My daughter Whitney- living in love in Guatemala City. 

I saw the Kingdom advancing in Guatemala.  Over the course of a week our teams saw 1,745 people come to Christ.  It was unbelieveble.  I was struck again by the simplicity of the Christian life and how the Kingdom of God advances through people with a simple passion for Jesus and a love for others.  We partnered with local churches and served alongside them every day.  We shared the love of Christ with people in the parks, schools, workplaces, churches, alleys, shops, and in their homes. 

My team served in an incredible church- La Familia de Dios Iglesia Buatista.  Pastor Mario and his people are truly pursuing Jesus on the move in their community and they’ve decided to join Him in what He’s doing.  They saw the need for medical assistance to those who cannot afford (many who’ve never seen a doctor before) and so they established a clinic once a month.  We went into homes of women who had recently come to the clinic and because they were first loved by the people in the church they welcomed us gladly into their homes.  We saw several teenage moms (two were 16 and pregnant with their second child) come to Christ. 

Mario decided the best way to reach their community was for each person to share Christ in the context of established relationships (imagine that!).  So they’ve established “Lighthouses”- small groups in homes designed to be missional communities to reach their friends and neighbors (sounds familiar).  We were in on nearly every night.  

Here’s just one of a million stories: Francisco (32 years old) was very concerned about his mother, Amelia.  She had lost her husband and had recently been diagnosed with diabetes.  He knew she has never received Christ.  he wanted us to go see her so we went to her humble home and shared the love Jesus with her.  I shared with her that Christ was at the door of her heart and He wanted her to open the door and let Him in (Rev. 3:20).  She seemed resistant even though she clearly understood what Christ had done for her.  In the midst of our conversation our translator, Maria, got up and left the room.  I assumed she going to the bathroom and was thinking, “This is not a good time to leave!”   A moment later there was a dramatic knock at the door.  Amelia got up and answered the door.  It was Maria!  She said, “Will you let me in?”  Amelia laughed and said, “Yes, come in!”  Maria, paused and said, “Well, you don’t know me and yet you’re going to let me in?”  “Yes”, Amelia said.  Maria continued, “…and yet you know how much Jesus loves you and what He’s done for you but you won’t let Him in?”  Amelia broke.  Through tears she said, “I’m ready.”  She threw her arms around Maria and the two wept in the doorway.  We all gathered around and wept and hugged Amelia.  I watched Francisco weep over his sweet mom as he celebrated her new life in Christ.

Time and time again we saw stories like this one (I need to tell more) and we were constantly reminded that God is always at work in and through people who are willing to displace themselves (whether across the sea or across the room) and join Him in loving others into His Kingdom.

I’ve referenced two recent articles in the DMN that have confirmed what some of us have sensed for a while.  In his article “Southern Baptist Convention- Realities looming ahead of gathering”, Sam Hodges quoted SBC president Frank Page who said “that many of our churches are not connecting with the younger generation, and they’re certainly not connecting with our growing secular culture.  Because of that, I fear many churches will die.”  Christine Wicker’s article (link above) points out that half of the SBC’s 43,000 churches will have shut their doors by 2030 if current trends continue.  It’s time for church leaders to change or die.

For a long time I’ve been a proponent for some radical shifts in our churches (not changes but seismic shifts).  We tried “changes” during the “seeker-sensitive” years of the 90s.  I believe our motives were pure (to create a church for the unchurched) and evangelism was at the core of our changes) but, in the end, all we got was a consumer-focused mindset that simply came into the church and asked, “What’s in it for me?”  Ironically, we wondered, “Who said it was about you?”  Jesus never offered a bait and switch message.  The shift is to move from the attractional church (come and see) to the incarnational church (go and be).  That was the Church Jesus envisioned all along.  

