Say What?

I’m not much of a reader. I am a ton better than I used to be now that I have been able to actually find some books that I enjoy reading. It wasn’t always that way. I can safely say that through High School, I read 4 things: 3 Shakespeare Plays (Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar & Macbeth) and Grendel. Those were the only things I really found interesting enough to read.

I have worked with teenagers for the last 11 years in a number of capacities, but there is one thing I can always remember hearing, “The Bible is kinda boring and not really relevant.” I can easily relate to those feelings because up until recent years, I only found portions of scripture to be really fascinating; the rest of it had a purpose, but I wasn’t too concerned with it. Paul addressed this issue with Timothy and reminded him of the importance and role of the scriptures in his life.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God has spoken to his people in hundreds of different forms throughout the years: Angels, dreams, symbolic actions, a small voice, burning bush, prayer, fire, writing on a wall, visions, prophets, a donkey (Num. 22:28), preaching, miracles, a trumpet, fleece, and casting lots just to name a few, but the most consistent way of speaking to his people is through His Word.


In the study “When God Speaks” by Henry & Richard Blackaby, they break down this passage into four simple phrases revolving around the concept of how to know what to do as a follower of Christ.

God’s Word is useful for…

Teaching - to impart knowledge or skill to somebody by instruction and/or example

What is Right

Rebuking - to criticize or reprimand somebody, usually sharply; to tell somebody off

What is not right

Correcting - to take the errors out of something

How to get right

Training in Righteousness- learn the skills necessary to do a job, or teach somebody such skills, especially through practical experience

How to stay right

As leaders, if we sincerely put these truths to practice, what things would change in our ministries?

As parents, there is a tendency to say things like, “We want our kids in church so they can hear the teachings of Christ. They need the Word, but now that I’m grown up, I can make it on my own.” Are you serious?! Adults face much more in life than kids and we need the guidance and direction much more than a child does. We need to be reminded of the love , encouragement and forgiveness of Christ, while at the same time being reminded of the consequences of our choices.

As we see how God speaks through His Word, I would even suggest that the purpose of Bible Study is not to understand doctrine or to even defend what you believe. Instead, it is a chance to do exactly what Paul says in v. 17, “to equip the saints.” If God is equipping you through his Word, your doctrine will develop just fine.

God’s Word helps equip you for the work He has planned for you.

When was the last time God’s Word made an impact on you?

Principle of the Mirror: Stand Strong in the Future

II Timothy 3:1 - 4:8

II Timothy 4:1-5 “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

No matter what happens preach the word, no matter what people say teach the word, and no matter what people do, live the word. This is the essence of what Paul is saying. The time is coming when people’s hearts will become hard and they will turn their ears away from the truth. When this happens stand strong. Remember your mirror! Where you came from, what you have been taught, and who has called you to this task. Don’t forget to Stand.

One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is II Samuel 23:9-11
“Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.”

Just picture this scene, you are standing to fight the Israelite army and just before you are ready to engage the enemy your fellow soldiers run away. I would probably want to run with them. But you see Eleazar was tired of running. He was ready to fight. In fact, he fought so hard that his hand actually cramped around the sword and could not let go. This is the perfect picture of fighting with no thought of retreat. The sword froze to his hand and when the army returned the battle was already won.



Paul is giving Timothy this same picture as he pens the words “I have fought the good fight and I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul fought till the sword froze to his hand and the armies were defeated. Paul encourages Timothy to stand strong no matter what. Even if everyone runs away, stand and fight. These pictures give us a clearer understanding of the principle of the mirror. We do not live life looking out of the mirror but we do live life remembering what is in the mirror.

Remembering your past to direct your present in order to impact your future!

Principle of the Mirror: Standing on the Shoulders of those before you and beside you

I Timothy 1:5-6, 9-22

In chapter one of II Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy of the shoulders that he stands on. The heritage of his family is great and has given him a foundation that has prepared him for his calling. Paul names numerous individuals at the end of this letter that have helped him through his journey. Even Mark is named as useful for Paul’s ministry. As a leader you must never forget the individuals who laid the foundations long before you were there and have laboring along side of you throughout your journey.

