nytxn1971
03-13-2003, 03:47 PM
An article from my friend's pastor...
~~~
The Vision
"Where there is no vision, the people perish,"
(Proverbs 29:18).
The vision of a Home Friendship Group Church is critical to its success. This is true of all churches, but especially so for the Home Friendship Group Church. Before a pastor begins the transition to Home Friendship Groups, he should be completely consumed by the vision of Home Friendship Groups.
While churches meet many needs, moving to a Home Friendship Group based church will force your primary purpose to shift from in-reach to out-reach. While this sounds wonderful on the outset, you will find there are people in your congregation who come to church not to serve, but to be served. While they may agree in concept, when reality hits, they will not like the transition at all. It is only after experiencing serving that one realizes that he is best served when he serves others. Dealing with these difficulties can break down a pastor who is not totally committed to the Home Friendship Group vision.
While I am not attempting to spell out the entire Home Friendship Group vision in this article, it is my desire to show you the journey I took, and how I came to see the vision. I will leave the actual vision casting to those who are more qualified. My hope is that you can see how the vision developed in my eyes, and may benefit from your own journey into the mind of God to see what vision he has in store for you!
The vision takes a complete change in the way we view church. Let me share a letter I wrote to Pastor Rick Langford, my mentor, when God began to show me the vision of Home Friendship Groups.
A Pair Of Dimes
God just showed me something. We are doing it wrong. We are trying to give doctrine before we MINISTER to people. Our Paradigm is wrong (This involves Home Friendship Groups, but much more–it is what we do, not just how we do it. It is more than Apostolic Method (though that is important) It is Apostolic PURPOSE!) Our church image cannot work. I think you said this, but It just hit me. Now I see it from Adam to the New Jerusalem. I’ve worked as hard as I know how, but I’ve done it all wrong. Why did I fail to see this? What else am I failing to see?
The only ones I can find to whom Jesus administered doctrine before he ministered to their needs were the rich young ruler and the Pharisees. Nicodemus? No.
Nicodemus said, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these MIRACLES that thou doest, except God be with him," (John 3:2).
Nicodemus had already experienced the ministry of Jesus, if not directly, then at least he witnessed miracles and had a first hand experience of the MINISTRY of Jesus Christ. And Nicodemus did not ask for doctrine. He merely stated that Jesus had an awesome MINISTRY! Then Jesus gave him Doctrine! We must likewise be sensitive to see when our MINISTRY has been received, and the seeker is ready to receive Doctrine. Nicodemus was ready for the change of his entire concept of church only after he had experienced the MINISTRY of Jesus Christ. But when he was ready, He left neither sad nor angry.
The one who came, ASKED for doctrine and was GIVEN doctrine walked away sad. If even Jesus Christ–God in flesh–did not save the one who RECEIVED Doctrine before Ministry, Who are we to think that we can save anyone by giving them Doctrine before Ministry?
The ones Jesus Christ said were going to Hell, the Pharisees, most likely did just that. Some Pharisees were saved before all was said and done, as Paul is a witness, but most just went to Hell. If Jesus Himself telling them they were going to Hell did not cause them to be saved in one huge mass, who are we to think we can just tell people they are going to Hell, and then expect that to cause them to be saved?
I am not saying Jesus made a mistake in the way He dealt with these people, as he knows the hearts and intents of man. I am saying that He did this to show us something. He showed us how NOT to do it, and I find much of what I have called ministry in my lifetime is patterned exactly after the methods that Jesus showed will not work. We club seekers with the Gospel, and they go away sad. We clobber them with condemnation, and they go away mad. The common answer is, they go away.
Somehow, we have developed the mis-vision that all we must do is tell people they are wrong, or tell them what salvation is, and they will beat down the doors to get what we have told them about. We pump doctrine into a lost world and we are eager to damn them to Hell for rejecting our doctrine. But, if we had instead ministered the POWER of JESUS CHRIST to them, rather than pushing doctrine at them, would the same damned souls have rejected our MINISTRY?
If not, then their blood is on our hands.
Our doctrine is right. Make no bones about that. The Gospel saves, and without it man has no hope. The Gospel is the Power of God Unto Salvation. We must continue to preach Acts 2:38 as the only path to heaven just as fervently as ever. If we ever leave Acts 2:38, we have left everything.
But let us also be aware that Jesus ministered before he administered. He gave (ministered) Himself (His miracles were purchased by faith in the blood which was yet to be shed, but came from the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. His gift was Himself.) before He listed the requirements and administered the way one must live in what was then a New Kingdom..
