Category: Leadership Lessons

A Legacy That Endures

A Legacy that Endures

Introduction:

Though the wise writer of Ecclesiastes 7 says “A good name is better than ointment; and the day of one’s death is greater than the day of one’s birth”, it must be said that many Biblical characters seemed to follow God in their lives, but the last portion of their life was marked by “not finishing well”:

– 1 Samuel ends with the stories of an unstable King Saul consulting the witch at Endor to see the ghost of Samuel (1 Samuel 28) followed by the crushing march of the Philistine armies, and the death of Saul and Jonathan at Gilboa (1 Samuel 31).

-Though the story of 1 Kings begins well with Solomon’s rise to power and commitment to building the Temple of God (1 Kings 1-8), his wealth and influence (1 Kings 9 and 10) is followed by the story of his downfall and death (1 Kings 11). Though that is true of most, it is not true of all – but it should act as a warning to us: IT IS DIFFICULT TO FINISH WELL!

I have entitled these two sessions: “A Legacy that Endures” because I believe this is a critical issue for an increasingly disconnected nation. What steps can we take to leave behind the message we have cared for so much during our short time here on earth? I have posed some suggestions form the Word of God in the form of seven questions.

QUESTION ONE: AM I TOO OLD TO SERVE THE LORD?

Remember three truth principles found in the Scriptures:

1. Shelf Principle: God often powerfully used people at the point they thought they were “put on the shelf” and “least usable” to Him. Take for example John on the island of Patmos. Follow that with the house arrest of Paul.

2. Dependence Principle: Age and physical ability never caused God to pass over someone that was willing. Perhaps the most overt example is that of Moses, who in Exodus 2:1-10 blew through his first forty years (cp. Acts 7:23) of life as the privileged second in command of Egypt. For his next forty years (recorded in the balance of chapter two, cp. Acts 7:30), he was in absolute charge of a few mangy sheep in the Midianite desert, still posted as an outlaw on Egyptian post office wanted posters. When God called him at age 80 (Acts 7:30), Moses objected on the grounds that he was not credible (Ex. 4:1-3) and physically limited (4:10). God told him it didn’t matter if Moses walked with God in the work!

3. Partnership Principle: Many Biblical characters needed help. Moses’ inadequacies were matched by God sending along Aaron (Exodus 4:14-14) but Moses needed to model and lead. Paul’ heart sunk in Athens while alone (Acts 17), but God sent him a team to restore
him (Acts 18:18).

QUESTION TWO: DOES THE BIBLE HELP ME WITH THE PROBLEM OF MOVING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FAMILY CARE TO MY CHILDREN?

I think it DOES, especially in the Hebrew tradition of “the blessing” passed from a father to his sons in the Patriarchal and Matriarchal narratives of Genesis 27 (Isaac blesses) and 48 and 49 (Jacob blesses). Let’s look at a couple of principles from the blessing passages: Isaac blesses his children (Gen 27):

1. Remind them that you will be leaving, and there are some things you will need them to do (27:1-2).

2. Don’t hesitate to ask for help in the needs to be comfortable. Let them help! It will help them own the responsibility (27:3-4).

3. Celebrate their abilities with them! (27:4b).

4. Be discerning about their walk, and not naïve. You cannot influence the situation much longer, so be loving and understanding, but wise and discerning (27:12ff).

Jacob blesses his children (Gen 48-49):
1. Tell your children of God’s faithfulness and promises (48:3-4) and show them they are the continuity of the line of blessing (48:5-6, 15-16).

2. Make them get together before you are gone to discuss family issues (49:1).

3. Normally, you should be careful to annunciate both your excitement and love for them before any concern that you issue about them (49:3-4).

QUESTION THREE: HOW DO I AVOID THE SELF-CENTEREDNESS TRAP?

One senior man in our congregation said, “When I was younger and raising a family, I didn’t have time to make life about ME. Now I am old and go home to a lonely house, and care for myself. How can I avoid life being about ME?” What a good question. For the answer, let’s carefully consider the example of Joseph in a story in the Bible where he is separated from his loved ones, and could easily become tempted to be self-absorbed. Look for a moment at the thumbnail sketch of his life:

1. He was born to Rachel and Jacob (Gen 30:24) and the favorite son of Jacob (37:3).

2. Because of jealousy, his brothers sold him into slavery (37:26) and he ended up in Egypt (37:36).

3. God favored him and he was moved up the head of an influential household in Egypt (39:1ff), where he served until falsely arrested (37:20). In prison, God favored him among the prisoners (37:21ff) and he was eventually exposed as a man who had a gift of dream interpretation.

4. Following a dream interpretation for Pharoah, he was appointed a senior position in government (41:38-41) during a time when Canaan was under a famine.

5. His brothers came to be rescued by him without knowledge that this was the brother they had wronged (42-44). Joseph eventually revealed his identity (45) and his heart! Two Keys:
a. IT’S ABOUT THEM: Joseph focused on others around him in every situation, allowing God to bring situations into his life that would help him engage others on the level of THEIR problems (Baker, Pharaoh, brothers, etc; cp. Phil 2:1ff).
b. IT’S ABOUT GRACE: Joseph looked at the opportunities, not the obstacles, allowing others grace (45:5; 50:19,20). He learned how to bless and not be a hammer of judgment.

QUESTION FOUR: HOW DO I RELATE MY FAITH TO A GENERATION THAT I DON’T REALLY EVEN UNDERSTAND… IS THERE COMMON GROUND?

The Bible relates that some things are temporal, and others eternal. Some things change, and others remain constant throughout time. For believers, COMMON GROUND is always found in the things that do not change. How do you find that? The Bible warns against looking at the surface and making judgments. Look more carefully! Young people need what you have to teach in three areas (Ecclesiastes 7:1ff):

1. Observed pain (7:2)
2. Experienced pain (7:3-4)
3. Discipline pain (7:5-6)

There are a couple of guidelines for the teaching, however! (Paul is a great example of this in the Pastoral Epistles!)
1. Remember, we earn the right through loving acts to speak into the lives of loved ones.
2. They don’t understand your perspective because they don’t see through your window!
3. You have the credentials (by experience) to speak to outcomes, but you must do so with grace and a positive spirit.

