After our break for Mother’s Day we’re jumping back into our study on “Discovering Authentic Church” this Sunday at the Crossings.  Over the next two weeks we’ll be looking at the two major Churches highlighted in the book of Acts.  The first one is the original Church in Jerusalem that is described primarily in chapters 2:42-47 and 4:32-37.  The second Church in consideration is the Antioch fellowship found in Acts 11:19-30 and 13:1-4.  Both of these Churches leave a lot that we can learn from today.  However, the goal is not to legalistically or mindlessly follow each point in detail, but rather to look and learn from the overall picture of what God did and how they responded to Him in the first century.  As we begin to wind down this series, I really believe that the authenticity of the first century Church really can be a reality in the 21^st century today.  So for everyone who lives in the Northwest Houston area, be sure to grab a friend and come by one of our services.  For everyone; how are you going to “BE CHURCH” this week?  In the mean time, check out this guy whose life was changed by “Discovering Authentic Church.”

At The Crossings this past Sunday we started a new series called Discovering Authentic Church.  I love the Church and so do many of you.  But I also know that some of you really don’t resonate with the whole idea of Church.  Some of you have been burnt or jaded because of something someone did while wearing the name Christian.  Others have experienced things in the name of Church that don’t feel too much like Jesus.  I get that.  It reminds me of a book that Dan Kimball wrote in 2007 entitled They Like Jesus, but not The Church.   I’ve met Dan before and have heard him speak, so I know where he’s at on the issue.  He loves Jesus and the true Church.  He just points out that a lot of folks have simply been presented with a counterfeit model of the Church.  I get that and have probably felt some of that pain in my own pilgrimage.  I know I have.  But my hope is that in this study we can see a picture of what the authentic Church really looks like.  I hope we can clean up the mess of misunderstanding.

The true CHURCH is seen in scripture as a beautiful creation of God.  She is loved by God.  No, the Church is not perfect, at least not now.  That’s because it’s made up of imperfect people.  But she is still the “Bride of Christ.”  Because of that significance, I hope everyone can take a second look at this mystery called the Church.  As we continue through this series I hope you’ll ask questions and open up to what it means to experience Authentic Church.  Yes, I love the Church and hope you will too.

What are some of your stories of experiencing the counterfeit?  What are some of your stories of finding the authentic?

“Lighten up; it’s only a book!”  Have you ever heard that about the Bible?  Have you ever thought that about the Bible?  For me, I’ve actually based my whole world view on the Bible.  Why?  Because I have an assurance that “All scripture is God- breathed” and therefore I set eternity and all that I do and teach on that truth.  I know that everyone doesn’t agree with this.  A lot of folks question the validity of scripture and speculate whether it can be trusted or not.  Many people suggest that “because the Bible was written such a long time ago and was translated so many times” that it just can’t be reliable for us today.  If that is true, then the Bible rightly should be questioned.  But there are many good reasons to trust the authenticity of the Bible and its inspiration by God.  Below I’ve posted a summary list a friend and I put together which offers 8 major proofs for the authenticity of the Bible.  What else would you add?  How does this affect your view of scripture?  How does this affect your view of God and His Kingdom?  How does it affect the way you do life today?

 1. Fulfilled Prophecy.  There are thousands of prophecies that were made in the Bible centuries before their detailed fulfillment.  There are more than 300 concerning Jesus Christ.  Only God can accurately foretell the future.

2. Unity of the Bible.  The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books that were written over a period of 1600 years, in three different languages, on three different continents, by numerous men, most of whom did not know each other.  Yet there is complete unity and harmony from beginning to end.

3. Historical Accuracy.  Although the Bible gives countless thousands of historical facts, it contains no historical errors.  Such perfection could not even be approached in a mere man-made historical record.

4. Archaeological Confirmation.  Hundreds of Bible facts have been substantiated by the science of archeology.  In every case where archaeology and the Bible have come together, the Bible has been confirmed without exception.

5. Reliability of Scriptures.  From the New Testament alone there are 5,366 manuscripts to draw from, with many of those being from the second century.  That figure does not include additional fragments and other random portions.  That is compared to only 643 copies of Homer’s Iliad, which is the most famous book in ancient Greece.  There are only 10 copies of Caesar’s Gallic Wars and no one in the ‘educated’ world questions those, even though the earliest copies we have date 1000 years after the event.  By contrast, we have some sections of the New Testament that were written within 70 years of the original events. The John Ryland’s fragment is a perfect example of this reality.

