A Question from Jesus to Change My Thinking

Thinking about some questions Jesus asked . . . to change my thinking. How about His question in Luke 17:18: Was no one found to return and give thanks to God except this foreigner?

Jesus was walking to Jerusalem to die. One the way, 10 lepers stood at a distance outside a village and called out for His mercy. Jesus responded to them, even though He must have been wrestling with the thought of the cross of Jerusalem. But He wasn’t too troubled to help them. Jesus’ response to the lepers—Go and show yourselves to the priests—was in keeping with the instructions of Leviticus 14:1-32. On their way to the priest, all 10 were healed. But only the lowly and foreign Samaritan turned back to thank Jesus. How sad is that. How sad it is when I fail to thank Jesus for obvious works of grace and mercy.

But how right it is when I remember to thank Him. Jesus was bothered by the hard hearted nine who didn’t return to thank Him. And He warmly responded to the one who did thank Him. Seems odd to think of the manly Jesus as so sensitive that He could be hurt by the thanklessness of men. Of course, that’s part of what makes Jesus so endearing.

Things to do with the question Jesus asked:

• Be quick to ask . . . be quick to thank.
• Thank Him for the common things of life . . . eyes that see, ears that hear, feet that walk, fingers that type, and so on and so on and so on.
• Don’t wait to lose the thing before thanking Him for it. I hurt my back a few weeks ago, just a minor twinge. But I realized how much I couldn’t do because my back hurt. The first time I ever thanked Jesus for my back was when it wasn’t working right. And I made certain to thank Him again when it felt better.
• Rejoice and be thankful in suffering. Two reasons:
  1. Because the life of Jesus is made obvious to others when we endure trials well. 2 Corinthians 4:7-11. Afflicted, not crushed. Perplexed, not despairing. Persecuted, not forsaken. Struck down, not destroyed.
  2. Because trials produce deep devotion and excellent character. James 1:2-4.

I have a friend who, when I ask him how’s he’s doing, almost always answers, Better than I deserve. He has it right. The lepers didn’t deserve healing, but Jesus healed them. Jesus didn’t deserve the cross, but He went anyway. I don’t deserve eyes that see or feet that walk or a million other benefits the Lord gives. But He gives them anyway. At least I should give Him a simple Thank You. Maybe also commit to letting Him build in me a thankful spirit. Acts 14:16-17.

5Stone Churches @ Moody Pastors Conference

We had an excellent three days at the Moody Pastors Conference in Chicago this week. The conference was supposed to help pastors renew their vision for ministry. I don't know how many hundreds were at the conference, but we were one of a few dozen exhibitors. We heard from a lot of pastors and had many opportunities to discuss our work to plant, strengthen and renew churches.

Elder Job 1: Honor the Lord

Elders must honor the Lord as their foundation commitment. Elders who aren’t committed to this have lost their center, if they ever had that center.

Maybe they’re ignorant of this primary responsibility. Maybe they think their big responsibility is to get more butts into seats or guard their preferred worship music or protect the pastor or make sure people are contented or make sure the leaky roof gets fixed or a lot of other important stuff. Nope.

An elder committed to honoring the Lord will retain his ballast—his center of stability—when pressure comes to slip His honor to the background. An elder can easily lose his ballast when he’s afraid, angry, ignorant, lazy, discouraged or rebellious. Sometimes it builds in small doses over time, remaining undetected until it shows in big compromises and bad choices that lead to hard consequences for the elder and for the church.

How about a test? Below are a dozen questions for a thoughtful self-evaluation:

1. What dominates the thoughts of your heart? (1 Samuel 2:30b; Matthew 22:37-38)

2. Does your comfort take first place, ahead of perseverance and discipline? (1 Corinthians 9:26-27; 1 Corinthians 15:58)

3. When you hear a solution to a problem, on which question does your mind quickly focus: Will it work? or Is it true? (John 17:16-19)

4. Why are you an elder? Which of the below answers ring true?
    a. I enjoy telling people what to do
    b. I like having the title
    c. My wife wants to be married to an elder
    d. I want to care for His church (Acts 20:28)

5. Do you carry similar levels of authority and responsibility? (1 Peter 5:2-3)

6. Do you work hard to be a godly elder? (1 Timothy 4:8-10)

7. What is the Lord’s opinion of your work as an elder? (Hebrews 13:17)

8. Are you strong enough to stand alone for a conviction that’s based on the Scriptures? (Galatians 2:11-14)

9. Do you let fear keep you from speaking truth to a powerful person? (Ecclesiastes 10:4; Isaiah 2:17 and 2:22)

10. Would you rather be a popular leader or an unpopular prophet? (Matthew 5:11-12; John 12:42-43; Galatians 1:10)

11. Do you do what you say you’ll do, even if it costs you or causes you pain? (Psalm 15:4b)

12. Do you practice seeing life through the grid of the Scriptures? (Psalm 19:7-11; Psalm 119:14-16)

What's an Elder to Do?

An old friend and I were enjoying dinner and talking about the church where he’s served as an elder for several years. I asked him, What do the elders do at your church? He gave me the most confused look and finally said, Well, I really don’t know. We just do a lot of different stuff.

Well, that’s a problem . . . elders who just do a lot of different stuff. Those are elders who mostly putter around with no focus, no mission, no sense of definite purpose. They certainly don't appreciate the core assignment the Lord has charged to them.

According to the Scriptures, here’s what elders are to do: Elders are to honor the Lord by protecting and nurturing His church. Elders care for the entire church, but focus primarily on doctrine, discipline and direction.

