bobyoungresources.com – Page 44 – missions, ministry, and spiritual living

Walking in the “Faith Dimension”

We too easily, too casually, define faith. The definition slips from our lips almost unthinkingly. Who cannot quote Hebrews 11:1? But what is the nature of faith? We are not called to have faith in faith; how does one believe in/through faith? Faith is in Jesus Christ. How can we live faithfully? Faithful living is walking in the “faith dimension.”

What does it mean to live in the “faith dimension”? Our faith guides our existence in three worlds—upper, inner, outer. Faith is not only for the upper world of spiritual realities and relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Faith guides my understanding of myself as I wrestle with my inner self–my inner world. Faith guides my path through the outer world–through the challenges of daily living. To walk by faith and not by sight is all-encompassing. By faith I trust God when he is invisible. By faith I deal with my own inadequacies when I cannot forgive myself. By faith I deal with the challenges of existing in a world without guarantees.

This “three world” faith supports us when we feel that we cannot go on. Faith can grow, but at its weakest it is still faith. The father of the epileptic son declares, “I do believe. Help my unbelief.” The paradox of faith–belief and unbelief dwelling side by side in the same heart at the same time. When my faith is not strong, it is still faith. My faith cannot always see as far as I would like, but it can see farther than no faith at all. Thus I do not give up on the days when faith seems weak, or falters, or even appears to fail. Faith perseveres.

What does it mean to live a faithful life? Faith is about direction and purpose, loyalty and allegiance. Faith will be refllected in my actions, but also faith is a mental quality. Yet again, faith is not mere belief. The devils believe and tremble. People today say “I believe in God” and mean nothing more than acknowledging that he exists. Faith goes beyond affirming God’s existence–faith guides life according to principles of loyalty. Faith doesn’t demand that I always get it right–faith declares that I am trying to get it right. Because I am loyal to God.

It’s Sunday Again: Iglesia de Cristo-Crieve Hall

An incredible spiritual family of God exists around the world! The opportunity to meet brothers and sisters with hearts set on faithfully following Jesus Christ is stimulating and encouraging. While an unseasonable cold snap has had a slight impact on attendance during the seminar, the body of Christ is alive and well in this place.
The opportunity to spend time with Jacobo and Marcela Chalco has been a blessing. They are special servants, originally from Peru, now serving to help build God’s kingdom in the U.S.
As every Sunday, today we look forward to assembling with God’s people, sharing the word, finding encouragement and strength, remembering our Lord and his saving sacrifice for us, praising and honoring our God for his majesty and wisdom, and sharing our spiritual relationships as we sing and pray and share fellowship.
I trust your “today” will also be special as you assemble with your spiritual family.

Las Iglesias de Cristo: Developing a Heart for the Things of God

Earlier this week I spent four special days with a church that strongly desires to develop a heart for God. The church is relatively small with an average Sunday attendance of perhaps 25. The evening Bible studies were well attended, with about 2/3 or 3/4 of the congregation present.
In U.S. churches, our Hispanic brothers and sisters struggle with several realities not commonly experienced in Anglo churches. Periods of growth and encouragement can rapidly reverse due to a variety of personal needs and challenges within the church, pressures which often force a return to one’s country of origin. Often families are separated (at least temporarily), and limited employment opportunites take a toll as well. Unless the Hispanic church is associated with an Anglo church, the challenge of maintaining full-time ministry is especially challenging to small, struggling congregations. As is often the case in smaller congregations, leadership development is also a challenge. The church needs more leaders and teachers, but lacks resources to effectively meet these needs. Lack of educational materials and opportunities may make the path to developing strong leaders and teachers much longer.
These are a few of the needs and challenges we are trying to address in providing seminars for leadership and teacher development. I encourage you to join me in prayer for our Hispanic brothers and sisters across the U.S. as they struggle to develop strong congregations and to reach out to their families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. On their behalf, I thank you for joining us in prayer.

Boxed in by Tradition: Can We Escape?

