Protective or Paralyzing

Whether we like it or not, fear is a factor in all our lives. And that’s not always a bad thing. Fear of punishment often keeps a child from making wrong choices. Fear of going to prison may keep adults from committing crimes. But fear can also keep people from realizing the potential God has placed within them.

Fear can also paralyze. It can freeze people in their tracks like a deer in the headlights. Many Christians are terrified to share their faith for fear of rejection. Others are afraid of giving God control of their lives because of what He might do with them once they surrender. This fear of surrender to God keeps Christians from enjoying the blessings of obedience and submission.

Good Guys and Bad Guys?

Sadly, this fear factor has corrupted our perspective as we have come to believe the Christian life is all about “us versus them,” a battle between the sinners and the saved. But when it comes to the human race, there are no good guys and bad guys, only sinners in need of a Savior. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But that is not the end of the story. God, who is rich in mercy, has made restoration possible through His sacrifice on the cross. We can be restored to God through Jesus our Savior.

God has assured us that we are “more than conquerors” and has promised us that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). Christ defeated the devil, death, and hell at the cross. If we are in Christ, our past is forgiven and our future is secure. If we believe this, then why do we live in fear of men? Why do we shudder at the thought of sharing our faith because of what someone else may think of us?

How the Fearful become the Feared

Maybe we’ve got it all backwards. Perhaps, the world and all the evil and darkness in it should fear us. Jesus told us that we are salt and light. We have received the gospel of grace. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation. Jesus has already overcome the world, and we belong to Him. Fear does not have to dominate our spiritual life. The Bible tells us that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). We must allow God’s love to flow through us so that fear is no longer a factor, paralyzing us into inactivity for Him. When His love becomes the dominant factor, we can clearly see that there should be no “us” and “them” – only a world of people in need of a Savior.

This article is an excerpt from A Story of Grace: Beyond the Iron Curtain by Phil Metzger. View the official website or purchase the full book and Kindle version now.

Aaron sits down with Phil Metzger (lead pastor at Calvary San Diego) to talk about the art of “Crossing Cultures.” Phil and his family have spent meant years overseas as missionaries and in that time he has learned all about how to communicate and relate to those who see the world differently. The first season of Phil’s show is all about racial relations, and so Aaron and Phil discuss the problem of racial blindspots, the need for openness to different points of view, the necessity of reconciliation and forgiveness, and the debate around the “hot button” issue of the phrase “white privilege.”

Check out Phil’s show here!

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The GoodLion podcast is a show by Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins, the founders of CGN’s GoodLion Podcast Network. Each episode, their goal is to ask hard questions, push past easy answers and always look to Jesus, the God who is not safe but is very good. Visit GoodLion.io.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these” (M​ark 12:30-31​).

IT’S HALLOWEEN!

On this day, kids will be hurrying home from school, dressing up and heading out to get candy from their neighbors. I grew up doing this, and I loved it every year.

When I got saved, I became aware of some of the other elements of Halloween – its history and some of the pagan practices. I realized that many Christians have strong views against this holiday and what it represents for some. This is my feeble attempt at helping us see this from a different perspective.
Try and see this holiday for what it is today: The one day of the year when many of the families in your neighborhood take their little ones and come up to your door.

It’s the one day of the year when it’s not creepy to slowly meander through your neighborhood while your kids beg for candy from everyone. It’s community.

TRY AND SEE THIS FROM A MISSIONAL PERSPECTIVE.

It’s an opportunity to engage in our community rather than oppose it.

You do not have to compromise the gospel to be kind and friendly on Halloween. And compromise is what this is all about isn’t it? It’s the concern that, by celebrating Halloween, we are promoting evil and paganism.

Consider this: Instead of becoming overly agitated with the fringe elements of Halloween, let’s see it for what it is today for the large majority of people- a day for communities to come together and show some love to our kids (and candy, lots of candy!)

CONSIDER HALLOWEEN FROM SOLOMON AND JESUS’ PERSPECTIVE

“Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil” (Ecclesiastes 9:7-8).

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT).

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon encourages his readers to consider this one fact: We are all going to die. This will either depress you or motivate you to listen to God’s wisdom on how to live. If death is a reality, then what is this life all about?

