The Missional Language of Poker

When Christians think of the mission to take the gospel to every pocket of the earth, two conversations emerge.  The first is centered on learning a foreign language and going to places where the gospel has never been preached.  Or if not ever preached, hardly preached.  We call this going to an "unreached people group."  

The second conversation says, "you are a missionary right where you are."  This means, as Scripture rightly says, that God has given you specific opportunities to take the gospel to the pockets where you live, work, and play.  The Christian life doesn't depend on the 'professional' to reach your co-workers with the gospel--God sent you to those people.  After all, the pastor has zero chance of working side-by-side with your co-workers for eight hours a day, every day.  Why?  Because God has called you to reach your co-workers.  If God wanted your pastor to reach them, he would have given your pastor your job.  But God gave you the job of reaching your co-workers.  Your neighbors too.  And your family.  And your friends.  

Both of these missional conversations are correct.  We have no need to argue one over the other.  Christians should go into all the world as God calls them.  And we should be the sent ones where we live, work, and play. 

But could there be more mission fields around us that we simply miss?  As we are fishers of men, might there be more fishing ponds that nobody is reaching?  I think so, and I've recently found an unlikely one.  Bar poker. 

Before you jump to conclusions, I urge you to continue reading. 

Me and my co-laborer in the ministry, Brett Ricely were struggling to reach the lost in our community this winter.  We live in Utah, a place where winter play can be expensive.  Neither us go to workplaces where there are lots of lost people (the challenge of the pastoral life), so we usually engage with people where they work (i.e., coffee shops, auto shop, the gym, etc).  But play is usually limited to free, outdoor activities.  Our engagement with the lost was slowing down thanks to sub-freezing temperatures and heaps of snow.  So we began praying and exploring places were people play indoors.  Could we adopt a new mission field by adopting a new hobby? Could we simply be missional by changing where we play?

Through prayer and keeping our eyes open, we discovered that a group of unreached people were playing Texas Hold'em poker at a local bar.  This is Utah, so they don't play for money; they play for points.  The point leaders win an entry to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada.  There's no buy-in and no cash incentive.  It's really just a way to get people in to the bar to eat and drink.  Through further exploration, we actually found a large community of people who play bar poker, and poker is their community.  There are more than 4,000 people around our community that play.  As many as 80 or 90 pull up a chair to the felt tops, and most play once or twice a week at the specific 'poker club,' as they're called.  There's usually more than 50 players at every tournament at the club we had our sights on. More significantly, the other poker players in the club are 'family,' and it seems others players around the valley are treated like 'extended family.' 

We spent some time in prayer, sought wise counsel, and set some rules.  We would not ever be in the bar alone.  We would not drink.  And when the game became more important than the mission, we were done.  We also started praying that God would open the door to a Bible study over dinner before the tournament started.  

After a lot of prayer, we walked through the doors on our first night.  I quickly learned some things.  First, poker has its own language.  Second, the longer you stay in the tournament, the more time you have to sit next to people and chat.  Third, people in the bar are very lonely and deeply long for community with others.  And finally, nobody was hostile when they found out we were Christians.  It was the opposite, actually.  Doors were open on our very first night to start a Bible study over dinner before the tournament, just as we asked God to do. We prayed for people right there in the bar.  And we were asked to share what we believe. 

During the week before the next poker night, I downloaded a poker app on my phone and played about 5,000 hands of free poker with people online.  I read some blogs about how to play.  I watched the World Series of Poker from the previous year.  I did an internet search of every strange word and term I didn't understand. I had to learn the language of the mission field.  And I prayed my face off.

The next Monday night started with a Bible study.  There we were, in a bar with open Bibles, talking about Jesus with lost people.  We prayed for our server.  We prayed for some of the players that we met the previous week.  And we enjoyed some really good Irish food.  We weren't weirdos (I hope), we were just regular guys who love Jesus and like poker.  And we were ambassadors of the Light of Jesus in a place where his light was not previously shining.  We were engaging our city with the mission of God, one fishing pond at a time.  

In the following weeks, the Bible study grew.  God gave me good enough cards and some wisdom to win second place on the side-table, meaning credibility with the other players.  I've since made it to 14th place out of about 60 people on the main game.  More credibility.  I'm learning the language and making friends.  Connections are happening.  I'm praying for the players and dealers throughout the week.  I'm having fun and being missional at the same time.  We've shared the gospel many times and invited people to join us at Church on Sunday morning.  Brett and I started bringing our worship pastor, Derek, with us. . . and it turns out he's good at poker and even better with the missional part.

We've also got a monthly 'church game' going at our church building.  There's no money involved, no drinking, cussing, smoking, or anything else that's often associated with the game of poker.  We do, however, eat good snacks and laugh a lot.  There is a large trophy we bought at a second-hand store that's ugly enough to make second place look really good.  And we have fun.  It's usually about a 50-50 split of Christians to non-Christians.  We also offer a chip incentive to anyone who brings a guest and the guest gets the incentive too for being a first timer. 

Being missional means we are missionaries where we live, work, and play; but it also means sometimes we change were we live, work, or play to be more intentional for the advancement of the gospel.  And who knows, you might just pick up a new hobby along the way. 

When Milk and Ministry Collide

I've never lived in the Bible belt.  I've never attended a church with more than about 400 members.  I pastor a very young church with far fewer folks.  Resources are slim--slim enough to make me often think about what it's going to take to get our feet under us while we still have so many Christians from other parts of the country helping hold us up.  It's tough work.  Sometime is so tough that I wonder how in the world Salt Lake will be redeemed by the power of the gospel.  How can our little church be a blessing to our community?  How can our small band of "salt and light" be salty enough?  Bright enough? 

That's were milk comes in.  Well, not milk, but a love for selling milk and other groceries.

"I want to serve God but I love the grocery business," the young man basically told me.  He probably didn't use those exact words, but he has a barcode belt buckle and gets excited about stocking cheese.  He's also serving as an intern in our children's ministry and does a fantastic job preaching children's sermons.  (This young man is pictured above with my children, who love him as their childrens' pastor.)  He's basically a bi-vocational minister; and shouldn't we all be?  Yes, yes we should.  Maybe not in the exact way we think of bi-vocational ministry, but we all should serve God well in all he has equipped us to do.

As we go into our places of work, we should do the best we can to serve the community as we serve God.  Church and state are not mutually exclusive.  We should be light in our workplace, and salt too. Our presence there might just be God's way of blessing our work places and our communities. These things we're doing don't keep us from serving God, they enhance our service to the Lord.  And the same should be completely true of our hobbies too.  Our places of work and play should be just as much mission fields and places of service as any place we go 'to do ministry.'  There need not be any difference.  We can and should be a blessing to our employers and our communities.      

Martin Luther said it this way, 

"The prince should think: Christ has served me and made everything to follow him; therefore, I should also serve my neighbor, protect him and everything that belongs to him. That is why God has given me this office, and I have it that I might serve him. That would be a good prince and ruler. When a prince sees his neighbor oppressed, he should think: That concerns me! I must protect and shield my neighbor. [...] The same is true for shoemaker, tailor, scribe, or reader. If he is a Christian tailor, he will say: I make these clothes because God has bidden me do so, so that I can earn a living, so that I can help and serve my neighbor. When a Christian does not serve the other, God is not present; that is not Christian living" (1)

I regularly meet with another young man.  He too is on our staff where I pastor and he's bi-vocational.  We spent a great deal of time discussing the difference between the sacred and the secular when it comes to work and play.  As soon as he realized that this idea is a false dichotomy, he was free to be a minister, that is to be salt and light, everywhere.  What amazing freedom!

