Is it an insult to be called a Jar of Clay? It’s not the worst thing I’ve been called by a long way, but last week I had the pleasure of speaking three times on the same passage; 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul described himself that way. The deeper I dug into the passage, the more instructive and inspiring I found it in a world where sometimes we feel all too frail and inadequate and others are only too glad to affirm that picture.

Opponents – in the church –  were saying Paul was unimpressive and ugly, a rubbish speaker, manipulative, a deceiver, a false teacher, money grabbing (anyone would think he was trying to do ministry in the 21st century! If you want to see vociferous nastiness like this just google Rick Warren’s name – look what bloggers galore write about him, and the guy’s amazing!).

What was Paul’s response?

Well it wasn’t like mine. I’d step right up to defend myself on every point. I’ve done it before for sure, perhaps because we are taught to defend our image and self esteem at all costs. Now Paul does declare that he has nothing to hide, because integrity matters – but then he also shows that he’s got nothing to prove either. How?

They said, “You’re rubbish!” And we’d want to affirm our self worth etc. but Paul says the most surprising thing…

‘You’re right.’

You’re absolutely right.

‘…we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ 

Remember Paul described himself as being the ‘chief of sinners.’ He said at the start of this passage he only had any ministry at all because of the MERCY of God.

The God who puts his treasure not in the best china, but disposable containers.

The greek word he’s using for ‘earthen vessels’  (ostrakinos) denotes not a decorative item but a pot used for dishonourable things, the slop buckets, containers you wouldn’t let the guest see what was in it. The wheely bin.

Cheap, common, breakable, replaceable. Not essential but essentially valueless. The only value they had was the service they performed. Again, this may not build your self esteem!

Paul says, “We have this treasure in a waste basket, in a slop bucket.” In other words, ‘It’s not about me.’

Whole talks I’ve heard about this passage and blogs I read around it etc talk about being ‘cracked pots.’ There’s a problem with that.  It’s not in the text. It doesn’t say anything about the pots being cracked. I wonder whether we want to add that in because we want to make it about US again. The point is not about your cracks. Don’t make it about that.

The point is, the container is NOT the point. It’s what’s inside that matters.

We’re made to contain God! To be containers of God! In Ephesians it says God wants to put his FULLNESS in us. We’re made in his image to carry his glory! This sets us apart from everything else in the whole of creation! We’re meant to carry and contain GOD IN US. That’s why it’s accurate to describe anybody  living without God as living an EMPTY life. Don’t let them fool you. Jung said the world’s suffering “a neurosis of emptiness.” Whatever a person tries to eat, drink, sleep with, sniff, buy or sell to temporarily feel full, will never last or satisfy. They’re empty of what they were made to contain and sometimes some people feel that. Like hollow men and women, dressing up outward shells of busyness – inside resounds echoing emptiness.

Many of us have found that if you ask Jesus, he will give you life to the FULL (John 10:10). You will become a container for God’s glory.  Jars of clay don’t have to be pretty. They’re the most ordinary containers. But there’s something different about them. What? They don’t have TRASH in them but treasure!

That’s how it is with us Christ followers. We’re nothing special filled by Someone Awesome! We have HIM in us who is ‘the hope of glory.’ People may look at us and say, ‘Nothing special…’ But if they take a closer look maybe we can show them what we contain, because we’re containers for God. We’re made in His image to carry his glory! We shine His light! We are valuable – as containers. The treasure inside is priceless!

That’s why the Bible says the Lord didn’t choose many mighty or noble or wise people… (anyone else qualify ?). But it says He chose the lowly and weak, the humble, the despised, the ordinary.

So  they said to Paul…”Give up! Stop trying to make a difference! You’re RUBBISH! You’re weak, ugly and unimpressive, you’re a rubbish preacher, too ordinary, not clever, you didn’t go to the right schools to learn the rhetoric, you’re too old…”

He said, “I know, I know, I’ve gone to pot.” (groan!)

But there’s treasure in the pot.

And when Jesus came looking for containers of his glory and messengers for his message he didn’t chose the brightest, the bestest and the beautifullest!

He bypassed people who thought  they were wisest and wonderfullest; the kings and religious experts, powerful politicians and everyone who was so impressed with themselves. He called peasants, prostitutes and fishermen, tax collectors and so on – clay pots – who knew they were empty – to be filled with him and go for him and do what he wanted to do and what he would do if he was there, because where they went, HE IS!

