Preaching: Mark Antony Style (4 of 5)

How do we preach Mark Antony style? How do we connect with and convince people who may have showed up cynical and skeptical? Last time we talked about letting people know that we know we sound crazy when we say something that will sound crazy to them.

We also, if possible, need to give the why. Some guy tells you he believes we didn’t really land on the moon. You think he’s off his rocker. But then he tells you why he thinks that way – you’ll still raise your eyebrows, but at least he’s given proof that he has a brain and has given this some thought.

So in the middle of a sermon you’re going to mention Satan. Don’t just mention Satan. Say, “I realize this may sound crazy, but I’ve come to a point where I believe in Satan. I mean, I look at the world and think, well, there’s got to be a source for all this evil.” OR, “And so God caused the sun to stop. And I understand that sounds impossible. But you know what? If there is a God, well then, nothing’s impossible for Him. I mean, making the sun stop is a piece of cake I guess.” OR, “Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus raised from the dead. And that might sound like a myth to you, like a tall tale, but did you know that there is volumes of hard core evidence to prove this? In fact, did you know that a ton of people, highly intelligent people, have tried to disprove the resurrection and actually ended up proving it and becoming believers in Jesus.”

Make sense? Let me know if you have a different way of doing this, but for me, when I talk about hard-to-believe stuff, I admit it sounds crazy, and I (at least briefly) explain why I believe it.

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Ahoy?

This is cool: Today the Campus Pastor (Chuck) for our Chesapeake Campus is getting together with someone who might be starting a new Forefront campus ... on a ship!

We have a lot of Navy guys at Forefront, and one is about to leave on deployment (typically six months). He's had a few guys who are about to go underway with him ask if he might be willing to lead a bible study while they're gone (I think a couple of these guys aren't Christians). So he started talking to Chuck about it, and they began discussing the idea of using some of the resources we have now that we're multi-site (video sermons, DVD's of our creative videos, small group questions based on the message, etc.). So today they're meeting to further figure out how this could work...

That is cool! We're definitely rookies at multi-site and mostly just trying to follow the example of other great churches, but maybe we'll be the first multi-site church with a floating campus?!?!

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Web Site Is Up!

Hey, good news, the web site for the book and church campaign is finally up! At this web site you can order cases of books for 50% off (at least for awhile; I don't know how long that will last) and you can download (or order a DVD of) a TON of materials (6 sermons, about 20 creative pieces, small group questions, etc.) to do a six week series in your church or youth group that goes along with the book, and it's all for FREE!

What this means is that you can have the EASIEST series you've ever done and it will hopefully be one of the BEST series you've ever done

Check it out: www.lousytshirtbook.com

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Preaching: Mark Antony Style (3 of 5)

How do we preach Mark Antony style? How do we connect with and convince people who may have showed up cynical and skeptical?

One thing we need to do is let people know that we know that they know we sound crazy. Let people know that … what? Here’s the deal: Let’s suppose one day you’re talking to your neighbor and he says, “Yeah, last night I saw a UFO hovering over the neighborhood.” What do you think? That dude is nuts! But what if he said, “Listen, I know this is totally crazy, and you’re not going to believe me, and I don’t blame you, but last night I saw a UFO hovering over our neighborhood.” What do you think? You’d still probably assume he’s nuts, but you’d wonder. His admitting that he sounds nuts would make you wonder if maybe he’s not. I mean, nuts people don’t know their nuts … do they? His telling you that it was difficult to believe would open up at least the slightest possibility in your mind that you should believe him.

You may not realize this, but lots of what you say in your sermons sounds crazy to the non-Christians who have shown up. You stating that you saw a UFO, or that Brittany Spears is a great mom, or that God created the world in six days, or that there is a real devil, or that Jesus was born of a virgin and rose from the dead all sound equally nuts to a lot of people. So what do you do about that? Well, one thing I think is that you say, “I know this may sound crazy, and you may not believe this, but … I’ve come to a point where I believe that God literally created the world in six days … I believe there’s an actual being named Satan … I believe that Jesus really was the Son of God…”

Simply admitting that you realize it sounds crazy makes you less crazy. If you don’t tell me it seems nuts, I’ll suspect you are nuts.

So look over each sermon you preach – what in it will be thought of as unbelievable to someone who’s not already convinced? Let them know that you know. What else should you do with that stuff? We’ll hit that next time. Until then, remember, you only have about eleven shopping months left till Christmas.

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Riding the White Horse

Spent my birthday night in a bar ... for our church's bar service. It was a cool night ... Several things were there that are different...

My book was there! First time it's actually been sold. I now know someone other than my mother will own it...

My kids were there. They didn't stay in the bar, but walked around the mall (with their mother) during the service (the bar is, oddly, in a mall). This is only the second time they've come. The first time my son was on the phone with his grandmother when he said, "Grandma, I've got to go, daddy's taking me to a bar." Classic!

Three guys from a church in Florida flew up to be there. That made me nervous! Not that they were there, but that they spent that much money to be there. They're starting a bar service out of their church. That's cool, I don't know if they were already planning on it or if we inspired their idea, but either way, I'm pretty sure that more churches in more bars is a good thing.

Some dudes from churchy media were there - seemed like cool guys.

The service seemed to go real well. Our band was super tight. People were more into the message, even some verbally (like responding "Yeah!" and stuff). Weird.

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Preaching: Mark Antony Style (2 of 5)

How do we preach Mark Antony style? How do we connect with and convince people who may have showed up cynical and skeptical?

One of the keys is to have a dialogue. The lost person you are trying to reach has a bunch of questions and objections to what you’re saying in your sermon. If you don’t acknowledge that, they will walk out with those same questions and objections. Yeah, maybe they listened to you, and hopefully you planted some seeds. But, more likely than not, they left thinking, “He believes he knows what he’s talking about, but he wouldn’t if he knew my questions and objections. If he let me ask my questions and make my objections, I’d make him look dumb. He’d discover he doesn’t know what he thinks he knows.”

So how do you overcome that? You have a dialogue. You ask his questions and present his objections. Then you answer them. I’ve heard of a few churches that actually allow dialogue, so that dude is given a mike and a chance to throw down. That’s an option. But for me, I ask his questions and present his objections. In fact, I sometimes fear that my sermons might sound a little schizophrenic because I spend a lot of time having a dialogue … with myself.

