Ask the Pastor with J.D. Greear

Pastor J.D. shares three words that should guide our post-election posture—empathy, charity, and unity. A glimpse inside this episode: Politics matter, but they are not an issue of first importance. I want to give you three words that should guide our posture after this election (that I learned a few years ago from 1 Peter). Three words that should characterize the church and every follower of Jesus. Empathy: Seeking to see a situation through someone else’s eyes. Understanding why they think like they do, what motivates them; what creates such passion in them. What were they most concerned about with this election? What justice questions concerned them? What fears motivated them? What fears motivated them? I’m not saying you have to agree with their political calculus, but you can at least try to see it through their eyes as much as possible. Charity: Charity means assuming the best about them; giving them the benefit of the doubt about their motives. The political discourse in this country trains us to assume the worst of everyone else’s motives even as we demand they assume the best about our own. Based on what you hear, you’d think there are only two options in our society: Marxist or racist; Communist or Fascist. In the church we should be different. As much as we can, we give each other the benefit of the doubt. Unity: We can and should insist on alignment around biblical values–the sanctity of life and the evil of abortion; the wickedness of racism and all forms of discrimination, the preciousness of religious liberty, the importance of caring for the poor–while allowing disagreement on the political calculus used to pursue those things. And by “political calculus” I mean which candidate will best get the job done and even which issues to prioritize in this election. These are questions we can disagree on and still stand united–not because these political questions are not that important, but because our identity in Christ and our mission to preach the gospel is that much more important. Church, let’s be united, because the gospel we preach is of the greatest importance and the Great Commission is of highest urgency, Amen? Let’s be bold–let’s be outspoken on things like the sanctity of life and evils of injustice. Because those evils are real, and they really harm people. We shouldn’t parrot only the virtues associated with one candidate or party, but all biblical virtues. If we’re really followers of Jesus, we should be a little confusing, like we don’t quite fit with one side. Like they can never quite figure us out. If you find yourself only talking about abortion, probably out of balance as a disciple maker. If only about lingering racism, also out of balance. If we are the people who undermine all parties and stand above them, we will speak God’s truth in a way that confronts both. At The Summit Church, we dedicated a lot of time in the last month to the difficult questions of politics. It’s not my intent to cover all of that ground again. 

I’ll answer your question with a question—the same question I ask every college graduate at The Summit Church: You’ve got to get a job somewhere. Why not get a job in a place where God is doing something strategic? Whatever you do, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God. We challenge our college graduates to let the mission of God be the most significant factor in determining where and how they pursue their careers. We challenge them to dedicate the first two years after they graduate to join a church planting team working somewhere in North America or around the globe. We call it the “Go2 Challenge.” Whether you are in college considering what God has for you next, at a transitional point in your career, or nearing retirement, why not consider investing two years directly into the mission of God? Here’s a few  questions you might have: “Won’t Going for Two Years Mess Up My Career?” College students sometimes ask me, “If I pause my career for two years, won’t I be behind?” Well, first, who says you have to pause it? The idea is that perhaps you can pursue your career in a location where you can be a part of a church plant. But even if you do pause it, like I did, it likely won’t set you back. If anything, it likely will help it.  Look through the biographies of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and you’ll find that many of them had a post-college stint in the military or the Peace Corps. Living intentionally on mission, particularly in a challenging context, builds character in ways that no internship or apprenticeship can. These settings yield lifelong benefits. A friend of mine, who oversees one of the largest college scholarship and young leadership development programs in America, recently told me, “There’s a reason Mormons are so disproportionately represented in the upper echelons of business leadership. A lot of it goes back to the character development that takes place in their two-year mission.” After being on a team like this for a couple of years, God may lead you to plant your life there permanently. That’s what happens to many of those we send from our church. Others return knowing they gave the first and best of their careers to God, something God surely will bless. Jesus said, after all, “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). That verse applies to your career, too. “How Can I Find Out About Opportunities?” Great question. In the denomination our church participates in (the Southern Baptist Convention), it North American Mission Board has established 50 “Send Cities” which are under-churched and in which they can help partner you with a new church plant.  