“One of us”

Most of you have probably heard me tell the story of how my brother Kenneth was preaching about the incarnation (God becoming a man) one Sunday and began to tell the story of a man who went to live in a leper colony.  The only problem was he said he went to live in a leprechaun colony.  I believe it was nothing less than the favor of God that allowed me to be present, that morning so I could hear it with my own ears.  That misspeak on his part has given me lots of opportunities to tease him as well as provide me with a funny story to tell in all kinds of settings.  All that aside, the story he was trying to tell is a powerful one.  The man’s name was Father Damien.  He moved to Kalawao, a village on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii, that had been quarantined to serve as a leper colony.  For 16 years, he lived in their midst.  He learned to speak their language.  He bandaged their wounds, embraced the bodies no one else would touch and preached to the hearts that would have otherwise have been left alone.  He organized schools, bands and choirs.  He built homes so that the lepers could have shelter.  He built 2,000 coffins by hand so that, when they died, they could be buried with dignity.  Slowly, it was said, Kalawao became a place to live rather than a place to die, for Father Damien offered hope. 

Father Damien was not careful about keeping his distance.  He did nothing to separate himself from his people.  He dipped his fingers in the “poi” bowl along with the patients.  He shared his pipe.  He did not always wash his hands after bandaging open sores.  He got close.  For this the people loved him.

Then one day he stood up and began his sermon with two words: “We lepers…”

Now he wasn’t just helping them.  Now he was one of them.  From this day forward, he wasn’t just on the island; he was in their skin.  First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died.  Now they were in it together.

There’s a sense in which the Christmas story could be told like this: One day God came to earth and began his message: “We lepers…”  God didn’t come to into the world in the person of Jesus just to help us…he came into the world to become one of us.  When Jesus was born God was in our skin.  That’s the miracle of Christmas.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Story taken from John Ortberg’s book, God Is Closer Than You Think

The Story

I want to take a minute to write about a new sermon series called “The Story” that begins here at MPCC in January 2013.  The intent of The Story is to help you see the connectedness of the Bible as it unfolds from two perspectives: the lower story and the upper story.  The lower story is God’s work in and through the lives of people, places and events while the upper story is about how God uses those people, places and events to accomplish His ultimate plan of redemption. 

I want you to know that it took me a long time to choose this new series because it’s not something that I normally do.  I say that because The Story is a sermon series resource that comes from Zondervan Publishers and I almost never use these kinds of resources.  But I’m making an exception for some very specific reasons.  First, I believe there’s great value in helping people understand the connectedness of the Bible.  I think this will be beneficial for anyone regardless of where they are in their personal spiritual development.  Second, I believe that we can use The Story as a tremendous evangelism tool.  All of us know someone who not only doesn’t know or understand the Bible but believes it’s a book that is too difficult to know or understand.  I’m praying that we will invite these folks to come and be a part of this series so they can begin to see the Bible in a whole new light.  Third, regardless of how familiar you may be with the Bible, there will be great encouragement that comes from being reminded of how God has revealed Himself and His plan through the pages of His Word. 

Now, I feel like I need to share a couple of disclaimers with you before we begin.  First, while this will be the longest series that I have ever done at MPCC (32 weeks) there’s no way that we can go verse-by-verse through the entire Bible in 32 weeks.  There will be times when we cover significant portions of the Bible in a single weekend.  And there will be times when all I’ll be able to do is give a summary or overview of significant portions of the Bible.  The emphasis will be connecting God’s overall story from beginning to end.  Having said that, though, you need to know that Andrew and I will be writing our own original messages and our goal will be to bring as much depth as possible to each sermon (Andrew has actually already started working on the first sermons as I continue to focus on the remaining weekends in 2012).  We will not be preaching sermons that we purchased with The Story resource kit.  Second, Zondervan has published some resources to go along with The Story.  Two of them are The Story Bible and a companion Study Guide.  We won’t be using either one of these resources.  We will, however, be selling in The Resource Center, a book called “The Heart of the Story” which is like a devotional guide that follows along with the sermons.  Our goal in this series is to help people understand the connectedness of the Bible in a way that leads to a deeper faith in God and a deeper desire to dig into the truth of His Word. 

