the reluctant leader

The Futility of Running from God

I recently read the Jonah story. Here's my quick chapter by chapter summary:

Chapter 1: WHEN WE RUN FROM GOD, WE RUN INTO TROUBLE. Because of Jonah's racism, he refused to preach to the hated Ninevites. So, he ran from God's call into triple danger: first a massive storm, then his fellow seafarers, then the giant fish that God provided. No matter how difficult and unfair God's calling might seem, running from God is never a smart move.

Chapter 2: NO MATTER HOW FAR WE RUN FROM GOD, IF WE CRY OUT FOR HELP, HE HEARS AND HELPS. Jonah cried out to God from the stomach of the fish in the bottom of the ocean, and God answered, causing the obedient fish to vomit the disobedient prophet on dry land. Jonah did not have to fix his mess before God would answer his prayer. Neither do we.

Chapter 3: GOD GIVES SECOND CHANCES. God gave his runaway prophet a second chance, and God gave the idolatrous Ninevites a second chance. I'm thankful that God has given me so many second chances.

Chapter 4: GOD IS GRACIOUS, COMPASSIONATE, AND FORGIVING; WE ARE JUDGMENTAL, HARSH, AND SELFISH. In the end, Jonah was angry that God extended grace, compassion and forgiveness to people who did not deserve it. We tend do celebrate the grace God gives us, and complain about the grace he gives those we don't like.

Have you run from God lately? How did that work out for you? It is never too late to run back to Him.

God is Holy, Sin is Costly, Idolatry is Offensive

I read Leviticus on my recent Manila to Nashville flight and tweeted a 140 character summary. Now, a few weeks later, I'm not sitting in the Atlanta airport about to board My Delta flight to South Africa. Here's my quick summary of the twenty-seven chapters in Leviticus employing more that 140 characters.

1. GOD IS HOLY. Holiness is not something God does. It is not a list of religious rules. He is holy. It is his nature. What he does flows from who he is.

2. SIN IS COSTLY. It is impossible to exaggerate this point. The whole book of Leviticus, from start to finish, lays out the cost of covering sin: the blood of bulls, birds and lambs. If temporarily covering sin was that costly, what about the cost of forgiving sin forever?

3. IDOLATRY IS OFFENSIVE. Maybe not to our culture and our community, but idolatry is offensive to God.

4. WORSHIP IS AWESOME. Ultimately, the book of Leviticus is about worship. And the worship in Leviticus is not to be taken lightly. Worship is awesome because the God we worship is awesome. If our worship is anything but awesome, maybe we are not really worshipping the only true God.

A Judgment Day Blog

Reading Romans on my early morning Nashville to Minneapolis to Calgary flight... (I hate early morning flights!)

In chapter 2 Paul writes about what many modern preachers are afraid to talk about: JUDGMENT.

Sorry, but the J word is all over the Bible, so we can't just ignore it and hope it is edited out of the next translation. We must preach it, teach it, tweet it, blog it, prepare for it, and help others prepare for it.

Romans 2 teaches us four facts about God as Judge and about Judgment Day.

1. No Excuses Accepted.
"You, therefore, have NO EXCUSE..." (Romans 2:1)
I've heard and created lots of really good excuses to disobey and dishonor God, but none will ever be good enough.

2. No Escape Possible.
"...do you think you will ESCAPE God's judgment?" (Romans 2:3
No one in history has ever escaped God's judgment. And no one ever will. Not me. Not you.

3. No Favoritism Extended.
"God does not show FAVORITISM." (Romans 2:11)
It does not matter how popular you are, how much money you have, who you are related to, or who owes you one - none of that helps on Judgment Day.

4. No Secrets Unknown.
"...God will judge men's SECRETS (Romans 2:11)
You know that thing you did and got away with and no one else on the planet knows about? God knows.

Are you ready for J Day? Pastors, are you helping people get ready?

"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:17)

7 Elements of A Healthy Church

I have about 30 minutes for this blog while I wait for my Atlanta to Lima, Peru flight.

As usual I will hit the ground running - four days of training pastors and church planters. The goal of this trip is to help Peruvian pastors understand how to lead a healthy church.

For four days we will discuss and dissect the following seven essential elements for a healthy church.

1. DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS. A simple, duplicable, transferrable and Biblical discipleship process is the starting line if we want a healthy church rather than a religious crowd.

2. EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP. It is not enough for a church to have great leaders. In fact, a strong leader can be a weakness, if that leader is not empowering. Healthy churches empower multiple generations of leaders rather than creating a "Man of God Syndrome" where paid professionals do all the ministry.

3. ENGAGING WORSHIP SERVICES. This is much more than good music. Essential elements of inspiring and engaging worship services include: anointed songs, excellent music, dynamic preaching, theological depth, relevant communication, spiritual power, presence of God, relational connection.

4. FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES. Too many church leaders act as if organizational excellence and spiritual life are mutually exclusive. On the contrary, well-developed ministry roles and clearly defined lines of authority actually enhance spiritual life.

5. MISSION ALIGNMENT. For a church that is part of network, fellowship, movement or denomination commitment to the corporate mission, vision and values is essential. For churches in Every Nation Ministries, that means a commitment to church planting, campus ministry and world mission.

6. HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of relationships. Key relationships that must be healthy include: the pastor and his wife and kids, the pastor and his peers, the pastor and his local leadership team, the pastor and his mentors.

7. FINANCES. Money does not make a church healthy, but an unbiblical view of money will make a church unhealthy. Integrity, generosity and wisdom are the foundations if healthy money management in a church context.

That's it. Gotta run to gate A7...

"10 Times Better, 7 Times Hotter & 3 Times a Day" (Sermon Summary)

A couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon in Singapore called "10 Times Better, 7 Times Hotter & 3 Times a Day" from the Book of Daniel. A member of Every Nation Church Singapore who calls himself The Unknown Poet summarized my sermon on his blog as follows...

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25 countries were at the Asian Pastors Equipping Conference
To Pastor Steve's "experimental" sermon, none took offense
As he had walked around town just the other day
He noticed many changes, not all were okay
He noted that the world is changing, not always for the better
We mustn't let ourselves the ways of the world fetter
In such a culture, how can we thrive?
How can we please God while we are alive?

Pastor referred to Daniel and the numbers 10, 7, and 3
A few passages from Daniel 1-6 we then did see
Within these six chapters, there are six stories
All are worth reading, none are mere allegories

Daniel and friends were 10 times better, per Daniel 1:20
The Babylonian king preferred them to his magicians aplenty
In a pagan culture, how can one be noticed and shine?
Daniel, in 1:18, did not defile himself when he did dine
No compromise, therefore to temptation he did not fall
Per Daniel 1:12-13 on three friends he did call
Saying "we are better together", with God in their hearts
The group was more powerful than just the sum of parts

Later, in Daniel 3:19, his friends were punished under a new law
The inside of a furnace 7 times hotter than normal they saw
Other gods they refused to serve or to bow to
They honored and trusted God in all they did do
God intervened and save them from the intense heat
Likewise, He loves to step into any fires we may meet
This is doubly true if persecution we do face
For alone, He does not expect us to run the race

In Daniel 6:10, the ruler was Darius the Mede
To his thirty day rule, Daniel did not heed
Daniel continued to very visibly pray
To God, 3 times every single day
This was not something that Darius could condone
So to the hungry lions Daniel was therefore thrown
To Daniel's rescue, God not surprisingly came
As a result, the lions lay down and were tame

How to be 10 times better, Steven did then say
When faced with 7 times hotter, pray 3 times a day
We can get by with a little help from our friends
And of course, help from God which never ends

In summary, so this mathematician will not forget
Adding 3 to 7, 10 I will surely get
Sticking to the math, if I add prayer even more
Onto me, more blessings and protection will surely pour

The Unknown Poet

Do you take notes when you hear a sermon preached?

Last Sunday I preached three services at Every Nation Church in Singapore. My text was John 19:28-30. "The Unknown Poet" was in the first service.

You might enjoy reading his notes from my sermon. His notes were better than mine. Here they are.

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The sermon was delivered by Steve Murrell
A three word summary of the Bible he did tell
Only fourteen minutes would he need
From John 19 : 28-30 he did read

All humanity deals with guilt and shame, Steve did say
Everyone deals with these in their own distinct way
Westerners tend to focus on guilt, Easterners on shame
But this is now intertwined due to the globalisation game

We should ask how Jesus dealt with these on the cross
Focus on His purpose, else His pain was a complete loss
The three words are "it is finished", from Jesus' last breath
They immediately preceded his humiliating earthly death

Start with "it", this is word number one
This is expiation, our atonement is done
For Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for our sin
Over death and the enemy, God did therefore win

Moving on to "is", our second key word
It is definitive, what is done by our Lord
In other words, this is our present reality
Not something that we may or may not see

"Finished" is word number three we heard today
For only Jesus can really have the last say
We are now forgiven, our guilt is gone
So we should not fall for the enemy's con

These three words are but one in the original Greek
"Tetelestai" means "it is finished", a word unique
It was often used to say that a bill was completely paid
So of sin's price we should no longer be afraid

The cross is about Jesus and what He did
Nothing we do can help our sin be rid
With His blood, His work he did sign
Thanks to Him, our future is divine
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http://the-unknown-poet.blogspot.com/2011/10/23-october-2011-encs.html

Every Nation (Not Yet, But Soon)

Now in Singapore at one of our favorite meetings of the year: the Every Nation Asia Pastors Equipping Conference (APEC).

