Why We Love The Church (Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck)

I was very happy when at I found this book at the Christian bookstore. Having just finished Pagan Christianity and having many unanswered questions I flipped through this and knew I had to buy it. This was one of the most "readable" books I've read in a long time and it is very Scripturally sound.

Praise God for Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck!

We hope you will read this book with an open mind, considering what the Bible says about the importance of the church as organism AND organization, as a community AND an institution, as a living entity with relationships AND rules. (pg 16)

According to some disgruntled Christians, the church as we know it is an unbiblical, historical accident at best and a capitulation to paganism at worst. All that we think of as “church” – sermons, buildings, pastors, liturgy, offerings, choirs, and just about anything else you want to mention – are the result of the church falling from its pristine state in the first century into the syncretistic, over-institutionalized religion that now passes for Christianity.

I think he's referring to guys like Frank Viola and George Barna... don't you?

I don’t mean the “church” that consists of three guys drinking pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks talking about spirituality of the Violent Femmes and why Sex and the City is really profound. I mean the local church that meets – where you want it to meet – but exults in the cross of Christ; sings songs to a holy and loving God; has church officers, good preaching, celebrates the sacraments, exercises discipline; and takes an offering. This is the church that combines freedom and form in corporate worship, has old people and young, artsy types and NASCAR junkies, seekers and stalwarts, and probably has bulletins and by-laws. (pg 19)

When I read this last part I smiled. I was only 19 pages in but I was loving it! Then DeYoung and Kluck come out swinging with the book clearly in sight.

Pagan Christianity, like most restorationist literature, is full of historical hubris... Isn’t it a bit sweeping to declare that “everything that is done in our contemporary churches has no basis in the Bible”? (pg 117)

The arguments in Pagan Christianity are grossly overstated. On several occasions as I read Viola’s claims I thought, “You would be fine if you stopped right now and made the point that these things [pulpits, stained glass, robes, etc.] don’t have to be in the church, but then you go and try to prove that they can’t.” There may be Christians who think church can’t exist without pews. For them, Viola’s book may be a needed antidote. But just because pews come later in the church’s history, or even if pagans used them first, doesn’t make them unchristian. If you don’t like pews, fine. But they’re just benches. Can we not have hinges on our church doors if a nonChristian invented them? (pg 118)

It's a good point. Can we not have hinges on our church doors if a nonChristian invented them. :)

Viola makes some valid points. Christians can be obsessed with buildings, wasting lots of time and money on overexpanding facilities. We do sometimes equate a building with the church, when the people are what matter... I don’t think the ground is any holier inside the church than out. So I’m happy for Viola and others to correct mistaken notions some people may have about the importance of church buildings. BUT Viola overstates his case. He makes too much of the fact that early Christians met in homes... The Christians met in homes for 300 years because their faith was illegal. They didn’t have anywhere else to meet, which is why buildings starting popping up after Constantine decriminalized Christianity. A Roman house, especially with the courtyard, could be quite spacious, allowing for up to 100 people in attendance. So “house church” doesn’t necessarily mean small group Bible study. Moreover, the early Christians did not gather exclusively in homes. In Acts we see that they also met in Solomon’s Portico (Acts 5:12), still went to synagogues (Acts 3:1) and occasionally rented lecture halls, like the hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus (Acts 19:9).... Here’s the bottom line: The whole conversation about church buildings is much ado about nothing. You have to meet somewhere. (pg 121)

Viola is right to quote John Newton when he said “Let not him who worships under steeple condemn him who worships under a chimney”. But should not the reverse also be true? Let not him who worships on couches in the living room condemn him who worships with pews, pulpits, stained glass and a fellowship hall. (pg 122)

Next they tackle the topic of church membership and "churchless Christianity".

Without church membership there’s not place for the important role of church discipline. – pg 162

Churchless Christianity makes about as much sense as a Christless church, and has just as much biblical warrant. John Stott’s assessment of evangelism in the book of Acts is right: The Lord “didn’t add them to the church without saving them, and he didn’t save them without adding them to the church. Salvation and church membership went together; they still do.” – pg 164

And before closing the topic of leaders and sermons is addressed:

The Bible simply does not teach a leaderless church. Instead we see the apostles exercising great authority over the churches (e.g., 2 Cor. 13:1-4). We have pastors commanded to “exhort and rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15; see also 2 Tim. 4:2). We see elder rule (Acts 14:23; 15:2; 20:17; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 5:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 1:1; 5:1), accompanied by the office of deacon to care for the physical needs of the congregation (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Phil. 1:1; see also Acts 6:1-7). To be sure, elders are not to domineer over those in their charge, but they still must exercise oversight (1 Peter 5:2-3), and those in the congregation should “obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Heb. 13:17). - pg 168

Today’s sermon, according to Frank Viola, has “no root in Scripture,” was “borrowed from pagan culture”, and “detracts from the very purpose for which God designed the church gathering.”... [But] the sermon was not stolen from the pagans. It came from Judaism, which developed and refined the practice of exegesis and expositional preaching in the centuries leading up to Christ... The Levites were to teach Israel the law (Deut. 33:10). The true priest was not just a butcher but a teaching priest (2 Chron. 15:3). Ezra read the law to the returning exiles, “giving them the sense of it” (Neh 8:6-8). And we see the same development in the New Testament. We know John the Baptist preached and Jesus preached. We know Paul preached and instructed his apprentice Timothy, with the most solemn warning, to also preach (2 Tim. 4:1-2). Even Jesus Himself, we should remember was a trainer of preachers, sending His disciples out not just to facilitate group discussions but to preach (Mark 3:14). – pg 174

On the last page of the book they write something that was very encouraging to me and I hope it is to you.

