{"id":1809,"date":"2021-01-26T05:00:12","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/?post_type=resource&p=1809"},"modified":"2021-01-25T12:00:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T17:00:29","slug":"replanter-do-these-things","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/replanter-do-these-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Replanter, Do These Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pastoring has always been a challenging work. When you mix in an almost year-long global pandemic and add deep political acrimony to the mix, you get the reality soup we\u2019re facing as the church today. Tired pastors, concerned congregants and stalled mission can often lead to infighting, which is counter to the unity that Jesus prayed we would possess in his high priestly prayer in the 17th<\/sup> chapter of John\u2019s Gospel:<\/p>\n

I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word.\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>May they all be one,\u00a0as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.\u00a0May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. (John 17:20-21)<\/em><\/p>\n

Unity is paramount for the Church because it represents the gospel. The gospel brought those of us who were enemies of God back to him, we are were reconciled in Christ. No more division, no more animosity and no more wrath because of the work of Christ.<\/p>\n

The first disciples were an eclectic mix of laborers, white collar professionals, political zealots and outcasts who were deemed as traitors to their own people. Among them were two brothers, prone to rage and ready to call down fire on those who rejected them (Luke 9:54), and a bumbling spokesperson who was prone to overestimate his commitment and act rashly when threatened (Matt. 26:50-51)<\/p>\n

Jesus didn\u2019t abandon these men. Rather, He loved them, rebuked them, discipled them, served them. He later commissioned them to proclaim the good news and make disciples to the ends of the earth. You and I heard the message of the gospel, in part, due to their effectively fulling the ministry given to them \u2014 even as finite and fouled up as they were.<\/p>\n

Characters like these were among those who spread the gospel around the world. Characters like these are in your church. They probably make your job a little harder.<\/p>\n

One of the guiding verses for me as a replanter comes from Colossians 1:28-29 \u2014 \u201cWe proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.\u00a0I labor for this, striving\u00a0with his strength that works powerfully in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this season what must we do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Proclaim the gospel. <\/strong>Our primary purpose as the people of God is to proclaim the good news about Jesus. Not politics, not how to have a hassle free and happy life, not the spreading of what if\u2019s and what-a-bouts. We are commissioned to share about the hope we have in Christ.<\/p>\n

Warn and teach. <\/strong>My guess is that your seminary or Bible college prepared you to preach. I know mine did. I\u2019m also guessing that, like me, you missed enrolling in \u201cFundamentals of Pastoral Warning 101.\u201d Wait, your seminary didn\u2019t have that either? We are good at teaching. Warning? Not so much. The Greek word for \u2018warning\u2019 means to exhort, admonish or \u201cput in the mind.\u201d At times, before the mind can be filled with good gospel-centered teaching, warnings like these are sometimes in order.<\/p>\n