Miguel Labrador's Blog, page 24
December 28, 2012
Is This Church Planting Graphic Right?
Leave your comments below.
For related articles, see:
The Church Planting Question that could Change Everything!
Do Church Planting Movements Hinder Disciple Making Movements?
Are you ever more bothered by the phrase “Church Planting?”
Church Planting Amongst The Poor – What About Sustainability?
Church Planting in Microclimates, Microcultures, And Microspheres
CommentsMiguel, let's get over the English grammar and western ... by MarshallMarshall, How do we not impose more than 1 ekklesia when ... by Miguelchosenrebel has written in reply, “We need to correct the ... by MarshallThanks for commenting Jim… I used to have some solid ... by MiguelThanks Marty! “Improving the evangelistic potential of ... by MiguelPlus 5 more...Related StoriesBreak the Ice and THEN Share the Gospel?Returning to 1st Century Church Requires…And the 3rd-Largest Religious Group in the World is…
December 27, 2012
Break the Ice and THEN Share the Gospel?
To “Break the Ice,” has come to mean: Breaking
down social formality and stiffness.
An earlier meaning of this phrase, i.e. ‘to forge a path for others to follow’ alludes of course to the breaking of ice to allow the navigation of boats. The figurative use is quite old and was recorded by Sir Thomas North in his 1579 translation of “Plutarch’s Lives of the noble Grecians and Romanes.”
When it comes to the sharing, preaching, and proclaiming of the Gospel, it has come to mean cracking an opening, providing a future opportunity, or opening a door so that the church can speak the message of hope into the lives of others. It is proposed that social work leverages spiritual transformation. I like the idea of blazing a path or breaking one so that others may follow, and that it might represent a good disciple making trajectory, but…
Where do we find a biblical warrant for this strategy?
CommentsA biblical warrant for 'breaking down social formality and ... by Chris Jefferies1 Cor. 9:20-21. Thanks for sharing the history behind the ... by JonathanLuke 10 – don't talk to people on the way. Go into a village. ... by Justin LongRelated StoriesAnd the 3rd-Largest Religious Group in the World is…Discipleship DegradationReturning to 1st Century Church Requires…
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Related StoriesAny Person is Capable of Any SinReturning to 1st Century Church Requires…And the 3rd-Largest Religious Group in the World is…
December 19, 2012
Returning to 1st Century Church Requires…
In a blog post by Alan Knox entitled, “Tweaking the particulars without confronting the core assumptions,” he says that “Simply tweaking the particulars without confronting the core assumptions (about what it means to be the church and to gather together as the church) does not help.” I’d encourage you to read that post in full here.
I replied this way in the comment section “If there’s one question that has taken up most of my thinking about “church” in the past year, this post approaches it. There is such a strong compulsion to “get back to the way church used to be.” It seems though, that as much energy is being devoted toward that end, the church simply can not shed its modern-day assumptions. We bring all this stuff with us into the past and contaminate the timeline. It’s like going “back to the future” with the book and messing it all up over and over.
Alan then asked me “What do you think is the answer to this problem?” I’ve been in somewhat of a mental stutter until now. Here’s my answer:
If the Church wants to return to its New Testament model, it must first recapture the New Testament’s mode of mission.
In that answer, I have made couple of assumptions:
1. A right relationship with the triune God and your neighbor.
2. That the mission of the Church is Making Disciples by Preaching the Gospel
Am I correct is saying that “If the Church wants to return to its New Testament model, it must first recapture the New Testament’s mode of mission?”
For a related post, see:
Are Christians Bound to the Practices of the Primitive Church?
CommentsHello Brother, You cannot fix the devil, he owns church lock ... by Marc WinterRelated StoriesAnd the 3rd-Largest Religious Group in the World is…Discipleship DegradationThe Mistakes of Jesus’ Disciples. Then, and Now
And the 3rd-Largest Religious Group in the World is…
According to an article in the New York Times The third-largest religious group, after Christians and Muslims, is the “religiously unaffiliated.”
