PhoenixPreacher

Over the past few years, my bandmate Michael and I have been aware of a church in our fair city.  It is part of a mainline denomination.  The church building itself sits in a prime location, moments from the interstate ring road and within sight of the most upscale shopping mall in the area.  Within walking distance are two middle class apartment complexes that seem to cater to singles and young married couples with one or two children.  A small access road behind the church is frequented by enthusiasts of all ages making their way to a premier health and sports club facility. 

While not enormously wealthy, the church in question has a moderate endowment fund and is able to support a full time pastor, a part-time organist and a church secretary.

When first visited a few years ago, there was a congregation of about 30 people.  Most of them looked to be in their 60s or older.  They were concerned about the future of their church and we were informed that they had just hired a church growth consultant group (paid for out of their endowment) to advise them on how to move forward.  At that point, we decided that we should look in on them every few months to chart their progress. 

The next time they were visited, we noticed some changes.  The first thing that caught our attention were the two large screens flanking the altar area.  As Michael was offering special music on this occasion, we also noted the new professional audio set up, with all new microphones and an expensive 24 channel digital mixer set up in the balcony.  We were informed, however, that they did not yet have anyone who knew how to run the soundboard but that a high school student, whom they paid for such work, would come in and run the board while Michael sang.  As the service began we noted the same 30 older congregants sitting in the pews.  When they stood to sing the opening hymn, almost everyone was using a hymnal with no attention being paid to the lyrics appearing on the suspended screens. The order of service continued, Michael sang (the high school student showed up for 10 minutes to run sound) the pastor delivered his sermon and we made our way through to the final blessing.  After the service, the pastor informed us that he had three people who, with him, would be attending a Willow Creek conference that he believed would really make a difference. As there was no coffee hour, we made our way out and home.

About six months later we stopped in again.  The same 30 people were in the pews and, as there was not special music, we didn’t get to see the high school soundman. We saw no other real changes apart from a new member of staff.  Their church growth consultants had informed them that their lack of growth was the result of not having a real “identity” in the community.  They were told that they needed to decide as a congregation what sort of image they wanted to project to the city.  Well, after some discussions of the church board they decided that they wished to be know as a social justice congregation.  Not knowing how to go about this, the pastor and the church board had decided to dip into the endowment once more in order to hire a person, part-time, who would involve himself in social justice issues on behalf of the church and then report back to them.  We were fortunate that he was there on this particular Sunday as he only attended once a month to deliver news of what he had been doing on their behalf.  So, instead of a sermon that morning we heard a report on three committees in the city whose meetings the new man had attended as a visitor.  The congregation looked puzzled, but prayers for the good work of these committees were offered and we moved to the end of the service.

We visited one more time about two weeks ago. Slightly less than the normal 30 people were in attendance – two couples had moved to Florida and one parishioner had died. As we spoke to the pastor, it was apparent that although they were still paying the consultants, and the social justice activist (not present), as well as the high school soundman (not present) nothing had changed.  Nonetheless, we were now informed that they were considering an outdoor digital sign along with changing the church’s name on the advice of the consultants (who had been signed to another year long contract).  Michael and I could only look at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry…

Now, these are not bad people.  In fact, they are very good people. We saw several who brought their bibles to services, they love familiar hymns and, if approached, will readily engage in conversation. The pastor, while obviously not a dynamic leader, is a good man who prays, cares about theology and has a genuine desire to see his church grow.  If we had been asked for advice (which we were not) we might have pointed out the obvious –

• Start knocking on doors in the apartment complexes
• Consider starting an after school day care center to serve the young families
• Erect a sign for the church on the health club access road
• Create a welcoming environment within the church
• Have an after service coffee hour
• Start a midweek Bible study
• Provide meaningful opportunities for service and fellowship for the many retirees
• Create an adult Christian Education program for Sunday mornings

The list could go on and on. In any case, if it had been offered, such a list might merely be a different version (perhaps more practical) of what they had heard from their consultants.  All of that, however, does not address the real issue that, at least in my opinion, is staring us in the face.  It is a loss of faith, among the laity to an extent, but even more so among those of us who are called to ministry.  As John Stott has said, “The principal reason in my judgment why there is so little effective evangelism to-day is that we clergy have, in many cases, ceased to believe in it. We are no longer expecting to see moral miracles.”

Maybe we’ve become too theologically sophisticated for our own good.

Maybe we’ve seen too much of the “dark side” of church life and/or imbibed the cynicism of the age.

Maybe we are so concerned about raising the flag of our own tribe that we no longer see the multitudes who have not yet heard even the simple outlines of the faith we claim to share in common with others.

