Bible, Life's Moments

Evangelism Hero…for Guys

One thing I think we can agree on is this: every man would give treasure and fame for one moment in which he could rescue a damsel in distress while delivering a Chuck Norris round house kick to the dastardly villain. Sweeping the fair maiden up in one arm, he would first use his free hand to tuck his nunchuks in his belt, tie the bad guy up with the telephone cord just ripped from the wall, then jump to safety from the third floor window, deliver the damsel into the waiting arms of her awed, but now annoyed boyfriend, and then disappear into the quiet of the night with the soft voices of the crowd drifting along in the wind, saying, “Who was that guy?”

In fact, if truth be known, there are few men who would not heed the call to battle if it meant saving someone’s life. He would run through fire, swim through ice, sling rocks at giants, wield a sword against the talons of a dragon or an M-16 against a terrorist. He would offer his final half-ounce of water in a burning desert, tie the last parachute on the back of anyone but himself while the plane spiraled toward the ground, or dangle by the strength of only his finger tips over a precipice of peril to reach a fallen and frightened stranger.

You would do this. Wouldn’t you? Though the socially polite thing to say when asked this question is, “Well, I would like to think I would act heroic, but I guess you don’t really know until you’re faced with the situation for real.” However, deep inside, deep in your heart of hearts, you just know. You know you would take up the challenge. It would seem like instinct, but upon further reflection, as you looked back on your David against Goliath moment, you would know. You would know that you had been preparing for that moment your whole life.

“3, 2, 1, swish. Buzzzzzz!”

“Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Bases loaded. Down by three. Pitcher’s ahead, no balls, two strikes. Pitcher seizes his advantage. It’s a fast ball low and away. You have to protect the plate. Swing. Foul ball. Next pitch. Same location. Change up. It throws your timing off a fraction. Swing! Another foul ball. Next pitch. Heater high and inside. Foul ball. Pitcher starts to sweat. He delivers the pitch. The fatal mistake. A curve ball intended to leave you standing. But you know it’s yours. One micromeasurement too little from the pitchers wrist-snap. The curve ball hangs. Crack off the fat of the bat. Walk off homerun.”

“Run, run, dive, tuck, roll, back up again. Bopbopbopbopbop fires from the barrel of your Thompson 45…and then you see it…the white flag of surrender. Your enemy has met his match.”

“You hear the creak of a floorboard and a small thud as something goes bump in the night. Every fiber in your radar starts to tingle. You pick up your 19 inch, 6 D-cell MagLite and silently position yourself hidden behind a corner. Soft foot steps indicate someone drawing closer. A stranger! An intruder! In less than a second you realize your precious family is in jeopardy. Swing! Down slams the 50 oz MagLite against the jaw line of the creeper’s head. He goes down. He’s out. You turn on lights. Check for weapons. Secure them. Remove his belt. Bind his hands behind his back. Only then does anyone else finally enter the same room. Quickly, you demand, “Call 911.” You stand sentinel over the bad guy.”

A thousand scenarios have played themselves out through your imagination. You’ve been preparing. You are prepared.

In fact, even this one seems possible: “A left, a right, a round-house kick. Down goes Chuck Norris!”

In true moments of victory, your evaluation would not be pride. It would not be arrogance. No, it would be a simple evaluation of something you have always known. There would be no need to inform anyone else. It would be more than enough to have that certain knowledge now safely tucked away in your Man Portfolio. Stamp it bright red with “For Your Eyes Only” and then file it under H for Hero. Pull it out every now and then, not to gloat, but to prepare yourself even better for the next magical moment.

You can relate to this, right? Then why is it that so many of us who know Jesus as our Savior, know his truth as our wisdom, walk with his Spirit as our scout, and acknowledge his Father King as our Liege Lord, fail to heed his call to arms? Why do we pass by as Satan’s victims languish in the bowels of his infernal kingdom of darkness?

