What Wise People Do At New Year

We call them The Three Wise Men, though we don’t know if there were three of them, or that they were men.

We don’t think they were kings.

We do know that they were wise.

They were also a bit late, arriving ‘After Jesus was born…’ 

The Bible is kind enough to spare their blushes, not let us know exactly how long ‘after’ is. They were delayed because they stopped following the star (revelation) and went to Jerusalem to ask directions (relying on their reasoning instead). I wonder how many times I turned up late to the promises of God because I wobbled and listened to the wrong people, rather than follow that star?

Fortunately there they found some people who had more revelation than they knew what to do with, prophecies that said ‘The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem,’ (Matt 2:5) so these foreigners with more faith than the chosen frozen of God saddled up again and got back on the right track.

The story can tell us a lot about the company we keep and how that can make or break us, it can warn us about who we should listen to as we head into our future, too.

But as the year closes out and a new one gets ready to start, I’m thinking about various wise people I know and those I have read about and how they finish an old year really well, to start a New Year better – and what they do and say lines up well with what these wise guys did too.

1. LOOK BACK 

‘We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’

We don’t know where they came from (East is a big place), but they did. They knew God was guiding and calling them and there’s something very powerful about that. Now’s a great time to look back over your last year and reflect on it. John Maxwell says ‘Evaluated reflection turns experience into insight.’ Everyone experienced 2014 – the key word there is evaluated.

Lots of us are having Facebook do this a little for us. I’m getting fed up of everyone’s “I had a great year – thanks for being a part of it’ to be honest, but we all need some method to do this. In the last few days I have thought back through various magic moments in my life in what we at Ivy designated the year of MORE, in the area of my friendships, finance, and family.

I remember hearing RT Kendall say, ‘Count your blessings one by one – you’ll be surprised what the Lord has done.’  Looking back for me helps me think about the ‘it just so happened’ that happened and tie them onto God’s promises and how they got fulfilled in my life which builds my faith so I can pull some principles to help determine where I want to head and what I really want to do next year.

2. LOOK UP 

‘When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.’

It was fantastic yesterday at Ivy as many people shared personal stories of how God has helped through hard times, provided unexpectedly, and answered so many prayers. Church should be the place you come to get your faith lifted! If your church doesn’t do that, if it’s closer to the court of Herod than the courts of heaven, can I suggest you get moving?

People who know Jesus Christ ought to be the most positive people on planet Earth! If God is for us, who can be against us? We have just looked at a whole series on Christmas Hope and as I look again through the nativity story I have no right or reason to be afraid as I look at the future.

God keeps his promises. God loves me enough to come to show me. God understands my ups and downs because he left the ultimate UP of heaven to come DOWN to Bethlehem’s messy manger.

God doesn’t want us to just drift into the future or to let 2015 just happen to us. If you’re feeling lost – ask him! His guidance is personal, his promises are powerful and his directions are perfect.

3. LOOK FORWARD

‘They saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ 

What do you buy for a baby? I’d be terrible at this. It’s a good job they didn’t get the newborn size because by now Jesus and Mary are living in a house in Bethlehem when there’s a knock at the door. But what each felt prompted to bring was just perfect. Presents from around the world, fit for the King. God was prompting them when they packed at the start of the journey and they responded. They were open to his guidance in dreams and that soon saved the day, then they set off with purpose, back home. I believe if we follow God’s star he will lead us as we step out. Don’t just wait around for something to happen, set a goal.

Nobody ever just went for a walk and ended up on top of Mount Everest.

Maybe the biggest difference maker I find from leaders I read about and respect is they use a time like this to set goals in various areas and have a clear vision for where they want to be, what they want to accomplish in the coming year with God’s help, and why.

The power is in that word why.

If all my goals are about me and for me, that tells me something about who I’m really living for.

Jonathan Edwards wrote, The happiest Christians are not those who accomplish all of their personal goals, but those who embrace God’s goals. 

What are your goals for GOD in 2015?

