Leaving the Faith by Losing the Focus

19 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Gospel, Ministry; Leadership;, Mission, Theology, trials

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Cross, discipleship, endurance, faith, falling away, Hebrews, Ministry, struggling, walking away

This post originally appeared on The Exchange with Ed Stetzer. You can click here for the original article.

Another high-profile Christian voiced his decision to “fall away” from faith. To be fair, Marty Sampson did walk back the position, saying that “he hasn’t renounced the faith.” Nevertheless, both Sampson and Josh Harris chose to invite the public in their season of struggle and straying.

As one would imagine, such public displays of de-affection has led to a range of reactions from the social media sphere—support, shock, and outrage, to name just a few. As we all wrestle with such public vulnerability and rawness, we must always begin with prayer for those who are struggling, and those who have laid the proverbial line in the sand regarding their denial of the Christian faith.

As we pray, there are two particular things I believe those secure in the faith can do. First, we can seek to understand why such people fall away. Second, we can discern and devise ways we can strengthen our discipleship environments to allow the full spectrum of seekers and strugglers have safe environments to belong, become, and believe (and keep on believing).

To help our understanding of why people wander or are tempted to wander from the faith, we can look at the Book of Hebrews, which addresses the need for endurance to not fall away and the environment that tempts one to fall away.

The Endurance to Not Fall Away

The writer of Hebrews addresses believers who were undergoing severe persecution to the point that they were tempted to waver in the faith. So the author writes a letter aimed at encouraging them to endure. In Chapter 11, we find the “Hall of Faith”—and these words:

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by it our ancestors won God’s approval. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. (v. 1–3)

In an environment where people experienced pain and suffering, which ignited feelings that buffeted their faith, the author described the essence of faith. Faith isn’t about the reality of the moment, but on that which is hoped for. Faith is something you believe, even though you cannot tangibly see it nor fully explain it.

And it is faith that receives the approval of God.

After briefly describing the essence of faith, the author moves to provide examples of Old Testament saints who exercised faith. Abraham, for example, was told by a God he just met to leave his hometown and go to “a place” that this God would show him. And he went!

Although Abraham is a fallen and flawed individual with a roller-coaster life of obedience and disobedience, he had a fixated faith. He believed God. Not only did he believe God—which was accounted as righteousness—but he believed he was moving towards a city built and established by God.

God wired all of us in a very complex pattern of mind, heart, spirit. All of us have emotions we feel.

But faith is not about fixating your mind on the feelings of the moment, but on directing your heart towards the promised future.
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Many of those who have followed God had to discover this reality:

Take Abraham, who lied to Pharaoh when he felt afraid.
Sarah felt desperate and told Abraham to sleep with Hagar.
Moses killed an Egyptian when he felt indignation.

But each of them overcame their doubts, fears, and anger and continued on living faithful and faith-filled lives towards the future promise. And what was the future promise? Jesus. The Son of God who is higher than the angels, greater than Moses, instituter of a superior covenant, the perfect sacrifice for sin, the King of the unshakeable kingdom, and the steadfast anchor of the soul.

For the Old Testament saints, fixating their eyes on the future promise balanced their lives when buffeted by feelings of doubt, anxiety, and fear. And just to think that the author of Hebrews describes the New Testament saints having been provided something better (Heb. 11:40)!

The bottom line is that when our lives are centered around feelings, they become shaky; but when our lives are centered around faith in Christ, they become secure.
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The Environment that Tempts One to Fall Away

But what’s the environment today that is making people like Josh Harris and Marty Sampson question and even walk away from the faith? For starters, it’s not like the environment the audience of Hebrews experienced. Today, there may be philosophical, relational, and verbal hostility towards those of the Christian faith, but not life-threatening hostility as many of our brothers and sisters face in other parts of the world.

The cultural environment in which the Church of the West now find herself is one that is pluralistic, skeptical, hyper-individualized, personalized, and syncretized.

Our culture operates as a marketplace of competing ideas. Therefore, is truth real? Is there really one way to God? To heaven? This pluralism, coupled with a dismal track record of institutional and authoritative integrity, has caused systemic skepticism.

People question everything. But not only that, our culture is one of hyper-individualization and personalization where the individual’s needs and desires are prioritized over others. Given this cultural landscape, there’s a syncretistic tendency for individuals to craft their own morals, views, and standards to create a worldview and micro-narrative that works for them.

The church is bombarded with these cultural mortars daily. And at the heart, the Christian faith runs counter-culture to many of these environmental mortar shells. And what I think happens is that over time these shells have a tendency to test the faith of Christians by tempting them to take their eyes off Jesus.

For example, my takeaways from Marty Sampson’s post were:

Pastors fall
Christians can be the most judgmental people
No one talks about the hard issues of Christianity
The Bible is full of contradictions
How God can be love but then send people to hell
The Christian faith is not for me
Christianity seems to me like any other religion

Question….where’s Jesus?

There’s something similar with Josh Harris’ post. If you read his post in its entirety, there’s nothing about Jesus.

On a deeper dive, it seems that the Christian faith—that they once so boldly declared—ceased working for these men.

All the reasons why they are leaving the faith or struggling with the faith have little to do with the actual essence of the Christian faith—Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

Without knowing these men, it seems that what transpired—and we will continue to see it in the lives of others as we move further into this century—is that they grew weary trying to understand, interpret, communicate, and explain the infinite through the lens and to the lives of the finite.

And as a result, focusing on the secondary and tertiary issues of the Christian faith allowed their eyes to wander from the author and perfecter of the faith.

Anytime we take our eyes of Jesus during turbulent storms—be that physical, philosophical, practical or emotional storms—we drift away from Jesus. [Peter is the poster-child for this.]
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Exhortation and Conclusion

To the Joshs and Martys of the world, I get the difficulty of navigating the intersection of the Christian faith (and all the voices present there) and contemporary culture. I understand the emotions, the doubts, and the skepticism that such a congested chaotic environment can cause. And I truly believe there’s no shame in doubting, questioning, wrestling, and even struggling with the unknowns of how our faith intersects with a broken and finite world.

On the other hand, like the author of Hebrews did to believers living in a hostile land in the first century, let me remind us all that lying at the core of our faith is the King of Glory who died, was buried, rose from the dead, and sits at the right hand of God. And he is in the process of making all things new.

Therefore, don’t give up. Don’t walk away. Endure! “Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Heb. 10:35–36).

Indeed, there’s a mystery to the faith, but there’s also a great master and perfecter of our faith who conquered death and sin. Resist the temptations to take your eyes of Jesus. Rather, as the old hymn suggest,

Turn your eyes to Jesus and look full into his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Angry Religious Mobsters

22 Monday Apr 2019

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Gospel, Mission, trials

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discipleship, Easter, gospel, Love, Mercy, Mission, Missional Engagement, religion

I hope all believers had an incredible Easter! Obviously, Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. Now a few days earlier—prior to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead—you see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to the Father about what was soon coming. In the darkness of night, while Jesus engages and communes with the Father, a mob incited by religious leaders, led by the betrayer (Judas), confronts the soon to be Suffering Servant.

Fast-forward 2,000+ years later, and you still find angry mobs attacking Jesus—namely His followers. For instance, on Easter Sunday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, there were a series of explosions at churches and hotels. According to one report, at least 138 people were killed while hundreds more were hospitalized. [Let us pray for our brothers and sisters there in Colombo.]

When I think of an angry mob, I not only envision the group who went to arrest Jesus, or the suicide bombers that wage jihad, I also think about the Crusaders that sought to recover the Holy Land, the Reformed brethren who persecuted and killed Anabaptists, and the Puritans of the Salem Witch Trials who pursued and arrested those who were or were rumored to be witches.

But, these aren’t the only groups that I picture. I also envision the conspirators who participate in secret church meetings to take back their church and Twitter trolls seeking to devour the person or persons caught up in the latest controversy or scandal.

