Sell The Problem, Not The Solution

William Bridges, in his most helpful title, Managing Transitions, offers the sagacious wisdom - - "Sell The Problem, Not The Solution". There is a persistent mad scramble to "fix" the problem. Bridges states the obvious, but almost always ignored wisdom, essential to Transformation. There are no quick fixes. There is 'death in that pot' my brothers. The declension from passionate orthodoxy did not come upon us quickly and it will not be extricated by the application of simplistic "outside in" programs, a new method. If there is not an ethos and pathos, an emotitonal conviction that there is a problem, NO SOLUTION WILL EVER BE EMBRACED!!

When IgniteUS was founded, our Purpose was and is singular, clear and urgent. We seek the power of the Spirit of God to bring Transformation to the church in America. The need for this is obvious even to a casual observer. The decline in the institutional church is precipitous, accelerating and dramatic. So, churches will readily accept the need to change with a sense of urgency, right? WRONG!!

There is a pervasive numbness among men charged with leadership responsibilities. Notice I did not grant them the noble title "Leaders". Leadership is about effectivenss not titles. They are 'at ease in Zion'. They are much like the Scribes & Pharisees. There is most certainly a problem, but, not with us! The sense of urgency that the church in America is on the fast track to spiritual disaster is absent. Facts alone will never change values. We present data ad naseum, by volume. It has little or no impact. Their eyes glaze. They look at their watches and wonder - - 'when will this be over?'

So, we are giving humble and passionate effort to "Sell The Problem". The Problem is real, immediate and urgent. When you read this, fall to your knees and cry out to the Living God. Implore Him to awaken the church. Plead with Him to come upon us.

Transformation is an "inside out" process over time. It requires Transparency and Vulnerability. It requires repentance and humility that comes through brokeness. It begins with Leadership. It ripples out through the Leaders and makes its way through the body person by person.

So Pastor, have you "Sold the Problem"? We exist to equip and walk with you through that difficult but ever so glorious process. Where can we go Lord. You have the words of life. Bring Your Power and Grace to the church. We wait upon You with hope and anticipation.

"Mother May I?"

When I was a child we played a game called "Mother May I". The trick was to execute certain commands always prefaced by the statement "Mother May I". If you failed to make that request in conjunction with the action, you were disqualified.

What does that have to do with Leadership in the local church? Much indeed.

Leadership is about change, not managing 'status quo'. Exhibit A could well be the current melt down among the Big Three US Auto Makers. They have clung to an antiquated business model that is now sinking their collective ship. They were not unaware of the issues. They were unwilling to find the courage and apply the wisdom to change that model before we arrived at this "Mother May I" groveling routine being played out on the Hill.

Status Quo is always the preferred 'modus operandi' by the majority. This requires little change and a minimum of sacrifice, at least for a time. This same mentality permeates the church. Boards, made up of people who generally recognize the cost of change, hold the assembly to 'status quo'. They offer reasons ad naseum for doing so. If those reasons are examined under the light of Scripture and an accurate and hermeneutically sound exegesis of the text, there is usually not a shred of legitimacy in their appeal.

This is where the game of 'Mother May I' begins. Rather than gathering the biblical rationale through careful exegesis and setting that before the body, Pastors engage the MMI mantra. They come with a timid and often ill-crafted proposal as to why change must take place. Their initial appeal is rejected. They retreat to their study and cry out to God about "how lonely it is at the top"! How sad.

I am not suggesting a high handed ruthlessness that would be correctly labeled 'lording it over' their people. I am stating without hesitation that Shepherds must develop and implement ministry structures that consitently result in the Transformation of the people of God into the fulness of the Image of Christ. That is Leadership. Anything less is managing status quo. This process begins with a careful and objective assessment of current reality. It requires courage and tenacity in the implementation of the changes necessary and revealed through that assessment. That is the easy portion. The real challenge is keeping the focus on our purpose - - MAKE DISCIPLES. This is a process that requires wisdom, courage and time - lots and lots of time. It is as Churck Swindoll said, Three Steps Forward & Two Steps Back.

Once this process is operative, we must measure our effectiveness. This is best accomplished in a '360' mode. Get feed back from all angles. Listen. Evaluate. Modify. Press on.

So Pastor, are you operating in the "Mother May I" mode or are you a Leader? It really does matter. I invite your response. Also, celebrate the Incarnation with the enthusiasm and passion it rightly deserves.