Don’t give up on the church. The New Testament knows nothing of churchless Christianity. The invisible church is for invisible Christians. The visible church is for you and me... So I guess this is my final advice: Find a good local church, get involved, become a member, stay there for the long haul. Put away thoughts of revolution for a while and join the plodding visionaries. Go to church this Sunday and worship there in spirit and truth, be patient with your leaders, rejoice when the gospel is faithfully proclaimed, bear with those who hurt you, and give people the benefit of the doubt. While you are there, sing like you mean it, say hi to the teenager no one notices, welcome the blue hairs and the nose-ringed, volunteer for the nursery once in a while. And yes, bring your fried chicken to the potluck like everyone else, invite a friend to church, take the new couple out for coffee, give to the Christmas offering, be thankful someone vacuumed the carpet, enjoy the Sundays that click for you and pray extra hard on the Sundays that don’t. – pg 237

Pagan Christianity? (Frank Viola and George Barna)

Over the past 6 months I've finished many books on the topic of "The Church". Some of them have been good (see my summary on "Why We Love The Church" and "Sharpening The Focus of The Church") and some of them have been "different". This book by Frank Viola and George Barna is in the "different" category. I must preface this by saying, I was very intrigued when I read the back cover of Pagan Christianity?

It says:
Are we really doing church "by the book?" Not cure? This books amakes an unsettling proposal: Most of what present-day Christians do in church each Sunday is rooted, not in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles.

It peaked my interest! Here are a few other quotes from the book. Let me implore you, if you're going to read my summary on this book, please read my summary on "Why We Love The Church"!!

What follows is Luther’s order of worship:
Singing
Prayer
Sermon
Admonition to the People
Lord’s Supper
Singing
Post Communion prayer
Benediction (pg 56)

We grow by functioning, not by passively watching and listening. Let’s face it. The Protestant order of worship is largely unscriptural, impractical, and unspiritual. It has no analog in the New Testament. (pg 77)

This is a good point and I agree that the order of service is never prescribed in the New Testament.

The word “pastors” does appear in the New Testament. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph 4:11). This is the only verse in the entire New Testament where the word “pastor” is used. [footnote: a derivative form of the Greek word “poimen” is used in Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:2-3] (pg 106)

Okay, this is a good point too. But then Viola goes off the chart and states:

We believe the pastoral office has stolen your right to function as a full member of Christ’s body. It has distorted the reality of the body making the pastor a giant mouth and transforming you into a tiny ear. It has rendered you a mute spectator who is proficient at taking sermon notes and passing an offering plate. (pg 136)

Wow! He's pretty passionate about that one eh? Listen to these stats too about the pastoral office:

- 90% work more that 46 hrs a week
- 81% say they have insufficient time with their spouses
- 40% of pastoral resignations are due to burnout
Most pastors are expected to juggle 15 major tasks at once (1. casting vision 2. identifying and training leaders 3. preaching and teaching 4. raising money 5. serving the needy 6. providing strategy and planning 7. organizing church activities and programs 8. overseeing all administration 9. managing staff and volunteers 10. resolving conflict 11. representing the congregation in the community 12. providing congregation care and counselling 13. evangelizing the unsaved 14. administering the sacraments 15. discipling individuals)

Simply put: Jesus Christ never intended any person to sport all the hats a present-day pastor is expected to wear. (pg 139)

And I agree that God never intended any person to sport all of these hats. That's why the church needs a plurality of leaders.

Then Viola has a whole chapter on "dressing up for church", which I won't discuss here because I hope we're all past that.

I must say though that I did smile and agree with these quotes (if you'd like to refer to my previous 2009 summary of Master Plan of Evangelism please do).

Most evangelical Christians believe in and practice believer’s baptism as opposed to infant baptism. Likewise, most Protestants believe and practice baptism by immersion rather than by sprinkling. The New Testament as well as early church history stand with both of these positions. (pg 188)

A complete examination of the methods by which Christian workers were trained in the first century is beyond the scope of this book. However, a small chorus of books have been dedicated to the subject. [footnote: Robert E. Coleman, The Master Plan of Evangelism (1993); A.B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve (1979); Second Timothy 2:2 refers to the concept of training Christian workers that is exemplified in the Gospels and Acts.] (pg 201)

He also gives an interesting fact about the history of Bible chapter and verse divisions:

In the year 1227, a professor at the University of Paris named Stephen Langton added chapter to all the books of the Bible. Then in 1551, a printer named Robert Stephanus (sometimes called Robert Estienne) numbered the sentences in all the books of the New Testament (pg 229)

We need to abandon [the clipboard approach to pick and choosing verses to quote], step back, and take a fresh look at the Scriptures. We must become familiar with the whole sweeping drama from beginning to end. (pg 239)

Finally, he discusses church leadership and it in he makes some errors:

Decision making in the New Testament church fell upon the shoulders of the whole assembly. Traveling church planters would sometimes give input and direction. But ultimately, the whole church made local decisions under the lordship of Jesus Christ. It was the church’s responsibility to find the Lord’s mind together and act accordingly (pg 248).

