“There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between these two ways.” – The Didache
What if the way that we are acting in Church isn’t the way that Jesus taught? What if the way we structure and behave leadership in Christian circles doesn’t reflect what the Bible teaches? What if the North American church has been seduced by the idea of power and control, and left Jesus and his ways on the sidelines?
While we may be quick to answer that it isn’t so, we might be surprised to see what is actually in our churches. If the way of Jesus is servanthood, if the way of Jesus is love, if the way of Jesus is through weakness, then the church has abandon their leader. And if we have abandoned Jesus, we could only be following one other person…
This lack of living out Jesus’ teachings didn’t go unnoticed to Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel. They saw a church that was chasing relevance and popularity rather than Jesus, so they sought to find out why. What does it look like when the church does follow the path of Jesus? What would it look like if we followed the things that Christ taught about power and leadership? What would it be like if we went the Way Of The Lamb?
In their latest book, Goggin and Strobel search for answer as to what power looks like in Jesus’ kingdom, according his teachings and the life he lived. Rather than seeking the new and hip leaders in the Church, they look for the sages, the old and experienced to see where the Church has gone wrong, and what it looks like when they get it right.
You are invited to journey with Goggin and Strobel has they are challenge to rethink how Jesus’ calls us to lead and live, not in the way that things are done, but in the way that Jesus did. Not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of love. Either The Way Of The Dragon Or The Way Of The Lamb.
“What happens if the church rejects the power of Christ? What happens when Christians embody a worldly approach to power and try to use that to advance Christ’s kingdom? What happens when believers live their lives according to a power that is antagonistic to Christ?”
I don’t like getting to a book late. I like to get it early, read it, and be one of the first to start talking about it. But in this case, the case of The Way Of The Dragon Or The Way Of The Lamb, I’m glad I was late to the party.
I have seen different reviews, different reflections on this material, and not everyone is a fan. Some people accuse this book of attacking a particular demographic of the global church, supposedly condemning the way ‘they’ do things. And they condemn Goggin and Strobel back. But that isn’t what this book is about, and those that are damning this book are reacting to what this book is pushing up against; the issue of Satan’s kingdom secretly infiltrating the Kingdom of God.
This is a hot button topic. People are going to get very passionate about this. There is no getting around that, but that makes this book different, and so powerful, is that it speaks directly to the heart of the matter. And IF YOU ARE WILLING TO EXAMINE YOURSELF WITH ANY LEVEL OF HONESTY, you will see that you are engaged in this power struggle on some level. I know I am, even though I’m not in a position of leadership.
Goggin and Strobel are speaking from a place of honesty and humility, talking about their personal struggle with temptation towards power, towards control, towards a kingdom that is not of God. To say that we as readers aren’t as susceptible is t elevate ourselves to God’s position and judge.
This hard, yet simple, examination of the Church’s condition demands so much self reflection and examination of the local church. The Way Of The Dragon Or The Way Of The Lamb is not a story of two men’s spiritual journey, as much as it is an autopsy report. The Church
I recommend a lot of books, for a lot of reasons, but this book is different. These words come to life by the Spirit to those that are hungry to know God and live according to the life and teachings of Jesus. It will push you. It will demand change in your life. It will force you to acknowledge the way in which you walk, and compel you to move. The question becomes, in which way will you move; will you entrench yourself in The Way Of The Dragon, or free yourself to walk in The Way Of The Lamb?
“The question we must face is whether we will abide in the way of Jesus – continuing to trust in Him – or return to the way of Adam.”
There are few books that will make you stop thinking part way through a chapter and think for hours about what it has said. The Way Of The Dragon Or The Way Of The Lamb is a powerful, soul stirring read. For just the conversations it could generate, this would be a 5 star book, but it is worth so much more than that. The conversation that Goggin and Strobel are inviting us into is world changing. That is what makes this a 5 out of 5 star book.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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