And Solomon exhorts us to GO. It’s a command. Get off the couch, eat, drink and put on a nice outfit, maybe even some cologne! Why? Because God wants you to live while we are here on earth.
In Matthew, Jesus also commands us to GO. Go and make disciples of all nations. Go live out your faith in this world.

In both passages, we see the Trinity at work in our lives. I believe it is symbolized in Ecclesiastes and made plain in Matthew. The symbols are these:

Bread/wine = symbols of Jesus’ body and blood oil = symbol of the Holy Spirit

Solomon says partake of the bread and the wine and put on the Holy Spirit for God approves of this. Jesus says partake of My death and resurrection and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And as I am transforming you, GO make disciples of all nations.

This Halloween, GO- eat and drink, put on some cologne (and maybe a fun costume) and make disciples of all nations by living out the life of God in you.

In his second part of the 10-minute Seminary series, Pastor Phil Metzger discusses the point of Multicultural Ministry, whether serving as a missionary abroad or serving in your local church.

10-Minute Seminary ReLaunch

We are excited to relaunch our video training series, 10-Minute Seminary!

In this first installment, Pastor Phil Metzger shares some quick helpful insights on church planting in diverse cultural contexts.

We thank Phil for taking a few minutes to share some of his experiences from planting churches in cross-cultural settings.

What does the gospel look like in our lives? What happens when we embrace the truth of God’s salvation for us?

In the ancient city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul began a church. He didn’t stay long because of persecution. But the impact of the gospel remained there in the city. So what did that look like?

In the first letter that Paul wrote to these believers, he mentions to them that he is so grateful for them. One of the reasons for his gratitude is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, “Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

Paul was so thankful that the message of the gospel was not just words to these people. For many then and today, the gospel is just a story to be ignored. Consider what happened to Paul right after leaving Thessalonica.

He went to a town called Berea and preached the same gospel message. We read in Acts 17:11-12, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

After Berea, Paul went to Athens where he again preached the gospel. Instead of many believing, there seemed to be an indifference to the gospel. Same gospel, different response. It seems in Athens the people were more interested in the gospel as a philosophy rather than as truth.

In Athens the people heard Paul and said in Acts 17:20, “For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” The same message in Berea and Athens was met by a very different response. One group examined Paul’s message to the Word of God.

The other group heard Paul’s message in the context of every other religious philosophy. One group was born again and one remained skeptical. Those in Berea heard the words of Paul, examined them alongside Scripture and saw that it was true. They believed. They accepted the message of the gospel, and God saved them. This is what happened in Thessalonica. People heard the words of the gospel, and they believed. It’s one of the reasons Paul was so thankful for them. They had received the gospel not as mere words but in power, by the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

The Power of the Gospel

Paul says in Romans that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The reality of what Jesus did for you and me on the cross has real, actual power to transform us. Through Jesus we move from death to life and from darkness to light. We were dead in our sins, but we are made alive through the cross of Jesus. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and we experience God’s power in our lives when we respond to the gospel.

The Holy Spirit in the Gospel

Paul says the gospel is also in the Holy Spirit. It is a message by the Holy Spirit, a living Person who works within the hearts of the hearers to convict, to comfort and to instruct. If the preacher only speaks, then it is a matter of word only, but when the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word, then a great spiritual work happens. Paul says that the gospel went forward in full conviction to the Thessalonians. I believe what he is saying here is that Paul didn’t just preach a message, he fully believed the message, and that is why he preached the gospel.

Later in this first chapter Paul says, “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10).

Turned to God from Idols

Note the order of words here. We would normally think in terms of turning from idols to God, but here Paul’s argument is that they first turned to God, and then away from idols.

We aren’t born again because we changed our ways and cleaned up our lives. We aren’t born again because we started doing godly things and then God saved us. No, the power of the gospel is that God can reach right down to the lowest places and redeem us.

The Thessalonians didn’t leave their idols and then go out to find God. They turned to God and then left their idols. Conversion is not only turning from something, but it is turning to Someone. This is the power of the gospel. To save us from our sins, to set us free from our idolatry and to set us apart for our great God who loves us.

Starting from far left, Michael Smith, Tony Fornabaio, David Zamora, Thi’sl, Ray Dash, Pete Nelson, Phil Metzger participate in a panel discussion moderated by Brian Brodersen at the 2016 Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference. The topic was “Engaging the Culture with the Gospel.”

