For my OFWB brothers and sisters (and anyone else interested)

One of the most memorable moments in our nation’s space program occurred in April of 1970 with the launch of Apollo 13. What makes Apollo 13 famous is not the launch, the American people had found those commonplace by that time, nor the astronauts on board. The reason Apollo 13 is remembered is because of what happened during the mission. Two days into the flight, a catastrophic failure in the oxygen system occurred, scrubbing the mission and placing the astronauts in grave danger. Even those of us not alive during this time are aware of the story of Apollo 13 because of the 1995 movie based upon the mission. What is seared into our minds is a quote from the movie – “Houston, we have a problem.” Though misquoted by the wrong character, that line has found its way into American conversation. “Houston, we have a problem” has become the catchphrase for those wishing to identify a problem or need.

In that spirit, I humbly offer this as a critique of the church – “Houston, we have a problem.” I wish to sound the alarm, as it were, concerning a desperate need of the church. My brothers and sisters, we have a discipleship problem. What I mean is that we are not fulfilling the task given to us by our Lord. As Original Free Will Baptists we speak often and loudly about fulfilling the Great Commission, but I am afraid we have misunderstood what Jesus is asking for us as individuals and as churches to do. All of my life I have heard the call for us to be “soul winners” for Jesus, and that is a worthy and correct call. I have noticed something though; with all of the emphasis on “soul winning” we have forgotten just what Jesus commissioned us to do.

Notice what that commission is according to Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (ESV, emphasis added). While we have focused on “soul winning” our Lord has commissioned us to make disciples. We focus on baptism numbers and attendance numbers, but we have forgotten to actually disciple those who have placed their faith and trust in the Savior of the world.

Take an assessment of your church; what is being intentional done to make sure new believers become spiritually mature believers? What tools, methods, and ministries are incorporated in your church to see people become conformed to the image of the Son? In what ways does your church seek to help people love God and love others well? Does your church or yourself even consider intentionally discipling people? What are you doing to help other believers grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior? If we are honest with ourselves, we will probably have to admit that we are failing to carry out the Savior’s command. I contend that most Original Free Will Baptists churches do not intentionally disciple believers.

         The church’s desperate need is for us to fulfill the mission given to us by our Savior. If that mission is to make disciples, the question must be asked – What is a disciple? More specifically, what did Jesus mean by disciple? It appears from studying Matthew 28:18-20 that, when Jesus speaks of making disciples, his concern is for men and women to accept his teachings, conform their lives to him, and follow him as his kingdom is inaugurated. Discipleship is more than learning about Jesus’ teachings. For Jesus, becoming one of his disciples means that the believer will live out what has been taught. With all authority given to him, Jesus sends out current disciples to go to the nations to bring in more people to the kingdom of God.

         As disciples, believers are more than learners, they are unconditionally surrendered to the king and, subsequently, obey the command to go and teach others to live the same way. Part of that command is to baptize them into the community built in relationship with the Triune God and with fellow believers. This baptism serves as an initiation ritual into the kingdom community, but more is to follow. The believers are to also learn so that they may go out and bring others into the kingdom.

         In Matthew’s Gospel, a disciple is a learner and a follower of Jesus. The life of a disciple is different because of an attachment to Jesus. This attachment is based upon the Master who has given his life as a ransom, which leads to followers committed to more than life-changing teachings. Jesus’ disciples are to go and make other like-minded followers.

         It appears that a disciple in the New Testament is considered as one who has been called by Jesus to come and learn from him. That learning is more than intellectual knowledge; rather, it is life transforming. This seems to fit with the Gospels’ portrayal of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Jesus’ disciples find their attachment in the person and work of Jesus, not solely his teachings. Without using the term “disciple”, the rest of the New Testament canon appears to affirm that a Christian will be a follower of Jesus whose life is transformed by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. By being transformed, Jesus’ disciples are called to carry on his work.

         Now that “disciple” has been defined, another question is raised. Does this describe the people who constitute your community of faith? Connected to this question is the idea that our churches ought to consist of believers at different spiritual levels of maturity, but each believer is growing and maturing in his or her faith. Again, is this reflected in the group with whom you are connected? If so, PRAISE GOD! If not, then I humbly propose that we begin to think about fulfilling Christ’s command to make disciples.

