Keith Burnett Ministries

Equipping for Evangelism

Winning the War That Matters, 2

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Equipping Mission Volunteers

The previous post was about worship as a weapon of our warfare. Worship was God’s chosen weapon to deliver Judah from destruction. There are three things we also need to know:

  • Worship is one tool of fully equipped mission volunteers
  • The words of Jesus teach this truth
  • We need a deeper understanding of this mighty weapon

Worship – Essential for Mission Volunteers

Every Christian is a mission volunteer. You weren’t drafted. Remember Revelation 3:20. Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks. He doesn’t beat the door down. Surrendering our lives to Him is synonymous with volunteering to serve. That said, the our lives are on mission for Him and the missions come from Him. That’s how Jesus lived on earth and it’s how we are to live. The proof is here:

As the Father has sent Me, so send I you.

Life LessonsNot only are we on mission, we have been equipped to succeed in our assigned missions. And that equipping is also an important lesson. I have often written about mission volunteers. In most instances that refers to people who are part of a short-term mission team. I talk about the need to equip those volunteers for they work they have been called to do. Why do they need equipping? So they can succeed in their mission and complete the work at hand.

Think about it! By His grace, Jesus has equipped us for every good work. Since one of our missions is to sow the seed of the Gospel, how does He equip us for that work? Notice:

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

He supplies the seed, multiplies it, and increases the harvest. He thoroughly equips us. This reminder of how Jesus equips us should also encourage us to be like Him. Imitating Him means we have the opportunity (responsibility) to equip those He has called to His service.

Jesus Speaks 

David was inspired to write many of the Psalms. Psalm 8 is one of those. There we find:

From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

Please notice the word strength. The Hebrew word for strength is oz. In the Old Testament it is translated as:

  • Strength, 60 times
  • Strong, 17 times
  • Power, 11 times
  • Might, 2 times
  • Boldness, 1 time
  • Loud, 1 time
  • Mighty, 1 time

In Matthew 21, Jesus quotes this verse when the Pharisees told Him to quiet the crowd at the Triumphal Entry. There we see this:

[They] said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?”

Now, the New Testament is written in Greek. Did you notice how Jesus changed the words? Here, Jesus says God has ordained praise.  The Greek word for praise is ainos. It is used only two times in the New Testament and both times it is translated as praise. See:

Did Jesus misquote the Scripture? That’s not really possible since He is the Living Word of God (see John 1). So what are we to conclude based on the fact that Jesus is the One speaking? For Christians,

Praise (Worship) = Strength (Power)

That’s the only thing we can conclude because God is not a man that He should lie. He cannot misquote His own Word.

Toward a Deeper Understanding

Mission VolunteersIs worship just that time you spend at church on Sunday morning? For some preachers it’s what they have to sit through before they preach. Is worship just the music we use (contemporary or traditional)? The enemy has deceived many regarding their understanding of God’s great worship gift. Our enemy is delighted if our understanding of worship runs no deeper than these surface examples. Worship is truly a deep subject!

Volumes have been written on worship. I will offer only two examples to spur your thinking. But rest assured there is much more to be said and learned. Two apostles show us the nature and depth of God’s gift of worship power:

Peter calls us a royal priesthood. That means:

  • We belong to the King
  • We are not our own
  • Priests served at the temple 24/7/365

In Romans, Paul called us to be living sacrifices.

  • A sacrifice was whole, not part
  • Giving of ourselves is continual – all of me, all the time
  • Our sacrifice is our service of worship

Worship is all of the time we spend in our community of faith. It is all the hours of every day. And it is all to be presented to God as a pleasing sacrifice. We are called to it, equipped for it, and will be blessed by it. God’s winners are worshipers!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Winning the War That Matters

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Life Lessons – Identify the Enemy

Are you tired of hearing about wars? How many have you heard about lately? Maybe you have spent time and energy on these wars:

  • Terror
  • ISIS
  • Poverty
  • The media’s supposed “war on women”

We should be aware of terrorist activity. We should pray for those persecuted by terrorist groups and evil ideologies. The “war” on poverty is a money pit. The poverty statistics in our country haven’t changed significantly since this “war” began in the 60’s – despite the millions of dollars spent.  Far more important than real or imagined wars is the one YOU are already in. The good news from this Life Lessons post is, you are equipped to win. How?