In 2015, Europe experienced a massive migration crisis.

Hundreds of thousands of people made the heart-breaking decision to leave their lives and homes and run to safer ground. In Hungary, we had a front row seat to history.

Calvary Chapels in Hungary and Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe chose not just to sit and watch but to get involved in the crisis. We set up camps and provided basic necessities to those who had walked for weeks on their way to Western Europe. It was an unbelievable time, and all of us involved are thankful for the privilege.

There was another element of this crisis that has been seared into my heart.

Human trafficking.

Much of the crisis in Hungary focused on a field adjacent to a small village called Röszke. It was here that the thousands crossed from Serbia into Hungary. There’s nothing out there but a little country road connecting the highway and the small town.

Every day and night our teams would go out there and serve. In the beginning, we were all so unorganized. We had never done anything like this!

The only group completely organized were the traffickers.

That little country road became the pickup point for traffickers looking to “help” (exploit) people. Some nights the line of cars was 2km (over 1 mile).

The lucky refugees got into a car that actually took them over to the next border with Austria. The unlucky ones were robbed and dropped off in the opposite direction of the western border. And then there were those who were separated out and never seen again, most likely sold off to a prostitution ring.

Seeing these human traffickers has had an indelible impact upon those of us who were there.

That is why this April 29th and 30th, Calvary Budapest is hosting an exhibition, highlighting the real problems of human trafficking in Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary. For years, our church has had an outreach to help girls out of prostitution and trafficking, but this refugee crisis has stirred our hearts to try and elevate this to a national campaign.

We are gathering all those serving to fight human trafficking in Hungary, both civil and Christian organizations.

Groups like the UNHCR will be attending as well as a representative from the current government of Hungary.

The purpose of this day conference will be to figure out how we can all work together better. It’s a shame that the traffickers are so organized, and the rest of us are not. At the same time, we will host a 2-day exhibition in our church building called “What are you worth?” People will have the opportunity of experiencing some of the horrors for those who have been trafficked. We will work to understand how someone ends up being trafficked.

This exhibition is a bridge between our world and theirs.

As well, we will highlight the problem of pornography today and its connection to human trafficking.

It is estimated in Hungary that there are 35,000 slaves living among us.

Last year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked why gender equality was important to him in his newly formed cabinet. He responded, “Because it’s 2015!” Now it’s 2016- nobody should be bought and sold like property.

If there has ever been an issue for us Christians to care about, it should be this one.

We are the champions of freedom. We believe that God has set us free from the power of darkness, sin, death and hell. Who the Son has set free is free indeed! We believe in freedom both now and for eternity. And yet today, there are still people who don’t have the basic freedoms we take for granted. It is much easier to look down on them and assume that they chose a lifestyle of sin and perversion.

I’m so glad God didn’t look down and feel the same way about us! It’s 2016 and slavery should end. God made us in His image- loved and treasured.

What are you worth?

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.

Mention the word “refugee” today and everybody’s got an opinion. We can add that to our list of “off-limit” words this holiday like “gay,” “Democrat,” “Republican,” “Trump,” “Hillary,” and “Muslim,” among others. (Feel free to add to the list!)

It seems that if you mention how sad you are for the plight of the refugees then you must be a bleeding heart with very little insight into the geopolitical ramifications. If you express any form of concern regarding the refugees than you are seen as a cold-hearted person with no sympathies for the plight of the suffering. (You probably hate baby seals too!)

Is there any balance that can be found as to how we understand the present “refugee” situation? I’d like to make a few suggestions.

Mark 12:30-31: ‘“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Place yourself in their shoes

We had a firsthand view of the refugee crisis here in Hungary. We had the privilege of serving many of the tens of thousands who crossed through our country. Most of them were honestly looking for a life without the fear of death, but not all. We took a strong approach to loving our neighbor, which in this case meant the refugee. We didn’t do it because they were all innocent people looking for a better life. I have no idea what their motives were, not every single one of them. We did it because Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves.

I have five children (four kids and a son-in-law) whom I would do anything for. There are no borders or laws that would stop me from getting my family out of harm’s way, if at all possible. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about solutions to this crisis. I am talking to Christians about keeping a balanced approach. Put yourself in their shoes. Before you villainize the refugees consider their situation. What would you do for your family? Love your neighbor as yourself.