Why, especially since one of the most often used motifs in the Lord’s Great Commission strategy is the motif of rescue?

Look. In Luke 4:14 through 19 we read,

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  

In Mark 10:45, we hear the Savior say, 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In John 8:34-36 we read about when Jesus said,

Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

The Holy Spirit of God moved the Apostles of God to pick up this motif and record it in the word of God.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:17 and 18,

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

When writing to a young pastor, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:2 through 4,

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he wrote (10:3-5),

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Let there be no doubt, there are damsels in distress. There are feeble men with neither the physical presence nor spiritual strength to engage the spiritual combat of our times. There are weak-willed women walking like zombies into the pit of despair. There are wonderful little children, confused and frightened, covering their eyes both at night and in the broad day light. There are teenagers acting brave on the outside, but running scared from what torments them on the inside. And there is a dragon on the loose (Revelation 12:1-17). He’s looking to scorch every man, woman, and child. And there is a roaring lion on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8). He is looking to devour the rich and the poor, the big and the small, the busy and the lazy. The dragon would torch his own mother if he had one. The lion would consume his own pride if he thought it would help his cause. The dragon is foul of breath and the lion is fierce of stench…for those with spiritual sense. For the blind, the lost, the unbelieving…the lion covers himself in light…a flimsy raiment of white silk…and the gullible fall for it until it is too late. They have but one hope: the Lord of Hosts and those of his who will rally to the sound of his voice…Go, therefore, into all the world.

The enemy’s challenge is no different than a rude man talking offensively to your wife, mother, sister, or girl-friend. This is the same as a neighborhood bully slapping your precious ten year old daughter. This smacks of the same evil as the users and abusers who lead our boys and young men away. This is terror. This is abuse. This is crime. This is kidnapping. This is false accusation, slavery, discrimination, and torture. This is war!

This is why the Holy Spirit guided Jude to write in verses 20 through 23,

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

When we leap into the fire, when we charge across the battle field, when we bend down to lift a child from the dung-heap of humanity, when we take up weapons of spiritual warfare, we are to outfit ourselves in the gospel armor. This is not jihad. It is the firm conviction and faithful compassion of a tender warrior. The Apostle Paul wrote this very thing to the First Church of Ephesus:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

When Jesus readied himself to return to his Father’s side he prepared his disciples for the departure. Central to his instructions is what we have come to call the Great Commission. It was not the Great Suggestion. It was not the Great Sound Bite. It was not the Great Encouragement. It was delivered as marching orders…it was the Great Commandment, the Great Objective, the Great Cause, the Great Commission. So, if like that first batch of disciples, we want to be ready in season and out we need to ask ourselves some questions. And just so it lands close to home, let’s be sure the questions are voiced in the first person singular.

1.         What am I celebrating lately regarding my part in the Great Commission?

2.         Do I really believe people need to be snatched from the fire? How is the prospect of a Christ-less eternity for the lost demonstrated in my worldview?

3.         In Mark 2:40-45, I can read about Jesus touching a leper. The Bible said he (Jesus) was moved by compassion. Is this true of me? If I prepare like a ninja to protect my family or to rescue damsels in distress, what would preparing for this kind of compassion look like?

●  How do I assess the needs of people I know who do not know the Savior?

●  How do I assess the needs of people I meet occasionally?

●  How do I assess the needs of those I may only meet once?

●  In what ways do I have consistent contact with unchurched people?

●  How do I identify and build relationships with the pre-Christians in my life?

4.         When I look at the following chart of evangelism styles, where do I see myself? If I asked my closest loved ones, what might be their evaluation?

Let there be no doubt, only one of these quadrants is biblical: missional. Let there also be no doubt, I do not have today’s nuance in mind when I use the word “missional.” In stead, I mean it in its normal sense: the sense that points to every believer being on mission. With this in mind: the Church is a missionary force and every born-again believer is a missionary.

