Mile High Rev

MERRY CHRISTMAS

To all my readers, enjoy the day and remember to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

MERRY CHRISTMAS from MileHighRev

REVeling - Christmas Eve 2008 - Part II

As promised, here’s my update on our Christmas Eve services today:

This year, we chose to go with three rather than four services.  The times were 2, 4, and 6.  As usual, the middle (late afternoon) service was jammed with a standing room only crowd.  I don’t have the numbers yet, but I’m sure it was way over a thousand at just that service. The 2:00 pm service was comfortably crowded, and 6:00 pm was near capacity, with a few vacant chairs here and there.

The choir and orchestra provided excellent music in all three services.  For these people (and our ushers, greeters, media team, and children’s and nursery workers) to be willing to sacrifice most of their Christmas Eve was a real blessing.  In addition to several familiar carols, we recited the Apostles Creed and had some Bible readings.  Daniel Sesay (our Worship Director) and his family (Erica, Keisha, and Cierra) led our Advent candle lighting.  After a little problem getting the lighter to work in the first service, things went smoothly for the rest of the day.

The candle ceremony at the end of the service went off without a hitch. Our ushers had large zip-lock bags full of candles loaded on carts and wheeled them to the front at the appointed time.  Within 5 minutes we had a thousand candles in people’s hands AND lit!  Nice organization, guys. Nothing beats singing “Silent Night” at the end while holding our candles high in the air.

I chose the Luke 2:25–35 narrative of Simeon as my preaching theme.  Our Advent Theme has been, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”  As I listened to Simeon’s song, I heard: 1) Jesus Brings Salvation, 2) Jesus Is For Everyone, and 3) Jesus is Going to Cause Trouble.  At the end of each service I extended a Gospel invitation for people to respond to put faith in Christ.  The responses went like this – 8, 10, and 9, respectively – totaling 27 people who said “yes” to Jesus.  My spiritual cup was very full at the end of the evening. 

I’m tired – but a very good tired.  God blessed us today with one of our most amazing Christmas Eve experiences in 24 years at FBC.  Praise the Lord.

REVered - Christmas Eve 2008

In a little less than 2 hours, Jan and I will be joining the thousands at FBC who make the annual pilgrimage to our Christmas Eve Services.  Times this year are 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00 pm.  I’m wrapping up my Advent series – “Do You Hear What I Hear?”  The text is Luke 2:21–35.  It’s the account of Simeon, the man who sings about the 6 week old Jesus as his parents bring him to the Temple for dedication.

We’ll have plenty of great music.  As usual, we’ll close the service with our traditional candle-lighting, while singing “Silent Night.”  If you’re in the area and happen to read this (it’s noon right now), please consider joining us if your church doesn’t have a service today.  FBC “regulars” probably have their service time selected already!

I hope to post a report on how things went later today.  Until then…

MERRY CHRISTMAS

REVved - "Year of Giving" at FBC

This year, our leadership at FBC decided not to have our annual Christmas party, as in previous years.  Though our costs were not astronomical, they were budgeted.  Hosting nearly 150 people from staff, Elders, and Deacons, and spouses does add up.  This year, we decided to devote this money to a project we called, “Year of Giving.” 

Additionally, we decided to ask the FBC family to participate in a special offering the first weekend of December.  The dates coincided with our regular “Benevolence Offering,” that we receive the first weekend each month.  Normally, that offering totals around $7,000.

Our goal was to combine the Christmas party funds and the benevolence offering.  Once we knew how much was given, the Elders decided where to give the money…to FBC families in need. 

The offering was near $25,000!  We were amazed.  Who needs to be reminded that we are living in tough economic times?  Yet, our people gave generously…so that, we could turn around and give it away.

So we are in the process of giving the money away!  Jan and I got to deliver some of it today.  What an honor.  It was 100% “grace-giving!”  There’s no way to adequately describe the experience and the accompanying emotions.

Jesus said it all when He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”  IT IS!  “Year of Giving” rocks! 

REVved - 9 People Receive Christ at FBC

Though a little late, I wanted to document the joyous news that 9 people raised hands to respond to the invitation to put faith in Christ over the weekend.  My text was – Luke 2:8–20.  I focused on “the Angels’ song” in v. 14.  After one of the services, a lady came up to introduce herself and tell me that she was one of those who received Christ.  She mentioned that she had been a life-long Catholic and had never felt that her faith was personal.  She also mentioned that the message of “grace, rather than works,” was particularly moving to her.  She was almost glowing, as she shared her story with me. 

