GoThereFor.com 2.0 https://gotherefor.com Your online home for disciple-making ministry Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +1100 en-US hourly 1 Beware of sermon application https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/beware-of-sermon-application Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/beware-of-sermon-application Stop asking for more application in your pastor’s sermons. That’s not really the preacher’s job, and you need to stop and engage in some honest reflection about why you’re asking.

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The Bible is very much to be applied to our lives. I believe this with all my heart and mind.

Even if I had somehow missed this great theme in the rest of Scripture, James makes it unmistakably clear in just two succinct sentences:

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. (James 1:23-24)

If you agree (and I hope you do), the two challenges I’m about to issue may sound just a little bit heretical.

Challenge #1, to preachers: Don’t listen to the clamouring voices that push for a higher percentage of application in your sermons—that criticize what you say for not being ‘practical’ enough. Don’t listen to the voices that urge you, “Just get to the nitty gritty of what God wants me to do!”

Challenge #2, to sermon listeners: Stop being that voice. Stop asking for more application in your pastor’s sermons. That’s not really the preacher’s job, and you need to stop and engage in some honest reflection about why you’re asking.

See? I told you it would sound heretical. Let me explain myself.

In a recent article on the parable of the Good Samaritan I pointed out that the lawyer to whom Jesus told the parable wanted to “justify himself”. He wanted confirmation that he was a good and righteous man, and that he was therefore a sure candidate for entry into the kingdom of God. And to this end he sought Jesus’ guidance on the application of the love-your-neighbour standard. (“Who is my neighbour? How do I apply this commandment?”)

What was the lawyer’s purpose in asking for this guidance? It was to make it easier to justify himself—to show that he was doing what was required. Enough, at least, to be accepted by God.

This is a natural instinct we all have. In the Gospels it’s particularly exemplified by the Pharisees, but it’s something that all of us are prone to. We want to narrowly interpret what God is saying to make it more manageable, more achievable (if you squint and don’t look too closely).

“Why should God let you into heaven?”
“Well, I haven’t murdered anyone. I’m faithful to my spouse.”

But Jesus says, no, you can’t reinterpret God’s law like that! Get angry or look lustfully, and that condemns you (Matthew 5).

Having the mindset of that lawyer is what creates the danger. When we ask a preacher to apply the Bible, we may be giving expression to our natural instinct to want to justify ourselves—hoping to keep the application to a manageable one, two or at the most three generic and achievable points. Just whatever can be squeezed into the final part of the sermon. It can be a means of minimizing the application and our need to change (along with the accompanying strategy of insisting that sermons should be shorter).

But Jesus wants us to look instead at how we can maximize the application—to look long and hard for the myriad of ways we can change to better love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. This will also lead us to better recognize how far we fall short and so be thrown back on God’s all-sufficient grace.

Preachers are not really in a position to do this maximizing work for us. They don’t know the details of our lives. They don’t know the particular sins we cover up and keep secret. They don’t know where our money and time go. They don’t know where our inner thoughts and desires go. At best they can guess and generalize. In other words, they can’t possibly tell us the key ways each of us needs to apply God’s word to our lives.

In the end, this task of maximum application is best done for me by me—through listening attentively to God’s word and to the promptings of his Holy Spirit, the Spirit who knows all the details of my life even more deeply than I do.

I’m not saying that the preacher should never apply the Bible in any way. Of course he should! It’s part of the process of exhortation: giving us an example of what it might look like to respond faithfully and obediently to what God is saying. It also models for us the process of how we can—and should—properly move from the text to personal application.

No, there’s no doubt that the preacher has a role to play in applying the Scriptures to our lives (Acts 20:31; 1 Tim 5:20; 2 Tim 4:2; Titus 2:15). And there’s certainly also an important ‘one another’ aspect to all of this, as we admonish and encourage each other in after-church conversation, in our growth groups and in family life (Col 3:16; Rom 15:14; 1 Thess 5:14; Luke 17:3).

But if I were a pastor, I think I would make it a regular practice to exhort my people to think prayerfully and carefully for themselves about the application of the passage. I would urge them to meditate on what they have learned and to listen to God’s Spirit as he applies the word to their lives. At the very least, I would remind my congregation members again and again that the applications I am drawing are not the only applications, and that I will be praying for them as they work out the other important applications.

If I were a pastor, I wouldn’t want to personally take on the heavy responsibility of applying God’s word to people—of telling them which are the important ways they should repent and change. It’s a burden I wouldn’t really feel fit to carry, and I’m not convinced it would be for the spiritual benefit of God’s people for me to even try. Applying the Bible to life is therefore not something I feel particularly comfortable asking my pastor to do for me. In the end, it is my responsibility before God. And yours.


Shameless plug: If you feel the challenge of this responsibility, may I suggest that you try the Sermon Notebook? It’s designed to be very helpful in this process of taking personal responsibility.

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The optimistic fisherman https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-optimistic-fisherman Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-optimistic-fisherman The Christian Gospel is the little book that the optimistic Christian fisherman should always have with them.

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I was talking with Phillip Jensen last week on our podcast about the new book I’ve written, The Christian Gospel: A short account of the momentous news about Jesus Christ, and he used an illustration that captures exactly why I wrote it and why you should have a copy handy at all times.

The true fisherman is an optimist. He knows he may wait for hours for a bite; he knows he may catch nothing. But he expects and hopes to catch something, and he comes ready to catch it. You can tell a true fisherman, said Phillip, because he always heads to his fishing spot with an old sack or a bucket to carry his catch home.

Christians are called to be fishers of men. And we fish in hope and optimism that God will give us opportunities to talk with people about the gospel of Jesus Christ—at work, at school, at home, over the back fence, after church with a newcomer, as we read the Bible one-to-one with someone, as we invite them to an evangelistic course at church, and so on.

The Christian Gospel is the little book that the optimistic Christian fisherman should always have with them, ready to follow up on the conversations and opportunities that we pray God gives us.

I wrote it because (weirdly) it is a resource that we didn’t have—a short, easy-to-read, straight up and down explanation of the Christian gospel to give to a non-Christian person. It doesn’t have a particular angle or apologetic hook. It doesn’t seek to bounce off a current hot topic or cultural aspiration. It just explains the Christian message in six short chapters, using the six-point Two Ways to Live framework as a guide. At around 80 pages, it’s long enough to explain the various points clearly and coherently, but short enough for anyone to read (even if they’re not an avid reader). And like Two Ways to Live, it finishes with the challenge that the gospel brings and explains how to become a Christian.