Life Lessons – Know Your Weapons

Do you want academic answers or would a picture better serve you? For most, the picture is better and we have one in 2 Chronicles 20.  Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. The nation was surrounded by hostile armies. Destruction was imminent. What happened? The king called the people to fasting and prayer.

Prayer is one of our better known weapons. Paul speaks of it alongside other weapons in Ephesians 6. I want you to see another lesser known weapon. The nation of Judah was delivered by this weapon! And it’s just as available and powerful for you as it was for Jehoshaphat.

Life Lessons – Know Who is in Charge

Jehoshaphat led his people in prayer. Part of his prayer was:

O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

The king’s prayer continued, but even in this opening verse we can see a truth. Jehoshaphat knew the battle could be won. And He also knew God would have to win it. But God left no doubt for those who may have seen it. His Spirit moved a man named Jahaziel to testify:

Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’

God is in charge. If we try to fight the battles on our own we are very likely to lose! But God seldom fights His battles in ways that make sense to us. Why? Without faith (Hebrews 11:6) it is impossible to please Him! How did He fight for the people of Judah?

Life Lessons – Employ the Weapon(s) God Chooses

battle is the LordsThe nation of Judah went out to battle. If you were leading, what would you do? Where would you place the most powerful, experienced warriors? Where would you place the most effective weapons? Surely you would take thought for those things. Well, God did that. But He didn’t do what you and I would do. And what He did tells us a great deal! Notice:

Jehoshaphat stood and said, ‘Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.’  When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.

What was the weapon? Who was leading the army? Let me say it in terms you would recognize from your own church services:

The choir led the battle. Worship was the weapon God chose!

You still want to be in the church choir? Paul tells us a great deal in Ephesians 6. Many, but not all, of our weapons are listed there. But he opens that discussion by defining our enemy (see point 1).  But our enemy is subtle. So Paul declares:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

You are a mission volunteer. You freely gave your life to Christ and now you are on mission for Him. How will you succeed? By knowing:

  • Your mission, the enemy, and the goal
  • The battle is God’s, to be won in the power of His might
  • The weapons you have been given for victory

And I already know some of you doubt the application. You really wonder if something God did for the nation of Judah really applies to us today. Can worship really be a weapon of our warfare? Would it help if I told you Jesus said so? See the next post!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Mission Myths – Go!

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I routinely encounter a number of recurring mission myths. They show up no matter the size of the group to which I am speaking. The myth I encounter most often involves GO and GOING.

Misunderstanding the Great Commission in Matthew 28 is partly responsible for the mission myth. The Commission recorded in Matthew begins, Go therefore and… But the imperative in the sentence isn’t GO; it’s MAKE DISCIPLES. We addressed that in the What is Evangelism series. But in church after church, for decade after decade, well-meaning church leaders have used GO! in messages and on posters to mobilize congregations. Make no mistake. Going is necessary and we should mobilize people to go. Jesus’ Commission in Matthew literally means, As you are going…make disciples. We cannot have a mission to reach others if someone is not going. That said, GOING isn’t the only thing that needs to be done.

laborers for the harvestOne Mission: Many Ways To Help

When I speak to Bible study groups or morning worship congregations, I see people ‘check out’ when I am introduced as the Director of Evangelism from Mission: Hope. They already ‘know’ that all I want them to do is GO, and they already ‘know’ they can’t go anywhere at this time. The problem isn’t their current circumstances or their willingness to help. No one can GO every time there is an opportunity. The problem is their perception of the Great Commission is one dimensional. For this reason, I never start the discussion of mission involvement with GOING.  I start somewhere else. The more I describe creative ways people can be meaningfully involved with a mission team, the more those same people ‘check back in’ as the discussion goes on.

make disciples of all nationsI do eventually get to the need for people to volunteer and have a hands-0n role in the work. There are always teams scheduled to be out on a mission. Each team has people who can provide their own mission expenses. Each team has volunteers who have answered the call to GO and others (those who cannot GO) are contributing to help cover the costs. And that is ONE way, not the only way, someone can be a vital part of a mission team and not actually leave home.

