The Death of the Church; Moving out of the Comfortable Cathedral

THE DEATH OF THE CHURCH

Whether you realize it or not the Church, and by that I mean the traditional, established, religious institution of the Church is dying a slow and unusual death. By almost every statistical analysis of the European, and by some measures the American Church context, the Church is in a state of slow painful deteriorating death. We (The LEAP Network) have received new statistics recently from the Church of England that by the year 2067[1] there will essentially be no Anglican Church anymore, meaning zero, nill, nada. In other words, let the last one out the door turns off the lights, kind of situation. Now it is hard to imagine the Anglican Church in a state of atrophy, disintegration, and degeneration. It is maybe even harder for the Church in England and greater Europe to think of itself as completely nonexistent. The Church in Germany the Lutheran Evangelical Church stands in the same situation. By the year 2025 the Landeskirche will not be able to pay the pensions of their current pastors[2]. I paint a grim and somber picture because most of you need to wake up or be shaken out of your indifference to the reality that we are in trouble! The first step is to admit that we have a problem.  But from that first step, I want to take a little different approach, and ask a different more long lasting question of the future.

Is it a bad thing that the (traditional) Church as it exists today dies? Let me be clear before you start throwing stones, or light the fire of heresy underneath me. I BELIEVE IN THE CHURCH!!! I have a high and conservative Ecclesiology, probably more conservative than most. Even among my colleagues, and many of the cohort my age think I am too conservative theologically. But let me suggest something that actually comes from a strong and high view of Christ and the Church. I want to suggest to you that it is not a bad thing that the Church as it exists today, by that I mean the hierarchical, institutional, structural church that we currently have would die. If we understand Ecclesiology correctly, we understand that the Church is a living organism. We get that from all the references to the Church as a body and living organism in the NT, and as a living organism goes through life cycles, so also the Church. As we look at Historical Ecclesiology we can gather that this has happened to The Church through the ages. A Church dies in one place to be birthed in another place, and so on and so forth until our current time.

Let’s take the very first Church for instance in Jerusalem.  They were in danger of not obeying the last command that the Lord had given them. He told them “And you will be my witnesses starting in Jerusalem, in Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” And what did they do? They stayed in Jerusalem, and so Acts 8:1 happened I believe from God to gently pushed them out of the nest. If we look at current church planting and church growth models, we could surmise that the Church in Jerusalem was a complete failure[3].  In Acts 8:1 we read that a great persecution arose after Paul started persecuting the Church in Jerusalem. The people were scattered into Judea, and Samaria, and further as we read in the rest of the book of Acts. Was this God’s will? Absolutely. As they went into these regions, and the rest of the known world at the time, they took the seeds of the gospel, and the Church was planted “as they went”. As the Great Commission commands, they went. The Church was spread, died, spread, died, and spread, and still spreads unto the uttermost to this day in that same vein.

MOVING OUT OF THE 
"COMFORTABLE CATHEDRAL"

What we have done is broken down the Church to the institution, the place, the building, the Pastors, the historic building in one place or in this or that city.  The New Testament believers had no such concepts. The Church was to them the people of the master, underway with Him in His great commission to make disciples of all nations.  They were tempted early on to stay in their
“Comfortable Cathedrals” in Jerusalem, but God allowed a persecution to disperse them so that the gospel could cross over the first cultural threshold (Acts 8:1). I was involved in a church somehow a little like the model I am describing. We were a young and impetuous church. We were so impetuous that we believed that God wanted to work in the then very young postmodern person. We even called ourselves Tommy’s Interactive Church after the great Apostle Thomas who was so well known for His doubts. It is funny how Thomas so negatively known for His doubts, Foxes Book of Martyrs attributes Him with making His way all the way to India as its first Missionary,

“Thomas called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.”[4]