So as I think about how our little church will impact my huge community, I see that it is through the very interests, hobbies, skills, and crafts of God's people.  Could it be that he gave us those interests, that job, and a specific set of skills for just such a reason?  I believe so.  

____
References:
1. Martin Luther, “Sermon in the Castle Church at Weimar” (25 October 1522, Saturday after the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity), in D. Martin Luthers Werke: Kritische Gesamtausgabe, 60 vols. (Weimar: Herman Böhlaus Nachfolger, 1883–1980) 10/3:382.

Partnering with a Domestic Mission Field

As a pastor in a pioneering mission field--for us that means a place that has less than 3% Evangelical Christians living here--churches send mission teams to Salt Lake City just as if they were going to Guatemala or Ethiopia. Or do they?  

When I was on staff at a larger, long-established church, one of my duties was to oversee our mission work.  We sent teams to Guatemala, among other places.  In some respects, it was easy to see the need.  The partnership was a little more obvious to me.  But now that I'm on the receiving end of mission teams, I wonder if I was really a good partner. 

Our church plant has some great partners.  We've had some great mission teams come and help us as we've been desperately trying to plant the Gospel on the west side of Salt Lake, North Salt Lake, Centerville, and Bountiful.   But being a pastor in this context, I've learned some things along the way.   If you or your church is considering a partnership with a domestic church plant in a difficult mission field, I hope you will consider the following advice from a church planter who has been on both sides of this thing.

1. Do What Is Truly Needed.  Be willing to do whatever the church planter or pastor needs.  How many times do mission teams come to do created events and projects that the planter or pastor really wouldn't do if not but to keep the mission team happy?  So don't come with desires to do what you like; instead, do what's truly needed in the mission field.

2.  They Know Their Context.  Don't compare your ministry to the ministry you are headed into to serve.  If their context was your context they probably wouldn't need your help.  In addition, they probably know what their community needs.  Trust them.  They are the experts of their call and mission area, not you.  Constant comparison often feels a little like judgement.  And the size of the church is not an indication of better, smatter, or wiser.  It's usually harder to do ministry with a smaller church than a larger, and locational context is very different from one place to the next.    

3.  Don't Be a Burden.  If the pastor in the mission field is more exhausted when the mission team leaves, the mission team may have hurt the ministry.   It might be that the pastor needs days to recover or play catch up to the emails left unseen for the week or get caught up with sermon preparation.  One thing the team can do is to offer to send someone to get the pastor's oil changed or mow his lawn or do some of the other things that might buy the pastor more time.  It might also be good not to place expectations to have all of the pastor's time while you are there.  Would you give every minute of the week to someone at your church while there are still so many other needs going unfilled?   

4.  Overwhelm with Encouragement.  Often the little things can be greatly encouraging.  For example, we have a team that comes and babysits our children so my wife and I can get out on a date.  Many times a planter has no friends or family as they get started, which often means no babysitters.  That means very few dates.  That team even gave my wife and I some cash for the date.  This is good because planters usually have very little personal funds.  In another example, that same church sent my daughter a birthday card.  When you're on the front lines of the mission field, it's easy to feel alone.  These little acts of support go a long way!  Even a $5 gift card to Starbucks and a note reminds the planter family that you're thinking about them.  They are not forgotten or alone.    

5.  Do Your Part.  When it comes to logistics, let the planter tell you what they need in the mission field, but don't burden him with how you'll get there.  Don't put the travel and planning burdens on the the planter or pastor.  The team should be able to work out travel plans, and probably housing plans too.  Do some homework.  This kind of thing takes time.  If you need to get answers to questions, do; but don't expect the planter to do all the leg work.   If the planter has the time to work out your flights and lodging, he probably does not really need your help.  

6.  It's Not a Vacation.  The best teams I've worked with came for the ministry, not the sight seeing and vacation aspects of travel.  Of course people want to see an area when they spend money to travel there, but what's the reasoning behind coming?  Some of the best teams I've worked with have done "fun" in ways that incorporate the local church family.  Rather than trying to see the community through the eyes of a tourist, they've seen what Utah has to offer through our eyes.  For example, we've joined teams in the beautiful mountains of Utah.  The incoming team is often awestruck and the church gets to enjoy the day too.  Or we go hiking, or we enjoy a campfire together.  It could be any number of things.  Any any case, don't expect or even ask the pastor to play "tour guide."  This generally just kills a ministry day for the pastor, which takes us back to Number 3 above.  

7.  Pray.  Finally, remember to pray for the mission filed often.  Stay in contact with the pastor through the year.  This helps foster a better relationship rather than a mission-vacation destination.

I hope you've found this helpful.  If you haven't considered partnering with a domestic mission field, I want to encourage you to do so.  And I hope you'll consider partnering with a planter in Utah.  (If you're interested in partnering with me and Redeeming Life Church, you can start that journey here.)

For the Kingdom!
Pastor Bryan  

Salty Believer Unscripted: "A Gospel Spin"

If 2015 was categorized as the year everybody was offended, 2016 was the year everyone hand an angry agenda.  It was a tumultuous year.  The election certainly didn't help, but  politics don't hold the blame alone.   Race, abortion, social media, and hard hearts have their place too. 

It wasn't easy, and really not much fun, but Brett Ricley, Jared Jenkins, and I spent 8 weeks looking at hot issues through gospel lenses.  What does the gospel have to say about what we see in the world around us?  Is it relevant?  Does it apply?  Is there anything we can learn from an old revelation from God?  Of course! On all counts!  

As you reflect on 2016, I'd like to encourage you to think about it through the lens of the Bible.  It's not always an easy task, but these 8 podcasts from "Salty Believer Unscripted" might help.   (And it's a great opportunity to hear our thoughts on the issues!) 

A Gospel Spin: A Look at Current Issues
-- An Introduction audio 
-- How to Think About Government (Part 1) audio
-- How to Think About Government (Part 2) audio
-- Christian in the Voting Booth audio 
-- The Tensions Among the Races audio
-- Post-Election Thoughts audio
-- Abortion vs. Right to Choose audio 
-- When We Get it Wrong audio

Subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted Podcasts:
iTunes  | Non iTunes

Follow "Salty Believer Unscripted" on Facebook. 

Join me in prayer for 2017.  May it be marked by a great revival among Christians and an awaking among those who don't yet know Jesus! 

Making Disciples by Ralph Moore

"If you are serious about discipleship," Harrington said, "you've got to go meet Ralph Moore."  I had never heard of the man, but Bobby Harrington said he's the guy to meet. I was at a conference and Moore was there too.  I googled him.  Then I flipped through his books on a showroom table.  They were kind of tucked behind the better known names.  I put them back on the table.  

His breakout session was simple.  Ralph Moore is an easy going guy, almost more comfortable with small groups rather than standing on the stage.  His methods seemed refreshingly honest and kind of confirming, yet pastors were walking out of the session.  "It's too simple" they muttered.  Anybody can do that. I need something more."  

Then he said it.  It went something to the effect: "I was worried I wasn't accurate when I shared that we'd planted just over 1,300 churches since 1971.  But then with a little help, I've learned that we've actually surpassed 2,300 churches planted."  

Now he had my attention.  

 I went straight from that session to the vendor table and bought Making Disciples: Developing LifeLong Followers of Jesus by Ralph Moore (Baker Books, 2012).      

