Church Planting in the Western World – Part 1: A Discussion with Tim Brister
Posted: November 9, 2011 Filed under: Church, Gospel, Pastoral Resources Leave a comment »In this three-part series, I interviewed three of my favorite men that have experience in church planting and church planter training, and one happens to be from a different continent.
For some other great interviews and conversations, click HERE.
TODAY:
Tim Brister is the Director of the PLNTD Network and Associate Pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida. He also blogs at the popular Provocations & Pantings.
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What are the biggest cultural challenges that you see hindering the Gospel in your country?
TB: My one word answer would be idolatry. But to be more specific, I would say that our culture provides many functional saviors or god-replacements that have brought about increased slavery and dysfunctional living, ironically being lived out as a self-salvation project. Seeking to be free, people have become enslaved. Thinking they are living independent of God, they don’t realize they are only under the present judgment and facing the coming wrath of God. Unlike many addictions, idolatry springs from good things that have become ultimate things. Our culture has defined themselves by the good things God has blessed us, and the in our depravity we have turned God’s blessings into a curse. Only when the kingdom of God comes in the power of the Holy Spirit can captives be set free and functional saviors seen for the sham they really are.
What would you say is the biggest reason for a need for church planting in your country?
TB: Every generation is a responsible steward of the mission God has given us. That mission is to make disciples who gather as new churches (local expressions of the kingdom). We need church planting first and foremost in our country because the church is the only “institution” God has promised to build and bless. Our country is not promised God’s blessings. The same is true for parachurch organizations, educational systems, or government programs. The church is not only uppermost in God’s plan. It is God’s plan for His people. Therefore, we should devote our lives to joining God on His mission to make His name great through the proclamation of the gospel, advancement of His kingdom, and planting of new churches.
Cultural context aside, what general advice would you give to a man who is considering planting a church?
TB: Generally speaking, I would begin by saying know God well. That may sound simplistic, but often times church planters spend more time considering the context rather than communion with God. We need me who know God and commune with Him, men who are fluent with the gospel and find their lives shaped and saturated with it. The calling of a church planter is certainly important, but what is preeminent in my mind is whether that prospective planter has a cursory knowledge and experience with God or whether he is, in the words of John Piper, “God-besotted.” Given all the challenges and difficulties church planters face, those who know God best are best equipped to handle the various seasons they will encounter.
What encouragement would you give a planter who may be thinking of “throwing in the towel” because perhaps things are not going how they had hoped?
TB: Realistically speaking, I believe every church planter will be able to attest that things that did not go exactly as they envisioned. Everything looks great on paper or in a proposal, but when everything unfolds, there are surprises and disappointments that will be inevitable. In some situations, it may very well be time to “throw in the towel” in the sense that God may have other plans than what you intended. On the other hand, I believe that we are living in a time where endurance and perseverance are well-worn virtues of yesteryear but a rare find today. My encouragement would be not to think too self-referentially or make decisions when you are depressed or frustrated. Seek counsel from those who will speak plainly in your life and help you keep a kingdom-first perspective on all your labors.
Lastly, I encourage the church planter to reflect on the last days of Jesus’ life on earth. His mission appeared to be a waste of time and effort. His disciples all turned back and denied Jesus. He had no visible “fruit” and even on the cross His Father turned His back on Him. At any point, Jesus could have thrown in the towel. He didn’t when he sweat drops of blood at Gethsemane, was whipped to the bone, or when nails pierced his hands and feet. At the end of the day, this vision of our Savior who “for the joy set before Him” endured the cross (Heb. 12:1-2) should inspire us in the race marked out for us. Because of the resurrection, Paul exhorts us that we should be “steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord” and encourages us that “no labor is in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Abound in the work. None of it is wasted because Jesus is risen and will raise us also. Believe that the Lord of the harvest will bring an increase. And find your identity not in the work or the harvest but in the one who rejoices over you as His adopted son.
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COMING SOON:
Scott Thomas is the President of the Acts 29 Network and Pastor of Church Planting at Mars Hill Church. He is also the founder of Gospel Coach.
Steve Timmis is the Director of Acts 29 Western Europe and an elder at The Crowded House. He also co-authored several books on the church including Total Church and Everyday Church.