We believed at Tommy’s that doubts were good if expressed to Christ, because as Jesus did with Thomas, He will reveal himself to, us in our doubts, and dispel them quickly with His resurrection power. Tommy’s was a great success in my eyes, and for the time that I was there and involved, very exciting. However, it lasted only a short time. I would say that all in all, it lasted from first meeting to last meeting, only 20 years. I am however ok with that, because Tommy’s didn’t die. It served its purpose, the purpose that Jesus had for that time and place, and Jesus spread the people out into other movements, and Church plants. As the people went underway with God, they spawned new work on their way. For example, I went away from Tommy’s to California for 8 years to be a youth pastor. When I came back for one year to Columbia, and got involved in a church plant, there where many people from Tommy’s who had been involved in this new Church from day one.  This is how God continues to move, and will continue to move in History in an organic, biological, living way. The New Testament describes the Ekklesia of God as a living, familial, corporeal, body. We have however described it as,

"The business corporation. (Where) The pastor is the CEO, the clergy and/or staff is upper management. Evangelism is sales and marketing. The congregation is the clientele. And there is competition with other corporations ("churches") in the same town."[5]

Mars Hill In Seattle is also a prominent example of how the Lord uses difficult circumstances to advance and multiply through scattering the church through seemingly negative circumstances. Mars Hill was a church of multiple campuses, through hierarchical leadership structures, they almost overnight through the resignation of Mark Driscol, became eleven autonomous Churches with a local leadership structure, not a centralized business model.  God allowed things by his gracious hand to end in one way, so that the prevailing model of “Lording it over them”, which the Lord strictly forbade, was changed. This I do not see as a tragedy, or failure in Church growth, but rather a success story of the church. As the church grows larger it must also get smaller, and multiply. I imagine Jesus in his goodness allowed Mars Hill to play out like it did, so that their own credo “It’s all about Jesus” could shine through. I will say something prophetic that might upset some, but I do believe that these new church growth strategies that we are seeing especially those built around multiple campuses will crumble in the coming years, just as we are seeing the Anglican Church crumble. With that I do not see a negative outcome, but that of a church rising up that will be what Christ had in his heart from the beginning. It will be a decentralized, bottom up leadership, and pastors that do not need to be seen or heard, but rather those men Jesus has empowered to take up once again “The Basin and the Towel” as our Lord did so many years ago to love and serve His disciples from His knees.

So lets be ahead of the curve of the dying Church, and seek to plant the Church where we are. Jesus said it, “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name there I am in their midst”. Let us get out ahead of things, open our eyes, and see what Jesus sees. He sees churches everywhere, in Bars, in the workplace, in abandoned warehouses, in coffee shops, in old church buildings that are reshaped for the new liturgy, in our homes, and in the places where we most frequently are. In seeing Jesus true Ekklesia He will also show us where he is “calling” people out unto Himself.

So let us ask a new set of questions, not “How can we employ the newest Church growth strategies?” Or, “How can we protect what we have?” Or, “How do we stop the hemorrhaging of the current state of the Church?” Let us instead ask, “How can we obey the Misseo Dei for the next 50, 100, or 200 hundred years?” Because Jesus will not abandon His Church, We have to ask a new set of questions. “What will His church look like in the years to come when the traditional model of Church crumbles?” “What are the new wineskins that will hold that new wine that He will surely pour out onto His Church?” And, “How can we be obedient to His call to extend and multiply the work that He is going to do in our midst, in the heart of the New Ekklesia?” “How can the Missional Movement address these new realities of the dying Church?” “What will the Church look like in 2060?” “How can we seek growth of His true Ekklesia?”  That Ekklesia that Christ died for? For this New Ecclesiology we need it to intersect early and often with Missiology. Actually if every form of Systematic Theology (Eschatology, Ecclesiology, Christology, Soteriology, etc.) does not intersect early and often with Missiology, then that Systematic has failed. In other words every solid systematic theology should be Missiological in its nature.  And so when we re-study these systematics, we must seek the missiology in and out of them, so that the Missio Dei can come forth we should be seeking this Missiology so that Church will advance undergirded by a renewed focus on Christ Great Commission (Matthew 18:28-30, Mark 13:10, Acts 1:8, Malachi 1:11, Psalms 46:10)

Jesus will not abandon his Church. He will not let His global Church die before he returns; He does however push us out of our “Comfortable Cathedrals” to arrive at the people whom he has called us to. I would encourage you to let this news of the Church’s death empower, encourage, and embolden you to move with, and how God is moving in this world to reach the people who have not yet heard of Christ. Or to arrive at people who have, “Forgotten that they have forgotten God”. Let us with fresh boldness seek the Lord of the Church for His new move, and new wineskins, that He is preparing. These new wineskins will certainly hold the fresh wine that he his is pouring out into His Church of the future (Acts 2:16-21)!

