Question: is it OK to quit being a Christian in the name of following Christ?

A while back, best selling novelist Anne Rice renounced being a Christian via her Facebook page.  She reasoned that she felt like an outsider to the Christian community for the past 10 years, and finally has decided to quit Christianity altogether (except for following Christ, that is).  So…what do you say about that?

Well, here’s what I would say to Anne Rice…

1.  We should all quit being Christians

I totally relate to her sense of feeling like an outsider to organized Christian religion.  I feel the same way (for very different reasons).  I resist applying the “Christian” label to myself, because the early church did not apply it to themselves, outsiders labeled them as “Christians” (see Acts 11:26).  We should all quit acting like Christians, and start living like loyal followers of Jesus.

2.  Jesus is “anti” on some issues

Rice stated her reasons for quitting Christianity as follows…

I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life.

Her reasoning incorrectly assumes that Jesus is not “anti” anything.  Jesus is unabashedly anti-religiosity, anti-greed, anti-sexual-immorality, and anti-human-opinion-over-God’s-Word!  Jesus is “anti” human-centered opinions because He’s “pro” God’s intended design for humanity.

3.  Following Jesus has a divisive effect

There’s no way to follow Jesus, and avoid the divisiveness that Jesus brings.  I’m not talking about the divisiveness of personality (like harsh and judgmental Christians).  Nor am I talking about the divisiveness of personal immaturity and insecurity (like many church people with their us vs. them, isolate-from-other-people attitudes).

Jesus spoke of Himself in terms that could be considered divisive.  He referred to Himself as a Light that reveals people’s darkness (John 3:19-21).  He called Himself the Truth connects people to God (John 14:6).  That’s pretty divisive: light divides the darkness, and truth undermines falsehood.

4.  You cannot embrace Jesus and reject His people

If you want to follow Jesus, He will lead you into community with His people.  He commands you to love His followers, to remain connected to His followers, and to participate in His world mission together.

Tragically, Jesus has taken a bad rap for all our “Christian” ways.  He gets blamed for everything from the bloody Crusades, to greedy Televangelists, to the GodHatesFags movement.  Yet Jesus’ guilt by association with “Christians” is so unwarranted, because these “Christians” do not represent Jesus, His teaching, His heart, or His view of the world.

So, yeah!  I’m with Anne Rice, let’s totally quit being “Christians.”  However, let’s instead become full-blown followers of Jesus.

Let’s follow Jesus all the way into His family called the Church (however imperfect it will be).  Let’s follow Jesus all the way into His mission of touching, healing, and renewing our world (however inconvenient it will be).  And let’s follow Jesus all the way out of our Old Self and into the New Creations we were meant to be in Him.

“Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived” - 1 John 2:6 (GWT)

If there’s one thing that cultural Christians have, it’s words.  Though talk is cheap, lukewarm Christians place a higher value on talk over walk, creeds over deeds, and explanations over demonstrations.

Whys is that?  As I look into my own soul, I see a couple of factors that drive me toward being a talker, rather than a doer…

1.  Words are easier - It’s so much easier to talk about doing stuff, instead of actually doing the thing that you’re talking about.  Too many Christians are like the guy who talks a good game of basketball, but never takes to the floor to show his stuff, because talk is all he had.  God-talk without God-walk is as pathetic and powerless as that guy – I don’t want to be that guy!

2.  Words are safer - I can read books, spew information, and convince others of the truth in it all: without ever really practicing what I’m talking about,  In fact, I’ve done that.  Why?  Because it’s safer to hide behind words, than to expose my insecurities and sense of self to the public scrutiny of my actual lifestyle.

I used to believe that Christians should practice what we preach.  But I don’t believe that any more.  Now I believe that we should preach only what we practice!

CH Spurgeon urged Christ’s followers adopt the motto, “ACTA NON VERBA” (deeds not words) as our way of life.  I can think of at least four reasons why…

1.  Actions speak louder - when someone says one thing, and does another, which do you believe?  Our words (no matter how well intended) are trumped by our actions.

2.  Deeds are creeds - someone once said, “you only believe the parts of the Bible you obey.”  Scripture teaches that “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17, NIV).  Simply stated, if you don’t do it, you don’t really believe it.

3.  Word Becomes Flesh – Jesus Christ is the Word become flesh.  He lived out God’s truth through His flesh and blood, day to day life, in order to reveal who God really is and what He’s really like.  What’s true for Christ is true for Christ’s followers too.