I'm not sure how to approach this post; but I can say it's not really a book review.  If it were, it wouldn't be a good one.  This is more of a recommendation.  I highly recommend that every Christian read this book.  Or at least the Christians that aren't making disciples who make disciples who make disciples. 

Making Disciples probably won't teach you anything you don't already know or couldn't figure out on your own.  It's simple.  Really simple.  But that's the problem.  We often over-complicate everything.  Moore cuts through all that and brings it back to the simple process of making disciples of Jesus through a series of stories, explanations, and easy-going illustrations.  If nothing else, the book should encourage you to follow Jesus' command to make disciples. 

"Disciplemaking" writes Moore, "is the intentional friendship with another person, with Jesus at it's core" (42).  But this isn't a book about making friends and waiting for years before you share with them that you are a follower of Jesus.  Moore is upfront about his faith and the Bible is central to everything.  So is the tranformative work of the Holy Spirit.  It sounds too simple, right?  Because it is.  But 2,300 church planted through the process of making one disciple at a time should encourage you to pick up this book and read it.   What's holding you back?

I read this book in a day.  I couldn't put it down.  I found myself nodding and wondering how this would have gone over in seminary.  I felt convicted about my friendships (or lack-there-of).  I wanted to pick up long forgotten hobbies.  I felt better about living my life, on the hunt for 'fishing pools' as Moore calls them.  And I bought copies for the staff of the church I pastor.  

It's a good book, really.  And I encourage you to read it.  

Follow this link to purchase Ralph Moore's book, Making Disciples: Developing LifeLong Followers of Jesus.  

*I have no material connection to Ralph Moore or this book. I just really think it's worth the read.     

If It Happened Today?

Luke 2:2-20 is a remarkable story for many reasons.  The faith of a young girl is amazing (not that she had much choice).  The faith of Joseph, Mary's betrothed, is amazing.  His bride-to-be ends up pregnant and tells a story that millions around the world today still do not believe.  Joseph didn't believe it either and planned to divorce her quietly when an angel, one of God's messengers, has a conversation with Joseph.  (You can read about this in Matthew 1:18-25.)  But what I really like is the faith of the shepherds.  

What would happen if this event with the angels and the shepherds (recorded Luke 2:8-20) happened today?    

I hope I'm wrong, but first, I suspect that after the shepherds heard the message from the angels, they would form a small group to discuss what it would look like to go and see this thing that has happened.  This group would probably meet for months with all kinds of time to do life together in missional community as they pondered what could happen if they went to Bethlehem to see this thing they heard about. 

Next, they would form a committee and sign a document stating that they believed the angels were from God and telling the truth, without error.  Of course, there would be some debate on this, so a symposium would be necessary to discuss this endlessly.  

After the symposium, they would need to debate the transmission of God's message.  What was the intent behind the intent?  How can the message be trusted?  Was the call to go see the baby Jesus literal or figurative?   Was it only for the shepherds or for others too?  These debates would probably never end.  They would play out in social media and blog posts well beyond the lifetimes of the people who hear the original message.  

Books would be written about this angelic message from God.  They'd also be written about the shepherds, the angels, the field in which the shepherds heard the message, the sky, the science, the emotion, and much more.  Pages and pages would be written and published well beyond the market's capacity to purchase and read.  

Movies would be produced and people would argue about them.  Some might even boycott the movies because the directors missed a detail.  Others would host big outreach events in their churches centered around the movies.  

A satire post would be written.  More people would hear about the event through the satire than from anywhere else.  Many Christians would be embarrassed about being Christians because of the satire so they wouldn't say anything at all. 

We would have to ask how millennials would rather hear the message.  Debates about if we should rewrite the angel's message in a more contextual way might be necessary.  

Churches would split.

Entire seminary classes would be written to study this amazing event.  Dissertations would be written on every aspect of the message, the shepherds, the angels, the responses, the timing, the historicity, and so much more.   Many scholars would start denying the event, even in the seminaries.  

But even after all this, one question would still remain.  Would anybody actually go see Jesus and worship him?  All joking aside, the message of the angels to the shepherds is still just as important then as it is today.  When we hear God's message (through his Word, pastors, other saints, prayer, books, music, and so-on) do we obey or do we do something else.  Are we more serious about the Bible or about the message contained in the Bible?  Are we more serious about the message or the King and Savior the message directs us too?  If you were in that field that night, what would you do?  It's no different when you hear God's message today.  So what are you going to do?  

Christmas on Sunday? Oh no!

As a pastor, I've heard many opinions about holding services on Christmas. They differ widely.  If you haven't noticed, Christmas falls on a Sunday this year.  Various authors, pastors, and speakers are weighing in.  Many different ideas are being put forward on both sides of this arguments.  Unfortunately, some of these arguments are written from a position of superiority, criticizing other churches for their decision (on both sides of this argument), or simply personal preference.   How should we think about this problem?  Before getting into that, here are some things to think about as you evaluate the various opinions. 

1.  The 'We should celebrate as a family' argument.  I've heard that because it's Christmas, it should be a church celebration.  Interesting that we don't usually hear this argument when Christmas falls on a Tuesday.  In that case, church services remain on Sunday and Christmas is celebrated on Tuesday, or any other day other than Sunday.  In addition, how come we don't read about churches gathering on Thanksgiving night, so church families can celebrate as a family? 

2.  The 'Church services are an important part of Christian worship and shouldn't be canceled' argument.  This argument should also apply to vacations and camping weekends, too.  If someone is going to say we shouldn't cancel a worship service because Christmas falls on a Sunday, he or she should also say, we shouldn't miss a single worship service because our vacation falls on a Sunday.  But then, the conversation should probably move to something about how the perfect church attendance award does not earn you a spot in heaven.  

3.  The 'Staff and volunteers need to be able to celebrate with their family' argument. This one pleads for the volunteers and staff who come in early and stay late to put the service on.  Others have a day off (like almost everybody) so why not this group?  It is often made by those who have family, especially little kids.  It's also made by pastors who don't have enough available volunteers to help put on a service with those with families not attending.  If this is the case, those who do want services on Christmas should offer to help so the burden is lighter on those who typically serve.   

4.  The 'School or community center isn't open' argument. This would have been my problem last year.  We used to rent space in a county community center.  Holding services would have meant a couple county employees would have had to work.  That is, if the center would have rented us space on Christmas day.  Let's not be too hard on mobile churches that have to deal with this issue. 

5. The 'It's an outreach' argument.  Okay, what?  If we're wondering if our church members are going to attend on Christmas, what are the chances unchurched, non-believers are going to attend on Christmas day?   It may be a good outreach in your area; I don't know.  Give it a try and see how it goes.

6. The 'Families should know how to do worship in their home' argument.  This argument should cause us to wonder if the families in our churches have been taught to do this, and if they do at any other times.  This is probably a good conversation 52 weeks a year, not just when there's a difficult scheduling day.  In any case, technology does help much more now than ever before. 

7.  The 'I just want my church do be more holy or set apart than the community' argument.  I wonder what the motivation is behind some of these arguments?  Especially if people argue for their church to hold services and then they don't show up.  I also wonder if it's about being 'set apart' like the Pharisees repeatedly argue with Jesus in Mark 2.  And what should we think when we read, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the son of Man is lord even over the Sabbath" when the Sabbath happens to fall on Christmas?  