QUESTION FIVE: HOW DO I DEAL WITH THE LIMITATIONS AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHANGES OF MY BODY? HOW CAN I LEARN TO ASK FOR HELP?
Recall why God allows pain in my life:

1. Sometimes it is because of my sin (Gal. 6:7) “sow-reap”.
2. Sometimes it is allowed to keep me humble (2 Cor. 12:7) “thorn”.
3. Sometimes it is because I live in a fallen world.
4. Sometimes it is to test us.
Don’t complain: it tells God you don’t trust His judgment.
Don’t blame: it tells others you don’t believe God is on the throne.
Don’t isolate yourself: it tells others you don’t love them. (Naomi)

QUESTION SIX: HOW DO I FACE THE GRIEF OF OUTLIVING LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS?

-THEY are not their bodies (2 Cor. 5:1ff), but eternally living beings we can love in life, remember in death, and celebrate in eternity!

-Naomi and Ruth chapter 1: The Pain of Covenant love.

QUESTION SEVEN: IS THERE A HAPPIER SIDE TO GETTING OLDER?

Though many of the sins of David’s life caught up with him by the end of his life, yet he ended with his final words showing his life as both fulfilled and the great promise of God was left intact in his life. His final words are recorded in the waning chapters of 2 Samuel, and fittingly, many of them are the words of one of last composed songs. His last song (2 Samuel 22:1-51) was a celebration of WHO God is (22:1-3) and WHAT He has done in continual attention and deliverance of David (22:4-28), finished with what God MEANT to David throughout his life (22:29-51). Following that are the FINAL WORDS of the great King of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1-7). Note especially verse five: “Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.” He ended with the credentials that allowed him – having earned the right, through pain and powerful experiences – to praise God and to express absolute confidence in the future that God has ordered, as well as frankly acknowledge that not everything in his family was what God was going to make it… and in that, he ended well. He did not evaluate his life on what HE had done, for better or worse, but on HOW WELL HE KNEW the God he loved and served. That is the place to end well. Our confidence cannot be in the flesh, but in a God who is ever-faithful! Remember the saying: “Be GIVING while you’re LIVING so you’re KNOWING where it’s GOING!”

Dealing with People in Pain

People In Pain: Things You Should Know About God and Trouble

 Probably the hardest life experience for any religious belief system to address is the existence of “natural injustice” – the problem of pain in the life of one that seems innocent. The Bible grapples with this issue through literally dozens of life example stories. To understand the “why” of suffering, we must look broader than the simple explanations of each troublesome set of circumstances and investigate the larger issues of the nature of our God and the way He uses circumstances in our lives. The great truths of God’s purposes are woven together in the patterns of Who God is in the Scripture. The questions are not easy, but the answers are nevertheless very clear.

Because you are not a formula, this is not a formula approach. You are a person, dear to the heart of God. These are a collection of insights based on Biblical stories about pain and trouble that I believe help to sharpen our focus on why God allows suffering and how He wants us to respond to pain.

Insights:

  1. God may cause or allow trouble and calamity in my life to lead me to repent of sin in my life. (2 Peter 1).
  2. God may use pain in my life to help me see Him in a new way, and learn to depend on Him more (Ex. 15).
  3. God may use trouble in my life to sensitize me to the needs of others around me (Mk. 6-7).
  4. God may allow me to face trouble because I live in a fallen world, and am surrounded by the consequences of the sinful behavior of others.
  5. God may use trouble as a press to test me. He may “squeeze me” so that I can see clearly who I am (and who I am not!) Dt. 5-7.
  6. God may use painful circumstances to help me adjust my appetites, desires and expectations (Ps. 90).
  7. God may remove some things from our lives to rearrange our priorities (Ruth).
  8. Some pain is a consequence of the wrath (consistency) of God. The sow reap principle, and other like principles fall into this category. (Eutychus and gravity).

There are responses that ALWAYS honor God when we are experiencing pain and trouble:

  1. Understanding that God has not lost interest nor power is the strength of my life (Habakkuk).
  2. Learning the greatest lesson: “God is GOOD!” is often the point of our experiences.
  3. Developing a sensitive heart for people and constantly being called back to searching out God’s heart is part of the Divine program.
  4. The companion of pain and trouble is a constant teacher and reminder of our need of our Father in Heaven.

There are three kinds of painful situations, each require different kinds of reactions:

  1. Situations in my direct control, that God desires me to learn from, confront and deal with in a Biblical pattern.
  2. Situations that are indirectly or partly in my control, where God wants me to surrender the part I cannot control, but face the part that is my responsibility.
  3. Situations where I cannot control any part of the trouble, God wants me to surrender to Him (acknowledge the obvious, that I rely on His work alone for an outcome that He will be pleased with.

We have two choices in our response to trouble:

  1. Turn and demand my rights, harden my heart and look for my internal sense of “fairness” to be satisfied. In this scenario, I expect life to bring honor and comfort and glory to ME.
  2. Count my life a privilege that is not deserved, soften my heart and try to discern God’s desire in my responses. In this scenario, I look for what can bring glory and honor to HIM!

Four ways to avoid a "second best" life

  1. Keep things in God’s Order: If you put the needs of your spouse, job or child above a hungry desire for time with the Lord, you are living a “second best” life.

  2. Stick to a plan: It doesn’t matter if the issue is whether to open email before reading a chapter of your book to your child or taking a call instead of cutting the lawn, we have to take control of our own schedules. If we don’t plan the day and work the plan, we are sure to live a “second best” life, filled with regret of the things unfinished. When I don’t control my day, others do – and that is frustrating!

  3. Learn the joy of something new: We get as stale as moldy bread when we just sit. Even if “sitting” looks like a busy life with a lot of work, same old equals drained old. Look at all the flavors and choose a new one. Pick from the other panel of the menu. Learn something new. It’ll keep you from a “second best” life.

