Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living [Paperback]

Ed Stetzer (Author), Philip Nation (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2008

Understand what it means to be compelled by love. In the book entitled Compelled by Love, trusted missiologist Ed Stetzer and coauthor and pastor Philip Nation challenge readers to look at love within the context of God, the church, and the lives of individual believers. Selected as the 2008 2009 emphasis book for WMU®, a million-member nonprofit missions organization, Compelled by Love will give readers a basic theological grounding and a platform for personal application as they understand what missional living is all about it is simply the calling to love others. Look at the love of God; begin to truly understand what is at the center of the church s foundation, commission, and direction; but most importantly, understand your role within the mission of God as you integrate love into all aspects of your missional calling.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Endorsements

“This is a great tool to help your church learn how and why we should live compelled by love. God calls us to nothing less.”— Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life

“Compelled by Love is a much-needed overview for how God’s love compels us to love as He is loving in our world.” — Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God and Called and Accountable

“Here is an anthem of love that the missional church can sing with all its heart.”— Leonard Sweet, Drew Theological School, George Fox University,

“Compelled by Love is a great read for those needing encouragement and direction for engaging in God's work in the world.”—Thom Rainer, author of Simple Church

“Compelled by Love is a fine contribution to spiritual reflection and church renewal.”— Timothy George, founding dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and senior editor, Christianity Today

“Compelled by Love gives us a much needed teaching on an overused word. . . .This book is necessary reading to redeem our understanding of how love fuels missional living.”— Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, author of Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers to Timely Questions

“Compelled by Love helps us recover the legitimacy that only love can bring. And God knows, we could be a whole lot more loving!”— Alan Hirsch,author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things To Come

“If the church needs anything today, it is to learn to love again. Ed and Philip remind us that love is the only motive that can really make us missional. And these two men live out what they write.”— Dr. John Avant, senior pastor, pastor, First West Church, author of Authentic Power: How to Unleash It in Your Life

“Ed and Philip help us discover biblically sound answers to crucial questions. Compelled by Love is filled with words of wisdom that will protect the best crafted how-to plans from being hijacked by fuzzy motives and misplaced goals.”—Steven M. Pike, administrator,US Missions director, Assemblies of God Church Planting and Health

“Ed and Philip call us to evaluate our lives and ministries by the standard of love. This book will meddle with our motives, but will call us to a higher way of living.” — Dr. Ronnie W. Floyd, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Springdale and the Church at Pinnacle Hills, author of Finding the Favor of God: A Discovery That Will Change Your Life

“Compelled by Love is a compelling resource to spur conversation in small groups.”— Bill Easum, cofounder, Easum, Bandy & Associates

“Compelled by Love is the type of book that creates the atmosphere to see change in ministry.”— Johnny Hunt, pastor, First Baptist Woodstock “Ed and Philip talk about the ultimate purpose of missions—to first love God with all our heart, and then to love others as we love ourselves. Love trumps mission, and together they equal missional love.”— Elmer Towns, dean, School of Religion, Liberty University

From the Publisher

"This is a great tool to help your church learn how and why we should live compelled by love. God calls us to nothing less."-- Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life

"Compelled by Love is a much-needed overview for how God's love compels us to love as He is loving in our world." -- Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God and Called and Accountable

"Here is an anthem of love that the missional church can sing with all its heart."-- Leonard Sweet, Drew Theological School, George Fox University,

"Compelled by Love is a great read for those needing encouragement and direction for engaging in God's work in the world."--Thom Rainer, author of Simple Church

"Compelled by Love is a fine contribution to spiritual reflection and church renewal."-- Timothy George, founding dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and senior editor, Christianity Today

"Compelled by Love gives us a much needed teaching on an overused word. . . .This book is necessary reading to redeem our understanding of how love fuels missional living."-- Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, author of Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers to Timely Questions

"Compelled by Love helps us recover the legitimacy that only love can bring. And God knows, we could be a whole lot more loving!"-- Alan Hirsch,author of The Forgotten Ways and The Shaping of Things To Come