I want you to imagine with me that you are part of one of the mobs mentioned above. What emotion best describes you at the moment you pick up the proverbial torch and pitchfork? Love? Mercy? Forgiveness? Fear? Anger? Hatred? Vengeance? Then, what’s the motivation that best describes the reason you are picking up the torch and pitchfork? Correction of the person or persons? Redemption? Destruction? Elimination?

Of the mobs that I’ve mentioned, what do they have in common? In one way or another, they are religiously devout. You could call them, “Angry religious mobsters.”

In the remainder of this post, I want to outline three characteristics of angry religious mobsters.

1-Angry religious mobsters attack out of fear or self-preservation

The first characteristic of angry religious mobsters is either fear or self-preservation—or a combination of both. Just think of the religious leaders that incited the mob against Jesus. What was their reasoning in doing so?

It wasn’t because they wanted to protect Rome. Ultimately, they were protecting their own hide. With Jesus’ rising popularity with the people, their position and power were threatened. In addition, Jesus’ teaching threatened their religious system and all their traditions. Out of fear of what would be if Jesus’ ministry continued, and out of self-preservation of their own way of life, they came against Jesus.

You might be an angry religious mobster if you attack based upon the fear of losing your religion.

2-Angry religious mobsters attack in the name of God

Don’t miss this! Devout, religious Jews with all the credentials of morality and spirituality led the mob efforts to seek justice against Jesus, the so-called heretic, in the name of God. And in doing so, believed in the justness of their crusade.

The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, attacked Christians in the name of God. He believed his means were both righteous and just. However, when he met and gave his life to Christ—following Christ as his King and Redeemer—Paul realized the true posture Christ wanted His followers to have towards the world. Rather than attack them in the name of God—in an attempt to preserve their own religion—Christ wanted them to attract them to God through love.

Angry religious mobsters always use God as the crux of why they attack others. The posture one takes towards others, reveals the posture of the God or gods they claim to be representing. In other words, how you engage or treat others—even those who think, behave, and believe differently than you—represents how your God or gods would engage and treat the same people. For followers of Jesus, there is never a God-ordained reason why we should attack, malign, hurt, or demonize an individual or group.

If God so loved the world that He gave His Son for their sins, shouldn’t we so love the world that we give them a break from the wrath of our anger born out of fear and self-preservation?

A Christian never has the right to be cruel.

3-Angry religious mobsters attack to destroy

If you asked the elders or chief priests that instigated the mob against Jesus what they were after, they would tell you justice and destruction. They wanted to seek justice on the man whom they considered a heretic. In addition, they wanted to destroy the man and his ministry.

In short, they were out for blood.

I’ve heard many times people say that the reason why they forcefully come against another is to hold that person or persons accountable. There are two thoughts I have about this sentiment.

First, most of the time, the force for which someone goes after another isn’t for accountability, it’s for destruction. They want to destroy the person’s character, position, or life. And that’s not accountability, that’s assassination. Some would even call it justice. I wouldn’t. I would call it judgement.

Second, accountability happens in relationship. And accountability in relationship typically has an element of redemption and restoration. If you are in relationship with someone, and you want to hold them accountable regarding harmful or questionable behavior emanating from their life, you come “to” them not “against” them with the hope of their transformation.

You can’t hold one accountable if there is no relationship. Now, someone might come back and say, what about the justice system? They hold citizens accountable, don’t they? True, But the justice and legal system is based upon one’s relationship with the state through the laws they established. The legal system is based upon the expectations of the citizenry.

Angry religious mobsters come against their foes with the intent to destroy. They will break rules; they will lie; they will gossip; they will rally support from unlikely alliances; they will quote misinformation. In short, they will stop at nothing—they will pull out all stops—to achieve their goal of eliminating the threat.

In closing, I want to go back to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the angry mob approached Jesus in the garden, Peter, interestingly, drew his sword—now what he was doing with a sword, I don’t know—and cut off the high priest servant’s ear. Jesus rebukes Peter and tells him to put down his sword.

Essentially, Jesus tells Peter that there’s another way to go about engaging your enemies, opponents, foes, rivals, etc.

Rather than taking up a sword to slash His enemies, Jesus took up a cross to die for them.

The way of Christ should be followed by His disciples. When we take up His way to engage the foe, the adversary, the opponent, the rival, there will be far less sword slashing and far more cross bearing. There will be less picking up our pitchforks and torches and more of taking up our cross. And this is a difference between those who have a religion to preserve verses a relationship to proclaim.

Pre-Clean Before the Deep Clean

02 Tuesday Apr 2019

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Gospel, Ministry; Leadership;, Theology

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Christian Living, Church, discipleship, gospel, Heart, Ministry, religion

We have decided in the Laxton house to hire someone to clean our home a couple times a month. Given our busy schedules both at work and chauffeuring the kids back and forth from their events, we thought it best to hire someone to help us keep our house clean.

On the eve before the cleaning person started, my wife frantically goes around barking orders at everybody to clean the house for the “cleaning lady.” I’m sitting and listening to this thinking to myself(because I don’t want to upset momma; because when momma’s not happy, no one is happy), “What? This is crazy! We have to clean the house for the “cleaning” person?” For a man, it didn’t make sense. However, Joannie explained it a little more to me and then it still didn’t make much sense. [Ladies, what can I say…I’m a man.]

This got me thinking about how some Christians communicate (whether unintentionally or intentionally) about “cleaning up” our lives, and how many outside the church view themselves before darkening the doors of a church building or thinking about giving their life over to God.

Here’s the misconception: We think we need to pre-clean before Christ does a deep clean.

Like I said, Christians communicate whether intentionally or unintentionally that there’s some self-effort that goes into cleaning up a person’s life before Christ comes in to do a deep clean. My feeling is that this is unintentional. In other words, churches don’t really know they are doing it. But they do so through their posture.

The posture of many churches communicates to people that you need to be a certain kind of person to make it here. Your worldview can’t be too crazy. You need to be somewhat moral and decent. You need to use a PG (or at the most PG-13) language. You need to do a little bit of homework so that you can understand a smidgen of what’s going on—since few will do anything to try and reach communicatively where you might be. In short, you need to be somewhat put together.

Such a posture communicates to “dirty” people that they need to have some things straightened out before Jesus does a deep clean in their life. This kind of posturing frustrates people with already dirty lives. Just like our house, we knew it was dirty. We knew it wasn’t put together. That’s why we “hired” someone to clean it. So, being told to clean it before the professional cleaning person came was frustrating. In essence, we were being told to do something we had yet to do.

When churches posture their engagement this way with a lost world that waddles in their dirty sin, they wind up pushing them further away. When the church (even unintentionally) communicates that a dirty world must do some pre-cleaning prior to attending Christian community, they tell them to do something they don’t know how to do and to do something that only Jesus can fully do.

One of the glories of the story of the Gospel is that “dirty” people found Jesus attractive. They encountered Jesus in all their filth. There was no pre-cleaning that happened. Sure, some were cleaned after encountering Jesus, others left still in their mess. Nevertheless, they encountered Jesus in all their nastiness.

Dirty people found Jesus attractive.

The church must have a posture where people in all their filth feel safe enough to encounter the glorious Christ. If not, we aren’t as much like Jesus as we imagine. Truthfully, I believe the church, by in large, has a lot of work to do in reimagining such a posture where “unclean” people feel comfortable enough to approach. [Hint: we can start by realizing that we don’t have it all together. We might dress up and play a good part, but we all have our own mess and our own struggles. We call this vulnerability and authenticity. Those two places are a good start in creating a safe environment. Never forget the difference between a believer and an unbeliever is Jesus. It’s not our morality or how we seem to have it all together. It’s simply Jesus!]

