I was 11 years old when God filled me with His Holy Spirit. It was a profound and life changing experience. One of the lasting effects has been a passion for church planting. We spent much of our secondary school career discussing how we might accomplish this. It is one of the many reasons I love the vision of Newfrontiers which has long been committed to planting churches across the UK and increasing around the globe.
The new web site Newfrontiers Church Planting outlines a strategic plan to plant in the UK. Can I take this opportunity and encourage you to read and engage with this excellent vision.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
1 John 3:16
I had the privilege of attending the Newfrontiers prayer & fasting event this last week. There is always such a sense of God speaking during these times (Approximately 700 pastors praying and fasting for two days). With the opportunity to hear news from the UK and around the world comes many jaw-dropping moments, my jaw dropped as news of church plants in many capital cities around the world were announced. Many of these are capitals that Christians might consider no-go areas because of their commitment to other religions.
As the news was shared about one such city those who had been to visit (the small group of Christians who are already there) told of how they had, of nesessity discussed what their approach would be to their own safty. They had options; to remain indoors and unseen, to travel only with a recognised driver/body guard or the approach they actually took which was to move about freely and stand with the local chrstians as much as possible.
Their conclusion to act like this was based on the verse we started with, and these are their words.
‘We’ve not been called to save our lives but to lay them down’
This is, of course, following Jesus great example.
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Acts 13 1-3
Barnabas and Saul carried considerable anointing from God. Try and imagine having them in your church, the son of encouragement and the great apostle. These men would transfrom any community they were part of.
Yet here, this church is willing to send them off on mission.
I DON’T THINK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY
The questions I have for those Christians in Antioch are; How did you do it? & Why did you do it?
I think the answers must be found in the gospel it’s-self
We are generally very happy to enjoy the benefits of the gospel
- Forgiveness
- Freedom from guilt
- The Holy Spirit
- The promise of eternal life
What is noticeable of these Christians is that they were not only enjoying the benefits of the gospel but they also allowed the gospel to shape them. In this case they were prepared to send their best.
This is a reflection of the Father’s willingness to send the best of heaven, the Son of His love.
They sent Paul and Barnabas knowing they had received the best from God. This shaping by the gospel is essential as we seek maturity of faith.
In preaching about the contrast between Saul and Stephen I have come to the important question which is:
What is the essence of Pharisee-ism?
Jesus disgust at the Pharisees is universally apparent, never more so than in Matthew 23
13“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.[c]
15“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
16“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
33“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
Matthew 23 13-36
Jack Crabtree makes this excellent comment:
The problem with Phariseeism was that it was based on a completely false self-concept. The Pharisees did not grasp that they were morally unworthy, that they were shameful, blameworthy creatures. And they certainly did not understand that they could do nothing to make themselves morally worthy before God. They were clueless with respect to their own guilt and real shame; blind to the evil ingrained in their very beings; ignorant of their real motives, the real passions that drove their lives and choices. In short, they were desperately self-deceived. They were enemies of God who—out of a perverse sort of blind sincerity—promoted themselves as the friends of God.
The answer to my question then is PRIDE. The oldest enemy, that corrupt sense of self that blinds to the truth and seeks to crush others to it’s demonic will.
Pride, while pretending all is well within, actually masks a tomb full of dead men’s bones. Motives are unchanged, indeed hellish. The proud seek to climb on the failure of others crushing them without hope of redemption, finally reaching the foul summit the flag of self-satisfaction/gratification can be planted.
No wonder Jesus warned of the yeast of this attitude!
Hope comes in the glorious gospel of Jesus. With this gospel I am reminded that I am in desperate need of a savior and as this dreadful realization hits so does the magnificent truth that a savior is provided. So I live in relation to others not as a grovelling sinner but as a forgiven son, aware both of my need for and the provision of JESUS!!
The bible often gives focus to contrasting characters;
Cain & Abel, Abraham & Lott, David & Saul etc…. Here in Acts 7-8 we have another fascinating contrast, Saul and Stephen.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
Acts 7 v 60 – 8 v 1
Both are young, passionately committed, men seeking to serve the Lord.
They are both marked by different approaches to God. Saul by the law, Stephen by grace. If ever there was an example of law leading to death and grace to life, outside of the cross, here it is.
On the surface these two men should have been friends, both worshiped the same God, both seeking to advance the cause of God. Yet the gulf between them is vast.
Paul tells us about his credentials as a Pharisee
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Philippians 3 5-6
Jesus saved a particular disgust for the Pharisees. He gives His reasons for this
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Matthew 23 v 13
Saul displayed this kind of religious evil as he stood giving approval to Stephen’s murder. Religion without grace is death, it is just a series of rules actually designed to keep men and women away from God. When the church becomes nothing more than a religious club we should all be fearful.