  4. Learn the fundamentals of your life: We don’t have to do everything well, but we do need to be competent with the core skills of our lives. If I focus on doing what I do well, I remove any doubt in the minds of those around me that I am serious about what I am doing. I excel because I am deliberate about what I am doing. I avoid a “second best” life.

1 Kings 9 (2): The Belly Flop of Compromise

Elegantly poised on the edge of the rippling water, the scene was a familiar summer fun selection. Would the next move be a smooth and sleek dive in with barely a ripple to follow? Would he take a few dramatic steps away from the water and jump high, holding his legs and “power bombing” those in the cool water as well as those sunning themselves at poolside? Neither. Full of promise he leaped toward the pool but miscalculated the effect those watching had on him. His elegance was transformed into a painful “belly flop”. Some who stood by groaned, as the heard the body strike the water. No one enjoyed the sound or the appearance of pain…

Key Principle: God revealed that blessing follows inner surrender to Him. When we become distracted by this world, we settle for outer appearances. The choice to be distracted by the world in our pursuit of following God leads to disaster.

There are Seven Steps to Compromise our Call:
1. Ignore God’s Word (9:3-9). God made promises, Solomon looked elsewhere…
In the year A.D. 303, the Roman Emperor Diocletian issued a decree that he hoped would extinguish the spreading flames of Christianity. One of his primary objectives was the seizure and destruction of the Christian Scriptures. Later that year, officials enforced the decree in North Africa. One of the targets was Felix, the Bishop of Tibjuca, a village near Carthage. The Roman authorities ordered Felix to hand over his Scriptures. Though some governors were willing to accept scraps of parchment, Felix refused to surrender the Word of God at the insistence of mere men. Resolutely, he resisted compromise before the proconsul at Carthage. Felix paid for his perseverance with his life. On July 15, he laid down his life – as the record puts it, “with pious obstinacy,” rather than surrender his scriptures.

2. Become Dependent on the World’s Goods for Affirmation (9:10-14) – Compromise Your Source of Affirmation! “Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of attaining another – too often ending in the loss of both. Compromise is simply changing the question to fit the answer.”- Merrit Malloy

3. Adopt the World’s Answers for Success (9:15, 20-21).

4. Make Alliances the World’s Way (9:16-18,24).
Religious tolerance is not always a sign of good will. It can be a sign of careless, perhaps hypocritical religious indifference of the most high-handed philosophic relativism. It can also be a mask behind which to hide downright malice. During the Nazi era, for example, arguments for Christian openness to other perspectives were used by German Christians in an attempt to neuter the church’s protest against the neo-paganism of Hitler and his minions. The Confessing Church in Germany found in John 10 a theological basis to stand against Hitler. There are times in which the only way to keep alive the non-vindictive, nonjudgmental, self-sacrificing witness of Jesus Christ is to stand with rude dogmatism on the rock that is Jesus Christ, condemning all compromise as the work of the Antichrist. SOURCE: Ronald Goetz in “Exclusivistic Universality” (Christian Century, April 21, 1993). “If our language has appeared to some strong and severe, or even intemperate, let the gentlemen pause for a moment and reflect on the importance and gravity of the subject… We had to deal with human life. In a matter of this importance we could entertain no compromise.” The American Medical Association, 1981, in a report opposing abortion. Quoted in Marvin Olasky’s The Press and Abortion, 1838-1988.

5. Focus on Personal Pleasure (9:19).
Chuck Swindoll said, “The swift wind of compromise is a lot more devastating than the sudden jolt of misfortune.” IT’S LIKE THE LITTLE BOY WHO PRAYED ONE NIGHT BEFORE HE WENT TO BED, “DEAR GOD, MAKE ME GOOD BUT NOT TOO GOOD, JUST GOOD ENOUGH SO I DON’T GET A WHIPPING” (sermon central illustrations)

6. Draw in Others Who Follow You (9:22-23).
The AD agency Young & Rubicam claim brands have replaced religious faith in giving meaning to people’s lives. The ad agency says that successful ’belief brands,’ such as Calvin Klein, Microsoft and Nike, work because they have fun and refuse to compromise their core beliefs. (The Net Economy 3/19/01) Author Stephen Covey believes that about 90 or so years ago our society and culture began to be more concerned with, (and I am paraphrasing Covey here) a ‘winning personality’ rather than a ‘winning character.’

7. Keep the Religious Front Working (9:25).
The story is told that John Wesley, a founder of Methodism, changed his view about church division after a dream in which he was first transported to the gates of Hell. He asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “Yes,” was the reply. “Any Roman Catholics?” “Yes.” “Any Congregationalists?” “Yes.” He hesitated, then said, “Not any Methodists, I hope!” To his dismay the answer was “Yes.” Suddenly in his dream he stood at the gate of Heaven. Once again he asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “No,” was the reply. “Any Roman Catholics?” “No.” “Any Congregationalists?” “No.” Then he asked the question which most interested him: “Are there any Methodists here?” He was shocked to receive the same stern reply, “No!” “Well then,” he asked in surprise, “please tell me who IS in Heaven?” “CHRISTIANS!” was the jubilant answer. It is not your brand that gets you in – but your heart commitment to Jesus! (sermon central illustrations).

The problem is not that we flop, it is that we flop while pretending to ourselves and those around us that we made an elegant dive. We are in pain, but we don’t show it, because that would be embarrassing. We hide, and hurt alone – simply because we won’t walk in our call. The choice to be distracted by the world leads us to disaster.

Titus: Building a Church that Honors God

The “Pastoral Epistles” offer a window into the first century church, as well as a great architectural diagram of how the body was to be built from the foundation up. This study includes some word studies at the end that leaders in the local church context may well find helpful!

