Samuel Deuth's Blog, page 5

HOW DO YOU SEE THE CROWD? | For Church Leaders

One of the most common things that trips up a genuine church leader is the crowd. It’s not what the crowd does, but how we as Church Leaders [apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers] SEE THE CROWD. I recorded a short video to expound on two verses that show how the religious leaders saw the crowds and how Jesus saw the crowds.

When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. — Acts 13:45

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. — Matthew 9:36

Let’s fight to maintain a right spirit and use our influence to minister to the crowd and not allow ourselves to drift into simply using the crowd to build or validate ourselves.

Are you using your influence to serve the crowd or using the crowd to build your influence?

Disagreement isn’t hate

I have several friends that I agree with on most issues, but around this election it has become clear that there are several points that we strongly disagree…. but the crazy thing is, we’re still friends.

Why? How?

Because disagreement isn’t hate.

The enemy has worked overtime to get this lie into the culture of America, that says, “if you disagree it means that you are hateful.” This is so false and it has two major negative effects on our nation.

FIRST, what it does is shut down societies ability to effectively solve major problems, like poverty and racism, because no one is free to express difference of opinion without being declared a hater.

Part of the greatness of America is that so many different people have been invited to the table to add their God-given strengths. Now, we’ve raised a generation that can’t be told their wrong or can’t be challenged without getting their feelings hurt. Am I saying we should be hateful and rude to each other? Of course not, but avoiding challenging conversations has been destructive. Have opinions, argue them, and at the end of the day let love and respect for each other cover differences until we reach unity.

SECOND, it hinders the freedom to share the gospel and overall truth of God’s word that America was founded on.

Now, make no mistake, the gospel and the Church will advance regardless of the culture, but Christians in America have allowed this spirit to come in that creates unnecessary challenge.

You see, the biggest issue with not being able to share difference of opinions is that we cannot share our Christian faith without being labeled as a hater. Because, while Christianity is the most inclusive faith it’s also the most exclusive, because there is only one way to Heaven which is through following Jesus. The devil wants an America that shuts down our ability to freely share the gospel. Sadly, we have allowed this to happen. We now have an atmosphere that allows the titanic to head toward an iceberg but no one is allowed to tell anyone to turn around.

If you’re an American, continue to challenge the ideology that shuts down our freedom to express difference of opinions. Bring your opinions to the table but with honor and respect for everyone at the table.

speaking the truth in love —Ephesians 4:15

And, if you’re a Christian, pray for continued freedom to share the gospel in this great nation, but even more, pray for a bold Church that will continue to spread the gospel regardless of the laws. As for me, I’d rather be in prison than be silent about our Savior.

I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. —Matthew 16:18

Mission Drift | A Reminder For Pastors

Pastors,

Recently the Holy Spirit highlighted the challenge of Mission Drift in local churches. Mission Drift is when we lose sight of the cause that drives us; the why behind the what. This can be common but deadly. So, the question is, “When is the last time you reminded your team and congregation about the mission of The Church?”

Before you begin reciting your local churches mission statement, I’m not referring to that, I’m referring to the primary mission statement that Jesus gave us.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” —Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

When is the last time we’ve directly reminded our congregations and teams about the great commission? Our local church mission statements won’t motivate if people don’t understand their direct link to THE mission statement Jesus gave us in Matthew 28.

Great churches are birthed out of a call from God placed on a pastor to reach and pastor a community, but what is birthed in passion to reach the lost can often drift to passive maintenance. Here are a few indicators that you and your church could be experiencing Mission Drift.

Signs You May Have Mission Drift

Loss of passion and motivation in yourself, the staff, or congregation
Team/staff is weary and fatigued
Fewer people are getting saved
Staff is focused on amenities
Extra irritation by inconveniences
Offense, drama, and tensions are at an alltime high
Excessive exit of quality people
Focus on maintaining rather than advancing
Hoping new people will come in rather than going out to reach them
Team focuses on what’s easiest rather than whats most effective

Getting Back On Mission

Whether you feel your church is fully on mission or more distracted, fatigued, and off course, the good news is that we can get back on mission. In the book of Revelations, Jesus is speaking to a passionless church and calls them to repent and do the things they did at first. Here are a few things you can do to get on mission.