In Grace,
Tom

Remnant Theology

God has always had a remnant. My favorite biblical and historical portrait of this principle is found in Jeremiah 35. This is the account of the Recabites. God wanted a metaphor for fidelity with perseverance. He pointed Jeremiah to the Recabite family. His instructions were to invite them to a side room in the house of the LORD and serve them wine. He did and they didn't! WHY??

"We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.'

Read the chapter. Then re-read the closing paragraph. This is where I get Remnant Theology. The Recabites obeyed a seemingly innocuous command for several hundred years. They became the metaphor for fidelity to Jehovah. Their reward?

"Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me." Quite a heritage. '

Could it be that we ought to pray for this kind of zeal and joyful fidelity to God's Truth in our day? I have three adult children and thirteen grandchildren. They all give evidence of honoring the LORD. Could there be a more precious or treasured heritage than that?

Be a Recabite!

In Grace,
Tom

Expository Preaching

I recently faced a stunning reality - I am now the "other generation". Let me explain.

I had invested an entire afternoon reading, studying and writing on the topic of Expository Preaching. I enjoy a very significant library. The material I examined relfected the perspective that I know as foundational to this discipline. This includes knowing the original languages, diagramming the text, doing word studies, and consulting lexicons and commentaries as well as praying for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. In short, immersing myself in the message so that when people hear me speak it is "Truth through personality" (Phillips Brooks). They have no doubt that the message is God's and I am merely giving voice to Truth. They see me live it and what I declare is matched by the way I live (cf. 1 Cor. 4:16-17).

That evening I read an article in a popular "Christian" journal. The focus of the article was upon a gathering identified as a church plant. The "message" was impromptou drama, made up on the spot. There was no mention of Scripture. There was no mention of sin, confession, repentance, grace, forgiveness, justification or any of the other terms associated with the vicarious suffering of the Messiah, the Son of the True and Living God who propitiated our sin. There was no connection with history. There was no text and no proclamation of the Truth sealed in the text of Scripture with the blood of the prophets and the saints who died declaring the timeless message. There was no clear gospel. In the words of the hymn writer - - There is A Redeemer, Jesus God's own Son! Tell the listener this in clear and compelling terms using terms that God chose to shape this message.

I prayed that night with a particular passion. I asked God to cause me to speak with grace and kindness. I ask God to make me (and IgniteUS) a relentless champion of preaching that brings clarity, light and Applied Theology to the lives of those who hear. The objective is the transformation of redeemed sinners into the fulness of the image of Christ (Col. 1:28). Time marches on. Truth does not change. Every great movement of God thorughout church history has been charaterized by - - not drama, not programmatic extravaganza, not slef-help seminars, but Expository Preaching. Sound exegesis opens the meaning of the text and humble, passionate proclamation seals it to the lives of those listening. They are Transformed and God is glorified. May it ever be so.

This is your invitation to immerse yourself in mastering the message God has given us. Then, as Jeremiah found this message burning within his bones, declare it with compassion, weeping and great expectations as to how God will honor His word. YOU may be the spark that God uses to bring renewal to Expository Preaching in your commuinity. That my friend transcends all generations, past, present and future! I am as the 'flower that fades', my time will end, but Truth is the same through all generations. Give it voice thorugh proclamation.

First Things First

In 1994 Stephen Covey's title First Things First was published. His focus was getting the big rocks in the jar first, correctly ordering life's priorities.

What is the top "First Thing" priority for a Pastor? As an Image-bearer, we must love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We must love our neighbor as ourselves. As a husband, we must love our wives as Christ loves the church. As a father, we must lead and guide our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

As a Pastor I want to suggest that the "Fisrt Thing" we must do is accurately interpret the Word of God. As Pastors we are Ambassadors, residents of another country given the sacred task of delivering the message of our Lord. We are not free to add to or detract from what God has given us in the text of Scripture. This means that we must interpret the text with precision and deliver the message to God's people with passion, compassion and in a manner that results in Applied Theology. God uses our labors to Transform his people.

Transformation is our goal. Not eloquence. Not profundity. Certainly not entertainment or placating the listener. We speak for God and our "First Thing" must be accuracy in the content of the messages we deliver. Preaching has fallen on hard times in post-modern America. Any number of issues serve as the ultimate authority in churches other than the Word of God (Tradition, A Constitution, By-Laws, Robert's Rules of Order,etc.)

Let me offer a paradigm for what should provide ultimacy in all things in the church of Jesus Christ. We embrace the Sufficiency of Scripture as a statement of faith. This must also be true in practice. Orthdoxy & Orthopraxy are inserpable postulates. Jesus said, blessed are you if you do these things, not merely have knowledge of them and offer intellectual assent.