This year a bunch of us at Ivy set a goal to read the Bible in a year. And we did it. It was so good, I want to do it again. That’s a great goal.

What about a few more specific goals?

For God, family and fun? I’m setting some short, medium and long terms goals for the year. Not too many, maybe 3 or 4 – you decide as you get with God:

Maybe a goal for your prayer life? How are you going to get close to God in prayer this year?

What about a goal for giving to God’s work? Giving more, living more simply and generously. I’m talking about setting some specific, and measurable goals. So when God makes it happen you can give Him the glory.

Goals for personal development; what are you going to learn next year you don’t know now? And where are you going to go to learn?

Goals for Physical fitness? Will 2015 be the year you run that marathon?

What about a mission goal – could following the star that leads you to Jesus lead you on to another nation maybe, helping the poor and spreading the news about Jesus all around the world?

Take some time to stop – and dream again. Dream bigger, and write it down because as a wise person said yesterday at Ivy, ‘A goal is a dream with a deadline.’

The Kingdom Of God Is A Party

Very much in line with my talk for tomorrow morning where I will talk about what happened when Matthew threw a great party ‘with Jesus as the guest of honour,’ this fabulous talk by a hero of mine will blow your mind about what Christianity is really about.

Churches On The Verge Of Movement – @alanhirsch at #exponential

I’m glad I didn’t post this immediately as I made the notes so it doesn’t come out with the flurry of other posts I made recently. This one needs some marinade time. My friends Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson wrote ‘On The Verge’ a little while back and it’s a game changer. At only £3.99 on Kindle now it’s a bargain as Alan’s theological and cultural awareness combine with Dave’s practical savvy to make a book that theorists can’t just theorise over – and practitioners can’t wait to practice. 

I have read the book several times privately then picked it apart as part of a Learning Community set up by Dave Ferguson of New Thing as I prepare to step further into birthing ‘New Thing UK’ – working to create a church planting movement and identify, train and release apostolic leaders across the UK and Ireland.

It was great to hear from Alan a refresh on some of the main ideas, and my notes on his brilliant seminar follow; 

 

THE MISSIONAL CONVERSATION are you part of it?

You can make decisions now that will alter history, as long as you don’t leave it too long. We are a missional people. SENT.

If you want to know what it’s like to be unchurched/ dechurched go to visit a mosque.

Don’t make them do the missional work. We are to go to them!

There was a time when the church was in a place that if people were looking for God they’d come to church. That day’s long gone. But we still play the game as if it was that way.

 

Who do we need to change the church?

The 16% who are Innovators and Early Adopters;

People who feel there is something to be gained from thinking entrepreneurially. If you’re going to argue the toss over everything, you won’t be part of this.

But if Holy Discontent is what drives you….

 

We have to see that it’s Adapt or Die time.

There are very few growing denominations. Do you know of any? (NOTE: Actually I do, the Evangelical Free Church in Sweden, soon to be led by my friend @Norburg)

 

The best way to pass on tradition is not to wear your father’s old hat but to reproduce – new children. How? Church planting.

You need to make decisions now about what kind of church you want your kids to be a part of.

Future Travellers Process;

1)   SEE IT.

Capture imaginations. This is the first thing. Epicetus ‘It is hard to teach a man what he think he already knows.’ People THINK they know what church is. But the early church didn’t have steeples and choirs. They met on riverbanks and caves. The paradigm is vital.

The brain seeks for patterns to make meaning. And we as a group agree a paradigm, how it looks to us. Cf the Old woman/ young girl picture. When you can see one you can’t see the other.

Constantine is still the emperor of our church thinking. You don’t have permission to think differently in Christendom.

The alternative to it = movement. Movements are dynamic, changing, growing. It’s there in the Celts, in China, in early Methodism. Primal. Impacting.

It takes courage to see differently!

2)   SHIFT .

Code the system for change. How do you change paradigms? A sense of anomaly develops. Thomas Kuhn (maths – ‘The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions’). When the best practitioners of a paradigm say, ‘Yes… but – the way you’re looking at it doesn’t answer all the questions…’ then you bust the paradigm.

