Come this Sunday to worship the living God. Service starts at 10:30 but you can enter and pray at 10:00AM. Plan to stay after the service for a Covered Dish (bring food to share) that will end around 1:30.
To get ready for the service: Read Psalm 46.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Words of Choices by David May
2 Chronicles 33-34
God said to Adam, "I am going to make you a helper, a companion. What would you like your companion to be like?" Adam replied, "Well I want someone that is humorous, witty, intelligent, compassionate, caring, loving, trusting, polite, generous and beautiful." God paused a moment after Adam's wish list and told Adam that a companion like that 'would cost him an arm and a leg.' Adam seemed a little dejected and then brightly replied: "What can I get for a Rib?"
After a very long and boring sermon the parishioners filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. "Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!" The pastor was thrilled. "No-one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why." "Well - it reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it endured forever!"
Who is following you? Are you making good choices that will be a good guide and example for those who are following you, whether at home, at work, or in the church?
I was asked the other day. “Why does God allow human suffering such as tsunamis, flood, earthquakes, wars, murder, etc.?” I don’t know. Take Job as a classic example. Here was a righteous man, yet he was not shielded from all these catastrophes that happened to him. Job was a very wealthy man. But he lost everything he owned. He lost all his children. However, in the end God returned everything and more back to him. Yet during job’s time of suffering, the question of “why” was never answered. One most remember that God is sovereign. God has the right to do whatever He wants because He is supreme over the entire universe.
“Whatever God plans is going to happen.” Is. 49:9-11.
No one can stop God from doing what He pleases. Psalm 135:6.
So why does God allow human suffering? To this question I simply answer I don’t know. I am not here this morning to talk about that question. But I am here this morning to talk about the choices that we can make.
Why does God allow evil in the world?
Here we must remember that God did not create evil.
James 1:13-15.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So where does evil come from? Matthew describes the source of evil: the human heart.
Matthew 15:19. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander….
And the evil or good in the heart of a person, colors the choices that person will make.
God did not create us like a robot so that He could control our every move. Example of a radio toy. And a windup toy. No, He gave us a mind, a will, and the ability to use them to make choices. But it is sad to say that man has not always used the mind God gave him to make good choices. If we go back in history to Adam and Eve in the garden, we find the first bad choice man made.
God told them that the garden and everything in it was theirs, except for one condition."Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
But they chose to disobey God. Here then is the first bad choice made by man.
And that one bad choice has had lasting consequences-- the start of evil. And it carried on to their children Cain and Able. Cain was jealous of his brother and killed him- bad choice. From here the bad choices create by the evil in man’s hearts such as greed, jealousy, murder, stealing, lying, hatred, etc. have escalated down through history.
This statement is often heard, ”IT is my life and I will do what I want.” It is your life all right, that part of the statement is right. But what choices you do make have an affect on everyone around you.
So with this in mind let us look at how the choices of three kings who ruled God’s people affect not only their lives but also the lives of those they ruled—the Israelites.
1. Manasseh. 2Chronicles 33:1-17
2 Chronicles 33:1-9. 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Bails and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.
7 He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. He even sacrificed his sons to false gods.
What do you think God did? First He warned Manasseh to stop. But did he stop? No!!! Manasseh and his people would not listen to God. Let me repeat that, Manasseh and the people would not listen. So God sent the King of Assyria to attack Israel. The King captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, and chained his hands and led him like an animal back to Assyria as a war trophy.
But the story doesn’t stop here. “In his distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before God.” And when he prayed to God, God was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty and listened to his plea. So God forgave Manasseh and brought him back to Jerusalem and he ruled the country again.
Here is an important story about God’s forgiveness. As we have read about all the evil things Manasseh did, yet when he humbled himself before God, God forgave him.
Friend if you are thinking that you have done to many things in the past, such that God will not forgive. If the bad things in your past are keeping you from God, this lesson is for you, because God will forgive you no matter what you have done in the past. Do you ever feel that you are so bad that God couldn’t possibly hear your prayers? Look at the evil Manasseh did. God still heard his prayers and restored both his life and his kingdom-- God let him be king for 55 years. He wasn’t a perfect king, but because he humbled himself before God, he and his nation was blessed. When you humble yourself before God and repent of your sins, God says “As far as the East is from the West, He will remember them no more.”
