Losing for Life

Jesus said: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves adn take up their cross daily and follow me. for those who want ot save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24)

Those piercing, prophetic and powerful words apply to congregations as well as people. Congregations that turn inward with a scarcity mentality begin a period of long slow death. Those congregations that reach out both evangelistically and missionally (the deeds of love, justice and mercy) thrive and grow in multiple ways. Theological orientaiton takes a second seat to practical application. Losing our life for the sake of the gospel in the paradoxical economy of God gives the congregation back its life in the largest and fullest measure.

Paul Borden in his book Direct Hit writes: "The control of established congregations by people who do not want to grow and are unwilling to give up the privileges of membership is the biggest problem faced by those desiring to lead congregational change. The movement from an inward focus to an outward focus, with rare exception, demands a major shift in who controls the behaviors of the organization. Tackling this major issue demands courageous leaders who are willing to risk all for the sake of the Great Commission."

I commend Direct Hit as one of a number of excellent offerings with practical advice about regaining a gospel orientation.

May your Easter be a joyous experience of Christ's rising!

MISSION

To offer Christ to all through the development of new churches and the transformation of stagnant and dying congregations into fruitful and spiritually faithful dynamic mission posts of the advancing kingdom of God ________________________________________________________
The Urgent Need
We have the same urgent need today – people are hurting and lost; longing for a relationship with the Lord
Our culture and nation is becoming increasingly less Christian
The pain of injustice and the aguish of emptiness cry out for God’s presence and healing.
The Wesleyan movement and UMC need to rediscover and reclaim our evangelistic passion; this is the call and claim of Christ upon us today.

The Call and Claim of Christ Matthew 28:16-20
The Risen Christ gives us a great commission, our marching order and purpose for being (this is not optional for the faithful)
The imperative command is make disciples
To people to obey the Lord’s commands and baptize
The Lord promises to be with us always

Over a hundred years ago a man named C.C. McCabe was riding out west to help start some more churches. In fact McCabe was in charge of church extension for the Methodist Church. ‘As C. C. McCabe was riding out on the train he picked up a newspaper. As he started to read it, he opened it up to bold headlines that said, "Churches dying across America, the last will soon be dead.’ And he went on to read that Robert Ingersol the brilliant agnostic and very articulate spokesman had just addressed the Free Thinkers Association. It the speech he said that churches were dying across America, that they would soon be dead, and that this country would be much better off. C. C. McCabe was a kind of a feisty fighter. He got off the train at the next station; went into the telegraph office and sent Robert Ingersol this telegram.
"Dear Robert: All hail the power of Jesus' name. We're building more that one new Methodist Church every day of the year and propose to make it soon two a day." Signed C. C. McCabe.
Now the word got out about C. C. McCabe's telegram to Robert Ingersol and some Methodist's wrote a song. It was sung in the camp meetings and the revivals and the brush arbor meetings in the little backwoods chapels and places; and it went like this:
‘The Infidel a motley band in counsel met and said that churches die throughout the land the last will soon be dead. When suddenly a message came, it filled them with dismay. All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.
We're building two a day dear Bob, we're building two a day. All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.’”[1]
We are not building two a day. We are not even building one a day. But we do propose together to build new churches and transform existing churches for God’s new day. This is what it means to live our mission of offering Christ to all. ]

One crucial element of faithfully offering Christ to all is to rediscover the Antoich strategy.

Rediscovering the Antioch Strategy Acts 13:1-3
They didn’t make excuses because of their size or other good works
They worshiped and prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit
They set aside their best for the work and supported them
They sent them off to carry the gospel to new people

The Antioch Strategy was John Wesley’s strategy in founding the Methodist movement. [Wesley writes at one point in 1781, “About a hundred and thirty of my fellow-labourers are continually employed in the same thing. We all aim at one point, (as we did from the hour when we first engaged the work), not at profit, any more than ease, or pleasure, or the praise of men; but to spread true religion through London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and as we are able, through the three kingdoms.”[2]]
The Antioch strategy brought your church into existence.
Now it is our time to do the same for others in faithfulness to the call and claim of Christ.

[1] a paraphrased verson of Joe Harding’s lecture, “Actions that Enable Evangelism,” Evangelism
Cassette Mini-Course, Tape #9
[2] John Wesley, Works, Vol. 8, pp. 380-381