A few reasons you should NOT join CrossView Church

I read this helpful blog post at The Resurgence website. I thought I’d put most of the reasons here with a few thoughts applied to CrossView Church. The numbers are from the original blog post and my thoughts are labeled as such. So here are some reasons you should NOT join CrossView Church…

1. If you’re looking for the next cool thing in town (We want to grow by conversion growth, not church-goer transfer growth).

My thought: Our church is not that cool. We want growth primarily by conversion, though we’re happy to grow by Christians who are homeless (not currently committed to a local church as a member).

2. If you’re a Christian and you don’t like your current church (You will find reasons to not like this church).

My thought: There are many reasons to not like CrossView Church! We’re a bunch of sinners who are also saints. We sin against God and each other. We have so many things that need to be developed. We are in many significant ways unorganized. We have some members that are less passionate for God, less missional, less engaging the neighbors and lost, less involved, and they need to be patiently and firmly moved along. There are more reasons that I’m sure you’ll find.

3. If you have a bad track record at churches of being unteachable and causing problems (You won’t change here, you’ll repeat the pattern).

My thought: You might change at CrossView Church. God’s Word is powerful. But you might not. Know this, if you join CrossView, you’ll be held accountable to believe and live according to God’s Word. We have our statement of faith and church covenant as outlines of what we hold each other accountable to. If you try to leave for a sinful reason and not a God given one, you will be held accountable to the point of church discipline and excommunication.

4. If you’re a consumer wanting to “go to church” 1x a week for a nice show (We are not a Sunday show, we are a community of disciples on a mission).

My thought: We value our Sunday corporate gathering. But being a Christian, following Jesus, and being a member involves much more than a Sunday gathering. We seek to gospelize throughout the week, which means we want to encourage one another throughout the week (Hebrews 3:12) and evangelize our lost neighbors and friends compelled by Christ’s love. We won’t forsake the gathering of ourselves together, but we gather to encourage others on Sunday and throughout the week together on mission.

5. If you want religion (This church will be built on the radical gospel of grace).

My thought: This is the gospel we preach.

6. If you have an agenda (We have our vision, our mission, and our values–your private agenda does not supercede them).

My thought: We’re glad to hear your thoughts, but don’t think that you’ll just shift the direction and agenda of the church over night. And don’t be offended when you give your thoughts and they are heard but not followed. We all want to follow what we can best discern to be Jesus’ leading for our church.

7. If you’re a wolf (We will sniff you out).

My thought: We sniffed one out already. Church membership and close relationships make a wolf’s scent much more noticeable.

8. If you think this will be a nice little church that stays the same size, where everybody knows your name and you have my cell number on speed dial and we have a picnic lunch together every week (By God’s grace, we want to grow).

My thought: We are a nice little church now. But we don’t intend to be. We do have mission teams that seek to be nice smaller sizes to share life more regularly together and engage others together. But the church as a whole won’t be that size and the pastors won’t always be your mission team leader.

9. If you think this will be easy and smooth (This will be hard and difficult; this will be a fight, a battle, and a challenging mission).

My thought: It’s hard work to persuade sinners to repent and believe in Jesus. It’s hard work to fight sin in your own life, let others in, and help others in their faith in Christ. Don’t be offended to be called on to fight sin and help others. You will be called upon at our church if you join.

10. If you want to hold onto your comfortable life (You must lose your life).

My thought: If you want to hold onto your comfortable life, you shouldn’t (and might not even) be a Christian.

CrossView Church Covenant

(Adopted October 26, 2008)

Having, as we trust, been brought by Divine Grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to Him, and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully renew our covenant before God with each other.

We will work and pray for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We will walk together in brotherly love, as fits the members of a Christian Church, exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other and faithfully admonish and entreat one another as occasion may require.

We will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, nor neglect to pray for ourselves and others.

We will endeavor to bring up such as may at any time be under our care, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and by a pure and loving example to seek the salvation of our family and friends.

We will rejoice at each others' happiness and endeavor with tenderness and sympathy to bear each others' burdens and sorrows.

We will seek, by Divine aid, to love and do good to our neighbors, and to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and remembering that, as we have been voluntarily buried by baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, so there is on us a special obligation now to lead a new and holy life.

We will work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelical ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines. We will contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

We will, when we move from this place, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.

Why I’m preparing to Preach a Series called, “Prepare to Suffer”

Michael Horton writes:

The experience of suffering itself does not make us experts on the subject. Golfing more will not correct one’s bad swing; only training can do that. And so we need to learn from God’s will only tend to reinforce what we already believe, whether it’s good or bad theology (To Good to be True, 20).

I am not ready to suffer. I don’t know if I could ever be fully ready. But I can be better prepared than I currently am. And so can my church. As one of their pastors, I must prepare them well since I’ll have to give an account for my shepherding them (Hebrews 13:17). Suffering and pain is coming (and in many cases already here). Please pray for us.

Here are the resources I’m consulting:

1. How Long O Lord? by D. A. Carson
2. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God edited by John Piper
3. If I were God I’d End All Pain by John Dickson
4. Suffering and Evil by Scott Petty
5. To Good to be True by Michael Horton
6. Suffering for the Sake of the Body Seminar by John Piper
   
7. The Goodness of God by Randy Alcorn (I’m not consulting this one yet, but will if I have time)

Sermons on Job I’d like to hear but will probably not have time:

1. Dominic Smart
2. Mike Reeves

Rejoice with those who rejoice

God blessed one of our members, Taylor, with a promotion (conversion) at work. Praise the Lord Jesus and read about it here.