The Word of God, correctly exegeted/interpreted and proclaimed by the man of
God under the enabling grace and power of the Spirit of God to the people of
God. They surrender unconditionally to God's message and are Transformed
by his Grace for their good and God's glory.

Here are the options we have in coming to the text under this premise.
Your interpretation is correct and mine is in error.
My interpretation is correct and yours is in error.
Both of us are incorrect.
But, both cannot be correct and claim that we have accurately interpreted the text.
This is our challenge. How do we resolve this issue? Do we attack the exegete, or, do we submit ourselves in humility to the rigors of serious exegesis? Do we level our bombastic aresenal at 'the enemy' and fire away? Do we claim 'tradition'? Do we champion the denominational or party line? This issue has serious and eternal consequences. Apply this to some of the challenging ethical and cultural challenges of our times. Difficult as they may be, we are responsible to offer a response that is shaped by exegetical and hermeneutical accuracy. What does the text say? Consider James 3:1!

The Holy Spirit had one and only one intended meaning when the human authors wrote what we now possess as God's Word. Our's is to surrender to this message rightly understood and communicate that message with grace and power. No capitulation to culture or any other source of opposition.

Are we in another Babylonian Captivity?

This question is always on my mind. Has God taken His hand off of the evangelical church in America? Is there, as some claim, a sweeping revival coming? What objective credible evidence may be presented to substantiate this expectation? Not just 'Cable TV hype' , but genuine evidence of God's presence and power among us. A honest researcher will be hard pressed to offer much of substance.

The following criteria represent a partial list of the spiritual dynamics that please our God. In light of this he MAY be disposed to once again "establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:17). That was Moses' prayer, probably near the end of His life. We would all do well to pray this with passion on a daily basis.

Confession of Sin - Personal & Corporate; agreeing with God. The text uses the word 'homologeo', viewing our thoughts, words and deeds exactly as God does (1John 1:9).
Repentance of Sin - Turning around; a distinct change of conduct, ceasing to sin and pursuing our life in Chirst, the expression of righteousness found only in Him.
Wholeheartedness - This would bring incredible transformation to the church in broad and sweeping terms (2 Chron. 15:10-15; Eph. 6:7).
Life in Community - Every true believer living in obedience to all of the one another commands of the NT. The world would take note of this and the church would be immersed in the presence and power of our God.

Psalm 137 records the agony of soul expressed by the Israelites who endured the 70 years of Babylon. They could not sing the songs of Zion while in a foreign land. Their captivity was geographical and national. The captivity of the church in the West is no less real. How can we sing the songs of triumph and genuine effectiveness while we languish in cultural captivity and spiritual impotence?

Until God in His Sovereign grace chooses to free us, IgniteUS pursues a remnant. That remnant is made up of those few leaders who seek His face. God has always had a remnant. He always will. He delights in showing Himself mighty by bringing victory out of what appears to be insurmountable odds against His people. (Judges 7).

Are you that leader?

An Outside Voice

Why do most attempts at genuine Transformation in the church fail? Lack of effort - No. Lack of desire - No. Lack of energy expended - No. Lack of authenticity - No.

They fail because the message is not delivered by an Outside Voice. In the OT this individual wore the mantle of Prophet. He came from a perspective that was not beholden to the system. He spoke for God and was undeterred by the usual arguments designed to preserve 'status quo'. He was in the system but in a very real way not 'of the system'. He was truly an Outside Voice. His message was exactly what was needed even though it was clearly not popular and most assuredly not well received (Acts 7:51-52).

He was God's spokesman. His message was from God. This is confirmed in the NT - -

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2Peter 1:19-21).

There are no Prophets today who are the equivalent of the OT Prophet. Having offered that caveat, let me provide some observations concerning the message of the OT Prophet and the message necessary to bring genuine Reformation to the church in America today.

The Prophet's message was supported in every facet by the Word of the LORD.
The Prophet's message was primarily Theological not Methodological.
The Prophet did not attend an episodic event, a conference at which he received a notebook.
The Prophet did not call for a 'vote of confidence' to 'approve' his message.
The Prophet was spiritually and emotionally immersed in the lives of those to whom he spoke. They were his people and he loved them as did the LORD for whom he spoke. His message was not just a 'process to be checked off'. It was not the most recent popular fad to sweep across Israel. It was the very substance of God's prescription for blessing His people. Jeremiah said the message was a virtual 'fire in his bones' (Jer. 20:9).
The Prophet spoke with persistence and weeping that covered decades. There are no quick fixes.

