What if God Wants You to Fail?

This is the exact opposite of most messages that you will hear from pulpits today. I often hear pastors preach themes such as “God wants You to Succeed” or “God Wants You to Conquer.” But what if He doesn’t? What if the purpose of your life is not to be healthy, wealthy, and famous? What if you are called to be an utter failure in the eyes of the world?

These questions have been on my mind as of late. As I continue to prepare to move my family across the country to plant a church I think about the possibility of failure. I realize that it is possible that our church plant will fail and we will have to move in a different direction. If this happens does this mean that we were not following God’s plan for our lives? Possibly. But maybe we were following God’s plan and His plan was not for us to succeed as we thought we should.

Maybe it is possible that God calls some of us to failure. There are several examples of this in Scripture. Look at the life of Isaiah. Following his call to ministry in Isaiah 6 Isaiah is told that all of his preaching will fall on deaf ears. He is told that no one will listen and head the call to repentance. Look at the life of Job. He endured horrible suffering and hardship despite having a sound faith in God. Even Jesus experienced failure with His disciples. After pouring three years of His life into the twelve all of them deserted them during his arrest and crucifixion.

There are several present day examples as well. The most noticeable for me is the life of Jim Elliot. As a missionary to a tribal group in Ecuador he seemed to be making progress. But then something happened and the tribe turned on him and his companions. The last thing Jim witnessed before his death was a man stabbing and killing him.

To the world these men seemed to fail. Isaiah’s church never grew. He did not lead the state convention in baptisms. Job obviously was not displaying the faith that the health and wealth preachers call for. Jesus’ disciples bailed on Him in His darkest hour. And Jim Elliot did not have a single convert before dying on the mission field as a martyr.

However, we know the rest of the story. We know that Isaiah’s preaching would be recorded and placed into Scripture as God’s Word. God has used the book of Isaiah to call many to repentance. Job’s faith has served as a source of comfort and encouragement for countless believers experiencing hardship. Following Christ’s resurrection the disciples are empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel throughout the world. And as you probably know a second missionary effort was put together following Jim Elliot’s death which resulted in the conversion of the majority of the tribe. Furthermore, in his death he has impacted the lives of many Christians including myself.

So maybe it is possible that God calls some of us to fail in the eyes of the world. But in truth we are successful in accomplishing His goals. I think it is time we redefine what it means to be successful in ministry. It does not mean having the most baptisms or the largest church budget, or the newest church building. I think success is defined by obedience. The man or woman of God who is obedient to God’s call on their lives is successful no matter how they may appear to the world.

So what does this mean for me? Don’t get me wrong. I am not hoping that my church will fail. I pray that God will bless Connect Church in an incredible way. I pray that He will use this church to start multiple churches who in turn start more churches. The result being that we see the Northwest transformed for the Kingdom of God in my lifetime.

But I cannot measure my success by that standard. I pray that I will have the faith to accept God’s plan if it is not “successful” as I define success. I pray that I will leave my children with an example of success as being obedient to Jesus Christ. In all of this I must remember something that is very counter intuitive. Obedience to God will always bring more joy and satisfaction than anything else this world can offer. Even if that obedience does not result in a “successful life.”

In the Name of God

I have to admit that I do sometimes enjoy the politics that are occurring at this time of the year. I am thankful to live in a country that allows for so many freedoms and also allows for leadership change without military violence. I will actually be watching the results of the New Hampshire caucuses tonight with some interest.

However, I am already a little tired of the political use of the Christian theology that I hold so dear. It seems candidates on both sides have discovered the power of the "evangelical/conservative" movement. As a result presidential candidates are tripping over themselves to display their vast knowledge of Scripture as it relates to their political platform and motives.

For example, I have heard many use the Bible to support their views by saying Scripture calls us to help the poor and oppressed and to provide aid and care for those in need. I could not agree more. But I have two problems with this. First, these commands were given to the church and to believers, not to a government. Although it is good for a government to help those in need I think this primarily is a responsibility of the church that we have often neglected. Second, some of those who quote the previously mentioned verses are also the ones who support the killing of babies through abortion. This is the most unrepresented minority in our country. They might want to read the passage about removing the plank from their own eye before trying to remove the speck from someone else.

I feel that I am being treated like an idiot. Am I supposed to start jumping up and down with excitement because a political candidate quoted the Bible? Am I supposed to just blindly follow them because they have now quoted from the book that I use to guide my life? I would simply ask that the candidates running for president stop patronizing me and many other believers who have read the Bible and take it seriously. Just because you quote it does not mean I think you actually believe it or are seeking to live by it. Instead why don't you take the advice found in the book of James. Prove the authenticity of your faith by your actions.


