David Tarkington

What's Next After "Four Zero"?

We have been systematically working through the last seven statements of Jesus on the cross. Through the ministry and resources provided by Worktalk and Geoff Shattock, we have been challenged and blessed to see how the final six hours of work Jesus did on the cross have become a template for us today. It is a model for how we are to "carry our crosses" daily into the workforce and world we live in, all for the glory of God.

But, what's next?

Many times when churches and Christ-followers embark on forty day studies, there is a sense of completion on Day 41. This is not all bad, in that it is good to complete a task. However, if what is learned is shelved on day 41, it truth is we miss the point of the journey.

In truth, FOUR ZERO is a beginning of a life-long journey. It is not just a program or a book to be completed. It is about living for Christ daily.

So, with that in mind, Geoff has put together this short video message of encouragement and challenge for us.

Also, be sure to check out www.worktalk.gs for more details.

Note that we still have Daily Guides available. Though our church-wide journey has come to an end, the forty day strategy can begin again, or for some the first time, at at any time. Perhaps you have some co-workers who would like to join you on a journey of the cross? Daily Guides are $10 each and available in the church office.

"Meat and Gravy". . .Don't Read Devotional Guides and Forsake the Bible

I have numerous devotional books in my office. I have even read some of them. There are those by deep thinkers like Oswald Chambers. Others by noted Christian leaders and teachers like Max Lucado and Billy Graham. In fact, as a church family, we are using a "Daily Guide" provided by Worktalk for the forty days of learning leading up to Easter.

 

While each of these guides offers something of value, I fear that sometimes we (and I mean all of us) sometimes substitute these devotional guides and inspirational thoughts "of the day" for actual time reading the Word of God.

 

It's like settling for the gravy, but neglecting the steak. I like both, but I'm not ordering a cup of gravy. I want the meat.

One that that must be remembered is that only the Word of God is inerrant. The daily guides and devotional books cannot claim that. While offering insight into Scripture and often stories to help make a point, the Word of God alone is infallible. 

In fact, there are some sections in our current daily devotional books that I take exception to. Oh, it's not so much the thought of the day and certainly not the Scripture passage. It's the "Quote to Note." Some of these quotes placed in the book to give it a sense of modernity and heft are taken from individuals whose lives are far from Christlike and their stated religious beliefs at the opposite extreme of orthodox Christianity and evangelicalism. While the quotes are good (mainly because they're taken out of context and seem to affirm the day's thought) the fact of the matter is they do little more than clutter the page.

So. . .I've been reminded once again that devotional thoughts, devotional books and modern illustrations are good, but the meat has been and always shall be the Word of God.

Read your devotional books, but do not do so to the exception of reading the Bible. The Word of God is living and active. Through it God speaks and affirms. His will is expressed through it.

Enjoy your devotional guides and books. Read them. I do. Use them to unite as a family and small group on a subject.

Remember, though, the devotional books are just the "gravy." The Bible is the "meat." 

Who's Your Jesus?

A few weeks back a friend of mine shared a book on Nook (nice app - you can share books for up to 14 days.) The book is titled Imaginary Jesus and is written by Matt Mikalatos. It's hard to classify the book. It's not really non-fiction. It's not a novel. One reviewer said it was C.S. Lewis meets Monty Python. Perhaps.

The book description on Amazon states this:

Imaginary Jesus is an hilarious, fast-paced, not-quite-fictional story that’s unlike anything you’ve ever read before. When Matt Mikalatos realizes that his longtime buddy in the robe and sandals isn’t the real Jesus at all, but an imaginary one, he embarks on a mission to find the real thing. On his wild ride through time, space, and Portland, Oregon, he encounters hundreds of other Imaginary Jesuses determined to stand in his way (like Legalistic Jesus, Perpetually Angry Jesus, and Magic 8 Ball Jesus). But Matt won’t stop until he finds the real Jesus—and finally gets an answer to the question that’s haunted him for years. Be warned: Imaginary Jesus may bring you face-to-face with an imposter in your own life.

 

Since I haven't had the time to sit and read this book for hours on end, I'll probably end up purchasing it because the free 14-day borrow will end soon. I am about halfway through and I must say the concept of the imaginary Jesus is intriguing. It echoes things I have thought and said for years. I even find myself guilty of creating my own imaginary Jesuses at times.

