Letters to the Church by Francis Chan is a breath of fresh air and a wonderful chance to examine MY heart for the Lord and His church. It would be easy to read this book and start poking holes in our own context, but that would be to miss the point. I have enjoyed Francis Chan as a speaker, author, and pastor for many years and have reviewed some of his other work including: Forgotten God, Crazy Love, Multiply, and You and Me Forever. A good friend, who is truly living on mission, mentioned this book as something that articulated what she and I have been talking about over the course of the last several years. I’m so grateful for her recommendation! I read Letters to the Church on the way home from a mission trip when my heart was particular tender and open to the move of the Spirit. It was a great opportunity to put some stakes in the ground for where I want to grow as a follower of Christ.
I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- One of the main things that we questioned was the level of love we had for one another. Cornerstone was by most standards a pretty loving church. But next to the example of the early church in the New Testament, it just fell flat. Jesus said the world should know us by our love (John 13: 35). As elders, we came to the painful conclusion that when unbelievers came to our services, they weren’t observing anything supernatural about the way we loved one another. p. 14
- The Bible tells us that every member of the body has a gift necessary to the functioning of the Church. When I looked at what went on in Cornerstone, I saw a few other people and me using our gifts, while thousands just came and sat in the sanctuary for an hour and a half and then went home. The way we had structured the church was stunting people’s growth, and the whole body was weaker for it. p. 15
- One day the Lord may call me somewhere else on this earth, but right now I selfishly hope He doesn’t. I don’t want to be separated from this family. I love them because they bring me closer to Jesus. I have never felt less alone or more secure. p. 22
- The Church has real issues, but Jesus still refers to the Church as His body, His Bride! We must love His Bride, not gripe about her or leave her. p. 22
- Many want to change the Church, but it is often motivated by personal preference rather than biblical conviction. I am trying to point out only the most obvious biblical truths about God’s desire for His Bride—truths that none of us can afford to ignore. p. 24
- Imagine how difficult it would be to coach a team where each player refuses to follow because he or she has a better plan than the coach. Welcome to the American Church in the twenty-first century. Let’s exercise some humility. p. 25
- “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5: 15–17 p. 28
- “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!’” Revelation 5: 13 p. 40
- Herein lies the danger of clamoring for attention: we don’t realize that true joy comes from the opposite. Joy comes as we stand among those Jesus has redeemed and get lost in a sea of worship, becoming fully a part of something sacred. p. 41
- “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1: 4–5 p. 42
- There is a simple exercise I walk through with church leaders. First, I have them list all the things that people expect from their church. They usually list obvious things like a really good service, strong age-specific ministries, a certain style/ volume/ length of singing, a well-communicated sermon, conveniences such as parking, a clean church building, coffee, childcare, etc. Then I have them list the commands God gave the Church in Scripture. Usually they mention commands like “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15: 12), “visit orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1: 27), “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28: 19), “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6: 2), etc. I then ask them what would upset their people more—if the church didn’t provide the things from the first list or if the church didn’t obey the commands in the second list. p. 46
- It is imperative that we differentiate between what we want and what God commands. Not that our desires are all bad, but they must take a back seat to what He emphasizes. p.49
- “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” 1 Corinthians 1: 17 p. 50
- “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2: 1–5 p. 50
- We’re not doing people any favors by pretending they are the center of the universe. Either people will be awed by the sacred or they will not. If the sacred is not enough, then it is clear that the Spirit has not done a work in their lives. If the sheep don’t hear His voice, let them walk away. Don’t call out with your own voice. p. 53
- By catering our worship to the worshippers and not to the Object of our worship, I fear we have created human-centered churches. p. 53
- “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2: 42–47 p. 54
- In our impatient culture, we want to experience biblical awe without biblical devotion. p. 56
- Revelation 1: 3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” p. 59
- If prayer isn’t vital for your church, then your church isn’t vital. This statement may be bold, but I believe it’s true. If you can accomplish your church’s mission without daily, passionate prayer, then your mission is insufficient and your church is irrelevant. p. 62
- “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4: 31 p. 63
- Mike Breen said, “Most of us have become quite good at the church thing. And yet, disciples are the only thing that Jesus cares about, and it’s the only number that Jesus is counting. Not our attendance or budget or buildings.” 65
- David Platt echoed this: “I am also struck by our reliance upon having just the right speaker and just the right musician who can attract the most people to a worship service. But what if the church itself—the people of God gathered in one place—is intended to be the attraction, regardless of who is teaching or singing that day? This is enough for our brothers and sisters around the world.” p. 67
- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13: 34–35 p. 72
- When you read about the unity of the early church, does it make you jealous? p. 80