I'm not sure if Viola missed reading Acts 15, but the elders played a much more important role than he seems to suggest.

Overall, the ideas in this book I hope will push the church to not be as "pastor" and "sermon" centric. However, "leaders" and "preaching/teaching" must remain!

Serving As Senders (Neal Pirolo)

Karen just smiled as I read this book on the beach in Cuba as we relaxed celebrating our one year anniversary. I was excited to join the Missions Committee at our church when we returned and this book provided some great practical advice and questions for we who stay in Canada "Serving as Senders"!

The chapters were broken down into the different ways we can "support" our friends who serve God by telling others about Jesus around the world. Most people think of supporting missionaries as only "financial support" but it's so much more!

MORAL SUPPORT

Being there for them as they prepare to go, are gone and when they come back. Being in their corner and cheering them on!

LOGISTICS SUPPORT

Church leadership must encourage spiritual growth 1) before missionaries go, 2) while they’re on the field and 3) when they return home (pg 57)

Attending to Personal Details (1) Material Goods, (2) Family Matters (3) Ministry needs (pg 65)

How to do it right (1) Sit down with several sessions with the couple you are sending (2) Get a power of attorney for husband and wife separately (3) Set up record-keeping system (4) Make wills complete and save them in a safety deposit box giving you access (5) Pray

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

How to be wise about our giving:
1) Is the money you give going for what they say it is?
2) Is the project really hitting a decision point of battle for souls?
3) What is the administrative/field use ratio of missions funds?

PRAYER SUPPORT

Here is a prayer list for your cross-cultural worker:
- Adjusting to the new language, foods, new customs, hard climate
- Protection in travel, health, accidents, dangerous situations
- Parents’ concern for their children’s health, schooling, friendships. Housing accommodations, lack of privacy, different living standards
- Loneliness, homesickness, lack of accustomed fellowship with others
- Effectiveness in ministry / assignment
- Functioning of the tools of ministry
- Lake of visible results
- The people being ministered to, the national Christians, the leaders of the country
- Need for stability, wisdom, compassion, self-discipline, boldness, love, to be filled with Spirit

RE-ENTRY SUPPORT

Let them share what they have been learning - in your small group or at the church. (pg 177)

SUMMARY

Several key points to [develop a strong missions program] can be derived:
1) The pastor must be on board
2) Short-term teams are vital in the development of church-mission relationships
3) Deep personal relationships must be cultivated with long-term field missionaries
4) Agencies and churches need to work together (pg 166)

Zero in on a few places in the world where the church has long-term missionaries, put resources to bear and get personal. (pg 167)

Prominently display literature and posters that encourage reaching the unreached. On your church’s map of the world, trace the 10/40 window. Highlight any missionaries you have working in that area or training nationals to go to that area. (pg 175)

Desiring God (John Piper)

I finished this "classic" John Piper book back in March but haven't gotten around to posting this until today. Piper's thesis is stated in the opening pages:

The old tradition says: “The chief end of man is to glorify God AND enjoy Him forever.”... notice they said “chief end” not “chief ends”... This book aims to persuade you that “The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever”. (pg 18)

There is so much in this book but I'll pull out the parts that I especially enjoyed or found convicting:

In a well-known booklet the slogan appears as a train: The locomotive as “fact”. The coal car is “faith”. The caboose is “feeling”... Therefore, let us affirm the slogan when it means that physical sensations are not essential. But let us also make clear that the locomotive of fact is not headed for heaven if it is not followed by a faith that treasures Christ and if it is not pulling a caboose-load of new, though imperfect, affections. (pg 90)

Well I know which "booklet" that is: Campus Crusade's 4 Spiritual Laws :) This is a very interesting point of clarification that he makes. Piper argues that feelings/affections are a very important part of the Christian life.

Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission, sustained himself through incredible hardships by a disciplined meditation on the Bible every day.... “It was not easy for Mr. Taylor in his changeful life, to make time for prayer and Bible study, but he knew that it was vital... Often with only one large room for coolies and travelers alike, they would screen off a corner for their father and another for themselves, with curtains of some sort; and then, after sleep at last had brought a measure of quiet, they would hear a match struck and see the flicker candlelight which told that Mr. Taylor, however weary, was poring over the little Bible in two volumes always at hand. From 2 to 4 a.m. was the time he usually gave to prayer; the time he could be most sure of being undisturbed to wait upon God.”

Wow... God grant me discipline to be a man of Your Word and prayer like Hudson Taylor.

Piper continues on with the topic of prayer...

