Resurgence Summary

If dont have time to listen to all the audio from Resurgence, you can read through some good notes/summary of the resurgence conference here.

Preaching on Suffering

This weekend I preached a sermon on suffering (we will be podcasting soon). Not the most popular topic but one we can all relate to, eventually. The sermon was based on some research and writing I’ve been doing on Luke-Acts. In this message, I reflected on the numerous conceptual and verbal parallels between the suffering stories of Jesus and Paul.

My aim in this message was to develop a practical theology of suffering, not to deal with theodicy (the problem of evil). However, as with most of my messages, I am trying to keep the non-Christian perspective in view. What is it like for them to suffer? Well, there is a lot of overlap as well as some significant differences between how Christians and non-Christians should suffer. My main two questions were: 1) Should all faithful Christians suffer? 2) If yes, how can we suffer with purpose?

These were my closing comments:

The gospel offers us purpose in our suffering in two main ways: purpose that is redemptive and purpose that hope-giving. Suffering is redemptive for people who hope in Jesus. Purposeful suffering comes through Jesus by redeeming our pain and our sin. Through his life and death Jesus suffered and died in a way that no man will ever suffer and die again. Not only was he rejected, scorned and crucified, but he was also separated from his father’s love as he bore the weight of sin and evil in his death. As a result, Jesus can redeem your suffering by comforting you in your loss and pain. He is the “great high priest who can empathize with our every weakness.” He offers consolation, comfort, and acceptance in the midst of loss, pain, and rejection. He redeems our pain. Jesus gives your suffering purpose because he redeems it. He also redeems our sin, our escapism, our self-reliance, our bitterness, our pride by dying the death we should have died as a substitute sacrifice for our rebellion against a just God. Jesus offers us purpose in suffering by redeeming our pain and our sin. But that’s not all…

Jesus gives our suffering purpose through his resurrection. In the resurrection of Jesus we have the hope of no more suffering. Once and for all, he conquered death for all those who hope in him. In Acts 14:23, just after his stoning, Paul tells us: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” The kingdom of God is not escape from this world, an entrance into Nirvana, nothingness, but the renewal of all creation, bodies, culture and creation. The grand program of God is a new creation, and all who persevere through suffering by treasuring Christ, will inherit the world in which there will be no more sorrow and no more tears. Those who look to Jesus have hope in suffering, hope of final deliverance from all suffering and inheritance of a new creation. Our suffering is purposeful in Jesus’ redemption and resurrection, which makes him the center and source of all meaning. Ultimately, our suffering magnifies Jesus, in his death and in his life, as the King of the greatest kingdom to ever exist.

Of the three books on suffering that I read, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands was most helpful. In fact, chapter 8 from that book is worth a whole post. Remember, this sermon was not dealing with theodicy, but developing a practical theology of suffering. I read chapters from these three:

• Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer (Tripp)
• God of Promise in the Life of Faith (Hafemann)
• The Reason for God (Keller)

What Sets Fast-growing Churchplants Apart?

Dave Devries has some great material on missional planting over at Missonal Challenge. Check out his most recent post on “Should We Focus on Fast-Growing Churchplants?” He offers a good critique of Stephen Gray’s Planting Fast-growing Churches.

7 Obstacles to Missional (Deb Hirsch, wife of Alan)

Deb Hirsch, wife of missiologist Alan Hirsch, recently gave a talk on Seven Obstacles to Engaging in Mission at an Organic Church conference.

Criteria for Assessing your Churchplant Launch date

In an effort to not jump the Spirit or wisdom, we have developed a page of essential criteria that must be met prior to our launch date. We refuse to be numbers or date driven in determing our launch date, but are also committed to adequately preparing for our potential launch on March 23rd.

Books and Articles on Church(planting)

I have added and updated my Books and Articles links on church and church planting.

Barna on Diveristy of Church Expressions

For decades, American Christians, who comprise more than four of our every five adults, assumed they had one legitimate way to practice their faith: through involvement in a conventional church. But new research shows that this mind set is no longer prevalent in the U.S. The latest Barna study shows that a majority of adults now believe that there are various biblically legitimate alternatives to participation in a conventional church.

Each of six alternatives was deemed by a most adults to be “a complete and biblically valid way for someone who does NOT participate in the services or activities of a conventional church to experience and express their faith in God.” Those alternatives include engaging in faith activities at home, with one’s family (considered acceptable by 89% of adults); being active in a house church (75%); watching a religious television program (69%); listening to a religious radio broadcast (68%); attending a special ministry event, such as a concert or community service activity (68%); and participating in a marketplace ministry (54%).

Smaller proportions of the public consider other alternatives to be complete and biblically valid ways of experiencing and expressing their faith in God. Those include interacting with a faith-oriented website (45%) and participating in live events via the Internet (42%).

Read the whole thing.

Learning from Europe

Stetzer hosted a post by Larry McCrary, church planter of Europe and the States. McCrary’s reflections on the three major “cultural streams” that pose challenges and opportunities for the gospel in Europe may indeed be a harbinger of things to come in the U.S. These three challenges are:

1. Institutionalism: “What makes this stream interesting is that, while it is decreasing in size and influence, the veneer of the institutional church still has an impact on the culture.”
2. Secularism: “The worldview of most indigenous Europeans is post Christian/secular.”
3. Islam : “The increase in the number of Muslims moving to Western Europe makes an impact on the cultural and religious climate. Believers have a great opportunity for ministry among Muslims…”

Next Wave

The newest wave of Next Wave is out. I have an article on Community, which you may have already read on this blog. If not, peruse it or even if you have, you can vote on it here.

Missional Discipleship (new article)

Boundless has published my new article, “Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commissions.” From the conclusion of the article:

We’re called not to mere soul-winning, but to distinctive discipleship: heralding a worldly gospel of a fleshly Christ who humbly accommodates human culture and understands the human condition.

Link to the book by Andrew Walls who coined the term distinctive discipleship.