         The church desperately needs to take this issue seriously for it is a serious command given to us by our Lord. Here is the crux of the matter though, if we are serious about being disciples, if we understand who Christ is and what he has done, then I believe we would not need convincing that we should be making disciples. We would see it as a joy and privilege to go and help others meet Christ and grow in their relationship with him. Pastors and church leaders would not have to cajole and convict church members to make disciples, they would have to actually rein them in!

         Pastor, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, small group leader, and any other person involved with leading and teaching, what are you doing to champion the cause of making disciples? Are you talking about it, leading studies on it, modeling it? What are our churches doing to encourage each member to make disciples? What is great is that there are more resources now than ever before to help individuals and churches make disciples in an effort to fulfill Christ’s command. More is being written on the subject than ever before, more information is available than ever before. Take advantage of what is available and tailor it to your particular needs and context.

         I am in no way an expert on the subject but I have focused my research for my doctoral project in this area. My passion is to see our churches filled with believers growing in their faith. I would welcome the opportunity to come and share with your church more about the need to make disciples and how to begin doing just that. I believe that the church has a desperate need in the area of discipleship and I want to do my part as a pastor and as a member of this denomination to see to it that our churches are equipped to address that need.

         I mentioned at the beginning the Apollo 13 mission and the problem it faced. While those astronauts did not land on the moon, they did make it home. Their problem kept them from completing the mission, but they did return safely because of the help they received from the NASA engineers. Keep this in mind; our God, who commissioned and sent us, has also empowered us to fulfill that commission. On our own and in our own strength we will never make it, but by his power and his grace we can complete the mission and bring honor to our King. I pray that we all will grasp the desperate need our churches face, and we will seek to fulfill Christ’s command to make disciples from among the nations.

A response to the death of Bin Laden

I went to bed Sunday night not aware of the news of Usama Bin Laden's death. It wasn't until Monday morning with the kids off to school that I finally turned the T.V. on to watch the morning news programs. It was then that I learned what the whole world seemed to be discussing. I watched in amazement and I was utterly speechless. I listened for details...the who, what, when, where, and the how. I watched as the programs cut from location to location showing the celebrations taking place across our country. And then I went to work.

I tried to listen to talk radio to get more details, picking up bits and pieces, but by mid-morning I was too busy to listen anymore. Late afternoon found me checking facebook and twitter just to see what people were saying. I found social media divided by response just as I found the traditional media divided. I have to admit, it has taken this long for my thoughts to come together, to be able to process all of the information. But what I keep returning to is this question: "How should a Christian respond to the news?"

Speaking personally, I am glad as an American that justice has been served, but as a Christian I am saddened by the fact that most likely Bin Laden left this world a unrepentant sinner. As I thought about my feelings, I thought back to that Sunday following 9.11.01. I stood in the pulpit facing my congregation; many who had raised a flag earlier that week in support of our nation. I stated to the congregation that as an American I was furious that this could happen. (Later on Toby Keith's song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" came out, summing up many Americans thoughts.) But, I told the congregation, as Christians we need to pray that Bin Laden (and other Muslims) have the opportunity to respond positively to the gospel message.

I have to admit that I probably didn't get a lot of "AMENS" from that response, but it was what I felt was the biblical response to the situation. All these years later, my thoughts remain the same. Without citing particular Scripture for my "proof-texting", let me say clearly that I believe the Bible teaches that God has ordained governments to carry out the punishment of criminals. If a law is broken, then justice is to be served. Clearly, Bin Laden was a mass-murderer who needed to be stopped. I am thankful that our military had the opportunity and that we had leaders who were willing to make the difficult decision to carry out the operation.

At the same time, my first allegiance is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who tells us to pray for our enemies, who tells us to take the gospel to all nations, and who tells us that He does not rejoice in the death of the wicked. No, God's desire is all of those who are created in His image (including terrorists) would respond in faith to His offer of salvation. Though, through human eyes, Bin Laden's sins might be more heinous than mine, I am just as much in need of a Savior as Bin Laden was.

