Twenty years ago I was leading many to the Lord, especially from the local jail and other places at the edges of polite society.
I would then try to get these new believers plugged into the church I was attending – which at the time was considered a solid, dynamic, Bible-believing church.
But try as I did, it never seemed to happen. New converts from the “street” are good at seeing through facades. They’d quickly sense all the hypocrisy and phony represented on the front stage each Sunday – and wanted no part of it.
It got to the point that I couldn’t, in good faith, bring them anymore to that church. But I couldn’t find another church that didn’t have the same issues, rooted in the very hierarchical, pastor-centric structure common in nearly all churches here in the U.S. over the last several decades.
Essentially, those churches are more about the power, position, and prestige of the “senior” leader than about true ministry to one another for the mutual edification of each other …
Even though the New Testament condemns the former but commands the latter.
So I quietly started opening my home on Friday nights for a meal and fellowship, where everyone could share, be real with each other, and encourage one another in the Lord.
That was the beginning of our journey over the last twenty years into relational participatory gatherings with flat, rather than hierarchical leadership, which focus on ministry one to another instead of ministry by the one.
It’s been challenging at times, but I’ll never go back to the old model.
Perhaps it’s time that you too take a chance, step out in faith, and trust that being the church as the New Testament actually shows it is indeed possible …
Despite all of your prior presumptions about church as you’d previously come to know it.
See what the New Testament actually says, seek the Lord about what He wants and let Him prepare you, then do wherever He says …
Even if it leads you outside your comfort zones.
Category: Simple Discipleship
Contemporary, traditional, spontaneous, liturgical, a cappella or instrumental …
The problem with the ongoing “worship” wars is that all sides miss some central truths.
Although the New Testament has a lot to say about Christians assembling together …
No where does it include “worship” as an element of our gatherings.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Yes, we are told to sing praises to God …
But for the sole purpose of encouraging one another, rather than as an act of “worship.”
You might be further surprised to learn that the New Testament Greek words translated as “worship” don’t mean singing.
Instead, they specifically refer to the temple rituals of prostration and animal sacrifice, both Old Testament and pagan …
But not New Testament gatherings of believers.
In fact, the current idea of Christians going to “God’s House” to “worship” at a “service” is utterly missing from the New Testament.
Rather, we are repeatedly commanded to simply gather for mutual edification and to build each other up …
Through horizontal ministry one to another as the multi-part, multi-gifted Body of Christ.
That’s a far cry from “church” as we’ve come to know it …
Regardless of how you otherwise might want to define “worship.”
Did you know that the King James Version (KJV) was a deliberate mis-translation written to undercut reform movements that might challenge established religious traditions?
King James actively used the official English church to advance his own power. To further that goal, he wanted a Bible translation that propped-up the existing church establishment that was under his control.
To do so, he ordered the translators to follow 15 rules. Rule #3 required that “The Old Ecclesiastical Words to be kept, viz. the Word Church not to be translated Congregation etc.”
This means the King James Version is purposely biased against the actual meaning of the original Greek text, especially where it might undercut prevailing, traditional notions of “church.”
Unfortunately, subsequent English translations often lacked the courage to remedy those biases, because doing so would upset people and hurt sales.
For example, the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New King James Version (NKJV), and the English Standard Version (ESV) are all based on the King James Version …
A fact that they all explicitly acknowledge but is not widely known.
I’m not saying those translations should be avoided. I use some of them all the time. But I try to avoid taking them – and any other translation – at face value.
Fortunately, there are excellent resources – like comprehensive scholarly lexicons – which help free us from translation bias.
New Testament lexicons are much more than a concordance or dictionary. They provide an in depth analysis of a word’s context and meaning, in its original language, as commonly used in the vernacular of the day during the first century.
Good lexicons thus can help us understand the original intent of the New Testament, without translation bias, as actually written in the first century under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Doing so, however, requires an unsettling willingness to step outside of prevailing comfort zones and surrender to Scripture …
Based on what it actually meant when written.
We’ve encountered, in our relational participatory churches over the years, a common problem that enslaves many Christians and hinders their ability to initiate or enter into healthy fellowship.
It occurs when longstanding hurts, disappointments and emotional wounds become so ingrained into someone’s sense of identity …
That it begins to define them.
When this happens, it’s hard for them to transparently expose and turn those core issues over to Jesus.