But Friend, don’t be like Manasseh. God had to put a hook in his nose and lead him captive to another country in order to get his attention. Are you waiting for a hook from God before you are serious about following Him? God is patient, but don’t push Him.
I remember a student I met at bible school. He had been in Vietnam. One day on patrol, the soldier in front of him stepped on a mine. Of course, that soldier was killed instantly. And my friend behind him had both legs blown off just below the knees. He told me the he loved to ski. That skiing was his god. He also told me that as he lay in the hospital bed, he realized the God use this to get his attention.
I thank God every day that He didn’t have to use such a drastic measure on me to get my attention.. But by His Spirit, He gentle pulled me back to Him. Friend, if you are feeling The Spirit tugging on your heart, don’t resist Him. Make today the day you come to God.
2. Amon 2 Chronicles 33:21-25
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. 23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the LORD; Amon increased his guilt.
The story of the next king is a very short and sad one. It is a shame that the lessons learned by the father are often lost on the son. After Manasseh died, his son Amon succeeded him. Even though he had seen his father’s life and what had happened to him, Amon chose not to worship God. Another one of those bad choices I talked about earlier. He found some of the old alters and idols that had not been destroyed and brought them out, worshipped them and became more wick than his father had been.. Within two years of his rule, his officials assassinated him. So his son, Josiah at the age of 8, took over Amon’s rule.
3. Josiah 2 Chronicles 34:1-8
Josiah’s Reforms
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 4 Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, 7 he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.
I don’t know how an 8 year old can rule a nation, but by the time he turned 16, he decided to follow the Lord. When he was 18, he began to destroy all the places of false worship around Jerusalem. He completely destroyed anything that could be used to worship other gods.
When he was 26, he began to have the temple of the Lord repaired. It was at this time the workers found the books of Moses in the temple and brought them to Josiah. And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. And what was the kings’ reaction? When the king heard the words of the law he tore his robes……
2 Chronicles 34:29-33
29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD—to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
What is your reaction when you hear the scriptures read or when you read them to yourself. Do you say as David wrote in Ps. 119:97, “Oh ,how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long”? Or in another place David wrote,” Your word is a light to my feet and a light to my path.” Ps 119:105
2Timothy 3:16-17 tells us….
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Do you put it to use in your own life? This is always a good choice. Read it, study it, and put what you learn into practice. What happens if you don’t eat proper meals ? Your physical body will suffer. And if you don’t eat for a long period of time, you probably will die. It is the same with our Spiritual life. The Bible is our Spiritual food. One most read it daily in order to grow a healthy Spiritual life.
So, in conclusion my questions to you are, which man do you want to be like? Manasseh, who waste the first part of his life, until God put a hook in his nose to get his attention? Or like Amon, who ignored all that he knew was right, chose to be wicked and ended being killed by his officials. Or like Josiah. He knew what God hated and destroyed anything in his life that might offend God. When he found the Scriptures, he didn’t assume he was a good man, but read them and let them tell him how to become a better man. And because of this he was able to lead his nation back to God.
What are you actually doing? Take a look at your own life, this year. The last three years. What do you see? When Manasseh looked in the mirror, he could see the scars where God had put a hook in his nose to get his attention. Are you waiting for your own hook from God before you get serious about following Him? I hope not.
Those of you who are following God, have you destroyed all the things in your life that could lead you away from God? Have you left anything in your life that will lead others away from God? Manasseh didn’t destroy all the idols and his children found them and worshipped them.
Who is following you? Are you making good choices that will be a good guide and example for those who are following you whether at home, at work, or in the church? Please use the mind and ability that God has given you to make good choices.
Words about Choises-by David May
2 Chronicles 33-34
God said to Adam, "I am going to make you a helper, a companion. What would you like your companion to be like?" Adam replied, "Well I want someone that is humorous, witty, intelligent, compassionate, caring, loving, trusting, polite, generous and beautiful." God paused a moment after Adam's wish list and told Adam that a companion like that 'would cost him an arm and a leg.' Adam seemed a little dejected and then brightly replied: "What can I get for a Rib?"
Who is following you? Are you making good choices that will be a good guide and example for those who are following you, whether at home, at work, or in the church?
I was asked the other day. “Why does God allow human suffering such as tsunamis, flood, earthquakes, wars, murder, etc.?” I don’t know. Take Job as a classic example. Here was a righteous man, yet he was not shielded from all these catastrophes that happened to him. Job was a very wealthy man. But he lost everything he owned. He lost all his children. However, in the end God returned everything and more back to him. Yet during job’s time of suffering, the question of “why” was never answered. One most remember that God is sovereign. God has the right to do whatever He wants because He is supreme over the entire universe.