Let’s break that down:

• Elders are to honor the Lord. Well, yes, everybody is supposed to honor the Lord. But elders are to do more than simply honor the Lord by being godly men who serve in the church. They’re supposed to be more and do more. They have a bigger assignment. The Lord will hold each elder accountable for the quality of his job performance (Hebrews 13:17). Elders are responsible to oversee the entire church as undershepherds to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:4). They must be strong enough to ensure that the honor of the Lord is the foundation commitment of the church.

• Elders are to protect the church. From what? From anything that would weaken, sicken or hurt her, or cause her to lose effectiveness (John 10:11-15; Acts 20:28-31). Among the most common attacks on the church: personality cults, divisions over music styles, heresies, legalism, license, syncretism, Gnosticism and its forms, Judaizing and its forms. For more about these attacks, see my blog post of April 11, 2010.

• Elders are to nurture the church. How do they do that? They look after her, build her, strengthen her, sacrifice for her (John 10:3-5; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Peter 5:2-3).

• Elders are to focus on doctrine. The teaching of the church, ensuring that the teaching is biblically sound and faithful. An elder must refute false doctrine that would hurt the church (Acts 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 4:6; Titus 1:9; Titus 2:1).

• Elders are to focus on discipline. Pursuing those of the church who have fallen away from the way of Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 34:6-8; Galatians 6:1); refuting those who would lead the church astray by espousing false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:6-7; Titus 1:9-11).

• Elders are to focus on direction. Discerning the direction the church should move regarding her culture, financial commitments, property purchases, location, worship service style and similarly vital issues (Acts 6:4; Acts 15:1-2; Acts 15:6; Acts 16:6-10).

• Elders are to focus on discipleship. They must ensure that the Church prioritizes the practice of individual and group teaching and training in order to strengthen the church by biblically and intentionally building followers of Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Charisma is Not so Great

Charismatic leadership by itself certainly is greatly overstated. Look, one of the most effective American presidents of the last 100 years was Harry Truman. He didn't have an ounce of charisma. Truman was as bland as a dead mackerel. Everybody who worked for him worshiped him because he was absolutely trustworthy. – Peter Drucker

Wow, what an astute observation from the fine mind of Peter Drucker. He knew a lot about society and business, but some of his most excellent observations focused on leadership. I don’t know if Peter Drucker was a Christian, but he understood Jesus’ teaching about leadership.

It’s a bad day in the church when a leader’s power frightens other leaders from speaking the truth or, maybe worse, blinds them to major problems in a leader's character. And it’s a sad day in the church when a delusional leader thinks that people are following because he’s God's man. Maybe they’re following because of the perks of following, such as high pay, high visibility, job security, protection or enjoying the shine that comes from hanging out with him. Very sad when a person on the pastoral staff of a local church shows symptoms of the Stockholm syndrome, in which he warps himself into sympathizing and caring for the abuser in order to survive. Amazing.

It seems that the world’s ways of leadership have infiltrated the church. It’s the sin in the leader who says, People believe what they’re told. That’s how leadership works. It’s Ephesians 2:2 . . . the spirit of the age, the manipulation by spin, the truth is not the truth, the truth is what I say it is.

How is it that a man as ordinary as Harry Truman could gather so many people behind him who loved him so much? If Drucker's assessment is correct, then Truman’s brilliance was rooted in his character, in the ordinary days of life when people trusted him to do what he said he would do and to shoot straight with them. He had integrity that proved his authenticity, which led to trust and then to leadership. In a genuinely Christian way, whether he knew it or not, Truman served people.

That's character-driven leadership rather than personality-driven leadership. It shouldn't be surprising that the ways of Jesus are proven as the best practice even in the secular world of Harry Truman. And the leadership ways of Jesus should be the obviously best practice in church world.

Character-driven leadership must be the benchmark standard in the local church. Not charisma, although charisma's a fine quality. Not preaching, although preaching's a wonderful gift. Not personality, although a big personality doesn't need to be a problem. 

There's more to the think about in the differences between godly leadership and man-centered leadership. Click on the link to a document titled The Ways of Leadership. It details the differences between the two in motivation, relational style and responses to various leadership challenges.

You Have License to be Great

License is a big problem in the church these days. License is the flip-side of legalism. They’re just different sides of the same sin coin.

License people often say: Don’t put rules on me. If the Bible doesn't say it’s wrong, then it's OK. So I can do what I want. When license people influence the church, they lead others to a spiritually sloppy, flabby lifestyle marked by self-indulgence and compromised personal holiness. And they weaken and sometimes divide the church.

Legalists have lists of do this and don’t do that, such as no movies, no dancing, no long hair, no short hair, no facial hair, skirts only, no alcohol. Some Christians are pleased that they're not legalistic. They might want to think about whether they have a problem with license.

There’s a scene in the movie Gods and Generals that illustrates the point. In the scene, General Stonewall Jackson asks another officer, Do you use tobacco? The officer’s response, Not in any form. Jackson replies, Neither do I. I’m afraid I might like it too much.

The Christian who thinks primarily of satisfying personal pleasures loses sight of the need to first please the deeply personal Lord (Isaiah 66:12-13), who bought him with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), who demands first place in the heart and soul and mind (Matthew 22:37).

It seems a lot of Christians think very little about whether the Lord is pleased with the worldly entertainments they bring into their minds, the seemingly innocuous physical pleasures they enjoy, or the many words that come out of their mouths. The second half of 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us that God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. But the deeper purpose of that enjoyment is to do good for others, to be generous and share blessings with others. It’s not a free pass to shallow living. I should be concerned about any freedom that diminishes my devotion to the Lord. I am in bondage to things—or people—when they consistently overwhelm my freedom of body, mind, heart or soul. God gave us all things to be richly enjoyed, but they must not displace my closeness to Him.