6. Preservation of Scripture.  Although unbelievers have attacked the Bible throughout its existence, they have been unable to discredit it.  Although it has been legally banned by civil governments, it has been preserved and remains the world’s bestselling book.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)

7. Influence in the World.  The transformed lives of millions of Christians is an irrefutable argument for the Bible being from God.

8. Testimony of Jesus Christ.  The Son of God who died for our sin and rose again from the dead, repeatedly quoted the Scriptures with authority and attributed them to His Father.

Have you seen this clip?  It was made a couple of years ago.  But I came across it again the other day while researching a church planting organization.  Though the clip is not new, I believe it’s worth checking out again.  Jeff Maguire did a fun job describing the authentic Kingdom life which he refers to as Missional living.  The point being that authentic Christ followers are all called to live out the Kingdom of God in their own daily lives.  Sharing the message and love of Christ is the call of every Christian and not merely the domain of the decorated.  Remember, the CHURCH is not a building; but the people.  So whatever your niche in the Kingdom, be sure to be “missional” about it today.  Enjoy and implement!

Are you ready for 2012?  I sure am.  This year New Year’s Day actually falls on a Sunday and we will indeed be meeting at The Crossings.  The plan is to just have one service at 11:00.  The main text that we will be looking at is Psalm 90:12 where Moses prayed; “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  That is a challenging text in many ways.  When we take stock of our potential life span and realize we only have so many days allotted to us, we begin to rethink things more seriously. I suppose it’s kind of like when my kids were younger and a couple of older men told me to enjoy these years because they would be gone before I knew it.  I didn’t believe it then, but I can really relate to that now because my oldest will be graduating from High School in 2 and a half years.  Where did the time go?  In truth, all of us have a short amount of time on this earth.  The question is how are we going to spend that time.  To help us get further along with that road, I’ve listed three challenges below. What else would you add?

1. CLOSE 2011.  For some of us, 2011 was not our best year.  Maybe we made some big mistakes or even committed blatant sins against God and others.  Maybe we have experienced some huge heart aches.  But the thrilling thing of a new year is the promise a fresh start.  If that is your case, then a good idea may be to actually list the mistakes and pains on paper and then burn it after it’s been taken to God. Was there sin?  Then repent and ask for forgiveness. Pain?  Then give that to God, ask for healing, and then bury it and go forward.  For others, 2011 was a great year.  2011 may have been a huge blessing with many victories.  If that was your case, then celebrate them and give God the praise for it, but don’t stop there.  The condition of many folks and churches is that they are still living in the victories of yesterday while the world goes on without them.  We should celebrate our 2011 victories.  We should build on our 2011 victories.  But if we stay there and camp out on them, we will then become stagnant and cease to grow.  In short, the best way to begin 2012 is to finalize 2011.  In Philippians, Paul noted that he was “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is head, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for what God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  In business, the books will soon be closed on 2011.  Let’s do the same in our lives.

2. GROW in 2012.  We understand this with young children.  We feed them, cloth them, educate them, and then expect that they will grow.  However, this principle of growth with our spirits and our minds somehow gets lost as we grow older.  The challenge here is to grow in such a way that when 2013 rolls around we can honestly say that we are different than what we were a year ago.  For growth in 2012, I would encourage everyone to read through the Bible this year.  There are many bible reading schedules you can choose from.  My favorite one is from Good News Publishers.  With this program, you read from the Old Testament in the morning and then the New Testament in the evening.  Now you might be tempted to say that you don’t have time to do this.  But when you think about it; we all have time to do what we really want to do.  Though we may have to give up some time in front of the TV or other activities, I can 100% guarantee you that reading through the Bible in 2012 will definitely change you.  In addition to the Bible, I want to challenge everyone to pick up a book or two written by someone who has gone ahead of you in the journey.  Two books I would recommend would be Radical by David Platt and Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  Are there other books you would recommend?  If we all planted a seed in the ground this year we would expect some kind of growth by next December.  In the same way, we can plant spiritually and likewise expect growth.

