A Movement Built As We Are Living In Awe

I continue to dream about once again becoming the church rather than attending a church. I continue to dream about what it would be like to be part of a movement. All of this is simply an attempt on my part to truly live the Christian life as God designed it to be lived. I simply want MORE of what I was designed to be. As I look at the life of the first believers, I can see that it is more than simply a matter of truth and fellowship. It is a matter of awestruck mystery:

Acts 2:42-47
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We don’t have to look far to be amazed at the power and wisdom of God. Sometimes the only reason why we aren’t in surrendered awe of our creator is because we aren’t looking carefully enough at the world He created or how He has worked in our own lives. When we examine the natural world around us, carefully using the same scientific approach that the secular world cherishes, it doesn’t take long for us to marvel at the complexity and specificity of the creation. This reality alone should put us in a position of awe. The very fact that we are here (in all our complexity and interdependency) is truly miraculous. But sometimes our failure to be in awe of our creator isn’t a matter of ignorance on our part; it’s a matter of willful and prideful denial. Sometimes we simply don’t want to admit that there might be something bigger than us. Sometimes we suppress the truth of God’s power and work in our lives because we simply don’t want Him to exist:

Romans 1:18-21
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

In addition to this, we often take for granted the supernatural way that God has already guided and provided for us. It’s easy to forget those events in our lives that once confirmed God’s power so clearly. It’s easy to develop a faith that requires some emotional experience to be repeated over and over again so we can have confidence that God is real. All the while, God has given us evidence of his power that we often take for granted. The earliest believers were fortunate enough to have the apostles in their midst, showing them wonders and signs to remind them of God’s incredible power. The Greek word used for ‘wonders’ (terata) is used to describe those things that are clearly impossible to explain through naturalistic mechanisms. Some things can only be understood and explained if we can accept (the possibility, at least) that the supernatural does exist. The Greek word used for ‘signs’ (seemeia) describes the meaning that we should infer from the impossible. When we encounter something that cannot be explained naturally, we should accept the fact that we may be looking at a piece of evidence for the existence of God. The miraculous wonders we see all around us everyday are signs that God does existence and is working powerfully in our world.

I want to look closely at our environment and at the biological diversity around us every time we meet as Christians. I believe that we will see evidence of the supernatural. I want to be in awe of God’s power as a result of this close examination. I want to examine God’s work in my own life as we serve together. We need to record our adventures of service and revisit the many ways that God has worked through us. We need to share the stories of how God continues to use fallen and fragile humans such as ourselves to advance the cause of his Kingdom, and I think we'll be in awe as we see His ability to transform lives. I think we need to be careful to remember who He is and what he has done, and as a result we will share the awe and respect felt by the earliest of believers.

Jim
Please visit us at www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

A Movement Built As We Are Living In Awe

A Movement Built As We Are Striving For Unity

As I continue to ponder the notion of BEING the church rather than DOING church, I am so grateful that God has given us scripture to guide the process. Yes, we are to build a movement that is centered on teaching the truth, but there is more that we are to be. We are a diverse people. We have different histories and different stories to tell. But we are connected powerfully by a common truth that calls us to action. The early believers recognized this, and their lives together reflected their connection to one another:

Acts 2:42-47
And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The Greek word used for ‘fellowship’ (koinoonia) describes our connection as a common set of actions and activities. We have a common spiritual father, and we believe the scriptures that describe him so clearly. We believe that this truth about the nature of God calls us to His cause and plan for our lives. As a result, we are united around the cause of Christ to love and reach the lost with life saving good news.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

I believe that as Christ followers, we have become a new creation. Not just as new individuals, but as a new family of God; a new movement; an unstoppable rising tide. We understand that as a family of God we are called to love and live as a family. That's why it is so important for us to meet regularly to share meals, to remember Jesus through the Lord’s Supper and to pray. But while this is often an expression of our love for one another, we know that this is not the only cause to which we are called. We know that we are connected by God’s desire to care for the needy and reach those who are still outside the walls of our homes.

The earliest believers understood fellowship as an act of sharing. We too understand that true fellowship occurs when we are transparent and sincere about who we are. Movements form around people who are committed to a cause and committed to each other. So, I believe we need to be united by God’s desire for us to share who we are and what we have with those who are in need and those who are seeking the truth. We cannot be willing to live dual lives, one inside the walls of a church, and another in our communities. We need to understand that we are not called to go to church, but to be the church in a lost and hurting world.

That's why I believe we should meet regularly to affirm our love for God and for one another. We understand the power of a meal, so we can't let a week go by without eating together. We understand the power of group prayer, so we need to share in the joy of communicating with God. And, we need to take time to remember that our relationship is more than just a common understanding of God; it is also a love relationship with each other. We need to understand that loving each other means we are here to listen with compassion and to ask the difficult questions. We are accountable to each other by name, just as we are accountable to our Lord. In all ways, if we are to be the movement that Christianity once was, we're going to need to continually strive for unity...