Additionally, our International Mission Board has a number of two-year programs that can place you on a team serving somewhere overseas in the least reached places on earth. Your denomination or local church probably has its own connections. Groups like Cru, Frontiers, Campus Outreach, and Radical have cross-denominational opportunities you can access as well.  If all that sounds too tough, just move to Raleigh and join the The Summit Church. We’ll send you out from here! Kidding. Sort of. I mean, we won’t turn you away. Just come on over and we’ll figure it out.  You can find out more about these (and other) options at go2years.net. “Do I Need to Leave Behind My Job?”  Maybe. For many, you will be able to find a job in your career field in one of these places. If so, you’ll be able to go without having to raise money. Financially, you’ll be a net-positive for the mission!  God calls some to leverage their careers, for others to leave them, and for others to lead a church. At our church, we call this for the leverage or leave? question. Is God calling you to leverage your career for the Great Commission, like the Moravians, or to leave it behind, like William Carey, Adoniram Judson, and Lottie Moon? He leads his followers both directions. Additionally, if God has called you to lead a church, why not consider serving a church in a much-less-reached country?  The Summit Church leadership development at The Summit Institute. Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. talks about why it’s time we kick our bucket lists and do the one thing now that we can’t do in eternity—share the gospel. A glimpse inside this episode: I often hear people today talk about “bucket lists.” You know, all those things you want to do before you kick the bucket because you assume you’ll never have a chance to do them again. The handful of experiences that have lived up to expectations:  Becoming a Christian  Marrying Veronica and having children Visiting Kauai, Hawaii Skydiving Others I’d like to do: Hike the Inca trail  Climb Mt. Everest Hang-gliding Fly to the moon But does that make sense for the Christian? The book of Revelation tells us that at the resurrection, Jesus ushers us into the “new heavens and new earth.” Scholars say new means “renewed.” That means that heaven is not some ethereal existence in the clouds where we sit around in diapers with Nerf bow and arrows playing the harp. Heaven is a new, renewed version of this earth, without the curse of sin. That means that up there I’ll get to experience a perfected version of all the things I missed out on down here. All the mountains, stars, rivers, oceans, planets, animals, culture, arts, music, architecture, and extreme sports that I never got to experience here are waiting for me there. Revelation 21:26 even says that God will bring into heaven “the glory and honor of the nations” (CSB), which means he brings in the best of culture. The best Italian food. The best of Arabian architecture. The best art. Mardi Gras without the debauchery. Disney World without the lines. The Jersey Shore without the Jersey. The point? It’s time to kick the bucket list. You don’t have to worry about anything you miss out on here. Instead, you can focus on leveraging your few remaining moments for eternity. You see, there is one thing we can’t do there that we can do here: tell people about Jesus. If you want to put something on a bucket list, make it sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. The people alive in the world during this generation have one shot to hear the gospel, and it’s us. So before you kick the bucket, kick your bucket list. For eternity, you’ll be glad you did. Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. shares how God called him to the mission field before calling him to be a pastor of a church that sends and supplies the mission field in extravagant ways. A glimpse inside this episode: When God called me to be a pastor, he did so by first calling me to the mission field. I spent the first two years of my ministry as a church planter among Muslims overseas. God never relinquished that call to missions; he showed me that my role in it is to be a part of a church that sends and supplies the mission field. Even though my primary role in the Great Commission is now as an equipper, it is always such a joy to get back on the front lines. Sure, it can be frustrating not being able to speak the language. But I share Christ more, person to person, in a two-week span than I probably do the entire rest of the year here in the States. It is my identity there, the entire reason I had go short term now. So when an opportunity comes up, I simply share the gospel. I wasn’t “Pastor J.D.” there. I was just “J.D. the guy talking about Jesus.” I want that to last: I want to just be the “Jesus guy” even here. Follow-Up Question: How do you know if you’re called to overseas missions? References: Nehemiah 2:12, Acts 13:2, Isaiah 6. Picture a Venn Diagram with these three circles: Affinity, Ability, Affirmation. Where do these things overlap? Pastor J.D.’s new book, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, is available now for pre-order. 