The article goes on to say that “More than three-quarters of the religiously unaffiliated live in Asia, the majority in China. Many of the people in this group do hold some religious or spiritual beliefs and may even believe in a deity, but they do not identify with a particular faith.”
The study is based on analysis of 2,500 different data sources, including censuses and demographic surveys of children and adults in 232 countries. It relies on self-identification, so it includes people who are not regular practitioners or orthodox believers of the religion they claim.
Does this 3rd-largest group pose a threat to Christianity? In what way?
Is the Making Disciples of all “Ethnic Groups” becoming less or more possible?
Doesn’t this information restate the importance of “GOING” in the Making of Disciples?
For related articles, see:
Christians Make More Bacon than Disciples
Aren’t All Christians Supposed to Make Disciples, Be Witnesses, and Evangelize?
Related StoriesDiscipleship DegradationWhat If You Died Tonight? Is the Wrong Evangelism Question!The Mistakes of Jesus’ Disciples. Then, and Now
December 16, 2012
Discipleship Distraction
Sorry About The Image!
Distracting, isn’t it?
We take disciple making (Discipleship) pretty serious here in the Cloud Forest Region of Ecuador. I’d like to take credit for how well things have gone this past year as we have seen many come to know the Lord, but the truth is, I can’t. We’re all just paying attention to the calls and commissions in our lives. In fact, that’s what this post is about. Paying attention… or the lack thereof.
In a small town called “Dystra” (fictional name), I can remember when the gospel was first spoken there. The level of interest was nothing less than phenomenal. We talked with people, laughed with them, cried with them, played, and prayed. There was intensity in their attention. We would go to Dystra weekly and sometimes in-between. They welcomed us into their homes and they were welcome in ours. On Thursdays, we would break up into groups and have small fellowships and discipleship. We invested ourselves in their lives and saw many powerful examples of transformation.
Then it started happening. As we would go and do our “Normal Weekly Thing,” one particular subgroup in Dystra became very distracted. There seemed to be a long stretch of weeks where there was always something else going on. At our scheduled time of meeting, this particular sub-group began arriving later and not putting their energy into paying attention, and becoming spiritually fidgety. Now, I have to confess that my first thought when this started happening was, “Fine! If you guys aren’t interested in THE WORD OF GOD, then I’ll GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE WHO’S HUNGRY FOR IT AND GO THERE!” The thought never manifested itself in words, but ultimately it did in action.
I could expound the reasons why this particular group became distracted, but it would not serve the main purpose of this post. It could simply be because I, and my associates are extremely boring people. Oddly enough, the “other” groups in Dystra began to grow. Especially where we as disciplers, did not have expectations. This has been a tremendous year of ministry in the region and we have seen the Kingdom of God expand in a markedly Super-Nautral way. What we have also seen is that other sub-groups like the one in Dystra have or are going through a similar distraction phase.
When it happens, we go through the same cycle as disciplers. We ask ourselves if we’re doing wrong, if our gospel message is complete and correct, if we should be taking it personally, if our attitudes are innapropriate, and sometimes we simply need to drift away from the drifters. And so, I’m putting our experiences out there for you, the reader, with a few questions:
1. What, in your opinion, is the root cause for being distracted in fellowship?
2. If someone is no longer interested in the things of God, should we just move on to those who are? Why or Why Not?
3. What steps have you taken in your gatherings and fellowship to solve the distraction/boredom problem?
For related posts, see:
CommentsWhat, in your opinion, is the root cause for being distracted ... by KatI agree Peter with the need for compassion, thus my comment ... by Geoffrey HarrisI agree with Geoffrey, that the distractions are of the enemy ... by PeterLuke 8:11-15 gives three clear reasons for distraction. 1. The ... by Geoffrey HarrisRelated StoriesWhat If You Died Tonight? Is the Wrong Evangelism Question!Discipleship DegradationDiscipleship Detachment
Ekklēsia or (Church) in the Old Testament?