The Devil wants to pour the fuel of fear into the engine of hate. Don’t let that happen in your life. Fight the urge to hate with love.

Know Thy Enemy

Ephesians 6:12: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Muslims are not the enemy. The Devil is. I deplore the kind of violence that we are seeing by terrorists all over the world. It is evil and it should be stopped. But Christians, Islam is not enemy #1—the Devil still is.

A balanced approach includes a deeper prayer life. Do we really believe in the power of prayer? What’s going to break the stronghold the Devil has? We must seek victory in prayer!

We need to pray against this stronghold of Islam.

We need to pray for our leaders to have wisdom and clarity.

We need to pray for our churches to stay gospel-centered.

Prayer is one of our God-given offensive weapons. Use it.

1 Timothy 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men.”

Engage

Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Prudence without a mixture of evil—that’s the idea here. Some of us are touting wisdom, while others are pushing gentleness. Jesus encouraged both and He did so within the context of His disciples going out on mission. He was sending them out to be both wise and innocent.

It’s harder to be opinionated once you are engaged in the issue. Most of you might not get the chance to serve refugees but you can engage in this battle through prayer. Start praying and watch God change your heart. That doesn’t mean you will think we should invite everyone into America! But it does mean that you will begin to love people that you might not have the chance to meet.

Maybe you will have a chance to be further engaged with refugees. Do it. Take the risk. Maybe you can introduce them to Christmas in America—show them the love of God. No fruitcakes though!

It’s harder to hate when you engage in the issue.

God’s wisdom has engaged the world. Follow His pattern.

Fight the Urge to Hate

Terrorism has created a global fear. We are all a little bit scared and this is probably healthy in the current climate, but don’t let fear produce hatred. That’s what the Devil wants.

The Devil wants to pour the fuel of fear into the engine of hate. Don’t let that happen in your life. Fight the urge to hate with love. Virtually every major news outlet is reporting that the mastermind behind the Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, drove to Hungary where he recruited migrants to join his fight. At the very least what seems clear is that he was right here in my city and at the same train station where all of us were at.

This story will keep evolving as we get more information but here’s what I know so far. This was everyone’s worst nightmare. It was assumed that terrorists would use this open refugee highway as a means of getting into Europe and it appears this has happened.

The crisis at the Keleti Train Station in Budapest, Hungary didn’t last very long. Apparently long enough for a known terrorist to come and recruit. Sad. This makes me mad.

At the same time we were fighting to express the love of Jesus to these people, someone else was fighting hard to kill. His efforts definitely got more media attention but that’s ok.

Don’t forget that fighting for God’s kingdom will go largely unnoticed in the world we live in, but God sees. I don’t regret for one minute loving my neighbors as I love myself.

God help us to be balanced in all things and extreme in love.

What does the gospel look like in our own lives? What happens when we embrace the truth of God’s salvation for us personally?

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian believers, he mentions his gratefulness for them writing, “Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Paul was so thankful that the message of the gospel wasn’t just words to these people. For many then and today the gospel is just a story to be ignored.

Consider what happened to Paul right after leaving Thessalonica. He went to a town called Berea and preached the same gospel message. We read in Acts 17:11-12, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

After Berea, Paul traveled to Athens where he preached the gospel again. This time instead of many believing, there seemed to be an indifference to the gospel. Same gospel, different response. It seems in Athens the people were more interested in hearing the gospel as philosophy rather than hearing the gospel as truth. After hearing Paul’s message of the gospel, the Athenians said, “For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean” (Acts 17:20).

The same message in Berea and Athens was met by a very different response. One group examined Paul’s message to the Word of God. The other group heard Paul’s message in the context of every other religious philosophy. One group was born again and one remained skeptical. Those in Berea heard the words of Paul, examined them alongside Scripture and saw that it was true. They believed. They accepted the message of the gospel and God saved them.

This is what happened in Thessalonica. People heard the words of the gospel and they believed. It’s one of the reasons Paul was so thankful for them. They had received the gospel not as mere words but in power, by the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.

