GlocalNet

I had a great day yesterday.  I spent time with Ambassador Chien and we went to the largest Buddist temple/monastery in Southeast Asia - it was incredible.  I’ll try to share pictures.  We then visited the second oldest Catholic Church.  We’re going to write a book together.  He is hysterical.  There were so many things he shared with me, his views of God, the function of God, how society must engage and interact with faith and community.  There is so much to be learned from East Asian philosophy and mindset - it could help us so much in the West.  He is a curious man - as much as me - so we were asking and sharing non-stop.  He took me to meet a lot of his friends.  This man, I will be praying for - which is fine with him. 

When I first started blogging the map to the right would show places people came from to read.  It was primarily around Texas and the DFW area in particular.  Since I began blogging a few years ago I’ve met a lot of people.  What excites me, is when I meet friends and they start reading my blog and commenting and emailing.  Many for various reasons won’t comment - but they will send me emails.  Because I know who and where many of my friends are . . . . sometimes when I see a star appear I know who is reading it there.  Most of my global readers are not Jesus followers like me - but they are close friends that I pray for weekly and sometimes daily.  I write my blog for you guys these days - I still have to write pastors and leaders, but I want you to understand everything I’m saying - even if you disagree with it - which many of you do - but at least you know why. 

Do you know who you are?

  Marco Island Florida
  Riyad, Saudi Arabia
  Hanoi, Vietnam
  Switzerland
  Gaza
  Tiberias
  Bethlehem
  Uganda
  Beirut
  Hama Syria
  Istanbul
  Melbourne
  Lisbon
  Cairo
  Kabul
  Qatar
  Jakarta
  Beijing
  Moscow
  Amsterdam
  Nazareth
  Jerusalem
  Hot Springs, AK

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I need the whole church . . .  not just a branch of it.  That’s why people skip and hop around - either they want an emphasis, a style, or a dimension of church, but we will never be complete like that.

I need the basic church, the small group, the house church, the cell group where the body does life together and shares, and challenges, and learns and ministers together so I’m not lost.

I need the gathered tribal/city church - where I can go and worship and experience God.  I need to meet with others who share the vision, the call, the mission, all of it to glorify God together strategically so I’m not just some little small group doing my own thing but tied to a bigger thing. 

I need the global church to keep the big picture before me.  I need it to teach me things that are beyond my own tribe, nation, race, and ethnicity. 

I need the seeker church - to always keep in front of me people that need Jesus more than anything and we can fellowship and disciple and all the rest - but a day of reckoning is coming.

I need the Spirit-filled church - to walk in holiness, to move in power, to set free those in bondage.

I need the teaching church - to keep me true to the word of God to build upon no other foundation but his, and to know that it’s the Word that determines truth - and not my emotions or even experience for that matter.

I need the encouraging church - to challenge, motivate, speak life into, give hope, give correction, give all I need to follow Christ as the body.

I need the sending church - that realizes it’s not about us all gathered here and there - but it’s about his people all over the place. 

In a few moments I’ll go downstairs and get in a car with a group of Vietnamese officials from several different branches of the government.  We’ll visit the church.  I come as part of the global church, and we’ll visit some house churches and others in city churches - THEY ALL MATTER!!!

If someone asks me what kind of church we are, I tell them a global church.  We’ve been called a missions church, a missional church, a social action church, a church planting church, a city church, a local church, recently becoming a cell church, though good and true about what we have done and are doing, none of those descriptors fit it for me and the vision God gave me 25 years ago.  I thought it odd that when we began our church one of the promise verses God gave me was Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance.”  It was a prophetic verse.  We want to do all the things above, but who we are and who we strive to be is global in every way: Global in scope, global in geography, global in context, global in making disciples, global in engaging everyone. Global.  It used to be my understanding of the word global was simply geographical - I didn’t get the other uses of the word.  We have become “global” and work around the world - I’m in Hanoi writing this now.  Global is big picture - engaging with the whole of humanity - not just my particular religious institution.  When we operate on the basis of the disciple (the LCD) and the society (the grid) we will always ultimately get to the church, but if my focus is “a” church we will never get beyond “that” church.” 

