The Gospel Coalition

(Below is a letter I wrote to our congregation this morning, updating them on the merger discussions with Coral Ridge)

Dear New City Family,
 
I wanted to give you a mid-week update on what’s going on in our merger discussions with Coral Ridge. As I mentioned last week, our first meeting took place last Wednesday and we talked about structural things, philosophical things, and issues surrounding style, leadership, etc. The representatives from Coral Ridge provided us with their by-laws, financials, organizational chart, and many more documents that our CPA and attorney will be going through. We are grateful for just how cooperative Coral Ridge has been so far. I can promise you this, given the laid out process we have committed to go through, there will be no stones left unturned.
 
We have paired up each member from our side with a member from their side to work on things between meetings. So, this week we did not meet as a whole team because each “pair” got together to work on things. For instance, Scott Spell (New City’s EP) got together with the executive pastor at Coral Ridge to discuss personnel and structure. Mark Kreisel (New City elder) was getting together with an elder from Coral Ridge (and member of the merger team) to go over legal things and John Laudadio (New City elder) is working through Coral Ridge by-laws with his Coral Ridge counterpart and member of the merger team. Next Wednesday we will all get together as a complete team to have dinner and then to go over our findings and to work through the snags. Please continue to pray.
 
Again, please be praying that if this is what God wants he will work things out. And if it’s not what God wants, he will shut it down. Pray that God will protect both churches from vain speculation. Because both churches are willing to follow God’s lead on this, we can expect great opposition. Pray that God would remove any obstacles (people, attitudes, etc.) that would stand in his way. We need humility in full measure across the board.
 
By the way, if you are interested in either Scott or me coming to your small group to answer questions about all of this, we would be more than happy to do so. I had the opportunity to do this with our small group last Sunday and it was remarkably helpful and therapeutic for all of us. So let us know.
 
You are constantly in my prayers as I consider what a privilege it is to be your pastor.
 
With deep appreciation and love,
 
Tullian

My forthcoming book, Unfashionable, is completely finished. It’s been fully edited and is getting ready to go to print. I should have my first copies by early March (the book will be released in April). And while I’m excited about this, there is always a sense of angst knowing that I cannot add or subtract anything from the book. If I had the opportunity to add one more thing, however, I’d find a place for this excellent quote from Dr. Lloyd-Jones on making a difference by being different:

The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. That must also be true of us as individuals. It should not be our ambition to be as much like everybody else as we can, though we happen to be Christian, but rather to be as different from everybody who is not a Christian as we can possibly be. Our ambition should be to be like Christ, the more like Him the better. And the more like Him we become, the more useful to the world we will be. 

Dear New City Family,

As I sit here on Monday morning thinking about you and praying for you, I’ve been reflecting on our time of worship together yesterday. My reflections cause my heart to well up with praise and thanksgiving as I consider the powerful way in which God is moving at New City. His presence in our worship (praising, praying, and preaching) is both unmistakable and uninhibited. Every week he makes himself known to us in fresh, tangible ways. He seems so delighted to “inhabit the praises of his people” (Ps. 22:3) on Sunday mornings at New City, and for that we can all be grateful. It is obvious to me that he is there and he is not silent!

As I ponder the way God is stretching this church, I can’t help thinking how I don’t deserve to be a part of this. None of us do. We are nothing more than poor and needy rebels whom God has chosen to lavish his grace on. I hope all of us realize what a blessing it is that God is among us–changing us, growing us, developing us. As I said yesterday, no one ever volunteers to be stretched by God. And yet all of us need stretching. Therefore, God in his infinite mercy chooses to push us and pull us out of our comfort zones so that we will become the stalwarts of faith he wants us to become. For, “without faith it is impossible to please him.” (Hebrews 11:6) 

As I think about and pray for our church, I have every reason to believe that, no matter what happens, this is going to be an incredible year. This church is growing both numerically and spiritually and I look forward with eager anticipation to see what God has for us over the next twelve months. It would be good and wise to remember the words of the great missionary William Carey: “Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” I hope and pray that 2009 will be marked by both great attempts and great expectations. God is doing something–we all know it. And if God’s sovereign movement doesn’t thrill us, nothing will. Wherever he is going, I’m all in!

Thank you all for your prayers. Don’t stop. We need God’s clear direction and fierce protection. We need God to be unambiguous as he moves among us. We will go as far as he tells us to go, and no further.

I love you all and will be praying for you all. Fight the good fight. Stay the course. Press on. The best is yet to come! Amen.

Tullian  
 

Following God’s lead is always good but never safe. When you commit yourself to do whatever God tells you to do and to go wherever God tells you to go, you inevitably experience up’s and down’s; high’s and low’s. For me, this week has been crazy! It’s been filled with excitement and fear; misunderstanding and frustration; laughter and tears. I’ve experienced moments of great desperation and great deliverance; grief and glory. God’s Spirit and God’s truth have afflicted me in my comfort and comforted me in my affliction. He’s never been more relevant to me. I’ve never felt so dependant on him. If God does not lead me, I’m done. It’s that simple.

