Transformation : Discipleship That Turns Lives, Churches, and the World Upside Down

by Bob Roberts Jr.

• ISBN13: 9780310326083
• ISBN10: 0310326087
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-06
• Publisher: Harpercollins Christian Pub

Summary

The first-century church turned its world upside down. With GodÆs help, churches today can do the same! But it wonÆt come about through a new church program, but rather through a new church cultureÙa culture of transformation.Pastor and church-planter Bob Roberts Jr. sees transformation in two spheres that are intimately connected to one another: T-Life (transformed life of the believer), which leads to a T-World (transformed world). Read Transformation, and youÆll catch a vision for how your church can escape the routine and have both local and global impact for GodÆs kingdom through the power of changed lives.Leaders Speak Out on Transformation:ÔThis thought-provoking book is for every planter or pastor who is asking, ÆWhat does it mean to be salt and light in todayÆs worldwide community?ÆÖÙEd Young, senior pastor, Fellowship Church; author, Can We Do That?ÔBob Roberts always brings me back to why I do what I do. Transformation will challenge and inspire you to make your service for Christ pure and authentic regardless of where it leads. I highly recommend it!ÖÙRobert Lewis, senior pastor, Fellowship Bible ChurchÔTransformation is full of authenticity because Bob Roberts himself is being transformed. Read this book if you dare. It may transform your view of the churchÙand your own life.ÖÙLeighton Ford, president, Leighton Ford Ministries

Excerpts

TransformationCopyright 2006 by Bob Roberts Jr.Requests for information should be addressed to:Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataRoberts, Bob, 1958 --Transformation : how glocal churches transform lives and the world / BobRoberts, Jr.p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN-10: 0-310-26717-XISBN-13: 978-0-310-26717-11. Church development, New. I. Title.BV652.24.R63 2005262'.001'7 --- dc22 2005013739CIPThis edition printed on acid-free paper.All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible:New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by InternationalBible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resourceto you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement onthe part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life of this book.All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means --- electronic, mechanical,photocopy, recording, or any other --- except for brief quotations in printedreviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.Interior design by Ruth BandstraPrinted in the United States of America05 06 07 08 09 10 * 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1How Do We Find Our Voice Again?I was speaking in Australia and was on my way from Sydney toPerth. On the overnight fl ight, I got up to stretch my legs in theback of the plane. A young fl ight attendant began making politesmall talk as she prepared the drink cart, asking me where I wasfrom, where I was going, and what I did for a living. I often hesitate totell people I'm a pastor --- our reputation is not exactly well received.That day, however, I just let it go. 'I'm a pastor,' I began. 'I'm hereto speak at some seminaries and colleges in Australia about how tostart churches.' What a great opener for an evangelism experience!Right! Only she didn't seem the least intrigued.'Good luck. You won't get much of an audience here,' she saidnonchalantly. 'I think you'll fi nd it's quite different than what yousee in America. No offense, just the way it is.''None taken,' I offered. Now I was the one intrigued. 'Sowhat's the deal? Is God just not part of the equation of life? Whatdo most Australians think of him?'She didn't hesitate. 'It isn't that I'm angry with God or don'tbelieve in him. He's just not a player, if you will.'Granted, she maintained her friendly fl ight attendant demeanor,but her matter-of-fact response to the topic at hand still threw me.'So help me understand this,' I probed. 'Have you been hurt in thepast by the church somehow?''No,' she smiled, undeterred. 'My granny goes to church. As amatter of fact, I had a friend who had an awesome tragedy. The waythe church stepped in and helped out was incredible. No questionsasked.'I retraced our steps. 'But you believe in God?''Of course. You'd have to be an idiot not to believe. I'm veryspiritual, as are most of my friends; I'm just not religious.''How do you get in touch with your spirituality?' Great, there'sa token pastor-type question. She took it in stride, however, as shecontinued loading her cart.'I walk in the bush, or take a long walk on the beach, or visitwith my mates for a long time.''What would make you want God or pursue him in your life?'What was this bloke getting at? she must have wondered.She paused for a moment before responding, 'I can't answerthat. I'm just perfectly happy without him.''So not angry, bitter, or resentful --- just indifferent?' I offeredonce more.'That's it,' she concluded.That was it. Tragically, Chris tian ity (as she understood it) hadnothing to offer this young woman. How can that be? Does thegospel have the ability to reach happy people who 'have it all'? Oris it just a crisis decision? I knew Jesus spoke to deep levels of truthand meaning beyond a crisis, but I was having a diffi cult time convincingher of that. Is the gospel powerful enough to be enough inand of itself, or does someone have to respond only because they'rehurting? How do we help people understand that they need Godbecause he's God and that there's no true or ultimate meaning withouthim?As I visited with her, I ached over the fl aws in our understandingof what it is that we invite people to experience and our inability toengage the culture at a signifi cant depth. Where is the church todayspeaking to justice and mercy? Where is the church today servingthe poor and the hurting? Where is the church today serving as aprophet to society? Her view of the church was that it existed as aninstitution for itself --- neither good nor bad, just irrelevant to her.We cannot expect to help people understand there is value tofollowing God and a depth of life that comes no other way if wedon't deal with issues at this level. We would have nothing differentto offer them from the Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, animists,and other religions who merely beseech their gods in times of needfor things they desire. When America was more 'Chris tian' in itscultural moorings, it wasn't necessary to understand apologetics.Thinking about the deep issues regarding the existence of God wasnot as prevalent then; now that has all changed.When the church began to institutionalize and focus on gaininginfl uence in political arenas and amassing wealth and respectabilityin global affairs, it lost its mooring --- the central message ofhope and healing that will transform individuals and cultures. Thechurch became a regimented system, corralling its constituents intoprograms --- and yet not without results. Megachurches exploded.Church networks grew. Something was happening --- and as longas the numbers grew, we self-validated all the results. Instead ofall our movement being God's work, we convinced ourselves of theopposite. We surmised all our feverish work must signify a movementof God.I HAD TO GO HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD TO FIND ITHow did this colossal mistake happen? Somewhere along theway, we became lost. I didn't even realize how lost I was until I sawwhat the church was really supposed to look like. At fi rst, I didn'teven recognize it; then I wanted to rationalize it. I had to go halfwayaround the world to fi nd it --- in the persecuted undergroundhouse church in Asia. I had heard the stories and statistics, but Ihad never met anyone face to face. For the fi rst time, I found peoplewho were living a Divine Conspiracy,1 as Dallas Willard would say.They were nothing like me. They were nothing like any believers Ihad ever met --- not even Willard! Not just culturally, but spirituallythey blew me away. Sure, their theology is fuzzy. Some don't evenhave whole parts of the Bible, only perhaps an entire book or a fewpassages. But they know God at a depth I never had nor knew anyoneelse who had.Worship takes on a completely new expression on the otherside of the world. No sound systems, no calculated transitions, justsweaty believers crammed together into small rooms, weeping as theHoly Spirit oozes out among them, as I never before experienced.I don't know if they are charismatic or not (all I knew was it wasn'tmy tongue), but it doesn't matter. No one is getting rich, and no oneis fi ghting for control or position. If there is a favored position, it isthe privilege of being the fi rst to die. Living on the edge as they doleaves little room for insincerity or self-promotion. These people areliving what I grew up hearing the church should be.