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[1] http://www.movements.net/2015/06/15/2067-the-end-of-british-christianity.html

[2] http://www.ekd.de/download/kirche-der-freiheit.pdf

http://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/85227/20-06-2013/isolde-karle-wachsen-gegen-den-trend-fuehrt-ins-burn-out

https://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/94012/07-05-2014/der-geist-weht-den-

gemeinden

[3] http://www.growleader.com

[4] Foxe, John, and William Byron Forbush. Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1978. Print.

[5] Viola, Frank. Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008. Print. Chapter on CORPORATE CHRISTIANITY VS. FAMILIAL ECCLESIOLOGY

Tag der Deutschen Einheit: A Picture of Freedom in Christ & What the Church Should Be

Tag der Deutschen Einheit:

Is a Picture of Freedom in Christ and what the Church Should Be

            We have, as a family, been in Germany for almost two weeks now. Our first German holiday is the German Re-Unification day. It is celebrated on October 3. in the fall of 1989 East Germany and West Germany were Re-Unified after many years of Post World War 2 Communism in the DDR Government. I remember vividly President Reagan saying, "Mr. Gorbachav tear down this wall"! Then on the day when the wall came down, I can remember people standing on top of the wall with sledgehammers swinging with all their might to destroy this wall a symbol of bondage, fear, and control. This had such an impression on me as a teenager. I did not understand the full implications, at the time, But a young man standing on top of the wall trying to destroy the wall was an irrevocable image on me as a teenager...

  

            Later on a short term missions trip to East Germany we took a tour of Leipzig and found out that the freedom movement started with prayer everyday at one of the larger churches in Leipzig. The Deaconesses would meet daily for prayer for the liberation of the East German people and the fall of the DDR. In the weeks to follow the East German people marched for freedom against the borders that the DDR had set up, and the tanks and soldiers that stood against the people were ordered in some confusion from the top level commanders to stand down. Was that confusion from God? Of course! God threw the DDR Army and commanders into confusion so they could not stand against the march for freedom. We know from a thorough study of scripture that God rises and falls dictatorships, governments, and kingdoms (Romans 15). The picture then of German Re-Unification became clearer and clearer to me. Also the picture of our freedom and Re-Unification in Christ becomes clearer with these earthly pictures of peoples and governments Re-Unifying.

            I think today of Galatians 5:1 Where the Apostle Paul says, "It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." This is such a great verse in light of such a historic and unpresedented event in human History. I know a pastor that lived and served as a pastor in the DDR and now in East Germany near Leipzig. I asked him if it was a possibility for the DDR to fall a year before it actually happened. He said, "never, it was an impossibility." He also said, "In My mind the DDR would never ever fall like it did. It is truly a miracle from God." This is the same thing we see in Galatians 5:1. Christ has set us free, and it was a practical impossibility that we would have been set free from sin by our own power, thought, ability, or works. This freedom that Christ has given from sin and death is a miracle of impossibility!

            I also think today of the Church, "Tag Der Deutschen Einheit" is a picture of the Church. Our unity in Christ is a picture to the world of the great work of salvation, redemption, and grace to a broken world. In a world that experiences discord, and broken relationships we the Church can relay the message of freedom, hope and unity in Christ. These are values that the world typically is not exposed to. When we as a Church can exhibit these qualities then the world can see and pay attention to the countercultural way of Christ. His way is an impossiby free way. His way is the miracle of impossibility. Let’s celebrate the Re-Unification Day in Germany as a real world example of our impossible Re-Unification in Christ that he has so graciously made for us. Our great hope in him is that in bringing that same message to a world that so desperately needs Christ, the world might also be Unified to a good and loving savior in impossibly miraculous ways.

