Investing at the margins

I am now finishing up my fifteenth year of ministry, spent both as a youth minister and a senior minister.  I've messed up a lot, succeeded a lot, and learned a lot in those years.  Something, however, hit me about a month ago that may completely revamp the way I view ministry and specifically how I spend my time.

I've noticed that there are roughly three categories of people that I interact with.  On one end of the spectrum, there are the "hardcore lost." These are the guys I see in my prison class on Tuesday mornings- drug dealers, addicts, thieves, liars, etc.  This category of folks are far away from Christ.  They are the atheists, the criminals, the homeless, the addicted, the hopeless, etc.

On the other end of the spectrum are the "hardcore committed."  These are the people who are disciples of Jesus Christ.  They are committed to following Him- His word is sovereign, His will is their will, etc.  These are the folks that are the future leaders in the church.

Somewhere in the middle, however, is the largest segment of people.  They are neither hardcore lost nor hardcore committed.  They are what the Bible refers to as "lukewarm." The Bible doesn't have very kind words to say about them (Revelation 3:16) and pastor Francis Chan made a profile of the lukewarm found here (check it out- it's very good).

I've found that most of my time in ministry has been unintentionally spent in this middle category.  Basically what I have found is that most of my ministry has been trying to get lukewarm people not to be lukewarm. It's been spent trying to people who call themselves Christians to pick up their Bibles once in a while, get people who don't care to care a little bit, get people who go to church but don't really care what Jesus has to say to care about what Jesus has to say.  Unfortunately, this is an area of investment with not much return.  Lukewarm people are very difficult to disciple, and don't particularly even want to move. Most problems in churches come from this category- most of the complaining or factions or issues arise from lukewarm people acting like lukewarm people.

What I have realized is that Jesus specifically avoided this group.  He spent His time equally with the two extremes- the hardcore lost and the hardcore committed.  When He wasn't spending time with tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, and thieves He was hanging around with His twelve disciples, teaching them about the Kingdom.

Jesus invested at the margins. Why? Because that's where the biggest returns were.

He spend a great deal of time discipling the committed men who followed Him. The result? 2000 years ago there were 12 Christians.  Now, one out of every three people on the planet, more than 2 billion, call themselves Christians. Jesus invested His time in people who were committed, who were teachable, who were serious about God's will and would follow God's commands to the death. The results speak for themselves.

However, He also was found at the other end of the spectrum.  His greatest miracles were among the outcasts. He was among the hardcore lost so much that He was accused of being a drunk and a glutton. He was loved by the extremes and hated by the middle.

If you are a minister (a lot of ministers read this blog), how much of your time is spent in the margins? Or, like me, have you inadvertently spent most of your time among people that Jesus specifically avoided? What would your schedule look like if you devoted the majority of your time to discipling the hardcore committed and reaching the hardcore lost?  Would it look significantly different?

If you are a layperson, challenge your minister to invest at the margins.  Then, you go invest at the margins as well.  What hardcore lost people are you ministering to?  What hardcore committed person are you discipling? Maybe you aren't doing either because you are smack dab in the middle category. If this is you, I challenge you to move to the hardcore committed category and begin investing where Jesus invested.

What would the church look like if we spent all of our time in those two categories? What if 50% of the time, the church was going after the hardcore lost- going into prisons, going on missions to persecuted countries, sharing faith with atheists, etc; and the other 50% discipling people who actually care, who actually will put into practice the Word of God, who are ready to become leaders and influencers in the Body of Christ?

Unfortunately, most of our time is spent in the middle category, trying to get lukewarm people to care, trying to get halfway committed people to commit a little more, trying to get monthly Sunday attenders to come twice a month, etc. Pathetic. Why invest in a black hole? Invest where the returns are, church.  The returns are in the margins.  They are in the hardcore lost and the hardcore committed.  Not much else is going to happen in the middle.

Most ministers are incredibly frustrated because all of their time is spent in the middle. About 1500 pastors leave the ministry every month because of the discouragement ministry brings. Maybe they like investors who continue to pour money into a stock that stubbornly refuses to budge, and they need to stop pouring time and effort into that one and find one with real returns. Ministers spend a great deal of time trying to calm church members who are upset over non-Kingdom issues.  They spend a great deal of time following up with lukewarm members who simply just don't care. They spend a great deal of time among the lukewarm who know better but have no intention of ever giving up their sin or changing. All of this amounts to a great deal of frustration.  I know this personally.