So rather than finding liberation and wholeness through new life in Christ, along with healthy fellowship …
They become stuck in their past and can’t move forward.
Here’s the thing:
The New Testament says that elders are supposed to function pastorally, but most church leaders these days have no idea how to help people find emotional wholeness and healing in Christ …
And don’t even try.
Yet if you want to help people find healing and healthy community, you need to be willing to start gently walking one-on-one with them to their internal places of hurt.
Once there, allow them to finally express – fully, openly and verbally – their past and their pain to Jesus …
And, if needed, guide them towards openly and verbally forgiving those who wronged them and then have them ask God to forgive them for how they let the offense – rather than Him – define them.
This is the nitty gritty of confession and forgiveness in action.
Next have them bundle up the hurt in their spirit, lift that bundle up and explicitly release it to Jesus.
This is the nitty gritty of repentance in action.
When they do, we’ve seen that Jesus always takes it, and in turn always gives them healing and wholeness in exchange.
No exceptions!
This is the nitty gritty of redemption in action …
Because where there was bondage before, now there is the beginning of new life and healthy community in Him.
Don’t assume that relational participatory churches don’t need leaders.
In fact, it takes strong, secure leadership to create and maintain a safe environment …
Where others feel secure enough to come forth and minister one to another for the mutual building up of each other like the New Testament commands.
To help achieve that, the New Testament provides for elders (plural) who, among other tasks, watch over and protect each local church.
We do that by helping to equip everyone else to do works of ministry according to their diverse gifts, rather than assuming the primary burden of ministry ourselves …
And by creating a safe, secure environment in our gatherings where everyone feels free to actually come forth in ministry, one to another.
As an elder in a relational participatory church that meets in my home, I can attest to the weighty responsibility this puts on us.
To do it well takes humility as we discern when intervention is actually needed to protect the church and its members …
And then firm action when it is.
For example:
In my experience, smaller relational participatory churches like we see in the New Testament …
Often attract people who tend to dominate the gatherings – either intentionally or unintentionally – with their own unresolved issues, pet doctrines and individual agendas.
They haven’t learned to properly prefer and minister to others, and participate out of their own issues instead.
A good elder sees what’s happening and privately tries to work with them to help them come into balance.
But if they refuse, and persist in trying to dominate the church and thwarting it’s ability to function as the multi-gifted, multi-part Body of Christ …
The elders must act.
Otherwise, without proper leadership …
Those churches will inevitably fail, no matter how good everyone else’s intentions may be.
Ultimately, the goal of Biblical leaders must be to help folks properly come forth, rather than elevating themselves over the church.
So the issue isn’t whether we need leaders, but how they lead …
And whether they truly function as servants to all.
Why do we persist in making our churches dependent upon, and primarily revolve around, a “Senior Pastor” …
When no such position or role exists in the New Testament?
Eph. 4:11 is the only verse where the Greek noun translated as “pastor” is used in the New Testament regarding the church.
That’s it. Just once and nowhere else.
Yet we’ve taken that one passage out of context and built our current, prevailing “pastor centric” model of church and church leadership around it.
Continue readingMany have been deeply wounded by churches and ministries that used them – often when they were young and naive – to advance a particular leader’s vision by trying to mold them to his own gifts and callings.
Eventually, their own unique gifts, callings and God-given identity became subsumed to another man’s grand agenda …
And began to atrophy.
It’s liberating, however, when we finally learn that God did not create us to be like anyone else …
But instead gives us different personalities and motivations to match the differing spiritual gifts, callings and abilities He distributes among us.
So let’s be willing to learn from one another, while also experiencing His pleasure as we uniquely use and enjoy His differing gifts as He intended …
In our lives, families, fellowships and communities.
Many blame the problems of America on our pulpits.
I tend to agree …
But for entirely different reasons.
The problem is not that churches lack strong pulpits with strong preaching …
But lack strong disciples who can function together as the multi-gifted, multi-part Body of Christ.
Big difference!
I’m less interested in whether your Biblical proof texts affirm your theological position …
Then whether your theological position equally affirms the Biblical proof texts of those with contrary views.
Those who refuse to exceed their comfort zones …
Often lack Godly joy.
Maybe that’s why Scripture says that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” —
Because lethargy brings despair …
But overcoming brings authentic joy.
Jesus says He will build His Church as we go to unreached communities and make disciples …
And His Kingdom then advances.
Instead, we build our churches and hope unreached people will come, form community, and possibly become disciples …
But His Kingdom seldom advances.