8. The 'Christmas shouldn't be about gifts' argument.  This one is basically argues that we shouldn't be about stuff, and instead be about worshiping God.  That's really true, but we should extend this argument into the rest of the year too.  If this truly is the argument, people should tithe more because stuff is less important than ministry.  People should work less so they have time to worship more.  Working on Sunday?  Well maybe stuff is too important to you?  If this is indeed the argument.  Maybe we shouldn't give gifts at baptisms and forget about pastor appreciation gifts.  Let's just worship more.  And if we're not about anything corporate, we probably shouldn't be about any thing else that has a corporate inclination or anything associated with money either.  Let's apply this argument to every other other holidays or the Super Bowl, or presidential debates, or March Madness, or any other thing that we celebrate corporately and spend money on.  Or we could relax a hair and celebrate the one who gave the best gift of all by by generously giving gifts to others. 

With all of this in mind, as well as the many other arguments on this topic, you can probably see that this is as much like worship style or Bible translation.  It's going to be different for every church and arguments on both sides are not necessarily unbiblical.  It seems like a matter of preference.  And it's possible that whether you have a service on Christmas or not, the sky is probably not going to fall.  Therefore, I suggest in the spirit of Christmas, we simply allow this to be a matter for each church to determine for themselves, just as families around the nation are making decisions about how they will celebrate Christmas. Whether you attend a service or not, I pray you have a wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas.   

Leviticus 24:10-23 and the Code of Hammurabi

At the church where I pastor, we are working our way through the book of Leviticus.  It's no easy task, I assure you.  Most of the time, the book shocks our sense of reality, justice, and feelings about God.  Yet as we look, it's usually what we think we see that's the problem.  But as we dig in, reason through the text, and work at it, we find what's actually there are we are amazed.

Take  Leviticus 24:10-23 for example. 

It would seem that two men got into a fight and one of them "blasphemed the Name and cursed" (verse 11).  The people brought the man to Moses and they wanted to see what the will of the Lord should be for his man.  

God said, "Bring out of the came the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let the congregation stone him" (verse 14).  This is serious business.  However, God dictated, "whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.  Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.  All the congregation shall stone him.  The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death" (Leviticus 24:16).    

Oh man, this seems really harsh.  Is God an unfair, harsh God?  Does this punishment fit the crime?  

God goes on to talk about a fairness code.  He sets a maximum amount of punishment allowed for the crime and it should fit.  Scholars call this principle lex talionis.  We often call it an "eye for an eye" which God mentions too.  I don't think and eye for an eye was specifically about eyes but about this principle.  

And most law students and historians will quickly notice a similarity between Leviticus 24:17-23 and the Code of Hammurabi.  

Hammurabi was the 6th King of Babylon.  And while he wasn't the first king to set out laws for the people, he is one of the most famous early law-makers because his code was inscribed on stone (which means we can still read it today).  His goal was to set some level of fairness in criminal matters, issues of divorce, contracts, and other legal matters.  He wrote 282 laws called the Code of Hammurabi.  

What does the Code of Hammurabi have to do with Leviticus 24:17-23?  

The 196th code mentions matters of an eye for and eye.  Code 200 is a tooth for a tooth. And 197 is a broken bone for a broken bone.  (You can read all 282 codes here.)  A good argument can be made that Leviticus was written before the Code of Hammurabi, but that's not the point.  The two agree.

The point is that God is a fair God.  God's code and man's code have much in common on this one. 

The point is that the punishment should fit the crime.  God has set the lex talionis and it's the same one set by a king of the same time period.  

The point is blaspheming God, that is, using God's name as a curse word is very serious.  Deadly serious.  This kind of disrespect is so serious that the punishment is death.  

Now, it's not the act of using someone's name as a curse word that's the problem.  If you were to use my name as a curse word, not only would you not die, you might get a laugh or two.  The reason this is so serious is because of the magnitude of the name being cursed.  That is why the punishment fits the crime here.  That is why God is fair.  That is why this is not as harsh as we might initially think.  Because God is that magnificent.  God is that powerful.  God is such that he demands that much fear, reverence, and respect. 

Any Given Sunday

It can be difficult to really know what's going on across the nation when the loudest voices rise to the top.  The evening news features the stories that elicit the most negative emotion.  Social media is usually like the stuff swirling around a tornado-- loud, dark, and something that causes sane people to stay out of.  Popular media, art, and entertainment seem to avoid emulating what is in favor of what could never be.  So how does anyone know what's happening across the nation? 

As Christians, we sometimes wonder if the Bible is fading into dust.  Are people still preaching God's Word?  What's going on in Wisconsin?  How about Kentucky?  Oregon?  Is anyone still seeking God?  Do we, as a nation, cherish God's inerrant revelation?  Or are we alone?

In an effort to provide encouragement in our divided and difficult times, an organization called Unlocking the Bible selected a single Sunday and went looking for gospel preaching in all 50 states of the United States.  As it turns out, God's Word is indeed being preached across the nation.  

I am honored that they found and selected a sermon I preached to represent Utah.  Redeeming Life Church, where I pastor, is a church that loves Jesus.  They desperately seek to know God through is Word and his people.   I'm blessed to have the opportunity to pastor this church and preach God's Word there.  If you're reading this, I hope you watch the above video and I'd like to invite you to be our guest at Redeeming Life Church.  We meet for prayer and communion at 10am and a worship service at 11am.  2070 N. Redwood Road, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116.  See you Sunday! 

You can listen to the entire sermon from September 18, 2016 here.  It's the first sermon from our Leviticus series. 

What, No Worship Leader Today?

I'm a pastor of a little church.  We're a newer church.   A young church.  A church plant.  We are blessed to have any person with musical ability, but we are short on skilled worship leader types.  So we are thankful for the ones we have. 

But I knew our Sunday morning worship service would be a little difficult with all our faithfully serving men up at a men's retreat.  However, I didn't anticipate what could have happened when I woke up Sunday morning.  We planned to do what we always do on Sunday and see others would fill in as God called upon them. It wouldn't be the normal team, but it would still be great.  

And then I received a text message at 7:30am, Sunday morning.  The worship leader and her son were really sick.  No worship leader? Nope, they were all up at the retreat.  Hours away.  Okay.  Anybody else available to sing?  No, not as a leader. What were we going to do? 

A year ago, I probably would have freaked out.  But not this time.  The truth is, church is not our order or worship.  Our church is not a welcome, three songs, and so-on.  No church should be.  Our Sunday morning is not about dong stuff and doing it right.  It's about being the Church.  Sadly however, many people have turned Church into an event.  It's a service.  A thing you go to an enjoy or not enjoy.  A moment in time from which to consume or give.  

So when it was the time when we normally stand up and sing worship songs, I stood before our church and shared this short message.  I preached a sermon later, but I think God wanted us to think about the question, "What is the Church?"

It's one thing to talk about being the Church, it's another when you don't have a worship leader.  I know many churches that would rather cancel services than be the Church. 

If you'd like to listen to that seven-minute message in place of our songs, you can listen on the player below or you can listen here.  Following this message, we listened to Emily and David play and we prayed and meditated on the Lord.  

And guess what?  Church was still there because we are the Church.  We gathered.  We prayed.  We opened our Bibles and heard from the Lord.  We praised our King. We remembered that the Church is a family and it was good.  Nothing blew up.  Nobody died.  And it we worshiped Jesus. 

God used our morning without a worship leader to remind us of who we are.  And we celebrated that. 

"To See What They Saw"

I was blessed to preach at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee.  They are a partner church to the church that I pastor, Redeeming Life Church.  They are a wonderful partner, and for them, I am extremely thankful.  I am also humbled that Pastor Sam Boyd would let me step before his congregation and preach on Acts 17.   If you're interested, you can watch the sermon here. 