‘God has a university. It’s a small school. Few enroll, even fewer graduate. Very few indeed.God has this school because he does not have broken men. Instead He has several types of men. He has men who claim to be God’s authority…and aren’t; men who claim to be broken…and aren’t. And men who are God’s authority, but who are mad and unbroken. And he has regretfully, a spectroscopic mixture of everything in between. All of these He has in abundance; but broken men, hardly at all.

In God’s sacred school of submission and brokenness, why are there so few students? Because all who are in this school must suffer pain. And as you might guess, it is often the unbroken ruler (whom God sovereignly picks) who metes out the pain. David was once a student in this school, and Saul was God’s chosen way to crush David.

GENE EDWARDS, ‘A Tale of Three Kings.’

I followed a link from somewhere (maybe I heard Andy Stanley reference it?) and ended up downloading this amazing little book to my Kindle. It seems to be well known in the USA but perhaps less so here? It’s a gem. I read a lot of books this year but this one and Andrew Murray’s Absolute Surrender seem to have been the ones God really picked out for me.

If you’re a leader, or a follower – it’s a must read. If you’ve ever been hurt by people in church, especially by leaders, (people like me), read this – and pray for us, and do it better than us.

Written as a cautionary tale, the narrative style keeps on fooling one into recognising a bad guy- then seeing that it’s not him, or her, maybe it’s you!

The character studies of the ‘Three Kings’ are…

1) King David – the anointed and broken. He learned as the forgotten shepherd boy that he didn’t have to be top dog. God ‘went door to door in Israel’ looking for someone like that, who He could use, because he could trust him. But there was more breaking that needed to be done to him. He had to learn true submission. This took place through…

2) King Saul – the anointed unbroken. Gifted, charismatic, a ‘born leader.’ But he threw spears at people. As I read this I naturally thought of this leader and that I’d worked with. Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of how many times I’ve tried to pin people to the wall! ‘Kings claim the right to throw spears…‘ We do so to protect ourselves/ our position/ the truth as we see it etc. Problem? It turns you into a mad king. One can be simultaneously anointed and a mad king!

David had the opportunity to learn humility and brokenness in the school of pain under that mad king. How? By not throwing the spears back.

If you throw spears back, you’ll prove…”You are courageous. You stand for the right…You will not stand for injustice or unfair treatment. You are tough and can’t be pushed around. You are defender of the faith, keeper of the flame, detector of all heresy…all these attributes combine to prove that you are also a candidate for kingship… the Lord’s anointed. After the order of King Saul.”

But if you choose to be like David you’ll learn to dodge the spears instead. He stuck it out as long as he could; not moving on till God moved him on. If he’d not done this, he would have ended up as King Saul II! But in doing so ‘God cut king Saul out of HIS heart.’

And notice when David did leave, he didn’t try to take anyone with him. He didn’t split the kingdom. He left alone.

I think of two good friends who have confided in me similar stories of taking a ministry he took on, only to find the predecessor who invited them to the post, then refused to leave – until he had lined his own nest and badmouthed the new ‘incumbent.’ What do you do? They didn’t pick up spears, they didn’t defend themselves, and as a result they did not become Sauls but Davids, men I’m privileged to call friends. They will look back at those painful times and see that they were in ‘God’s small school’ – and did not fail the test. Now they’re prepared for greater things in the Kingdom.

The difficulty is you can’t judge whether anyone else is a Saul or a David. You can just decide for yourself, “I shall not practice the ways that cause kings to grow mad. I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart.I will not avenge. I will not destroy the Lord’s anointed.”

Making that choice makes you a vessel God can use.

3) King Absalom. 

So much to chew over in this particular character deserves a post all of its own – I’ll get back to you!

http://www.new-wine.org/events/mens-daysIron Sharpens Iron

IRON SHARPENS IRON

Life’s up and down, and often gets very hard – and we men retreat too often. Testosterone gives us ‘fight or flight’ but we run too much too soon, rather than go through the muck and mud.

Romans 5:3 says ‘We glory in our sufferings’ why – because of what it produces! If we didn’t go through this we’ll be spoilt brats who sulk when something goes wrong. 9 out of 12 apostles were killed. William Carey saw his wife die. Peter preaches and sees 3000 saved, Stephen says, ‘I’ll have a crack at that.’ And gets 3000 bricks on his head. This helps us understand why so many men are down and depressed. The measure of a man is how you hold up in those times.

When you gave your life to Jesus, you got a target on your back. Carl had a medium once say to him Christians GLOW. Those who know who they are in Christ glow more strongly!

Paul the apostle was known in hell. (The sons of Scheva weren’t).

You are known in hell, too.

But what are you known for!?