Pastor J.D. is joined by Pastor Bryan Loritts for a special edition of Ask Me Anything where they look at the events of the past week. A glimpse inside this episode: Immediately: Bear one another’s burdens, grieve with those who grieve. Love your neighbors as yourself. Pursue empathy. Relieve yourself of the burden of having to come up with answers, and take a posture of humility. Even in the face of Martha saying something untrue, Jesus listened and wept with Mary and Martha (John 11). He didn’t immediately correct her theology. Longterm: We need a full-court press from the three institutions created by God, the family, the government, and the church, in dealing with the issues of systemic racism. Considering a healthy spiritual upbringing of our children, considering how we vote, and considering the heart change that happens with the gospel. God’s strategy for dealing with the problem of sin as part of the new covenant was not dealing with it from the outside in but from the inside out (Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Imagine the power of Ahmaud Arbery in a small group relationship with the McMichaels–where they’re all redeemed and getting to know each other. Proximity breeds empathy; distance breeds suspicion. When something happens to one part of the body of Christ, it happens to all of us. That’s where we start. Don’t rush past lamenting into problem solving. “White evangelicals have a PhD in statistics and a third grade education in empathy” – Bryan Loritts, Insider Outsider On social media, do the same: don’t rush to problem solving but spend time lamenting and empathizing. Simply, “We are with you.” Instead of being paralyzed by not having the answers, make yourself available.

Pastor J.D. discusses the three most important things for new believers to do as they begin their relationship with Christ. A glimpse inside this episode: #1: Learn how to spend time with God. There’s absolutely nothing that will benefit you more than spending time with God every single day. Find a time that works for you, and set aside time. Start with 10-15 minutes if you need to, but make sure you have time to read Scripture and spend time praying. A lot of people who start well in the Christian life don’t always end well — like in the parable of the seed. The problem with the seed, though, is that it didn’t go deep enough. I recommend reading a book of the Bible all the way through, rather than trying to read the whole thing front-to-back. The book of Mark is a great place to start. We advocate the “HEAR” method here at our church. Highlight, Examine, Apply, Respond. #2: Plug into a gospel-centered local church and get involved. You’ve gotta be known, you’ve gotta be serving… there’s just something essential about the local church. Yes, you can get podcasts like this one and sermons online and that’s great, but good content can’t replace being a part of the church. Even though it doesn’t technically have to be your nearest Summit Collaborative church, I am of the opinion that they’re the best… even though I may be a little biased. Seriously though, it’s vital to get plugged into a local church that preaches the Word of God right away. If you’re not sure where to start, ask some friends that are believers where they go. Or, look around online, and make sure you read the “What we believe” section of the church’s website. One of the best analogies for the body of Christ is… well, the actual body. When I have an itch on my left arm, my body sends a message to my mind which sends a message to my hand telling me to itch. It doesn’t just magically happen. In the same way, if you’ve cut yourself off from the church, you’ve cut yourself off from one of the ways God has to meet your needs. But do you really need the church? #3: Get into a small group. You need to be able to ask questions and get honest answers. You need to be able to be honest with people about struggles and sin. You need accountability. And, you need people to have fun with and live life with that have the same beliefs as you. A small group is a great connection point of connection. Your friends are the future you. You will be the average of your 5 closest friends in 5 years. So when you’re in a small group where people are calling out things to you and about you and preaching doctrine constantly, that’s a big step in the right direction. You need someone to help you know God. A lot of people never take that initiative.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. talks about the importance of doctrine, values, and mission when aligning with a denomination and shares some of his convictions. A glimpse inside this episode: I am Southern Baptist, not by birth but by choice. There is no group whose doctrine, values, and mission I line up with more than Southern Baptists. A lot of people wonder what the usefulness of denominations is, especially when they can unfortunately create a lot of divisiveness inside and outside of their membership. However, I really believe that we can do more for the kingdom of God when we work together than we could ever do alone. First, cooperation amongst similarly-minded churches is a good thing, without question. Second, I also believe institutions are good. Tim Keller has a chapter in the book “Center Church” on movements, and how movements and institutions need each other. Movements are fun and exciting, and institutions can seem boring, but the two need each other. Movements without institutions lack staying power. Several years ago, Southern Baptists had fallen off the map in the domestic church planting game. There were a couple other groups in the U.S. had really taken off, and they had really charismatic speakers. But one of these other groups, at the height of their popularity (hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers!), talked about their pipeline. They had fewer than 100 people in it! Meanwhile, Southern Baptist seminaries graduate 