Special Events

Chapter 5 – The Multiplying Community

Jesus Chooses a Few

We started off being reminded that while Jesus often spoke to the multitudes, he developed and discipled the 12.  He would pour himself into a few to make a great impact.

All He wanted was a few men who would think as He did, love as He did, see as He did, teach as He did and serve as He did. All He needed was to revolutionize the hearts of a few, and they would impact the world.”
― David Platt, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Making Disciples is Messy

Making disciples is not a program.  It’s not just a classroom lecture, it is all about on the job training.  Platt related a story about the homeless in New Orleans.  What really made a difference in ministering there was taking the time to listen.  It was letting them know that they wouldn’t be leaving.

Receivers or Reproducers

It is easy to develop receivers.  People who come to church to get.  We shop around for so many things today, it’s also caused us to shop around for churches, speakers, worship leaders, etc…   What we need to be focused on is reproducing Christians.  The question for each of us is – who are we discipling?  Who are we pouring our lives into?  Who are we bringing along with us as we minister for Christ?

Chapter 6 – How Much is Enough

This was a very challenging chapter.  We were reminded about the poverty that many people around the world experience.  If we are going to address the spiritual need, can we afford to ignore the physical need before us?

Christian Blind Spots

It was easy to see how slavery was a blind spot in the church 200 years ago.  But what will we look back on as a blind spot 100 or 200 years from now?  Is materialism a blind spot in the American church today?

A Biblical Perspective

Do you identify more with the Rich Man or Lazarus?  Do you think Jesus was too hard on the Rich Young Ruler and “go and sell all you have” doesn’t apply to most people?

“Rich people who neglect the poor are not the people of God.”

Again the bottom line is what are we doing with what the Lord has given us?  How are we using not just our money, but our time, talents and lives to help accomplish God’s mission.

Live Generously

“What can we spare? or What will it take?”  Which question are you asking?  I’ve been privileged to have some people in my life who’ve taught me to live generously.  You shouldn’t always fret over every purchase, but give of yourself and your abilities and even just the ability to listen.  Be generous in the lives of the people around you and you will please the Lord.

We’ll Pay You Play

In this chapter we see this idea quickly emerging… We don’t want to go to the ends of the earth to carry the gospel, but we’ll be glad to help you do it.  Do you find yourself expecting a “paid professional” to do your church work for you?  We had a good look at Ephesians 4 where Paul reminds the church that leaders are given to the church to equip it so that His people may do works of service.  In other words, we’re all supposed to do the work.  🙂

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ 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.

We sometimes make excuses that we’re not “gifted” in a certain area.  But that doesn’t take away a responsibility from us for sharing the gospel and carrying out the great commission.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

This is a familiar text but a tremendous reminder that God doesn’t just bless us with things so we can enjoy life.  He blesses us with purpose.

Genesis 12  ¹ The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.  ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” 

Over and over in the Old and New Testament we see God doing things for the glory of His name.  Even in the Lord’s prayer we start with “hallowed be Thy Name.”  It’s about His glory.   To that end Christianity doesn’t center around me, it centers around Christ.  The great truth is Jesus loves me, but it is for His father’s glory.

Part of the Plan

How can you live your life in a way to help carry the gospel to the nations?  You have so much more to offer than just writing a check.  We saw examples of businessmen and women who were using their resources to show mercy and compassion both at home and abroad.  God has gifted us all and we don’t have the same jobs to do, but all of our jobs are part of the same plan to make sure that everyone has a chance to be reconciled to God through faith in His Son Jesus.   What’s your job?

Don’t mess with Raden

If you didn’t read it yet, make sure to browse the story about Raden.  It’s an amazing picture of the power of God.

The American Dream

“The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability.”   We had a good discussion about this.  We are not minimizing those who have given their lives and sacrificed so much that we could enjoy freedom.  But when we celebrate our ability to the neglect of God’s sovereignty and grace we miss the truth of the Gospel.  We desperately need the Lord to work in us and through us.  “The goal of the gospel is to make much of God.”

A Business or a Church

This was an important discussion.  The Church is not a business.  It sometimes has business elements and sometimes it does business.  But the church is an organism.  It is a living group that requires the Holy Spirit to function as it should.  We minimize the work of the Holy Spirit when we try to create an “experience” at church.  Instead of working so hard a getting the best speakers, the best music, the best programs and the best facilities, we must instead focus on desperately seeking the Spirit of God to work in us and through us for His glory.