The Church Should Be Like the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs last night for a third straight game totally dismantled the Miami Heat. It was a very impressive display of basketball wizardry! As a basketball fan and player myself I was totally impressed at this team concept and how efficiently they passed the ball and not one player shined greater than another. The player with the highest point average on the team this year was 17 the lowest of a player on a winning team in the finals in the modern shot clock era. This proves the team concept that the San Antonio Spurs have been playing with for the last 15 years.

However I was not as impressed with the excellent basketball and team play as I was with several other aspects that I think make them great. I also wonder if the church might have a look at these areas I noticed last night. As I watched them as a team receive the trophy I thought "the church should be like this!"

1. They are Humble Team Players: 
The first thing that occurred to me while watching the spurs last night was that there is not one single ego on the team. Tim Duncan will be in the Basketball hall of fame one day (and maybe a few other players too), but his Jersey is the 14th Highest selling Jersey in the NBA. Do you think he cares? NO He cares about team, and family, and those around him. I have to say I am actually struggling with this lately. I am struggling with the need to prove myself to everybody. Why do I do that? Why can't I be completely satisfied in My Savior? What if I was a person that was actually completely satisfied in my savior? What if the Church was completely satisfied in Jesus? What if the church was a little more like this? Like Christ actually?

This team is full of unselfish basketball players, they are totally unselfish. They pass the ball better than any other team in the league. Every time I counted the passes in a possession it was always over five passes and when I counted the Heat's passing it was always under 5 usually 2-3 passes per possession. This can only be attributed to team leadership that is also unselfish. From the top down Greg Popovich their coach deflects accolades better than anyone in the NBA. He usually doesn't like to say much to the media, but to his players he demands excellence, humility, and the team concept. What if the Church looked like this? Unselfish, humble, team players?

2. They are Diverse: 

One of the reasons that you have never heard of any of the players on the Spurs is because they are humble team players, and also because they are very diverse. Most of their roster are not Americans. There are only seven Americans on the roster for the Spurs.

There are Italians, Australians, French, Canadians, New Zealanders,  Argentinians, Brazilians and one from St. Croix of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Americans are outnumbered by the international players for the Spurs. Greg Popovich has found a winning formula with this international community and great diversity. Jesus has also found a winning formula in seeking and redeeming those from every tribe and nation under the sun. As I watched the Spurs celebrate Their win, the flags of all these countries came out. It was a great sight to see all these various countries represented on the platform. I can remember a missions conference in Germany that I attended in which our worship rose to the Lord in many different languages, and then the flags were flying of every European country. It was AWESOME! There were about 30 countries represented. It was almost like the Holy roar that will rise before the throne of God, everyone singing in Heaven one day in their own language (Revelation 7:9). How can we as a church reflect the diversity that will one day encamp around the throne of God worshiping the lamb? Well maybe we could take a lesson from the Spurs and seek to reflect that diversity now.

3. They are Relentless for the Team and Goal:
Since the Spurs should have won the NBA championship last year and were robbed (I guess you can assume how I feel about last year) they have worked tirelessly and gotten better. I would never have been able to believe that from last year when they played

awesome basketball. Somehow they really got better as a basketball team. They truly pounded a great Miami team. How could we as a Church learn from their example? If a bunch of guys can work tirelessly for sport, something that will ultimately fade away, couldn't we as a Church tirelessly put our efforts to work in this world for Christ and His kingdom? I was reminded recently of a poem written by a hero of the faith named C.T. Studd. this is the last stanza of the poem...

Only one life, ’twill soon be past, 

Only what’s done for Christ will last. 

And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be, 

If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

Paul also wrote about giving everything for Christ...

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

These San Antonio Spurs give everything for the goal, the prize, the trophy that will one day not be shiny,
one day not be made of gold, one day not even be there. However, the crown of righteousness will be awarded one day, and if we have lived a humble, faithful, Christ honoring life then the Church will receive that prize that will never fade away!

