How Successful Pastors Think

Last week, I took a first look at the habits of successful pastors. I cannot overemphasize the truth that the issue is not what they know or intend to do, but what they actually get done. Today I want to unpack how a successful pastor thinks. 

1. Successful pastors have an intentional walk with God. They have a disciplined intake of Scripture which is balanced and consistent. They get into the Word so the Word gets into them. Coupled with a disciplined intake of the Word is a consistent life of prayer. Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and 7. Paul taught us much about the importance of prayer as the alternative to worry. Be assured. God knows our needs, but often He waits for us to ask for His intervention. If something is big enough to worry about, it is big enough to pray about. If you have a need, take it to the Lord in prayer.

2. Successful pastors communicate on a variety of levels. Of course, their principal responsibility is to communicate the Word of God on a weekly if not daily basis. To do this effectively takes time, discipline, effort, and training. There is a price to pay to be effective in the pulpit. Aside from this, pastors need to communicate with staff, leadership, his congregation, and whenever possible to a larger audience. Successful pastors make use of social media and see themselves as agents of God's grace to a hurting world. If you study the Pastoral Epistles, you will find over 50 references to communicating in one form or another. Communicate!

3. Successful pastors evaluate everything in light of their concern for the church. No matter what the situation, every activity, every choice, every response, every decision, every allocation of time and money should be made in light of how it will affect their church and its witness. Before you do or say something you might regret, ask yourself "how will this affect my church's witness? Will this strengthen or weaken my church's influence for the cause of Christ?"

4. Successful pastors solve problems. Problem solving is looking at something in the past that either went wrong, did not work, or fell short of expectations. Then it asks, "what needs to be done to fix this situation?" Lay out the options, pray for discernment, and choose the best solution in light of the available resources. Successful pastors have learned to solve problems. Problem solving is oriented toward the past. It is looking back.

5. Successful pastors make decisions. This activity is present-tense in its orientation. It is looking at present resources of time, energy, and finances. Then, when options are seen clearly, it decides. Procrastination is often the enemy of effective decision making. Here is where deadlines are helpful. There is a time to gather information and there is a time to decide. Successful pastors and effective leaders know how to make decisions and then move ahead.

6. Successful pastors plan. Planning is oriented toward the future. Whether planning what to do tomorrow, next week, or next year, planning is essential if anything is ever to be accomplished. Successful pastors plan on a variety of levels. They plan their personal lives, they plan their work, they lead planning on behalf of their church and its ministries. Successful pastors and successful ministries, and successful churches are always asking, "God, what do you want us to do?" "What can we do that will make a difference for eternity?" "What can we do that will minister to hurting people?" "What can we do that will build up and equip believers for effective service?" Successful pastors are always looking down the road.

7. Successful pastors are life-long learners. Those who quit learning quit leading. It is as simples as that. Every successful pastor I know is a reader and a learner. So, what are you reading? And what are you learning? Who from the past and present is influencing you today? What 10 books have been most influential in your life and ministry? What magazines, journals, blogs, podcasts, and twitter feeds do you keep up with? Who is influencing you?

8. Successful pastors develop others. In Ephesians 4, Paul writes about the responsibility of pastors to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. It is incredibly important to equip and teach by example. If the one who is leading and teaching is not doing, or has not done, the work of ministry, how can they teach others? Pastor, how are you developing yourself, your staff, and your leadership? What are you doing to develop new leaders and ministers? What opportunities are you providing for potential leaders and ministers? What are you modeling for the purpose of developing others?

Next week I will wrap up this series of posts with a checklist of the successful pastor's perspective. What comes to mind when you think of a successful pastor? 

8 Habits of a Successful Pastor

Last spring I wrote about the characteristics of a successful pastor. Today, I would like to talk about what a successful pastor does. When the dust settles and time gives perspective, what a person does or does not do will in many ways determine whether or not they are successful. 

Successful pastors do the will of God. What does that look like in the life and ministry of the contemporary pastor's life? 