Matt Chandler on the Explicit Gospel
Posted: October 26, 2011 Filed under: Gospel, Pastoral Resources Leave a comment »“If you don’t make the Gospel explicit, if you don’t keep coming back to the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ for us, if you don’t keep coming back to the wrath absorbing cross for us, If you don’t keep coming back to the resurrection — listen, you need all three of those — if you don’t keep coming back to those things and you assume that’s some sort of kindergarten-level, entry-understanding Christianity; you are going to build out Moralistic Deism — do this, don’t do this — instead of preaching, “find your righteousness in Christ alone and approach the throne of grace with confidence.” But you’ve got to come back to it — over and over and over again.”
- Matt Chandler
Behavior modification does no good for anyone. We can conform people to a pattern of living – typically begrudgingly – but it won’t reach their hearts. The point of the Gospel is to transform hearts, not behavior. If the heart is changed, obedience to God is the natural outcome.
Preaching Notes from Popular Pastors
Posted: October 8, 2011 Filed under: Pastoral Resources Leave a comment »This is a really cool idea by Josh Harris. He has scanned and posted sermons from some of the greatest preachers of our time, such as: Mark Driscoll, Tim Keller, C.J. Mahaney, Mark Dever. Matt Chandler, and David Platt.
Check them out: Part 1 | Part 2
Preaching Today: A Discussion with Jared Wilson and Tony Merida
Posted: August 17, 2011 Filed under: Gospel, Interviews, Pastoral Resources 6 Comments »I have asked two brothers of mine to answer a few questions in hopes of providing a resource and encouragement to men entrusted with preaching the Word of God in our culture.
The Panel:
Jared Wilson is the lead pastor of Middletown Springs Community Church in Middletown Springs, Vermont and the author of Your Jesus is Too Safe and Gospel Wakefulness (releasing October 2011). He also blogs at the popular Gospel-Driven Church and has written Bible study material for LifeWay.
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Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina and Associate Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of Faithful Preaching and Orphanology.
BRANDON: In light of the many aspects of church life (i.e. Bible studies, small groups, age-specific classes/ministries, evangelism, worship through music, etc.), is preaching to the group-at-large from the stage/pulpit the most important? Why or why not?
JARED: I don’t know if I would classify it as “most” important, but I’d certainly classify it as indispensable, necessary, and vitally important. The Bible prescribes and we need the Scriptures proclamationally delivered — with authority, with exposition, with prophetic strength. This can be done one-on-one or in smaller group settings, of course, but we see both under the old covenant and the new covenant the people of God gathered to hear the word of God. Think of Moses’ addressing of the people after hearing from God all the way through to Ezra preaching to those gathered in Nehemiah to Jesus’ sermons and the addresses of the apostles in the church’s court-gatherings. The pattern is not either/or in terms of how the word of God is delivered to believers but both/and, and we have plenty of Scriptural examples of proclamational preaching from one person to a large group, enough to see it as biblically normative and therefore contemporarily necessary.
We have always needed the word of God delivered to us this way, but I think culturally speaking today we need in a peculiar way a pastoral voice under the mantle of God’s authority delivering “thus saith the Lord” to us. We are very much drenched in a “did God really say?” society, and some of the ways churches today downplay preaching or turn it into conversational sharing or what-have-you lose the gospel-shape of preaching, which is proclamational and one-directional.
Mark Driscoll has some helpful to things to say on this subject in relation to proclamational pulpit preaching as the “air war” and the day-to-day matters of personal discipleship, fellowship, counseling, and the all-encompassing participation in the mission of God as the “ground war.”
TONY: I agree with Jared. We should work to do both “the air war” and “ground war” well. It seems that some (extreme) groups pay little attention to one of these two.
For some, preaching has no place in church life. They think the church should just have dialogue, or groups, or meet in a bar and talk theology. I want to see more emphasis on public proclamation, practicing 1 Tim. 4:13. Public proclamation is patterned for us in Scripture, and public proclamation has the “life-changing-on-the-spot” potential because God saves people through the preaching of the gospel.
On the other hand, there is a group that has such a high view of preaching that they give very little thought to how to do the ground war: how to disciple, train elders, plant churches, reach unreached people groups, care for orphans and widows, etc. Ideally, the church is led from the pulpit with faithful exposition and application of biblical texts, and then ministries are developed and deployed to live out these truths. To do both, public proclamation and practical ministry well, serious attention must be given to both.
BRANDON: Over the course of your ministry, what has been your most consistent focus in regards to how you prepare and ultimately preach a sermon?