It seems the problem is at the core of what we’ve been fighting for so long. We need to re-think the Gospel.  No, it hasn’t changed; it’s just a lot bigger than we thought it was.  We thought the Gospel was solely about getting people into heaven.  Clearly it is, but it’s also about the broader forgiveness of Christ that sets us free from our sin and our selfish lives so we can serve others in His name.  We thought the Kingdom of God was about some place “in the sweet by and by” instead of wherever Jesus reigns and rules in the hearts of His people as Lord.  His Kingdom is coming but it’s bigger than we thought.  We thought the Bible was about doctrine and truth to be argued instead of forgiveness and freedom that’s found in the One who is the Truth.  The culture wars have been more a battle over grace than they have been a battle over truth.  You can argue over truth with a radical Muslim all day long.  It is grace that sets Christianity apart from the religions of the world. 

I’ve quoted Rick Warren who said, “The Body of Christ has had its hands and feet amputated and all that’s left is a big mouth.”  Still some argue that the answer is to simply continue on with the same message- just louder.  The shift will come when the people of the church repent and decide to align everything they do with the mission of Jesus to restore and redeem our broken world.  The shift will not come through an institution but a revolution.  It will not be through a denomination but a movement.  And as it comes, so will the Kingdom of God among us as we join Jesus who is already on the move.  The Gospel is bigger than we think and it’s time to wake up and show the world.  

I want to be among those who, with an ear towards heaven and a resolve to follow Jesus, are courageous enough to ask the hard questions and do whatever it takes to see His Kingdom come (regardless of the cost).  Some of you saw another article this week that revealed many evangelical Christians (and Baptists) have forsaken critical truths (namely salvation through Christ alone).  Much needs to change but one thing will never change: Jesus is Lord.  A reformation is needed and it will come as God’s Spirit falls upon a prayer-soaked people, clinging to God, with a simple and uncluttered message: “Jesus is Lord.” 

I’ve had hunch for a long time that something’s gone wrong.  As a lover of Jesus and His Church I’m in ongoing conversations about our effectiveness of the church in our world today.  I’m constantly thinking about how we can optimize our redemptive potential in this generation.  Last Sunday I read an article in the Dallas Morning News that shocked my system.  Christine Wicker, the author of The Fall of the Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church, wrote an article entitled, The Great Evangelical Decline.  After you read this blog, you need to take time to read her article at http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-wicker_01edi.ART1.State.Edition1.46dace2.html 

 

Because she’s a former Southern Baptist she caught my attention.  She begins with, “What Baptist leaders have known for years is finally public: The Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination in decline.  Half of the SBC’s 43,000 churches will have shut their doors by 2030 if current trends continue.  And unless God provides a miracle, the trends will continue.  They are longstanding and deeply rooted.  The denomination’s growth rate has been declining since the 1950s. The conservative/fundamentalist takeover 30 years ago was supposed to turn the trend around; it didn’t make a bit of difference.” 

 

Those who know me know that I’m a consummate optimist, often to a fault.  What’s probably added to my blissful denial of reality has been the wonderful ride that we’ve been on at FBC McKinney over the past 9 years.  Two weeks ago I asked a group of leaders if they knew of any church (and particularly any Baptist church) that was blowing the doors off in terms of growth.  No one could name one.  The mega-church of the eighties and nineties seems to be an ever-decreasing expression of the Kingdom in our culture.   

 

Now, I’m a Christian before I’m a Baptist, but as a Baptist I found Mrs. Wicker’s article startling.  While I disagree with much of the article (why the trend has taken place and her suggestions to right the ship), I agree that it’s time for us to wake up.  Though I don’t want to admit it, the ship is sinking.  As I see it leaders have one option: change or die.  Many church leaders have decided to stay the same non-effective course (keep preaching what you’re preaching, only louder).  Others have decided that the only option is to bail: “If the ship is sinking, everybody out.  Abandon ship!”  Others, like me have decided to be a prophetic voice in the midst of radical change from within (and besides, it’s easier to have a voice at the table if you’re still a loving member of the family).

 

At FBC we’re making some radical changes.  In fact, it’s jolting our collective DNA.  We’ve determined to do whatever it takes to join Jesus on mission in our world.  I’m well aware that the strategies of the past are not working today and that fewer and fewer are hearing our message, regardless of what it is; they’re simply not listening. 