So it might go: “So God asks us to give Him ten percent of our income. And you’re like, ‘Are you kidding me?!?’ No, I’m serious. So you’re thinking, ‘But it’s my money. And how in the world could I afford to live on 90% of my income? I can’t even make it on 100%! This is just another church trying to get rich while I get poor.’ Man, those are good questions. Let’s talk through them…”

Or, “…and so our problem is sin. Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Great, another church talking about sin and telling me that I’m bad. But you know what? It’s not you. It’s all of us. Me just as much, maybe more than you. Let’s talk about what sin actually means…”

And, “and our choice to sin leads to separation from God, and if we die in that state we’ll be separated from God for all eternity, which is what the Bible calls Hell. And you’re thinking, ‘Unbelievable! You’re gonna go there? I thought this church wasn’t like that!’ Well, I don’t like talking about this either, but if I believe it, and I care about you, what kind of jerk am I if I don’t talk about it? Now the question you’re probably asking is, ‘Why would a loving God send someone to Hell?’ And that’s a great question. So let’s talk about it. I think there’s probably three answers to that question ….”

Make your sermon a dialogue. Try not to let the skeptical cynics leave with questions you haven’t answered or objections you haven’t addressed. Next time we’ll talk about being crazy, until then – don’t take your clothes off for the video, even if you need the money.

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Cases of Books

Our church ordered a bunch of cases of my book straight from Baker (not through some special author way, but just in the same way any other church would order it) and they came in yesterday....

So: If you want to order a case or more of books at a great discount, you can get those books pronto.

And: If you're one of the few people who read this blog who go to Forefront (I think there are about 5 of you) - you can buy a book (at a discount) at the Hub Table tonight at the Pub, or at either of the Sunday morning locations.

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You Say It's My Birthday!

Oh yeah, it's my birthday!

Please don't send gifts ... just send money. (Big bills are fine.) Thanks in advance...

By the way - I'll be spending my birthday in a funeral home ... and a bar. (Not how I ever assumed I'd spend my 38th birthday. I had expected I might spend my 21st birthday in a bar, and 71st in a funeral home, but I'm packing it all in today, quite a few years early!)

Top 20 Movies

Okay, I hesitate to do this, since I promised this would be a "topical" not a "personal" blog, but several people requested my favorite movie list, and promises were made to be broken. I actually have a written out list, and it's this guy's fault. When you actually write down a list you realize that there are about 50 movies you've always said, "That one is in my top ten!" There are movies like "Braveheart," and "A Fish Called Wanda" that I've always said were "up there" but then when I make the list I realize they miss out on the top 20. Also, these movies aren't all 'G' - rated so.... And, last, the best movie I've seen in the last year or two is "Juno." So here's my top 20:

1 Jerry Maguire
2 Hoosiers
3 Almost Famous
4 Moulin Rouge
5 The Silence of the Lambs
6 This is Spinal Tap
7 There's Something About Mary
8 Garden State
9 Fight Club
10 Good Will Hunting
11 Billy Madison
12 Happy Gilmore
13 Scream
14 The Jerk
15 The Royal Tennanbaums
16 Airplane
17 The Godfather
18 The Godfather II
19 Memento
20 Return to Paradise

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Preaching: Mark Antony Style (1 of 5)

I was a political science major as an undergrad. I took every political rhetoric class I could. There I learned about what is considered one of the best speeches ever given. (Well, sort of given.) (Since this all comes from the pen of Shakespeare.)

Caesar has been assassinated by a group of conspirators led by Brutus. Brutus had just delivered a speech in which he claimed that the murder had been done in the name of freedom. Mark Antony takes the stage, then “un-takes” the stage. He steps off of it, and down to the level of the people. He looks at the crowd and says, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…” and in a brilliant and creative speech, Antony turns the mob against Brutus and the other assassins.

What was so brilliant and creative about Antony’s speech? Part of it is how he started. Antony broke the barrier between him and his audience by stepping off the stage. Brutus spoke to the Romans, Antony spoke as one of the Romans. He made this clear with his opening word, “Friends…” He doesn’t demand their attention, he requests that they lend him their ears. (“C’mon, I just want to borrow them… And it’s just your ears…”)

There’s a reason Antony’s speech is considered brilliant and creative and proved to be so effective. And we need to learn to capture his brilliance and creativity for our sermons to be effective, especially in speaking to cynical, skeptical people who are far from God… We'll talk more about this next time, until then comb your hair.

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Survey Sunday/Monday!!

The AP had an interesting story last week on how Cloverfield owes much of its success to the intrigue created by the online buzz before the movie even hit theaters.

So how can we (churches) create some viral marketing? Leave your amazing ideas in the comment section ...

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ATTACK! of the Killer Drum Shield

Tomorrow I'm going to start a short series on preaching ("Mark Antony style") but today I've got to tell you...

This morning our drum shield attacked our drummer. A few years ago we started using a drum shield (which I personally hate) and this morning during the opening song I noticed it was wobbling, and I thought, "Uh oh," but I was too far away to do anything. It was almost like slow motion, it wobled, wobled, and then fell - right into the drum kit and right on top of our drummer, Brandon. Some of the band continued to playing, some didn't. Brandon struggled to breathe. Several guys ran over to try and save him and suddenly it felt like I was watching "Deadliest Catch." After a minute they had righted the shield, Brandon hastily reconstructed his drum set, and then started playing again (it was still the same song). The place went wild.

It felt like a scene right out of "This is Spinal Tap" (which, by the way, is my 6th favorite movie). Next week our drummer will spontaneously combust (leaving a small green "globule" on his drum throne).

All I know is ... it wasn't what I would call "excellence" but I would totally come back to a church where the drummer gets attacked by his drum shield!

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Exponential

Hey Church Planters and Pastors of Church Planting Churches: Do you know about the Exponential Conference? Formerly called the "National New Church Conference" it is definitely the biggest and, to my knowledge, the best church planting conference in America.