Picture of a bullfight. The bullfighter stacks everything in his favour. He has helpers who put spears into its neck, so its losing blood. And all it can do is look at the ground. That’s how our enemy works. To get us men looking down. Men with spears in them.

But the Holy Spirit keeps saying, ‘Look at me! Look up!’

The enemy wants to take you out.

You might be just clinging on. Feeling a fraud.

God says, ‘Lift up your eyes.’

1 Kings 18. Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

vs 22ff

Victory!!

But then look at the next chapter and he’s running from this woman Jezebel, fearful and suicidal.

Fight – or flight!

1 Sam 17.

David and Goliath.

What’s the difference? He focuses on God. Fight!

But he had a wandering eye. He’s a passionate man. And passionate men have a flip side.  2 Sam 11. He can’t keep his trousers on.

Samson was a chancer. Strong alright, but he had a flip side. Your testosterone will take you places you don’t want to go. So how do we stay on the narrow way? How do we not fall?

Or when we do, get up again – because we have resurrection DNA .

This is not about solo Rambo Christians. We run alongside others, and if we do – we’ll get there in the end. We need relationships that are vulnerable and to pick each other up on things and pick us up when we fall.

The more you press into enemy territory, the more pressure we’ll face. We need to be like the army, the SAS, to get close to the enemy so you can be effective – you go into ‘hard routine.’ The enemy is overrunning the church because we refuse hard routine, and instead we sulk when we get a little knock.

The Lord can extract the spears from your neck. So you can lift up your head!

When you became a Christian you weren’t called to come to church but to BE the church.
Success is not a big building for us to gather in, but when we impact the world. The real action is on the pitch, but the 15 minute break with the manager is important

Ephesians 2:10
We
- not me. Corporate promises! Not solo flight Christianity.

Are God’s masterpiece
We wow God!! He smiles over you

Created in Christ

To do good works

Prepared in advance for us to do

If I don’t do mine, the world misses out. Go to the grave having done them,

This verse doesn’t sit alone. We need its context.
It starts with the worst news ever. Very bad news.
As for you, you were dead, following the devil, an object of wrath!

That’s harsh. But without Christ, we are sinners. Dead men walking. All of us, the best of us. Thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Dark hearts. Messing the world up: and God is angry about that. Everything that spoils the world. Righteous anger. You think God doesn’t get angry at what makes us angry? When you read about Vincent Tabak, or human trafficking etc.

But
Because of his great love… Jesus!! Grace!! Good news!! Made alive!! The punishment taken for us! I’m glad I’m a Christian! Get passionate about that
Because passionate people change the world.

Darkness came on the earth for three hours as he took the fall. Our fall
Our substitute
The divine But in your life.
Not saved by good works
But by that good work
For good works!

If you don’t want to impact the world for good, you’re not really a Christian! You have to work out what those works are, you’ve been appointed for some good works.

The gospel works!
You are called to something! Discover it.

1) invest in relationships
And
2) invite people to church, to Alpha etc

Invest and invite = Impact!!

That’s how the early church grew exponentially.

CALLED to be Generous 

2 Cor 9:7-15

You should each give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.

 8 And God is able to shower all kinds of blessings on you. In all things and at all times you will have everything you need. You will do more and more good works. 9 It is written,
“They have spread their gifts around to poor people.
Their good works continue forever.” —(Psalm 112:9)

 10 God supplies seed to the planter. He supplies bread for food. God will also supply and increase the amount of your seed. He will increase the results of your good works. 11 You will be made rich in every way. Then you can always give freely. We will take your many gifts to the people who need them. And they will give thanks to God.

 12 Your gifts meet the needs of God’s people. And that’s not all. Your gifts also cause many people to thank God.

 13 You have shown yourselves to be worthy by what you have given. So people will praise God because you obey him. That proves that you really believe the good news about Christ. They will also praise God because you share freely with them and with everyone else. 14 Their hearts will be filled with longing for you when they pray for you. God has given you grace that is better than anything.

 15 Let us give thanks to God for his gift. It is so great that no one can tell how wonderful it really is!

Paul’s challenging the Corinthians to help people who are in need, that they’ll not personally benefit from. To help the suffering church. The Macedonian church had already stepped up (and they were SKINT), so should they.

Generosity is a matter of the heart, not of the head.

The head looks at the economic situation, and says, ‘What if?’

A cheerful, trusting heart says, ‘Why not?’

God sees the reason of the heart.

Generosity is second nature

Have you had that new nature yet?

Not to let your left hand know what your right hand’s doing.

Giving makes you cheerful.

It comes from knowing where it all comes from. GOD is our generous provider. Seed and Bread. Enough for you and to share. (vs 7 & 8)

We think about what we’ve not got.