I hope that you are praying about someone you can invite to discover God’s love and His ultimate plan of redemption through a better understanding of the Bible.  I’m praying that God will use this new series to capture, to teach and to inspire all of us to a greater desire to study and know His Word…His story. 

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

Closing the Door

There’s lot’s of ways to describe it.  Some say “It’s the ugly secret that no one wants to talk about.”  Others say, “It’s the 800 pound gorilla in the room.”  The bottom line is it’s a problem, a big problem, especially for the megachurch.  What am I talking about?  I’m talking about the back door.  The truth is in most churches the back door is open and while new people are coming in the front door, others are walking out the back door never to return.  Now, to be fair, some of those who leave were never really committed to Christ and his church.  They are like the seed that falls on the “rocky” soil or among the “thorns” that Jesus talks about in The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23).  They gave an initial appearance of commitment but it wasn’t real.  At the same time there’s always a natural attrition that takes place in every church.  People die, people move, people divorce, people get mad, etc.  But the bottom line is the back door of the church is always open.  That’s certainly been the case at Mount Pleasant Christian Church over the years.  At the risk of being too honest I’ll tell you that when I arrived at MPCC in November 2001, the average weekly attendance was 2,107.  Today, in 2012, our average attendance has fluctuated throughout the year between 2,900 and 3,100.  But here’s the deal, from 2002 – 2012 (ytd) we have added 2,847.  You do the math.  While our growth has been solid, it’s fallen well short of what it could/should be.  So what’s the answer?  Let me give you four things.  First, establish high expectations for membership.  Research shows that as churches lower their expectations of members and attendees, the result is an exodus of people from the church.  Why would anyone want to be a part of something that expects nothing?  Second, get people connected to a small group (Journey Home Groups).  This helps create the kind of community that leads to long-term commitment.  Third, get people involved in serving.  The earlier a new member or attendee can get involved in a church’s ministries, the higher the likelihood of effective assimilation.  Fourth, help people develop relationships within the church.  This is why we have developed a new focused discipleship ministry called The Journey.  We have incorporated all four of these elements in The Journey to do two things.  First, and most important, is to help people become fully-developing followers of Christ.  Second, to do all we can to shut the back door.  Through The Journey you have an opportunity to make a commitment to Christ and his church.  We make sure you understand that this isn’t a casual commitment it’s the most important commitment of your life.  The Journey also gives you an opportunity to begin to travel down a specific pathway designed to help you grow.  That pathway will involve opportunities to be connected to a small group (Journey Home Group or Journey Care Group), opportunities to grow through a connection with caring and gifted people who have been trained to minister to you on a personal level (Stephen Ministry), opportunities to grow deeper in your understanding and application of God’s Word (Journey Bible Classes or Journey University) and opportunities to discover and use your gifts and talents to serve people (Journey Ministry).  I genuinely believe that The Journey is something that can have a dramatic impact on your life and our church.  I hope you agree.  Log onto www.mpcc.info and click on the link “Join The Journey” or contact Ken Jones at kjones@mpccministry.com. 

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

God At Work

I Chronicles 16:8 says, Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  (NIV)  Centuries ago William Law wrote: “Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world?  It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who lives most, but it is he who is always thankful to God; who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.” 

As we move into this holiday season I want to take a minute to be specifically thankful for the great opportunity that God has given us at Mount Pleasant to literally be involved in ministry that changes the world one life, one family, one opportunity at a time.  Whether we’re talking about the lives and families that are changed right here in Greenwood and the Southside of Indianapolis through the many ministries/outreaches of our church or the lives that are changed in different corners of the world like India, Poland, Mexico, Russia, China, Canada, Romania and Africa.  Just this past week we participated in a celebration of 30 years of ministry at CICM (Central India Christian Mission) where Ajai and Indu Lall and their family have been our living link partners for many years.  During the past 30 years over 1,000 churches have been planted and on any given Sunday over 250,000 people gather to worship as a result of this mission (and that’s just one aspect of the mission).  God has used our partnership to help make this happen.  .  In addition we are currently involved in new church plants in both Canada and Poland. We are always looking for new opportunities to expand our ministry and witness around the world.