Even Moses had Aaron and Hur hold up his arms in order to win a battle. Exodus 17:12 “When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Never forget those who have held up your arms during hard times. Paul reminds Timothy through the mirror of who stood alongside him as he ran the race God set before him.

Principle of the Mirror: Biblical Training

II Timothy 1:13; 2:2; 2:15; 3:10; 3:14-17

Timothy had been trained, anointed, and commissioned to do God’s work. In each of our lives God allows various things to happen that will teach us things we never thought possible. These life lessons along with preparation in the word of God allow us to teach the truth of God’s word to a lost and dying people.



Biblical training will help keep our mirrors clean. Paul warns Timothy in 3:5 that “people will have a form of Godliness but deny its power.” He continues by stating their “folly will continue.” It is so easy to get caught up in false truths. When you do, your mirror gets dirty and it is hard to see who God is and what He has done for you. By learning the word of God you help guard your life against the traps that the enemy throws your way. II Timothy 3:10 says to Timothy carefully followed doctrine. The same must be true for leaders today.

Principle of the Mirror

Remembering your past to direct your present in order to impact your future

Paul was an amazing man of God, who at some point in his ministry took a liking to a young man named Timothy. Paul had such a burden for mentoring Timothy that he wrote two letters to him instructing how to conduct his life and ministry while he trained others in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All throughout II Timothy, Paul builds upon a theme of endurance and faithfulness as he runs the race that God has set before him. Often time’s, people preach about all the great things that Paul instructed Timothy to do but forget about any great principles found in this letter. The Principle developed in II Timothy 1:3-5; 3:14-15; is called the Principle of the Mirror.

David understood this principle at an early age. In fact in 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (NIV) David goes to King Saul and tells him that he will fight the Philistines, Goliath. Saul tells David that there is no way he can fight Goliath and win, he is just a boy. David, then told Saul about how God allowed him to kill a bear and a lion in a previous battle.

“34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

The principle of the mirror is quite simple for leaders to understand and remember. God allows us to be placed in situations that develop the faith and characteristics in our lives that allow us to face the Goliaths. David had already done two unbelievable things in his life, and knew that if God called him to battle the battle would be God’s to win. The mirror allows you to remember what God has done in your life in the past, so that you will be able to conquer the future. During the Old Testament the Israelites would build memorials to remind generations of the mighty acts of God. This is the same thing as looking in the mirror.

Ministry can get awful hard and lonely at times. A man once told me as a youth “the closer you get to God the less people you will see beside you.” Paul understood this and told Timothy in both of his letters to remember the legacy of faith that his mother and grandmother left him. In addition, Paul reminds Timothy in 3:10 that Timothy has followed the doctrine that Paul has taught him. Shortly after this in 3:14-15 Paul tells Timothy to continue in the things you have learned and have known from childhood. Another words, remember the bears and lions. God has not brought you this far in your journey to let you fall. He has been preparing you for your calling from childhood.

By understanding the principle of the mirror there are three areas that will help us use our mirrors to understand our preset in order to impact our futures. These areas are:

Biblical Training

Stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before you and those who walk along side of you

Stand Strong in the Future

In future posts I will expand upon these three areas.

Above Reproach: Pursuing Righteousness

22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
– 2 Timothy 2:22-24

The language in verse 22 shows two contrasting objectives. A Christian should separate themselves as much as humanly possible from the desires and pleasures of their youth, and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. Our youthful self will let us chase whatever pleasure we desire, while God calls us to a life of self-control where the feelings of others are more important than our own. The language of pursuing righteousness implies that it is difficult if not impossible to become righteous. However, it is a command to be righteous, so we have to daily seek out to find opportunities to be righteous in our daily lives. As ministers, as we pursue God he will cleanse our hearts in matters where we fall short, and we will be able to model righteous living to the individuals in our church or ministry.

