A REAL leadership blog for the REAL world

“Marvel’s The Avengers,” broke another box-office record, taking in $103.2 million for Walt Disney Co. in the second weekend of its release in U.S. and Canadian theaters. The story line is simple. No matter how talented you are you can’t do it on your own. Teamwork is essential.

Stan Lee, the creator of the majority of the Marvel super hero characters, made his usual cameo in the film. His characters are known for being subject to human emotion, problems, and fears. They are all distinctively loners. The Avengers series carries a powerful message. People who do not play well with others can work together and realize far more than they ever could individually on their own.

Let’s set the comic books down for a moment and jump back into the real world. NO ONE can realize their potential by themselves. Everyone needs to be a part of a team.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard John Maxwell, declare: “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Cheesy yes I’ll give you that, but the statement is true.

It does not matter if a corporation is large or small; teamwork makes the dream work. When entitlement invades the culture of a company and personal greed replaces corporate need it is not long before the wheels start falling off.

Families too need to work together for a common good. As I Pastor I have seen first hand what happens when one or both husband and wife put self ahead of family. The “I’m not happy” line is just another way of saying, “I care more about me than I do the good of my family.”

Churches have no chance of fulfilling their mission without loving teamwork. When churches unite together with a common purpose and work together it is a beautiful thing. When individual egos and personalities impose their agendas like a playground bully it is an ugly thing.

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen organizations crumble because those who were supposed to be members of the team went rogue. It is kind of ironic when you think about it. The very people charged with working together end up working against the common mission of the team.

No matter what your role is on the team you have a responsibility to be a good team member. You are your brother team members “keeper.” It is part of the job. The team is better when you build one another up, not tear each other down.

Let me encourage you today to be the best team member you can be. Play your position. Run the plays the coach calls for. Build up your fellow team members around you. Climbing over their dead bodies after you have stabbed them in the back is not the right way to the top.

Being a part of a team is a privilege. When you no longer have confidence in the coach, find another team. But as long as you are on the team be sure to give your best. The team is counting on you.

I’m finished, that’s it, and I have had enough. No more restaurants for me.

I know that sounds crazy but here is my story. This past Friday I planned ahead and scheduled a date afternoon with my wife Kathy. Evenings have been out of the question for quite a few years but that is another story. Our date would start with lunch at a restaurant a friend had recommended.

When we pulled into the parking lot the problems began. We had to park so far away from the entrance that is was almost dinner time by the time we walked from the car to the door. I admit I’m exaggerating just a little but come-on, couldn’t they add a few more parking spots up close.

When we got to the door no one greeted us. We just stood there for what seemed like hours trying to figure out where to go. While we were waiting I could not help but think, “This would be a nice place to start a restaurant.” Finally, a young woman who acted like she could care less that we showed up asked us what we wanted. All I could say was “an oil change.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. We came to eat. What do you mean what do I want?

Our first impressions were not good. As we looked around we saw more stuff that gave us the creeps. The carpet needed cleaned. There was a huge stain right where we were standing. The lights were dim in the middle of the afternoon; I’m pretty sure to cover up the stuff growing in the carpet.

At last we were seated.

Sliding across the booth I noticed I was not sliding very well. In fact, I came to a screeching halt. Yep, somebody’s food was applying the brakes to the seat of my pants.

The menu took us to a whole new level of yuck. It was almost stuck together with food. After prying it open we were amazed at how difficult it was to read. The font was some kind of Old English. All we could figure out is that it had been printed sometime during the reign of Henry the II of Great Brittan.

The meat was undercooked; the vegetables were mushy and over cooked. The water was warm and the coffee was cold. We could not wait to get out of there.
We had a bad meal, but the truth is I’m not giving up on eating out at restaurants. That would leave nothing but Kathy’s cooking at home. Now that I put that in writing my blog next month will have to do with how to get out of a hole.

Here is my point. Just because you went to church some Sunday and everything was not perfect does not mean you stop going to church. That makes about as much sense as saying just because I had a bad meal I’m going to quit eating.

