witness: 1 Peter 2:11-17

I’m currently leading a study of 1 Peter on Wednesday nights at MoSt Church. My love for 1 Peter is exceeded only by my appreciation for Luke’s Gospel. What a powerful letter!

Our study is entitled With the World Against Us and the text for tomorrow night’s session is 1 Peter 2:11-17. We’ll entitle this session “Witness.” Whether or not you’re a part of this class, following are a few questions to ponder and pray over. It’s a deceptively simple sounding text that will certainly get your cerebral juices to flowing and conviction to well up in your heart! Do read the text (http://bit.ly/dkxR9A), pray, and ponder … and then bring all of that with you to class tomorrow night. We’ll all be sharpened a bit for it.

1. Name the “sinful desires” that “war against your soul” these days (vs.11). What are you specifically you doing to “abstain” from these desires? What are your battle plans and strategies?

2. What other passages in Scripture come to mind as you meditate on the meaning and implications of vs.12 (“Live such good lives among the pagans that …”)?

3. Sometimes our living a life truly sold-out for God’s glory can help lead others to celebrate God (vs.12). At other times, the best we can hope for is to perhaps mute those who would mock us (vs.15). Have you experienced both? Recall some instances of the effects of your living a Christ-like life before others. What have you learned from these experiences?

4. “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.” (vs.16) Just how exactly might you, as a Christian, be tempted to “use your freedom as a cover-up for evil?”

5. If you diligently practiced the last phrase in this paragraph (vs.17b) as a Christian, spell out what it would look like to live out the intent and command of this text (“honor the emperor”)?

Apr 15 2010

book review: will Jesus buy me a double-wide?

Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? (‘Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV)

by Karen Spears Zacharias (Zondervan, 2010), hb, 233pp

$16.99 retail; $11.55 @ Amazon (http://amzn.to/bOWT4d)

quotes

“… what kinds of misconceptions exist about the homeless. … People who are homeless are not spiritual. … are ll addicts or mentally ill or it’s their own fault. … live on the streets … are criminals … are single … are self-absorbed ‘losers’ and loners.” (pp.24-25)

“Greed is not a respecter of persons. It threatens all of us …” (pp.26-27)

“… the thesis that God’s good pleasure for us amounts to us being rich … is golden-calf theology personified.” (p.37)

“… there are so many people out there for whom money is everything … They worry that they’ve lost 60 percent of their stocks. Yet, they still have more money than they could spend to live very comfortably.” (p.48)

“We couch our specialness in patriotic remarks that border on nationalism: America is a nation blessed by God. God has poured out his favor on America. We are a Christian nation. Our President is a Christian man. The very way we frame our drummed-up gratitude makes it clear to the rest of the world that God loves America best. How else can we explain all the ways in which he has indulged us?” (p.55)

“A 2006 TIME magazine poll revealed a whopping 61 percent of those surveyed said that they believed God wants them to be prosperous, and 31 percent said if you give money to God, God will bless you with more money. In essence, we espouse a Voodoo Christianity – a belief that we can manipulate God.” (p.56)

“… Mayor remembers without any hesitation that day he gave his last sermon. ‘I was standing up there at that podium. I don’t know what I was saying, but whatever it was, when I looked out over the people, they were crying. Men and women alike. Crying.’ Mayor leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He looked up from beneath the shade of thicket brows. ‘That scared me. Seeing how much power I had over those people. … I could see how easy it would be to manipulate a crowd like that.’ Mayor says. He walked out the doors of that church and never went back.” (pp.62-63)

“There’s a little bit of larceny in all of us. … Everybody wants to make another dollar.” (p.72)

“… Christianity isn’t about searching for a way to get your palms greased. It’s about looking for the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ.” (p.74)

“Jesus did not promise us material wealth … He promised us a life of sacrifice.” (p.78)

“In tough economic times, you’ll find that there are a couple of growth industries. One is the lottery and the other is prosperity preachers.” (p.96, quoting Warren Smith of Wall Watchers; www.ministrywatch.com)

“The thing that compels millions of hopefuls to take out the ballpoint pen and send in $58 of seed money to [Mike] Murdock on the promise that God will repay them tenfold is the very same thing that compelled thousands to place their trust in Wall Street investor Bernie Madoff. That thing is greed.” (pp.99-100)

“The homeless could teach churches and cities a thing or to about how to build community. When you live on the streets, you learn to look out for each other. When everything you own fits into three bags, you need to be able to trust somebody to watch over your property. The homeless know how to be good neighbors. … the homeless understand community in a way that many of us don’t because they have to.” (pp.140,141)

“Poverty is, more than anything, lack of choice.” (p.141)

