Ways a movement becomes a museum

Ways a movement becomes a museum

movements can turn into an institution then a museum. Always being pressured to become an institution, pressured to become a museum.

From raleigh-bootcamp-driscoll-movement video

1. A failure to contend and contextualize. (from Ed Stetzer)
   1. Jude 1:3, “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
   2. Things to fight for: The Bible, Trinity, Resurrection of Christ, salvation through Christ, conscience/literal eternal torment in hell, male eldership, inerrancy. Hills that we are going to die on.
   3. contextualize is 1 Cor 9: All things to all men…
   4. Must of balance of both
2. Too doctrinally tight or too doctrinally loose.
   1. Doctrinally loose = compromising on key doctrines, theologically falling into error and open to false teaching.
   2. Doctrinally tight = you fight over secondary matters that really don’t matter.
      1. A movement can get so close it becomes like pond water. There is no fresh water going in. (We only listen to our guys, we only work with our guys, we only connect with our guys, and we only read our guys…) We should be a movement open to learn from elsewhere.
3. The sin of Diotrephes (3 John 9)
   1. Politicking, jockeying, trying to work up the food chain to get control.
4. It can relational closed network.
   1. Unless you are friends with the leaders, you are not allowed in and don’t have a voice. (see #3 below “From sermon”)
5. Too little organizational structure or too much.
6. People confuse principles with methods
7. Not invented hair syndrome
   1. If I didn’t come up with the idea, then its not a good idea.
8. There is a proclivity to honor the founder or the future.
   1. If they honor the future they shoot the founder, and they grieve the movement
   2. If they honor the founder, they don’t have a future.

An institution and a museum can be controlled. A movement can’t be controlled; it is lead by the Spirit.

Rick Warren with stages of renewal for a movement and not an institution

• Begins with personal renewal.
• Relational renewal
  • Because you are connected to God you want to be connected to people.
• Missional renewal
  • We get fresh vision, we can make changes, we can follow the spirit, we can add more services, and we can bear more fruit. An awakening in our hearts.
• Internal cultural renewal.
  • A culture of innovation, a culture of risk, a culture of evangelism, a culture of missiology, a culture that seeks young men and that wants to rise them up. A culture of expectancy, of hope, anticipation and faith.
• Structural renewal
  • The way you organize things changes so you can accommodate this renewal. “This person is really nice and he is gona cry if I let him go.” This program has to go away. It is just not working. So you prune that tree. You cut the programs, cut the leaders, the systems, the policies, and the procedures that are just dead weight. They are not bearing fruit. If they were nourished they would bear much fruit that would last. You got to have the courage to will the shears. Ministry is about pruning, and harvesting, and pruning and harvesting. If this is not done then you will be just a curator of a museum.
• Institutional Renewal
  • You start working with other denominations. You are an influence on Institutions.
• External cultural renewal
  • It becomes like Matt. 5:14 – The city on a hill. People see Jesus and culture starts to transform. They become culture making, culture shaping, centers of influence.
1. Never forget it is all about Jesus
   1. It’s not about Calvinism; it’s not about reform theology, not about your church…
   2. If anybody gets credit, its Jesus, if something gets messed up – that was you. If anybody ask “So why did that fail?” “Ah, I messed up”. If anybody says “Why did that work?” “That was Jesus.” Just get used to answering that way. Good things Jesus, bad things you.
2. Theology is our home and not our prison
   1. Other theological persuasions that we can associate with.
   2. We can go to a friends house.
   3. Friends to people who disagree with you.
3. Pursue humility by the grace of God (CJ Mahaney)
   1. Pride is the worst sin of all
   2. It will be our success, not our failure that we will trip over.
4. Repent well
   1. Don’t just preach it, practice it.
5. Turn your critics into coaches.
   1. Sometimes there is truth in what they say.
6. Don’t defend the pastor; it’s a waste of time.
7. Don’t criticize the pastor; he has plenty of criticism.
8. Pray for the pastor.

From sermon

1. Past success leads to pride (lack of organizational humility)
   1. Yeah but that's a good idea, but we didn't invent it. It was invented somewhere else.
   2. We are the inventors
   3. we are the experts
2. That is not from our circle of influence (lack of organizational humility)
   1. That is not from our friends or network
   2. That's out there, that is from someone else.
   3. That's not the way we do it.
3. Two kinds of people form the leadership at the top, sitting at a table.
   1. Founders and friends fill the seats at the top.
   2. No chance for organizational change, creativity, innovation.
   3. People that are willing to effect change, leave

To maintain the movement and not get stuck: the key is you just keep adding bricks. Christ is to be the chief living cornerstone.

1. Use bricks
   1. First brick: Jesus
   2. Second brick: Bible
   3. Wife?
2. Do what Nehemiah does
   1. get new bricks (leaders)
   2. publicly thank them
3. Who are you angry with because they didn't give you that brick? Lose the bitterness.
4. Who do you have to give a brick too?
5. What brick have you rejected in pride?
6. Who should you be humbly asking for a brick?
   1. Who do you need to go to?