As a believer, I stand firmly on the Word of God believing that it is inerrant and that the Jesus described within those pages is the authentic man (Son of God & God the Son.) Yet, culture has a way of leading us to re-create Jesus in our own image.

This has been the case for years. That's why the short Jewish man from Nazareth is depicted as a tall, very white, European man, sometimes with blue eyes, in many classic works of art. While it's easy for us to identify these depictions of Jesus to be wrong, it become more difficult to clearly see how the Jesuses we create are just as wrong.

Mikalatos introduces and describes many imaginary Jesuses in his book. You may recognize some of them. 

• KJJ "King James Jesus" - This Jesus speaks only in King James English. There are many "thees" and "thous" coming from the mouth of this one. 
• Harley Jesus - This one wears a leather vest and has a tattoo or two. He's not just a biker, he's a "holy roller."
• Liberal Social Services Jesus - This one has arms and legs and works hard to clean up areas and serve the community, but has no mouth. That's because he never says anything about why he does this. He just lives in the social gospel. There's also a Jesus on the other end that has no arms, but has a really big mouth. All he does is talk down to people, but never serves them.
• 8 Ball Jesus - This one is like the Magic 8 Ball toy that has been around for years. Ask this Jesus anything and he'll answer like the 8 Ball. It's all chance with fortune like answers.
• Patriotic Jesus - This Jesus is "red, white and blue" and loves America (more than any other nation) and basically wraps the flag around everything.
• Political Jesus - Yes, he's exactly what he sounds like. This Jesus is intent on changing the world by electing the "right" people into office. 
• Testosterone Jesus - This is my favorite. This is the "men's retreat Jesus" who talks grunts like Tim Allen on Home Improvement and spouts lines from Braveheart whenever he gets the chance. "Free-e-e-e-e-e-e-dom!!!!" He also cries alot and tells men to be better husbands and fathers all the time (when he's not quoting Braveheart.)
• The Secret Society of Imaginary Jesuses - These guys are basically like the Jesus Seminar, only imaginary.

There are others scattered throughout the book like CEO Jesus, Hippie Jesus, Legalist Jesus, Health Nut Jesus, iPod Jesus, and others. This reminds me of the Buddy Christ from the film Dogma (no I didn't see the film, but I have seen the "Buddy Christ" figure - pictured to the right.) It's funny how Christians were so upset about the "Buddy Christ" imagery and the film (and rightfully so) but many continue to create their own personal caricatures of Jesus.

 

As I read (the portion I had the chance to) this book, I couldn't help but  do a little self-evaluation. What Jesus have I created in my own image? Am I guilty of this? 

Unfortunately, I believe I have been at times, and to be honest, so is just about every believer I have ever met. I guess since we are image-bearers of the Creator, we tend to create. It's just in this case, we create what we feel is right, but it's, oh, so wrong.

The authentic, biblical Jesus does not need to be recreated into our image or for our cultural acceptance. While we lament that many unbelievers truly do not know who Jesus is, the reality is that many church-attenders and "Christians" tend to see a Jesus who is not truly the real deal. Even true believers can slide into this.

While this is not really a review of Imaginary Jesus (I can't review a book I haven't finished,) the subject matter did cause me to question. Questioning is not a bad thing. Isn't it the Truth that sets us free?

So. . .who's your Jesus?

Is he one listed above? Is he the Patriotic Jesus, the Political one, or maybe the Liberal Social Services one? Maybe he's a mixture of some or a creation yet to be listed.

Is He the One revealed to us through Scripture or some other version?

Stick with the real one. You can read Mikalatos' book. It's fun, but I recommend you spend more time in The Book. Read the Gospel accounts of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.) The truth is there. It's evident who He is, what He came to do and what He is doing now. Don't settle for a cheap imitation.

John 14:6(ESV) 

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

Follow Me. . .Then What?

There are tons of books on leadership available. Just check out Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Amazon to see the numbers. Some are really incredible and greatly helpful. Others, not so much. Just looking up "Leadership" on Amazon.com results in 68,736 possibilities.

Years ago I was in the Loy Reed's office at the Florida Baptist Convention. This was during a time where Loy and I were seeking to know if God was calling me to serve our state convention as a BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministries) Director for one of our regions. Well, God didn't lead that way and with 20/20 hindsight, I can now see how God was leading me into pastoring a local church. Nevertheless, Loy is one of those guys who has the latest and greatest resources available when it comes to leadership and leadership training. He has since retired from the state convention, but I will always treasure that time when we were "seeking" together.