Never forget the difference between a believer and an unbeliever is Jesus.

The other thought that’s a misconceptionis when people think they need to clean their life up before coming to God. If I had to guess, this misconception finds its roots in shame. In other words, people are ultimately ashamed of who they are, what they do, and how they feel. They feel they don’t add up. They feel they aren’t enough. They feel defeated. Thus, they feel shame.

Shame is a powerful deterrent from God. It is what drove Adam and Eve into hiding. Because there’s this innate feeling that we don’t add up to a being that (if He exists) is transcendent. And so the thought goes, if God is real, and He is who He says He is, then I need to get my act together before I come and bask in His presence—much less join His family.

The overall thrust of this way of thinking is what most religions teach. You work your way out of shame into God’s good graces. In other words, you pre-clean your house before God does the final clean. But, that in no way is the Gospel message. You don’t have to pre-clean your house. You don’t have to tidy up the home of your heart. Jesus comes into the darkest and dirtiest residences and makes them miraculously new.

You don’t have to tidy up the home of your heart. Jesus comes into the darkest and dirtiest residences and makes them miraculously new.

Some might come back and say, “That sounds all well and good. But what happens if I make it dirty again.” Truthfully, it’s not “if” you will make a mess again, it’s “when” you make a mess again. What makes the Gospel so unbelievable is that Jesus not only comes to clean the home of your heart, but to make your heart His home. Jesus has covenanted (not contracted) to not only do a deep clean justifying your past, present, and future sin, but to work with you to bring about a sanctifying cleanse where you become more like Him. Over time you will have less and less mess.

What makes the Gospel so unbelievable is that Jesus not only comes to clean the home of your heart, but to make your heart His home.

In closing, I ultimately realized why my wife asking our children to pre-clean before the professional cleaner came. However, when it comes to our lives, I’m grateful that Jesus doesn’t ask us to do some pre-cleaning before He does His deep clean. I’m grateful that Jesus enters into our mess and chaos (regardless of how bad we think it is) and not only cleans it but takes up residence to keep it clean as He leads us to our glorious future home—eternal life with Him in the new city.

Your Church Might Be A Country Club If… (Part 1)

25 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Gospel, Kingdom, Leadership, Ministry; Leadership;, Mission, Uncategorized

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Church, Church Leadership, Country Clubs, discipleship, gospel, leadership, Mission

I have been involved at three country clubs in my life. The first CC was under my parents’ membership in Covington, TN. The second CC was as an employee serving as the assistant to the golf pro in Canton, GA. The third was at an affordable club I found in Louisville a few years back. Let me just say, I have an affinity for golf!

I’ve also grown up in the church and have been in vocational ministry for almost 20 years—serving as a Lead Pastor for the past 12. Let me say, with all her blemishes and imperfections (of which I am a part), I love the church!

Having been a part of both country clubs and churches—as well as studying the North American landscape—I think for many Christians it’s easy to confuse country club membership with church membership. In this two-part blog, I want to highlight eight identifiers (four in each post) that your church might be a country club.

Keep in mind, Jesus didn’t die for the church to be a country club. Jesus died and rose again for the church to be a commissioned conduit to take the good news to the ends of the earth!

With that in mind, here are four identifiers that your church might be a country club.

1—Your church might be a country club if the goal is to keep members happy.

A country club is a service provider. For many, they provide golfing, swimming, tennis, dining, and entertainment services. Thus, if their services don’t appeal and appease the members, they will soon experience a decrease in membership. As a result, if members complain about the conditions of the locker rooms, the quality of the greens, the attire of the staff, or the taste of the food, country clubs will work to rectify the problem. A club’s future and sustainability is fueled by the satisfaction of the members.

A church, on the other hand, is a mission vehicle. A church’s goal isn’t to keep members happy consuming a service, but to equip members to be sent out proclaiming and demonstrating good news. However, many churches have been turned into country clubs as they field an onslaught of complaints and suggestions. When churches are crafted into the image of consumers they distort the image of their Savior.

2—Your church might be a country club if the leaders are seen more like a board of directors.

Many country clubs have a group of people called the board of directors that oversee the activities and effectiveness of the organization. In short, the board is mostly comprised of business people that are mainly concerned with two things: membership happiness and the club’s bottom line. Thus, board of directors are inclined to measure a club’s success based upon the bottom line of bodies and budgets.

In the New Testament, church leaders were never referred to of as a board of directors, but as apostles, pastors (elders), evangelists, shepherds, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). And these leaders were to equip the members for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Did you catch that? Those who belong to the church are to do work! Gospel work! I don’t know about your club, but I never experienced my club calling for a work day for members to tidy up the property. Members pay others to do the work so that they can enjoy the benefits of the club.

Church leaders aren’t a board of directors but a body of developers.

Beware, churches that are primarily built on a country club mentality will experience a bottom-line effect when they have leaders that call members to work—getting their hands dirty—for the sake of God’s glory and others’ good.

3—Your church might be a country club if people with affluence carry all the influence.

For many, membership to a country club carries a connotation of status and wealth. Our culture is conditioned to treat those of status and wealth differently than those without the position or the deep pockets. I’ve witnessed first-hand how the owner of a multi-million-dollar company received preferential treatment compared to the retiree who drove a UPS truck. It’s not that the retiree was treated poorly, he just didn’t carry the weight the million-dollar business man did.

I’ve also witnessed first-hand in the church world how status and wealth can get one a prominent place of influence in the church. Never mind the person of affluence swims in a theological, missional, and spiritual kiddie-pool. Yet, because of the influence his affluence provides him, he is able to bend the ears of the board of directors (leaders), which ultimately gives direction to the bent of the church.

Affluence should not be a factor for giving one influence in the church. People that should be given a voice and weight are those who exhibit an authentic and deep abiding love for Jesus and His mission.

Success in business doesn’t mean maturity in mission.

4—Your church might be a country club if the membership is homogenous.

There’s seldom diversity in club members. Most members are cut from the same piece of cloth. They live in the same area, go to the same schools, dress the same way, vote for the same political party, etc. In short, most country clubs are set up for homogeneity.

The church, however, was birthed for diversity. With the mission to create a peoplefrom all peoples, Jesus envisioned a diverse church—a third race as some have expressed. Therefore, churches should be about engaging, reaching, and cultivating the diversity represented in the community around them. Therefore, churches should experience racial, cultural, socio-economic, political, and to some extent denominational diversity. In doing so, the church demonstrates the in-breaking reign of God to unite a people from all peoples through the blood of the Lamb!

In closing, I’m for both country clubs and churches. Given my affinity for golf, I understand the benefits and environments of country clubs. Given my love for Jesus and having studied His affection and mission for the church, I understand who the church is and what the church is to do. But the two entities are entirely different! A church isn’t a country club, and a country club isn’t a church.

Listening is an A.R.T.

10 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Ministry; Leadership;, Preaching, Uncategorized

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congregational life, corporate worship, discipleship, Preaching

As I was taking my eldest son to school this morning, I asked him “if he learned anything from the message yesterday?” He replied that he did, to which I eagerly asked, “What did you learn?” Then I got the preteen recording, “I don’t know!” I’m learning a lot at this phase of parenting, but I’m pretty sure it meant, “I don’t want to talk about it dad, so can you just leave me alone?” But being the stubborn yet loving father I am, we talked out what the weekend message was about.

My conversation with my son got the wheels turning for a follow up to a blog I wrote a few weeks back titled, “Preaching is an A.R.T.” Now I would like to write one titled, “Listening is an A.R.T.”

For most churches, the bulk of the time set aside for the corporate worship gathering is the message. It is expected that the pastor is ready to deliver a biblically-sound, attention-keeping, and culturally-applicable talk. In short, it is expected that the pastor has come prepared to deliver. And I understand this completely.