TONY: My main focus is that that I want to take the listeners for a swim in the text. I want us to immerse ourselves in Scripture, and my desire is particularly to exalt Jesus as the hero of the Bible – and by extension as the hero of every sermon. I want people to walk away every week and say, “What a great Savior” not “What a great sermon.”
To do this, I use a five step method for preparation that is articulated in Faithful Preaching: (1) study the text, (2) unify the redemptive theme, (3) construct an outline that supports the theme, (4) add the functional elements within each point (explanation, application, illustration), and (5) add an introduction and response.
In terms of mechanics, I want to make sure every sermon is a coherent whole, built around one dominant (redemptive) idea, and then drive that idea through the body of the sermon, pointing people to Jesus.
JARED: I find this very helpful. I think you’re right on the money. In particular, I think what is often missing in a lot of preaching and missing in a lot of instruction or shepherding of preaching is the ability to “feel” Scripture. So I like your words on immersion and swimming.
Preaching ought to be exultational, an act of worship on the preacher’s part. Many preachers have already discovered that their congregations don’t get excited about what their preacher tells them to get excited about but instead about what their preacher is evidently and obviously himself excited about. Our people will start to see how God’s proclamational initiative in saving us through Jesus Christ provokes doxological astonishment.
BRANDON: Tony, you are in a unique position in that you teach on preaching in the academic arena. Are there significant benefits to studying preaching academically, or is more of a “born with it or not” gift?
TONY: I begin the first day of Bible Exposition class (the basic preaching class) with a brief talk on “The Making of a Preacher.” I tell them that there seem to be about seven things that shape guys into effective preachers. Most of them involve the work of God and human responsibility, but there are a few important things to learn in an “academic setting.”
- Love for Scripture. I think the Word should drive us to the pulpit, instead of the pulpit driving us to the Word. Good preaching is overflow … an overflow of love for God’s Gospel. Hopefully, in class I can stir up a love for Scripture by the way I handle the Word and speak of the Word, but ultimately, this is a personal dynamic between the student and God.
- Gifts. Obviously, “I can’t put in what God has left out!” Not everyone is gifted to preach. That’s okay; we need guys who are gifted in other areas as well in more priestly and kingly positions.
- Experience. I can’t give students this either, with the exception of a few reps in preaching class. Guys need to be preaching a lot to be effective. Driscoll says in Vintage Church that a guy needs 200-300 sermons before he’s a decent preacher.
- Mentor. I can’t do this either, with the exception of the nine or ten guys that I try to mentor in our elder training program. For some students, these mentors may be from a distance, and for some, they may be a “dead mentor” (ala John Piper and Jonathan Edwards). Preferably, in my opinion, you have all three: life on life mentor, a mentor from a distance, and a dead mentor.
- Models. I really can’t do this in class either, with the exception of showing some sermon videos in class. But I do try to help guide students toward pastoral-theologians that they can learn from, like Jared Wilson.
- Character. This goes with #1, but is a bit different. Here, I’m talking about having a life that reflects a love for Scripture. People need to see the pastor exemplifying his teaching. I can help cultivate love and holiness by emphasizing spiritual disciplines in class, but once again, students must accept responsibility for pursuing God and exemplifying Christ.
- Instruction. Here’s where I try to be of most help to aspiring preachers in class. There are things that students need to learn like: how to exegete a passage of Scripture, how to incorporate biblical theology into expository preaching, how to apply the text in a Gospel-centered manner instead of a moralistic manner, how to preach Christ from the Old Testament, how to prepare a sermon manuscript, prepare a series, look for sermon helps, and on and on. While a seminary is not the only place one could learn these things, it is one place.
With this list, it’s evident that one can’t simply take my preaching class and believe that they’ll become a great preacher. Nope. I can’t promise that at all. I work hard at #7, and help with some of the others, but it’s certainly not all about the classroom. Beyond these matters, I also begin with the caveat that a lot in preaching is “mysterious” and that I can’t explain all the spiritual dynamics involved in preaching. But this list is my humble stab at trying to articulate some of the key things that seem to be present in the lives of effective preachers.
JARED: Tony, you’re too kind, but I think I can be extremely helpful especially in providing examples of what *not* to do. ;-)
Love the stuff on “mysterious.” We’ve all heard guys who’ve been preaching for multiple decades who sound like they’re reading a toaster manual. So I think giftedness and personal investment in the text play as big a role in preaching as technical and exegetical know-how. Of course, excellent preachers don’t start out excellent and we are all improving over time. But guys with the gift find that muscle getting stronger with use and having better reflexes.