The others get together – and eject the old paradigm. Then they defend the new one! And so on.

The fish doesn’t know its wet.

You have to see – things – change.

New Thing (the church planting movement I’ve been challenged to spearhead in the UK and Ireland) are planting a new church every 10 days in USA. After 7 years they are at 50,000 churches – and they double every year. That’s a movement.

Look at / assess/ audit the ETHOS. The CULTURE. The Guiding story.

The church is wired to grow and change the cosmos. What’s stopping it? Ask – what’s blocking growth? E.g. – ‘What are you doing with the women?; In any movement that ever changed the world, women were fully engaged. Then you remove what’s blocking growth.

Check and change the LANGUAGE. Who’s your hero? If it’s Barth – you become a theological church. If it’s the nurse who crosses the street and sets up a homeless shelter…

Look at your branding. A good brand is a promise kept. Do you keep the promises you make? If not you ruin the brand.

Check Practices. That’s what brings the culture. The soul of the place. You can feel it. Some churches you feel ‘Oh no, I can’t do things here.’ And there are others where it’s free.

KEY leaders need to define the reality. The leader is the key to open the door. This is conceptual and irritating. Not everyone will do it – or needs to.

In Myers-Briggs terms, most people are S not N. So they ACT their way into new ways of thinking.

So you need to create some PRACTICES that help people do the new culture (eg. BLESS).

McDonalds don’t let the 18 year old make it all up. They coded it. That’s a bit too far, but we need to form habits.

3)   INNOVATE!

4)   MOVEMENTUM – The flywheel effect as Collins describes it. It’s hard, then it gets going by itself.

The greatest resource, is the people. Dave Ferguson. ‘Lead with a Yes.’ Trust people. They want to change the world!

Every believer is a potential church planter. In a seed is the potential follower. Every believer has the potential. The 12 were not the A team. But it wasn’t a professional show, it was a movement.

This stuff is pulled out in detail in the book On The Verge. Get a copy. These guys are Jedis.

 

 

 

 

Rick Warren leaders meeting, HTB leaders meeting #LC14

I was privileged to be invited with a small group of leaders to lunch with Pastor Rick Warren – afterwards there was an ‘Any Questions.’ Here are my notes on his responses. I couldn’t think of any questions so I gave him a hug instead 🙂 

Rick Warren

We can no longer lead with proclamation, we need to lead with activity ; in the public square. It’s important not to get alienated or partisan.

The local church has to reclaim health care as part of its job. Christians took care of the sick & dying
Why should we help those with mental illness?
Jesus did it – health of spirit, mind and body.
Practically, when the church gets called in to people’s troubles, we better be ready and trained to represent him.

Where do you go for help?
Small groups
Everybody has to be in one:
Meet in temple courts (large worship)
And
House to house
Saddleback has more people in small groups than Sundays.

The Pastor has to model this. Go through life together, I was there when they needed me, and vice versa. And when Matthew committed suicide, they were there in 30 minutes. To show up, and shut up
Not to bring words, but a hug.

Small is better in small groups
4 is better than 6
6 is better than 8
10 is too many.

People join a group for content
And stay for relationship

Don’t try to recruit for relationship.

How do we encourage honesty?
You create greater relationship by walking in humility; not denying your strengths but being honest about your weaknesses.

I used to think I could never say ‘Follow me as I follow Christ’
But now I realise there are no perfect models. So not pretending to be confident, admitting your fears, when people say ‘who do you think you are?’ Wrong question! ‘Who do you think God is’? We are scared, but God wants us to do it
The world is looking for today, in the UK
Is an authoritative message
In a humble personality.
The combination is irresistible

Q: how do we help young people not leave church?

– headline he saw ‘If you love Pope Francis you’ll love Jesus’ The methods change, the message doesn’t
Figure out the keys to the heart- felt needs.
Rick was a worship leader first
I’m inner city LA he wanted to reach the gangs – their key? ‘Who’s strongest?’

