What If He Shows Up?

"Much of the time when Christians come together they don't usually expect God to do much, but God is like an anxious bridegroom outside the brides door, waiting to be invited in..."

                        - John Wimber

Think about this word when you go to church tomorrow.  Why not invite Him in?

  

 

 

Everybody Gets To Play - The Book

In conjunction with the post immediately below this, I recommend the book Everybody Gets to Play, selections from John Wimber's writings on decentralized ministry.  Good stuff!

"John Wimber wasn't interested in religion -- he was interested in a relationship with Jesus and discovering how that impacted the way he lived his life and the people with whom he shared his life. He viewed community as a great opportunity to put into practice the teachings of Jesus and felt following Jesus wasn't a spectator sport. In Everyone Gets to Play, Wimber's writings and teachings on life together in Christ drives home the importance of one of his favorite sayings and shares some of his ideas on what that can look like. From taking risks to prayer to leading others, Wimber s skillfully penned words from his writings and teachings still resonate powerfully today."

‘Everyone Gets to Play’

One of the things that I like the most about the Vineyard Movement is the ‘Everyone Gets to Play philosophy and ministry model. This is the principle of decentralized ministry; training and equipping all believers to pray for one another and for anyone (in or out of church) needing Jesus. John Wimber taught this idea extensively at the very beginning of our movement and planted it as foundational to our spiritual DNA .

Here's a discussion of that value at the Deep Church blog.

To me, ‘everyone gets to play’ is rooted in the belief that ‘doing ministry’ is not to be the sole prerogative of ‘the leader’, the big name superstar who was so often a feature of individualistic charismatic and pentecostal ministries in the twentieth century. It’s sad, but not hard to see why Christians from time-to-time get drawn towards an iconic, sparkly-eyed, dualistic figure who seems to live in a realm somewhere in-between the real world and the heavenly places, dispensing other-worldly wisdom and anointed ministry, and upon whose mystical spirituality one can but gaze in awe. Someone who has a ‘special anointing’ and is far closer to God than ordinary people, especially if one believes God is located on another planet. Some of us grew up with the assumption that – whether in a local meeting or on the big stage at some national event – this was essentially what anointed Spirit-filled Christianity was all about. Oh, how God must long for more such leaders, we thought. Oh, to be ‘not of this world’ in the same way ourselves. Surely this is what Jesus must have been like.

Parody the front-of-house superstar though one might (or as I would argue, one should), there are some serious theological points here concerning the priesthood of all believers and the way God gives the gifts of his Spirit to the church. It touches on the very essence of the human relationship with God and with one another within his Body. It has to do with our understanding of how God moves in us, through us and among us (plural) as a Christian community, not just in and through me as an individual.....

....It is biblically impossible to be a one-person ministry; at least, it is if we expect more than a tiny minority of the Spirit’s gifts to be present in that ministry. God has decided that only in community will all of the gifts be visible. If we want to see the full anointing of the Spirit, it will only be visible in us as a community. Only when we are together with others are we able, collectively, to reflect the full gifts of the Spirit. He gives them to each one, not to just one. How then can we limit those who ‘get to play’, if only God knows to whom he has determined to give each gift

Read the whole thing - It's worth it!

At our church we teach what we call "the ministry class" a couple times each year. Therefore, we have college students, new Christians, redeemed alcoholics, and all other kinds of people trained to pray for the sick, hurting and needy, and active in doing the Jesus stuff. Isn't that a wonderful way to do church!

“Do the Stuff?"

Speaking of John Wimber (see post below), Michael at Charismatica posted my favorite Wimber story on Tuesday: John Wimber: “When do we get to do the stuff?"

"A professional musician who played the Las Vegas circuit for 5 years, John later signed with the Righteous Brothers. When John was gripped by God in 1963, he was a “beer-guzzling, drug abusing pop musician, who was converted at the age of 29 while chain-smoking his way through a Quaker-led Bible Study.”

He soon became a voracious Bible reader and after weeks of reading about life changing miracles in the Bible and attending boring church services, John asked a lay leader:"“When do we get to do the stuff? You know, the stuff here in the Bible; the stuff Jesus did, like healing the sick, raising the dead, healing the blind - stuff like that?”

He was told that they didn’t do that anymore – only what they did in their weekly services. John replied, “You mean I gave up drugs for that?”

It was a good question then, and remains a good question now. I'm glad to be part of a local congregation where we are still seeking to "Do the Stuff!" I'm also glad that stuff happens!

I Want to Do the Stuff

Eric Jones wants to do the stuff! TRANSFORMED DAILY!: I want to do it all

Am I a disciple of Christ? What does a disciple look like? I think of two scriptures where Jesus told us what he wants His disciples to be doing.

As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. - Matthew 28:19-20

God, I ask that you would send me just as you sent your original twelve disciples – preaching the kingdom of God, healing the sick, raising the dead, driving out demons, baptizing, and teaching others to obey all of your commands. You say that we have all the authority in you to do these things for your kingdom; may it be so in my life. I want to do it all and be used by you for your glory. May I get out of the way and let you do your full work in me and through me.

As a Vineyard guy, I love the story from John Wimber's testimony when he attended a church service for the first time. Coming from the world of pop music, he had been reading the Gospels but had no church background. Upon leaving his first church service, he said to the preacher "That was interesting, but when do you do the stuff?" The pastor was totally confused - what do you mean "stuff" he asked? John replied, " You know, the Jesus stuff; healing the sick, casting out demons. I read about it in the book." "Oh," said the preacher, "we don't do that stuff anymore!" John made it his life mission to do the stuff, and to teach others to do what Jesus did.

I agree with Wimber and with Eric Jones above - I want to do the Stuff! I want to be part of a church where doing the stuff is normal and expected. I want to take the stuff outside of the church walls and into the streets. Am I doing it yet? Sometimes, in some partial ways. Nope, can't say I've arrived yet. But I am seeking and seeing signs of hope. I know people who are doing it more than I am. God's Word, commission and promises are more important than my (so far) limited experience.

Anyone want to join us on this quest?