Here are the main speakers: Andy Stanley, Tim Keller, Alan Hirsh, Dave Ferguson, Ed Stetzer, Steve Andrews, and ummmm, welllll, Rick Warren! Breakout session speakers include Mark Batterson, John Burke, Matt Chandler, Neil Cole, Bill Easum, Shawn Lovejoy, Sally Morganthaler, Bob Roberts, Greg Surratt, and ummmmm, wellll, me! There is also a church planting spouses' track, in which my wife will be leading 2 sessions.

It's also a cool time to meet people (who you normally only get to read their blogs) and network.

It's April 22-24 in Orlando. You should totally be there if you can.

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Lousy Book

My book comes out in one week. I really can't believe that - it's a bit surreal, but I also suspect it's going to be anticlimatic as well. Like most events you wait for in life, when they happen, something happens. You know? Like your baby is born, you have a baby! You have the grand opening of your church plant, you have a church now. But your book comes out, and ... ummmm, I think nothing will happen.

Last week I was able to spend time with the people at Baker Books (the publisher) and they are great people and I'm honored to work with them.

The coolest thing so far is that I now have a copy of the book. It's really humbling to read the endorsements:

"The funniest and most sincere spiritual growth book I've ever experienced," Craig Groeschel.

"This book will make you laugh and make you think. It will also make you reexamine your life. If you're serious about trading in your souvenir religion for authentic spiritual passion, this book is a must-read," Mark Batterson

"This is a book that will entertain you, inspire you, and help you experience everything God has for you. Read it and share it with a friend," Dave Ferguson

"This book is a breath of fresh air," Jud Wilhite

"Vince is one of those rare pastors and writers who is both hilarious and substantial," Brian McLaren

"You won't put it down," John Burke

"This book will transform Christian culture," Ben Arment

"I can't remember a time when I've been so encouraged and challenged by the same book," Brian Jones

I don't know if it's that good (!!) but I am excited for people to read it. If you do read it, and have something positive to say, please do me a favor and leave a review it on Amazon. Thanks!

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Lehigh Valley Project's Comment...

I'm going to post a few of the many great comments from this week's series, here's one from Lehigh Valley Project ...

Having been at Forefront from the beginning pretty much (The 1st Sunday); this group of folks consist of two groups:

#1 - Christians and church goers from previous churches who are in fact never really satisfied. Why? Cuz their trying to find God through the church! Wrong answer - It is a catalyst, but not the final solution. Time with HIM and seeking Him with all your Heart, Mind, and Soul help you find God.

#2 - The other group is those who might have significant issues they are struggling with, and this can be a myriad of issues: addictions, finances, etc.... They think the church is the solution and it can be to a degree, but again it comes down to the heart of the seeker. How much intentionality do they really have in their hearts for seeking God to the fullest? Dunno? So.., they end up leaving, cuz we don't have the answer or they feel like we aren't doing enough to fix them - or they are not willing to take the necessary steps to fix themselves. So.., they go find some other place that will appease them. Unfortunate, but true.

There has been one particular thing that has been pushed from the very start at Forefront and it is part of the DNA of the church. "LOVE GOD and LOVE PEOPLE!", and the church can't make ya do that. You have to wanna do that.

Kevin's Comment...

I'm going to post a few of the many great comments from this week's series, here's one from Kevin ...

How do we make the shift from blaming to something more productive? (Of course, identifying the problem is the first step in solution finding...but what now?!) I can only speak for what's worked for me and that's this: Us having the guts to actually live out the faith and to ask (gently at times and more forcefully at others) our fellow Christians to move into authentic Christianity that looks like what Vince described in this blog (look back at the 1, 2, 3).

The two elements are crucial, right? If we're not living it than we're just part of the hypocrisy camp.

But the other part is just as important...a trusting relationship. My bros and sisters in Christ whom I've built a relationship with see me living the faith and welcome me challenging them on their faith (as I welcome them challenging me). The Christians with whom I don't have deep relationships with dismiss my ideas and thoughts about their faith. What keeps me going and pushing ahead is having a right frame of mind about who I'm dealing with (Christian, non-Christian, mature, immature, long time friend, short time friend, acquaintance, etc.) and expecting the results that level of relationship will afford. If I want to help change someone's perception/ action/ motivation/ maturity, then I have to build a trusting relationship with them. OR...I have to find someone in their trusted relationships circle to influence them. There are of course, no guarantees...but definitely a greater chance of transformation through the cultivation of deeper, more intimate, trusting relationships.

Jen S.' Comments

I'm going to post a few of the many great comments from this week's series, here's two from Jen ...

It's weird, I think "I'm not getting fed" can actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy for some people. They focus so much on what they feel they're NOT getting from their church, that they miss out on all the good stuff God has for them there. Connecting with others, effectively serving, listening and applying the sermons...it all goes out the window when you're obsessed with what you're missing. So in the end, it's true, they're NOT getting fed. But it's not because of a pastor or sermon; it's from their preoccupation with finding "the perfect church."

AND SHE WROTE:

I think this "I'm not being fed" problem can also arise when people don't fully embrace the mission of a church like Forefront, which is to reach unchurced people. For example, at FF they explain things more, like who Paul is or what a certain word means, instead of assuming that everyone there already knows. People who have been going to church their whole lives and already know who Paul is may view that as "beginner's church" and feel they are beyond that. In other words, they forget about the new people who need to hear it. (But for the record, I think the messages are still challenging...there's plenty of stuff in there to "feed" on.)


AND SHE WROTE:


I think the point is not that pastors and sermons aren't needed, but that we shouldn't depend on them to give us everything we need spiritually. Some people love to learn about God from a pastor, which is great, but then they don't want to take it any further on their own. So yes, a pastor should be there to help you understand and learn, but they should not be our only connection to God.