8 Habits of a Successful Pastor

1. Successful pastors value their calling. They understand that the work they have set out to accomplish is God's work and not their own. And they understand that they serve a Master who has called them to a higher calling. They understand that they are to follow where He leads and to stay until He says "go." What they do carries eternal results and consequences. What they do is more important than making money and making a living. They are God's representative, God's ambassador, God's spokesman. As such, they take seriously the stewardship of responsibility. They do not sell themselves cheaply, neither do they sell themselves short. They understand the value of their giftedness, their training, their experience and their scars. They have an intrinsic grasp of their value to God's Kingdom and refuse to let the world discount that value.
2. Successful pastors grasp the task. Serving as a pastor necessitates the cultivation of numerous skills. Yet, all the skills in the world are worthless if you find yourself doing the wrong things. The calling of a pastor is primarily doing the will of God God's way with the ultimate goal of extending God's Kingdom. If the Apostles' work serves as a pattern, then that calling's tasks consist of leading, feeding, and interceding. Over the course of decades, the successful pastor works to cultivate these skills and abilities. This is a life-long endeavor. School is never out nor over.
3. Successful pastors live with purpose. Pastors should have purpose-driven ministries. Pastors should keep before them the purposes for which their congregations exist: evangelism, discipleship, worship, fellowship, and ministry. The pastor's work is to insure that these purposes in balance are the primary activities of the church.
4. Successful pastors live by priorities. An old adage says that "those who fail to prioritize find themselves in the thick of thin things." So what should be a pastor's priorities? First, his relationship to The Lord. Let's not be so busy in the wok of the Kingdom that we do not have time for the King. Second, his relationship with his family. Third, the ministry of the church. If these priorities ever get out of sequence, difficulties in ministry will be close behind.
5. Successful pastors manage their time well. Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. So what can you do to make the most of your time? First, work from a calendar and a day-planner. To know ahead of time what you must plan for is of critical importance and precludes you from getting caught off guard unnecessarily. I work off a "projects for the week" list on an ongoing basis. Second, prioritize what must be done first on a day by day basis. I suggest doing that the day before. Third, delegate what you can, and do what only you can do. Fourth, learn to say "no." You cannot do everything and everything is not worth doing. Finally, take time to take care of yourself. Burn-out is not a spiritual condition. 
6. Successful pastors work with diligence. When it is time to work, it is time to work. Determine what needs to be done, and get busy. As pastor, you set the pace. Planning and preparation will help you to be more productive. What is your schedule? What are you trying to accomplish? Write it down and check it off when the job is done.
7. Successful pastors compartmentalize. Too many times, I have seen pastors consumed with worry and fretting over "what-ifs," and consequently they are semi-paralyzed. Successful pastors know how to put things they cannot control into a box with the understanding that they can get to that subject later. Being preoccupied with too many "other things" can cause the pastor to be ineffective in the moment. If there is a concern, write it down, reflect on the alternative steps of action, and pray about it. Then, put it away. One reason our sub-conscience will not stop mulling over something, is because we are afraid we will miss or forget something. If we write it down, the sub-conscience will let it go.
8. Successful pastors guard their heart. They understand that their entire life's work is in the context of a spiritual war. Satan is out to destroy men and their ministries. Destruction too often begins internally with an unguarded heart. I challenge you to continuously monitor the state of your heart. Only clean vessels are useful in the hands of God.

Which of these habits is most challenging for you? How do you continue to grow in these areas? 

Looking for more about pastoral success? Check out 7 Pillars of a Successful Pastor's Attitude and What Successful Pastors Desire. 

Jesus Came to Be Ruler

"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'" Matthew 2:6 

Image Courtesy of Flickr User Waiting for the Word

The wise men of ancient Israel were commanded to assemble at King Herod's palace. Magi from the east had come to him previously asking, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" Herod demanded to know where the Messiah was to be born. They answered him by citing Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2 which declared "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." Needless to say, Herod was threatened by the potential competition. Yet we have recorded 800 years earlier that God had foreordained this very event.

So what does this passage teach us about why Jesus came? He came to be a ruler, but not a self-serving ruler of Herod's ilk. He would be a shepherd to God's people. From Heaven's perspective, He came to be in charge and be in control. In His incarnational ministry, many responded to His leadership and Lordship. In foretelling this unique coming, David had penned generations earlier the testimony of the Lord who had declared, "But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of The Lord: He said to Me,'You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’" (Psalm 2:6-7). Here is the Son who is king.

The word "ruler" used by Matthew is translated variously as governor, leader, or one who has the rule over. The extent of Jesus' rule extends ultimately to all places and all people. Revelation 11:5b tells us that, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." At the culmination of time, He will be the absolute ruler over the entire universe. Is it not wise, therefore, that we bow before Him now and acknowledge His authority to rule over us now? No wonder the first creed of the early church was, "Jesus is Lord!"

6 Reminders about Time from the Last Rose of Summer

The Last Rose of Summer

King Solomon attempted to put life in perspective when he wrote, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Moses prayed,  "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). And Jesus, commenting on His earthly days (and ours as well), advised, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work" (John 9:4).

Earlier today, I shot a photo of the last rose growing in our flower garden. Over the spring, into the summer, and now with the fall under way this flower finally makes its magnificent entrance onto planet earth. It will be here momentarily then just as quickly as it appeared, it will fade away. Meteorologists are telling us that early this week in Kansas City, we will have the season's first visit of Arctic air and the temperature will dip into the low 20s. Goodbye rose!