Pastor, lay leader, does your church need that "Outside Voice?" Are you being that man like the prophet of old? Do you need help? IgniteUS is here to help you.

Leadership and Reformation

History is punctuated with incidents of dark days, tough times and uncompromising courageous leaders. We will briefly examine several of them. Their courage and effectiveness will establish two principles; (1) God always has a remnant faithful to Him, and, (2) God always accomplishes His purposes through leaders who live and serve to honor Him. Do you meet this profile? Are you a leader who is capable of bringing Reformation?

Gideon faced his struggle in dark times with 32,000 men. Too many God said. 22,000 departed, 10,000 remained. Too many God said. Take them down to the water. 300 lapped like a dog. Now I will deliver Israel (Judges 7).

Hezekiah faced the incessant taunts and bellicose threats of Sennacherib. He was given the option of making a bargain. He chose rather to pray and trust His God (2 Kings 19:15). 185,000 Assyrian soldiers "woke up dead" (2 Kings 19:35)!

Asa served when Israel had been a long time without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law (2 Chron. 15:3). He heard the voice of the prophet and 'took courage'. He removed the detestable idols and God gave them rest on every side (2 Chron. 15:15).

"When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith" (Abraham Kuyper, Dutch Theologian and Prime Minister, 1837 - 1920).

Does the church in America need Reformation? 2% are growing numerically by conversion growth. 14% are growing numerically by transfer growth ( sheep (sic) swapping). That means that 84 % are ????? Further, how many churches/ministries even make any attempt to measure Transformation (Rom. 12:2)? This is the principle focus of ministry = make disciples fully formed in the image of Christ!

What qualities are required to lead in this fashion? I will mention three that are essential.

Courage - the capacity to trust God unconditionally and serve with Kingdom priorities.
Compassion - truly love God's people as He does and lead as He would. Lead not lord.
Perseverance - stay on course regardless of the odds (Gideon), the threats (Hezekiah) or the apparent impossibility of the task (Asa).

Pastor, do you see the urgent need for reformation? What would you share with your fellow servants as we fight the good fight?

Integrity in Communications

The Psalmists asks in Psalm 15 - - Who may dwell in your sanctuary? . . . who keeps his oath even when it hurts (v.4).

This is not an article that seeks to conform everyone to a single communicaiton profile. This is an article calling people who are leaders at various levels in the body of Christ to honor Him. Let me elaborate for just a moment.

If your Voice Mail message tells the caller that you will call them back and you do not, you have just lied. You are not obligated to return calls unless - - you tell the caller you will. If you tell the caller you will, then you must or you bring shame to the LORD you claim to serve. Further, most callers are not served in any meaningful way by a return call 9 days later! Another stinker is your secretary asking if she can transfer the call to your Vocie Mail. The caller then hears a message that says - - 'Sorry, this message box is full'. How many months has it been since this task was completed? Further, what does this say about you as a Leader?

Leadership is largely a matter of trust. Failure to honor communication protocol is a violation of trust and thus a significant detriment to your ability to lead. If your Voice Mail message tells the caller you will return their call then do it. Do it within 3 hours. If you do not intend to respond to emails in any timely manner, send those who serve with you a message telling them that you simply do not correspond via email. What you cannot do is keep people hanging. They don't know if you received their message. They don't know if you did receive it but are not willing to respond for whatever reason. They don't know if you died!

Bottom line is this. Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes'. Have a communication protocol that honors Christ and abide by the parameters you used to shape that profile. If you do not return calls, put that on your Voice Mail message. At least the caller knows what to expect. Ministry will be much more satisfying if everyone has and applies good ethics in the realm of communicaitons.

Preaching that Transforms

Preaching has fallen on hard times. Attend a service in the current church culture in America and you may encounter Drama, Dance, Mime, Choreographed productions, Videos and the list goes on. There is a high probability that what you will NOT find is Preaching That Transforms.

There are those who would celebrate this condition. They would claim that preaching is an anachronistic endeavor no longer applicable or appropriate for the church of the 21st century. There are those who would claim to be "preaching", but what they are engaged in is a discussion about the Bible, but not the proclamation of the Truth claims of the text. My focus in this brief article is to champion the glorious art of preaching that God has used over the centuries to Transform His people - - preach the word (2 Tim. 4:2). To accomplish this end I offer the following definitions to guide our thinking.