I know the angels in heaven are rejoicing, but thought you might want to join them…and me!

     

REVrant 44.6 - Rick Warren to Pray at Obama Inauguration

Obama defends choice of evangelical pastor.

There’s a firestorm of criticism over President-Elect Obama’s decision to have Pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation at his inauguration next month.  The top critics are homosexuals who believe this disrespects them, as they see Warren as a key “architect of the anti-gay agenda.”  Obama is defending the choice, despite what he calls “disagreement on social issues.”

My interest goes in a different direction.  An “invocation” is a prayer.  (…to cite the obvious.)  Praying is not a tool for political posturing.  It is communication with God.  It is the dearest and most personal form of communication we have with God.  It’s not about power or manipulation or political payback.  Whatever a Christian does, prayer is not to be trifled with.

I know a tiny bit about invocations.  In 2004, I was invited to “deliver the invocation” at a rally for President Bush in Greeley, Colorado.  I was told I had been “vetted,” but that I would need to submit a copy of my prayer to the White House staff as well.  When I asked, “Can I pray…IN THE NAME OF JESUS?” – my friend said, “Submit your prayer and we’ll see.” 

So I did.  And I didn’t hear anything back, other than details for getting to the event and how to access backstage.  So Jan and I went.  We accessed backstage.  Nobody asked about the content of my prayer.  And I prayed with 8,000 people standing with heads bowed…I still have the text…and I closed “in the name of Jesus, Amen.”  (And got a "standing ovation"...well, they were standing already!)

I imagine nothing Obama does now will dissuade the homosexual community.  They want to turn this into a political fight where someone wins and someone loses.  And right now, they think evangelicals are winning and they are losing. (And by the way, on the basis of their argument about inclusion “at the table,” is there not room for evangelicals?)

Politics aside, I’m far more interested in Pastor Warren’s prayer.  I’ll be listening with everyone else.  Pastor Warren, please don’t sell out to political correctness and pray one of those generic “spirit in the sky” prayers.  That’s not who you are and that’s not who evangelicals are. 

REVrant 44.5 - Ted Haggard is Back

Disgraced Haggard promoting documentary - The Denver Post.

The former pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs is re-emerging in an HBO documentary next month, titled – “The Trials of Ted Haggard.”  Unbelievable.

REVisited - "Vanishing Evangelism" - Part 2

Last year at the Convergent Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mark Driscoll made the following remark:

And all the nonsense of emerging, and Emergent, and new monastic communities, and, you know, all of these various kinds of ridiculous conversations--I'll tell you as one on the inside, they don't have converts. The silly little myth, the naked emperor is this: they will tell you it's all about being in culture to reach lost people, and they're not.

 

I found this bold Mark Driscoll quote recently.  Driscoll pastors a large church in Seattle called Mars Hill.  Some of you know about Driscoll, and although he’s rather controversial, he provides some helpful insight into the problem I blogged about in REVrant 44.4.  He doesn’t beat around the bush – ”they don’t have converts.”  It appears that despite all the talk about being “missional” and “incarnational,” the emergents are not focused on evangelism.  (I can just hear the objections!) 

That’s exactly what I have been saying.  Where is the evangelism?  It’s vanishing.

I spent some time today thinking about how the early church implemented the mission Jesus gave His first followers – “to make disciples.”  To inform my thinking, I mused on the Book of Acts.  (There is nothing like “Bible time” to clear one’s heart and mind!) The apostolic team (with Paul as the point man) had a very strategic approach to evangelism.  1) Preach the Gospel in the synagogue first.  2) Preach the Gospel in public places and directly to Gentiles.  3) Teach the Word to believers in each location, as well, so they will be strengthened. 

And guess what Luke reports time after time – “great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.”  (Acts 11:21, 14:1, 17:4, 12…I think you get the idea!)  He talks about numbers.  (I normally count out loud when people raise their hands during invitations.  I know it bugs some people.  But over the weekend a friend told Jan of her husband’s conversion at FBC during one of those gospel invitations and she said he always mentions, “I was number 14!”  Makes me want to keep counting!)  And one more thing; it wasn’t unusual for Paul and his co-workers to get arrested, assaulted, and tossed out of town for this kind of evangelism. 