I tell our church planters all the time, ignore the church, forget it - don’t be obsessed by it, it’s a waste of time.  Everyone wants to re-invent it, reform it, fix it, create a new model of it as if it started with them, their ideas, and their context.  Instead make disciples and engage glocally.  There’s another lie - if everyone will do church like me, then the whole church will be healthy.  Church - however you do it - is a reflection of your disciples.

Been doing some studying & deep reflecting lately on “church” and there are some things that really have become clear to me.  There were 3 “kinds” of church we find in the New Testament.  One was the house, one was the city, and one was universal or global.  We need all 3 of those expressions of church to be and do what God has …

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Love isn’t free - it always costs someone.  Love cost God coming in the form of a man, going to the cross for the redemption of humanity.  He created sons and daughters that he loves, they need redemption from sin and transformation in their lives and in their world.  As followers of Jesus, it will cost us no loss.  We are not talking about mere philanthropy.  Philanthropy is giving away what is yours out of your resources and generally excesses.  Giving as God gave was total and complete.  When we give, we are giving in total and complete ways as well.  We don’t merely give our possessions - we give ourselves.  How we give ourselves though is crucial.

I was with a top Vietnamese leader yesterday and we were speaking about what is going on in the world and in Vietnam in particular with reference to development.  We talked about that old adage, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for his life.” 

Do I give out of pity?  If I do, it is pictures that I see, stories that I hear, or something that is hurting people.  Pity moves me immediately but whatever it does doesn’t last.

Do I give out of reciprocity?  If I do, I give my stuff - but not me, and my motivation for giving is in hopes of something coming back to myself.  It isn’t the emptying of Christ - that we read about and we see. 

Do I give out of obligation?  If I do, I give the bare minimum, check off the box that I gave. 

Do I give out of vision?  This is good, because it focuses all my resources towards something that God has called me or us to do.  But, if I’m not careful, it’s giving to accomplish the “agenda” that is set before us and looses sight of the people it is meant to help. 

Do I give out of love?  Love sees the long term and makes the wise decision - it isn’t emotional or impulsive.  Love sees the sacrifices necessary that bring legitimate tansformation.  Love is hard.  Love is wise.  Love takes time.  Love is enduring.  Love sees the moment but acts towards the future. 

Father, may all my giving by driven by love - every good thing I …

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I had a very profound conversation with some Vietnamese young people yesterday.  They were wise and had deeply thought through things at a level I rarely see with people that young.  We were speaking about Vietnam and its future and discussing some of the challenges that they face.  One of the things I asked about was the level of corruption that Vietnam is on a list that says it has problems with that.  They told me how the government was dealing with cleaning up corruption but that it was a never ending battle.  You can read about it in the English version of the Vietnamese newspaper - they don’t try to keep it secret they try to deal with it. 

I asked them how it affected them - they said it was the worst kind of stealing - that its keeping something from you that is yours without you ever knowing it was to be yours.  Immediately my mind, as a pastor, went to why I share the good news of Jesus.  Never thought of not sharing as stealing and hoarding for myself - but put in this light it is.  The next thing my mind went to was without a belief in God and a moral code that defines character man becomes his own God determining what is right and wrong.  Even with a man who says God is beyond him and bigger than him - that man can sin, justify it, and rationalize it - but there is a standard that he can also be confronted with.  If you don’t believe in God how can there be any real standard?

So I asked them without a strong view of God how that can ever be dealt with because it’s the foundation of truth and integrity.  The next statement blew me away.  “Corruption in our society is so deep we don’t even recognize it, it goes all the way to God.”  What do you mean - I asked.  One of them told a story - “Every time we pass over a bridge my father throws money out the window so the god will make sure we get across safely.  What kind of God is that?  People follow God out of desperation - not because he is God.  So God is even corrupted by us - it is so deep to who we are.  All of life is filled …

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I’m going to be writing most of the day here in Hanoi with a Vietnamese leader on lessons we’ve come to learn from one another’s countries - and I’m really excited about it.  I brought my laptop which is something I rarely do in my travel - but knowing I might be writing I did.  I was cleaning some stuff up on it and a lot of my pictures.  When people from the other side of the world come to see you they always bring gifts - but the greatest gifts are the relationships and lessons they’ve invested in me.  My pictures tell quite a story . . . .