3.  SERVE in 2012.  In the West and particularly in America we live in very self-absorbed societies.  Living a life of service is actually somewhat countercultural, but the very kind of life Christ followers are called to live.  One of the great things about being a Kingdom citizen is that we are all part of the game.  God does not call any of us to be bench warmers.  We are all equal in the site of God, but have different gifts and abilities.  The challenge here is to serve those around you in whatever means are possible for you.  One of the mottos we will be picking up this year at the Crossings is: “Every Person to their Post.”  Sometimes in the West we expect the preachers, pastors, ministers, or other “Professional Clergy” to do all the ‘religious’ stuff.  But that concept is very foreign to Biblical teaching.  The Bible refers to all of us as a “Priesthood” of believers.  We are all called to engage the world around us with the love of Christ.  So let me encourage you to take a step of faith this year.  Let me encourage you to tell someone the true story of Christ.  Let me encourage everyone to look around and find some way to plug in to help others around them.  Jesus Christ himself said that he “did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

“Teach us to number our days aright!”  Wow, imagine for a moment that you only had this next year to live. How would you live differently?  Just imagine how life could be different for you, those around you, and for the world as a whole if we really lived with an eternal perspective.  Are you ready to step out in faith this year?  Are you ready for 2012?  I hope so because it’s here.  So let’s take 2012 by the horns and see what we and God will do with it.

This week America will be watching the Super Bowl in Dallas and though my team won’t be in the game, I’ll be getting together with friends Sunday night to take in the match.  While it’s going to be fun watching the game, it would sure be a whole lot more exciting to actually be able to play in the game.  (Which is what the Dallas Cowboys are feeling about now)  But when you think about it, what we have in the Super Bowl is a select group of professionals out on the field playing while the rest of us chug our cokes, eat our nachos, and dream of a big day when we could be in a big game.  But that’s the point: they play and we watch.  We can talk about the dumb plays called, hand offs fumbled or missed sacks by the defense, but it really doesn’t matter because we’re not on the field.  The connection here is that in the Kingdom of God we are all called to be a “Kingdom of Priests” and engage in the battle.  But often it’s quite the opposite of what we experience.  So many times Christ followers in the West settle for sitting in their chairs each Sunday while the paid professionals take the field.  The preachers preach and the teachers teach and the rest just drink it all down and complain from time to time about poor plays from the paid staff.  But God has more for us in the Kingdom.  He has called each Kingdom citizen to take their God given gifts and use them for the purpose of glorifying Him, reaching the lost, making disciples, and building up the body.  I guess you could say that being a Kingdom citizen is truly realizing that life is a team sport and we’re all needed to advance the ball down the field.  The CHURCH needs you, the Church needs us all.  So what’s your position?  How do you fit in?  Isn’t time that we all get off the bench and join the game?

I was blessed to be part of the Crossings “Share Fair” 2010 event this past Saturday.  To me it was just another wonderful example of a local body of Christ putting their faith into practice by coming up with creative ways to serve their extended community.  The “Fair” was a great success this year as we gathered donations and gifts and networking with a local school, were able to get them into the lives of families in our area who are struggling.  A HUGE thanks goes out to Larry Foster who handled the goliath share of the details which made everything come together.  I also want say thanks to everyone who helped with the setup, teardown, and serving throughout the day.  In all, “Share Fair” was just another reason why you rock Cypress Crossings.  So keep up the good work and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Alright, show of hands here.  How many of you actually enjoyed taking history classes in High School?  Yup, that’s probably about right.  History is not the most popular subject with a lot of folks and that’s ok.  On the other hand, I’m one of those wired guys who actually enjoyed the study.  Don’t know, but maybe it’s just because I liked blowing an hour going to the film room at Tascosa High to watch a WWII documentary instead of sitting through Geometry.  But history does have important lessons to teach us in creating a more successful future.  If we take time to examine the good and bad decisions and the lives of those who have gone before us, we can learn from their victories and mistakes.  So it is with the CHURCH.  The first followers of Christ were so much like Jesus that they were actually called “Christians” for the first time in Antioch (Acts 11:26).  But how can that kind of “church” be realized today?  By that I don’t mean the wearing of a term, but actually being and living in such a way that others will see the real Christ and His Kingdom in us.  One of the ways to realize this is to rediscover the ancient church before man made traditions set in.  With that in mind, we’re going to take a few months to periodically examine what the early church looked like from the book of Acts and extra biblical sources written prior to the second or third century.  This was a period prior to the institutionalization of the church.  Writing about this era, Eberhard Arnold remarks that “The original witness of the church must lead us all, though still in very different camps, into the unity and purity of the clear light.”  Yes I know that there are some folks who would chuck this pursuit as being just too impractical for the modern Western thinker.  But I tend to agree with Roland Allen who rightly summed up the issue well in stating that, “In no other work do we set the great masters wholly on one side, and teach the students of today that whatever they may copy, they may not copy them, because they lived in a different age under exceptional circumstances and were endowed with exceptional genius.”  In every other pursuit, we take into consideration what past and ancient leaders have exemplified, so it would stand to reason that we can do so in living out the Kingdom and Church life as well.  Let’s take some time to rethink CHURCH in light of the ancient order of things.  What about you, have there been examples in your Church experience that more resembled western American culture or some other custom above simple Christian spirituality?