The other side to this, however, is that the power of the gospel that works through the preacher also works in spite of the preacher. And I’m sure we’ve all experienced examples of our weak, foolish, tired sermon being no hindrance to God’s word stirring or changing or convicting or comforting our hearers. We have the privilege of getting better at preaching as we go, but we also have the freedom to know it doesn’t ultimately depend on our ability, rhetorical or otherwise.
BRANDON: With the Internet and media outlets that consume our world today, people have more access than ever before to various worldviews and areas of thought. Should apologetics be a large part of preaching in the 21st century?
JARED: I suppose it depends on what you mean by “large part.” I think apologetics is important, and some preachers/teachers are more gifted in this area than others. For my part, I don’t do a lot of apologetics in my preaching and find it more at home in personal conversations and small group settings. I make some exceptions in sermons — for instance, I preach the resurrection quite often, but when I preach on it at Easter time, I typically include some historical and logical evidences for Jesus’ bodily resurrection, not just to encourage believers in their faith but also because we are more likely to have unbelieving visitors at that time who might find the evidences challenging.
But in general I don’t deal in apologetics in my preaching because — again, speaking *personally* here — I find myself being led by that into a “let me convince you” kind of mode that I don’t find is the primary focus of preaching. I want to proclaim the truth and let the Spirit convince.
But, again, I find apologetics generally helpful and we have used materials from Josh McDowell, Ravi Zacharias, and others in our church and found them helpful. Most recently we had a group studying Tim Keller’s *The Reason for God* and they found it both helpful toward their conversations with skeptics and critics — who can be quite hostile and tenacious in our neck of the woods — and strengthening of their own faith.
TONY: I think it is very important for preachers to consider the presence of competing worldviews in the audience as they preach. As Keller says, we tend to answer the questions of the people with whom we are talking. And if we are only talking to believers, our preaching will become “ghettoized,” that is, the preacher will tend to address “insiders” only. Few outsiders will show up. But if people hear that a pastor is addressing the questions of skeptics, doubters, and atheists, then they will come – either because they themselves are interested, or because their believing friends will bring them. Keller has really challenged me on this. It doesn’t mean we can’t preach through books of the Bible, or even that we can’t focus on believers; it simply means we need to address some “outsider questions” weekly in our preaching. This requires reading very widely and also intentionally talking with non-believers. Keller says most sermons prepared by seminary students are not any good because they are aimed at other seminary students. I would agree with this, with the exception of those students who are out in the culture talking with people.
The way this works is basically to ask questions as you are working through your text, “what part of this passage would a non-believer reject?” Perhaps this would include something about the presence of warfare in the OT, the idea of wrath, or the exclusivity of the gospel. I think it is very important to address these issues as they appear in the weekly sermon text. Too many pastors (and I am guilty of this) never stop to ask, “What would [insert the skeptic at the coffee shop] not understand or believe about this passage?” Another tip I would give is to address the skeptic in the introduction of the sermon, and to let them know that you are aware of their objections and questions. Mark Dever does this really well. A final note would be to remember to argue appropriately. If you are going to challenge a worldview, you can’t just throw bombs at it. You need to get inside it, understand it, sympathize with it, and then show how it falls flat, and that the gospel is the only answer. You will not connect with the skeptic by misrepresenting their view and spouting “hater-aid.”
None of these ideas require that you totally re-vamp your preaching to do “apologetic preaching,” as much as it means that you prepare your sermon with competing worldviews in mind every week.
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For another great discussion, see: Christians and Internet Presence
The Practicality of Mission
Posted: March 17, 2011 Filed under: Church, Gospel, Pastoral Resources 1 Comment »
For the purposes of this post, I define mission as Mark Driscoll does in Confessions of a Reformission Rev. – Christians being a missionary to their local culture.
Simply put, there is plenty of inwardly focused discipleship without much outward contextualization in the church today. At best, there is the occasional “special event” in hopes that the congregation brings friends who stay long-term. While I’m not against the practice of evangelistic events, I am opposed to lack of dedicated missonal outreach. I once worked at a church that was in a 65% Hispanic community with three Hispanics in attendance on Sunday mornings. This church was also in a community that was in large majority under the age of 40 with less than 10 members under that age (including children). Imagine being a 28-year old Hispanic walking through our doors.