*In addition, there is much in this sermon that was influenced by giants upon who's shoulders I stand.  For this sermon, Dave Earley pressed many of these same ideas on me, and I am in his debt.

More Churches Need Graveyards

It's unfortunate that we don't build churches connected to graveyards anymore.  What a profound reminder of the reality of the gospel.  Pastors are in the business of death and life.  But more so, I think a graveyard might be a helpful reminder for pastors like me.  

After cleaning up the lifeless paper coffee cups, collecting all the left behind items, and locking  up two hours after the worship service concluded, "nice to see you again, pastor" echoing from the community of tombstones puts things back into the right perspective.  It changes the conversation on the lonely walk to the car.  Start and stop dates carved in old stone has a powerful ability to  cause a pastor to consider his personal vital signs of health as he's getting ready for another emergency counseling session with a couple that probably won't change but "really need to talk with the pastor."  And every time I might ask, "what's the point?", encouragement to keep going would whisper in from the outside yard. 

A graveyard really puts things into perspective.  Paint colors don't mean much when there's a graveyard on the other side of the wall that needs painted.  Those five extra minutes the pastor robbed when he preached long might be forgiven as families rush past a graveyard trying to beat the Methodists to Cracker Barrel.  The topics like salvation and hell may be more meaningful in the shadow of death.  And nobody can say death is a punishment for sin is just metaphorical when tombstones lean over to get a better view into the windows. 

The other thing we miss when we worship in a warehouse instead of a graveyard is the reality that many great saints have gone before us.  The cloud of witnesses is a large cloud; and when there's a graveyard outside the front door, we can see that some of that cloud lived and died in our communities.  We stand on their shoulders.  If we are church planters, we are not likely the first.  Someone had to plant that 75-year-old church.  That should force us to be grateful.  No wonder Christians forget how to be humble!  It should be no mystery why we believe we are the best and most special Christians in our community.  Some of us could stand to have an ol' timer walk us over to a grave marker and say, "This guy here gave a lot of prayer, money, and time to set a foundation with the hope that you'd be a believer today.  Maybe his out dated methods, songs, and flannel board deserve a little respect?" Having a graveyard outside might change the way a lot of Christians act and think. 

I pastor a church that just finished converting a warehouse office into a worship space.  We lease it and there's no graveyard outside.  We don't even have a steeple or a prayer garden.  No stained-glass.  Nope.  None of that.  Just a bunch hip stuff wrapped in brick and commercial steel.  But I don't need the steeple or the stained glass.  Those things are really nice but they might be a relic of the past.  However, I sure would love having a graveyard right out side.  I think that would dramatically change the way I care for God's people.  And I have to imagine it might help the church take the gospel a little more seriously each and every time they walk past that graveyard on their way to church services.     

Defending our Idols

Maybe I'm getting old, but I don't remember everybody hating everybody else.  When I was younger there were people who got hot, but I don't recall people being so nasty.  Spend any time on the social media outlets and you will find people angry about something.  They hate what they don't think is right and hate the people who disagree with them.  And then a few minutes later, they hate the people who don't necessarily disagree but don't completely agree with every point. A few more minutes and they hate everybody and everything. . . except themselves and their own thoughts.  

Sometimes this hate is hidden behind a cloak of complaint.  There's always something wrong.  There's always an injustice.  There's always an enemy of some kind.  There's always a need to vent publicly and then say, "it's just venting" when people call it out.  

Just this week I saw an Olympian use her platform to make a statement against the police in the US.  Then others complained about her statements.  Still others argued against the complainers.  I also saw a string of people complaining about the coverage of women in the Olympics.  Of course I've seen way too many people arguing politics.  Name calling.  Gun rights. Abortion rights (if there truly is such a thing). Problems with education.  Problems with cable companies.  Problems with people.  Problem with systems.  Problems with problems.  (Even now I'm pointing out a problem.  I'd like to think I'm different, but I'm not.) 

Why do we have such a problem?  Why do we hate anything that's against our ideas.  Why is anything that is no "me" so intolerable?  

I would like to offer than we are defending our idols.  People seem to get the hottest when what is most important object of our worship is in jeopardy.  I'm not saying that gun rights or who can use which bathroom or any particular candidate is what's important.  These things are not the idols.  Not politics.  Not guns.  Not sexual behavior.  If we cut through it all, what we'll find is our actual idol.  The one we whore ourselves to.  And just what or who is our idol?  Ourselves.  Yup.  The god of "me." 

We argue and complain because like the people in the time of the book of Judges, we are doing what we think is right in our own eyes.  And it's not what we are doing that's important to us, but that we get to sit in the place that says what is right, what is worthy of praise, and what all others should bow down and worship.  Most the people I know (and sometimes even myself) want people to worship the god we worship--ourselves. 

Is this why people get so bent out of shape when they drive?  Is it what motivates our actions on Facebook?  Is this what's behind it all?  Even as I'm writing this for my website, I have to question if I want people to value this post in such a way as to value me as a false god?  I hope not, but it's possible.  I'm sinful like the rest of creation.  

Interestingly, Romans chapter 1 deals with the ramifications of self-worship.  It's bad.   People exchange truth for a lie and trade in God for a false god.  Then Romans 1:28-32 points the finger at us today, saying, 

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not be done.  They were filed with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.  They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.  They are gossips, slanders, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them."  

That sounds about right.  What's the answer to this problem?  

The Bible speaks of mortifying sin.  Killing it.  There's lots of talk of repenting from this evil way and turning to Jesus. And then there's the picture we see in Gideon.  In Judges (that book where everybody was doing what they defined as right), Gideon is called to destroy the false idols in his father's house.  You can read about it in Judges 6.  When the town woke to find their idols tore down, they were mad. Really man.  But in the end, the false gods were left to defend themselves.  Nothing happened because the false gods are no gods at all.  

I wonder if this is what we are doing.  As we simultaneously identify ourselves as god and then worship the false god of "me," we take up a defensive position.  We are actually trying to defend our position as our own idol as others try to do the same by cutting us down.  Is this what we see on Facebook?  Twitter?  So the answer might be that it's time to stop defending and start killing.  It's time to tear down the false idol of self. It's time to worship the one, true God.     

I suspect when we do this, we'll find the peace and joy the god of self seems to withhold.  We'll find the power for real transformation into the image of Jesus that the god of self is powerless to deliver.  And in the end, we'll find life, real life in Christ's name.  Because there is no other name and no other God able  to giving us life and life to the fullest. 

The Myth of the Non-Christian by Luke Cawley

Cawley, Luke.  The Myth of the Non-Christian: Engaging Atheists, Nominal Christians and the Spiritual But Not Religious.  Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2016. 

I was thrilled when InterVarsity Press sent me a review copy of Luke Cawley's book, The Myth of the Non-Christian: Engaging Atheists, Nominal Christians and the Spiritual But Not Religious.  The title alone is intriguing.  And I was fairly pleased with the arguments and resources with the pages of this work. 

Crawley, the director and co-founder of Chrysolis, is a contextual apologists who seem to desire a shift in the conversation of present-day apologetics.  He argues that, "learning to engage with the three groups of this book will aid you in your conversations and interactions with a significant percentage of people around you" (25).  In addition, his aim is that his readers will "learn to be contextual apologists" (25).   The three groups--which Crawley argues are the three largest groups of US people who are not followers of Jesus--are atheists, nominal Christians (that is, those who are part of the social structure of the Christian faith but not actually believers), and the spiritual by non-religious.  