For more reading on this topic, check out:
Crazy Love by: Francis Chan
Wild at Heart Field Manual by: John Eldredge

Above Reproach: Clean Vessel

20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter; he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
- 2 Timothy 2:20-21

We live in a corrupt world that seems to become more corrupt by the day. In the Christian church we hear of parents pulling their children out of public school to put them in private or homeschooling. Christians participate in Christian sports leagues so they can play with other Christians that believe what they do and live their life with a certain level of morality. For a few Christians, this is done with the fear that the immorality of the world will corrupt their lives or the lives of their children. Instead, there is no call for Christians to separate themselves from unbelievers in this passage. Christians who hold to the truth found in the Bible and who make it applicable to their daily lives should dissociate themselves from those who are evil in teaching and living. (Liefeld, pg. 264) It is difficult to see a perfect and holy God through a believer that is not pure and seeking God’s will for their lives. This is why many non-believers view Christians as hypocrites and bigots.

For more info on how unbelievers view Christians check out:
unChristian
They Like Jesus but Not the Church

Above Reproach: Work Consistently

6The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

14Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
– 2 Timothy 2:6-19

“God’s servants are judged for their faithfulness, not their accomplishments… The sharper our swords or the more finely tuned the amazing computers of our brains; the more real is the temptation to think in terms of our accomplishments rather than of personal spiritual diligence and faithfulness.” (Liefeld, pg. 252)

Steve Prefontaine was a world renowned runner during the late 60s early 70s. Prefontaine is known for many things like being the first person to wear Nike shoes and holding multiple American records. At the start of a race, Prefontaine would sprint out to the lead, and run as hard as he could until his body would physically give out. He would often get caught at the end of races by competitors who took a more consistent pace from the beginning. In ministry, if you start with guns blazing but lose your fire from burn out, you are not useful for the kingdom. Instead, we should work consistently at a challenging yet comfortable pace that will allow us as ministers to have a long, faithful ministry.

Above Reproach: Serve With Purpose

1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. – 2 Timothy 2:1-5

In college, I ran Cross-Country and Track. I was a middle distance runner so I would run the 400 and 800 meter runs, as well as the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Every week I would compete in the individual events and lose. I would run as fast as I could, but I knew even before the race started that I stood no chance at winning the race. The purpose of any race is to win, so racing individually in college was very difficult for me. The relays on the other hand, were a completely different story. I knew every week that our relay teams had a legitimate shot at winning. Our purpose every week was to win and break records. With that purpose in mind, I always ran faster times in relays then I did in the individual races, because I was running with a purpose. Doing something with a purpose helps you go longer, faster, stronger, while being more driven, diligent, and faithful.

Above Reproach: Be Set Apart

“20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter; he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” – 2 Tim 2:20-26

There is a popular song by Bebo Norman, called “The Hammer Holds” where he tells a story from the perspective of a piece of steel waiting to be shaped into whatever the master and the hammer decides. Ultimately, after dreaming of being beautiful art or something of great purpose, he discovers that he was formed into nails that were used to nail Jesus to the cross. (Click here for full lyrics)

Just like steel, household utensils, and humans, some people have been set apart by God to be used for his specific purpose. Paul was writing to Timothy in a culture where certain household items were used to dishonorable duties (removing excrements) while others were used for honorable duties. (Liefeld, pg. 260) We need to live our lives as ministers set apart and holy so we can do any good work that God will plan for us.

Above Reproach

Living a life that is considered above reproach is defined as living, “so good as to preclude any possibility of criticism.” (The Free Dictionary 2009) As a pastor, this means to live your life where no individuals can ever call your character, motives, or actions into questions. Your ministerial life should be lived with boundaries to protect you from circumstances where your character could be called into question. There are certain places that you probably should not go, things that you should not say, and people that you should not hang out with on your own. This may seem counter to the call of all Christians to share the Gospel and witness to the lost, but you may be unable to have a vocational ministry if there is a moral discrepancy or accusations from previous ministry experiences. By all means, share the Gospel and shepherd everyone you can, but live a life with boundaries to remain above reproach.