It is the role and responsibility of the local church to reach its community. If the church fails, society fails. The world will find a place to have their needs met. Will it be your church? We must find a way to adapt to the demographic that we are in while not compromising Scripture. It would be great if you could even be multi-ethnic and flourishing from ages 15 all the way to 75, but let’s start with our community context.
We tend to view missionaries as those who parachute into the remote villages of Africa. We use the excuse that culture doesn’t easily accept the Gospel and our natural insecurities hinder us. In fact, we should expect Satan to use all obstacles against our efforts; but Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 places mission on all of our lives. It is a call that the Christian simply cannot ignore.
Here are some practical ways to get on mission (for both the church and the individual):
- Pray, pray, pray – The most obvious and crucial step is to seek God’s will and blessing. You must be on board with His kingdom and what He is doing and not what you yourself want to happen. There are (many) times when our plans are not His.
- Be well-learned and prepared to reach them – The next most obvious but crucial step is to find out who is in your community, both by getting out and meeting people and by looking at statistics that can be found by a simple Google search. There are more resources on demographics (income, race, age, religion, etc.), becoming missional churches, and everyday evangelism than you could imagine. Find them. Study them. Rinse. Repeat.
- Understand your Bible – It is no good for you, your hearers, your church, or the Kingdom if you do not know what you believe. Sound doctrine is crucial to your evangelistic efforts. There is no point in hitting the streets of your community if you cannot answer the hard questions that the seekers, the skeptics, and the all-out opposition will throw at you (Col. 4:6).
- Love them – Perhaps the most difficult part is to simply love people. Our depraved nature prevents us from being naturally inclined to it, but our new nature in Christ empowers us to do it anyway. In the aforementioned church that I was on staff at, we could not get our older white crowd to get on mission in the Hispanic community because they did not want to love them. It is not our church, our Gospel, or our Kingdom. It is all God’s. If you think someone is below your efforts, you are saying that God screwed up in His creation of them. The world is looking for relationships, not conforming rules.
Avoiding the Sex Sermons?
Posted: February 21, 2011 Filed under: Church, Pastoral Resources Leave a comment »Pastors, if you have avoided doing a sex sermon or series at your church, watch this video, think about the statistics it shows, and do something this year. The church has demonized sex so much that people are either afraid of it or jump headfirst into it to find out for themselves. The Bible has much to say and teach on this topic, and only the church has the resources to teach it correctly. Let’s change the idea of sex in this generation rather than contributing to the problem.
HT: MMI
Is Your Daughter Church Ready to Fly Solo?
Posted: February 18, 2011 Filed under: Church, Pastoral Resources 1 Comment »
I am in great support of the influx of church planting networks that focus greatly on creating “church-planting-churches.” Planting networks like PLNTD and Acts 29 have made this a major point of emphasis in their overall missions. The churches these churches plant are typically called “daughter churches.” They tend to be smaller versions, in leadership and governmental structure, of their “mother church.” This is assuming, of course, that the long-term goal is that the daughter church will become its own fully self-sustaining body.
The question I usually hear from pastors who are or are hoping to be a mother church is, “How do/would we know when the church we plant is ready to be her own church?”
I think that there are three main characteristics to gauge it by:
1) Gospel-driven – Does this church see itself as a local body with its sole mission to serve and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ? There is no more paramount characteristic than this. Are the leaders and members of the daughter church largely sitting by and forming a holy huddle every Sunday, or are they actively engaging their community?
2) Trustworthy Leadership – A great question to ask yourself is: Would I allow the pastor(s) of this church to lead in the mother church? Now, it’s likely that you determined this early on in allowing this leadership to be there in the first place, but it is necessary to continually train and observe the leadership to see that they are shepherding the way you had hoped.
3) Self-supporting – Of course, a key aspect of mothering a church is that you are supporting it financially. In turn, it would make no sense to turn this church loose, as it were, without it being in a position to support itself. If the church is making budget by the skin of its teeth, would have to cut cost immediately if you stopped supporting it, and/or has a fluctuating attendance then this church is probably not ready yet.
Modification and Motive
Posted: February 1, 2011 Filed under: Gospel, Pastoral Resources 2 Comments »
There is a significant difference between teaching motive and teaching behavioral modification.