The Pharisees hated Jesus and his followers because they showed that God’s desire was to dwell with people, ordinary, everyday people. This rendered the livelihoods of the Pharisees meaningless. When the temple curtain was torn in two, demonstrating that God and man could now dwell together, the law became obsolete. It still is.
Stephen was a man full of grace, wisdom and power (Acts 6 v 8). His life and death were a demonstration that the gulf between God and man has been dealt with. He reflected Jesus own example as He faced his accusers, he looked to win them but offered no resistance in is own defense.
My observation is that we each have some of Saul’s attitude and some of Stephen’s in us.
We need to keep watch over our own attitudes and motives the consequences are as dramatic as life and death.
Lex Loizides has started a blog!!
Lex is an evangelist and elder at Jubilee Community Church in Cape Town, South Africa. He speaks widely amongst our family of churches in Newfrontiers as well as leading the Front Edge initiatives, around the world.
He is writing here under the sub-heading ‘highlights from church history’ and not only is he very well researched but you’ll finish reading encouraged to share your faith, preach the gospel and change the world.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6 v 10
Probably one of the most miss-quoted verses in the Bible. Many quote this simply as ‘money is the root of all evil’ which clearly communicates a very different meaning.
Money provokes strong emotions, it is usually questions about money that initiate the longest and most detailed discussion in church life.
But there is something way beyond this understandable concern that Paul is referring to here. Genuine love is one of the most powerful forces/emotions in the universe.
- love affects the whole life of the lover
- love leads to great personal sacrifice
- love forsakes all others
- love consumes the lover’s emotions
- love engages the will, controls actions and consumes
To direct all this energy at money, says Paul, can only lead to trouble.
We live in a culture which has consitently and persistantly put it’s faith in Money. We trust it to provide for our needs, expect it to lavishly appease our wants. We rest assured that it will cushion us against the unknown and firmly rely on it to watch over us in old age.
The trouble comes when we worship money it’s self forgetting who it is that graciously gives us all things. There is a scene in ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ where Bilbo finally gives up the ring to Frodo. The struggle to keep it causes his whole demeanor to be distorted, just for a moment he looks and sounds like the tragic Gollum who is doomed to an eternity seeking out his ‘precious’. It is this kind of frightening transformation that the love of money effects.
There is nothing evil about money, rich people are not intrinsically selfish or uncaring, poor people are not – by any virtue of their poverty – more holy than anyone else.
Money needs to serve us and be used in the service of God – recent events prove that it is foolish to put faith in finance. As people loose their homes and livelihoods are bartered back and forth based on romour and ‘market confidence’ this timeless verse from Paul to his young friend should be posted over the doorways of investment banks and stock market floors around the world.
Nehemiah said, “… Do not grieve…. for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8 v 10
For some looking into churches like ours the criticism is levelled that we are ‘happy – clappy’ or for the slightly more cerebral ‘triumphalist’ in our expressions of faith. My initial reaction is usually that if the alternative is to be ‘unhappy-silent’ and ‘defeatest’ then I’ll choose the former. I suspect, however, that underlying the criticism is a plea for a more balanced approach which takes into account the harsh realities of 21st century life.
I think the problem is actually more to do with theology, faith and tradition.
Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones famously said ‘doubt comes when we listen to ourselves rather than speak to ourselves’. Our minds are engaged in a perpetual dialogue with the environment around us. Family, friends, colleagues, the news, constant media, advertising……the list goes on, all incessantly speak to us. Add to this the workings of our own minds and we find ourselves occupied in a constant, bewildering conversation.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10 v 5
Paul reminds us that we need to challenge this onslaught with God’s words, the truth! If what we see, hear and think doesn’t line-up with the truth we should ruthlessly deal with it. As I sometimes say ‘Throw the rubbish out!’
This is the essence of faith, to choose to believe God rather than trust in myself. It does, of course, require God’s help but the experience of walking 35 years with God tells me this is not in short supply.
The wonder of the Gospel is that the biggest problems of life and eternity, the greatest challenges for purpose and meaning are settled through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This doesn’t mean that life isn’t challenging and sometimes perplexing but it does mean that no-matter what there is always truth to rejoice in. Focusing on this in worship, as a friend of mine says, ‘re-sizes my world in the light of Jesus’. This is the reason to worship in a way that is happy and possibly clappy.
Traditionally church buildings are quiet, almost silent places – people have wrongly associated this silence with holiness. It’s a bit startling when churches are loud and happy. Society doesn’t like it when this mould is broken. I suspect heaven will be both very loud and very happy!