While we are full of thanks to God for the great work He is doing abroad, we are also very grateful for the work He has chosen to do through Mount Pleasant Christian Church right here in our own community.   Locally we have entered into a very special “God At Work” expansion plan that will add 185 parking spaces to our main campus; build a new Community Ministry Center for our food and clothing ministries; add 11 adult classrooms to enhance our new plan for “focused discipleship” called The Journey, and build a maintenance building

One of the ways we can demonstrate the reality of our thankfulness is through a special weekend offering scheduled for the weekend of April 20/21, 2013.
(Note: We had originally targeted one week earlier, but this date has been changed for scheduling purposes.)   We will use this offering to help offset the cost of this God At Work expansion plan.  I know that this is a busy time of year but I want to encourage you to take time to be thankful for the ministry of Mount Pleasant Christian Church and begin to pray and plan for your participation in this special offering.  This offering is about so much more than just covering a cost; it’s about saying “yes” to our continuing mission to change the world one life, one family, one opportunity at a time.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris

One Hour and Fifteen Minutes – Part Two

In my most recent blog I shared my honest feelings about how difficult it is for me to understand how someone who is a Christian can’t find, one hour and fifteen minutes to attend a service completely devoted to worshiping God.  I understand that this is really not much of an issue to someone who doesn’t understand the importance of church from a biblical perspective.  So, humor me, and let me take a minute to write about that.

The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the importance of local assemblies (another name for church).  This is clear from the ministry of the Apostle Paul as he established local congregations in the cities where he preached the gospel (see the Book of Acts).  In addition, Hebrews 10:24-25 not only commands every believer to be a part of such a local body but also reveals why this is necessary.   And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  (NIV)  It’s in the local body where we find the intimacy that is required to spur one another on "to love and good deeds." And it’s in this setting that we can encourage one another.  

Here’s another thing.  The New Testament teaches that every believer is to be under the protection and nurture of the leadership of the local assembly/church.  These godly men shepherd believers by encouraging, admonishing, and teaching them and by providing accountability.  Hebrews 13:7 says, Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.  (NIV)  Hebrews 13:17 says, Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as ones who must give an account.  Do this so their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.  (NIV)  This is something that should be noted by Christians who show more loyalty to various para-church ministries,  Bible studies and Bible Clubs than to the local church.  Those kinds of “ministries” don’t have the same God ordained structure as the local church.  And if this were not enough, Paul gave Timothy special instructions about “public meetings” (another name for church) when he wrote in I Timothy 4 :13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  (NIV)  This is exactly what happens at MPCC every Saturday night and Sunday morning, we read the Scriptures and then give an explanation and application.  

But perhaps the best example of the importance of the local church comes from Acts 2:42 where we see exactly what the first church did when they met together.  They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  (NIV)  In the New Testament church the believers gathered so they could learn God's Word and how it impacted their lives.  They gathered, not only to learn, but also to carry out acts of love and service to one another.  And when they gathered they commemorated the Lord's death and resurrection through the breaking of bread; and they prayed. Of course, we can do these things individually, but God has called us…given us the privilege of doing them through the local church.  In Acts 2:42 it was the local church in Jerusalem.

Here’s the bottom line, active participation in the local church is imperative to living a life without compromise because it’s through the ministry of the local church that a believer can receive the kind of teaching, accountability, and encouragement that is necessary for him to stand firm in his convictions. God has ordained that the church provide the kind of environment where an uncompromising life can thrive.  And at Mount Pleasant Christian Church it all begins with a commitment to one hour and fifteen minutes.

Pastor Chris

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One Hour and Fifteen Minutes

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It’s Thursday afternoon and I’m already tired.  Sandy and I got up at 3:45 this morning to drive an hour to the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, return our rental car and catch a 7:00 flight home to Indy.  Now I’m in the office finalizing some details for the weekend and preparing for a funeral on Saturday.  In the middle of all of this I took a minute to check our attendance numbers from the past weekend.  If you remember from the previous weekend, I told you that I was going to be out of town so Sandy and I could help celebrate her dad’s 80^th birthday and so I could see my mom for the first time in two years.  I thought that sharing that information would be a good thing.  And I was excited to let everyone know that John Caldwell was going to be filling the pulpit.  I even shared a personal story about how much John’s ministry at Kingsway Christian Church in Avon had blessed me at a very vulnerable time in my ministry many years ago.  I said, “Let’s have a full house…let’s put our best foot forward and welcome John to MPCC for a great weekend.”  Disappointed is not a strong enough word to tell you how I feel having seen the numbers.  I don’t want you to misunderstand me, I’m very thankful for those of you who were here but our attendance was well over 500 less than our year-to-date average (and it’s not even Fall Break weekend).  We didn’t have a full house and we didn’t put our best foot forward in welcoming John to MPCC.