So, I'm standing in his office one day. We had just finished up a class on "Who Moved My Cheese?" He stepped out for a moment and I began looking at the books on his shelves. There were so many Blanchard and Maxwell books as well as numerous business stories and resources on leadership. One that caught my eye was titled Make It So: Leadership Lessons fro Star Trek: The Next Generation. I thought that it had to be the best of the books available. Just think, if I had read that book, I would now be leading this church where no man had gone before. We would be moving ahead, not on impulse engines, oh no. Warp factor 8 at least. Of course, there is always the issues with the Borg, but I'm sure that was covered in the book.

There are many good leadership books out there, but there really aren't any new ideas, even from Captain Picard. They're all repackaged ideas. One writer will resonate with a reader while another will connect with a different audience.

The thing about leadership is that unless someone is following, it's not really leadership. 

The question that was raised by some pastor friends of mine last week was "Where are you leading people to?" Now, I know that's a terrible question. Not so much because of the content of it, but the grammar. My ninth grade English teacher would be rolling over in her grave (presuming she's dead. She was about 90 when I was in her class years ago) because the sentence ended with the worth "to." Maybe I should school some of my pastor friends? Nevertheless, the point of the question was understood. . .and it's easier to say than "To where are you leading your people?"

When you look to the Gospels, you see Jesus (the ultimate leader of men) calling out his disciples. 

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

There is a distinct and real destination. Jesus told his disciples, at least the group in this particular story, to turn from where they were headed, leave their families, professions and lifestyles to follow him. In turn, he would transform them and create in them a new identity. No longer would they be fishers of fish, but they would be fishers of men.

Have you ever wondered how this challenge even worked? These guys were hard at work and were probably in a culture where what they were doing that day was just like what their fathers and grandfathers had done for years. Was this what they were created to be? No. Christ saw in them what they could not see in themselves.

That's why the calling was so appealing. 

Follow me and I will make you into what you were intended to be. This will be an incredible journey, not without pain, but in the end, you will be the men God desires, for His glory. 

Now, that's appealing.

As pastors and Christian leaders we too have been called by God. In turn, we are given the great opportunity to lead and call others into the great story. 

The question, as my friends stated earlier, that must be asked is "What are you leading people to?"

Unfonuately, I think often we (the collective "we" as pastors and church leaders) lead people to a story that is not God's, or at least not the complete story and therefore, life change and total transformation is omitted. We often lead people to. . .

• Be a really nice guy or lady
• Be really good church members
• Have really good citizenship
• Be really patriotic
• Be involved in all church programs
• Etc.

You get the picture?

Christ led these men to fullness, through adventure. We cannot afford to sell the message short for the purpose of the kingdom (note the small "k" - designates a personal kingdom) rather than the Kingdom.

Why The Church Doesn't Need Small Group Leaders

I'm a Sunday School guy. I say that proudly. I grew up in church hearing the message "You grow a church through it's Sunday School." I even focused on Religious Education in seminary because I believed so much in the small group (i.e. Sunday School) model for reaching a community for Christ.

I still believe the small group is essential, but . . .

Things are changing.

I know many cringe when you hear that word in church. It's almost a dirty word for some. . ."change."

The truth of the matter is, things are changing and yet, in a world of changes, we hold on to the truth that the Gospel never changes. That being said, we must continually discover the best ways to get this unchanging Gospel message to those who need it most.

By the way, those who need it most are the ones who aren't here every Sunday.

While I still believe the small group is a key to reaching our community, the old model and even old terms may not be best. Let me share something I just read from Pastor Matt Carter of the Austin Stone Church in Austin, Texas as they began to discover God's plan for being missional in their city.

We began investigating a new structure for relating to each other and to our neighborhoods, something we called missional communities. We began moving away from a traditional small group model that emphasized church community and evangelism by invitation. While this model continues to be popular at many churches, we saw several barriers in this model that kept us from truly engaging the people of the city who were not from a church background. The very people who needed to hear the gospel weren't able to establish relationships with those who were sharing the gospel.

Existing small group models typically aim for community first, but they often miss the mark and are ineffective at fostering either mission or community. Yet when they aim for mission first, they are effective at fostering mission and developing organic forms of community. When community was the focus, mission and community both suffered. But when mission takes priority, community naturally follows.

Interesting.

