Defining a "Successful" Church

I was talking with a guy this week about his church.  I hate to admit it, but even as a pastor, I tend to fall into this trap of defining success in the church much as the world defines it and comparing myself to other pastors. 

I couldn't help myself from asking, "So how many people do you have?"  The same question I've been asked many times.  It's a value mark for pastors and for churches.  If your church has more members than another's church, then that means you're more successful, more spiritual, more worthy, than them.  Why else do we ask that question?

Or, if you're like me, the pastor of a microchurch (the hot name for a small church today) who finds out the person you're talking to has more people in his church than you, you can go all spiritual on them.  "Oh, yes, I used to believe a larger church meant more success, but today I have realized that it is important to focus on relationships, and I just cannot have the type of relationship I want with X number of people in my congregation," where X is an imaginary number that is larger than your current congregation size.  For instance, if you have a church of 60 people, then X is 100.  If you have a church of 200 people, then X is 1,000.  Or, if you have a church of 25 people, then X is 50.  You get the idea.

Anyway, I asked this guy about his church -- how many people do you have following you?  "Oh," he says, "I've got a lot that follow me, but there's only twelve that are there every time we gather for worship or teaching."  Twelve.  Could be a new church plant.  Could be a guy focusing on relationship like other microchurch pastors.  Still, I average a little better than that if you count Sunday morning worship along with Bible study, so check one for me.  Still, better find out...  "Been at it long?"  "About three years," he says.  Three years, and you only have 12 people?  Wow.

Time for the next question.  What about your building?  Where do you meet?  You see, that is the other major defining point for success in the religious world today.  Everyone knows you need a building.  And the old adage from the Kevin Costner film, "Field of Dreams," holds true -- "If you build it, they will come."  Build a new church, hang a sign out front, and watch the people come.  It happens.  But then there are those who can't afford a building, so they rent space in a strip mall.  Used to be out of the norm, but now it's acceptable.  Becoming common as the cost of maintenance goes up.  And then you have a few outliers -- those strange meeting places:  doggy day cares, motels, etc.  Makes you wonder...

So, where do you meet, I ask.  Do you have a building or do you rent or what?  "No," he says.  "I just stop where the Father tells me and I preach there.  Usually it's outside, somewhere in nature.  We just find a good spot, I take a seat, and I start to teach."  "That's nice," I say.  "That's weird," I think.  So I try to help.  "You know, if you had a building -- a permanent place -- then maybe more people would come."  "Yes," he says.  "But would they be the right people?"

Interesting.  This guy may be a bit quirky.  Not sure if he's really cut out for the ministry or not.  Probably just another person who was not happy with organized religion.  "So what's your services like?  How many people are you baptizing?"  He replies, "I spend more time just getting to know people and seeing where they are.  They come to me with their sicknesses and I heal them."  [RED FLAG!!!]  "I just tell them about God and try to show them how they should live for Him every day."

Okay, now I see what I've got.  Some guy who has decided to break out of the "church" thing and just promote his own idea of ministry.  He doesn't have a building.   He's only got a handful of people in his church.  He's doing all these healing services and isn't worried about doctrine or teaching the right things.  He acts like he's got these secret powers to heal and a direct line to God.  He's doing this feel-good ministry and "getting close to people."  He thinks church is just about helping people and healing them and showing them how to relate to God.

It's people like this who make a bad name for the rest of us who have been to seminary or Bible school and who know what's right and what should and should not be taught.  He's never going to be accepted by the religious community.  He's always going to be on the fringe.  This guy is certainly not going to be considered successful by modern standards.  Keep an eye out for him and let others know if you see him.  His name is Jesus.

SERMON: TESTED AND APPROVED: COURAGE

25 January 2015

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Acts 20:17-24

Acts 20:17-24 (NIV)

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

            -- what comes to mind when you think of courage? -- American soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy at D-Day as a hail of German bullets buffets their ranks? -- General Stonewall Jackson sitting calmly astride his horse at the first Battle of Bull Run, as shells and bullets were flying all around him? -- William Wallace taking the field of battle at Banockburn with only a handful of Scotsmen against the might of the English Army? -- the image of the lone Chinese student standing in the street and staring down the tanks at Tiananmen Square?