Many of his points in the beginning chapters are made through stories and examples.  On the upside, this helps bring life to his argument and keeps the book interesting.  The down side however, is that the stories require a lot of assumptions that Crawley depends upon.  Not every college campus is the same.  Different areas get into spiritual conversations more freely than others.  Some cultures in the US (like Utah) are highly influenced by non-Christian belief structures that will influence all of these groups differently than the examples offered. But the stories are still helpful and keep the book engaging.  

The second half of the book is more like a resource book.  It deals with the major questions and objections to Christianity and how to engage in each of these three areas.  This is where the book holds its value.  These chapters become much less story driven and for more instructional.  They are though provoking and provide some helpful framework in which the reader can contextualize his or her own apologetic.  For these chapters alone, anyone seeking to engage the lost in these groups should probably read this book. 

Unfortunately, Crawley spend a lot of time arguing against calling the people in this group non-Christians.  He contends that nobody calls themselves a non-Christian so we should not use the term.  This is non-sense.  People don't call themselves "lost" or "lost sheep" either, but Jesus doesn't hesitate to call them that when he said he came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).  Of course calling someone a non-Christian might be identifying them differently then they self-identify, but it's not an untrue statement, nor is it going to be offensive (unless the person believes he or she is a Christian).  And at the same time, it will also help draw important distinctions that may need to be drawn.  For example, members of the LDS faith (Mormons) deeply desire that I call them Christians, but by identifying them as non-Christians, important biblical distinctions can be made.  It's not bad to refer to people who are not Christian as a non-Christian, although this is a minor point and not very relevant to the rest of Crawley's book. 

Apart from my minor issues, I found this book both thought provoking and helpful.  I do recommend this book to anyone who desires to engage lost people with the gospel (which should be every Christian).  I have no material connection to this book, but I'll still encourage you to purchase it here. 

* Looking for a good book to read, check out this list. 

The Journey Toward Spiritual Maturity

For a week now, I’ve been staring at a discipleship chart by LeRoy Eims. It comes from his book, The Lost Art of Disciple Making.  I can’t stop thinking about it because I find it so helpful in the area of discipleship, ministry multiplication, and leadership development.  I'm working on two questions

Question 1: 
What are the steps to take a person from an unbeliever all the way into Christian maturity, where this same person can be trusted to lead, shepherd, and care for the Bride of Christ?

Question 2:
How can we determine where a person is on this growth journey toward Christian maturity.

Every time I take my kids to the doctor, ‘the chart’ comes out.  This chart is tracking their growth process from birth to adulthood.  LeRoy Eims’ chart is very similar.   Using his concept, I've placed some major and minor steps into a chart of my own. Here’s my own adaptation of the spiritual growth process on a simple Spiritual Maturity Chart. 

1.  Hear and accept the gospel (Immature Believer)
a.  Read your Bible daily
b.  Pray daily, and more even often
c.  Share the gospel with others regularly
d.  Do not forsake fellowship with other believers
e.  Worship God in a variety of other ways
f.   Sabbath
g.  Tithe
h.  Start defeating personal sin behaviors
i.   Start growing in godly character, being transformed into Christ’s image
j.   Start growing in wisdom, demonstrated by making wise decisions
k.  Be a good steward of your, time, talent, and treasure
l.   Grow in the kind of hope that others will question you about
m.  Live in the joy of Christ
n.  Learn how do deeply study the Word of God on our own and do so often
o.  Learn humility
p.  Love your neighbors

Result of Step 1: A Disciple (Maturation is Ready to Begin)

2.  Growth into Christian Maturity
a.  Lead others to Christ (God willing) 
b.  Teach others all that Christ commanded
c.  Disciple your wife and children towards Jesus
d.  Meet and disciple others in a one-on-one setting
e.  Use your time, talent, and treasure for Kingdom advancement
f.   Serve others within the Church
g.  Serve others outside the Church
h.  Serve the local church as a whole
h.  Care well for your spiritual leaders
j.   Become a steady person within the local church family
k.  Be a trustworthy regular at the gatherings of the fellowship
l.   Sacrificially give your time, talent, and treasure above your tithe
m. Pray for your leaders and others in the church body often, if not daily
n.  Do the jobs nobody wants to do (like Jesus washing the disciple’s feet)
o.  Persevere over the long haul
p.  Become dependable
q.  Encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ often 

Result of Step 2: A Servant (The Making of a Maturing Christian)

3.  Growth into Ministry Leadership (For Called and Maturing Christians)
I haven't put steps here yet because growing as a leader is going to be different for each person based on calling an leadership duties.  This may mean it’s time for formal training like Bible College or Seminary (most students go too early and long before they are called or maturing through Step 2.)  It may mean working alongside other leaders.  Or it could be something else.  However, this process should be reserved for those Christians who have grown as disciples and live as mature servants.  When a person has grown well in Step 3, he or she should be capable of reproducing believers in Steps 1 and 2 as well as in Step 3.  

Result of Step 3: Leader 

Too often, I try to move young men and women into leadership positions long before there has been growth through Step 1 and Step 2.  The results are often less than desired.  

Look at the growth chart above and get honest with yourself.  Where are you?  How are you doing?  Can you honestly say you are doing all those sub-steps within Step 1?  If not, that’s where you need to place your time and attention.  You need to grow out of infancy in Christ and start making your way toward maturity.  

If you are doing Step 1 well, how are you doing with Step 2?  Are you the man or woman the rest of your local church sees as a sacrificial servant for the church, or are you that person that’s still fulfilling your own needs from week to week?  What areas need work in your spiritual growth journey?  What do you need to do as you make your way toward Christian adulthood?  

When my kids finally meet all the thresholds on the doctor’s chart, they will still have needs to meet on my chart.  My boys will not honestly be allowed to call themselves men until they’ve moved out on their own and pay for their own car payment, insurance, phone, etc.  They are not given certain family responsibilities until they have achieved the faithful smaller responsibilities.  The same it true within our local church families.  

I was not in a place to lead until I learned to lead myself.  I was not in a place lead until I learned to serve rather than be served.  I’m still learning a great deal in Step 3 because I feel like I am only just now entering Step 3. At times I’m still struggling with things in Step 1 and 2.   I went to seminary way too early because I had not yet learned to serve wellNor had I learned humility (and I’m still working on that one too).  I wasn’t a faithful worker yet.  At times, I’m not a good steward of my time and talent.  These days persevering feels a little tougher.  But many spiritual, godly, men examined my life (through ordination and various church planter assessments) and felt I was ready to begin my journey into Step 3.  They are still examining my life and still looking at how I am doing in Steps 1 and 2 and I will remain in a growth process until the day I die.   

We need leaders in the Church.  Most local churches are hurting for godly leaders.  I know the church I pastor is!  Are you growing toward that place? 

If you were assessed in your spiritual journey, would the wisest, most mature believers you know (and even those you don’t, but instead watch on Youtube and listen to via podcasts) determine you have grown past the infancy stages of the Christian walk?  How would you rate on the various steps presented here?

Awakenings and Revivals

A co-laborer in ministry, Brett Ricley, and I were praying for our city and discussing lostness and how things might change in our community.  As we continued to pray, we both started coming to some ideas about revival and awakening.  Then, around this same time, I picked up the next magazine in my old stack of Christian History Magazine and it happened to be about revivals and awakenings. Within days, Brett's Church history professor asked the class to read a series of articles from an on-line archive of the same magazine, even the same volume and issue.  So we decided that God might be trying to teach us something.  