Maybe we’ve allowed ourselves to be blinded by the promises of corporate church growth consultants and the semi-secular culture that surrounds them.

We often talk about what took place in the late 60s and 70s.  For those of us who were there, I can tell you one thing – It wasn’t planned! For the most part, the vast majority of us had no idea what we were doing.  We did not think about buildings apart from having enough space to gather. Unique “identity”, apart from our identification with Christ really did not enter our thoughts. We had no thoughts about “church growth” or corporate models.  What we did have, however, was an innate conviction, an unshakeable certainty, an absolute faith in the proposition that Christ could transform a person’s life. 

In my opinion, until we have that faith restored and made active once again, nothing in the current downward trend will change.

Duane W.H. Arnold, PhD

The Project

Matthew 27: 15-31

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

• This was probably an arrangement set up to keep the peace.
• The release of a prisoner whom the people thought was unjustly incarcerated.

¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

• Perhaps Barabbas was a Charles Manson type of character. A person that everyone hates and would never want to see released.

¹⁷ So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

• Pilate thinks he ha found a way out of this dilemma.
• So perhaps he has them stand together – the killer Barabbas and Jesus, the one everyone knows as the guy who wandered the countryside healing others.

¹⁸ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

• A little editorial side note by Matthew.
• ‘Delivered him up’ = handed over in Jesus’ words

¹⁹ Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

• Pilate’s wife calls him righteous – she tells the truth. It’s a small sermon, but it is a true sermon – “that righteous man”.
• What was Peter’s sermon short time earlier? “I don’t know him.”

²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

• The chief priest and elders are working the crowd to get their plan carried out. They are pulling the strings to get an anonymous crown to do their dirty work.

²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”

• Note that the Roman governor and the Jewish crowd – not just the chief priest and the elders, are all working together – no one is innocent.

²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

• Supposedly crucifixion was disgusting to the Jews … except in this case.

²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

• The account in Luke states that Pilate asked the crowd 3 times – Luke 23:22 = “²² A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”
• Time for the gospel lesson. Why did Jesus have to die?
• We see that it is obvious that Barabbas should die for his sin – we just don’t think we should die for ours.
• In the end, this is THE PLAN of God playing out here.
• We are Barabbas – guilty, condemned to death and Jesus is chosen to die in our place.
• Jesus dies for sinners. Jesus died for Barabbas, Judas, Peter and us.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified –

²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood, see to it yourselves.”

• Pilate is a practical political figure – what is going to work best … for me.
• This is what self centered sinners do – what’ in it for me.
• Can’t we just wash our hands of Jesus and declare ourselves innocent? You know, I just didn’t have enough information about Jesus to make up my mind about Jesus.
• Many evangelical churches work on this premise. If we just provide enough information, people will come to believe – so they lecture instead of preach.
• “see to it yourselves” – so much like Judas was told earlier (Matt 27:4)

²⁵ And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

• There really are no truer words – this is a good example of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

²⁶ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

• As I said earlier most don’t read this passage with this emphasis – that right here the gospel message is presented.
• Directly put, the innocent one is ‘handed over’ for death so that the guilty may go free.
• This is what Luther called the Great Exchange – all our sins Jesus bares – and the righteous man dies.
• So here is the big question. If you were in the crowd, how would you vote? Jesus or Barabbas.

Jesus Is Mocked

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

• The mockery begins. This humiliation is to show that Jesus is nothing special and that his claims we wild fantasies.
• Where did the soldiers take Jesus – look at the many descriptions in the various translations.
• What was the size of the group and what were they called.

²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

• We see the total mockery of the ‘kingly’ charge – the scarlet (purple) robe of royal color – the thorny crown, a droopy reed for a scepter in his hand.

²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

• Somewhere (Philippians 2:10-11) it says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Even in jest, they don’t realize that they are the fulfillment of this prophecy – later it will either be in terror or shame.

³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.

• A repeat of the mocking back in 25:66-67 – “⁶⁶ What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,”

³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

• Their savagery has been satisfied – now back to business.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Proverbs 18:21 ESV)

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:6–11 ESV)

Whatever doubts I have about the “literal” application of Scripture don’t apply to these verses.

These are quite “literally” true.

All of us walk around with wounds inflicted by the words of others that are barely covered by the thinnest of scabs.

It takes little…even one careless word from someone else… to rip open a 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, year old cut.

At that moment we become the age we were wounded once again.

We relive the pain and trauma anew as if it were delivered for the first time.

The fact that the knife was wielded from behind a keyboard does not dull the impact.

The world of social media has opened up new opportunities to inflict pain on many more people…we have become biblical serial killers.