So they set up a weightlifting gym
Then there would be bible study
Then they had ‘who is strongest’ competition

Most churches just say ‘take it or leave it’ and they leave it.

Gallup asked the whole world ‘what’s the number 1 need in life?’ A Good Job.
Half the world is unemployed
Whoever helps find jobs and creates jobs gets the hearts.

How do we get more of the church to open their homes to the new people?

Pulpit – the rudder of the church. But you have to say it 7 ways before they get it.

Who you want to reach – put up front. When people walk into your church, the first thing they ask is not a spiritual but a sociological but one. ‘who looks like me?’

Match your greeters to who you want to reach.

Michael Frost at New Thing Gathering #exponential – Aslan on the move!

Michael Frost at New Thing Gathering #exponential

 

Only one Australian has ever won the Nobel prize for literature; Patrick White
A brutal, critical hater of the church
in his biography he wrote about how he was with his gay partner of 40 years when he went out on the farm to feed his dogs,

He fell on his backside, covered in mud and dogfood he heard a voice say ‘who the hell do you think you are?’

He thought God was speaking to him.

So he went to church next week with his partner

He went to the Anglican Church and sat at the back, where the Rector was telling people off for entering the jelly bean counting contest and being gamblers.
‘I realised whatever faith I had needed to be a private matter’

And too many churches are putting people like that off or telling them off
Rather than being with them.
Being their friends I
And saying ‘that God who was taking to you, he’s my friend and he wants to be yours too.’

Canada – Another couple of Christians decided to pray for their neighbours every Tuesday night
They moved in and prayed

One night theres a knock at the door
A Muslim knocked on the door
‘Tonight Jesus came and said in a dream go and ask Nigel what I want you to do to help Single mums’

Thailand
A friend was sitting in a cafe
A Buddhist monk approached him
‘I had a vision of Jesus Christ he told me to be here and Paul would tell me what to do.’
He led him to Christ
And He has in turn led 12 other Buddhist monks who follow Jesus.

God is at work
Something is up
God is working beyond the church because we are not sending people out and equipping them
So he says ‘I shall reign wherever I choose even if my people won’t be there’

We need people willing to nice out of the Christian bubble to where he’s already working, in the pubs and among the poor

We Christians have nothing to fear!
Why ?
God is on the move
Cf Aslan on the move.
It’s happening in the nations now, the thaw is happening now!
We are being set free from the frozen place.
God is about raising up an army.
God is winning!
There’s pain and suffering
But those days are numbered
And all heaven is breaking loose !
Get involved!

Don’t escape from reality or look to blame and scapegoat for the problems in the world
It comes from a heart of fear

Churches shouldn’t be fearful places
We should be the most engaged
And involved

Jesus was our scapegoat
We don’t need to blame anyone for your problems
You’re set free
Sent into the world
Not called into an escape pod

God is directing history to its true end
It’s our honour to be part of it.

Principles For Healthy Church Growth (From Acts 1 & 2) – Dave Smith #bgbg2

This is about principles not techniques for healthy church growth

From Acts 1 & 2

 

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach

 

The key to healthy church ministry is that it is the CONTINUING ministry of Jesus. Acts is not just the acts of the apostles but the empowering continuing work of Jesus. We can’t create growth.

We can position ourselves close enough to Jesus to follow His Spirit and do what he tells us.

It’s about following Jesus. That’s  job 1! And it takes the pressure off.

 

But if it was all about Jesus, every church would be growing.

Before Jesus does something through us he wants to do some things in us.

Jesus had prepared the disciples for what lay ahead.

 

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

 

God wants to do some foundational stuff, he lets us be broken down before he builds up through us. So much is seasonal in how he prepares us, it’s cyclical. Be alert to the season you’re in – if there’s not fruit work showing, maybe there’s root work growing.

 

We need a harvest vision.

“you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Get that ahead of now vision. God gives leaders a grace to see ahead of time. And he is able to do more than we can expect or imagine – that’s confidence not presumption. And you make your plan based on THAT. You see the big vision ahead and work back from that.