So, I've decided to stop.  I've decided to stop trying to get lukewarm people to not be lukewarm.  I'm going to love them, pray for them, etc, but I'm not going to spend a great deal of time and effort there.  It's just not worth it. I am devoting myself to the margins.  I am going to increase my time among the hardcore lost- more prison ministry, more street ministry, more missions,  more getting my hands dirty where angels fear to tread.  I am also going to increase my time among the hardcore committed- training them for ministry and moving them into leadership in the Body of Christ.  If you are in either of those two categories, I have time for you.

That's where Jesus spent His time. That's where I'm going to spend my time too.  I invite you to join me.

Much of life is just about simply outlasting your competition

My wife and I work out occasionally at home together.

I'm really into the Shaun T workouts- I've done "Insanity" and "Asylum" which are both extremely difficult workouts (especially for a forty year old has-been), and many times there is a strong temptation to just quit before finishing the workouts.

One of the nice things about those workouts is that there is a timer at the bottom of the screen telling you how much longer the workout will be.  You can see the seconds ticking away, getting closer and closer to the end of the workout.  Sometimes, during a particularly strenuous part of the workouts, ten seconds seems like ten years.

A few days ago, Rachel and I were working out, and she was looking pretty exhausted- that "I'm about to give up" look on the face.  I looked at the timer and said, "There's only fifteen minutes left.  We can do ANYTHING for fifteen minutes, right?"  I don't know exactly what the words that came out of her mouth meant, because they may have been spoken in some strange language, or it was something unrepeatable in a Christian blog, but she continued.

Finally the timer hit zero.  We were done.  We had OUTLASTED it.

One of the things that sports have taught me is that many times, you just have to outlast your opponent.  That's one of the big keys to winning.  You're up 1-0; can you outlast the attacks until the timer expires?  Can you make one more run down the field than your opponent can?  Can you jump one more time than your opponent can?  That's how games are won.  That's how workouts are done.  You OUTLAST them.

The same principle applies to every aspect of our lives.  I've realized that much of success in life is simply about outlasting whatever obstacle is in front of you, especially for the Christian wanting to live out the faith on a daily basis.  For example:

-Can you be patient longer than they can be annoying? Outlast them.
-Can you be loving longer than they can be hateful? Outlast them.
-Can you remain self-controlled longer than Satan can tempt you?  Outlast him.
-Can you forgive more times than they can hurt?  Outlast them.
-Can you stay silent longer than they can tempt you to outburst? Outlast them.
-Can you hold firm to your faith longer than they can complain? Outlast them.
-Can you keep going longer than your desire to quit?  Outlast it.
-Can you remain joyful one day longer than whatever it is that is bringing you down?  Outlast it.
-Can you be kind longer than they can be rude?  Outlast them.
-Can you remain faithful one day longer than the desire to cave in?  Outlast it.

Parents, can you outlast your children?  I was sitting at the dinner table with my little two-year old nephew who loves to say "no."  Doesn't matter what you tell him- he always responds with "no."  Well, when he said no, I immediately responded with YES.  He said "NO!"  I said "YES!" This went on back and forth for a minute or more.  Every time he said "no," he would look at me to see if I was still in the game.  I certainly was.  I'm a grown man.  He's a two-year old.  He didn't stand a chance.

Finally he quit. He realized that I wasn't going to.  I outlasted him.  He stopped saying "No," whenever he was around me.  Parents, can you outlast your kids' defiance, or do you give in?  Do you outlast them, or do they outlast you?  You're the adult.  They should never be able to outlast you.

One thing we have to realize is that nothing lasts forever.  The temptation to commit adultery or look at porn eventually subsides if you outlast it.  The hunger pangs telling you you HAVE to have the extra piece of chocolate cake subsides rather quickly if you don't indulge it.  The impulse to buy that brand new thing that you don't need and can't afford goes away rather quickly if you outlast it.  Nothing, no matter what it is, lasts forever.  Everything in life has a timer.  Sometimes, you just have to wait for that timer to hit zero and keep going one second longer than it does.

