Vertical Church by James McDonald
My favorite quotes continued:
Chapter 8: Unceasing Prayer
"When was the last time you participated in a faith-driven, expectation-filled prayer meeting that invited God to reveal His glory and show up in power at your church Not where one or two people pray the will of God, but where everyone in the room is in passionate agreement that God will displace our desperation with a manifestation of Himself. In a prayer meeting like that, voices are raised, God's will to save and heal and restore is confidently petitioned by faith as people cry out to the Lord with a palpable sense of determined persistence. Have you ever been part of a prayer meeting like that?" - p.270
"Far from the typically anemic prayers for minor health concerns so prevalent in poorly attended Protestant prayer meetings, these prayers were powerful, passionate, faith-filled petitions." - p.272
"God is ready now to pour grace and favor and blessing upon His children and His church, but we are the ones who block His mercies." - p.278
"How did we come to this musing and whispering, which are far from what the Bible portrays as prayer that God delights to answer? God is not moved by our meditative whispering and frequently invites us to cry out, to call out, lift up our voices, to our out our hearts." - p.289
Conclusion:
"The problem in the church today is that we treat God's glory as a by-product and the missional activities of the church as the primary thing when the opposite is what Scripture demands...We seek the revealing of the glory of God through the methods He prescribes so that His glory is revealed in the church." - p.300
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
VERTICAL CHURCH continued
The issue of evangelism is always a hot topic for churches; especially as it brings fear to most of our hearts. These are some of the thoughts of what God is calling each of us to do, through quotes from Vertical Church by James McDonald:
Chapter 7: Unafraid Witness
"God has done more than give us good news He wants to get out. He has given us a manner that must accompany every method and a rationale for that manner. The single term that best describes the way God wants His gospel given is boldness." - p.238
"Boldness is simply speaking the gospel plainly." - p.241
"Paul's point to the Corinthians and to all of us is that you can't have it both ways. If you are going to be used by God as a witness to the gospel, you are going to stink to some who don't see it no matter what." - p.242
"Vertical church runs past all the baseball leagues, barbecues and bake sales established for the bait-and-switch of building relationships as a long bridge to Jesus. Surely these approaches reach a few over a long period, but I challenge you to cut to the chase literally and look for the people who don't need all that. Are methods built around influencing over months and years the people we want to reach really best? More importantly, shouldn't we also be looking for the people God is reaching now?" - p.243
"If you truly embrace the countless scriptures that affirm salvation as a work only God can do, then you are freed up to ask why He is not doing it more through you. Again, the overriding question in Vertical Church is not how can we be more effective in working for God, but, how can we remove the barriers that prevent God from doing what we know He desires?" -p.245
"Vertical church is not about God sitting by and watching us convince people they need Jesus to better their horizontal world. God is the seeker, and when we proclaim Jesus boldly, it provokes Him to show up in saving power and conquer the horizontal idols that hold human hearts." - p.249
"Even where 'health wealth' has not invaded the church, we can slip into a more subtle version of this error. Jesus Christ promises us a cross to carry, a sword in place of peace, and an exacting accountability for those who claim him as Lord. Any assuring people of benefits Jesus doesn't promise or hiding the cost of following Him is a total break with the kind of gospel work revealed in the Gospels themselves." - p.251
"God uses the circumstances of life to ripen people to the gospel...Only when God Himself moves in their hearts to ripen them through a circumstance or condition that bankrupts their own ability to solve will they respond to the gospel." - p.257
"The red apples are ready to hear a perspective that differs from the one they learned in the world that is failing them...Give them a room full of passionate worshippers on fire for Jesus Christ with a powerful proclamation of God's Word applied to real life, and they will run to embrace what they have been searching for and longing for." - p.261
Chapter 7: Unafraid Witness
"God has done more than give us good news He wants to get out. He has given us a manner that must accompany every method and a rationale for that manner. The single term that best describes the way God wants His gospel given is boldness." - p.238
"Boldness is simply speaking the gospel plainly." - p.241
"Paul's point to the Corinthians and to all of us is that you can't have it both ways. If you are going to be used by God as a witness to the gospel, you are going to stink to some who don't see it no matter what." - p.242
"Vertical church runs past all the baseball leagues, barbecues and bake sales established for the bait-and-switch of building relationships as a long bridge to Jesus. Surely these approaches reach a few over a long period, but I challenge you to cut to the chase literally and look for the people who don't need all that. Are methods built around influencing over months and years the people we want to reach really best? More importantly, shouldn't we also be looking for the people God is reaching now?" - p.243
"If you truly embrace the countless scriptures that affirm salvation as a work only God can do, then you are freed up to ask why He is not doing it more through you. Again, the overriding question in Vertical Church is not how can we be more effective in working for God, but, how can we remove the barriers that prevent God from doing what we know He desires?" -p.245
"Vertical church is not about God sitting by and watching us convince people they need Jesus to better their horizontal world. God is the seeker, and when we proclaim Jesus boldly, it provokes Him to show up in saving power and conquer the horizontal idols that hold human hearts." - p.249
"Even where 'health wealth' has not invaded the church, we can slip into a more subtle version of this error. Jesus Christ promises us a cross to carry, a sword in place of peace, and an exacting accountability for those who claim him as Lord. Any assuring people of benefits Jesus doesn't promise or hiding the cost of following Him is a total break with the kind of gospel work revealed in the Gospels themselves." - p.251
"God uses the circumstances of life to ripen people to the gospel...Only when God Himself moves in their hearts to ripen them through a circumstance or condition that bankrupts their own ability to solve will they respond to the gospel." - p.257
"The red apples are ready to hear a perspective that differs from the one they learned in the world that is failing them...Give them a room full of passionate worshippers on fire for Jesus Christ with a powerful proclamation of God's Word applied to real life, and they will run to embrace what they have been searching for and longing for." - p.261
Friday, January 18, 2013
VERTICAL CHURCH continued
More of my favorite quotes from "Vertical Church" by James McDonald.....
