Mark Driscoll and Four consequences of not giving

In his latest book "A Call To Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Future or a Funeral", Mark Driscoll points out that there are consequences to the decline of giving among the people of God. Pastor Mark does a good job articulating these consequences that I have witnessed in my time as a pastor. I want to list these consequences here and provide some of my observations in the context of the local church that support these assertions.

1. "Consumer Christians are consuming programs rather than committing to a church" Driscoll describes this as "...people who show up in church expecting to give nothing and receive everything." This often manifest itself in people leaving the church when the demands become to great and the perceived benefit fails to meet expectations in the areas of service oriented ministries such as music, youth or children's programs. This puts a tremendous strain on new and growing churches that cannot meet the demand due to limited resources, this also creates a challenge for larger churches that can meet these expectations. Because the result is shallow, immature, people who exist only to be served, yet refuse to serve as Christ and the early church modeled. As Driscoll observes, "Many modern Christians will take the best programs from every church while committing to no church."

2. "The church promotes causes instead of Christ" Driscoll rightly observes that "Young people tend to get excited about causes more than they do churches" This attitude results in an intense pressure on church leaders to focus on trends and the latest 'cause celeb' instead of staying true to the message of the cross and the mission of Christ. This attitude also leads to shallow emotional appeals for people to give.  Resulting in no long term commitment to the church and the gospel, but lasting only as long as the guilt accompanying the manufactured moment. For the church to enjoy the impact of the last generation, this present generation must make a commitment to the local church, if not, the local church will increasingly become a place for only old people and children. If this happens the local church will eventually go the way of the dinosaur.

3. "Parachurch ministries siphon resources and undermine the health of the church" A Parachurch ministry is not a church. It is a ministry that focuses on a particular need within the church or community with varying degrees of success. Many times these particular ministries do not value or promote the importance of the local church in the spiritual health of those they are seeking to help, resulting in competition for limited resources. Often these ministries make demands of the local church, seeking to use resources or facilities to advance their mission, but refuse to assist in advancing the mission of the local church. To be clear, many of these ministries are doing a good job and deserve the support of the local church, but as Driscoll points out, "Many operate without any standard for membership or biblically qualified spiritual authority...the end result being people who are no longer actively and sacrificially participating in a local church." Jesus did not come to build ministries but the church. He clearly said that the "...gates of Hell shall not prevail against the church." So lets get excited about the right things and invest in the right mission. 

4. "The supply line for global missions and ministry is drying up." Driscoll sums up this point with these words, "Unless something changes, however, there will soon be fewer Christians, giving less generously, while the global population and need rise." God calls us to give. God calls us to become "sons and daughters" of the local church. Unless we are willing to do this, and exhibit what one writer has called "long obedience in the same direction", the church will continue to be challenged facing the seriousness of the need and commission of Christ to go into all the world with the proclamation of the gospel.

As a Christian, I am continually re-evaluating my giving. And as a pastor I want to example what I ask of others. This is my prayer. Will you join me? 

What you should understand about the book of Revelation

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John.”-Revelation 1:1(ESV)

It is with these words that perhaps the least understood book of the Bible begins. But like all of scripture it is divinely inspired and ordered by the Holy Spirit for our instruction. As Paul points out in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”, and this would certainly apply to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, just as it does to the entirety of the cannon. When reading the book of Revelation, we must as with all of scripture, “rightly divide the word of truth.” We do this by first understanding the context of the passages involved; remember that although all of scripture is for us, it was not written to us. All of scripture, including the book of Revelation was written to specific groups of people living in a real historical context and culture. So in order to better understand the message that the Word of God has for us, it is helpful to understand to whom that Word was originally addressed. In the case of the book of Revelation, this letter was addressed by the Apostle John to “…the seven churches that are in Asia.” These churches are listed for us in Revelation 1:11 as Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Again these were real cities with real Churches facing a very difficult time in history and the more we understand about what was addressed to them, the better we can understand what the Holy Spirit has for us.

Why Give?

