The Power of a Father’s Presence (or Absence)

Posted on January 31, 2013 by jeff warren

There are two ways to measure power. One is to see it at work (a weightlifter breaking a world record, a rocket launching into space, an Indy race car speeding down the final stretch). Another way to measure power is to observe it’s absence. Some studies reveal that 1/3 of all children in the U.S.A. are being raised in a home where there is NO father.

“Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families…those boys whose fathers were absent from the household had double the odds of being incarcerated- even when other factors such as race, income, parent education and urban residence were held constant.” (Cynthia Harper of the University of Pennsylvania and Sara S. McLanahan of Princeton University cited in “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration” Journal of Research on Adolescence 14 (Sept. 2004).

Fatherless homes:

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes- 10 times the average.

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (U.S. Dept. Of Health/Census)- 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes- 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes- 20 times the average (Center for Disease Control).

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes- 14 times the average (Justice & Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26).

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes- 9 times the average (National Principals Association Report).

The Father Factor in Education:

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with fathers who are involved are:

40% less likely to repeat a grade.
70% less likely to drop out of school.
more likely to get A’s in school.
more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.
High School Dropouts. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities?)
Educational Attainment. Kids living in single-parent homes or in step-families report lower educational expectations on the part of their parents, less parental monitoring of school work, and less overall social supervision than children from intact families. (N.M. Astore and S. McLanahan, American Sociological Review, No. 56.

Suicide: 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities?)

Behavioral Disorders: 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities? )

Juvenile Detention Rates: 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: What Can the Federal Government Do To Decrease Crime and Revitalize Communities?)

Confused Identities: Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity.(P.L. Adams, J.R. Milner, and N.A. Schrepf, Fatherless Children, New York, Wiley Press).

Aggression: In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed “greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households.” (N. Vaden-Kierman, N. Ialongo, J. Pearson, and S. Kellam, “Household Family Structure and Children’s Aggressive Behavior: A Longitudinal Study of Urban Elementary School Children,” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 23, no. 5).

Achievement: Children from low-income, two-parent families outperform students from high-income, single-parent homes. Almost twice as many high achievers come from two-parent homes as one-parent homes. (One-Parent Families and Their Children, Charles F. Kettering Foundation).

Delinquency: Only 13 percent of juvenile delinquents come from families in which the biological mother and father are married to each other. By contract, 33 percent have parents who are either divorced or separated and 44 percent have parents who were never married. (Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Social Services).

Criminal Activity: The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families. Source: A. Anne Hill, June O’Neill, Underclass Behaviors in the United States, CUNY, Baruch College.

A unique Swiss government study (presented in 2000) revealed:

If the mother & father attend church regularly:

33% of their children will end up attending church regularly

25% of their children will end up not attending at all

If mother attends church regularly & the father does not attend church at all:

2% of their children will end up attending church regularly

60% of their children will end up not attending at all

If the father attends church regularly & mother does not attend church at all:

44% of their children will end up attending church regularly

34% of their children will end up not attending at all. (NOTE: higher than if the mother and father both attend!)

Now look at the numbers from the survey released by the Baptist Press:

If the mother is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 17% probability that everyone in the household will follow.

If the father is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 93% probability that everyone in the household will follow!

God has given great power and influence to fathers. Dads, don’t squander it!

“I Have a Dream.”

Posted on January 15, 2012 by jeff warren

On the 15th of this month, 83 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 28th, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech that would shake a nation and the world (and as a pastor/preacher- one who traffics constantly in words- I believe 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, 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 4th 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?

Keeping God’s People Attentive to God

Posted on October 28, 2011 by jeff warren

Eugene Peterson is best known for his brilliant work presented in “The Message”- a paraphrase of the New Testament that has challenged millions to read the Bible in a different and enlightening way. As a former professor in my doctoral work, I have followed him from afar as a mentor in pastoral ministry. His writings regarding the role of the pastor are his best. His trilogy- “Contemplative Pastor”, “Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work”, “Under the Unpredictable Plant”- on pastoral leadership have encouraged and challenged me through the years. I’m inspired and troubled by his words below and I want my fellow pastors to be as well.