But here’s a question for all my brothers and sisters and other church leaders who aren’t the main teacher on the weekends: Do you come prepared to the weekend corporate gatherings to listen and receive a word from your Father? Just as there is a burden for pastors/teachers to deliver the teaching of the Word of God, there is also a burden for believers to listen and receive the teaching of the Word. As I want to come and give God and the church my best, I desire that everyone come and give God and the church their best. Both are an A.R.T.

As I’ve explained how preaching is an A.R.T. (in a prior blog post), let me explain what I mean that listening is an A.R.T.

A—Attune your heart to God. The psalmist exclaims, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Ps 122:1). There was joy in the psalmist’s heart in anticipating going to the house of the Lord to worship. Attuning one’s heart to God prior to corporate worship is setting one’s focus on what they are anticipating to experience once they get there.

Corporate worship is about gathering with the people of God to meet with God.

If I am to go to a Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert, I’m going to set my heart on hearing them and being part of their show. If I am to go to Disney World, I’m going to set my heart on seeing and experiencing Mickey Mouse and all that entails. In the same way, if I’m supposed to be gathering together with my brothers and sisters and meeting with God, then I should be setting my heart on seeing, experiencing, anticipating, and meeting with Him. I think a reason why some leave corporate worship empty, dissatisfied, and disappointed is because they attuned their heart for consumption not consecration. This leads me to my next point.

R—Resist being a Critic. If you attune your heart for consumption not consecration you will see yourself as a consumer and thus a critic. I understand we live in a consumeristic culture. When we go to a restaurant, we expect to order something specific off the menu. If that specific item comes out any other way than what we like, we have a tendency to either send it back or voice our displeasure to a manager for our poor experience. Although our bellies may be full when we leave, our hearts our empty because it wasn’t quite the experience we enjoyed.

For a little over a decade I lived as a consumer and thus a critic in the corporate worship gatherings I attended when I wasn’t the one preaching. Because I was so “learned,” instead of listening to what the preacher/pastor was saying I was making mental notes of what he said that he could say better as well as what he didn’t say that he should have. As you could imagine, I would leave empty because I was so disappointed with what I had just experienced. It wasn’t until I resisted being a critic of preachers and seeing myself as a child in need of hearing from the Father that I began to hear God speak. In other words, I started to hear from God when I changed the way I viewed and attended corporate worship.

Corporate worship wasn’t about me going to critique someone, but it was about me going to hear from someone—my heavenly FATHER.

T—Take notes on the Message. I hear the argument all the time, “Our culture’s attention span continues to decrease,” therefore we need to have shorter sermons. In all honesty, I don’t think sermon length is necessarily the issue. But here’s what I do know. There are a lot of things in our culture that keep the attention of people. Two to four-hour ball games. Two-hour movies. My kids can sit for hours on end—if my wife and I let them—and play video games. Thus, the problem when it comes to listening to talks, messages, or sermons (or whatever you want to call them) isn’t a length problem, it is an engagement problem.

Think about it this way. If you go to a movie that you don’t care for, you are more inclined to be disengaged. Therefore, if you had a long week and are tired, you might find yourself dosing off in that particular movie. Or what if a friend invites you to see a ballgame, but the team you are really interested in isn’t playing. As a result, you don’t necessarily mind being late to the game. You don’t mind going to the concession stand during important plays. In short, your lack of interest leads to a lack of engagement.

Therefore, I believe shorter sermons aren’t necessarily the answer for disengaged people. It doesn’t matter how short or long the message is, disengaged people will be disengaged. Thus, the answer to the A.R.T. of listening—and thus engagement—is note taking. If a small business owner had the opportunity to sit down with Jeff Bezos for 45-minutes or more to talk about business and leadership, I bet they would bring something to jot down notes.

Corporate worship is an opportunity for God’s people to hear from God via one of His shepherds.

Regardless of how flawed or even how unqualified you may think the person is, God can use earthen vessels to deliver divine messages. If God can use a donkey to communicate, He sure can use people. In short, when it comes to taking notes remember this:

Consumers don’t write down what is said, learners do.

In closing, if you find yourself like my son, listening to a message but walking away not really knowing what you learned, then you might want to make some slight adjustments in how you view corporate worship gatherings. Start attuning your heart to God prior to the worship gathering. Tell God you’re eager and hungry to hear from Him. Ask God to speak through your pastor. Come with great anticipation and expectation to meet with God—not necessarily get your “needs” met. Resist the temptation to be critical. You’re not there to consume, but to listen and learn. Last, take notes. Note taking keeps one engaged and ready to highlight a word that the Father may want them to hear. The reality is, listening just like preaching is an A.R.T.

Dangerous Church

25 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Church, Discipleship, Mission, Uncategorized

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Christian Living, Church, Community, discipleship, Ministry, Mission

dan·ger·ous (ˈdānj(ə)rəs/)

Dangerous is an adjective which means, “able or likely to cause harm or injury.” It can also mean, “likely to cause problems or to have adverse consequences.”

Typically, when Americans think of the word “dangerous” they tend to think of a weapon, an object in the house, a kind of animal, a kind of person or group, an area of town, or a region of the world.

Those things that we think of as dangerous have the potentiality of causing an effect on us and our lives. When something is dangerous it yields a certain kind of power and authority towards those who consider it dangerous. In other words, when someone thinks something or someone is dangerous, there’s a respect and honor—even a fear—towards that something or someone.

If I had to guess, I don’t think people today (particularly in America or throughout much of the world) believe the church is dangerous. Sure, they may think that radical religious groups like the Westboro Baptist tribe is emotionally dangerous and/or a cultural nuisance. Yet, they don’t view the church, in and of itself, dangerous. In fact, many do see the church, by in large, as a menace and nuisance to society—not to mention irrelevant.

However, when it comes to the book of Acts, the church was dangerous. Now, before I go any further, let me clarify what I mean by “the church was dangerous.” Did the church cause bodily harm to people? No! In fact, they brought healing to people. Did they cause problems for religious people and their institutions? Yes. Did they cause problems in cities throughout the known world as people turned their life over to Christ proclaiming Him as King and God, not Caesar nor their pantheon of gods? Yes.

The harm induced by the church—the problems caused by the church—throughout the world in the first century, had to do with the kind of change and transformation the gospel brought into the lives of people, and thus, in the spaces they occupied. Isn’t this ultimately why the Jews and Romans killed Jesus? He was dangerous. He was a threat. He was causing harm and causing problems within their spheres of influence. He was disrupting their way of life, their religious system.

In this short post, I want to provide the “how” and “what” of becoming a dangerous church.

First, how do churches become dangerous? This past Sunday, I taught on Luke 9:23 where Jesus exclaims, “If anyone wishes to come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” I used the acronym D.I.E. (Deny themselves; Intend to be crucified to the world; and Emulate Jesus) to describe what it means to follow Jesus. In sum, to follow Jesus—and to access and download His life for us—we must D.I.E. daily to ourselves. In other words, to download the latest version of His life for us, we must kill the oldest version of us.

So just imagine what our churches would be like comprised of people who D.I.E. to themselves daily. Imagine the impact these churches would have in and on their communities and cities.

Those who D.I.E. become dangerous to those around them and the places and spaces they occupy.

Second, what does becoming a dangerous church look like? In other words, what are some of the characteristics displayed in churches that are dangerous? Based upon Acts 5:1–32, I believe there are at least five characteristics exhibited by a church that is dangerous.

They served a dangerous God. Early in this chapter, God takes out Ananias and Sapphira because of their lie and deception. They lied to church, and ultimately to God, about the amount for which they sold their property. A dangerous church has a dangerous God working in and among them to fulfill His mission. I find it interesting that in the same chapter, religious people are trying to protect their institutions and way of life through violence and threats. Dangerous churches never have to resort to violence and vehement threats to those who endanger their way of life and mission. Why? Because they serve a dangerous God who ultimately protects His people, His church. This doesn’t mean that we don’t shepherd, watching out for wolves in sheep’s clothing or ravenous lions looking to devour weak prey. It simply means we don’t have to fight fire with fire—violence with violence, nastiness with nastiness. We can trust in a sovereign, omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotent God who work in and through us to accomplish His will for His good pleasure.

