Read the rest of 8 Ways to Ruin Your Accountability Group as a promotion of the new chapter I wrote for a new eBook.
Missional Church has been quite the buzz in the evangelical church world. As with any buzz, it has a polarizing effect. People often adopt or reject a concept before they have properly understood it. This creates a bandwagon effect, uncritical early adopters who adopt an idea and jump on the bandwagon, without depth of understanding.
Alternatively, there are the hypercritical naysayers, those who naysay missional church as a fading fad. Ironically, the hypercritical naysayers commit the same error as the uncritical early adopters. Both responses fail to adequately investigate just what “missional church†is. As a result, uncritical early adopters, hypercritical naysayers, and even well meaning leaders, pastors, and church planters are contributing to the failure of missional church. If missional church is to succeed, we must understand: 1) What missional church is. 2) How we smuggle “institutional church†into it. 3) How to become intuitively missional.
Read the rest of my article “The Failure of the Missional Church” at Next Wave
1) We should submit to God’s word is because the Bible is God’s authoritative word. It claims, not just to be authoritative, but to be absolutely authoritative. There is no higher authority to appeal to than the word of God. This might sound a bit circular. Submit to God’s word because it claims to be God’s word. But anyone or anything making a claim to absolute authority, must necessarily appeal to no greater authority. If reason, then reason is the absolute authority (not Scripture) or history, not something else. To appeal to something else to verify Scripture as ultimate authority would render it not absolute. Instead, that greater authority would be absolute.
I am not saying that reason is naturally unfit for reading Scripture. What I am saying is that Scripture, not reason, is the ultimate authority. The Bible is the final arbiter of truth. One reason for this is that reason is naturally flawed. It starts with unbelief in God as the arbiter of truth. It starts with faith in reason not faith in God. What we all need is nothing less than the rehabilitation of our reason so that it believes in God. We need forgiveness from the eternal Creator for placing faith in reason instead of faith in Him, for adoring our rational faculties over adoring his eternal glory. The gospel of Christ accomplishes just that, and his Word returns us to the gospel over and over to experience the blessing of walking under his word and in his grace.
2) We should obey God’s word because we love him. Jesus himself said: “If anyone loves me he will obey my commands†(Jn 14:21, 23). Obedience is not to be confused with legalism. Legalism attempts to earn God’s favor, but obedience is a free expression of having already received his favor. Obedience to God’s word is an expression of our affectionate devotion to him. Obey God’s word because you love him.
3) We should submit to God’s word because it draws us into communion with him. Scripture is God’s personal word to us. Unlike most religions, in Christianity God speaks personally to us. He is, in a way, standing at the foot of our bed and inviting us to delight in his perfect love and approval of us in Christ. He wants to fellowship with us: “God is faithful who has called us to fellowship with his son Christ Jesus our Lord†(1 Cor 1:9). John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (Jn 1:14). God’s personal word to us in ultimately heard in Jesus. He is the way we hear God’s word. When we embrace God’s word, we can enter into communion with him.
4) We should read and obey God’s Word because it matures us. 2 Timothy 3:17 says “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.†(2 Tm 3:16). If you want to be a more mature spouse, parent, son, daughter, employee, person, then you’ll need the training of the Word of God and the grace it supplies to form you into a better version of yourself. In this way, you can also be a blessing to others through good works. The word of God matures and equips us to bless others.
In summary, obedience to God’s word is honoring to Him, an expression of our love, draws us into communion with all three loving, speaking persons of the Trinity, matures us to look like him, and equips us to do good works that bless others. Scripture is the personal, authoritative Word of God that, despite cultural objections, when obeyed brings us deep joy and God great glory. For these reasons, read and obey God’s word!
My January is pretty full of speaking opportunities. I’d appreciate your prayers that these events would be great occasions for the gospel and not for my pride. Please pray that God would do things that are disproportionate to who I am as I speak.
Community on Mission Mini-conference (TX) – three talks on the Three Gospel Conversions for churches in greater Denton, Texas.
Man in the Mirror Summit (FL) – a talk on “Why Christian Character Isn’t Enough” & Workshop: “How the Gospel Makes & Multiplies Disciples”
Acts 29 Quarterly (NE) – I will speak on The Failure of the Missional Church as well as connect with The Core Community Church for some coaching and a roundtable on N.T.Wright’s View of Virtue vs. Gospel-formed Character.