•Preaching is "the communication of Truth through personality" (Phillips Brooks). Brooks described the ministry as "the noblest and most glorious calling to which a man can give himself."

•Transformation - is the objective and observable positive change in the life of a disciple into the character and likeness of Jesus Christ.

•Disciple - is a Believer who is becoming more like Christ. Their Transformation is consistent, objective and measurable. Transformation comes from the study of the Scriptures, applying the precepts and principles in daily living, and imitating the life of a disciple as modeled by mature believers. There is a deliberate and intentional effort to obey all that Christ has commanded (Matt. 28:19-20).

To accomplish transformation and make disciples fully formed in the image of Christ the following four (4) factors are essential to preach with an effectiveness that transforms.

Authority - the Bible must be recognized as the Word of God. It is His Special Revelation of His person and purpose in securing a people for Himself out of every tribe and tongue and nation. Christ actually accomplished redemption for sinners. He came to save. It is Truth Absolute.

History - The unfolding events recorded in the text are the Drama of Redemption. Every artifact unearthed by the archeologist confirms the accuracy and reliability of the text. Yes Virginia, there really is a Xerxes! The Bible is reliable history.

Exegesis - Words and their relationships give meaning to language. God chose to communicate with words. The Masoretic text of the OT and the Koine' Greek of the NT are dead languages, the meaning of words does not change. When we exercise the discipline to understand with accuracy what the text is saying, we know with certainty what God designed for our good and His glory.

Application - The preacher must guide the listener into an understanding of the historical context revealed in the text. He then must make proper and legitimate application of that revelation to life in the 21st century. Technology is exploding the parameters of scientific understanding. Cultures differ across geographic landscapes. However, the revelation of our God to mankind is binding upon all people for all time. It is the joyful privilege of the exegete to unfold the text and its application to life today. We lead God's people to obey all that Jesus has commanded and to find His Grace abundant and infinite.

"It is an enormous privilege to be called to preach in the contemporary world, to be a biblical expositor! For one then stands in the pulpit, with God's Word in his hands, God's Spirit in his heart, God's people before his eyes, waiting expectantly for God's voice to be heard and obeyed." (John Stott, Christian Preaching in the Contemporary World).

So pastor, what is your transformation quotient? God is our judge, but are you striving to communicate the Truth, the revelation of God that will bring about transformation in the flock entrusted to you?

Evangelical Manifesto

The Evangelical Manifesto - WOW! Where there is smoke there is FIRE! What have you read and what are your thoughts on this document labeled a "Manifesto"?

Tell us what you think. How does this topic, or the topic on transformation effect your ministry? What would you share with fellow leaders in the Church?

What kind of faith do you have?

Jesus asked a probing and straight forward question. When He comes again, will he find this kind of faith on the earth? What kind? The kind that always prays and never acts badly in difficult circumstances. The kind that does not become weary, or tired of doing the work of the kingdom. The kind that holds out successfully. The kind that does not give up, does not become discouraged and does not lose heart!

So pastor, the question to you on this May morning is this -'What kind of faith do you have'? Peter, writing in the midst of some profoundly difficult circumstances, tells us that we have been birthed into a 'living hope'. The application is this pastor. God will use YOU as His instrument to bring Transformation to the ministry in which you serve. Are you willing to surrender and do what is required to see Transformation birthed where you serve, or, are you SKEPTICAL?

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things 'above all that we ask or think --Andrew Murray

"To the man who prays habitually (not only when he feels like it-that is one of the snares of religion-but also when he does not feel like it) Christ is sure to make Himself real." --James Stewart

How would you rate your "Persistent Prayer" quotient on a scale of 0 -- 10?

Are you a hearer and a doer?

Well Pastor, do you hear and do what the Scripture says, or, are you a hearer only?

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matt. 7:24, ESV).

Jesus speaks with profound clarity. The one who hears and does builds a house that survives the ravages of the storm. By implication, if you merely hear, the house you build will be reduced to rubble by those same storms. There is a very important parallel in this account for local church ministry and for those who profess to be Leaders. The 'house' in this analogy represents the lives of God's people. Jesus has immense concern for these people. He has given Leaders the resources necessary to produce Transformation which is clearly the goal (Col. 1:28).

If you merely know about Transformation, but do not offer and implement the ministry structures and venues that God uses to produce the image of Christ in the lives of His people, you are forming sand castles rather than fortresses. You are focused on those things that matter least. You are producing disciples who are shallow, impotent and subject to every influence the culture throws at them (Eph. 4:11-16).

So what has been your experience? What would you share with other pastors about glorious victories or even lessons learned as you make this journey?

