August 2015 – The Wandering Shepherd

The Daniel Challenge: “Don’t be Afraid of the Dark” – Daniel 1-3

Our generation has been granted by God a unique opportunity – to lead in a culture that is dark, drifting and largely directionless. It is in that state because it has severed its moorings from the dock of absolute truth, and embraced moral relativism and a story of origins wrapped in Godless naturalism. We can lament that it has done so, and some tears may be warranted, but that won’t change where we are… and we CAN change where we are! There are many ways we can have a direct impact on the future of our country – some want to do it through political process. Others want education reform. All that is well and good, but the Bible posits that none of those will have their due impact if they do not also include doing so with a deep and personal walk with God. Commitment to a cause will eventually tire, but commitment to the relationship with a Living Savior will be renewed and energized as we meet with Him, focus on His voice and follow His bidding. We need personal transformation before we can push a cultural reformation. To do that, we cannot curse the darkness, nor fear it – we must challenge it with light…starting one candle at a time.

A great example of this idea is found in the writings of Daniel the prophet. The prophet and his three friends – Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah – offer us a good look at believers successfully negotiating life and rising to a position of influence over their own people and others – even after being forcibly plunged into a spiritually dark world against their own choosing.

Our lesson today encompasses three stories from Daniel 1-3 that are quite well known. Each is important, even if we only touch them lightly.

Let’s set the whole book, then the three stories. Daniel can easily be divided into two parts: the first six chapters concerning Daniel and his friends lighting up a spiritually dark place, and the last six chapters speaking about specifics of prophecy concerning God’s people, Israel. The book is built on a premise, and that will be our central truth for this lesson:

Key Principle: Either darkness will be a debilitating problem for you, or an opportunity for you to serve God and stand out.

The first three chapters tell three very familiar stories that feed information on how to stand with courage in darkness, and make a difference when the world around desperately needs what you have, but doesn’t know it.

• The first story explained how Daniel navigated holding to purity in diet, when the king assigned the menu of the boys of Judah.

• The second story recalled how God gave the king a dream, and how He used Daniel to make clear both the dream and interpretation – which elevated Daniel in the eyes of the king.

• The third story recounted the king setting up a statue to himself and his expectation of being worshiped by all – with a lion’s den penalty for dissenters.

Each story is familiar, but each offers a strand in a strong cord that reminds us that our commitment precedes our usefulness – and our commitment will be tested.

Chapter One

The first story makes clear that it isn’t circumstance that makes you successful in a walk with God – it is your choice to focus on intimacy with God and show it to people around you who need to meet God.

The storyline is simple to recall. Men of Judah were plucked from home and placed in Pagan U with a diet of un-kosher food. They had to find a way to walk with God in an undefiled way and yet have an influence on the lost people around them… Look at chapter one for a moment. There are a few observations that I believe will effectively explain what to look at to keep from sliding into the darkness around us:

Daniel 1:1 “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.

First, look at how clearly Daniel demonstrated that he knew he was in God’s hand! His focus was in God’s control, even amidst evil’s victory. Note: “The Lord gave Jehoiakim…” (1:1-2). He recognized when his king was taken into captivity, God was at work (1:2). You don’t hear resignation, but rather recognition. The simple fact is that life is out of our control, but never out of God’s control. That is the beginning of finding a firm footing in dark places.

Second, don’t miss that Daniel focused on building positive relationships with those around him, both believers and non-believers. He didn’t find the problems with his fellows, nor did he fight the circumstances and disrespect the pagans around him. He tried to discern what God wanted him to do, step by step, and how he could build ties to people. Daniel 1:3-5 explained how the king ordered a certain “Ashpenaz” to select some of the best of the sons of Israel, and teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king provisioned a daily menu for the students as they prepared to enter the king’s personal service. These young men listened and learned the ropes, making respectful relationships in the system rather than fighting in unending protest. If we focus on making relationships in spite of the changes, we will have more opportunities to live a testimony.

Third, the young men learned to walk with God without depending on the public symbols they once had. Daniel 1:6-7 tell us that at the beginning of the training, the boys – Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah had their names changed: Daniel to Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.

When Judah’s king had fallen and the Temple’s God appeared to be defeated by a pagan deity, the natural symbols of power and prestige were taken from their hands…and yet the men kept focus to navigate without compromising truth. It is critical to remember in times like these that our identity as children of God isn’t found in your outward public symbols but rather an intimate relationship with the Lord – and they cannot take that away! Note verse six:

Daniel 1:6 “Among these were some from Judah: Daniel – (name meaning ‘God is my judge’, Hananiah, (the Lord has been gracious), Mishael, (The one who comes form God), and Azariah (The Lord is my helper). The chief official gave them Babylonian names: to Daniel, Belteshazzar (the secret of their God Bel), to Hananiah, Shadrach (“the inspiration of the sun god”) To Mishael, Meshach (he who belongs to the goddess Sheshach.) and to Azariah, Abednego (servant of Nebo – the morning star).

Their names were changed – an outward thing – but not their hearts! Why is that important? To have a testimony, the men didn’t focus on the outward symbols but rather inward faithfulness.

Fourth, if you took the time to read Daniel 1:8-16, you would recognize how Daniel focused on what was negotiable and what was NOT. Look at 1:8:

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

Daniel’s personal choice was to stand before God in purity and that was a non-negotiable. That was the platform God used in his life. Yet, the second half of the verse showed the “HOW” is not the same as the “WHAT”. You can stand in purity, but find a way to meet people half-way without personally violating yourself. It takes work. It takes patience. It takes listening to the man on the other side of the desk with respect. Daniel was able to be sympathetic to Ashpenaz without giving in on his truth commitment. (1:10). He was able to meet the man half way and be a testimony without being a protestor (1:11-16).

Fifth, Daniel focused on being used of God where God led him – and staying with that task. He chose time with positive people and doing positive “God things”. People that are engaged in growth and life are invigorating and get better opportunities to be used of God (1:17-19). He worked out his gifted-ness and stayed at his post for God (1:20-21). Though he was taken to Babylon in 606 BCE, but stayed in the work until 537 BCE – nearly 70 years later!

I hate dieting, and yet it seems this is something I will need to continuously address in my life. It is probably unrealistic, but I imagine that every time I walk past a dessert buffet and choose discipline, it seems like I should instantaneously lose a pound. That seems fair to me… but life doesn’t work that way. The only way I can have a healthy and fit body is doing right over the LONG HAUL.

Daniel got that. He didn’t expect an instant positive because of an instant commitment. He worked for many years. We read a few chapters of what God did in his life, but do not read of the decades of doing right in between. Don’t be misled… a testimony is a long term build.