The Christian Gospel

This makes it (I hope and pray) an ideal resource for a huge range of opportunities and occasions, like these:

  • There’s a family member or good friend who knows you’re a Christian, and you’ve had a few conversations here and there—give them a copy of this book to reignite the discussion (“This new book has just come out, and it really captures the heart of what I believe. I think you’ll find it interesting”).
  • You have a conversation with a work colleague that touches on the gospel—give them a copy of the book to move things along and provide an opportunity for further conversation.
  • You’ve been reading one of the Gospels with a friend for several weeks (perhaps a non-Christian friend, or a new or wobbly Christian)—give them a copy of the book to tie together the various truths you’ve been seeing in the various passages.
  • You’re running an evangelistic event or course at church—give everyone a copy of the book to take home with them (“We’ve touched on different aspects of the Christian gospel in today’s event; we’re giving you this short book because it explains the heart of the Christian message and what it means for our lives”).
  • When you do some doorknocking in your local area (perhaps in advance of Easter or Christmas), give everyone you speak to a copy of the book as a gift from your church.
  • In terms of our church structures, it’s a book that could be given to every newcomer, not only to share the gospel with them (they may not be Christian or may not really understand the gospel), but to ground them in the basic truths that your church is built on.
  • In that sense, it’s also a book for Christians themselves to read—especially new Christians, or those who aren’t entirely clear on the gospel—to clarify their understanding of what the gospel really is.

No doubt you can think of many other uses, because the gospel is the centre of everything we do.

I’m excited about the potential of this little book, not because it’s such a masterful piece of writing but because the gospel it proclaims and explains is so powerful.

It catches people and changes their lives.

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Why I can't love my neighbour https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/why-i-cant-love-my-neighbour Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/why-i-cant-love-my-neighbour The parable of the Good Samaritan is not meant to teach us to love others.

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When I googled “the most famous parables of Jesus”, the list I found had the Good Samaritan at the top, followed by the Prodigal Son. Which sounds about right to me, don’t you think? ‘Good Samaritan’ has even entered the English vernacular. When someone does something unexpected to help a stranger, they often get referred to as a good Samaritan. You hear it on the news regularly.

But just because a parable is well known doesn’t mean it’s well understood. Would it surprise you if I said I don’t think the parable is meant to teach us to love our neighbour? 

The first thing we’re told in Luke 10:25–37 is who Jesus speaks this parable to: an expert in God’s law (v 25). If this guy was a contestant on Mastermind, his specialist subject would be ‘knowing exactly what God wants us to do’. Luke also tells us that this man comes to test Jesus, asking probably the most important question he could: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” If Jesus gets that wrong, why should they listen to him?

But Jesus often finds a way to turn the spotlight back onto the person doing the asking; he answers the lawyer’s question with a question. Fortunately, this lawyer does have a good grasp of the law on which he claims expertise. He responds with exactly what Jesus says in Mark 12:28–31 about the two most important commandments.

The lawyer asks what he should do. “Do this,” says Jesus in Luke 10:28. It’s not complicated. There’s a lot of rules in the Torah, but if you keep these two commandments—love God and love your neighbour—you’re all good.

However, the lawyer has a follow-up question.

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” (v 29)

It’s in response to this question that Jesus tells the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan. 

The Levite and the priest in the parable don’t seem to think they’re obligated by God’s law to love the beaten man as themselves. Despite being very familiar with the commandment, they apparently have a very narrow view of who falls into the category of ‘neighbour’. Whereas the Samaritan—who has a much stronger argument for denying any neighbourly obligation—unexpectedly shows great compassion.

The lawyer gets Jesus’ point. He accepts that it was the Samaritan who was the good neighbour. Then Jesus says, “You go, and do likewise” (v 37).

It’s very easy for us to jump to the conclusion that that’s the application for us too: just go and do likewise. Go and love anyone and everyone, even your enemies. Isn’t that what Jesus is saying?

But look back just a little earlier in chapter 10 to verses 8–16, where Jesus gives instructions to his 72 disciples as he sends them out. If they aren’t treated well, Jesus says they should go onto the streets and shout condemnation to the people of that town, leaving the people who need healing behind and moving on.

Does that sound like compassionate treatment of neighbours? It makes me wonder if I’m missing something significant in these two stories. What’s the Good Samaritan parable really about?

Let’s come back to the reason why Jesus talks about the Good Samaritan. We’re told that the lawyer was “desiring to justify himself” (v 29). ‘Justify’ is a pretty common word in the New Testament, and it basically means ‘shown to be righteous’. This lawyer wants to establish that he is doing well at keeping God’s law , thank you very much. God will, he assumes, find him to be righteous and therefore suitable for inheriting eternal life.

Being a good lawyer, he’s also pretty pleased with himself, because he thinks he’s found a loophole that makes it easier to successfully fulfil the law’s requirements. The loophole is all about how you define ‘neighbour’. If he can define that word narrowly, he has a much better chance of being able to do it.

In other words, the lawyer wants to be like the parable’s priest and Levite. He wants to be able to say, “No, that guy on the road is not my neighbour. I don’t even know him. He’s not in my family, he’s not in my tribe. The word ‘neighbour’ can’t possibly mean someone as removed from me as that.”

But this parable of Jesus blows that narrow idea right out of the water. Jesus effectively says, “No, let’s give the word ‘neighbour’ as big and broad a meaning as we can. Let’s make it anyone you come across who is in need—even someone you hate. And I don’t want you just to help the people you hate, I want you to treat them with the same love, pity, compassion and generosity as you naturally treat yourself with. Go and do that, and then you’ll be justified.”

Now, here’s an interesting thing: in Luke 18:18, a rich ruler asks what in the Greek is an identical question of Jesus: “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

This ruler claims to be righteous, to have kept the commandments, but Jesus knows otherwise: “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” (18:22). And the man became sad, because he was very wealthy. He wanted to justify himself, but he couldn’t. So Jesus points out that it’s seemingly impossible for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. At which point:

Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But [Jesus] said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (18:26–27)

Do you see the similarity in the two accounts? Both men wanted to make sure they were righteous enough to inherit eternal life, so they came to Jesus and asked him: “I’m good enough, aren’t I?” But the standard Jesus sets for them makes it clear: there’s no way you can ever be righteous enough to deserve eternal life. It’s humanly impossible, Jesus says.