4.  New Life Means New Works – Being a new creation in Christ is all about doing good works that God prepared for us to do…as Paul says it.

Jesus’ life is an example of words as the wings of our actions.  He did God’s will, and taught others.  He showed God’s love, and called for loving action.  He lived out God’s Kingdom, then invited others to join in.  God’s Kingdom is more than words!   

“For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power” – 1 Corinthians 4:20, ESV

Church = Box!

Too many followers of Jesus put the work of God into a box called the church with its services and programs.

Today I’m launching a series of posts titled, Out of the Box and into the Kingdom.  My goal is to stimulate Kingdom vision for church leaders that enables them to dream, think and lead their people beyond the church-box paradigm.

THE SIZE OF THE VISION = THE SIZE OF PEOPLE!

There’s an old myth that claims that a goldfish will only grow to the size of its tank.  What may not apply to goldfish, definitely applies to people.  People will only grow to the size of the vision that frames their lives.

Church leaders: God has called you to cast a macroscopic-panoramic-Biblical vision for your people that grows them into Kingdom people, not just church people.  Which begs the question, “what’s the difference between church and Kingdom?”

THE KINGDOM IS BIGGER THAN THE CHURCH!

Jesus is the first Person to utter the word, “church.”  Yet, He framed His ministry in terms of God’s Kingdom breaking into our world, not into a church building.  Just look at how Jesus introduce His ministry:

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” Mark 1:14-15, ESV

Jesus framed His ministry in terms of the Kingdom of God, not the church. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not downing, dissing or dismissing the church.  The church is the Bride of Jesus (and we should love her – Eph 5:25), the church is the Body of Christ (and we should build it up – Eph 4:11-12).  Yet, it was Jesus who framed the gospel as good news about a new reality (God’s Kingdom) through the presence of a new King (Jesus).

KINGDOM PEOPLE OR CHURCH PEOPLE?

Though the church and its activities can fit into the Kingdom, you cannot squeeze the Kingdom into the Church.  When we try to fit the Kingdom into our church-box, we create church people, instead of Kingdom people!  And there is a huge difference between the two:

• Church people – have reduced ministry vision and can’t see past church-bound categories for ministry (i.e., usher, greeter, children’s worker, inviter-of-lost-friends etc.).
• Kingdom people – have Kingdom vision to think / dream / act outside the box (read church here).  They want to heal the wounds in their neighborhood, workplace, and community (fatherlessness, addictions, marriages).

• Church people – see the gospel in terms of good news about the afterlife (it’s how you can be sure you’re going to heaven after you die).
• Kingdom people – see the gospel in terms of good news about Kingdom life (it’s about life in God and with God, both now and forever).

• Church people – understand discipleship as primarily about enjoying a closer relationship with God that grows me to spiritual maturity.
• Kingdom people – understand discipleship as the call to lose their life for Christ’s sake so they can participate in His family for His mission.

The Kingdom is not a means to a bigger church; the church is a means to demonstrating the Kingdom!

Over the next several weeks, I’ll post on the following topics: Jesus as King, Jesus and the Kingdom, the already-and-not-yet of the Kingdom, Kingdom Life, Kingdom Leadership, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the intersection of Kingdom / Church / and Mission.

So, let’s get OUT OF THE BOX and INTO THE KINGDOM!

Until next time, chew on this quote from NT Wright:

“It is clear that Jesus as Kingdom Bringer has been screened out of the church’s dogmatic tradition.  Again and again, from the 3^rd or 4^th century onwards, the church managed to talk about Jesus while forgetting the thing that the Gospels kept on saying, the He was inaugurating God’s Kingdom.” – Wheaton Theology Conference – 2010.

We live in an instant gratification culture!  Yet, so much of what God does, He does over time.  Consider the following…

1.  Jesus spoke about life change in terms of producing fruit ~ Fruit isn’t produced over night.  It takes seasons, storms and time for fruit to grow and ripen.

Everyone loves stories of immediate life change.  We even speak about how many “lives were changed” as a result of our ministry events.  But the fact is, only time will tell. The fruit of our ministry will take time to ripen.  If you’ve been in your leadership position for at least three years, then all around you is your fruit!

Only artificial fruit can be mass produced and manufactured.  God’s fruit will happen slowly over time.  Like it or not!

2.  Jesus spoke about Kingdom advancement in farming terms ~ Farmers are in no hurry.  There’s one trait that marks every farmer – patience.  Farmers do their part (plough, plant and wait), and trust God to do His part (rain and photosynthesis).

