I decided to run for a seat on the Oxnard City Council in the recent midterm elections, after it became clear that was what God’s Spirit was telling me to do. I have to admit, it’s not what I wanted, and it took a while to comply. The nudge to run began a couple of years ago with a mild awareness it was something I needed to pray about. I didn’t. And I didn’t because I was concerned God would tell me to run. The subject kept coming up at various times in diverse conversations. I waved them off.

After a while, what made them difficult to wave off was the recurring delays our church experienced in the city’s issuing us permits to build out our new facility. Our church has outgrown its current facility and purchased the building next door as a new sanctuary and offices. A process that ought to have taken no more than four months took six times that long: two full years! These delays were due to a Byzantine permit process that discourages business. Without a healthy business environment, a community cannot prosper.

Then, at a pastors conference, one speaker after another made remarks that were hard not to interpret as confirmations I was to run. A chance encounter with a close friend and his wife saw words spoken that were clear and certain confirmation. I realized and repented of the error of resisting God and “gave in.” I thought it best to wait till 2020 to run. When I learned the new district structure in Oxnard meant the district where I live would not come up again until 2022, I decided now was the time and filed papers.

The Campaign

Having never run for office, I had a steep learning curve. Knowledgeable friends both old and new came to my aid and quickly brought me up to speed. I never did appoint a campaign manager because all the assistance I had made it unnecessary. Though I did not win, we ran a good campaign. We knocked a lot of doors, made a lot of calls, took out adds, used a heavy dose of social media and attended events to get the message out. Despite this, we lost by a handy margin.

The winner was the well-respected incumbent who carries significant name-recognition and is her party’s scion in a community where that party holds a 21% lead. That party’s candidates won all the seats.

What I Learned

God made it clear to me, despite my attempts to ignore it, that I was to run, not necessarily to win. I never sensed a win was certain, only possible. And of course, I ran to win. It would have been disingenuous to conduct the campaign any other way. I discreetly shared this with a few during the lead up to the election. I did so because, by that time, I realized I’d already gained three specific benefits the outcome of the election, whatever it was, couldn’t take away. Those three benefits are:

. Those I Met .

I met people in the course of the campaign I would never have otherwise. I got a chance to meet with city leaders in various departments and civic works and realized our community has amazing potential. I got to meet residents who have no official title but are concerned about Oxnard and committed to its wellbeing. And I learned this: People we disagree with on civic issues think their views are best for the community. Contrary to the echo chamber most people live in where their views are endlessly reinforced, and they never engage a living person with a different view; the fact is, we ALL want what’s best for our city. We just disagree on the best way to what’s best.

Politics is the art and science of compromise. Those who refuse to compromise aren’t politicians; they’re tyrants. People in politics must be willing to give a little to meet others in a middle that sheds the incidentals to embrace the necessities. Give a little to get more. All that begins with healthy relationships.

During the campaign, I learned while it’s easy for demagogues to sit on the sidelines and snipe, those tasked with governing come into a room that has 27 poles on top of which spin 27 plates. They have to run around but not into each other to keep those plates spinning. Without agreement and negotiation, it’s all going to come crashing down.

Though I wasn’t elected, I’ll be following up on the contacts I made, aiming to deepen the relationships and influence the decision makers. Just because I wasn’t elected doesn’t change my call to be a blessing to my city.

. What I Learned about City Matters .

I came into the campaign knowing little about the specific needs of my city. I had what might be called the “fly-over” view. The campaign immersed me to my neck in it. The result is that I now know my community and its needs much better. That’s important in my role as a pastor. Whether on the council or as a resident, my concern and call to serve remains the same because it’s based in my calling before God.

Knowing Oxnard’s specific needs fuels my prayers with greater precision. It also sharpens my focus as I seek to influence decision makers because I know what I’m talking about and what they are dealing with.

Regardless of the outcome of my campaign, a secondary intention in running was to encourage other Christians to enter the civic arena, especially pastors. Here are people accustomed to public speaking, called by God to be a blessing to their community. The very salt and light of God’s Kingdom – let loose in a dark and needy world. Next to leading a church, what better way to bless their community than to run for office and bring the influence of God’s Grace and Truth to the public square?

Knowing my city better can’t help but make me a better pastor because this is the time and place God’s called me to lead His flock.

. What I Learned About Me .

Last is what the campaign taught me about myself. The revelation was simple but embarrassing to share. I was lazy. Maybe that’s not the best word. Productive is better. I wasn’t productive. The form my laziness took is that I avoided the productive work I ought to have been doing with easy work that accomplished little.

As a full-time pastor, I was busy. I had a full calendar and kept a steady pace. Anyone who knew me knew I was busy. How many times a week did I hear, “I know you’re busy, but …”? And to all appearances, I was. People asked me at the outset of the campaign where I was going to find the time. I didn’t know and fretted about it. But guess what, I found the time. No, better—I made the time. I arranged my schedule more efficiently and for two months was both a full-time pastor and ran a campaign for city council. None of my responsibilities were left undone. No one complained that the quality of the pulpit at CCO diminished. On the contrary, several remarked it seemed even more effective.

Only a month into the campaign, I realized how much I was getting done without feeling overworked. I’d mismanaged my time before, filling it up with busy but unproductive work. I came to realize busy and faithful aren’t the same thing. Good stewardship isn’t marked by what you’re doing so much as what you’re producing. I didn’t have a lot to show for all the time I spent. It turned out to be time wasted, not invested. I was busy, but lazy because I occupied myself with easy work that distracted me from harder but more productive work.

I won’t be returning to the old way of busy but unproductive work. Though I didn’t get a seat on the city council, as a pastor, I’m still called to serve my city.

Nothing excites me more than to see new churches planted. New churches mean souls being saved, lives being changed, God being worshiped, more churches being planted and the kingdom of God growing. Who isn’t excited about that? I’ll be at two conferences in Mexico this month where church planting will be a focus. Pastor Jonathan Domingo in Ensenada and Pastor Mike Vincent in Rosarito are passionate about church planting, and their respective churches are amazing at it.

It’s my firm belief that every church should be multiplying. Regardless of size, resources and staffing. According to recent studies, there are 148 million unchurched people in the U.S. alone. Las Vegas comes in at number five in the top 10 most unchurched cities in the U.S. So, I would say now is a good time to plant a church! There are three simple steps that any senior pastor and leadership team can take to help them move in the direction of church planting multiplication.