Between Scripture and the garden, I find some life-lessons that I want to be mindful of. 

1. Each of us lives in the present. Cherish the time God gives. It will not last. It will move hastily on. We cannot slow time down. We all live in the present.

2. As we live in the present, we also live in community. Even there, each of us is in a different stage of life. I glance over to watch my grandson and see his mother (my daughter) walk across the room. It seems like yesterday that she was the grandchild and I was the parent. We are together but find ourselves at a different stage of life. And time races on.

3. Life passes all too quickly. I recently saw a portrait of Philadelphia from the late 1800s in "Historic Pics" on Twitter. What stood out for me was that everyone in the photo (which captures a moment in time) is now deceased. Life was here and now it is gone.

4. We should do all we can to display the reality and goodness of God while we have opportunity. We never know when the present opportunity is the last we will have. Even the last rose of summer (or fall), declared God's glory even for only a moment...and then it is gone.

5. In the end, life is over. I have said many times, there is nothing so sure as death and nothing so unsure as the time. All of us have a date with death from this life when we will step into eternity.

6. If we really embrace the reality of the brevity of life and the infinity of eternity, would we not choose to live differently? Does Hebrews not teach us, "it is appointed unto man to die and after that the judgment?" And if we will be judged, should we not live our lives in light of that inevitable appointment? 

Even as the last rose fades, I am reminded that we will too. So, like the rose, let's live our moment in the sun to display the beauty God intended.

The Parable of the Apple Tree: Year 2

This time last year we were enjoying apples from our tree. All totaled, we probably harvested close to 200 of them. This year, however, was different. We have one lone apple. 

Just one! 

We may have another hiding in the foliage but I doubt it. To what do I attribute this under performance? I could argue that God in His sovereignty decided to withhold His hand of blessing. But this leads me to observe that God often gets blamed for things He had nothing to do with. So what is the reason?

This past Spring started out just like the previous one. Beautiful green leaves came first then what looked like hundreds of little flowers. Each was beautiful in its unique way and each had the potential to grow and ripen into a delicious and mature apple. But I was busy and did not spray the tree this year for insects. Neither did I fertilize it. So between the insects, the deer that enjoyed the low hanging fruit, and the squirrels, by harvest season there was virtually nothing left. Who can I blame? Myself and no one else.

Jesus told a parable of a fruit tree that bore no fruit (Luke 13:6-9). In this instance it was a fig tree. It had the same problem my tree has had this year: no fruit. The gardener's solution? Give it one more year. I will dig around it and fertilize it, then we will see. If there is no fruit, then we will cut it down. But hopefully fruit will be present next growing season. The difference? Cultivation. In Jesus' case, digging around and fertilizer. In my case fertilizer and spraying. But the difference is in the cultivation.

All over the world, God has planted churches which, in agricultural terms, exist for the purpose of bearing a harvest. The fruit produced is both new believers and an increasing maturity on the part of its members. In John 15 terminology, believers are branches which bear the fruit which Jesus as the vine (He is dealing with grapes in this parable) produces and God the Father superintends as the Master Gardener. The life flows from the vine through the branches to produce fruit. 

From the human perspective, the key is still the issue of cultivation. Healthy trees, well tended, must produce fruit. If no fruit is forth coming, something is wrong. Every church with no new and maturing believers ought to consider that they might have a cultivation problem. I would encourage them, moreover, not only to acknowledge the problem but to take action. My apple tree next year, if I have anything to do with it, will be laden down with apples. Why? Because I intend to cultivate it and set it free to do what it was intended to do. Grow apples! 

How about your vineyard, your harvest field, your fruit tree? Are you cultivating the life and ministry God has entrusted to you? 

The test? Fruitfulness.

5 Assumptions of Prayer

Luke 18:1 states that Jesus taught His disciples that "at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart (give up)." In fact, the challenge is for us "to cry to Him day and night." Jesus concludes that God the Father will will bring justice quickly, then asks a salient question: "when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" In other words, will He find His people praying and trusting, or complaining with despair?

I’d like to remind us all, myself included, of prayer's assumptions.

1. God is God of the universe. He created it and sustains it with purpose. By sending His Son to earth, God initiated His desire for reconciliation with all humanity. With reconciliation comes relationship, and with relationship comes both responsibility and privilege. Prayer is both.

2. We as humans live in a world of multiple planes. The horizontal is what we see. The vertical is what we do not see. The vertical controls the horizontal. The spiritual controls the physical and social.

3. Here is where prayer steps in. Every concern should be lifted to God in prayer. Every challenge should be a matter for prayer. If something is big enough to worry about, it is big enough to pray about. Every opportunity should be processed through prayer. Every hurt and insecurity and perceived injustice should be taken to The Lord. Every problem, decision, and plan should be laid before The Lord. That is how God designed us to live.