Church how can we refocus and realign our hearts with the heart of Christ in Humility, embracing Diversity, and being Relentless for Christ? I pray that this emboldens the Church to be what Christ had envisioned for His bride form the beginning. Let us seek Him in these ways so that we can be a most beautiful, appealing, and effective Bride.

Christ the Fountainhead of Life: Week 2 "What Does Jesus Control?"

Colossians 1:15-23 Christ the fountainhead of Life: Week 2 "What Does Jesus Control?"

I don't pretend to understand Quantum Mechanics but I do know from middle school science that protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge. This makes them attracted to each other. You should thank them for that attraction because I guess if they all of a sudden lost their attractional force one to another we would quickly cease to exist. I guess it would kind of be like the Arnold Schwarzenegger  film The Eraser.

Did you ever see that movie it was pretty terrible, but that ray gun was pretty awesome at making people disappear. I would posit that we are held together by the great loving kindness and mercy of Christ. As we see in our next section of Colossians. "And in him all things hold together". We see today from this passage that Christ is totally supreme over all things down to the very basic building blocks of your life even your protons and electrons. There is not one thing that is out of His ultimate control, careful, and kind watch. 

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." (Colossians 1:15-23 ESV)

Christ is completely supreme for our good and his own glory in three areas. 

1. He is completely supreme over all Created Things 

-all things we see and even those things and powers that we cannot see are under his careful purview

"15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17) And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

All these things were created through him and they are for him."

-What could these things possibly "do" for Jesus that would do anything for Him?

Psalm 19 

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat." (Psalm 19:1-6 ESV)

And what does creation say day after day? It says to everyone everywhere, "I am here look at me, see me, I am God! 

This creation cries to us all that there is a great and wonderful creator that cannot be ignored. You can try to ignore him and fill your life with distractions but he has made everything 'ex nihilo' (from nothing) and we must pay attention! Not only did he create all things but all things will eventually one day return to him for his glory. One day at the end "every knee will bow" either bow voluntarily or involuntarily! This is the length and breadth or his supremacy! 

2. He is also completely supreme over His Church

"18) And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19) For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20) and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

Whatever your view of Jesus was before now, it was too small. Your view of Him was too small before you read this today! And hopefully after you read this, it will continue to grow! Ekklesia is the Greek word here that Paul uses to describe the assembly or church. And also likewise whatever your view of the church was when you read this today it was too small. The greatness of Jesus Church should continually be growing in your mind! Acts 20:28 says that the Ekklesia is the people whom The Lord has "bought with his own blood". It is all people who belong to him from every tribe, and nation, from all people, from all time! 

And he is the head and Lord of that Ekklesia! 

He is firstborn with preeminence because of his resurrection. 

He is also preeminent because of all fullness of God resting on him. 

He is also preeminent Lord of the Church because he has made peace with everything by his blood
And His Church will grow, until the gospel of Jesus Christ has reached every language, and tribe, and nation

3. He is completely supreme over you and me through the Gospel 

21) And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22) he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23) if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

-we were aliens and completely foreign but now we have victory!!!

-he presents you holy and blameless. Who does he present you to? God himself!

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)
Because of Christ's gracious sacrifice for you and I, we can boldly approach His throne, where Christ lives to make intercession for us. At His throne we will receive Mercy and Grace, no longer Judgement and Condemnation. He has the authority to give it, because of His supremacy in Redemption and His authority in the gospel.

Close: Our views of Jesus will always be too small until the day we see him face to face. Until then how are you seeking to worship and make much of Christ? Let your view of Him be always growing! As the famous Dutch Reformer Abraham Kuyper said, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

Watch this sermon jam from John Piper, and let it help you worship the supreme Christ!

Go Send or Disobey and Where is Jesus' Church

This was the sermon that I gave at the Germany Missions trip re-cap meeting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGEo7B-WPDw&feature=share&list=UUOr0kN9FADcunz4uZGM6jpA

DNA of the Church

This is an Explanation of What I mean by the DNA of the Church