“Whatever God plans is going to happen.” Is. 49:9-11.
No one can stop God from doing what He pleases. Psalm 135:6.
So why does God allow human suffering? To this question I simply answer I don’t know. I am not here this morning to talk about that question. But I am here this morning to talk about the choices that we can make.
Why does God allow evil in the world?
Here we must remember that God did not create evil.
James 1:13-15.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
1
So where does evil come from? Matthew describes the source of evil: the human heart.
Matthew 15:19. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander….
And the evil or good in the heart of a person, colors the choices that person will make.
God did not create us like a robot so that He could control our every move. Example of a radio toy. And a windup toy. No, He gave us a mind, a will, and the ability to use them to make choices. But it is sad to say that man has not always used the mind God gave him to make good choices. If we go back in history to Adam and Eve in the garden, we find the first bad choice man made.
God told them that the garden and everything in it was theirs, except for one condition.” Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
But they chose to disobey God. Here then is the first bad choice made by man.
And that one bad choice has had lasting consequences-- the start of evil. And it carried on to their children Cain and Able. Cain was jealous of his brother and killed him- bad choice. From here the bad choices create by the evil in man’s hearts such as greed, jealousy, murder, stealing, lying, hatred, etc. have escalated down through history.
This statement is often heard, ”IT is my life and I will do what I want.” It is your life all right, that part of the statement is right. But what choices you do make have an affect on everyone around you.
So with this in mind let us look at how the choices of three kings who ruled God’s people affect not only their lives but also the lives of those they ruled—the Israelites.
2
1. Manasseh. 2Chronicles 33:1-17
2 Chronicles 33:1-9. 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Bails and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.
7 He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. He even sacrificed his sons to false gods.
What do you think God did? First He warned Manasseh to stop. But did he stop? No!!! Manasseh and his people would not listen to God. Let me repeat that, Manasseh and the people would not listen. So God sent the King of Assyria to attack Israel. The King captured Manasseh, put a hook in his nose, and chained his hands and led him like an animal back to Assyria as a war trophy.
But the story doesn’t stop here. “In his distress, he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before God”. And when he prayed to God, God was moved by Manasseh’s entreaty and listened to his plea. So God forgave Manasseh and brought him back to Jerusalem and he ruled the country again.
Here is an important story about God’s forgiveness. As we have read about all the evil things Manasseh did, yet when he humbled himself before God, God forgave him.
Friend if you are thinking that you have done to many things in the past, such that God will not forgive. If the bad things in your past are keeping you from God, this lesson is for you, because God will forgive you no matter what you have done in the past. Do you ever feel that you are so bad that God couldn’t possibly hear your prayers? Look at the evil Manasseh did. God still heard his prayers and restored both his life and his kingdom-- God let him be king for 55 years. He wasn’t a perfect king, but because he humbled himself before God, he and his nation was blessed. When you humble yourself before God and repent of your sins, God says “As far as the East is from the West, He will remember them no more.”
But Friend, don’t be like Manasseh. God had to put a hook in his nose and lead him captive to another country in order to get his attention. Are you waiting for a hook from God before you are serious about following Him? God is patient, but don’t push Him.
II remember a student I met at bible school. He had been in Vietnam. One day on patrol, the soldier in front of him stepped on a mine. Of course that soldier was killed instantly. And my friend behind him had both legs blown off just below the knees. He told me the he loved to ski. That skiing was his god. He also told me that as he lay in the hospital bed, he realized the God use this to get his attention.
I thank God every day that He didn’t have to use such a drastic measure on me to get my attention.. But by His Spirit, He gentle pulled me back to Him. Friend, if you are feeling The Spirit tugging on your heart, don’t resist Him. Make today the day you come to God.
2. Amon 2 Chronicles 33:21-25
21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. 22 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. 23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the LORD; Amon increased his guilt.
The story of the next king is a very short and sad one. It is a shame that the lessons learned by the father are often lost on the son. After Manasseh died, his son Amon succeeded him. Even though he had seen his father’s life and what had happened to him, Amon chose not to worship God. Another one of those bad choices I talked about earlier. He found some of the old alters and idols that had not been destroyed and brought them out, worshipped them and became more wick than his father had been.. Within two years of his rule, his officials assassinated him. So his son, Josiah at the age of 8, took over Amon’s rule.