Chapter Two

The second story introduced the place where a testimony shines brilliantly – in times of trouble. The curtain opened with a king’s insomnia, and a cranky cynicism exposing his previously secret beliefs about his untrustworthy advisors. He commanded the men to BOTH tell him his dream, and interpret its meaning. It is as though God awakened the man to bring a problem that would show the underlying system of the Empire was built on false ideas and people.

Chapter two teaches that it isn’t in problem free living that a successful walk develops best. Some problems can be God’s way of uncovering deception and clearly revealing the place of truth. What looks like LIFE driving forces isn’t just a series of coincidental events – it is the work of a Providential God! In this case, it was a dream that left the king grumpy (2:1).

Look at the progression of the testimony in the chapter:

First, the king was forced to use the system he created without God (2:2). His payroll was loaded with “helpers” called the “magicians” (khar-tome’: a horoscope reader who typically believed “the universe knows”. If they couldn’t help, there were the “conjurers” (ash-shawf’: necromancers or exorcists). These claimed to breach at will the veil between the physical and spiritual world and speak to the dead. Still without direction? There were also the “sorcerers” (Hebrew “mekhashphim”: literally mutterers) who could whisper a spell of witchcraft. If nothing else worked, there were the “Chaldeans” (kas-dee’: inhabitants of Chaldea), the imported experts from think tanks with interesting pedigrees. Sadly, none of them could both tell the king his dream and interpret the meaning reliably.

Second, the problems revealed the hopeless cynicism that lurked beneath the surface of the unbelieving world (2:3-9). The king looked for help in the systems he built, but didn’t really even trust them. The intractable problem highlighted the need for power beyond MAN. Look carefully at verse ten. Isn’t that a great set up for God to work among men? Complex problems often reveal the limits of life without the Creator God

Daniel 2:10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean.

Third, the problems offered a platform for the clear presentation of God’s ability to fix life (2:12-16). Daniel heard about the problem (2:12-15). In response, Daniel shared with the lost king that God COULD fill the need, and asked for time to see if God WOULD fill it (2:16).

Fourth, Daniel let the problem be an opportunity to believers together and into worship and seek God (2:17-23)! He gathered praying friends to seek God (2:17-18). God answered the request (2:19) and Daniel worshiped and praised (2:20-23).

Finally, the entire second half of chapter two unfolded the story of how God revealed the future to Daniel, and he, in turn, explained it to the king. Look at the king’s response:

Daniel 2:46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. 47 The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court.

The chapter left us with this: our problems can be our best opportunities to become the showcase of God’s power. Now the final story…

Chapter Three

The third chapter opened with two recognizable problems.

• The king had selective hearing from the vision Daniel explained. He got more caught up on the BIG STATUE of the dream and lost the significance of the meanings of each part of it. So often, people hear what they want to hear.

• Daniel’s elevation made the other advisers jealous. The whole academy of men in chapter two retained both heads and positions, but weren’t grateful to God or to Daniel.

Let’s break the “fiery furnace” story into three parts.

• First, the great statue and command for people to bow and worship it at the appointed musical prompting (Daniel 3:1-7).

• Second, jealous Chaldeans accuse the Judean boys to attempt to eliminate them (3:8-18).

• Third, the three men were cast into a fiery furnace, and had a meeting with their Savior (3:19-30).

Daniel isn’t relating his own experience, but rather the experience of three contemporary friends in Babylon.

Don’t forget – the passage isn’t about the problem – it NEVER is. It is about the POWER of God and the platform rising problems afford us to show His power!

Chapter three ties together the lessons of the first two chapters into one overriding idea: the greatest problem most of us have is the way we VIEW our problems. Drop into the story of this ancient king who has been reading the mail of sycophants and flatterers and decided on a building project that he thought was a suitable self-tribute:

Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which [was] sixty cubits (ninety feet tall) [and] its width six cubits (nine feet wide); he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

First, note the Set up: The enemy of God used a familiar cocktail recipe:

He misdirected a man of power and influence –Satan’s most effective work begins with the soft blowing of subtle influence pushing along a fragile ego. Nebuchadnezzar was the undisputed king of perhaps the world’s most elegant city and most powerful government – and yet his most pressing issue wasn’t health care, not education, not immigration, not civil rights – he concluded his biggest problem that needed the most serious investment – was his image sculpting and legacy.

The enemy confused the king with religious symbolism – from the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream from chapter two, the king got the idea to build a likeness of himself. As always, bad theology leads to bad action, but is most often driven by good impulse. How many times has a social program been started by a leader who wanted to help – but their solution actually added many unintended consequences that hurt more than were aided.

Godless people in social causes often create a brand of enforced paganism… but that doesn’t change the people of God and their mission…

Note the words in Daniel 3:2 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent [word] … to come to the dedication of the image …3 Then … they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: “To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and [men of every] language, 5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up. 6 “But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

Don’t stop reading at the details of the gathering – or you are left with only the problem. That is what the NEWS MEDIA does. It leads you to the intractable issues of our day, and offers the blur of contradictory opinions of pundits from opposite sides of the aisle.

God’s Word isn’t about the problem – He is about the platform the problem affords the believer to shine a light that pierces the darkness.

Break down the verses, and three ideas emerge.

• First, there was a command (3:2-3): Someone takes the lead in sponsoring darkness. In this case, word was spread and the powerful came to dedication. False ideas when presented with the power and symbolism of official channels often gains traction quickly.

• Second, there were conditions (3:4-6): The announcement set clear expectation. A surge like this asserts MIND CONTROL. The king didn’t want allegiance – he wanted worship. He wanted surrender to his will. Evil men cannot tolerate opposition, despite their claim that they are the tolerant ones among us. They don’t want pagan ideas merely installed in our education system – they want unqualified control of our society’s world view. We resist because we know what they want. It isn’t the freedom to live the way they choose – it is the right to force me to agree with them or be removed from the public square. We must seek to be peaceable and kind, but never passive in defense of truth.

• Third, there was almost uniform conformity: People fell down in obedience with practically no resistance (3:7). We must remember that the moral system of most people allows them to compromise anything to get ahead with those in power. Believers don’t have that luxury, because we serve the King above the king. That truth is not a reason for despair – it is a reason for us to live with CLARITY the principles of our Father in Heaven. Consider how profound it will look to have a deeply committed and happy marriage (as defined in the Bible) in the average workplace. These dark days offer us real OPPORTUNITY!

As you keep looking, you will notice how believers got squeezed by the rising tide (3:8-12): Anger and rage will be vented on any who question the rising evil.

