Mountain, Hills, Everywhere: Three Good Mission Fields

When I was a kid in Sunday School, we sang this song at Christmas-time: Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

I love that sentiment. Just get out there and belt it out. Go climb a mountain and use that as a platform for preaching. Not just at Christmas, either.

One of the 4 Pillars of Harvest Bible Chapel is Sharing the Good News of Jesus with Boldness. That is, when God gives me opportunity to speak for Him, I will take it. I want to use this space to talk about that over the next few weeks.

Witnessing. Evangelism. Sharing your faith.

For many Christians, just reading those words can stir up some bad thoughts and feelings.

“Oh no, here comes the guilt trip. I should witness more.” Yes, maybe you should. But my job isn’t to book guilt trips. My job is to just say what the Bible says. So we have to start here: Why do we have to talk about this? Why is this a pillar of the church?

Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

There it is. All of it. Right there. Why should we be so fired up for evangelism?

1. Jesus’ last command is my first priority.
   
   This was the last thing Jesus said before He returned to heaven (it‘s also in Acts 1). I’m leaving, I’ll be back, here’s your job, get on this. Four commands in those verse, did you see them? Go (Get out there. In your family, in your workplace, in your neighborhood…). Make (Not “Say something.” -- it‘s “Make something!” Make disciples. How…?). Baptize(When they respond to Jesus, let them identify with His death, burial, and resurrection). Teach (It doesn‘t end there, it begins. Teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded).
   
   No asterisk. No footnotes. No exceptions. Have you been touched by the Gospel? Then Go-Make-Baptize-Teach. “Yeah, that’s not really my gift.” Yeah, but it’s your job: Go-Make-Baptize-Teach. “I‘m not really great at it.” Do you know the Gospel? If you are saved, you must know something. So Go-Make-Baptize-Teach. “What if people reject me?” There is no “what if“. Some will. But others will get saved. Results are up to God. Your job? Go-Make-Baptize-Teach.
    
2. Jesus’ power and presence is manifested in this work.
   
   “What give you the right to be going around telling people about this religious stuff?” Jesus said that ALL authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. That’s the top of the ladder. The boss of everything. He said to do it. And… He said He’ll be with us while we do. “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Why in the world would He choose to work this way? Use people like us? Proclaim salvation through fallen people? Entrust the message of heaven to people like me?

I don’t know. But one thing I am sure of: He wants me to Go-Make-Baptize-Teach. And He’ll be with me.

More to come.

p.s. - wonders how people in Ohio “tell it on the mountain”

Five Minutes of Crying

A couple of weeks ago, we had to get blood drawn from each of our kids. We are getting some tests run from a new doctor, and that requires a lot of blood work. Have you ever tried to get blood drawn from 8 and 6 year old autistic boys? Let’s put it this way: time-traveling, finding Bigfoot, and putting spandex on an octopus: all easier than getting blood drawn from an autistic boy. And we have two.

We had to sort of wrap them up in a blanket (one at a time of course) with only a head and arm exposed. Then I had to hold them totally still, in a wrap-around reverse over-the-shoulder leg scissor maneuver that would make an MMA fighter proud.

There was screaming. A lot of loud, panicked, confused screaming. Some of it was from the boys.

My wife Erin went into the waiting room where she saw an elderly woman crying. Erin asked, “Are you OK?” The woman replied, “It just breaks my heart to hear those children crying like that.”

Erin replied, “Five minutes of crying now will lead to something better for them in the future.”

Don’t we miss that lesson ourselves sometimes, fellow believers?

The Apostle Paul writes:

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

The pain we experience in this life is described in 2 ways: light and momentary. It’s really not that bad, and the day is coming that it will all be over. You don’t know what I am going through. How can you say that? Because the glory ahead is described in 2 ways: eternal and “weighty” - it’s going to last forever, and it is going to be amazing.

How shall we compare the trials of life with the glory of heaven? We can’t. It’s beyond all comparison.

Going through a difficult trial right now? Keep your head up and your eyes on the LORD. Because five minutes of crying now will lead to something better in the future.

p.s. - only slightly stronger than an 8 year-old

The PS in Philippians

We wrapped up Philippians with a message on contentment. Paul told us the secret to being content in all circumstances is by resting in the strength of Christ. But there was more in the text that did not get covered in the sermon. Let’s take a look at that here!

