“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-17 NKJV).

Do you have trouble asking for help? I do. I always have. But I’m trying to do better. I’m learning that help is there for the asking, if only we would ask.

I’ve also had trouble with taking time off. It’s not that I don’t need time off. I do. But I always feel that I’m getting behind or dropping the ball somewhere when I’m not at work.

The first three years of our church I was so consumed with the work that I didn’t take our family on a single vacation. I thought if I just worked harder and harder, then we would succeed (Whatever “success” means when you’re planting a church).

This week Robin and I have enjoyed taking a few days away in Williamsburg, Virginia. One of the dear families in our church insisted that we take a week of their time share and get away. As usual, I didn’t want to do it.

“It’s your time share. Don’t you want to take it yourselves?” I asked.

“No. We really can’t. We’ve already taken too much time off this year. And if we don’t use the week, we lose it. Besides, we really want you to take it.” They insisted.

So, we received their gift. And I’m glad we did. At least, I got glad after a couple of days of being in Williamsburg. I’m still learning to rest and receive.

When Jesus was about to leave the disciples to face crucifixion, the grave, the resurrection and ascension, he spent a lot of time preparing them for his departure. He wanted them to know that he would not leave them without help. He told them that he was going to give them the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to live in them forever.

The disciples learned how to depend on the Helper just as they had depended on Christ. They didn’t turn the world upside down with their self-effort. They worked out of a place of rest. Their effort was the result of their abiding in Christ and His Spirit abiding in them.

Today, I’m thankful for the help of friends. I’m even more thankful that I’m learning to lean on the Helper that Jesus has given to all of us as believers. I’m learning that the best results in life come out of not my own self-effort, but out of my abiding (resting, leaning) on Him.

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.'” (Luke 14:23 NIV84).

After 19 years of being the portable church, we closed on the former Regal Cinema property on September 30, 2010. Today, marks the one year anniversary of that miraculous purchase. After only seven months of work, we moved in and made it the new home of Wilson Community Church.

We are thankful to God for all that He has done. The long wait for having a place to call home has made it all the sweeter.

The years of being portable not only makes finally having a home sweeter, but it also trained us that the church is not the building. As we’ve said for years, “The church is the people, not the steeple.”

I think God gave us those 19 years as preparation for the work He has for us in this city. We are not to be the church that stays indoors. Sure, we’re going to use the building for everything we can, but we are going to keep going out into the city to touch people for Christ’s sake.

This time a year ago we were looking at a rundown property in the middle of the city. We were hoping that we could make it our home. We saw God perform numerous miracles in our church to clear the way.

We have worked hard getting the property cleaned up and remodeled. A lot of our focus and effort has rightfully been on this. Those of us that are gifted in such things should continue to work on maintaining and improving our new home.

But let’s not become myopic in our mission for this city. Let’s keep taking it to the streets, telling people about Jesus!

That’s why we have two events planned this Fall for outreach. One, is the Trunk or Treat event which we’ll have in the parking lot on Halloween. We’re praying that this event will draw 1,000 visitors. The other event is the Whirligig booth that we’ll run the first weekend of November in downtown Wilson. Over 20,000 people attend this event every year. We want to be in the middle of this opportunity, telling people about Jesus and also raising money for the Hope Station (A homeless shelter and food pantry in Wilson).

If we don’t keep going out, then it’s like we wasted the 19 years of training. Let’s keep going out and doing everything we can to “make them” come in to God’s kingdom!

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3 NIV84).

Theology. The word finds its origin in the two Greek words: theos and logos. Theos means “God” and logos means “word.” Together they mean “the study of God.” Theology used to be considered the “Queen of the Sciences.” Pursuit of the knowledge of God was once thought to be one of the loftiest and most primary of all studies, but these days it is usually relegated to the dusty halls of philosophy. With the broad acceptance of secularism and relativism, theology has become a bad word in most circles.

But theology is gaining in popularity these days. The younger generation is especially interested in the study of God. It’s like the pendulum that swung to the far left with the baby boomer generation is swinging back with those born in the new millennium. These “Millennials” are the latch-key children of the boomers and they are sick and tired of all the moral uncertainty and lack of absolute truth that they’ve inherited from their parents. They want something more.

With this in mind we’re starting a new sermon series this Sunday entitled “Faith Foundations.” Don’t tell the boomers, but really this is a 10-week theological series.

Why study theology? Let me offer four reasons (borrowed from Charles Ryrie’s, Basic Theology) :

1. It leads to the possibility of eternal life. As in John 17:3, knowing God through Jesus Christ leads to eternal life. Knowing and believing are connected.