That said, I don't believe Christians should be dancing in the streets over his death, nor should we be celebrating over his death. Let us as Christians find satisfaction that justice has been served, pray that his death opens the door for the gospel to be unhindered in being shared, and weep for those that leave this world apart from Christ.

A Different Christianity

Perhaps you have seen on a church sign somewhere these words, “Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) is credited for that quote which many have misunderstood. The quote tends to be interpreted that one’s witness is carried out in deed and if one must then use words to share the gospel. The understanding is that the gospel is best proclaimed through one’s actions therefore speaking about the cross is unnecessary. Let me assure you that concept is far from the intention of the original author. The intended meaning of “Preaching the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words” is that our actions AND words should always point to Christ. It is not an “either/or” approach to the gospel but a “both/and” approach that will reach the nations, starting right outside our doors. As the church we are to boldly proclaim the gospel by ministering to people’s physical and spiritual needs. When we are committed to that goal, then will we see people come to Christ.

I must give credit to Daniel Akin, PhD, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for the following information that comes from sermon he delivered in chapel in December '09. Today there are at least 16,348 ethnic groups that comprise the 6.7 billion people on the planet (Joshua Project: 11-28-09). Today there are at least 6,647 ethnic groups who are unreached. Some missiologists would say there is, at present, 1.6 billion with no access to the gospel at all. That means there are 3.4 billion who have not heard the name of Jesus or have very limited access to the gospel. Add to that the reality that there are 255 million lost people in North America, 3 out of every 4 persons (On Mission, Special Issue, 2009, p.8). Did you know that more than one in four American Protestants give nothing to the work of the church and that the median annual giving for a Christian is 2.6% of their annual income? Did you know that only 27 percent of Christians give away 10% or more of their income? What could happen if committed Christians gave 10% of income to the work of the Lord?

Let me share with you what would happen: 150,000 new indigenous missionaries and pastors in nations most closed to foreign religious workers; triple the resources being spent by all Christians on Bible translating, printing, and distribution to provide Bibles in the native languages of 2,737 remaining people groups currently without Bible translations; eradicate polio worldwide; 1million new clear water, well-drilling projects per year in the poorest nations (25% of the world’s population drinks unsafe water); prevent and treat malaria worldwide; provide food, clothing, & shelter to all 6.5 million current refugees in all Africa, Asia, & Middle East; sponsor 20 million needy children worldwide, providing them food, education, and healthcare.

Oswald J. Smith said, “We talk of the Second Coming when half the world has never heard of the first.” It is time we commit ourselves to the task of bringing hope to a world that desperately needs some good news. It must start outside our doors and we must carry it to the nations. We must be concerned about their life here on this planet and in the afterlife. We must have the same compassion for the nations that our Savior displayed in the gospels. Only when we begin to weep for the nations will we really see a change take place.

Penn Jillette of the entertainment duo "Penn and Teller" can be found on 'Youtube' sharing about how someone gave him a Bible. He stated, “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward… how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you, and this is more important than that. And I’ve always thought that.”

When will Christians wake up and begin to look beyond the church doors? When will Christians decide to engage a post-Christian culture with the Truth of Christ? When will we begin to show a different Christianity that is concerned about the whole person? I pray that it is soon.

It's the First One So Make It Count

I must say that the task of beginning a blog is a daunting one; who in their right mind would be even remotely interested in what I have to say. It seems to me that we live in a society that thrives on being in constant contact with the world around us; always "in the know" where it concerns our friends and neighbors. And yet I cannot help but sense the possible global impact one's thoughts could have particularly if it is used for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom.

Never before in the history of humanity have we been able to reach so many people with the gospel. Can you imagine what the Apostle Paul could have done if our technology had been available to him? And while all of this technology is at our fingertips we Christians cower and hide or insipidly pass along pointless emails that either are suppose to make us laugh or make us feel guilty.

My point in all of this ranting is to encourage and challenge to make it count...whatever we do, do it for the glory of God. The moment is right, the time is now, use every opportunity God gives you to impact the world around you with the gospel: Christ crucified, buried, raised.