Churches are not perfect. Only God is. Sometimes you don’t get the perfect parking spot. Sometimes you run into the real life “Church Lady” who creeps you out. Sometimes the music is too quiet, or even too loud and keeps you awake.

You should not be going to church with the attitude of Simon Cowell. You’re not judging the singers or the preaching to see if they deserve to go on to the next round. You are there to worship God.

See you at Church.

There are times in the history of every family, every country, every individual, and yes, every church that are defining moments. The decisions we make in those moments in time determine what the future will look like.

Whenever we come to the crossroads of those defining decision moments there are almost always opposing views as to what to do. And yes, sometimes even good people will disagree. Rarely is the right decision an easy one. In fact, the right decision often gets delayed or even ignored in hopes that what is broke will fix itself. It never does.

Statistically, 50% of all families miss their chance to fix what is broke and so they end up divorced. Every year businesses fail because they have refused to make the tough calls before it was too late. Nations too fall when they refuse to manage their economies and allow career politicians to feed their greed.

Churches also die slow painful deaths when they do not find the courage to make difficult decisions that will make vibrant ministry possible. Human nature also goes to church because people are people. Sometimes the right decision gets lost in the sea of personal agendas.

All of us have made bad decisions. The truth is, Jesus is the only one who always makes the right call. In the face of intense opposition Jesus was always able to sort through the maze of options and make the right decision.

“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3

When we face opposition because we are facing a tough decision, we can always look to Jesus and His example. We can emulate His approach to life and be strengthened in the midst of challenges.

Like Jesus we must have pure motives in the decisions we make. We must evaluate our own intentions and hearts honestly. Honest self-evaluation is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes you discover issues that make you very uncomfortable.

Looking through the lens of God’s purposes and plan for our life give us the courage to move ahead with confidence. We can stand before the nay-saying crowds and declare, “This is what I believe God is leading me/us to do.”

There is another quality Jesus possessed that enabled Him to always make the right decision. Jesus was always prepared.

There are times when tough decisions are suddenly thrust upon us. Oftentimes we do not feel ready for them. The first thing we have to remember is that God isn’t obligated to ask our permission or opinion about when opportunities come our way that require a difficult decision. He reserves the right to change our situations any time He wants in order to accomplish His purposes.

Could it be that God is placing an unexpected opportunity in front of you right now that will require a difficult decision? How will you respond? Are you spiritually prepared and ready to make a solid decision?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

Living in a state of preparedness allows you to say, “Put me in the game, I’m ready to play.” It allows you to make the decision on what play to call when you are in the game of life. It allows you to act with confidence. Decision time is not a threatening time when you are prepared.

Finally, let me warn you of a harsh cold fact. Most individuals, companies, or churches do not respond to the opportunities God places in front of them. Motives are often spurious and hearts are rarely prepared to make a spiritual decision. The high vantage point of hindsight will one day brutally reveal if the decisions you make at “decision time” were the right ones. May we all be ready when decision time knocks at our door?

This summer I am doing a series of lessons on the different religions of the world. I am calling the series, COEXIST. Most of us have seen the bumper sticker that uses different symbols from the world’s religions to spell out the word coexist. The imagery of the graphic and word itself bring us face to face with a reality. Religion has been the basis of countless wars and remains the source of tension and political unrest to this day. Some have gone so far as to theorize that the world would be a better place without religion.

John Lennon wrote the anthem for those who have reached this conclusion. In his song “Imagine”, he asks us to dream about a world void of religion. He invites others to join him in his fantasy world where all can be “one”. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of most of the music of the Beatles but the message of this song has a significant blind spot. A lot of good has come about because of religion.

Now before we go to the old standby arguments that document the hard cold facts that lots of wars, bloodshed and injustices have emerged from people who claimed to get their marching order from God, I want to explain something. God gets the blame for things that did not originate in His heart, nor were they ordered in His words. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that madmen have been using religion to their advantage since time began. Let’s call it what it is – bad people doing bad things using religion to advance their cause.