We decided that since disciple-making is best done by missionaries who are living out the Great Commission to specific people, we needed to redefine the identity of our community leaders, seeing them as missionaries rather than small group leaders.

(For the City by Patrick & Carter, p. 120)

When I read this, it was as if scales had fallen from my eyes. Community missionaries rather than small group leaders. Wow! I know it's just a term, but it redefines what we do completely. In fact, it's biblical. This doesn't mean that we disassemble the Sunday morning small group ministry, but it does mean that our leaders need to begin thinking of themselves as community missionaries. Look at it this way - if you are a leader in a married adult class for 30-40 year olds (I know the ages don't mean much around here, but you get the picture) then in a real sense, you have been called out to be a missionary for every married adult in our community in that age range. In the past, leaders just saw their "flock" as the group that showed up on Sunday. The emphasis was getting through the lesson on Sunday and maybe organizing the obligatory "fellowship" complete with BBQ and games for the kids every month or so. That's all good. . . .it's just doesn't have much to do with Kingdom growth.

This concept is still ruminating in my mind, but I'm excited about this. This moves our structure into a missional mode. However, names don't mean much unless the vision is understood.

Our ministry is like bifocal lenses - able to see far away and close up at the same time. The larger portion of the lens is the "far away" portion. In other words, the priority of our small groups must be outward mission first, then inward care. Too often we swap these.

Many churches will never get this. The jury is still out as to whether we will. The times, they are a changin'. I fear that what Ed Stetzer said is true, "If the 1950s ever come back, the SBC church is ready."

We must be a church in our time, for our time, for the glory of God.

Interesting. . .and exciting.

Questioning God

I have often said that God is not offended by our questions. In fact, He encourages them and definitely can handle them. I believe that honest, heart-felt questions can deepen our understanding of God and His will. You'll notice in Scripture there were numerous times when God's children questioned Him - and even asked for specific things. 

While standing by the oaks of Mamre, Abraham asked the Lord, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:25b)

At a very important time in his life, David asked the Lord two very specific questions:

After this David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." David said, "To which shall I go up?" And he said, "To Hebron." 2 Samuel 2:1-2 (ESV)

Now, most often in life, the types of questions that come to mind have to do with tragedies. Questions like "Why has my loved one been diagnosed with cancer?" or "Why did so-and-so have to die?" These are serious questions and God does not shy away from them, so ask. There are other questions that come to mind regarding direction in life. Questions like "Which college should I attend?" or "Should I even go to college?" or maybe "Should I take this job or that one?"

I remember questions I would ask as a child that were really serious like "Is the Loch Ness Monster real?" Still haven't received an answer on this one. Perhaps it's because the question isn't really that important.

As you know, if you've been reading recent postings, I've been reading Randy Alcorn's book The Treasure Principle. It's an incredible little book all about realizing God's plan for being glorified through our lives. This book addresses how we often view giving. I believe Christians often have a worldly view regarding giving. In truth, some churches and minisitries operate on a worldly plan as well. In some cases, there are churches and ministries who should never receive gifts, based on their teaching and financial practices. However, rather than just present another book or teaching on why everyone should tithe, Alcorn addresses the core issue regarding grace and giving and materialism.

At the end of the book, he has a listing of "31 Radical, Liberating Questions to Ask God About Your Giving." This is not just another "You need to tithe" study. It's not even based on guilt, which is incredible especially since most sermons and teachings in the church seem to be guilt-motivated. (BTW - guilt-motivated giving never lasts long and I'm not really sure it's even God-honoring.) This is about experiencing God's grace fully and living our lives in His honor, for His Kingdom. I've summarized these questions below. I highlighted many portions of these questions in my book, so I thought I'd highlight them below as well. Guess these are the ones that really get me. Get a copy of the book here to read and to get the expanded questions with biblical references.