2. It encourages Christian growth. The study of theology involves the consideration of God’s works, His attributes, His names, HIs revealed words, His doctrines and laws, and His person. Since we were made in His image, it is appropriate and encouraging to study God in order to pursue being like Him. Of course, this requires a new birth and a new nature, but assuming that, we are able to study our God like a child studies his father in order to grow up to be like him.

3. It warns of the coming judgment. The study of God reveals that He is both sovereign and judge. He will one day judge all that He has created. This study leads us to prepare for His coming judgment by receiving His Son as Savior and provokes us to tell others about this future.

4. It inspires true worship of God. When we study God, we find ourselves caught up in the wonder and beauty of His character and overcome with joy by His work of grace through Jesus. Having real biblical knowledge of God enlarges our understanding and expands our capacity for true worship. We become the kind of worshipers that God seeks, true worshipers that worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Since God is infinite, the study of God is of infinite value and delight. If you’ve ever starred wide-eyed at a sunset or gazed at a star-filled night, then you have caught a glimpse of God’s beauty as revealed through His creation. Many spend their whole lives in the study of nature, but this created world provides only a glimpse of God. We could spend eternity in contemplation of God and never plumb His depths nor tire of trying. I suppose that gives us one more reason for the study of theology…

… it’s good practice for heaven.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received” (1 Corinthians 15:3 ESV).

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20 ESV).

The Apostle Paul told the Christians at Corinth that the gospel they had received from him was exactly what he himself had received. In other words, he was passing on the eye-witness testimony of Jesus crucified, buried and risen.

Taken with what Jesus prayed in John 17 about those “who will believe” in him through the word of his followers, it got me to thinking about the unbroken chain of witnesses that have carried the gospel across the centuries. At first I thought of how long 20 centuries is, but then I started naming witnesses and I noticed that really there are only about 38 people between me and those who were eye-witnesses.

Consider this. The Apostle John was the last living apostle. He wrote the Gospel of John probably towards the end of his life. It has that kind of feel and perspective to it. It is like a Magnus Opus to Christ. Among his disciples was Ignatius who was martyred in the Colosseum in 108 AD. Among Ignatius’ followers was Polycarp who may have also studied under John. Polycarp was martyed in Smyrna in 155 AD. One of the followers of his preaching was Irenaeus who wrote the famous work Against Heresies, a work against gnosticism that had all the markings of one who had been a student under one who studied under John. Irenaeus died in 202 AD.

Notice that it only took three witnesses to pass on the gospel across 169 years (33 AD to 202 AD). If we just round that off to 150 years, then it takes a witness for every 50 years.

Looking back at who brought me the gospel, the most influential were my mother and grandmother. My grandmother was born in 1912 and I was born in 1958 (46 years between us, or rounded, 50). Her grandfather, Rev. Campbell H. Barker, was born in 1858 and died in 1931. He was a farmer and a church planter. He actually planted and built the Willow Branch Baptist Church where I was baptized at age eleven (This plaque about him hangs in the church). I’m sure he had a great influence on my grandmother’s coming to faith.

I find it ironic that my great, great grandfather was born exactly 100 years before me (1858-1958) and that we both became baptist preachers and church planters. I look forward to meeting him someday.

I also look forward to being reunited in heaven with all 38 links of the unbroken chain of witnesses between me and Jesus someday. If we all held hands in a line, we could only stretch across 200 feet or so, but as each handed off the gospel to the next generation, 20 centuries went past. I’m thankful for every link in that unbroken chain.

Now, Lord help me to do my part and pass on what I’ve received.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42 ESV).

This week Robin and I started visiting different WCC Community Groups. Our plan is to visit all of our groups over the coming weeks. We want to start the Fall season off by encouraging all of our groups and reminding them of the importance of being “devoted” to one another.

Last night, we visited the Minter CG. Man, do they have a bunch of kids in that group! It was a little chaotic, but it was a sweet chaos. The kind that you experience in healthy families.

We had a wonderful time of food (tasty lasagna and Mrs. Agee’s cake balls for dessert, yum), fellowship and prayer. Robin and I left feeling that we had been to a family reunion. That’s what community groups are, God’s family meeting together regularly to keep the four devotions.

What are the four devotions?

• Apostle’s teaching – WCC’s community groups unpack the same text that the pastor preached that weekend. In this way they can work on deepening the learning together and move the teaching from head to hearts to hands.

• Fellowship – The Greek word here is koinonia, which can also be translated communion. This implies more than just hanging out together. We believe that true fellowship takes place when God’s people gather and invite the Holy Spirit to be present in their midst. This allows for a spiritual communion to take place as the Spirit knits us together.