Pastor Jim
Please visit us at www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

A Movement Built As We Are Striving For Unity

A Movement Built on Learning the Truth

If you've been tracking with me here, you know that I would love to be part of a true movement of God. I would love to be more like the first believers who were actually LIVING their faith, and not merely GOING to church. These first believers didn't have much of a choice, there was NO institutional church to go to, even if they wanted to! And in spite of this, the movement was impossible to stop, and it eventually covered the known world. Where did these early believers come up with this notion of the Christian life that is NOT dependent on buildings, paid staff, or programs? They got the model from their predecessors as described in the scriptures:

Acts 2:42-47
And they were continually devoting themselves to the
apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

I'm trying hard to learn from the model of the early believers. Reading this first historical description, I think I'm starting to understand the power of the movement. See, there is a truth about God. There is a truth about whether or not He exists and a truth about His nature (if He does exist). Now, you may make the argument that no one can really know this truth, but that’s another matter altogether. Jesus certainly had a position about the nature of truth and the nature of God. He believed that objective truth does exist and that this truth can be grasped. Jesus was all about evidence and truth; the evidence that demonstrated his deity and the truth about God’s Kingdom. Jesus provided his followers with proof and convincing evidences (even after appearing to them in the resurrection!)

Acts 1:3
To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

The earliest believers learned from this example. Peter’s first sermon at Pentecost (Acts chapter two) is an effort to get his listeners to examine the evidence of fulfilled prophecy! He describes Jesus as “a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst”. The Greek word for attested is “apodeiknumi” and it means to ‘demonstrate’ or to ‘prove’ or ‘show’. In essence, Peter is saying, “Hey, God gave you proof that Jesus was God through the miracles that Jesus worked, including His resurrection!” Peter wasn’t just making a statement to the crowd; he was developing a persuasive argument for the deity of Jesus.

And as the first disciples spent time together, they came to understand the difference between teaching and training. Teaching that does not equip us to be the church in a lost world, is of little value to those in our world who are hurting and seeking answers. When we come together to learn about God, we are focused on more than just the truth we are learning. We know we are preparing for something that we are about to do and something we desperately want to be:

Ephesians 4:11-13
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

I'm starting to rethink my Christian life. I'm starting to rethink what it is that I am called to do as a leader. And as I begin, I know that I'm going to have to rethink the nature of teaching. From now on, we will come together to train. We will come together to prepare. We know we are here to love and serve those around us, as well as to reason with those who are seeking answers to life’s deepest and most important questions. We are persuaded that objective, absolute truth does exist and that it is transformational. We've seen God work in our own lives and we've seen God work in the lives of others. It's time for us to spend our time together trying our best to understand the truth and the culture that often denies it.

Pastor Jim

Please visit us at www.pleaseconvinceme.com

A Movement Built on Learning the Truth

Returning to the Movement

Well, after a long hiatus from blogging, I’m finally starting to get some margin. December was wonderful, but I must confess that I have been thinking about the early believers of the fourth century and what it must have been like to form the tradition that we now call Christmas. During this time of the year, it’s easy for me to think about those early believers and lament the passive nature of most of us in the ‘church’ today. I am bummed that the movement once known as ‘the way’, is now just another institution in need of an injection of passion and urgency.

I don’t really think that American Christianity in the 21st Century looks much like a movement any more. That’s really a shame. I would love to be part of a movement. I would love to see people stop GOING to church and start BEING the church. So I’ve decided to make 2006 an important year for me and for my family. 2006 is the year that we are going to try to understand the history of those first believers. 2006 is the year that we are going to dedicate ourselves to living lives of surrender and commitment. I want to live with the same passion and joy that those believers had. I want to be fearless and courageous. I want to experience the adventure of being used by God, regardless of the risk.

When I look at the early believers, I see a movement that is described in the book of Acts:

Acts 2:41-47
And they were continually devoting themselves to the
apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

These folks were a movement! They were a movement because they were 1) learning the truth, 2) striving for unity, 3) living in awe, 4) serving in love, 5) sharing with courage and 6) overflowing with joy! I want a life like that. I want church to be like that. But I think we’re going to need to be very intentional if that is going to happen. But what a great cause! What a great challenge! What a joyous adventure! I’m going to spend the next few blog entries trying to mine through these ideas. I would love to help return the people of God to the purpose of God. Something tells me that DOING church can’t be all that God intended us to DO or BE. I bet there’s a whole lot more life that we could be living…

Pastor Jim

please visit us at www.PleaseConvinceMe.com

Returning to the Movement