Have you heard the statement, “The Church began at Pentecost?” I’ve always wondered if a case can be made for Old Testament Ekklēsia or (Church.)
Can it?
Commentsekklesia being as those called out, coming together. before ... by MarshallThat little list in Hebrews of those that looked forward in ... by Laurie KingThere have been many ekklesiai throughout history. In the Old ... by Alan KnoxRelated StoriesDiscipleship DegradationMaybe It’s Not the Pastor that Leaves the Ninety-Nine in Search of the OneDid Jesus Have Discipleship Classes?
What If You Died Tonight? Is the Wrong Evangelism Question!
“If you died tonight, where would you go, heaven or hell?” How many times have you heard that question used in evangelism? How many times have you used it yourself? What if I told you it just might be the wrong question? What if I told you that those types of questions almost always lead into preaching another or a false gospel?
How many of you would be at a loss in evangelism if that question were ripped from your evangelistic repertoire?
A better question might be something like this: “If you don’t die tonight what are you going to do tomorrow?” The answer to that question is certainly more probing and more difficult to answer. “But wait!” You say, isn’t “Today the day of salvation?”
Let’s take a look at this misunderstood and often abused scripture. The first part of that verse is a quote from the first part of Isaiah 49:8 “This is what the LORD says: “At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you.” NLT
The idea brought froward from it’s original use is “an accepted time” and “a day of salvation, NOT “the accepted time” and NOT “the day of salvation”. This means that now is an accepted time and now is a day of salvation but it IS NOT the ONLY accepted time and NOT the ONLY day of salvation. This is clear in the Greek and in some translations like the NASB and KJV which put the missing words in italics.
All that to say it’s manipulative to try and get people to make rash decisions by heaping on them the threat of this being their last day on earth. Maybe the question exposes people who trust in their good works, or perhaps are just uncertain, so that the evangelizer can further expound the hope of Christ, but often it’s just the same old path to a scripted and truncated gospel.
Even when people say, “Oh, I’m definitely going to heaven,” we’re poised to pounce and tell them why they’re not. After all, we’re there to save them from their bad assumptions and from hell. Ever see an evangelizer get disappointed when coming across someone who already believes? It’s just one less notch they can put on their “salvations” stick. It grieves me when I hear someone report X #’s of “salvations.” It usually means that X #’s prayed a “sinner’s prayer,” which usually means that X #’s heard an anemic gospel.
The “if you died” question closes off two of the most effective ways to reach people for Christ besides the Gospel: showing God’s love, and showing God’s power. Chances are that most of our evangelism methods are ill prepared to do both of those things. It’s easier for us to give our shtick then to show our Savior. “If you died tonight” takes God’s Judgement seat and makes it OUR pulpit from which to preach OUR version of the Good News. When “If you died tonight” is asked without personal conviction of sin first, the hearers see your segway to a condemnation whose origin is not God. The “if you died tonight” question attempts to induce labor on fetal Reconciliation and Repentance before, and often without, sufficient Revelation.
“If you died tonight” makes the Gospel out to be a “Hell Pass.” Remember when Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full?” He wasn’t talking about heaven, He was talking about the here and now. He was preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the gospel of the Escape Hatch.
So instead of asking someone the question “If you died tonight, would you go to heaven?” Pray that God’s Kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.” For yourself and for the persons you encounter along your evangelical paths. If you lived through the night, would you repent and believe? Would you love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Would you love your neighbor as yourself?