Reconnect With Jesus

If our connection to Jesus has drifted so will our attention to the mission. Stir up again your passion for time in His presence and time in His word.
Recommit To The Mission

As time goes on in building church, we can allow so many things to distract and fill up our church calendar that it can cloud out the main things. Reevaluate your annual and monthly calendar to be sure it’s on mission.
Reevaluate Your Mission Statement

If your mission statement doesn’t reflect a heart to reach and disciple than you may need to change it. Here at C3 Church San Diego, we articulate it like this: “A church that is fresh, real, powerful, and has at its heart the great commission to win souls and make disciples of all nations.”

Weak and passive mission statements won’t reach a city.

Reinforce The Great Commission

Take time in your staff meetings, team huddles, and weekend services to pray for the salvation of your city. Create consistent time to passionately call people to pray for and reach their city with the good news of the gospel. If you don’t focus on the Great Commission than neither will they.

Pastors, I love and respect the immensity of your call. To be entrusted with a city and it’s people is pretty unbelievable. Let me remind you that you’re not alone, Jesus is for you, and the Holy Spirit is with you! I’m praying right along with you that His Kingdom would come and His will be done in and through your church!

Recapture

As time goes on in our relationship with Jesus, some find their once passionate connection to God can become a mundane association. We see this pattern repeat itself often in the Bible where God would call people to himself, show them his favor and faithfulness, and then before you know it, the story unravels and now his people are far from him.

Where does this begin? Is it with some big sin? A wrong choice? No, this slow fade often begins subtly in the heart. In the book of Ezekiel, God is speaking to the prophet; saying that his people have “set up idols in their hearts.” What we need to consider is the question, “Who is set up in my heart?” Who is set up on the throne and leadership of our hearts?

Whoever is set up in our hearts is in the driver seat of our lives.

When we talk about idols in the bible we often have a hard time translating that to our lives today, but an idol in our hearts is usually not that we decide to start worshiping other false gods, but that we begin to allow other things like approval, fame, money, success, or relationships to occupy that primary seat of our hearts.

When any of the above listed is set up in our hearts rather than Jesus, we begin to find our lives becoming more and more distance from that once passionate relationship with Jesus. The great news is that in Ezekiel 14, God reveals his constant heart towards us when he says:

I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols. —‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭14:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You might think that God would want to fully and forever reject those who deserted and put other pursuits before him, but instead he does everything to RECAPTURE our hearts!

If you find yourself captured by one or more of life’s temptations, do what Ezekiel 14 says, repent, turn to God and allow him to recapture your heart again!

Leaders: Bring Peace—Not Fear

There is so much to say and do in response to the horrific events of this week. There are no simple answers or quick fixes to the struggles that face America. But I do want to quickly encourage and challenge the young Christian leaders around our nation to use their social media voice to bring peace and not fear.

Use your influence to bring peace in difficult times.

In an effort to empathize I’ve seen far too many young leaders of all ethnicity posting about feeling hopeless or saying, “I’m scared” in a post.  That is not the voice of a Godly leader and it’s a reckless use of your influence. Yes, we have truly difficult circumstances that we are facing, but reinforcing the emotions of the crowd will not lead to peace. Don’t post for social response.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

–Psalm 23:4

If you’re a leader in this nation, use that platform to speak hope into the heart of this nation. Call people’s attention back to the sure and constant word of God, and call people to walk out their life based on those sound principles.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” –Joshua 24:15

In difficult times Godly Leaders:

Remain steady.
Point people to trust in God.
Think before they speak/post.
Give clear direction.
Highlight wisdom.
Build faith not fear.

In the middle of chaos, leaders bring peace and stability. Let’s be that voice of stability that our country desperately needs rather than perpetuating the hopelessness.

Begin by praying God’s will to be done in this nation and then lead others to pray, this is the primary and foundational step to true peace in America.

 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

—2 Chronicles 7:14