1 Corinthians 9:19-23 -  “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!”

I love the way that “The Message” puts it here! Look at what he says:

• “Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people…” I am free, yet I voluntarily place myself under the preferences and expectations of others, so that I might reach them.  Most of us (I am speaking to myself here!) spend more time defending our rights than we do trying to reach people.
• “…nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized…” Most of these types of people are people I was taught all my life to stay away from because they would ruin me.  Funny thing is, these are the very people Jesus sought to have a relationship with.
• “—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.” Where did we ever get the idea that we were to stay out of the world?  That thought never came out of Jesus’ mouth.  In fact, He prayed “Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one.” and “I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me.” (John 17)  That kind of sounds like the opposite of what a lot of churches teach today.
• “I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ” It is possible, as Paul says here to be in the world, but keep your bearings in Christ.  In fact, it is expected of us to do that!  Is that not what living the Christian life is all about? People outside of the church are not looking for holier than thou, perfect people.  They are looking for real people, with real struggles who just happen to have found all the answers they were looking for in a relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.  That is what makes impact.  That is what gives influence!
• “I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.” Wow!  I have no where near become “about every type of servant there is…” to reach people.  Lord, give me the humility to serve people better… whatever it takes!
• “I did all this because of the Message.” We have the most important message that there is to share.  The influence of the message in our life should compel us to take it to others.
• “I didn’t just want to talk about  it; I wanted to be in on it!” People outside of the church are tired of people inside the church talking.  They want to see us doing and being!  As Christ-followers, we need to realize that all of our talk is no match for a life lived for Him.  We need to live a life that says we are in on it!

I want to be in on it!  How about you?

If I have a hope, it’s that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically, into the story and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as thought to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I created you.

God has given us the freedom to be creative and to write a great story for our life.  As Donald elaborates throughout the book, that great story inevitably will include conflict, and inciting incident that will stir our souls to do something that will make our stories better as we live within the great story of God.

Our stories may not include as exciting of a journey as Donald’s did.  That is not his point.  His point is that we should do our best to live a life that matters. That we should get off of our butts and live to impact others around us.  That alone will create a better story.

You can win a copy of this book by leaving a comment here on this post.  Winner will be chosen by random drawing on Friday!

You can purchase the book here at Amazon.com.

I have been  anticipating the release of Donald Miller’s new book, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” for quite some time! I was fortunate to be able to get an advance copy to read and write a review on it for the release of the book on September 29th.  So, the book will release, my review will be posted, and everyone that posts a comment on my review post that day will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the book.  So, visit here on the 29th, leave a comment telling me why you want this book, and be entered into the give away! Oh, you can visit before the 29th too!  That would be perfectly acceptable.

As I have mulled that over in my head for the last couple of months, and used it as a lens in which to do ministry, it has helped to to focus on what I need to do for others, and leave the rest up to God.  As I was reading in Acts this morning, I came across Paul’s goodbye to the church in Ephesus.  As he writes to them, he says in verse 26 “I tell you today that I am no longer responsible for any of you!” A few verses later (32) he says, “I now place you in God’s care.” He says that after he tells them all of the things he has done to help them take their next steps and after he tells them, “Ok, now it is up to you to go on from here.”  Paul knew he had come to the end of what he could do, and that the rest was up to the work that God wold have to do in their lives.

Many people in churches today have this idea that we must push people along the same route, and that it all takes the same amount of time for everyone to get to the next step.  They treat the journey in Christ like it has a cookie cutter design to it that everyone should follow.  That breeds image rather than true spiritual growth.  It breeds Pharisees rather than disciples.  But that is what happens when we think we are responsible for people rather than to them.

Being responsible for people brings a pressure and responsibility that God never designed into a person’s life.  If someone does not take their next step, then I feel like I have failed.  Being responsible to people means that I am sharing what I have to share, leading people to the table, but they have to make the decision to eat, I cannot force them. That is up to them to decide and for God to work.

Mark illustrated it so well.  Let me just cut and paste here:

• If we understand that are are responsible to people, then I understand they have a choice… if I feel responsible for people, I think I should choose for them.
• If we understand that are are responsible to people, then I know they must figure out their next step… if I feel responsible for people, I think I should tell them what there next step is.
• If we understand that are are responsible to people, then I understand they must bear the consequences of their actions… if I feel responsible for people, I assume the guilt, or worse yet the shame for them.
• If we understand that are are responsible to people, then I share their journeys, offering encouragement and teaching… if I feel responsible for people, I try to direct their journeys, never allowing them to wrestle or mess up.
• If we understand that are are responsible to people, then I talk to God a lot on their behalf… if I feel responsible for people, I tend to talk to people a lot on God’s behalf.
• “If Jesus trusts the Holy Spirit, maybe we should too!”
  
