Video Transcript: Getting Prepared for Opposition

When you plant a church, there will be naysayers. There will be opposition, and  to think, like a church planter and to guide your life as a church planter. You  need to be aware and prepared for opposition. Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle  is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities against  the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the  heavenly realms. So know that this is part of an epic struggle, church planting is  part of an epic struggle. Now, according to James Griffith, and William Easum, in their book, The 10, most common mistakes made by church starts, we get  insights into where some of this opposition comes. Much of the opposition faced by planters come from within the plant itself. Many new attendees of a church  plant are church, people who have reclaimed, relocated to the area and find  themselves in need of a church home. They look for one similar to what they left  in the former place of residence. This group evaluates the church plant based  upon what they left and what they need not on its missional intentions, and  certainly not on its DNA. They want the brand of church they just left. And if not  there, they often don't just leave, they try to change things to their brand. So one of the areas of opposition comes from people that you reach. Institutional  without institutional opposition also comes in the form of churches in an area  they feel threatened by the presence of a newly forming faith community. These  churches lack Kingdom mindset, and see this new church as the competition  now in both of those institution within institution without what do we see friendly  fire, people who should be friendly, but they're not friendly for various reasons.  So you will face that opposition as a church planter and you can either become  reactionary, or you can see it for what it is and utilize your love and people smart skills in not letting that opposition sidetrack your calling. Maybe if it's an affiliated church, located nearby could be an opposition. You and your mentor should  make a courtesy call in that would be something even before opposition started.  On any affiliated churches, maybe church in the same denomination seems like  opposition comes there quicker. Maybe they're already in the area of your new  church plant. To speak with the pastor and lay leaders together. Never just the  pastor. Introduce yourself, share your heart in call. articulate your vision and  style follow with a time of question and answers. The Bible encourages us and  Romans 12:18. If it is possible, as far as it depends upon you live at peace with  everyone. In some ways, you might be thinking to yourself, wow, to plant a  church, I have this kind of a hassle to deal with. You know, don't think of it as a  hassle. Think of your vision God's calling, think of sharing the vision who knows  maybe that local affiliated church will open up some resources for the new  church plant. There'll be cultural opposition. Countless times requests to rent or  lease temporary facilities are sidetracked, stonewalled, or just plain turned down much of this as anecdotal according to James and William, but multiple church  planters had mentioned, I have comment on the sense of resistance they felt  from local Powers, who make it impossible to rent schools, raise church and 

state issues, frown on extended leases. So know that you are going to have  some opposition, even cultural opposition. But remember, there's also spiritual  opposition need to understand if starting new churches is not benign activity.  Spiritual resistance is inevitable. We are reminded of Paul's requests to the  Colossians pray for us too that God may open a door for our message. So we  may proclaim the mystery of Christ. There will be intense spiritual opposition  because you are going into enemy territory when someone attempts to plant a  church is not primarily about techniques. The planter is ventually venturing into  occupied territory, only to be greeted by forces seen unseen conspiring to work  against any movement of God. If you think you can march into occupied territory without resistance, you're wrong, there will be a clash. You can't afford to be  naive. A battle lies ahead for anyone with a vision for a biblical loving Christ  centered community. Church Planting isn't child's play in spiritual warfare is  more than just a metaphor for the conflict that occurs emotionally, politically,  philosophically, church planting is critical, Frontline, make or break it kind of  stuff. And the enemies of the coming Kingdom want nothing more than to see a  good sincere, talented, gifted and gracious people, like you, like me get  destroyed, wounded, or help of the destruction or wounding of others. Satan is  about creating chaos, mucking things up, and know that when you plant a  church, you will face this kind of opposition. So, right now again, check your  calling. Church planting is not a game, nor a challenging job. Nor an opportunity  to excel to experiment with a new form of ministry, starting a church, then  leading it to maturity is a calling plain and simple. If you aren't called, if you can't speak in some way to that deep, unspoken inarticulate, but clear as Spring  water conviction that God has spoken. God has spoken God's heart to yours  and compelled you to do this. You must run don't walk away from it. It's just not  worth it at any level. Check your calling. Is God calling you to do it because you  will face opposition. So in light of all of what I just said, what's the fix? What do  we need? Well, first of all, don't forget you need intercessors to pray for you.  These are individuals who possess the spiritual gift of intercession, who are  outside of your circle and mission and can hold you and your family up before  God in pray for Your guidance, wisdom and the grace to lead. You know we  always say to students pray for Christian leaders Institute is so important. I also  have recruited people not who are not students who are just prayer warriors, to  pray. That's for Christian leaders Institute in the same that happened in church  planting. You need to raise up plant intercessors to pray for you. This is real  battle. draft an intercessory prayer team. You need to find people who are called to pray. Believers whose primary ministry in their daily Christian life is to find a  quiet place to offer themselves to God in prayer and intercession on your behalf. These believers are willing and able to keep praying until they have a sense that they have prevailed. Your intercession team needs believers who have a track  record of interceding for others in seeing answers regarding protection 