They stood in awe of God. A couple of times in this chapter Luke tells the reader, “And great fear came upon” those who heard of what God had done—particularly with Ananias and Sapphira. The idea of “fear” invokes awe. There’s this healthy reverence and fear the church has towards God. When a church stands in awe of who God is and what He has done, is doing, and will do, they posture themselves submissively to God offering their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Him.

They embodied unity and togetherness. In the early days of the church, while God did many signs and wonders in their midst, they gathered consistently in Solomon’s Portico, a large outer-court where large numbers of people could gather. We also see in other places, whether it is in the Upper Room (Acts 1), devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to one another (Acts 2), or believing they were of one heart and soul (Acts 4), the early church wasn’t about individuals coming to a location to consume a religious experience but about individuals coming together to form a body (Jesus’ body) to live on mission. One person can make a difference, but a group (a body comprised of many) can alter history. Think about it. The only reason why Jesus altered history as we know it, was because He empowered His body to go into all the world. A dangerous church can only become dangerous when it is unified, moving and operating together in the power of the Spirit.

They bought in to Jesus’ comprehensive mission. Not only did they preach the gospel, they served the hurting, the needy, the broken, and the sick. They were serving and meeting the needs of so many people that it went out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to the point that people from the surrounding towns and villages started bringing the sick and afflicted to Jerusalem. As they physically met needs they spiritually pointed to Jesus—the hope and King of the world—who had come, lived, died, and rose again to make all things new.

They were willing to die. After being arrested, the apostles’ lives were threatened once again in Acts 5. They were told they had been warned and charged not to teach in the name of Jesus, yet they continue to do so. Peter, along with the other apostles, respond, “We must obey God rather than men.” And they go on to proclaim the gospel once more to these, already irritated, men. In the face of an angry religious mob, Jesus’ devoted apostles declare, “Kill us if you must, but we cannot disobey the command of our King.” This mentality makes the church extremely dangerous. And it is this kind of attitude that becomes the seedbed and fertilizer of God’s movement in the world. Church father, Tertullian, put it this way, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The world cannot stop people willing to die for what they believe in!

Are you dangerous? Are you part of a dangerous church? Do you realize you serve a dangerous God? Do you stand in awe of God? Do you embody a unity and togetherness with other believers? Have you bought in to Jesus’ comprehensive mission? And are you willing to die to and for the glory of Christ and His gospel? If so, those around you better watch out! For, when a dangerous church moves into an area or a city, that area and city—over time—will not be the same.

May it be said in our generation, from cities and communities throughout our land, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also” (Acts 17:6).

Gospel-Centered Parenting Made Easy

24 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Family, Gospel, Leadership, Uncategorized

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Christ-Centered, Christian Life, Christian Living, discipleship, Family, gospel, Grace

In our culture we are constantly looking for something to make life easier. We are looking for a communication device that makes communication easier. We are looking for a car that makes transportation easier. We are looking for a self-help book that gives counsel and advice that makes life—in a particular area—easier. And so when it comes to parenting or the functionality of family, there are people that are looking for a way to make it easier. In fact, a book that comes to mind is Kevin Leman’s book, Have a New Kid by Friday. Wow, any book whose title promises to give you a new child by Friday (especially when it’s already Tuesday afternoon) must have some principles that can be easily applied to make parenting easier J.

This past Sunday at Springdale we addressed gospel-centered parenting (or families) from Deuteronomy 6. (You can view the message here). Now I admit, the title of this blog is a little bit confusing and misleading because gospel-centered parenting, as we learned this past Sunday, is anything but easy. In fact, in our own power it is impossible. Studying for the message on gospel-centered parenting made it quite clear that I often fail miserably.

Although it is impossible to be a gospel-centered person, parent, or family without daily surrendering to King Jesus and asking the Spirt of God to fill us, there are some things we can practically do that can make the pursuit of gospel centrality easier.

Give yourselves grace, because God does. I think many parents put so much pressure on themselves to be a perfect parent that when they fail they beat themselves up. Maybe they let their anger get the best of them and go off on their child, and then for the rest of the day (or week) they constantly tell themselves that they’re such a horrible parent. Joannie and I call these times, Parent-Fail—times where we just blow it. And here’s the truth parents—and this goes for those who aren’t even parents—we will blow it! It’s a given. Although “positionally” in Christ, God sees us as perfect, practically (in practice) we are in the sanctification process of being conformed in the image of Christ. Also, I want to give a quick word to those parents who may have grown children. I know there are many parents with grown children who may not have known Christ when their child(ren) were under their roof, or who may not have been the gospel-centered parent they should have been. If that’s you, please know that God loves you and that His grace is sufficient for not only you, but your children. No matter how bad you blow it, or think you blow it, God loves you! He loves you despite your faults, failures, and imperfections. So, don’t beat yourself up over something that it is in the past. As Paul shares with believers in Philippians, “[forget] what lies behind and [strain] forward to what lies ahead…” (Phil 3:13). You cannot go back in time and change what is done. Thus, allow God’s grace to cover you.
Give Him your worry or concern. The Bible teaches us not to worry (Matt 6:25). Obviously that’s easier said than done—especially with regards to our children. We constantly worry. Parents worry about their child’s health; their friends; their academics; bullies (or them being a bully); their future; the [chaotic] world and them living in it; and their safety and security. In short, parents can be the quintessential worry wort. And I get it since I am a parent of three. However, here is a freeing truth: Jesus loves your children even more than you do! I know there are difficult situations, circumstances, issues, and tragedies that parents and children go through. But in all things, God loves you extravagantly and He is in the process of recreating and renewing the world and your life. And one day God will wipe away every tear from your eyes for He will finally and completely make all things new (Rev 21:5). Thus, in the meantime you can trust God supremely—even with your children—for He loves you extravagantly; and not only because He loves you, but because He is the sovereign King over the universe.
Give yourselves to making Jesus the hero of the home. James 1:16–17 states, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” The Bible teaches that every good thing that you have—your family, your spouse, your children, your health, your energy, your talents and abilities, your job, your paycheck, your house, your clothes, your food, your friends, your day offs, the vacations you take, creation, etc.—are gifts from God. As such, its important to be very quick to ingrain into your children that all the blessings of life that they enjoy have been gifted to them from their heavenly Father, their gracious King. For instance, Joannie and I have some pretty smart children. They do very well in school. I joke around and say they get their smarts from me. But, truthfully and biblically, their academic and intellectually abilities do not come from me (or even their mom who is wicked smart), they come from God. Thus, I constantly remind Caleb and Ellie that it is God who gives them the ability to do well in school. In addition, I make it a daily prayer with them that they turn around and use the gifts that God has given them to glorify and reflect His goodness and grace in their lives to those around them. Why? Because I want Jesus to be their hero! To make Jesus the hero of the home, is to (1) make much of him throughout the day and in all things, and (2) make sure your world lovingly revolves around His glory, His mission, and His word.
Give yourselves to living out an alternative reality of what it means to be human, to be a family, and to be a parent. In other words, constantly ask Christ, is this how You want us to live? Is this how You want us to respond? React? Do we need to say no to this? Say yes to that? Am I pleasing You with how I’m leading my family? Am I trusting You in this area? Are there any idols (smaller gods) I’m struggling with? What gospel-centered community (i.e., church) do You want us to be devoted and committed to? The truth is that gospel centrality is countercultural to the ways of the world—it’s a life that’s an alternative reality to that of the world. Gospel-centered parenting will be, according to those who do not know Christ, a whole different reality. As the world looks at the way you lead and shepherd your family, God desires that you become a window by which they get a glimpse of the kingdom of God. By asking yourselves these questions and more, you’ll keep God in the forefront of your lives and live in a manner where He takes up the preeminent place in your life, thereby allowing people to see what it means to live life centered around King Jesus.