Rest assured, there are more mission myths. They find their way into my speaking and writing. And that’s because I’m constantly trying to communicate the multitude of ways people can be involved in missions. Even though many people are helping our teams, there is always a need for someone else to join in. Want to help but can’t GO? Click the DONATE tab to the right, or send me an email. I promise you there is a way for you to help if that is your desire!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

 

Making The Mission Work: Seeing Incredible Results

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This mission post is GREAT news! And while we need to celebrate that news, we need to see a principle at work. Why? Because you have life missions and you need to succeed  in each one of them. What missions?

  • Disciple
  • Spouse
  • Parent
  • Pastor
  • Encourager
  • Giver
  • Evangelist

And I could list many more. But more about your mission success in a bit. First, we need to hear the great news from Pastor Juan!

Mission: A Model That Works

Earlier this year I shared this post about church planting in Belize. Many of you helped meet a need for church planting. That post was the last in a series after we wrapped up our active ministry in Belize. HOWEVER, ministry isn’t static. It’s dynamic; always moving and changing. And that brings us to the latest news as well as an important lesson.

missionPastor training is the centerpiece of our mission ministry. Every pastor we teach can quote 2 Timothy 2:2. That is the Scriptural command that guides how we do the things we do. It gives us built-in accountability. I tell the pastors (often!) that we will continue to equip them as long as they will be faithful to equip others.

And that is what we have seen numerous times in the life and ministry of Pastor Juan. He sent me a note last week to let me know they had begun an evangelistic effort in a new village. The Gospel was shared in that village and people responded positively. One of those owned a bar. The message seemed to indicate the bar was now closed! So the new congregation has a temporary place to meet. But they are looking for a permanent home. How will they address that?

Pastor Juan answered that question. The churches have called their members to three days of fasting and prayer. They will be asking God to meet the needs they have. And all Juan asked me to do was pray with them. So, I am asking you to join in as well! And why wouldn’t we? God answered Juan’s prayer for transportation through many of you. And I am confident God will meet the current needs for a plot of land and a simple structure in which to meet.

Example For Your Missions

missionSo how does this help with your life missions? First, remember Ephesians 3:20. Which of us, in 2017, could have predicted the results of helping Pastor Juan with needed transportation? And which of us knows how that ministry investment will continue to bear fruit for the Kingdom? God can truly do more than we can ask or imagine. His results are always incredible! But what makes that happen?

Let’s follow the line of events that bring us to this news. First, Pastor Juan and his congregation in Santa Teresa prayed for help in completing their church building. While that was going on, I was answering a call to undertake the ministry I now share with so many of you. Many people were asked to support and pray for this ministry. God answered those prayers. A church was completed and we started teaching pastors – including pastors in Belize. We did that with your support and in obedience to a Biblical model (2 Timothy 2:2). Pastor Juan (and others) was also faithful to that model. And we continue to see God doing more than we can imagine. Now, do you see a thread here? I see at least two.

First, prayer is required for success in any life mission. And the second element might or might not seem obvious to everyone. But I call your attention to Paul’s instruction to Timothy. The operative word is: instruction. Any mission is more likely to succeed if we follow the instructions. Let me say it another way… God honors obedience to His Word. Juan is being obedient and God is blessing that obedience. That you for being part of that work!

Applying What We’ve Learned

We began with a short list of life missions. We have Biblical instructions on how to be a:

  • Disciple
  • Spouse
  • Parent
  • Pastor (a spiritual gift and vocational calling)
  • Encourager (how to use your spiritual gifts)
  • Giver (how to use your spiritual gifts)
  • Evangelist (how to use your spiritual gifts)

Your life missions are different than mine. But the Word says believers are bought with a price – so all of us are to live life with the purpose (the mission) of glorifying our Father. May I summarize? Prayer and following the Instructions position all of us for mission success. And the results of that will be amazement at how incredibly awesome our Father is and how lavishly He blesses His faithful kids!

