Missional Community

Missional Community is fast becoming a buzz word among Churches.  Most churches aim at community and miss both community and mission.  But what if we aim at mission?  Will we hit mission and community.  I say yes and so do some others.  Below is a short video from Matt Carter, Pastor of Austin Stone Community Church in Austin TX.  Take a look and share your thoughts with me.

THE SHOW - for May 19, 2009 - Guest Matt Carter from Todd Rhoades on Vimeo.

For the Praise of His Glory,

Chad

Your Word is Truth Part 1

In John 17 we read Jesus' High Priestly prayer.  In the prayer Jesus prays for several things: He prays that he will glorify the Father, He prays that we would know that He (Jesus Christ) is the only true God sent from the father, He prays that he would finish his work on earth and return to the glory he had before creation.  Jesus then goes into a section where he talks about Christians and how we are saved by His name (Jesus) and how he and the Father are one, and how the Father sent Jesus.  Jesus makes a statement that He isn't praying for the entire world, but only those who are believers.  Near the end of this prayer Jesus talks in more detail about how we are to live in this world.  

John 17:14-18 

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  ¹⁶They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Jesus prays here that we would live by the "word" which he gave us.  He tells us that when we receive the "word" the world will hate us, b/c we aren't of this world.  A lot of Christians stop there and conclude that since we aren't of this world then we should separate ourselves from the world.  But Jesus doesn't stop there.  In verse 15 He continues by saying that he isn't praying that God the Father would take them out of the world, only that He (the Father) would keep them (us as Christians) away from the evil one (Satan).  Then Jesus prays these words: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.  Focus here on two words, the word THE and the word IS.  Jesus says that there is one truth, and that the "word" is truth.  Jesus isn't saying that the "word" (The Bible)  holds exclusive truth, but that the "word" is truth.  Let me say it another way, Truth will not contradict the Bible, because there is one truth and, the Bible is truth.  Truth can be found in other places, but for it to actually be truth it won't contradict other truth, namely the "word" (Bible).  

So we are to live by the Truth, and we are sanctified or made more like Jesus by the Truth.  The reason we live by the Truth is so that we can live sent lives...more on that later.

It's not about you...

It's not about you...  This was the quote that my wife will probably be most remembered for at our church in Iowa.  This last Saturday night our church family honored us with a party.  It was a blessing to hear how God had worked in people's lives while we were in proximity.  As good as it was to hear people praise what God had done through me it was even better to hear what one lady had to say about my wife.  I have always said that my wife is amazing, it is just cool to hear other people agree.  

Her quote is one that proves to me that God has laid this vision for Journey the Way on both of us, because I see and hear in her the values that I want to live out.  Of all of the core values that I hope we live out, humility is by far the hardest one for me to flesh out.  Most of us I think struggle with this one because so much of our time and energy is spent on us.  We think about us, and even when we think of someone else, we usually think of them in terms of how we are affected by them.  The beauty of humility is that to achieve it all we have to do is stop thinking of ourselves.  Because after all IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!  It's about HIM!

Chad

Humility, is it in you?

Humility is one of those elusive characteristics.  If you focus too hard on being humble you are in danger of being proud about your humility.  My good friend and former student Jamie wrote an excellent piece on Humility and the Church you can read it here.  

The Apostle Paul said in the book of Philippians 2:3-8 that Humility isn't about us at all.  

Philippians 2:3-8 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,even death on a cross.

Paul challenges us to look out for the interests of others.  This was exemplified to me this week by some amazing friends of mine who dropped what they were doing to help me out.  I had three friends drop what they were doing to help me paint my garage so that we can hopefully close on our house at the end of this week.  I don't think they realized it but when they did that they were reflecting the image of Christ.  You see when we stop thinking of ourselves and start thinking of others we have the mind of Christ and model Humility.  True humility helps point people to the cross.  

Chad

Church, Re-thought...

It seems that in today’s fast paced hectic lifestyle there is tremendous opportunity for people’s faith to move from a compartment in their life to a Way of life.  This Way of life is more than just a system of beliefs that we ascribe knowledge to, but rather it is a new Way to live.  When we look at the life of Jesus we see that following Him will change everything.  Living the Way of Jesus means that our faith in Him affects every other facet of our lives.  If it doesn’t, do we really know what it means to follow Jesus?

 

I don’t know about you but that doesn’t feel like the church I see today.  It seems like Church adds more stuff to our schedule and demands that we attend this event or that conference and if we don’t then somehow we are less spiritual.  Jesus said that He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.  Doesn’t that mean that if we are imitating Him then we will serve and give our lives for others?  Jesus also said that it isn’t the healthy who need a doctor but the sick; I have come to seek and to save the lost.  So clearly Jesus was here on earth to seek out and serve the lost and He gave His life to see that happen.  So wouldn’t a movement based on His life do the same thing?  When did the church become all about us and meeting our needs and making sure we are comfortable?  It seems to me that a Jesus movement is a movement of servants who sacrifice their comfort so that others may come to know the Love of Christ that compels us.  

 

Our hope is to start a movement of people who are on a journey together, striving to live the Way of Jesus.  Historically we call this a church, and for all practical purposes that is what this is, but hopefully a church re-thought, re-focused, and re-commissioned.  Our hope is that the structures we put in place will compliment people’s lifestyles leaving them the opportunity to live every part of their lives on mission.  The plan is that there will be large worship gatherings with teaching, and small group gatherings where true community can take place, communities that live to serve others.  There is much room for diversity within these small groups, but all groups run at core values together.  

Leaving all to follow...

So I was reading in Matthew this morning and came across a very familiar passage that hit me in a fresh way this morning.  Matthew 4:18-22 is the story of Jesus calling his first Disciples.  

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

There is something to be said about the commitment of those men who left everything to follow a man they knew little about.  I think the appeal for adventure and something new drew them in.  Plus the fact that this was no ordinary man who was asking them to follow.  I wonder sometimes if they had any idea what they were getting themselves into.  These were ordinary men who God would use to start an extraordinary movement that continues to this day.  

It is my belief that God is calling some of you to join us in this adventure to Journey The Way of Christ, and to see lives forever changed by the power of the gospel.  I don't know what you will have to leave behind, but I do know that the ride will be wild.  1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Chad

For the Ladies...

I had a request for the ladies sermon as well.  So here is the prequel to the Men and Marriage sermon.  

Chad

Attention all men...

I frequently listen to Mars Hill Church (Mark Driscoll) sermons.  Shaina and I listened to one the other night and it was impact-full.  I think that all men should watch this sermon.  If you are a guy, then please watch.  If you know a guy that should watch, send him the link.  

Chad

The move...

It has been awhile since my last post, and a lot has happened since I last posted.  We will close on our house in IA on the 20th of this month, and move right after that.  We have been pursuing funding from a variety of sources.  We spent a short couple of days in Wichita last week and made some great contacts with churches from others states looking to partner with new works in Wichita.  Please be in prayer for those contacts to develop into partnerships.  We have a place to land when we move.  We have a church that we are loosely connected with that owns a parsonage and they are willing to let us live there in exchange for 5 hours a week of youth work.  This is a big answer to prayer.  Look for more posts to come, I know this one is more on the personal side, but know that we appreciate your prayers.  

Chad