- God wants you to resemble His Son, especially when you gather with your church family. Do you show up to gatherings looking to serve? p. 87
- Imagine gathering with a group of people who were trying to outserve one another. p. 87
- In speaking of the church, Paul said, “When each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4: 16). A church grows to maturity only when each part is “working.” If we give up on the goal of having all members exercise their spiritual gifts, we are destined for perpetual immaturity. p. 92
- I echo what Mike Breen wrote: “Are we just good at getting people together once a week and maybe into a small group, or are we actually good at producing the types of people we read about in the New Testament? Have we shifted our criteria for a good disciple as someone who shows up to our stuff, gives money and occasionally feeds poor people?” p. 93
- It is hard for the average person to reconcile why a group of people supposedly filled with God’s Spirit, able to speak with the Creator of the universe, would need gimmicks. p. 96
- I agree with the poignant words of A. W. Tozer when he wrote, “Our most pressing obligation today is to do all in our power to obtain a revival that will result in a reformed, revitalized, purified church. It is of far greater importance that we have better Christians than that we have more of them.” 97
- It’s time to put some loving pressure on ourselves and those around us. This is everyone’s responsibility. Only when we become servants will we experience the Holy Spirit as Jesus intended. Only then will the Church resemble the Christ they worship. p. 101
- For those in church leadership, we can’t assume we belong there. We have to ask ourselves, Am I sure I should be in this position? Am I in a good place to lead? Is my relationship with Jesus one that I want replicated? p. 105
- “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13: 7 p. 110
- While many pastors boast of how many children sit under their care, doesn’t it make more sense to boast of how many have graduated from their care? Isn’t it more a sign of failure when children are unable to leave the house? Raising thousands of consumers is not success. p. 120
- “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1: 27 p. 123
- “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20 p. 127
- If you listened only to the voice of Jesus, read only the words that came out of His mouth, you would have a very clear understanding of what He requires of His followers. If you listened only to modern preachers and writers, you would have a completely different understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Could there be a more catastrophic problem than this? p. 128
- In an effort to be sensitive to others, we often lose sight of truth. When we do this, we no longer help people but damn them. True compassion takes into account far more than what a person feels today; it takes into account what he or she will feel on judgment day. What some do in the name of being open-minded and compassionate is actually done out of self-love and cowardice. We want to be accepted, so we listen and coddle but refuse to rebuke. If that is love, then the prophets, apostles, and Jesus were the most unloving people to ever walk the planet. p. 137
- Jesus and the apostles were persecuted because what they said and taught was so countercultural. The culture of our world is just as ugly, if not more so, than it was in Jesus’ time. The teaching of the church should be radically different from that of the world. There will be backlash, and church attendance might decline, but the church will be purified. We need to return to a God-centered theology rather than a human-centered theology, and we need to be willing to flip some tables and suffer for it along the way. p. 139
- “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Hebrews 12: 1–3 p. 146
- Your church model often communicates your true theology. p. 172
- God wants to be worshipped by every nation and language (Rev. 7: 9–10). There are still billions who have never heard the gospel. 3 For this reason, we ask everyone to consider going to unreached people groups. Rather than assuming you are staying until you hear a word from God, it seems more biblical to assume you are going unless you believe God called you to stay. p. 180
- Study the Scriptures. Get alone with the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Seek Him with all your heart and surrender everything to Him. There cannot be anything you hold with a clenched fist, not even family. He is worth it. p.196
- Serve His Bride. Jesus is returning soon. We can’t afford to be doing our own thing while His Bride lies unhealthy. We all want to be found at her bedside, broken over her condition, willing to sacrifice anything for her well-being. p. 197
- “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1: 2–4 You can’t fully mature without being attacked. I know it doesn’t feel right when the attacks come from within the Church. Nonetheless, God uses these situations to sanctify us. We all need a Judas in order to become like Jesus. When everyone around you loves you, it’s nearly impossible to develop the character God wants for His children. Reasonable people do not aid your growth in the same way arrogant people do. We don’t display Christian love when we love those who love us. It is when we love those who slander us that we demonstrate the love of Christ (Matt. 5: 44–45). Find joy in sanctification. Challenge yourself to grow to the point where you become thankful for difficult people. 203
- Let’s love people enough to help them leave their own pity parties so they can spend their lives drawing attention to God rather than themselves. p. 213
- “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4: 8 p. 213
- Whenever I feel like I’m being mistreated, I start worshipping Jesus. p. 214
- Any mistreatment I have faced is an absolute joke compared to the horrors Christ endured. p. 214
- I have found that the more I stare at His humility, the more I praise Him and want to be like Him. Take some time now to praise Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12: 2). p. 215
- “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isaiah 57: 15 p. 216