Waaaaa Responses to Your Waaaaa Comments

There have been so many comments and questions on this series that I promised I would try to respond to some. First, let me first say that I don't consider myself some kind of Christian Yoda who knows all, so I'm just sharing my thoughts, not the "right answers." Second, I don't have a ton of time right now, so I'll only be able to respond to a few and only give short answers. Third, I may post a few of my favorite comments later during the day. So here we go:

"Why should people bother coming to church (on Sunday mornings) if the pastor isn't supposed to feed them?"
Answers: Wow, there's a lot. And I think this question actually shows how we've gotten confused about church... so: (1) I'm not saying the pastor shouldn't feed people or that it's wrong to get fed at church. I'm saying that it should be something extra for Christians, not what they depend on for their spiritual sustenance. Just like going to a restaurant is a nice change of pace to get fed on a lazy day and get some food you wouldn't get at home... (2) I think we want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, and meeting with other Christians on Sundays helps us with that - singing together, fellowshiping, etc. (3) Sunday mornings can be one of the places where the pastor gets to teach people how to feed themselves. (4) This is like saying: "If a basketball coach isn't going to teach his players how to play basketball during half-time, why should the players even go into the locker room?" Well, maybe the players need to be inspired? Maybe they need to be reminded of what they already know? Maybe he needs to get in their face? Maybe they need some encouragement? (5) I could keep answering this question forever, I'll stop.

"Does Forefront spend as much time developing Christians into missionaries as it does reaching out to non-Christians?"
Answer: No. But we need to. Please pray for us that we do a better job with this.

"Maybe lazy Americans ... or single moms ... or you name it ... need to be fed by their preacher because they're lazy ... or don't have time ... or you name it."
Answer: I feel for people who don't have time or whatever, but the issue is one of intimacy with God. If I'm too lazy or too busy to spend quality time with my wife, we're not going to have a great marriage. We could go to a weekly 30 minute seminar on marriage (or a weekly counseling session) but if we don't spend decent quantities of quality time together outside of the seminar (or counselor's office) we're still not going to have a great marriage. So ... even if you go to a church with the greatest preacher ever, if you don't spend a lot of time with God outside of Sundays, you are not going to have a great relationship with Him. And it's about a relationship with God. Now we can trick ourselves and pretend it's about knowledge, but it isn't.

"Why does Forefront produce people who have a 'I'm not getting fed' attitude?"
Answer: I think we produce less than most churches, but yes, we do have some. Why? Maybe because (1) We're all naturally selfish and lazy (including me!) and so it's easy to fall into this kind of thinking for anyone, and (2) Christian culture is so pervasive even our people get bitten by it - we live in an odd time where you can be exposed to other church's preachers on the radio, podcasts, Christian books, etc. and so the church you go to is not going to be the only influence on how you think and approach God & Christianity.

"The last time I checked, God doesn't talk back. Not lately, anyway."
Answer: I disagree. God still speaks to us today. If not, it wouldn't be much of a relationship, would it? God still speaks, the issue is whether we're listening...

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Aaron's Comments

I'm going to post a few of the many great comments from this week's series, here's a few from Aaron ...

This just hit me, so take it for what it is worth. Many of us who are planters/future planters are considered "pastors." Pastor, as you see from the Bible, is just a fancy term for shepherd. What is a shepherd's job? It's not to shovel grass into the sheep's mouth and chew for them. It's to lead them to greener grass, fresher water, etc. The sheep are responsible for eating. The ones that the shepherd may need to help feed are the injured, the sick, the young.This post nailed it. If we haven't "led our flock to greener pastures"--if we haven't equipped them to feed themselves--then we have a problem to fix. But if its a "sheep that just won't eat"--a Christian who should be feeding themselves AND feeding others (see Hebrews 5:11-6:2), that's a whole different (and potentially poisonous) story.

AND HE WROTE:

I remember reading somewhere that Christians are spending so much time learning (Sunday AM, Sunday PM, midweek PM, Sunday School, small group or whatever combination their church has) that they have no time to apply anything. The last thing they need is to go to another Bible study. You nailed the whole "superior" thing. Having been down this road myself (and spending several years repenting of it), learning about Jesus without proactive application won't produce a Christ follower. It'll produce a Pharisee. It'll contribute to the already crappy view that a lot of people outside of Christianity have about us--that we're judgmental hypocrites. God forgive me for the time I wasted "lengthening my phylacteries" instead of imitating Jesus...

“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 7)

I think this is the last post in this insanely long series on the issue of people saying, “I’m not getting fed at this church.” Last time I talked about how I think it’s the church’s role to equip people to feed themselves, and if we’re not doing that, I need to take some blame for a person in our church who isn’t being fed. However, if our church IS equipping people to feed themselves and a person still says, “I’m not getting fed,” – what would I say?

“Let me show you the door.”

Yes, I suggest that they find a different church. I don’t know about you, but I’ve reached a point where I suggest that they find a different church. That may not be the most compassionate or pastoral thing to do, but I’ve got a bunch of people who want to experience intimacy with God, and want to obey Him, and want to serve people and change the world, and I need to spend some time with them, not with a lazy baby who wants me to help them succeed in bible trivia.

I hope I don’t sound too self-righteous, but it’s kind of like Nehemiah, when people were complaining about what he was doing and asking him to give them time and he said, “‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” (Nehemiah 6:3-4)

I’m sure some people thought, “That’s not very Christ-like,” (yes, I know that there was no such thing as “Christ-like” back then) but Nehemiah was a man on a mission, and you weren’t on the mission you were off his radar.

Jesus told people that if they wanted to follow Him they had to carry a cross. We tell people that if they want to run with us, they have to feed themselves. Will that turn away some Christians? Definitely. Do we want to turn away Christians? Definitely.

I want to have a church full of two types of people: the lost, and missionaries to the lost. When someone goes to a foreign country to be a missionary, they aren’t going over there to get fed. They are going on a mission, and realize that they’ll have to feed themselves. If you’re gonna be a part of Forefront, you’re going on a mission and must realize that you’ll have to feed yourself. And if that ain’t you – don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 6)

So I’ve gone on and on about this “not getting fed” thing and I have to start wrapping it up. Here’s the question: What do we do when someone says, “I’m not getting fed”?

Well, I have two answers. First, we need to make sure that we’re teaching people HOW to feed themselves. I’ve made it quite clear this last week or so that I don’t think it’s my job as a pastor to “feed people” on Sunday mornings. But I DO believe it’s the churches job to teach people to feed themselves. And so, when someone says, “I’m not being fed” I need to ask myself, “Have we taught this person to feed themselves? If not, then I have to take a lot of the blame for this, and I need to do something about it.