The Epistle of Paul to Titus

The Author of the Letter:

  1. Name: Paul = “little”; Shaul (Hebrew name) = “asked”
  1. Place of Birth: Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia in southeastern Asia Minor (Acts 22:3).
  1. Occupation, role, or title: A tentmaker by trade, his livelihood (Acts 18:3; 20:34; 1Cor. 4:12); once a zealous persecutor of the primitive church (Acts 8:1-3); after his conversion, the most effective missionary of early Christianity and, as traditional author of 14 NT epistles, the church’s first theologian.
  1. Place of Death: Rome (Eusebius, Church History, Bk. 2, Ch. 25).
  1. Important facts about the person’s life: Paul was born of Jewish parents in Tarsus, capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, probably about 5 CE. He inherited Roman citizenship from his father, a status that would prove of great use to Paul during his ministry. His early years were spent in Tarsus where he probably acquired the trade of tent making (or perhaps leatherworking). As a young man, Paul—then still called “Saul”—went to Jerusalem, where he studied under the famous Jewish sage Gamaliel and became exceedingly “zealous toward God” (Acts 22:3) and the things of the law. For Paul, this included persecuting the nascent Christian church, both in Jerusalem and in far-flung cities (Acts 26:9-11). Indeed, he first appeared in the early Messianic record as one witnessing and consenting to the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58ff). However, after his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) Paul became as zealous for the cause of Christ as he had once been in opposition to it.

After a three-year sojourn in Arabia (probably southern Jordan, then held by Arabs) and then visiting both Damascus and Jerusalem again (Gal. 1:15ff), Paul apparently returned for a few years to his native Tarsus. From there, Barnabas called Paul to help with the burgeoning work in Antioch where they labored together for a year or more (Acts 11:25-26). The Antioch church ordained the two as missionaries, and Paul then undertook a series of three missionary journeys, between about 45 and 58 CE.

  • The first journey (45-47 CE; Acts 13:4—14:28) took Paul and Barnabas through the island of Cyprus, then the southeastern part of Asia Minor, planting communities of believers.
  • On the second journey (51-54 CE; Acts 15:40—18:22) Silas and Timothy accompanied the Apostle west across Asia Minor and into Europe, as far as Corinth in Greece.
  • The third journey (54-58 CE; Acts 18:23—21:15), covering much of the same territory, included over two years at Ephesus, and its return leg constituted Paul’s final journey to Jerusalem.

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem (circa 61 CE) following a riot in the Temple and later appeared before the successive Roman governors Felix and—after two years in prison—Festus, in Caesarea Maritima. Appealing his case to the emperor (Acts 25:10-12), Paul was sent to Rome and, after being shipwrecked (probably on the island of Malta), arrived there probably in the first half of the year 62 CE (Acts 28:16). The Book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome, preaching while under house arrest and awaiting trial. (Some have conjectured, based primarily on material in 2 Timothy 4, that Paul was initially acquitted in Rome, then engaged in further missionary activity, and finally underwent a second imprisonment; some also presume these events to have been recounted in a lost epilogue to the Luke-Acts narrative.) Church tradition says that Paul was beheaded in Rome sometime during the reign of Nero (54-68 CE).

The Recipient of the Letter  (The Church Planter – Titus)

The mission church planter Titus probably came to Jesus during the preaching and teaching ministry of Paul (Titus 1:4), and became his disciple shortly after. Titus accompanied Paul to Jerusalem in 50 CE for the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:2; Gal. 2:1-3) and became an example of the stand the early church had on the Gentile need for circumcision (Paul was not required to circumcise Titus, as he was a Gentile). Titus took direction from Paul and was sent by the Apostle to Corinth as a representative (see 2 Corinthians 7 and 8). He carried Paul’s letter (2 Corinthians) to the church. Later, Paul left Titus in Crete to establish churches, and probably later replaced him on that field with Artemas (or Tychichus) when he called Titus to winter with Paul in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). From Nicopolis, Titus was apparently assigned work in Dalmatia (Yugoslavia, see 2 Tim. 4:10). Church tradition records that Titus eventually returned to Crete and died there man years later.

The Purpose of the Letter (the situation that caused Paul to write):

A few years before the death of the Apostle Paul, he wrote to a younger church planter about the establishment of solid, well rooted, God honoring churches in Crete. Titus took directions from Paul as his sending agent (as stated above). He handled difficult assignments for Paul in the matter of disobedience in a rebellious church at Corinth as part of his training to plant churches (2 Cor. 2:13; 7:6-7, 13-15; 8:6, 16-17). Paul was delighted with the sensitivity and strength of his disciple.

A careful reading of the text of the Epistle to Titus reveals the message of the Gospel had already begun to take root in Crete, but the saved had not yet been organized into strong local churches. The letter probably personally encouraged the church planter, but more importantly added an authoritative boost to his stature when rather sharp exchanges became necessary.

Another key to the purpose was found in Paul’s comments about Titus’ approach. Titus was told to “speak evil of no man” (3:2) and deal with the lost in meekness. Some Cretans may have assailed Titus for lacking sharpness in the beginning, but these words from Paul would help set them at ease. It was not necessary to argue endlessly, but it was necessary to defend the flock and stop some of the subversive speech of the traveling speakers who were trying to pull Gentiles into keeping the Torah (Law) of Moses.

Six Key Principles in the Letter:

The letter outlines six major principles to establishing well-grounded and God-pleasing churches:

  1. Everything rises or falls on the quality of the leadership of the congregation, choose wisely! (1:5-9)
  1. The leaders must remember the church is a teaching organization, and the parameters of the teaching must be maintained and defended for the flock to be healthy, protect them! (1:10-16)
  1. The group becomes a true church when the members are equipped and begin to function in their relationships to each other and to the world, train them! (2:1-10)
  1. The church is formed by God’s grace, and maintained by careful obedience to the Father’s commands lived out in expectation of the Lord’s return, keep working! (2:11-15)
  1. The Cretan church should be characterized by a gracious spirit toward the world and its leaders – a humility bathed in the memory of their own former sojourn, be gracious! (3:1-7)
  1. Though they are gracious, they must not ignore the creeping influence of error and contention, be careful! (3:8-11).

