missio

Man, I love listening to this guy. He’s so “old school” it’s refreshing. He keeps it simple; which means He keeps it God-centered. He was the first to have us open to our Bibles since the conference began!! He talked about the second part of Acts 1:8 (You will be my witnesses), after interviewing Levi of Street Life Worldwide. Some great stuff from Levi about how the invasiveness of hip-hop culture across racial and economic lines presents a problem for the entire Church, not just African-American churches. Here’s some notes from Stetzer and Levi:

• People have an innate need to be saved.
• Believers have to be multiplied in order for churches to multiply.
• The proof text for Acts 1:8 is Acts 16:6-10
  • COME
    • We are sent just as Jesus was: in the flesh.
    • John 3:16 leads to John 20:21
    • Church planting is normal in the New Testament
    • Don’t plant with just a vision for the church, but plant with a vision for the people as well.
    • The how you plant is determined by the who, when, and where of your community.
    • Go into your community not someone else’s! Don’t have community lust.
    • Plant the Gospel. This leads to a church, which leads to change.
    • Plant in your culture, not someone else’s culture.
    • We’ve got to bring Christ, not just the Church.
  • HELP
    • It’s all about Jesus.
      • Start with the Gospel.
      • The bloody cross and empty tomb must stay.
      • Read God Who Sends (Dubose).
    • Being Missional Must Provide Help of the Gospel
      • Too often we’re sympathetic with culture, and we’re just identifying with it, not changing it.
    • Be Like Jesus, Do Church, and Tell the Gospel.
    • Relevance is a tool, the Gospel is the goal. Not the other way around.
    • How do we often express a loss of confidence in the gospel?
      • Personal transformation, not gospel transformation, becomes our goal.
      • Sermons are so practical they neglect the Gospel.
      • We are practical more than Biblical.
      • Outreach demeans others that preach the Gospel.
      • When you are the hero, not Jesus.
      • Personal evangelism is an oxymoron.
      • Invest and invite doesn’t lead to evangelism.
      • Attendance is a greater value than conversion.
      • The cross is lesser than the church.
      • Not offending seekers has higher priority than the cross.
    • US
      • Lost people matter to God.
      • Go therefore and make disciples….of lost people.

Great stuff from Stetzer as usual.