provision, and fruit, draft an intercession team, the intercessor team, your team  of intercession needs to be outside your plant so they can pray deeply without  an agenda. Being able to do so allows them that sense of objectivity as well as a sense of emotional and spiritual distance from what you and your team are  going through, as well as what fires your goals, dreams, struggles and fears. So  this intercessory team is crucial and vital. When you face this opposition, I will  tell you this, never take it personally. Some of your new neighbors will be  threatened and put off put off by your existence. You'll find yourself confronted  on every level culturally, spiritually, theologically and politically. Your little  experiment will bug the status quo. You'll be confronted with dangers and perils  you never imagined. Doors will be slammed into your face and you will discover  those closest to your heart, in in plan and plant are working at cross purposes to you, you must resist it all. And above all, never take any of it personally, I've  experienced that at Christian leaders Institute I've experienced in every church  plant, as Christian leaders Institute has been going forward all over the world to  raise up leaders. The spiritual warfare in my life has been so intense in my wife's life, in our children's life, things I never before would imagine that we would be  confronted with we had been confronted with. But we don't give up. It's  sometimes hard not to take it personally. But we're not called to look at that  spiritual warfare, and get defeated by it. But to grow and learn and get so close  to our Savior and to see bigger visions of what it takes and what it means. You  know what spiritual warfare has done for me, it's really convinced me there  really is a God. Now I knew that there really is spiritual warfare, because why as I am called to do anything for God, does the intensity even get worse, like Satan shows himself and when I see what Satan is doing, and I see the power of God,  I see the real battle that we're facing, it creates more faith in me, more  realization that this is just not what it is on the surface, but there is a deep battle  of brewing. Now, if you're a church planter, I really advise that you get mentors,  supervisors, people to help you in some you are going to have that but some are not. But I make these comments. For those who have supervisors, supervisors  set the spiritual tone for behind the scenes prayer activities. So that's what you  want your supervisor to help you with those supervisors who failed to  understand that church planting is a struggle is a battle, will be easily misled and failed to support the church planter. And I've seen this as well. Some of you will  have supervisors in your church planting, and there'll be a little opposition. And  right away, they'll start blaming you and they won't see this is part of the  struggle. Far too often the supervisors listen to those complaining about the  efforts of the church planter. There's nothing more regrettable your church  planter needs to know that you are behind them. 110%. I put this comment in  there because maybe you need to play this comment for your supervisor. It's  hard to plant churches. And a lot of time supervisors are in the infrastructure of a denomination and they're appointed by the organization to supervise the new 

church planter. And they themselves have no idea what they are in store for.  Sometimes coaches are appointed for church planters in various denominations. If that's you, the coach must insist that one of the first actions of the church  planter takes is to recruit an intercessory prayer team, have the prayer planter  tell you each person who each person is in step the means necessary for the  planter to communicate prayer request on a regular basis. Maybe someday  you're going to be a coach, and you're going to help church planters, this is  going to be you someday to help that new church planter. Maybe that's who you  are now but help that new church planter to actually set up prayer intercession.  You know, there's opposition. That's clear. But as you are called to do this, I  want to tell you something else. It is wonderful to plant churches, though our  family has been attacked. Most of my family members will say they loved the  journey. It brought before them the presence of God. It took us out of sort of the  materialism of our age and focused us to what's really important. And when your church planting, you're the one that's blessed, your family is blessed. Now,  maybe you can't see that all the time because things happen. But God sees  things from an eternal and I believe there's like this test we all go through in life  and we're saved by grace, we're not saved by works. So the test does not save  us. But I believe that there is the church planting brings a wonderful test to who  we really are. It sees what our motivation really is. And to put yourself into that  place into Yes, test me, Lord. Let spiritual warfare come to me but I trust the  Lord as a powerful place in thinking like a church planter is one who welcomes  the good, the bad, sees the opportunities, but always trust our Lord Jesus  receives the power of the Holy Spirit and wakes up the next morning,  anticipating what God is going to do.