The Apostle Paul speaking to a group of Ephesian elders in Acts 20:32 reminded them of his faithfulness to the ministry, “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than receive.’” Paul had a clear understanding that the gospel is propagated through giving.

First, the Bible models it, over and over again when giving is exemplified it is rewarded. The principle of the New Testament is to give and give generously. A common characteristic of the early church is revealed in Acts 4:34-35 “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” If we are to be Apostolic then we must give. The Old Testament gives us the principle of the tithe, but the New Testament, while confirming that principle, challenges us to move beyond obligation to generosity. Jesus challenged the religious leaders of his day in Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” True justice, mercy and faithfulness necessitate stewardship and generosity.

Next, I give because by doing so; I participate in the ministry of the gospel. As Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 9 in his defense of gospel workers being remunerated for their service, “Who serves as a soldier at his own expense, who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit, or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.’ Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” Paul then goes on to point out in verse 15, “But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision….What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” The Apostle clearly links giving with the propagation of the gospel. 

Finally, by giving I leave a legacy and example for my children and grandchildren. It is always important to remind ourselves that the Kingdom of God is greater than ourselves and will extend far beyond our lifetime and influence. If I want my children to know the joy of a life lived unselfishly then I must exemplify it before them.

In the words of Christ, "Give and it shall be given to you". 

The Best Teacher Ever is....

I must have been at least five or six years old at the time, riding with my Dad and my great Uncle in the cab of my Dad’s truck, this was before the days of seat belts and child protective seats, I was probably standing in the middle of the seat, it’s a wonder I survived my childhood. I can’t remember where we were going and perhaps that was what prompted me to ask the question; “Where are we going?” At first glance it seems like an innocent enough question, but what I failed to mention was that in the middle of my innocent question I added a not so innocent four-letter word. The word was “Hell” and I wasn’t using it in the Biblical sense. I was using it more in the sense of “Where the hell are we going!” like a drunken sailor looking for the “open all night house of ill repute” sense; I was mature for my age.

My Dad didn’t respond, I think my Uncle laughed, but when we got home my Dad and I had a little talk. You understand, of course, when I say, “talk” neither one of us, said a whole lot. Unless you count belt talking to buttocks, in that case there was a virtual gabfest-taking place, like a politician at a Toastmasters' convention. It was serious when my Dad and I had those kinds of talks. I can count on one hand the times we had those talks. Now Mom, and me it seemed were talking all the time. But my Dad was an excellent teacher, and on this occasion he taught me not to use that particular four letter word, unless I wanted to end up there, something, it seemed, he would see to personally.

I had a lot of good teachers in my life. In Jr. High I had Coach Davis for all things Physical Education related. Now from my eighth grade perspective this guy was the epitome of athleticism. He was the football coach, the track coach, and the Physical Education and Health teacher. He was Mr. Macho and at fourteen, I was Mr. Not-So. I’m not entirely sure why, perhaps it was due to my lightning speed or my massive physic (can you hear the sarcasm?) I was deemed not worthy for athletic endeavors. So Coach Davis selected me to be the track manager. If you are wondering what exactly a track manager does well let me tell you. As track manager I managed to bring all the athletes water when they needed a drink, I managed to load and unload the bus, and I managed to do whatever Coach Davis told me to do. Coach Davis taught me to be dependable, on time, and that no task was unimportant.

Somewhere around this time I joined the 4-H club, I used to remember what the four H’s stood for, but no longer. What I do remember is that in 4-H each member was responsible for developing a certain skill and mine was to be public speaking. The time came for me to demonstrate this skill, and I worked really hard on preparing my speech. I quoted Ronald Reagan, took a hard-line stance against abortion and lamented the burden of high taxes and large government on the middle class. I was a great young republican. Of course this freaked my Dad out, who was a die-hard democrat, so much so that he once expressed his anxiety that if Teddy Kennedy was the nominee, he would have to vote for him. But I digress, my speech was prepared, I had a great introduction, a substantive body, and a strong conclusion; I was ready to wow the 4-H constituency with my oratorical talents. One problem, when the time came to deliver my speech, I experienced what Americans cite as their number one fear, and a big problem for anyone with aspirations of public speaking greatness, the fear of public speaking. I was very good at the preparation part and did a great job delivering my speech, to the mirror, it was other people, commonly referred to as an audience that I was having trouble with. The time arrived and my mother and I got in the car to travel to the great hall for me to make my debut as the world’s greatest orator, a virtual Cicero, it was about this time that Cicero developed laryngitis. I could not, I would not speak, and I told my mother so.