At Forefront, we’ve tried to make sure we’re teaching people how to feed themselves. For instance:

• We do a sermon, or an entire series, almost every year on how to read the Bible. In 2007 we did “The Bible for Cavemen.” In 2006 we did a 3 part series called, “Off the Shelf and Into Myself"...
• In our “Next Steps” class we have a session on how to have a “Quiet Time” of bible reading and prayer.
• Each week in our program we provide six “ready-to-do” Bible studies that give you a passage to read, about six questions to help you dig into and apply the verses, and a study note or two offering background/context information.
• This year we made and are going to distribute a “Pursuit” book, a spiritual growth handbook that teaches six spiritual disciplines, including bible study (why to do it, how to do it, etc.).
• We had a guru at this kind of stuff come in and do sessions with our staff, and a session with leaders in our church, on how to develop intimacy face-to-face with God.
• (I'm sure there's more we could do --- what are some of the ways you all are teaching your people to feed themselves?)

So when someone says, “I’m not getting fed” the first thing I do is ask myself: Have we taught this person how to feed themselves? If the answer is no, I’m the problem. If the answer is yes, well, we’ll talk about that next time.

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Waaa Series

I had one post for today (Thursday - in the USA) and one for tomorrow, but instead I'm going to put them both up today, and tomorrow have a post where I respond to some of the questions in your comments (because there have been a lot!)

So one post coming up now, one later today, and at least one tomorrow - and then we're done with Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 5(c))

Okay, this is like the 400th post in this series (sorry) but we’re talking about what spiritual maturity looks like and why people say, “I’m not getting fed” and how if you’re not feeling close to God or where you need to be spiritually, there’s no way my 30 minute sermon can help you.

Earlier I used a marriage as a metaphor, here’s another one: If you feel woefully out of shape physically, and once a week you attend a seminar on how to work out, or how to eat healthy, but then the rest of the week don’t live any different, can you complain about the seminars?

Of course not! A seminar can’t get you in good shape, you have to DO what the seminar is talking about, and you have to do it consistently.

And so … stop giving me your “I’m not getting fed” crap and go home and spend lots of time face-to-face with God, and you WILL grow in intimacy with Him. And then you’ll realize that there’s something far better than knowing about God, and it’s knowing God.

(Sorry, I lost it there for a minute.)

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 5(b))

So earlier I started going off about how people define spiritual maturity as spiritual knowledge and how they end up feeling spiritually empty (and thus say, “I’m not getting fed!”) and it’s because they’re approaching Christianity like it’s something to be studied, rather than lived – and God becomes someone to know about, rather than to know.

Think of it this way. Let’s say my marriage is going poorly. So my wife and I go to a counselor. We tell him we don’t feel close at all and want more out of our marriage. So he says: “Here’s what you need to do. Each of you should hire someone to do a 30 minute presentation on the other each week. Attend that seminar, learn all the facts you can about each other, and your marriage will be great.” Good advice? No. The stupidest thing you’ve heard since you learned that Brittany and Jaimie Lynn Spear’s mother is putting out a book on parenting? Maybe.

The way to make a marriage better is … quality time together, really talking, listening to each other, having date nights, serving each other, submitting, finding common interests.

So when Christians don’t feel close to God and want more out of their relationship with Him the answer is a “deeper” sermon on Sundays? Are you kidding me?!? The answer is that you need to get “fed” by your preacher? Really?!?

“You should go to a church with deeper messages.” Is that good advice? No. One of the stupidest things you’ve ever heard? Maybe.

If thing with God really is a relationship (or anything like a relationship) than what we’re after is not knowledge, its intimacy. And you can’t get intimacy through a sermon.

Wait, I have another way of saying this. I’ll tell you later.

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 5(a))

I said last time that in America we’ve (wrongly) equated spiritual knowledge with spiritual maturity. We think that the more you know, the more godly you are.

Because we’ve created that culture, we have Christians whose goal is to know more and more, and that’s why they come to church on Sundays. So … if our sermons don’t stuff more Greek and Hebrew and obscure (and probably useless) bible history into their heads, they’re not happy. (And many, many preachers are worshipping these people by giving them exactly what they want.)

So, actually, for these people, “I’m not getting fed” really means, “To feel spiritually mature (and superior) I need to expand my store of virtually useless bible information so I can impress my friends and win Bible Jeopardy and you’re not giving me the facts I need!”

This is SO ridiculous.

I also think it’s a MAJOR reason why so many Christians feel spiritually empty inside. It’s because they’re approaching Christianity like it’s something to be studied, rather than lived – and God becomes someone to know about, rather than to know.

Okay, I have to rant on this more, but I’ll do it a little later (in fact, two more coming today). If you don’t want to hear any more about this, I’ll understand if you stop reading my blog – but you’ll regret it for the rest of your life. So good luck with that.

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 4(b))

So how do American Christians define spiritual maturity? I don’t know how it happened (but I’d be interested to find out*) but somewhere along the line we have equated spiritual knowledge with spiritual maturity.

We see this in all kinds of ways.

• Who is in the person who leads the small group? Well, the person who knows the most, of course.
• Who is revered in your church? The person who knows the most, of course.
• Bible college professors are held up as spiritual giants. Why? Is it because of their intimacy with God? No. Because of their obedience to God? No. Because of their service to other people? No. We don’t know any of those things about them. What we know is that they know a lot. And that’s enough.

We believe the person who knows the most about God, the most about the Bible, is the most spiritually mature. And the only problem with that is that it’s wrong. Knowledge does not equal maturity. I have known lots of people who know lots about God and the Bible and are not remotely Christ-like. (And, by the way, I can think of someone who knows a ton about God and the Bible, could it be … Satan?!?)

Next time I’ll talk about how this misunderstanding of spiritual maturity has wreaked havoc for Pastors and churches and Muppets and people who press olives in Greece and …

* (this is a footnote!) – Do you think it’s possible that part of the reason we’ve defined spiritual maturity as knowledge is because that way we don’t have to obey? Instead of obeying what we know, we just learn more!

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 4(a))

So I’m doing the greatest blog series in the history of the world. The series is on what pastors hear so often, “I’m not getting fed.” Last time I asked: “Who says this?” and answered, “Thumb-sucking babies and pampered, pouting lazy Christians.” Today I have one more answer: Christians who miss the point.