3,500 people a year. Even if you cut that in half, or in half again, or in half AGAIN, you’d still end up with more than the pipeline of that other, “cooler” movement. The SBC is a tool. If you have a tool and it gets dull and you can’t use it anymore, what do you do? Throw it away. But that’s not where we are with the SBC. Sure, there are some headaches, but I believe that the ability it gives us to work together is worth it. Unity in essential, uniformity in non-essentials. Truth trumps a faux unity. One of the core reasons I’m a Southern Baptist is because of the doctrine. The SBC’s official statement of faith: the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. This document clearly and concisely lays out a biblical belief system that lines up very, very closely with my own. So much so, in fact, that our church has adopted it as our official statement of faith. Narrow enough to keep us united on the essentials and broad enough for us to disagree on non-essentials. J.D., I do have another question: why don’t you have “Baptist” in your church’s name? Good question. We used to be, officially, Homestead Heights Baptist Church and The Summit Church was more like our “nickname.” We even used to say that! We’re in North Carolina, but I call it the “hole” in the Bible belt… you know, the leather goes around it. We found that some people had preconceived notions about us (some good, some bad) because of the name of our church before they even walked through the door. For us, the name was an obstacle. I don’t advocate every church do this, and we didn’t want to lose our Baptist identity. Our church makes it pretty clear to even the casual observer that that’s who we are, and I frequently mention it in my sermons. We make it crystal clear in our membership course.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. discusses the different types of promises we see in Scripture and how God’s promises are still true for us today. A glimpse into this episode: I’m for taking promises more seriously–the Bible has 3000! In short: Yes. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all of the promises of God are “yes” in Christ Jesus. But not always in the same way as to Israel, so it’s important to understand what we’re reading when we read the Old Testament. In the Bible, there are different types of promises: First, there are unconditional promises, true about God all the time. Nahum 1:7 says that he’s a refuge in times of trouble. Isaiah 41:10 says he will strengthen and help and uphold us — those are pretty incredible promises coming from the God of the universe. There are national covenantal promises: promises for prosperity, to give Israel the Promised Land, to defeat their enemies, and establish a rich, prosperous kingdom, etc. to have a Jewish king on the throne. These can still apply to us by principle: One I use: “Children mighty in the land.” In a lot of these promises to Israel are conditional promises (like the promises with “if” statements attached to them). First command with promise from Ten Commandments / Paul picks it up in Ephesians 6:1 “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” That’s given to Israel specially: but it still shows you something about God. God repeatedly says that keeping his own commands equating to long life in Proverbs 3:1-2 and Deuteronomy 4:40. It’s a principle that applies. 2 Chronicles 7:14 14 “and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” That verse was given to Israel (not America) at a specific time and place. How is 2 Corinthians 1:20 true? In Christ: Even the promises that are addressed to Israel apply to us, in a way, because we’re the new Israel. Some are spiritualized in Christ: all they hoped for: a righteous, peace-ensuring Jewish king, forgiveness of sins, eternal inheritance, strength no enemy could touch–are given to us in Christ! John Piper said about this verse: “Every sinner who comes to God in Christ, with all his needs, finds God coming to him in Christ, with all his promises. When a sinful person meets the holy God IN CHRIST, what he hears is YES.” Everything about God’s protection, presence, working for our good, eternal rest and fulfillment–yes. But we can still expect the break-in of God’s goodness: Psalm 27:13 13 “I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.” My friend Jen Wilkin gave some helpful tips on interpreting the promises of God. She said: Don’t confuse a promise with a principle. Don’t ignore the context of the promise. Don’t overlook an “if” in the promise. Don’t choose a promise selectively. Don’t try to manipulate a promise to mean what you want it to mean. Don’t limit a promise to your own understanding.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. explains why the seemingly obvious lives vs. livelihood answer is more complicated than we think. A glimpse inside this episode: When you phrase it, “Lives vs. livelihood” the answer seems obvious. But it’s more complicated than that. To be honest, it’s really easy to say, “Let’s keep the economy closed for however long this takes,” while you’re sitting at home collecting a paycheck while there are so many people who are suddenly without an income. But it’s not just rhetoric to point out that poverty also leads to death: poverty surges lead to increases in medical problems, other diseases, even suicide (hotlines are maxed). According to a report in the New York Times, the World Food Program is warning that 130 million people may face starvation because the “national lockdowns and social distancing measures are drying up work and incomes” and may lead to a devastating disruption of “agricultural production and supply routes.” 