            -- certainly, those are some of the images of courage that come to mind when we hear that word today -- but what about the story of a young monk who was called to stand trial before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire -- Emperor Charles V was surrounded by his advisors and representatives from the church at Rome -- "Spanish troops, decked out in their parade best, surrounded the ruler, while bishops, princes and representatives of the great cities [of Europe] filled the rest of the great hall"

            -- on a table beside the monk sat a pile of books written by the monk -- treatises of theology questioning the faith and practices of the Church at Rome -- the monk was asked two questions:  Had he written these books? -- to which he affirmed he had -- and, secondly, was he willing to recant of what he had written or suffer the pronouncement against him by the court of the Holy Roman Emperor?

            -- the monk understood the implication of the question -- "Charles V and the other Roman Catholics present" at the hearing believed the pope to be the spokesman of God on earth -- his word and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church were sacrosanct -- and they "thought the pope should be the final authority in matters of faith and practice" -- to speak against the church at Rome was to speak against the Empire -- and to speak against the church and the Empire was a death sentence

            -- in the silence of the question, "Will you recant?", the monk stood still and then "the young man turned to his accusers and asked for more time" -- they gave him one day to make, what was for him, a life or death decision

            -- the next day the court reconvened and the young monk stood again before the arrayed power of the Empire and the Church of Rome -- the question hung in the room -- "Will you recant?"

            -- to recant meant to affirm the pope and the Church of Rome were the sole dictators of the faith and practice of Christianity in the western world -- but the young monk, a man by the name of Martin Luther, did not believe that -- he believed Scripture should be the final authority in matters of faith and practice

            -- so he "answered his accusers: Some of his books, he said, even his opponents agreed contained edifying teaching about the Bible's message -- Naturally, he would not retract these -- Other of his writings attacked "the papacy and papist teaching," yet to retract them would only encourage tyranny, he said

            -- "In some writings, he admitted, he had attacked individuals, perhaps too harshly. Still he couldn't retract these books because these people defended papal tyranny.

            -- "The examiner rebuked the monk for not speaking to the point, and demanded: "You must give a simple, clear, proper answer to the question: Will you recant or not?"

            -- silence once again reverberated through the courtroom -- "Unless I can be instructed with evidence from the Holy Scriptures... I cannot and will not recant."

            -- Knowing he could be arrested or killed for his answer, he concluded, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."¹

            -- as this story shows, courage takes many forms -- while we typically relate courage to field of valor, the true definition of courage is simply doing what is right and just despite the consequences -- standing against adversity despite the odds

            -- it took just as much courage for Martin Luther to stand before the political and religious power of his day and speak out against the tyranny and injustice of the church as it does for a soldier to take the battlefield

            -- courage is a state of the heart -- a virtue demanded by our Lord and Savior -- it comes from a foundation of faith and is built upon the promises of God

II.  Courage

            -- this morning we are continuing our sermon series, "Tested and Approved," looking at the cardinal virtues of Christianity -- the characteristics -- the behaviors -- we need in order to live out our Christian lives in this world

            -- last week, we looked at the virtue of wisdom, which we said was the core virtue that supported all the others -- this week, we are looking at the virtue of courage

            -- the word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means “heart” -- So to have courage simply means to have “heart.” -- "God's idea of strength is to have a heart like a lion" -- that's why men who have heart -- like Richard the Lionhearted, the King of England -- are known as men of courage and virtue

            -- so when we read in the Bible the command to "take heart," it is a call to be lionhearted -- it's a call to have courage

            -- but "the courage to do what? -- the courage to do the right thing when all else tells you not to do it -- the courage to rise above your surroundings and circumstances -- the courage to be God's idea of a real man [or woman] and to give of yourself for others when it costs you to do so and when everything tells you to look out for yourself first"²

 
            -- and while there are many passages and many stories in the Bible of men and women of faith and courage -- stories like Peter walking on the water at Jesus' command -- Gideon facing down the Midianites with only a handful of warriors -- Esther approaching King Xerxes on behalf of her people -- and Daniel in the lion's den -- I was led today to another great man of courage -- the Apostle Paul

            -- this passage in Acts 20 concerns one of the most important and moving moments in the life of the Apostle Paul -- Paul is at the end of his third missionary journey and is making his way to the city of Jerusalem in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit

            -- and while we may not see in this passage the image of courage we usually recognize -- the courage of the battlefield -- the courage of standing in the face of tyranny and injustice -- we do see the courage of faith developed over a lifetime of following Jesus

            -- think about it -- most of us here will never face down an enemy on the field of battle or be called to stand before the court to defend our faith -- we will probably never need the courage of the soldier or of Martin Luther -- but the courage of Paul that we see in this passage is the virtue we should be seeking in our lives -- the courage to stand in our faith against whatever this life may throw our way -- against the daily hardships we all face