One of the greatest problems in ministry is leadership obsession with immediate success, numeric growth, and short term measurements.  Yet Jesus clearly said that God does not advance His Kingdom like that.  The light of the gospel is not a flash in the pan, but more like sunlight that slowly dawns into the full light of day.

As a leader, here are the questions I’m wrestling over…

• What has God called me to produce over the long haul? For me, I want to reproduce disciplers, raise up leaders, and stimulate missional community.
• What seeds should I be sowing today? In order for my leadership to produce the fruit God desires, I must sow seeds of relationships, conversations, vision casting and life coaching.
• What season has God brought? Leadership has its seasons.  Seasons are extended times of God conditioning my growth.  Sometimes God wants me to wait.  Other times He wants to plough up my heart.

As a leader, I cannot let the immediate obscure the ultimate.  What if my personal leadership scorecard reflected God’s ultimate agenda, rather than our culture’s immediate measurements of success?

“So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith” – Galatians 6:9, MSG

Jesus talked a lot about handling money.  When we are handling money, we’re actually handling our life’s legacy.

Check out my recent message about how to spend money in a way that outlasts you.

Everyone Counts: Man’s Best Spend from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

This message is part of our “EveryONE Counts” project at Neighborhood Church of Redding CA.

You do not have a ministry!  Only Jesus does!

It’s not uncommon to hear Christian’s use words like “my ministry” to refer their participation in God’s work.  I appreciate the heart behind those words, but recently I’ve been reflecting on this, and here’s where I’m at…

When people speak of “my” ministry, they’re on slippery ground.  Paul warned the leaders about people who would rise up…

“from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30, ESV).

The goal of ministry is to draw people after Jesus, not after us.  Yes, we are to provide an example for others to follow.  But the focus is Jesus, not our giftedness, our personality, or our take.  Ministry is about Jesus, not about you (or me, or anyone).

Earlier in the very same scene, Paul spoke this way about ministry…

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24, ESV).

1.  Paul spoke of “the” ministry not “my” ministry. Yes, he did speak about “my course” of ministry.  But Paul was painfully aware that ministry was not about him, it was about Jesus.  The ministry is about Jesus and comes from Jesus.

2.  Paul understood that ministry is received. Like a baton that was passed to him, Paul recognized that he was to carry on Jesus’s ministry.  Only Jesus has a ministry!  We get to participate through our own unique personality and gifts.  But the ministry is not ours, never will be ours, and cannot bear our name.

So what’s the point?

- Ministry is a privilege, and we need to speak about it that way.

- We do not (and cannot) have a ministry, only Jesus does!

- We have no right to turn Jesus’s ministry into “our” ministry.

- Jesus is the point, the focus, and the Star of the show (not me, or you).

- Only ministry that is done with Jesus as the goal will last (read it here)!

Discipleship has been divorced from community.

Like children growing up in a divorced home: what’s normal TO us, is exactly what God intends FOR us.

Check out my recent talk about becoming what God intended.

Share this message with anyone who might be interested in doing God’s business!

To become better equipped for God’s redemption business…

1.  Get familiar with Lesslie Newbigin.  Download and read this free book of His missional leadership devotions – here

2.  Read Newbigin’s writings: A Walk Through the Bible, The Open Secret, then The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

3.  Let Newbigin’s macroscopic view of God and His mission free you from the theological reductions.

Sola Missio Dei,

Jim Botts

Check out this message and tell me your thoughts on how different generations can “come to the table” and become God’s generation.

Our Generation: Generation X (Generational Theft) from Neighborhood Church of Redding on Vimeo.

What makes for a horrible leader?

Most people are admittedly not experts on great leadership.  But I believe that most people are experts on horrible leadership–because most people have lived under it first hand.

So, in order to grow into a better leader, I recently asked a bunch of Facebook friends and Twitter followers to fill in the blank regarding horrible leadership.

Fill in the blank: Horrible leaders_____________!

…are indecisive

…judge

…lead horribly

…are oxymoronic

…abound (they’re everywhere)

…assume

…say they will do something and don’t

…lack clear vision and purpose

…take more than they give

…demand more than they risk

…blame others for their failings

..project their dysfunction throughout the organization

…find themselves leading no one

Ouch!  I found myself guilty of several of these infractions.  This list compels me to re-evaluate a few things in my approach to leadership.

How about you?