1. PRIORITIZE

The first and most obvious step is to make church planting a priority. My life is no different than any other senior pastor. There are a thousand things every day that can consume my attention, with another thousand tomorrow. One of the most challenging tasks as a leader is to wade through the milieu and crystalize priorities. I try to achieve this by focusing on four things: prayer, preaching, people and purpose. Those four responsibilities are non-negotiable and one day before God, I will be held accountable for how I’ve handled each one.

With respect to purpose, I believe it’s the responsibility of the senior pastor to know and carry out the mission of the local church he leads and to keep the congregation and the leadership team focused on that mission. You may call it vision or mission, but ultimately, it’s the same thing. What is it that God has absolutely called you to? Our strong conviction is that multiplying the local church in a national and international context should be a priority for every senior pastor. You don’t have to go any further than the Great Commission to see this mandate. Going into all the world and making disciples means that those disciples will gather together. And when they gather together, they are the local church ultimately reaching their community.

Therefore, all efforts to reach the lost in any context comes back to establishing churches.

There’s no legitimate reason for any senior pastor to discount this as a priority. Resist the temptation to fall into the “I can’t” category. I can’t plant churches because I don’t have the resources. I can’t plant churches because I don’t have enough leaders. I can’t plant churches because I don’t know how to train people. You get the point; there will always be an “I can’t.” You’re only in the “I can’t” category if you choose to be. I have seen some of the most unlikely pastors and churches used by God to multiply the local church in ways that can only be understood as supernatural.

Commit to church planting as one of your top priorities and communicate that. Communicate it in your mission statement, on your website, in the studies you teach, the events you lead, and when you equip the people for the work of the ministry. If you are passionate about church planting, your people will be too.

2. PREPARE

Second, prepare yourself, prepare your church planters and prepare your church. I see myself as a perpetual learner in the church planting process. Because it’s a priority, I want to be as educated and experienced as possible. That means learning not only from personal steps of faith but also from others who have experience.

Maybe more than ever there are excellent resources to develop a pastor to become an effective church planter. I believe the adage, “Leaders are readers,” is especially true for pastors. It works like this, “Prepare yourself so that you are able to prepare others.” And the importance of preparing others cannot be overstated. I have heard Calvary pastors say, “If a church plant succeeds, you know it was from God; if it fails, you know it wasn’t from God.” Well, what if the failure of the church plant was a failure in adequately preparing the planter? This might not be a comfortable question to ask, but I think it has to be asked.

We have two church planting programs. The first, is our national program called Pipeline and the second, is our international church planting arm called Calvary Church Planting International. Both programs utilize a classroom, internship, launch coaching approach to prepare and support church planters and their teams for successful plants. Our national program based out of Las Vegas is being consolidated into three Pipeline workbooks – Learning, Coaching, Launching.

As you make church planting a priority and prepare yourself, take the preparation of your church planters seriously. Find solid resources and customize them for your mission and context. No need to reinvent the wheel, but also no need to send out unprepared people. If you’re serious enough to take these steps, then it proves you are passionate about planting churches; and at this point, it will be evident to the people you are leading. Your passion for planting will come through in team meetings, in home group settings, when you’re praying and as you’re teaching the Bible. In other words, the people are going to get it. Frame the mission clearly. Pray that the people in your church become as excited about planting churches as you are. They may not be the planter or part of the planting team, but they are the prayer backbone and support arm for the churches that will be planted.

Next month’s article will be part two of Successful Church Planting focusing on the importance of establishing solid partnerships with some closing thoughts.

Sometimes I think we forget as pastors and leaders that we have intentionally placed ourselves in the line of fire, the front of the battle—directly in the crosshairs of the enemy—this is our reality every day—are you ready for it?

God wants you to be strong in Him because we are fighting against powerful forces of darkness.

In battle, the giants we face take many forms—power, anger, building projects, staffing issues, sexual temptation, gossip, slander, serious illness, the loss of a loved one, hatred of others, jealousy, coveting, envy, money, addictions: alcohol, drugs, pornography, even simple yet very deadly pride…

• The truth is there are spiritual forces ready to weaken you, corrupt you, condemn you—hoping to cause you to fail and fall, and then to trample you under their feet.

• The enemy of your soul seeks to take advantage of you by capitalizing on any reliance you may have in yourself, using both your strengths and weaknesses as tools to weaken your dependence on the power of God through Holy Spirit.

What kind of strength is it that we need as leaders?

Let me be clear–You and I are not simply fighting our fellow frail humans with all their physical and mental deficiencies. We are fighting a much worse and far more powerful enemy, the Devil himself, as well as an innumerable host of fallen angels and a worldwide system, that is firmly entrenched against God and His Word and thereby us as leaders in God’s church. It is they who are in control of the world of temptations, biblical ignorance, rampaging sinfulness, resulting sadness and destruction. Therefore, we must be strong in the Lord and fight the battle with spiritual weapons, not simply muster large helpings of our own personal strength.

How strong are you? Below are case studies of three very strong men: Solomon, Samson and David:

1. Solomon was the wisest of all men. Because of that mental strength, an ability to use reason and logic, he possessed tremendous wisdom—from that he gained great wealth, prestige and power.

2. Samson was the strongest of all men. Because of that physical strength, he was able to defeat 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey, and he toppled a temple with his own hands.

3. David was the most devoted and spiritual of all men. Because of that devotion, he loved the Lord and sought to honor and glorify God like no other resulting in God declaring David’s heart closest of any humans to God Himself…Just look at his Psalms and their beautiful poetry of adoration for God’s glory.

Yet, all three fell — as strong as these men were — they were no match for the schemes and strengths of the god of this age.

1. Satan: In his evil cunning, Satan led Solomon to marry many foreign women and through them, Solomon fell to the temptation to serve false gods.

2. Samson: As strong as he was, he was unable to resist the persistence of a woman. Delilah hounded him into telling the secret of his strength, and through Delilah’s betrayal, he ultimately fell.

3. David: fell into the temptation of lust, then adultery, then murder.

Perhaps these three men thought to themselves—“ I am too strong to ever fall, others sure; they are obviously weak, but me, never.”

Let me ask you a question: Do you think you any stronger than they were? —or could it be perhaps you think you are immune to what befell them?

