Missional: Attacking the Static (PART 1)

Part 1 :::::: "A TRUE BACK-TO-THE-BIBLE MOVEMENT"

The title of this blog is the point of this blog- the body of Christ (the Church) is called to be missional which is the natural outward impulse of God's chosen- the Church (otherwise known as the body of Christ or simply Christians). The natural impulse of understanding of who God is, what God has done, and what He is doing enabled the Church as well as each and every Christian to attack the static. The static being the lack of energy, passion, and movement seen in the 1st century Church largely due to a failure of Biblical theology and a reality of Jesus Christ.

The good news as noted by Gabe Lyons in his book, The Next Christians, is that "there is a movement among Christians......asking these same questions and offering meaningful answers. They want to be a force for restoration in a broken world even as we proclaim the Christian gospel. They want the label Christian to mean something good, intelligent, authentic, true, and beautiful". Gabe Lyons, as well as many other authors and leaders (Mark Batterson, Alan Hirsch, among many others) see what is on the horizon for Christianity whether we call it a reformation, revival, or an emergence! Gabe Lyons even quoted the late Billy Graham, who noticed the same things- Graham is noted as saying "Back when we did these big crusades in football stadiums and arenas, the Holy Spirit was really moving- and people were coming to Christ as we preached the Word of God, but today, I sense something different is happening. I see evidence that the Holy Spirit is working in a new way. He's moving through people where they work and through one-on-one relationships to accomplish great things. They are demonstrating God's love to those around them, not just with words, but in deed".

If one is to look through history at all the movements that changed the face of Christianity it was always a "back-to-the-Bible-movement", because that's where the solution lies. And that is where the solution to the "missional crisis" is at today in the Church and in the theological application in the lives of Believers. The lack of knowledge always creates either an apathetic spirit or a false passion based on assumptions and presuppositions (in Scripture this is called "zeal without knowledge"). Therefore, the missional movement will be based upon a zeal empowered by knowledge that is revealed through the Word of God- a true back to the Bible movement.

The local church I pastor, The Fellowship C.H.U.R.C.H., offers practical conversational theology that allows the true zeal of missional living to become practical and realized in our lives. We pride ourselves on the fact that as we seek to understand God more and more (grow in the knowledge of God) that we are becoming the true expression of Christianity, and I always say that if Christianity was to become illegal in Fort Myers, they will come for The Fellowship C.H.U.R.C.H. first!

"If passion is eliminated, faith no longer exists"- Soren Kierkegaard
Gabe Lyons made another great point (actually quite a few I will quote throughout this blog) when he spoke about "the problem with half stories" and he called it a "truncated gospel". I would definitely imagine that Gabe Lyons and I have some disagreements on the full extend of the good news brought by Christ but he makes great strides speaking on how the popular notions of the gospel only dwell on the fall and redemption, but ignore the implications of creation and restoration, and ultimately consummation. The lack of a cohesive message destroys the good news, and for many the failure to be intellectually honest with the story has caused this missional crisis which in essence is a full failure in regards to the message of Jesus Christ.

The popular song "Jesus is coming, people get ready" illustrates this point well. As a Christian who takes Jesus Christ at every word He spoke to the disciples, I recognize the fulfillment of everything he said. Jesus was not talking some far off message- He was directly speaking to the people in front of Him, who understood what the good news was- the kingdom of God. (I will not expound on the full truth and understanding espoused through Full Preterist theology but I advise the reader- read my blogs and read more Scripture in context!). The fact of the matter is- we are now living in the reality of the kingdom of God, Satan and his minions are a defeated foe (although we still suffer from the effects of evil), and therefore Revelation chapter 22: 1-5 is where we are at. WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE TREE OF LIFE (WHICH IS FOR THE HEALING OF ALL NATIONS), WE ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND GOD REIGNS! WE ARE NOT WAITING FOR ANYTHING! STOP WAITING!!!!

That's the point of being missional- we must stop waiting. Proper theology is needed to enable the body of Christ to a zeal empowered by knowledge. We have the healing of the nations- the gospel which restores everything to the original intent in the image (idea and concept) of God!

"The next generation of Christians believe that Christ's death and Resurrection were not only meant to save people from something. He wanted to save Christians to something. God longs to restore His image in them, and let them loose, freeing them to pursue His original dreams for the entire world". -Gabe Lyons

As I take a step back and look at the body of Christ (THE CHURCH), specifically here in North America I see a missional crisis due to static. Yet, possessing a zeal empowered by knowledge I feel and see a holy rebellion "based on loving critique of religious institutions modeled by the original apostles and the prophets" on the horizon. In history it was men like Martin Luther who stood up for the Scriptures against tradition, John Wycliffe who did the same, William Tyndale who died to get the Scriptures into even the poorest mans' hands, John Wesley who was committed to "no less than the recovery of the truth, life, and power of earliest Christianity and the expansion of that kind of Christianity", and Dietrich Bonhoeffer who lived out the responsibility of understanding the message. Today, I take the stand- DO YOU?


"There exists in every church something that sooner of later works against the very purpose for which it came into existence. So we must strive very hard, by the grace of God to keep the church focused on the mission that Christ originally gave to it"- C.S. Lewis

It's all about the glory of God and seeing all things restored to His image. We must remember Martin Luther King Jr.'s words "that which we would first change, we must love first".

Primitive Christianity

I just finished reading Mark Batterson’s latest book, Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. To be completely honest, when I first received the book in the mail and read the back and inside panel, a sense of disappointment gripped me. “A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity” is a very deep saying, and a similar quest is going on in various circles as we speak. When I read the brief descriptions, I questioned whether or not Pastor Mark would be able to give “primitive Christianity” its due respect.
As I read on, I realized I was wrong. Mark Batterson was to bring us back to simplicity and remind us of the most important aspects of the faith we claim. As stated by Batterson,
“Many Christians settle for simplicity on the near side of complexity. Their faith is only mind deep. They know what they believe, but they don’t know why they believe what they believe. Their faith is fragile because it has never been tested intellectually or experientially”.
We all know the Great Commandment that which I think we fail to internalize, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength”. How many times have we recited this without thinking it through? Mr. Batterson breaks down the deeper thought of heart, mind, soul, and strength in ways I have never thought of.
As with all his books, Mark describes and explains things so well. Reminds me of a parable being told by Jesus Christ Himself, even if you don’t understand what he says, read further and you will. That’s the faith we can have in Mark Batterson as a writer.
The four elements that Mark described Great Commandment Christianity with, on the inside cover of the book, began to take on new meaning as you read through the book. Sure, you know and can define compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power, but let me say the way Mark Batterson adds personal testimony and descriptive insights of an intelligent mind, give you a sense of a true quest.
If I had to say one thing about how this book showed me a sense of primitive Christianity and the character of the author, Mark Batterson, I would say this;
Mark Batterson is an excellent example of a modern day apostle equipped with experiential stories, vast knowledge told in a parabolic way, and truly a life worth talking about. Without being to “blasphemous”, let me say, this book is a great addition to the Book of Acts!
Go out, get this book for the beginning of 2010. Read it, and let’s “start a coup de compassion the likes of which has not been seen since the first century”.