PLEASE, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE: LEAVE THE CHURCH!

At first glance, those don't sound like very loving words, do they? I agree. And would you believe, they came out of the mouth of a pastor? The reason I know that, for sure, is because I was there when it was said. I can see why, after the pastor said that, that people might wonder: What was He thinking? Why did He just ask people to leave the church? Well, I happen to have some inside information on the answers to those questions, because I am the one who said those words. Now, before you delete this entry and block this blog from ever defiling you computer again, let me explain.

I said those words at the conclusion of a 7 week series of messages entitled: The Perfect Church. Although the title was meant to get attention, I rehearsed over and over again the truth that: "there are no perfect churches." However, we do believe that there is a "perfect fit", a perfect church for every person. That is, there is a local church, to which called has called each person to go be a positive part of their desire to obey Jesus' command: Make disciples. Usually, the way people find where God wants them is to pray, visit churches, and make a decision on a good fit based on several criteria. People tend to go where they agree with what the church is doing.

We understand that. So, at the very beginning of the message series on December 28, 2008, I explained the purpose of this message series. At the beginning of each new year, I take several weeks to preach, from the Bible, about our church: its mission, purpose, core values, goals, or things that related to these. In this case, after preaching through our discipleship plan in 2008, as we entered 2009, I decided to preach about the specific ministries we had chosen to pursue Jesus' command for us to make disciples, here in 2009, in Northeast Ohio. I wanted people to feel like they could take their time to figure out if this was the right fit for them. We did not want to put on any pressure. This is what I had written down, to say in that very first message:

"The focus of this message series centers around finding the perfect church for you: that is, a local church that fits your heart in accomplishing God’s purposes. Our desire for you, is that you would find a church, with which you may not always agree; but a church, nonetheless, where you are unified with the vision that God has given the leadership.

This series is an opportunity for us to present to you what Grace Baptist Church is all about: who we are, why we do what we do. And it is a great opportunity, also, for you: to consider whether or not we are the “perfect church” for you. If we are not, there are hundreds of churches close to here that are different than us. But, we hope that most of you will catch our vision, feel the heart of what we are pursuing for God’s glory, and that you will choose to be a positive part of our future here at Grace."

Now, fast forward to February 8, 2009, when I preached the 7th and final message of this series. My final message is, in general, what I do every year at this time. I talk about the vision God has given us for that ministry year. This one was entitled: VISION FOR GRACE 2009. I reviewed what we had shared in the series about what is most important to us: the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. I went back over important passages such as Colossians 1 and Ephesians 4, as it relates to the spiritual growth process.

At the very end of this message, which was also the very end of this message series, I wanted to come back to where we started: encouraging people to get their questions answered, and make a decision on whether or not they think this church is the best fit for them. I didn't want to be pushy, but I did want people to really consider it; and if they thought this was the church for them, to start taking the steps needed to be involved in ministry. I also was aware that some people, for a variety of reasons, might not think this was the church for them; and I wanted to make sure they knew it was o.k.; and I would be happy to help them find a better fit. People leave churches all the time to go to other ones, but they normally do not ask the pastor for help.
Now, let me give you what was written down for me to say at the end of that message; which is when I said the words that make the title for this blog entry:

"I would like to close this morning, by saying something, from my heart, to all of you, depending on your current relationship to our church, and your heart attitude. To those of you who:
· Are new to Grace – Let me encourage you to give us 3 months. Whether you have had a positive or negative first impression of our ministry, if you will come consistently for 3 months, I really believe you will know whether or not we are a church you would like to be a part of. You should be able to figure out whether or not we can be helpful to you in your spiritual growth process. The other thing I would like to say to you is: please give us feedback. Use the back of our welcome card, e-mail or call us and let us know what your first impressions have been; and how we can improve in serving those who are new. So, to those of you who are new…please, give us a chance to serve you.