“American pastors are abandoning their posts, left and right, and at an alarming rate. They are not leaving their churches and getting other jobs. Congregations still pay their salaries. Their names remain on the church stationary and they continue to appear in pulpits on Sundays. But they are abandoning their posts, their calling. They have gone whoring after other gods. What they do with their time under the guise of pastoral ministry hasn’t the remotest connection with what the church’s pastors have done for most of twenty centuries.
A few of us are angry about it. We are angry because we have been deserted…. It is bitterly disappointing to enter a room full of people whom you have every reason to expect share the quest and commitments of pastoral work and find within ten minutes that they most definitely do not. They talk of images and statistics. They drop names. They discuss influence and status. Matters of God and the soul and Scripture are not grist for their mills.
The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeeper’s concerns– how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money.
Some of them are very good shopkeepers. They attract a lot of customers, pull in great sums of money, develop splendid reputations. Yet it is still shopkeeping; religious shopkeeping, to be sure, but shopkeeping all the same. The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of success that will get the attention of journalists.
The biblical fact is that there are no successful churches. There are, instead, communities of sinners, gathered before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does his work in them. In these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is called pastor and given a designated responsibility in the community. The pastor’s responsibility is to keep the community attentive to God. It is this responsibility that is being abandoned in spades.”
-Eugene Peterson

Lord God, break us. Keep us on task, seeking to please you alone, glorifying our Savior to the end.

The Ten Traits of a Healthy Family

Posted on August 31, 2011 by jeff warren

1. They have an irrational commitment to each member of the family. They display an illogical love for one another, spread lavishly and without discretion. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1 Driven by 1 John 3:1, stunning amounts of love, kindness, and forgiveness are shared to family member.

2. They communicate with truth and grace. Mom and Dad model Ephesians 4:15 How we treat our spouse (and how we extend grace to our family members) will confirm or contradict what we believe about God.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15 Create an atmosphere where truth can be discussed, regardless of how difficult it may be to talk about.

3. They affirm the value and uniqueness of each member of the family. Each person is loved for free and without judgment. His or her opinions and feelings are always honored.
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 Celebrate the uniqueness of each child in our family. “I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

4. They vow never to abuse, shame, control, or intimidate one another. “Oh, children are resilient- they bounce back.” No children are fragile and understanding that children are fragile- no emotional, verbal, or physical abuse is tolerated in any way and is immediately confronted. Consider the power of words.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Philippians 4:5
Unkind words are not tolerated- “We do not talk to each other like that in our family.” Parents: You must model kind words and challenge this early on.

5. They share a strong spiritual foundation. Parents recognize that a “mild
dose” of God will never cultivate a life that has Christ at the very center, guiding every aspect of life (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). There is no abdication of spiritual formation- no outsourcing to the church. We create spiritual orphans, spiritual schizophrenics. Complete disconnect! What’s your goal parents? There’s a big difference between a young person who goes to church & one who is truly sold out to God.

6. They teach respect for others. Racism, arrogant superiority, or disrespect
for people who are different is never tolerated. Jesus added to the Shema that we should love each other as we love ourselves:
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’.” Matthew 22:39
When you see a child who is different than other kids ask, “What would it feel like to be that kid?” Teach your children to love and honor all people- adopt Martin Luther King Jr.s’ dream for our nation. Help your children dream of the day when every person- Hispanic, black, Asian, European and all people will know that they are loved with the unprejudiced, unbiased, and unrestrained love of Jesus.

7. They instill a sense of responsibility in one another. Each member knows that they must take responsibility for their own actions and face the consequences of their poor choices. Self-esteem does not result from simply heaping large amounts of affirmation and praise. It happens when a child learns to be responsible.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:8-10
Let the consequences do the teaching. It’s God’s way- and parents too often get in the way of what God wants to do, simply through the consequences of choices made or not made. Parents: Do NOT rescue your child. This takes courageous parenting- it takes faith- to believe that God will work in your children’s life as He sees fit. When you let the consequences do the teaching you place that child in the hands of God.

