Category Archives: Disciples

Sound Asleep!

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-A Disturbing Prejudicial Response!

For anyone claiming to follow Jesus, the Old Testament story of Jonah is a disturbing one! Our posts the last few weeks have focused on Jonah’s story. And, while it’s startling to observe Jonah’s prejudicial response to the revival of the people of Ninevah, we may be more like Jonah than we know; or, than we care to admit! The church cannot hold prejudice against any other people group, nation, or religion; and, remain true to Jesus’ commission to make disciples of every tribe, nation & people group. To make us useful, in His kingdom purposes, God must awaken us to souls nearby!

-Wake Up! Call To Your God!

Just turn back to Jonah, chapter 1, with me, and pay close attention to the words of the ship’s captain. Remember, this is the ship that Jonah chose to take passage on as he ran away from God’s calling to share the gospel message with the city of Ninevah. Starting at v.4, “Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea & such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart. The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel & had stretched out & fallen into a deep sleep. The captain approached him & said, ‘What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us & we won’t perish’” (1:4-6).

-Silencing The Call Of God!

As I studied my way through this passage, the words of the ship’s captain arrested my attention. As I read it, I just let it play out in my mind like a TV drama; except, I saw it from Jonah’s vantage point— a believer;  a prophet of God; commissioned by God to take His word to another people group! But, he ran from that call! Getting on that ship; and, finding a place deep in its belly, he was determined to silence the call of God by just “sleeping it off.” He’d just wake up in a new place where, hopefully, God would just give up on him. But, as he slept— a deep sleep it says— a violent wind & storm arose on the sea; and, all the crewmen feared for their lives! So much so, that it says they, “…each CRIED OUT to their god…”

-What Are You Doing Sound Asleep?

Then, while beginning to throw the cargo overboard to keep the ship from breaking apart, the captain stumbles onto Jonah, wakes him; and, asks him:  “What are you doing sound asleep?” And, then he rebukes him, “Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.” What an embarrassing role reversal this was for Jonah! Who was the spiritually motivated one? The more I meditated on that picture the more it kind of morphed into an image of OUR day! Have you noticed that there’s a major storm brewing all around us with wars & rumors of wars with the constant threat of nuclear weapons? There’s fear of a worldwide economic collapse!

-Down In The Belly Of The Ship!

There’s political unrest; and, a huge racism problem. And, to personalize the drama of Jonah’s story, WE are down in the belly of the ship! Many of us, who claim to be followers of Jesus, are running away from our calling! And, just like Jonah, we’re sound asleep! Even the unbelievers around us are recognizing the grave danger we’re in. All the cargo— the stuff of this world— isn’t worth keeping. Many of the lost all around us are crying out for help; and, in my mind I see the lost discovering me down in the ship; and, they’re angry! Angry at my non-loving, non-caring attitude toward them. Why wasn’t I helping them? They cry out the same words as the ship’s captain, “What are you doing sound asleep?” If you’ve been asleep; and, God’s Spirit is rousing you, let me remind you that He is the God of 2nd chances! Even as He gave Jonah a chance, He offers you a chance to repent & jump into God’s work?

How God Makes Us Useful!

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-Looking For The Blessed Life!

Jesus has commissioned us to make disciples! All of us!  When we refuse to be obedient to that calling we find ourselves in the unhappy position that Jonah found himself in when he refused to warn the Ninevites of God’s judgment if they failed to repent! We’re all looking for the blessed life! But it’s not nearly as elusive as we think it is! The blessed life, that we’re all looking for, is realized, in part, in the obedient investing of our lives in God’s work in other people! God would make Jonah useful in His big kingdom plans; and, there’s some real application here for us. He will do what He needs to do to make us useful.

-God Makes Us Uncomfortable!