3. Josiah 2 Chronicles 34:1-8
Josiah’s Reforms
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. 4 Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, 7 he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
8 In the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the temple of the LORD his God.
I don’t know how an 8 year old can rule a nation, but by the time he turned 16, he decided to follow the Lord. When he was 18, he began to destroy all the places of false worship around Jerusalem. He completely destroyed anything that could be used to worship other gods.
When he was 26, he began to have the temple of the Lord repaired. It was at this time the workers found the books of Moses in the temple and brought them to Josiah. And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. And what was the kings’ reaction? When the king heard the words of the law he tore his robes……
2 Chronicles 34:29-33
29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD—to follow the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
What is your reaction when you hear the scriptures read or when you read them to yourself. Do you say as David wrote in Ps. 119:97, “Oh ,how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long”? Or in another place David wrote,” Your word is a light to my feet and a light to my path.” Ps 119:105
2Timothy 3:16-17 tells us….
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Do you put it to use in your own life? This is always a good choice. Read it, study it, and put what you learn into practice. What happens if you don’t eat proper meals ? Your physical body will suffer. And if you don’t eat for a long period of time, you probably will die. It is the same with our Spiritual life. The Bible is our Spiritual food. One most read it daily in order to grow a healthy Spiritual life.
So, in conclusion my questions to you are, which man do you want to be like? Manasseh, who waste the first part of his life, until God put a hook in his nose to get his attention? Or like Amon, who ignored all that he knew was right, chose to be wicked and ended being killed by his officials. Or like Josiah. He knew what God hated and destroyed anything in his life that might offend God. When he found the Scriptures, he didn’t assume he was a good man, but read them and let them tell him how to become a better man. And because of this he was able to lead his nation back to God.
What are you actually doing? Take a look at your own life, this year. The last three years. What do you see? When Manasseh looked in the mirror, he could see the scars where God had put a hook in his nose to get his attention. Are you waiting for your own hook from God before you get serious about following Him? I hope not.
Those of you who are following God, have you destroyed all the things in your life that could lead you away from God? Have you left anything in your life that will lead others away from God? Manasseh didn’t destroy all the idols and his children found them and worshipped them.
Who is following you? Are you making good choices that will be a good guide and example for those who are following you whether at home, at work, or in the church? Please use the mind and ability that God has given you to make good choices.
Pray for Japan!
With all that is going on in Japan right now, the one thing that is really needed is for all our hearts to be drawn to Jesus. I know that there are so many without homes and so many are still lost. So much death. Destruction every where. But the heart needs to be still and know that He is God.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Leadership: Who's in Charge? 1 Tmothy 3:1-7
As we saw last week, the leadership question might bring some concern for some in the church. Some passages are not 100% clear as to the final meaning but most scriptures do give us a complete picture of the roles and functions of leaders. Rather than look at the ones that are in question, we shall look at the verses that give us a very clear understanding of the roles of leadership in the Church. At the outset, I am learning with you.
Understand, first of all, that the Church is not a democracy. It really isn’t. Not every voice is equal. Not every decision is made by the ALL. The Church does not work that way. It does not work in the Society; it does not work in the Church. Both social networks and the Christian community works better than that. Both has structure. It is not our concern this morning to look at what the world has to offer man as far as leadership. We will look to the scriptures for our understanding and for our answers.
Time is the factor to look at here. As I look at the Scriptures, it seems apparent that it was necessary for the congregation to exist for some time in order for the fellowship to mature. There is a warning that a new believer not become a leader as he might fall into temptation. What Paul was concerned with was that leadership would be tested and that testing be done over time.
Even Paul warned his own elders in Acts 20:27-30 that things could fall apart.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own Blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
I find it outrageous that the leaders were really more concerned that they would not see Paul again and apparently not concerned for the well-being of the flock NOR how fast some of them were going to turn away from Christ and become enemies of the Gospel. From among them! distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. No longer Christ-centered but man-centered.
The exact role of the elders are not detailed for us in the New Testament. The character traits are. What you are is what you do. They would show Spiritual maturity. Maybe of some age. They would be concerned with spiritual matters that affected the Christians under their care.
The role of the elders do, however, requires some very distinctive spiritual gifts as well as a developed Christian character. All believers are called to be mature in Christ but not all believers are called to be elders in the Church. This is indeed, a high calling.