The next four days we have the privilege meeting with amazing leaders, pastors, missionaries and church planters from 25 nations including:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Guam (USA)
Hawaii (USA)
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Macau
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
South Africa
Taiwan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam

Because of our security protocols I will not be able to tweet or blog about many of the testimonies that I will hear this week, but I ask you to pray for our Asia leaders this week.

We are not in EVERY NATION yet, but we pray that God will send workers for the harvest in every nation. Maybe you are the answer to that prayer for one of the nations.

The Story of My Life

I'm back in Nashville after a two week trip that included ministering to leaders at Every Nation Church in London, visiting my son in Oxford and training church planters in South Africa. It also included the usual flight delays and monstrous airport security lines.

One of my airplane books for this trip was Tim Keller's King's Cross, a study of the life of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. According to Keller, when Mark says Jesus spoke "with authority" it is like saying Jesus is speaking as the author. The New Testament word translated "authority" means "out of the original stuff" and comes from the same root word as the word "author."

Authors write as the final authority of their stories. They create the characters, the plot, the conflicts and they determine how the story ends.

I like the idea that Jesus is the author of my story. He is the one writing the script of my life, including the good times and the tough times. It is all his idea and as the author, he is completely in control of the outcome.

The writer of Hebrews calls him the "author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)

I am thankful that the Author of my story has included chapters that contain comedy, action, adventure, romance, mystery and even tragedy. (Thankfully no sci-fi or horror, yet.) And I can't wait to read and live the next few chapters.

Leadership Lessons From Underground Chinese Pastors

My recent trip to China inspired me to come out of a self-imposed blog retirement. Why? Basically because what I observed and learned must be recorded, at least to remind me of the kind of leader I am supposed to be...

My first trip to China was over twenty years ago. It was quite an adventure; it felt kinda James Bond-ish. Along with a few Filipino pastors, I smuggled Bibles across the border and secretly delivered them to couriers who delivered them to pastors in rural areas of China.

Our training in Hong Kong was intense. Our mission was eternal. Our cargo was priceless. Our Chinese contacts were risking their freedom to accept our smuggled Bibles. We were risking being yelled at and sent back to Hong Kong. If caught, we would be deported; they would end up in prison.

Much has changed since my first trip to China. Each time I return I am impressed with all God is doing in a land that has tried so hard to keep Him out.

I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I felt a strong prophetic word as I taught fifty Chinese pastors last week. Here's the word: "Years ago thousands of pastors and missionaries came to China from all over the world to smuggle Bibles and to teach the Chinese church. In the coming years thousands of pastors and church leaders will come to China from many nations, not to teach, but to learn from the Chinese church."

They seemed puzzled why people would come to China to learn from them. That response only underlined the accuracy of the word I delivered.

Here are two lessons I think the church in every nation can learn from Chinese church leaders:

1. HUMILITY. The Chinese church leaders are not so impressed with themselves that they can't learn from others. Many of us are way too impressed with our ministries, our theology, our programs, our buildings, our books and our budgets to learn from others.

2. HUNGER. Every time I visit my friends in China I am impressed and convicted by their spiritual hunger. They want more worship, more prayer, more teaching, more training, more grace... Too many of us in the West are overfed and have need of nothing. We need to learn spiritual hunger.

What about you - are you humble and hungry, or self-confident and full?

 

How to Avoid Persecution, Even in the Middle East

I’m back in Manila after a week in the Middle East. I wish I could blog all the amazing stories I heard from our “underground church planters" but our security protocols forbid details. All I can say is that God continues to do miracles and the Gospel continues to transform lives even in "creative access" nations.

Some of our leaders in the region have suffered greatly for their Faith, fulfilling the promise (that no one “claims”) in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all who want to live godly lives “will be persecuted.”

In the Middle East stories of arrest, abuse, prison, death threats and rejection are told with a grace, peace and even a joy that only comes from God. While they may not have advanced theological degrees, these Middle Eastern leaders have a spiritual depth that goes way beyond Bible knowledge and correct pronunciation of ancient Greek words.  

Church leaders all over the world have much to learn from them, beginning with humility and spiritual hunger.

While persecution is a normal part of the Christian life in the Middle East, there is a way to avoid it – DON’T PREACH THE GOSPEL.

That’s right, if we just live good lives, help the poor, serve our communities, but never mention the name of Jesus or what he did on the cross, we will not be persecuted.

One of our leaders in the region told us that he formerly used a strategy of constantly “engaging” his culture and community, but he never seemed to get around to actually preaching the Gospel. The result was a lot of friends but few disciples. His current strategy is to preach the Gospel to everyone he meets within the first two weeks. As he has preached Christ, an amazing thing has started to happen: people are getting saved! And in this region, persecution can’t be far behind.

Engaging culture and community is the starting point of making disciples, but if we don’t establish biblical foundations (the Gospel, grace, faith, repentance…), we are simply making friends not disciples.

What about you: Are you making friends or disciples? Are you avoiding persecution by avoiding the Gospel?