There are several examples in Jonah’s life story. First, to make us useful, God makes us uncomfortable. If you take a look at a Bible map from around that time, you’ll see Assyria to the north of Israel. And, there’s a city on the Tigris River named Ninevah. It’s the very city that God told Jonah to go preach to. Ninevah was the nation’s capital of Assyria; and, the thought of going to Ninevah made Jonah very uncomfortable. These were dangerous times! Assyria hated Israel; and, they had slowly been occupying their land to the north. In fact, in less than 70 years, from Jonah’s time, Assyria will become such a power in the region that it will overrun the northern kingdom of Israel; and, take most of the people still alive into captivity. And, it’s into that environment that God says to Jonah:  “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their wickedness has confronted Me” (Jonah 1:2).

-An Uncomfortable Comparison!

Let me try & paint a picture for you of how that would look for us. Let’s say it was September 2001; and, some bad guys from Iraq or Iran just took down the twin towers in New York City. Our nation was preparing to go to war! Everyone’s gotten all patriotic, in America; because, another people dared to attack us. And, let’s say that out of nowhere, it seems, God delivers YOU a message:  “Get up! Go to the lands of Iraq & Iran and preach against it.” How would you feel about that? You would feel a lot like Jonah did when God told him to go preach God’s word to Ninevah.

-It’s Easy To Cast Judgment!

God totally rocked Jonah’s world! He had a successful ministry going on at home; and, he was comfortable with that! He was ministering to his people; and, now God was telling him to get up & go to an unfamiliar land occupied by his enemies! It’s easy for the average Christian, in America, to read about Jonah & cast judgment, isn’t it? But, if we take into consideration all that background information, let’s be honest—doing what God told us to do would make us pretty uncomfortable! God makes us useful, first, by putting us in uncomfortable situations. But, He also intends to expose our idols! Until we denounce our idols we’re not useful to Him!

-Denounce All Idols!

Most of us aren’t even aware that we have idols, in our life. And, it appears that Jonah was unaware of his own idols until God shook him up & made him uncomfortable! He was faithful! He poured his heart into his ministry; and, into his family! But, when God’s word pointed him in a different direction; and, he was unwilling to go, God exposed his idols! What were his idols? His home, his family; and, his ministry! All great things! All blessings from God! But, when they became more important to him than obedience to God’s will, they became idols! Whenever you section off any part of your life; and, tell God He can’t touch that; or, He can’t have that, your idol has just been exposed! Are your job, your home, your kids, or your grandkids “off-limits” to God? Are you willing to let God take you; or, them, to a foreign field to serve Him & a foreign people? If you’re unwilling, then, God’s gifts, to you, have become your idols! Confess it & repent!

God, Jonah & A Big Fish Too!

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-Trying To Run From God!

If you’re at all like me, you have a hard time passing up the story that is the book of Jonah. I find myself identifying with Jonah in several ways! Not in the most obvious, of course; I’m not a prophet in the Jonah sense of the word! I’ve never received an oracle from the Lord! I’ve never been thrown into the sea by a bunch of sailors; or, swallowed by a big fish! But, I have tried to run from God! I have been reluctant to go to a new place of ministry!

-Leaving The Deep Roots!

Sara & I were almost newlyweds when we moved across the country to do ministry in Denver, CO. We started our family there; and, for the next 20 years we did youth ministry, adult ministry; and, we owned 2 different businesses! But, the Spirit of God began to stir a desire in my heart to sell the business and become a lead Pastor at a local church somewhere. So, we began to pray about where IN DENVER the Lord would have me to pastor; because, I was very reluctant to leave Colorado! After all those years we’d developed some deep roots. I loved Colorado— I still do— but, God had a way of preparing us to go where He was leading! Once He depleted our savings, God broke my will; and, moved us here, to Sioux City, IA.

-Feeling Too Comfortable!

So, in a small way, I get Jonah’s response, in v.3, of the opening chapter:  “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.’ However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence”.  In Jonah’s mind, there was nothing great about the city of Ninevah for many reasons! He was comfortable where he was; and, clearly, he wasn’t on the same page with God on this one! God would have some work to do in Jonah to change him. We need the message of Jonah; because, if we’re all being honest, we all look a lot like Jonah! And, the same kind of “spiritual surgery” that Jonah needed, we need!

