This is the perennial question of our generation: “Is Jesus the only way to God?” Some ask it with disdain: How could anyone assert that Jesus is the only way to God? Others ask it with genuine sense of doubt. Is Jesus the only way to God? Only in books do we find this question asked and addressed so explicitly. So while the question may mark our generation, we are loathe to discuss the answer. Why is this question so besetting for our generation? Over the next few posts, I will address this question with honesty and sincerity.

Answering the Question Socially

If the question is: “Yes, Jesus is the only way to God” a line is drawn where we would rather things remain fuzzy. Why would we prefer this particular claim to remain fuzzy? In many cities there are an array of religious beliefs: Mysticism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, to name a few. The presence of so many different religions in cities leads many people (Christians included) to the conclusion that all religious paths lead to God. Why? When we meet people from various religions who are kind and sincere because of their religious beliefs, it seems arrogant to insist they are wrong. After all, their religion appears to have made them very likable, respectable people. I, for one, have met many people I would consider more generous and sacrificial than some Christians I know.

We make a theological decision based on social experience.

When people of other faiths rival Christian character, we face a tendency to affirm all religions as valid ways to God. We make a theological decision based on social experience. Rather than investigate the answer to one of the most important questions, we prefer to glaze the question with inch-deep reflections upon the character of people we meet. Understandable but not wise.

What if our generation became known for not only posing great questions but also grappling deeply and sincerely with their answers? Many Christians claim that belief in Jesus is the only way to God. Others insist there are many ways to God. In the next post, I will explore why some people insist there are many paths to God.

For more resources on this topic see:

• God is Not One, Stephen Prothero
• The Reason for God, Tim Keller
• On Guard, William Lane Craig
• Apologetics to the Glory of God, John Frame

Just think, if you knew the future, if you knew what would happen 10, 20, 100 years from now, wouldn’t you live differently? Wouldn’t you alter your actions in reaction to the future, to make the best of your life?

In Revelation 21 (and Isaiah 60) we witness the future, when people from all over the earth will stream to see the city that is to come! Notice that the City of God is not a lazy city; it’s not filled with cherubim on clouds popping grapes into the mouths of the elect. Zion contains the domains of a normal city.

Read the rest

When we’re told to make disciples, to share our lives and the gospel with other people, very often objections spring to mind. Here are three possible objections, along with brief responses to why you might not be making disciples.

Objection #1: I don’t have time.

To this objection, Jesus would say: “How can you not have time?” This is why I gave you the gospel, to multiply disciples. Remember the Great Commission? Go therefore and make disciples? We all have time to disciple others. The problem isn’t time; it is value. If we are resisting discipleship, then its because we simply value something else more. We value our free time, our comfort, our work. Also, the value of discipleship is easily worked into things we already do—Celebrating, Recreating, Eating, Serving. It’s not that you don’t have time; its that you don’t have the value.

Objection #2: I don’t know enough.

That simply isn’t true. Most Americans have more theological education than most Christians in the world, and yet African and Asian Christians are multiplying disciples like crazy. Discipleship isn’t knowledge-based; it’s gospel and life based. Don’t put your faith in knowledge; put your faith in the gospel, which bears fruit when we share it and share our lives. It’s putting others first and encouraging, exhorting, and charging them to make disciples. There are people in your neighborhood, workplace, and church that need you. It’s not that you don’t know enough; if you know Jesus then you know more than enough!

Objection #3: I don’t want to.

Two brief responses. First, your wants need to change. You are too easily satisfied. Second, you need to boast more or you need more to boast in. Paul writes: “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face…For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (2:17–20).

Why did Paul make disciples? Hope, joy, and pride. Notice that his motivation comes from looking to the future and to the present. He has a hope for when he stands before the Lord Jesus at his coming. What is his hope? His hope is his joy and crown. He’s looking forward to the day he stands before Christ, and hoping to say to Jesus: “Here’s what I have for you—my joy and my crown—my disciples, Lord. They are my “pride and joy.” The best of the best I can give.