If we tell the world by our testimony (that which we live) and our words that they are going to Hell, it may be true, but that does not, in and of itself, change anything. Without ministry before judgment, it is simply condemnation, not conviction. We have said for generations that we can just "live the life" before people and that will cause them to be saved. I’m not so sure I believe that anymore. We must do that, no question about it, but we must also do more. We cannot only "live the life" before them, we must MINISTER THE LIFE UNTO THEM. This I see, but I confess–I am not sure I even have a clue about how to MINISTER from the pulpit. I know how to preach a sermon. Lord, teach me to Minister!
100% of what I have done to try to reach the lost is wrong. I have given doctrine, whether wanted or not, without any attempt to help that person find their needs of THIS LIFE met in Jesus Christ. I have told them what is required, and like the rich young ruler, they have gone away sad. I have told them they are wrong and are going to Hell, and like the Pharisees, they have become angry. It is truly a miracle we have seen ANY AT ALL saved. I have administered the letter which kills, and I have failed to minister the Spirit which makes alive. God, forgive me! God, help me! I must not be just a preacher, I must become a MINISTER, and I don’t even know how.
The paradigm that must change is not just the idea of having church from house-to-house instead of in a building. But what must change is:
WHAT IS MY MISSION? (Just to stay saved? To save someone else? No.) Minister the Spirit and Power of God to someone, anyone, EVERYONE! And to most effectively do this, we must minister to the need that is felt by the seeker.
WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH? (Keep the saved safe? Minister to the needs of the saved? No.) Minister to the SEEKER and the SAINT in the power of the Holy Ghost!
HOW CAN I DO THAT? (Tell them they are going to Hell? Tell them what it takes to go to Heaven? No.) GIVE them something I received from God! "Such as I have, give I thee," (Acts 3:6) "For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). He did not so love that he told them they were going to Hell. He did not so love the world that he told them what was required. He GAVE them GOD in FLESH. If we love the lost, we must also give them God in flesh.
I think I am seeing a small piece of a vision that is far greater than I realized. I fear it is greater than I can contain. If we can minister to the felt need of the seeker, they will be converted. How can it be otherwise? But if we try to convert (something we cannot do anyway) and fail to minister, we fail not only to minister, but we fail to convert as well. Simply having church from house-to-house will not cause anyone to be saved. MINISTERING from house-to-house is the New Testament Church! I’m sure you’ve told me that, but somehow it just came to me clearly.
(contuned...)
~~~
The Vision
"Where there is no vision, the people perish,"
(Proverbs 29:18).
The vision of a Home Friendship Group Church is critical to its success. This is true of all churches, but especially so for the Home Friendship Group Church. Before a pastor begins the transition to Home Friendship Groups, he should be completely consumed by the vision of Home Friendship Groups.
While churches meet many needs, moving to a Home Friendship Group based church will force your primary purpose to shift from in-reach to out-reach. While this sounds wonderful on the outset, you will find there are people in your congregation who come to church not to serve, but to be served. While they may agree in concept, when reality hits, they will not like the transition at all. It is only after experiencing serving that one realizes that he is best served when he serves others. Dealing with these difficulties can break down a pastor who is not totally committed to the Home Friendship Group vision.
While I am not attempting to spell out the entire Home Friendship Group vision in this article, it is my desire to show you the journey I took, and how I came to see the vision. I will leave the actual vision casting to those who are more qualified. My hope is that you can see how the vision developed in my eyes, and may benefit from your own journey into the mind of God to see what vision he has in store for you!
The vision takes a complete change in the way we view church. Let me share a letter I wrote to Pastor Rick Langford, my mentor, when God began to show me the vision of Home Friendship Groups.
A Pair Of Dimes
God just showed me something. We are doing it wrong. We are trying to give doctrine before we MINISTER to people. Our Paradigm is wrong (This involves Home Friendship Groups, but much more–it is what we do, not just how we do it. It is more than Apostolic Method (though that is important) It is Apostolic PURPOSE!) Our church image cannot work. I think you said this, but It just hit me. Now I see it from Adam to the New Jerusalem. I’ve worked as hard as I know how, but I’ve done it all wrong. Why did I fail to see this? What else am I failing to see?
The only ones I can find to whom Jesus administered doctrine before he ministered to their needs were the rich young ruler and the Pharisees. Nicodemus? No.
Nicodemus said, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these MIRACLES that thou doest, except God be with him," (John 3:2).
Nicodemus had already experienced the ministry of Jesus, if not directly, then at least he witnessed miracles and had a first hand experience of the MINISTRY of Jesus Christ. And Nicodemus did not ask for doctrine. He merely stated that Jesus had an awesome MINISTRY! Then Jesus gave him Doctrine! We must likewise be sensitive to see when our MINISTRY has been received, and the seeker is ready to receive Doctrine. Nicodemus was ready for the change of his entire concept of church only after he had experienced the MINISTRY of Jesus Christ. But when he was ready, He left neither sad nor angry.
