In this post pandemic time, this is the present reality.
Church services are available through TV, radio, Youtube, Zoom, Facebook and other means.
And people are divided.
Yes, what else is new? As if there is a shortage of things to disagree with within and outside the Church.
One camp says people should be physically present with other believers.
Another camp says otherwise.
A splinter group thinks nothing about this or doesn't care one way or another.
Hebrews 10 say:
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Yes let us not not avoid meeting and worshiping together. That's what the writer of Hebrews was exhorting the 1st century believers into doing.
In person was the only way possible back in those days.
Today? Yes we do have other means. This is not to say that they are viable options. But there are real and valid reasons why not being able to be physically present among the brethren inside a common area is possible.
Are we to deny people who are unable to come because they are in a hospital, in prison, sick or taking care of a sick loved one, have a communicable disease, have a disability, does not have a safe way to go, and so on?
This is the only question to ask. And the Holy Spirit can tell us the answer.
"Timothy, you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You have seen how patient and loving I am, and how in the past I put up with trouble and suffering in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Yet the Lord rescued me from all those terrible troubles.
Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves.
Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved.
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds." 2 Timothy 3:10-17
As we move on with this series on leadership, we read above that Paul's instructions gave Timothy more insight and warnings.
Let us pull out a few of the major lessons from that excerpt.
1. Paul reminded Timothy that he taught not just through words but also more by his actions. In short, walk the talk.
2. Love, specifically the love of God covers a multitude of sins. When we have God's love inside us it will not be hard to understand that there will be people who will cause us trouble and God's grace is sufficient for these.
3. Trouble, some will continue to bring trouble and to deceive but when we understand that they are deceived themselves, then we would know that they need instruction not condemnation.
4. Be unfazed, persevere, expect roundblocks and stumbling blocks to line our faith walk. Expect them and be prepared. Actually we should be a little worried if everything is smooth sailing. That is not what Jesus told His disciples to expect.
5. Read God's Word. This will help to prepare us, to renew our minds daily and strengthen our spirits, the flesh is weak but inside us is residing God's Spirit who will be our ever present Help, if we allow Him to.
6. Use God's Word to teach, help and train others with the guidance of the Spirit of God.
If we have died with him,
we will also live with him.
If we persevere,
we will also rule with him
If we disown him,
he will also disown us.
If we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Keep reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before the Lord not to engage in word-battles. They accomplish nothing useful and are a catastrophe for the hearers! Do all you can to present yourself to God as someone worthy of his approval, as a worker with no need to be ashamed, because he deals straightforwardly with the Word of the Truth. But keep away from godless babbling, for those who engage in it will only become more ungodly, and their teaching will eat away at people like gangrene. Hymenaeus and Philetus are among these; they have missed the mark, as far as the truth is concerned, by saying that our resurrection has already taken place; and they are overturning some people’s faith. Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, stamped with these words:
“The Lord knows his own,”
and,
“Let everyone who claims he belongs to the Lord
stand apart from wrongdoing.”
In a large house there are dishes and pots not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. That is, some are meant for honorable use and some for dishonorable. If a person keeps himself free of defilement by the latter, he will be a vessel set aside for honorable use by the master of the house and ready for every kind of good work. So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace. But stay away from stupid and ignorant controversies — you know that they lead to fights, and a slave of the Lord shouldn’t fight. On the contrary, he should be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and not resentful when mistreated." 2 Timothy 2:11-24
We will continue this series on leadership with Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy when Paul was near his death.
There are a ton of advice that Paul wanted to pass on before, shall we say, he passes away from this world and it is a blessing that we can still read and learn from them.
The following are at least five points we should take away from the excerpt above.
1. Jesus will remain faithful (to us) even if we (sometimes) falter on our faith (to Him).
2. Teaching or preaching is not debating, we are not to engage in elocution or linguistic arguments to see who is more skilled with word play. Why? Because these more often than not call attention to the individual than towards the Lord or the Lord's Message.
3. Paul again named two indiividuals who we shouldn't imitate (their names are hard to pronounce and remember like the previous two).
4. So instead of being like these individuals who we shouldn't be like and we shouldn't mention anymore, we should be like empty vessels ready and worthy to carry God's truth and God's message to those who are starving for the way, the truth and the light.
5. Our intentions should be pure, our motives aligning with God's and our words and our actions declaring God's message of hope, forgiveness, grace and love which Christ so unselfishly shown to those He was with and who in turn shared the same message so we in every succeeding generation who did not get to see Jesus, the Christ in the flesh would be able to see it with our eyes through those who are worthy to carry and pass on this message to us.
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege." Matthew 7:1-6
Let us continue with our series on leaders but we will take a short break from the Letters to Timothy.
Sermon on the Mount
So Jesus, in His famous sermon had people follow Him up a hillside and He preached to those who made the uphill climb. He spoke truths that still are as relevant today as it were back in His day.