 

At this year (25 celebration) Stuart Bell said ‘hear that founding word again.’ So they say they want to play their part to see the UK come back to God.

If you’re stuck, maybe it’s a vision issue. Get back with God

 

LOVE where you are. Love your Jerusalem. Unless you love the place, you’ll never love and reach the people.

 

Ask the Holy Spirit to do an experiment with you to break the barriers.

 

Constant Prayer

 

When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

 

The suddenly of God’s Pentecost starts because of the preparation in prayer. Yonghi Cho was asked how he got that amazing growth: ‘I pray, and I obey.’

 

Prayer is core to who they are. It grows out of him.

 

Prayer is not a monologue but a dialogue and he has a lot more interesting things to tell me than I have to tell him.

 

However you look at church history, revivals worldwide etc. – you see that when people seriously get hold of God in prayer, fasting, things happen.

 

In Sept 99 they started a pattern of fasting across the church

3 days one month. 1 day the next month.

They have ‘Deep Night’ prayer meetings regularly – create an atmosphere of presence, break through. We have to get hold of prayer and that’s how we advance and are protected. Don’t just have crisis prayer. 

 

The disciples were used to walking to the upper room to prayer. Never assume that people have got the basics.

Cf Willow’s Reveal.

Are the people getting built into regular daily Bible reading and prayer.

 

Right Leadership – and transitions

 

There was this strange thing that then took place about how they cast lots. Not the way we’d do it – but there’s something about leadership needing to be right before the Spirit gets poured out.

They had a forced leadership transition. But they said ‘we want someone who has our DNA, who’s been on the journey.

 

Some parts of the church in the world is it’s hire and fire.

Some parts of the church it’s family.

Both ways of doing it can be problematic.

 

We have to have a flexibility in our culture where some can be elevated and others not and it be okay and nobody throws their toys out.

 

Don’t get someone in because of their gift – have they got your DNA? Watch how much influence you give them.

 

Empowering Presence

Acts 1;8

 

His church was having an amazing time charismatically and spiritually, lying on the floor having a good time while lost people were staying well away.

 

The way they administered the moves of the Spirit were not furthering the work of the Spirit.

 

Look at Luke’s description of the work of the Spirit – it’s a prophetic empowerment for ministry, not lying down.

 

We have to think wisely about what we do and when.

We can learn to be attractive by being a little more attractional.

Roll on the floor before.

 

Maybe we don’t have to do everything in one service?

 

Have a deeper night regularly.

 

If they had not made those changes, they would never have got where they are – and they see MORE of the Holy Spirit moving and changing lives now and tangibly there – more than they ever did back then.

This is not diluting the gospel, but wise in the way we administer our Sunday service.

You don’t hear ‘My friend came in and was freaked out’

You do hear ‘My friend came in and just started weeping because they knew God is here.’

 

Have a swimming pool. A big shallow end and a deep end too. Don’t throw them all in at the deep end and expect them to swim! They call theirs ‘Touching Heaven.’

 

Mission

Most of what church does is aiming at the 20%. How do we reach the 80%

 

Finally

Nobody gets saved just because the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost .  You can have lots of Holy Spirit meetings.

 

PREACHING MATTERS.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

 

Do the work of an evangelist.

Lean into specials like Christmas. Where a whole lot of people invite a whole lot of people…

 

Get people to come, and then keep them coming…

 

Carefully crafted sermon series are key to reaching and keeping people.  Keep people on the journey, and build them into this kind of community…

 

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT MORE COULD HE HAVE DONE FOR US?

(This is from last Sunday night’s talk at the Ivy AGM – Awesome Gratitude Meeting)

One of my favourite author/ speakers died last year – his name was Brennan Manning. If you have ever read ‘Ragamuffin Gospel’ you’ll never forget it.

I have read lots of what he’s written and listened to many of his talks, but it was only this week I heard the amazing story about how he got the name “Brennan.” Because his real name was Richard Xavier Francis Manning – a good Irish catholic name, to be sure.