How are you ever going to love your neighbour as yourself? Especially a neighbour you dislike! How can anyone be saved if the Good Samaritan represents the standard to which we have to keep the second great commandment? Not to mention the little problem of keeping the first commandment!

The lawyer came into the conversation wanting to justify himself, and Jesus showed him that would be a lot more costly than he thought. In fact, so costly he’s got nowhere near the capacity to do it.

And that’s why Jesus sent the 72 disciples out—introducing people to a new way of being right with God through Jesus. The way to be justified is by accepting and receiving the Christ, and accepting and receiving the message brought by Jesus and his disciples.

It’s why Jesus has “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51). He’s going to pay the price for us to be justified through his death. If the lawyer could justify himself, why would Jesus take that drastic step of going to Jerusalem to die? Why would God send Jesus to die if it wasn’t needed?

The truth is, it is needed. Not just for the lawyer, but for all of us. None of us can justify ourselves.

I think, in the end, that’s what the parable of the Good Samaritan is teaching us: that no-one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law (Romans 3:20a)—e.g. by loving our neighbour. Instead, when we read that second commandment, it ought to make us conscious that we don’t love our neighbours as ourselves (Romans 3:20b). We can’t!

But, thankfully, God has another way to justify us—as Paul says in Romans 3:24, he justifies us by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Does that mean we don’t have to love our neighbour? 

Well, no. We’re definitely called to love our neighbours, including by this parable. We just don’t do it to justify ourselves. We do it because we’ve already been justified by God through his Son, Jesus. 

It’s so natural and intuitive to want to justify ourselves, isn’t it? Our pride makes us think we can. We really don’t like to admit that we’re sinful and weak and dependent. But the main thing the Good Samaritan parable shows us is how impossible it is for us to fulfil all the law’s requirements. It warns us not to try and justify ourselves. So let’s not. Let’s keep relying solely on God’s grace.

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How to really encourage your pastor https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/how-to-really-encourage-your-pastor Tue, 11 Jul 2023 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/how-to-really-encourage-your-pastor Paul's lessons on the qualities that make someone a good and godly pastor, as well as on how we can encourage our pastor.

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Have you heard the old joke about a pastor who has a terrifying dream that he’s in the middle of preaching to his congregation? When he wakes up, he is.

If you’re not a pastor leading a church,1 I’m going to ask you to engage in what you might also regard as a nightmare scenario: imagine for a moment that you’re the senior pastor of your own church. How do you feel about taking on that role? What do you think you might enjoy about it? What would you find hard? And what is just too horrifying to even contemplate? Take a moment. I’ll wait.

Have you ever put yourself in your pastor’s shoes like this before?

In 2 Corinthians 2 and 7, Paul gives us an insight into the emotional life of a church pastor. As he does, we learn some very helpful lessons about the qualities that make someone a good and godly pastor, as well as how we can encourage our pastor — perhaps in a richer way than with a quick throwaway line like “I enjoyed your sermon today”.

Back in chapter 2, Paul explained why he had discontinued his fruitful evangelistic ministry in Troas (which I have reflected upon in a previous article). At the time his "spirit was not at rest" because he was waiting to hear from Titus about how the Corinthian church had responded to the challenging letter Paul had sent them (2:13). He wrote that letter so that when he visited them in person he would not “suffer pain” (v 3). He had written “out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you” (v 4).

You can see in these words the deep concern Paul has for his Corinthian children in the faith, as well as the deep emotional turmoil he goes through as he waits to see whether they respond well to his letter or whether they instead double down on their withdrawal from him as their apostolic father in the faith. Paul is clearly very heavily invested emotionally in the members of this church. He says later in this letter, “You are in our hearts, to die together and to live together” (7:3) and “Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (11:28-29). That sounds like emotional investment to me!

But then he explains in chapter 7 why his disposition has changed and his anxiety has been relieved. He has been comforted by “the coming of Titus” (v 6), who has brought good news from Corinth. Titus conveys the positive response Paul’s letter has received there and the rewarming of their affection for Paul as their apostle (v 7). This has made Paul’s heart rejoice, not to mention causing Titus’ spirit to be “refreshed” (vv 4, 15).

But it’s not just that they are being nice to him again. Paul explains that what he was really worried about goes much deeper. He knew his letter would “grieve” them, but he didn’t regret sending it because he knew that grief would only be temporary (v 8). What he really hoped for was repentance. Good, solid, practical changes taking place in their attitudes and actions as members of the Corinthian church. This is a repentance associated with salvation, not the worldly sorrow that leads to spiritual decay and death (v 10).

In the end, Paul loves them and is deeply concerned for the spiritual health of the whole church (v 12). For that reason he desperately wants them to accept his rebuke and challenge. It’s the same reason he was willing in the first place to take the personally hard and relationally risky step of rebuking and challenging them.

Of course, he was always confident they would respond well (2:3), but it’s not actually much of a contradiction that at the same time he was still anxious and worried about what their response would be. Both things can be true, especially since his confidence in them flows out of his confidence in God’s capacity to move the Corinthians towards a good response.

It’s a very emotionally charged situation Paul is describing, isn’t it? Paul causes them pain and grief, but in turn he has no peace of mind, struggles with his inner fears, and he is downcast (7:5-6). Yet when the good news comes from Titus, Paul rejoices, is encouraged and greatly comforted.

Here’s the main point I want to make: there is no such thing as a dispassionate pastor. Can a pastor really feel no emotion about the welfare of his people?

A godly pastor loves his2 congregation members very deeply. He rides the emotional rollercoaster of their spiritual ups and downs. He feels their weaknesses and will be disappointed and discouraged when he sees those weaknesses being expressed. When members of his flock make poor choices that show a disregard for their own holiness and God’s glory, he will be downcast.

On the other hand, when a pastor observes real evidence of godly sorrow and repentance in response to being lovingly taught and rebuked, well… his heart rejoices, he is greatly comforted, and his spirit is refreshed.