Where a man belongs is at the bedside of his children, leading in devotion and prayer. Where a man belongs is leading his family to the house of God. Where a man belongs is up early and alone with God seeking vision and direction for his family. (pg 218)

May it be said of me that I was this kind of man.

So what does a pastor say to his people concerning the purchase and ownership of two homes in a world where 35,000 children starve to death every day and mission agencies cannot evangelize more unreached people for lack of funds? First he may quote Amos 3:15: “I will strike the winter house along with the summer house, and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall come to an end.” Then he may read Luke 3:11, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none.” (pg 202)

In our hyper-commercialized North American society, Piper boldly affirms that many of purchases are unnecessary and will one day perish. Oh, that we would be people who hold loosely the things of this world.

Then near the end of the book there is a very well-written chapter on missions.

First, evangelism can never be finished, but missions can be finished. The reason is this: Missions has the unique task of crossing language and culture barriers to penetrate a people group and establish a church movement; but evangelism is the ongoing task of sharing the gospel among people within the same culture. (pg 230)

David Bryant defines World Christians as those who say: “We want to accept personal responsibility for reaching some of earth’s unreached, especially from among the billions at the widest end of the Gap who can only be reached through major new efforts by God’s people. Among every people-group where there is no vital, evangelizing Christian community there should be, there must be one, there shall be one. Together we want to help make this happen.” (pg 233)

John 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.” Notice 3 powerful encouragements in this text for frontier missionaries:

1. Christ does indeed have other sheep outside the present fold! (“I have other sheep”)

2. Christ is under a divine necessity to gather His own sheep (“I must bring them also”)

3. The sheep He calls will surely come! (“They will listen to my voice”)

Beyond Worship Lite (Laurence Barber)

While this isn't a "book summary" it's my thoughts on an article my uncle posted on his blog (http://missionalchurch360.blogspot.com).

He titled the article "Beyond Worship Lite" and in it he reflects on the current Sunday morning worship service styles in Canada. Having pastored for many years and now serving as Director of Missional Initiatives with the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec he's a man I deeply respect.

Here's some quotes from his article and my comments:

"Some of the churches that I serve have over 40 nations represented... Many of them, have worshiped in quite different ways, in their country of origin, in ways quite different... Some expect a day-long gathering... others want a one-hour, clearly-defined service that ends promptly (so they can get to the restaurant with their friends before the other denomination is let out and takes all the parking lot and eating spaces)."

I chuckled when I read this quote, all you have to do is insert "Swiss Chalet" as the restaurant. Praise the Lord for the diversity of His people. Now the task for us who have these diverse cultures as part of our communities is to celebrate that diversity in our weekly services. Some things we've done here in Hamilton at Philpott have been to sing the chorus' of How Great Thou Art or Angels We Have Heard On High in Spanish, Finnish, Swahili, French, etc.

He goes on to write some great points about the importance of involving children and the entire family in the service, not just shuffling people off to their own "sector of church".

"Or should we say "grab your coffee; find a seat" (I have seen this too, but it didn't seem to me to be as effective; since that's all we did before the band kicked in and we sang together a kind of 'Jesus is my boyfriend' almost spiritually erotic 'worship song'".

I have seen this too! Drives me nuts! For more on my thoughts on these types of songs see my review of "Why Men Hate Going To Church" (http://heskad.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-men-hate-going-to-church-david.html)

"The English Book of Common Prayer though not set to music, yet has rhythm of thought and word, almost musical in its speech. We could do worse, often are doing worse, than to rediscover it and other worship prompts and conduits like it."

I'm going to take this point to heart since I think I have a copy of it on my bookshelf.

"Media includes such things as the following: overhead projector, pipe-organ, electric-organ, piano, drums, synthesizer, choir, soloist, quartet, trio, cello, violin, guitar, pulpit, lectern, Bible (version, translation, paraphrase), sound system, computer, LCD projector, hymnal, motet, anthem, Communion Table, open Bible, icon, bulletin, stained glass window, candle, sanctuary architecture, art (Jesus pictures, banners, colour, symbols (anchor, shell, cross), flower display (bouquet, lily, poinsettia), overall look of the church building (upkeep, repair, architecture, plainness, austerity, height, steeple, bell), property (cut lawns, snow-shoveled walk, trees, bushes, flowers, ecologically green-friendly, weedy) – well, you get the point... Some we use, and over-use or never use."

For example, at Philpott in the 1st service I'd say we overuse the piano, guitar, NASB translation, and under/never use a paraphrase translation, choir, hymnal, banners, symbols (like an anchor)....

"The goal of worship is not that everyone is happy but that God is pleased."

Great point!!!

"‘My wife and I aren’t happy. The needs of our family are not being met here. We are going to find a church that meets our needs.’ Where does one find that kind of thinking in Scripture other than where it is condemned for the selfish, God-robbing attitude that it is."

AGREED! Church is not all about 'you' its about God. I've known people who'll drive 30 minutes to church, past 15 solid evangelical churches, just to go where there needs are met (that's a pet peeve of mine)

"The best ancient hymns were about 'we' not about 'I'".

AGREED!