4. We were created to live in harmony with God's will. How can we do His will if we do not know it? Should we not go to Him and ask what it is that He wants? Yes, much of His will is found in His Word. But, the specifics of our lives on a day by day basis depend on our asking.

5. Prayer, intense focused prayer, can change the direction and trajectory of our lives personally, corporately, our families, churches, communities, and even society as a whole. There is no issue that God is unable or unwilling to resolve. But He waits for us to ask. We should pray and not give up. We should pray day and night. We should be a people who are known for our faith and for our prayers!

10 Steps to Take Before Conflict Arises at Your Church

Last week I had the privilege of speaking to a group of church leaders in Nashville on the subject of church conflict. As a survivor of conflict, I shared with them insights I gained from the situation I faced. I want to share them with you.

1. Do not say it cannot happen to you. I am convinced that no matter how strong and influential you and your congregation might be, Satan can orchestrate conflict. I remind myself, if it can happen to Jonathan Edwards after 24 years as the pastor in Northampton, it can happen to anyone.

2. Take all threats seriously. When someone says, "I will ruin you," believe that is his or her intention. Then, take every step you can to deal with it. Ignoring it will only allow things to get worse.

3. Take pre-emptive steps. Pastors can do three things to minimize potential conflict. First, clarify expectations on the front end. If you have a way of doing things, or you will not come unless certain conditions are agreed upon, then put that in a "Memorandum of Understanding" and have the church vote on that when they vote on you. Unclarified expectations can be potentially volatile. Second, communicate demographic realities. Let the folks know what is happening and why. Third, update your Constitution and Bylaws to preclude being vulnerable to unwarranted attacks.

4. Make sure you are insured. An umbrella liability policy is relatively inexpensive and can be a life-saver in the midst of threats. This can offer a measure of security against potential financial ruin.

5. Retain the services of a good attorney. Have them do a risk profile on you and your church when things are going well. This can minimize potential threats to your congregation. (I can refer you to an attorney who does this if you contact me). I know for myself, especially when the attacks began, attorney Larry Crain, an Associate with the ACLJ, was a God-send.

6. Retain the services of a good counselor. Fortunately, I am married to one of the best counselors I know. Still, a sound Christian Counselor can be invaluable. Keeping everything bottled up inside of you is a recipe for disaster. Get a professional listening ear to help you process what you are experiencing.

7. Do not leave until God says so. Too many ministers resign and run at the first sign of trouble. Stay put until God tells you otherwise.

8. Here are some specific things that helped me: a supportive wife and family, confiding in close friends, journaling daily, praying in specifics, and constantly remembering that God is ultimately in control.

9. Forgive. You do not have to forget, but the refusal to forgive will place you in a self-imposed prison and life is too short to waste it there. Forgiveness is a choice not an emotion.

10. Finally, remember Genesis 50:20 where Joseph told his brothers,"What men meant for evil, God meant for good." God can use adversity to prepare you for greater ministry if you will respond to it appropriately. Keep you eyes on Him and trust Him with your future!

The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity: A Reflection And Commentary

I am speaking to the Great Commission Research Network meeting at Lifeway in Nashville on Wednesday and this blog contains part of the material I will share.

I recently read a blog and a response to it by two men for whom I have great respect, Thom Rainer and Rod Martin. Rainer wrote a blog entitled "The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity." Martin penned a response which contributed two additional insights to the discussion.

Rainer's thesis was that a growing tension exists between some pastors and some laity in churches across America. The tension, he maintains, is not pervasive but it is growing. He suggested that it is like a family secret that no one mentions explicitly, but many speak around it and near it. And, he concludes, this tension is growing. Then he observes, "this tension is one of the effective tools used by Satan to distract from those things that are of Kingdom importance." He then relates what each side is saying. 

Pastors complain of critical people: the silent majority which allows the problems, the apathetic members who do nothing, and the self-serving who take advantage of the situation. He then assesses that ministry is messy and pastors have to relate to imperfect people. Noting that the disgruntled crowd is usually small, he reminds pastors that God called them to love the unlovely unconditionally.

From the lay perspective, there are complaints of autocratic and abusive pastors, non-leading pastors, change-agent pastors who want to make too many changes too rapidly, non-pastoral care pastors, and pastors who are poor preachers. Rainer's ultimate solution is for everyone to focus on the needs and concerns of others rather than their own needs. And to be self-giving and sacrificial. He urges all parties to embody Philippians 2:3-5: “Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.” 