We are planting and sustaining traditional churches, even when we use untraditional means at the beginning of a church plant. In many church plantings, we are using biblical methods, e.g. small groups, house churches, simple churches, neighborhood networks, etc., but as soon as we have a viable base, we are establishing traditional churches. In using the term, “traditional church,” I refer to a church with certain characteristics: (1) a building or identified location; (2) institutional organization (CEO, administration, etc.) as opposed to family or informal structures; (3) a corporate top-down leadership model (whether in a single pastor or in a pastoral board of elders) as opposed to a flattened model of responsibility, authority, and action; (4) a dispenser of religious goods both for the members and for non-members who happen by (but primarily for the members); (5) church function primarily focused inward, hoping to draw other in when they see the benefit of being in; (6) isolationism, with little genuine relationship or ministry in the world outside the church; and (7) with ministry focused primarily “at the top” and a limited view of the responsibility of the membership for involvement church function.

This kind of church has little hope of doing very much away from the building and actually answering the missional call to be “sent ones” into its community. The traditional church is controlled and controlling. The institutional leadership, using a top-down organization and having a tendency against delegation of any real responsibility with attendant authority, expectation, and confidence, keeps the church from functioning as an organism, living in integrated, continuing relationships, capable of functioning according to God’s purpose. (What we usually refer to as accountability is really a culturally-informed way of saying, “I will remain in control and to make sure that it happens, so you will clear everything with me, take your orders from me, make sure I am in agreement before you do anything, report to me, ask for any resources from me, etc. etc. etc.”)

We seemingly have little concept of the New Testament model that would let the church to function as God intended the church to function, as demonstration and representation of the presence of God’s kingdom in the world through the functioning of kingdom people. The plan is for the church to provide its own needs. Leader were appointed from within the church. Leaders arose from within the church.

Paul left Titus on Crete (temporarily) to deal with a problem. It is not at all clear that Timothy was in Ephesus for a long-term ministry with the church, serving as minister or in a pastoral function. He obviously was teaching and training others (2 Tim. 2:2). In fact, his work may be understood, although such is a guess, as a continuation of the work Paul was doing in Ephesus from the school of Tyrannus.

We have “pastor-ized” the church to death. We have developed a view of church among the members that expects everything to be done for them. We can deny that the preacher is a pastor, but in function, he is exactly that, in large part due to the expectation of the members. He is to provide support in a host of situations, and often least in view is equipping the saints for ministry. We have ignored the Ephesians 4 model of ministry. May God help us get out of the box we ourselves have constructed!

Surrender to What Counts

You will never be worth much to God in your Christian life until you learn this lesson: surrender to what counts. The spiritual disciplines must include surrender. In fact, surrender is likely the first, before any other discipline. Surrender is the ultimate expression of thinking like Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11). Until the lesson of ultimate surrender is learned, we will continue to think it is about us and that success depends on us.
It is not effective to surrender to minutiae, the trivial, or the urgent. These are never worthy of becoming the focus of our lives. Surrendering to what counts is not easy, because a plethora of tasks, good projects, and commendable activities call for our attention. The choice of the best over the better or the good is seldom easily seen or done. But that which will be “number one” is the only thing worth giving our lives for.
Surrendering to what counts will cause us to discard as unimportant the things the world teaches us to value. Cross-carrying: that is what Jesus calls surrender. The kind of cross-carrying Jesus describes and demands will demote self-promotion, possessions, reputation, and the accolades of others.
Surrendering to what counts opens new doors of genuine service and effectiveness in the Kingdom, because all that matters is the business of the King.

God, help us this day to surrender ourselves fully. Help us to identify the things that really matter in life. May we surrender ourselves to what counts, because of the majesty of the One we know as Lord, Amen.

Just Thinking…about Culture

Jan and I are sometimes jealous–jealous of those folks who have spent most or all of their lives in one place and have close lifelong friendships and relationships that have developed over decades.
But about the time we get too deep in feelings of self-pity, someone will voice their wish that they could have had our experiences–friends across the nation and around the world, close friends and deep friendships that allow us to connect with a host of different folks again and again. (Are we ever thankful for email!)

The key word is different. I am not a multi-cultural guru, but I have experienced many different worlds and I have been blessed to be able to see things in multiple ways. I believe I have an expanded understanding of the world as a result. In the U.S., I have ministered in the rural south, urban south, rural north, and urban north. I have preached in lots of places in between. I have been involved in mission efforts in several different countries, and I have returned to Latin America again and again–a dozen countries and counting, and all of them different.

The experience I have logged is messy. It is increasingly difficult to say that life is or must be a certain way with no other options. Cultures can be fracturing experiences. Priorities undercut one another. Items with significance in one place are less significant (or even insignificant) in another place.