We never have have to see the blood or tears in the aftermath of our actions, we simply close the browser and carve another notch on the handles of our cyber pistols.

Those we murder only die inside and present themselves as targets again the next day.

I bear some of those word wounds from days when they were no computers and social media involved simply being part of a family or another group.

Some of those wounds are fifty years old and have never fully healed.

They never will.

I’ve also wounded others and they bear scars from my words.

This led me to wonder how many words it takes to heal these hurts.

It only takes a few to do the damage…it may take millions to make it (kind of) well.

Kind of.

Millions.

Maybe.

Brethren, these things ought not to be so.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue”

Make your own application…

Last Spring Michael allowed me to post a link here to a survey. The survey was a series of questions about how people do devotions or quiet times in addition to time and task management. I wanted to say “thank you” to those who helped me out. That survey helped me set the direction for a project I started over a year ago and is going to become a reality this month. I’ve been posting about it on social media and Michael invited me to share more about it here. Let me introduce you to; The Rhythm Journal; a guided journal to help you walk with God at His PACE. It is going to launch on Kickstarter sometime this month.

It’s not for everyone, but it might be for you

Last year I was going through a period where I was looking for ways to help people connect God’s word into their lives. I realized that I wasn’t doing a very good job of doing that for myself. So I took a beat and examined what methods helped me the most, as well as some key scriptures about how we are all called and commanded to become more like Jesus. What I came up with helps me. It might help you too.

Being guided helps me

I like being walked through a process. Not forced in an isolated direction like cattle through a series of gates. More like there is a beginning, an end, and a series of steps along the way, but I have some freedom in those steps to wander a bit if I want.

Writing helps me

As digital as I am, most everything I do for work or otherwise begins with paper and pen. There is a significant amount of research pointing to this process as being better for learning and creativity. But I don’t enjoy writing for very long, just writing short summaries is best for me. Like a Tweet but with a pen.

Seeing progress helps me

I need to see where I’ve been, where I am, and where I want to go. Some people are wired and content to live life on a hamster wheel. That’s fine. That might sound harsh or critical, it isn’t intended to be. Many fine people function that way. I am just not one of them. I need to see progress.

What, Why, and How

No, this isn’t the law firm of The Three Stooges. But it is descriptive of three key scriptures behind The Rhythm Journal.

What – Romans 12:1-2

To me, there is no better summary instruction of what it looks like to live out the Gospel. The phrase “present yourselves as a living sacrifice” is the root of the verse. It means to present and keep on presenting continually. All of the other instruction that follows in these two verses describes what this looks like. Do not be conformed, instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you might demonstrate what the good and complete will of God looks like. What does it look like to do this? How often do we wake up and think, “How can I present myself as a living sacrifice today?”

Why – Ephesians 5:15

Have you ever heard of a “theology of productivity?” It could be a whole other blog post, but it’s the idea that being a productive person is a teaching one can find in the Bible. It might not be a spelled-out doctrine, but it is an exemplified one. If there is an instruction for it, it could be found in these verses. “Walk circumspectly.” In other words, walk intentionally. Walk with a plan. Walk paying attention. Don’t walk accidentally. Don’t walk with your head in the clouds or in the sand. Be present. “Redeeming the time.” Buy back the time that sin steels from you. I love that idea.

How – Luke 9:23

Deny yourself, die to self, and follow Jesus. It’s simple. It’s straightforward. But rarely do I ever hear specific examples or directions on what it looks like. Why not? Because there isn’t a single set of them to pass down. It’s mostly in the moment. It’s about watching Jesus intentionally. It’s about playing “following the leader” with Jesus. Sadly, this isn’t taught as much as it should be. Yet Jesus said to do it “daily.” How do we do this?

The “Rhythms” of The Rhythm Journal

After some trial and refinement, after the help and feedback of some beta testers, The Rhythm Journal came to be. One journal has enough pages to last 13 weeks, which is basically three months.

The Rhythm Journal is an attempt to reorient our lives around some specific rhythms, patterns, and instructions in the Bible so that our lives can be in step with God’s life.

The Bible is full of rhythms. Evening and morning. Weeks. Seasons. Cycles. Lifespans. We go through changes while God and His word never change. However, our understanding of God and His word changes. How we experience God and live out His word changes. One day God is gracious and loving. The next He seems harsh and judgmental. Did He change? No, something about us or our world did. The trick is adapting and learning through these changes and rhythms. God doesn’t adapt to me, I adapt to him.

PACE

The Bible describes people who live with God as having a “walk” with Him. As I chewed on this I realized that God has a pace. Being a teacher, I had to turn PACE into an acronym.