I guess I should be encouraged that the candidates will at least have to read the Bible when they quote it in their speeches. After all the Word is being proclaimed, although it may be coming from the mouth of a donkey (no political pun intended, I was thinking more of the donkey owned by Balaam in the Old Testament and not the symbol for the Democratic party). Maybe God will use this proclamation of His Word through politicians to actually convict and change hearts.

I Am A Little Confused

Over the past several years in ministry I have often been confronted with a worldview that basically states it really doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are sincere. This often takes shape in the Oprah Winfrey theology of our time that believes there are many ways to get to God. We are no longer allowed to say that any other religion is wrong. Instead they are just different and seeking God in their own way. Bottom line, all of this is a belief system that denies the existence of absolute truth.

However, I also hear the same people lament the horrible tragedy that occurred in our country on September 11, 2001. These people will become angry at the mention of the terrorists who killed so many Americans on that day in the name of their god.

But isn't this a huge contradiction? Were not these terrorists seeking to secure a place in heaven according to their belief system? Were they not simply living out their faith with sincerity and passion? Do we have the right to say that what they did was wrong?

I believe that you cannot have it both ways. You cannot say that all religions lead to heaven and then say what the terrorists did on 911 is wrong. Simply because they were doing what they thought their religion taught.

I believe that 911 and similar tragedies like it such as the genocide that occurred under the Nazi regime pose the biggest problem for one who wants to support the idea that there is no absolute truth. You cannot make statements like "all religions are correct," "don't judge me," or "I'll do what works for me and you do what works for you" and still say these atrocities in our history are wrong.

I don't know what frightens me the most. That we live in a society that allows for such glaring inconsistencies or that one day people may actually say that 911 or the Nazi regime were not tragedies but instead they were simply cultures trying to live out their beliefs. When my daughters go to school I think I will allow them to answer test questions according to what they personally "believe" or "feel" and tell the teachers that they cannot mark their answers incorrect since their is no absolute truth.

Cultural Relevance

Cultural relevance is a common desire among many churches today. The old saying that the methodology may change but our theology never changes has become a battle cry for many pastors and church leaders over the years. This attitude is very beneficial for the church. It is important for us to seek to present the gospel in a manner that is relevant to the people in our communities.

However, there is more to it than just using a praise band for worship and using up-to-date media. For many churches cultural relevance actually means being relevant to only one particular group of people. As a result these churches tailor their styles to that particular group. But what if your community has different types of people? What if being culturally relevant requires different methodologies for the same church?

Could it be that we are currently in the process of raising up another generation that views the church and worship as something that must be tailored specifically to them? We have already been through this once before with the “worship wars” of the last two decades. During this times churches would try to be more “culturally relevant” by adding various instruments in worship or using power point for songs instead of hymnals. As a result some were pleased by the changes while others felt like the church was going in the wrong direction. Why the disagreement? I think it stems from people who are more focused on their selfish desires than on worshipping God.

My fear is that churches who seek to be culturally relevant to only one specific community will raise up more people who are focused on themselves. I am afraid we are catering to the mentality that says, “I can only go to a church that seeks to reach my specific niche in life.”

Instead of continuing to build churches that only reach one segment of the population we need to teach people to be culturally relevant and not just churches as a whole. We must get individuals to adopt Paul’s mindset that we are to be “all things to all people.” By doing so we can allow the church to be what we see in the New Testament, a collection of different people from different cultures. Not one homogeneous unit of cultural relevance.

So what does this look like? I see a church full of people who understand that things such as worship styles, dress codes, building design, etc. are not as important as reaching people. These church members are willing to not have everything in the church exactly as they might prefer. They understand that these methodologies are preferences that vary from person to person. Instead of bickering over non-essentials they are more concerned about making sure their theology is sound and the message is presented in a manner that is culturally relevant to multiple groups of people. In order to do this, they must be willing to sacrifice their own personal preferences from time to time.

Why Church Planting? Why Seattle?

So why have we decided to start a church? After all aren’t there enough churches out there already? Surely I should just go find one of the many churches that need a pastor and settle in there. These may be the thoughts of some when the subject of church planting is discussed but these thoughts are not based on facts.

It is true that there are many churches already in existence. However, if you take a moment to drive around on a Sunday morning you will see that there are still many more people who are not involved in church. In Tennessee, where I currently serve, there are about 6 million people. We currently have about 3000 Baptist churches for these 6 million people. Obviously there is still a need for more churches in order to effectively reach the current population.