Paul had it right when he discussed Christian freedom in 1 Corinthians 6:12  and 1 Corinthians 10:23. It's simply not wise to indulge every available freedom because not every freedom is good or best. A truly free Christian is guided by what is edifying and whatever builds up. My freedom must not make me a slave to my pleasures. Am I a slave to my freedom? I'm a slave to anything that I absolutely must have. Maybe it's a TV show, a hobby or a sport, or a specific food or drink . . . perhaps coffee or some other pleasure. If I can’t be contented without it, if my body, my mind or my heart absolutely demands it, then maybe it’s time that I learned to be contented without it . . . because I should live free in Christ, not enslaved to my fleshly appetites.

The standard of the Christian life is not about what is allowed, it’s about what is good and what is best. It's best to enjoy freedom like Paul who, in the midst of his vast freedom in Christ, also was tightly disciplined. His freedom was used to first bless his Lord and others, not himself. He had a goal and a job to do, as he describes in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27. He was disciplined to his goal to bring glory and honor to his Lord rather than to himself. He enjoyed his freedom in Christ, but was tightly disciplined in self-sacrifice and devotion. Paul was a great man of God. His greatness is attainable to anyone who wants to be great in God’s eyes. That includes even you and me.

Factions, Worship Music and the Lord's Opinion

Thinking more about church discipline and elders removing a person who's causing divisions, or factions, within the congregation. Elders can warn a factious person once, and then twice, and then remove him from the church. Titus 3:10. Nice and simple, but also dangerous and hurtful if applied thoughtlessly and carelessly.

There’s a caveat in the application of Titus 3:10 . . . Be sure that the person actually is causing divisions in the church. Sometimes a person who’s exasperated about worship music simply needs to be heard and edified about the issue and the church’s worship culture. The elders wouldn’t simply warn that person a couple of times and then throw him out of the church. They must discern, they must control their power, and they must not  react out of impatience and expedience. They may be dealing with a weaker brother or sister who simply needs skilled shepherding, as in 1 Corinthians 8:9.

A truly divisive person separates the church according to music preferences and insists on the falsehood that music style is a matter of doctrinal purity rather than personal preference. That person often insists that new music forms inherently are inferior to older music forms. But we know that the Lord likes new music (Psalm 33:3; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 144:9; Revelation 5:9). Conversely, it may be that a person locks onto contemporary music and may scorn old hymns that greatly honor the Lord. A person stuck in either entrenched position often creates factions that split the church.

Before leaping to apply Titus 3:10, elders should ask whether the person who’s fussing about worship music needs to be edified before being warned.

What would elders discuss with that person to discern the crux of the issues? Try these:

• True or False: Music is a language . . . and the Lord speaks a lot of languages, i.e. congas in Africa or Cuba, drums in the U.S.

• OK, you didn’t like that particular song. What if the Lord liked that song? What then?

• Is the complaint rooted in honoring Christ and fulfilling the purpose of the church? Or is there a personal agenda that demonstrates that the complaint is rooted in something else?

• Is this about a biblical conviction or a personal preference? (Help the person see the difference.)

• Maybe that song wasn’t meant to bless you in particular. What if the Lord wanted to use that song to bless the person two rows away from where you sit?

• Hymns written maybe 250 years ago were at that time considered contemporary. If we’re truly going to be traditional in our worship music, should we sing only the psalms of the Old Testament?

The answers to those questions will reveal much about the heart of the complaint. But there are many times when it’s not so-called weaker brothers or sisters who have hurtful convictions about worship music. Elders also are in that mix. I recently talked about worship music with three long-term elders of a local church.

Here’s the gist of the three conversations:

1. Contemporary music is 7-11 music—seven words repeated 11 times over and over again. Yes, sometimes that’s true. But it’s not true about all contemporary music. And besides, there were some very bad hymns written about 250 years ago. We just don’t sing them anymore. And rightly so, because they feature lousy theology or awful artistry. Maybe both.

2. I don’t like contemporary music. I don’t want it. I want music that ministers to me and to people like me. Romans 16:17 warns about those who create obstacles contrary to sound doctrine. The standard of measure should be decipherable lyrics, biblically based lyrics that honor the Lord and competent musicianship (the best the church can offer). If those are present, then the Lord likes it. End of argument.

3. We use traditional music to reach older people and more conservative people. Really? Are you sure you’re reaching people through traditional music, or are you only appeasing people who refuse to embrace other styles of music? If the church is reaching them, that's excellent. But it's more likely the church is appeasing them, which is far from excellent. The church's leaders should focus on offering excellence to the Lord, regardless of music style. Badly handled traditional music is not better than badly handled contemporary music. Both are just bad, and not worthy of our Lord.

Elders arguing about worship music need to ask a simple question: What does the Lord think? God has an opinion. Figure out whether He likes what you're offering Him.

Elders must remember the purpose of worship music and the purpose of the church. They must shrink their personal preferences.

Elders must rightly handle those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to sound doctrine (Romans 16:17). Why? Because such people are serving themselves—their own appetites—and not the cause of Christ. (Romans 16:18). Even people who love Christ, elders too, get stuck in that.

Worship music is about honoring the Lord. It’s about bringing people before the Lord to proclaim His worth. It’s about fulfilling the purpose of the church to make, baptize and teach disciples. It’s about a new song well done. It’s about an old song well done.