• Maybe you are emotionally strong.
• Maybe you can handle tremendous amounts of pressure.
• Maybe you can work for long hours, day after day after day.
• Maybe you are a multitasking machine of mind and intellect.
• Maybe you are the one who is the emotional anchor, the rock everyone leans on for support.

There are many kinds of human strength, and each of us is prone to rely on the strengths that we have in greatest measure—so in that sense, our strengths become our weaknesses.

• The most important strength of all is the strength you have in the Lord.
• True Christian strength is not of the body or mind.
• True Christian strength is of the spirit, measured in faithfulness, trust and perseverance.

God wants you to be strong in Him because the spiritual battle can only be won by putting on His armor and relying on His Strength.

It’s relying on God, not simply your human abilities.

Most of us know the description of His armor is found in Ephesians 6:13-15:
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”

Let me be very clear, often we seem to think we can just run and grab a piece or two when we need it, don’t we?

Why do we need to put on all these pieces of armor? Because when the fighting starts, it’s too late, you will be shot full of holes before you can blink—you need to constantly be ready for war—all day, every day–So you won’t be ill-prepared—or naked in battle and forced to rely on your own strength—using a shoe for a shield—that will get you shot.

So you may remain strong (Ephesians 6:10):
Strong in faith, rooted in the gospel, living in truth, empowered by the Word, walking in peace and victorious through faith. It is the armor of God that keeps us safe and strong continually, and it has already been field tested and proven battle worthy, deserving of our implicit trust. To trust the armor of God is to trust God Himself—so that we do not lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:8-9).

Ultimately, we can only trust God’s provision for battle, not our own, but God’s faithfulness to us because it has already been manifested in the cross. You have already tested the armor of God, and it works—your eternity is resting on its sufficiency. You have already trusted in Him and His provision.

We live daily testing the whole armor of God:
Let’s return to the life of David for a moment. When David was about to fight Goliath, Saul wanted to give David his own armor, “So Saul clothed David with his armor and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them” (1 Samuel 17:38-40).

So David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

Now let me ask you a simple question: What kind of protection is a sling against a giant nine-foot tall giant who could crush your head between his hands? The word “useless” comes to mind–It is very little protection even in the hand of a skilled sling master—Or said a different way, what confidence did David have in his own abilities when he stepped into that creek bottom?

None—Yet it was completely clear that David was more than a match for Goliath, and he knew it—Why?–because he did not go out onto the battlefield alone. He went with the company of the Lord God maker of Heaven and Earth—David was wearing the only Armor that could assure him of the victory—and David knew that armor would be sufficient—Why?—because David had tested it!

Earlier in his life, David had killed a bear and a lion with nothing more than a sling:
Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:37).

He went with the full armor of God: faith, righteousness, the Word and truth.

He went out to the place of battle—the Valley of Elah, to that place where the Devil himself had brought an army to oppose God’s people.—and it was there in the face of insurmountable odds with apparently nothing more than an insufficient strip of flesh—David met Goliath.

It was not a shining sword that brought the giant down; it was not the arrow; it was a small stone that crushed the enemy’s head, the way God promised in the garden that the head of the serpent would be crushed. Goliath was a manifestation of that serpent—your enemy and mine to this day.

Incidentally, have you ever wondered why David picked up five stones to do a job that took only one. Were the extra four back-ups just in case that first didn’t work? Not at all. David had full confidence in the Lord and picked up five stones, not to insure the death of Goliath, but to take care of Goliath’s relatives.

There was Ishbi-benob, Saph and Goliath’s brother, and another, each one with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. As 2 Samuel 21:22 says, “These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.”

The Armor of God is already battle tested—death itself has been defeated

We simply need to lead fearlessly by getting ready for war each day, put on the whole armor of God—and march to the frontlines to face our giants with confidence. Because God is with us—who can be against us– in doing so, we can view every giant as a dead one waiting for a place to fall.— because that’s what real leaders do.

Recently, I was honored to take part in the Expositors Collective, a seminar designed to train and mentor young preachers in the skill of expository Bible teaching. My dear friend Mike Neglia taught a session on Christ-centered preaching, which he opened by highlighting the difference between a moralistic sermon and a Christ-centered sermon by first teaching a sample moralistic sermonette on Matthew 26:6-16, followed by me giving a sample Christocentric sermon on the same text. What follows is the transcript of my 10-minute Christ-centered sermon; perhaps it will be helpful for our Bible-teaching readers.

…

Matthew 26:6-16:

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

The Text

I would like to invite you to jump in to this story with me. We find ourselves with Jesus on His way to Jerusalem, almost there in Bethany. He is having dinner in the home of Simon the Leper.

Pause for a moment. It is so important as we read through scripture that we do not allow familiarity to rob us of the shock factor. A meal in the home of a leper! Do you remember the Levitical law about lepers? They were unclean; they could not live among anyone other than other lepers, if someone came near them, they would have to shout, “UNCLEAN!”

They were more marginalized than just about anyone in our society. Lepers did not have dinner parties. Yet Jesus and His followers were there at his house, reclining at the table, enjoying dinner. The only way this was possible was if Jesus had already healed Simon and made him clean. Jesus had not only healed Simon, but had brought him from isolation to community once again.

The opening scene of this story is one of redemption! Then we are introduced to an unnamed woman, who we know from John 12 is Mary, sister of Lazarus and Martha. Mary comes out while everyone is still at the table holding an alabaster jar. It would have been recognized by those present as the vessel to hold expensive perfume. She walks up to Jesus and the suspicions are confirmed as the overpowering scent of pure nard fills the room when she pours every drop of the oil over Christ’s head.

There is a gasp! That much nard was unfathomably valuable. (Estimated at almost $20K). The response in the room was from shock to outrage with some turning to her in rebuke. “Imagine the poor that could be fed with that much money!” Then Jesus speaks up: “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Jesus affirms her actions, all the while pointing forward to the cross and the Gospel. Then our focus is brought to Judas. Undoubtably, as the treasurer of the group (who we are told was scraping off the top of the purse), Judas was the most offended by the financial foolishness. For him this was the last straw; he had lost faith in this Jesus that he had dedicated the last few years of his life to. He would cut his losses and turn Him over for thirty pieces of silver.