• Breaking of bread – Something special happens when people sit knee to knee and eye to eye breaking bread together. It lowers walls and allows for relationships to blossom. Breaking of bread may also imply the remembrance of the Lord’s Supper, which we encourage our CGs to practice regularly together.

• Prayers – Bringing our prayer needs together weekly and lifting them up together is powerful. Providing updates to one another, we see God’s hand at work. And we obey the Scripture’s teaching to “bear one another’s burdens.

The Minter Group is keeping the four devotions. As one member of their group said, “I don’t know what I’d do without this group. As a new WCC member, I really didn’t know anyone when I first started coming. Now, I feel like I have a family!”

Robin and I are looking forward to visiting all the groups in the coming weeks. Will we find you there?

“There is something else wrong that happens here on earth. It is the kind of mistake rulers make” (Ecclesiates 10:5 NCV).

Solomon was right. There is a certain kind of mistake that those in leadership make. With that in mind, I’ve tried to learn from my mistakes and to pass on what I’ve learned to other leaders.

Last week, I started to list my top ten leadership mistakes, offering the first five. Let me conclude with the last five. Mind you, these are not all of my mistakes. These are just the ones I’m hoping to have learned how to avoid. I also hope that I can help you to avoid them too.

Here are the final five of my Top Ten Leadership Mistakes:

6. Mixing ministry with business. The first year of our church plant, I was still in seminary and was trying to build a multi-level marketing business to make enough money to support my family. When I felt uncertain as to whether I should share Christ or share our business plan, I knew it was time to get out. Some of the best pastors are bi-vocational (Paul was a tentmaker), but when your business distracts from your ministry, you have a decision to make. Learning: Make sure any business you do complements your ministry.

7. Not taking the time to celebrate. As one with a “Type A” personality, I have a tendency to forget to celebrate a win. As soon as we hit a target, I’m already looking to see what’s next. But I’m learning to take the time to pat ourselves on the back. People need to be praised for their hard work. Not everyone is a self-starter. For me, I have to make this part of the planning, which usually means I have to give it away to someone who loves to party. Learning: Make celebrating the win part of every ministry plan.

8. Missing the clues of cultural resistance. The older your church or organization, the more important it is to be aware of its unique culture. But even a new church plant starts developing its own culture from day one. When we moved our weekly meetings from my living room to a middle school we rented, some people left our young church saying, “We really miss being in your house. It was like a family. This is too big and too much like the church we left.” Wow! I didn’t see that coming. We had talked about our vision for reaching our city from day one. However, what I was saying wasn’t building the culture. What they were seeing was. A group’s true culture often isn’t known until someone tries to change something.  Learning. Consider your church’s unique culture before making changes.

9. Not putting enough emphasis on children’s ministry. When we first planted the church, my wife used to run the children’s ministry in our garage. Then we grew and started meeting at a school where our children met in the cafeteria. We put some energy into children’s ministry, but it was usually as an afterthought. I was so consumed by the details of reaching the adults, that I had delegated (really surrendered and ignored) the children. It wasn’t long before we noticed a terrible “leak” in our church. We were attracting young families by the dozens, but they wouldn’t stick. They loved our music and preaching, but they wanted more for their kids. We had to plug that “leak” by ramping up our ministry to children. Learning: Make sure you are putting adequate emphasis and resources in Children’s ministry.

10. Failure to schedule time for future planning (alone and with key leaders). I didn’t take a vacation for the first three years of our church plant (Crazy, I know). I thought if I just worked hard enough, long enough we would succeed. What I didn’t notice was how my effectiveness was decreasing rather than increasing with all the additional effort. I was burning myself out (as well as my family and church members). Later in the above passage from Ecclesiates, Solomon says that a “dull ax means harder work.” In other words, we need to take time to sharpen the ax! Learning: Pull away regularly for sharpening, dreaming and planning.

“There is something else wrong that happens here on earth. It is the kind of mistake rulers make” (Ecclesiates 10:5-15 NCV).

This past Monday our church was honored to host the Innovative Church Community’s monthly peer-learning gathering. Our band led in powerful worship, our many volunteers worked as greeters, ran the registration table, cooked and served lunch, and took great care of the over 50 attending pastors and their church staffs. I was privileged to be the presenter for this month’s learning.

Instead of teaching from our successes I decided to talk about our mistakes. Specifically, I talked about a certain kind of mistakes that leaders tend to make. With so many to choose from, I narrowed the list to my top ten leadership mistakes (Inspiration for this talk came from reading Hans Finzel’s The Top Ten Mistakes That Leaders Make and Geoff Surratt’s Ten Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing). I also included my learnings from each. Here are five of them (I’ll list the other five in my next blog, so stay tuned).