Pass the song through the grid of the Scriptures and look at it in the freedom of Christ. He likes that.

The Scriptures of Church Discipline

I’m guessing that if you asked 20 church elders about church discipline, maybe all but one would immediately latch on to Matthew 18 . . . and stay there. It seems that Matthew 18:15-19 is the only Scripture many think about for handling church discipline. That text deals with the process of discipline, but it’s only one of many sections the Lord provides for dealing with sin in His church.

I was talking with a pastor about a sin problem in the church. He was completely glued to Matthew 18. When I said, Well, you know there are many passages in the Scriptures that deal with church discipline, he became quiet. Then he blurted, Oh yeah? Like what?

Like Titus 3:10-11. If a person’s causing divisions or factions in the church, warn him once, warn him a second time, and then remove him from the church. That’s it. Very clean. But be careful to discern that he’s really a divisive person. What does a divisive person repeatedly do that warrants removal from the church?

Several examples:

• Personality Cults –  pitting one personality in the church against another, as in I am of Paul, I am of Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:3-4), or denigrating one personality in order to lift another (Numbers 16:1-11; 1 Corinthians 4:6-8; 2 Corinthians 10:10-12);

• Music Style – dividing the church according to music preferences; insisting on the falsehood that music style is a matter of doctrinal purity rather than personal preference, insisting that any new music form is inferior to older music forms. (Psalm 33:3; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 144:9; Revelation 5:9);

•  Heresy – leading others to depart from the fundamental truths of the gospel. (1 Corinthians 11:19; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1);

• Legalism – dividing the church and judging others according to a non-biblical set of rules and restrictions (Galatians 2:15-21; Galatians 3);

• License – dividing the church and judging others according to a non-biblical set of freedoms; encouraging the abandonment of spiritual discernment that leads the church to stray from self-control and personal holiness (1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27; 1 Peter 2:11-12);

• Syncretism – leading others to blend Christianity with other religions or cults (2 Peter 2:1; 2 John 10);

• Gnosticism and its forms – twisting the meaning of the Scriptures to claim a special enlightenment that is not available to all (1 Corinthians 2:2-5; Colossians 2:18; 1 Timothy 1:4; 1 Timothy 6:20-21);

• Judaizing and its forms – forcing Jewish practices and customs on non-Jews. (Acts 10:10-35; Acts 15; Galatians 2:15-21);

• Docetism and its forms – denying Christ's real combination of humanity and divinity; denying that the humanity and sufferings of Jesus were real and inherent to His life and work; proposing that if Christ suffered then He was not divine and if He was God He could not suffer. Romans 1:3-4, as one example, affirms His humanity and divinity. Examples of attack on Christ's identity in 1 John 4:1-3 and 2 John 7.

The Lord expects His leaders to deal with sin in His church. He expects the congregation to cooperate with the leaders. Discipline is to cleanse the church of sin, keep the church from future sin and bring sinning saints back into fellowship with the church.

I see at least 14 additional sections in the New Testament that discuss or are connected to the principle of church discipline:

Romans 16:17-19 – removing those who cause dissentions and hindrances;

1 Corinthians 5:1-11 – disciplining sexual sin in the church;

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 and Galatians 6:1-2 –forgiveness and restoration of those disciplined;

2 Corinthians 13:10-11 – severity is not desired, but may be required in church discipline;

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 – how the congregation is to respond to those under discipline;

1 Timothy 1:3-7 – the importance of sound doctrine and handling those who teach strange doctrines;

1 Timothy 5:3-8 – helping widows and handling those who refuse to provide for their families;

1 Timothy 5:17-25 – disciplining a sinning elder;

Titus 1:9-14 – how to handle the rebellious as well as empty talkers and deceivers;

Hebrews 12:11-13 – the work and fruit of rightly placed discipline;

Hebrews 13:17 – the elders’ responsibility to discipline;

James 5:19-20 – the fruit of rightly placed discipline;

Revelation 3:19 – the Lord’s heart for discipline.

Clearly, the Lord has left us multiple layers of instruction for the conduct of church discipline. There’s no room for elders’ cowardice in their application of discipline. The Lord instructs His leaders to move with confidence and certainty against the divisive person.

What should be the basis of their confidence and certainty? That’s rooted in the elders’ primary responsibility to honor the Lord by protecting His church (Acts 20:28). There are times when that protection requires confronting and removing factious people. Rely on the words in Titus 3:11 . . . Such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. And that person would hurt the church.

Live the Resurrection

I started writing an article about church discipline, but then realized that it would be published on Easter. So we have a most excellent topic change.

What is Easter to the person who doesn’t love Jesus as the Christ? Not much. Maybe candy, eggs, a bunny and an excuse to gather with family and friends. Maybe that person goes to church. But to the believer in Christ, the resurrection is everything. It’s the Lord’s awesome defeat of sin and death on my behalf. I get to share in His victory over this world. Whatever the problems and whatever the pleasures in this life, there’s incomparable joy in pondering His sacrifice and His triumph.

The day I received Christ, I was wondering what people would think of my new faith. I had been a flaming pagan. But a series of circumstances led me into a three-year search for the truth of God. In those years, I practiced yoga and pondered eastern meditation. I read about Buddhism and considered the Mormonism of a friend. And I studied Christianity. I sought answers from Roman Catholic priests, Methodist ministers and Bible teachers.

After three years of this, I was completely confused. I remained that way until I called out to God and pleaded with Him to help me. I still remember my earnest prayer of that day in the winter of 1985: God, I’m so confused. Please help me. I don’t care whether you’re a god in Hinduism, or the god of Mormonism or Christianity. Or some kind of force. Please help me. I want to know you. All of these religions can’t be right. Who are you? Show me who you are. Please help me.

