Message fail

I found an old document I wrote in 2006 after “message training” in Toledo ubf. Of course I wrote this document but everything here was dictated to me verbally. I regurgitated it and emailed it back to Toledo and even shared my “lessons learned” at a meeting. Was I stupid for doing this? Sure, I take responsibility. Are there exceptions to this in ubf? Sure, but this demonstrates what is typical of ubf training.

I felt so very empty and angry when I wrote this, emailed it back and shared it. In a future “message training” this “lessons learned” was referenced because I apparently had not learned the lessons well enough. I was asked to write a second “lessons learned” but I refused.

Again, if you’ve never been through ubf Sunday message training or ubf conference message training, you likely won’t believe me or Joe.

——————————–

3/21/2006 – Lessons learned through delivering the Sunday message in Toledo UBF.

Sh.Brian Karcher

1. The value of memorizing scripture. This time I was able to memorize the whole passage and recite it many times. This memorization gave me a better than usual sense of the passage and helped me to have God’s word in my heart.

2. The need for personal application in message. I realized I had gotten into the habit of creating a message by taking good ideas and concepts and putting them together. I pray to remember to make the Sunday messages personal.

3. The value of collaboration. The Sunday message was much richer when I was able to work with Dr.Paul, Sh.John Wilson and the messenger team. This working together was refreshing.

4. The value of long term vision. As I walked through the center and saw how God is blessing Toledo coworkers in many ways, I was reminded of the days when I first came to Bible study. At that time, working every Saturday to build the center seemed so long. I was encouraged to see the long term vision when beginning a ministry.

5. The value of spiritual disciplines. Since coming to Detroit, we had nearly lost all sense of basic spiritual discipline. More than any event that happened to us, this is the main source of struggle. We pray to rebuild the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, testimony sharing and family prayer and worship together.

“When God has given you time to recover from the abuse and trouble and harsh servitude that you had to endure, you can amuse yourselves by taking up this satire, a taunt against the king of Babylon…”

(Isaiah 14:3-4, The Message)

It is definitely better to laugh about it than to cry or become bitter. I definitely prefer the former, and in fact do it often, likely very often, if not close to all the time.

But I realize that when I laugh (my favorite activity), “some people” find it so offensive that they just tune out, feel sledgehammered, and become inwardly very angry. They likely interpret my laughter as mocking, disrespect and making fun of them (UBF). They likely do not accept my insistence that I am not disrespecting or mocking or making fun of anyone, but simply dealing with it in my own way, which is primarily by laughing, when addressing annoying or infuriating UBFisms.

Even though what you described is not untrue, I think that people are trying very very hard to be nicer, more accommodating, less authoritarian, less rude, more humble, less insistent or demanding, and trying to listen more and gather consensus, even if longstanding habits die hard, or perhaps may never entirely die in my/their lifetime.

IMHO, such efforts at improvement is clearly because UBF worldwide has taken a hit significantly throughout the world (which I think has humbled many even if no one will admit it), with more and more people speaking up, beginning from motherland.

So because of “some intentional changes” that are happening among the leadership, younger people (unfamiliar with the past) might perceive your satirical letter to Shepherd Brian to be a scathing, mocking exaggeration.

Thank you for posting this heart-moving message. I believe that God is raising you as a great Bible messenger like Billy Graham. Someday all messengers from Chicago and Toledo and everywhere can go to Detroit and learn from you.

I have just a few small comments.

First, the message is not Bible-based. Please make sure that you explain each verse carefully.

Second, your understanding of the beatitudes is not biblical. The blessed ones are those who meditate on God’s words day and night. The truly blessed ones are those who fight the spiritual battle as one-to-one Bible teachers. Please revise that part.

Third, please include more of your personal testimony about how God called you out of your sinful and meaningless life to become a Bible teacher. One woman forgot God’s grace upon her life and became like a mental patient and got hit by a car. We must remember God’s grace.

Fourth, please include your vision and prayer topics for Bible Detroit and Bible Michigan. Tell us your ten-year plan. Tell us about your sheep and all their sin problems so we can pray for them.

Fifth, please include personal repentance topics.

Sixth, divide the message into sections and tell us your one word.

To help you with your message preparation, I am sending you Dr. Lee’s manuscript. Please study and memorize it until God’s word comes into your deep heart.

Please send me your revised message so I can check it tomorrow. And practice delivering the message ten times in front of the dummy in your living room.

God bless your struggle to be an excellent servant of God’s word.

Viewing this sermon from the perspective of the law will only crush us, for who does not deal with anger and be pronounced a murderer, and who does not deal with lust and be pronounced an adulterer.

Yet this sermon from the very heart of Christ gives us rest and peace, freedom and joy from the Spirit that transforms our hearts.

Two years ago, I wrote/copied this from ML-Jones’ introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, which you might have a few things to quibble about: http://westloop-church.blogspot.com/2012/04/sermon-on-mount-martyn-lloyd-jones.html