CommentsAidan, Thanks for commenting. Judging something by its fruit ... by MiguelThe wrong question? To me the right question is one that works, ... by AidanLove the sentence: “It’s easier for us to give our shtick ... by Rody Schoener-ZarutskieWow, your question quickly sank into a theological bog! I ... by Tom SchultzMaybe heaven and hell are just the result of winding up with ... by Laurie NorrisPlus 5 more...Related StoriesAny Person is Capable of Any SinDiscipleship DegradationOptimizing Mission
December 14, 2012
Any Person is Capable of Any Sin
I’ve long-held that any person is capable of any sin. I don’t suppose that this is an original thought on my part, because Justin Martyr said that “Every created being is so constituted as to be capable of vice and virtue.” Jeremiah, a Prophet in the Old Testament said, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9
Jesus said, “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. Mark 7:21,22
In light of today’s events and comments like “I don’t understand how any one person can be so evil,” or “I don’t understand how any person can do something so horrendous,” I’m convinced that for the most part, humanity has not embraced its own depravity. Ultimately, this problem can not be pinned to pistols, poverty, or politics or any other secondary causality. It’s a heart issue. It’s sin.
When I first read today’s news, I wept. It broke my heart. Not because I don’t understand, but because I understand all too well. Having seen up close the consequences on a loved one from the death of a child, I simply could not bear the thought of that multiplied by 20+. I won’t say that I don’t understand how any person can do such a horrendous thing because Like I said in the opening, I believe any person is capable of any sin.
Am I wrong?
Please don’t mistake me for a cynic or a prophet of doom. To the same degree that I believe any person is capable of any sin, I equally believe that the Gospel is the solution. We can attempt to control people’s behavior with some short-term and limited success, but only the continually proclaimed gospel gets to the heart issue.
For related posts, see:
Is Jeremiah 17:9 for Believers?
CommentsI've been a journalist for over 30 years and have covered lots ... by Dan B.as did Jesus, we know what the mind/thoughts of man are ... by MarshallRelated StoriesPoverty as a Lack of Freedom to GrowTheology Precedes Practice, Vice Versa, or Something Else?The Lord Jesus (The Logos) and His Teachings (The Logos) are One!
The Perpetual Dimness In Your Spiritual Discernment
Your discernment is always cloudy and will always be cloudy until you are in heaven with God. Your spikes of spiritual understanding are only as good as your right interpretation and application of the scriptures which He breathed out for the church.
Any discernment that arises which is contrary to the scriptures must therefore be a result of a faulty interpretation. It’s simple, if you interpret any given scripture to make it contradict any other scripture, then not only is your interpretation wrong, but any discernment based on that faulty interpretation as well.
The Apostles said as much. Paul says, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corinthians 13:12
Peter said, “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19,20,21
Words of Peter & Paul in Red because they’re Jesus words too.
Your leadings, guidings, spiritual perceptions, and discernment’s are all “carried along” and enlightened by the Holy Spirit according to His word (logos) as contained in the Bible. Both Peter and Paul knew they were writing authoritatively on behalf of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures and the logos are synonymous in the above passage. The Bible is the light that makes interpretation and application possible. It is the anti-fogger for our spiritual discernment. The fog must continually be wiped away. The pilot light goes out often and we need to keep relighting it.
Sara Singleton, in a recent Lausanne World Pulse article wrote:
“We are insensitive to the presence of God and need continual awakening to his voice and initiatives (Hebrews 4:7-13)
None of us will ever be able to say that our spiritual discernment is 100% correct. This however does not mean that we’re left to hopeless skepticism and egregious existentialism. We always have the light-giving logos (scriptures) given by the Spirit as our authoritative guide. A child of God, with unveiled face, beholds the glory of the Lord, and is being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
CommentsMarshall, Truth stands apart from my understanding of it. If ... by MiguelMiguel, is your understanding of “truth” limited to what ... by MarshallMarshall, Thanks for your comment. If the truth sets people ... by MiguelWell said Marshall. by David Woodsthis post is, in short form, core of organized religion's ... by MarshallRelated StoriesDiscipleship DegradationThe Mistakes of Jesus’ Disciples. Then, and NowMaybe It’s Not the Pastor that Leaves the Ninety-Nine in Search of the One
