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A few thoughts on heart change and the church, and why ministry so often seems weak and ineffective. / 1
The church's call is to make disciples—to be forming people from every culture, language, ethnicity, etc. into the image of Jesus Christ, not as cookie-cutter templates or an artificial identicalism, but as unique image-bearers glorifying God in the way they are designed to. / 2
If I've heard 1 sermon/chapel talk/youth group lesson/Sunday school class/devotional/article on the need for us to do better at disciple-making, I've heard 1,000.
Yet, we still consistently fail to plan for this work in the daily operation of church life and programs. Why? / 3
Yet, we still consistently fail to plan for this work in the daily operation of church life and programs. Why? / 3
I think it's because discipleship is fundamentally a heart issue—by which I mean, you can't rationalize your way into being like Jesus. You can never digest enough content to walk His path. / 4
But church in the Western world is very rational, structured, and academic. All we know how to do is create content.
What does it take to be formed into the likeness and image of Christ?
Three thoughts from scripture: / 5
What does it take to be formed into the likeness and image of Christ?
Three thoughts from scripture: / 5
1) It's God's work, done in us as His love for us overflows from intra-trinitarian love (Rom. 8:28-30).
2) Our formation comes as we gaze on Jesus' glory (2 Cor. 3:18).
3) Our formation is worked out in practice as we live in community like Christ asks us to (Col. 3:5-11). / 6
2) Our formation comes as we gaze on Jesus' glory (2 Cor. 3:18).
3) Our formation is worked out in practice as we live in community like Christ asks us to (Col. 3:5-11). / 6
All of these are not primarily "content-based", but relationship-based modes of formation.
We should know God with our minds (He *tells* us these things in His word. The path to relationship is laid out by reason), but growth happens in an emotional/spiritual sphere. / 7
We should know God with our minds (He *tells* us these things in His word. The path to relationship is laid out by reason), but growth happens in an emotional/spiritual sphere. / 7
So what do we do with that? Here are some potential implications.
1) We need more church, not less. More face-time with the Body of Christ in deeper, more vulnerable relationship.
2) We need more prayer and meditation than visible "religious" activity. / 8
1) We need more church, not less. More face-time with the Body of Christ in deeper, more vulnerable relationship.
2) We need more prayer and meditation than visible "religious" activity. / 8
3) We need consistent time with those with whom we disagree or whose habits, actions, and attitudes challenge our self-conception of the good life so that a) we don't become proud in false righteousness and b) we actually have opportunity to practice difficult neighbor-love. / 9
4) We need to put to death the unhealthy dismissal of counseling/therapy/mental health care/self care that is still pervasive in the church. Learning to see ourselves helps us see others and grow together. /10
5) We need to slow down and learn to listen, and put process over product. "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). God is the one who finishes work and produces fruit. We walk in faithfulness and trust. / 11
There are many more, but this is a start.
Only when we can get "out of our heads a bit" will we begin to see the heart change that leads to behavior change that leads to greater Christ-likeness in the church that spills over into the community to the praise of God's glory. / 12
Only when we can get "out of our heads a bit" will we begin to see the heart change that leads to behavior change that leads to greater Christ-likeness in the church that spills over into the community to the praise of God's glory. / 12
And though content isn't the solution, these three books (that I happened to read back-to-back to back) in May ( @kjramseywrites, @d_l_mayfield, @chuckdegroat) call out our shortcomings in powerful ways, and offer hopeful paths back to faithfulness. / 13
"Just preaching the gospel," getting back to "mission," or other calls to action won't get the church out of its rut of self-focus, political idolatry, and miring sins of physical and spiritual abuse.
We need to be conformed to the image of Christ. / 14
We need to be conformed to the image of Christ. / 14
And this conforming requires us to slow down, stop performative religion, embrace weakness, listen to others, reject partiality, seek God's face, and crucify the idols He reveals to us. / 15
These practices will break us, inside and out. It will feel worse before it feels better.
In the humility of brokenness, though, we find the wholeness of healing that Jesus longs to create in us. / 16(end)
In the humility of brokenness, though, we find the wholeness of healing that Jesus longs to create in us. / 16(end)