In conclusion, gospel-centered living and parenting is impossible! Once again, the only way to be a gospel-centered person (and parent) is to love Jesus with all your heart, soul, and might. When you love Jesus as such, Jesus takes up residence as the centerpiece of your life by which all facets and areas of your life revolve. When this happens, through the power of the Spirit, Jesus lives both in you and through you. The four thoughts above—giving yourself to God’s grace, being worry-free because of your trust in Christ, making Jesus the hero of your home, and living an alternative reality—are meant to be reminders and aids for how you can surrender your life to King Jesus and allow him to do through you what He wants to do and what He alone can do.

The Ministry of the Towel: Service in the Vein of Jesus

17 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Discipleship, Gospel, Ministry; Leadership;, Service, Uncategorized

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Christ-Centered, Christian Living, Church, discipleship, gospel, John 13, Missional Living, Service

Towels play such a humble role in our lives. We use towels (whether regular or disposable) for a variety of reasons—drying off, cleaning up messes, laying on at the beach, etc. To be honest, I never really think of towels that often, yet they are so ingrained into the rhythms of my everyday life.

This past Sunday I asked the question, “What if towels (regular or disposable) ceased to exist?” How would their absence affect our lives? Not to be overdramatic here, but we would be dirtier, filthier, nastier, and messier. Could you imagine having to drip dry every day after exiting the shower? Could you imagine not having anything to clean the toilet with—especially the one where your 11-year-old has a tough time aiming 🙂

Thus, when thinking about the ministry of the towel, I’m sure we would all agree it makes us go WOW! Towels do so much to enhance our lives for the better.

Jesus, in John 13, takes upon Himself the ministry of the towel. Before sharing the Passover meal, Jesus disrobes his outer garments and wraps a towel around his waist, and after filling a basin full of water begins washing the disciples stinky, nasty, bunion-infested, feet. In doing so, Jesus assumes one of the lowliest positions and postures of the day—a Gentile servant/slave.

But why on earth would he serve like this?

Before answering this question, I think it’s important to understand why other philosophies, religions, and people serve today, which will show the distinction between their service and Jesus’ service (and the kind of service His followers should embrace).

Atheists serve for self-fulfillment and exaltation. Given that Atheists have no over-arching purpose in life other than self-glory and satisfaction, their service—if they do serve others—is for their own benefit and fulfillment.
Most religions who advocate service, do so for the purposes of gaining God’s favor, blessing, and even salvation. They serve not to [ultimately] give, but to [ultimately] receive. They give their time, talents, and treasures—their lives—as payment and penance to satisfy God.
Some serve out of moral compassion. It’s embedded within human nature to have moral compassion since we are created in God’s image. Usually service out of moral compassion is demonstrated in parents, family, friends, or a tragedy—whether natural disaster, terrorists attack, death, etc.—that grips our heart.
Some serve because they are forced or compensated. Some may call this the service industry. We pay people to serve us—massage our feet, clean our hotel rooms, give us manis and pedis, collect our trash, clean our house, wash our car, or cut our grass.
Some serve out of pride. We call these people “posers.” They are trying to be someone they are not. They give the impression that they are a servant, serving at the pleasure of other people, but what they are really doing is serving themselves.
Some serve out of insecurity. We call these people “people-pleasers.” People-pleasers constantly serve others through either their humble acts or their conciliatory attitude. Their motives for doing so is to build up their security (or self-esteem) in the eyes of what other people—whether their boss, friends, spouse, etc.—think of them.
Some serve to get a return. We call these people “shark-investors.” They see others as investments. Thus, they serve others only to the degree of their return, or what they will get back. A phrase that corresponds with this kind of service is, “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine.” Many politicians would fit into the category. They serve people and promise to do such and such in exchange for their support and vote.
Some serve to elevate their position and notoriety. We call these people “brown-nosers.” Brown-nosers constantly serve people in an attempt to be noticed to the degree that something good might happen to them—get a promotion, a raise, or an invitation to be in the “cool” crowd.

These are some of the many reasons why people serve others today. Yet, this is not why Jesus wrapped a towel around his waist and served His disciples by washing their feet. And these are not the reasons why we should serve and love people today. In observing Jesus’ service and love in John 13, there are at least three reasons why Jesus radically and humbly served and loved others. And these become the reasons why we should radically and humbly serve and love others today.

First, our love and service should be in the vein of Jesus’ love and service on the cross. When we serve, we should be demonstrating the way Jesus loved and served people when He went to the cross to die for the sins of the world. As such, our service and love should be sacrificial, selfless, and costly. Our service and love should strive to make Christ known among both our neighbors and the nations.

In addition, our love and service should be done from a place of need not convenience. We live in a culture of convenience; thus, we serve, love, and give if it’s convenient. Yet, this is not the way of the towel ministry of the Jesus. Jesus served from a place of need—seeing that we were sheep without a shepherd, seeing that we were broken in need of healing, seeing that we were separated from a holy God in need of a bridge—and willingly and humbly lowered himself in the most inconvenient way to meet our need!

When it comes to serving and loving our family, friends, church, community, city, and world, we must realize that it will be an inconvenience.

If we wait to radically serve and love people when it is convenient, we will be waiting a lifetime.

Second, our love and service should seek to enhance one’s condition. In other words, those that God has placed around us (be it our spouse, children, co-workers, employees, company, community, orphans, widows, widowers, families, etc.) should be better off as a result of our presence and service in their life. That night when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, practically speaking, they were cleaner. Their lives had been enhanced to some degree.

When we serve and love others, one of the goals should be to enhance or elevate their lives in some way.

Enhancement, or flourishing, can be multifaceted; it can be emotional, spiritual, physical, social, financial, vocational, etc.

For instance, James 5:16, 19 states, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. . . . My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” If one follows this verse, they will be serving and loving another brother or sister to the degree that their life is spiritually enhanced.

Another example of serving and loving to the point of enhancing one’s life can take place when a financial savvy person, who manages their money well, teaches another person how to manage their finances and become a good steward. Through their love and service of teaching and mentoring in the area of finance they enhance and elevate that person’s financial acuity.

Third, our love and service should tangibly demonstrate God’s desire as well as our desire to be in relationship with that person. In other words, Jesus doesn’t call our love and service to be done at a distance, but to be done up close and personal. Jesus tells Peter that if he doesn’t let Him clean his feet than Peter has no share, no connection, no relationship with Him. While Jesus is communicating a deeper truth about the need for continual confession and cleansing that allows Jesus, the gospel, to continually renew us, He is also communicating that the ministry of the towel (love and service) is personal and relational.

Jesus served in such a way that He expressed His deep desire to know us—to be personally and intimately connected to us.

Later in the Gospel of John Jesus exclaimed, “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus served in such a way that it became a tangible and practical invitation for people to become part of the kingdom and family of God. Thus, our service and love today should be a tangible and practical invitation for people to know us, but even more importantly for people to know our great God and King and become part of His family.

While this type of love and service can take on various manifestations, I ran across a story about Eric Liddell—The “Flying Scotsman” and the famous Olympic gold medalists who refused to run on Sundays—that powerfully illustrates this type of love and service.

What some may not know about Eric Liddell is that he became a missionary to China. While in China WWII broke out. After Japan invaded China, Eric and his family traveled back to Canada for a furlough and thought about just staying there to wait out the war. However, God moved so powerfully in their lives that they simply couldn’t stay in the safety and security of Canada. As a result, they returned to China.

