What Results?

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results."

Winston Churchill

What Is a Christian?

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene,went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good newsabout the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Acts 11

Who are these people?  What do we call them?  They aren't Jews... they're not Greeks; they are all of the above.  So what do we call them?

How about Christians?

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So, the next question is, what do you call followers of Jesus who only hang out with people who look like themselves?  Are they still qualified to be called a Christian?

Health Care

Don't Major on the Minors

The House I Live In

Ubuntu

Guzman Interview

Pastor Bill Rocks!

Caroline Rocks!

The Strange Violinist

Drink the Water?

I have a friend who works in water treatment for the City of Buffalo.  This persons job is to help provide clean water to the people of our City.  So the question is, do they drink tap-water?

They know what's in it!  They know where it comes from!  Their job is to tell people its safe to drink!

So the question is, do they drink the water?

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This is, of course, a wonderful parable...

...there once was a City that got its drinking water from a particular man.  This man had become rich selling the water, but he wouldn't touch the water himself...

The question is most easily applicable to us as followers of Jesus.  When we encourage others to 'drink the water,' are we hypocrites?  Are we embracing the teachings of Jesus in our own life?  Do we live in community?  Are we learning to love our enemies?  Are we growing in our love for God?  Are we learning a life of joy and celebration?  Are we sacrificially generous?  Are we engaged in friendships with non-Christians?  Are we learning how to throw great parties?  Are we mentoring others in the ways of Jesus?

...are we indeed His followers?

Do we love Him, and His wisdom, or do we love the idea of Him?

Do we drink the water?

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My friend, does drink the tap water...

The Problem

"The problem with the church is never that we don't have enough money, or people, rather the problem with the church is the quality of its people.  And that begins with me."

Dallas Willard

Lateral Thinking

A truck drives under a low bridge and gets stuck.  It can't go on, and it can't back out.  The driver calls his dispatcher who calls a tow truck, but the rig is still stuck.  Soon enough the highway patrol is called out and along with them a construction crew.  They are in the middle of trying to removed one of the struts from under the bridge when a small boy comes up to the foreman and says, "Sir, I think I know how you can get that truck out."  The foreman first dismisses him, but then, thinking better of it, asks the boy what he has in mind.

"Let the air out of the tires," says the boy.

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Sometimes the problem isn't the problem.  Sometimes the way we see the problem is the problem.

Who or What?

http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/hedgehog-concept.html#audio=85

Jesus First

What is a Christian?

A student of Jesus

Who is Jesus and how do we know?

Jesus is defined by the activity of the Spirit and the testimony of the Word.

How do we interpret the Word, and understand the Spirit's leading?

Community and Tradition

What do we learn from the traditions of the Church?

We learn about specific creeds and deeds.

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In general, there is nothing wrong with the way we answer each of these particular questions.  The problem comes when we have answered the first question with the second, third, and fourth answers.

Rivers or Reservoirs

I had lunch with a new friend the other day.  In the course of the meeting he shared with me that he has learned to treat his money like a river, not a reservoir.  That God provides in order for him to give, and that he has to keep 'the flow' going in order to keep it healthy.  I felt like that was a really good picture of the Christian life in all areas.

Whatever God gives us is to be treated like a river.  Prayer, mentorship, joy, food, hospitality, prophecy, righteousness, courage, discipline, and service, as well as money.

So what has God given you?

Are you giving it away?

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² “I will make you into a great nation 
   and I will bless you; 
I will make your name great, 
   and you will be a blessing. 
³ I will bless those who bless you, 
   and whoever curses you I will curse; 
and all peoples on earth 
   will be blessed through you.”


Genesis 12:2-3

Combatting Injustice

"We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Discipleship House for Churches

Our church has a men's discipleship house.  In this house are several men who love God, and are learning to love each other.  They do not always like each other, but they are walking this out in a common commitment to Jesus, community, and service.

Our church shares a building with several other organizations.  We love God and are learning to love each other.  We do not always like each other, but we are walking this out in a common commitment to Jesus, community, and service.

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It happened the other day, I had left a meeting at the men's house where I was helping a couple of brothers deal with conflict, and had walked into a meeting at the church, where we were dealing with our own conflict, that it dawned on me...

...God had set me up.  This was a discipleship house for churches.

Good ol' Patrick

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

-Patrick Henry-

"There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

-Patrick Henry-

Acts Pt II