What’s your pride and joy? A book, record, or movie collection, your dog, your house, your bikes, clothes? Is that really what you want to parade before King Jesus when he comes back? “Look I was faithful, I have a great DVD collection.” And is your collection going to motivate you to make disciples? Paul had found a deeper motivation than duty in making disciples. The reason he made disciples is because they were his pride and joy.

Watching my daughter take her first breath was amazing, and so is watching others take their first spiritual breath. They bring you joy before the Lord. Watching my children grow into walking, talking, drawing, reasoning, dancing, loving people brings me so much joy, and so is watching disciples grow into the image of Christ. Pride and joy? Certainly. There’s no such thing as disinterested, joyless boasting. When someone boasts in their collection or children, they take joy in it, show it off. Pride and joy. Paul says of his disciples: “you are my glory and my joy.” Why should you want to make disciples? Because they can be your deep pride and joy before the Lord Jesus.

HT: Jordan Whitmore

This series is taken from my personal diary during the first couple of years of church planting. The entries range from painfully raw to joyfully visionary. I hope they bring encouragement to anyone who reads them, especially church planters.

Austin, Texas                                                                      November 2, 2008

Last week I spoke at the Acts 29 Bootcamp in Dallas. Preparation for the event was good for my soul. I was more nervous than I can recall being in a while. I had to work this fear out in faith and repentance. The Lord had me in 1 Thess 2:4 for a couple weeks, in perfect preparation for this fight:

For just has be have been approved by God and entrusted with the Gospel in this way we speak, no as pleasing men but God who test our hearts.

The fight was to speak from my security in the gospel not for security and approval of my listenesrs and fellow church planters. God was testing my heart days and weeks in advance. I repented from my desire to impress others and clung to Jesus’ forgiveness and strength in the gospel. I plowed on in the Spirit.

The night before my plenary on Spirit-led Ecclesiology, Robie gently corrected me. She showed me that my talk was trying to impress by “going deep” instead of trying to equip by “sharing my struggles.” I wanted to hide behind the approval of intellect instead of minister from a place of vulnerability. Then she sent me out of the house to keep working on the talk. What a wife.

At the coffeeshop I had a good conversation with John, a homeless guy. Father, call John to repentance, transition his life, heal his pain…Robie is such a blessing. Give me more Christlike love for her LORD. Spirit help me to be aware of how I can serve her and let my new heart live.

My first year of church planting I started a new, full-time job, in a new city, with a new daughter, in a new church. Guess which one got the least attention? Family. As all these new things filled our lives, they began to crowd conversation with my wife. What was once natural—inquiring about my wife’s hopes, fears, and joys—became unnatural, even absent from our conversation. She patiently continued to ask how I was doing, but I was “working for the church while my family died.”

Read the rest

This article first appeared at Christianity Today in the Faith & Work section. Be sure to check out The High Calling for other helpful articles on vocation.

On Sunday we talked about how Christianity became a global movement, not through elite preachers but through men and women making disciples of men and women. This multiplying growth of the gospel was more effective for two reasons: 1) They shared life and the gospel. 2) They grew by multiplication not addition (adding people to a service). We looked closer at Paul’s approach to discipling, noting that he assumed the role of brother and father in his discipleship relationships.

2 Discipleship Relationships

Brotherly discipleship happens among peers; fatherly discipleship happens with a mentor. Austin City Life does a pretty good job of brotherly discipleship through Fight Clubs, but needs to grow in fatherly discipleship where we mentor others who are younger in the faith or disciple people into Jesus for the first time. I challenged our church to recover the waning gospel movement that has shifted away from America by joining the historic movement of disciple-making right here, right now in Austin.