The power of the Gospel echoes through episode after episode.  And two things happen when the Gospel is preached: 1) People believe.  2) People go ballistic.  Hey, that sounds like 2008 to me! 

And don’t forget, Paul and the other apostles weren’t operating in their own strength.  They had a Partner in the process.  You don’t want to attempt evangelism without this Partner.  Of course, I’m referring to the Holy Spirit.  He sends Paul and Barnabas out – Acts 13:2.  He directs their itinerary – Acts 16:6.  He warns them about opposition – Acts 20:23.  He verifies their message – Acts 13:9.  He empowers the disciples – Acts 13:52.  Believe me, in evangelism, you want the Holy Spirit on your side…and He is!

The Biblical pattern is unmistakable.  Jesus expected His followers to proclaim the good news.  And the job isn’t done yet.

REVrant 44.4 - Vanishing Evangelism

Every December, by design, I focus on public evangelism during weekend sermons.  Not only that, but I give public invitations for people to put their faith in Christ.  I ask them to raise their hand if they want to receive Christ as Savior at the end of the Gospel sermon.  Two reasons: 1) When preaching about Jesus, I believe in asking people to decide about Him on the spot, and 2) I assume that non-believing people are more inclined to attend church during Christmas season than at other times of the year (with the exception of Easter). 

It makes sense.  Christmas is all about Christ, and our mission as followers of Christ is to tell others the “good news.” (<– which is a tight definition of “evangelism” = telling people the good news.)  So, I tell (preach) the “good news,” and then ask people if they want to become a Christian – by believing in Jesus.  So far in December, I’ve seen 13 people respond by raising a hand.  Amen!

Predictably, I’m criticized for doing this.  Ironically, the criticism comes from both ends of the spectrum.  First, I’m criticized by those who don’t think it’s appropriate to extend public invitations at all.  These critics think it’s silly to believe that people actually come to Christ that way – simply because they’ve heard a sermon and are asked to respond.  One guy left me a note on my seat at church one Sunday after giving an invitation like I described, that read, “Nice try.”  Second, I’m criticized by those who think I should be giving invitations like this after every sermon.  These critics admonish me (with apparently disregard for the Sovereignty of God, and twisted soteriology) that if I don’t give an invitation to respond, some who might have been saved, will be lost. 

I realized a long time ago that neither group is going to be happy with me, so I default to depending on the Holy Spirit for guidance, whatever my critics have to say.

With all that as background, something is bothering me.  I’ve addressed it in my blog title.  It appears to me that evangelism is vanishing.  Oh, I know that evangelism is not the only thing we’re called to do.  I also know that “making disciples” involves more than conversion.  And I know that weekly preaching needs to be focused on “feeding” the sheep, not solely on “birthing” sheep.  

However, back to my concern – I think evangelism is vanishing.  In our tolerance-addicted culture, we’ve been lulled into a sense of evangelistic paralysis.  We’re told that it’s arrogant to try to press our views on others.  We’re warned that everyone should have the right to believe whatever they choose…or don’t choose.  We’re even being challenged by some within the church (read: “emergents”) to consider the possibility that there may be others ways to heaven than through Jesus.  “Who are we to say?” – they ask.

Net effect?  Vanishing evangelism.  Whether due to fear, or shame, or over-sensitivity, it appears that telling others the good news about Jesus is becoming a lost art.  This is critical.  If we stop telling the good news, the church is one generation from extinction.  I’m not suggesting that we use antique forms or out-dated methodology.  “Crusade evangelism” seems to have seen it’s better days. (Billy Graham probably ends an era…but only the form!)  Imagine how exciting it would be to brainstorm about new “forms’ for evangelism in the 21^st Century!

Evangelism is under siege…in the church.  People don’t want to hear about it.  People don’t want to do it.  People rationalize that it’s all about living “incarnationally,” with the hope that lost people will somehow figure out what we’re up to.  

I fear that Paul’s warning to Timothy in II Timothy 4:3–4 is coming true in our day: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 

I’m going to keep telling people about Jesus.  I’m going to keep asking people whether they want to believe in Him as Savior.  And I’m going to trust the Holy Spirit to draw people to Jesus.  I KNOW I can’t save anybody.  That’s up to God.  But I do have the stunning privilege of being one small voice for Jesus in these days of vanishing evangelism.  So do you.  

REVerie - Doing Our Part to Fight Global Warming

NOAA's National Weather Service.

-15 degrees

at Denver International Airport – new record low!