As has often been the case in my Christian life, God has used the preaching of the late Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones to bring great persepective and reorientation to my troubled soul. His sermons on Revival preached in 1959 (I have them on audio cassette) are, by far, the best series of sermons I have ever heard. And last night I went back to one of them desperately needing God to remind me of my smallness and his bigness. And with a thundering voice, Lloyd-Jones reminded me of my supreme need:

Our supreme need, and our only need, is to know God, the living God, and the power of his might. We need nothing else. It is just that, the power of the living God, to know that the living God is among us and that nothing else matters. So we wait upon him. We look to him. We cry out to him, as Moses did when he was standing before the Red Sea, not knowing what to do, and while the people were grumbling and complaining, and afraid. God answered Moses and said, “Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they may go forward” (Exodus 14:15). And on they went.

I say, forget everything else. Forget everything else. We need to realize the presence of the living God amongst us. Let everything else be silent. This is no time for minor differences. We all need to know the touch of the power of the living God.

Upon hearing (or, re-hearing) those words, my troubled heart was put to sleep. I thank God for Dr. Lloyd-Jones and I look forward to seeing him on the “other side.”

Whatever may happen with regard to New City and Coral Ridge, my great comfort comes from knowing that God is wide awake; that he is among us working all things out for our good and his glory!

(Below is the update letter I sent our church earlier this morning, providing a brief report on our inaugural “merger team” meeting last night.) 

Dear New City,

As you know, last night was the inaugural meeting of the “merger team.” Three represenatives from Coral Ridge and three represenatives from New City, along with me, met at Mark Kreisel’s office from 7 to 10:30.

We began with all of the men sharing their testimonies and a little bit about themselves. We spent, in other words, the first hour just getting to know one another. From there we walked through a rather detailed agenda that our side put together yesterday afternoon. We talked about structural things, philosophical things, and issues surrounding style, leadership, etc. The reps from the Coral Ridge side provided us with their by-laws, financials, organizational chart, and many more documents that our CPA and attorney will be going through. We are grateful for just how cooperative Coral Ridge has been so far. I can promise you this, given the laid out process we have committed to go through, there will be no stones left unturned.

Thank you, New City, for praying that God would provide clear direction and fierce protection as we seek His plan for both congregations. Nothing is committed other than our desire to follow God. Seriously!

We are currently planning times to gather together and pray at the church office, set-aside days for corporate fasting, and a town-hall meeting (time and place TBD) once we have a clearer idea of what’s going on. Again, we will keep all of you completely in the loop. There are no secrets.

This Sunday we will most likely have a number of guests in the worship service. Please be patient and kind, but realize that the guests, media included, will have lots of questions. Remember that we also have questions, and we are seeking God’s answers through the work of his appointed servants. If asked, here are some things we do know, and which would be appropriate to share:

• I am called to be the pastor at New City and we as a church are prayerfully considering a merger. As the Sun-Sentinel reported, “it’s either all of us or none of us.”
• The intricacies of putting this merger together are going to require a time of due diligence where representatives from both sides will sit down and work out the terms of a merger for approval by both sessions. Legal matters, financial matters, ministerial matters, structural matters, and philosophical matters, will be among the list of things needing to be discussed and hammered out. Only if agreeable terms on all of these fronts can be reached and those terms approved by both church sessions would the two become one.
• This due dilligence process is not simply a formality to “close a deal” that’s already been made. All of us are willing to walk away at a moments notice if God says “stop!”

As I wrote to you the other day, please be praying that if this is what God wants he will work things out. And if it’s not what God wants, he will shut it down. Pray that God will protect both churches from vain speculation. Because both churches are willing to follow God’s lead on this, we can expect great opposition. Take courage, my friends. If God is for us, who can be against us. Press on. Strain forward. It is an honor to be your pastor!

Tullian

Have you ever had one of those days when “the ground fights back?” Well, after the news broke on Monday morning about a possible merger between New City and Coral Ridge, the phone started to ring, the e-mails started to pour in, reporters started to probe, and my wife left for a five day cruise! Of course, this cruise with my sisters, mother, mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law had been planned for months but God with his wonderful sense of humor just happen to ordain things in such a way that this would be the week I’m playing Mr. Mom for my three kids. It’s actually been quite wonderful. I don’t get the opportunity to play Mr. Mom for days in a row very often, but when I do I treasure it. And my wife definately deserves a five day cruise!

But I’m hoping that today is a quieter day–actually I’m begging God to make today quieter than the previous two!

On Monday morning, after I read an article that made it sound like this merger had already happened, I wrote this note to my sweet and faithful congregation at New City:

Dear New City Family,
 
Yesterday was a big day for all of us. I don’t think I’ve prayed harder before any sermon I’ve preached. It was so evident to me that the powerful presence of God was there helping us, comforting us, correcting us, and challenging us. As I said yesterday, whether this merger with Coral Ridge happens or not, God is doing something large at New City. And every time God intensifies his acitvity on behalf of his people, whatever that activity might be, it is for their good and his glory–an infinite win, win!
 