For example: A husband is asked by his wife to help her clean the dishes and he refuses. After some arguing, he says, “FINE! I’ll do the dishes!” His wife is flabbergasted by his response and replies, “Nevermind…” The husband, of course, then becomes agitated that she no longer wants his help after all the fuss she made over it. His wife simply replies, “I want you to want to do the dishes.” The wife does not want her husband to offer a hand because she begged him to, but rather because he wants to take some of the burden from her out of the goodness of his own heart.
In the same way, those whom pastors lead should not be guilt-tripped into acting righteously. There is a common misconception that if someone is not cursing, murdering, or gay then they are obviously doing the right thing. Wrong. The most beautiful thing about Christ crucified is not that He demands your perfection or outward submission, but that His blood on the cross frees you to follow His ways. It is a heart issue.
Here are two easy ways to avoid preaching behavior modification:
1) Exalt the Gospel, not Law – A mistake that many pastors make is that they talk too much about what is “right” and “wrong” and take moral stands on gray issues. Many congregants need a wake-up call to whatever sin they have in their life, but the thrust of your advice should not be about quitting the behavior, it should be about the grace of Christ and why His way is better. Otherwise, you enlist a church of robots who are programmed to follow all the rules self-righteously but have no idea about the beauty of grace. People must realize that freedom in Christ necessitates freedom from having to obey like a threatened slave. Furthermore, if the free grace of God is not the lens by which our people see the world, they will come up with their own definition of “good” which will only lead to them getting by day-to-day through the self-made idol of performance. As Spurgeon once said, “Love God, then do whatever you want.”
2) Magnify the Supremacy of Christ – There is a great need in our society for Christ to be enough. With every new self-help book and Oprah Winfrey wannabe, people are finding more places to run to rather than Jesus. It is a shame and an indictment on the church. We spend far too much time pounding their heads with how stupid they are for messing up rather than teaching them about the everlasting joy of following Christ. If our people are not aware that the grace of Christ is sufficient, they will eventually grow tired of trying to impress Him.
Christians and Internet Presence: A Roundtable with Wax, McCoy, Wilson, and Smith
Posted: January 9, 2011 Filed under: Church, Daily Life, Gospel, Interviews, Pastoral Resources 16 Comments »In attempt to look at the practicality and benefits of social media and blogging for Christians, three friends who have experience with popularity in the blogging and social media world (with 4-digit Twitter followers and top 100 Christian blogs) joined me to discuss. It is my aim that this discussion would help you personally and the Church as a whole consider the Kingdom implications of blogging and social media.
For another great discussion, see: Preaching Today
The Panel:
Trevin Wax
BLOG: Kingdom People
TWITTER: trevinwax
Steve McCoy
BLOG: Reformissionary
TWITTER: stevekmccoy
Jared Wilson
BLOG: Gospel-Driven Church
TWITTER: jaredcwilson
Brandon Smith
BLOG: Modern March
TWITTER: BrandonSmith85
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In an age when everyone has a presence on the internet, should Christians consider blogging? And if so, what should they aim for?
What should we aim for? Generally speaking, the glory of God and the good of the church. That’s general, you say, so not so helpful. But to get more specific would require me to make rules that might not apply to all blogs. Some blogs are intended to be challenging for church leaders. Other blogs try to provide helpful book reviews to people who want to read more. Some blogs are personal commentaries sprinkled with insights into the Christian life. Other blogs link to good content on the web. I think a Justin Taylor has a specific aim quite different than say, Tim Challies. Justin is more a curator of content, whereas Tim is a creator of content. The specific aims are different, but I think both guys are trying to serve the church in their own way.
*BRANDON SMITH: The ultimate aim, as Trevin so perfectly stated is “the glory of God and the good of the church.” To me, this even includes the Christian who isn’t necessarily blogging about Christianity. If a Christian wants to start a sports blog, family blog, or random photos blog then they should do so with clear Biblical ethics and practice.
There is a cultural myth that states that God is separate from our work, hobbies, etc. There is nothing further from the truth because God is the God of our ENTIRE lives, not just our “spiritual” life. With that in mind, whatever we do on a blog or social network should still reflect Christ and not place you below reproach. Are you perfect? No, and that isn’t my point. But, it goes without saying that blogging in a way that is sinful or causes your brothers/sisters to stumble is not wise.