Back in the 1940s and 50s, Billy Graham received tons of criticism and ridicule for his ministry.  He was mocked, marginalized, insulted, and just about everything else when he burst onto the scene with his crusades and preaching events.  How about now?  Is there any pastor in America who is as respected as Billy Graham?  He has been spiritual advisor to presidents, heads of state, has preached the gospel to more people than anyone in history, and has earned the title "America's pastor."  How?

He outlasted his critics.

What can people say about Billy Graham?  How can you criticize a guy who is so humble, so dedicated, and so faithful?  Answer?  You can't.  He outlasted his critics.  He stayed in the game one step longer than they did.  That's the call to the Christian in todays' world- stay in the game one day longer than our critics.  Stay faithful one day longer than the forces that oppose us.  Stay faithful one day longer than the doubts that eat at us.  Outlast it.

Many times, we quit just before there is a huge breakthrough in our faith, or in our family, or in our jobs.  Many times, had we resisted the temptation just one more minute or stayed faithful one more day or forgiven just one more time, we would have experienced victory.  Much of life is simply about outlasting the obstacles and temptations in front of us.  You can do it.

In 2004, my wife and I experienced the death of our third child.  To say that we were overcome with grief would be an understatement.  We experienced marital strife- somewhere around 80% of couples who lose children end up divorcing- as well as the grief.  We could have thrown in the towel.  Instead, we outlasted it.  Can you outlast the grief that is threatening to take you down?  Yes, you can. Nothing lasts forever.  That grief has a timer.  It won't always be there.  Stay faithful one second longer and outlast it.

Just like I told my wife, "We can do anything for fifteen minutes," tell yourself, "I can do anything for one more day.  I can do anything for one more week.  After all, I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

Whatever it is in front of you, outlast it.  Outlast the doubt, outlast the critics, outlast the tantrum, outlast the negativity, outlast the temptation, outlast the hate.  That is the call of the Holy Spirit on His church in this day and age.  "To him who overcomes . . . . (Revelation 1-3)."  Outlast it.

What does love look like?

When I was in high school, my grandfather was in the final stage of life.  Parkinson's disease and Alzheimers had robbed this once powerful, self-sufficient man of his dignity and functions, reducing him to a wheelchair-bound existence.  Many times he did not know who people were, even his own family.

We went to Louisville, where he and my grandmother lived, to celebrate my dad's birthday.  Grandad was not having a good day, and he didn't recognize the family in front of him.  It was a sad day for us, especially for my dad whose own dad didn't recognize him at his own birthday.

It came time to open presents, and we all gave our gifts.  My grandmother and Grandad had gotten my dad a card.  I saw it- my grandmother had written a beautiful message to my dad, several paragraphs long.  Underneath it, in a barely recognizable scrawl, was the message from my Grandad. It simply said, "Love, Dad."

Some time later, I saw my grandmother and my dad over in the corner, talking.  My grandmother had a sheet of notebook paper that she was showing my dad, and both of them had tears in their eyes.  I went over to see what was going on.

On the piece of notebook paper, I saw written out about thirty or forty times, in barely recognizable handwriting, the words "Love, Dad."

I knew exactly what it was.  My grandmother said to my dad, "I found this on the bedside table under some books.  I don't think he wanted anyone to see it."  My grandfather's Parkinson's disease had made handwriting nearly impossible for him, and before he signed a birthday card to his son, he practiced.

He practiced those two words over and over again so that when he signed the card to his son, it would be his best.  He wasn't going to give anything other than his best to his son on his birthday.

That's what love looks like.  A man, robbed of his ability to even write, spent time practicing what he would offer to his son on his birthday. Love means that we give our best without hesitation, without cajoling, without pressure, without force.  We freely and joyfully give our best to the ones we love, just like my grandfather did to my dad on his birthday.

My Grandad died a few months later. I doubt that I remember any of the gifts that were given that birthday.  I don't know if my dad got shirts or clothes or money or anything else.  I do, however, remember my Grandad taking his time to practice his writing so that his son would get the best he had to offer on his birthday.

Love looks like giving your best.  Your love for family, your love for God, your love for your community- it means to give your best.  Today is Sunday morning.  I hope you, like me, are planning on giving your best to your heavenly Father this morning.  Not out of obligation, not out of fear, not out of guilt, but out of love.

Love looks like giving your best.