There is one critical ministry of elders found in 1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who direct the affairs of the church.” The ones who ‘oversee’ the ministry are called to direct the affairs of the fellowship—spiritual well-being—as a good shepherd.
Let us look at 1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. The role or task of Jesus here is both administrative as well as judicial. To oversee-authority. He is the One who looks out for us.
Certain spiritual gifts of overseeing are necessary to understand and guard the Fellowship as they work out their Faith in life and practice. The elder calls for insight into the nature of the Church and needs an understanding of how the Body of Christ functions and perhaps, also, has understanding of the way the gift of administration operates.
Titus 1:5-9: blameless, Husband of one wife, having believing children [not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient], blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not addicted to drunkenness, not violent [belligerent or aggressive], not a money-lover, hospitable, lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined, holding fast the Word, able to encourage [teach] sound doctrine, able to refute objections.
1 Tim 3:1-7: above reproach, temperate, respectable, not quarrelsome, manage his own family, not a resent convert, have a good reputation with outsiders.
1 Peter 5:1-4: willing to serve, not under compulsion or obligation, eager to serve, not lording it over the flock, as an example.
We can see six words that some out as a summery of these verses:
1. Integrity-the Overseer’s word is true. His life is one of high quality. He is a man of integrity.
2. High Morality-he is a man of one wife (or a one-woman-man).
3. Hospitable-he reaches out. Same root word for hospital. He is a hospital. Gives care and healing.
4. Humility-not a resent convert. Time to grow up in his Faith.
5. Honest-dealing with ¥, $. And
6. Harmony-he is a peace-maker. No rough edges. His walk is one of harmony and at ease even in hard times.
Next time: the second half of this talk on being an "Overseer". Stay on the course. Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Leadership: Continued
Last week, we started on a road of exploration as we looked at the beginning of the topic of Church Leadership. As hard as I tried, some personal feeling will drift into our study. I do not apologize for that. I feel that we all might be challenged as we continue this study.
Who’s in Charge? With the situation in Northern Africa and the Middle East, that question could take a long while. The spread of the challenge of Change is everywhere. Even in the USA, people are screaming for change. Sometimes, people want change without any thought of what changes are needed to be made. Change for change sake may not be the best result but the masses are still crying for change.
In some countries, any change that is taken, the government has a way to find control. Sometimes, heavy-handed measures are taken to suppress the people’s wishes—whether they are good or bad—it doesn’t seem to matter. We hear cries for People’s Rights. We see the marching crowds. Some feel threatened. Some go into prayer. Some take to the streets in open rebellion. Others go to the rooftops to get a better position and shoot the public with sniper rounds. People are scared in the world today. Unrest is everywhere. Leaders are trying to secure a better situation. Some leaders are trying to bribe their way back into the hearts of the people by giving them some money as a way to make them liked again.
In a country just three hours away from us, even the treat of a protest brings out the police and military in force. People were arrested just because there is a possible protest.
And what is our response to these world-wide changes? For the most part, we are unmoved. We might be concerned when the gas prices go up to 200Y per liter but if you don’t use a car, that will not affect you.
What about changes within the Church? We have seen, depending on your age, all sorts of changes. From the mid-1900’s, there was the ‘God is Dead’ movement. The ‘God Is Not Here’ movement. ‘God Is Everywhere’ movement. The ‘God Is In You’ movement. Leaders of some churches have changed their stand of morality. In some cases, the morality of the Church looks like the world the Church is supposed to help lead. Some endorse Gay marriages. Some allow open rebellion. ‘Jesus is a Rebel’, they cry! Che Guevare and Jesus are after the same things in life. Some teach that the Power of the Church is based on false teaching and needs to be cleansed. The interpretations of the Scriptures were questioned and then denied. People looked to science and education once again for meaning. A newer Age of Enlightenment took center stage. God would be made in Man’s Image. Man became the Authority in ALL matters. But, yet, people were empty. Why? Because the heart of man was already turned from Truth and from God’s heart.
Romans 1:18-23 “But God's angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.” ~ from The Message.
So, here we are today, looking to the Word of God for answers. The questions may not even be on your lips but we do need answers that will direct our hearts. Keep your eyes open to see just what it is that the Lord of the Bible wants you to know of His plan for all of us. His authority in our lives will be the cause of great joy. We are made to please Him. We are made in His image. Romans 1:6 states: “And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” (NIV) We do best when we reflect His heart in this cold and changing world.