Nothing happened for about two weeks. But on a Saturday afternoon I received Christ as my Savior and Lord. On that day, I was thinking about the reaction of family and friends. They had known me as an irreligious young man who enjoyed mocking Christians. What would I say?

You don’t need to argue with them, a pastor told me. You don’t know enough yet. Just tell them you were blind and now you see. Like the blind man Jesus healed.

That's the second half of John 9:25: One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.

That was enough, even though very few of those in my circle had a clue what had happened to me. Several of them were more than ticked off. But it was my beginning. I have a hard time remembering what my life was like without Christ. And, of course, there's no going back. Someone told me in those early days: Whatever happens in this life, you'll never regret coming to Christ. That's precisely true.

Let the world think we’re fools . . . or worse. Enjoy with Him the victory of Easter. Philippians 3:10-14.

Bike Path

Whoever rode the bike path near my home that day had a fine and sunny cool morning. I’ve ridden that same section of that bike path dozens of times over the years . . . alone, with my sons, with my daughters, with my wife. But on that day, I was driving my car to get new tires. Two police cars blocked my way on the wide street that intersects the bike path, so I couldn’t get to the main street. I was annoyed. I turned around and took another road, eventually making my way to the same location but on the main road. I approached the bike path intersection and saw why the police had blocked my way. A bicycle, with a crumpled front tire, laid on its side in the middle of the car lane closest to the bike path. Officers were measuring the distance between a pool of blood on the street and the bicycle. As I slowly passed the scene, I noted that the bicycle didn’t look like a child’s bike. A man’s bike, I said. The blood pool was big, maybe three feet wide. Several police were examining the scene. I drove on . . . with a sickening sense of sudden and surprising death.

Psalm 93 warns that the Lord returns man to dust. Verses five through seven warn that He sweeps away the years as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed, in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed.

I was dismayed. My wife and I passed the scene several times that day as we ran typical Saturday errands. The side street was blocked for hours. I watched the Saturday news and looked through the Sunday newspaper, but couldn’t find anything about a bicycle accident. What had happened there? Why did it happen? The police picked up their measuring tapes and washed away the blood so that, by late afternoon, there was nothing to show that something happened there. Then the daily duties of life again occupied my mind and the wonder of what happened faded. But, whenever I passed that intersection, I wondered what happened there. I wondered about the people and their stories and their losses.

A few days ago, while reading Psalm 90, I penciled a few comments in the column: Lives blighted by sin, inescapably answerable to the sin-hating God. What prompted the thought? It was verse 10: The years of our life are seventy or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. I had scribbled a few short words in the column next to verses 12 to 15: Wow. Life is hard. The psalmist’s longing for the Lord’s return and his plea for mercy in verse 13 are followed by the comfort of verse 14: Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Yet verse 15 kicked me back again: Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.

I know we deserve nothing from the Lord and I know He owes us nothing. My mere life is a gift of His grace and any day without devastating trouble is a gift of His mercy. I regret the many days spent out of touch with the sentiments of Psalm 90’s admonition to be satisfied in Him, when I’ve failed to live as a child of the Great King and have been bound up in petty cares and perceived offenses. The close of Psalm 90—verses 16 and 17—display the writer’s right life focus. Let your work be known to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us.

It was October 26 and I was running an errand in my car. I drove to the intersection on that side street and the bike path. Someone placed a memorial at the corner. I parked my car—with its new tires—and examined the tall mylar Superman balloon, the round mylar Happy Birthday balloon, the many candles, the white cross. He was Christopher Miller, born on an October 26 that was 19 years ago.

The crash was  September 30. He was in a coma for 20 days after the crash. Must have been a head injury. Matthew, my son, was eight months old when Christopher was born. My mind ran: Oh, how terrible. Such a loss. Today’s his 20th birthday. I wonder about his dad, his mom. So incredibly sad.

I pictured Christopher out for a bike ride on that gorgeous, crisp Saturday morning, with all of the vigor and invincibility of his 19 years. He turned the corner on the bike path, crossed the intersection, and was gone.

I will soon be gone. You will soon be gone . . . and will fly away. So teach me to number my days, oh Lord, and give me a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:10, 12). Let your work be shown in me, and your glorious power to my children (Psalm 90:16).

At a Table with My Enemies

I have asked the Lord over the years about people who together have served as my antagonists, some even as my enemies. They come in and go out of my life. Their faces change, but the role they play remains the same. Some have caused me deep, vast, personal and family harm.

They are nice people. They pay their taxes and have respectable careers, maybe even esteemed careers. They take care of their houses and are thoughtful neighbors. They give healthy snacks on Halloween. They’re gracious and generous on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They dress well and vote Republican. They love their children and their children love them. Some of them go to church. And I know that many of them disdain the Lord.

I remember one set of enemies . . . and I recall hearing one of them, immediately after enjoying a fine dinner, deny the existence of God. I heard racist and anti-Semitic talk. And, at other times, I heard whispers of sexual lust and veiled adultery. All of that troubled me, even before I became a follower of Christ. But when I received Christ, I felt the sting of their persistent and hateful rejection. They became my firm and consistent enemies and caused my family and me immense pain over quite a few years. And I despised them for it.

On my worst days, I asked the Lord to hurt them and punish their smug satisfaction. (The imprecatory psalms served me well on those days.) But He didn’t hurt them. Instead, they prospered. Money and ease flowed into more money and ease. Even when they were sick, they carried on and bounced back, no problem.