-God’s Sovereign Directive!

Jonah’s story reveals how God includes us in His disciple-making work; and, then prepares us for it! Until we submit to God’s Sovereign directive, for our lives, we’re going just keep getting swallowed up by one big fish after another, like Jonah. So, let’s talk about God’s Sovereign will & plans for you. The greatest fulfillment you will ever realize, in your life, comes only from obeying Him! We tend to operate life with this weird idea that God’s plans for us just aren’t going to be as satisfying as our plans are; like, obeying Jesus and sacrificing everything for Him will be a drag & a burden to us.

-His Commands Are Not A Burden!

The Apostle John addressed that sentiment:  “For this is what love for God is: to keep His commandments. Now His commands are not a burden” 1 John 5:3. It’s no burden to love God & obey His will for your life. God has created you! He has downloaded the best path for your life into your heart by His indwelling Holy Spirit; and, your plans will never offer you the meaning in life that you long for! The best path for Jonah was the road to Ninevah; NOT, the boat ride to Tarshish that he chose for himself! And, because he rebelled, God would need to apply some pressure to get him back to the best place possible for his life; which, was the center of God’s will. Jesus has commissioned us to make disciples; and, we’re living in disobedience if we’re not doing it! And, the blessed life you’re looking for is realized, in part, in the obedient investing of your life in God’s work in other people! We’ll talk more about Jonah next post!

We Are Accountable!

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-Spiritual Watchmen To Unbelievers!

In the last couple of posts, we’ve talked about Israel’s “watchmen” as described by the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel. We talked about how the “spiritual overtones” of the watchmen remind us of our responsibility to be spiritual watchmen to the unbelieving world! We’re called to warn the world that their sin has separated them from God; and, they’re in grave danger unless they repent & turn to Jesus! The parallels between being a watchman; and, being a disciple-maker, are unmistakable! God gave Old Testament Israel’s watchmen a precise message; and, as Jesus’ disciple-makers, we’ve also been given a precise message.

-A Precise Message!

To the watchmen, God said: “When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have saved your life. Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel: You have said this, ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How then can we survive?’ Tell them: As I live”—the declaration of the Lord God—“I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:7-11.

-The Good News!

What’s the watchman’s message? It’s “grace,” isn’t it? It’s the message of the Gospel; the Good News that God, “…takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked…”  If only Israel would “…repent of their evil ways…” God asks them, “Why will you die, house of Israel?” We’ve been given the same message to deliver everywhere we go, church! “The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9.  “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. That’s our message!

-God’s Ambassadors!

Paul wrote the Church of Corinth, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, ‘Be reconciled to God’” 2 Corinthians 5:20. We’re God’s ambassadors, church! We’re His watchmen to the world! We’re commanded to plead with the world to come to Christ! To share the message that God loves them & welcomes them to repent and be saved! What a great message we have to share with loved ones, neighbors; and, co-workers! He is a good God! “He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses” Psalm 103:10 .

-A Notice Of Accountability!

Let me make one final point! In the same way that God made Israel’s watchmen accountable, He has made us accountable! In v.17 of Ezekiel’s 33rd chapter, God confronts Israel over their claim that God wasn’t “fair”! In v.20 He says, “You say, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ I will judge each of you according to his ways, house of Israel.”  I cringe inside every time I hear someone judging God for the way He does things! What arrogance that a puny little man— one of 7 billion on this planet— would dare to call out God for anything! We don’t even know what we don’t know! “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and gracious in all His acts” Psalm 145:17. God is even willing to extend grace to us when we make rash claims against Him— “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked,” God says, “Why will you die?”  If you’re a follower of Christ then you have been served notice! You are accountable for making disciples! Are you doing it?

Called To Be A Watchman!

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-Accountable For Their Blood!

What comes to mind as you read these words that God spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel:  “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land select a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows his trumpet to warn the people. Then, if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but ignores the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but ignored the warning, his blood is on his own hands. If he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. However, if the watchman sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives, then they have been taken away because of their iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood” (Ezekiel 33:2-6).  Like me, I’m guessing that many of you picked up on the “spiritual overtones” as you read that.

