Category Archives: making disciples

New Post about Rob Bell and Harold Camping

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If you haven’t updated your rss feed from this one to nathancreitz.net, I would encourage you to do so now. I have been writing blog posts for a couple of months now on my new blog and wanted to check in here at ChurchETHOS to remind you of the change.

My most recent post is about how to deal with “deviations from the truth”. In other words, nearly every day there is another false teaching from bloggers, authors, or preachers. From Rob Bell’s Protestant version of purgatory to Harold Camping’s teaching that Judgment Day is this Saturday, we are inundated with controversial teaching. So, do we call them out? Do we call them names? I think Paul had something else in mind in 2 Timothy 2:14-26. Here’s an excerpt from my latest post:

But there are some issues that come up that challenge the basis of the faith. When truth is contradicted or discarded it is important to actively defend it.

Rob Bell’s teachings fall into this category. He is “destroying the faith of some” and his careless words will lead to his and others ruin. Yet, our response to him must be done in love and gentleness. Rather than lash out in anger, we need to pray that Bell will come to his senses.

Consider some of the thoughts from this passage about false teachers:

And their word will spread like gangrene; (2:17)

They have deviated from the truth…and are overturning the faith of some. (2:18)

The post is entitled Rob Bell, Harold Camping, and Deviations from the Truth. Read it and make sure to update your feed reader from ChurchETHOS to nathancreitz.net!

Why Can’t We Just Ignore Tithing?

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There are two major camps when it comes to whether or not Christians should tithe: ’No, we shouldn’t', and ’Yes, we should!’ It seems like these are logically the only two responses to tithing. However, both of these responses fall short of the New Testament teaching of giving.

No, we shouldn’t!

The main arguments given by those who reject tithing for today’s Christians are as follows:

1. Tithing in the Old Testament was part of a societal structure that is similar to our taxes today. However, today we are not living in a theocracy (where God is the King and we are his subjects). See Numbers 18:21

2. We are no longer under the law, we are under grace. See Romans 6:14

3. The tithes were primarily used in a sacrificial system that no longer applies. See Leviticus 27:32

Yes, we should!

Of course, the other side of the debate has their own set of arguments.

1. Tithing is still valid because Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. See Matthew 5:17

2. Jesus even told the Pharisees that they should not abandon tithing. See Matthew 23:23

3. Much like the temple, the church also has need for monetary gifts so that it can function. See 1 Corinthians 9:13-14

Before I dive into why I think both of these arguments fall short of New Testament teaching, I want to hear from you. Do you think we should or should not still be tithing? Are there other arguments you would add to the list above to support your position?

Post from the archives

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I wanted to alert my readers to a post I wrote in 2005 about the universities as a mission field. The post is entitled The Great University Commission because I see campus missions as a way to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus. After all, nearly every country has at least one student studying in an American University at any given moment. Please take a minute and read the post. Feel free to comment and share it with your social network.

Thanks for reading!

Radical Faith or the American Dream?

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Book Review: Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream
David Platt (Multnomah 2010)

I have a short-list of books that I use in discipleship and mentoring relationships. “Radical” is now at the top of the list.

In fact, this is one of those books that needs to be read by every American who claims to be a Christian, whether Protestant or Catholic, evangelical or liberal. I want to give a brief review here because it actually falls into all three major topics of ChurchETHOS: making disciples, planting churches, and engaging culture.

David Platt was a doctoral candidate at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary when I met him. He was the teaching assistant for Dr. Jim Shaddix at the time so he presented a couple of lectures if Dr. Shaddix was absent.

A few years later I worked with David at a conference in New England for young adults. I was the conference coordinator and we asked David to be our speaker. It was the most powerful conference I have ever participated in. During one of the sessions, David quoted Romans 1-8 entirely from memory. At certain moments, people were standing and cheering for what we were hearing. It was amazing!

I was so moved by the conference that I visited David in New Orleans to recruit him to become a church planter in New England. However, he was already in the process of accepting the position at The Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, AL, a 4,000 member church. At the time, this made him probably the youngest megachurch pastor in the US. Since that time, he has mobilized that church to serve God in Birmingham and around the world.

Many of the stories he shares in the book are stories I was familiar with from knowing David in other contexts. However, he does a compelling job of weaving those stories together to make a case for radical commitment to Jesus.

Rather than do a thorough review of the book in one post, I’d like to begin a series of posts that will unpack some of the themes of David’s book (but for less than $10, you really should just go ahead and buy a copy). However, I do want to highlight the last chapter which is entitled “The Radical Experiment”.