8. They play together. This is so important. Laughter and fun mark a family that builds strong relationships with one another.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

9. They celebrate rituals and traditions together. This gives the family a sense of constancy and permanence. They know that the love and commitment of the family will never change- this year, next year, and the next…
“Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not instruct you and tell you? Will they not bring forth words from their understanding?” Job 8:8-10

10. They seek help when they come to an impasse. They understand that all families have issues that may need outside or professional help and they are not afraid to ask for help when needed.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

God is very clear about the kind of families He wants us to have. Let us follow His principles and seek to honor Him in our families.

REAL MEN DO.

Posted on June 16, 2011 by jeff warren

What we have in our culture today is the tragic absence of real men living dangerously for Christ. Real men are faithful, courageous, humble, and pure. Real men do what God has commanded.

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” Proverbs 11:3

A contrast between two men

David- (2 Samuel 11) A quick snap shot (vs. 1-5) of David’s life shows how one decision can lead to a series of consequences- for which he would pay the rest of his life.
Joseph- (Genesis 39) A quick snap shot from Joseph’s life reveals what happens when a man determines ahead of time that he will live a life of purity and practice a “no-tolerance” rule when it comes to sin. (vs. 6-10)

1. Real men don’t run from their fears. David had not yet determined that he would live a life of purity. He had not yet found that his worth, his identity and value, is found in God and in Him alone. He was afraid and sought to find his identity where many men think it is found- through the attraction of a woman.

Real men face the truth about who they are. The secret fear of men is that they don’t have what it takes. “I’m fearful; I feel weak. I don’t think I have what it takes.” And because men tend to define their worth through their performance- a man’s greatest fear is the fear of failure. Some of men live with a private life of sin and are afraid to ask others into their struggles to help them.

What are you running from? Real men confront the truth about their sin before it destroys them. Be honest; be open. You’re only as sick as your secrets.

2. Real men don’t let lust consume them. Sexual sin and lust is the greatest area of temptation for men. Men take their souls’ search for validation in all kinds of directions but the most common is in the sexual direction. This is why pornography is such a problem among men. Men are more visually stimulated than women but the driving force behind pornography is the fear of not measuring up as a man. They seek validation and as sexual beings many men fanaticize about being desirable- because deep down they do not feel accepted, validated, and loved.

Real men fight to live lives of purity. And it is a fight- it is every man’s battle. And men, you are either winning the battle, or you are losing the battle.

Where/when are you most vulnerable? Like David, it’s probably when you’re not where you ought to be. You must remain accountable at all times. And like Joseph, you must learn to RUN from temptation. Here’s a verse I memorized when I was a young person-

2 Timothy 2:22 -“Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

3. Real men don’t cheat on their wives. This is for the men: Punks cheat on their wives. Spineless, weak men cheat on their wives. “Spineless” because these men are not willing to face their fears- what’s really driving them- their struggle for validation. Conquering women is not for the strong, but weak men. Because…

Real men stay committed for life. Real men who are not married, live lives of purity. Real men who are married have eyes for one woman. Here’s a word for all married men- your wife is your main accountability partner. Talk to her about your struggles. Key question (answered only by courageous, godly men).

What does she need to know about you?

4. Real men don’t abdicate their leadership in the home. Many men struggle with this one because, whereas work is task-focused, the family is relationship-focused. Work is about doing; family is about being. Men: You DO your job; you LOVE your family. It is when we reverse the order that the tension escalates and the tug of war begins.

Real men accept the God-given responsibility to be leaders in the home. Dad- you have a moral responsibility to be the leader in your home. This is why I remind my church family over and over again- I’m a husband first, a dad second, a pastor third. This church has many ministers (every member is a minister). Stacy has one husband and my children have one father. The pastor’s role is to always point others to Jesus. Here’s the question for every married man:

What if you brought the same intensity you bring to your work to your family? Who’s raising your kids? (Is it your wife? Your kids’ friends? The television or internet?)

5. Real men don’t neglect their children’s needs.

Real men are very present and attentive to their children’s needs. I like the way Andy Stanley puts it, in his book “Choosing to Cheat”. He says all men must “choose to cheat”- you will cheat your family or you will “cheat” your work. It’s a matter of whom you choose to cheat. Someone will be your priority.