Eddie Leo of Jakarta,  first time to preach at NorthWood - it’s picures of him in our old chapel from a few years ago - he has mentored me and our church in so many ways.  Helping me to understand “apostalic” leadership and our church cells.

Samsueng - of tough place - helping me understand courage, persecution, sacrifice, focus, and joy.

President Triet, of Vietnam, socialist do smile and laugh - a lot.

HRH Prince Turqi-Al-Faisal, helping me understand Muslims “love God too.” 

Omar - we’ve had some dang good times around the world! 

Andy - you’re never going to grow up!

Loren Cunningham - you’ve always given me massive encouragement and a man who looks like a happy beardless Santa Claus filled with joy.

Minh Song - you taught me about art.

Addison - who says church planters can’t be idiots!

Sami, Bishara, Alex . . . . there are Palestinian Christians!  Imagine that!

Mazhar - perhaps the “greatest soul” I’ve met in my lifetime.

Daniel Le - prayer.

Anas - intelligence and warmth - you combine both

Oliver - you have redeemed the profile of the Irish!

Gibbons - we’ve had some ridiculous fun.

Nikki - you’ve been with me all throughout all of it -

The following article appeared in the July 26, 210 edition of the Washington Post.  Here is the link if you want to read it on the Washington Post site: 

Today’s guest blogger is Bob Roberts, Jr., the founding and Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas. NorthWood has started 130+ churches in the United States and trains young pastors here and around the world. He has led numerous development projects through a volunteer movement of mobilizing people to serve from one part of the world to another. He is active in multi-faith activities, as well as as an author. His most recent book is Realtime Connections.

Next week I will be in Hanoi, Vietnam with a dozen or more teachers from NorthWood Church where I pastor in Dallas, Texas as they will be working on education projects at the National University of Vietnam. I love Hanoi: the sights, smells, everything about it. I’ll hang out with lots of my Vietnamese friends: painters, educators, businessmen, humanitarians, and even government leaders.

Last week I was invited to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. President Clinton, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, and Ambassador Le Cong Phung all spoke. I got a funny response from the 200 or so people there.
“Who are you with?” “I’m a pastor from Dallas.” “Why did you come?” “Our church works in Vietnam with the government.” “Really! They have religious freedom there?”

“I would say yes and that it’s growing, not without its challenges - but they are making some bold steps, and it’s better than other parts of the world that I’ve been to by a long shot!” I even gave Long, the political advisor, and Ambassador Le a Texas Belt buckle - and they loved it! Vietnam had been on a list with our government as one of the countries with the worst violations of religious freedom in the past - they are now off that list.

This week I followed in the news all the articles (pro and con) on the Muslim Community Center being built two blocks from Ground Zero. I followed links and read about Muslim institutions being challenged in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and other protests against Muslims and Muslim institutions in America. I wondered, “What would my Vietnamese friends think about this?” I’ll ask them next week.

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Today’s guest blogger is Bob Roberts, Jr., the founding and Senior Pastor of NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas. NorthWood has started 130+ churches in the United States and trains young pastors here and around the world. He has led numerous development projects through a volunteer movement of mobilizing people to serve from one part of the world to another. He is active in multi-faith activities, as well as as an author. His most recent book is Realtime Connections.

Next week I will be in Hanoi, Vietnam with a dozen or more teachers from NorthWood Church where I pastor in Dallas, Texas as they will be working on education projects at the National University of Vietnam. I love Hanoi: the sights, smells, everything about it. I’ll hang out with lots of my Vietnamese friends: painters, educators, businessmen, humanitarians, and even government leaders.