For some of you, your first step will be to just connect with our church community more, by visiting a City Group. Others will be looking for a “mentor” right away. Let’s all consider, not only how we can connect or be mentored, but more importantly who we can disciple. Pick just one person to disciple this year–a friend, neighbor, co-worker, person in your City Group, Fight Club or someone in our broader church community. As you consider who God is calling you to disciple, here are a few things to keep in mind

Practical Things to Keep in Mind

1. PRAY that God would lead you to someone, preparing both of you for a father-son or mother-daughter relationship. Ask God to awaken faith in non-Christians around you.
2. CONSIDER who would be a good fit. Don’t just pray, think. Dont rely on personality magnetism alone; different people can teach us a lot.
3. ASK take initiative by asking someone to mentor you. It is important for Christians to take initiative with people they would like to be mentored by. Invite a potential mentor out for coffee or over for lunch and talk about what you are looking for. Establish some basic expectations: What sharing life might look like, Things to Discuss, When you can meet (get it on the calendar).
4. START making disciples right away. Move forward with intentionality in your relationships, moving people closer and deeper into Christ. Be the kind of person that chases others’ joy, challenges them to be better people, and encourages them.
5. REMEMBER you are not entitled to a mentor but you are called to make disciples. Don’t wait until you find a mentor to begin discipling others. In one season of life, my wife asked three women to be her mentor and all three turned her down. Man, they missed out! Ask God to give you the privilege of seeing people “take their first breath” and grow, mature in Christ.

Make disciples and join the movement. You won’t regret it. Its the best thing you can do with your life!

Helpful Resources on Discipleship

• Connecting – a very helpful practical book on three types of mentors: Spiritual Guide, Coach, Discipler.
• Master Plan of Discipleship – out of print and a follow up to Coleman’s classic, The Master Plan of Evangelism, which is also very helpful
• Untamed: reactivating missional discipleship – theology, cultural reflection, and practicals on incarnational discipleship

Flux is a work of art in its own right, digital animation inspired by the sounds and sculptures of artist Ilhan Koman. Candas Sisman’s work is ingenious. Take some time to listen to more of her sounds. Enjoy the unique combination of changing shapes, shades of color, and intriguing sounds in Flux.

F L U X from candas sisman on Vimeo.

HT: Open Culture

As expected, the assassination of Osama bin Laden has sparked a range of responses. People poured out into the streets of Washington, some celebrating with American flags while others morosely brought flowers. Christians are no exception to the polarized responses.

Within minutes Christians were preaching at one another on Facebook and Twitter in support of their nanosecond-formed viewpoints on the death of Bin Laden. Opposing Proverbs were cited in support of opposing views, while the non-Christian press focused on reporting events accurately and sympathizing with 9/11 survivors. As I write, news media are plastered with images and announcements regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. Blogs, articles, books, sermons, and movies are sure to follow. How should Christians respond to this significant event in contemporary history? Here are two initial suggestions:

Restrain your desire to be heard with a greater desire to be discerning. Within seconds viewpoints were spouted on social media. These unbaked responses betrayed very little reflection, which is why I appreciated the occasional comic relief via Twitter. Can anyone really sort through the cultural, ethical, and theological issues surrounding Bin Laden’s death within minutes?

Allow me to throw another proverb on the heap: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). Adapting James’ wisdom for the 21st century, we might say, in some instances, we should be quick to reflect, slow to tweet, slow to rant. To be sure, the controversy over opposing viewpoints regarding Bin Laden’s death would be present without social media. The difference, however, is that the controversy could be much more profitable, sharpening, and reflective if we were slow to respond publicly. Time has a way of balancing our perspective.

Be quick to reflect, slow to tweet, slow to rant.

Don’t let social media manage you; manage your social media. There’s something compelling about the ability to broadcast my opinions to an instant audience. Is it the dopamine rush of rapid response or something more? Perhaps our instant response betrays our not so instant community, our isolated lives imprisoned by social perspectives of a rather thoughtless Christianity? Let’s be honest. How many people are going to pull out their Bibles in community and have a vigorous, open, winsome discussion about this face-to-face? Not enough.

Or maybe we just let social media do our thinking for us. We are so hooked on instant communication, that we’d rather air opinions and let the chips fall where they may. Could it be that our minds have become content with rapid, regular bits of information–sending or receiving–that we have lost the value of personal, theological reflection? Closer to home, are we content for our minds to be managed by social media because we care more about what others think than what God thinks? Have we become so preoccupied with social media that we fail to be occupied with theological meaning?

The way forward is being slow to speak, quick to listen, and intent to draw near to God. After all, no one cares more about evil and justice than God himself.