One of the last comments I wanted to make was regarding placing our tithes and offering in the offering plate that's passed around. I would LOVE to see offering taken up, even just once, at my church in Hamilton the same way I saw it happen in Tanzania! Why can't each person walk to the front and place coins, bills, or cheques into a basket?! 1) It's more interactive. 2) It involves everyone! Child who gives $1, student who gives $10 or worker who gives $300. It's not a show, but it involves the entire community!

Those are my thoughts...

The Drama of Scripture (Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen)

Karen and I have been meeting once a month with our pastor and a group of young adults at church discussing servant leadership. One of the books we read was "The Drama of Scripture" by Bartholomew and Goheen. I definitely recommend reading this book. It gives a great overview of the story of the Bible.

Many of us have read the Bible as if it were merely a mosaic of little bits – theological bits, moral bits, historical-critical bits, sermon bits, devotional bits. But when we read the Bible in such a fragmented way, we ignore its divine author’s intention to shape our lives through its story. (pg 12)

This quote about "little bits" captures our society today very well. We'll read a quick "one-minute devotional" or get upset if the preacher goes over 25 minutes... this book helped me to see that similar to a great Shakespeare play, the Bible too has an introduction, climax, and conclusion with different acts and scenes.

The climax, or the point of highest tension, after which that conflict must be resolved, one way or another. (pg 26)

Therefore the climax of the Bible is obviously the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The authors divided the book up into various "Acts":

Act 1 God Establishes His Kingdom: Creation

Act 2 Rebellion in the Kingdom: Fall

Act 3 The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated

Act 4 The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished

Act 5 Spreading the News of the King: The Mission of the Church

Act 6 The Return of the King: Redemption Completed

Below I've copied and pasted a quick summary of Acts 1, 2 and 3 (a.k.a. the Old Testament) from sermon notes from my friend Adam:

God created the universe

God created humanity

Humanity fell into sin

God launched a restoration project by giving unconditional promises to Abraham

Abraham had a son in his old age

Isaac had a son named Jacob.

God renamed Jacob, Israel

Jacob’s sons became the 12 tribes of Israel

The 12 tribes of Israel were slaves in Egypt 400 years.

God chose Moses to be Israel’s deliverer.

Moses led Israel out of Egypt and miraculously crossed the Red Sea to safety in the wilderness

Moses and the Israelites went to Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the law and instructions for building the Tabernacle.

Israel wandered in the wilderness 40 years.

Joshua succeeded Moses and led Israel into the Promise Land.

God gave Israel the land through conquest.

Once settle Israel had no earthly leadership

When in trouble, God would raise up judges deliver them from their enemies

Things went from bad to worse.

Eventually Israel asked for a king.

Irael’s first king, Saul, reigned a very short time before he was removed.

David succeeded him.

God gave David an unconditional promise that his descendents would rule forever.

David wanted to build God a temple but God said no

David’s son, King Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem.

After King Solomon’s reign the kingdom was divided in two.

Both Israel and Judah fell away from the Lord

God rose up prophets to warn both kingdoms of the consequences of their turning away from God, but the kings did not listen

Eventually the northern kingdom was taken into exile by the Assyrians and destroyed.

Not long after, the southern kingdom was defeated and taken into exile by the Babylonians; but a remnant remained.

The Persian Empire defeated the Babylonian Empire and a small remnant from Judah was permitted to return to Jerusalem

This remnant rebuilt the city walls and the Temple.

They were also re-taught the Law of Moses.

This tiny remnant persisted through the rise and fall of the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, and the rise of the mighty Roman Empire.

From this tiny remnant came a descendant of David according to the flesh, and Son of God according to His divinity: Jesus the Christ and Saviour of the world

Act 4 then describes Jesus' life, ministry, death and resurrection and then some great quotes from Act 5 are below:

Here (Acts 13:2) for the first time we see a planned effort to take the gospel to places where it has not yet been heard. This church still carries out its own mission in the place where it has been set – here, in Antioch. But now it also lifts its gaze to “the ends of the earth” in obedience to God’s calling. (pg 182)

Thus the church was then (and should be now) characterized by its zeal for witness nearby and missions faraway. (pg 201)

May God renew that zeal within our generation to be witnesses in our Jerusalem's, Samaria's and to the ends of the earth.

We currently live within Act 5b of the story (following the Bartholomew and Goheen's breakdown) and we look forward to the Coming of the King!!

Revelation does not give us a picture of Christians suddenly transported out of this world to live a spiritual existence in heaven forever... Instead John is shown (and shows us in turn) that salvation is the restoration of God’s creation on a new earth. In this restored world, the redeemed of God will live in resurrected bodies within a renewed creation, from which sin and its effects have been expunged. (pg 211)

I hope that as you've read this summary of Drama of Scripture you'll be encouraged that:
1) God is in complete control;
2) There is still a mission to be accomplished; and
3) One day soon the King will come!