Martin suggests that Rainer may have missed two icebergs crashing into our churches both centered in the pulpit. He suggests that many pastors do not understand the world we live in and as a result do not address critical issues especially from a soundly Biblical context. Coupled with that is the fact that way too many pastors refuse to call, especially the men, to anything that matters. How can men be change agents for the better in a corrupt and broken world? Pastors need to rise up and lead men to address these needs! 

I agree with what both of these men have written, but more can be said. In fact I can easily see one or more books addressing these issues.

My first thought when I read Rainer's blog was to blurt out, "better unspoken tensions than outright conflict." I pastored a church that went into a full-blown war, a "perfect storm" might be a better description. From my vantage point, here is what I saw. Maybe you can learn from my experience (nightmare might be a better word).

First, I believe three root causes were present. It started with unclarified expectations. During the conflict, I received a letter from one of my antagonists the heart of which stated, "when you came here, we wanted a preacher, not a leader." She said more than she meant to. After two decades we still were working off different assumptions and different expectations.

Added to that was the rapidly changing demographic of the area where our church was located. Ten years before the conflict, a demographic specialist told me that the demographics within the church's field of ministry were changing and we needed to change our ministry or change our location.  "If not," he cautioned,  "you will lose people to upward social mobility and you will be blamed for it." He was right. And that is the subject for another time.

A third root cause was an outdated and faulty Constitution and Bylaws. Ours did not have safeguards to preclude the unfolding disorder.

Coupled with the root causes was a complex mindset displayed by those that launched the attack. Here is my take.

1. A naive mentality was present. Music preferences were raised to conviction levels. When we started a contemporary service, I heard that we had let the devil's music into the church. These criticisms came from people who did not even attend these services.

2. I saw an owner's mentality. A small group, an old guard, most of whom lived around the church were dead set against us talking to a major business about the possibility of selling some of the church's land. They did everything possible to stop this proposal from coming to the church for discussion or vote. Their argument was "we don 't want to sell God's land." The truth is, that should have been a church decision. 

3. I saw an entitlement mentality. Sadly, the mindset was, "we have been here the longest. This is our church." For whatever reason, the notion that the entire church should have due deliberation did not matter.

Coupled with this was a Messiah mentality on the part of a few of their leaders. These people literally attempted to usurp leadership that God never gave them. And we had no way to stop this effectively.

I also saw a bully mentality. Repeated lawsuits, disruption of worship services, anonymous letters, accusations without facts, and a cheap-shot website with no owner (looped through a foreign country, with multiple anonymous blogs and articles) all added to the disarray. It is hard to disprove negative accusations.

A carnal mentality was also present. A rampant disregard for Biblical imperatives ran rampant. It was disheartening.

A gullible mentality ran with this as well. A small well-coordinated group master-minded the whole conflict. A lot of good but gullible people believed everything that was thrown out. It is sad when good people get manipulated and do not ever know or even realize what is happening.

Finally, I saw a small to medium-sized church mentality (using categories established by McIntosh and Kellar). I am all for small churches, but when a church grows, there comes a time when the management/leadership style has to change or the church finds it impossible to continue growing. One authority on church health noted that as churches grow, ministers must give up doing all the ministry and members must surrender making all the decisions. If this does not happen, the result is burnout for the ministers and chaos for the congregation.

Years after the conflict is over, the abiding question is "is the church better off?" I still have a sadness in my heart for what might have been.

Run to Win

Photo by Juan-Carlos Lagares

Last week, I wrote about running the Virginia 10-Miler road race and shared some observations. I'd like to continue that stream of thought in today's blog. 

One of my favorite PhD seminars was the Life and Letters of Paul taught by Professor Jack MacGorman. Besides giving great attention to exegeting the Pauline literature, we also gave attention to the incredibly complex cultural context in which Paul penned his epistles. Paul, no doubt was a sports fan and as such alluded to athletic contests for illustrative purposes. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he alludes to running and boxing specifically, and sports in general. He refers to the competition and uses it as a metaphor and analogy for the Christian life and ministry.

Paul opens this passage by noting the obvious, "Do you not know that all who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?" Then, he begins to make application: "run that you may win... exercise self-control...run with an aim (with intentionality)... box without beating the air (make your punches count)...discipline your body (make it your slave)...." All this Paul says is for the dual purpose of receiving the imperishable wreath (God's reward for faithful service) at God's judgment in the future, and remaining qualified to serve in the present. Even as great as Paul was, he was constantly concerned that he might live in such a way that he would not be disqualified for ministry. 

So what does that say to you and me? Here are three insights.

1. Because life is like a race, we need to run (live) in such a way that we are winners.  We can strive for the things that pass away or the things that matter for eternity. Paul says opt for the latter. By the way, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you."