Rather than that we have so much!

Luke 12:48

Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much. what we have got.

God will give you everything you need.

Anything on top of that – is to be generous with.

We get dependent on our pay cheque, rather than him. Who do you look to?

When you go shopping, ask – ‘Do I really need this, or have I already got it – in a different colour.’

Step back from consumerism – and ask, pray – ‘Do I really need to spend this – on myself? Could this go elsewhere?’

We live in a world of poor extremes – there are more obese people in the world now than starving.

A man is not determined by what he earns, or what he owns.

When we surround ourselves by stuff, we don’t see the need or the people around us. God’s given us what we need, focus on the need around us.

What lasts forever?

Only people.

People are the most precious thing on this planet.

There won’t be an updated and improved version of you – God made you unique and precious as we are.

People are the only investment that lasts for eternity. Be generous with sharing your time, treasure, your words – your faith.

God is calling us into a deeper place of ministry with the poor and vulnerable at this church, in our city. So much is already being done. We’re going to be a CAP centre. 33% of those CAP are in contact with have considered suicide. We get to practically share the love of Jesus. That glorifies God! (vs 11). They see HIS heart, in your heart.

Generosity enables more people to be reached, touched, loved, connected to HIM.

Vs 13 says if you really get the gospel, you’ll get this.

Martin Luther, ‘The last place to be converted is our wallet.’ What you spend on, shows who or what you really worship.

Vs 15 celebrates the greatest gift – Jesus on the cross. It’s really true you can’t outgive THAT! God is outrageously generous.

Once you understand John 3:16, you see God is a giver not a taker. Grab hold of the gospel and it will grab you. Giving becomes second nature, because you have that new nature. Remind yourself of what God has done for us, for free, in Jesus. Give yourself first to him – and let him transform you. Let him add to you, a harvest of righteousness!

Here’s my notes from hearing Andy speak yesterday:

Andy is a comic, and a Christian, and a communicator. He said he wasn’t a preacher, but he was preaching – so I guess that makes you a preacher?

He kept being funny too, couldn’t help himself. I thought he was very funny. But you had to be there so I’ve not put the jokes in.

APOLOGETICS

Means to give a defence – based on idea that Christian worldview makes sense. 1 Peter tells us how to do it.

Some people think Christian faith is nonsense from the start, that’s their default. Others are trying to make sense of it but have issues (often the same ones) with suffering, science, harm caused by religion in history etc. Apologetics can help, but not convert.

People say, ‘There’s no proof for God.’

But they mean evidence. Evidence is not proof. They are right that there’s no proof for God. Like you can’t prove love. You can put forward a good case for it, but can’t prove it. And I don’t refuse to marry based on my limited knowledge of that probability.

Anyway, God’s primary aim is not that we acknowledge he exists, but that we engage with him in relationship.

You can put forward a good case for atheism – but that doesn’t disprove God.

Science is about process – how things happen

The Bible is about purpose- why things happen

We don’t need to defend religion – Jesus never set himself up as starting a religion! Religion doesn’t have to be a force for good, we argue for Christ and his resurrection.

Moral argument – we all know the holocaust was wrong, there are some things we all agree are objectively not right. Where did that rightness and wrongness come from? If it’s just about biology and naturalism – where do you root morality? It’s totally subjective, home made rules that suit you now where you are – open to review at any point.

Christian faith rides or falls based on the resurrection.

New Testament scholars (who may or may not even be believers) agree there are 4 facts to deal with:

1) Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea

2) Women were the first witnesses (which strengthens the historicity)

3) multiple appearances post resurrection

4) Despite every apparent reason not to believe anymore after the cross; something happened to change them so that the church started. something they were willing to die rather than renounce.

Christians aren’t perfect. We aren’t saying we are right, we aren’t even good or perfect.

But Christianity confirms & affirms what really matters about the things that really matter.

About love, beauty, hope, purpose

It speaks to all these areas.

Let’s affirm what science can and can’t do.

Side note:

At one point in the talk Andy was challenged from someone sitting in the congregation. He’d said that he didn’t believe it was necessary to believe Adam and Eve were real people and the literal Creation account rather than evolution and still be a Christian. The challenger took issue with this and there was a little back and forth on it. It’s the kind of question you could endlessly bat around and some people delight in doing so unprofitably – nobody really wants to change their minds just air their views.

Unfortunately this could be the only thing many people who went there end up remembering and talking about, rather than the rest of the talk which in my opinion was excellent, well prepared and graciously given.  That’s why I think good manners should dictate one doesn’t interrupt a preacher (especially a guest) if one disagrees with them, unless they set it up as a discussion.