-Watchmen To The World!

As followers, of Jesus, we are watchmen to the world! We’re called to warn the world that their sin has separated them from God; and, they’re in grave danger unless they repent & turn to Jesus! The parallels between being a watchman; and, being a disciple-maker, are unmistakable! God gave Old Testament Israel’s watchmen a specific responsibility, a precise message; and, a notice of accountability. As His disciple-makers, Jesus has also given us a specific responsibility, a precise message; and, a notice of accountability. And, God’s oracle, to Ezekiel, is that God had a part, the watchman had a part; and, the people had a part! Again, the parallels for making disciples are obvious!

-The Making Of A Disciple!

In the making of a disciple, there is the disciple’s part, there is God’s part; and, there is our part! And, like the watchman, we are only responsible for our part! I think the concept is pretty easy to follow, isn’t it? God gave the watchman a specific responsibility. He had only 1 responsibility! He was responsible for warning the people of danger. It was typical for each city to have a group of watchmen, posted on the city walls, looking for any army that might be advancing against them; and, to warn the people with a trumpet blast, should an enemy be spotted approaching! His job was vital to the well-being of the people; and, he was only responsible for his part. If he blew the trumpet and the people failed to respond then he was absolved of any guilt should their lives be lost. Their blood was on their own hands! But, if the watchman fell asleep on the job; and, an army slipped in then the blood of those who lost their lives, because of his negligence, would be on his hands! The analogy between watchmen and believers today is self-evident!

-Jesus’ Commission To Us!

Remember what Jesus said to His disciples when He commissioned them:  “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age”  Matthew 28:18-20. As Jesus’ disciples, we’ve been given a specific responsibility, church! “Make disciples!” That’s the imperative; or, the command! “Go” is not the command! “Make disciples” is the command! That’s our part! As our Creator, Savior; and, King, Jesus has the authority to send us! The making of disciples is done in the powerful name of the Triune Godhead—Father, Son; and, Spirit! Jesus paid for sin on the cross so that anyone could become His disciple! That’s God’s part! Our part is to share the Gospel! The unbeliever is responsible to believe!

God Keeps His Word!

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-A Compassionate & Gracious God!

Over the last couple of posts, we’ve talked about the Prophet Jeremiah; and, the words he wrote in the Old Testament book of Lamentations. What Jeremiah says about God, reminded me of the words of the Psalmist:  “But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth” Psalm 86:15. And it was Jesus, the 2nd Member of the Triune Godhead, who manifested all of the Father’s attributes & character, in the flesh, throughout His 33 1/2 years He walked this planet He created! He showed great compassion and mercy!

-Moved With Compassion!

He wept with friends at Lazarus’ grave! He was moved with compassion by all of the suffering around Him; and, He healed many who sought His help! It’s because of Jesus that we can never doubt the Father’s mercy & compassion toward us! And, it was Jeremiah, who observed that God had an endless supply of mercy that He shared with the suffering Jewish people. Jeremiah also observed that we can have hope in our suffering because God is faithful to His Word. “…GREAT is your faithfulness!” Jeremiah exclaimed (Lamentations 3:23). God is great in faithfulness! We can trust His character!

-God Is Who He Says He Is!

We can trust Him to be who He says He is! “Lord, Your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness is for all generations; You established the earth, and it stands firm” (Psalm 119:89-90). The Apostle Paul encouraged Titus with, “…the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). And, remember, we’ve said previously that that word “hope”— in Scripture— means “confident expectation.” It’s not anything like the cross-your-fingers kind of “hope” that is common in our culture! So, Paul is reminding Titus about the “confident expectation” that we have, “…of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” When God makes a promise He keeps His word! He is faithful to keep His word because of His character— it’s impossible for God to lie!

-God Never Changes!