For further study: An Outline of the Epistle of Paul to Titus

I. The greeting: The senior missionary to a new church planter – guidelines for the establishment of order in the church (1:1-4)

II. Step One: Identify the leadership and apply responsibility! (1:5-16).

A. Establishing leadership: Choose leaders wisely (1:5-9)

B. Establishing the parameters of the teaching: protect the truth (1:10-16)

III. Step Two: Instruct people to get busy about their God-given work! (2:1-15)

  1. The tasks defined: it’s all about relationships (1-10)
  • The Church Planter (1, cp. 2:15) In order to establish the work, teach!
  • The Older Men (2): temperate, sensible, discreet, unerring faith, loving spirit, patient deportment.
  • The Older Women (3): reverent behavior, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine, teachers of the right behaviors.
  • Younger Women (4-5): love husband and children, discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, subject to their husbands to protect their home reputation.
  • The Younger Men (6-8): discreet, (and by example of Titus himself in vv. 7-8) maintain a consistent pattern of good work in every area, in the teachings, pure, sensible, uncorrupted, sound and careful speech, leaving nothing for his adversaries to claim.
  • The Servants (9-10): pleasing to master, not contradicting, not stealing, but showing the best of the teaching of our Savior.
  • The Principle for ALL (11-15). Walk in grace circumspectly, and be aware of the cost to our Master for us. Do what pleases Him, as is your purpose!

IV. Step Three: Remind people to establish a Credible Public Testimony (3:1-11)

A. In relation to Authorities in the World: be obedient (1).

B. In relation to the Unsaved in the Community: be considerate and understanding – you were like them before (2-7).

C. In relation to those who stir up the Church: stress the truth and avoid divisive nonsense (8-11).

V. Personal Greetings and Messages (3:12-15).

Other Notes: The Measure of A Great Church

Key Principle: How did Paul measure this church? He measured it by the congregation’s adherence to carefully presented standards.

Older Men: (means “senior male” as in age not office of “elder” term as used in 1:5)

1)      Sober: (NIV) temperate; adjective meaning to not “wine controlled”, came to be used as a word for “clear headed”; possessing all the faculties at all times.

2)      Grave: (NIV) worthy of respect; seriousness of purpose and dignified such that he commands respect.

3)      Temperate: (NIV) “self-controlled”; possessing self-mastery.

4)      Sound in faith, “sound” is derived from a building term for a solid foundation. The word has a Greek article, suggesting the meaning “their faith”. The term faith may mean “doctrine” but here it appears to be their personal faith in the Lord Jesus.

5)      charity (NIV) “love”; The word is for relational love, as opposed to a vindictive spirit or bitterness.

6)      patience: endurance”; The word is a military term that denotes brave persistence and strength of character.

Older Women:

1)      In behavior as becometh holiness: (NIV) “be reverent in the way they live”; literally a cultic term for the interior and exterior of a temple to be suitable for holy uses.

2)      Not false accusers: (NIV) “not slanderers”; the word is elsewhere translated gossip.

3)      Not given to much wine: (NIV) “not addicted to much wine”; the grammar suggests that #2 and #3 are linked. Was the problem at the wine bar? Was the problem loose speech after too much to drink?

4)      Teachers of good things: the word is derived from the personal counsel of a tutor.

5)      Teach the younger women to be sober: (literally “to return one to her senses”). The term for “teach” is different than the one used above, it was sometimes used in the Greek world as an athletic word for training that happens over a long and arduous process. The term “younger women” is the term NEW or FRESH and may mean either the newly married (less likely) or the NEW WOMEN IN JESUS. The training of the new women in the church was not the responsibility of the Elders, nor of Titus, but of the older women!

Younger Women: (Those newer to the faith)

1)      Love their husbands: (literally) “devoted to their husbands”.

2)      Love their children: (literally) “devoted to their children”.

3)      Be discreet: (NIV) “self controlled”

4)      Chaste: (NIV) “pure”

5)      Keepers at home: (The KJV follows the text as “oikourous” or “home guard”, the NIV uses a different text that contains the word “oikourgous” which means “to be busy at home”. The NIV thought the second choice made more sense with Paul’s other admonitions as 1 Tim. 5:13,14 – to avoid idleness).

6)      Good: (NIV) “kind”; the selfless demands placed on a wife an mother can cause her to cultivate a harsh and irritable spirit. Servanthood is contrary to human nature and Roman culture, so this training was valuable!

7)      Obedient to their own husbands: (NIV) “to be subject to their husbands” is apparently to be read in middle voice, “subjecting themselves to in a voluntary way”. Though she was equal in salvation (Gal. 3:28), yet she placed herself in subjection. The subjection was directly linked to the testimony of the home and of the Word of God!

Young men

(and by example of Titus himself in vv. 7-8): (word IS for young men). Titus was told to “exhort” (literally “to come beside and show how”) to be sober minded: (NIV) “self-controlled” as the teaching to younger women. Obviously the greatest need of the young Cretan men was to stay their impetuous nature and cultivate restraint.

Titus (Church planter, then Pastor)

(By example – commands of vv. 7-8 to him!) Show a pattern of good works: (NIV) “set for them an example” is literally “holding yourself beside them as an example”of a teacher of the Word.

1)      Doctrine: showing uncorruptness: highest quality in teaching!

2)      Gravity: teaching with a motive of integrity in all things.

3)      Sincerity: teaching with outward dignity and seriousness.

4)      Sound speech: his words were to be, when tested, found consistently reliable. There was an expectation that his words were opposed by some, but after testing, his word should have been consistent, and morally pure.

Servants

1)      Obedient to masters (Greek – despotes): is literally “to attempt to please”.

2)      Not contradicting: (Greek – “antilego”) is literally “not talking back to, or against  them”.

3)      Not purloining: (NIV) stealing.

4)      Showing in all fidelity: literally, “demonstrating good faith” – showing the best of the teaching of our Savior.

A congregation that focused on their relationship to the Lord by keeping these carefully presented standards was a great church!

