Blah Guy

Great 8 “Culture Makers” of the Compass Leadership Team

“Passion for the Lord”

Whenever a group of people (such as us) attempt to articulate what their culture is going to be, it’s important they realize who they are (currently), but who they also want to become (in the future). The scriptures talk about the Kingdom of God being here now, and still yet to come in the future. I love to think about the Kingdom as the Culture of God, the culture and environment the Lord desires to set up in his church, even though it may not look exactly that way right now.

I once saw something that changed my life. I was sitting at the top of the Onyx House guys’ floor as a sophomore in college and was doing my devotions. It happened to be a very early morning, like 5 or 6. As I studied the word, I looked outside and saw a young man walk by bouncing a basketball. It made no sense. No one plays basketball at 5 in the morning.

Since I knew someone who worked in Macarthur court, I asked him if he knew anyone that played basketball at 5 in the morning. He told me something that stayed in to my mind to this day. He said, “Every night during practice, Luke Ridnour leaves Mac Court and puts a piece of tape over the lock of the back door so that in the morning he can get up, before the rest of the world can even spell snore, and shoots free-throws, over and over and over.” The guy that walked by was Luke Ridnour.

Luke Ridnour is one of the best up and coming NBA stars that the Oregon Ducks has ever put out.

Something about that totally inspired me! I was inspired because I realized that this guy was willing to suffer and struggle to see his dreams come true. If it meant he got up early before the rest of us, he would do it. No doubt it was painful.

Why the story? When we talk about Passion for the Lord, it is important to know that Passion goes beyond just a feeling. Passion has little to nothing to do with feeling or emotion, rather, it means in Latin “to struggle”. That is why the cross of Christ is called “the Passion”. It was His pain, His struggle to save humanity at Calvary.

Two weeks ago I met with a woman from college-age who told me she took a night off from sleep to read the book of Mark…that was Passion.

I just got done talking to a guy at the House who is very frustrated with a friend but knows loving, encouraging, and supporting him is more important than “being right”…that was Passion.

I often meet college-age people who are frustrated with “the Church” and yet choose not to bicker and get mad, but to serve with all of their heart in the fashion of Jesus…that is Passion.

Jesus came to build a people of Passion. A people who will die for his cause. Not to kill or win battles, but to go to the cross and give up their very life after their savior.

There are two ways that I want to grow in Passion, and I invite you as a Leadership Team to grow as well.

• Be Passionate about Obedience – The book of Hebrews reads, “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Heb. 12:4) We should be passionate to give up anything that hinders our relationship with Jesus. Not to the point of being legalists and Pharisees, but I rarely am willing to “cut off my hand when it causes me to sin”. Jesus, though ever graceful and merciful, never allows his people to use that freedom as a license to do as they please. Remember this saying:

The People of the Lord are marked by their willingness to cut off anything that slows them down in their Love for their Lord.

May we strive to be a people who are willing to lie anything down for the sake of following Jesus. May the Lord show each of us what that is!

• Be Passionate about Relationship – Not just relationship with God, but also in regards to people! Paul, once when writing to a group of friends in Colossae wrote, “I want you to know who much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.” (Col. 2:1). He was referring mostly to his huge desire to pray for them and the struggle that that brought. Paul learned this lesson very well. He knew that suffering and pain were part of the game. Remember this as well:

Ministry without Struggle is an illusion.

There is no way that ministry can take place without hard core, painful, neck-breaking, long-suffering, struggle. Why though? Because in Jesus’ brilliant plan to take over the world, he decided a long time ago that he didn’t just want to change the world through us, but he wanted to change us.

To truly learn how to love someone means you embark on an adventure of pain and suffering. People make you grumpy. People hurt your feelings. People are people. If Jesus would have asked us to come and love a bunch of robots, he would have. He didn’t. Our mission field is a bunch of lonely, hurt, weird, happy, sad, mad, rebellious, stinky, smelly people. Jesus called them sheep.

Let us be passionate about loving people. Meaning, let us be willing to put aside comfort for the sake of loving people as Jesus did.

Jesus calls his followers to a lifestyle of Passion for his Name and Cause. Are you game? As we embark on this year together as a leadership team, one of the phrases you can never expect us to use is “that’s too hard”. Jesus calls us on his mission to see all people of every nation come to the throne of grace. Our comfort just might be our price.

Next week, I want us to talk about being a team. Why and how is that something that should be important for us?

Be blessed and have a great week!

AJ

There is small talk that “the office” may spin-off a show for Dwight. Read the article. Every believer in the world should pray that this doesn’t happen!

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

Tell us what you really think Jesus?

The poor, the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed? What is this talk?