What do I mean? Some people misunderstand “spiritual maturity.”

What do you think are the signs of a person who is truly spiritually mature? This is something I’ve studied and thought about a lot, and here’s what I’ve come to. The three greatest signs of spiritual maturity are: (1) Intimacy with God, (2) Obedience to God, (3) Serving other people. The way we’d say that at Forefront is, “Love God, Love People.” Jesus said that all the commandments hang on this. Loving God is a relational thing and leads to intimacy with Him. (So it’s sharing His heart, and sharing my heart with Him.) Jesus also taught us that to love God is to obey His commands. (So one way to measure spiritual maturity is how quickly you obey God.) Jesus also said He came to serve and we’re to follow His example. (So getting past self-centeredness and learning to put others before ourselves is what we’re after.)

We could argue about this (I guess that’s what the comment section is for) but I’m sticking with my answer, because it’s what I’ve found in the Bible.

Unfortunately, this is NOT EVEN CLOSE to the definition most American Christians have for spiritual maturity. How do they define it? I’ll tell you later today. Until then, I’ll give you $5 if you can get yourself on Cops.

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Repeat Saturday: Steak Restaurant for PETA Activists

At Forefront we’re trying to reach the people who are furthest from and least interested in God. Now on one hand that may sound daring or even noble, but on the other hand it’s got to be about the stupidest mission in the world. To start a church for the one group of people who are not interested in church. It’s kind of like starting a steak restaurant for P.E.T.A. activists. Can you picture the conversation? “Well, we know we want to sell steaks … who would be least likely to eat one?” “Probably P.E.T.A. activists.” “Okay, let’s target them!”

Yeah, good luck. That’s a guaranteed, rock-solid failure because no one tries to offer their product to the one group of people who aren’t interested in it. But that’s exactly what we do. But our venture is not a guaranteed, rock-solid failure because we have God. But it does make our task very difficult.

And it’s why we do many of the things we do, the way we do them. Think about it: If you did start a steak restaurant for P.E.T.A. activists, what kind of advertising would you do to convince them to give your restaurant a try? What would you want the exterior of your building to look like, so when this skeptical person drives up, they don’t just turn around? You probably wouldn’t have a big picture of a steer with a spear in its throat out front! How would you do your interior design? What kind of vibe would you try to create? What would the menu look like? What verbiage would you use in it, and what wouldn’t you use? How would you want your wait staff to act? And how would you feel if your target – a PETA activist – tentatively walked through the front door one night, and right at that moment some guy at a table yells out, “More beef! I want the 32 ounce ribeye!”?

What God has called us to do is church … for people who don’t like church. And that’s crazy. And it’s difficult. And it means we have to very carefully think through everything we do. We want to still be the church, and do what the church does, but do it in a way that attracts and appeals to people who have already made up their mind that they don’t like church.

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Sign of the Apocalypse

Okay, I'm trying to keep this blog focused on reaching out to people who are far from God (especially in the context of new churches) HOWEVER I must (for the first time) play the role of prophet. I don't generally consider myself as having a gift of prophecy, but sometimes things become so clear it's just undeniable.

In Matthew 24 the disciples of Jesus ask Him for signs of the coming of the age - for signs of the apocalypse. I have just detected one. Yes, the end is near... Fat Boy has a new CD coming out in March, which will feature ... a cover of ... "Party All the Time" ... by Eddie Murphy. (Holy crap!) Remember, 1985, written by Rick James, Eddie sang, "My girl wants to party all the time, Party all the time, party all the time. My girl wants to party all the time, party all the time. She parties all the time - party all the time. She likes to party all the time - party all the time, party all the time - she likes to party all the time, party all the time." (Those are actually the lyrics, I cut and paste them. I only wish I was joking).

The song was so ridiculous Weird Al parodied it, and so bad VH1 had it at #7 in it's list of "The 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever."

What are you thinking Fat Joe? Perhaps the feud with 50 has gotten to your head?

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Quote This

"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big, or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."
- Babe Ruth

or, for your Fight Club fans:

"I wasn't really dying, I wasn't host to cancer or parasites; I was the warm little center that the life of this world crowded around."

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Where We're At... Waaaaaa!

Next week I'll have several more posts on the "Waaaa, I'm not getting fed" series, but in case you're coming in late, here's where we've been ...

1. http://www.vinceantonucci.com/2008/01/waaaaa-im-not-getting-fed-part-1.html
2. http://www.vinceantonucci.com/2008/01/waaaaa-im-not-getting-fed-part-2a.html
3. http://www.vinceantonucci.com/2008/01/waaaaa-im-not-getting-fed-part-2b.html
4. http://www.vinceantonucci.com/2008/01/waaaaa-im-not-getting-fed-part-3.html

And thanks for all your comments, it's been fun reading what you're thinking....
And: If you think I'm wrong in doing this series, read my comment on this post. It may not change your mind, but at least you'll see what I'm thinking...

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Creative Content - T-Shirt Series

Hey: I've been talking about this series that we are offering to churches absolutely free that is based on (or gels with) the book I have coming out in two weeks. Well, the web site for the series, and where you can download the creative pieces or order a free DVD with everything on it should be up any day now. But if you'd like to see most of everything it will have, our Creative Arts pastor Jason just posted links to all the stuff on his blog, so just click here.

There are a few things the web site will have that Jason doesn't - like explanations of some of the creative pieces, and suggested intro's and uses for them...

Also, if you want to do the series and also want to have your people read the book, you'll be able to order them in bulk at a big discount through the web site. It's like 30% to 50% off of the retail price, depending on how many you order. So, I think the book is something like $12. You could get a bunch for say $6/each. Then you can pass those savings on to your people, or you could sell them for $10 - saving each person in your church $2 per book, but also letting your church make $4/book. (If you do that, please do something good with the money you make. No trips to Strip Clubs guys...)

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 3)

Picture this: Tonight you’re watching the local news and you’re startled by the report: Every restaurant in your area is closing down. Not just your favorites, not just some, but ALL OF THEM. You would obviously be disappointed. Going out to eat is fun. And often the food you get in a restaurant is better than what you make at home. It’s also nice to have a night where you don’t have to make your own meal. And not having to pack your lunch everyday is a convenience you enjoy. So, of course you’d be disappointed.