 

Mrs. Wicker ends her article with these ominous words:  “Evangelical faith is failing in so many other ways that a growing number of Christians believe a New Reformation is needed.  If they are correct, the Southern Baptist Convention is unlikely to lead that reformation. Let’s hope it is at least around to participate.”  Count me in.  Let’s be among those who, with an ear towards heaven and a resolve to follow Jesus, are courageous enough to ask the hard questions and do whatever it takes to see His Kingdom come (regardless of the cost).  A reformation is needed and it will come as God’s Spirit falls upon a prayer-soaked people, clinging to God, with a simple and uncluttered message: “Jesus is Lord.”  Let’s continue the conversation…   

 

 

 

 

We went looking for Jesus on the move.  Many of you have asked “What happened?”

We found Him… 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ajJVIISZU

I’m told that when Elvis finished his concerts (back when he was even bigger than Hannah Montana) organizers would announce that he had left the building, presumably so everyone would stop screaming and leave themselves.  This past Sunday the members of First Baptist Church of McKinney left the building.  We decided not to go to church but to be the church.  It’s all part of seismic shift that’s taking place in the church.  Thousands of people across McKinney, Collin County, and the metroplex decided to be the very presence of Jesus among the least, lost, and forgotten.  We joined such partners as the Samaritan Inn (the only homeless shelter in Collin County), Relay for Life, Children and Community Healthcare, McKinney Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity, Seed Sowers Prison Ministry, Kiwanis, Union Gospel Mission, and countless others.  Hundreds of projects were established that resulted in a wild and wonderful display of the radical grace of God.

Not long ago I heard pastor/author Rick Warren say, “The Body of Christ has had its hands and feet amputated and all that’s left is a big mouth.”  Ouch.  His words broke my heart because I’ve sensed this truth for a long time.  As church attendance continues to decline across America many emerging leaders recognize that something’s wrong and we need to change (the biblical word is repent). 

How did the apostolic (early) Church grow from as few as 25,000 in AD 100 to as many as 20,000,000 by AD 310?  Consider the odds: They were an illegal religion throughout most of this time.  They had no church buildings, no professional leadership, no worship bands, Power Point, children’s programs, or sound systems.  They didn’t even have the Scriptures as we know them.  Essentially they little of what we’ve made church out to be.

What did they have?  They had a passion for Jesus and His restorative agenda in the world.  In partnership with God they were committed to bring hope, life, and healing to everyone around them.  They were willing to wade into the cultural, economic, financial, and social issues of the day and get their hands and feet dirty.  Simply put, they loved God and others.  How do we recapture this same missional heartbeat?  Clearly by doing the same.  Our love for Jesus must be made manifest in our love for others.  We must serve the most forsaken people, places, and issues in our world without fear, regardless of how messy, painful, or costly it may become. 

It seems that Jesus has been lost in an institution that bears His name.  The Church must rediscover its missional imperative and incarnational initiative in our world.  I’m critical of institutionalism not because it’s evil but because the greatest Jesus movements have always been when the Church had little of anything that looked like an institution.  What happens when the church leaves the building?  The poor are blessed, the hungry are fed, the homeless and the imprisoned are given hope.  God’s people realize that simply going to church will never bring the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. 

I’ve never been more excited about the Church than I am today because I’m seeing a host of emerging leaders who get it.  An amazing shift is taking place among us as we’ve discovered that the Gospel is bigger than any of us imagined and a loving engagement of all people is evidence of it.  Jesus did not come to simply save us from sin but to set us free from ourselves so that we might serve others.  Maybe then they’ll listen to what we have to say or maybe Jesus will speak for us.

This may seem like a strange challenge from a pastor to his church family.  But that’s exactly what I said.  This Sunday, April 27^th, everyone who is a part of FBC McKinney has decided not to go to church but to be the church.  What happens when the church leaves the building?  The Church becomes what it was always meant to be.  The Church was never intended to stay in the building.  If you’ve been around FBC lately, or if you’ve talked to someone who has, you know that an amazing shift is taking place among us.  We’ve decided that we do not exist for ourselves but for others.  Jesus has come to transform our hearts so that we can transform our world with His love.  We want Him to be Lord of our lives and we’ve decided to join Him in what He’s doing in the world.