Questions to Ask God About My Giving (The Treasure Principle, 99-120)

1. Time and again in Your Word, Lord, You make a direct connection between experiencing grace and expressing grace through giving. Grace is your lightning, and giving is our thunder in response. So here's my question: Has the degree of my giving suggested that I have recognized and embraced the full extent of Your grace in my life? Or does it suggest I need to recognize and respond to Your grace in deeper and more heartfelt ways?
2. Could it be You have rased me up - with the financial assets You've entrusted to me - for such a time as this?
3. Is my life revolving around You? Since money and things have mass, and mass exerts gravity, and gravity holds us in orbit, what can I give away that will bring me greater freedom?
4. Have I been acting as if I own the store and You work for me, rather than recognizing that You own it and I work for You?
5. Where in my community - or in the whole world - do You want me to go, to see and participate in meeting physical and spiritual needs through Christ-centered ministries?
6. Why have You entrusted me with greater financial blessings than I once had? I guess I've assumed You've done it to raise my standard of living. But now, I'm asking "Is it instead to raise my standard of giving?"
7. Have I overaccumulated? Have I allowed unwise spending and accumulating debet to inhibit my giving to You?
8. I've wondered why You haven't blessed me more financially. Could it be that I've been spending money myself first, rather than giving You the firstfruits of what You've provided?
9. Is it ever irresponsible for me to give to You now - no matter what my situation - rather than wait until later?
10. Would it honor You if I determined a basic level of income and assets sufficient to live on, then simply gave away whatever You provide beyond that?
11. Will the assets, accounts, and holdings I've stored up on earth be wasted if You return in my lifetime?
12. Doesn't the fact that You've entrusted Your money to me, not others, indicate that You want me - during my lifetime - to invest in eternity, rather than passing along that responsibility to my children?
13. How can I be sure that the assets You've entrusted to me will serve You after I die? If my children are adults and independent, should I just give away now what I can and, when I die, leave most of what remains to my church or missions or ministries that are close to Your heart?
14. What's the eternal downside in giving as much as I can give to You now? What's the eternal downside of minimizing my giving or delaying giving until later? Is there a real danger in giving too much too soon? Or is the true danger in giving too little too late?
15. You've prompted me to give now. If I delay that giving - for whatever reason - is it possible I may die before I get a chance to give it later? Or, might the money disappear before I get around to giving it?
16. By postponing giving, will my heart become hardened to Your promptings to give?
17. Since I have no choice but to leave money behind when I die, is it really "giving" to designate through my will the distribution of my estate? Will I rob myself the joy and reward and rob You of my trust by holding on, until death, to significant assets I could have joyfully given to You while still alive?
18. Why are my eyes so often focused on temporary, earthly investments with such pitifully small returns? Who could match Your promise of 10,000 percent (a hundredfold return)?
19. Help me see clearly when it comes to where I give Your money. Am I giving to causes You truly value most? Opera? Art museums? The Humane Society? As good as those things may be, are they as close to Your heart as evangelism, discipleship, church planting, or helping the poor, the disabled, the imprisoned, and the unborn and their mothers?
20. Since I make twice as much money as most people do [globally], might giving away half of what I have be a reasonable Christ-honoring option for me?
21. If I'm not putting everything on the table and asking You what You want me to do with it, am I really Your disciple?
22. Why do I hang on to my possessions with a white-knuckle grip? Am I trying to prove something? Is it about pride? Power? Prestige? Selfishness? Insecurity? Fear? Without realizing it, am I making money my God-substitute?
23. Am I living to hear others say of me "He's a great success!" - or to have You say to me, "WEll done, My good and faithful servant"?
24. Is my fear of health-related catastrophes and old age causing me to hold back my giving? When it comes right down to it, am I hanging on to excess as a backup plan in case You fail me?
25. Are my material assets competing for lordship in my life with You?
26. What specifically am I hanging on to that You want me to give away?
27. How can I better communicate and pray with my spouse and children so we can walk together down this exhilarating road of giving?
28. What am I doing - and what should I be doing - to train my children to regular, joyful and generous givers?
29. Have I been missing out on blessing and joy by not excersiging the gift of giving?
30. If I am a giver, who have I been teaching and mentoring in giving? Are you calling some to be examples who show others how to give and stir them to raise the bar of giving?
31. Five minutes after I die, what will I wish I had given away while I still had the chance?

These are incredible questions and force me to think about my concepts of giving and grace. I love the concept that God's grace is the lightning and our giving is the responsive thunder. Wow. That, and the concept of my material possessions having mass and the gravity from that mass holding me too tightly.

I choose to experience God's grace and freedom and do not want my "stuff" (which really isn't mine anyway) keeping me from this. How difficult in the affluent nation we live in where being patriotic and pursuing the "American Dream" is the driving force for many, is it to live as fully devoted followers of Christ? 

God is really working in me through this study. It's a study centered around shifting from self-centric living to God-centric living. It's about understanding that my salvation is not just a one time event, but continues throughout my lifetime through His sanctification. 