“We don’t feed the homeless so that we can preach the gospel to them. We feed them because that is the gospel.” (p.143)

We think in America that the good job, the promotion, the house, the new car, that God gave them to us because he loves us. We are in his good graces, a chosen people, a ‘Christian nation,’ and he proves that by ‘blessing us.’ That works fine as long as everything goes great. But when the crap hits the fan, when we lose the job, when the husband runs off with the secretary, when we get cancer, or our kid is killed in a car wreck, now what? Our easy God is gone and we are screwed like a rabbit in the springtime.” (p.144)

“Go love somebody who can’t love you back. Love somebody who can’t do anything for you. Get off your butt and love somebody who can’t benefit you in any way. Somebody who is never going to repay you. They are never going to invite you over to eat at their house. That’s the gospel. Not God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life which includes a Mercedes Benz, a corner office, and a secretary with fake boobs.” (p.144)

“It’s almost anti-Christian and un-American to be contented anymore.” (pp.148-149)

“Whether it’s taught by Bible-thumping preachers or by New Age gurus with Aussie accents, the Gospel of Entitlement is, at its core, a Ponzi scheme on steroids.” (p.152)

“Instead of recognizing God as our Creator and responding to him as such, we keep fashioning him into whatever role we need him to be playing at the moment.” (p.201)

“… it’s not about how much money you have, but about the kind of person you choose to be.” (p.207)

“Somewhere along the line we’ve grown confused. We’re started mistaking Christianity for capitalism.” (p.210)

“The idea that God’s will must involve following one’s dreams contradicts Scripture and disrespects the millions of impoverished Christians around the world who labor every day to provide for their families.” (pp.210-211)

“… the problem with having the poor among us it that they are a positive proof that the American way doesn’t work for everyone. … We want to believe that the formula works for everyone: our obedience + God’s favor = unlimited wealth. But it’s a flawed formula. … It’s not God who is creating the problem. It’s us. We’re trying to fashion our relationship with God into a sum-ending equation in which we always come out ahead.” (p.211)

“If there is a secret to living your best life now, it’s this: Stop imaging all the ways in which the universe can serve you and start figuring out how you can serve others. … Peace, not prosperity, is what you ought to be pursuing.” (pp.213,214)

review

Fact: No small number of your fellow church members buy into the claims of the prosperity gospel. You might not be aware of it or might not want to believe, but trust me, it’s true. That’s right, a certain percentage of your brothers and sisters during any given month tune in via television to the likes of “preachers” such as Paul Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Mike Murdock, Joel Osteen, Paula White, and more – and lap it up.

But here’s the rub: how do you confront the gospel of entitlement in such a way that your warnings against such won’t be quickly deflected by the very folks you’re trying to warn? How can you get your friends to think twice about buying into the health-and-wealth gospel? How can you get a hearing?

There are many different tacks to take, but one of the best means I know to challenge misguided thinking is to simply give a person a dose of good, healthy thought in the form of an easy-to-read, page-turning book. The trick is to find just the right book. For the average Joe or Suzie in the pew, it can’t be an academic discussion (else the reading of it will never be started) and it must come in bite-size pieces (or else it will never be finished). It must be filled with the experiences of everyday life (if you expect people today to find it engaging and persuasive) and it must be composed of solid reasoning (if you expect the arguments to be compelling).

There are a number of good works available on the market that aim to do battle with the prosperity gospel. However, the majority of such works, at least those with which I’m familiar, simply won’t ever have a chance of being read by the rank-and-file of church members simply because of the way in which they’re written. What has been desperately needed for some time is a good book you can give to almost anyone and and say “I think you’d find this to be a very interesting read. If you’ll read it, I’d love to talk about it with you sometime.” All the better if the author was a woman, because most of your congregation who will actually read a book are probably women.

Well, you need look no further for the tool is now available. Purchase a copy of Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide? and read it for yourself. Having read it, pray about to whom you should pass it along to once you’re finished with it. Then do just that; pass it along. Or for that matter, the ten pages of discussion questions also make this book suitable for supplementary reading and discussion work in a small group or class context (pp.215-224).

I give this book an 8.8.

Apr 7 2010

sermon evaluation: preaching partners (2)

Yesterday’s post consisted of part one of a two-part series regarding a form for obtaining sermon feedback. The first half of the form concerned the listener. Today’s post, the second half of the form, deals with the listener’s evaluation of the messenger and the message.