Chapter 5: Unashamed Adoration
"Worship or adoration is the most powerful expression a human being is capable of, When worship is directed to an unworthy person or object, we call it idolatry. Idolatry, not pride as we are often told, is the root of all sin."
"When you worship, you are saying, 'This one is worth more.' At the same time you are implying, 'I am worth less.'"
"Worship is the actual act of ascribing worth directly to God...Worship is mind, emotions, and will engaged in whole person ascription of worth."
"While God is not enhanced or increased by our worship, He is apparently blessed, and that in itself should stoke the fire of our adoration."
"Why not drill past surface solutions that entertain instead of impact and get back to church as a place where God actually moves. White-hot, unrestrained, whole-congregation adoration is the first step in that direction, and pursuing that kind of worship is the unceasing center of Vertical Church."
"God knows the things about you that make whole-person worship challenging, but He expects you to begin climbing over any limiters in your personality or home of origin to amplify your personal expression of gratitude for the gospel."
Chapter 6: Unapologetic Preaching
"Biblical preaching demands effort, drains energy, and distracts attention away from other things that matter too but demand less."
"Preaching has been the crucible for my sanctification, the thing God has used more than any other to shape my soul I hope it has helped others; I know it has transformed me and continues to."
"Bible explanation is not preaching...If you are unpacking your lexical study and dispensing, biblical accuracy without Holy Spirit urgency, you are not preaching in the biblical sense, which commands a heralding of the message."
"The goal is to actually preach the message of the Bible itself, where a passage is read and what is said about its subject is what the text asserts about that subject, and what is said about those assertions is what the text says about those assertions. Biblical preaching is where passages are expounded for their main points and the points the text makes about those points. In that kind of preaching, people are truly hearing what God is saying to His church by the Holy Spirit and glory comes down."
"When the preacher does not believe that God is speaking through him, sermons become shorter, more horizontal, and consumed with the preacher or the audience rather than the Word of God."
"Preach one passage as often as possible...Sermons should be about one main concept...Be just as conscientious about your application preparation as you are about your interpretation preparation...Challenging application of the truth taught brings you into partnership with the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit...We must pray with fervency; we must pray in faith..."
Chapter 5: Unashamed Adoration
"Worship or adoration is the most powerful expression a human being is capable of, When worship is directed to an unworthy person or object, we call it idolatry. Idolatry, not pride as we are often told, is the root of all sin."
"When you worship, you are saying, 'This one is worth more.' At the same time you are implying, 'I am worth less.'"
"Worship is the actual act of ascribing worth directly to God...Worship is mind, emotions, and will engaged in whole person ascription of worth."
"While God is not enhanced or increased by our worship, He is apparently blessed, and that in itself should stoke the fire of our adoration."
"Why not drill past surface solutions that entertain instead of impact and get back to church as a place where God actually moves. White-hot, unrestrained, whole-congregation adoration is the first step in that direction, and pursuing that kind of worship is the unceasing center of Vertical Church."
"God knows the things about you that make whole-person worship challenging, but He expects you to begin climbing over any limiters in your personality or home of origin to amplify your personal expression of gratitude for the gospel."
Chapter 6: Unapologetic Preaching
"Biblical preaching demands effort, drains energy, and distracts attention away from other things that matter too but demand less."
"Preaching has been the crucible for my sanctification, the thing God has used more than any other to shape my soul I hope it has helped others; I know it has transformed me and continues to."
"Bible explanation is not preaching...If you are unpacking your lexical study and dispensing, biblical accuracy without Holy Spirit urgency, you are not preaching in the biblical sense, which commands a heralding of the message."