A Powerful Praying Man

Mr. Platt takes a brief look at George Mueller.  He was a man of incredible faith and prayer.  There are many stories about his prayer life and God’s faithfulness in his life.  You can read an interesting bio about George Mueller from Desiring God.  I don’t agree with their Calvinism, but they do make some good points about Mueller’s life being given as an encouragement for others to trust in Him.

The three chief reasons for establishing an Orphan-House are: 1. That God may be glorified, should He be pleased to furnish me with the means, in its being seen that it is not a vain thing to trust in Him; and that thus the faith of His children may be strengthened. 2. The spiritual welfare of fatherless and motherless children. 3. Their temporal welfare

Are you Waiting on me?

Our final discussion was whether or not the church was waiting on the pastor or was the pastor waiting on the church.  WE must come together, pray together, that God’s Spirit (and not our business plan) will use our church to make His Name great among all nations.

We need to keep pursuing Christ.

Join us on Wednesday Nights at 7 as we work our way through the book Radical.

Thirsty

In the beginning of chapter 2 David speaks about an opportunity he has to teach the Church.  They actually stop working for a couple of weeks so that he can teach them the whole OT in 2 weeks.  When’s the last time you went to an all day Bible Study?  When’s the last time you were that thirsty for God’s word?

God’s Word is enough

He brings out an interesting point about the Asian church he had visited.  They didn’t have a fancy facility, lights, sound, big band, etc.. but the had the Word of God and that was enough.  Is it enough for us?

Secret Church

Can you imagine what it would be like to have to sneak to church each week?  Would you still come?  Would you come if the air or heat wasn’t working?  If there weren’t nice pews or chairs to sit in?  Would you come to just soak in learning the scriptures?

Who God is

In this part of the chapter Mr. Platt reminds us that the God we serve isn’t just about love.  He is also about justice.  We need to make sure that people realize that if they will not accept the gift of God’s Son, they will face the wrath of God.

Who We are

We need to be reminded that we are dead in trespasses and sins without Christ.  We don’t need a boost, we need a resurrection. We are not inherently good.  We do have the image of God within us, but it has been broken.  We desperately need the Savior.   We don’t get to choose how He rescues us.

Stay Hungry

Ultimately, this chapter was a reminder to stay hungry.  We need to keep pursuing Christ.

Join us on Wednesday Nights at 7 as we work our way through the book Radical.

We dove into the deep end of the pool for our first week of Radical.  There were a few different tensions that David Platt brought out.

Family vs Faith?

Luke 9 ⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  ⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”  ⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”  But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” ⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

When you look at some of the hard sayings of Christ, you have some hard choices to make.  We know that Christ would desire that we care for our families and yet on two occasions in the passage above, Jesus is challenging his would be followers to choose Him over their family.   Who wins?

Two Worlds

We also saw the contrast of some examples of the persecuted church vs the picture of the American church.

As I stood on that mountain, God gripped my heart and flooded my mind with two resounding words: “Wake up.” Wake up and realize that there are infinitely more important things in your life than football and a 401(k). Wake up and realize there are real battles to be fought, so different from the superficial, meaningless “battles” you focus on. Wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christless eternity.

We had an interesting discussion about football and a 401(k) seeing that most everyone had just watched the super bowl.  While we don’t think football or investing is inherently evil, we also don’t want to look back on this life recognizing that we’ve wasted it over and over on things that won’t matter in eternity.

A Beautiful Building or Missionary Funding

We wrapped up trying to deal with what it means to minister in the American city or suburbs vs getting the gospel to the poor around the world.  Another quote:

Now, remember what was on the left: “First Baptist Church Celebrates New $23 Million Building.” On the right the article said, “Baptists have raised $5,000 to send to refugees in western Sudan.” Five thousand dollars. That is not enough to get a plane into Sudan, much less one drop of water to people who need it. Twenty-three million dollars for an elaborate sanctuary and five thousand dollars for hundreds of thousands of starving men, women, and children,most of whom were dying apart from faith in Christ. Where have we gone wrong? How did we get to the place where this is actually tolerable?

Like many other American churches we  find ourselves trying so hard to maintain a nice facility (which we are also very thankful for) vs needing to raise funds to help our missionary family get the gospel around the globe.

Needless to say we walked away with more questions than answers.

But I think we found rest in this truth:  Individually we must find what God is asking us to do, and then pursue it with reckless abandon.  What is God asking of  you?

Join us on Wednesday Nights at 7 as we work our way through the book Radical.