1. Attempting to do too much by myself. In the first years of the church I would unload and set-up our portable sound and nursery equipment. I led worship, preached, talked to guests, then took everything down and loaded it back in the van. It was the “come watch Gary do everything” show. I wore myself out and often struggled with bitterness because no one offered to help. I finally learned to ask for help. Learning: Give your job away. Keep only what only you can do.

 2. Putting the target ahead of the team. We’ve all heard the truism “Never start a ministry without a minister.” But I would add a new one, “Never launch a ministry without a ministry team.” When we first planted WCC, my team was my family. Our first sound man was my ten-year old son, Stephen. He became an expert at rewinding the cassette, so we could sing the last chorus again in our “Karaoke” version of worshiping to split-track tapes. I almost burned out my wife and my kids in the early days. I had put the target of launching a weekly worship service ahead of building a core team to support it. Learning: Make building a team your first target.

3. Failure to communicate adequately. Here are some of the things I used to say, “But I already told them during the announcements.” Or, “It’s in the bulletin!” I ultimately learned that you have to repeat messages over and over in order to be understood. Communication has not taken place until understanding has occurred. And don’t let the message get ahead of you. If you keep people in the dark, they’ll make up their own message. People are always down on what they’re not up on! So, use every tool in your communication toolbox to gain understanding. Learning: Communicate until everyone involved knows what’s going on.

4. Promoting competence over character. When you first plant a church you’re often so desparate for help that you’ll take anyone that’s breathing. Be careful. The Bible says that we shouldn’t “be too quick in the laying on of hands” (1 Timothy 5:22), and that they must first go through a “time of testing” (1 Timothy 3:10). After years of making mistakes in this area, we’ve come up with two lists of traits that we look for in our team players and leaders. One is the acronym F.A.T. Is the candidate Faithful, Available and Teachable? The other list we call “The Four Cs.” They stand for Character, Commitment, Chemistry and Competence. We used to look for competence first, but after we learned that you can teach competence but not the other three Cs, we shifted our order of priority. Learning: Make sure you test a person’s “F.A.T.” factor and their “4 Cs” before promoting/hiring them.

5. Failure to recognize my role as chief fundraiser. I always hated asking for money. In the early days of the church I would sometimes forget to take the offering. Of course, I’d remember when the church treasurer couldn’t pay me that week. Over time I realized my mistake. Jesus talked about money, so why couldn’t I? As the pastor I couldn’t delegate this job. I needed to learn to make the big ask. I was willing to give sacrificially. I believed in our church’s vision. So, why not believe that others would join me? Learning: Don’t be afraid to share the vision and make the big ask.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 ESV).

The word “believe” is in the book of John more times than the other three Gospels combined. In the English Standard Version translation of John it occurs 85 times, while in Matthew it is found only 8 times, in Mark only 15 times and in Luke only 9. Clearly, John’s Gospel is aimed at sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ, so that we “may believe.”

John’s Gospel was probably written later in his life. He may have been the last living apostle at its writing. He wrote with a perspective that makes his Gospel unique as compared to the other three. Like a master communicator, he carefully organized his Gospel to support his purpose of bringing his readers to believe in Jesus.

While John was prolific in his use of the verb form of believe, he was careful to avoid using the noun form, “belief.” By the time of John’s writing, apparently there was already a needed correction for what it meant to believe. For John, the saving kind of believing required a verb and never a noun. He treated the word “to know,” the same way. Knowledge and belief are not enough. “Head” knowledge must include “heart” knowing. One must know and believe.

“The evangelist, therefore, exhibits his communicative skill in completely avoiding the Greek nouns for knowledge (gnosis) and belief or faith (pistis) and chose to use only the verbs for knowing (ginoskein or eidenai) and believing (pisteuein)” (Gerald L. Bochert, NAC John 1-11, p.116).

Having a belief about Jesus is inadequate. It’s too passive. One must believe into the name of Jesus. This is an active thing. John tries multiple ways to help us understand this.

I think John was on to something. According to Barna, something like 85% of Americans claim to be Christian. They claim to be believers. But I don’t see the evidence. Most so-called believers live just like the rest of the world. They may have some of the right “beliefs,” but there is little fruit of their “believing.”

The other mark of John’s writing is that he isn’t so much concerned about what you believe as in Whom you believe. He confronts his readers with the resurrected Son of God and challenges us to BELIEVE IN JESUS the person.

Do you have right beliefs or have you come to believe in Jesus? The first is inadequate, while the second leads to eternal life. Understanding this distinction is why John wrote.