As we explored the idea of revival and awakening in our city and well beyond our community, we decided that it was an interesting topic for Salty Believer Unscripted.  We brought Jared Jenkins into our conversation, and then God brought Vance Pitman and Nik Ripken into the conversation for some great interviews.  Over the weeks of the series, we discussed definitions, Scripture, the Great Awakenings in the US, the way God is moving in the rest of the world, and much more.  

If you did not listen to the series, I still want to encourage you to listen to our series, "Revivals and Awakenings."  

Revivals and Awakenings
-- Part 1: Introduction audio      
-- Part 2: Our 'Personal Revivals' audio 
-- Part 3: The First Great Awakening audio
-- Part 4: Lessons From the First Great Awakening audio 
-- Part 5: The Second Great Awakening audio
-- Part 6: Lessons From the Second Great Awakening audio
-- Part 7: Awakening in the West (with Vance Pitman) audio   
-- Part 8: The Third Great Awakening audio    
-- Part 9: The Other Awakenings?  audio
-- Part 10: Awakenings Around the World (with Nik Ripken) audio 

** Subscribe to the Salty Believer Unscripted Podcasts:
iTunes  | Non iTunes

Bible Study Essentials

According to John 10, a disciple of Jesus hears and knows the voice of the Lord and follows that voice.   But how do we learn to hear and know the voice of the Lord?  We certainly don't want to obey a false prophet or false voice, or even our own voice mistaken for something of greater authority.  What are we to do? 

One of the best ways is to read and study what God has already said (the Bible).  There's a right and a wrong way to study the Bible.  In fact, there are lots of wrong ways to apply the Bible to our lives and they typically come from an incorrect study process.  However, chances are good that if you learn to read and study the Bible well, you will start hearing from the Lord better.  The more and more you practice studying the Bible the right way, the more familiar God's voice will become.  And the more you obey what God says in your reading and study, the more natural you will find it.  

So what's the right way to study the Bible?

Without getting too bogged down with this question, I'd like to propose a very simple way to start reading and studying your Bible.  You can do it on your own or in a group.  You should do it every day.  It can take 10 minutes or hours.  It even makes for a simple way to lead a group.   

Asked to lead a devotional, preach a sermon,give a talk, or teach on a text?  This method words well for teaching the Bible too.  It is often the format I use for my sermons.  

To start, select a small section of the Word. This is often called a percipi.  You can also do this with a chapter or even an entire book, but I recommend starting with small sections.  Read the text. Pray about it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.  Ask him to show you something from God's Word today.   

"What do you see?"  What do you find interesting.  Was there repeated words or ideas? What was it saying when it was written?  Start listing observations.  These are the facts and things you notice.  This is not application time to resist the urge to start applying these observations to your life. Just sit in the text.  Be a detective and see what's there.  There could be hundreds of observations.  

Next, ask the question, "What does it mean, today?"  I like to ask, "What is the timeless principle?"  What does this say to all people, of all time, in all places on the earth.  Boil it down to a sentence.  If you can't boil it down, keep working on it.  Also, if it doesn't apply to all time and all cultures, you might not have it worked down to the timeless principle yet.  This is a truth statement from God for all people so work at it until it is timeless.  It should also be anchored to your observations.  If you've got a statement that's no longer anchored to your observations from the text, you might not have a timeless truth from that text yet.      

Finally, take that timeless principle and ask, how do I apply this to my life in tangible ways. Or how does this principle speak to my church?  What is God's Word (from that timeless truth statement) speaking into my life, my family, and even my world today, in my reality?  

These three questions, if worked in this order, will often yield some remarkable insight into what God is saying.  To help, I've listed the three questions below with some additional clarifying and helping questions.  The additional questions should help get you answers for that primary questions.  Pick a portion of Scripture and give it a try.  Then try it with another text, and another. Try it again tomorrow and the next day.  With more practice you will have a greater chance of recognizing God's voice.  When you hear that voice, follow it.  Because disciples know the Lord's voice and follow him.    

Bible Study Essentials

1.  Observation
What do you see? 
- What do you find interesting or curious?
- Are terms, places, or ideas emphasized or repeated?  
- Are there people, things, or statements alike or different?
- What is true to life?  
- Is there anything that seems out of place? 
- What are the key turning points in the story? 

2.  Interpretation
What does it mean? 
- What are the timeless principles? 
- What truths can be stated that apply to all people, of all time, and all places? 
- How can things that applied only to the past culture speak to today's cultures? 
- What else does the Bible say about this timeless truth? 

3.  Application
What and I going to to with this truth? 
- How do the timeless principles speak into my life? 
- How should this timeless truth alter my behaviors and thoughts? 
- Is there an example for me to follow? 
- Is there a promise to claim? 
- Is there a prayer to repeat? 
- Is there a condition to meet? 
- Is there a verse to memorize? 
- Am I willing to apply the timeless truth today? 

Study on and be transformed by God's Word!

Baptists at Greek Orthodox Easter?

"Are we doing this to be like the disciples who feel asleep while Jesus was praying?  Why on earth is it so late at night?" one of the guys asked.  Another one expressed concerns over theology.  Still another guy was concerned that we'd be too tired for Sunday services the next morning.  (We probably should have listen to his concerns because he was right).  And still another guys was concerned about the dress code.  Despite all the concerns, I drug a group of baptist disciples to the Antiochian Greek Easter Service. 

Why on earth would I go to an Greek Orthodox Easter service?  Even more curious is why I might bring others with me. 

To get the heart of this question, I should probably share that Jared Jenkins and I attended an Antiochian Greek Easter service a couple years prior.  (We go to the Antiocian service because most of the 3-hour service is in English.)  That was my first experience with this service.  While there are some troubling differences with my theology and theirs, I found it interesting.  And despite that it starts at midnight and you stand the entire time, I found it worshipful. 

We recorded an on-location episode of Salty Believer Unscripted during that visit.  You can listen to that recording here. 

So now that I'm in the process of training up future pastors and leaders to go plant churches, I decided it would be a good idea to take them to the Greek Orthodox service.  Generally speaking, they are all Baptist.  And without a doubt, they are all Evangelical Protestants of the western tradition.  What was I thinking?

I was thinking it would be a good opportunity to see something different.  This service is different and it gave us a great deal to talk about.  I also thought it might be helpful to get out of our normal context. . . which this most certainly achieved that goal. 

So Jared and I invited Brett Ricley and some others.  Once again, we recorded our experience for Salt Believer Unscripted.  I would like to encourage you to listen to our on-location recording here.   

If you are not subscribed to Salty Believer Unscripted, I would also like to encourage you to find it with the app you use to enjoy podcasts.  In addition, you can find all our episodes on our Salty Believer Unscripted resources page. 

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Christians Aren't Born Mature

I was struck when reading a popular author on the topic of discipleship and the Christian walk.  He spends page after page lambasting the 'sinner's prayer' and pastors who encourage lost people to respond to an alter call at a church service.  He is excessively hard on people who have invited Jesus into their lives without counting the cost and he really struggles with those who lack an understanding of who Jesus is if they don't understand Jesus like the author thinks he does.  His argument hinges on the masses of people who profess to be Christians but have no evidence of following Jesus years later.  And his solution is to toss out all those things that might not meet his standard of mature Christendom.  

The problem however, is that this author is not necessarily wrong.  Christ does call his followers to die to self.  He does encourage us to count the cost of following him.  Jesus did tell a rich man to give up everything to follow Jesus.  It is true that the disciples physically gave up their lives, and indeed there are people around the world being persecuted for following Jesus in radical ways.   Jesus did say there will be those who did things in the name of Jesus but Jesus will says, "I never knew you."