When family and work collide, who wins? Let me be bold with you men: At work you are expendable. Someday someone else will have your job. Someone else will be sitting at your desk. But at home you play a unique role. You are the only father your children will ever have- and only for a short season.

6. Real men don’t find their ultimate worth in their work.

Real men find their worth in Christ alone. Another key question:

Where do you find your worth? Real men constantly run to Jesus for their worth and significance in life. He lone can provide a man with ultimate value and worth.

7. Real men don’t watch others lead in the church. I praise God for the men and women who give their time, energy, and their gifts to the Lord’s work through our church. I think we all know that without the leadership of women, the church would have to close shop tomorrow. But…

Real men seek to be servant leaders in the church. They want to be an example of one who serves the Lord- for their wives, their children, and the community. Real men devote their time to the work of God by using their God-given gifts to serve Him. Only then will a man find true fulfillment in life- by fulfilling God’s purposes. God has called you to be a man of influence.

What is your ministry of influence?

Will you be a REAL MAN?

The Role of the Pastor

Posted on May 26, 2011 by jeff warren

Dr. Robert Creech, Professor of Christian Ministries and Director of Pastoral Ministries at Truett Seminary, has faithfully served as the interim of the First Baptist Church of McKinney, Texas. As an outstanding interim, his messages have been intended to prepare the FBC family for the arrival of the new pastor, Dr. Richard Lee. (I am very excited about his arrival and coming tenure as the pastor there). I received a few excerpts from a recent sermon that I thought were outstanding.

The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes.
He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
He works from 8am until midnight and sets a good example as a husband and father.
The perfect pastor makes $200 a week, wears nice clothes, drives a good car, makes good buys, and gives $100 a week to the church.
He is 29 years old and has 40 years of experience.
The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior adults.
He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church.
He makes 15 home visits a day and is always in his office to be handy when needed.
He always has time for the church council and all of the various committees.
He never misses the meeting of any church organization and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched.

This portion below (from Eugene Peterson) is especially powerful and I am sharing it with my friends who are pastors. It’s also a great word for all church leaders and members.

“Century after century, Christians continue to take certain persons in their communities, set them apart, and say, “You are our shepherd. Lead us to Christ likeness.” Yes, their actions will often speak different expectations, but in the deeper regions of the soul, the unspoken desire is for more than someone doing a religious job. If the unspoken were uttered, it would sound like this:

“We want you to be responsible for saying and acting among us what we believe about God and Kingdom and Gospel. We believe that the Holy Spirit is among us and within us. We believe that God’s Spirit continues to hover over the chaos of the world’s evil and our sin, shaping a new creation and new creatures. We believe that God is not a spectator, in turn amused and alarmed at the wreckage of world history, but a participant.”

“We believe that the invisible is more important than the visible at any one single moment and in any single event that we choose to examine. We believe that everything, especially everything that looks like wreckage, is material God is using to make a praising life.”

“We need help in keeping our beliefs sharp and accurate and intact. We don’t trust ourselves; our emotions seduce us into infidelities. We know we are launched on a difficult and dangerous act of faith, and there are strong influences intent on diluting or destroying it. We want you to give us help. Be our pastor, a minister of Word and sacrament in the middle of this world’s life. Minister with Word and sacrament in all the different parts and stages of our lives – in our work and play, with our children and our parents, at birth and death, in our celebrations and sorrows, on those days when morning breaks over us in a wash of sunshine, and those other days that are all drizzle. This isn’t the only task in the life of faith, but it is your task. We will find someone else to do the other important and essential tasks. This is yours: Word and sacrament.”

“One more thing: We are going to ordain you to this ministry, and we want your vow that you will stick to it. This is not a temporary job assignment but a way of life that we need lived out in our community. We know you are launched on the same difficult belief venture in the same dangerous world as we are. We know your emotions are as fickle as ours, and your mind is as tricky as ours. That is why we are going to ordain you and why we are going to exact a vow from you. We know there will be days and months, maybe even years, when we won’t feel like believing anything and won’t want to hear it from you. And we know there will be days and weeks and maybe even years when you won’t feel like saying it. It doesn’t matter. Do it. You are ordained to this ministry, vowed to it.