5.         In what ways do I help my local church to corporately work at evangelism?

●  If the following statement is true, “Some give so others can go,” what am I doing to facilitate its truth?

●  What other resources do I have or can I acquire to facilitate the above statement?

●  When was the last time I balanced my Great Life-style vs. my Great Commission ledger?

Just thinking out loud. Peace.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  Romans 10:14.15 NIV

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Bible

Flatline Leadership

When the world thinks of leadership it usually has certain ideas in mind. Attached to these ideas are words powerful with imagery and meaning.

For example think of how invested the world seems to be in the following words as they apply to leadership:

office

power

status

prestige

appearance

performance

However, when we consider Jesus, these words fail to describe the Lord’s leadership qualities. In fact, he seems to defy them and steer an opposite direction. Consider then, for a few moments, what we learn about Jesus and the ideas these words bring to mind:

In fact, when we think of Jesus and how he led, we need to think in completely different terms. Rather than being invested in office, power, status, prestige, appearance, or performance, Jesus was invested in words like ransom, service, and love.

In Mark 10:45, these words of our Lord Jesus were recorded: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Now think about that for a few moments…and ask yourself a question, “How would Jesus lead people out of darkness, away from Satan, sin, and self, and into the eternal arms of his Father?” He would do so by giving himself as a ransom — a payment for our sin, an eternal credit to cover our egregious debits. He would do so by not asking for what was rightfully his to possess — our servitude —  but instead by serving.

In Philippians 2:5-8, this great truth was recorded by the Apostle Paul:  “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.” Now notice Paul did not say Jesus gave up his deity. Instead, he wrote about what Jesus took upon himself: humanity, servant-hood, humility, and obedience to sacrifice. While he did not relinquish his deity, he did give up his turf. It was not important that he be able to hold tight to his heavenly glory. As a result, just as we saw in the Gospel of Mark, he came to lead us into salvation through service.

In John 15:9-17, we read: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”  Love is crucial to our understanding of our Savior’s leadership style. It does not mean, necessarily, that we give into the cries or demands of others. It does not mean that we enable the sin of others by glossing over them and refer to ourselves as having loved unconditionally. Instead, it means that the one loving must always do what is best for the one being loved.

A quick recap of these keys words, then, might give us the following:

Jesus was motivated by love

and mobilized to ransom

which led to his ministry of service.

We can see this in Jesus by referencing some modern day leadership concepts and comparing them to his life. For example, consider the four leadership styles usually referred to as Dominant, Influential, Steadfast, and Conscientious — sometimes referred to as the Lion, the Otter, the Golden Retriever, and the Beaver, or as the Driver, the Promoter, the Supporter, and the Analyzer.

These four different leadership styles are generally seen in various capacities in everyone, but individually seen as dominant in different people. In other words, while everyone will possess some of each style, individuals will be predominantly one or another. The following chart shows how it works…

Jesus, however, shatters the boundaries between each style. In fact, while each of us will show differences on each scale, Jesus will flat-line high (score the same and score high) on all of them.

Why? The answer is not so difficult: since Jesus is motivated by love, he mobilizes himself as a ransom, creating on our behalf a ministry of service. This requires that he be the complete person and, of course, he is.

●   At times Jesus leads as a Driver.

Like a Lion he enters the temple and drives back the evil. Notice Matthew 21:12-17:

“Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them,  ”my house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it a “den of robbers.” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant. ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him.

‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read,’ ” From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?’ And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.”

He utterly, completely, dominantly takes charge.

●   At other times Jesus leads as a Promoter.

Like a true team builder he says to his closest disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

He expressively, socially, influentially builds trust.

●   At yet other times Jesus leads as a Supporter.

Like a tender-hearted, empathetic care giver he touches the leper and says, “I am willing, be clean” (Mark 1:40-42).

He compassionately, amicably, steadfastly seeks to serve.

●   Still, at other times Jesus leads as an Analyzer.