And, by way of the consistency of His character, we speak about God’s “immutability”; or, the fact that He never changes! He’s the same yesterday, today; and, forever! God will always be who He’s always been! He’s faithful! So, when Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a new place for them; and, that He would come back for them, you can count on Him to deliver! And, the worst day in heaven will still be infinitely better than the best day here! Paul said that “…no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). And, then, Jeremiah offers us another reason for hope:  “I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him” (Lamentations 3:24). The Lord is our portion!

-The Lord Is Our Portion!

That word, “portion”, is often translated as “inheritance” in Scripture! I would paraphrase Jeremiah’s words like this:  “I may have lost everything because of Babylon’s invasion; but, I’m looking at gaining God, Himself, as an inheritance that’ll make all this pain & suffering a distant memory.” God is the portion or inheritance that Jeremiah longed for! I want to suggest that the modern church has misplaced infatuation with heaven! The real portion; or, the great inheritance we look forward to is NOT a “place”; but, a “Person”! Jeremiah doesn’t say, “…HEAVEN is my portion…” He says, “…The LORD is my portion…” When we leave this world, we get God if we’ve trusted His Son, Jesus, for our salvation! We inherit God! He is the treasure we seek! The book of Revelation says that one day, in that place that Jesus is preparing for us right now, that God, Himself, will pitch a tent and live among us (Revelation 21:3). He is our HOPE!

A Book Worth Reading!

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-The Bible Not Worth Reading?

Perhaps you remember when GQ magazine came under fire for saying that the Holy Bible wasn’t worth reading! It was back in their April 2018 issue, which ironically was dubbed the “Style Bible” on the cover. The Bible actually came in #12 on their list in the article titled, “20 Books That Aren’t Worth Reading.” Jesse Ball, who authored the article, wrote:  “The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it”—Unfortunately, there’s some truth to that, isn’t there? He goes on,  “Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced.” Well, #1 he’s mistaken in giving “man” credit for writing it! The authors don’t claim to have written their material by their own inspiration!

-Inspired By God!

Rather, God miraculously inspired some 40 different authors to write the 66 books, of the Bible, over 1500 years. What Mr. Ball writes is pretty subjective! It’s opinion! It’s conjecture, on his part! He added:  “It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned…” I would address that comment by quoting the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:14. He absolutely nails the reason Mr. Ball sees the Bible the way he does:  “But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.” To the unbeliever, the words of Scripture seem foolish because they can not understand them.

-The Unbeliever Can’t Understand!

It’s impossible for anyone to grasp the meaning of Scripture unless God’s Holy Spirit is their Teacher! Unless the Holy Spirit indwells them as a believer! “…he is NOT ABLE to understand it…” Paul says; and, because of his lostness, he “…does NOT WELCOME it…” But, I could get testimonials from believers in our church; and, from other Jesus followers, in every corner of the world, that the moment they placed their faith in God to save them from their sin, their eyes were opened to the Scriptures! Their ears were unplugged! They could hear the truth & it resonated with them! It became their life line! They know that God communicates with them through His Word! So, we do not read it like we read any other book; because, it is unlike any other book. I would always encourage you to pray before reading it! To ask God to transform you supernaturally, by the power of His Holy Spirit, as you read it! To open your eyes to all the eternal truths it contains!

-Ask Questions!

As you read the Scriptures, learn to ask questions:  “God, what does that mean? Please teach me!” That’s how I work through every Bible message or lesson as I prepare it! I don’t assume that I am able to plumb the depths of Scripture with just my human reasoning! For example, why did the Spirit of God inspire the Bible writers to include much of the same material the books of 1 & 2 Chronicles contains in 1 & 2 Kings? A section of Scripture that Mr. Ball, the author of the GQ article, perceives as repetitive; and, therefore boring! But, that’s the way an unbeliever would view it. If you’re a believer you should wonder what motivated God to include similar material twice! Perhaps, it is so important that God wanted it included again! So, what is there here that we don’t want to miss? That we should meditate on it! Revel in the mysteries of God!

Calling All Actors To Repent!

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-Who Is A Hypocrite?