The Application

This is a dramatic story, but what does it teach us? Many things, but today I would like to focus on just three things it shows us about Jesus.

1) Jesus is in the business of redeeming, healing, cleansing and restoring.

As I mentioned, our opening scene sets the tone already for who Jesus is and what HE does. Simon the Leper was brought from isolation to community, from being unclean to being clean, from sick to well, marginalized to accepted. Why? Because He was with Jesus.

This is what Jesus does. We see it in His very mission statement quoting Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This is what He has done in many of our lives, and this is what He will do for many more as they turn to Him.

2) Jesus is more valuable than any earthy thing, and Jesus is worthy of our worship.

It is worth noting that Jesus did not rebuke Mary for pouring out her life savings and her financial security on Him in a moment. He did not rebuke her for this act of worshipful adornment. Rather He affirmed her! Why? Because He is the God of creation that is worthy of all honor and glory and praise. Also, because trusting Him is more valuable than anything that this world has to offer!

As He said back in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

3) And finally, though Mary’s sacrifice and offering to Jesus was great, Jesus’ sacrifice and offering for each of us is infinitely greater!

Mary may have poured out her oil for Jesus, but Jesus poured out His very blood for Mary, and for you, and for me. Jesus, instituting the Lord’s supper, took the cup and said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Mary may have surrendered her earthly riches for Jesus, but Jesus surrendered His heavenly riches for Mary, and for you, and for me.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Mary may have been shamed and rebuked for her apparent foolishness for Jesus, but Jesus was scorned and rejected, mocked, tortured and killed for Mary, for you, and for me. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

So what should our response to this be?

Should we be like Mary? Yes. But how and why? Because of who Jesus is, and what He has done for you. If Jesus was willing to sacrifice and give so much for you and I, to bring us forgiveness, liberty and hope, it is a small thing to lay down our temporal comfort, possessions or agenda. We love Him because He first loved us.

While there are many preachers more exciting to listen to than myself, students at Calvary Chapel Bible College often ask me how I do sermon preparation. To better serve those that ask me this question, I decided to write down my full 15-step process. It’s important to note that before I start, I pause to make sure I enjoyed my morning devotions. It’s a fail to only spend time with the Lord while prepping a sermon. The following is my step-by-step method for creating a sermon when given ample time to prepare:

1. Spend time READING the passage and PRAYING for understanding.

Printing out the sermon text from BibleGateway allows the passage to be marked up freely. Be sure to understand the context to prevent abusing the passage. It is also valuable to begin thinking about different groups of people who will be listening. For example, what will a non-Christian think when they hear this text? What will an uninformed new Christian think? What will a mature Christian think? What will a Christian wandering away think? How do I engage each of these groups to get them on board?

2. OUTLINE each phrase or verse.

Meditate on the passage, ask questions, write lists, jot down correlating Scripture from memory, etc. At this stage, I avoid looking at commentaries (so I can think for myself), but I may look at other English translations and basic Greek word definitions. These are the important questions to consider while outlining: What will confuse the people when they hear this text that should be clarified? What do they need to know to understand it? What does this text mean, but also what is God looking to achieve by it in our lives? What result is God looking for when he says these words?

3. TRANSCRIBE my handwritten notes digitally.

Sermon preparation can be digitally finished from now on. My sermon notes are arranged in my personal standard sermon format that I always use (margins = 0.25, font size = 21). The font is large because I teach from an iPad. At this font size it’s best to aim for 5-8 pages of notes for a 40-45 minute sermon. I start most messages with three basic sections: introduction, message and conclusion, and modify as the sermon develops.

4. Research CROSS-REFERENCES.

Search for helpful correlating scriptures before looking to commentaries. I use Bible Hub or Logos Bible Software to find good sources. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is also available as a detailed cross reference library.

5. Research COMMENTARIES to make sure the passage is understood correctly.

This is the time to input amazing quotes, correct theological errors (thank you Lord!) and make sure all quotes are cited. It’s a good idea to make notes about how the commentary quote will be used to help jog the memory later on. Commentaries can be found through Bible Hub, Blue Letter Bible and Logos.

6. Finalize the MAIN IDEA & write the CONCLUSION.

At this point with research, the main point of the passage and its application should be decided. I put this main idea in the form of a thesis statement in the introduction. This statement should clarify the reason why people should keep listening. Writing the conclusion (at least in raw form) is helpful for keeping each sermon point on track.

7. Prayerfully ask God to help me REPENT and OBEY the main idea.

One week before the sermon, I ask God to examine my heart for how I have failed in this area of obedience. I repent and preach the gospel to myself about how Christ lived this characteristic perfectly. I then beg the Lord to give me a chance to obey this passage before I preach it. This prayer is a daily part of my devotions in the last week before the sermon, so I can be looking for opportunities to obey.

8. REWRITE SECTION TITLES to correlate cohesively with the main theme.

It helps the sermon flow to title each section with a supporting argument for the main theme. Consider the ways each title can be written for today’s audience in the present tense (NOT “Jonah ran from God…” BUT “We all run from God…”). This is also a good time to edit the sections for consistency and clarity. (I usually repeat this step a few times until the sermon flows better.)

9. Add ILLUSTRATIONS to explain better.

Personal life stories are the easiest to apply (if I am not the hero), but quotes from books and recent news articles (Yahoo Odd News is a funny source) are also helpful for bringing a topic to life. It’s good to have a variety of illustrations: quotes, personal stories, biblical examples, testimonies, news articles, etc.

10. Write the INTRODUCTION last.

The introduction needs to be brief and catchy. It should introduce the main theme of the sermon and share a reason why the congregation should listen. The message theme can be introduced by reading the passage, sharing an illustration, story, quote, article, etc. I usually also give my sermon title, Scripture Passage and It’s Context.

11. EVALUATE the sermon honestly and make changes.

Warren Wiersbe’s questions from The Elements of Preaching are useful for this process:

Is the message based on a correct interpretation of Scripture? Is this what the author was consciously intending to communicate to his audience? Does it exalt the Person and work of Jesus Christ? Will it meet the needs of people and the church’s goals? Is the theme a timeless spiritual truth worth talking about? Is the message organized so that I can preach it clearly and the people understand it easily? Is there a concise and clear statement of purpose? Is there a clear plan of development? Is there practical application? Are all Scripture references and historical facts accurate? Is the message real to me personally so that I may make it real to others? Have I edited out everything that isn’t necessary to the sermon’s goals? Am I preaching to people’s hearts, pleading for obedience to God’s Word? Is the message worth preaching again?