*JARED WILSON: I agree, and I really like Trevin’s emphasis on how the blog world is not a big deal. I encourage bloggers, especially those who are well-known to somewhat well-known, to have close friends who simply don’t care. They don’t read, aren’t interested, don’t care. I would encourage this extra especially to well-known Christian bloggers who pastor churches or have book deals or what-have-you. Surround yourself with people who are unimpressed by anything that happens online. Maybe find some who don’t even own a computer!
*STEVE MCCOY: Blogging can be kind of whatever you want it to be. A Christian may want to start a blog in the hope of generating revenue for their kids’ college education by putting up good online deals for pots and pans. Whatever, have fun, make some cash. But I’m guessing you mean a “Christian blog” in which someone says God-stuff. Fair enough.
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In an article from Fast Company, the assertion was made that social media (and Twitter in particular) is not an effective tool for influence due mainly to the short shelf life of status’ and massive amount of users. Can social media truly have a positive influence on Christianity, both locally and worldwide?
*JARED WILSON: I may be a terrible person to ask this question, because I don’t spend much time thinking about how much influence social media has. I suppose if I were trying to be a professional blogger (or tweeter) or made a daily connection between my blogging/tweeting and promoting my writing, I would. But my basic reaction to the Fast Company appraisal of social media’s lack of influence is: okay.
*STEVE MCCOY: Yes, no question. It’s just a tool for communication and relationships. Tweets pass away, but Twitterers remain. Each tweet I read impacts me, develops some aspect of my relationship with the author, etc. Couldn’t we be answering this same question about phone calls? For me social media isn’t about permanence of what is said but the permanence of those saying it.
In the debate over “Christian Hollywood,” there are two sides: Those who believe that any sort of fame for a Christian is idolatrous or prideful and those who believe that fame is good if used as a platform for Jesus. Is fame something that Christians should avoid or embrace?
*BRANDON SMITH: “Christian Hollywood” in and of itself is nothing new to the church. Men like Charles Spurgeon donned billboards in England and the duo of George Whitefield and John Wesley preached to packed churches and pastures. Today, however, it is definitely at its height. With media the way it is, Christians can become famous through books, podcasts, blogs, megachurches, and getting on CNN like John MacArthur, Rick Warren, and Al Mohler. We also see role models such as Tim Tebow rise up in pop culture representing Jesus, and representing Him well. In all of these examples, there has been an extremely positive impression left on Christianity as a whole, in my opinion. Of course, the flip side is watching the painful fall of pastors’ public ministries which no doubt fuels the detractors of Christians in the limelight.
The question really comes down to motive. Joining “Christian Hollywood,” wherever you define that line to be, is something that should absolutely not be aimed for. Some of the most idolatrous people that I have met are those trying to get famous. It’s dangerous to even think of it as “fame;” I prefer the operative word “influence.” There is certainly nothing wrong with influence if your motives are to see the lost saved and the church edified. We are all sinners with the tendency to think we “deserve” something and we want to be recognized. This part of our insecure pride is probably unavoidable, but the temptation is manageable if you rely and lean on the grace of God alone. We could all go the Kirk Cameron Fireproof route and smash our computers or avoid technology like the Amish, but I think it’s much more helpful to pray and beg the Spirit to break our egos.
In relation to blogging, Twitter, Facebook, etc., I think Jared made a great admission in an earlier question when he stated, “Obviously I am interested in some level of influence, or else I wouldn’t post my thoughts in public forums for others to read.” If you own a blog or frequently post on social networking sites, then the chances are that you desire to be heard. I don’t think that this desire should be demonized, but you should be sensitive to what is driving this desire. Is it to be the next John Piper and see your name on books, or is it to use your God-given writing talents or theological insights to see the Kingdom advanced? I always remind myself of this: God has given me X number of blog readers, Twitter followers, Facebook friends, and other contacts in order to glorify Him and fulfill the Great Commission in whatever small or large way He has granted me to do so. I would be remiss to prostitute His gifts for my own gain.
*TREVIN WAX: Brandon, I agree that there is nothing inherently evil in thinking you have something valuable to say. Everyone who ever preaches or teaches could be accused of pride if that were the case. Dave Harvey’s Rescuing Ambition has been helpful to me in thinking through the ways that ambition can be harnessed for the glory of God. Yet, I must admit that however much we try, even our best motives are tainted by sin. If we think they aren’t, we deceive ourselves. So blogging (like teaching, preaching, writing, etc.) must take place within a context of continual repentance, with the added hope of stewarding wisely whatever amount of influence God gives us.