The enemy quickly seized the opportunity to use the dark days to wipe out God’s message and messengers (3:8-12). He may even use those who were respectful and helpful just a short time before.

• The believers were not trying to be in the way, but they attracted the jealousy of the Chaldeans (3:8). They hadn’t done anything wrong. God wasn’t punishing them. Yet, they spent no time trying to discern who was to blame – that wasn’t the issue.

• Notice how the unbelieving leaders set up persecution as cloaked but necessary nationalism and public good. (3:9-12). You are going to see that one again in the coming days. They framed the intent of the believers as hostile to the power of the state. (3:12). Rather than be appalled, we need to both be prepared to stand up to false worship, as well as be prepared to address positively why we do what we do.

The king had the offenders dragged in to stand face to face before him in Daniel 3:13-15. They faced a choice from which there was clearly no escape – and the faith of three men became crystal clear to anyone watching. Here was the point of the problem – God wanted to show something to the king, and he chose to do it through the lives of these three men by allowing the enemy to create a problem for the believers.

These men faced the same challenge we all do – put God above self so that God can tell His story. (3:13-15).

Look at the king’s question! But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

He had no idea there is an affirmative answer to the idea that there was a God that could save them from his authority… and he was completely WRONG! Believer, don’t confuse confident assertion with certain truth. The king may have believed he was in charge of all things, but that only lasted until the truth came out in the FIRE of a difficult circumstance.

God may decide to offer YOU or ME – our lives – to win another to Himself. Ask our missionaries if that is easy – if they are honest they will tell you it is not. God has the right, and God knows the plan. Is it not a deep privilege to be used by the Creator to bring salvation to others? The contest is within the believer, but the conditions that make it clear are often in the world around him or her.

I love the confidence of these young men in Daniel 3:16-18: They didn’t need to rethink the issue because they knew the king’s King!

Don’t forget: The enemy has every interest in dragging out and dramatizing his power – the power over your body. It is a temporal power, but it is all that he has to work with! The king offered another opportunity for the men to “bail” – a dragging out of the decision process, but the men would have no part in that. Daniel 3:16 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be [so], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18″But [even] if [He does] not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.“

Can you pick out the confidence in these men? When we truly encounter God, we aren’t nearly as impressed with human power, accomplishment and ability! Temporal power pales before eternal. That is why a Biblical world view is so critical… it will provide a foundation under the choices of our lives. If God is really in control, the enemy has a limitation on him. Whatever passes into my life passes the approval of God’s hand before it arrives to me.

Consider this: A submarine has enormous pressure on the hull as it sinks deeply in the ocean. It is only the inner counter pressure of the air that stops the outer pressure from collapsing the vessel into itself. By the same token – The world is trying to shape you into its image … shape you into its mold. We aren’t to be shaped by OUTSIDE forces … BUT … by the INSIDE strength and domination of the Holy Spirit. When you surrender to God’s power and allow the work of the Spirit to take over within, you protect against collapse to the outer pressure to conform!

You know the end. The three men were hurled into a fiery furnace, but One was already in the fire waiting for them to arrive. The powerful men of the world stood outside in awe, while the King of the Ages had a little “pep talk” time with His faithful friends. In time, the men walked out of that furnace and showed the power of the God they served. All this happened because they completely understood, and lived out one essential truth: Their lives were not their own. Their troubles were nothing less than God’s platform to use each of them to speak to others. Every believer must face that difficult lesson… We aren’t always going to be protected from troubles, but we do get two opportunities.

• We can fuss about the menu offered us while we compromise private purity – or we can match our public protest with a consistent to love and follow God and His Word.

• We can see each government move against us as a threat and respond in fear, or we can seek God and use the darkness as a backdrop to light a candle of testimony.

• We can feel continuously victimized by evil’s approach, or we can recognize troubles are often the great platform of God to show men He is there and He is not impotent, but patient.

These three lessons remind us of one truth necessary to face our time…

Either darkness will be a problem for us, or an opportunity for us to serve God and stand out. The difference is in our choices, not in our environment.

The Gospel Applied: “Standing Firm” – Romans 16

Because I have had the opportunity to travel a great deal in my life, I have discovered that each place holds its own little joy. One of my personal favorites is the “Eternal City” of Rome. There are many things I enjoy about that city, but perhaps one of my favorite is sitting in a café along her lighted streets and outdoor restaurants on a cool evening. The food is incredible. The people come out in droves for an evening stroll, and there is often laughter echoing in the alleys from people enjoying one another at the small eateries all over the city. There is something that takes away from the experience and really makes me crazy however…Have you ever eaten in a restaurant where the table tips back and forth either because the floor beneath or the table legs are not leveled?

Since many Roman pavements have been in place for decades (and in many cases centuries!) the paving stone isn’t usually very even, and the tables moves every time you put any pressure on them. It can be very annoying watching the bread basket jump every time you forget and lean a bit on the edge of the table. I know it isn’t a life and death matter – but it is annoying. Sometimes, it seems to me, the problem is NOT the pavement, but the table itself! I don’t know a lot about making furniture, but I do know that making and assembling the legs on a table or chair can be the most difficult part – and getting the lengths exact is critical if you don’t want constant rocking effect of a playground see-saw. I have watched people put things beneath the leg of the table to keep it steady. I have even seen people get up and move the table to an different location to entirely to settle it – or maybe they think the server in the other section is more attentive, I am not sure.

I have admitted to not having much experience in furniture making, but I know this: the minimum number of legs for a stool is three. Less than that number and the stool will fall down. A mono-pod can help steady the photographer’s camera, but it won’t stand up unassisted. A tripod utilizes the irreducibly minimal number of legs to hold up a camera. It takes at least three. Four or more is not better – it is a problem, because the leveling is much harder and adds to the difficulty. A tripod is perfect for the job. In the final chapter in the Epistle to the Romans, Paul closes the letter to the church, but also offers us a window to understanding three “legs” on which ministry is rested. He didn’t do it by way of instruction per se, but if you look closely, you will not three truths that balance a church, or eve an individual follower of Jesus, that flow out of the narrative he wrote.

Key Principle: Thriving believers have three priorities that hold up their message: relationship, truth and worship.

On first impression, Paul’s letters often close with a “shopping list of greetings” and some closing random thoughts and instructions that many skip over when they read. Wading through a long list of people we don’t know isn’t particularly helpful, so we may want to ask: “Why would God include these in His Word?” There are, no doubt, several answers to this question. It isn’t nearly as obscure as you may think.