The Radical Experiment

This book is more than a collection of stories, Scriptures, and quotes. This book is a manifesto for American Christianity. The subtitle is “Taking back your faith from the American Dream” and the last chapter provides some practical steps that anyone can take to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. Of course, the five steps in this last chapter are meant to be a starting point to help launch someone onto a path that looks more like obedience to Jesus than self-centeredness and it by no means is enough. The challenge is to do five things for one year to see how God blesses your obedience.

“I dare you over the next year to…”

1. Pray for the entire world;

David writes, “In a world where more than 4.5 billion people are without Christ and more than a billion are on the edge of starvation, we have to begin somewhere.” He recommends a resource I’ve used before (and my wife and I are using now) called Operation World. You can find it online or at Amazon for pretty cheap.

2. Read through the entire Word;

This needs no explanation, but I love the stories David tells of traveling to China and Indonesia and elsewhere where people are so hungry for God’s Word that they are willing to risk their lives to come and learn more. David writes, “God has chosen by his matchless grace to give us revelation of himself in his Word. It is the only Book that he has promised to bless by his Spirit to transform you and me into the image of Jesus Christ.”

3. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose;

The idea here is not to just give out of our abundance, but to really sacrifice. We have more than we need but it’s all those things we want that keep us from radically giving and sharing with others who are in desperate need (around the world or next door). David asks: “What if you took the next year and set a cap on your lifestyle? What if you sought for the next year to minimize luxuries in your life? This might involve selling present luxuries or withholding the purchase of future luxuries or intentionally sacrificing resources you already have.”

Keep in mind that this challenge is encouraging you to spend your money on something that is gospel-centered, church-focused, and that meets a tangible need.

4. Spend your time in another context;

Volunteer weekly at a soup kitchen. Spend a week in a foreign land with a mission team. The point is to get out of your comfort zone and see how others are living their lives. John Ortberg once preached a message where his only point was to “get out of the house!” Allow God to open your eyes to the need around you and spend your time meeting those needs.

5. Commit your life to a multiplying community.

This is where the other four challenges converge. This is where you will find accountability. This is where you will find encouragement. We can’t fly solo when we follow Jesus. He didn’t allow his disciples to do that and he isn’t calling any of us to go it alone either. If we are going to follow Christ through radical obedience, then we need others who are committed to the same thing.

The back cover of the book says that Jesus followers would “leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily… but who do you know who lives like that? Do you?” By God’s grace, I pray that my life will continue to conform to the image of Jesus and that I will encourage others to live a radical life of obedience.

What are your thoughts? Do you live more for the American Dream or for the Kingdom of God? Who is King in your life, you or Jesus? If you’ve read the book, what insights do you have to share?

The Great Commissions: John

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After Jesus rose, He spent forty days teaching His disciples. Some of that teaching is recorded in the four Gospels and in Acts. Though we often think of Matthew 28:18-20 as the Great Commission, it is actually just one of four sayings that Jesus said to commission His disciples. When we put all four together we get a much more robust picture of the role Jesus wants us to play.

This is the third in a series of posts that is looking at each of the Great Commission statements of Jesus. Interestingly only one of these is in the imperative and that was in Matthew (“make disciples”). So, once again, when we come to the Johannine Commission, we find an indicative.

John 20:19-23

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Context: Same context as Luke, but from John’s perspective. In other words, this is the same day as the resurrection and Jesus is, for the first time, revealing Himself to all of the disciples. The text tells us that this was the first day of the week (Sunday) and that the disciples were cowering behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jews.

Here are a few insights from this passage:

  • We know Jesus now has power over the temporal world because He is able to enter a locked room. However, we can’t make too much of this as some sort of new ability of Jesus and tied exclusively to His resurrected body. Rather, this is typical Jesus in that He is able to do whatever needs to be done to bring glory to God. For example, is walking on water any more or less spectacular than being able to enter a locked room?
  • “Peace to you!” might have been more of an attempt of preventing heart attacks than it was a typical greeting. What would you do if someone you thought was dead appeared in a locked room?
  • After proving His identity by miraculously appearing in a locked room and then showing the disciples His wounds, Jesus says, “Peace to you!” again. The disciples must have been jumping up and down and falling all over themselves after seeing that this was, in fact, Jesus!
  • The phrase Jesus speaks that is often referred to as the Johannine Commission is “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” So, how did the Father send the Son? The first thing that I’m reminded of is how shockingly miraculous AND humble Jesus’ first days were in the flesh. What other thoughts do you have about how the Father sent the Son?
  • Jesus sends us in that same way! We are a part of a divine plan. Does this give you a sense of purpose? It’s the greatest story ever told and we are participants in that story!
  • When Jesus breaths the Spirit on them, this is not Pentecost. That happens several weeks later after Jesus’ ascension. Instead, this could be a promise of the Spirit.