And I was reading Psalm 35. David pleads with the Lord to contend with those who contend with him and fight those who fight against him . . . that was pleasing to me. Actually, the first 12 verses are pleasing, as David complains against those who wrongly seek his life and those who devise evil plans against him. He asks the Lord to Draw your spear and javelin and Let them be put to shame and dishonor and Let their way be dark and slippery and Let destruction come upon them. David says in Psalm 35:9 that his soul will rejoice in the Lord and exult in His salvation when that day comes.

I’m embarrassed that I’ve read that psalm countless times without considering verses 13 and 14. But I, when they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.

Before truly pondering this psalm, I had never prayed for my enemies. Not even once. And I had rarely prayed for my antagonists. I was disciplined to plead with the Lord about the never-ending and immense hurt they were causing me and those I love. Year upon year, I asked the Lord why He let it continue, but I didn’t get an answer.

Even after David prayed so fervently for his enemies, he notes in Psalm 35:15-16 that they rejoiced when he stumbled, conspired against him and mocked him. That’s just the way it is with some people. It’s not right. It hurts and it makes me mad. And then I came to my senses.

The Lord will judge rightly. His judgment is certain. It will come, whether in this life or in the next. I must trust Him. I must see my antagonists, even my enemies, as  the Lord’s gift to me to refine my heart, mind and soul. He uses, allows and sometimes causes my pain to make me more useful to Him. Not that I must be a doormat to aggression. But I must set my face like flint to be a man of God in the face of their disdain, whether the disdain is directed toward me or toward the Lord. Sometimes their disdain is a mixture of both.

Those who are the Lord’s enemies are pathetic rebels, as I was before my own conversion to Christ. They face a horrific punishment unless they repent. Even if they do not repent, I must not rejoice in their destruction. I must pray for their repentance.

Still, I see David’s on-going prayer later in Psalm 35:19-22: Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes. . . . David’s plea is for his vindication as well as his personal closeness to his Lord. In the end of it all, David asks that the Lord be honored when he is vindicated. David longs not for vindication for his own glory, but for the glory of the Lord. The close—Psalm 35:27-28—reveals David’s more refined heart in his plea: Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of His servant!’ Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.

Whatever He does with my enemies, I determine to live in the certainty of the Lord's sovereign power and perfect righteousness. Remember David's soft heart in Psalm 73:21-28.

Remove any bitter seed from me, oh Lord, cast out a bitter root. Free me from the bondage that comes when I nurture my flesh and reject your ways. Comfort me. Protect me. Guide me. Teach me. Make me into a man of God.

Elders Bad, Elders Good

The Lord had a problem with elders, the shepherds of His people. He tells us about it in Ezekiel 34. His gives a withering evaluation. These shepherds serve themselves first. They fail to notice the many among His people who are weak, sick or injured. And perhaps the worst charge of all, "The strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them." (Ezekiel 34:4).

Wow, the Lord is scary angry at the shepherds. And He promises to remove the shepherds and their tyrannical control over His people. He will replace them . . . with Himself. He will serve as the shepherd of His people (Ezekiel 34:22-24). And, of course, the Lord kept His promise.

If you want a sample of good eldering, check out the work of Jesus in John 9. The text describes Jesus healing a man born blind and the resulting uproar. He easily could have passed by the man, who probably was begging at the roadside as Jesus and His disciples walked past. Jesus was busy, of course, and maybe tired. He just finished a fight with the despicable Pharisees and constantly was teaching multitudes, His disciples and unattached individuals. It would have been easy for Jesus to pass the man by and avoid another problem, another controversy. Even so, Jesus reached out to a weak sheep of Israel on the side of the road. There’s much to think about in John 9, but take a look at some of the shepherding ways of Jesus.

Jesus sees the man, and immediately the disciples suggest that he’s blind because he or his parents sinned. Jesus corrects their wrong thinking, heals the man and goes on His way. He leaves the suddenly seeing man to fend for himself against the doubts of his neighbors and the attacks of the Pharisees. Ultimately, they kick him out of the synagogue for professing Christ. And Jesus, being a good shepherd, sought the man. That is so very excellent. He heard that the Pharisees cast the man out and then looked for the man so He could properly care for him. Jesus identified Himself to him . . . and the man becomes a disciple.

Jesus perfectly contrasts the selfish, forceful and harsh shepherds decried in Ezekiel 34. And He perfectly demonstrates the Lord’s heart for His people. The Lord’s work described in John 9 is an awesome fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to shepherd His people. The Lord is patient yet firm to teach in words and actions. Any still wondering at His meaning need only listen to the picture of the good shepherd He paints in John 10.

The ways of Jesus reveal a complexity of strength demonstrated in flinty toughness and gentle tenderness. He is the picture of meekness . . . power under control.

A few weeks ago, I was talking about leadership with a group of men, and I mentioned the importance of "reading a room" as they shepherd. Church leaders must be disciplined to read a room. They must discern and decide how much power and what kind of strength is required in any given circumstance. They cannot succeed in the Lord’s eyes without the mind of Christ and without the example of His good shepherding.

It takes a worldly and pharisaic skill—but not godliness—to play power and control games that abuse people into submission. There should be no pleasure in such so-called victories. It takes reading and heeding the ways of Jesus to properly shepherd the Lord’s people. And if elders refuse to properly care for the Lord’s people, He will remove them and find others for the work. He’ll find those who have watched and learned from Jesus. He’ll select men willing and able to take on the hard and privileged work of good shepherding.