This next Sunday, we will be looking at the different offices that is found in Church Leadership. Keep in mind that Jesus is THE Authority over all the Church.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Introduction to Church Leadership as found in 1, 2 Timothy & Titus “Who’s in charge here?”
By way of introduction:
The Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right Hand of the Father, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
Starting a Church…That must have been hard to do!
How did Paul do it? He would visit a pagan city, talk to a few people, maybe a crowd. A few or even many would come to believe his Gospel message of Salvation through the Lord Jesus. Then, he’d teach the Word to them and leave. And behind would be a Church!
How did he do that? What was Paul looking for in the New Believers that caused the Church in that city to grow—even after the main man left? Good question.
Paul wrote to those new leaders in the form of what is called his Pastoral Epistles. 1, 2 Timothy & Titus. They are called pastoral because they are letters with instructions for pastors, congregations, and general functions within the church.
1st Timothy deals primarily with church worship and organization. It deals with the issue of women in relationship to authority (1 Tim. 2:9-15) and dignity (1 Tim. 3:11), speaks of overseers (bishops, 1 Tim. 3:1-7), deacons (1 Tim. 3:8-10 12), and elders (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Titus deals with the character and qualifications of church officials such as elders, declaring that they are to be men of dignity, respectful, honorable, etc. (Taken from Christian Apologetics & Research Ministries)
This would be Paul’s last word to the leaders of those young congregations. These three short letters to the young pastors Timothy and Titus have a unique value in themselves. The three letters show us:
1. -HOW we are to share or communicate our Faith.
2. -TEACH us how to recognize and select spiritual leaders.
3. -Gives us INSIGHT into different categories of leaders and how our local fellowship/church leaders are to function.
As Paul writes to Timothy and Titus, we can see these words of apostles, overseers (Bishops), elders and deacons interspersed through out the letters.
As we read these three letters, we can come face to face with some modern issues that tend to be sensitive modern issues. Early on, Paul tells Timothy to commit what he had been given and to teach that to “reliable men.” And Paul also writes the he (1 Tim 2:12) did “not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man.” oh my. Does that mean that women cannot function as leaders in the church? And, if so, what specific leadership roles are they not to take? Are certain members excluded from leadership roles altogether? Let’s find out.
AGAIN, as I stated last week, if the scriptures say thus and so, we are to follow it. If it is silent on certain issues, we too are to be silent. We can’t make Church doctrine on silence. Nor can we disregard other things scripture does say.
The structure of the modern church has some major differences than the one Paul was addressing. For one thing, the early church leaders were all from the Jewish Faith. Many were leaders already in their congregations. Some were already Scripture Teachers. As the Gospel spread, many from outside the Hebrew Faith followed the TEACHINGS OF JESUS and so many of them had zero knowledge of being Hebrew—never mind the Scriptures. Look at the list of what they use to be and you might be shocked. 1 Cor 6:9-11 And that is what some of you were. And to remember what the Key Gospel message was: 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
We will need to look at what Paul wrote and learn about leadership and then apply it to our own situation today in order for us to maintain a healthy and vital Fellowship that reflects Jesus.
The way Paul and Company did Church planting can be used today to draw some principles yet provides us with a number of questions.
a. Paul and Timothy and Titus did not function as local church leaders. What were they?
b. The office of Elder was to be established in every worshiping location. There was no teaching at that time about ordaining a “pastor” to the local church. What was the elders’ task? What about pastors?
c. It seems that elders were appointed on the returning visit of the planters (Paul and Co.) Why not on the first?
d. These New Testament letters seem to assume (or to explicitly teach) male leadership. What is with that? What about women in the local church? Can they be leaders?
We might be digging a pretty large hole here. Please stay with us. Don’t run away from these issues. They are presented to us from the Word of God and we are to look TO the Word of God for answers. It is not my intention to cause us to question how we do things here at ICCS but for us to think more clearly about spiritual leadership here and how that leadership functions in our local church.
Our background may have something to do with how we feel about these issues. Some of you are from formal denominational Churches with high functioning leadership roles. Some are from churches were such things are not present at all—and that way on purpose.
Let’s look at some terms here. Hopefully, this will aid us in understanding how and what the Bible says about leadership in the Church. (I use Church in its Biblical form—not as a building but as a Body of Believers.)