2.  If we are going to be winners, we must exercise self-control. Embracing self-   discipline, having an attitude of deferred gratification, learning how to resist and run from temptation, and refusing to let human desires get out of control are all important components.

3.  Being intentional in our lives, working to accomplish things that benefit people and honor God are all important. By the way, from my perspective, Christians in general and ministers particularly have only two assignments: we prepare people for death, and we equip people for life. We should be intentional with both. So, what do you intend to do?

Here is the bottom line. Don't waste your life. Run to win!

3 Reasons Denominations Are Important

I have spent my life connected to a denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention. I have also been a consistent student of culture and particularly church culture in North America. One of the mantras I have heard repeatedly is that we now live in a post-denominational church world. I find this embraced more among our younger leaders. Before jettisoning the denomination as an historic relic akin to the dinosaur, perhaps we should consider what their benefit might be. I would like to offer three benefits for your consideration.

1. For the local church, denominations should "service a common core" so that it is unnecessary to reinvent the wheel. 

Each congregation, if healthy, consists of large group worship and small group interaction. In the context of these two, we find a litany of purposes: evangelism, discipleship, worship, missions, stewardship, fellowship, ministry, and communications. Each congregation has to have organizational structure and doctrinal distinctives. Much of these can be provided by the denominational machinery. As churches embrace this common core, it provides a measure of "authenticity." It is the essence of a brand, that which distinguishes a Baptist Church from a Roman Catholic congregation for example.

2. For the local church, denominations can assist in facilitating each congregation's unique expression. 

Each church is different. Each community is different. Each church has its own "identity." Each church has a distinct methodology of how it goes about fulfilling its mission. The denomination that can assist local churches in understanding their own uniqueness while embracing a common core will find itself invaluable. This is a challenge for all denominations. Can they assist their constituent congregations to discover and maximize their own uniqueness? Again, this is of critical importance.

3. For the local church, denominations can assist in replicating healthy "reproduction." 

Each congregation is part of a larger whole which must reproduce. We are called to reproduce believers. This is evangelism. We reproduce disciples. This is discipleship. We reproduce servants and leaders. This is ministry and administration. We are called to reproduce churches. This is church planting of new congregations. We are called to reproduce missionaries for world evangelism. We are in need of apologists and polemicists. I believe that much of this can be better accomplished through the cooperative work of a denomination than by each congregation attempting to reinvent the proverbial wheel.

In short, denominations can be valuable if they assist their constituent congregations in embracing a solid authenticity, in developing their own unique identity, and replicating a healthy reproduction. The key then, for each church when assessing the role of the denomination is a terse cost-benefit analysis. Is the quality and quantity of service provided by the denomination worth the investment of expenditures? Is it accurate to conclude that churches together can accomplish more than the individual congregations can do separately? Where is this most applicable? Where is it least applicable?   

Jesus Came to Build His Church

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:18

This text is rooted in a play on words between "little stone" and "bedrock." Peter is the former and the truth of Who Jesus is constitutes the latter. Peter had just made the declaration, "You are the Christ the Son of the Living God." After Jesus' responsive affirmation of blessing--"Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you but My Father in Heaven"--Jesus makes His magnificent declaration. "I will build My church and the gates of Hell (Hades) will not prevail against it."  Here is another reason why Jesus came...to build His Church!

The Scripture is not saying that the Church will be built by or upon Peter, but rather it will be built upon the truth of what Peter proclaimed. Peter had confessed Jesus' true identity. He (Jesus) is the foundation upon which the Church will be built. In the words of F.F. Bruce, "what matters here is not the stature of the confessor, but the truth of the confession" (see The Hard Sayings of Jesus, p.143). Peter declares Who Jesus is, and  Jesus declares that He Himself will build His Church.

Notice in this passage that not only is Jesus' true identity revealed, but His work is likewise unveiled. He will build His Church. This is the first time the New Testament mentions the word, "Church." This word in the Greek text, comes from combining two smaller words, "to call" and "out of." The word "Church" literally means "the called out ones." All those who have heard God's invitation and responded constitute the "Church." 

Jesus goes on to describe the Church's invincibility, "and the gates of Hades (or Hell) will not prevail against." Though some see this as a straight forward declaration that Jesus will not allow the devil and his forces destroy the Church, I believe Jesus is actually pointing to another and equally true reality. Gates are for keeping people and possessions in, or people and possessions out. "Hades" is the normal word for death and the grave. Here, Jesus is declaring that not even the power of death will be able to halt the building of His Church. 

True, God's intention is to build the Church upon Jesus, but He will use people all through history as His instruments. Can He use you?

