A Gift for Penn Jillette
A friend of mine posted this fascinating video on facebook. It’s Penn Jillette of the Penn & Teller show sharing his personal encounter with a man who gave him a gift of a Gideons’ Bible after one of their shows. An admitted atheist, Penn has an interesting perspective on folks sharing their faith. It’s definitely worth a look and will hopefully encourage you to share your faith in a meaningful and personal way.
Technorati Tags: Penn Jillete, Penn & Teller, Gideons, Witnessing, Evangelism, Atheist
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The Church in the Future: Distinct or Extinct
This past week, I had the pleasure of going to the Annual Session of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. I try to make it every year. I really enjoy the breakout sessions that are offered and the great speakers that are usually brought in for the event. I wasn’t able to attend the whole session this year, but had a great time while I was there.
Mark Dever was a featured speaker this year. I was able to catch his session as he provided some great teaching on the topic,
“The Church in the Future: Distinct or Extinct.”
I’ve always enjoyed reading Dever’s work and he definitely didn’t disappoint in person. The main thrust of his session focused on whether churches need to change to reach this generation. We’re bombarded with books, conferences, etc. with the latest and greatest theories and methods of reaching people in our culture. Of course there are some elements of the church that need change, but we seem to be changing the wrong things. We are losing the distinctives that distiguish the church as a counter culture that provokes the world. It seems that most advocate for change in the name of more effective evangelism. Evangelism gets distorted. Rather than preaching the good news, evangelism becomes about manipulation. In the name of change, the gospel message is lost and along with it, much of the theology and practice that define us as a peculiar people. The church is more than just evangelism. Dever likened this to a club formed by neighborhood children. The kids in the club haven’t really figured out the club’s purpose other than to get more kids to join. Unfortunately, that is fairly descriptive of many of our churches. It’s time to abandon the gimmicks of church growth and return to a biblical understanding of the gospel, conversion and life in the body of Christ. So that we, with the Apostle Paul, can say that we come, “not with excellency of speech or of wisdom” but determining, “not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Cor 2:1,2)
As I said, I really enjoyed Dever’s segment. I also appreciated that he gave out free copies of his book, “What is a Healthy Church,” which I’ve already started reading through. I’m finding it to be pretty useful already. Plus it’s a quick and easy read.
Here’s a link to the book on CBD if you’re interested:
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What is a Healthy Church
By Mark Dever / Good News & Crossway What is an ideal church, and how can you tell? How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren’t sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived idea. But with this book, you don’t have to wonder any more. Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing church members from pastors to pew sitters, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ. |
Technorati Tags: Mark Dever, 9 Marks, Healthy Church, Evangelism, Gospel, Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
Fulfilling The Mission
As I write this article, the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting is in progress. This year’s Annual Meeting theme is “Fulfilling the Mission.” A reminder that we, as churches and individuals, are called to be on mission with God. But, what does that mean for us in a practical sense? How does this work in our personal lives? At work? As a church body? If you’ve been attuned to Southern Baptist news, you may have heard a grim forecast for the denomination concerning membership and baptism numbers. Many of our churches certainly don’t reflect the testimony of Acts 2:47 “and every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (HCSB) We can’t share in this testimony because we have neglected the Great Commission. Instead of sharing our faith personally, we have delegated the task to the “professionals.” We expect our pastors, evangelists and missionaries to carry the message to the world. I’m afraid that the forecast for our Baptist churches will prove to be true if we don’t have a shift in mindset at the individual level and begin to take ownership of a personal call to fulfill the great commission. The same holds true for our churches. I hope that, as the Convention’s Annual Meeting winds to a close, the emphasis on fulfilling the Great Commission will encourage our churches and people to enthusiastically share Christ both in their communities and around the world.