Like an organized, detailed teacher and manager he assigns ministry to his disciples, sending them out two by two, and says, “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:8-11).

He compliantly, conscientiously, objectively, administratively outlines the tasks.

So, what do we learn from all of this?

1.   We learn that in the end Christ-like leadership is all about…

…becoming a ransom…being willing to sacrifice on behalf of others.

…becoming a servant…being willing to do unto others even what others are not willing to do for us.

…becoming a vehicle for love…being willing to do whatever is best for others.

2.    We learn that if we are to become like Jesus we will need to overcome our flesh tendencies so that we can lead appropriately in various situations. Rather than falling back into our typical grid — whether it is being a lion, an otter, a golden retriever, or a beaver, or some other model — we must learn to be more like Jesus. In fact, this is precisely what the Bible tells us God is doing when he allows us to face trials, tribulations, and tests. In Romans 8:28,29, the Apostle Paul wrote, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,whohave been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

3.    We also must learn that, like Jesus, being accomplished in many areas is a spiritual work. Jesus flat-lines high on all leadership traits because of his nature and his willingness. What dangers do we risk as we start to flat-line?

One danger is of our own making. If we flat-line in the flesh, rather than through the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Lordship of Christ, and the sovereignty of the Father, we are not becoming Christ-like leaders, but chameleon leaders.

Another danger comes from others. Even if we flat-line through the Spirit, others may perceive us as chameleon-like. They may attribute our situational abilities as hypocrisy. They may accuse us of being two-faced and manipulative. They may argue that we are attempting to be one thing to one person and another thing to another person just to win some kind of personal advantage. What do we do then? Like Jesus, we recognize the judgmental inclinations in people and press ahead with humble and contrite hearts.

4.    We must likewise learn to think outside our own grid. Others are not like us. They do not always share the same personality. They do not have the same likes or dislikes. Their backgrounds are completely different from ours. Like us, they are unique. As we lead people, we need to understand how God has designed each person. As we learn to think through their grid, we become far more capable of sacrificing on their behalf through loving acts of servanthood.

5.    Finally, we must learn to appreciate that different circumstances call for different leadership styles. Sometimes we teach. Sometimes we encourage. Sometimes we remain silent. Sometimes we correct and rebuke. Sometimes…

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Bible, Life's Moments

Theological Practice Demands Theological Foundation

Have you ever heard another person say, “Don’t give me theology, I just need something practical?

Far too often in the Christian community we hear believers offer this sentiment as though the great foundational truths of our faith have little to do with our lives beyond our initial salvation…but, (please excuse the poor English) this just ain’t so. What we believe has everything to do with how we act. How deeply we believe determines how deeply our actions will conform to our belief. For example, if we simply pay lip-service to the doctrines of God’s omniscience (all-knowing) and omnipresence (everywhere present), we will probably never give much thought to what God is thinking about us when we’re about to engage in sin. However, if these doctrines are paramount not only in our minds, but our hearts as well, then being keenly aware of God’s presence and all-knowing awareness of our actions will more than likely cause us to hesitate and even refrain from engaging in the sin.

Thus sound biblical theology is basic to sound Christian living.  True, we will not always act with integrity regarding our biblical foundations, but it is even more true we will fail to live up to biblical expectations if we are not biblically informed. This is really true in our relationships…and really, really true concerning our most special relationships. We can see this with a brief look at the Apostle Paul’s instructions on the family found in Colossians 3:18-21).

