Month: July 2009

by Rob Campbell

The final chapters of II Samuel allow you and me to sneak an inside peak at King David. At this time in the course of history, David is suffering from two problems. First, he is making decisions exempting God from the process. Second, he lacks accountability. David enlists his chief commander of the troops, Joab, to take a census of the troops. David was never instructed by God to count the troops, but persisted anyway. Joab pleads with David to allow God to multiply his troops, but this counsel lands on David’s deaf ears.

Because of David’s disobedience to God, he is given three choices by God. David is asked to pick one of the following three choices: three years of famine in the land, three months of fleeing from the enemy, or three days of plague in the land. David’s response is classic and wise. He states, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”

A WISE CHOICE BY DAVID! If one is in need of grace and mercy, then fall into the hands of God.

David is instructed to build an altar to the Lord which leads him to the threshing floor owned by a man named Araunah. Araunah offers David his threshing floor for free. Araunah also offers David oxen, threshing sledges, and ox yokes. Araunah is basically saying to David, “You’re the King and I am your servant. Take whatever you need to build an altar to God. Consider all of these resources for sacrifice to be free.”

David replies, “NO, I INSIST ON PAYING YOU FOR IT. I WILL NOT SACRIFICE TO THE LORD MY GOD BURNT OFFERINGS THAT COST ME NOTHING.” Wow!! David here is taking personal responsibility for his sinful actions. Further, he is saying, “I am going to give God something that costs.”

Here is how we can learn to give to God something that costs:

 Giving God something that costs begins with WORSHIP (II Sam. 24:18). Worship is a constant preoccupation with God.

 Giving God something that costs grows when we REFUSE to worship ON THE CHEAP (II Sam. 24:20a-24). Notice David’s personal response to Araunah’s offer (“I will not….”).

 Giving God something that costs results in an offering which PLEASES God (I Chron. 21:25-28). “David called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.” INCREDIBLE!

Comments?

Rob

I’m learning more and more that God is God and I’m not. Too often I try to force God into my box. I want HIM to fulfill my will. But He won’t and He doesn’t, especially when I have that attitude.

I’ve noticed two areas that I can easily fall into this trap: 1. book sales. 2. church growth.

I can easily find myself pleading with God to sell more of my books and to give me/us more church growth. Yet, both areas have one thing in common: I can’t make them happen. I can’t force people to buy my books, and I can’t force people to come to church.

I can make my best effort under His sovereign grace to write the best books possible and to minister to people in the most effective, diligent way I know how. But then I have to leave the results to God.

Take Wellspring, for example. God has been showing me that I need to connect success with what I do and then leave the rest to God. I have to ask:

• Did I coach Eric well? (the lead pastor)
• Did I pray fervently for Wellspring?
• Am I taking people through the training?
• Am I doing my best to make my cell work?

If I’ve done these things, I am successful! I’m learning not to allow my mind to wander down the dark alleys of success and failure beyond my control. I must believe God is sovereign and that He will give the growth. The exact same scenario plays out in book sales.

Stephen Covey says something similar when he talks about the circle of influence versus the circle of concern. He says that many people live in their circle of concern, a circle they can do nothing about. They live their lives reacting to what they can’t control instead of proactively living within those areas they can influence.

Under God’s grace and power, we need to connect success with what we do and then leave the rest to God. Does this make sense? Comments?

Joel Comiskey

by Mario Vega

I appreciate the many comments and interest shown on my blog about our equipping track (training).

I think the main characteristic of our training course is simplicity. When Harold Weitsz (Little Falls Christian Centre) asked me about our training course, I told him that it was simple material compared to his stupendous training course. To my surprise he told me that simplicity is exactly what he considers to be the most important element in a training course, and that he wished his course was simpler.

A few days before the Cell Symposium, Ralph Neighbour also asked me about our training course. Knowing the detail in his own equipping track, I once again answered that our course was very simple. Again, I was surprised when he told me that simplicity is the most important element of an effective training course.

After hearing the opinions of such great men of God, I am tending to think that one of the key virtue of effective training is the ability to reach all people, regardless of their previous level of education.

Right now, our course is only in Spanish, but are looking at the possibility of an English version for those who want it.

Comments?

Mario

Translation into Spanish:

Sencillez: el factor clave.

Agradezco la gran cantidad de comentarios e interés manifestado en mi blog sobre nuestra ruta del lder.