12. Export a PDF and HIGHLIGHT the sermon for iPad use.

I export to a PDF and import it in an iPad app called “Documents” that allows me to highlight the text in different colors systematically and add last minute notes. In case the iPad runs out of batteries (never happened), printing a paper as a backup is imperative.

13. Create the SLIDES for the presentation.

If slides will be used, go minimalist by using large fonts and short sentences. I just highlight scriptures, quotes and main points. Keep it simple by using the same slide design for each series or book of the Bible. If you plan to teach the sermon again, text slides with nice designs age less quickly than images.

14. PRACTICE the sermon by preaching out loud and listening to recordings.

Preaching the sermon to a friend who cares (or a wall alone) helps develop the transitions between points and gives confidence for looking away from the notes. My personal rule is to never stop to write down changes as I am practice-preaching. I pretend people are watching, so if I pause too long, I force myself to move on rather than finding the perfect transition. I try and do this two to three times, once daily, leading up to my sermon. Record the computer reading the sermon notes robotically. Doing this at a fast speed so that the whole 45-minute sermon plays between five and six minutes allows me to listen to the whole sermon multiple times a day (I listen to it 10+ times before actually preaching it). This commits the sermon content to memory, so it’s easily retrieved while preaching. Practically, I do this by having my iPad speak the notes at a fast speed while I record it on my phone.

15. PRAY for the right heart and the people who will hear it.

Pray and repent as necessary (and ask forgiveness of others). It is essential to pray that the motives for teaching are based on giving God glory and love for others, NOT for public praise of clever sermons. The Holy Spirit desires to lead us as we teach and has the authority to steer us in a new direction.

Sometimes I’ll have someone assess my sermon as I preach using THIS CHECKLIST.

To help illustrate these 15 steps, I’ve tracked my progress through a sermon from start to finish. You can VIEW THAT DOCUMENT HERE if you think it will be helpful.

When Protestants broke with Rome in the 15th Century, Rome countered the Protestant departure with a claim to Apostolic succession: “Look,” they said, “Our leaders go all the way back to the original Apostles in an unbroken line of succession. Today’s Pope is the spiritual successor of Christ Himself. He appointed Peter, whose role as Bishop of Rome flows right down to today in an unbroken line of spiritual authority.”

That argument compelled many to keep unity with Rome. Others weren’t convinced and left to swell the ever enlarging ranks of Protestant churches.

From then till now, scholars from both sides rally support in the debate over Apostolic Succession.

There were some early church leaders who proposed the idea of succession. The first century church father Ignatius stood out as probably the clearest voice arguing for a single bishop as the leader of a local church, his office secured by his ability to draw a relational link back to the original Apostles.

The second century Father Irenaeus was also used as a support for Apostolic succession. But a close look at his writings in this regard places the principle of succession, not in some spiritual dynastic lineage; as if having an older bishop laying his hands on a younger man conferred special grace that bestowed the authority of Peter, James and John.

Irenaeus said succession consisted in a bishop’s adherence to the faith of the Apostles. It was a matter of doctrine, of Gospel-centered values and the mission of the original Apostles, passed on to their followers, from one generation to the next. Church leaders obtained authority only to the degree they were loyal to the foundation the Apostles laid. Their authority was derived directly from their adherence to what was already given; it did not originate with them or the office they held. It was certainly not passed along merely by the laying on of hands.

There are many quotes from Irenaeus to share in this regard. One of the most poignant is from his epic work Against Heresies III:24:1.

“[I have proved] that the preaching of the Church is everywhere consistent, continues in an even course, and receives testimony from the prophets, the apostles, and all the disciples through [those in] the beginning, the middle, the end, and through the entire dispensation of God. And that well-grounded system which tends to man’s salvation, namely, our faith, which we have received from the Church, we do preserve, and [that faith] always, by the Spirit of God, renews its youth, as if it were some precious deposit in an excellent vessel, and causes the vessel itself containing it to renew its youth also. For this gift of God has been entrusted to the Church, as breath was to the first created man, for this purpose, that all the members may receive it and live.”

In another place Irenaeus says:

“Therefore it is necessary to obey the elders who are in the Church; those who-as I have shown-possess the succession from the apostles. [They], together with the succession of the episcopate [bishops], have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father. And [it is necessary] to hold in suspicion others who depart from the primitive succession, and assemble themselves together in any place whatsoever. [Consider them] either as heretics of perverse minds, or as schismatics puffed up and self-pleasing, or again as hypocrites, acting this way for the sake of money and pride. For all these have fallen from the truth.”

The “heretics” and “schismatics” Irenaeus mentioned here were Gnostics, about whom Against Heresies was written. He refers often to the apostolic “tradition” precisely because Gnostics claimed to possess an original tradition; a secret teaching handed down by Jesus to the Apostles and communicated to only the Gnostic leaders. For the right fee, those leaders and teachers would pass it along to those who desired to be enlightened. Irenaeus countered by showing that Jesus’ teaching had never been secret. His life and work were and open book for all to read. The Apostles faithfully transmitted that, at first in an oral tradition, then in a written tradition, as embodied in the books of the New Testament, the Church was soon to form into the canon.

Irenaeus’ entire argument was that a genuine church existed wherever church leaders (elders, bishops) remained faithful to this oral and written “tradition.” Irenaeus did give a nod to a local church’s ability to list its lineage back to the apostles, but only insofar as they reliably adhered to the tradition of the Apostles’ teaching.

Nowhere do we see Irenaeus establish an innate spiritual dynastic line where one man hands the “keys of the kingdom” to another. And for church leaders to later in history claim special authority due to “tradition,” using Irenaeus’ work as justification for doing so is, is an egregious misuse of what he meant by tradition. For Irenaeus, tradition meant nothing if it wasn’t drawn from a faithful adherence to Scripture.

Modern church leaders would do well to remember this when they’re pressed to compromise on moral and spiritual issues.

The authority of pastors and church leaders comes from one place: God. It does not adhere to their office. A title means nothing, no matter how big the hat or fancy the label. God gives authority to fulfill His calling and mission for that person. When they step outside that role, they possess no real authority. The authority of the minister is derived from and directly proportional to their loyalty to the Apostolic message and mission.