Here’s what he wrote:

18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Now, at first glance, that all seems really straight forward. However, to jump into Paul’s explanation of a Christ-centered home, in Col. 3:18-21, without first considering the overall intent of his letter causes us to miss crucial theology concerning the Lord Jesus Christ that reflects directly on a believer’s ability to follow through on the commands found in Colossians 3:18-21.  So, let’s back up a little…

The Colossians had come under a set of false teachings that taught, among other things, that Jesus was not sufficient for the complete work of redemption. Much like present day Christians, the Colossians were being lured into a “Jesus plus something” mentality. In chapter two of Colossians (2:16-19) some of those things were mentioned:

eating rituals

religious festivals

false humility

worshipping angels

special knowledge

The Apostle would have none of it. It is why he went to great lengths (Colossians 1:15 – 2:15, 20-23) to show that Jesus was not only sufficient to save them from their sins, but to save them from their old habits and to transform them into that for which God had redeemed them. Therefore, the great theme of his letter to them was simple:

Christian maturity (the full work of salvation) is based solely upon the sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

So how does this kind of doctrine about the person and work of Jesus Christ impact our abilities to be submissive wives, loving husbands, obedient children, and instructive parents? Or, if we want to get personal we might ask, “When was the last time your knowledge about Jesus changed your behavior?” Most people would answer, “Uhhhhh, well, ummmm, I don’t really remember.” In the end, we cannot hope to be godly spouses, parents, or children if we cannot connect the foundational truths necessary for following our Savior to the transformational attitudes necessary to produce right action. Therefore, by necessity, the first part of Colossians (the theological foundation) informs and empowers the second part of Colossians (the theological practice).

The figure below illustrates the point:

The most practical, pragmatic, helpful, insightful advice we can offer others is this: the best psychology is biblical theology. You cannot do until you know.

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IShare, YouShare, WeAll Share, because HeShares

This is just a very cool video. You can download it at ishareministries.com. Load it on your ipod or other device. Pray for opportunities. When the opportunities come, seize them with love and respect.

Colossians 4:2-6

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

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Biblical is the New Radical

I have searched high and low to find someone else who believes the Church of America has grown woefully inadequate to its calling. It would seem that rather than bringing glory and honor to God (Eph. 1), the American Church has become exceptionally self-centered. Yet now, from time to time, I glimpse bright spots…glimmers of hope that we might return to our high calling. David Platt, in his new book, Radical, creates one of those bright spots by writing about something he calls radical, but is really something biblical.

His basic premise is that American Christians have exchanged God’s glory and God’s gospel for the American Dream. I believe the evidence supports his premise. So, as I turned every page of this biblical–not so much radical–gift to both the church and the unchurched,  I found my hopes being boosted. Here was a pastor of a very large church voicing anxieties like these:

“Soon I realized I was on a collision course with an American church culture where success is defined by bigger crowds, bigger budgets, and bigger buildings. I was now confronted with a startling reality: Jesus actually spurned the things that my church culture said were most important. So what was I to do? I found myself with two big questions. The first was simple. Was I going to believe Jesus? Was I going to embrace Jesus even though he said radical things that drove the crowds away? The second question was more challenging. Was I going to obey Jesus? My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus’ words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to him. In other words, my biggest fear is that I will do exactly what most people did when they encountered Jesus in the first century” (Radical ch. 1).

Amazing! It is amazing not because a megachurch pastor is willing to risk what our American church culture values, but that it has become necessary for a humble pastor to refer to biblical truth and biblical obedience as radical. In fact, maybe “amazing” was the wrong word for me to use at the beginning of this paragraph. Perhaps sad or tragic would have served better.

Pastor Platt rounded out his challenge by discussing such “radical” needs as actually being hungry for the word of God, depending on the Holy Spirit, extending God’s grace to the lost, seriously asking ourselves “How much is too much materialism,” shunning titles, position, and prestige for the sake of becoming servants, and realizing that evangelism/missions is not an option. And again I found myself thinking, “Amazing. Biblical has become the new radical.”

Finally, Pastor Platt’s book should not be considered a one time read. It should become a companion to an ever present attempt to implement the purposes and plans of God found in the Bible. While that may be a radical notion to God’s people living in 21st century U.S.A., it is hardly a radical idea in the heart and mind of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Note: “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.” You can download and read Chapter One at http://www.radicalthebook.com/resources.html.

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