For example, the last chapter of Romans can easily be divided into three sections that highlight each of the three “legs” upon which ministry (and the Christian life for that matter) get their stand. First, part of the passage indicates what should be at the heart of ministry work – relationships. Second, they explain the church’s largest concern – the propagation of the truth. Finally, they remind us of our goal this side of Heaven, that is to begin the worship of God that will characterize our eternal life – but do it on a fallen and rebellious planet right now! Each of these three legs holds up the message of the church. Each exalts Jesus. Each needs to be in balance with the other. Perhaps the best way to show how they work together is to offer a thought of what they look like “out of balance”:

• In some circles the FAMILY is so emphasized that the body of Christ becomes the local manifestation of a CLUB of FRIENDS – more keen on fellowship than any instruction or outreach. In extreme cases, like at first century Corinth, the relationships even trumped a commitment to truth – until Paul corrected them. You see this in cases where church leaders fail to take a stand on the Word because they feel it would hurt their popularity or reduce their mass appeal. They forget the church is not ours, the message is not ours and changes are not up to us. If it is truly God’s church – careful study of His Word on things is what would be appropriate. We are FOR what He is FOR; against what He has stated He is against – no matter the popularity of that message.

• In some churches the TRUTH is all there is that seems to bring the body together. That may seem fine on first glance, but if you look more closely, they don’t demonstrate that they like each other much at all. Each comes for what they GET, not to CONNECT with other believers. They emphasize preaching and teaching, but there is little or no body life. Sadly, I have been a part of some of these kinds of churches in my life. They don’t laugh together. They are gone minutes after the end of the service. There is no reason to “hang around”. Something is obviously missing from the DNA strand of such a place. Commitment to truth cannot dismiss commitment to community and outreach – or part of the truth is not actually being grasped.

• Finally, some churches are out of balance when it comes to their notions of WORSHIP. They equate style with substance, emotion with Spirit, and they appear deeply in love with a Jesus they barely know. The truth is not well explained. They have zeal, but little knowledge. They sing and cry out desperately for a Christ Who has been carefully revealed in the pages of a Bible – but the text is wholly unfamiliar to them. They draw people by the band, but not by the Savior. The emotion and zeal is high In such places, where the Spirit is exchanged for soul – and all done in sincerity.

Body Life: We must guard relationships as something incredibly special (16:1-16, 21-24):

Let’s take some time to look at each leg of ministry God outlined, beginning where the text does, in relationship. There are two parts of the narrative that exemplify relationship in Romans 16. The first sixteen verses, and then a small section in verses 21-24 near the end of the text. Opening the last part of the letter, Paul noted things believers do for one another as though they were natural.

1) They give Recognition: They commend those who serve well:

16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea…10 Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ.

The common discussion about verse one is the fact that Phoebe’s position in the church was either a “deaconess” – that is a woman of the commission of the Deaconate, or the generic term for servant. The grammar doesn’t help, so some churches believe she served in a position, and others think he wasn’t saying that at all. I believe there is sufficient evidence that she was, in fact, a holder of position, and I have taught and accepted both men and women as part of the serving commission called the Deaconate.

Founded out of a need to “wait on tables” in Acts 6, the initial band of men chosen to meet the practical needs of the fellowship appears to have expanded to include women a few years later. Early church evidence suggests that women were needed to fill this role because men were not adequate to care for the specific range of needs that single and elderly women had.

I am less concerned about that issue here, than about the understanding of RECOGNIZING the work people who are busy in ministry. I want to be frank with you. I am up front. I teach and lead and as a result, I get affirmed by many in the rooms where I serve. Yet, the longer I serve, the more I realize that there are many who need to be recognized as vital or my work will not continue.

In my case, my wife first comes to mind. Many see me, but few see how I am able to accomplish things on three continents – writing, leading and teaching – and keep the schedule together. The secret is that Dottie pays the bills. She tracks all the accounting. She keeps a thousand details working and tries to keep them off my desk.

Behind my wife, there is also the team in ministry that helps keep things flowing around me without telling me what I don’t need to know. Matt and his wife, Ben and his wife, David and his wife, Pat and the wife he wishes he had, elders that catch many of the financial dealings and legal matters, deacons that work to care for practical issues of church families – all these work to make what happens on Sunday only the storefront of the actual work. I get concerned when we forget that often leaders only hear when things AREN’T what people want. Let me say it clearly: NEVER underestimate the power of a kind word of recognition to the leader and servant who is oft behind the scenes.

2) They offer Respect: The give reception to those who walk well:

16:2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints.

Another form of this is the way they greet one another:

16:3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus…6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you…10b “Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus… 11b “Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord…15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Paul didn’t only ask them to greet people. Later in the passage, Paul sends greetings…Romans 16:21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. 24 [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

It is funny to hear the team of ministry had their own greeting. They kissed, expressed love and care, and built practical ways to show they needed and wanted to be a team.

3) They extend Relief: They help those called to do the work:

16:2b “…and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

Leaders need help. Servants need help. It is easy to think that someone else has ‘more time on their hands’ than you do. Here is what I know – we all have twenty-four hours in a day, but some are pressed to care for the needs of many others beside themselves. That’s why summer seemed long when you were a child, but flies by now that you are an adult, responsible for bills, people and projects. We need to remember not to spend all we make, nor expends all the energy we have – so that there is something we can do to help when needs arise.

4) They take Risks: They endure hazards for one another:

16:4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles…16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

In the days ahead, I suspect I will have to say less and less about this. What happens when it is no longer possible to teach in a public university if you won’t openly align yourself with ungodly teaching and character? More of us will risk career and financial security to stand in the front lines of our cultures clash with our faith. We need to understand that is just the beginning of risks…

Last year our online teaching was systematically taken apart by a group in the Near East that threatened us and hacked our systems, time after time. Several people, including Bill Daly worked around the clock to get our systems secured – and the fight continues. The threats were real and personal – and this has only just begun. I deeply appreciated those who worked to keep us going, and others who encouraged the team through the constant disruptions.

5) They Relish time together: They love one another:

16:5b “…Greet Epaenetus, my beloved who is the first convert to Christ from Asia, also greet the church that is in their house.. … 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 12b Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Look at the number of people they addressed with the term “beloved” and you will get the impression that they actually cared for one another. Let me cut to the point: Before you waste another week enraged about politics and upset about a decline of our culture, try asking the question: “Who can I invite over this week from my church? Who can I write a note of encouragement to? What problem can I solve or burden can I lighten for someone else? Cook a meal and deliver it finished and ready. Offer to clean the house of someone you know is physically struggling. You will be surprised how practical love for one another will build strength no sermon can deliver.