So, if you really want to encourage your pastor—deeply and substantially—you know what to do. Here’s the way the writer to the Hebrews puts it:

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb 13:17)

Your pastor’s job comes with great responsibility — a responsibility and authority given by the Lord for “building up and not for tearing down” (2 Cor 10:8, 13:10). And it is taxing work, especially emotionally. It can regularly make him groan. These reasons are a real factor in why many pastors burn out.

But when we obey our pastors and submit to their teaching — even when it causes us grief at first—we make their role a joy.

So if you really want to encourage your pastor, don’t just say “thanks for your sermon”. Of course, by all means thank him—to do less would be impolite. But even better, come back to him in a week and sincerely say: “You know your sermon last week? God used what you said to really challenge me, and so since then I’ve worked on changing the way I think and act in that area. I thank God for your willingness to love me with that challenging message.”

I suspect there’d be far fewer pastors dropping out of ministry if there were far more conversations like this taking place in church life, don't you?


1. If you are a pastor, then feel free to come along for the ride, but we’ll let you skip this thought exercise.

2. I’m using the masculine here because our example, Paul, was a man, and because biblically speaking pastors who carry the main responsibility for the health of the church are male. But women also act as pastors in many ways and contexts, and they will also feel the emotional weight of that responsibility just as keenly as, if not more keenly, than men.

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The Lord opened a door for me ... so I shut it https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-lord-opened-a-door-for-me-so-i-shut-it Thu, 01 Jun 2023 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-lord-opened-a-door-for-me-so-i-shut-it Every now and then when I’m reading the Bible, I have a bit of a “huh?” moment. I love them.

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Every now and then when I’m reading the Bible, I have a bit of a “huh?” moment. Like I did recently with 2 Corinthians 2:12–13:

When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Can you see the “huh?”

We know how committed the apostle Paul was to preaching the gospel. He kept going with it even in the face of all sorts of terrible challenges and hardships (2 Cor 11:23–27). But when he came to Troas, he noticed “a door was opened for me in the Lord”. That sounds pretty positive, doesn’t it? But what does he mean?

Paul has used a similar expression in his earlier letter to the church in Corinth: “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Cor 16:8–9). So it seems like when the door is opened by God, it doesn’t necessarily mean all opposition ceases, but it does suggest that gospel fruit is being seen—the gospel preaching work is showing signs of being effective. People were, presumably, becoming Christians.

But, curiously, Paul decides to leave Troas. He shuts the door that God has opened there for him. Huh? What could possibly have convinced him to walk away from this fruitful and effective gospel preaching opportunity? It must surely have been something pretty big and important.

We don’t have to speculate of course. Paul tells us. He says he wanted to find Titus, because Paul was very anxious to hear the latest news from the church in Corinth. And he does find Titus, and he does hear encouraging news of the Corinthians’ positive response to Paul’s challenges to them (2 Cor 7:5–7).

But I have to admit, I find that rather odd—that the missionary-hearted apostle Paul would so easily walk away from the opportunity to see more people saved in Troas, and do so simply because he wanted to hear how a group of already-saved Christians had responded to his letter.

When I find something odd like this in the Bible—when I’m apparently not on the same wavelength as God and his apostle Paul—the correct starting point is to assume I am the one who needs to adjust his thinking. So what can I learn here that might turn the “huh?” moment into an “aha!” moment?

I’d love to hear what you think (you can reply to this email). But here are a few of my initial thoughts.

  1. Paul knows that Christ will spread the aroma “everywhere” (2 Cor 2:14) through those who, like Paul, follow and serve Jesus. Paul’s job is to be the means by which Christ does that—but where he does it seems to sometimes be of secondary significance. Furthermore, if God opened a door in Troas, no doubt Paul trusts that God can open a door in Macedonia too, or anywhere for that matter!
  2. Paul cares very deeply about the welfare of his brothers and sisters in Corinth (his spiritual ‘children’). We should similarly be careful not to be so focused on unbelievers that we are tempted or pushed to abandon our care for the believers in our lives. Paul longs for unbelievers to be saved, but he also longs for Christians to stand firm in Christ until the end. Both are important.
  3. Perhaps our ministry plans don’t necessarily have to be made without any consideration of our personal wellbeing. It’s hard to operate when there is something causing our spirit not to be at rest (2:13). The making of ministry choices is clearly more complex—and God more gracious—than needing to choose the path that is hardest for us to endure (i.e. the path of the apparently greatest sacrifice).

I’m not suggesting any of these thoughts capture all that God’s word might have to say on their topic. But I hope they serve as examples of how a small “huh?” moment might help us to question and subvert our slightly askew ways of thinking.

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You are the horse: low-bar evangelism strategy https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/you-are-the-horse Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/you-are-the-horse When we see those big, tall fences labelled “evangelistic opportunity” in front of us, they look so intimidating.

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I love my sport, but I’m not a particularly big fan of show jumping. Nonetheless, it has one thing in its favour: it provides some good metaphors for personal evangelism.

Remember personal evangelism? It seems to have a participation rate similar to the sport of show jumping these days. (And I’m not looking at you here; I’m looking right at the sheepish guy in the mirror.)

But I don’t think we’re actually the riders in this ‘sport’ of evangelism. We’re the horses. We have a rider with us guiding us in the right direction, and we do want to trust him and do what he wants us to. But when we see those big, tall fences labelled “evangelistic opportunity” in front of us … they just look so intimidatingly and off-puttingly high. Perhaps we’ve tried a jump like that before and it came unstuck. Or perhaps we’ve never even tried jumping and it’s hard to imagine how we could possibly ever get over something as tall as that.

That’s when many of us do what I believe in show jumping is called a refusal. That’s when the horse comes to a sudden halt just before the jump, having completely lost its confidence at the last second and signalling to the rider in no uncertain terms: “No, I can’t! And I’m not going to, even though I know that’s what you want and it brings you glory!”

Of course, evangelism has always been a pretty scary thing for most of us, and in our Western society it even seems to be getting harder, scarier and perhaps also more costly for our job prospects. And so some of us just refuse the jump. We don’t have the confidence to open our mouths and articulate the reason for our hope and joy in Christ. We don’t feel like we have the skills to be able to explain the gospel to someone, especially in a somewhat hostile environment like a workplace.