Throughout April we’ve been challenging each person to “Transform Your World”.  Hundreds of projects have been established by our members and we want you to join us.  Go to our website www.fbcmckinney.com and you’ll see all the Transform Your World information and how you can get involved.  Many of the activities take place throughout the week and all weekend.  Come rediscover the forgotten mission of Jesus and join us as we look at the Church and our world in brand new ways.  We desire to be a source of healing wherever we encounter injustice, discord, and neglect.  We’re convinced that the Church Jesus envisioned is not an institution but a revolution of hope and healing to all people.

If Jesus lived in our community where do you think He would be found?  We believe that if Jesus was in Collin County He would be among the least and the lost.  His heart would break over those who have no food, no shelter, no healthcare, and no hope.  He’s broken our hearts as well.  That’s why we’ve joined such high-integrity partners as the Samaritan Inn, Children and Community Healthcare, McKinney Housing Authority, Habitat for Humanity, Seed Sowers Prison Ministry, area nursing homes, and countless others.  It will be a wild and wonderful display of the radical grace of Jesus.  The entire month will culminate on May 5^th with our annual “Transform Your World” offering that will be given away to help share the love of Jesus around the world.  It is going to be an earth-shaking, heaven-descending kind of movement.  Watch while stories of redemption emerge as we go find Jesus on the move and join Him in what He’s doing.  McKinney, let’s partner together and transform your world!

You can hear more from Jeff at First Baptist Church of McKinney at one their six services.  For locations, service times, podcasts, or to watch live, go to www.fbcmckinney.com

What happens when the church leaves the building?  We’re about to find out.  The truth is the Church spends most of its time outside the building and was never intended to stay in the building.  If you’ve been around First McKinney much lately, you know that we seek to be a church on mission with Jesus in the world.  Jesus has come to transform our hearts so we can transform our world with His love. 

Our focus in April is “Transform Your World” and throughout the month we’ll explore what happens “When the Church Leaves the Building”.   We seek to rediscover the forgotten mission of Jesus and begin to look at the Church and our world in brand new ways.  We seek to be a source of healing wherever we encounter injustice, discord, and neglect.  We believe that Jesus is the Answer and He is the One who brings hope and healing to all people through us.   

On April 27^th we will literally “leave the building” and worship the Lord through service in our community.  Instead of going to church, we’re going to be the church.  Our entire church family will be on mission throughout the weekend.  It will be a wild and wonderful display of the radical grace of Jesus.  The entire month will culminate on May 5^th with our annual “Transform Your World” offering.  It is going to be an earth-shaking, heaven-descending kind of movement of God’s people.  Watch while stories of redemption emerge as we go find Jesus on the move and join Him in what He’s doing.  (We’ve got a hunch as to where we might find Him- among the least and lost of our community). 

Jump in and hang on!  www.fbcmckinney.com/Default.aspx?p=14526

www.walkthroughthedoor.org 

Jesus is the Door to life.  In John 10:9 Jesus says, “I am the Gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and out, and find pasture.”  Notice that being “saved” allows us to have freedom to “come in and out, and find pasture.”  Jesus died so that we might actually be set free.  In Galatians 5:1, Paul says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  I used to think this verse was redundant until I realized the power behind it.  Jesus didn’t die to simply save us from the penalty of our sins (though that’s an amazing exchange); He died to save us from our sins- here and now.  Too many of us have come to believe that once we cross the line of faith and receive salvation, we’re done.  I’ve discovered that the Gospel is much bigger than that.  Jesus didn’t die simply to save us from hell.  He had something more like a transformation in mind.  The Gospel has the power to transform your life, if you’ll walk through the door(s) that He’s calling you through.  As we walk with Him He leads us to wide open pastures of grace and selfless living.