There may be times when we come to you as a committee or delegation and demand that you tell us something else than what we are telling you now. Promise right now that you won’t give in to what we demand of you. You are not the minister of our changing desires, or our time-conditioned understanding of our needs, or our secularized hopes for something better. With these vows of ordination we are lashing you fast to the mast of Word and sacrament so you will be unable to respond to the siren voices.”

“There are many other things to be done in this wrecked world, and we are going to be doing at least some of them, but if we don’t know the foundational realities with which we are dealing – God, Kingdom, Gospel – we are going to end up living futile, fantasy lives. Your task is to keep telling the basic story, representing the presence of the Spirit, insisting on the priority of God, speaking the biblical words of command and promise and invitation.”

Missional Church-Simple.

Posted on December 31, 2010 by jeff warren

2011 Resolution for pastors and church leaders: Turn your church inside out for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of the Gospel, for the sake of the mission of Jesus… for the sake of your congregation.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxfLK_sd68]

Pastor: follower, leader, servant, debtor

Posted on October 2, 2010 by jeff warren

I’ve been called to be a pastor. Paul wrote, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…” “Pastors and teachers is actually one word in the Greek- it could be said, “shepherd/instructor”. Clearly my first calling is not to a position or a place but to a Person. My highest calling (like any believer) is to Jesus Himself. My role as a pastor is love God with all my heart and to love others- more than I love myself. My task as a pastor is to communicate God’s vision for His church and to shepherd the people as together we accomplish the mission God.

“The first task of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say, “thank you”. In between the leader is a servant and a debtor.” Max Depree

I love Max Depree’s definition of the role of a leader. My first task is to tell the Truth- whether people want to hear it or not. The Bible gives us His truth. And I know that I am a servant and that I indebted to anyone who will allow me to lead. It was Andy Stanley who said, “leadership is a stewardship, it’s temporary, and you’re accountable”. All of us are accountable before God Almighty for the vocation (“calling”) He has given us.

My primary role is to stay close to Jesus. My highest calling is to Christ Himself- to stay so close to Him, to listen to Him and obey Him in my role as pastor. The priorities of my life will be guided by Scripture: God first, my wife second, my family, and my ministry. I will live openly and authentically before you. I follow the apostles example in Acts 6:1-4. I will devote my life to prayer and to my personal walk with Jesus Christ. This is true for me- but it is true of you as well- as a parent, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate… if you’re not walking closely with Jesus, everyone around you becomes a victim of your unspiritual life.

I long to walk so closely with Jesus that I could join Paul who said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 Copy me as I copy Jesus. The pastor’s role is to point everyone to Jesus. I don’t want to waste my life- and I know you don’t want to either. God is calling us into this great adventure that is His redemptive mission- to bring hope and healing to our world. If a church can determine to align all things (both personally and corporately) with His mission, that church will change the world. Let the journey begin.

Core vs. Non-core (Part 3)

Posted on March 29, 2010 by jeff warren

In Parts 1 and 2 we noted that a church focused on the Gospel will be a place of grace. Grace will lead to inclusion, which will lead to diversity, and diversity to varied opinions regarding preferences and ultimately, conflict. Critical to the leadership of any great church is a radical commitment to the core- the Gospel. As the Gospel is defined, examined, scrutinized, lived out, and shared, the Church finds herself on mission with Jesus. By definition then, the non-core is exposed as such because it is not at the core of the Church’s message and activity.

The challenge comes when there are differences of opinion regarding what’s really core. How do you determine what is core? It’s actually much easier than most Christians realize. There was a little-known reformer (born in 1854), Rupertus (Peter) Meldenius who is famous for one quote (that has been wrongly attributed to others like Martin Luther):

“In Essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.”

A not-so-well-known pastor would say it like this: “In core issues, unity; non-core, freedom. In all things, grace.” These words have, for a long time, formed somewhat of an Evangelical credo. Evangelicals (like Baptists) have traditionally believed that there are certain doctrines that form the core of the Christian faith. They are called “cardinal (essential, core) doctrines.” They are what we might call the sine quo non- the “without which, not”-of the Christian faith. In other words there are certain doctrines that when denied, by definition, give evidence that a person does not have the basic core beliefs that must be present in the truly regenerate person. Included in this credo is the belief that there are certain doctrines that are “non-essential” or “non-cardinal”. What I’ve always called, “non-core”.