Part of the problem is how high we—or our pastors—set the bar (or should I say rail?). If a horse is new to show jumping, or it has had a bad experience recently, it’s surely time to jog gently around the paddock and jump over some very low rails for a while. Once those have been safely negotiated and confidence built, then we can think about gradually adding some extra height and difficulty.

So what might that low bar look like? Here’s an idea of how your church could get the horses running and jumping again—three simple things people could be asked to do:

  1. Pray daily for some non-Christians they know. I suggest referring to it as your church’s 242 Prayer Challenge: praying for two non-Christians, every day, for two minutes.1
  2. Look for opportunities to say to non-Christian friends or family “I’ll pray for you”. That is, when we hear that someone we know is going through something a bit challenging—a sick child, a tough situation at work, even just being stressed because they have an important meeting—we say “I’ll pray for you” or “Sorry to hear that, I’ll pray that the situation improves” or something similar.2 For further thoughts about why this can be a helpful evangelistic strategy, see my video. The video also explains how the What I mean when I say “I’ll pray for you” leaflet can be a useful follow-up tool after you say this to someone. (Maybe the church could buy a stack for people to take and use? To slightly switch metaphors, take a small amount of church money and back the horses in!3)
  3. Invite a non-Christian (perhaps one of the people you are praying for each day) to a church event, whether that’s a regular church service, an introduction to Christianity course, a church social event or anything similar.

That’s it. That’s all you're going to ask people to do for a while—at least until they’ve built up a bit more confidence. Sure, after a while you can provide some more training and equip them for some bigger jumps where they might start articulating the gospel to other people and answering their questions. But for the moment, some evangelistic initiative is better than none.4

1. Actually, to be fair, this is Rory Shiner’s suggestion. Thanks Rory!

2. And then actually pray for those situations!

3. Church treasurers, please don’t quote me out of context!

4. Technically speaking, none of those three things are evangelistic, because they don’t communicate the message of the gospel; but they hopefully lead to evangelism!

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Who needs the gospel? https://matthiasmedia.com/blogs/news/who-needs-the-gospel Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com/blogs/news/who-needs-the-gospel The gospel is a costly message that needs to be presented clearly. Not so much to just avoid getting it wrong but also to get it right.

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I had no idea how much I needed the gospel.

I thought I had the basic message of Christianity down.

I’ve been a Christian since I was very young. I attend a wonderful, healthy, gospel centered church. I’ve been heavily influenced by faithful mentors, gospel centered books and good preaching and still… It wasn't until I cracked open Learn the Gospel myself that I realized I couldn’t confidently answer the basic question: What is the gospel?

I had no idea how much growth I needed in this area.

Gratefully, God has used my marketing role as we launch Learn the Gospel to grow me—even before the book hit our shelves.

I’ve seen and used many Christian resources, but I’ve never interacted with a tool such as Learn the Gospel. The course is based on the familiar gospel summary, Two Ways to Live that helpfully summarizes everything we believe as Christians. I’ve never considered the importance of grasping the gospel message as a whole, deepening my understanding of the specifics, and being able to know what to say and how to say it with clarity when I share it with someone else.

At our church, Marty is teaching the Learn the Gospel course with ministry leaders before launching it church wide. As I have listened to the interactions in class over the weeks, it’s clear this is the course we leaders didn’t know we needed. Different upbringings and backgrounds, mixed in with bad theology here and there causes issues—sometimes significant issues—that come out in our attempt to summarize the gospel. Even among those that have been at my church for decades, the gist of it was there but with much tension in deciding what to include or what to tease out more.

This course creates an important opportunity to clarify the gospel message as a foundation for our ministry. But also an opportunity to recognize the great need we have to learn the gospel with clarity—for both our own growth and leadership of others.

The gospel is a costly message that needs to be presented clearly. Not so much to just avoid getting it wrong but also to get it right. For the Christian presenting it and for the person hearing it.

To the pastor, leader, Christian sister and brother, don’t dismiss this as just another resource. I know what you’re thinking because I was thinking it too.

Don’t disregard your need to better understand God’s good message for all people.

Don’t shift from the hope of the gospel as Paul says in Colossians.

Be stable and steadfast in your proclamation of Jesus as King.

Learn the gospel.

learn the gospel book on the window sill

Buy the workbook (AU) | Buy the workbook (US)

Getting practical with Learn the Gospel

Learn the Gospel books

The books are in stock and ready for sale. We’ve deliberately kept the price as low as possible. USD $16.99 is a great price for a book of 170-odd pages, but we are very excited to have churches and growth groups all over the world learn together. So there are some bulk discounts in place to encourage group purchases:

  • 8-49 copies: 15% discount (USD $14.44 each)
  • 50+ copies: 30% discount (USD $11.89 each)

These discounts apply automatically to your shopping basket when the quantity is added.

Learn the Gospel videos

All the videos that you need to run Learn the Gospel are online. You can stream them from our site or download them from Vimeo, but all the video content is absolutely free.

Learn the Gospel explainers

There are also four promotional/informational videos for you to use to explain the resource to others. Again, these videos are free to stream or download.

When can I start?

That’s totally up to you. Everything is ready now, and our aim has been to make running Learn the Gospel as easy as possible. In fact, we think running it is actually easier and takes less preparation than leading your normal expository Bible study. Of course leaders should always do a little work in advance to familiarize themselves with the material. But in the group time you simply work through the book, watch the video teaching at the recommended time and use the discussion questions and activities to grow in your understanding of the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ. Shipments from Youngstown Ohio go to anywhere in the US in less than two weeks, so in three weeks or less you can be all set to grow your gospel clarity!

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The book I didn't think I needed https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-book-i-didnt-think-i-needed Thu, 16 Jun 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/the-book-i-didnt-think-i-needed I know accountants, Hindus, international students, but I don’t feel like I need to read a book to witness to them. I’m not even able to become an expert on every world view under the sun. Besides, it won’t make that much difference, right?

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There have been periods of my life when I was devoted to sharing the gospel with specific groups of people. In those circumstances I received training, read books, found mentors—I was focused on knowing these people and knowing ways to help them understand the Bible. Lately, due to changes in vocation and circumstances, I’ve been broader in my outlook—viewing every interaction I have, from the stranger on the street to my neighbour, as an opportunity to glorify Christ. I think this reflects the lives of most Christians: we don’t target specific types of people, but we do make an effort to develop relationships with those around us.