A Definition of Real Womanhood

The women from our church spent the weekend at Jekyll Island for the annual spring "Heart Matters Retreat." For the first time, a man was the guest speaker. That man would be me. I was honored to be able to share from material written by Robert Lewis, pastor, author and creator of Men's Fraternity. Now, why would information from a man who is best known as the founder of a men's ministry be relevant for our ladies?

Dr. Lewis is also the author of the book The New Eve which attempts to describe the authentic biblical woman in a world that is changing daily.

After working through the five key moves that women need to make in life, our ladies helped develop a simple definition of authentic, or REAL womanhood as defined in the Scripture. It's similar to the definition for manhood that we have been building upon in our men's ministry, but there are subtle differences.

This definition becomes the template for living life from the "inside out." 

A real woman. . .

• Rejects worldly temptation
• Expects the greater reward
• Actively pursues God's priorities
• Lovingly nurtures the next generation.

Some things to note about this definition as developed this weekend. To reject worldly temptation is the key starting point. It's key to realize that the Enemy is constantly tempting, saying the same lie he did to Eve in the Garden of Eden. That lie is "There's something more for you because God is holding out." This doesn't mean to settle for where you are in life spiritually, but to learn to be content in joy at the stage of life God has placed you.

To expect the greater reward references that this life here on earth is not all there is. We are to store up our treasures, not here on earth, but in heaven. 

The next section took a while for the ladies to develop. At first it was "Accept God's priorities" but that seemed passive. That almost seemed as if we were saying "Well, I don't like it, but I have to accept it," and that's not the point. To "actively pursue" the priorities of God reminds us that it is through action, through desire, through our lives that we seek God and His priorities.

The last one seems to speak only to mothers, but that' s not the case. To "lovingly nurture the next generation" does speak to motherhood, but also to those without children. There is a "next generation" on the way. The responsibility is for all women to lovingly nurture them, especially young girls. Even senior adult ladies see the relevance in this statement based on the teachings in Titus 2 where "older women" are to teach the "younger women."

It's a good definition and simple. There's more that could be said. It could be expanded, but at that point, it's hard to remember. So keep it simple. Keep it REAL.

The Church's "Starbucks" Moment

Yesterday I stopped by Starbucks to get a cup of coffee before a meeting. For once, I had an extra five bucks in my pocket. I noticed while the barista was creating my perfect cup of coffee that there was a new book for sale in the shop. The book is by Starbucks ceo (I found out that at Starbucks, all titles are lower-case) Howard Schultz. It's titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. Even though it would have been cheaper to pick this up on Amazon, as I flipped through it, I saw some things that intrigued me, so I purchased it. I found out I was the first person to buy the book at this particular Starbucks. The employee apologized for how long it took to figure out how to ring it up with the free $5 gift card (and I wanted that gift card.)

I started reading it yesterday(just add it to the other three books I'm reading now) and began to notice some interesting principles. Now, I'm not one to read business books to discover answers to church and denominational issues, but sometimes God just makes things so clear. And. . .I was heading to a denominational meeting where we were discussing the future of certain entities and effectiveness of different ministries and programs.

I guess what prompted me to purchase the book was this paragraph in the fly-leaf:

On February 26, 2008, customers at 7,100 Starbucks stores in the US were asked to leave. For the next three hours every barista in every Starbucks was retrained in the art of making the perfect espresso. The act was unprecedented, but proof of just how dire things were becoming at a company that could once do no wrong.

I remember that day. It was unprecedented in the business world. Shutting down a business to retrain employees was very risky. Competitors jumped on it and offered 99 cent espressos while subtly stating that Starbucks was in trouble. The media was all over the story. Stephen Colbert had a special report on his show on Comedy Central about not being able to get his caffeine fix. Wall Street noticed and the stock price for Starbucks dropped. In fact, Schultz says that Starbucks lost about $6 million dollars in revenue by doing this. But, he states, it was worth it.

Why was it worth it? 

The company had grown exponentially. There were Starbucks stores all over the place. The loyal customer base liked this, but the expansion was too quick. Not only that, shortcuts were being taken in individual stores when producing the cups of coffee. While every Starbucks seemed similar (similar paint/wallpaper, same music playing, comfortable gathering places, etc.) there were very noticeable differences between stores. Schultz says the differences, which led to differing quality of product were the people working in the stores. People matter and with such quick growth, they (the employees) began to matter less. This was a problem.