With this argument set aside let me take you to overwhelming evidence that proves our world is far better off because of religion. If you want to imagine something try imagining a world where all the good done by religion is suddenly removed.

Imagine a world without the hospitals that were built because of religious motivation. Then close down all the orphanages and adoption agencies that function because of people of faith. The next time there is a national disaster, imagine the void there would be because the Red Cross would no longer exist. The next time you are in the inner city of any major American city be sure to remove the Salvation Army and all the good they do.

Finally, there is an army of volunteers to vast to number. They are the millions who serve in local churches in the soup kitchens and food pantries. They volunteer with the Scouts and they run the local AA meetings. They run the community Day Cares and they serve as Big Brothers. By now you should get the picture, John Lennon’s dream is really a nightmare.
And while you’re thinking all this over, don’t forget to put on your “to do list”, find the hospital in your town that was started by atheists. Come to think about it, I don’t ever recall coming across anything started by atheist that has advanced humankind, fed the hungry, or brought relief to the downtrodden. Now imagine that.

See you in Church!

We cannot save anyone. Only God can bring about the miracle of the new birth. However, we have been called to be a partner with God and communicate His love to those who have never heard the truth. Effective communication requires we create the best possible environment in which God’s Spirit can convict and save.

“…He has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9b NLT

No one has all the gifts. We need each other to communicate effectively. All who serve are called “God’s fellow workers”. We need each other as we help create the right environment that will allow people in spiritual darkness to see the light.

“Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it” 1 Corinthians 3:8-10

Effective communication is a team effort. If we are willing to work together we can communicate God’s love effectively. If each of us is willing to use their gifts we can create the right kind of environment that allows people to hear the truth. If we work together the church is capable of using Fine Arts to build a bridge of understanding for the gospel message.

The Apostle Paul gives us a couple of strong examples in scripture of how to use Fine Arts or culturally familiar art forms to make a connection with unreached people. He never compromised the message that Jesus Christ was crucified, risen, and coming again even one single time. He did, however, declare these truths with sensitivity to culture and awareness of the artist of his day.

In Paul’s message on Mars Hill in Acts 17, he spoke to a group of people who had never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. He connected the message of truth he preached to a poet they were familiar with. He actually quoted the poet and then made an application to truth about God.

“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God…” Acts 17:28, 29a

Paul also taught us about cultural sensitivity when he stressed that he was willing to connect with people by actually becoming like them. This willingness to set aside his own cultural affinity for the sake of seeing people saved is a profound example of creating an environment that makes receptive hearts.
“To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22
This is why we are willing to use the Fine Arts as a tool to communicate the gospel in the 21st Century. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ must not be hidden in our traditions and music that is familiar to us but not the world. We must be willing to use any means to help people understand the amazing truth that Jesus saves.

Our part in communicating the gospel is to create the best possible environment in which people can hear the truth. We must break down barriers that keep people away from the truth. We must be sensitive to cultural norms and use tools that give people a fair hearing of the gospel. Here are some environmental concerns that we can impact and have a part in.

• Facilities facilitate ministry. Our buildings have the potential of sending a message. Clean and well-structured buildings tell people that what happens in that building is important. Buildings that are not clean or that have been poorly maintained tell everyone that the message is not worth doing things right.

• A warm environment of love and acceptance tells people they are loved by God. Greeters, ushers, and the entire church family have a part in creating this environment. The world beats people down and they are longing to find a place where they are loved and accepted.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35

• Relevant communication of the message is also a part of creating the right kind of environment. Music that is unfamiliar disconnects those who have not been raised in church. Music, drama, videos, and preaching styles that can be understood by our target audience of the “un-churched” create an environment that is conducive to spiritually unresolved people hearing the truth.
There are common denominators that all churches have that are effectively reaching people for Jesus Christ. They are united in vision and mission and they all know how to create the right kind of environment. Churches that are stuck in their traditions or outdated cultural practices begin to decline and slowly die. In effect, they are saying that the church is for the already convinced and seekers are not welcome unless they are willing to buy into the church’s culture first.
The desire to communication relevantly is not new. A careful study of church history finds people rediscovering the importance of creating the right environment over and over.