A challenge to Christianity? You bet! But also refreshing–because of the reminder that we must drill down to the core of the gospel message if we are to bring the world to Jesus. We must recognize that some of our own preferences and practices are peripheral. What is foundational? What is at the root of faith? Discover it, live it, and share it! The world will be changed!

Accountable for What?

Peter several times mentions the problem of forgetting and the need for reminders (2 Pet. 1:9,12-15; 2:20-21; 3:1,5,8). Because we are prone to forget, we need reminders. There is too little “review” in the typical church. In the academic world, students review so they can pass a test. In many occupations, professional journals provide reviews and help one stay current with new developments. But down at the church house, whether in our Bible classes or sermons, we seldom review.

This article is a review–a follow-up to a recent sermon on accountability. For what are we accountable to God? Preachers continually remind their hearers that we are accountable before God. Unfortunately, many sermons begin and end with a call to be accountable before God by obeying the gospel in baptism. Certainly baptism is a necessary part of our initial obedience and imitation of Christ (thus we become disciples, followers of Christ). But baptism is the beginning, not the end. Baptism is not a cure-all. After baptism, the question remains. For what does God hold us accountable? What is essential?

#1–PURPOSE. God holds me accountable for getting the FOCUS of life right. What is at the center of my life? What is my purpose on earth? If one misunderstands the purpose of life, all else will be messed up.

#2–PEOPLE. God holds me accountable for RELATIONSHIPS. Three are paramount.

God holds me accountable for a heart of worship. I was made for intimacy with God. Do I live intimately with God? Do I seek his presence? Does my life honor, adore, magnify and glorify him.
God holds me accountable to live out faithfully my family roles.
God expects from me healthy friendships. God’s plan for his creation includes my godly friends, shared intimacy, friendships that are more than fellowship.

#3–POWER. God makes his power available to me, and thus holds me accountable for how I live my LIFE.

God holds me accountable for serving. Jesus by example teaches me to pick up the towel and basin. He calls me to advance the Cause where it does not exist. He calls me to live out the reality of God in this world wherever I go.
God holds me accountable for my work. God created me and I am responsible for learning how to work hard and enjoy work. This is not natural; this is an acquired aspect of my Christian accountability.
God calls me to rest. We do not know and appreciate the place of sabbathing (resting). In our culture, we are driven. We never stop; we never rest. We do not work well because we do not rest well.

#4–PASSION. By the gifts God gives me, he calls me to be passionate about life, and holds me responsible as a STEWARD.

I am a steward of my physical body.
I am a steward of God’s stuff–possessions and opportunities.
I am a steward of my mind, with the great God-given capacity for creativity.

I suggest that virtually all of life is encompassed in these four categories–10 items.

Purpose. Getting the right Focus.
People. Working on Relationships–to God, family, friends
Power. Using God’s power for Life–service, work, rest
Passion. Using God’s gifts in good Stewardship–body, possessions, mind

It’s Sunday Again: Lexington

Another Sunday, anticipating the gathering of God’s spiritual family, meeting with a part of God’s family that we have not met.
Because of shared faith, hopes, and goals–we know in advance that it will be a time of encouragement and blessing.
The seminar will “kick off” today with Sunday Bible class, worship, and other shared activities. Four days of intense study coming up.
Pray for God’s people everywhere, but especially for our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters, as we seek God’s guidance and wisdom to develop spiritual leaders and teachers who can lead God’s people toward God’s eternal purpose.

Friends are Friends Forever

So says the song–so says our experience!
We were blessed yesterday and today beyond measure to spend a little time with our forever friends, Rod and Lynne Boydstun. The conversation picked up where we left off several years ago, as is the case with friends.
Beautiful memories, shared lives, intertwined and yet distanced geographically, faith and hope and love.
Tell your friends how much you love them as soon as you can–we had waited too long, but tried to make up for it with the hugs and “love you’s”!

Leadership in Action: Acts 6

One of the first examples of leadership in the early church is found in Acts 6.
The church was growing magnificently, but that growth did not shelter the church from problems. Sometimes growth contributes to the problems. Including more and more people with different backgrounds often leads to perceived lack of fairness.

The study of Acts 6 provides many leadership principles.

Leaders facilitate spiritual growth and training.

What additional lessons can you identify?

Acts 6:1-7 is the basis of an article posted on the website: Leadership in Action.