"The goal is to actually preach the message of the Bible itself, where a passage is read and what is said about its subject is what the text asserts about that subject, and what is said about those assertions is what the text says about those assertions. Biblical preaching is where passages are expounded for their main points and the points the text makes about those points. In that kind of preaching, people are truly hearing what God is saying to His church by the Holy Spirit and glory comes down."
"When the preacher does not believe that God is speaking through him, sermons become shorter, more horizontal, and consumed with the preacher or the audience rather than the Word of God."
"Preach one passage as often as possible...Sermons should be about one main concept...Be just as conscientious about your application preparation as you are about your interpretation preparation...Challenging application of the truth taught brings you into partnership with the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit...We must pray with fervency; we must pray in faith..."
Sunday, January 13, 2013
VERTICAL CHURCH continued
One of the things I do, when reading, is highlight that passages, illustrations and quotes and catch my attention; and which I would like to remember for later. Just going back over these quotes now are both encouraging and challenging. These are my favorite quotes from "Vertical Church" by James McDonald. I pick up where I left off with the last post:
Chapter 3: A Common Access: Church
"The glory of God is revealed in Jesus Christ." - p.98
"We are all either grace or truth people by nature and greatly in need of this powerful pairing. Churches tend to align themselves with one to the neglect of the other." - p.100
"God's glory is such that it will not displace the adoration humans heap upon themselves, and it will not wash away our preoccupation with exalting one another." - p.103
"How often in ministry have we dealt with those who cannot see the glory of what God is doing? They have their religious systems; they have their historic convictions and their ancient experiences, but no room for Christ to reveal His glory in fresh ways in the hearts of the people they claim to serve."- p.105
"There is only one place on the face of the earth where God has promised to reveal the glory of His great Son, Jesus Christ, and that is the church." - p.112
"The metric for measuring what God wants to do in your church and mine is not our ability but His, not our power but His. That reality makes me feel a lot smaller even about the awesome things God is doing." - p.113
Chapter 4: An Epic Failure: Ichabod
"Vertical Church is about faithfulness and fruitfulness; it's about passionate worship, biblical proclamation, fervent prayer, and effective outreach that flows into every avenue of compassion for those in need." - p.128
"We should not prefer or protect what churches did in 1975 or 975 or AD 75 unless prescribed by the Word of God." - p.135
"Sunday school or ushers in suits or pompous pastoral prayers must be evaluated by a single question: Do they advance our goal of the manifest presence of God in church? Don't let anything that isn't in the Scripture be required of your ministry." - p.136
"A Vertical Church gets after stubborn sheep and refuses to fall into shallow service that dishonors God...I challenge every pastor and church leader to stand up to stubborn sheep and refuse to offer God shallow service that costs you nothing...God is not a respecter of persons, and you must not withhold correction from those who think they are beyond it, thereby risking the loss of God's favor. A church with no conflict is likely a church that is manufacturing peace in a way that prohibits glory." - p.147
"In a Vertical Church, evangelism and discipleship are equal in priority because both bring more glory to God. First, we pursue better disciples, which brings more glory to God, and in turn better disciple are more effective evangelists where they live." - p.150
"It's self-deception to believe there is a true faithfulness apart from visible fruit; a barren tree is not an upgrade t trees with bad fruit." - p.152
Chapter 3: A Common Access: Church
"The glory of God is revealed in Jesus Christ." - p.98
"We are all either grace or truth people by nature and greatly in need of this powerful pairing. Churches tend to align themselves with one to the neglect of the other." - p.100
"God's glory is such that it will not displace the adoration humans heap upon themselves, and it will not wash away our preoccupation with exalting one another." - p.103
"How often in ministry have we dealt with those who cannot see the glory of what God is doing? They have their religious systems; they have their historic convictions and their ancient experiences, but no room for Christ to reveal His glory in fresh ways in the hearts of the people they claim to serve."- p.105
"There is only one place on the face of the earth where God has promised to reveal the glory of His great Son, Jesus Christ, and that is the church." - p.112
"The metric for measuring what God wants to do in your church and mine is not our ability but His, not our power but His. That reality makes me feel a lot smaller even about the awesome things God is doing." - p.113
Chapter 4: An Epic Failure: Ichabod
"Vertical Church is about faithfulness and fruitfulness; it's about passionate worship, biblical proclamation, fervent prayer, and effective outreach that flows into every avenue of compassion for those in need." - p.128
"We should not prefer or protect what churches did in 1975 or 975 or AD 75 unless prescribed by the Word of God." - p.135
"Sunday school or ushers in suits or pompous pastoral prayers must be evaluated by a single question: Do they advance our goal of the manifest presence of God in church? Don't let anything that isn't in the Scripture be required of your ministry." - p.136
