Last week, I put together a post on Pentecost that offered a reading list of links. This week, I do the same around the topic of church leadership, the Southern Baptist Convention meeting this week in Phoenix, and our view of God. All of these things are related.
"My goal each Sunday is to blow people away with the greatness of God." - @JohnPiper #SBC2011 Check out the transcript of Piper's sermon at the SBC on "Hallowed Be Your Name." (HT: Denny Burk) It is life changing.
Regarding the SBC in Phoenix this year, from all accounts, it seems that it was very much a Christ-centered, gospel focused convention that put the right emphasis on the right things. If this continues, I am encouraged for where the national thrust of the SBC might be headed. Now, if we could get this into our churches. I am also glad that Kevin Ezell, the new head of NAMB, began to address accuracy in reporting numbers. Now, if we could get the IMB to do the same thing, we would be really getting somewhere. The inaccuracy of the IMB's numbers is appalling.
Have SBC leaders ever considered having local meetings with pastors/church leaders and state convention missionaries to consider how they can take these points of emphasis and actually apply them to their context? Or, how we can work together in true collaboration that goes beyond sending money to a far away organization? That would be helpful, I think.
In light of a recent controversy at Elevation Church in North Carolina, Andrew Jones shares some wise words about the need to include special needs children in our worship services and not remove them to another place so that they will not distract others. I understand that there might be a part of the room that would be better if there is a need to get to the bathroom, or things like that, but that speaks more to accomodation than it does removal. When worship becomes entertainment and presentation instead of the gathering of the people of God, all kinds of crazy things ensue.
Five Statements that Summarize Christian Hedonism by John Piper. I am not big on labels like "Christian Hedonism" because I find that they often get misunderstood, but I do like the emphasis on giving glory to God above all things. That is what Piper is talking about here and it is needed.
The Ten Commandments Are About God by Trevin Wax. Christians who live under the New Covenant often shy away from the 10 Commandments or discussions on the Law of God, thinking that the Law is the antithesis of Grace. But, if we see that the Law displays God's character and Grace enables us to know God, then why would we not want to meditate on the Law? If we know God, then we must know His character. When the Law says, "Do not steal, kill, commit adultery, covet, etc. . ." it is telling us that God does not kill, steal, commit adultery, covet, etc. It is telling us something of what God is like. So, if Grace brings us to God based on the merit of Christ alone, then the Law tells us what it looks like to live in relationship with God. It is not a means to justify yourself before God, but rather, it is the character of God displayed for us.
The Gospel and 'It-ness' by Jared Wilson. Along the lines of the "Christian Hedonism" link above, Jared Wilson tells us that the Gospel frees us to relish in what something actually is and what God made it to be instead of us being in a position where we take the things of this world and try to make them ultimate things - things that can never really satisfy. Wilson says,
The first step to real gospel joy is real gospel brokenness. We cannot get to real happiness in God until we get to real despair of our sin. "Til sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet," Thomas Watson tells us.
But once we have despaired of all sin and the gods at their genesis, we are free. Really, truly free. To eat fat juicy steaks and drink rich red wine.
In fact, we cannot really enjoy the good gifts God gives us until he as their Giver is our greatest joy. Until he as their Giver is our greatest joy, we will left trying to enjoy his gifts for things they are not, rather than the things they are.
A post from last year by Bill Kinnon about how we need more disciples and fewer leaders. He takes on the leadership cult that has emerged in Evangelical life and that finds its home so well in megachurches. He asks if the CEO, top-down managerial leadership approach is the way of Jesus or the way of the world, and then tells us that if we are going to follow Christ, our "leadership" will look very different from what is being promoted.
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