Conclusions: The Johannine Commission is stated very simply yet it is extremely profound. There are a lot of similarities in how we are sent and how Jesus was sent. Jesus invites us and commissions us to go into the world and be a part of reconciling the world to God. It’s our purpose. Jesus may have sent us to our job site, but He sent us there to do what He was sent to do, and not just pull down a paycheck each month. We are sent to our family, our co-workers, and our friends with a purpose. Of course, other parts of the Gospels explain more about a) how Jesus was sent and b) what our task is as a result by being sent, but this one statement lets us know that we won’t be complete if we are just living a selfish life. It’s time to join Jesus’ purpose and live sent.

What insights have you gleaned about the mission Jesus has called us to from John 20:19-23?

The Great Commissions: Luke

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The Lukan Commission is quite different from the Matthean Commission (which is usually the one we think of when we think of the Great Commission). This series of posts is intended to help broaden our understanding of what Jesus wants us to do with our time, our talents, our resources, and our passions. Jesus gives His disciples a purpose. The Matthean Commission is extremely important and should not be diminished by this series of posts, but the other commissionings of Jesus are equally informative and important and help us to have a more robust understanding of our role in God’s plan.

Luke 24:44-49

Then He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, “This is what is written: the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”

Context: This commissioning took place on the same day as the resurrection and it happened in Jerusalem with the 11 “and those with them” including Cleopas and his friend who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. When Jesus appeared in the room they were startled and thought He was a ghost. So He confirms His humanity by asking for some food. He also confirms that the cross wasn’t an illusion by showing them His scars.

Here are a few insights from this passage:

  • Jesus first says that everything that has happened is a fulfillment of prophecy.
  • He opens their minds to understand the Scriptures. By doing this, Jesus is confirming the role of Scripture in the life of the disciple. (Note: The Matthean Commission also points us to Scripture when it says we are to teach disciples “to observe everything I have commanded you”.)
  • Jesus’ teachings are then summarized by Luke: “This is what was written…” 1) The Messiah would suffer, die, and rise in three days (meaning that a child of God cannot deny the resurrection of Jesus). 2) Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplishes forgiveness to those who repent (meaning that a child of God is one who has repented from sin and has received forgiveness from God). 3) This repentance and forgiveness are to be extended to all nations beginning in Jerusalem.
  • There is no command here, just a simple statement that “You are witnesses of these things.” You can’t be a witness of these things and not experience transformation. Unlike the Matthean Commission, the Lukan Commission focuses on who we are as a result of walking with Jesus. There’s no need to remind them, at this point, of what they should be doing, instead, there is simply a reminder of who they are: witnesses.
  • To those who are witnesses of these things, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit because He promised to do so. Meanwhile, the disciples are to “stay” in the city until they are empowered from on high. In our hurry to “go”, Luke emphasizes Jesus’ command to “stay” and wait on the Spirit. In fact, “stay” is the only imperative in this passage. This staying resulted in the Day of Pentecost when they were truly empowered to be witnesses. In other words, it’s not enough to just be a spectator, we also need God’s Spirit to give us words to say, to draw people to Himself, and even to give us opportunities to “bear witness” to that of which we are witnesses.

Conclusions: One of the intriguing things about Jesus’ mission and the subsequent commissioning of His disciples is that his birth, life, death, and resurrection were all the fulfillment of prophecy. But until it actually happened with witnesses, it was only a future hope. The resurrection inaugurated an “already but not yet” era that would be corroborated by His witnesses. That present reality still exists today by those of us who are also witnesses and disciples of Jesus.

What insights have you gleaned about the mission Jesus has called us to from Luke 24:44-49?

The Great Commissions: Matthew

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Matthew is not the only one who records Jesus teaching and commissioning His disciples after the resurrection. In addition to the Matthean Commission there are two Lukan Commissions and one Johannine Commission (there’s also a Markan Commission but it is in a disputed text). Jesus spent forty days after His resurrection teaching His disciples about the mission He was sending them to do.

In this series of posts I want to look at each of these Great Commission texts to mine them for insights into the mission that Jesus gives to us to complete.

Matthew 28:16-20

Matthew is a good place to start since Matthew is the first Gospel in our New Testament. However, that doesn’t mean that the Matthean Commission happened first. In reading through these various commissionings of Jesus, it’s clear that Jesus spent the forty days between His resurrection and ascension “commissioning” and teaching, and training His disciples on a number of matters. He spent time teaching them and explaining to them their task. Since Jesus spent a lot of time with His disciples, the chronology of these Great Commission passages aren’t as important, though I do hope to share a bit of context for each one as this series unfolds.

So let’s take a look at what Matthew records starting at verse 16:

The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Context: On the mountain in Galilee. It says that when the disciples first saw Him in Galilee, they worshiped, “but some doubted”. These first words of Jesus upon seeing the disciples in Galilee were meant to establish His identity and allay their doubts. Jesus had spent His entire ministry making disciples and now He is telling those disciples to carry on the task. Note that this is not the first time they’ve seen Jesus alive, but they still have doubts.