After their return it became extremely dangerous for the family, especially since Eric’s wife was pregnant with their third child. After spending time in prayer, they decided that Eric’s wife and children would return to Canada while he stayed back serving in China. That would be the last time he would ever see his family.

Eventually things got worse in China for Eric and all other foreigners. Since Japan considered them enemy nationals they were sent to an imprisonment camp. While there, without his family, he served the people of the camp. He helped clean the communal toilets for hygiene purposes. He taught the camp school, organized various sports for the kids, and even planned worship services. He also looked after 300 orphans who were in the camp.

As time passed in the camp, people started growing weary of the difficult conditions. Many people became unhappy, selfish, and even started stealing food. However, Eric didn’t. He stayed positive and cheerful, teaching others to love their enemies—including the Japanese.

One of the stories that struck me about Eric Liddell while in this imprisonment camp was about a 17-year-old who had completely worn out his shoes. Knowing that this young man had no shoes Eric wrapped up his running shoes as a gift and handed them to this teenager. The historic shoes that once wrapped the feet of a gold medalist, now had been taken off and put on a 17-year-old teenager with dirty feet.

That’s the purpose of the ministry of the towel. It’s to take off our shoes and put them on other people’s feet! It’s about taking what is so meaningful and special to us (time, talents, and treasure), and imparting it to others. It’s about giving and serving from the perceived need not our personal convenience. It’s about serving at the pleasure of and for the glory of the king!

I’m certain that Eric served and loved people because he felt the same way serving as he felt when he ran…”he felt the pleasure of God.”

The prison camp was better off because of Eric’s presence. That young man’s life was enhanced as a result of Eric’s love and service. In fact, because of Eric’s extraordinary love and service, one man promised God if he survived the war he would become a missionary to Japan. Think about it. One man was so moved by Eric’s life of service and love that he was willing to give his life to go to the country that had caused so much hurt and heartache.

In closing, are we serving and loving in such a way that we point back to the love and service of Jesus on the cross? Are we serving and loving in such a way that it enhances the lives of those around us? And are we serving and loving in such a personal way that we are inviting people to join the family of God?

When we serve and love in such ways we take upon ourselves the ministry of the towel which makes people go WOW—not because of who we are, but because of who Christ is in and through us!

Cruising with Mickey Mouse: Things the Church and Disney have (or should have) in Common

04 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Uncategorized

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Church, discipleship, gospel, Mission, Theology

Last week my family and I went on a Disney cruise thanks to my mother-in-law! We had the most wonderful time—eating unlimited desserts, watching the shows, sitting by the pool, taking in majestic ocean views, being surprised by the little towel figures at night, and an all-day child-center. In experiencing a Disney cruise for the first time, and having some down time on the boat, I jotted down some things that I think the church and Disney have in common—or at least should, to some degree, have in common. While I jotted down more, here are the top five.

Disney has created a global brand.

Disney is not just a North American name or a Western name, but a global one. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Indiana or India, Colorado or Chile, South Dakota or South Africa, Kansas or Kenya, or Hawaii or Hong Kong, most people have heard of Mickey Mouse, and perhaps Walt Disney. And if they have the resources, they have experienced or plan to experience Disney in some way.

The global phenomena of the Disney brand means that its message along with its characters and stories cross-translate to the various cultures and peoples throughout the world. The message of “where dreams come true” and the characters of Mickey Mouse to Cinderella, coupled with each character’s story, resonate with every boy and girl throughout the world—not to mention every person regardless of age.

The universality of the inclusive branding of Disney is something that the church shares in common.

God is a universal and inclusive God who’s on mission to redeem a people for himself from all peoples of the world.

Thus the message of God along with his people and their stories should capture and resonate with the hearts of every people, regardless of age, throughout the globe.

Disney makes it their aim to bring joy to others.

Now before you pushback on this one and say that they are in the “business” of bringing joy to others, I want you to think about how good they are at this aim compared to all the other “businesses” that aim to bring a joyful experience to others. Sure, with Disney, people pay to experience joy…happiness; however, while I am sure something exists that tops the Disney experience, I have not been to or experienced any other business that does a better job at excelling at bringing joy to others.

On the boat, kids lived in a state of joy, and parents and grandparents experienced the flood of happy and joyful feelings as they experienced the elated emotional wonderland of their children. To my chagrin, there were even newly weds and adults on the boat without children that seemed to be delighting in enjoyment. In short, when people come in the presence of Disney—be it a cruise, the parks, or its movies—joy fills their lives.

Think about this, Disney brings temporal joy to those who pay for an experience, but the church is to bring and be joy for the world through and by the free grace of Jesus Christ.

In other words, we bring and are joy for the world not because they pay for it, but because Christ has paid it and we just live in that joy.

Disney has a diverse team that serves its mission.

One of the interesting things that I learned while on the boat is that there were over a thousand crew-members from 55 nations. That’s just on one boat! I think it would be safe to assume more nations are represented in the Disney universe—in its different venues and sectors. What does this suggest? That Disney has a mission that fosters unity even in diversity.

As it stands, it seems that Disney does a much better job than many churches in embodying a mission that fosters unity in diversity. Why? Because they have united around the mission of “where dreams come true” and being the happiest place on earth where customers/consumers leave having their joy-jars filled. In short, they come together to fulfill the Disney experience of which its customers anticipate.

On the other hand, the church has a difficult time with diversity because instead of coming together around the mission of glorifying God by sharing and showing the gospel of King Jesus in all spheres of life as God creates a people for himself, they, many times, get bogged down in the pseudo-mission of making it about themselves—their preferences, traditions, rituals, and goals—to the degree it isolates those who are different.

The more complex you make mission, the more fragmented and homogenous it becomes; the simpler you make mission, the more heterogeneity can flourish.

Disney’s engagement with culture is multifaceted.

While I cruised with Disney, there are so many other cultural veins where Disney is present. They own TV networks (outside of their Disney networks, Disney also owns ESPN, ABC, A&E, and Lifetime), radio stations, music and book publishing companies, film companies (including Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel), and theme parks. Disney literally has its hands in the business, entertainment, sciences, arts, and education realms. Because of its cultural production in these different areas, Disney has helped shape and craft culture. The shaping and crafting of culture has given them a lot of cultural capital.

This notion of a multifaceted cultural engagement can be (needs to be) something that the church learns from Disney. And, for those of you who are unaware, the church has had a multifaceted cultural engagement in its history (think of hospitals, schools, and other organizations and institutions).

I’m not suggesting that the church create an alternative Disney with theme parks filled with Bible characters; but I am suggesting, as James Hunter and Andy Crouch have in their own way, that if the church wants to help shape, craft, reach, and/or speak into culture, it needs to, at the very least, contribute to it. This can be through the creation of ideas, businesses, arts, sciences, educational institutions, organizations (and NPOs), and entertainment.

I believe the mission of the church isn’t only reserved for the spiritual realm, but the material and cultural realm.

Thus, I believe the church is not just called to be convictional-prophets living in the cities sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and warning people to flee the wrath to come, but also culture-producers working in the cities showing the good news of Jesus Christ and the kingdom he inaugurated and will one day consummate.

When we share and show the gospel in its entirety, we become a movie-like trailer providing a glimpse of the soon coming, radiantly glorious consummated kingdom where everything [culturally] done in the city will orbit around and reflect the glory of King Jesus.

Disney propagates happy endings and for dreams to come true

Disney is all about happy endings. Every Disney movie or story that I can remember (except for “Old Yeller”) has a happy ending. In fact, one of the Disney musical lines from “Pinocchio” is: “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are…when you wish upon a star, your dreams comes true.” Disney has provided narratives where the prince shows up right on time to awake the sleeping princess, where the evil villain is finally defeated, where the family is reunited after a treacherous journey, where they find the treasure and live happily ever after, and where the world is saved from annihilation.