Let’s remember there’s power in the Gospel to save the lost and transform our world. We do no service by watering it down or fudging its truth. Those who curse us today for sharing the undiluted message of the Cross, are the same ones who will thank us tomorrow for loving them enough to tell it like it is.

On a recent flight, I watched the rebrand of the movie, The Magnificent Seven. Without throwing out spoilers, the movie is a western about a town being overrun by an unjust, ruthless business tycoon. Desperate for help, a widowed young woman (whose husband was killed by the tycoon) seeks the help of an outlaw who ends up recruiting six other outlaws to take down the “army” of the wicked man’s empire. I love westerns because no matter the plot line, invariably, there is a horse, a saddle and wide open territory. One of the staples in a western movie is the “cowboy.”

The cowboy is a loner. He doesn’t need anyone–but everyone seems to need him from time to time. He knows the names of his associates and the names of each river and trail–but doesn’t bother to name the cows. He isn’t interested in caring for the cattle but seeks to drive them from point A to point B in order to receive a profit from them. He drives them from behind with fear, intimidation and a skilled lasso. The cowboy gets the job done–one way or another.

The shepherd, on the other hand, is never isolated from his flock. He spends time with his sheep. The sheep know his voice, and he takes the time to name them and care for them. The shepherd doesn’t want to eat the sheep but protects them from predators who (without his protection), otherwise, will. The shepherd’s profit comes from their wool–not their meat. As they grow and are healthy, they produce something that can be offered back to care for the shepherd–but it isn’t an offering that takes their life! The shepherd doesn’t drive them from behind–he walks out ahead of them and leads them, calling them by name and taking them places they would never venture alone. The cowboy may drive the herd, but the shepherd leads his flock.

As an undershepherd of Jesus, I want to be a good shepherd, not a good cowboy.

As one who keeps watch over the flock and family of God, it is so critical that I look to Jesus constantly for my example of how to love and lead well.

As followers of Christ involved in a congregation, we desire leaders who oversee us exemplifying the qualities that Jesus intended. All too often, we are disappointed in our leaders because they fall short or worse–they act like cowboys. Scripture seems to be filled with examples of poor shepherds who were only interested in themselves.

Jesus tells us in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd who will lay down His life for the sheep. According to 1 Peter 5:2, pastors/elders are to be Jesus’ undershepherds, who serve the flock by overseeing the spiritual needs of the church: “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly…”(1 Peter 5:2).

Peter’s analogy would have come from his encounter with Jesus after the resurrection in John 21. There, Jesus told him three times to “feed My sheep” and to “tend My lambs.” This analogy stayed with Peter throughout his ministry to the extent that his admonition to future leaders was that they would continue to be skilled shepherds (not cowboys) for Christ.

King David understood the importance of shepherding and leadership. According to Psalm 23, David likened the Lord to being his shepherd. As a young boy with this experience, David recounts what good shepherds do:

1. A good shepherd helps people to eat good green grass.

That’s why it is so important to place a high priority and emphasis to teach the whole counsel of God. Our churches should be the best-loved and best-fed sheep in our community. Cowboys get the cheapest feed at the best price. They aren’t concerned with the cattle being well fed; they simply want the cattle to move along quickly. Being led into green pastures is significant; maybe that’s why David listed it first.

A.W. Pink observed:
“It is because so many untaught men, unregenerate men, now occupy the pulpits that ‘another gospel’ (Galatians 1:6) is being so widely and generally disseminated. Multitudes who have neither ‘tasted that the Lord is gracious’ nor have ‘the fear of the Lord’ in them, have from various motives and considerations invaded the sacred calling of the ministry and out of the abundance of their corrupt hearts they speak. Being blind themselves, they lead the blind into the ditch. Having no love for the Shepherd they have none for the sheep, being but ‘hirelings.’ They are themselves ‘of the world’ and therefore ‘the world heareth them’ (1 John 4:5), for they preach that which is acceptable unto fallen human nature and as like attracts like, they gather around themselves a company of admirers who flatter and support them. They will bring in just enough of God’s Truth to deceive the unwary and give an appearance of orthodoxy to their message, but not sufficient of the Truth, especially the searching portions thereof, to render their hearers uncomfortable by destroying their false peace. They will name Christ but not preach Him, mention the Gospel but not expound it.”

2. A good shepherd leads his flock beside still waters.

A flock (or church) needs to be led into times of refreshment and rest. Cowboys don’t bother with the scenic route. They want the most efficient one. A recent study found people are more stressed out than ever, with some experiencing a situation of “extreme stress” within the last year. We need to have regular intervals of waiting upon the Lord and being refreshed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. A good shepherd helps restore people’s souls.

That may mean effectively counseling those who need restoration. Shepherds would be willing to stoop down and pick up a lamb that had broken a leg and to place that lamb upon his shoulders. Do we ever see a cowboy with such compassion? We aren’t to run people off who disagree with us or who are struggling with knowing Jesus, but we are to restore them to Him.

4. A good shepherd leads people in paths of righteousness.

He points the way and then leads the people. Cowboys drive the cattle from behind. They crack the whip and intimidate the sheep. They make threats and loud noises. Shepherds say. “This is the way,” and then they begin to walk in it and the flock follows. Is your pastor an example in word, faith and deed to the body?

5. A good shepherd helps people navigate death and evil and fear by being present in prayer and in person.

Pastors bring guidance and correction, both resembled in the staff, to bring comfort to the flock.

6. A good shepherd is aware of the dangers around them and doesn’t allow the evil to infiltrate the church.

Pastors who still prepare the Word at the table and who aren’t afraid to preach against sin in the presence of enemies are becoming more and more rare. We need doctrinal and theological clarity in days where it is easier to stay silent or quiet about divisive issues.

7. A good shepherd will dwell with his flock in unity.

The Bible says it is like anointing oil. Cowboys would never spend time with the cows, hang out with the cows, laugh and play with the cows. But shepherds took time to learn and understand their flock. Just the voice of the shepherd was enough to distinguish who they would follow. We need men who don’t arrive at service with an entourage and hang out in the “green room” the entire service. We need men who love and spend time among those God has entrusted to their care.