• “It is God that does the growing, we just get in the way.”

So, how do you do ministry?  Do you feel responsible for people or to people?  What do you think about the difference?

I think many Christians (and churches) have fallen into this as well.  We come to church, sing a few songs to make us feel good, tip God when the offering plate is passed, try to stay awake during the talk (which is another blog post in itself) and then go out and have very little concern for people around us.  Nothing that happens inside the church affects how we live outside the church.  If that last statement is true, why do we even go to church?  Why do we even call ourselves Christians?

God expects more from us.  He expects us to live like our relationship with Him makes a difference… because it does.  That is not to say that we will not have times of failure in the way we treat people, we will.  But that will be an exception, not the rule.   A pastor that I once worked for used to say “your beliefs affect your behavior.”  If that is the case (and I believe it is), there are not many people that call themselves Christians that do not believe very much about what Jesus taught.

And before you ask me if I am perfect, no, I am not.  I struggle every day being the man God wants me to be.  But at least I am struggling with it, many are not.

Anyone else feel like this?  Maybe I am being to tough?  What do you think?

Interview with Jeff Bell – Campus Pastor of Granger Community Church: Elkhart from Jason Petermann on Vimeo.

Thanks again Jeff for the time you took to talk multi-site! I cannot wait to see where Granger is headed next to reach people and help them take their next steps!  You can follow GCCE and Jeff on his blog.

I love being able to learn from other leaders that are doing fantastic things for God!  Being in Wichita does make it a little difficult to get to see other leaders very often.  Fortunately, the internet has made things a little easier, and many leaders like Andy Stanley, Tony Morgan and Perry Noble are doing Webinars that can bring people from all over the world together to glean from these great leaders.  I just learned of Andy Stanley’s this morning.  It is called “Drive-In” and he has a few of them scheduled through March.  Click on the link above, and see if you can schedule some time to make one or all of them!

This is the last post in the “Ten Things I Have Learned This Year.” you can see the other posts here, here and here.

8. It is important to remember that we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves, our church, and our affiliation (denomination, fellowship, whatever…).

• I am not minimizing the importance of the local church.  Not at all.  It is God’s plan for us to reach people.  But, it is part of a BIG plan that God has to bring people into the Kingdom.
• We have to remember that everything that we do as a local congregation of believers gives people around us a view of what God and His people are all about.  So, if you are some wack-job that preaches hate and intolerance (to personal preferences – not core doctrinal issues) than you give those in your community (and unfortunately, maybe even a larger audience) a view that God’s people are a bunch of idiots.  You also give people that are visiting your church, maybe for the first or last time, something other than the hope, acceptance and love of Jesus, which is what they are looking for.  As the people of God, we have to create an atmosphere that allows us to show the love of Christ to people in a non-judgmental way.
• If you are a part of some denomination or fellowship of churches, that is great.  Those things are helpful for the big picture as far as home and foreign missions are concerned.  But it is sad when a pastor or a church get so “affiliation” minded that they forget they are called to build a church, not an affiliation.  I literally have heard pastors say that another pastor would have made a great leader an their affiliation if he had not been so focused on his church.   Excuse me?  Jesus did not die for you affiliation…
• We need to have a big picture mentality that allows us to work with others to accomplish the work of God.  I like how Paul said it in Philippians, “I don’t care if they preach Christ out of envy or good will, the important thing is that they are preaching Christ.”

9. With that in mind, we should live our lives as if we are a part of something big

• God has a purpose and a plan.  We should live to be a part of that, knowing that we were are involved in is God redemptive process for man.
• We are a part of what God wants to do.  We need to see where we fit that plan, and dig in to love God, love others and serve both!
• Why do so many Christians walk around like they do not matter, and like what they believe does not matter.  They walk around like it is a small thing to be a Christ follower!  Stop it!  We are a child of the Most High God!  Live like it!
• Live your life as if the person you are in contact with at this very moment is a divine appointment from God… because it is!  We are a part of His master plan!

10. God is sovereign.  The end!

• So many times over the last year I have had to just sit back, take a deep breath, and remind myself that God is in control.
• I have had to remind myself that no man is bigger than God, even if they think they are.  No circumstance is beyond God’s control, even if it seems like there is no escape.
• If I believe that I am a part of God’s great plan, than I have to believe that the things He allows to come into my life are also a part of that plan, and will help me to be exactly who He intends me to be.

In another post this year, I shared a passage from Job that gave me great strength.  I have gone back to that passage many times this year.  Job 23:8-14 says:

8 I cannot find God anywhere— in front or back of me,

9 to my left or my right. God is always at work,
though I never see him.