 I’m excited to report that “The Christ Proposal” is going public this weekend at the “First Friday Art Walk” in Amarillo, Texas.  We’ll also begin offering the book here at Kingdomology starting this Saturday along with some other outlets.  What is The Christ Proposal?  Well I’m glad you asked.  It all really began as somewhat of an academic discussion just over a year ago when we were in a transitional period of our ministry.  We had finished up a church plant in Nor. Cal. and having passed off the baton to the leadership team there we were basing in Amarillo while we waited for clarity on the next move.  During this time I was doing some manual labor for a friend when he brought up a discussion he had heard on the radio while traveling.  The focal point was a minister’s comment about Jesus Christ making a proposal to his Bride; or the Church.  It was a fascinating thought as scripture does refer to the Church as the Bride of Christ.  Out of these discussions, a book was born.  The Proposal is a devotional book using direct scripture references and scriptural allusions woven into a first person narrative as though Jesus Christ were speaking directly to His Bride; the Church.  But the greater implication is the personal impact of how Christ is also speaking to us as God’s children.

The devotional works through three distinct movements; Adornment, Deception, and Glory.  Those who have previewed the book described it as a reminder of how much God loves them and how valuable they are.  Because it is a quick and powerful read, one previewer shared that while she doesn’t read a whole lot, she couldn’t put this one down until she finished it.  In addition to the actual text, Chris Johnson of Amarillo has painted six beautiful original art pieces that are included in the book.   Enjoy and be sure to tell a friend.

I.  Adornment.                                                                                              

II. Deception.

III. Glory.                                                                                                     

The Ending.                                                                                                  

Thought Questions.                                                                                     

Scriptural Allusions and Quotations.   

The Beginning

Have you ever wondered if it’s all worth it?  I mean, are there times when you question who you are and whether or not anyone up there really cares about you?  Have you ever stopped to think about things like your identity, your purpose, and whether or not you really matter at all?  Do you even know if you’re loved?  Perhaps you had an idea of this as a child.  Just maybe, in a carefree moment, you caught a glimpse of something greater and more purposeful and more meaningful for your existence.  Did you lose that?  Did you forget the deep things of your soul?  Have they evaporated into a rumor or even worse, just a myth?

If this is the story of your heart, then, you’re not alone for countless generations have gone before you with the same cry of the soul.  They wonder why they have such a void in their innermost beings.  They ask why they long for and yet fear eternity.  They cry out for love, hope, and answers.  Some hear an echo of a story so ancient and rich that it almost feels like a fable.  Across the pages of time came a story of a love relationship between a prince and his fiancé.  This ancient story is about a prince, a future king, who would rescue his fair bride from those who would destroy her. You know the kind- the type of story that touches you deeply and makes you feel for a brief moment that there just might be hope after all.  Is that what you long for?

So I wonder- is it time to be reminded that there is someone who does indeed know your true identity and longs to see you rise to all that you were made for?  That in all this life, there is someone who knows your real value and worth, and honestly wants to be with you and love you?  This someone is a person of power and strength and authority.  This someone actually is a prince, the son of a King and he has had his eye on you for years.  That Prince, the son of a great King of old, actually does exist, and this is the story of how he went after his prized loved one.

You see, this is a true story about the prince of the universe and his bride.  This is a story of a love relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church.  If you will, we might even say this could very well be a story about a relationship between Christ – the Prince, and you.  If I could sum it up in one line, one sentence, one stanza, I think it might go something like this, “The God of the universe loves you!”  Yes, it is really that simple.