· Those who are anxious to move forward in ministry – you have grown tired of tradition squeezing out life and you are excited about reaching people with the good news of Christ, even if that means changing and progressing. You feel we are moving too slow; and you are ready to move ahead. Please, be patient. Not all of us are ready to move as fast as you; and trust in God that He can do His work, even if the details of what you would like to see in our ministry are not present. Get involved, and help things move ahead. And, don’t forget to be sensitive to those who are in a different place than you are. So, to those of you who are wanting to move ahead…be positive, be involved, and be patient

· Those who are investigating Christianity and you are not even sure you believe in God, the Bible, or what we are doing. I want you to know that we are so glad you are here. We want you to be our guests. We are not putting any pressure on you. Just come and participate as little or as much as you desire. And please know that we are ready and willing to answer any questions you might have, or help you in any way in your spiritual journey.

This includes those of you who are already professing Christians, but you are now coming back to the church or coming back to God; and are now interested in investigating more about what it takes to be a committed Christian. Take your time. Check us out. Ask questions. Visit different ministries we offer. And when you are ready to let us assist you in your growth, just ask. We would be excited to help you grow in your faith!

To all of you, I say: thanks for being here; and let us know how we can help. There are two things I would offer you at this point: First, On February 22nd, we have a Discovering Grace class, which meets right after our morning worship service on that day. We provide you lunch and then take a few hours to give you all the information you would want to know about our ministry here at Grace. If you are interested in that class, you can call the church office, or drop a note at the welcome center table.

The second thing I would like to invite all of you who feel you are in this group I have just described: To STARTING POINT, a class that will begin meeting Sunday mornings, at 9:30 a.m. on March 1st, in room 28. I know it is early, but let me tell you what we are doing: This will be the place where you can be who you are in terms of spiritual growth. We don’t expect you to know all the bible or have all the answers. If you have questions, we would be happy to answer them; but it is really about a journey together. We will be watching a DVD presentation of the gospel of John, the life of Jesus Christ acted out on screen; and then discussing what we see. If you are interested in that class, all you have to do is show up. If you want a visual reminder of the details, there are STARTING POINT invitation cards out on the welcome center table.

· To those of you who have been around quite a while, and you are fairly mature in your faith. I’m glad you are here as well. It is so important to have mature believers in a church, who are walking with God, eager to worship Him and serve Him with a humble heart. I want to say thank you for leading by example, reaching out to others and encouraging people on a regular basis.
I know that some of you who have been around for a while may have questions, about why things are changing; or you have concerns to share. That is no problem. We are more than happy to answer your questions and address your concerns. But, we need you to help us with something. First, it may help if you read some of the resources that are listed on the back of this outlines this morning; which will give you some more background on some of the philosophy of our ministry. Also, we need you to help us by coming to talk to us. I hear that some of you are scared to talk to me. There is nothing to be scared of. I rarely bite.

Really... I am open to talking to any of you who would like to talk, even if you want to share a disagreement. I cannot guarantee that we will do whatever you want us to do in every area; but I can guarantee you this: That we will listen to your heart, ask questions to clarify what you are saying; explain our hearts: why we are doing what we are doing; and be willing to pray with you. We are open to considering what you have to say, and ask God if he would want us to make any changes based on that. We can guarantee you that. Let me know when you would like to talk. And don’t forget to continue having the mindset that you are never arrived spiritually, on this Earth, that you have more room to grow, and that we would love to help you with that! To all of you, I say: keep growing and be open.

· To those of you, regardless of how long you have been coming…one week or decades… To those of you, regardless of how much or little you have served here at grace…to those of you, regardless of how much or how little you know and understand about the Bible…to those of you, who regardless of how spiritual others might view you…to any of you, who have a bad attitude…to those of you who like to sit on the sideline and criticize…to those of you who have no interest in changing…to those of you who have decided to be a problem, rather than a solution…I say to you…Please, please, please, pretty please…LEAVE! Hold on Greg, did you, a pastor of this church actually suggest that we leave? No, not you…those who have the heart attitude that I just described…professing believers that are more concerned about having things their way than anything else…that is who I would say to them: please…please…leave. I’m not talking to any of you in particular; but if you would put yourself in this category, than I am speaking to you…the truth…in love…please leave. Because if you don’t leave, you could very well destroy the good spirit that is present here.