Organizational Growth and Nature

Sitting in a meeting the other day a group of ministry staffers were discussing how to help a struggling small church in a large city environment. Years ago that church grew to thousands. Now it was downtown to a sprawling city, in the heart of a deteriorating infrastructure that defines many urban American environments. The church has beautiful facilities that seat several thousand with about 180 in regular attendance. The small local body hired a new Pastor who has a heart for the “down and out” crowd that are literally sleeping at his door. “What can he do?” Someone asked in the meeting. Several suggestions began to flow. One that seemed to gain traction was the opening an alleyway beside the church for a “coffee house” band type outreach to reach some of the evening restaurant crowd in the downtown area. Around the table this sounded like a reasonable approach to outreach. It didn’t seem that way to me at all. I began to think about it, and couldn’t settle down without getting some of this out on paper. I believe there are natural principles that govern growth of any church or organization. These principles exist in nature, and show themselves in organizations as well:

  1. It starts with inspiration that evokes a commitment of the current people to gain the new people. That must be won before growth will occur. I know it sounds like a terrible analogy, but think about it – until two people decide to come together, a baby is not made. It takes some level of communal agreement on to make growth. Divided organizations don’t naturally grow. Sometimes the natural rallying point is bringing people back to the original cause that brought them together. All of the time it is required to get people to believe they have an important role to play in an attainable goal. In business it is called the “energizing myth”. In church it is simpler, because we serve a great God that has already shown us a prophetic glimpse of our future. “How do I get our people to buy into the idea of growth?”, one Pastor asked. I am no growth expert, but it seemed to me that you can’t conquer an ailment that you can’t identify. In other words, diagnosis precedes solution.  Some smaller congregations feel threatened by new people. They may fear a loss of identity or even fear a loss of control. Both issues need to be carefully addressed or growth will be elusive, despite the efforts of their leaders. People need to be on the same page to read together aloud.

  2. When the objective is understood and accepted the actions that follow will have power. Leadership means casting vision and influence to a group that becomes enlisted to the cause. Our communication to the people needs to be inspirational, but is most effective when attitudes were ready.  Motivation is a constant issue. I have found people are most encouraged by lifting their eyes from the small world of their problems to seeing the greatness of the vision. In the church we have the opportunity to bring people to a right relationship with the God that created the universe! People can be set free from addictions and moved to their actual purpose – a dynamic relationship with the living God!

  3. Assessment should not be strictly an internal matter. As I age, I become acutely aware that younger people look at me as older than I feel myself to be! When a long-time friend visits and I see the aging on them, I am aware that it is happening to me, though I have paid little attention to it. Organizations have the same issue. They measure themselves internally, and are often unrealistic in the measure. Members of a small church may believe they are friendly, because during a “meet and greet” they always have someone to talk to. They don’t notice the discomfort of a visitor nearby who is left standing with no one to greet.

  4. Growth demands some drawing factors. I Pastor in a small town, so any event that draws a significant crowd gets noticed. Because of that, we put on several festivals a year to invite the community to a free carnival like atmosphere. The events give a “buzz” in the community, put us in touch with people of the area, and raise our profile. More importantly though, it gets our people focused on a goal to work together and see something happen. At the last event, we had twenty-four people give their life to Jesus, and several new families joined the church. Sometimes I think we just expect that people will bring in those familiar to them. Yet, when surveyed, most people that think of evangelism and outreach think of strangers. We need to help them to see exactly who they CAN bring – their family members, their friends, their co-workers. Events give them a comfortable reason to open this part of their lives to people from another part.

  5. Serve your way in to people’s lives. At Grace, we have chosen to use this strategy because we believe it reflects a Biblical directive. Funny as it may sound, it works in any business as well. When we focus on what the community we intend to reach feel they need, we open the door to meeting deeper and more important needs. It begins with a focus on where they are and what their problems are. To reach family, Grace focused on children. This summer we have had 85 kids all over the property between “Ignite Day Camp” and “Kid City Daycare”. Our services are tooled with a full range of  children’s ministries. Parents worship where their children are cared for and are growing. It doesn’t matter who we reach out to, we have to earn the right to be heard. Every age group is important. We are working to build an inter-generational ministry – because it follows the way families grow in the natural world. It wasn’t the VILLAGE that raised the child, it was EXTENDED FAMILY in the village that raised the child. Events are important (see #4) but people only stay connected if ministry is really going on. We get an exciting opportunity to be a part of the life of our community, but we exist to serve Jesus by serving them.

Obadiah: Reasons Why Nations Fail

Edom (from the word for ground or red in Hebrew) was a red-colored mountainous region with rock carved cities (now in the Kingdom of Jordan), where camel caravan traffic brought delicacies from the east to the west. They had a mixed history we should remember to set the scene for Obadiah’s prophecy of destruction on them. First, they were descendants of Esau, and as such they had an ongoing battle with the children of Israel. Moses long ago asked to pass through the territory on his way to the Promised Land, and the Edomites refused them passage and threatened them with arms (Num. 20:14-21). When the children of Israel were established in their land, Israel attacked Edom under King Saul (2 Sam. 8:14) and King David (2 Kings 8:20-22). As Israel grew weaker in the Divided Kingdom, Edom was able to shake free in independence at the time of Jehoram (2 Kings 8:20-22, about 840 BCE).


The Kingdom of Edom was well known as a bastion of security. The cities were nearly impregnable. Their reputation in was battle fierce. They had natural barriers protecting them, as well as world class skilled defense systems for the time. Their thriving capital at Petra was carved out of rock, and eventually housed some of the most luxurious buildings that stood in the ancient Near East (a theatre for 2000, etc.). They were noted for their national pride (Prov. 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”) and they defiantly rejected the God of Israel in favor of their own strength and position economically and militarily, with almost cultic devotion their own victories of the past. Three unique prophecies haunted Edom: First, God promised to completely desolate the land. Their cities still exist, but they are eerie tourist destinations of deserted ruins (Ezekiel 35:3-4)! Second, God promised the caravans would cease and the economy of the people would die off (Ezekiel 35:7). Finally, God revealed that he would completely wipe out their national identity (Ezekiel 35:13; Obadiah 18). Today, there are no nations that identify Edom as their ancestry!