4 Ways to Redeem Your Time

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"Dost thou love life? Then, do not squander time. For that's the stuff life is made of." -Ben Franklin 

So, how do we maximize our use of time? Understand that everyone has the same amount of time, 168 hours a week. The key is what you do with what you have. In order to use our time effectively, we must do four things:

1. Understand our purpose.
2. Determine our priorities.
3. Establish our plans that reflect our priorities in light God's will for our life.
4. Then let our plans determine how we use our time.

What we are trying to do is learn to seize control of our time and in turn our lives. The key here is planning. Some people object to planning. Consider these 3 objections and my responses.

1. Objection: It can limit my freedom if I predetermine my course of action (plan). 

Response: Seneca once wrote, "if you don't know which port you're headed to no wind is the right wind." And Lawrence Peter observed, "If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else." My point? It is better to have a plan which reflects what you want to accomplish than have no plan at all. If your attitude is that you do not want to limit your freedom, and as a result you are unwilling to plan, you are planning to fail. What is it that you want to accomplish?

2. Objection: I’m so busy putting out fires that I have no time for planning. It is as though they simply run from crisis to crisis. I know people who appear to work that way. 

Response: When events are out of control, this is the time when planning is most needed. The presence of repeated crises, may well be a key indicator that planning has been neglected.

3. Objection: There is simply no time to plan. 

Response: Here is a fact. If more time is given to planning, less time (in greater proportions) is required for execution. It is not that you cannot afford to plan. The fact is, you can't afford not to plan.

Bottom line: if we do not plan, we will not control events. If we do not control events, we will accomplish nothing, or we will make matters worse.

For more thoughts along these lines check out my first post on redeeming the time.

Time to Move

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Like so many other people, I have been greatly encouraged over the years by the work of Focus on the Family. This past week I read an article by one of their writers, John Barner entitled, "When Is It Time to Look for Another Place ofMinistry?" He begins by noting the present high turnover in today's church world which he describes as "alarming to say the least."  If his latest set of stats are accurate and the average minister is only staying about two years in one place, the trend is getting progressively worse.

Barner goes on to say that a variety of reasons can account for the extreme turnover rate. His initial explanations revolve around two observations. He suggests, first, that some pastors are simply not equipped to deal with conflict--hence, they leave--or, that pastors are looking to better their standard of living with its added influence and recognition. Hence, they leave. Barner then asks, should the trend and whatever motives are driving them be viewed as good, bad, or indifferent? After acknowledging that sometimes ministers are running from situations they should have stayed with, and therefore are running from what God intended for their good and their growth, he concedes rightly that there are legitimate reasons when moving is the right thing to do.

Barner's 3 reasons for moving on:

1.    When leaders in the church are unwilling to negotiate on important issues.

2.    When his family is adversely affected due to abusive and demanding tactics of ungodly opponents--this which should be considered absolutely unacceptable.

3.    If the church cannot or will not take care of the minister's financial needs.

My initial response is to "Amen" what Barner wrote and offer some additional observations and considerations.

1. Determine the purpose in the pastorate. Sometimes, a seminary student is serving a small congregation that has for years demonstrated unhealthy dynamics. Leaving there for any of the given reasons seems perfectly acceptable. Nevertheless, the question needs to be asked, "What is God's purpose in this place for the church and the minister?"

Years ago in my first pastorate I had a difficult situation arise with an obstinate leader. Dr. James Eaves gave me some advice: "Determine if this is a long term assignment from God for you. If yes, you'll need to use dynamite to remove the stump; if not, just plow around him knowing that your days there are numbered." Good advice.

Yet, I am very much aware that any great work for God may take years of commitment and the pastor or minister who is not invested in the long haul will very likely be perceived as a hireling rather than a shepherd. It is a risky decision to put down roots with a congregation. So, what can be done to maximize the potential long-term successful relationship between pastor and people?

2. Be thoroughly honest in the interview phase. Coupled with that, I encourage my students to draw up a "memorandum of understanding" with a new congregation which the entire church approves when the new pastor is called. This minimizes any misunderstandings. Sadly, I have seen search committees make promises to pastors they do not have the authority to keep. In the process of leaving a pastorate where I had served for over two decades, I received an interesting letter from a naive but well-meaning lady. In the midst of conflict, she wrote me and said, "when you came, we wanted a preacher, not a leader who would make changes." In a nutshell, here are seeds of misunderstanding planted years before that returned to bear some bitter fruit. Longer tenures in pastorates build stronger churches in the long haul. These start with clear understandings with the pastor and congregation on the front end.

In my next post I'll address this question: "When is it time to leave?"