Seriously, I don’t believe we are the only church in town. In fact, I know we are not. There are over 300 Baptist churches in the Cleveland area and hundreds more evangelical churches on top of that. If you believe that in order to grow spiritually, you need something we are not providing, I would be happy to help you find a church that is a better fit for you. I hope you choose to stay; but I realize that we may not be willing to do exactly what you would like, and that may cause you to leave. We have had people leave because we don’t have a strict dress code or oppose certain things and other groups publicly. If you need a church that has a dress code, or choir robes or where a certain instrument is predominate, or where there is a different style of music or a different translation of Scripture, we can help you find a place that fits you better.

But, if you are willing to put up with an imperfect pastoral staff that pastors and imperfect church, full of imperfect people…and if you are willing to trust God with the leadership He has given, even if you don’t agree with everything…and if you are willing to be a positive part of solutions, willing to humbly serve…and if it is your greatest desire to grow in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ…then, we just might be the perfect church…for you."

So, there you have it. If you want to hear my exact words that were spoken, you can go to: www.gbcwestlake.org click on audio sermons or messages and then choose the title: Vision for Grace 2009, which was preached on February 8, 2009. If you want to skip ahead, go to the last 12-15 minutes of the message.

I was surprised when I started to hear that people were very upset with me. People interpreted my words as saying this: "If you don't agree with me (Greg) about any changes we are making, then leave the church." I have met with the people who have made themselves known, who thought these things, and explained to them what my words were intended to do. They certainly were not intended to offend our people. I actually thought those words would encourage and exhort them. I wanted them to know that I appreciated those who were mature and had been around for a long time. I also wanted the whole church to know that others who might come in the future, that only wanted to criticize and divide, would not be allowed to destroy the spirit that God has been forming among us.

But, I make a lot of mistakes, and it looks like I hurt people, once again, unintentionally. If you talk to any of those out there that were hurt, please let them know I love them, and if they would allow, I would love to sit down and talk with them. May God bless all of you, as you seek to be an encouragement to someone else today!

VALENTINE'S DAY IS OVERRATED

Don't get me wrong. Of course, I love Valentine's Day. Doesn't everybody? Certainly, the credit card companies love it, the candy companies, the flower shops and of course, the greeting card companies, absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day. I'm sure there are many other companies as well, such as jewelry stores, that love this day. Unfortunately, they love it and want us to love it because they make their money; especially on this day or in preparation for it. Sadly, its about the love of money.

What happens in many relationships is that Valentines Day is actually a great day. Husbands and wives respond to one another with time, a date, gifts, kind words, and even sex. Even if the relationship has been horrid all year, somehow "love" is restored on February 14th. This is, of course, "par for the course", as the our world's system emphasizes the kind of love that comes and goes; even the kind of love that can be dormant or neglected for long periods of time, but then "bought" back with extravagant gifts during certain times of the year.

For those who claim the name of Christ, love is all together diferent; or at least should be. The love we are to pursue is not natural, easy, or even understood (let alone appreciated) by others.
There is no better way to describe this kind of love than the way God describes it:

I Corinthians 13:4-8

• Love is patient
• Love is kind
• Love does not envy
• Love does not boast
• Love is not arrogant
• Love is not rude
• Love does not insist on its own way
• Love is not irritable
• Love is not resentful
• Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing
• Love rejoices in the truth
• Love bears all things
• Love believes all things
• Love hopes all things
• Love endures all things
• Love never ends

This is my desire. This is the standard God has set for us. Forget the one day efforts. Make this an every day challenge - a journey. You will need God's help; and the support of others. The greatest Valentine's Day we could give to our spouses is to commit to love them biblically. What a difference this would make in our marriages, in our families, in our communities. What if our country decided to love God's way?

Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful bride, Teresa. Honey, I have failed often; but, I am committed to pursuing this kind of love, as we seek God's blessing for our marriage. I love you!

The Super Bowl is Life

That might sound a little "off"; like saying anything is life, outside of Jesus Christ. But, I don't mean it in that sense. I mean it in a way that the game played last night reminded me a lot about life. I probably should just have enjoyed the game for what it was: a close, great super bowl game. But, I tend to analyze things too much; and this is no exception. This year's super bowl is a picture of the reality of life:


1. The favorite and the underdog: Just like in the super bowl, each of us, depending on our background, opportunities, etc. are either expected to do well and win in life; or to struggle and be considered a loser. People "take bets" on who will be "successful" and who won't. The "favorite" must not listen to their supporters, or they might not succeed as expected. They cannot be too arrogant, or they will lose their focus. The underdog must not listen to the critics; but instead believe that God created each person to glory Him in amazing ways, regardless of the obstacles. This is life.



2. Life is short and long. The game does not actually last that long; and once over, we wonder where the season went; and we (real football fans) begin to look forward to next Fall, when football will begin again. The teams who did not win or even make the playoffs look ahead to the summer, as the process to become a super bowl team will begin again. But, on the other hand, this game seems to take "forever". The championship games were played 2 weeks ago; so everyone is just talking about the game for 2 weeks; and it dominates the sports talk for that time. Then, on game day, ESPN begins their coverage at 6:30 a.m! The pre-game show is 5 hours long, beginning at 1 p.m.; and the actual game has over 20 minutes of things to talk about and do before the actual kickoff. With the commercials and halftime, the game seems much longer than the normal game of the season. So is life. Sometimes it seems to "fly by", and we wish we could have a "do over"; but sometimes, life seems very, very long and tedious, with not much action. Each day seems the same; and we begin to wonder if it is ever going to end. This is life.



3. The distractions. The super bowl has tons of distractions. Some people don't even like football and only paticipate in super bowl Sunday because of the distractions: food, drink, friends, parties, commercials, half time show, etc. For the players, they are told constantly by the coaches about how to keep their focus on the game, with so many distractions for them the entire 2 weeks leading up to the super bowl, let alone the actual game day. Even watching the game, there are distractions for the fans: the pre-game festivities, the commercials throughout the game, including 3-D entertainment, the halftime show, and the post game festivities (although only a true football or super bowl fan, or extreme partier stays tuned to all of the post game stuff). It struck me that this life. We have many, many distractions from what God has called us to do on this Earth. Some of those distractions are innocent and fun and even good distractions; but others waste our time (and potentially our life) and can even be distructive. We start to indulge in what is offered and think that maybe God has not provided enough for me (in any area). It is a daily challenge to remember why we are here and to focus on honoring God today. This is life.

4. There are winners and losers. In this particular superbowl, everyone thought one team would win, before the game even started; and part way into the game, thought that team would win in a landslide. But things changed, and until a minute was left in the game, the underdog team seemed to have it won. But, in the end, one team lost and one team one; and depending on who people cheered for, millions of people today feel like they won or lost. Winning is enjoyable and fun; but losing just plain stinks. Such is life. In all areas of life, we experience winning and losing, and the consequences that come from either.

Conclusion: There are many similarities between the super bowl and life; and it is fun for me to think and write about them. But, there are a couple of distinct differences, which cannot be ignored. The super bowl is a game; and life is not. The super bowl is a fun game, and can be enjoyed by all; but it is a game, nonetheless. Life is real and we cannot play another game when this life is over. There is this life; and then there is the afterlife. We should enjoy our life that God has given us, but not at the expense of this reality and eternity. That is the other major difference: the super bowl is temporal and passes away; whereas we will last forever. When this life is over, we will spend eternity based on the decisions we made in this short life. I conclude with a chorus I learned as a boy; but the truth of it has never left me:

Only one life, how soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His good will
So, give to Jesus all your days
It's the only life that pays
When you recall you have but one life