Fanny Crosby, writer of the timeless hymn Blessed Assurance, borrowed familiar secular tunes to go with the words of the new songs she was writing. William Booth, the founder of another very influential evangelical denomination, used parodies too. The Salvation Army, an extremely evangelical organization that has done a great deal to help those who have been downtrodden by the world, also used the music of popular tunes for hymns.

In the biography, “William and Catherine Booth: Founders of the Salvation Army,” by Helen K. Hosier, it states the following, “Satan would have to be battled within his own strongholds, and any means was justifiable.” William and Catherine Booth had decided; if it would attract sinners to listen to the message of salvation, they would use familiar secular tunes to reach them.

‘Why should the devil have all the best tunes?’ William replied when chided for appropriating music of popular tunes for his hymns … “The saying that ‘the devil has no right to all the good tunes’ has been attributed to William Booth, Charles Spurgeon, and Charles Wesley. It really does not matter who said it first, the statement stands as profoundly true.”

Once you have accepted the scriptural basis for “doing all things to reach all men”, we as conscientious Christians should have a litmus test to determine what we will and will not use. Willingness to use secular tunes to connect with those who are unfamiliar with our timeless Christian classics does not mean we should indiscriminately use anything.

A Bible based litmus test for what we are willing to use:
• The words and message of a song, drama, or any other art form must not offend the truth principles of God’s word.

• The words and message of a song, drama, or any other art form should be familiar to those unfamiliar with the gospel and help move them to an understanding of the good news.

• The person performing the song, drama, or any other art form should be authentic in the Christian faith and lifestyle. It is the testimony of the person performing in the service that matters.

Choosing songs, dramas, or any other art form to help communicate the gospel message is not a frivolous endeavor. Prayerful though and reflection should go into the planning of everything that happens in a church service. By the time a song has been chosen, a great deal of thought and prayer should have taken place. The person/s called upon to be a part of the service carries then a great responsibility to prepare their heart and be a clean vessel.

There will be occasions when a song, video, drama, or other art form might be connected to a person or practice that is not consistent with Biblical truth. For example, the person who wrote the song or who is known for performing a song is not a Christian. According to scripture there is no basis for rejecting the use of a song because of a person who has performed it.

There is no basis in scripture for rejecting a song, drama, or any other art form because the person who wrote or performed the piece is not an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. The idea of rejecting something because a person who is not a follower of Jesus Christ is in any way connected with the song, drama, or other art form is in practice a kind of “secondary separation.”

Biblical Separation is – Separating oneself from a practice clearly prohibited in scripture. The focus is on ones personal behavior.

Secondary separation is – Separating yourself not only from the practice but rejecting something because a person you don’t agree with uses the song, drama, or art form. The focus is not on personal behavior but on another person’s behavior.

Secondary separation is a slippery slope. It is throwing the baby out with the dirty water. It is impossible to be consistent. There is always someone associated with any practice that is far from God’s ideals. This kind of separation is what the Pharisees of the Bible were known for and must not be practiced by people who have been set free by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Jesus embraced the sinner but rejected the behavior of the sinner. The Pharisees claimed to reject the sin but they also rejected the sinner. This is what secondary separation is. This practice is rooted in legalism and must not be practiced by those who have been set free by Jesus Christ.

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 
2 Corinthians 3:17

One thing is certain. Churches or individuals who live in the freedom of Jesus Christ will be treated by modern day Pharisees much as Jesus was. There will always be people who criticize anyone with the courage to break free from legalism and boldly love the sinner. A church committed to relevant communication will not go unnoticed by the critics.

The naysayers, however, will not distract those committed to communicating the truth of scripture in a relevant way. Those who understand God has called them to be partners with Him in presenting truth will forge ahead. They will use every available means to communicate the gospel with relevance. They will have the great joy of seeing lives changed by the power of Jesus Christ.