"If the church needs anything today, it is to learn to love again. Ed and Philip remind us that love is the only motive that can really make us missional. And these two men live out what they write."-- Dr. John Avant, senior pastor, pastor, First West Church, author of Authentic Power: How to Unleash It in Your Life

"Ed and Philip help us discover biblically sound answers to crucial questions. Compelled by Love is filled with words of wisdom that will protect the best crafted how-to plans from being hijacked by fuzzy motives and misplaced goals."--Steven M. Pike, administrator,US Missions director, Assemblies of God Church Planting and Health

"Ed and Philip call us to evaluate our lives and ministries by the standard of love. This book will meddle with our motives, but will call us to a higher way of living." -- Dr. Ronnie W. Floyd, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Springdale and the Church at Pinnacle Hills, author of Finding the Favor of God: A Discovery That Will Change Your Life

"Compelled by Love is a compelling resource to spur conversation in small groups."-- Bill Easum, cofounder, Easum, Bandy & Associates

"Compelled by Love is the type of book that creates the atmosphere to see change in ministry."-- Johnny Hunt, pastor, First Baptist Woodstock "Ed and Philip talk about the ultimate purpose of missions--to first love God with all our heart, and then to love others as we love ourselves. Love trumps mission, and together they equal missional love."-- Elmer Towns, dean, School of Religion, Liberty University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596692278
• ISBN-13: 978-1596692275
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Stetzer is director of LifeWay Research and missiologist in residence at LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee. He holds two masters and doctoral degrees and has written dozens of respected articles and books including Planting Missional Churches, Breaking the Missional Code, Compelled by Love, and Comeback Churches.Richie Stanley is team leader at the North American Mission Board s Center for Missional Research in Alpharetta, Georgia.Jason Hayes is the young adult ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources where he serves as a leading voice and face of Threads, the company's young adult initiative.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deals with the real issues of misisonal living, May 20, 2008

By 

Darryl Dash "DashHouse" (Toronto, ON Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living (Paperback)

One of my friends often says that we don't have a how-to problem. It's much more serious than that: we have a want-to problem. That could be why many of the books and seminars we have don't really work. Many of them offer more how-to solutions, when what we really need is to want to do what we already know we should be doing.

Compelled by Love: A Most Excellent Way to Missional Living, written by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation, is different. It tackles the real reason we don't engage in mission as we should. The issue is not technique; it's love.

The authors write:

"If we operate by our own view of the world and our own strength, we will walk away from people every time. However, Christ's love in us - the conviction of Christ's truth displayed in love and the change in our lives because of redemption - causes us to have a new view of people and a new life of compassion for the saved and the lost."

Stetzer and Nation take us on a tour of the triune God's missional love for us. They then lead us to consider the church's mission, which is evidence of God's love. We are not called to be the hippest churches, nor are we to focus on our abilities. Instead, it's about presenting God's presence to the people of this world. When we understand God's love and our mission, we'll be prepared to give up on our "needs", and love and be loved within the church. We'll discover that love and obedience go together. This will lead us to love and to share God's missionary passion for the world.

If you're looking for a how-to book on missional living, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a book that will lead you to think about issues below the surface of missional living and missional churches, then Compelled by Love is a book you'll want to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does your church live in a bubble?, August 25, 2009

By 

Daniel C. Wilson (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living (Paperback)

Posted at DesireSpiritualGrowth.com:

Do not read Compelled by Love if you are looking for "101 ways to love better," or "7 reasons why you should try harder to love." You won't find it. Ed Stetzer, with the help of Philip Nation, starts with the gospel of grace when declaring the truth about love and the church. Christ, not how-to sermons or elbow-grease, is the only solution to the church's inability to love as we ought. Compelled by Christ's love, we can step out of the bubble our churches live behind far too often. That's missional living.

Consider these quotes from the opening chapter:

"The old nature must die so Christ can live in and through us. The change that occurs by Christ's love is the only path to love as God loves. We cannot by our own strength we loving persons as Christians. We can only become those persons when Christ lives in us. God gives the gracious endowment of the sacrificial life of Christ to indwell us so we might live by faith and not be sight, emotion, or any other earthly power."

