jeff warren Posts

The Myth of More

24 Jun , 2010 2 Comments

We often think, “the more I have the better off I’ll be.  The more I have the happier I’ll be.”  Someone said, “I know money can’t buy happiness but I would sure love to figure that out through my own personal experience.”  Well, you don’t need to.  In fact, the entire book of Ecclesiastes is a primer on wisdom learned from mistakes made by a man who had it all.  Solomon wrote the book (and God put it in the Bible) so that we could all learn from his experience.  He was the wealthiest man in the world.  In Ecclesiastes 5:10-17 he reveals the myth of having more. In his little book, The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn breaks it down like this:

The more you have…

The more you want (vs. 10), the less you’re satisfied (vs. 10), the more people will come after it (vs. 11), the more you realize it does you no good (vs. 11), the more you have to worry about (vs. 12), the more you can hurt yourself by holding on to it (vs. 13), the more you have to lose (vs. 14), and the more you leave behind (vs. 15).

J. D. Rockefeller was, at one time the wealthiest man on earth.  When he died a reporter asked the executor of the Rockefeller’s estate, “How much did he leave behind?”  The executor answered, “All of it.”

Giving is the only antidote to materialism.

When you embrace the fact that God owns all that you have, then you’re free to give out of adoration and celebration- not out of obligation or calculation.  People who’ve been set free from their stuff give joyfully- it’s the hilarious giver that Paul talks about. Instead, people have all kinds of strange ideas about giving, about giving 10%, about the offering…

God prospers me, not to raise my standard of living but my standard of giving.

The truth is, most of us are working- not to fund our needs but to fund a lifestyle that we’ve chosen lifestyle.  At the core of the missional life is one who is a GIVER- and YES, it starts with our money because money is number one deterrent to living a life of generosity.

Five Things You Can Do With Your Money (the world’s way):

1. Spend it  2. Repay debt  3. Pay taxes  4. Save it  5. Give it

The Financial Flip-flop (God’s way):

1. Give it  2. Save it  3. Pay taxes  4. Repay debt  5. Spend it

Here’s what I’ve learned: Underneath this entire conversation about holding loosely to your stuff is this: a proper understanding of GRACE.  If you have come to realize that you are a sinner saved by grace then you will practice radical generosity- not just in certain areas of your life, but in every aspect of your life.   When you realize the cost of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and how He has bought you to be His own- how He has given His life for you to set you free from sin, guilt, and hell- then you begin to live in that freedom.  You’re not bound to the things of this world.  Then, and only then, will you lighten up.

A Vision of City Transformation

24 May , 2010 1 Comment

We’ve decided to “paint the town”.  At FBC McKinney we’re discovering much about how God moves to transform a city.  As God’s people we must first realize that His plan is for the whole Church to take the whole Gospel to the whole world.  We must start where we are.  Does a church exist unto itself?  An externally-focused church will bring it’s time, talents, and resources to the mission of God in the world.  A church that determines to impact it’s local community will ask a series of questions in order to the discover God’s specific mission for that unique body of believers.  How are we uniquely gifted?  What has God called us to do in our unique Jerusalem?  How should our specific resources (of people, talents, passions, experiences, etc.) be used by God in our community? How does Christ want to transform our culture through us?  How can the people of God join Him in the transformation of our city?

God is calling us to bring the Gospel into every domain of culture (education, government, recreation, media, public safety, medical, business, etc…). Recently I challenged our people to determine their primary mission field.  It is there that God is calling them to live out the “Jesus life”.  We placed four different canvases and paint around our campus, each representing different domains of culture (wherever we may find ourselves primarily).  Each person was given a brush and encouraged to paint his/her name on the canvas as a commitment to “paint the town” with God’s love.  In so doing we’ve decided to paint the kingdom- a better story for our city.  The canvases together form a giant display of our mission: Christ and His love shining brightly through each of us in our specific areas of passion and influence. We’ve learned that God has blessed us to be a blessing to others.  We desire to love God so passionately others that are blessed and to love others so passionately that God is blessed. We’re learning that when we decide to show up (incarnationally- “in the flesh”) and simply serve others, Jesus shows up.  They see Him in us.  We have experienced, what we believe, are transferable principles as we have impacted the domain of education in our city.  Through 3e McKinney we have adopted the Title 1 schools in McKinney.  We have hundreds of our people investing in others at Finch Elementary School where we have simply shown up to serve them.  We know that God loves every child (and family represented) at Finch, so we do too.  As a result we are partnering with God in what He’s already doing there.  It has been amazing.  Now we’re asking some bigger questions: How does God want us to show up and bless other people in every domain of our culture?  THAT’S how Christ transforms a city (a state, a nation, a world)- through His people who simply decide to show up and serve.  Join us in the transformation of our world by serving someone- intentionally in the name of Jesus- today.

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

“Go and Be” the Church

07 May , 2010 No Comments

This past weekend our church family (FBC McKinney) decided not to come to worship services but to worship through service.  We had 1,600 volunteers serve the Lord by serving our community through our “Go and Be” initiatives.