I know, it's just a cup of coffee. What's the big deal, right?

Well, Starbucks had prided itself on its coffee and if the coffee was not just right, every time, problems would arise.

Starbucks has always been about so much more than coffee. But without great coffee, we have no reason to exist. (Schultz, 4)

This statement began to ruminate in my mind. It's about a product for Starbucks - the coffee. What about the church? There are so many things that local churches do, so many things the Association, State Convention and denomination do. Many of these things are "good," but the problem is that as time goes by, some begin to believe the reason the church exists is to do these "things" and therefore, the mission is either forgotten or minimized. Why does the church exist? Why do the denominational ministries exist? It's simple, really. . .to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment (that's for the church). The denominational groups exist not to do what the church should be doing, but to support and equip and enable churches to fulfill the mission.

Programs are developed, ministries are started, entities are built that seem good and godly, and most often are. These are known to be secondary to the main mission. The problem is that over time, the secondary missions can, and often do, become primary. 

We all know that Starbucks sells music CDs and books as well as coffee cups and mugs. We also know that even though you can buy these items in a Starbucks store, these items are not the business' primary mission or function. Starbucks is about the coffee and the people working there and the customer base. They seem to have forgotten these truths and therefore, the profit share dropped. Something had to be done.

We had to restore the passion and the commitment that everyone at Starbucks needed to have for our customers. Doing so meant taking a step back before we could take many steps forward. (Schultz, 5)

Many of our churches are in the same situation. God has strategically placed local churches in areas where the Gospel is to be proclaimed, people are to be loved, the message of Christ is to be clearly shown through words and actions. However, many churches have devolved into a "Christian club" that is busy (and oh, we're so busy) on secondary ministries while the primary mission continues to be ignored.

I was talking to a retired denominational servant yesterday about the "hey-days" of Southern Baptist life. These were the days, just a few decades ago, when programs ruled. The Baptist Sunday School Board (now LifeWay) was producing materials at breakneck speed for churches. Denominational agencies were running on all cylinders providing the latest programs for church growth and education. Baptisms were high. Then, something happened.

The times changed. (The message didn't, even though some thought it did.)

You see, in the old days, every Southern Baptist church used the same Sunday School literature, sang out of the same hymnal, most had the same Sunday schedule (9:45am - Sunday School, 11am Worship,) had Sunday night services preceded by Training Union, had a WMU, Brotherhood, RAs, GAs, Youth Choir, etc. We were a homogenous denomination for the most part. Most of the churches I grew up attending as a military kid even had the same floor plan.

Boy, that has changed. Just in our Association (Jacksonville Baptist Association) we have such a diversity of churches. There is no one size, fits all program any longer. Don't get me wrong, I like this. I'm not wishing to go back to the "every church is the same" model. If we did that, someone would force me to wear a tie on Sunday and I'd have to put the old pulpit back on the stage and get rid of our praise band.

Perhaps we have forgotten that it's all about the coffee? Or, in our case, the gospel?

Then came the economic downturn. You know what? God knew it was coming. That's hard for some folks to swallow. In fact, I've talked to some Christians who admit that thought has never crossed their mind. Yep, God knew the economic hard times were coming. You know what else? God is using it.

We (some churches and denominational organizations) had gone year to year increasing budgets and spending. We spiritualized it by labeling everything as "missions." You've heard it, haven't you? "Everything we do is missions." Sounds good. It's just not true. It's akin to the lie we tell ourselves that "Everything we do is evangelism." It's not.

So, perhaps what many churches are experiencing now, and I know state conventions, Associations and other SBC entities are facing is the "Starbucks" moment - the moment when it's time to risk losing in the short-term (i.e. the closing of all Starbucks for three hours) in order to get back on mission.

It's not easy. . .

There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage to make choices that go against reason, against common sens and the wise counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is the right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where are actions lead. (Schultz, 5)

Our leaning forward is different than Schultz's and Starbucks'. Our cause is much more important than sustaining a coffee business. Our calling is much deeper than a passion for a great cup of coffee. Our risks are not haphazard and man-made. Our leaning forward must be God-ordained, faith-based and risky in the sense that it doesn't rely on our safe stories, but in that it relies fully on the power of God.