The Power of the Gospel

In the book of Romans, Paul says, “for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16) The reality of what Jesus did for you and me on the cross has real, actual power to transform us. Through Jesus we move from death to life and from darkness to light. We were dead in our sins but we are made alive through the cross of Jesus.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation and we experience God’s power in our lives when we personally respond to it.

The Holy Spirit in the Gospel

Paul also says the gospel is a message by the Holy Spirit, a living Person, who works within the hearts of the hearers to convict, to comfort, and to instruct. If the preacher only speaks, then it is a matter of word only, but when the Holy Spirit works through God’s Word, then a great spiritual work happens. Paul declares that the gospel went forward in full conviction to the Thessalonians. I believe that Paul didn’t just preach a message, but rather he fully believed the message and that is why he preached the gospel.

Paul goes on to say, “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10)

Turned to God from Idols

Note the order of words here. We would normally think in terms of turning from idols to God, but here Paul’s argument is that they first turned to God and then away from idols.

We aren’t born again because we changed our ways and cleaned up our lives. We aren’t born again because we started doing godly things and then God saved us. No, the power of the gospel is that God can reach right down to the lowest places and redeem us. The Thessalonians didn’t leave their idols and then go out to find God. They turned to God and then left their idols. Conversion is not only turning from something but it is turning to Someone.

This is the power of the gospel—to save us from our sins—to set us free from our idolatry and to set us apart for our great God who loves us.

“Is Your Culture Post-Christian or Pre-Revival?” is the second video in a series from the 2015 Foundations Conference in Vajta, Hungary. You can see the first video on “How Calvary Chapel Became A Global Movement With A Global Message” with Pastors Jeremy Bair and Phil Metzger here.

The job of a missionary is to take a universal message outside of your own culture and bring it into the culture of the people you are trying to minister to.

The Bible says, “And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’” (Acts 18:9-10).

God loves people, and people are moving back into cities.

According to the United Nations Population Fund: “The world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history. More than half of the world’s population now lives in towns and cities, and by 2030 this number will swell to about 5 billion.”

The historical trend for many churches has been outside the city. Many great movements began inside the city but inevitably moved out to the suburbs.

Cities create challenges for church planting.

Big cities are diverse. Chinatown, Little Italy––these are reflections of that diversification. You want Indian food? There are five restaurants in walking distance! Theater? No problem.

At any given crosswalk you will see a homeless guy, a lawyer, the gay couple, and just about every race or color you can imagine. You aren’t going to find one cultural language like you might in the suburbs. Talking about your children’s soccer game won’t make much sense when the large majority of people living in cities are young and unmarried. There are very few common shared values in the city.

Big cities are liberal. The large majority of people moving back to the city are young professionals. They want to be close to work and closer to the parties! They don’t necessarily share the same political, moral and spiritual views of the generation before them. Ranting against the President or liberal media won’t connect. Chances are (and if you are lucky) government officials and media come to church! City service requires a re-think of what is conservative and liberal.

Big cities promote opportunity. “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”––so sang Frank Sinatra and he was right. Whatever it is, you’ll find it in the city, for better or worse. Most likely you will be ministering to the widest possible range of human potential you can imagine. From the overachieving businessman to the guy with mental issues who talks to himself. Cities promote and create opportunity. Learning to minister to the driven as well as the destitute will be a challenge.

It is these diverse cultural and economic possibilities that bring people into the city at the fastest rate in history.

I believe that the movement of Calvary Chapel, up to this point, has largely been a suburban work. This is not a negative but an observation. It’s what God was doing in us for many years.

Recently we have been hearing more and praying more for cities. I believe that God is giving us His heart because God’s heart is for people. And where God’s heart goes, we must go too.

We have a call to the city because people are there. I believe just as God spoke to Paul, He is speaking to us today: “I have many in the city.”

I grew up in the suburbs. When God called me to Hungary, I planted churches across this country in small cities. Every once in a while, but only when absolutely necessary, I would go through Budapest. I hated going through Budapest because it’s a big city with over 2 million people living in a small space.

I would get lost every time I drove up to the city, spending as much time in traffic as I did driving from my small town to get to the city! Frustrating.

Then God called me to pastor a church in the city and when I say “in the city,” I mean IN THE CITY, in the very heart of the city.