But what if the next day a friend came up to you, “Did you hear that all the restaurants are closing?!? What will I do?!? I’m going to starve! I’m not kidding, I will die because of this! I can’t live without restaurants!” And you’re friend is serious. He’s not joking or exaggerating.

What do you think of your friend? That he’s got some serious problems, right? That he is ridiculously lazy, right?

Well, in my not so humble opinion, when a Christian says, “I’m not getting fed” this is truly what they’re saying. I mean, sure, it’s nice to go to church and get some bible fed to you. We all enjoy being lazy once-in-awhile. And most preachers can give you a better bible study than what you can do on your home at home.

So there’s nothing wrong with going to church and “getting fed.” But if you’re dependent on it, if it’s the only way you can get fed, if you don’t know what to do without it, you’ve got some serious problems and you are ridiculously lazy.

People who say, “I’m not getting fed” are lazy. Seriously, think about it. The people who say this only get 30 minutes with their preacher a week, but they expect their preacher to feed them. They have 167 ½ hours the rest of the week, but their spiritual sustenance is supposed to come from their preacher, in only 30 minutes. They can’t figure out some other way of getting spiritual nutrition the rest of their week despite living in a country where we can legally own bibles (and the average home has three!), where Christian bookstores are all over the place, and where the internet provides a never-ending supply of spiritual resources.

So, what kind of people say “I’m not getting fed”? Thumb-sucking babies, and pampered-pouting lazy Christians.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you how I really feel. Until then, save me the aisle seat.

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 2(b))

Earlier today I posted about how only babies need to be fed by another person, and only babies complain about not getting fed.

This reminded me of when I was a brand new baby Christian … (I was twenty-years-old) … and I was immediately put in a situation where I had to feed others. The reason was that I was leading people to Christ and, compared to them, I was the “long-time Christian” (even though I had only been a Christian for a few weeks!).

I had no choice, at least not that I knew of, and so I studied the bible like a mad man, put together studies and lessons, and gave them (as crappy as they may have been) to others. You’ve heard of the blind leading the blind, well this was the baby leading the babies.

And what I learned is this: A person grows WAY MORE from feeding others than they ever grow from being fed. So, I guess, if you want to really be fed - feed someone else.

Sometimes babies can feed others … but only babies should need to be fed.

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 2(a))

Last time we started a series on people who say, “I’m not getting fed!” and I promised we’d start to look at the type of people who make that complaint.

Babies.

Babies complain that they’re not getting fed. When my kids were babies, my wife and I had to feed them. I had never been around babies and so this was brand new for me. Suddenly I was pretending a spoon was an airplane and a cheerio was a chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo! When we didn’t feed our babies on time, they let us know it. They cried. As they got a little older they learned not to cry about their displeasure but would verbalize it, “Ma-ma, I’m hungry. Da-da, feed me!”

Babies complain about not getting fed. My son is now nine and now when he’s hungry he asks, “Dad, can I get something to eat?” My answer, of course, is, “You’ll eat when you have a job and can pay for your own food!”

Only babies complain about not getting fed. There should be a progression in life, and in spiritual life, from needing to be fed, to feeding yourself, to being able to feed others.

And so when someone in a church says, “I’m not getting fed” my thought is, “Then you BETTER be a baby.” It never is. The people who complain about not getting fed are never new Christians. Never. Isn’t that funny? The people who complain about not getting fed are never the baby Christians, but always the older, supposedly more mature Christians.

Can you picture if I, at 37 years old, called my mother every month or two and complained, “I’m not getting fed!” Or if I e-mailed her and said, “Sorry, but I’m leaving this family because I’m not getting fed. In fact, I haven’t gotten fed in some time here.” Sound absurd? Well, it’s the freakin’ reality in most churches in America!

I illustrated this in a sermon once. I started my sermon by carrying a baby up with me, and fed it a few spoonfuls of baby food. At the end of the sermon I asked for a volunteer. One of the Navy Seals in our church raised his hand, so I brought him up, sat him on my lap, and got ready to spoon feed him baby food. It looked totally absurd. And, again, that’s the freakin’ reality in most churches in America!

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What I'm Reading...

Almost done with "The Starfish and the Spider" by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom. If you're into business stuff and (especially) organizational leadership, it's a great book. It's about the power of decentralized leadership. Full of interesting/fun examples like the Apache Indians, Napster, eMule, the women's suffrage movement, etc.

A lot of it makes sense, and I want to be able to totally say, "Yeah, that's how the church should be!" except that I've never personally seen a healthy church without a single healthy leader who is receiving the vision (from God), and proclaiming it (to the people).

Someone told me once, "Everything God creates has one head, and anything with two heads is a monster." When it comes to the idea of co-Senior-Sastors, I totally agree.

But the authors of this book probably wouldn't suggest having two co-Senior Pastors (instead of one), but instead having none.

Anyway, if you're looking for something to read and like this kind of stuff, it's good.

Or, if you're looking for something to read - my book comes out in two freaking weeks. Holy crap. That is really weird...

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“Waaaaa. I’m Not Getting Fed” (Part 1)

I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the battle cry of my least favorite people, the church hoppers, shoppers, floppers, and stoppers … “I’m not getting fed.”

We’ve heard that quite a bit over ten years of Forefront, and I’ve gone through kind of an evolution of my thoughts on this topic.

For a long time I blamed myself and felt guilty about not being “deep enough” and thought maybe it was because I only attended seminary for nine months and can’t read Hebrew or Greek. (One ironic thing, though, is that I would sometimes “use” (i.e. steal heavily from) other people’s sermons, and often it would be guys considered “deep” preachers, or it would be a series from a church’s mid-week or “deeper” service, and people would still say it wasn’t deep enough.)