Victoria Osteen became the poster child for what many, if not most, Christians believe

The media loves it when a Christian leader falls from grace.

Victoria Osteen, wife of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, has been seen this week in a viral video saying basically that worship (and the Christian faith) isn't about God, it's about you.  That's a rough paraphrase, but that's basically it.

I'm trying to figure out what everyone is so upset about.

That seems to be what many American Christians believe- in practice, if not in words.

Before I begin, I want to say that many of the Christians I know are the most dedicated, humble, wonderful, loving people I've ever seen.  Their faith consistently amazes me, and their perseverance through difficulty and self-sacrifice is an example to me all the time. I have the privilege of pastoring a church with many people whose faith I admire and whose dedication to their faith is second to none.

That being said, one of the continual thorns in the flesh of American Christianity is the stubborn persistence of self-centeredness.  Every church is infected with it.  Every Sunday morning churches are filled with people who haven't the slightest desire to see God magnified and themselves diminished, as John the Baptist put it in John 3:30.  Every Sunday morning Christian people, who call Jesus Lord and Savior and would wholeheartedly state that their faith is of paramount importance to them, choose to sleep in, attend an unimportant sports match, go to an amusement park, watch TV, or travel- not because they are unbelievers or heathens, but simply because their faith is about them, and that morning they simply didn't feel like attending.

Every church in America is filled with people whose biggest concern in the world isn't accomplishing the Great Commission but whether or not to put a pool or a jacuzzi in the back yard.  Nothing wrong with a pool or a jacuzzi, but if Jesus had $50,000, would He spend it on a pool or would He use it to further the gospel?  Sadly, we don't have Christians thinking about life that way.  We have Christians that in practice embrace Victoria Osteen's theology while roundly criticizing her on Facebook.

Every church in America is filled with people who steal the Lord's resources (Malachi 3) and spend it on themselves.  Only about 6% of Christians tithe, let alone follow the New Testament teaching of Jesus where He says to give it all.  94% of Christians apply Victoria Osteen's theology to their practice of giving- Giving isn't about God, it's about you!

Every church in America is filled with people who chose that church not on its mission or commitment to the Word but because that church met their needs.  It had a cool children's area, cool lights, cool sound, cool fog machines, and a good-looking hip preacher who says all the right things in very non-offensive ways. Nothing wrong with any of those things if God's will is being done, but that's not always on the forefront of thought.  They are following Victoria Osteen's theology that church isn't about God- it's about you!

What Victoria Osteen has done is brought the ugly sin of self-centeredness to light.  She has shown how rampant self-centeredness is in the church. I think all that she did was say what everyone else has been denying all this time.  Now that it's out in the open, we see that churches and Christians have a severe self-centeredness problem and we need to repent.  We need to repent big time.

The Christian faith is not about me.  It's not about you.  The Christian faith is about the story of God. It is the story of God's creation, including humanity.  It is the story of how humanity screwed it up and sin entered the world.  It is the story of God pursuing His people who wanted nothing to do with Him.  It is the story of the Son of God coming down from heaven to live among us in a world that He created yet was hostile to Him.  It is the story of Him sacrificing Himself so that God's original creation could be restored.  It is about the Resurrection of Jesus, who set up the church and called it to be His hands and feet in the world.  It is the story of the Great Commission where we are commanded to take the faith all over the world.  It is the story of God who literally walks with us, talks with us, and calls us to lead lives of love and surrender.

The Christian faith is summed up in John 3:30- "He must become greater, I must become less."  That is the motto of the Christian.  Sadly, many Christians have no desire to see God greater or themselves becoming less.  Quite the opposite.  Prosperity gospel preachers draw these folks in droves, promising the opposite- that you will become greater and, as a result, God will become less.

It is time for the Christian to choose.  We have to choose sacrifice over comfort, selflessness over greed, faith over worry, simplicity over materialism, and love over neglect.  We must constantly battle selfishness, overcome it, and become selfless.  We must sacrifice our plans, goals, dreams, and desires for GOD'S plans, goals, dreams, and desires for us.  We must stop viewing worship as "for us" and start viewing worship as "for God."  We must let go of all things this world says are important and go after the eternal treasure God offers.

Until this happens, Victoria Osteen will simply be the first honest church person who says what everyone else believes; in practice if not in statement.