While growing up, his best friend was Ray. The two of them did everything together: went to school together, bought a car together as teenagers, double-dated, and so forth. They even enlisted in the Army together, went to boot camp together and fought on the frontlines together in the Korean War.

One night while sitting in a foxhole, Brennan was reminiscing about the old days in Brooklyn while Ray listened and ate a chocolate bar. Suddenly a live grenade came into the trench. Ray looked at Brennan, smiled, dropped his chocolate bar and threw himself on the live grenade. It exploded, killing Ray, but Brennan’s life was saved.

When Brennan became a priest he was instructed to take on the name of a saint. He thought of his friend, Ray Brennan. So he took on the name “Brennan.”

Years later he went to visit Ray’s mother in Brooklyn. They sat up late one night having tea when Brennan asked her, “Do you think Ray loved me?” Mrs. Brennan got up off the couch, shook her finger in front of Brennan’s face and shouted, “What more could he have done for you?”

Brennan said that at that moment he experienced an epiphany. He imagined himself standing before the cross of Jesus wondering, Does God really love me? And Jesus’ mother Mary pointing to her son, saying, “What more could he have done for you?”

We sometimes might wonder, Does God really love me? Am I important to God? Does God care about me?

We might look at our church and think about making big plans and whether it’s really possible for us to make a massive impact on the city. Will God give us what we need?

The answer is in Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

What MORE could he have done for us?

And how do we honour what Jesus has already done for us?

Two ways:

1) By being really, deeply, increasingly GRATEFUL and…

2) By asking for MORE. Because that shows we know what a kind God he is, so we can ask again.

Saul of Tarsus never got over God saving him. He never got tired of telling the story of his conversion. Over and over, just look through the book of Acts, he’s unstoppable, every chance he gets. Later he writes –

1 Tim 1:12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence.

Paul says he was once so far away. Anti-God and he didn’t even know it. Religious but self-righteously so wrong – about everything. Some of us know the feeling.

Likewise, I never want to get over the most important thing that ever happened in my life, when Jesus Christ saved it, revealed his love and his glory to me, and I wasn’t even his friend – I was his enemy.

I threw the grenade he fell on! He died in my place. He was battered and whipped and suffered for my sin. He shed his bled for me. What more could he have done for me?

But then there was more. Always more.

I’ve been a moaner and a worrier and a complainer at times. I’ve not been anything like as appreciative as I should have been of people who have helped me so much through the years, or the God who put them there so many times. But he has forgiven me of so much, protected me, rebuked me, kept me from falling countless times. Wow.

What more could he have done?

Always more. He’s given me a wonderful wife, an incredible family, every one of whom is walking with him too. Of course there have been hard times too along the way but I’m also grateful tonight for the tough times too because He has always only ever been good in all of that. He’s given me the best friends anyone could want, good health, blessings and blessings and blessings.

The list is endless. Because there was always more. He has been pleased to use me. Called me to serve him full time, for which I am eternally grateful. What more could he have done?

But then there was more! 5 and a half years ago he called us back to this city with this personal promise from Genesis 31:3 right at the centre of the call here to Manchester: The LORD said…”Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you.”

Ivy was and is a church full of incredible people. I tell leaders all over the nation and all over the world about the changes we’ve been through and the unity and loyalty here is astonishing! Ivy people amaze me time and time again. And they attract more and more Ivy people who amaze me more and more. You can’t out-challenge Ivy people. They step up and step out in faith, time and time and time again.

I am so grateful for the leaders who’ve been there on the journey and everyone who has waded in with us as we’ve moved from here to there, then to there, then to there, and then back here at about the same time as going there and then there, and now we’re going to go here, there – and everywhere. Ivy people get excited by being on that journey with God. This is not a normal church.

Who wants normal?! Normal is over-rated, and underachieving.

In the last 5 and half years God has done so much for us. I am stunned as I consider how many hundreds of people he’s added to the family. Just looking back over the last year! WOW. What more could he have done for us?!