What are the reasons for Edomite failure according to Obadiah and what can we learn from them? First, they had great pride in their defenses (3,4). Next, they combined their pride with an unwise trust in allies (5-7). On top of that, they had misplaced trust in three things: Wisdom (discernment) of experts (8); Knowledge (forecasting) of prognosticators (8); and Might of military strategists (9). What finally caused God to turn from them, however, was the unmerciful treatment of God’s people (10-14). They watched as invaded and offered no help to protect God’s stated agenda (11). They rejoiced in the losses of God’s people (12). They looted God’s people (13) and set up traps (roadblocks) to snare God’s people (14). What was God’s Response to Edom (and other Godless Nations)? He will judge them with their own wickedness (15-17). He will Sap their life as they sponged the life of God’s people. Further, He will give their fortunes back to His own people (move His blessing! V.17) and cut the offenders off completely (18). He will give to their “allies and friends” their fortune (19,20) and restore His message and His people (21). YOU CAN SAVE A NATION!

God always offers nations the opportunity to follow Him. In a pluralistic and democratic nation, we do this by persuasion. We MUST be prepared to graciously and lovingly share Jesus with our neighbor, it will preserve our future as much as missiles and alliances!

Exodus 24 Learning the Value of the Community of Leaders

Following the Amalekite war, Moses went through the painful but profitable experience of correction by Jethro, his father-in-law. Moses placed himself in a position of unrealistic expectation, trying to accomplish more than anyone could expect – a mistake common to driven leaders. The result was an overuse of his abilities, a slow draining of all of the creativity and leadership vision by the wearing grind of daily administration. Jethro told him to delegate administration, and in those words, God used a man that could get Moses’ attention, and get him to change the pattern of his work habits to refresh him and pull him back on track (Ex. 18:24). After the departure of Jethro, Moses brought the people to the edge of the Mountain of the Law, as God instructed. The time came that would later be memorialized in Shavuot (or “the Feast of weeks”), a holy convocation instructed in Levitical law (Lev. 23:15). This feast was an agricultural celebration, but its true importance is underscored in the Biblical instruction that included it as one of three mandatory offering appearances before the Lord annually (Dt. 16:16). God did not want this day forgotten! This was a day He gathered the children of Israel and God blew a shofar (ram’s horn trumpet) before them that shook their camp (Ex. 19:16)! God has seldom made Himself so obvious in the affairs of men – this day was not common! They had already traveled fifty days from the departure from Egypt (Ex.12: 15-20) to the time of the arrival at the mountain (Ex. 19:1). The term “fifty days” was captured in the word “Pentecost”, still a holy memorial each year among observant Jews recalling the encounter with God at the mountain, and the giving of the law. The Sabbath days between Passover and Pentecost were counted according to God’s instruction (Lev. 23:15).

God invited seventy elders and a specific guest list of leaders to the mountain to worship Him (Ex. 24:1). They were not allowed to move up the mountain with Moses, but they were instructed to come together for a corporate time of reverence (the Hebrew verb shakhaw means to bow before, prostrate one’s self, or revere, Ex. 24:1) some distance away from Moses. Moses prepared himself for the meeting. He rose early in the morning, wrote down the words God had given him in the previous encounter, raised up an altar and standing stones for the tribes, and sprinkled the blood of offerings on the altar. He read over the words he had written before the people, and they affirmed their commitment to God’s holy covenant. He took the elders and leaders up to the mountain.

The event that followed was unprecedented in human history. God passed by before the men, and they beheld a brightness that seemed like the sun. The mystery in the event was not simply that they gazed upon the path of God, and stood before a striking brightness. The shocking part of the story was their response! They were called there to worship, and yet the text reveals they “saw God, and did eat and drink.” What a response! God came, and they had a banquet together.

At a certain time in the meal, God instructed Moses, “Come up before Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tablets of stone…” Moses arose, and took Joshua with him (Ex. 24:13). God made it clear that Moses was to appear alone (24:2) and either Joshua stopped some distance away or was considered necessary by God to help Moses in and out of His holy presence. The text does not say clearly, and only Joshua, Moses and God know for sure. One thing is certain: Joshua learned an important lesson in his preparation to the lead the nation that day.

Having grasped that intercession by a leader was essential, it was obviously not the whole training course. Joshua saw something new at the mountain of God’s appearing. He learned a graphic lesson that Moses heard from Jethro weeks before this encounter. Joshua saw a picture of a communal team that honored God. He ate with the others, drank with them, and communed with them. He saw a team leadership formation in corporate worship. There is a time for personal time with God, but there is equally a time for team.

The passage not only stemmed any uprising concerning the veracity of God’s authorship of the commandments (some might have thought Moses was making the commands up on his own), but it also gave the elders the opportunity to commune together and feast and worship. What an important lesson: Leaders need to lock arms with other leaders. We are not called to be “Supermen” that face the forces of darkness alone, depending solely on our “superhuman” ability or even the work of the Spirit within. We need each other, and grow when we can worship corporately, not only individually. We are stronger in communion, not in “Lone Ranger” mode.

Moses learned this in a rebuke by an older priest and relative. Joshua avoided the painful experience of sapping his own strength and “burning out” by observing the incredible benefit of corporate strength. The team can worship together, eat and drink together, and help to strengthen one another! It is significant that we have no Bible record of Joshua hoarding power, nor of him taking on responsibility that God had not ordained. His record of leadership and delegation is impressive. He may well have grasped the lesson at a banquet on a mountain!

The Divine wisdom penned out in the words of King Solomon recall: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they can have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, KJV)

Joshua’s training included the graphic display of the advantages Solomon later cited. The wise king reminds us ‘Together-

We can accomplish more, so the rewards are greater (Eccl. 4:9).

We can assist and rescue one another, so the endurance is greater (Eccl. 4:10).

We can comfort one another, so the encouragement is greater (Eccl. 4:11).