Some revolutions* come and go in violence. Death is left in its wake like a plague eating humanity from the inside out. These revolutions always begin with one thing in mind. Conquest. Taking over. To have just one more pay taxes. Just a little more income; enfranchising, enforcement, encroachment.

Some revolutions begin with something else in mind. They are few and far between because there is little to be gained but much to be given. People are not locked down and controlled, they are released. Their chains are destroyed and put aside for want of new life and freedom.

One revolution brings chains; another breaks them.

Listen to the words of this Jesus. He mentions all the unmentionables. Beggars, murderers and child molesters, people who need glasses (and those who altogether can’t see a thing), those who make less than minimum wage. And with one swoop of the savior, all things were meant for change. His vision is never pro-stagnation. He brought the change machine.

And this Jesus came to begin the most silent revolution this world has ever seen. From creation to crisis to calling to covenant, he has slowly but surely begun the process of eradicating the world of oppressive (my senior pastor calls them False Authorities) forces which seek to bring those chains back. And where there are chains, this Jesus is dying to bring change (or could we say he died to bring change).

Enjoy this freedom. Change is here!

*This term is used by Brian McLaren in The Secret Message of Jesus.

Does it feel like worship has been “franchised”?

Our conversations are so interesting. Sit sometime and listen to the little inuendos we use…

“Worship was good today!”
“Man that worship kicked.”
“I don’t worship that way”

Let’s all remember what Burger King says… “Have it your way!”

We have to have it our way don’t we?

I fully come alive when I realize something. But this is no secret that many want me to know. Not because it’s a bad secret, but because it is the best secret the world has ever seen. And when someone comes to this secret in faith, and grasps hold, and never lets it go, it changes everything. EVERYTHING.

“You will worship neither on this mountain or Jerusalem” - Jesus in John

Jesus of course is trying to explain to a theological confused and somewhat morally displaced woman who was convinced that worship was intended only for a few. Jesus stands with her…and passes on the secret.

“You will worship neither on this mountain or Jerusalem”

Worship remains not a location or organization centered activity. Nor does it have to be an activity. It is a reality. A place of Spirit, a heart, a life. And it doesn’t have to pay the bouncer at the door, because it’s been paid for. The secret sets me free. Free to worship. The gates are open. No more membership cards, no more bouncers, no more measuring sticks. Its free. And if you realize who it is who talks to you, you will surely understand this secret. That you are free. Jesus says so. Just believe.

Check out this article from betachurch. It’s about Jott, a new service which allows you to call a number, leave a message, and is automatically transformed to email. Crazy?!?

Imagine the possibilities?

“The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Rev. 11:18

It abhors God how bad his people are at taking care of Earth. This little promise should ring in the hearts of all of them. He will destroy those who destroy his Earth.

Wow! Talk about ignorance.

We are so ignorant because we think that Jesus is coming back soon and we can screw the world up as much as we want with wonton abandon.

We are so ignorant because we think that environmentalism was created by activists in the 20th century when in reality God is the original environmentalist.

We are so ignorant to the fact that to most people who are actually trying to save the world, evangelicals and Christians are one of the main enemies.

We are so ignorant of the heart of God.

Why? God really hates it when people mess up the things he makes. Any good father would be the same. You come in and destroy his yard, kill the family dog, and pull down the tree house he made for the son, he will get his shot gun, come out, and take care of business.

Why would God be any different?

“Destroying those who destroy the earth” Christian or not?

This week I was the guest of a local radio program. It is the most liberal radio station in Eugene. I loved it.

Born and raised a conservative who is learning to rid all labels and political subscriptions from his profile; I found the experience absolutely enlightening. They as well I am sure were expecting something quite different. They knew I am a pastor at a large (mega large) church in town that tends to lean quite right. With their expectations most likely hover somewhere between low to nothing, it was awesome to witness to Jesus without having to fight for a political party.

I am learning this as well. The people I am learning to love who happen to lean left in their own political fettish tend to be very good at listening. While this is of course not the case for every bobble head radio commentator around today, it is for the people I am beginning to know.

Jesus is teaching me to look past labels. It’s my mind that loves to find and obey them.

The great thing about truth is it doesn’t come by association. You don’t have to know the right people to know truth, although it can help. Truth is God’s. He owns it. He also gives it to people who hate him. Satan is smart.

The most dangerous (good dangerous) Christian is he who is willing to be obedient to truth wherever they find it, whether at a Christian bookstore or not. I would argue that the Christian tradition has a large corpus of truth, it does not have a monopoly on it.

My point?

I am done seeing truth as something we have. Rather, I see truth as something we all have. I just have to shut up and listen.