Why such an effort? Because we’ve decided to take Jesus’ words, “love your neighbor as yourself” seriously (Matthew 22:39).  He said we love God when we love others.  He said, “If you love me you will obey my commands” (John 14:21).  He said that others will know we love Him by our love for them (John 13:35).

A large church of spectator Christians tends to produce more of the same.  We have enough of those churches.  It’s important to “come and see” what God is doing “at church”.  But the Church for which Jesus died is actually on the move out in the world as His followers “go and be” the Church 24/7.  Taking one Sunday away from our gathering continues to hold high the value or serving our community as Jesus has called us to.  We have been blessed to be a blessing.

Watch this video: Go and Be video/results

Greater Things (John 14:6-24)

29 Apr , 2010 No Comments

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

Jesus said we will do “greater things” than He has done.  I’ve always wrestled with this.  What did He mean?  He did many miracles and amazing things that no one had ever done before- and no one will ever do again- yet He says we’ll do even “greater things”.  How will we do “greater things”?

  • His presence is no longer confined to one body.
  • He will be unleashed in us.

Many followers of Jesus have underestimated the power of Christ in us. It is the power of the Holy Spirit in us that brings transformation- in OUR lives and in the lives of others. If you are a child of God, when you show up, you change the entire environment, an entire setting of a room. You are a child of God! HIS presence is IN you. You walk in and God shows up! Do you know people like that?  I do.  Are you one of those people? Have you ever been with someone and the moment they walk into the room they seem to suck all the positive air out of the room? Unfortunately many Christians can be that way. Instead, we should recognize our influence as salt and light in our encounters with others.

  • His movement is no longer restricted to one area.
  • He will be scattered in us.

When Christ was on earth His ministry was confined to a relatively small area in Palestine.  Once He was raised and ascended His followers were scattered in to ever-increasing regions of the world.  They moved out, not independent of Him, but totally dependent on Him by His Spirit in them.  When Jesus was on earth He impacted thousands but since His ascension (and the Coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts2) He has transformed billions of lives.  Only God can do that!

  • His Spirit is no longer tethered to one Person.
  • He is now in us.

When Jesus walked the earth, the very presence of God was upon Him- the Spirit “tabernacled” in HIM.  And Jesus taught that the Spirit would not come to us until He was gone (i.e. John 14, 17).  So the Spirit was confined to one Man- Jesus.  His prophesy is fulfilled in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit comes upon the people.  Consider this: We often think of the “greater things” as the miracles of Jesus.  But in Acts (once the Spirit is unleashed) the greater miracle emphasized is the miracle of salvation.

It is always important for the Church to gather but it is the Church scattered that brings about the “greater things”. Our first order of mission is never accomplished in our gatherings but as we are scattered into the world, serving others as Jesus did.  Today His Spirit resides in us as His incarnational presence lives in us.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

Christ Transforming Culture

16 Apr , 2010 No Comments

Call me crazy but I am certain that when Christ was dying on the cross He was not thinking, “Now my followers will be able to go to church on Sundays until I return.”  I believe His vision was one of a people radically transformed by His love and, in response to His love, loving others in the same way He did.  I say this because this is exactly what He taught.

The Church Jesus envisioned was one transforming every aspect of culture, one person at a time.  By “the Church” I mean His people (not a building or even a gathering) but His followers scattered across every aspect of culture.  Christ alone will transform our culture and He will do it through His followers.  How does this happen?

When we speak of culture we are talking about multiple domains among a people.  In America it might be shown like this graphic on the left (there are clearly other ways to break down the different domains but these are the main divisions).  Often we think that the Church (or even our faith) is one domain among many and if we could just get people IN church we will impact our culture for Christ.  Increasingly, however, people are not going to church and therefore many conclude that our impact in culture is waning.  However, when we explore the early Church we see that “success” was never measured by how many were “coming to church”.  Their measure of “success” was simply dying to self, living for Jesus, and loving Him so passionately others were blessed.  I believe that God is bringing about an awakening among His people and I see a reformation of global proportions taking place.  This reformation is not about something “new” but about something very old.  It is a rediscovery of the Church, not simply gathered, but scattered.  Gathering is critical to the life and health of Christ’s followers but it is the church scattered that transforms a culture.

A better depiction of the Church is one scattered across the many domains of culture.  As Christ’s followers recognize themselves as a sent people, sharing His love with others (by serving and sharing the Gospel), we will see the culture revolutionized by His love.  When a culture is transformed it means that people across every domain are encountering Christ and His bigger Story.  His bigger Story (the Gospel) is bringing restoration and redemption to all people and to every aspect of culture.  Business people realize that they are being called into God’s bigger and better Story- blessing others through ethical business, providing income for families to have what they need, and offering necessary goods and services.  They’re actually partnering with God and His greater kingdom agenda in Christ.  Parents realize that their role is to raise children to love God so passionately that others are blessed.  Politicians and government workers rise up to serve their God-given role to protect, bring justice, and bless the people by serving them.  Educators join the great calling to teach and train up children as global citizens and servants of God.  Those in media and entertainment seek to recapture the arts to the glory of God, expressing truth and beauty in all that they do. This is the church scattered.  And like all previous reformations this one will come from the bottom up as God’s people decide to trust Him enough to live out the words of Jesus:

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28