While both approaches have their merits and issues, there is no question that I was better at equipping myself to aid others when focused. I know accountants, Hindus, international students, but I don’t feel like I need to read a book to witness to them. I’m not even able to become an expert on every world view under the sun. Besides, it won’t make that much difference, right?

That opinion of mine has been a bit shaken by reading and editing Where to Start with Islam. I didn’t feel like I needed to learn more to continue witnessing to the Muslims that I know; I approached the topic with an airy-fairy “this will be interesting but probably not relevant to me” attitude. And yes, it was indeed interesting (Muslims have more than one way to get into heaven! Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian women! Muhammad got ‘revelations’ letting him specifically have sex with whoever he liked!), but it’s even more interesting how what I learned later changed what I did and said when interacting with followers of Allah.

Where to Start with Islam

I can’t do justice to all the important reasons here (read the book!), but in Where to Start with Islam Samuel Green convinced me of the value of highlighting that much of the Bible consists of prophecies made by people Muslims say they revere but whose words they never read. This becomes a much easier way to suggest that a Muslim look at some of the Bible with you; if they believe that it is right to honour the prophet David, why not study his message?

I personally have used this approach to put into context the Bible passages at our church’s English conversation classes. Over the years, while only a few Muslim students have outright refused to participate in the part where we read and answer comprehension questions about a Bible passage, certainly none of them have been very engaged. But the last time we read Psalms I was able to turn to the Muslim woman next to me and say “You know of David? The Qur’an talks about him, right? These are his words! Let’s read them together!” I was able to pique her interest in a way I’d never been able before. She murmured “true, true” to some verses, where before she would have been silent. Her prejudice against God’s word had softened.

It’s also been invaluable to me to better understand the picture of Christians that the Qur’an paints for Muslims. Why are some Muslims able to cite passages where the Qur’an is positive towards Christians, and why can other Muslims point to where they are instructed by the Qur’an to destroy us? I knew the basic facts of Islam, but I had no idea how what was happening to Muhammad at various points of his life influenced the theology he taught. I also didn’t know that Muslims are actively taught out of context Bible passages and questions to ask Christians to confuse them. Knowing the ways that my Muslim friends had been ‘inoculated’ against the message of Jesus helped both to take the sting out of some of their rejection and to find new ways to navigate around those misconceptions.

Probably few people reading this have devoted their lives to reaching Muslims with the gospel, but if you live in almost any city in the world, you have a reason to read Where to Start with Islam. It will provide you with the crucial context surrounding their attitudes toward God’s people and his word. It’s not about being able to debate and argue and be combative; it’s about knowing the beautiful truth of the gospel well and then the best ways to gently help Muslims lift the veil of lies they are under so that they can gaze upon God’s mercy.

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Products in the pipeline https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/products-in-the-pipeline Thu, 26 May 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/products-in-the-pipeline Help get the printing presses rolling.

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I’m thrilled and excited. I’m also worried.

I’m excited by all the new resources that are in the pipeline here at Matthias Media. It really does feel like we are in a bit of a ‘purple patch’ in terms of high-quality authors writing heaps of seriously useful disciple-making resources. Like the above, for example.

There is so much to look forward to in the next nine months of our publishing ministry. (See the end of this post for a full list of the upcoming resources.)

But I’m worried. The last couple of years have been tough for us. The pandemic had a major impact on ministries everywhere, and this obviously impacted our sales of resources and therefore our ability to fund our work from those sales (which we have always attempted—and generally succeeded!—to do). As a result, our financial resources to do this ministry have been significantly diminished, and we find ourselves needing help.

Bottom line: we need your financial support to help us continue our ministry. Not just continue it—give it a boost and grow it back to the point of being self-funding again.

Would you be willing to help?

You can donate online, and we guarantee we will put any amount you give to good use.

If a tax-deductible donation is important to you, or you’d like to consider sponsoring the production costs of one of the upcoming resources or the work of one of our team members, I would be very keen to chat with you about those options. You can contact me directly at gshume@matthiasmedia.com.au.

Thank you for taking the time and care to donate. We really do hate asking, because we know there are lots of valuable ministries that need ongoing financial support. But we’re also confident that you share our belief that this publishing ministry is important, that discipleship isn’t discretionary, and that—God willing—Matthias Media will continue to have a significant part to play in his work of making disciples and growing Jesus’ kingdom.

Until the Lord Jesus returns,

Gavin

Exciting new resources waiting to be printed

 

Learn the Gospel

TONY PAYNE

An eight-session course based on the Two Ways to Live framework that helps both new and old believers understand and learn the gospel.

 

Share the Gospel

TONY PAYNE

An eight-session course based on the Two Ways to Live framework that builds on Learn the Gospel, helping Christians share their faith and hope in Jesus.

 

The Manual

AL STEWART

What does healthy masculinity look like in a world quick to call any masculinity toxic? How does the Bible help men understand and accept their role in the relationships in their lives?

 

When the Noise Won't Stop

PAUL GRIMMOND

“Do not be anxious about anything”: Easy to say but not so easy in reality. From personal experience and with a pastor’s heart, Paul Grimmond works through what the Bible says about anxiety, offering encouragement and comfort to the many affected by it. 

 

Christian Essentials

KEN NOAKES

A unique mix of imagined perspectives of people in Acts, Bible study and teaching exploring nine essential characteristics of every Christian.

 

Busy

IAN CARMICHAEL

A biblical exploration of our seemingly endlessly busy lives and how the good news of Jesus can genuinely reorder our daily grind.

 

Gathered Together

KARL DEENICK

What is church? What’s it for and why go? What does God expect of our gatherings? How does our gathering influence our time apart? Gathered Together is clear, biblical, honest and timely teaching on these questions and many more.

 

The Life of Faith

PETER JENSEN

Knowing the God who creates, the Creator who saves and Saviour who is Lord is the central theme of this wonderful book. A must-read for everyone who is serious about knowing and loving God.

 

Eager to Serve

RAY GALEA

Using Philippians as a guiding text, Ray Galea encourages readers to face their fears, count the cost and “step up” in gospel ministry.

 

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

PHILLIP JENSEN

Phillip Jensen’s deep dive into what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit. A sweeping theology of the Holy Spirit from Genesis to Revelation.