When it comes to Biblical leadership, three terms are usually used to describe the situation. The first word is CONFLICT: Here the conflict is found in obeying or resisting of authority. We are talking about conflict between Man and his God. Not conflict between each other. Iron sharpens iron happens during some conflict and that is good for the relationship. This is different. Between Man and God! When it comes to Christ and His Church, any conflict that divides the Body is not to be. We would need to set it aside and have an open heart to God’s way of leading the Church. Because of the Fall of Man and since the Garden, man has sought to be independent from God. His rebellion and disobedience has been historic. Man tries, almost at every turn, to be free from a Higher Control and Authority of God: thus conflict.
The second term is CONFUSION: For many in the Church today, few have really had the interest or the time to look at the different teachings coming out of the Church. There tends to be a reaction to unknown things. Long lasting traditions and Theological vagueness creates confusion in the Church. Think of the teachings of the Pharisees. Somewhat based on Holy Scripture but seeded throughout in man’s teachings and added to by man’s wisdom. Jesus told them that they were mistaken: that they thought they could get eternal life from those teaching when the Scriptures themselves were left untouched. When church leadership looks like a Pharisaical movement, error is found and confusion follows.
The third word is CONTENTMENT: When members come to the Authority of God’s Word and find the source of belief there, that pleases the Lord. When we come to the Authority of the Word in life and practice, one finds a delight in the Law of the Lord. When we obey the teachings of our Lord as found in Holy Script, life takes on a different level of contentment. Someone once said: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it for me!” How about dropping the second point! God’s Word does not NEED my endorsement to be considered truth. His Word stands by itself! The Authority of the Word of God in life and practice stands no matter what man believes.
When looking at Paul’s letters about leadership, his first word is APOSTLE; This word means ‘ambassador’ or delegate or messenger. They were used to name the 12 who followed Jesus and who He called to follow Him. Add to that list Paul, who was added later on—after his conversion on the Road to Damascus. There were others, including Barnabas (Acts 14:14) and from Romans 16:7 two little known Apostles, Andronicus and Junias. These were traveling itinerant teachers who founded and then guided a number of local congregations—much like some missionaries today.
Whether there are modern apostles today is an open question. (Not for some!) If there are, they should fall into the category of ‘apostle’ and not ‘Apostle’. (Again, this is only the introduction!)
In like manner, if there were apostolic ministries today, they would truly, as in the NT times, extend beyond the local ministry of a single church or fellowship. (There is a need to be careful here.)
BISHOP is the next term found in these letters. The word comes from a Greek word that means “overseer” or “one who takes care of.” In 1 Peter 2:25, Jesus is called the “Bishop (or sheperd) of our souls”. This tends to mean someone who watches out for a group of people. A special responsibility to have over a group. Over the years, this role took on incredible power and later in Church history, some who held this office was not even a believer but paid for this seat.
As we look at 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, we can see an overlap of the usage of this term/office. The words overseer and elder suggest that they both ‘shepherd’ or ‘presbyter’ or pastor and are synonyms terms. Paul uses Bishop both in places were elder and overseer are used. In Paul’s letter to the Philippian Church, Phil 1:1, “all the saints…with the overseers and deacons.” A division of leadership.
Just what are the specific duties of an overseer, we are not clear from what Paul wrote. Again, silence or certainly a soft-spoken situation, and what you have is: we can’t be 100% certain what that office was to do except oversee the Family. To shepherd them in the Lord.
ELDER. From the Greek which means, as it does in English, “older.” Or “the older one.” It many mean age or long term believer. In Latin, the Romans have Senator, and the Jewish leaders who are members of the inner group of the Sanhedrin were also older men.
As with some things in the Scripture, there might be some confusion. I trust that will not happen to us. Be like the church found in Acts, in Berea, (Acts 17:10-11) “…for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Search out the Word of God—as the Word of God is THE Authority on life and practice of the Believer. It is easy to fall into traditions and historical explanations, but when His Holy Word touches the heart, the result should be quick to follow. He said it; That settles it for me!
So, Who is in Charge? Over all things, Jesus holds that role. He alone is the One who saved us from sin’s hold. He alone went to the Cross for our Salvation. He along is the only one who can give Salvation to those who believe. He alone is the Chief Cornerstone, the High Priest of our souls. Give Him allegiance and honor as you set your hearts to follow His Will.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