Now normally I would not describe my mother as a tenacious woman, but for some reason, on this particular day she grew a pair. Perhaps she had heard me practicing, maybe she sensed that I had some talent or maybe she just wasn’t going to drive all the way to town only to disappoint my audience that was awaiting my speech. So finally after a few circles around the parking lot, I knew there was no backing out I would have to face my speaker apprehension and boldly deliver the speech of a lifetime. Looking back I really owe my mother a great deal, especially for this, she forced me to discover the one thing, at least the one big thing in life that I’m really good at, speaking. Turns out I can talk the paint off a fence post. I learned this the day my mother taught me to face my fear, open my mouth and speak. I conquered my fear, my mother was proud, and my audience was blown away, I know this because they told me so, all four of them.

I’ve been blessed with a lot of good teachers in my life. Someone once said the best time to plant an oak tree is one hundred and twenty years ago, the next best time is today. This is a great description of teaching; it is the planting of seeds that will one day produce a great harvest. Jesus called the Holy Spirit a teacher in John chapter fourteen. Perhaps of all the teachers I’ve had the Holy Spirit has been the most effective, because the Spirit continues to teach me on a daily basis and unlike earthly teachers never turns out to be wrong or mistaken. The Holy Spirit is always current, well read, thoroughly prepared and never boring. Each day is an adventure in learning and growing. My Dad, Mom, and Coach Davis, taught me well. The Holy Spirit will one day deliver me to my final exam, and according to God’s word the grade will be well done.

Three ways Christians can make a difference

I had the opportunity to attend a lecture at Arkansas State University that dealt a very difficult and controversial subject. The topic of the lecture was the compatibility of Evolution and the Christian faith.
The young lady presenting did a good job of articulating her passion that science and Christianity do not have to be at odds with one another over this particular issue. And I was happy to speak with her afterwards and hear her affirm her belief in the resurrection of Christ. At this point I won't address the content of the lecture. But I did want to describe my general impressions that I took away from the presentation, and how I believe what I experienced is instrumental in helping us advance the gospel of Christ.

James 4:6 says "But He gives more grace. Therefore it says "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

As Christians we are not called to segregate ourselves from the culture, the sciences, the arts, or any aspect of life. There are three important concepts we must remember when we are challenged to proclaim the gospel in these arenas.

1. We must maintain a posture of humility. Humility isn't timidity or weakness. But rather it is a quiet strength that comes from a clear understanding of the difference the gospel of Christ has made in our lives. With an understanding of who we are in Christ, we can be content knowing that we do not have to 'know' everything. And that humility should encourage us to study, work, and diligently apply the knowledge we do have always guided by the truth that our capacity to learn is not finite.

2. For the Christian, there is no secular/sacred divide. For many who would claim to be a part of the Christian church, the mistake is often made that 'church' is just something that happens on Sunday, but has no real impact on the rest of their lives. However the New Testament knows nothing of a cultural Christianity alone. If we are to truly represent the difference Christ expects us to make in the world, we must be engaged with every aspect of society.

3. We must work to seek first to understand if we are to be understood. Far too many Christians make assumptions about what others believe, and we often lump groups of people together with sweeping generalizations. In order to make a greater impact on others we must be willing to develop relationships with others, even with those with whom we disagree.

I believe it is God's intention that we make a difference in the world. In order to do so we must continue to be the 'salt and light' that Jesus says we are. There are many challenges in the culture and in the world but God by His grace calls us to demonstrate the love of Christ on a daily basis. This begins with a clear understanding of "Who we are in Christ" which moves us to "What we do for Christ" May our activity as Christians always follow our identity as Christians.

"But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect."-1 Peter 3:15