network, Sovereign Grace Network, etc) for the last four or five years. 

The endeavor of church planting has much to do with the current health of the “mother” church (the one launching the new church). That “mother” church does not need to be perfect or running at full capacity in order to launch another church. In fact, that is one of the biggest misconceptions. Healthy churches reproduce healthy disciples who know how to make more disciples. Some of those disciples have giftings from God in preaching, teaching, administration, leadership, and other areas that fit well with ongoing movement and planting. 

For the existing mother church, when they begin to talk about “planting” or “launching” a new church into a new area, there is something that occurs that brings forth new life in that existing church. There is a fresh flourishing and vitality that springs up where there may have been lack of vision or even decline over several years (or even decades) for the existing church. Many people in the existing church are passionately recharged with the excitement and hope of their lives being connected in seeing several new churches launched to new areas that have little gospel engagement. 

Many church planting networks want to start in larger cities or cultural centers because that is where we find the highest volume of people. Cities, by God’s design, would be cultural influencers that trickle down to surrounding areas. At the same time, people in those cities (including disciples of Christ) may find themselves in a hurried pace of busyness. This pace has much to do with some of the obstacles to getting into relationships with people on a deeper level in order to share life and share Christ with them. 

There are three poisonous, deplorable, and incredibly deadly sins that both the existing churches and these new church plants may be walking in. These are three of the deadliest sins a church can engage in—sometimes unknowingly! 

1. Consumerism  (worst/deadliest)  2 Tim. 4:1-4

—Paul warns Timothy and the churches that a very dangerous time is coming when crowds of people will put before themselves leaders who deny the costly truth of gospel life, and offer words that “tickle the ears” of those listening. These false leaders will tell the people what their darkened hearts desire to hear—instead of what God wants them to hear from the mirror of His word. Think through these characteristics described in 2 Timothy along with this idea of “Consumerism.” 

—They do not like nor want to hear sound doctrine

—They multiply teachers who tell them what they want to hear

—These teachers accommodate their cultural and sinful preferences

—They no longer hear truth, but instead believe false versions on what life is about

• It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that most cities are fast-paced, consumer-minded, instantaneously-gratifying (or frustrating) centers of expectation. For example, most of us get really frustrated when a drive-thru lane at Starbucks or a fast-food chain takes too long. 
• Let’s be honest, when you have to start memorizing “Thou shalt not murder…Thou shalt not murder…Thou shalt not murder!!!” because the person in the car in front of you asks for a listing of all the new holiday flavors and then which ones come in non-fat—you may have a busy, consumeristic, instantaneously-gratifying expectation. The very idea of “drive-thru” is pretty convenient in itself, no matter how slow, if you really think about it. 
• God forbid we have to find a parking spot, park, do the treacherous labor of getting out and walking into a building, standing in line, ordering (BTW surrounded by other annoying people taking up my time), wait for the drink while safely fixated to a 4 inch screen in order to avoid personal human interaction, get the drink, walk back to said car, and then leave. But maybe that’s just me. I’m the only one experiencing this type of suffering for the gospel. 

The point is that we are a people with a consumer-pleasing mindset. We want it fast and furious. We want it with the most convenience and the littlest cost or sacrifice. We want “Easy-Button” everything. And that overflows into our spiritual lives as well. 

Truth be told--we want that for our church experience as well. 

Me: "Siri..."

Siri: "Yes"

Me: "Which church offers me the most convenient, fastest (nearly) drive-thru, low-commitment, self-indulgent, self-esteem-boosting experience?" 

Would your church be the answer she lovingly offers? 

Churches, both existing and new plants, must fight the temptation to allow “Consumerism” to dictate the message we preach and the methods of what we do. 

• True following of this man, Jesus, brought with it the very idea of cost, death to self, and sacrifice (see Luke 9:23-25). None of those things are quick or easy. 
• Following Christ means commitment and obedience to Jesus, His word, and His mission. Again, none of that is quick or easy. 

So, when we recognize that many churches are simply trying to accompany “busy consumers” we are in a very dangerous place. And remember, this is not trying to point out specific church names or pastors, but is an overall perspective on the American church and how she is handling these cultural shifts. Add to that the concerns of planting churches who set their vision according to some of these false measuring preferences. 

Do you see how dangerous a Consumeristic accommodation for churches can be?

• If a business owner realized his five employees were all stealing 80% of his cash profit out of the register each week—would he simply start providing them paper bags each shift in order to make it easier for them? 
• We do not just give up and not set any kind of expectation in fear that people will reject any kind of high expectation. We trust God. We set the standard God has given us. We allow Jesus to reclaim what has been stolen. This requires hope, trust, and diligence on our part.
• When we are consumers without noticing it—we begin to focus on ourselves instead of the mission of God. It leads to Isolationism. 

2. Isolationism     (hate/indifference to different peoples)  1 Cor. 12:11-27

• We don’t really do well with people who are different from us. That may be different races, different nationalities, different socio-economic levels, or differences of preference. 
• If we’re not careful, in pursuing our own preferred status or our own preferred ways—we never think of others. We don’t recognize we are trying to put distance/space between us and “people who are different” instead of MOVING TOWARDS those in need. 
• Our children are going to inherit our separating mindset. They are going to inherit and internalize our isolating patterns. 

Do your children learn to move towards people who are marginalized or are they learning to climb ladders of success in order to remove themselves from marginalized people? 

• Are we spending all our time moving forward—that we truly begin to look down on people who 1) don’t make as much  2) don’t dress like we do  3) aren’t in our circles? 
• How does that fit with Jesus who was always concerned about those who were marginalized?
• And this Isolation leads to the next step—Individualism. 

3. Individualism   (my/myself/I—bootstraps mentality)  James 2:1-9

• When we’ve unknowingly become extremely BUSY CONSUMERS focused on PREFERENCES IN ISOLATION—we move from God’s desire of us being committed to a family of faith or a community of faith. 
• Individualism, which is one of our highest virtues as Americans, is actually one of the most dangerous and deadly characteristics in killing Gospel-centered community. 
• I remember several years ago at a family camp as we were eating our evening meal, two guys who were members and highly involved in our church body who sat down across from each other, paused in awkwardness, and then said, “Hello, I’m so-and-so, I know we’ve been sitting fifteen feet from each other for the last sever or eight years—but we’ve never met.” And this was a church of around 150 people including children. That is a perfect picture of many individuals in churches across America. People who sit extremely close together and pass by each other several times each week—but who never take the initiative to actually meet each other. This is a glimpse of how our individualism affects our ability to build true community. 
• What allows us to think that we could be good at “loving our neighbor…loving one another…or loving others as Christ loved us” when we spend years 15 ft away from people in our own family—in our own congregation—in our own local assembly—and never move out of our individualistic freedom to meet them—much less care about them or serve them. 

**What are the implications of being consumeristic in our approach to church?

**What are the implications of having churches who begin to cater to consumeristic, individualistic, isolated cultures? 

Ask yourself:

**Am I a consumer in my relationship to church? 

**Am I becoming more isolated or growing in many diverse relationships? 

**Am I becoming more individualistic or am I growing in fellowship and community to the point of caring and serving others who are in my immediate space? 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info