Here are some recommended books on fulfilling the Great Commission through missions and evangelism:
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Let the Nations Be Glad! 2d ed.: The Supremacy of God in Missions
By John Piper / Baker Why do we do missions? We are told, by Jesus, to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. So missions is duty, right? Wrong. If you do missions purely from a sense of duty you will not honor those you are reaching out to, nor will you truly honor God. Duty is the wrong place to look, so where do we find the answer to why we do missions? We turn, according to John Piper, to worship. In our worship of God we encounter God’s glory. The overflow from our worship is a desire to share God’s glory with others (the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever), and we naturally become missional. When Jesus was asked what the kingdom of God was like, he compared it to a pearl so valuable that one would sell all they owned simply to possess it. Does that seem like duty to you? Instead, Jesus calls us to a new mindset, which flows from the mindset that worship creates in us. Thus, according to Piper, does worship become the goal of missions and the fuel which makes missions possible. Worship as the fuel for missions makes sense to a lot of people, but worship as the goal of missions? Piper reminds us that the true reason we share God with others is to make them worshippers (and sharers) as well. He feels that the true goal of missions is “the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God.” If it is true, (as Piper states) that “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,” then increasing the number of people who are satisfied in God will bring God more glory. And missions is the way we can do that. Missions must be seen as more than simply saving people from sin, though that is a very important aspect. And missions is not just about getting people into heaven, although that is important as well. Instead, through missions we should always seek to make as many people as possible into true worshippers, into those fully satisfied with the greatness of God. With that mindset, missions becomes a joyous experience, as we joyfully share the life-changing presence of God in our lives with those who don’t know God. When we have made worship both the fuel and goal of all our missionary endeavors, we realize that “missions is not a recruitment project for God’s labor force. It is a liberation project from the heavy burdens and hard yokes of other gods.” Missions is never a burden, because it comes out of our overwhelming joy in God’s grace and mercy, and we just want to share that joy. So make God the center of your missions work, and joyfully share what He has graciously given to you. |
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Becoming a Contagious Christian
By Bill Hybels / Zondervan People matter to God. That foundational truth is why Bill Hybels planted a church where people can hear a clear, contemporary presentation of the gospel, relate to others who have decided to follow Jesus and respond to the life-changing good news of the gospel. In Becoming a Contagious Christian you will discover why we are called to be Contagious Christians, how authenticity, compassion and sacrifice help us relate to seekers and how to clearly share the gospel with those you love. This resource is designed for Sunday school, small group and individual study. Let Becoming a Contagious Christian revitalize your passion for evangelism and enable you to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission! |
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The Soul Winner
By Charles Spurgeon / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Winning souls is ”the chief business of the Christian minister” and of every believer in Jesus, wrote Spurgeon. The most compelling preacher of the 1800s, Spurgeon continues to challenge today’s believers. In this classic work, he gives you effective, encouraging instruction on how to share ”the exciting, disturbing, even sensational news” of the Great Commission. 319 pages, softcover from Eerdmans. |
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Ashamed of the Gospel
By John MacArthur / Crossway Books & Bibles Ashamed of the Gospel bears a message the church just can’t ignore: that we dare not be ashamed of communicating the convicting message of the Gospel. That we dare not candy coat it. Or make the church so user-friendly that the preaching of God’s Word is compromised. MacArthur reminds today’s church of the inevitable spiritual consequences if Christians continue to compromise biblical doctrine and the preaching of the Gospel. This masterful work challenges the church to return to the roots of the Great Commission and encourages a steadfast preaching of the Word of God. |
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Radically Unchurched: Who They Are & How To Reach Them
By Alvin L. Reid / Kregel Publications In America today, the ranks of the radically unchurched are growing. How can we effectively communicate the gospel to an indifferent culture who regards the church as irrelevant? Examining the causes behind the loss of America’s Christian identity, Reid provides proven strategies for touching people who desperately need to be confronted with Christ’s life-changing truth. 219 pages, softcover from Kregel. |
Technorati Tags: Fulfilling the Mission, Great Commission, SBC, Southern Baptist Convention, Mission, Missionary, Evangelism