Go to his website for more details of Chick – http://www.anvilding.com

Colossians 3:12f You are God’s chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don’t be proud. Be gentle and patient. Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you. And over all of those good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one. Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. As parts of one body, you were appointed to live in peace. And be thankful. 

Let Christ’s word live in you like a rich treasure. Teach and correct each other wisely. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing with thanks in your hearts to God. Do everything you say or do in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always give thanks to God the Father through Christ.

Wives, follow the lead of your husbands. That’s what the Lord wants you to do.

Husbands, love your wives. Don’t be mean to them.

Children, obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.

 21 Fathers, don’t make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.

 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord.

 23 Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters. 24 Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are serving the Lord Christ.

2 Principles;  

1. Jesus is Lord over ALL things.

Even to slaves, with the worst possible circumstances – do it as unto the Lord.

What got people into trouble in C1st? Not saying, ‘Jesus is God.’ That was just one belief along the millions.

What got them in trouble was them saying, ‘Jesus is LORD.’

More even than god.

You could believe anything was god.

But Caesar was LORD.

And they were (as instructed) – good citizens.

But they knew; Jesus is Lord. So if there was a clash between Jesus and the government, or in any area, it was a no brainer. There was no, ‘no go area.’

It’s the same for us.

We accept that we live in a multi-cultural society, we don’t force our faith but we demand our right to voice and live it.

Cites the example of Ruth Kelly. Said her faith was private. No, it’s personal – but affects all areas.

One day, Jesus’ Lordship will be exerted everywhere.

2. We are the missional people of God.

Chris Wright, ‘The whole Bible renders us the story of God’s mission….Mission is not just one thing the Bible talks about – It is what it’s all about.’

GK Chesterton, ‘The Sun rises every morning because God says, ‘get up and do it again.’

But we want to be the centre. That knocks everything out of kilter. Distorts and twists it. God chose a holy people to be a light to the world. That’s the OT. And again and again they fail. The NT? Christ comes, and because of his work the Spirit is poured out on us – the missional people of God. Called to share in his mission of transforming the whole creation. Because the day will come, the consummation of all things.

So we are meant to bring that future kingdom present, now.

That means -

1) We need to affirm the importance of people’s every day lives. We’ve heard it said, ‘the church needs to get out there.’

The good news?

The church IS out there.

The challenging news?

It’s US! Me and you.

There are 168 hrs a week. Take out 48 hrs to sleep. For most people, the most time they can be involved in church type activities = 10 hrs. All the other hours… what happens with them?

Three questions;

Where do you spend the bulk of your time? (Easy to answer)

What might God be doing there? (Harder to answer – but we have to get better at asking it).

What’s God up to, where you usually are? If he’s not up to much, maybe Dawkins is right, or maybe he’s only interested in church stuff, or the devils’ stronger than him…

None of those are the correct answer! God’s definitely up to something! He’s doing all kinds of things all the time, and we are so busy we miss a lot of it. Even lots of good church stuff. Let’s affirm all the great stuff the church is doing, sometimes they are the only caring agency left in some places. But the bulk of mission will not be done by our programs but by our people.

If I touch someone, I leave a trace – DNA.

So what am I going to do?

1. There’s a vital relationship between the gathered the church and scattered church. If we have ten hrs to form someone in church for all the other hours, that AFFIRMS how important those hours are. But we’re not just about recruiting people for programs, we’re releasing them for ministry.

Yes we need to get people in the band, but we need to affirm and equip in the land.

3) We need to affirm the importance of discipleship making. 

Imagine the government said, ‘This church can only do 3 things now’ what would they be? Most Pastors say,

1. The church Sunday experience.
2. Midweek prayer/ Bible study
3. Youth/ Kids work.

OK – Please sum up the purpose of those activities.

Hardly anyone says, ‘To make disciples.’

The word Christian hardly ever appears in the Bible. Twice possibly as an insult!

The word disciple occurs 250 times. It means someone who hears the call to follow Jesus and lays down their lives to follow him.

We have all heard of churches that have a great TEACHING ministry.

But never of a church having a great LEARNING ministry.

Ordinary people becoming more like Jesus.

A Pastor can’t do that for hundreds. We ALL have to be discipled and discipling. To create encounters intentionally where that happens. What the world needs to see is people who are more like Jesus.

Illustration he used:

One afternoon in the spring of 1928, 26-year old Louis Armstrong was strolling through his South Side Chicago neighborhood with a young admirer, tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman, when they came upon a group of street musicians. They were playing “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue,” a tune written by Armstrong’s wife, Lil, and recently recorded by Armstrong’s Hot Five, and the trumpet player was laboring his way through Armstrong’s own solo, note for note.