Why Men Hate Going To Church (David Murrow)

from an email February 2006

Truth is, the modern church is not designed to do what Jesus did: reach men with the good news. (pg viii)

You cannot have a thriving church without a core of men who are true followers of Christ. (pg 8)

Dream for a moment. What would church be like if the majority of the worshippers were men? Not just males taking up pew space, but strong, earthy men who were truly alive in Christ. Men who were there not just to please their wives, to fulfill religious tradition, or to go on a power trip, but men who were there to rock their world. Can you even imagine what that would feel like? Imagine what such a church could accomplish for the kingdom of God! Impossible you say? Just read the book of Acts. The church was like this once; it can be so again. (pg 9)

This book is not a perfect plan to bring men back. Rather, I hope it is the match that ignites thousands of conversations and millions of prayers about a problem we’ve ignored far too long. (pg 10)

God made men for adventure, achievement, and challenge, and if they can’t find those things in church, they’re going to find them somewhere else. (pg 11)

Women are the target audience of today’s church... culture of today’s churches [is] a culture that values safety over risk, stability over change, preservation over expansion, and predictability over adventure. (pg 14)

Studies show that men and young adults tend to be challenge oriented. (pg 18)

Now try this on: be dangerous. What if that were our message to men? If churchgoing held the prospect of risk, adventure, and daring, you’d have an abundance of men, teenagers, and young adults signing up. That’s precisely what we find in the persecuted church today. It was also the situation in the early church when Christians were routinely stoned, beaten, or fed to hungry lions. When it’s dangerous to be a Christian, men are more likely to count themselves in. (pg 21)

Every congregation needs a generous helping of both the feminine spirit and the masculine spirit. You see this balance in the churches that are growing today. A masculine concern for quality, effectiveness, and achievement pervades everything they do. Yet they are supportive, nurturing, and tender with people. (pg 25)

Challenge can’t come just from the pulpit. (pg 33)

We can preach and teach until we are hoarse, but men will not mature in Christ until we rediscover discipleship...A number of America’s most dynamic churches are discipleship based. Every member is expected to be a part of a discipleship group, and participation runs 70 to 90 percent. Seek out these churches, and observe their model. (pg 35)

So how can we make men feel needed again?
TELL THEM! Do they know how important they are? (pg 40)

The church and the Titanic have something in common: it’s women and children first. The great majority of ministry in Protestant churches is focused on children, next on women, and then, if there are any resources left, on men.
What’s wrong with the women-and-children-first focus of today’s church? After all, men aren’t very interested. Why should Christians knock themselves out to minister to men? Simple. Because Jesus did. Jesus did not focus His ministry on children, or women for that matter. Jesus’ approach was men first.
I know I lost a lot of you with that last sentence. Some of you may have thrown the book across the room. Before World War III breaks out, let me say that Jesus loved women and children. He welcomed women and children. He blessed women and children. He made it clear that they were equal in every way to men – perhaps even greater than men (“whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” [Matthew 18:4]). Women were among His most faithful followers; children were among His greatest joys.
But Jesus did not focus His ministry on women and children. Nor did He command us to. His example is clear; if we want to change the world, we must focus on men. Not to the exclusion of women and children – however, the spiritual development of men must become our top priority. (pg 43)

Here’s an oft-quoted statistic in men’s ministry circles: when a mother comes to faith in Christ, the rest of her family follows 17 percent of the time. But when a father comes to faith in Christ, the rest of the family follows 93 percent of the time. (pg 47)

John Eldredge reminds us, “Christianity isn’t a religion about going to Sunday School, potluck suppers, being nice, holding car washes, sending our secondhand clothes off to Mexico – as good as those things might be. This is a world at war. Something large and immensely dangerous is unfolding all around us.” (pg 48)

Philip Yancey notes, “I have watched a pattern time and again: a church starts off with high ideals, generates aflurry of activity, and then gradually tempers its vision, settling for something far less than ideal.” Women stay loyal because of the relationships they’ve developed, but the less relational men fall away. Men need vision – not just relationships – to stay motivated in church. (pg 56)

Men don’t follow programs; they follow men. The movies men love often feature an inspirational coach, commander, or teacher. Men are dying for a leader. Every man, regardless of his age, needs another man to look up to and say in his heart, “I want to be like him”. (pg 59)

Howard Hendricks of Dallas Theological Seminary sees two kinds of people in the church: the pillars and the caterpillars,. The pillars uphold the church with their prayers, their work, and their donations. They build the kingdom of God by the sweat of their brows. The caterpillars crawl in on Sunday morning, sing a few songs, listen to a sermon, and crawl out again, not to be seen for a week. (pg 64)

In other words, there are between 11 million and 13 million more born again women than there are born again men in the country. (pg 66)

Women are doing the leg work of evangelism today and fulfilling the Great Commission while men sit on the sidelines. (pg 66)

This may be the hidden tragedy of the gender gap: without men shouldering their share of the ministry load, women are feeling trapped, overworked, and underappreciated. (pg 69)

Men want to devote themselves to something that’s effective, not something that’s going to make them busy. Men are achievement oriented and have little tolerance for a team that always plays defence and never plays offense. (pg 72)

So how can a church attract risk takers? By taking risks! Pursue outrageous, God-given visions. Develop ministries that are dangerous. Send people on foreign mission adventures. Tell the stories of men who jeopardized everything for Christ. Start with the stories of the martyrs. Scores die every day for Christ, yet their stories are rarely told in Western churches. (pg 75)