Manifest Presence

The question rings in my mind: “What difference would it make if I saw the manifest presence of the Lord?” If I’m thinking rightly, the answer is obvious. All of my man-pleasing motivations and all of my self-focused pleasures would vaporize. The fear of certain men—whose faces have danced in my head over the years—would melt. Filling my heart and soul would be goodness, kindness, innocence, joy, winsomeness, devotion, endurance, courage, perseverance. All of that, flourishing in this life, would be the precise manifestation of the filling of the Lord’s Holy Spirit. And yet, I am stuck in this physical body in the world of men. Even the best of them, when compared to Christ, are pathetically sinful at their core. The difference between individual men is that their sinful core is in various gradations of large and small.

I’ve heard it said that if Christ came to the Earth today to live as a man, we would kill him, just as we did 2,000 years ago. And I’m convinced it would be so. He would be insufferably, annoyingly good and honest and true. And men would hate Him for it. The labels good and honest and true are not terribly troubling. It’s what those labels look like when they’re demonstrated in daily life.

That life looks like this: There’s an unspoken understanding that this man cannot be manipulated. He cannot be bought, sold, frightened, beguiled or seduced. He has nothing to hide, and men have nothing that he must have. He’s just too good for us. Everything he does is motivated by his relationship with his Father, and he does what the Father desires. He knows that men are furious that he is not in the game. But that does not move him. The game is about my power, my accomplishments, my position, my house, my money, my stuff . . . my display of me so that you will know that I am better than you. I win, you lose. Look at me . . . pretty bird in the tiny mirror.

And so they gnash their teeth at him because he’s not in the game. They hunt for a weakness to exploit or a fact to distort. They look for a statement to twist. But he is maddeningly free of the petty traits of men. And so they would kill him. And where would I be on that day? Would I be as the rich, young ruler who turned away from the challenge of Jesus, or would I be as the cowardly Pharisee who believed in Jesus but did not speak? Or maybe Pilate, the political hack of Rome who knew Jesus was innocent yet killed him anyway. Or maybe I’d join the fickle mob, who adored Jesus one day and demanded his blood on the next. Or maybe I’d be paralyzed by fear like Peter or scattered like sheep as were the other disciples.

Do I really want the Lord to shape me into the likeness of Jesus so that my heart is always about pleasing him? Do I want that, even in the face of the fury of men?    Well . . . no . . . not unless I’ve seen the manifest presence of the Lord.

I need more of Revelation 1:12-18. I need the awesome picture of the Logos of the Triune God. That picture is not often seen in today’s churches. Jesus is often portrayed as soft and mild, a very nice guy. He’s the one who rarely raises his voice. Even when he cleared the temple of money-changers, a Bible teacher once told my Sunday School class, Jesus certainly didn’t hit anyone. In my naiveté, I said, “How do you know that? The text doesn’t say that. Seems like he could have have hit someone with that whip he was swinging.” (Things did not go well for me that day.)

The Scriptures tell us that the Lord’s gentleness is a large part of his nature. But, at his core, he is dangerously holy. And his forbearance toward each of us is simply irresistible. I need more of the fear that the apostle John knew in Revelation 1:17. And I need his touch in verses 17 and 18: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

With that touch, I will fear no man. And then I will move in the Lord’s ways.

Five Stones Identified – Part 2

Integrity proves authenticity.

Authenticity leads to Trust.

Trust leads to Leadership.

Leaders Serve.

I was listening to talk radio this morning. The show host was spouting off about Washington politics, and said, “People are looking for authentic candidates.” Then he went on to rip a U.S. senator who switched parties early in 2009 in response to polls showing he might be on the wrong side of voter sentiments. He hammered the authentic nail several times before moving on to something else.

Authenticity is good. But what’s wrong with some pragmatism thrown in? That’s simply practical wisdom, right? Politicians like to get elected, but there’s nothing like the thrill of re-election. If a politician figures he’d be more likely to get elected by switching allegiances, then that’s OK, isn’t it? It’s part of the game. Well, sure, for politicians. But it’s death for leaders in the local church.

Leaders in the local church are supposed to have commitments based on the rock of principles, not the marsh of pragmatics. There are some things a principled leader will and will not do, regardless of whether he wins or loses. A principled church elder, for example, is obligated to speak his mind regardless of political costs. In contrast, a pragmatic elder counts the noses and measures the muscle of who's on which side, and then picks his position based upon who will win. That way, he’s always on the winning side. How pathetic.

Thank the Lord that He counts success and failure by His unique scale of measure. The parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10 is a prime example of the shepherd who leads by principle rather than pragmatics. No cost is too high for this shepherd. He’s committed no matter what comes, no matter what price. The superb fruit of this principled commitment is that the sheep love him. And he can be certain that the Lord is pleased with him.

The relationship between the shepherd and the sheep is personal. This shepherd has demonstrated integrity in his commitment to the sheep. The sheep know him to be solid, unwavering, dependable. His integrity, revealed in difficulties and in time, proves to the sheep that he is authentic. This shepherd is genuine. He is worthy of their trust. And, because they trust the shepherd, they peacefully let him lead. The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow. John 10:3-4.

That’s when leadership is so satisfying. The people of the church trust their leaders and the leaders enjoy leading. But, always, the hard part comes. It’s the sacrifice of service. It’s easy to lead when all is calm and there is no danger of painful loss. It’s easy to lead when you know in advance who will win. Unlike the pragmatic politician who tests the winds of public opinion and then pretends to take his stand, the shepherd worthy of being followed take his stand to lead God’s people in God’s way regardless of opposition and regardless of cost. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13.