6) They Relate to one another as family:

16:11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman…13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them.

Believers have to understand that we are connected. Let me offer an example: “Some missionaries in the Philippines set up a croquet game in their front yard. Several of their neighbors became interested and wanted to join the fun. The missionaries explained the game and started them out, each with a mallet and ball. As the game progressed, opportunity came for one of the players to take advantage of another by knocking that person’s ball out of the court. A missionary explained the procedure, but his advice only puzzled the friend. “Why would I want to knock his ball out of the court?” he asked. “So you will be the one to win!” a missionary said. The short-statured man, clad only in a loincloth, shook his head in bewilderment. Competition is generally ruled out in a hunting and gathering society, where people survive not by competing but by sharing equally in every activity. The game continued, but no one followed the missionaries’ advice. When a player successfully got through all the wickets, the game was not over for him. He went back and gave aid and advice to his fellows. As the final player moved toward the last wicket, the affair was still very much a team effort. And finally, when the last wicket was played, the “team” shouted happily, “We won! We won!” That is how the Church, the body of Christ, should be. We’re a team. We all win together.” (adapted from A-Z Preaching illustrator).

We hurt ourselves when we fight, rather than trying to aid one another. We must be found ACTIVELY BINDING ourselves together in relationships of practical love for one another. The early church spread more by caring for each others’ needs and then using that as the platform to get people to hear of Jesus than any sophisticated concert, program or brochure. The way we treat each other is FAMILY, but we mean that in the positive Biblical model – not the modern family.

Abraham Lincoln was once being criticized for his attitude towards his opponents. “Why do you try to make friends with them?” a colleague asked. “You should try to destroy them.” Am I not destroying my enemies,” the President asked gently, “when I make them my friends?”

Remember, it is not the job of a Christian to SEEK recognition, but it is the job of the body to offer it!

Paul’s example showed clearly the first LEG of the PLATFORM THAT EXALTS JESUS AND THE GOSPEL is CONNECTED BODY LIFE.

In addition to such “body life”, we must remember that love is only real when based on truth. Love based on a lie is the emotional fluff of infatuation. We must, therefore, remember that relationship is tied to a second leg…

Truth: We must guard the foundation as something incredibly precious (16:17-20):

Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Relationship alone (CONNECTED BODY LIFE) will not exalt Christ completely, though it is a good start. Paul added a priority holding fast to the truths that provided CAREFUL BODY GUARDS. We must be vigilant stewards of truth (16:17-24). We are about FAMILY, but we are also very much about TRUTH. Guarding includes:

• Keeping an eye on (v. 17, skopeo: to scope out; mark and identify) those who seem to be raising divisions (dichostasia: “to stand apart”) and setting up people to walk away from the Biblical teachings (“hindrances” is skandalon: from “the stick trigger of a trap” – 16:17a). We must guard the church to be a “safe place” for the young believer – who is easy prey when no one is watching over them.

• Individually keeping away from (ekleeno: deviate away from them) those who divert people into false teaching. They are slaves to their own bellies (koleia: related to the idea of colon- 16:17b-18a). Each of us need to measure the fruit of leaders before we follow them. We need to ask – “Are they leading people to the Mastery of Jesus, or into license and self-will?”

• Individually stepping away from those who would lead away by cunning (“smooth”: craestologia: plausible though untrue words and “flattering speech”: eulogia – false praise) the innocent (akakos: “unsuspecting” are those without suspicion through innocent nature -16:18b). Do you see an agenda that is not holy in their words? Back away.

• Individually making wise choices between things that are “good” (agathos: generous and good natured) and “innocent: (akherias: wine term for unmixed, pure) and evil (kakos: of defiled nature – 16:19). Satan is behind this destructive work, but he will be defeated (16:20).

I love the translation by JB Phillips: “I want to see you experts in good and not even beginners in evil”

The Enemy’s strategy is sowing tares among the wheat, inhibiting the sharing of the Gospel, enticing believers to fall into sin that will negate their credibility, distracting churches and Christians from their true mission by focusing on side-issues, creating societies and cultures that make the Gospel sound absurd or make it difficult for Christians to live Christ-like lives, breaking up families….doing whatever he can to distract from God’s glory….

From time to time I hear believers explain why their kids need to be socially balanced and educated in the sin sickness of the world system. I don’t buy it. They’ll catch on to sin soon enough – it comes naturally! There is a third leg we should talk about…

Celebration: Guard our purpose (to bring Him glory) as something prized:

Romans 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.

We are about FAMILY (CONNECTED BODY LIFE) and TRUTH (CAREFUL BODY GUARDS), but we have another leg to the platform that elevates Jesus: CONTINUOUS BODY CELEBRATION: Blessing God for body life worship (16:25-27). Worship includes:

A proclamation that God is able (dunamis: He has the power) to bring stability (“establish” is sterizo: probably from a nautical term to lash down for a storm – firm, bring stable foundation to) in accordance with the message of the Gospel. God, who began the with bringing the world salvation through sending His Son (Gospel = euangellion), and then guided the message to our ears is able to take my wobbly faith and inconsistent behaviors and lead us to our redemption (kerugma= proclamation). We praise Him for what the Gospel does, and for Who He is! (16:25a)

Paul told a young Pastor: 2 Timothy 1:12 “I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Paul wrote to a young church: Philippians 1:3-6 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

A proclamation that God’s plan is made known (PHANEROO – clarified, displayed) in His Word, revealed by the move of the Spirit, not “cleverly devised myths of men” (16:25b-26). The verses offer five details:

Romans 16:26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

God’s plan is in writing (graphic). God’s plan came by prophets. God’s plan was according to His command. God’s plan was open to all. God’s plan leads to heeding to the Master’s voice.

Peter also testified to this:

2 Peter 1:16 “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

We offer a proclamation that God knows what He is doing (“wise” – 16:27). We need to sing and praise, pray and proclaim that we might remember that God is always good, always working and always doing things right! God ALONE (monos) is WISE (sophos is skilled and knowledgeable). OUR WORSHIP MUST SHOW CONFIDENCE THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!

Our proclamation must be to glorify (reflect the after image) God (16:27). We reflect God’s attributes to honor Him with a mirror of Himself.