8. And finally, according to Psalm 23, a good shepherd presents the Gospel often.

So people can be assured they will be with Jesus, in His presence, forever. Does your church give regular invitations for people to know and follow Jesus?

Cowboys want to get something from their cattle. But a shepherd is there to pour his life into his sheep and perhaps even die for them. Which of these leadership models does the church need most? Which example will most effectively reach our lost communities? I’ll take the rod over the lasso any day.

Daniel Fusco will be a main session speaker at the 2017 CCCM Pastors and Leaders Conference, June 26-19, 2017.

Pastoral transitions are something many churches are facing today. However a church and its leadership chooses to handle it, pastoral transition will go a long way toward the eventual outcome. Pastoral transitions can be the stuff that legends are made of! The statistics are tragic: Many churches never truly recover from a pastoral transition, often splitting in the midst of them. Many churches not only do not grow during a transition, they drastically decline. Transitions are even harder when they involve a large church, and there are many stories of high-profile, failed transitions. For church bodies facing pastoral transitions, this can be some depressing and scary news. It’s especially important for our movement as many Calvary Chapels face an impending leadership transition without a succession plan in place.

Here’s my story of a church transition that worked. It’s not a story about me, or the church I came to love and lead, or the pastor who passed the baton to me. It’s a story about what it looks like to simply respond to Jesus and join Him in the work He wants to do in and through a transitioning church family.

It all began in 2011 with a season where by God’s grace and speaking into our hearts, the Crossroads Community Church’s Senior Pastor, Bill Ritchie, the congregation, the board and I were led to a place where we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God was asking us to step into this process together. So in 2012, I moved to Vancouver, Washington, to begin transitioning into the lead pastor role at Crossroads Community Church. Pastor Bill had started the church in 1975 – two months before I was born! – and had faithfully pastored there for almost 40 years. Pastor Bill, along with the Crossroads board, didn’t really do a traditional “pastor search.” Pastor Bill just networked with people he knew and trusted: pastors, former pastors and church leaders. And from there, they just waited on the Lord during that process. I realize for some of you, you are wondering, “How did they end up with that guy? No offense…but you??” Well, that’s a great question, but another story for another time. For whatever reason, I was the guy, and I decided that regardless of the butterflies in my gut, I was going to join Jesus is what He was doing.

When I told a good ministry friend of mine what was happening, he blurted out, “Don’t do it! They are going to HATE you!” Then another friend said, “They invented the ‘interim pastor’ position for situations like this! You are out of your mind.” That might of given me some pause, but to be honest, I was in way too deep to question God at that point. What’s funny is they were right. All the statistics tell us that the guy who comes after the “Guy” doesn’t hang around very long. Maybe I am stubborn, or maybe just dumb, but I went anyway.

I am blessed to say that I was part of a very healthy transition. Almost every week, Pastor Bill and I were approached by churches and leaders who wanted to talk about transition. We were humbled to be written about in Warren Bird and William Vanderbloemen’s book Next: Pastoral Succession that Works, as well as in Dave Rolph’s dissertation about pastoral transition. I am also excited to be able to share a workshop on the subject at the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Pastors and Leaders Conference in June.

I want to share with you a few lessons that we learned in the midst of the transition, with the hope that if you are part of a pastoral transition, this will help you and your church. It is important to acknowledge that the success of our transition had more to do with God’s amazing grace than any wisdom Pastor Bill, myself, or the team at Crossroads possess. Only Jesus could accomplish such an amazing work. It is also important to say that our transition wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I have made more mistakes than I can count. Some people do hate me like my friend said they would. Some people left. Some changes that were made were challenging and were not well-received. So it’s tempting to say that everything was perfect. My friends, we are talking about imperfect people following a perfect Savior. So it wasn’t perfect. But it has been fruitful, and God is so faithful. Crossroads is strong today. By many metrics, we are stronger than we have ever been in our history. And I say that to the glory of God and to encourage you that it’s worth investing in the succession process to make it the best possible transition it can be.

The Power of the Outgoing Leader

The health of a pastoral transition rests firmly on the shoulders of the outgoing pastor. If you read anything about pastoral transition, you realize that how the outgoing pastor handles the transition makes or breaks it. By God’s grace, Pastor Bill Ritchie made the decision to transition well before he had to. This realization, that it is time to hand off the leadership baton, is a huge first step. Pastor Bill was still leading with intense vision and preaching strong. The church was still doing well. But he realized it was time, and he devoted his passion and energy to our transition. He also realized he played a pivotal role in creating a healthy transition. He is a ferocious learner, and he had read many books about the issues caused by founders who couldn’t let go and ended up sabotaging their successors.

Pastor Bill was also bold enough to think outside the box. He had the wild idea to not make a safe pick for his successor. Contemporary logic goes something like this: If your pastor is 65, find the next pastor that is 55 and similar in temperament and style, who has led a large ministry like yours. That way, it’s not too hard on the people. The problem with that logic is that as the leader, you set yourself up for another pastoral transition in ten years. Not to mention that when you hire the “poor man’s version” of your current pastor, at some point, everyone realizes that pastor is the poor man’s version of the original, and they resent him for it. I’m not saying this is right, but it’s how it goes. So Pastor Bill decided to skip a few generations. Instead of looking for a pastor in his mid-50s, he found a guy in his mid-30s. Instead of looking at a pastor of a large, established church who was ready to take the “next step,” he looked at younger church planters with bloody knuckles, people who were hungry to change the world. Was it safe? No. Was it wise? After five years and as his successor, I think it was brilliant. And I think you’ll see why I say that.