Last week I was invited to celebrate the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. President Clinton, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, and Ambassador Le Cong Phung all spoke. I got a funny response from the 200 or so people there.

“Who are you with?” “I’m a pastor from Dallas.” “Why did you come?” “Our church works in Vietnam with the government.” “Really! They have religious freedom there?”

“I would say yes and that it’s growing, not without its challenges - but they are making some bold steps, and it’s better than other parts of the world that I’ve been to by a long shot!” I even gave Long, the political advisor, and Ambassador Le a Texas Belt buckle - and they loved it! Vietnam had been on a list with our government as one of the countries with the worst violations of religious freedom in the past - they are now off that list.

This week I followed in the news all the articles (pro and con) on the Muslim Community Center being built two blocks from Ground Zero. I followed links and read about Muslim institutions being challenged in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and other protests against Muslims and Muslim institutions in America. I wondered, “What would my Vietnamese friends think about this?” I’ll ask them next week.

It’s as if the shoe is on the other foot now. The reality is, Vietnam feared Christians like Christian Americans fear Islam - we don’t want our society destabilized. I heard of one man who’s going …

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My body aches - about to go have coffee downstairs and then off to Hanoi from Tokyo.  Brought my latest Philip Jenkins book and wow is it good.  You know a book is good when you keep telling your wife things the author said.  I’m looking forward to my time in Vietnam. 

Everyone who works in the Near East or Middle-East or Far East must read Philip Jenkins!

For anyone who wants to understand the world forwards and backwards Philip Jenkins in his latest Jesus Wars is just awesome.  His first, The Next Christendom is good, the Lost History of the Christian Church is phenomenal and the one I read on the plane from DFW to Hanoi is just riveting.  Why do I like his books so much?

First, he gives solid evidence as to where the future is going.  A lot of people do that - but as a scholar and historian he provides more than just a poll.

Second, he shows what has happened in the past.  I read The Lost Christian History just out of curiosity - it was powerful in leaning about the Church in the East - how it grew, how it divided and how it planted seeds of descent. 

Finally, when in Jesus Wars, I’m reading it to better understand more of the history of the Church Councils and the Trinity.  I never put together when the church debated all of that is when the schisms happened and Islam rose.  These debates are not new.

We Christians make a strong claim that what makes our faith different is that we can have a personal and intimate relationship with God through the God-Man Jesus Christ.  I believe that is true, but I’ve noticed we sure do a lot of things that depersonalize him. 

Set prayers.  Ever heard someone pray from the gut over lunch or some other meal?  I don’t mean to imply that the prayer needs to be long, it doesn’t, just genuine.  Whether it’s in a worship service, a meal, whatever and wherever - is prayer a ceremony, a rite, or is it a conversation with the living God?  Obviously a conversation with the living God - so we don’t need to quote or mimic words - we need to talk to him with him standing before us from our heart.

How we refer to him - the Gospel.  Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on “The Gospel” and what it is and its implications.  Gospel is a really good word - it simply means good news.  The Gospel is the Good news about Jesus.  So . . . why don’t we just talk about Jesus?  That’s like my kids calling me Mr. Roberts - no, to them I’m their dad.  To my brothers and sisters I’m “Bobby Gene” to my friends I’m Bob.  To this day I don’t like being called Dr., Rev., Pastor, call me Bob if you know me.  I don’t minimize respect, but I value people who know me for who I am and not my position or something I’ve done.  I like books with the titles of Jesus far more than “the Gospel” - it tells me something about the person’s personal view and relationship with Jesus Gospel. 

Daily life - we sometimes live as if he isn’t there.  Remember the WWJD bracelets?  “What would Jesus do?”  Theologians and pastors had a hay day with that one explaining what all was wrong with it.  I on the other hand absolutely loved it.  It made Jesus present in people’s daily lives.  It made them stop and think - What does Jesus want me doing? How does he want me to handle this?  Jesus can’t be segmented to a worship service, a theology book, or even your daily worship time.  Jesus must be present in every moment that you find yourself in.  I’ve discovered when I’m not …

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