Phil 4:6 says Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We have some major building plans before us as we look to transform our existing building into a missional hub. That involves bigger financial targets, as we prepare to grow a national church planting network as part of New Thing, a global network we belong in now. This year we plan to do more mission, plant more Ivy churches, train more and more leaders, make more disciples, and reach more places in the nation and the nations.

According to the God, how much of this should we worry about? (Fill in the blank ________ )

How much should we pray about, ask God about, make requests about? ALL OF IT.

But the phrase I want to underline here, is ‘WITH THANKSGIVING’.

Because I’m in danger of taking so much for granted.

I know as a ‘Go for it’ leader there are times when I have been very focused on the front end at times of getting people on board with the projects, but not thankful enough for those who didn’t just get onboard but without whom we’d never have a hope of getting there.

Elders, staff (Past and present), buildings team, children’s and youth workers, coffee makers, chair putter outers, welcomers, generous givers, sound team, worship team, missions team, Ivy team. Sundays and through the week. There’s so much going on – life bursting out everywhere and I can’t catalogue it and I literally CAN’T thank everyone, enough. But I’m sorry when I didn’t.

And I just owe God so much, I know I am a favoured man. God’s been so good to me. But at times I’ve just been good at asking and whatever supplicating means and making my requests known – but paid so little attention to the thanksgiving that was missing.

One thing I used to love when I was leading an Anglican church, there were some great prayers people had written to help you pray. Sometimes the words, written centuries before, would just resonate. There’s one for when you’re just generally thankful – but especially for Jesus. That has always been a favourite!

How much MORE could He do for us?

It’s Ivy’s year of more. I believe it, even though I don’t know much of what it entails, we make the path as we step into it.

But even if he never did anything more for any of us; we owe our ultimate gratitude for God’s ultimate gift, as these words from the C16th remind us. Why not pray it where you are?

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, 
we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks 
for all thy goodness and loving-kindness 
to us and to all men. 


We bless thee for our creation, preservation, 
and all the blessings of this life; 
but above all for thine inestimable love 
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; 
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

And, we beseech thee, 
give us that due sense of all thy mercies, 
that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; 
and that we show forth thy praise, 
not only with our lips, but in our lives, 
by giving up our selves to thy service, 
and by walking before thee 
in holiness and righteousness all our days; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, 
be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

No Such Thing As Private Morality.

Tomorrow we finish a series I have loved us going through at Ivy, all about David. We’ve been in his life for months and learned a lot.

But as we draw a close on his life, I’m left wishing he finished better – and praying that I will finish well.

David was a man after God’s own heart. But as we track through his life we know that David’s heart was often broken. All of our hearts are broken by sin. By wrong things we’ve done and things done to us. Last week we saw how at times, temptation won and sin reigned in David’s heart and controlled him.

If you want to check out my video teaching on that fall with Bathsheba it’s available free on ‘Ivy Player’ on www.ivymanchester.org now

Now while David was forgiven of that because he turned to God in repentance, consequences came back to bite him. That’s something we often forget ahead of our sin, or even post confession.

Consequences.

There were consequences with regard to how much God could bless him, because that was linked to how much God could trust him. Ouch.

God effectively said to him, ‘I’d have done so much more through and for you…’ But David’s legacy was limited because of his sin.

And of course there were massive consequences in his family.

As I have observed it, people who go their own way and ignore God’s advice and commands about marriage, relationships and sex INVARIABLY end up with much more complicated lives.

All kinds of consequences. Mixed up, messed up families.

There’s no such thing as private morality.

‘Well what goes on in private doesn’t matter to anyone else.’

Crap.

It doesn’t just affect you – it affects generations of people, it affects society. David was told in scripture really clearly that a King should not ‘multiply wives.’ One’s more than enough! But he thought ‘I know best, and I have these needs, and I’m the special one…’ so he added lots of wives. Seven official ones, some count eight. He probably lost count too, what with all the concubines as well.

Then Bathsheba, someone else’s wife. And twenty children. Talk about complications!