• P – Purpose. Everything God does is purposeful. Learning to see God’s purposes helps us to keep in step with Him; not getting ahead nor falling behind.
• A – Action. God takes action through His people. Learning what God’s actions look like and what His voice sounds like helps us to know when to step and when to stop.
• C – Choice. Following Jesus means making choices daily. Learning the ways of Jesus helps us to know what our choices are, what to choose, and how the Spirit leads us.
• E – Evolve. Evolve means “change over time.” Learning to walk and work with Jesus, watching how He does it, and learning His rhythms, will grow, mature, and change us into someone who looks more and more like Jesus over time.

The over-arching purpose of The Rhythm Journal is to help us walk with God at His PACE. Over the course of one’s life, if we are being transformed into His image, by definition there should be a gradual change more and more into a person that looks like Him. In The Rhythm Journal this is measured with two sections called The Beginning and The End located at, you guessed it, the beginning and end of each journal. The user is guided through a set of questions to help them take stock of their progress and set or readjust goals.

RENEW

Every Sunday there is a page with a process called RENEW that is built around Romans 12:1-2. RENEW stands for Release, Examine, Notice, Exchange, and Walk. There are prompting questions for each that have you examine the previous week.

Along with RENEW there is a section to Review last week, and Preview this week. The purpose of these is to help map out Daily Rhythms that God wants to develop in you or demonstrate through you. A Daily Rhythm is a Godly characteristic that you can partner with the Holy Spirit to cultivate in your life. These may be patience, brotherly love, compassion, creativity, leadership, or servanthood. These, in turn, are practiced in the week to come.

RISE and REST

Monday through Saturday in The Rhythm Journal consist of a page to be done in the morning called RISE and a page to be done in the evening called REST. Some of you may be thinking, “This sounds like a lot of work!” Like I said, it isn’t for everyone. And it is really about 15-30 minutes in the morning and again in the evening. However, the benefit is that you are being intentional; you are doing something on purpose with purpose. I need that mindset when it comes to living out the key verses above.

RISE

Reading, Inspiration, Supplication, and Expression make up the morning routine. They aren’t a checklist, they are a kind of flow. At the end of the time you take all that you have done, turn it into a prayer for your day, and hopefully have made some additions to whatever you use to plan out your day. When you go into the day with your “Holy Spirit Radar” on, looking for opportunities to build God’s Kingdom in your day, it radically alters things.

REST

Review, Engage, Surrender, and Thanksgiving make up the evening flow. Most of the days of my life have ended with a sense of, “Is it over yet? Can I go to bed now?” As I have engaged in REST I find that I catch things I need to deal with in my own heart, things I need to give over to The Lord, and things I forgot to thank Him for. Just like you have a conversation with your spouse or kids to hear about each other’s day, you get to do the same thing with Jesus. Maybe He wants to give you an “atta-boy/girl” or maybe there is something He wants to correct. Or both. REST is the opportunity to have that conversation.

The real product is relationship with God

I never want to pitch a product. I’m not selling “Sham-wows.” What I most want to see happen in people’s lives, what I think God has called and equipped me to do, is to help equip others with ways to connect God’s word into their daily lives. When I read the Bible I see people living out their relationship with Him. God is always available and ready. We are the ones who have to make the choice to follow Him daily. I need help doing that. I suspect others do too. If that’s you then this might be for you.

To help with that I want to do two things right now.

1. Here is a link to a ZIP file that contains a PDF of all of the “front matter” of The Rhythm Journal. All the instructions and sample pages with stuff filled in so you have some idea of what it looks like. The ZIP also contains a couple of images of the journal.
2. I am running a giveaway contest to give away one journal, one free access to an online workshop on how to use the journal, and four books that have been foundational to my own understanding of discipleship as an individual and as a pastor. It’s the “Follow After Jesus” bundle. I need help spreading the word about the Kickstarter. If you join my email list you get 10 entries. If you share the link to the contest you get 10 more. You can earn all kinds of other points by Liking the Facebook page, visiting the website, Following and retweeting on Twitter, following and posting tagged pics on Instagram. Click as many of the entry options as relates to you and you can increase your chances of winning the giveaway.

If this is something that interests you please do sign up for the email list and share the contest link, even if you aren’t interested in the giveaway. The more people that know about it the more likely I will be able to fund the project on Kickstarter. If you are also interested in following me on social media, please use the contest links to follow The Rhythm Journal. My own feeds can also be found @corbystephens on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I’m happy to field any questions or chat about how people do their own devotions. It’s an important conversation and the more information and ideas we share the better.

Thanks again, Michael, for the chance to share here.

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Huge thanks as always to EricL…support him at top right!