22 million people here in the US are jobless because of the shutdown (and counting). And history tells us that even with slight increases in the unemployment rate, drug overdoses rise… Just imagine what a ~15% spike will do in just a few weeks! Furthermore, we accept that there is certain amount of collateral damage with life: Christian ethicists throughout history have recognized that some situations require nuanced ethical reflection. For example, collateral damage has always been accepted as an unfortunate byproduct of just war—to be avoided wherever possible but sometimes necessary in pursuit of higher ends. It’s easy to make a speech about how no objective in war is worth the sacrifice of a single innocent life in war, but we know that argument hasn’t held up in history. Or, from another angle, automobiles take untold amounts of lives each year. We can say that no amount of efficiency that the automobile brings is worth the toll in human lives cars take, but we generally accept some collateral damage as the price of freedom and progress. We also recognize how much value speed in transportation adds to life, even saving lives, etc. Of course, I’m not saying we should throw caution to the wind, and certainly not that we should sacrifice the old or vulnerable… We’re on lockdown and plan to remain so until our officials tell us is it ok. Wisdom is found in balancing principles. I’m not an expert who can say what the right application is–but I can advocate for the principles. Many leaders neglect one.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway

Pastor J.D. talks about how times of suffering, like the current coronavirus pandemic, should be viewed in connection to God’s judgment. A glimpse inside this episode: We’ve been asking some questions that are pretty specific to our current situation with the coronavirus. Is it ever right to see coronavirus as evidence of specific judgment from God on a person or a people? In one sense, all misery and devastation can be. You have to be very careful with this one, not all suffering, or even most suffering, is connected to a specific sin. But Scripture clearly says that sometimes God uses disease or death as a specific punishment for sin–whether of individuals or societies as a whole. Here are three quick examples: In Acts 12, the Jewish King Herod allows himself to be called “God.” “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:23) The autopsy revealed he had a parasite problem. Luke says it was a direct judgment by God for a specific sin. As in, “it was because he did this.” In John 5, Jesus warned the invalid he’d healed: “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14). Meaning it’s possible to commit acts of rebellion that God responds to with physical suffering. Paul warns believers in Corinth to take their walk with God seriously because certain kinds of spiritual neglect have caused sickness: “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 11:30) Paul even identifies homosexual desires as a tangible, physical punishment for sin. He may not do it by individual, but he definitely says it was a tangible judgment for exalting the Creator over the creation. And then you have the whole book of Revelation, where various judgments are not merely the general outworkings of the curse, but specific judgments for large societies and their sins. So, it’s clear that there are times where God uses specific sickness as judgement for sin. But that is a level of interpretation of what God is doing and how he’s working that we should not make. So while acknowledging that that happens, it’s not wise for us to jump in and say, “Well, this is happening because of ____.” The best example of this, of course, is Job–Job suffered and all his friends were like, “What did you do?” And Job was like, “I haven’t done anything that would single me out for judgment!” And God agreed and said that Job’s friends were wicked for saying his suffering was judgment. He calls them stupid for doing this. I think this is especially problematic to do right now with the coronavirus. Perhaps there are some situations out there where God is judging certain people, but it’s not our place to guess. We see now that there are some communities in our nation that are suffering more, and perhaps that’s because of unjust situations they’ve been put in. So to turn around and say, “You’re suffering because of your sins,” when in fact it’s in part because of the sins of others, is wrong. I will say that means that when I am sick or suffering, the first question I ask should be, “Is God trying to get my attention about something?” Is he in mercy trying to wake me up? I do believe that if there is some sin that God is trying to get my attention about, he will reveal it to me quickly. So, while it is true that it does happen, and we should be aware of it, it is never on us to declare that definitively about someone else. What I’ve found is that if God is doing this, he always makes very clear to you what it’s for. He won’t hide that from you.  And again, I don’t think it’s wrong to ask the question. But to say, declaratively and come to a conclusion that this is what God is doing, that’s where it becomes wrong. In Luke 13, there’s a tower that has fallen and killed 18 people. Somebody asks Jesus, “Was this because these 18 people were more wicked than the rest?” Jesus says no, but, “…unless you repent, you will all perish.” My assumption is not supposed to be, “What was God making that person suffer for?” Instead, we should ask what God is doing in our lives and trying to get our attention about, and recognize the reality of sin. Sin is serious. Be afraid of it, but don’t dwell on this unless the Holy Spirit makes something plain and clear.   The sponsor for this week’s episode: For more than 25 years, Portable Church® has helped thousands of churches launch strong and thrive in a mobile setting. They design custom solutions that fit each budget, vision, and venue. Everything you need to launch a mobile church — an inviting worship space, kids ministry areas, welcome spaces, storage cases, etc — all in a system refined to make it fast, easy & fun for the weekly volunteer teams. portablechurch.com/lifeway