The Bible pulls no punches in describing the murky gory detail of what went on with David’s kids, following his sin with Bathsheba. The terrible example he had set, his private contrition but public abdication of responsibility as a father; it’s X rated stuff at times, Game of Thrones has nothing on these power games and lies. Everyone’s in bed with someone or wanting to be.

To say the family ends up a mess as the years go on is a massive understatement.

So in the week a new prince was born, tomorrow we finish the series with the story of King David and a prince called Absalom in a royally messed up family. You’ll be able to listen to the talk on our website free podcast next week if you like.

But I want us to reflect on the families around us. To pray for and think about our own families. Families in our culture. What does that even mean these days?

Because David modelled sin to his kids as they grew up, then ended up as a passive father while they went from bad to worse. Probably because of his own failure, because of guilt and shame, because he’d set such a bad example, he was frozen solid as a dad. He didn’t engage with his wives because he had too many, he didn’t step up, discipline or confront his family as it went more and more dysfunctional.

Why? It seems David needed to be liked by his children more than he needed to be a Dad to them. He cried a lot and got pathetic around them but he wanted to be a pal not a parent.

He kept telling himself, ‘It’ll be okay, it’ll be ok.’ It was not okay!! The snowball was just getting bigger and bigger and bigger…

Problems don’t go away just because we want them to, or ignore them long enough. Resentments grow stronger. Patterns get deeper. Rifts become wider. That’s why God wants us to deal with and discipline sin, not deny it! He wants us to see sin for what it is and the damage it causes. To confront it and take action.

Before private sin leads to public shame.

Help us Jesus.

Debra Green @debrajgreen Work, Rest and Pray. 2 Sam 7 Building The House

David was the second king of Israel his reign – 1010 to 1002 BC A righteous king, but not perfect.

2 Sam 7:1-16
David has built himself a great house, satisfied and at peace at last, with material provided by the King of Tyre.
But then he looks at ark in its tent and starts to think, ‘What about God?! His house?’
I think he had a good motive for this, he wanted to bless God. He wanted God to feel at home. Nathan says yes.
But then he prays.
Prophets have to pray not just say!
And God reveals that it’s a good plan, but ‘I am going to build YOU a house, David!’ His vision becomes a REvision. He revises it.
Plans are not a bad thing. But we need to Work, Rest and Pray! We need to take our plan and pray it through.
Do not go with your plan.
It’s good to write down our list.
To honour God and reflect something of his glory by building the best. To take inspiration from other people.
Study. Be diligent.

And submit your plan to him.

And wait to hear from God. He may want to do something far better!

A divine appointment is better than what is in your diary.

Our best intentions? His are better!
Work
God has a plan to blow your mind.

God says ‘and I will give you rest.’ Bring your heart to God today, it’s not too late. Rest. Rest is not the opposite to work- it’s just putting ourselves in his will.

Pray!
God has a bigger plan and he will give you more than you expect. He will take what you offer him He will bless the house (vs 27)

Unless The Lord builds the house, the Labourers labour in vain

SOW MORE SEED – BILL HYBELS

From DVD of Willow Creek GLS last year – watched with staff team today.

Parable of talents. – Luke 8

Despite how bountifully the seed is sown (the good news of God’s love). Some people reject it- but don’t get discouraged. Some of it will land on good soil, too.

The maths of this is amazing for the seed rejection ratio – he says there’s a 75% rejection rate.

But then look at the maths of the tree that represents someone who says yes and has their life changed.  How much is produced by a transformed life.

We want to see more trees!

So – what must I do?

PLANT MORE SEED!

To overcome the rejection maths. Don’t just complain about the rejection rate!

Plant different kinds of seed.

We have to sow a lot more seed in our communities.

Alpha Course

Just Walk Across The Room

Experiment!!

You will see more trees.

Leader – this depends on you. The church takes its cues from you. One of the fundamental requirements of a leader is to learn, experiment and stay curious. So entropy will not occur on your watch.  Become incessant tinkerers. Keep thinking how to do it better.

Change your middle name to BETTER.

Become better.

You’d better!

And inspire everyone around you to get better.

Because trees are worth it!