We will cut to the chase and make this as simple as we can, by taking a look at three of these truths combed out from the selected passage above.
1. We should not condemn anyone. Actually we shouldn't judge people.
The Spirit of God does not condemn, so why would we? Or how could we, when we are as flawed as they are?
It is actually a different spirit living in us that does that, let us quit getting on our high horse less people notice that we do not actually have the Holy Spirit residing inside us.
2. Speaking of that, we should not be a show off. Actually let us not offer or even pretend to wipe the smudge out of someone else's face when we know we are hiding our hidden faults behind our own mask or make-up.
We will be more of a TV, movie or famous personality if we do so.
Jesus told those who were ready to throw stones at that woman caught in adultery, that those who have no sin, should cast the first stone. They all dropped the stones they were eager to throw and left disappointed.
Jesus knew no sin and can very well throw that first stone, yet He does not for the Spirit inside Him does not condemn.
3. Do not give to dogs what belongs to God. This is more to do with preachers and teachers of the Word of God.
Church leaders have played with God's instructions. They have given them to people who do not have the Spirit of God in them. These resulted in people not being able to understand and their response is to would mock, slander and even murder them instead.
Some Church leaders even made God's message into memes or cute or easy to digest advertisements but really for people living apart or without God, they would tend to be unreceptive until they receive God's love, mercy and grace, and along these God's hope, peace and joy.
Luke 6:37-38
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
"Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching you have heard from me, with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
You know that everyone in the Province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.
May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains. Indeed, when he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently until he found me.
May the Lord grant Onesiphorus His mercy on that day. You know very well how much he ministered to me in Ephesus." 2 Timothy 1:13-18
Paul presumably wrote his second letter to Timothy from prison during his last days, before his death.
This he wrote a few years after the first letter.
Paul, knowing that Timothy needed more of the encouragement he sent him the first time, especially because he knew that his days are numbered and that Timothy has to go on with the work of the Lord through God's Spirit for a long time after he has passed away.
Never Stop
In the short excerpt from that letter that we read above, Paul just wanted to tell Timothy not to quit doing what he is doing for the Lord and to not stray away from the path or the teachings that the Lord has entrusted to them.
He said to continue on with the faith through the love of Christ
with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells inside him.
Never Be Like Them
Paul also warns not to be like certain other leaders or teachers who have abandoned Christ and are teaching a different doctrine.
He even named two of those who were doing this. And he named another, Onesiphorus, who should be his example instead.
We all need a mentor like Paul, who even in his final days is still concerned with others even as he contemplates his demise. Paul knew he has ran his race, he is nearing the end of his lap and he has to pass on the baton to the next runner who will be running the next lap of this relay race we call Christian living.
"Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
Paul’s Final Instructions
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:3-11
We are continuing this series on leadership by reading the last portion of the first letter of Paul to Timothy.
In our free time, it is recommended that all ministry leaders continue to study the letters of Paul in their quiet times with the Lord and to continually ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.
On the last part of this instructional (pastoral) letter, Paul warned Timothy about those who are teaching things other than what the Lord Jesus has taught them.
So if they were already people doing this back in their time, there are going to be people who will be doing this today.
Fruit
It might not be too easy to spot who these people are. To identify them, we will need to look at the "fruit" of their actions and what their words are resulting in.
So regardless of their good intentions, kind gestures, religious discipline, smiling faces and flowery words, check to see if they...
A. Are always stirring up controversies (with the things they say or do)?
B. Are their actions seemingly the result of jealousy or envy?
C. Are they causing division (even if unintentionally)?
D. Are they speaking slanderous accusations (if not evil suspicions)?
E. Do they always seem to cause trouble (so instead of keeping people in, they are pushing people out)?
WWJD
Jesus created a team who He taught everything they need to know for the purpose of letting them loose and do what they are supposed to do with the help of the Holy Spirit.
In contrast, there will be people who will be creating cliques -- small groups of people which are mainly exclusive, hard if not impossible to get into and their purpose is to look superior to those outside their group. They hardly teach others who are not one of them. They think they are up there (God like) and others are beneath them and not in their league. And they want to keep it that way.
True Riches
Lastly, Paul's final warning to Timothy was that the "love" of money is the root of all kinds of evil. So most if not all of their mistakes will be caused by this misdirected love.
Instead, Paul charged Timothy to pursue God -- to pursue the Giver and not the gift.
And to run after gentleness, perseverance and love. In simple terms, be like Christ.
"Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters...
Honor widows who have no families. The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents...
A widow who has no family has placed her confidence in God by praying and asking for his help night and day...
Any widow who had only one husband and is at least 60 years old should be put on your list of widows...
Don’t include younger widows on your list...
So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them...
Give double honor to spiritual leaders who handle their duties well. This is especially true if they work hard at teaching God’s word...
Don’t pay attention to an accusation against a spiritual leader unless it is supported by two or three witnesses...