            -- as this passage opens, Paul knows his time on earth is short -- the Spirit has told him he would face prison and hardships on this journey -- his very death has been prophesied -- but still he is faithful and turns his face to the end of the journey, pressing on to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus Christ had given him

            -- as his ship stops at the port of Miletus, Paul calls for his friends, the elders from the church of Ephesus, to meet with him there on the shore -- they gather around him, and as they realize this will be the last time they will see him on earth, their tears begin to flow -- they share remembrances of their life together -- they talk about the success of the church and Paul's hope for their future -- he encourages them -- he gives them courage -- to carry on in the face of adversity that will surely come against them -- and then they pray with him as he boards his ship for his last journey to Jerusalem and they say goodbye to their friend and their brother in Christ

III.  Scripture Lesson (Acts 20:17-24)

            -- let's look together again at this passage and see what we can learn about the virtue of courage from this glimpse of the Apostle Paul's life

            -- Acts 20:17

Acts 20:17-21 (NIV)

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.

18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.

19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

            -- as Paul meets with his friends for the very last time and encourages them to stand firm in the future, he reminds them of the example he has given through his own life of faith -- from the very beginning, Paul's courage to persevere in the face of difficulty was evident

            -- Paul had been persecuted by his fellow Jews -- both from within and from outside the church of Christ -- he had stood against the heresies of the Judaizers -- Jewish converts who demanded the Gentiles become Jews if they would seek salvation through Christ -- in the face of their commands on the Gentiles, Paul stood up and said, "No, salvation is by grace through faith alone -- not by works, lest any man should boast" -- Christianity was not Jesus plus Judaism, but Jesus alone

            -- Paul's stand against them is a reminder that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformance -- and sometimes courage is simply the ability to lean into your wisdom and do something different -- to stand against the traditions of religion and what the world says is the right way in order to uphold the true doctrines of faith

            -- Paul had never wavered in his faith when confronted with the schemes and the plots of the Jews against his life, but continued to serve God in the face of floggings and imprisonment and stoning -- through shipwrecks and hardship -- through trials and defeats

            -- we learn from Paul that courage is not necessarily success in all endeavors -- but merely the ability to keep on keeping on -- the will to pick yourself up and keep on doing what you know to be right despite what adversities you face

            -- Paul says he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful -- but that he declared to both the Jews and the Greeks the true gospel of Christ -- courage can be as simple as being obedient to God's word in a Christ-rejecting world

            -- verse 22

Acts 20:22-23 (NIV)

22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.

            -- courage is facing the unknown without fear because you know that God is with you -- Paul didn't know what awaited him in Jerusalem -- others had prophesied this trip would end in his death -- but Paul didn't fear death

            -- he had faced prison and hardships before -- and the Lord had seen through you -- courage was trusting God to do it again

            -- In John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart -- have courage -- I have overcome the world." -- as Bill Gothard wrote, courage is "acting on the knowledge that He who is in me is greater than he who is against me."³

            -- Paul tells us it was the Holy Spirit Himself who compelled him to go on into the unknown at Jerusalem --  Paul could face the future unafraid because he knew God was with him and he knew God was greater than anything and anyone he was going to face

            -- do you know God is with you? -- as Paul underscores in these verses, courage is the fruit of trusting faith -- without God -- without the faith that God is with you -- courage is not possible

            -- verse 24

Acts 20:24 (NIV)

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

            -- courage comes from faith and purpose -- Paul knew why he was here -- he knew why God had called him -- he understood his place in the story of God's grace

            -- and leaning on his purpose and calling -- knowing that God was with him and that God undergirded his every move -- Paul had the courage to go forth and finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus had given him

            -- the Bible tells us that without a vision, the people perish -- without a vision, courage perishes -- do you know why you are here? -- do you know what God has called you to do with your life?

            -- Paul knew that God had called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and he resolutely completed his task -- finding the courage to continue despite the hardships he faced

            -- knowing why God has called us and trusting He has placed us where He wants us is the seed of courage in our lives -- we must know God and know His presence if we want to live out the life He has called us to live in this place

IV.  Developing the Courage of Faith

            -- so how do you develop the courage of faith? -- how do you build this virtue into your life?