Jesus the Messiah, The Gospel According to Mark

1. John prepares the way for Jesus
2. John baptizes Jesus and the Father speaks while the Spirit descends
3. Jesus is led by the Spirit to be tempted in the wilderness
4. Jesus proclaims the gospel in vv.14-15 - this seems to summarize his teaching ministry and tied to the core of his death/resurrection mission.
5. Jesus calls disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John
6. Jesus casts out an unclean spirit in Capenaum
7. Jesus healed many
8. Jesus would pray in solitude in the morning.
9. Jesus would preach, cast out demons, cleanse lepers and the unclean, and healed the sick while hiding his identity.
10. He called tax collectors and ate with sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors calling the sinners to repentance and faith.
11. Jesus answered objections about fasting and the Sabbath.
12. The Pharisees and Herodians wanted to destroy him.
13. Demons (unclean spirits) recognized Jesus and Jesus silenced them.
14. Jesus appointed 12 apostles and sent them out to preach and cast out demons.
15. His family thought he was out of his mind.
16. The scribes said he is possessed by Beelzebul.
17. Jesus spoke of the eternal sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
18. Jesus defines his real family as those who do God's will.
19. He spoke in parables to hide the secrets of the kingdom of God, teaching about the seed and hearts of people hearing God's Word, the need to receive the teaching, the dynamic growth of the kingdom from small beginnings.
20. He calmed the storm and sea with a word.
21. He heals a strong man with demonic power and casts them into pigs.
22. He heals the woman with a blood discharge and raises a 12 year old girl from the dead.
23. Jesus rejected in his home town (why couldn't he do work there? 6:5)
24. Jesus sends out the 12 apostles to preach repentance, casting out demons, and healing the sick.
25. John the Baptist was killed and all kinds of people had theories about who Jesus was.
26. Jesus feeds 5000 because he had great compassion on them.
27. Jesus walks on water (the disciples' hearts were hardened) and heals more people.
28. Jesus confronts tradition and teaches moral defilement.
29. Jesus serves a Gentile by healing a woman's daughter from demon oppression.
30. He makes the deaf hear and mute speak.
31. Jesus feeds the 4000
32. Jesus corrects the Pharisees for seeking a sign
33. Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. The disciples hearts are hardened, their eyes can't see and their ears can't hear and they don't remember what Jesus has been doing.
34. Jesus heals a blind man in two stages - first with vague seeing, then full sight.
35. Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah.
36. Jesus starts to foretell his death and resurrection, rebuking Peter.
37. Jesus calls the crowd to discipleship which means following, self-denial, death, and forfeiting life to gain life.
38. Jesus was transfigured and told the 3 not to tell anyone.
39. Jesus casts a demon out of a boy and teaches his disciples that this kind is cast out by prayer. The demon was too deep.
40. Jesus warns them a second time that he will die and rise. The disciples are too scared to ask.
41. Jesus tells them to be first by being last and being like a child.
42. Jesus teaches: Don’t stop those who are for us.
43. Jesus teaches: Don’t cause a little one to sin or else you will be destroyed.
44. Jesus teaches: Fight sin or go to hell.
45. Jesus teaches: marriage is permanent on earth.
46. Jesus touches and spends time with children and teaches a lesson to the disciples.
47. Jesus teaches: on wealth and inheriting eternal life by selling all to follow him.
48. Jesus tells of his death and resurrection a third time.
49. James and John ask to sit in the prominent spots. Jesus teaches on serving others by his example of his giving his life.
50. Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus because of his faith and Bartimaeus follows Jesus on the way.
51. Jesus enters the temple with the triumphal entry.
52. Jesus curses a fig tree.
53. Jesus cleanses the temple and provoked the scribes and chief priests against him.
54. The fig tree withered and is used as an object lesson for faith in God.
55. Jesus authority questioned.
56. Jesus teaches a parable of tenants to expose the religious leaders
57. Jesus answers a challenge about taxes
58. Jesus answers a challenge about the resurrection
59. Jesus answers a challenge about the greatest command
60. Jesus points to his superiority over David
61. Jesus warns to beware of the scribes’ hypocrisy.
62. Jesus commends the poor widow for her offering.
63. Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, warns people to endure to the end, and speaks of the intense tribulation.
64. Jesus predicts his second coming and that the signs will show when he is near.
65. The chief priests and scribes plot to kill Jesus
66. Jesus is anointed for burial and he scolds his disciples
67. Judas decides to betray Jesus.
68. Jesus has Passover with the 12 and tells them 1 will betray him.
69. They do the Lord’s Supper.
70. Jesus tells them they’ll abandon him. He even uses Scripture! Peter rebukes Jesus. Jesus rebukes Peter.
71. Jesus prays in Gethsemane and struggles with the task at hand.
72. Judas leads the crowd to Jesus to arrest him.
73. A young naked man ran away.
74. Jesus before the chief priests, elders, and scribes council and they couldn’t find good evidence against him.
75. They charge Jesus with blasphemy deserving of death, and they beat him.
76. Peter denies Jesus thrice, the rooster crows twice.
77. Jesus is delivered over to Pilate. Pilate was amazed at Jesus silence.
78. Pilate gives in, releases Barabbas, and delivers Jesus to be crucified.
79. The soldiers mock him, beat him, and stripped him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
80. They brought him to the place of the skull and crucified him dividing his clothes.
81. Jesus was crucified and continually mocked at 9am on Friday morning.
82. Darkness covered over the whole land at 12pm. At 3pm Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
83. At 3pm Jesus dies. Women who supported him were looking on. The centurion was amazed and confessed Jesus was the Son of God.
84. Joseph buries Jesus and seals it with a stone.
85. On that Sunday, they go to the empty tomb and Jesus body is gone. An angel tells them Jesus rose and to see him in Galilee just like he told them.
86. They went out, fled, amazed, and afraid without saying anything to anyone.