I think the notion of longing for happy endings and for our dreams to come true is theologically on point.

Scripture teaches that due to our sin, we have created the environment of unhappy endings and shattered dreams, and cannot do anything to reconcile that. However, we long for our happy ending, our lives to be made right, our world to be devoid of pain, evil, and suffering.

It’s in our doom that God promises our Deliverer; it’s in our recession in sin that God promises our Rescuer; it’s in our suffering God promises a Savior; it’s in our waywardness God promises the Way; and it’s in our chaos God promises a King. Given our plight, God sends his Son Jesus—the universal, rightful, Creator-God, King, and hero—to experience the ultimate unhappy ending so that he can give all those who call on his name the most incredible and eternal happy ending—where they truly live happily ever after in the New City.

In closing, I’m grateful for the things we can learn from all kinds of businesses, people, and experiences and apply them to our understanding of Scripture and church. I have great appreciation for Disney as a company and what they do. While they have a great product and provide a great experience, I believe we (the church) have a great Savior and if faithful provide an eternal foretaste of the glory divine.

Receiving the King’s Approval

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by joshlaxton in Christian Life, Discipleship

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Christ-Centered, Christian Living, discipleship

We all love the approval and affirmation of those we love. From the “attaboy” to the standing ovation, there’s something validating about being affirmed; there’s something rewarding about being approved by someone we love or admire. When I think of standing ovations, I think of movies such as Rudy or Cool Runnings. In both movies, the athletes receive a thunderous applause although they didn’t win. The Jamaican bobsled team crashes and Rudy gets to play a whopping two plays. Nevertheless, the crowd rises to their feet, whistles with the mouths, and claps with their hands.

When it comes to believers, and even churches, deep down inside we long for the approval and affirmation of Jesus.

If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you have read, or at least heard, the parable of the talents where the Master says to his servant, “Well, done good and faithful servant.” Applying that passage, many point to the desire of God’s people standing before him and hearing God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

In Acts 7:55, as Stephen is being stoned, because he bore witness to Jesus, he looks up towards heaven and sees something very interesting. He sees “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” This is interesting because nowhere else in Scripture do we find the description of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Whenever the Bible describes Jesus in heaven, he is always sitting at the right hand of God.

Matt 26:64, “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Acts 2:34, “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord,’ ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’”
Eph 1:20, “according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…”
Col 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
Heb 1:3, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

Commenting on the background of Acts 7:55, Craig Keener notes, “Judges normally stood to render verdicts; Jesus, the true judge, is now [standing] vindicating his servant as his opponents prepare to condemn him.”[1]

John MacArthur indicates that Jesus stands to show both concern for Stephen and to welcome him into heaven.[2]

Warren Wiersbe comments, “Some have suggested that He stood to receive His martyr, Stephen, as he came to glory. Others think Christ stood as a witness, the usual posture of witnesses in the Jewish court, testifying to His servant’s message and ministry.”[3]

In any case, whether it was to receive, welcome, or testify, Jesus gave approval to the life that Stephen had lived for him. And that is exactly the point in Stephen’s life—he emulated (lived like) Jesus.

Looking at the life of Stephen, there are at least six ways he emulated Jesus—and as a result received approval from his King.

Stephen Served Like Jesus (Acts 6:2)

Mark 10:45 records Jesus saying, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” John 13 describes Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and teaching his disciples to do likewise. Jesus touched the untouchable and loved the unlovable; he healed and hung out with those in need. In short, Jesus came serving.

Serving describes Stephen as well. Luke records in Acts 6 and 7 that Stephen was one seven men that the apostles chose to serve the widows in Jerusalem. This wasn’t a glamorous position in the church. When the need went out on twitter, there weren’t a lot of retweets. But Stephen served his King and his bride by serving widows. Where there was a need in the church, he stepped in to fill the need.

People will never serve what they don’t see. People will never serve if they never make themselves available. And people will never serve if they’re afraid of getting dirty. Service is messy. Service is costly. And service is humbling. However, service is deeply rewarding!

Stephen was Filled with the Holy Spirit Like Jesus (Acts 6:5)

As the Spirit was present in Jesus, so the Spirit was present in the life of Stephen. In fact, I believe the reason why God mightily used Stephen was because he was a man filled with the Spirit. Luke introduces us to Stephen by stating, “they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Luke also mentions two other times how the Spirit was present within Stephen’s life and ministry (6:10; 7:55).

The Spirit of God moved powerfully through the life of Stephen.

Think about it this way: as batteries are to toys, so is the Spirit to believers. Without batteries toys cannot fulfill their intended purpose. Likewise, without the Spirit believers cannot fulfill the purpose to which they were created. Because Stephen was full of the Spirit he was able to fulfill the purposes of God in his life.

Stephen Knew the Scriptures Were All About Jesus (Acts 7:1–51)

Luke records Jesus telling his disciples, “That everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:44–47). Jesus is the center of the Scripture; all Scripture finds its understanding and fulfillment in the person and work of Christ.

Stephen also emulated Jesus in this regard. Stephen’s sermon (interestingly the longest sermon recorded in Acts) walks through the grand narrative of the Old Testament and shows how the entire OT points to and prepares God’s people for Jesus.

From his sermon, it is clear that Stephen knew the Scriptures, and as a result was able to effectively teach and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Stephen Witnessed to People Like Jesus (Acts 7:1–51)

Although Stephen was enlisted to serve the widows (Acts 6), he had a passion to bear witness for Jesus to those who hadn’t heard. As he bears witness of Jesus in his sermon, he calls the people a “stiff-necked” people.

Why would Stephen call them names? Stephen wasn’t trying to be overly aggressive, confrontational, or mean; he wanted them to know Jesus! He wanted them to see that their sin of being a “stiff-necked” people was a generational pattern of their fathers that prevented them from seeing and experiencing God.

In short, Stephen boldly witnessed because he hadn’t got over what Jesus had done for him. Alvin Reid, asserts,

The reason many believers today do not attempt to share their faith is because they have gotten over their salvation! The early believers did not—indeed they could not—get past the radical transformation they experienced through the gospel.[4]

Stephen Forgave Like Jesus (Acts 7:60)

While hanging on the cross and looking at his executioners, Jesus exclaims, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness, many times, is difficult, especially in cases where one feels victimized and unfairly treated. This certainly was the case for Stephen. But in the dramatic scene, as the stones are crashing against his body and head, Stephen falls to his knees crying out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60).

Stephen was a man who showed great mercy, great grace, and great love by forgiving the most hideous act.

Stephen Sacrificed His Life For and Like Jesus (Acts 7:59–60)

Jesus taught a difficult truth for those who would follow him. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23–24). To follow Jesus, is to yield one’s life to and for Jesus. Stephen demonstrates, albeit severely, what it means to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus.

In everything—his service, ministry, actions, witness, extending forgiveness, and his martyrdom—Stephen exemplifies a sacrificial life that is sold out to the glory of King Jesus and his mission in the world.

Sacrificial living becomes a seedbed for the gospel of Jesus to produce fruit.

Guess who was standing off to the side approving of (or over-seeing) the death and martyrdom of Stephen? Saul. Many scholars believe that Stephen’s death was a turning point for Saul. That is the reason why in Acts 22, many years after Saul’s conversion, he still remembers the day he oversaw Stephen’s death.

In short, I believe all believers have the goal of hearing their beloved King and Savior tell them one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” For this to be reality, as it was for Stephen, we must emulate the radical faithfulness of Jesus. And remember, this can only happen when one has experienced the transforming power of the gospel.

[1] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL.: InterVarsity Press, 1993).

[2] John MacArthur, Acts 1–12, 222.

[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (USA: Victor Books, 1992), 295

[4] Alvin Reid, Evangelism Handbook (Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009), 24.

Josh Laxton

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