The reason Paul wrote Philippians in the first place was to say thank you to them. Yes, in your Bible is a Holy Spirit inspired “Thank You” card. Paul was in prison, actually at this point it was more of a house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard 24/7. The Philippian church sent Epaphroditus with some provisions for Paul (4:18). And in this last section in chapter 4, there are 6 principles Paul gives about authentic giving unto the Lord’s work.

 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.
And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.
Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.
I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 
(Philippians 4:14-19)

Grab your Bible and take a look. And at the same time, as always, take a look into your own heart when it comes to giving.

Authentic giving is:

1. Heart-motivated (v14)
   (see also verse 10) - Our giving is motivated by a heart regenerated by the life and love of God. Authentic givers don’t give out of obligation, or begrudgingly. Authentic givers give out of their resources, but from their hearts.

2. Partnership-minded (v15)
   I don’t just go to church. I belong here. I am part of the body. I am partnering with the advancement of the Gospel with this church. I give because I am personally invested in the work here!

3. Consistently-offered (v16)
   Aw, man. I gave to the church last year. Yeah, and God gave to you last year, too. But knowing you have needs this year, He is still providing. The church has ongoing needs. And God provides through you!

4. God-recorded (v17)
   Paul was more excited about the gift the Philippians would receive than the gift he himself received. God records what we give. And that “fruit that increases to <our> credit” refers to our treasure in heaven! He’s keeping track. And He’s going to pay it back in glory.

5. Worship-oriented (18)
   “Fragrant offering” and “sacrifice“. Sounds like Old Testament worship terms, doesn’t it? That’s Paul’s point here. Giving is an act of worship. Just like singing, preaching, praying, doing works of compassion… giving is just as much an act of worship!

6. God-rewarded (v19)
   God not only records but He rewards. In heaven, right? Yeah, Paul already covered that. Here, he is talking about earth - here and now! God will provide for every need you have on earth. Count on it. Give to Him, and know He has you covered. How can we be sure? Well, He gives according to His riches. Do you think God ever write a bad check? That’s impossible, when you literally own everything. So relax, He has you covered? Do you trust Him?

Let’s reflect the generosity of God.

p.s. - my Father owns everything

Being a Part of a Church Plant Takes Radical Faith

So Erin and I went to the Pastors and Wives Retreat last week at beautiful Harvest Bible Chapel Orlando.

Pastor James MacDonald said something that really resonated with me. So much so that I told our pre-service pray-ers Sunday. Then I told the whole congregation. And now I just have to put it on here.

He was talking about seasons of ministry and how we in church planting world start small and meet in schools and eventually grow and move in to our own buildings. In the midst of this, Pastor James lauded the caliber of the people who would commit to being part of a start-up church plant. Those who would “be a part of your thing before your thing was a thing.”

He’s right. I think back on all of those who quickly committed and bailed when work needed to be done. Those who were “all in”, and left when discovering “all in” was a huge responsibility. And those who made it one lap around the track but didn't have the heart to make another.

I am so thankful for those who have walked through this journey. Everyone who doesn’t care that we meet in a school and don’t have all the bells and whistles. Those who are just coming to worship and pray and encounter the loving God and aren’t afraid to give more of their time and money because we are so young. Those who are joyful and flexible and expecting God to show Himself mighty.

I guess I knew this, but James brought back to the forefront of my mind: it takes a very special type of person to be a part of a church plant. What kind of person?

It takes someone with faith.

Church planting isn’t for someone who likes to see the fruit of what has already happened. It is for those who have faith to see what the Lord is about to do. You just have to know you are being called to it.

It takes someone with vision.

It’s easier to plug into a church where everything is established. But to be a pioneer, to establish a culture, to spearhead a new mission, to seek God for how He is calling you to step up and pass a vision on to others and equip them and coach them and train them and be patient with them and grow and adapt and lose people and trust the funds to come in and not get discouraged and not let your people get discouraged and… Well, you got to have a vision and be committed to it.

It takes someone who won’t quit.

Someone who is not afraid of hard work, or recruiting, or going the extra mile. Leadership and church planting sound like a lot of fun, but many step up to the plate and discover that they aren’t ready to play ball. So they leave. It’s too hard, we’ve had a setback, my expectations aren’t being met. Quitting is the easy way out. And it is always painful for the people who were counting on them. I am so thankful for those who are truly committed - and it would take a wheelbarrow full of dynamite to blow them out of the church. Those are the people who are an encouragement to me when my spirits are down!

I could go on. But I won’t. I am so blessed to see the people the Lord has brought… and continues to bring. And I pray they experience the blessing for their radical faith.

Because anyone can do things the easy way.

p.s. - surrounded by bulldogs