Honor, praise, renown, distinction – all are words synonymous with glory. As a manifestation of the work of His hands, all creation brings glory to God. In Genesis 1:31 we read, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.” Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” God’s very work praises Him and brings Him glory. Glory to God is displayed through His mighty actions. Psalm 111:3, “Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.” In Psalm 138:5 we read, “May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.” Exodus 15:11 says, “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” No one can accomplish what God can. He is above and beyond our comprehension. (allaboutGod.com)

There are three “legs” that elevate the Gospel on a platform to be seen by those who are without – family ties in which believers were connected, carefully recognized and guarded truths around which the core values of the believers are founded and a celebrative and vibrant worship that proclaimed God’s character and majesty. It is TOUGH to level the legs of a table. Family, Truth and Worship must be balanced and used to exalt Jesus – not our church. It isn’t about OUR FAME, but about HIS STORY!

Thriving believers have three priorities that hold up their message: relationship, truth and worship.

Walt Disney was a dreamer. His crowning vision was EPCOT; Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. He envisioned the perfect city of 20,000 using all of the most modern advances technology. One problem, Walt Disney died before his dream was ever realized. It was so big and complex and outside the box that no one else in the Disney company ever fully grasped the dream and had little idea how to make it work after he was gone. What Walt Disney intended as a living breathing perfect city turned out only to be an entertainment center.

Jesus left a blueprint for His church so vast, so marvelous, and so innovative – a living, breathing, expanding organism that would permeate and transform people around the world. As time went on, some of His followers lost the vision and couldn’t wrap their minds around such a magnificent plan. Rather than a community of loving, passionate follower of Christ dedicated to demonstrating the power of the Christ-transformed life in a dark world, they began to do what they knew best, build buildings and run organizations and develop entertainment centers that would hopefully draw the crowds to hear the story but miss the transforming power of Christ. (Adapted from a sermon by David Welch, Life Signs of a Healthy Church, 10/19/2009).

The Gospel Applied: “A Message worth Your Time” – Romans 15

Do you remember the television show “The Flying Nun”? The unlikely setting for an American sitcom was based on a 1965 book called “The Fifteenth Pelican”. The series starred Sally Field and ran on ABC from 1967 to 1970 – all 82 episodes. For the young and perhaps unenlightened, the story was about a young and tiny (ninety pound) nun initiate who wore a large habit that made her able to fly when the winds were high enough at the convent. I know… that description makes you want to start searching for it on Amazon Instant Video or Netflix right away.

Remember, those were simpler times. If that sounds boring, remember that people were flocking to Woodstock by 1969 claiming the establishment had become interminably “dull”. Perhaps it had something to do with unimaginative television. In any case, when Sally Field played a young hesitant nun, you got the feeling her character was unsure of virtually everything – her message, her presentation and sometimes even her calling. Because dogmatism was often seen as a weakness in our culture, uncertainty has been carefully bred into our ethical barometer. Moral and theological clarity is often not our strong point. Yet, we need to be clear about our service to Jesus – what it is all about, and how we should do it. Let me ask you truthfully: “Have you ever felt uncertain about how to serve Jesus and share Him with people in your life?” As you reach out in love for the Savior and your lost friends, there are two things that will be essential.

• First, you will need to know your team.
• Second, you will need to become increasingly sure that what you are doing is what God called you to do the way He commanded it be done.

This lesson is about those two ideas – team and message. They tie together in the simple truths found in Romans 15…

Key Principle: God has a message for the world around us, and has left us a pattern for how we should bring that message to them.

How we bring Jesus to the world matters. What we say matters. Who we team up with to say it matters. We need to be sure we follow the pattern God gave us so that we aren’t wasting our opportunities as He supplies them… because the lost around us need what the Savior we have to offer them (even when they don’t know it).

Go back to beginning of Romans 15, and observe how Paul made the point that we need to team up with people to be obedient to God’s call in outreach.

What kind of team should I choose to be a part of following Jesus with?

Paul offered important words..

I need a team that teaches the team is important.

Romans 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.

Ball hogs know they are good with the ball. Their play is about their ego, not what is best for the team. Good team players watch for other players. We coordinate. You cannot come to a fellowship of believers simply to feed yourself and play the game alone. Paul wanted every believer to look out for the young and weak – not merely come to grow strong themselves.

Visualize the other believers in town, and those in your local church as your team for the Gospel. If that is true, we need to walk into our church with a different attitude. We are not simply coming to “tank up and take off”. Our church is less a spiritual drive through and more a platform to develop a caring attitude toward others. The same truth extends outside of Sunday meetings, into the daily walk of life. I must temper my allowed liberties by understanding that some around me are much weaker in their Biblical world view (i.e. “faith”) and will be pulled off track by following my example.

We must look at the others on the team, assessing what they need and how we can help them. Focus on solutions, not just their issues. Don’t settle on “that is just how they are” – but ask “How can I help?” Start in your church, then move to the Christian community at large. It is easy to get paralyzed by problems and not focus on what CAN be done to help someone.

I need a team that builds others; it doesn’t simply please them.

Romans 15:2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.”

The text explains that I am to “please my neighbor for his good, or edification.” At the same time, I dare not misread this. In my desire to care for others, I must not be driven to measure myself by their happiness. What should drive me forward in life is my Heavenly Father’s expectation of me, not those about me. I am to do what will help them GROW in faith, not simply what will make them happy.

Let me say it this way: If what they need is a bowl of soup; that is simple enough. If what they need is help paying the rent, they probably also need help on how to spend money properly and how to order financial priorities. That may be less comfortable. If we provide the rent and don’t provide the instruction, we enable them to be irresponsible – and that isn’t edifying to them even if it makes them happy!

We must do what will long term help fix the underlying problems with people, not just the fashionable and be easily seen as the “flashy” thing. Look past the outer problem and see if you can identify a root stress that you can relieve.

I need a team that trains me in constant direction and encouragement.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

We harm them when we teach a pattern that does not develop right habits, but brings them to US for encouragement. The Scriptures will do that. We are to equip people to understand them and to use them. Following the marked trails of the people found in God’s Word is VITAL to the success of your mission to live a life in close intimacy with God. We need more than INSTRUCTION – and the Word provides more than that. We need more than RULES – and the Word offer much more than that. We need to be INSPIRED and LIFTED by the resolution of the dramas of others; we need to be touched by the depth of their poetry. We need to be brought to tears with their pains and hear the cries of their lamentations – all so that we can understand that we are NOT ALONE in the struggles of the walk.

Let me kindly ask you to dial back “counseling” people and try helping them whenever possible by walking them back to a deep and meaningful encounter with God in timely portions of His Word and prayer. People will come with a problem that prayer and the Word could help them resolve. We are quick to relieve the pressure on their heart, but God may well have put it there to draw them back to an intimacy with Him that He deeply desires. Don’t become a substitute for God in their life. When we do, we become like the doctor that gives them a vitamin supplement, but does not insist on a healthy diet.