The one who came, ASKED for doctrine and was GIVEN doctrine walked away sad. If even Jesus Christ–God in flesh–did not save the one who RECEIVED Doctrine before Ministry, Who are we to think that we can save anyone by giving them Doctrine before Ministry?
The ones Jesus Christ said were going to Hell, the Pharisees, most likely did just that. Some Pharisees were saved before all was said and done, as Paul is a witness, but most just went to Hell. If Jesus Himself telling them they were going to Hell did not cause them to be saved in one huge mass, who are we to think we can just tell people they are going to Hell, and then expect that to cause them to be saved?
I am not saying Jesus made a mistake in the way He dealt with these people, as he knows the hearts and intents of man. I am saying that He did this to show us something. He showed us how NOT to do it, and I find much of what I have called ministry in my lifetime is patterned exactly after the methods that Jesus showed will not work. We club seekers with the Gospel, and they go away sad. We clobber them with condemnation, and they go away mad. The common answer is, they go away.
Somehow, we have developed the mis-vision that all we must do is tell people they are wrong, or tell them what salvation is, and they will beat down the doors to get what we have told them about. We pump doctrine into a lost world and we are eager to damn them to Hell for rejecting our doctrine. But, if we had instead ministered the POWER of JESUS CHRIST to them, rather than pushing doctrine at them, would the same damned souls have rejected our MINISTRY?
If not, then their blood is on our hands.
Our doctrine is right. Make no bones about that. The Gospel saves, and without it man has no hope. The Gospel is the Power of God Unto Salvation. We must continue to preach Acts 2:38 as the only path to heaven just as fervently as ever. If we ever leave Acts 2:38, we have left everything.
But let us also be aware that Jesus ministered before he administered. He gave (ministered) Himself (His miracles were purchased by faith in the blood which was yet to be shed, but came from the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. His gift was Himself.) before He listed the requirements and administered the way one must live in what was then a New Kingdom..
If we tell the world by our testimony (that which we live) and our words that they are going to Hell, it may be true, but that does not, in and of itself, change anything. Without ministry before judgment, it is simply condemnation, not conviction. We have said for generations that we can just "live the life" before people and that will cause them to be saved. I’m not so sure I believe that anymore. We must do that, no question about it, but we must also do more. We cannot only "live the life" before them, we must MINISTER THE LIFE UNTO THEM. This I see, but I confess–I am not sure I even have a clue about how to MINISTER from the pulpit. I know how to preach a sermon. Lord, teach me to Minister!
100% of what I have done to try to reach the lost is wrong. I have given doctrine, whether wanted or not, without any attempt to help that person find their needs of THIS LIFE met in Jesus Christ. I have told them what is required, and like the rich young ruler, they have gone away sad. I have told them they are wrong and are going to Hell, and like the Pharisees, they have become angry. It is truly a miracle we have seen ANY AT ALL saved. I have administered the letter which kills, and I have failed to minister the Spirit which makes alive. God, forgive me! God, help me! I must not be just a preacher, I must become a MINISTER, and I don’t even know how.
The paradigm that must change is not just the idea of having church from house-to-house instead of in a building. But what must change is:
WHAT IS MY MISSION? (Just to stay saved? To save someone else? No.) Minister the Spirit and Power of God to someone, anyone, EVERYONE! And to most effectively do this, we must minister to the need that is felt by the seeker.
WHAT IS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH? (Keep the saved safe? Minister to the needs of the saved? No.) Minister to the SEEKER and the SAINT in the power of the Holy Ghost!
HOW CAN I DO THAT? (Tell them they are going to Hell? Tell them what it takes to go to Heaven? No.) GIVE them something I received from God! "Such as I have, give I thee," (Acts 3:6) "For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). He did not so love that he told them they were going to Hell. He did not so love the world that he told them what was required. He GAVE them GOD in FLESH. If we love the lost, we must also give them God in flesh.
I think I am seeing a small piece of a vision that is far greater than I realized. I fear it is greater than I can contain. If we can minister to the felt need of the seeker, they will be converted. How can it be otherwise? But if we try to convert (something we cannot do anyway) and fail to minister, we fail not only to minister, but we fail to convert as well. Simply having church from house-to-house will not cause anyone to be saved. MINISTERING from house-to-house is the New Testament Church! I’m sure you’ve told me that, but somehow it just came to me clearly.
(contuned...)