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Archive for June, 2009

20
Jun

What is the Church?

Mark Driscoll’s talk on “What is the Church?” is a tremendous resource. As a leader, what he says concerning about church discipline and about growing churches is great advice. While I’m not a Calvinist I tend to agree with Driscoll far more than I disagree. And in this case I’m 100% on board.

11
Jun

Difficulty in ministry is not an oxymoron

I wonder why peoeple think ministry is supposed to be soooo good. I wonder why we expect things to always go their way. I wonder why we think that just because we are willing to be obedient that we should be rewarded immediately. If anything we should expect God to ask us to do things like wait, and do it for a long time.

Yesterday I read Ezekial 4. I mean God, in an effort to return Israel’s hearts back to God, commands Ezekial to be an example of the eventual siege of Jerusalem. Doesn’t sound too bad, but it required that Ezekial be bound laying on his left side for 390 days. Then he gets to turn over and lay on his right side for an additional 40 days.
After experiencing about 21 days of sitting on my butt with out much ability to do anything I can’t imagine what being tied up for 390 days would be like. I mean how does one go to the bathroom or eat laying on their side bound by ropes for 390 days. Who is their right mind would sign up for that kind of abuse?
Yet somehow an aire of entitlement has settled on many who are entering or are in ministry, and they just aren’t willing to undergo that kind of abuse on behalf of God and for the sake of unrepentant people. It is not supposed to be a real glorious job of book signings, and six figure salaries, and news interviews, and conference speaking engagements. Many of us may be asked to lie on our sides for a while.
9
Jun

Gotta Listen

I can’t take props for this. Perry Noble pointed me to it on his post today. But if you listen to any podcast this year you could not go wrong in listening to Matt Chandler’s talk at Advance 09. I haven’t listened to the rest of them, because I’m listening to Matt now for the second time. I may need to add him to the regularly scheduled podcasts. May God lead us to repentance of doing anything but lift up the name and character of Jesus Christ as leaders of His church – even if it costs us everything.

Matt’s the lead pastor at The Village.
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