There are several things that bother me about this past weekend (and others like it).  I don’t have the time to go into all of them and, while I’m not the smartest guy in the world (it’s probably not smart to write such an honest blog), I’m smart enough to know that some of the things I could write would not be well received.   But the thing that bothers me the most about this past weekend is that there are so many Christians, in this church and other churches across our country, who can’t find an hour and fifteen minutes to devote to worship (in some churches it’s even less time than that).  There are 168 hours in a week and a worship service at MPCC lasts for one hour and fifteen minutes…one hour and fifteen minutes.  One hour and fifteen minutes to join together with other believers to do nothing but worship a God who devotes every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year to caring for us.  One hour and fifteen minutes to live out the command of Hebrews 10:25, Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  (NIV)

Is there anyone besides me (if there’s even anyone still reading) who is concerned about this?  Is there anyone besides me who is concerned that our culture has become so secular that Christians - not non-Christians, not “seekers,” not the “curious,” but Christians can’t find an hour and fifteen minutes for corporate worship?  NOTE: The word “secular,” by definition means “pertaining to worldly things or to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual or sacred.”  Is there anyone besides me who is concerned that we’re raising an entire generation of children who may never recognize the value and importance of weekly worship because the secular culture they grew up in made Sunday, a day that was once clearly devoted to worship, a day that is now, for many, clearly devoted to purely secular pursuits?  Is there anyone besides me who is concerned that Christian parents, Christians who volunteer their time as coaches or leaders in a variety of secular pursuits, Christian teachers, I could go on and on, often don’t seem to see a problem here?  Is there any one besides me who is concerned that so many Christians, who can’t find one hour and fifteen minutes for church, are substituting different para-church organizations or Christian clubs for the local church that was established, by God, with a God ordained and God designed pattern for leadership, accountability and mutual ministry?  Is there any one besides me…(I better stop)?

This weekend I’m going to do the same thing I’ve done every weekend of my life – I’m going to go to church.  I’m going to preach on Saturday night and Sunday morning like it’s my last sermon.  I’m going to come back to church on Sunday night for “A Night of Worship and Praise” and I’m going let that experience with my brothers and sisters who are present, carry me into the presence of God in a powerful way.  But today I’m going to go home with a heavy and troubled and disappointed heart because there seems to be, with every passing year, such little regard for one hour and fifteen minutes. 

One hour and fifteen minutes.

Pastor Chris

Waiting

I don’t know anyone who likes to wait for anything.  I certainly don’t.  Ever since my treatments concluded on February 21^st, I’ve been waiting to find out the results.  After a couple of months I was given a date for my follow-up PET scan (May 14^th) and an appointment to find out the results (May 16^th).  But before I could count on those dates I had to see my Radiology Oncologist one more time to make sure my throat was healed enough to actually do the PET scan.  I had that appointment today and everything is a go.  Now I’m waiting till next Monday for the scan.  The good news is I don’t have to wait quite as long for the results because I’ll be seeing my Dr. on the 15^th (next day) instead of the 16^th.  But it’s all been waiting.

No one knows the real value of waiting more than God.  Richard Foster in his classic, Celebration of Discipline” wrote, Superficiality is the curse of our age.  The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.  The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”  That’s exactly what God wants for us, He wants us to be deep people.  And waiting is one of the best ways for that to happen when we are able to wait in faith.  But waiting in faith is not something that comes naturally to most people.  Instead, worry often takes center stage and captivates our lives.  But as one of my favorite preachers and authors says, “The difference between waiting and worrying is focus.”  When our focus is on God then worry begins to disappear.

My Dr. reiterated to me today that the expectation is the PET scan will be clear.  I love that about him, he has been positive and optimistic during the entire time I have seen him.  If that’s the case I’ll have another scan 6 months later which means…more waiting.  My prayer is that I’m going to get better at it as time goes by.  One of the things that I will do to try and help make that happen is read the first two verses of Psalm 62 over and over again.  My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.  If waiting is a struggle for you then join me in this reading.  And pray for me…I’ll be praying for you.

Jesus cares,

Pastor Chris