Am I proposing shutting down every church and denominational office for three hours to retrain our people? Not like Starbucks. I believe we have already had that moment afforded to us. That was the purpose of the SBC Solemn Assembly held a couple of months ago. During that time, thousands of Southern Baptists were asked to come together, seeking God's desire and submit to His will. In truth, we were asked to stop "doing church" to spend time refocusing on what we are called to be. 

Perhaps we need to do this again? At least individually.

Maybe the church's and denomination's "Starbucks Moment" needs to begin with the individual's "Starbucks Moment?" Has the secondary become primary? Are you so involved in "your ministry" that sustaining it, maintaining it and funding it are the priorities? Over time, the natural shift is for the secondary "good" ministries we are involved in and/or develop to become the primary ministry. . .and that's the problem.

Conspiracies and the Cross Available in My Online Store

Now, I make no money on my online Amazon store, just making available some favorite books, CDs, movies in a central location.  The book I referenced this morning, Conspiracies and the Cross by Timothy Paul Jones, during the message is now available here.  I'll only be covering two of the conspiracies, but the rest are intriguing as well.  This book helps believers to refute the false teachings. Just click the title of the book above to read more and to purchase.

"Something Wicked This Way Comes" or "Why Does God Allow Evil in the World?"

With what has been happening in Orange Park and surrounding communities the past few weeks, more and more people are on edge, frightened, angry and wondering "Why would God allow these things to happen?"

Of course, I'm referring to the double homicide outside a Fleming Island nightclub, the Somer Thompson murder in Orange Park and the apparent Whitelaw murder-suicide in Fleming Island yesterday.  What is going on around here?

You know, when I talk and preach about the spiritual battle going on and the evil that is rampant, people nod their heads in agreement, but when the evil is seemingly in our backyard, it's incomprehensible. 

When interviewed last week for First Coast News, I was asked "Why does God allow this?" and knowing that video gets edited and sound bites sometimes don't give the full answer, I focused my answer on another subject - that God is ever present in the midst of tragedy.

However, the question still lingers in many minds.  Even for Christians.  Here's a good answer from the website www.gotquestions.org.

The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil, and desires to prevent evil, why does He not prevent evil? Perhaps a good way to look at this issue would be to consider some alternative situations for how people might have God run the world:

1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.

Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. In doing so, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to do their own thing. They chose to do their own thing. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us, and those around us.

2) Another choice would have God compensating for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100% of the time. For instance, if a drunk driver causes an automobile accident, God would have to keep him and the people in the other automobile from getting harmed, for there would be many people who could possibly be caused to suffer from the accident or the death / injury of those involved in the accident. God would have to keep the drunk driver from crashing into power lines, buildings, etc. because these things would cause innocent people to suffer.

Another instance might involve a lazy person plumbing a house, and he doesn’t bother to check the plumbing for leaks before the house is finished. God would have to make the plumbing not leak because otherwise the home buyers would have to suffer for the lazy person’s sin.

If a father gets addicted to drugs and spends all of his money on drugs, God would somehow have to miraculously provide both the food and the social needs of the children so that they would not have to be adversely affected by the evil of the parent.

In such a world, God would be like a bad parent who enables a wayward child’s destructive behavior. There would be no consequences for one’s actions, and as a result no one would learn integrity, purity, honor, responsibility, or self-control. There would be no “good consequences” for right behavior, no “bad consequences” for wrong behavior. What would people become except more deviant and sinful?

3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.

Instead of these or other options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to judge them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament Laws, He established laws that discourage and punish evil. He judged nations and kings who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially on the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).

In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. So He is able to do for those who will turn from evil and call on Jesus to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God for why He does not prevent all evil - we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences - Jesus Christ!

The answer above may not seem enough for some of you, but the reality is that God hates sin and evil and though the Enemy, Satan, has some power in this world, and it seems at times that God is nowhere to be found, remember. . .He is closer than you think.

We continue to pray for those who have suffered and are suffering from the recent incidents in our community.  The families and friends of those killed at the nightclub, the Thompson family and Dana Whitelaw.

Pray also for Grace Episcopal Church in Orange Park and Reverend Dunkle.  Dana is an active member of Grace and an employee at Grace Episcopal Day School.  This church and pastor will be serving and ministering to her during this time.

Pray for the Clay County Sheriff's Office.  These men and women are working diligently for us in each of these cases.

Recommended book:  Deliver Us From Evil by Ravi Zacharias