So as the story unfolds, sit back, and close your eyes.  Hush for a moment and listen; maybe you can hear His cry for you.  The curtain is opening and the Prince is coming out onto the stage.  From days of old and even now, He is speaking to you.  Can you hear him?  Be quiet and listen.

Recently we had our first “Official” membership class at the Crossings and it was a lot of fun.  It was just neat to see so many new and old faces excited about what God is doing in our own little part of the Kingdom.  It was neat to see people stepping up to the plate in heartfelt commitment.  Now I understand that in the greater body of Christ there’s been some debate as to what to do with Church membership.  Some claim it is not a Biblical principle and others hold the opposite position and see it as a great practicality for our day.  On my part I lean toward the second camp, so I’ve listed 7 reasons at the bottom of the post as to why we’ve gone with a formal membership at The Crossings.  But I think the greatest reason why I fall on the side of a designated church membership for the located body of Christ actually comes from a true story from our time in the former Soviet Union. 

The specific event actually took place about a year before Deb and I arrived in Moscow to help with a new church and the establishing of a Bible College.  It was the process of forming that new church that shaped how I think about “membership”. 

Lenin at Red Square

When Russia opened up and a number of people in Moscow embraced Jesus Christ, they began to come together as an official church to meet on a regular basis.  The State allowed them to do so but required them to provide evidence showing that they were indeed a legal church entity abiding by the laws.  So the Russian authorities asked for at least a dozen people in the church to come forward and submit copies of their pass ports for proof of the organization’s legitimacy.  This they did.  At least 12 Russian adults who had grown up under the Iron Curtain complied and their information was submitted.  Now that doesn’t sound like too big of an issue for us in the West and especially in the U.S.  I mean, we give our Social Security and Driver’s license numbers often when filling out documents.  But the big deal for these folks is that by giving out their information they were possibly putting their lives on the line if the winds of politics changed in Russia and the old guard Soviet Union came back.  Many of these people had relatives or knew people who were taken by the Soviet KGB in years gone by for religious reasons. So this was a heavy decision for them.  But they cared so much about committing to a local body of believers that they were more than willing to take the risk.  They had a level of discipleship and commitment that many in the US simply don’t understand. 

So when it came down to it, I decided that it was more than acceptable if not expected to ask those wishing to join The Crossings to attend a class and sign a commitment card. 

But for those who are still chewing on this issue, check out the seven reasons below.  What would you add?  (or not add)

 Why Make a Commitment?

 The difference between “attendees” and “belonging” can be summed up in one word:  commitment.

 At The Cypress Crossings Christian Church we recognize the need to be a membership-based church and therefore ask you to commit to membership for a least seven reasons:

1.  A Biblical Reason:  Christ is committed to the church.  “Christ loved the church, and He gave his life for it.” Ephesians 5:25

2.  A Cultural Reason:  It is an antidote in our society.  We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything; job, marriage, and country.  This attitude has produced a generation of church ‘shoppers and hoppers’.  Membership swims against the current of America’s consumer religion.  It provides a model for our society on the value of belonging.

3.  A Practical Reason:  It defines who can be counted upon.  Every team must have a roster.  Every school must have an enrollment.  Even our country takes a census and requires voter registration.  Membership identifies our family.

4.  A Personal Reason:  It produces spiritual growth.  The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth.  You cannot be accountable when you are not committed to any specific church family.

5.  A Creative Reason:  It creates the type of future we desire.  Commitments are greatly misunderstood in our culture – they are often seen as something that ‘ties us down’ or holds us back.  But commitments aren’t constraints, they are road maps.  They are the tools that God uses to shape our future!  Our commitments help us create the type of life and future that will glorify God and fulfill us.  We make our commitments, but in the end our commitments make us.

6.  A “Same Page” Reason:  Membership does not mean uniformity, but it does mean unity.  As followers of Christ we are all different and there is really a lot of freedom in the Church of Jesus Christ for all kinds of practices.  But when we commit to the same mission and values of the church we commit to each other as a football team commits to the same play book.  By doing this we avoid division and commit to going forward together in strength and unity.

7.  A Legal Reason:  It shows our willing submission to the authorities.  In order for us to benefit from non-profit status and 501c3 standing, we must be able to clearly illustrate and define to the State what our membership is.  This shows that we are indeed a non-profit entity by their standards.