We need to be encouragers; that is certain. There is also a place for counseling in the body. At the same time we need to be careful that we are not relieving God pressures that were placed in the believer’s path to help them develop appropriate growth mechanisms – like intense prayer and hungry searching in the Word.

I need a team that admits there is no mystery to unity.

Real unity comes from prayer for one another (inviting God’s work in us), and deliberate acceptance – a choice to work together for God’s glory. It isn’t a mystery – there is a process to staying together and on track. Paul reminded:

Romans 15:5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Look at the terms “same mind”, “one accord”, and “one voice. They all lead to the words “accept one another”. The way we stay together as a body is not some mysterious and spooky force – it is the deliberate choice of the will while applying a process God instructed. God gives, in the text, perseverance and encouragement. In the context, it comes from deeper learning of the Scriptures.

I think if you ask people about the modern church, the notion is just the opposite. Most believers think of the word “encouragement” as coming from the “small group” or “brother or sister in the Lord”. I challenge you to look again. The text says the primary place for the encouragement of God is from the Scriptures. Yes, there are other passages that balance that with helping and encouraging one another. I am simply making the observation that many of us aren’t taking into consideration that Biblically illiterate believers will constantly need encouragement from OTHERS when they don’t know how to draw it from GOD through His Word.

We need to CHOOSE to walk together. We need to CHOOSE to worship and glorify God with voices tuned to one another. They were going to need to CHOOSE to accept one another, just as Jesus accepted us. At the same time – we must make the understanding of the Word a top priority or we will have those who perpetually need US to lift them. Is it possible that you are spending longer looking at the problems of the world than the solutions found in the Word? That might be the reason you are feeling the way you are!

I need a team that remembers God keeps His promises – always!

God is good for His promises. That is one of the reasons we teach and ardently support the literal understanding of the Word. Paul argued that Messiah came to serve the Jewish people (the circumcision) because that is what God promised in the prophets. He wrote:

Romans 15:8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

Here, Paul instructed believers, once again, to believe the Word and take it seriously. Mark my words, every Christian group that attempts to water down the literal presentation of the Word of God in one area will eventually defect on key truths related to the historic faith in Christ. It may take time, but it will happen.

About two weeks ago a Christian college president who is part of the evangelical alliance of schools – the kind that claim to hold true to the Bible – told me directly: “I believe the vast majority of the Christian colleges in the US, even those who are a part of the evangelical alliance, have departed from the belief in a literal Creation, a literal Adam and Eve, and a literal beginning to Genesis.” He isn’t kidding. Groups like Biologos are developing this on Christian campuses. Here is Dr. Falk, who writes for BioLogos. Listen carefully to his words:

“Will we ever be able to show the followers of Albert Mohler, John MacArthur and others that Christian theology doesn’t stand or fall on how we understand Genesis 1 or the question of whether Adam and Eve were the sole genetic progenitors of the human race? These are extremely critical issues to many and the task of showing in a convincing manner that evangelical theology doesn’t depend …whether Adam was made directly from dust will likely take decades before it will be convincing to all.”

Why do I mention them? If you look at their website quickly, you will assume they offer mainstream Christian resources. You will see popular speakers you know pop up – some on platforms from youth conferences. Now they are showing up in Christian books, Christian campuses and Christian literature as a way to “bring together” the two world views. They bring together science at the expense of God’s Word being literally true. That may comfort some, but it should send a chill up our spine. We are about to be flanked in the next generation’s educational process. Once again the Bible will suffer at the hands of its friends in academia. We get to hand off two thousand years of defending the truth of the Word to those who know better because they have discovered the truth is found in science. Roll over Gospel, the story of the “Fall” is just a myth. We used to call that liberalism, soon it will be called mainstream evangelicalism.

Here is my point. Our message needs to be clear to the world. What God says, He means. The Bible claims Adam was an historical human being, the Fall was an actual event. From the Biblical perspective, something happened to Jesus Christ just as much as something happened to Adam.

Consider some selected verses from 1 Cor. 15:20 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

Paul believed that death entered creation through the act of one man. For Paul, the Fall and redemption are both actual events – you cannot have one without the other. What else would Paul mean when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:45 “So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Toss the origin story and the rest unravels – we can’t really know when to take the narrative seriously. In much of Europe they went this course. Now their churches are empty and their people searching for an answer that science will not and cannot provide.

It is our future if the church folds here on this point. Mark the point. We aren’t moving. We can’t. Truth is often the first casualty of popularity. If the Bible is filled with cleverly devised myths, we should shut down right now and get off the cultural stage of western history in embarrassment. Why? Because God, if He exists, cannot be trusted! He can make one quintillion stars, but publishing a book that was an accurate account of His labors was WAY too hard for Him.

Let me say it straight: if you aren’t on a team that trains you to take the Bible seriously and literally – change teams. Do it NOW.

I need a team that knows God’s promises extended to the whole world.

God had promises to the Jews, but He also had prophetic promises to the rest of us that many Jews paid little attention to. Paul reminded:

Romans 15:9 “…and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, “THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.” 10 Again he says, “REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.” 11 And again, “PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.” 12 Again Isaiah says, “THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.”

In three verses, Paul mention the “Gentiles” – a term for the non-Jewish rest of the world – six times. All were in the context of promises. Our churches are filled with those, once estranged from God – now vibrant in faith. This was always part of the plan of God, though for generations it was ignored by many of His followers.

I need a team that understands the true source of joy and peace.

What robs my peace is ignorance of God’s promises, mistrust in His Word and A WRONG FOCUS. My team needs to be pushing me to spend time, face to face, with Jesus. Paul wrote:

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Look carefully at verse 13.

First, we see that God is a God of hope (elpís from Greek word elpō: “to anticipate, welcome”) – properly, expectation of what is certain). Certainty is found in Him.

Second, God is the source of our joy (chara: gladness). This word for JOY is not the one we have defined as “the resolute assurance that God has neither lost interest in me, nor the power to deal with my problems.” Though it fits here, the word actually should be translated as “gladness”. If I am confused, upset and perplexed – I can find gladness in time with HIM.

Third, God offers us to settle us with peace. There is a catch, however. He wrote that such gladness and such peace are available from God, but not automatic. They are accessed by BELIEF. God’s power makes my peace POSSIBLE, but my BELIEF makes it happen.

“Believing” in the context of verse 13 is from the word pisteúō, derived from the word peíthō, to “persuade, be persuaded”. This “active assumption or conviction” becomes the foundation of actions. In other words: God has offered sumptuous expectations that thrill my heart and settle my soul if I take them seriously and make them the foundation of my life’s choices. The team I choose should push me to do that!