The Power of a Plan

We had a plan, and we executed that plan. Long before I was in the equation, Pastor Bill and the leadership team here at Crossroads had been planning his succession. He had been leading the church for more than 30 years, and it was not going to last forever. So they had been putting a plan together. Each pastoral transition has unique elements. There are financial considerations, staffing considerations, buildings and budgets, as well as ministry focus and vision. One of the things that made our transition unique was that Pastor Bill wanted to stay at Crossroads after he was no longer the senior pastor. He wasn’t looking to go anywhere. Their family had been in our community for almost 50 years, and they wanted to stay here. But that can be problematic to say the least. Yet it was a variable that needed to be addressed up front. So when I arrived in the picture, we started to plan more earnestly. I cannot stress enough how important working hard on a plan is for this endeavor. Unfortunately, many churches think planning isn’t Spirit filled. Now why people believe that is beyond my comprehension. God is the ultimate planner. The Bible is full of detailed plans. You can do it in a way that fits your community. For us it looked like some days locked up in a hotel room, praying, planning, discussing ideas and praying some more. And we walked away with our action steps. So whatever it looks like for your leadership team and church, please make sure you plan and plan and plan. The old saying is true – “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

Planning in and of itself is not enough. Having a plan is one thing, but executing the plan is an entirely different thing. Sometimes the best-laid plans fail in the execution. As a team, we felt that we had a solid plan. We knew what we were going to do with communication, leaders, ministries, vision casting and more. We committed that our transition would be completed in 24 months. We knew that when the transition was complete, where I would end up and where Bill would be. It was all dialed in. But could we actually do it? A great plan that’s poorly executed is a poor plan. A poor plan that’s executed perfectly is still a poor plan. But a great plan properly executed is a success. I am humbled to say that we were able to execute our plan, in 14 months instead of 24.

One of the overarching keys to our plan was that Pastor Bill and I made the commitment to guard our relationship with each other. Many times that is forgotten in a pastoral transition. When you have two strong, type-A leaders working together it can get pretty hairy. But because of our commitment to keep short accounts with each other, we worked through the rough patches and are closer today than we have ever been. I am so grateful for his friendship, ministry and investment in me.

The Power of the Spirit’s Leading

We were open to the leading of the Spirit. No matter how good your plan is, you can’t do it without the Holy Spirit guiding you each step of the way. As our transition began to unfold, we learned a number of things very quickly, and the Spirit helped us course-correct.

First, we realized that we had designed our transition not to lose people, but we neglected to leverage our transition to reach new people. It was an honest mistake. We figured as long as we didn’t kill this great church then we did a good job. But we totally missed the reality that God didn’t want Crossroads just to survive, He wanted us to thrive. Very quickly, we realized that with a new pastor coming in, it created a tremendous opportunity to reach new people. As this became apparent, we began to embrace what we weren’t ready for. We began again to do weekly altar calls and watched people come to know Jesus in the sanctuary week in and week out. Long-term Crossroads families started to realize that our church wasn’t just for them, it was a place of healing and hope for our community, especially if they didn’t know Jesus!

Second, we realized that our transition was happening quicker than we imagined. I told you that our transition had to be completed in 24 months, but we got it done in 14 months. We had to be open to the Spirit to see what God was doing and adjust what we were doing and how we were doing it. We believe that if we had waited the full 24 months, we would have missed part of what God was doing. There was a palpable momentum we were experiencing, and we adjusted our plans so we could “ride the wave” that God was creating.

Finally, we learned that the transition didn’t end when Pastor Bill and the church leaders laid hands on me and I became the Lead Pastor. We learned that was just the first stage. After handing off of the baton, the next phase of transition began. Pastor Bill was now the founding and former lead pastor, I was now the lead pastor, and the entire church was in a new season. To be honest, after the Sunday service where we literally passed the baton, there was about another three years of transition that we had to manage if we wanted our church to be healthy. As things are changing and adjusting, it is very challenging, for everyone. In the midst of the turmoil that the transition creates, lots of beautiful and terrifying things can go on. I often get asked about those “things” and to be honest, I believe they are different for every situation. But the foundational principle is the same: What is Jesus asking the pastor, the leadership and the church body to do, and is everyone hearing and responding to it?

It is with great joy that I can stand here today and say that Crossroads has been a successful transition. Pastor Bill would absolutely say that same thing. The church has continued to grow in size and impact, beyond what any of us imagined. So as we see many churches already transitioning, and we know that many churches will soon begin that process, my prayer is that we transition well, and because of the success of those transitions, the world will know that Jesus is real!

This is a message to pastors and those involved in church leadership, but I believe it is relevant to us all!

We experienced a new record of “interesting” in a one-week period at church recently. We had two “Satans” and one “Jesus” visit.

It’s pretty common for the unusual to happen at our inner city church, but this took things to a whole new level. Two devilish distractions didn’t quite make it into church, but “Jesus” did. From the beginning of worship, we were concerned for him. He was weeping, and we wanted to reach out to him.

One of our leaders was just waiting for worship to be over, so he could pray with him and see how he could help.

When our worship leader said, “Amen,” “Jesus” went straight to the stage, shouting that he was the third person of the Trinity. He was fast!

The ushers and I were right behind, trying to calmly escort him out. He didn’t want to leave, so we helped him a little more. I was proud of our men, as they were extremely respectful but also firm. As “Jesus” was leaving, he shouted out that he was the reason gas prices dropped by 5 cents. He added that he was hungry and didn’t have shoes.

Someone found him a pair of shoes, and our head usher took the young man to dinner. It seemed he was either high or off his medications. Either way, it’s sad, and now I’m known as the guy who kicked “Jesus” out of church!

Since my first church plant 18 years ago, we have had people come to church with every conceivable circumstance. I remember the first young man who came to church drunk and wanted to talk during the Bible study. The church consisted of only about 15 people at the time. There were no ushers, no boundaries, just a really tall, muscular, drunk guy weeping.

I asked him if we could speak after I was finished, and several minutes later, he agreed. We had a great chat, and from time to time, I would see him in town.

We continued a good relationship, and he knew that he was loved and not judged.

I wish I could say that I always “did the right thing,” but that’s definitely not true. I could mention (to my shame), several instances when I was more concerned about “church” than people. It’s easy to justify:

“You can’t help a drunk person, when they are drunk.”- Usually true.

“You can’t stop service for every single person that wants to interrupt.”- Also true.

Here’s the thing I’m learning. How I respond to interruptions and hurting people says A LOT to the church. 
Those of you who are pastors or church leaders, can I make a suggestion? Learn to relax a bit more! Things are going to happen in our services that turn the focus and throw us off a bit. Maybe that’s ok.

Jesus didn’t preach in sterile church environments.

The greatest truths the world has ever heard were probably spoken with the sounds of crying babies and the bleating of sheep in the background.

We work hard to create an environment where people can come into church distraction-free, but that is not always possible…and that’s OK. Let’s learn to relax. God is bigger than distractions. God is greater than disruptions. Who knows, if those moments will be an incredible opportunity to learn about mercy by showing mercy.