Maybe we should do what Jesus says once again …
Not just overseas, but in our hometowns too.
There are many problems with making a “church” primarily about “the Pastor.”
One is that if “the Pastor” goes off track, burns out, hits his own personal limits, or whatever …
So typically also goes ”his” church.
Perhaps that’s why the concept of “the Pastor” who primarily runs and leads a church – or is the lynchpin of a church – simply doesn’t exist in the New Testament.
When we instead adopt the New Testament’s approach to local church ministry and leadership, there is greater balance and stability with broader discipleship.
Church then becomes a gathering of believers with ministry by one another to one another through the many gifts and callings God bestows between us …
And “pastor” is simply one of the functions performed by elders who emerge among us to guide and minister beside us to help make that happen.
Maybe that’s why God designed US to be HIS church …
Rather than primarily being about one man with a platform.
The full meaning of the Greek word translated as “faith” in the New Testament …
Presumes obedience.
Unless we want cheap grace …
We should do the same.
Repentance is not about perfection …
But dealing with our imperfections.
Over the years, I’ve taken a very public stand against the proliferation of for-profit non-prophets who peddle their wares to gullible believers.
In response, I’m often asked if I believe there are prophets today. I think that’s the wrong question, because “prophet” in the original language of the New Testament is not a title but a function.
It applies to anyone who faithfully says – while they are saying it – what God has led them to say. Nothing more, nothing less.
And yes, God still speaks through people today – subject to Scripture and the sound judgement of others.
But that does not convey some elevated position to anyone over anyone.
Using that criteria, my observation and experience is that authentically prophetic ministry is alive and well within healthy, functional, local communities of believers who humbly submit one to another.
Such people have no need, or tolerance, for self-appointed “prophets” who go around peddling so-called “words” for self enrichment and notoriety.
So permit me to pass along some things I’ve learned over the years:
If someone needs to add “Prophet” in front of their name, they ain’t one.
If someone needs to name a ministry after themselves to help sell their “prophetic words,” they have gone off track.
If they are not presently rooted in, submitted to, and humbly accountable to a local, functional community of believers in their own home town, they have no business “prophesying” in anyone else’s home town.
If they need to preface everything with “God told me” to lend it credibility, then it likely has none.
It they routinely play to your fears or tickle your ears, instead of being willing to say what you don’t want to hear, they’re building their own kingdom and not God’s.
Finally, we need to return to wisdom and discernment, and stop listening to those who turn the authentic into freak shows.
And that, my friends, is likely the most authentically prophetic thing you’ll hear me say all day.
😎
How do abusive “spiritual” movements happen?
The spiritually broke, in search of intensity …
Are manipulated by spiritual narcissists, who give them the intense experiences they crave and call it “God” …
Thus trapping them in tangled webs of dependency, ego and deception.
A gospel of no offense …
Is not the Gospel of Christ or His Kingdom.
Biblical discipleship is about folks submitting to Christ’s authority …
Not your’s.
Many “Christians” define God – and judge Scripture – by their notions of love …
Rather than submitting their notions of love to God and His Word.
They are pseudo Christians …
Who worship themselves rather than the sovereign God of all.
Sometimes it takes grace and wisdom to distinguish between God using a flawed person …
And a flawed person using God.
Effective prayer is more about us hearing and doing what God wants …
Than Him hearing and doing what we want.
We can’t surrender to God …
What we refuse to acknowledge.
That includes the fears, hurts, wrongs and regrets we’ve been carrying …
And the bondage of our own – often subtle – sins committed in response to them.
Holding on to them prevents us from finding spiritual maturity, emotional wholeness …
And even healthy community with other believers.
Faith presumes obedience …
Because without obedience, there is no faith.
In the New Testament, “church” is not a meeting or a “service.”
Nor is it a building, a staged event or spectator seating.
Rather, it’s a local community of people who serve God, each other and a waiting world, through ministry one to another for the mutual building up of all with Christ as the Head …
While also not neglecting to gather together to encourage and motivate one another towards love and good works.
Pseudo “worship” today …
Exploits a broken generation by stirring up manipulated feelings of fleeting intensity, and calling it “God.”
It has become the new addiction.
The sole remedy is true worship, which is a faithful life of humble submission to God’s sovereignty, on His terms.
Only there can we find true significance and authentic wholeness.
Plumbline Faith 