Like us, Coral Ridge made the announcement yesterday about the possible merger between the two churches. And given the visibility of both Coral Ridge and my family, there is already a lot of “word on the street.” Someone just e-mailed me an article from the Sun-Sentinel which announed that “Coral Ridge had announced their choice for a pastor: Billy Graham’s grandson.” Of course, there was only a small mention of the fact that we have only begun a process of evaluation regarding a merger between the two churches!
 
I tell you this to say that what I told you yesterday is exactly what is happening–no more, no less! If you hear something different than what I told you, don’t listen to it. If you have any questions or concerns, please call one of our elders or staff people. They will be more than happy to help you. As I said yesterday, we will be providing you with weekly updates on what is happening. There will be a “town-hall like” meeting scheduled in the next couple of weeks (time and place will be announced) where you may ask questions and be informed. You will all be completely “in the know” as we move forward. No surprises.
 
As I mentioned yesterday, all we know is that God has told us to march. And so we do until he says “stop.” Please continue to be in fervent prayer for God’s clear direction and his fierce protection. Please be praying that if this is what God wants he will work things out. And if it’s not what God wants, he will shut it down. Pray that God will protect both churches from vain speculation. Because both churches are willing to follow God’s lead on this, we can expect great opposition. Take courage, my friends. If God is for us, who can be against us. Press on. Strain forward. It is an honor to be your pastor!
 
Tullian

Tonight is the first meeting between the two sides as we begin the process of looking at what a merger would entail. Please pray for us. We need humility, wisdom, discernment, protection, and direction. Above all, we want what God wants. So please pray that this meeting would be done in a manner that brings God honor and glory.

As was announced January 18, 2009, at both New City Church and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Coral Ridge has issued a call to our senior pastor Tullian Tchividjian to become senior pastor at Coral Ridge. But because of Pastor Tullian’s unwavering commitment to remain as Pastor here at New City, both churches have agreed to consider a merger. In response to Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church’s call of Tullian, the elder board of New City Church at a called meeting on January 13, 2009, carried a motion to begin the process of evaluating the possibility of making the two church’s one. The elder board of New City Church unanimously agrees that the intricacies of putting this merger together are going to require a time of due diligence where representatives from both sides will sit down and work out the terms of a merger for approval by both sessions. Legal matters, financial matters, ministerial matters, structural matters, and philosophical matters, will be among the list of things needing to be discussed and hammered out. Only if agreeable terms on all of these fronts can be reached and those terms approved by both church sessions would Tullian formally accept the call and the two become one.

Read the Sun-Sentinel news story here.

As New City contemplates the upcoming year of ministry–the things God will set out to do and the potential obstacles that stand in the way–these words from Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ 1959 sermon The Purpose of Revival, gave me great comfort and courage:

The Children of Israel were about to enter the promised land and they had been hearing about all these tribes: the Hittites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. The spies had been sent forward and they came back and said, “You know, there are giants in that land and when we looked at them we felt that we were as grasshoppers.” And they were trembling, they were afraid of these great powers that they had to meet when they entered the promised land. Here is the answer: when you know that the living God is amongst you, what are the Hittites, who are the Girgashites and the Jebusites? What are the whole lot of them put together? They become as nothing. The fear of men is taken away immediately when we realize that the living God is among us. And if ever the Church needed this, it is now.

This audio piece on the integrity of my grandfather’s ministry is amazing! For those who may be unfamiliar with what the Modesto Manifesto was, my grandfather explains in his own words on pages 127-129 of his autobiography Just As I Am. You can read it here.

The Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College summarizes it well:

By 1948, Billy Graham was becoming fairly well-known as an evangelist in Protestant Fundamentalist and Evangelical circles in the United States. He was receiving more and more invitations to hold city-wide evangelistic meetings. However, to many of the general public, evangelism had a bad reputation because of real and alleged misdeeds and corruption on the part of some earlier evangelists. During his meetings in Modesto, California, in November 1948, Graham met with his co-workers and friends George Beverly Shea, Grady Wilson, and Cliff Barrows (at the motel on South Ninth Street wewre they were staying) to determine what were the most common criticisms of evangelists and how they should organize their own meetings so that they would be above reproach. Among the points they agreed on was that the Graham team would avoid even any appearance of financial abuse, exercise extreme care to avoid even the appearance of any sexual impropriety (from that point on, Graham made it a point not to travel, meet or eat alone with any woman other than his wife Ruth), to cooperate with any local churches that were willing to participate in united evangelism effort, and to be honest and reliable in their publicity and reporting of results. 

The audio piece will inspire you and make you pray for up and coming leaders who possess the integrity and the spiritual backbone to do these same things in the same way that my granddad did it. Please listen to it. It will do your soul good!  

“President-elect Barack Obama wants to conclude his inaugural oath with the words “so help me God,” but a group of atheists is asking a federal judge to stop him.”

Read the whole story here.