Why Did Jesus Come? Part 3

Over the last several weeks, I have shared some of the reasons Jesus came to earth. You can check out parts 1 and 2 of this blog series here and here. We’ve focused on the small epistle of 1 John and highlighted the testimony of that ancient apostle relating the insights he penned for those early disciples of Jesus Christ. So, once again I ask the question,"why did Jesus come?" And once again, we listen to the responses of John. Here are three more reasons why the Son of God left the glory of Heaven and came to earth in the form of a human being.

1. Jesus came to be the Savior of the world (4:14). This verse tells us that the Father sent Him. The word "sent" is a perfect tense verb which depicts completed action with continuing results into the present.  It is interesting to note that the word "sent" has the same root as the Bible-word, "apostle" which denotes someone "sent with a message."

 Here, we learn again that Jesus was sent by the Father, not simply with a message, but also with a mission. He was sent to be the Savior of the world! The word "Savior" means one who rescues another from something perilous. Jesus came to rescue us from the penalty, power, and eventually the presence of sin.

Again, Scripture designates that Jesus is the Savior of the "world." By context, this word can only mean the people--lost people--of the world. Jesus is God's designated Savior for each person in the world. Either we come to God through Jesus or we do not come at all! This word "world" is the same word found in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world." John's argument is that Jesus is the Savior sufficient to save anyone and everyone who trusts in Him. So, John tells us that Jesus is the Savior of the world!

2. Jesus came as the reservoir of life (5:11). John tells us that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." This word tells us that God Himself gave something very important at a particular point in time, past time. He gave His son!

And God gave life, God's own life. This life resides in Jesus! His point? God's life is in Jesus. If we have Him, we have life! In fact, John goes on to explain,"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life."

Life resides in Jesus! He is the reservoir of God's life! When we receive Jesus, we receive the life that  is in Him! There is no other way to obtain God's life!

3. Jesus came as the giver of understanding (5:20). This word, "understanding" is "the faculty of knowing or discerning; it is the ability to reason correctly; it is used especially in Greek philosophy of syllogistic reasoning"( Rienecker 2:450). Yet, it is not just any kind of reasoning or understanding, it is the understanding of who God is. One more reason Jesus came was to help us understand by explaining who God is, to help us grasp what He thinks of us, and what He wants to do for us and in us. Jesus came so we might know the one true God!

These are three more reasons why Jesus came: to be the Savior of the world, to be the reservoir of life, and to give us a personal understanding of who God is! Take a look at my previous two blog posts Why Did Jesus Come Part 1 and Why Did Jesus Come Part 2 to see 6 other reasons Jesus came. 

Why Did Jesus Come? Part 2

Seven times in 1 John, we see the word, "manifested." That word means "to lighten, shine, appear,manifest, or to render apparent." It is the word which describes the phenomenon that “what was previously hidden has come to light.” That is, it is now perceivable.

In 1 John 3-4, we are told how Jesus "appeared" for three distinct reasons.

1. He appeared to "take away sins" (1John 3:5a). The word "take away" means to lift up, take away or to remove completely. It is the same word used by John the Baptist when he pointed to Jesus and declared, "behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

In 1 John, He takes away "sins," while in John, He takes away "sin." In short, Jesus came to take away both the principle of sin and the practice of sin. He did this by taking upon Himself our sins on the cross. Just as sacrificial lambs represented sinful people and took their punishment  becoming  their "substitute," so Jesus was our substitute to take away our sins and our consequent punishment. We can be both grateful and confident that Jesus can deliver exactly what He promised.

2. He appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8b). The word for  "destroy" suggests "destruction by undoing or dissolving that which forms the bond of cohesion.” Verse 10 points out two characteristics of the devil's children. First, they do not practice righteousness. And second, they do not practice loving their brothers.

Sinful behavior and selfishness in relationships are characteristic of the devil's work. And Jesus came to destroy those dispositions instigated by the devil. Jesus wants us to be delivered from being identified with "our father the devil"( John 8:44). Another work of the devil is that "he blinds the minds of the unbelieving"( 2 Cor. 4:4). In every way, Jesus came to destroy the devil's work! That includes what the devil wants to do to us and in us! We need to pray as Jesus instructed us, "deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:13).

3. Jesus also appeared so that we "might live through Him" (1John 4:9). When we receive Jesus Christ in simple child-like faith, the Bible teaches us that we are made alive with Christ. His life comes to live in us! We are made spiritually alive.

That is why Jesus declared in John 10:10, "The thief (the devil) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I (Jesus) came that they (all who by faith have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ) may have life, and have it abundantly. Jesus makes it possible for us to receive His life to live in us! He gives us His quality of life now and the hope of eternal life forever with Him in Heaven!

So here are three more reasons why Jesus came: to take away our sins, destroy the devil 's work, and to give us His quality of life. Got Jesus? Anyone at any time in simple child-like faith can receive Him (John 1:12)!