Soli Deo Gloria! 

PS – About following the instructions… The next time your congregation has a great need maybe fasting and prayer is a better choice than more committee meetings. (I just couldn’t resist!)

Fixing A Fatal Flaw: Yours

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Everyone who reads this post has a fatal flaw. The mission to fix it is undertaken by very few. Why? We like our fatal flaws. We love  characters from the page to the stage to the screen because they are like us: flawed and conflicted. But a simple solution exists and Christmas is part of it! (Yes, it’s August…see PS below sign-off!)

The Flaw

You and I have an image problem. It is our fatal flaw. What do we do about it? We perpetuate it. Follow this trail:

  • Dr. Spock (1950’s & 60’s) Build your child’s self-esteem, self image (much more could be said!)
  • I’m OK, You’re OK – the 1970’s & 80’s (let’s build each other’s self esteem, self image)
  • Adoption of Relative Truth (1990’s forward) No absolutes. White House: It’s just sex. An image problem?
  • Full Post-modern society and thought – Political correctness run amuck.
  • Challenging or correcting almost anyone is out – it might harm self-esteem (that image problem)

What happens when our mission is to reinforce our image problem? Just turn on the news to hear about leaders who keep telling lies (no corrections wanted or needed) and citizens with a lack of respect for themselves or their neighbors. Current events are a predictable result of not addressing our image problem.

The Solution

Christmas addresses our image problem. I have said many times that Christmas is the original mission story. A mission brings a solution to a need. A mission crosses cultural boundaries. It also addresses economic issues. And a mission restores hope and purpose. The coming of Christ (Christmas) did all of that. Notice:

  • Cultural – Holiness came to sinfulness
  • Economic – The Wealth of heaven supplies the destitute (that’s us)
  • Restoration – Jesus came to give life, and that more abundantly (purpose)

The Proof

christmas story quoteOK. Where’s the proof? How do I know we have an image problem? How do I know it’s fatal? If it can be proved then we have work to do! Before I give it to you, I want to make sure our Father gets credit for the good He always does. He very often gets a great deal of blame for stuff He didn’t do. His simple solution, and the reason for Christmas, is something we find in the book of Genesis. I know, you thought the Christmas story was in Luke!

Statement 1 – Let Us make Man in our image (Genesis 1:26)

That was spoken and done in a state of perfection. God made everything perfectly – no flaws. He made Adam and Eve perfectly – no flaws. They were in His image. What’s the problem? There isn’t one until they chose to sin. THEN everything changed. All of Creation was infected with sin – it became flawed. It was not longer what God created. It was/is broken. Give God credit for making a perfect world. Don’t blame Him for the one we live in! That’s our fault.

Statement 2 – Adam had a son in his own likeness (Genesis 5:3)

There’s the problem! That’s our fatal flaw. Adam’s image is flawed and sinful. We can’t fix it by ourselves. In fact, we don’t really want to fix it because we like building our own self image. Don’t think so? We have been trying since Genesis to make God in our image. We want a God that doesn’t demand too much, doesn’t condemn what we like, etc., etc. That’s not an image problem, it’s an impossibility!

Christmas is God’s billboard on life’s highway:

You can have the perfection for which you were created!

He said: If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away and all things are made new!

Now THAT’s a makeover mission anyone could get excited about! Know someone that doesn’t know it? Go tell it on the mountain, or your street corner.

Soli Deo Gloria! 

Image really is everything after all!

Think about it. 🙂

PS: This post originally appeared in December 2014. I was preparing for the website change-over and ran across this post. I think the cultural observations are more relevant today than they were then! And…the Christmas decorations will be in the stores in a matter of days. So think about this post when you see them! (And please pray for the website makeover work.)

 

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