When the man finished, Freeman remembered, Armstrong clapped politely, then stepped closer, not wanting to embarrass him, and murmured, “Man, you’re playing that too slow.”

“How would you know?” asked the trumpet player, indignant.

“I’m Louis Armstrong. That’s my chorus you’re playing.”

When he and Freeman passed by the next day, the musicians had put out a hand-lettered sign next to their tin cup: “PUPILS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG“.

Maybe we need to pull down the signs that say, ‘Methodist’ or ‘Evangelical’ and just be known as PUPILS OF JESUS CHRIST.

Prophetic word from Chick – too long and too good for me to get it all, but he may put it on his blog?:

I dream of a church which declares and demonstrates the love of God. Valued for who we are and graced to know all we can be. A church that makes people say, ‘I’ll have what they’re having.’ Where changes of lifestyle are not mandated by law but modeled by love. Where we all learn that we’re a work in progress but God is gradually and painstakingly restoring us. Where we’re less concerned about what will happen in hell or who’ll be there and more concerned about lose living in the earthly hell of poverty and malnutrition. I dream of a church absolutely committed to Jesus Christ. Where prayer, passion and practice mesh together. 

That will cost us everything – but be the best bargain we ever made. 

Don’t give up – don’t settle for less

hold your nerve and repeat

that Jesus cannot fail

trust his word

Jesus always wins. 

There are only two kinds of churches:

1. The church everybody wants to build (It’s there in Acts 2, and the ideal church, it inspires us).
2. The church God wants you to build.

If you try and copy the church ‘out there’ you’ll always fail.

God wants to speak to YOU about YOUR people and place. It’s always bespoke.

You work the process and start to build from scratch or reinvent what’s been built so far.

What comes next carries challenges. When people get involved. People present challenges! You hit the barriers, you get frustrated by money etc. How to sustain momentum?

One Pastor he knew, got a very excited small team around him and for two years planned to change everything. Expected eager embracing of the whole thing. It didn’t happen. Why? Well it had taken two years for him to get excited about it. It would take a while for the people to get there too!

Church building is not linear – it’s CYCLICAL.

You don’t do one bit then it’s done, then do the next bit. One thing leads to the next. There is nothing in the church building process that you change which stays the same. You have to keep spinning these plates. Every church has a building CYCLE. 8 things:

1. Communicate Clear Vision – Consistently

Tell them again and again and in various ways what kind of church you’re going to be. Through music, posters, message. Proverbs 29:18.

2. Change – in line with the Vision

This tests their trust in you. Will you DO IT?  If you’ve talked about it, you have to do some things about it. It shows you’re serious about it. Appoint new ministries etc. Start something.

3. Use the Power of a Good Report

Because some will love the change and some will hate it, and if you don’t take hold of it, the negative report will always win out. Use testimony and good report –  of lives being changed. Eventually the good will overwhelm the bad.

4. Model the Culture

People have to see it in me as the leader. I have to be devoted, if we’re going to ‘devote ourselves.’ If we’re going to reach the new culture I have to look like the church we’re going to build. ‘Set and example as a leader

5. Regularly call for the spirit of Agreement 

This usually looks like turning up. I agree – because I’m going to sign up for that and be there to help. What triggered Nehemiah to build? What he felt. He felt what God felt for the ruins of his city. We have to call people to feel it too, then pull together. Invite this agreement.

6. Call for SPECIFIC Involvement.

Because some people will lavish words of agreement on you – but it’s all words. They need eyeballing and saying, ‘We need you – HERE. Have you ever considered being involved here?’ You have to call for involvement. Get proactive in speaking to them, calling forth that involvement. Let them know how to get involved. They should increasingly feel involved, the model is that it’s all hands on deck – ‘So how do I get involved?’ Nehemiah ended up with shopkeepers and goldsmiths and priests building with him. But they all FELT IT and made the decision to build right where they are. Put a ministry fair on, with desks and stalls – and get the healthy competition going to get more people involved in something they will love that will benefit the Kingdom.

7. Celebrate their Contribution

We only survive because of our volunteer army. Honour and celebrate the volunteers. Hybels says this positive volunteer cameraderie  never happens by accident. How do you foster it? FEED them. Get them a drink. Volunteers get a sandwich. Have a volunteer party and thank and celebrate them. Depts put forward their ‘volunteer of the year.’ Usually someone hardly anyone has ever heard of.