 

Water For My Camels

PAUL GRIMMOND

The sub-title explains: “navigating the space between singleness and marriage when the Bible doesn’t talk about dating”. Warm, practical, biblical advice and encouragement.

 

The Vine Movement

MIKEY LYNCH

This will be the go-to book on how the church and parachurch relate to each other. How can churches and parachurches think about and relate to each other well? How can they encourage and support each other for the growth of the gospel and the glory of God?

Interactive Bible Studies

  • Nahum
  • Luke
  • 1 Corinthians

Pathway Bible Guides

  • Song of Songs
  • 1 Peter
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Two letters https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/two-letters-and-a-cute-dog-photo Tue, 10 May 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/two-letters-and-a-cute-dog-photo Too tired for growth group tonight? Or too tired of people being too tired?

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We’re a few months into the year now. The weather is starting to cool as autumn transitions to winter. Work pressures are mounting., and the gradient on the ‘life fatigue’ graph is increasing—perhaps not exponentially, but relentlessly. So … how is your Bible study group going? Here are two letters: one for group members and one for group leaders. They are largely letters to myself, but I hope they encourage you.

Dear growth group member,

I know the train of thought—I have it too.

It’s been a busy day at work, and it’s just beginning to wind down. My mind turns to the commute home and the evening ahead. Oh, that’s right: tonight is Bible study night. I was already feeling physically and mentally tired, and now I realise I’ve got to get home, do a quick turn around on dinner, then up and out in the cold to head to my home group. Or … I could stay home, get those nagging chores done, quickly watch the next episode of that Netflix series I’ve been enjoying, and get to bed at a time more in keeping with the level of fatigue I’m feeling. I’m sure my group and the leaders will understand. They always do.

Here are five quick reasons to intentionally derail that train of thought and go to growth group.

Because it’s grace, not law

Of course going to growth group is not about earning God’s approval. Being a Christian isn’t about rule-keeping: “thou shalt go to Bible study every week”. And that’s why I should go—because studying God’s word is a joyous reminder of God’s amazing grace to me.

Because showing up is a powerful ministry

When I show up at growth group, my action testifies to two things: that God and what he has to say is important to me, and that the people in my group are important to me. The fact that I gave up my comfortable (self-focused) night and made the effort to come to meet with God and you should be an incredibly encouraging thing for you, as indeed you coming to meet with God and me should be encouraging to me. When you think about it, before we even open our mouths in the group, we have encouraged each other deeply just by being there.

Because someone is giving you a gift

Have you ever given someone an expensive gift, only for them not to seem to value it at all—perhaps even leave it behind? That’s what it’s like for a Bible study leader who has invested considerable time preparing a study to help me understand the riches of God’s word, only for me not to show up at the last minute. That leader is giving me a gift; I should try to be an appreciative recipient.

Because habits matter

We all know the verse in Hebrews 10 about “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some” (v. 25). I wonder if we tend to read that verse as being all about Sunday church? But I’m sure it’s not limited to that; it’s about meeting together to encourage each other and stir one another up to love and good works. We are doing that in our home groups, not just in our Sunday church. So don’t neglect it. Don’t make it a habit to not go; make it a habit to go.

Because it always feels better just after growth group than just before

I don’t know where they come from—although there seems to be a bit of a sulphurous smell attached to them—but the negative feelings I have just before Bible study don’t prove right. I am almost always glad I went. Don’t trust your pre-Bible study feelings.

Perhaps you can think of other or better reasons for going to growth group than my five. Whatever they are, preach them to yourself every week.

Warmly,
Ian

Dear growth group leader,

I call it “the 7 o’clock flurry”, i.e. the time I start to receive a flurry of emails and texts from group members: “Sorry, won’t be able to make it tonight: [insert optional lame reason]”.

Bitterness is an all-too-easy reaction to the flurry.

But it’s not an acceptable one:

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph 4:30-32)

Is there an alternative? Undoubtedly: kindness, tender-heartedness and forgiveness.

Perhaps it helps to think of it this way: You've done the hard work. Like Mary, you’ve metaphorically sat at the feet of Jesus listening attentively to his teaching (Luke 10:38-42) as you’ve prepared the study. You’ve extracted and tasted the meaty goodness from his Scriptures. And you’ve called out to Martha (your group member): “Hey, come and listen to this with me—this is so good!” But she’s distracted—anxious and troubled about many things. Sadly, it’s to her loss, even when some of Martha’s distractions are good things.

But don’t give up on her. Keep telling her how good it is. Catch her on Sunday or give her a call and share some of the good things you’ve learned. Let her see how it has changed you—how much joy it has brought you to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him. Show her the unveiled face that has recently beheld the glory of the Lord and how it is transforming you (2 Cor 3:18). Keep urging her to sit and listen with you at those same feet.

Pray for Martha; pray that God might help her choose “the good portion” too. And pray that he’ll forgive you for any trace of bitterness that still remains, and help you persevere in kindness, tender-heartedness and forgiveness.

Warmly,
Ian

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The ten minutes after church ends https://matthiasmedia.com/blogs/news/the-ten-minutes-after-church-ends Mon, 09 May 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com/blogs/news/the-ten-minutes-after-church-ends We gather our belongings, utter some niceties, and shuffle toward the exits. That’s a problem. More specifically, it’s a bad habit.

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What do you usually do immediately after your Sunday morning church service ends? If you’re like most of church-going humanity, you probably have a routine. Upon the final “Amen”, you arise from your regular spot and your body follows a subconscious script. You may go to the nursery to pick up a child, maybe you have your weekly chat about the high school sports team with the person seated in the row behind you, or perhaps you hightail it toward the coffee to snag a to-go cup on your way out the door.

There’s nothing wrong with being a creature of habit, but many of us have the same routine at the end of a church service as we do at the conclusion of a sporting event or any other public gathering. We gather our belongings, utter some niceties, and shuffle toward the exits. That’s a problem. More specifically, it’s a bad habit.

Since the church body is a family of brothers and sisters in Christ, the end of the formal part of a service is not the end of church but rather the beginning of a new segment of the family gathering. When the structured gathering ends, an indispensable aspect of Christian vitality and growth—fellowship—continues.