"The way of Jesus is contrary to what we naturally desire. Our fleshly nature refuses to love those we find unworthy. It's only Christ in us that changes us and makes us see people as God sees them and to live a new life of compassion for both the saved and the lost (see Matthew 22:35-40)."

Stetzer draws from his personal experience as a church planter to provide keen insight. The book is designed for small groups, and each chapter includes a thought-provoking list of discussion questions to spur deeper thinking on what it means to live a missional lifestyle of love towards those around us.

7 Reasons why your church should read Compelled by Love:
1. It is a Christ-centered resource for anyone who wants to grow in love.
2. It reminds us that the bubble the church lives in keeps us from being effectively reaching the lost, because "God is on a mission outside that bubble."
3. It brings us back to the Father's heart as the motivation for ministry. "We begin with the knowledge of God because the mission originates with His heart."
4. It is Bible-saturated, easy to read, and far from dry.
5. It explains the difference between treaty and surrender in our relationship with God, a section worth praying earnestly through.
6. Chapter 7 very likely will rattle your concept of church.
7. The book provides direction and spurs discussion that will encourage you and your church to prayerfully seek specific ways to lovingly reach the culture around you.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Compelled By Love" by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation, August 25, 2009

By 

Kyle E. Mcdanell - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living (Paperback)

Ed Stetzer is quickly becoming one of the more influential voices in Evangelicalism as our culture continues to drift more and more into postmodernism. He has encountered some controversy, accused of supporting and sympathizing with the Emerging Church and some of its leaders. But through it all, Stetzer, who works for Lifeway, continues to serve the church by training pastors and leaders on church planting and ministry.

Stetzer has written a number of books and his newest book, "Compelled By Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living," only adds to his legacy. There are two things to note about this title. First, this book regards missional living. As I have said before, being missional is the current buzz word that everyone is talking about. Stetzer is one of the more conservative leaders pushing the missional movement and this book adds to the conversation. Secondly, this is a book about love. But this is not your typical book on love. Usually, books wax eloquent about how much God loves us and we should love Him and bypass the holiness and righteousness of God that holds sinners accountable. This is no such book.

There are three aspects of the book that I wish to discuss that will sort of serve as a general outline of the book. First, real love is incarnated in Jesus Christ. But this goes deeper than the Sermon on the Mount. Stetzer essentially defines love in terms of the cross. Christ loved us. How? By dying for us. Love then, is selfless and sacrificial. Missional love begins with the cross. Do I love others the way Christ exemplified love for me? If not, then we do not love.

Secondly, love is active. I found part 2 riveting. Stetzer takes the message of the cross (the gospel) and tells his readers to love like that and tell others about that. This is a section primarily about the Great Commission and love within the church. Stetzer is emphatic. If we truly love others, if we are truly missional, then we must be about missions. How can we say that we love others if we are too selfish to share the gospel with them? How can we say we are loving if we refuse to serve the church and help build of the Kingdom of God?

Thirdly, Stetzer concludes arguing that those who are compelled by love not only are grounded in the gospel, commissioned by Christ, but obey their Father. Missional love is not a passive love, it is an obeying love. But the author makes clear that he is not advocating legalism, which runs contrary to real love and against the Biblical teaching. Rather, those who truly love Christ will manifest that love by obeying Him.

Therefore, unless we are grounded in the cross, commissioned with the gospel, and obedient at all cost, then we are not missional, we are not loving, we do not have missional love. Stetzer's book is simple and yet needed. For too long books on love and missions have been simple and insulting. Stetzer does not back away from some of the difficulties of love. Stetzer does not back away from the biblical text. Rather, the Bible drives his argument.

I must say that whenever I began reading this book, I was a bit skeptical. Why? Because I thought this would be yet another book on love. It did not take me long to figure out that it isn't. This is a book on love (both as a noun and a verb) that we have been needing. Let all who hear Stetzer's words do what he says for his words are grounded in biblical truth of which we are obligated to obey.

If we are compelled by love, then we can change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And anything short of love, real love, will not do.

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