What is the role of preaching in the church today?

What is the role of preaching in the church today?

Book Review of Pagan Christianity by Barna and Viola

The Positive Factors

The authors have pulled back the curtain on a number of sacred cows; Sunday School (pp. 212-213), the Altar Call (pp.64-68), the Decision Card, Jesus as Personal Savior, the Goal of Preaching is Soul Winning, all in Chapter 3, pp. 47-84. The documentation they offer and most of the rationale is solid. Many of these 'cows' should have been slain long ago. Bill Easum wrote a book titiled Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers. Barna & Viola had a super barbecue in this chapter alone! There is no question that these issues came to be regarded in the evangelical community as though they had support in the text of Scripture. They do not and most of them have proven extremely detrimental to the progress of the gospel and the kingdom for many years. Further, any pastor who did not promote and support these practices was considered a heretic at best. The authors did a credible service to the church by bringing these things to light with documented support. They show with clarity that these issues are primarily appendages, barnacles that attached themselves to the fabric and life of the church.

The Negative Factors

In most instances they prove too much. For example, we should not have church buildings. Is there far too much invested in the establisment and preservation of facilities? Yes. Does that prove that we should not have a campus, a building? No. the facility where I pastor is utilized actively on average 70+ hours per week. Most people are not in their private homes 70 hours per week. Does this then prove we should not have homes? I think not. Jesus did not drive a car. Therefore, neither should we? In many cases they built a 'straw man' and then torched him. Exciting, but not great scholarship or logic.

Summary

When the reader finishes this book he will say, WOW! In Chapter Four (4) the authors write with an utter disdain for preaching. I have heard some that deserves this assessment. However, that is not true of the process and practice of same. Their claim is that it does not produces change in the listener and that it is merely passive. In Acts 2:42 we read that the listeners 'attached themselves to ' the teaching of the Apostles (προσκαρτεροῦντες). Preaching is largely monologic as practiced today. However, in the first century the church met every day (Acts 2:46). Are we to believe that they never discussed, dialogued about the content of the message? Absurd. In many churches the Sunday Sermon becomes the focal point of discussion in Small Groups. Without the content of the message delivered on Sunday this sharing and exchange is robbed of substance. Do a word search on preach or preaching and discover what the text says about preaching. I suggest we follow the text. Further, the authors do not deal with the ultimate design of 'the church'. That is found in Rom 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; and Col. 1:28 - Transformation. I would agree that IF the ONLY venue a person engages each week is a monologue sermon, they will very likely not be transfromed. Having said that, the failure to be transformed is not the fault of the sermon, but, the failure of the person to live "life in community" as God designed for His people. Church is not a one hour per week gig in an auditorium looking at the back of the head of the person in front of you. It matters not whether they are seated in a pew, on a chair or on the floor! The transformation of the body requires specific venues, all designed to provide a strategic component in the Transformation process - - Worship (this includes Preaching), Fellowship (Instruction & Sharing) and Intimacy & Accountability (Small Groups).

Old Picnic Tables & Persevering Grace

Sunny, warm, blue skies and 68 degrees. All signs of the not to distant Spring. In SC we call this Winter!! I worked in our yard today. One of my tasks was the final dismanteling and discarding of an old picnic table (28+ years old).

This piece of outdoor furniture had been well preserved. Each season I sanded the surface and applied copious doses of polyurathane to protect it from the elements. We paid $79 for this table and benches in 1980. Our 3 children enjoyed many burgers and much laughter gathered around this stalwart of summer fun. We moved three (3) times in those 28 years. Each time it was re-assembled and faithfully did it's summer duty with loved ones gathered around it's oft re-furburished surface.

While the reliable functionality of this table had long since passed, it was still a considerable effort to reduce it to pieces small enough for the "politcally correct" trash haulers to cart away. It resisted with gusto. It did not yield to the "final passage" qucikly or simply. There remained a teancity to fulfill the purpose for which it was created.

As I strained to reduce it to the status of "just trash" it ocurred to me that this is parallel to God's abundant GRACE in our lives. In Regeneration, He has acted to 'make the most of us'. Each morning His mercies are abundant and new. His grace is sufficient. His cleansing and forgiveness are ours through confession and repentance of sin. He daily "re-finishes" us and keeps us in service. What a GREAT God we serve.

The best news - - at the end of our days, we will not be discarded. We will be made "COMPLETELY NEW". And, as David said, "We will be satisfied when we awake with His likeness" (Psalm 17:15).