*STEVE MCCOY: I think it’s complicated. Some famous Christians are shaming Christ and others are making Him known. Some are getting rich off books for selfish reasons and others are providing resources that are changing lives. Fame seems to be associated with pride, yet some of the famous Christians who have influenced me most are known because they are generous and humble and speak with a sense of God and eternity.
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What are some practical ways that social media and blogging can benefit churches, church leaders, and their audience?
*JARED WILSON: My experience mirrors Steve’s fairly closely except for his last statement on receiving visitors based on web-based information. I live in an area where very few adults are on social media. Many are on Facebook, particularly teenagers, but virtually no one’s on Twitter. There is a sizable minority here in rural Vermont who aren’t on the Internet or don’t even have a computer. And then among those over 30 who access the web, they are rarely on any kind of social media.
Open Letter to T.D. Jakes
Posted: January 25, 2012 | Author: Brandon Smith | Filed under: Miscellaneous, News & Commentary, Pastoral Resources | 4 Comments »Bishop Jakes,
Let me first commend you on your acceptance to join the furnace that is the Elephant Room. You have taken a lot of heat over the years from pastors and theologians of all ilks, and you have handled it rather gracefully just as you did today. Perhaps the greatest compliment that one can give you is that humility does not seem to be something that
you struggle with.
At 22, I felt the Damascus Road calling to ministry and dropped everything that I was doing to pursue ministry. This led me to start school over and begin a Biblical Studies degree at Dallas Baptist University. Interestingly, the school at which I studied and lived is no farther than a few football fields from your church, The Potter’s House.
Being the young angry Calvinist that I was, my first inclination that was that you were a heretic and probably hated Jesus more than I hated the traffic your church creates outside of the campus gates every Sunday morning and evening. I often had thoughts of attending one of your services and later blogging from my dorm room in my underwear about what a shame to God’s cause you really were. When I heard that people were getting saved at your church from Potter’s House members that I had class with, I was praying for REAL salvation to come upon those who bought into your heresies. Want to know the funny part? I hadn’t so much as listened to a single sermon of yours.
So, I listened to a few of your messages and tried to convince myself that I didn’t like what you were saying (though I did much of the time) and was determined to believe that you were a snake oil salesman which a fancy suit that cost too much money. Of course, I was too busy arguing with Calminians at DBU to consider whether or not I was wrong about anything, much less whether or not you were the Antichrist.
Needless to say, the onus was on me – not you – to repent.
As the past few years have come and gone, I have begged the Lord with great fear to humble me and allow me to love my brothers in Christ, regardless of differences, so long as they are not denying the foundational tenets of our faith. When hearing about your inclusion in the Elephant Room, I was greatly excited to hear that you would be cross-examined about your theological beliefs. People were all over the Internet already accusing Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald of associating with a heretic who denied the Trinity, when in reality they were doing what they should: allowing a brother to defend himself in his own words. I was a little disappointed in your responses in Christianity Today regarding the Trinity, but leading up to the Elephant Room I re-read it and had to remember that the interview was 12 YEARS AGO. Chances are, you have developed and grown quite a lot since then.
At the Elephant Room, you answered the question everyone had been asking: Do you affirm the Trinity? Is there one God in three manifestations (a Oneness Pentecostal theology that you’d affirmed so long ago), or is there one God in three persons (the orthodox view)?
Your response: ” I believe the latter one is where I stand today. One God – Three Persons.”
You went on to explain that you’re not afraid of the word “manifestation” because Paul used it, which in context I agree with.
You were then asked the follow-up question by Driscoll: “Do you believe the Bible is the perfect, infallible Word of God? Do you believe God is Three Persons? Jesus is fully God and fully Man? He died on the cross for our sins? He rose from the dead? He is coming again? Apart from Jesus is no salvation?”
You response: Absolutely.
This letter is getting long and you are a busy man, so let me say this: I love and affirm you as a brother in Christ. There will be many people who parse your words from today and still doubt you. Sadly, people believe that you a) owe them an explanation satisfactory only to them, and b) that you’re probably still a heretic even though they can’t name a theological reason why. I don’t agree hardly at all with your methodology or even sometimes your exegesis, but I know this – you are the real deal and I can learn a lot about loving Jesus and loving others from you.
Praying for you,
Brandon Smith