Here are a few insights from this passage:

  • This commission is not a suggestion or  wishful thinking. Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me on heaven and on earth.” In other words: take note of what I’m about to tell you to do and then do it!
  • Jesus tells them: “[As you are going], make disciples of all nations…” This is to be a way of life and it’s a global mission.
  • Two essential elements of the ‘making disciples of all nations’ process is to baptize and to teach.
  • Baptism is done in the name of the Trinitarian God. Belief in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is not optional for a child of God.
  • “Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” This is a perpetual commissioning because this includes the Great Commandments (love God and love your neighbor as yourself) and the Great Commission. If they don’t make disciples then they are disobeying Jesus’ commands and the church is never established.
  • Jesus will always be with us. This is a relationship-oriented, not a task-oriented, mission. We have a relationship with Jesus and Jesus is asking us to do something similar to the relationship building that He did with His disciples (the 12 AND all the other disciples).

Conclusions: When we engage in disciple making, we must realize that we have not made a disciple if they are not trained or are unwilling to make disciples themselves. The Great Commission passages are about reaching the nations through baptism, teaching, and multiplication. If we aren’t engaged in these sorts of activities then we are not obedient to Jesus’ primary will for His followers to fulfill the Great Commission. If we are engaged in activities that don’t result in baptism, teaching, and multiplication of disciples then we need to rethink our activities and maybe loosen up our schedule. Thankfully, Jesus provides a model for making disciples and we have God’s Word, and God’s Spirit to guide us. So get started!

What insights have you gleaned about the mission Jesus has called us to from Matthew 28:18-20?

Disciples of Jesus Multiply

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Sadly, there are a lot churches that are really good at addition, subtraction and division, but not multiplication.

It’s easy to settle for addition, because at least it is positive growth. Addition is safe. Addition is comfortable. But addition is often the result of a lack of vision and mission. Church leaders get bogged down in caring for the urgent and the existing members are happy because the attention is all on them. Sometimes people move into the area and just naturally look for a church. Put out a sign and we can probably grow through addition.

However, addition is just a step away from subtraction. People start to withdraw from the church when the church has no purpose. I bet more people leave the church out of boredom than from being called to fulfill the Great Commission.

Let’s not even talk about division…

Multiplication requires vision and leadership. Multiplication requires sacrifice and commitment. Multiplication is what disciples of Jesus are doing. Multiplication takes much prayer and a lot of hard work. Multiplication requires evangelism and a passion for making disciples. Bill Hull says,

If the church fails to make disciples, it fails to multiply. If the church fails to multiply, it fails.

We all know that division is failure, but so is subtraction and addition. Multiplication brings glory to God. It is what we are commissioned to do. If it’s division, subtraction, or addition, it may or may not be from God, but if it’s multiplication and it brings Him glory, there’s no doubt it’s of Him!

My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. (John 15:8 HCSB)

You Share Jesus Like A Girl!

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My dad, who is a pastor in Alabama, has been doing a lot of thinking about the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. He has been preaching on the topic at his church and has recently started a blog series about his thoughts. I’m looking forward to hearing more from him about this and I thought I’d let you in on the fun!

One of his thoughts in his first post is about how the disciples went into town to get some food but really didn’t want to be in Samaria. They could’ve used the opportunity to give “living water” to the residents there. However, when the woman realized who Jesus was, she went and told the entire town about Him! Dad writes,

I discovered from this biblical passage that I would rather witness like the woman than to witness like the disciples. She went back to the village and said “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah? (John 4:28)

When Jesus truly transforms our lives, it’s worth telling people!  I’ll let you read the rest here.

Church Planting is People Planting

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There’s a lot of imagery in Jesus’ parables of sowing seeds. We use the same imagery when we talk about “church planting”. The essence of church planting is simply sowing seeds of the gospel into our neighbors lives. This becomes harder and harder for established churches as the outward focus shifts inward.

But that’s okay! The good news is that anyone can be a people planter!

Regardless of whether or not we are starting a brand new church or are a part of an established church we can be involved in people planting. Every church leader can invest in people. Every church member can invest in people too! Another way to say that is, we are all called to obey the Great Commandment and fulfill the Great Commission.

Plant a seed. Pray! Water it. Pray! Watch it mature. Pray! Repeat!!

Our neighbors need to know about the good news and all of us are called to share it with them. People planting is about investing in the lives of our neighbors. We need church planters to be people planters. We need established church leaders to be people planters. We need church members to be people planters.

He is like a tree planted beside streams of water
that bears its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

Are you a people planter? Are you equipping others to be people planters?