Don’t get the wrong idea. You don’t have to be an extrovert who seeks people out like a goldendoodle puppy to faithfully participate in the fellowship of the church. You just have to be intentional.

If you’re one of the many believers with a bad habit of neglecting the broader fellowship of the church after the service, here’s one simple suggestion: set apart ten minutes after the gathering concludes and devote that time to getting to know others in the church family. This is a ten-minute commitment to invest in your eternal faith family and show hospitality to those not yet in the family.

To help set these ten minutes apart, it may help to consider what not to do, in order to be free and available for fellowship with the body of Christ.

1. Don’t talk to your besties

There’s nothing wrong with having close friends in the church (in fact, there’s much right about that), but the weekly gathering is the one time each week when all the people you don’t naturally bump into are gathered in one place. Don’t miss that opportunity to experience the fullness of the body of Christ by getting to know those who are unlike you or from different life stages and interests. Not only will you benefit from a more diverse fellowship, but over time the supernatural unity of the Spirit will be gloriously on display as members of a church family have genuine care and concern for those outside their immediate circles. Let your closest friends know that right after the service (and, ideally, before the service as well), your aim is to engage the larger fellowship of the church family. Maybe this will encourage them to do the same!

2. Don’t talk to blood

Similarly, in those first ten minutes after the service, skip the chit-chat with your family. This is not to denigrate your family. If you get to regularly attend church with your extended family, that is a gift from God to be cherished. But very often, one’s family becomes the relationally safe enclave that undermines more intentional branching out into the broader church family. If your habit is currently to huddle up with your family to chat after church, it’s time to replace that habit with a better one. You’ll talk to your family later, so in those first moments after the official time is done, reorient your family outward toward the broader fellowship of the church family.

3. Don’t talk shop

While circumstances will arise that need the attention of a staff member or ministry leader, the goal in the minutes prior to and following the service is to be freed up for fellowship. It’s common for those involved in the formal functions on a Sunday (music ministry, kids ministry, elders, deacons, staff, etc.) to ‘talk shop’ with others who are also involved in leading and serving. But again, this is the one time each week that the building is filled with the faith family! The shop talk can wait or be accomplished with an email. You might even need to politely tell a fellow ministry leader, “Let’s discuss this later. I want to go meet those people before they leave.” In doing so, you’re not only prioritizing what matters, you’re setting the tone for a culture in which all the ministry leaders are flock-oriented.

Habits are what we do without noticing. Most people are not actively trying to have shallow relationships with the church family. But without realizing it, many people are missing the gift of rich church fellowship due to unexamined Sunday habits. I encourage you to devote ten minutes after the service for conversing with others in the faith family—and soon you’ll likely find that ten minutes is not nearly enough.

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Inexplicably incurious https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/inexplicably-incurious Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:01:00 +1100 https://matthiasmedia.com.au/blogs/news/inexplicably-incurious We want to explain Christianity to our friends but find ourselves getting a bit stuck on some of the finer details.

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... when you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.―AA Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

I don’t think of myself as a Bear of Very Little Brain. I’d say I’m a bear of average brain. And I’m a bear who has a device that gives me access to a massive pool of human knowledge. I still know just what Pooh meant.

For example, when I stand up in church and say the Apostle’s Creed together with everyone, inside my mind I think “yep, yep, this is what I believe”. But when asked directly about some specific point—crisis. What does it actually mean?

I think I’ve worked out “the holy catholic church” bit, but what if someone asks me about the “he descended into hell” phrase? Or about why bit players like Pontius Pilate and the Virgin Mary get a mention in a statement of core Christian beliefs?

I do think this is probably average bear, average Christian behaviour. We want to explain Christianity to our friends but find ourselves getting a bit stuck on some of the finer details. It’s one of many reasons why it’s worth reading evangelistic books even as a believer, either before giving one to your friend or (maybe better?) together with your friend. We know enough to trust in God and accept Jesus as our Saviour, but since we will never have all the answers while occupying these bodies, it stands to reason that we’re also never too good to have the gospel preached to us again!

And it was in this situation, while reading The World Next Door, that I finally got my unexamined credal confusions straightened out. Well, somewhat. The authors, Rory Shiner and Peter Orr weren’t there watching Jesus when “he descended into hell” and cannot possibly have all the answers in their human brains either. However, their explanation of what that part of the Apostle’s Creed means was the next appropriate step for me. I understand better the correlation between our modern Christian ideas of hell and the Gehenna that is spoken about in the New Testament, and the contrast with the Sheol/Hades that is used in the Creed and in several places in the Old Testament. I see more clearly the fulfillment of the hope of those who died trusting God before Jesus’ resurrection. I rest more confidently in the knowledge that Jesus reigns over all realms of death.

Not only did I have this one quiet question answered, but I was strengthened by Rory and Peter’s explanations of other parts of the gospel message. They left me feeling certain and sure about the cohesiveness of Christian belief. Yes, Rory and Peter present the basics using the Apostle’s Creed as their guiding structure, but this universal statement is ultimately a tool providing a good picture of the lived Christian life. They also aren’t afraid to branch out into topics such as demons, truth claims, narrative and cyclic world views, reasons for God and whether or not a virgin birth matters. It’s surprisingly comprehensive for so few pages.

Being encouraged by the book myself, I now also know that The World Next Door is a great book to give my friends who don’t believe in God but do believe in understanding other people. For a start, I think it would be good for the parents of some of my daughter’s school friends. I also think several members of my growth group would love it. I wouldn’t give this book to someone who didn’t grow up speaking English (they might miss some of the jokes, for a start!), but it has the perfect pitch for my university-educated, open-minded friends. Despite dealing with ideas of eternal consequence, Rory and Peter write with humour and simplicity, sometimes veering into the slightly unexpected, so that the short book feels even shorter and so easier to give.

I don’t know why I haven’t always investigated every article of my faith when I probably should have. I’m grateful that my church recites the Apostle’s Creed so I started to learn biblical ideas without knowing it. And I’m glad that The World Next Door helped me take the next step in understanding what I was saying. I think in my heart I always thought of the Creed as a recipe to get Christianity right, or a checklist to be allowed into faith. Perhaps it has some of those functions, but after being reminded of the beauty of the truth it recounts, it also feels like a poem of praise that we lift to God together. The Thing is Thingish after all.

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