During this season of sacrifice and commitment, I’m challenging each of us to consider what doors we need to walk through.  The driving story for us this Easter is the Exodus.  The BIG story of God is the story of freedom and liberation- saving us from oppression of sin and slavery to self.  What’s your story?  Tell the world by going to…  

 www.walkthroughthedoor.org       

You could smell it before you could see it.  Something was in the air… and it was not good.  I was at the city dump in Zone 3 of Guatemala City.  I was in the city preparing for a trip we’ll be taking this summer and I found myself in the midst of one of the worst humanitarian tragedies I’ve seen.  Here, thousands of people live and many survive off the dump heaps.  They rummage through the garbage every day to find something to eat, to keep, or to sell.  I was there late in the afternoon when I saw a woman walking away from the dump, her front completely covered with dark, wet filth.  She had obviously been going through the garbage much of the day.  I saw another woman (pictured above) carrying two very large bags of garbage up a hill.   

In a meeting with partnering pastors and leaders I met Carol.  Carol has a heart for the women who live around the dump.  Many of these women are single and were formerly (or are currently) involved in prostitution and drug use.  There is a kindergarten near by where many of these children come to be loved and cared for throughout the day.  At night, Carol teaches women how to sew so that they might have a means of income.  I told her I had to see this.  What I saw broke my heart and, at the same time, gave me hope. 

This summer I’m hoping to take a group of 70 to 100 people with me to Guatemala City to bring compassion, hope, and the love of Christ to the people there.  We’ll have a chance to make difference in this dark spot of the world.  I sensed the presence of Christ in this place.  I know that He loves the people there and I do too.  

I hope you’ll pray about coming with me.  Check out the “Transforming Your World” website at http://www.fbcmckinney.com/Default.aspx?p=14526 or just call our church office to find out how you can get involved.

On the 15^th of this month, 79 years ago, Michael Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  His name was later changed to Martin, the son and grandson of Baptist pastors.  He himself served as co-pastor with his father at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta while he became the central figure in the civil rights movement in the United States. 

On August 28^th, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech that would shake a nation and the world (and I can tell you, by the way, as a pastor/preacher- one who traffics constantly in words- this is one of the finest speeches/sermons ever preached).  Dr. King was so articulated, so clear, so picturesque in his words, but what drove his message home was his passion- and even more so, I believe a divine anointing upon his life.  Consider the fact that he was only 34 years old. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream and it was a dream aligned with God’s dream for a better world.  Let his words resonate in your heart again:  

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal….’I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” 

“…One day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.  I have a dream today.  I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” 

In April of 1968, Dr. King, went to Memphis, TN in support of mistreated black sanitation workers.  On April 4^th he stood with a friend outside his hotel room on the second floor balcony.  A shot rang out and an assassin’s bullet hit Dr. King and the civil rights leader was dead at the age of 39.  To get deeper into the heart of this man we need only listen to his final words preached the night before he died. Listen, in light of what would happen the next day: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. (Amen.) But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop.  And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life.  Longevity has its place.  But I’m not concerned about that now.  I just want to do God’s will.  And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I’ve looked over.  And I’ve seen the promised land.  I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.  And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything.  I’m not fearing any man.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”  

Martin Luther King had a life mission.  His one life made a difference.  Let me ask you, do you think that only certain people have a mission in life?  That maybe there are only a few people who really have a God-given dream?  Or could it be that every single one of us has been given a dream- by God- to serve His eternal Kingdom purposes while we’re here on this earth?   

Throughout this month let’s allow the life and the words of Martin Luther King Jr.(and even more so, the words of our Lord Jesus) to inspire us to dream as well.  Each of us has a God-given dream that He’s calling us to live.  And our God-given dream has the potential to change our world.  Your dream may or may not find its way on the national or international stage (it may!) but your God-given dream is unique to you and given to you to fulfill your life’s purpose.    

So, let me ask you: What do you dream about?   

Questions to Ponder this Month:

• What is your dream for life?
• What is the vision/calling (or God-given picture) of your life?
• If you had unlimited resources (of time, money, energy, people) what would you want to accomplish with the rest of your life?
• What do you love to do more than anything else?  What makes you feel fully alive?  Why?
• What do hate the most?  What makes you angry?  Why?
• What do you do best?  What are your best gifts?  (You’ve heard others tell you this).
• What is God’s unique mission for your life?

How will you fulfill this mission- starting today?