A growing church is a risk-taking church. (pg 76)

Church services aren’t much fun. They’re usually very serious affairs. Laymen who try to liven up the service with humorous announcements or silly skits might draw a stern rebuke or an angry letter from a longtime member. (pg 76)

We need dangerous men in the church. Jesus attracted dangerous men. (pg 77)

Men are not able to check their testosterone at the church door. (pg 82)

How can we help men? Create friendly, physical competition for men and boys. Next time you’re planning a conference or retreat, be sure to include lots of physical movement and activity. Go beyond standing and sitting for singing. Let men move around. They’ll love you for it. (pg 83)

A boy may attend church his entire life and never have a male teacher. (pg 91)

When stressed, women run to community, but men isolate themselves. (pg 92)

A church that wants to involve men will offer more project-based ministry opportunities. Projects have a clear objective and an exit point. They’re exciting to men. They also involve the four elements of male engagement: plan, work, celebrate, rest. (pg 94)

Men have an easier time finding God outdoors. If you want to reach men, move as much of your church’s ministry as possible outdoors. (pg 95)

Warfare is still imprinted on the male psyche. (pg 96)

“The Christian faith is in no way pacifistic. The peace that will be ushered in by our great Prince will be a peace purchased with blood. As our Lord sacrificed Himself in this war, so much His followers learn to do.” Douglas Wilson (pg 96)

Did Christ intend for men to give up their masculinity to follow Him? Is giving up one’s manhood part of the cost of following Jesus Christ? No, and no again! Christ did not come to make men more feminine; He came to restore them to real manhood. (pg 111)

I’m convinced that there are a million unchurched men who would attend a worship service this weekend if they just didn’t have to sing. (pg 116)

Rick Warren points out that visitors actually hate all this attention: “Ironically, the way many churches welcome visitors actually makes them feel more uncomfortable than if they’d just been left alone ... one reason large churches attract so many visitors is because newcomers like being able to hide in a crowd.” (pg 117)

Pastors, Christians teachers, and even Christian books feed this rivalry by inviting women to imagine themselves married to Jesus. Woman readers, if you imagine your relationship with Jesus as a rapturous love affair, I must warn you: you are on dangerous ground for two reason: (1) You are not the bride of Christ. According to the Bible, there is only one bride of Christ: the church (all believers collectively throughout time and throughout the world). Individual believers are not brides of Christ. (2) Your husband will never measure up to your fantasy. He cannot satisfy you if you harbour an image of Christ as your lover or husband. (pg 121)

By keeping out-of-date traditions alive, we may be unintentionally driving men away. (pg 126)

Men love technology.... Why is it important to embrace new technologies in church? George Barna reports that among those under fifty, “Information conveyed through the use of technology often has a higher degree of believability than does information coming directly out of a speaker’s mouth.” Younger men will believe what they see on a screen more readily than what they hear from a live person. Churches that want to reach men are using the Internet. Men want information before they commit to something, and a user-friendly Web site allows visitors to check out a church from a safe distance. Many of these sites offer sermon downloads (text, audio, and streaming video), places for members to connect, contact information, activity calendars, and extensive information on ministry offerings. (pg 127)

Your church doesn’t necessarily need to put a computer in every pew, but it shouldn’t run from technology either. Technology is neither good nor evil; it is merely a tool that can help men (and women) understand the gospel. (pg 128)

When men think of church, excellence and quality are often the last two words that come to mind. (pg 128)

A church that really cares for tone-deaf Tanya will gently direct her away from the choir into an area where she’s more gifted. (pg 129)

Christ has become, as John Eldredge put is, “Mister Rogers with a beard. Telling me to be like him feels like telling me to go limp and passive. Be nice. Be swell. Be like Mother Teresa.” Christians have just accepted the nonmasculine Jesus (pg 133)

Liberal churches have re-created Christ as a benevolent Teacher who is always gentle, tender, and accepting. This Christ would never offend anyone, never judge anyone, and of course, never send anyone to hell. If this Christ were a radio station, His slogan would be “all tenderness, all the time”. There are two problems with this view of Jesus: (1) it’s not accurate, and (2) no man wants to follow a feminized man. Men are looking for a real man to follow: dynamic, outspoken, bold, sharp-edged. They want a leader who is decisive, tough and fair. (pg 134)

Jesus Christ is the most courageous, masculine man ever to walk the earth. But we’ve turned Him into a wimp. (pg 135)

Use term FOLLOW not saved, don’t use “sharing”, use KINGDOM of God not family of God,

Then we have the ever-popular “intimacy with God”. When men hear the word intimacy, the first thing that comes to mind is sex. Those dirty-minded guys! But guess what? Whenever the words passionate and intimate appear in the Bible, they always refer to sex or lust. More than once, I’ve been exhorted by a prominent men’s minister to “have a love affair with Jesus.” Time out! With the spotlight on homosexuality in the church, why do we increase men’s doubts by using the language of romance to describe the Christian walk? (pg 137)

Why are Christians always going on retreats? What kind of army is always retreating? Why don’t we advance now and then? (pg 138)

Compare these 2 hymns:


Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, VS
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see His banners go!