Speaking

1. I could plainly hear the preacher speaking (volume & clarity).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. This sermon’s introduction grabbed my attention, giving me ample reason to listen.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. The main point of this sermon came across clearly and was easily remembered.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4. The illustration(s) and/or visuals used in this sermon were clear and helpful.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5. There were adequate points of application for the sermon’s “now what” value.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. Scripture clearly undergirded this sermon; I was being engaged with the Word.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7. God was honored and glorified in the way this sermon was delivered.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. The preacher’s message appeared to be well-prepared.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9. The preacher appeared to have given real thought to whom he was speaking.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10. The preacher projected an attitude of love for us.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11. The minister’s personal integrity supported and was connected with this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12. This sermon did not trail off, but maintained or increased intensity near the end.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13. The preacher gave balanced eye contact, not looking away, or at notes, too often.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

14. The preacher was fluent (“uhs,” “ums”) and clearly articulated his words.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15. The vocabulary used in this sermon’s delivery was easy to grasp.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

16. Tact and good taste was exercised in this sermon’s delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

17. The preacher had good posture throughout the delivery of this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

18. The length of this sermon was appropriate.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

19. One thing the preacher did well was _______________________________________.

20. One thing the preacher should work on is ___________________________________.

Your name __________________________________________________________.
Date & time you completed this form _____________________________________.
Speaker’s name ______________________________________________________.
Date & time sermon was delivered _______________________________________.
Your contact info: _____________________________________________________.

Apr 6 2010

sermon evaluation: preaching partners (1)

“I have often likened preaching without feedback to driving golf balls in the dark. Unless we hear from our hearers, we will never know if we are hitting the green or going off into the woods.” (Best Advice for Preaching; John S. McClure, editor; p.136)

As a preacher, what is the best way to solicit healthy, truly helpful feedback and critique from the flock regarding sermons? Good advice can be hard to come by!

Through the years I have solicited feedback in a variety of ways, but I’m currently using a one-page, forty question evaluation form: twenty questions to help the listener evaluate themselves and twenty questions for the listener to evaluate the messenger.

While I have seen a number of evaluation forms for speeches and sermons across the years, I have never seen one that deliberately calls for the listener to evaluate themselves. This is the most odd and glaring of omissions! In fact, I would go so far as to say that to seek written evaluation of the preacher without calling for equal evaluation of the listener is, at best, irresponsible, and most likely, potentially dangerous and destructive. After all, there must be real equity in responsibility in the preaching encounter. I regularly respond to folks who say to me “Good sermon, Dave!” something after this fashion: “If it was a truly good sermon, that means you did at least half of the work. We’re partners in this, you know? May God bless my preaching as He blesses your listening!”

Following are the first twenty questions of my Preaching Partners feedback form, the section for the listener’s self-critique. It is of my own design. The twenty questions for evaluating the preacher will appear as a post here tomorrow.

Preaching Partner feedback form

A “good sermon” is a partnership, being as much a product of careful listening as it is deliberate speech. Please complete this form promptly and give it directly to the speaker. Unsigned forms do not receive consideration. All ratings assume 1 is lowest and 10 is highest. Circle the appropriate numbers. Use the back side for comments. Your feedback is valued!

Listening

1. My level of health and rest when I heard this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2. My current level of life-stress.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

3. I am under the influence of special medication, substances, etc.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

4. I came seeking my beliefs/behaviors affirmed and/or challenged.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5. The degree to which I maintained deliberate, sustained attention and reflection.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6. I familiarized myself with the sermon topic/text in the days prior to delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 n/a

7. I prayed for the speaker prior to the delivery of this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8. I prayed for myself prior to, and following, this sermon’s delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9. I brought my personal Bible and made use of it during this sermon’s delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10. I took written notes during this sermon’s delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11. I succeeded at maintaining attention despite congregational distractions.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

12. I actively gave the speaker loving, physical/visible feedback during delivery.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13. I maintained eye contact and posture conducive to good listening.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

14. I gave the speaker “the benefit of the doubt” when I didn’t hear or understand.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15. I found myself applying this sermon to others more than/rather than myself.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

16. This is how I would rate my post-sermon thought and reflection.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

17. I am making concrete plans to personally apply some good from this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

18. How I would rate myself overall in doing my part in engagement with this sermon.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

19. The best thing I gained from engaging this sermon is _______________________.

20. I could have improved my role with this sermon by _________________________.

Apr 2 2010

the shape of his words from the cross

All these years and only just now have I noticed that Christ’s seven words from the cross make something of a chiastic outline. That is one of the beauties of his word: there is always something fresh and new to be seen in his words, though they be “old” to us.

A. They had no clue what they were doing. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32-38)

B. Making promises to others. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

C. With a care for the needs of others. “Woman, here is your son … Here is your mother.” (John 19:26-27)

D. The tension of faith and relationship with God our Father. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:45-49)

C. With a care for his own needs. “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28-29)

B. Making promises to others possible. “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

A. He knew full well what he was doing. “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46-49)

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