In the coming days I will post a series of follow-up thoughts on the idea of Liveing Above Reproach.



Boundaries (When to Say YES When to Say NO To Take Control of Your Life)
By Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Replication

One of the biggest challenges in leadership is moving on. On my first full day in the office of a recent youth ministry job, the Pastor sat down with me and posed the question, “Now that you are here, how do you plan to leave?” What?! What do you mean leave? I don’t even have all my boxes of books out of the van and you already want me to leave? Now, while that may not be the best conversation to have with a new employee, it is a very viable and honest question to ask. How many times have we seen very successful people in both the church and secular worlds, step down from leadership and the church or business they were running tanked?

Replication is hard to do, especially when it is based on something as unique as a human being. If you hadn’t realized, we are all crazy different. One of the areas that the church has historically done a terrible job at is bringing up new leaders. Most church leaders gained all their experience the good, ole-fashioned way…OJT…On-the-Job-Training. Not only are leaders often times not trained very well, but they are also put into positions of Leadership long before they are actually ready and then are given nothing to guide them including a list of expectations.

In the first chapter of 2 Timothy, Paul commends Timothy for his upbringing and home training. Paul recognized something in Timothy’s life, a gift that was present from God. It is because of this gift that Paul takes Timothy under his wing with the sole purpose of training him up in the ways of the faith so he could send him out to do the same for others. Timothy was left in Ephesus to oversee the early churches that were being established there and in the surrounding region. Paul had worked with Timothy over a period of time, providing him opportunities to serve and also to see service in action. In this section, we see Paul lifting Timothy’s spirits in an attempt to encourage him in the midst of a challenging and possibly disheartening time.

After Jesus, Paul was the model for New Testament mentoring. He was constantly taking young men under his wing to equip them and send them on their way. Paul understood two essential truths in the reality of life: 1) He was only one man, therefore could only go and do so much by himself and 2) He would someday no longer be around. These two truths drove Paul to find younger men to invest in so that they could carry on the burden of sharing the Gospel long after he was out of the picture.

Rick Warren speaks a lot to young and up-and-coming leaders and has been instrumental in a number of mentoring projects at Saddleback Church. In a recent Podcast, he speaks to the importance of having four types of people in your life.

Listen to the Catalyst PodCast with Rick Warren Here

So, one last question: Now that you are here, how do you plan to leave?

Initiation

As part of the maiden post of this site, we wanted to share with you the desire of our hearts and the purpose behind the posts that are to follow.

The original intention of this blog was to satisfy the requirements for a Graduate Level Group Project in a Pastoral Letters / Pastoral Leadership Course at Campbellsville University’s Louisville Campus. The project was to create a Pastoral Leadership Manual based on the content of one of the Pastoral Epistles.

After some thought, prayer and research I found that there are a number of leadership resources available both in the secular and Christian realms, however there seemed to be a void in practical application, specifically in the area of small to medium-sized churches.

The original set of posts you will see following this introduction will be based on the themes of 2 Timothy and some practical concepts that arise from the text. The long-term vision for this site is to provide thoughts from a variety of sources in the area of church leadership and pastoral ministry. Several guest authors from varying backgrounds will be sharing thoughts on an wide array of topics. It is my hope and prayer that this will become a hub for church leaders, paid and volunteer, to use as reference in the course of their ministry.

Too many times ministers and church leaders are placed into situations in which they feel inadequate and/or completely unprepared to address. The wide range of topics covered in this blog will hopefully help prepare its readers for some of those moments and provide a sounding board for folks to share ideas, experiences and suggestions.

One resource that I find to be very helpful is the Catalyst Podcast which is part of the Catalyst Conference Ministry. At the beginning of each podcast you hear audio of Andy Stanley speaking at one of the conferences and his words summarize the role of every Christian Leader no matter the location of his or her ministry outpost:

"Leadership is Stewardship and you’re Accountable!”