10 But he knows what I am doing, and when he tests me,
I will be pure as gold.

11 I have never refused to follow any of his commands,

12 and I have always treasured his teachings.

13 But he alone is God, and who can oppose him?
God does as he pleases,

14 and he will do exactly what he intends with me.

It is such a comfort to know that He is in control, and that He will do exactly what He wants to do with me to fulfill His purpose and plan!

I hope I am always learning… I cannot wait to see what God has for me in 2009!

Continuing on from Monday and Tuesday…

5. Ministry without passion is just you going through the motions

• Seriously, if you are not passionate about what you are doing, you are not really doing anything!
• God has gifted each and every one of us to do something that only we can do for Him… that comes with a passion.  If you do not feel that passion, maybe you are not doing what God has gifted you to do!
• I am not talking about waking up in the morning and wanting to stay under the covers… or even just wanting to call in sick for a day.  I am talking about when you wake up in the night, your first thoughts go to what you do, and how it excites you!  I am talking about you standing in line in a store, and you hear someone talking about church or Jesus, and you light up, knowing that what you do for Him fires you up!
• As servants of the most High God, how can we be more passionate about trips we will take, games we will play and sports teams we follow than we are about the God we are called to serve that changes lives and does things that only He can do?

Ok, again, think about it… God has called us to serve Him… how cool is that… how humbling is that?!!?

With all of that in mind…

6. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, you are cheating yourself, God, and the people you serve.

• God deserves better than a half-hearted attempt to serve Him.  Jesus went ALL THE WAY to the cross, the least we can do is go all out in our service to God.
• You need to be totally sold out to what God has called you to do.  People can tell the difference between someone who is passionate about serving God and others and someone who is just doing something because it is either their job or because it is a religious exercise.
• How can we expect others to be passionate about serving God if we are not?  If God has placed us to lead or serve beside people, we need to exhibit a passion and fire what God has called and gifted us for.  The passion is contagious!

7. It does not matter if you are traditional or contemporary as long as you are following what God wants you to do for your church

• I get so ticked off when I hear stories about guys that spend hours preparing articles and writing papers like, “Why such-and-such church is an abomination to God,” or “Why this version of the Bible is of the devil,” or “Why this music is wrong because if you play it backwards is says, ‘Read the NIV’” or something like that.
• I seriously think when God sees this stuff He shakes His head and just says, “I said you should redeem the time because the days are evil, this is not redeeming the time, it is wasting it!”
• I am glad there are all kinds of churches because there are all kinds of people.  If someone down the street wants to wear a suit, have services 6 times a week and sing nothing but hymns, that is fine.  I hope they reach people for Jesus.  I am not in competition with them, and it is certainly not my job to judge or critique them.  What they do is between them and God.  Again, I am not competing, they are trying to reach people for Jesus, so I am grateful for them.
• Seriously, we should spend more time reading our Bible (whatever version it may be), praying, and building relationships with people so we can lead them to Jesus.  All that other stuff is junk, and does not do anyone, any good.

We will finish the top ten up tomorrow.  Man, writing all this stuff fires me up!

3. Loyalty is a two way street.

• There are those that think that above everything else, loyalty to them and their agenda is the most important thing… even if it means turning your back on what God has called you to do.  For some reason, some people think that they deserve your loyalty just because of their position.  But loyalty usually only goes one way with them.  They are the first one to throw you under the bus if it helps them avoid looking bad.
• Those that preach and demand loyalty from the pulpit are usually the last ones that deserve it.  You do not have to preach or demand loyalty.  Loyalty is earned from people by your character and your actions.  If you do not have good character, you will not have loyalty.  If your actions stink or are always done with a personal agenda, you will not have loyalty.   Hammering it from the pulpit only makes people resent you, not follow you.  If you lead well, you will have the loyalty of the people you are leading.
• You have to model loyalty to receive it.  If you are always the one expecting to receive, but never give loyalty, you do not deserve it.  The team you work with needs to know that there is loyalty to the team… loyalty to one another in the day to day stuff (this obviously does not apply to covering sin or secret agendas of self-centered people).

4. If you think you are leading, but no one is following… you are just out for a walk

• No, this is not an original statement from me, but it is so true.  My desire is to live a life for God that will impact other people.  If God gives me the ability to lead, I need to lead where he wants me to go and to where He wants me to lead others to go.  I NEVER want to be in a position where I decide I will lead where I want to go, or where I want others to go.  That will not only hinder my ability to be who God has intended me to be, but it will hinder others from being able to be who God created them to be, which is the exact opposite of what we are suppose to be about.

That is it for this entry… part three tomorrow!