And I absolutely love it. I am privileged. God’s heart for people has changed my perspective. Where else could I go and have the potential to reach as many people as in the city?

Let’s consider our missional priorities accordingly.

It requires risk-taking. As so many Christians are leaving the “liberal” city, God is still calling some, not just to make a stand, but to fight for the souls of men. A prostitute’s story can end differently when Christians take risks for the sake of the gospel. That young professional’s life can be transformed when Christians take risks for the sake of the gospel. God told Paul to go on speaking and not to be afraid. Cities can be scary and overwhelming; we will have to take great risks.

City churches are messy. I don’t mean physically, though that can also be true. Lives are messy in cities; they give us a microscopic view of the world. Racial, social, economic and psychological issues come to the forefront more evidently in the city.

But the rewards are amazing. When the prostitute gives her life to Jesus, you know that God is amazing, not only because He saved that girl but because He let you be a part of His work. Usually the rewards of city service are small but it is so meaningful.

In many ways, cities are the heart of a state or nation. What flows out of the city will make its way into the suburbs and towns. We cannot avoid the cities. The facts are in: people are moving to the city and where the people are, God’s heart is too.

I pray that you will be willing to go wherever God sends you.

Protectionism is a word used to describe an economic policy of restraining trade between countries. It is a policy advocated by those who believe that startup industries need to be protected. The argument against economic protectionism is that this mentality actually hurts those it is meant to “protect.”

I’m no economist, but I see this “protectionist” mentality within the Church (myself included). I believe that it is ultimately hurting us all more than it is helping us.

Christian protectionism, quite often, is nothing more than fear-driven faith. It is the belief that outside influence could overtake my family, my thoughts, my purity, and my life.

The fatal flaw in this outlook is the belief that I am protected as long as I keep outside influence outside. The chink in the armor of Christian protectionism is this: evil is already inside! The Bible declares in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.”

I am the problem.

In 1907 The Times of London newspaper posed the question, “What’s wrong with the world?”

G.K. Chesterton responded, “I am.”

I will not be able to protect myself from something that is already in me. This does not excuse sin in me or in the world. But it does remind me that it is inexcusable to think that there are good people and bad people. The Gospel reminds me there is only One who is good, and that is God.

So how should the Gospel change the way we interact with those who are in sin or even promoting sin?

1. Avoid protectionism

When Jesus ascended into heaven, after the resurrection, He said, “Go into all the world and make disciples.” Our call as Christians is to be initiators not simply defenders. We are meant to go into darkness and preach the light of Christ.

Avoiding protectionism means avoiding a fear-based faith. Yes, the world is a dark place, and yes it is overwhelming, but let’s not forget: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b). Let’s not build religious fortresses around ourselves.

2. Avoid the “us vs. them” mentality

The more we embrace the Gospel the less contrast we will see between “sinners” and “Christians.” I am not saved because I am a good person or even because I have rejected certain lifestyles. I am saved by the grace of God.

Gospel-centered Christians loves homosexuals, Muslims, atheists, and anybody else that scares us. Gospel-centered Christianity recognizes that sinners sin (even Christian sinners). It doesn’t make sin ok but until we fully embrace our own guilt we will look down on others.

3. Give the Gospel top priority

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (Romans 9:1-3).

The Jews were the ones trying to kill Paul. They were some of his biggest detractors and yet he loved them so much.

“This great passion for souls gave Paul perspective. Lesser things did not trouble him because he was troubled by a great thing – the souls of men. Get your soul full of a great grief, and your little griefs will be driven out” (Charles Spurgeon).

I get bogged down by “little griefs” too. How about you? Have you let “little griefs” take top priority in your life? It’s time for us to come back to what matters most and that is the Gospel.

We already know the end of the story- God wins. We don’t have to be afraid and isolate ourselves. Make every interaction about the Gospel. Make your passion the Gospel and smaller issues will remain small.

4. Don’t be self-deceived

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6:1-3).

Helping others doesn’t make us better than them. Let us not forget that.

The world is a wicked place. We are reminded of this everyday. I want nothing more than to protect my family, my church and myself from the evils that are out there. This isn’t wrong but it needs to be tempered with the reminder that evil is already inside the gates! The answer has always been to throw myself upon the mercies of God. He is more gracious than I will ever comprehend.