Then I started to blame the Forefront context. When you’re trying to reach people who are far from God it’s obvious. So, for instance, on a Sunday morning we’ll have some goofy videos (mostly for people who aren’t Christians) and we’ll carefully explain communion (mostly for people who aren’t Christians) and we have a rockin’ style of worship music (mostly to connect with people who aren’t Christians) and then we have a sermon. And even if the sermon is “deep” and really good for Christians, I think some Christians simply cannot see past the context it falls within. They realize that several other aspects of the service were not primarily intended for them, and that this church is passionate about non-Christians, and so it’s impossible for them to believe the sermon IS for them, even if it is. They’re wrong, but I understand it – it’s difficult to take anything seriously when it’s preceded by a dancing gorilla.

But as I talked to other pastors I realized almost everyone hears this complaint. Even preachers who aren’t as shallow and uneducated as me, and even churches that don’t feature iPod Suppository commercials before the message. So I used to totally think it was I was to blame, or my church was to blame, and to some extent I still believe that’s partially true, but not as much as I did.

This caused me to take a closer look at the types of people who complain that they’re not getting fed, and increasingly I believe the problem lies in them. In the next few posts, I’ll explain why. Until then, leave big tips for your waitresses.

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Sneak Peak

Tomorrow I am starting a series that you may not want to miss. I am going to deal with my least favorite comment (which comes from my least favorite group of people): "I don't feel like I'm getting fed at this church."


I already wrote the series and was concerned that maybe I was too harsh, so I had someone read it to check me. He told me that yes, I was too harsh. So I read through them again, and decided not to change a thing.


After you read this series, we may no longer be friends... See ya tomorrow. And, until then, feel the magic.

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Gonna Be a Cool Week

This February I'm going to Israel for two weeks ... for free! There is some rich guy who is awesome and pays for about 100 pastors to go to Israel each year. Wow. That is ridiculously cool. So I applied, got accepted, and am going...

This Mon-Wed we have a "Pre-Israel Trip Retreat" down in Tennessee. Get to meet our group (of about 12) (I already know 3 or 4 of the people) and find out all the details of the trip...

Then Saturday I'm flying to Detroit. We started a church there called Paradox Church which opened a year and a half ago. They are doing great. Sunday I'll be preaching there, which will be really fun. Then Monday I'm driving from Detroit to Grand Rapids (which I've heard is like the Christian capital of the world, which, quite honestly, scares me quite a bit) and going to the offices of Baker Books. Baker is the publisher of the book I have coming out February 1st, and of the second book I will have coming out, I think in 2009. I've only met my editor, so it will be cool to meet the rest of them.

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This Morning, Part Deux

Not sure if this would hold any interest for anyone, but we are having different lengths for our two Sunday morning campuses (one is routinely 10 - 15 minutes longer) so this morning someone timed each element of the service at each campus to see what's up.

So, I don't typically have this, but here's the breakdown of our V.B. Campus service this morning:

• Opening Song: 3:49
• Welcome/Hungry Hippo Twinkee Eating Contest/Prayer: 4:19
• Worship Set (4 songs): 17:19
• Communion Introduction + Communion w/ 1 more Worship Song: 6:28
• Video ("Kris in Counseling II"): 1:59
• Offering Introduction: :45
• Message Intro Video ("Stripper II") (while offering collected): :40
• Message: 35:30
• Closing Prayer/See ya next week: 1:40
• Total: 70.29
  
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This Morning...

Had a cool morning. My wife and I sat behind (what I'm pretty sure was) a brand new couple. They were about 24ish. Seemed like maybe she had convinced him to come. During the first worship song she took his hands out of his pocket and made him clap (not sure why), but then he seemed to get into it. Mostly they both seemed pretty incredulous about the music. In general our music rocks. Not contemporary Christian rocks, really rocks. Today was even a little harder than normal. We also have a guy in our band who is covered with tatoos from the top of his neck down, lots of piercings, and he throws himself around when he plays like some kind of hardcore punk guy. (His name is "Bones.") (For real.) (He's an awesome guy.) Anyway, this couple was like, "What is this?!?" It was fun watching them.

This was the second Sunday of our "I Became a Christian and All I Got Was this Lousy T-Shirt" series which is based on the book I have coming out, and is the series we're offering to churches (for free). We had an awesome opening song, did a Hungry Hippos - "Who can eat the most Twinkees in one minute?" eating contest, had a couple videos, and the greatest sermon ever preached. Okay, maybe not. Actually, the message I preached today is not the one that comes with the "campaign." The one I did at Forefront is more straight out of the book, while the one that comes with the series is different and more complimentary to the book.


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Survey Sunday!

Holy crap! It's time for a survey Sunday. (Hopefully responding to this survey won't break your Sabbath rest...)

So here's the question today. If I want to be a person who helps bring lost people home to their Father, and want my church to do that ... what are the few best books I should absolutely read? Leave a comment with your best suggestions. Maybe even briefly tell why the book is so great. Personally, I could give a ton, but I'll keep my suggestions to seven:

"The Gutter: Where Life is Meant to be Lived," Craig Gross
"The Forgotten Ways," Alan Hirsh
"No Perfect People Allowed," John Burke
"Just Walk Across the Room," Bill Hybles
"Unchristian," David Kinneman
"Lost in America," Tom Klegg
"Stripped," Judd Wilhite

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Because It's Sunday, Or ... ?

It is half-time of the Patriots/Jaguars game and I am eating (pistachios - the only member of the prestigious nut family that i have a real thing for - though i'm not sure i spelled it right) and listening to a podcast (until half-time is over, which means it better have something good in the first half).

It's a podcast of Jeff Kapusta who: (1) I know (and really like) because he drove up from Wilmington, NC to check out our Tuesday night bar service, and (2) puts more pictures of himself on his blog than should be allowed legally, and (3) looks more like Michael Cera than anyone except, well, Michael Cera.

Anyway, Jeff quotes a pastor in his talk who he once heard ask the question, "Are you speaking because it's Sunday, or because you have something to say?" Wow. I can only speak for me (but I suspect many, many pastors would agree) when I say that question is uncool. Very uncool.

I would take some time to really pray about it and examine my soul ... but the game just came back on. Whew. Saved by the kickoff.

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Two (yes 2!) Top Ten Lists

You all gave so many good options, and some were great with our intended topic ("Awkward Moment") but others seem more geared specifically to the specific idea that the sermon video had stopped (which is the problem the top ten list is intended for) and so I put together two top ten lists. I'm not