On the other hand, there are other authors that write about how easy it is to become a Christian.  How being a Christian is a free gift and that demands an immediate response to Jesus.  They seem to push away from any difficult walls that others try to put up.  And there are entire churches who see arguments like the first author's above and lose their minds in rage and anger.  They argue, as the Bible says, that all who profess faith in Jesus and call him Lord are saved.  You can't lose your salvation and you don't have to earn it with works.  They see things like selling all that you have and following Jesus as something Jesus only 'suggested' to one guy, once in the Bible.  Are these arguments wrong?  No, is some truth behind the second argument too.  The Bible, after all, does indeed say all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. But how can both arguments be true? 

Which is it?  Say a prayer to Jesus for your salvation or count the cost and get all your thinking and your attitude right before Jesus will consider you his true follower?  Are you only a true Christian after you know the Wesminster Confession and understand all the doctrines?  Or are you a Christian because you said the sinner's prayer?  Or is it that you're a real believer after you've been utterly broken under the magnitude of all your sin?  Is there a need to respond by raising your hand or walking to the front of a church service?  Might it be that after hearing the gospel, even if you've never read Leviticus and pondered all its points you can respond and be counted among those who call themselves Christian?  Are you to understand the dynamics of the Trinity before you cry out to Jesus for salvation?  Is there nothing in between? 

I've come to see that it's both.  We have created a false dichotomy that the Bible does not.  It's not one or the other, it's both.  The Christian walk is both easy an yet it is a death to self.  It is birth with a simple prayer and a life of continual growth and discipleship.  The problem comes when we think its only one or the other. Even worse is when we blast the other side as wrong and toss out important truths of the Word of God.   

Imagine a child who is just old enough to start speaking single-syllable words.  Is this the time we start reading the King James Bible to them?  Maybe. Maybe not.  But should we get angry when this little child struggles to pay attention?  Is it wise to get upset when the child doesn't start memorizing verses from the King James translation?  Might it be okay to show this little one a simple picture Bible? Is there a point when "Jesus loves me, this I know" is enough?   

As the child starts to learn more about Jesus and begins to learn how to read, would it be a good time to graduate the little one to a Bible like the Jesus Storybook Bible?  I think so.  (Although I once had a KJV only guy argue that in no way should this Bible be consider a Bible because it's not the complete and total inspired work of God; and in no way should it ever be given to a child because it is an incomplete Bible.)  Again, is there another step in which the youth could be graduated up to another Bible.  Maybe a translation like the NiRV that's intended for a 2nd grade reading level?  How about a student study Bible next, maybe with a more mature translation?  Then at some point, the student study Bible might be replaced with a more mature study Bible.  The child might be encouraged to start reading popular-level reading books and devotionals as he or she continues to mature and grow in Christ.  And even still, could there be a graduation to some of the classic theologians?  I hope so.  Devotional commentaries next?  Then technical commentaries?  Learning original languages may come at some point (or not).  It could go on and on like this when it comes to selecting a Bible for our children.    

Might it also be the same for believers in other parts of the Christian journey?  

As English speaker and readers, we wouldn't expect a toddler to start with a Hebrew or Greek Bible, or even a KJV or ESV.  But neither would we expect that child to keep using the Jesus Storybook Bible as his or her only Bible well into adulthood.  But we are doing these same thing in discipleship when we expect too much of a new believer or too little of one who has walked with Jesus for some time.  Might it be that the Christian journey is a in fact a journey and the first few steps might not be as large as the steps that follows the first?  

How we look at discipleship is a 'both/and.'  There is an easy entry but no room to remain there.  That's only the first step.  There is a difficult journey through the duration of a lifetime, but that is why we have the Holy Spirit with us. Some steps are easy, some are extremely difficult.  Is this not what we see in the lives of first disciples?  Think about their first year, or two, or three.  But then notice what happens through the book of Acts as they grow into maturity in Christ.  Oh how much more they grew into amazing examples all the way to the end!  The same balance is true for every disciple.  It's about a journey of continual growth.  It's a journey that requires a a thin walk between rest and death.  But it is a journey non-the-less.  

Signs of Spiritual Life

Have you ever seen a dead body?  Maybe you have attended a funeral with and open casket.  If we are honest, does the person lying in the casket really look alive?  Is there any chance you could think that person is just sleeping and will suddenly sit up?  Have you ever seen a dead body before a mortician has dressed up the person for the purpose of a funeral?    

If you were to come across a body, lying on the ground, and you suspected the person might be dead, what signs would you look for to confirm your thoughts?  You could check if he or she was breathing.  Or check a pulse.  Or look for movement.  Maybe you would shake the person and say, "Are you okay, are you okay?" 

I remember times when my children were little and would sleep through the night for the first time.  I was so used to getting up that I would wake up in the night and start growing concerned that my baby hadn't woken up.  I would peek in and look for movement.  Was there a little chest rising up and falling down?  Any movement?  Any noise?  Was my baby alive?  If you're a parent, maybe you can relate.  

In the medical profession, a pulse rate, temperature, respiration rate, blood pressure, eye movement, and reflexes are but many ways a person can be determined to be alive.  And specific measurements can even provide information about just how alive a person might be.  

But what about spiritual life?  Are there life signs?

There are a few different life signs. One is fruit.  Luke 6:43-45 and Matthew 12:33-37 both record a discussion from Jesus about the fruit that comes from good trees as well as the fruit that comes from bad trees.  It is as if the fruit is a sign of the life of the tree.   In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus tells a parable of a fruit tree that doesn't bear fruit at all.  Can it even be called a fruit tree?  And in the end, a fruit tree that doesn't bear fruit should be cut down to make room for a fruit tree that's actually a fruit tree.   When John the Baptist was preaching in preparation for Jesus' coming, he said "Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.  Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:10 and Luke 3:9, ESV).   And Jesus says in John 15:1-6 says, 

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch that withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned" (John 15:1-6, ESV).  

The biblical imagery of life and fruit is telling.  A Christian life should have some indication of real life and the bearing of future life just as fruit is seed-filled fruit and food.  Bearing fruit is one of many spiritual life signs the Bible speaks of.  Is your life bearing spiritual fruit?

I could spend post after post addressing not the signs themselves; but more importantly, a saved, blood-bought believer should show signs of new life in Christ.  There should probably be some kind of evidence, right? Some sign.  Something.  

James 2:14-26 deals specifically with the significance of the vital life signs of the Christian life.    It is not special work, or even work in Jesus' name, that brings about salvation.  This kind of work, as described in Matthew 7:21-23, will only lead Jesus to say, "I never knew you."  Furthermore, a dead person can't bring about signs of true life.  He or she must be made alive first.   

Instead, these life signs are an evidence of a life transformation from death to life.  They are like the pulse, temperature, reflexes, and rising chest. They also show and support true belief in one who God has raised to spiritual life.

 If Abraham only said he believed God's words but then refused to go up the hill to sacrifice his son in faith, it would be questionable if he really believed God.  The same is true of Rahab.  James says, "You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe--and shudder!" (James 2:19)  This is a statement about a profession that lacks the life signs.  A demon can profess a belief but live a fruitless existence in rejection and opposition to God.  The same is true of people.  They will say, "Oh, I believe in God and stuff," but their lives lack any evidence of said belief.  Are their empty words enough to overcome their dead souls?  True faith and belief should probably be evidence at some point in our actions.  We are not called to simply believe cognitively in word only, but in our deeds too.