We can defend one another, so the strength is greater (Eccl. 4:12).’

Often leaders fall into the trap of believing their own press, subscribing to the affirmation of the positive view of their followers and not remembering their own weaknesses. It is part of the fabric of our makeup. We lead – they follow. We know – they don’t. It is a dangerous tendency to distance ourselves from the accountability that helps refocus and redirect us. We need other leaders. Joshua could have duplicated Moses’ mistake, but in this awesome display God accomplished another step in his training. It all happened at the buffet table on the mountain!

Exodus 17:8-14 Learning the Power of Intercession

Out of the story of the Amalekite attack in Exodus 17 came the first of seven great training lessons to the “Chief in the making” – Joshua. Moses faced a tough situation, and Joshua watched the solution unfold. He was able to pick out what any leader needs to quickly understand: Everyone can see the problem, leaders devise solutions. That is what the people needed, and that is what Moses provided. Moses focused immediately on the six things a leader must know to make good decisions, and Joshua got the benefit of seeing the lesson close up:

  1. Leaders must know the circumstances, the situation they are faced with. Nobody conquers a demon they don’t know about. Every significant move of a leader is preceded by an accurate assessment of the circumstances that they face. (17:8).

  2. Leaders must know the enemy they face. Sometimes reconnaissance is necessary to gain knowledge (Num. 13 and 14), as knowledge of the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses make all the difference in battle. Whether physical or spiritual, battles are won or lost often on the enemy assessment. Understand where and how an enemy will attack is essential to preparing defenses that will withstand his onslaught (17:9).

  3. Leaders must know their resources for problem solving. Foolish leaders tackle every problem on their own. Wise leaders assess their own team to meet the demand of battle (17:9).

  4. Leaders must understand that even the physical problems of God’s people are fought in Heavenly places. This is a critical area often neglected. Paul later addressed the physical disturbances to his work with the truth that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers” (2 Cor. 10:3ff). Moses didn’t need a simple head count and weapons assessment, he needed to bow before God and intercede for the battle. (17:10-13). The upward palms have long been understood by rabbis as a position of prayer. In the Hebrew world of long ago (as in Orthodox traditions today), prayers of supplication were symbolized by holding the hands palms up. In times of extreme need, the arms were lifted upward and palms were held up, a position probably referred to in the instruction of Paul to Timothy (1 Tim. 2:8). If understood in this way, there was nothing mystical about the hands of Moses, but POWER lay in the intercession of the leader. What a great lesson for any leader that gets caught up in the mechanics of the problem to the exclusion of the spiritual reality!

  5. Leaders must be good followers (17:9-10). Look at the unquestioning obedience of Joshua. Moses said, “Jump!” Joshua jumped. It is worth highlighting that Joshua was not prepared to lead if he was not prepared to follow.

  6. Leaders must acknowledge where true victory comes from. Note the instruction at the end of the battle (17:14). Joshua was to be brought in to hear the specific promise of God; He would cut off Amalek from the earth because of this attack. Joshua needed to hear it, and understand that any work that he would do in that cause was not his victory, it was God fulfilling His promise. Leaders need to feel responsible to faithfully execute the work of God, but not to own the work. It is God’s work, and we are privileged to be a part of it.

In the final analysis, Joshua needed to see the power of an interceding leader. The troops can do the work, but they will easily believe that it was at their hands that victory was attained –because of their skill, their ingenuity, and their power. They, of course, would draw the wrong conclusion. It is only an interceding leader that can see the truth.

Acts 1: Questions to Pose before following a New Leader

Religious leaders often claim they are following God’s leading. How can we know? How does God lead people today? How can we know it isn’t just the manipulation of some leaders, or the misguided sense of some group that we may follow? As we begin a series on the Book of Acts, we will uncover the questions we can pose as we consider who should lead us spiritually:

Questions to Pose Before you commit to follow a leader:

Jesus intended to begin a work that continued in other’s hands when He left (Acts 1:1). Question: Is the nature of the ministry objectives of any leader that is claiming to be of God in harmony with the kinds of ministry Jesus BEGAN?

Jesus’ plan was exposed in His Spirit-empowered teaching to leaders that He chose to be His messengers (Acts 1:2). Question: Do people that claim to be leading us by God’s direction have a track record of both knowing the teachings of God’s Word and leading others to understand that Word?

Jesus spent time carefully instructing the Apostles, convincing them of His Resurrection with specific evidences for a period of time (Acts 1:3). Question: Do the people that would lead you spiritually have real and measurable time invested considering the claims of Messiah and are they convinced of the truth of the message?

Jesus instructed the men to remain at Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Spirit of God to empower them as the Spirit had empowered Jesus for ministry Acts 1:4-5). Question: Is the leader walking in obedience to the specific teachings of Jesus found in His Word?

The disciples, even after 40 days of intense training, were still not fully comprehending the program of God (Acts 1:6). Question: Does the leader have to be perfect in his understanding of the Word of God? No, but they do have to be humble enough to be open to the fact they do not know it all.

Jesus told the disciples not to put their emphasis on trying to decipher how God works, but to put their energy into reaching out with the Good News, and ministering both near and far simultaneously (Acts 1:7-8). Question: Is the leader consumed with a theoretical faith and a theological definition, while they seem reticent to minister the Gospel to people?

Jesus was lifted off the Mount of Olives, and the apostles stood in wonder gazing upward until some angelic messengers prompted them to go (Acts 1:9-11). Question: Does the leader have his head “in the clouds” with no sense of what God wants done in the here and now?

The Apostles returned to Jerusalem and met together in a room for constant prayer and unity together (Acts 1:12-14). Question: Is the leader divisive and self-willed, or does he show a willingness to work with others prayerfully?

The Apostles realized the need to replace among their ranks the leaders when they lost them (as the position of Judas was now vacant), and they sought the Lord about the hearts of each men, trusting God to lead them (Acts 1:15-26). Question: Do the leaders see themselves as accountable to one another, or does anyone feel “above the law”?