8. Keep the Prize before their Eyes

Why are you doing this? Because it affects this... When they were building, Nehemiah had the trumpet blower at his side so if they were getting spread out they could be rallied together. Which gets you back to the top of the circle again.

When you don’t do any of this – things slow down.

What do you need to do more of in your church to keep the wheel turning?

Final observation – this needs to happen in every department of the church. For it to happen anywhere in the church it has to happen everywhere in the church. Every leader, every department. It’s not just about what comes from the platform on a Sunday.

Psalm 133:
1 How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, 
running down on Aaron’s beard, 
down on the collar of his robe. 
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon 
were falling on Mount Zion. 
For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Have we accessed this blessing to its full extent?1

We can INSTIGATE this, bring it in ourselves. If… we can figure out how to be united.

And that’s not about standing up and all hold hands. That can be purely external. We need this REAL unity. In our teams, churches, cities. In our marriage and with our kids is where it starts.

Where has this gone wrong?
Go and look for brothers in the Bible that got along – there weren’t many!

Cain and Abel
Jacob and his brothers
David and his
Joseph and his

The enemy’s having a laugh at our expense! We are praying for a blessing and it starts here. Or not.
There are two brothers (this goes beyond male/female). Two big categories. The enemy finds it easy to separate these two and bring tensions.

Brother Reliable.
Brother Restless.

Reliable – you never have to remind them twice, they’ll take notes, and pass them on. Think it through, plan it through. We celebrate him (behind the scenes).

Restless – fidgeting, twittering, never quite there with you. A million ideas all at the same time.

We have both of these people and we have to understand how it works.
The parable of the prodigal son was not about the failure of ONE brother, but of two. And the Restless one comes back – which doesn’t often happen in the house of God cos we push them out.
And Reliable brother doesn’t like it.
If you let Reliable run the show, on his own he’ll become Resentful (why are we throwing a party for you, not me?).
If you let Restless go for it completely he’ll become Reckless.

i.e.., They will go to their EXTREMES.
The father’s saying ‘I’m Dad of BOTH! If you’d keep these two skill sets together, a blessing would fall.

Who do you preach to? Do you make one feel good at the expense of the other feeling bad?
He’s the father of both. He’s not excluding either.

Joseph and his brothers came from two very different vantage points.

Gen 37: 1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

REPORTS can replace RELATIONSHIP

The first indication of the difference. Reliable (Joseph) – sees something that the others don’t see. They’re having a laugh, not taking the work seriously, a way they could improve etc. Something that could be given a better system.
When Reliable people enter in and see that, but there’s no RELATIONSHIP, then he’s just filing a report. What we’ll have in teams is SNITCHES.

And notice that what Reliable sees is RIGHT, it’s something we DO need to change/tweak. But without relationship it’s putting brother against brother. And division creeps in – and it will go to whatever team/ network they’re in. And then we pray, ‘God bless us’ but he can’t. The way you say it matters.

Not everyone is like you – and God designed it that way.

We can build a staff top heavy with one type of people or another, and try keeping the same people all together. Like separating kids off into their bedrooms. False peace. We need to mix them up.

ROBES can divide RELATIONSHIP.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

We mistake God’s favour for his favourites. God gives us his favour to commission you for what you’re going to do next. Titles, bonuses etc can become a dividing issue. If we put a robe on someone, do we think about it beforehand? How it will effect them and the team?

That robe or this one may fall on one, and all the others should celebrate that. For Joseph, it may have felt very awkward to wear that robe. The others may have felt overlooked – but God says, ‘figure it out’ – celebrate this, because it’s a robe of responsibility = more work.

Be careful how you speak over other’s lives. Put words in that defuse the other brother spirit in those around.

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”
 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

RELIABLE bluntly says it as they see it. Reliably. ‘Deal with it.’
A Restless person would bring it very differently. Talk all about how they feel etc. Creative, passionate, persuasive.

Reliable people need help with discernment.
Restless is sensing something else.

You need BOTH to give you a report. Listen to both reports:
Reliable, ‘It was great, started on time, finished on time…’
Restless – It was boring, nobody engaged.

The dream that caused division – was a dream of future restoration, in a moment when robes would not be an issue.

How is this FIXED?
In our teams.
(Especially in worship teams where the divas are!).

Don’t kick one out – say, ‘You’re brothers – figure it out. Seek to work together for the long term – the blessing comes there.’

How to bring reconciliation?

The Reliable ones have to be willing to drop their guard – even lose control.

Gen 45: 1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

Be willing to show your vulnerability. That you’re not perfect. That we need to talk about this. To say, ‘Hey – we’re brothers! let’s see the big picture.’ He’s showing his human side.