Creo que la principal caracterstica de nuestro curso de entrenamiento es la sencillez. Cuando Harold Weitsz me preguntó sobre nuestro curso me anticipé a decirle que es un material sencillo en relación a su estupendo curso de capacitación. Para mi sorpresa él me respondió que justamente sencillez es lo que él considera es el elemento más importante en un curso de capacitación y que él mismo deseara que su curso fuese más sencillo.

Unos das antes del Simposio Celular, también Ralph Neighbour me preguntó por nuestro curso de entrenamiento. Conociendo su tan detallada Ruta del Lder nuevamente me anticipé a responderle que nuestro curso era muy sencillo. De nuevo, me sorprendió cuando él me dijo que sencillez es el elemento más importante para un curso de entrenamiento.

Con la opinión de tan grandes hombres de Dios me inclino a pensar que la virtud de un curso sencillo es que queda abierto para el alcance de cualquier persona sin importar su grado de escolaridad.

Por ahora, nuestro curso se encuentra en español solamente pero estamos valorando la posibilidad de una versión en Inglés para aquellos que lo deseen.

by Jeff Tunnell

In their book, “The Churching of America”, Roger Finke and Rodney Stark have examined denominational statistics on the US church between 1776 and 1850. They concluded: the “Protestant ‘mainline’ (Anglicans, Presbyterians and Congregationalists) began to collapse rapidly, not in the past several decades as is widely supposed but in the late eighteenth century. Hence by 1850 the Baptists and Methodists — vigorous, evangelical sects in that era — dominated the religious landscape.” These two denominations grew significantly because they reached previously unchurched people. In 1776 only 17 percent of the population was affiliated with a church. By 1850 that number had doubled to 34 percent. Most of the growth was as a result of the gains by the Methodists and Baptists on the frontier.

The ‘mainline’ denominations had been infected with secularism resulting in a loss of vigor in evangelism.  For Finke and Stark secularization means “to move from otherworldliness, to present a more distant and indistinct conception of the supernatural, to relax the moral restrictions on members and to surrender claims to an exclusive and superior truth.”  The consequence of secularization is a diminished commitment to evangelism. It’s hard to witness to a faith that lacks conviction and offers so little.  The message of the mainline churches had become too vague and too accommodating to have an impact. As a result, the mainline churches watched from the safety of the larger towns and cities along the Atlantic seaboard while the Baptists and Methodists moved west with the frontier.

Shotly after this is when General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, came on the scene in England and then his work spread to the USA.  His passion for souls, summed up in his own words, “Go for souls, and go for the worst”, infected many.  Starting with a small group of converts, his “army” grew to over 1,000 workers in a seven-year period, which continued to grow until it had touched every contintent of the world!

In his message “Who Cares”, General Booth saw a vision of lost humanity drowning in the angry sea of sin, while others who had been rescued from the sea were safely on a large Rock within the ocean. He concluded simply, “All who are not on the rock are in the sea.”  This fact remains the same today, 150 years later. There is NO MIDDLE GROUND and no other religion provides salvation; if people do not accept Jesus as Savior they will spend eternity in Hell.

Evangelism and Multiplication are core values of the Kingdom of God and practices of the cell movement & structures.  How are you making them a part of your overall ministry?

Who Cares?

by Rob Campbell

www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Let me add a few thoughts to Joel’s post yesterday on discipleship.  Consider the following question:

What set of experiences will bring about the desired and necessary life transformation?

 Before I comment on the question above, please ponder the quotes below:

 â€œThe world has moved from an ‘industrial economy’ to a ‘service economy’ to an ‘experience economy.’”   Joseph Pine                         

 â€œA continental drift of the soul has taken place whereby spirituality is less creedal, less propositional, more relational, experiential,  and more sensory.”             Albert Borgmann

“But, no matter how acute an experience, one’s memory of it fades over time.  Transformations, on the other hand, guide the individual toward realizing some aspiration and then help to sustain that change over time.”  Joseph Pine 

 As a backdrop to “Life Transformationn through Experiential Discipleship,” check out Exodus 18:13-27.

 Here are some thoughts:

 1.  Experiential Discipleship is the prevailing pattern revealed throughout scripture for life transformation to occur (vv. 17-22).

 ï” Jesus and His Disciples

 Jesus: “….Go and make disciples….Teach theses new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…”  Matt. 29:19-20

 Paul and Timothy

Paul: “You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses.   Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others.”  2 Tim. 2:2

2.  Experiential Discipleship is a team sport (18:24-26).  For example, you need not be burdened with discipling every individual in your cell group.  Allow others to participate in life transformation via experiential discipleship.

 Comments?