It’s from the Greek term for “actor” that we get our word “hypocrisy.” We think of a “hypocrite” as one who acts in a manner different from one’s stated belief. In ancient Greek theatre, the “hypocrite” was an individual who “wore a mask”—someone pretending to be someone he’s not! Hypocrisy is called sin in the Bible; and, usually shows up in a person’s life in one of two forms: first, to profess belief in something while acting in a manner totally contrary to that belief; and, second, to look down upon others for their sin while at the same time committing the same or worse sin.

-Hypocrisy Condemned!

The Prophet Isaiah condemned hypocrisy, saying, “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” Isaiah 29:13 The Apostle Paul wrote that “love must be without hypocrisy” Romans 12:9; while, the Apostle John said we cannot say we love God if we do not love our brother in 1 John 2:9. In our day, there’s been a misuse of the word “hypocrisy” by many claiming that it’s “hypocrisy” to call out; or, take a stand on sin. But, it’s only “hypocrisy” to call out a certain sin if we’re guilty of committing it.

-When Is It Hypocrisy?

It’s not hypocrisy to call sexual immorality sin unless we’re living in sexual immorality ourselves. That would make us an “actor”; and, in need of repentance! If we’re “in Christ” we’re called to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:16); to “hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We must live our lives in such an honest way that we avoid that label of “hypocrite.” So, with God’s help—through the work of His Spirit—let us commit to rooting hypocrisy out of our lives! Let’s leave “acting” in the movie theatre; and, bring honesty & truth into our Church!

-Is Christianity Invalid Because Of Hypocrisy?

“Christianity does not stand or fall on the way Christians have acted throughout history or are acting today. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus, and Jesus was not a hypocrite. He lived consistently with what He taught, and at the end of His life He challenged those who had lived with Him night and day, for over three years, to point out any hypocrisy in Him. His disciples were silent, because there was none. Since Christianity depends on Jesus, it is incorrect to try to invalidate the Christian faith by pointing to horrible things done in the name of Christianity”—(Quote from: McDowell & Steward, Answers To Tough Questions Skeptics Ask About Faith)

Leadership Principles!

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-Preparing Joshua To Lead!

In my last post, I introduced you to the Old Testament ministry team of Moses and Joshua. We talked about how Moses invested himself in training Joshua to succeed him in leading the nation of Israel into the land God had promised them. Today, I plan to share a few leadership principles that Moses passed on to Joshua— some intentionally, some not! Each of these prepared Joshua to lead; and, I hope that in each principle, you’ll also find that it applies directly & personally to you.

-Don’t Mess With God!

From Moses, Joshua learned that God will not tolerate the rebellion of men against Himself. In Exodus 17, Joshua observed how the Amalekites attacked Israel. Their attack was a rebellion against God’s right to rule over all of HIS worlds! As Creator, God had the right to remove the Amalekites from the land they occupied because of their rebellion; and, give it to other people. The principle Joshua learned? Don’t mess with God! There’s another leadership principle that Joshua learned, from Moses, in this very same battle against the Amalekites. He learned that God is the power behind the leader and the sword!

-The Power Behind The Leader!

As Israel’s General, Joshua led Israel on the battlefield; while Moses, Israel’s preeminent earthly leader, intervened spiritually at the top of a hill.  As long as he kept his hands raised toward heaven— symbolizing Israel’s dependence on God— Israel prevailed in the battle. But, when his hands dropped the Amalekites would gain ground. Interestingly, after Israel defeated Amalek the Lord told Moses to, “…write this down for a memorial in the book as a reminder & RECITE IT TO JOSHUA” Exodus 17:14.  Do you see the significance? It was God who delivered Israel! He was the power! It wasn’t General Joshua or Moses! It was God who fought for Israel; and, Moses needed to rehearse that with Joshua!

-God Delivers Victory!