3 tests that reformers, evangelicals, and Baptists have used through the ages:

1. Historicity: Does the doctrine have universal historical representation?

2. Clarity (Perspicuity): Is the doctrine represented clearly in Scripture? One of the principles that the reformers sought to communicate is what they called “perspicuity”- the (clarity) of Scripture.

3. Explicity: Does the passage of Scripture explicitly teach that a certain doctrine is essential? The Scriptures speak about a great many things but the Bible is often explicit with regards to that which is of essential importance. For example, Paul says to the Corinthians, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4; emphasis mine). The “of first importance” tells us that Christ’s death and resurrection “for our sins,” from Paul’s perspective, is an essential component of Christianity. Without such, according to Paul, there is no Christianity (1 Cor. 15:12ff). The Gospel of John also speaks about the importance of faith. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:18).

All three of these three criteria must be present. If one or more is lacking concerning a particular doctrine, it is not possible for us to legitimately argue for its core essentiality. As well, all three feed off each other and are somewhat self-regulating. In other words, if someone doubts whether something is clear in Scripture, all he or she has to do is look to history. If something is not clear in the Scripture, it will not find that it passes the test of history. This is why it is of vital importance that Christians not only be good exegetes, but also good historians.

Christians have always argued over what’s core and what’s not. In fact, it has been the ruin of many great Christian movements. There will always be those who want to bring focus, energy, and time to non-core preferences, forms, and issues- believing them to be something worth such time and effort. It is critical for any church, ministry, or denomination to stay focused on the Great Truth of the Gospel, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission. In the end, the center of all focus, attention, and energy is brought to the Great Person of the Gospel, Christ Jesus our Lord. As we bring our full devotion to Him the Core becomes very narrow and self-evident. Let us unite around Him (Matthew 6:33) and all else will follow.

Core vs. Non-core (Part 2)

Posted on March 26, 2010 by jeff warren

In Part 1 I noted that a church devoted to the Gospel as the core message and proclamation will be a church in which grace is central in all things. We noted a progression that takes place in churches devoted to the Gospel:

Grace -> Inclusion -> Diversity -> Differences/preferences -> Conflict

The more grace is offered the more diversity a church will experience and logically, the more conflict will follow. Now, I use the word conflict, not as a negative one, but as a positive (or at least necessary) outcome and means toward even more grace. Think about it: the greater the diversity, the more grace is necessary. So it becomes grace upon grace. Grace abounds in a church like this.

So, pastors- and the people of the church- are called to a difficult challenge (that only God can accomplish). In a diverse congregation the pastor must lead in a way that honors the Lord and brings unity to the Body. However, too many people (pastors included) believe this means that we simply maintain status quo. Certainly this is the easiest way, but it is not God’s Way. As a pastor, I know that when God speaks to me regarding my congregation, I must obey- regardless of what I think.

Here’s how I describe the constant role of the senior pastor:

Preserve the core AND (at the same time) stimulate progress and innovation.

I’m indebted to Jim Collins for helping me grasp this coexisting task of great leaders. First, the role of the pastor is to constantly preserve the core. By definition, to be core, to be essential means that it is not be open to change- never. It means it never has been changed and never will be. If it is non-core, however, it must be open to change (or it has, by default, become core). This is the stuff heresy is made of- either core issues becoming non-core or non-core issues becoming core. This is how the Church has moved forward for 2,000 years: Preserving the core while stimulating progress and innovation. Any great church will be devoted to the core (and be united around the core) and we will not allow non-core issues to divide. This is a Spirit-led strategy of leadership for a pastor and the leaders of any great church.

Of course the challenge comes when we start talking about what is core and what is not core. How do you define what it is core? And we all respond in unison: “The Bible is our authority!” How do you know (biblically) what is core and what is not core? Let’s look at that in Part 3.