We looked at the team and what it should be like. Take a moment to look at the message we should offer the world:

Paul pressed out in the closing verses of Romans 15, what the message he shared was – and what it should be as believers share Jesus with the world”

First, it is a message of confidence in God’s work (in them and him).

Romans 15:14 And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15 But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul knew that he didn’t make believers mature. No shepherd or Bible teacher does. We don’t preach because we believe God needs us to do this work. If you know Jesus, He IS at work in you to change you. Some are squelching that work, wrestling to keep their old life as Jesus pulls you to change. Our teaching is to AID the change by ECHOING God’s Word in your ear.

The point is that we, like all believers, function in our role. We work according to our gifts (15:15b) and with a desire to serve those God sends us to (15:16a). We are to seek to make God’s Word clear to you – that is our primary function!

A mother often spoke to her little girl about Dr. Harry A. Ironside, the late pastor of the Moody Memorial Church, Chicago. She told the little girl that he was a great preacher. One day the little girl attended one of the preaching services of Dr. Ironside. He spoke simply, as he always did. As they left the church, the little girl said to her mother, “Mother, I thought you said that Dr. Ironside is a great preacher. Why, Mother, he’s not a great preacher! I understood everything he said.” (Steve Shepherd)

More than just teaching, shepherds are to stand as a priest offering the justification message (15:16b). We have a goal of presenting people to Jesus (15:16b) as mature and acceptable to God. We don’t do it by teaching them to follow US, but by following Jesus. I heard this story last week that reminded me of that truth:

A guy went out and toiled wearily to catch trout and caught none. His equipment was excellent but he was unable to catch any fish. When he came upon an old fisherman whose sack was full of trout, he asked him how he was so successful. The old fisherman answered: “There are three rules to follow in trout fishing: first, keep yourself out of sight; second, keep yourself further out of sight; third, keep yourself still further out of sight.”

We need a message that leads people to God not guilt, to rescue not reform, and to living for Jesus not trying to earn justification. The confidence we have in our message is NOT in the messengers – but in God Himself.

Second, our message must be centered in God’s Work

Paul was clear about the center of the message:

Romans 15:17 “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me…19 … so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Our goal must be to magnify what God does (15:17). We should know we are not the story (15:18a) and we should recognize the work is something God entrusts to us (15:18b). We need to recognize it is God empowering our work (15:19a) and we must be able to measure when we are accomplishing the work (15:19b).

The center of the message is God’s work, not OUR ability. We boast of what God can do in a broken life, but we know that our abilities don’t cause God’s transformations. You can be a part of everything we do in our local church setting, but if you don’t know Jesus, your life won’t change from the inside out. Our message is this: We cannot change you, but we can show you One who can – and will – if you let Him!

Third, our message causes us to ache for the unreached.

Never let us be settled on making the saved smarter or more theologically capable. We have the Gospel that rescues the lost! Look at Paul’s example:

Romans 15:20 And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; …28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

It is a great privilege to reach into the lives of lost people (15:20a).

In a 1998 article in Christian History magazine, Rodney Stark said: “In a world lacking social services, Christians were their brothers’ keepers. At the end of the second century AD, Tertullian wrote that while pagan temples spend their donations “on feasts and drinking bouts,” Christians spent theirs “to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined to the house.” These claims concerning Christian charity were confirmed by pagans as well. The pagan Emperor Julian complained, “The impious Galileans (Christians) support not only their poor, but ours as well.”

To reach people, we need to look beyond doing what everyone else is doing and see the needs with different eyes (15:20-21).

Former boxing writer Harold Conrad visited a women’s prison with heavyweight fighter Muhammad Ali. “All the inmates lined up,” wrote Conrad. “They were ooh-ing and aah-ing as he went along. There were some good-looking ones. But he kissed only the ugly ones.” After they left the prison, Conrad asked the fighter to explain why he chose to kiss only those women. “Because no one ever kisses ’em,” responded the man who called himself The Greatest. “Now they can remember that Ali kissed ’em!” Every human being needs to be loved. Surely the church should be the one place where love is evidenced by warm affection for one another. (From a sermon by Freddy Fritz, Final Greetings, 5/25/2012)

We need to reach people, but we must recognize we cannot do it all with empowering. We must concentrate on what God places in our lives to do with all our strength (15:22-24). Our ministry should be linked to the gifts and work of many others (15:25-27). We need to wait until God opens doors to do each work (15:28).

We dare not build a program so tight on discipleship, that we do not see lost people all around us. When I first went to see the Bible college where I began my studies, I noticed how many drunk and destitute people were living in the shadow of my school in center city Philadelphia. I wondered if the training inside the building had much to do with the hurting outside the building. It is still something I wonder about most churches.

Finally, our message requires a prayer team.

What can I do to make it clear to believers that prayer is not a preamble to a meal – it is the lifeline to ministry? Paul wrote:

Romans 15:30 Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.

Our work stands together by prayer (15:30)

A number of years ago in Canada, a little two-year-old girl wandered away from her neighborhood. It was a cold, winter day. Her parents alerted the neighbors and they saw some tracks in the snow, but there were a lot of other tracks, so for several hours the searchers went in all different directions calling her name. They didn’t find her. A little before sunset one of the men said, “Instead of all working separately, let’s join hands and form a long line and walk through the field together. That way we cannot miss a square foot.” That’s what they did. They joined hands and together walked as one long line calling that little girl’s name. Tragically, they found her frozen body curled up. One of the men said with great anguish, “Oh, if we had only joined hands sooner. (From a sermon by Bob Joyce, Like Lucy, 8/4/2011)

There will always be opposition (15:31). Paul pointed to specific needs and said: Romans 15:31 “…that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may prove acceptable to the saints…” Our response must not be anger, it must first be prayer. This is the refreshing work we can and should offer each other as Paul made clear in 15:32 “ so that I may come to you in joy by the will of God and find refreshing rest in your company. 33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

Romans 15 reminds us of two ideas that we must be clear about – our team and our message. Why?

God has a message for the world around us, and has left us a pattern for how we should bring that message to them.

I keep getting these annoying calls on my cell phone from different numbers that are essentially advertisements. One begins: “Don’t hang up this phone! I have a message for you that will change your life.” I don’t know what it is. I hang up every time and block that number. I wonder how many are doing that with the message God gave us. They do it because they don’t believe it is about their rescue – they believe we want them to join US and help US. Let’s make the goal bringing them to Jesus, not bringing them to US. Let Jesus grow our team, and let’s seek to bring Him to them without strings attached. He’ll take care of us… He always does!