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.


He lists other contemporary songs with “Jesus I am so in love with you”, “You’re altogether lovely... altogether wonderful to me”, “Oh Lord, you’re beautiful” etc.

We can’t go back to “Onward Christian Soldiers”. But no one has composed masculine praise songs to take its place. Songwriters, please fashion some songs that speak of battle, strength, and victory. Imagine Christ as our Commander, Coach or Scout, not our Boyfriend. (pg 140)

Men’s ministry so of the falters for this simple reason: its actually women’s ministry for men. (pg 140)

Men are just as emotional as women; they just express themselves differently. So if a church welcomes feminine displays of emotion such as crying, hugging, and hand holding, it’s time to welcome masculine displays such as applause, shouts, fist pumping and high-fives. (pg 141)

Men are also reluctant to volunteer for ministry positions because they can’t act like men. Men take risks in ministry, which can earn them a rebuke. (pg 144)

If you want your church to attract men, you must put a high priority on developing leaders, especially male ones. (pg 151)

Churches need dynamic leaders at every level. The pastor can’t do it all, nor should he. (pg 155)

Whenever possible, put men in leadership positions (pg 156)

The fact is, women will follow a man, but few men will follow a woman unless they are forced. (pg 157)

Many people think the church asks too much of its members. In reality, it asks too little. (pg 161)

“People do not resent being asked for a great commitment if there is a great purpose behind it.” Rick Warren (pg 161)

There is a kind of high-octane man who will not follow unless he sees danger ahead. Jesus knew this. So did Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, who posted this advertisement in 1913:
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.
More than five thousand men applied for twenty-six slots. Precisely the kind of men who are missing in today’s church! If we want aggressive, bold, greatness-seeking men, we must do what Jesus did and promise suffering, trial, and pain. But today’s Christianity is marketed like Tylenol; it’s the antidote to suffering, trial, and pain. We’ve turned Jesus’ approach on its head! (pg 162)

In a typical year, just one new person comes to faith in Christ for every eighty-five churchgoers. (pg 164)

Men want a pastor who is firm in his convictions (pg 170)

Let men learn through personal discovery (pg 175)

Make men think! (pg 175)

Let men learn by hands-on experience (pg 176)

Let men learn through object lessons (pg 176)

Men need dialogue, give-and-take, a chance to argue (pg 177)
“Men enjoy and value argumentation” (pg 177)

Men need simple, one-point lessons (and sermons) (pg 177)

It’s often more effective with men to make one point thrice than to make three points once. Pastors and teachers, why not break your teaching into smaller bits so men can more easily digest what you’re saying? Break your message into a five-minute Scripture lesson, a five-minute object lesson, and a ten-minute sermon with other elements in between. (pg 177)

Men need great stories (pg 179)

If we want our young men to be courageous followers of Christ, we must tell them stories of people following Christ courageously. We used to tell the stories of martyrs and missionaries to our boys. Now we don’t. Young men see Christianity as a religion, not an adventure. (pg 179)

The words “strong” and “strength” appear 561 times in the NKJV, while “weak” and “weakness” show up just 83 times. (pg 180)

The top 10 questions today’s men are asking:
1. What is true manliness?
2. What is success? The real bottom line of life?
3. How do I deal with guilt feelings?
4. What is male sexuality? Is purity possible for the modern man?
5. How can we nurture family life?
6. What is Christian leadership? How is it developed?
7. What are the basic disciplines of the Christian man?
8. What ministry skills need to be developed? How?
9. What is biblical business conduct?
10. What is integrity? How is it developed? (pg 181)

Man-friendly churches work hard to minimize dead space between proceedings. (pg 186)

It’s no sin to consider people’s feelings, but if you allow feelings to become the primary consideration when making decisions, you are following something other than Christ. (pg 194)

Here’s another example of the damaging [female] velvet veto (based on a true story): Eric planned a night of paintball for the church’s fledgling men’s group. But two prominent women heard about it and complained to the pastor. “How is paintball remotely Christian?” asked one woman. “It shows support for violence” said another. “What message are we sending to our boys?” The pastor knew a time bomb when he saw it. He asked Eric to find something else for the men to do. They met at the church and studied 1 Timothy. (pg 194)

The men who are watching you don’t care how saintly you are. They don’t care about your traditions. Nor do they care how busy for God you are. They want to know two things: (1) Does Christianity really work? And (2) Is it really the power of God unleashed on earth, or is it just religious activity? As men see the power of the Spirit working through your life, they will be drawn. (pg 200)

Pastors, I know you’ve heard it a million times, but here it is again: you are not the minister. Your people are. You are the coach. (pg 205)

Stagnant churches ask, “How can we minister to our people?” Life-giving churches ask, “How can our people change the world?” (pg 206)

Bruce Wilkinson says God’s people “are expected to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed ... unless God steps in.” (pg 206)

Nothing brings a man to church or to a ministry event like a personal invitation from a man he respects. (pg 210)

Men’s ministry provides guy-oriented events to which men can invite their unchurched friends (pg 210)

I used to build structures. Now I build men and raise up sons. (pg 218)