"A Vertical Church gets after stubborn sheep and refuses to fall into shallow service that dishonors God...I challenge every pastor and church leader to stand up to stubborn sheep and refuse to offer God shallow service that costs you nothing...God is not a respecter of persons, and you must not withhold correction from those who think they are beyond it, thereby risking the loss of God's favor. A church with no conflict is likely a church that is manufacturing peace in a way that prohibits glory." - p.147
"In a Vertical Church, evangelism and discipleship are equal in priority because both bring more glory to God. First, we pursue better disciples, which brings more glory to God, and in turn better disciple are more effective evangelists where they live." - p.150
"It's self-deception to believe there is a true faithfulness apart from visible fruit; a barren tree is not an upgrade t trees with bad fruit." - p.152
Saturday, January 12, 2013
VERTICAL CHURCH
A couple of months ago, I read "Vertical Church" by James MacDonald. He is the senior pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois. Just after I read the book, I also had the privilege of hearing him speak at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. In short, I really appreciate what James wrote in "Vertical Church." It puts the emphasis, even in church, on how we are viewing and responding to our God. As I wait on God to put me back into the pastorate, there are many things in this book that have influenced my philosophy moving forward. It's not that these things are new; and yet, they are presented in such a way that makes sense as a whole. Let me share some of my favorite quotes with you:
Read This First (the introduction):
"We cannot survive spiritually without that corporate connection in heart, soul, mind, and strength with the One who made us That's what I mean by Vertical." - p.19
"The problem is you can't fake glory. You can't manufacture it, or manipulate it, or manifest it at will. Only God Himself can bring glory into a church." - p.21
Chapter 1: A Universal Longing: Transcendence
"Every discussion of the nature of man or meaning, or ministry, must begin with this reality: humans are unique among the living in that there is in the center of each of us a hunger for something that the experiences of this planet cannot satisfy - a quest for eternity." - p.40
"To experience the transcendent is to sense your smallness." - p.51
"While it is wonderfully true that God is loving, merciful, caring, and compassionate, we err when we downplay or reject preaching about transcendence, holiness, omniscience, or omnipresence." - p.54
Chapter 2: A Singular Provision: Glory
"God's provision for all that we need is His manifest presence with us." - p.70
"What we pastors and church leaders too often lose sight of is that the only thing that makes a church worth shouting about is God showing up in power and doing what we cannot do for ourselves." - p.75
"But do we come to church conscious that every action and motive promotes or discourages God's manifest presence? Every note, every spoken word, every attitude from every usher, every motive of every vocalist - all of it seen and known by a holy God whose desire is to manifest His presence among His people and is welcomed or spurned by us." - p.80
"He doesn't need us or our glorifying, but we need it desperately to displace our pride." - p.87
C.S. Lewis (quoted on p.87):
"Because God and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any touch with Him at all, you will, in fact, be humble - delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy your whole life. God's trying to make you humble in order to make that moment possible: Trying to get you to take off a lot of silly, ugly, fancy-dress in which we have all got ourselves up in and are strutting about like the little idiots that we are."
More later...
Read This First (the introduction):
"We cannot survive spiritually without that corporate connection in heart, soul, mind, and strength with the One who made us That's what I mean by Vertical." - p.19
"The problem is you can't fake glory. You can't manufacture it, or manipulate it, or manifest it at will. Only God Himself can bring glory into a church." - p.21
Chapter 1: A Universal Longing: Transcendence
"Every discussion of the nature of man or meaning, or ministry, must begin with this reality: humans are unique among the living in that there is in the center of each of us a hunger for something that the experiences of this planet cannot satisfy - a quest for eternity." - p.40
"To experience the transcendent is to sense your smallness." - p.51
"While it is wonderfully true that God is loving, merciful, caring, and compassionate, we err when we downplay or reject preaching about transcendence, holiness, omniscience, or omnipresence." - p.54
Chapter 2: A Singular Provision: Glory
"God's provision for all that we need is His manifest presence with us." - p.70
"What we pastors and church leaders too often lose sight of is that the only thing that makes a church worth shouting about is God showing up in power and doing what we cannot do for ourselves." - p.75
"But do we come to church conscious that every action and motive promotes or discourages God's manifest presence? Every note, every spoken word, every attitude from every usher, every motive of every vocalist - all of it seen and known by a holy God whose desire is to manifest His presence among His people and is welcomed or spurned by us." - p.80
"He doesn't need us or our glorifying, but we need it desperately to displace our pride." - p.87
C.S. Lewis (quoted on p.87):
"Because God and you are two things of such a kind that if you really get into any touch with Him at all, you will, in fact, be humble - delightedly humble, feeling the infinite relief of having for once got rid of all the silly nonsense about your own dignity which has made you restless and unhappy your whole life. God's trying to make you humble in order to make that moment possible: Trying to get you to take off a lot of silly, ugly, fancy-dress in which we have all got ourselves up in and are strutting about like the little idiots that we are."
More later...
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