Leadership in the Lord’s church frequently requires the payment of a high price. That’s because leading like Jesus demands giving rather than getting. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

Leaders serve in sacrifice . . . by using their spiritual gifts and talents for equipping the saints for the building up of the church . . . by looking out for the interests of others first . . . by patiently caring for the church . . . by quickly obeying whatever the Father asks because that pleases Him. That’s leading like Jesus. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again . . . This charge I have received from my Father. John 10:17-18.

Five Stones Identified – Part 1

Everything in the local church rises and falls on the quality of its leadership. Quality is not ultimately about ability to lead. It’s about the character and the commitments of the individual leader.

The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 urged believers to follow his leadership, but only as he followed Christ. Church leaders must strive to be like Jesus. He was marked by Integrity, Authenticity, Trust, Leadership, Service.

The dictionary says integrity means steadfast adherence to a code; soundness; completeness. Authenticity means genuine, worthy of trust, reliance or belief.

Integrity and authenticity are not the same. Integrity describes a quality, as in “He’s a man of integrity.” Authenticity describes an evaluation based upon pre-determined characteristics, as in “He’s an authentic Christian.”  How would you know that he’s authentic? Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, “You will recognize them by their fruits.” The authentic Christian is marked by characteristics that prove authenticity. He has an identity revealed by evidence. Fruit is not so much about measurable accomplishments in the Christian life. It is far more about measurable character in the Christian life. How’s that? Because the Bible tells us that the Lord cares a lot more about my true character than He does about my so-called accomplishments. My character is to be built on the solid foundation rock of Christ. Like living stones, the apostle Peter said, we in the church are being built up as a spiritual house to be acceptable to God.

When I was a small boy, I pretended to drive my dad’s cars. When I opened the driver’s door, I looked down and saw an emblem of a fancy carriage embossed on the door-sill. The words Body by Fisher were emblazoned on the emblem. I knew that Body by Fisher meant that the car was special.

The car had an authentic Body by Fisher. How did I know? Because it had the mark that proved its integrity. It held to certain standards of soundness and solidity. I had no idea what those marks of integrity were and I didn’t care. As a small boy, all I knew was that the emblem meant that the car was special. The emblem proved that the car had a certain quality that made it worthy to bear the emblem Body by Fisher. It was authentic. Integrity proves authenticity.

It works the same way in church leadership. Integrity in a leader’s life demonstrates that he’s authentic. When people know a leader is authentic, they trust him. Nobody joyfully follows—or truly trusts—a coward, a bully, a liar or a hypocrite. They may follow out of fear or force or for something else. But if you could unzip the follower's heart and dig for the truth, the leader would be disqualified. In the economy set by Jesus Christ, such leaders should have no followers . . . so they would not be leaders at all. Authenticity leads to trust.

A person who aspires to lead in the church should first examine the purity of his integrity and authenticity and discern whether he is known by those fruits. One who is gifted, but lacks integrity and authenticity, may gain a position of leadership based upon his talent. But his followers never will follow him like the disciples followed Jesus. Leadership in the Lord’s church is to be based upon trust. Trust leads to leadership.

The leader in the church is to serve others. He’s not a king in his own kingdom or a general in his own army. He’s a simple shepherd in the service of the Great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that’s all the leader should aspire to be. Leaders serve.

Focus Right, Build Right

I used to take a lot of photos with an old and heavy Nikkormat 35 millimeter camera. It was a fine camera but, before every shot, I had to fiddle with the f-stop and the shutter speed. I’d be sure to get those settings right. I framed the shot right and did just about everything else right. Even so, if the focus was wrong, then the entire photograph was trashed. But if I focused right, then the photo turned out pretty well. It’s like that in the local church.

We want the results that come with right focus. The Lord used Paul to reset a few focus points for the church in 1 Corinthians 3: 4-15. And the Lord used Peter to help believers focus on the truth of their identity and purpose. The focus of FiveStone Churches comes from their words:

1. Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church (1 Corinthians 3:11);
2. church leaders are His workers (1 Corinthians 3:9);
3. disciples of Christ are His building (1 Corinthians 3:9);
4. build on the foundation with precious stones (1 Corinthians 3:12);
5. build disciples of Christ (1 Peter 2:5). 

Strong believers and strong churches stand like solid buildings. They’re built on the foundation rock of Jesus Christ. They’re built on relationship with Him and commitments to His word, His ways and His expectations. I’m thankful for the words of Christ to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. The Lord commends doctrinal purity, hard work, faithfulness, endurance, perseverance and service. The Lord won’t long tolerate false doctrine, pride, complacency and apathy. (It’s encouraging to note that His review of the seven churches includes no hint of the number of people in each local church. A small church can be a great church.)

So we are to build on the foundation of Christ. But who does the construction? Leaders who understand that they’re nothing but servants in the Lord’s work. Paul rebuked the Corinthians because they focused on big personalities. The Corinthians created factions that, if left to grow, would have fractured the church. It’s not about a Paul and it’s not about an Apollos. They’re just servants used by the Lord to build disciples, who are God’s building, as Paul put it.

And with what do you build? You build with stones that are precious in the Lord’s eyes. He has an economy of values. The stones He values may not be very precious in the world’s economy. But they certainly are precious in His economy. And, of course, His opinion is the opinion that counts. Peter says the Lord is pleased when disciples are built into a holy, spiritual house, offering Him spiritual sacrifices.

The Lord wants His disciples constructed on a specific foundation in a certain way using specific materials. The specific materials are the five stones Jesus described in John 10:1-18. Integrity, Authenticity, Trust, Leadership and Service.