As a result we must continue the process of planting new churches to reach our communities. I have become convinced that church planting is the main way in which God will spread His Kingdom. Although things like short term mission trips and parachurch ministries are effective they cannot replace the ongoing ministry of the local church. Therefore, if we are going to see the gospel impact society we must be willing to invest in the practice of starting more churches.

Which brings me to another question some may ask. Why Seattle? Although there is still a need for more churches to be planted in the South there is an even greater need in the Northwest. Recently I visited my home state of Texas and toured around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. As I drove around on a Sunday morning I was amazed at the large amount of churches that were literally everywhere. Each of these churches had parking lots full of cars. Each of these churches were filled with people in their pews.

Seattle on the other hand is a totally different scene. If you drive around the area you will see very few churches and consequently very few people in church on a Sunday morning. In the Seattle/Tacoma area there are between 4 and 5 million people. Only 4% of this population claims to be Christian. There are only 150 Baptist churches for this vast population. So, as you can see there is a definite need for churches in the Pacific Northwest.

So, that is a large reason why I feel called to start a church in the Seattle area. The need is there and I believe God is calling more and more people to respond to this need and take the gospel to every part of our nation.

Accepting God's Call

Well, it has definitely been a long while since I have posted on the ol’ blog. A lot has been going on in my life and the life of my family since my last post. For the past several months Tina and I have been contemplating the decision to start a church in Seattle, WA. A few weeks ago we officially decided to head to the Pacific Northwest to plant a church.

This has been one of, if not the most difficult decisions Tina and I have made. Seattle is one of the more difficult places to plant a church. It is very far from all of our family and close friends. However, Tina and I cannot escape the call of God we see in Scripture. As I read through God’s Word I read of a God that calls us out. He calls us to take the gospel to places where people have not heard of the saving grace offered in Jesus Christ. He calls us to surrender our life to His lordship and control. We have been reminded over the last several months that this life is not our own. It is not our goal to be comfortable and to build up treasures here on earth.

So, with fear and trembling, we continue forward towards what we believe God is calling us to do. I must note that although we are nervous about this endeavor we are also excited about what God is going to do in and through our ministry in the Northwest. We are excited about the possibility of impacting the lives of people who do not know about Jesus and impacting a culture for the kingdom of God.

If you would like more information on the specifics of our church plant and how you can partner with us go to www.connectseattle.info.

The Abundance of the American Church

Recently my wife and I finally rented the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness. After hearing so many good reviews of this movie I was not disappointed. As you probably know, the movie is based on the true story of the trials endured by a man and his son as he tries to pull himself out of poverty and homelessness. This movie was able to do something that few movies are able to do anymore. It actually made me think about life.

After watching the struggles of the character played by Will Smith Tina and I were reminded of the many blessings in our lives. This was also a reminder to me of how ungrateful I can be at times. I complain when we don’t have enough money for me to eat out more than once or go to the movies more frequently. Yet we sit in a house we own, we have two nice cars, clothes, and most importantly two beautiful, healthy little girls.

This movie also reminded me of a recent sermon I heard from Dr. David Platt at our youth camp. He noted how much of the world is in desperate financial shape. He discussed the plight of many young children in foreign countries who do not have food to eat. And here I sit complaining that my steak was not cooked to perfection in a nice restaurant.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that it is bad to enjoy nice things or the blessings of this wonderful nation. I am just confessing my need to be more thankful for the many blessings I enjoy and often take for granted.

However, I do not think it is enough to just express gratitude. All of this also makes me think of the state of the American church. As I drive through different cities I see large church buildings costing millions of dollars. I am aware of the enormous amount of money spent on many frivolous aspects of ministry. Is this right? Could it be that we are spending too much money on our own creature comforts? Could it be that while we sit in our nice multi-million dollar buildings we are turning a deaf ear to the suffering of many other people?

I am not saying that it is sinful to have a nice building. However, Jesus’ statement in Luke 12 comes to mind, “for everyone who has been given much, much will be required.” The American church has been given enormous freedom and resources. And to the credit of many godly men and women much good has been done. The SBC alone has sponsored thousands of missionaries all over the world. I have seen the graciousness of many men and women from churches across the nation reach out to people in need during times of crisis such as Hurricane Katrina. But can we do more? I think the answer is an emphatic yes. I believe our churches need to have more of a desire to reach out and help those in need. We need to focus more energy on spreading the gospel and less on building comfortable buildings. We need to spend less on temporary structures and more on things that are eternal.

I do believe that God has blessed this nation. However, these blessings are not to be kept to ourselves. The American church has the ability to make a huge difference in the lives of millions across the world. We have the resources to help expand the gospel into all the nations. Ultimately, we have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. We have been given much, I think much will be required.