Can we apply that to our church faith community? I’m pretty sure we can! Did Israel have to fight? Yes! Did Joshua have to lead bravely & courageously? Yes! But, when it was all over, God was the One who delivered the victory! If we desire to see God work in our city; if we want to see people disciples & our church grow, we have to put in the work & effort! But, it only happens when God does it! Like Moses, with hands lifted toward heaven, we have to pray & seek God’s help even as we do our part & work! But, there was another principle that Moses clearly wanted Joshua to learn.

-Seeking God’s Glory!

In Exodus 24, when Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai to meet with God, it says, “So Moses arose with his assistant (or APPRENTICE) Joshua and went up the mountain of God” where v.17 says they saw, “…the appearance of the LORD’S GLORY.” And, in his training with Moses, before the Lord’s Glory, he came to understand that God’s Glory must always be sought rather than one’s own personal accomplishments. As church leaders, God’s Glory must always be our passion; not, personal accolades or attention. Joshua learned another valuable leadership principle (Exodus 32) from Moses as they came down from Mt Sinai, carrying God’s 10 Commandments. As they came into the camp; and, observed Israel’s idolatrous activity worshipping a golden calf, Joshua watched Moses’ righteous indignation toward their sin! He learned the principle that God blesses leaders who love what He loves & hate what He hates! Godly leaders hate sin!

 

Leadership Development!

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-Staying For The Long Term!

This past May marked 17 years of ministry at Morningside Bible Church for my wife and me.  I vividly remember that 1st weekend, of April 2003, when we came to candidate. After a potluck lunch, on Sunday, we gathered together in the gym for some Q & A time & someone asked me how long I could see myself staying here if the church called me to be their Teaching Pastor. I responded that whether it was me; or, some other guy, that the church really needed to call someone who would stay & oversee the ministry for the next 20-25 years.  I admitted that I couldn’t promise I’d be here for 20-25 years; but, that if I was called, I would come with that mindset & it would have to be an incredibly clear leading of the Lord to move us!

-Leadership Transition!

So, here we are 17 years later! I have more gray hear now; and, I think it’s wise to begin talking about a transfer of leadership; even, if it’s still 5-10 years away. We don’t want to be taken by surprise! It is something that we’ve talked about, from time to time, in our Elder meetings. Those were some of the thoughts that came to mind as I read about the successful transition of leadership, for the nation of Israel, from Moses to Joshua as told in the O.T. books of Deuteronomy & Joshua. So, let’s audit how one leader, Moses, birthed another leader, Joshua.

-Disciple A Leader!

In fact, I would suggest to you that a “leader” is what you’ll always get when you disciple someone effectively. You may make a disciple; but, a leader is the by-product. That’s what Jesus got! He took 11 men, &turned them into disciples who became leaders, of the early church, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. And, it says they turned the world upside down after spending 3 1/2 years under Jesus leadership development; and, the church has thrived whenever it was actively making disciples & training up leaders.

-Long Term Success!

The story of Moses & Joshua is an O.T. example of that. The long term success of any institution is dependent on an effective transfer of leadership! While Moses officially passes the leadership baton to Joshua at the end of Deuteronomy, all the prep work was done during the 40-year interim between the Exodus, from Egypt; and, possessing the land.  It’s for that reason that we can say that Joshua’s story doesn’t really begin the book of Joshua, named after him. It’s where we 1st see him stepping into leadership; but, that ability was learned in the trenches from Moses.

-Investing In Leaders!

Before he could wear Moses’ shoes, Joshua had to live with Moses! He had to be at his side to observe the right way to lead & the wrong way to lead. And, Moses provided him with both good examples of leadership and bad! I can only assume, based on Moses’ humility & meekness, that he often debriefed with Joshua about leadership. You might recall that, early on, Moses began learning the nuances of mentoring, discipling & leadership development from his own father-in-law in Exodus 18. Jethro told him that he was wearing himself out trying to take on all the leadership responsibilities; and, he gave him a method for developing additional leaders; and, from that early lesson, it appears that Moses gained a passion for it. He personally selected & invested in leaders, none, more than Joshua! Next week we’ll spend the time to look specifically at several examples of the way Moses prepared Joshua to lead!