            1.  Begin with the small stuff

      -- several years ago, I read a story from a preacher who had just moved to Houston, Texas  -- he was trying to find his way around the area -- and, normally, he would drive his car -- but a few weeks after he got settled into town, he had to go to the downtown area, and rather than drive his car, he decided to take advantage of Houston's mass transit system -- so, he went down to the bus stop near his home and waited for a bus heading downtown

      -- when the bus got there, he climbed on and handed his fare to the driver -- the driver gave him his ticket and the change and the pastor headed to an empty seat -- When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him too much change back

      -- he sat there and tried to decide what to do -- it was only a quarter -- 25 cents -- he thought to himself, the right thing to do would be to give the quarter back -- it would be wrong to keep it -- it wasn't his -- but then he thought, "What does it matter? -- It's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? The bus company already gets too much fare for a trip downtown -- they'll never miss it -- Maybe I should just accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

      -- but, when his stop came and he was making his way off the bus, he conscience got the better of him -- he stopped at the door and handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

      -- The driver grinned and took the quarter -- and then he said, "You're the new preacher in town, aren't you? -- I have been thinking lately about starting back to church and someone suggested I go to your church -- so, I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change."

      -- When the preacher stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, "O God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

             -- to begin developing courage and integrity, begin with the small stuff, for it is the foundation of your life -- don't lie -- don't cheat on your taxes -- don't accept too much change at the register -- don't illegally download music or movies -- your goal as a Christian should be integrity above all

            -- if you can't be trusted in the small things, you can't be trusted at all

            2.  Compassion and Empathy -- Paul says in verse 19 he served the Lord with humility and tears  -- his ministry was paved with compassion and empathy -- but how does that relate to courage, you may ask?

            -- courage is the epitome of selflessness -- courage is the willingness to stand up for others in the face of personal adversity -- if you don't care about someone or something, you will never stand for it -- but if you follow the example of Paul -- if your life is characterized by humility and compassion and empathy for others -- then you will not idly stand by as you see them face injustice and tyranny and evil

            -- this week we took a moment to recognize the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- while he is often the face of the civil rights movement, we cannot forget the men and women who stood with him on the front lines -- men and women who willingly took the same abuse and rejection faced by African-Americans -- men and women who chose to be beaten and imprisoned because of their compassion and empathy -- for their stand against injustice and evil

            -- to know people is to care for them -- and to care for them, you must stand for them and serve them -- strength in the service of others is courageous

            3.  Trust God -- this means living on faith, without fear -- 365 times we are told in the Bible, "Fear not" -- and Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." -- the message of Paul is to live in the courage of faith

            -- trusting in the promises of God gives you the ability to walk into the face of danger or into unknown situations with the knowledge that no matter what happens, God is with you -- the worst thing that can happen to you is that you die, but if you die, you go to be with the Lord -- if you can walk through this life without fear of death -- with no fear for yourself -- then you can be courageous in all you do

V.  CLOSING

            -- as I was studying for this message, I couldn't help but think of the Matt Damon movie, "We Bought a Zoo" -- if you remember this movie, Matt Damon's character, Benjamin Mee, steps out in courage to do something the world thought was crazy -- in order to rebuild his family after the death of his wife, he dared to go against the norm in order to live a life that would bring meaning to them all

            -- there's a great quote in this movie that sums up where we need to begin with this virtue of courage -- Mee's son is struggling with fear and anxiety and is unable to muster up the courage he needs to step out and speak to the girl he loves -- Mee tells him, "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage -- just literally twenty seconds of embarrassing bravery -- and I promise you, something great will come of it"

            -- remember this, the scariest moment is always just before you start -- that is the moment where courage is birthed -- when faith is forged

            -- when we were in Dothan this weekend, we noticed the electronic signs that were all over the place that said, "This year I will..." -- every one of them had to do with courage -- every one of them had to do with standing on the precipice of faith and taking twenty seconds of insane courage and embarrassing bravery to do something different

            -- one sign said, "This year I will finally ask her out" -- another said, "This year I will finish my novel"

            -- what does your sign say? -- what is God calling you to do in this new year? -- what act of courage -- what step of faith -- is He asking you to do that will be the start of something great in your life?

            -- "This year I will... what?"

            -- let us pray

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1 Mark J. Galli, "Adventures In Time Travel: Need Courage? Hope? Inspiration? Take A Trip Through Church History."  Discipleship Journal

2 Eric Metaxes, Seven Men and The Secret of their Greatness

3 Cynthia Heald, "How To Be A Courageous Christian Woman" -- Discipleship Journal - Sept/Oct 1981