Close the Gap
vs. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”

Explain the dream – a different way.

When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
 8 “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God..

If there was ever a day when robes could divide – it was that day, but he now had a come close attitude.

Talk about it together

Not shout. Not compete. Talk. About how we can be more united.
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.

We want Psalm 133 in our team!

How about you?

So what are you afraid of?
Mice? Snakes, spiders? Clowns?

Everybody is scared of something.
Leaders – criticism, embarassment, conflict?

Fear in the mind causes stress in the body.
Your body will manifest the stress. You’ll need more coffee and energy drinks.
You need 8 – 10 hours sleep.

You’ll stress – ‘What if these people go?’
Or ‘What if these people STAY!’

Do you go to fight or flight?

Luke 12
Which of you by being anxious will add anything to your life.

Fear is not a sin – it’s an opportnity to either sin or trust God.

Who are you afraid of?
Does someone other than God hold that place?
We need them to bless and rule us and be a source of life to us. They become our functional God.
And when you fear someone you can’t love them.
The key of all idolatry is
the fear of man – that brings a trap.
You fear someone; it’s a trap.
Fear includes being afraid of someone but extends to giving them too much influence. Worshipping other people. Needing them. You can’t criticise them or say no.
When we’re in our teens it’s called peer pressure, when older – it’s called

Who’s opinion matters most?
Way too much.

Is your appetite for praise way to high?
You want to know what everyone thinks of you.

Are you overly devastated by criticism?
Rock Warren: ‘The problem with criticism now is that it’s instant, constant, global and permanent.’

Are you commited to things God didn’t call you to?
God never called you to it- so you get very busy, but not very holy.

Fear = VISION without hope. It’s seeing the worst case scenario.
Fear = not rational, but POWERFUL. You have your own fears that others don’t feel.
Fear = not getting what I want, or losing it.
Fear – preaches a false gospel. There is an alternative heaven here on earth, so find someone else and worship them (wife, boss) and they become a false saviour. To save you from the hell you through fear have created in your imagination.

Who has become for you, a functional saviour?

Fear causes us to be False Prophets. We predict a false future, and end up fear ridden over it – and it never happens.

Solution?
Bible’s answer?
FEAR NOT! The most frequently mentioned command in the whole Bible. If God says anything a lot, it must be important.
This should tell us, it’s a real problem.

It’s not just a command, it’s usually an INVITATION. ‘Fear not, I am present with you.’ It’s not just about facing your fear, but ‘I’m with you.’

Adam sins and hides, Gen3. God comes to him, and he says, ‘I was afraid.’ God comes alongside him.
Since sin entered the world, it’s the same.
Abraham Gen 21; ‘Fear not, I am your sheild
Gen 26:24 ‘Isaac – fear not, I’m with you!’
Jacob Gen 28:15 ‘I am with you..’

Why does God say it so much? Because when fear comes, we forget God is with us. And we feel alone, and that’s a lie. The lie is that you’re alone, you only have your own resources.

Moses asks, ‘How can I lead these people? I don’t know where we’re going, and they are following!’ God doesn’t say, ‘Here’s a map’ – but ‘Here I am.’

At the brink of war, with Joshua, ‘Fear not.’

King David, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will FEAR NOT because you are with me.’

Isaiah 41:14 ‘Fear not, you worm Jacob… ‘ (Can you think of anything more weedy than a worm?)
For I MYSELF will help you!
You feel powerless, the criticisms are real, ‘I can’t do this!’
God says, ‘Fear not! I am with you.’

Jeremiah is a sad man, the weeping prophet. He has a lot to be scared of. Depressed.
God comes to him,

Dan 12 – fear not daniel, I have come.

Haggai, ‘Be strong, be strong, be strong… why? I am with you.

Luke 1 – the angel comes to Mary, ‘Fear not…’
she’s pregnant, at 13. How will that look? No husband.
vs 35 – the Holy Spirit will come. God will be with you. In you.

Matthew 28. After Jesus lives, and dies and conquers death (that’s what we HAD to fear, but no longer. ‘I’m gonna die!’ – and that’s the WORST? we get to be with Jesus. We have to reset the worst case scenario – WCS? – You go to Jesus sooner rather than later – that’s not so bad).

Matthew 28 ‘ I WILL BE WITH YOU’ How long? Always – to the end.

We are all going to fear. So, God keeps reminding us.
‘Fear not, I am WITH YOU.’

Don’t just listen to that word. Do it. Always remember that. When it’s darkest. Everything may not be okay. But if God is with you, you’re going to be okay.

Fear not – your Daddy’s with you.

]]>