I solemnly call on you in the sight of God, Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels to be impartial when you follow what I’ve told you. Never play favorites.
Don’t be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him...
Stop drinking only water. Instead, drink a little wine for your stomach because you are frequently sick.
The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. In the same way, the good things that people do are obvious, and those that aren’t obvious can’t remain hidden." 1 Timothy 5 (redacted, please read entire chapter on your own quiet time with the Lord)
As we continue this message on leadership, we come back to Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy.
As we have already mentioned earlier in other messages, these instructions were written for a different place and time and a few of them will not be easy to understand, unless explained in the context on why they were written at that place and time.
But from the redacted passage above, there are at least 10 points that Paul wanted to tell Timothy, that we wish to highlight for any ministry or church leader today. They are:
1. Need to Respect Elders.
2. Need to Respect Women.
3. Help out Widows.
4. Honor Preachers and Teachers of the Word.
5. Be aware that Church Leaders can and do make mistakes but at the same time some "witnesses" may and will bring false or inaccurate charges or testimony against them just like they did to Jesus.
6. Ordaining or appointing Church Leaders are not something that should to be rushed into doing.
7. Some mistakes are easy to see.
8. Other mistakes, are not that easy to notice.
9. Good deeds may be sometimes hard to see.
10. And those good deeds that are hidden will not be kept hidden forever.
"If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody." Romans 12:6-16
Let us continue with our series on leaders by taking a short break from the Book of Timothy.
So, the Apostle Paul in his writing to the early believers in Rome gave them a lot to think about.
We will not make this long as we will jump right in and take a look at just a few of these from the selected passage above.
We do not even need to explain them.
(1) If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else
(2) If you help, just help, don’t take over;
(3) If you teach, stick to your teaching;
(4) If you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy;
(5) If you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate;
(6) If you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond;
(7) If you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
And the main thing he said about these 7 things is to:
Love from the center of who you are; yes, don’t fake it. Easy enough to smell a faker anyway.
And as you labor for the Lord,
1. Don’t burn out.
2. Don’t quit in hard times.
3. Pray harder.
4. Help other believers.
5. And be hospitable.
And lastly and importantly,
A. Bless your enemies.
B. No cursing under your breath.
C. Laugh with your happy friends, when they’re happy.
D. Share tears when they’re down.
E Get along with each other.
F. Don’t be snobbish.
G. Make friends with nobodies. H. And don’t be the great somebody.
And so in doing all these, we give God the glory, we become less as He becomes more. He is made known because of us and inspite of us. And we fulfill what we were created for.
Jethro’s Wise Advice
"The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”
Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”
“This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions." Exodus 18:13-24
Now, he might not be complaining but all this "doing it alone" lifestyle would not have been easy. It would have been spreading himself thin and wearing himself and the people he was to serve out.
The good thing is that his father in law, saw this oversight and gave him some much needed 'fatherly' advise.
Stubborness
Moses probably wouldn't have listened to anyone else, as we've tackled before, for he could be a little stubborn. But towards Jethro, his father in law, he would have listened.
And when he did, the work he was supposed to do, he should have been able to do.
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4
If you find yourself in the same boat as Moses...
God is our source of hope and God's Word is a good place to start finding it.
"Moses heard people from every family crying at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became very angry, and Moses didn’t like it either. So he asked, “Lord, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms—as a nurse carries a baby—all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep crying for me to give them meat to eat. I can’t take care of all these people by myself. This is too much work for me! If this is how you’re going to treat me, why don’t you just kill me? I can’t face this trouble anymore.”
The Lord answered Moses, “Bring me 70 Israelite men who you know are leaders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting, and have them stand with you. I’ll come down and speak with you there. I’ll take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them. They will help you take care of the people. You won’t have to take care of the people alone." Numbers 11:10-17
For some weird reason, God's leaders sometimes have this mindset that they are Superman or Wonderwoman.
No, Jesus was super human but even Him when He was carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders cried out to Our Father in heaven.
"Not my will but yours."
Yes, He cried but He did not complain.
He cried but He did not quit. He did not give up.
He cried but He did not point fingers or put blame on anyone.
He cried out. But He understood.
And He did not do it alone. No one can. He called out to Our Father in heaven, Abba Father.
And He called and selected people out from the masses to walk with and alongside Him.
We Are Not Superman
Moses thought he was Superman. His wrong thinking did not bode well for him. And it will not, for any of God's people and God's leaders today.
God is not a slave driver. He knows what each one of us is capable of.
God is not one to discourage, not one to put anyone on their knees to quit.
God is not one who is selfish with what He has or what He knows.
God is a teacher, and not one who is mean and make anyone stay after class to write a hundred lines of "I will not do" this and that. Well of course, unless one is so stubborn and unless it is absolutely necessary. Moses was stubborn, you know. And I don't think He got it.
God is Love
Now above all, God is love. He is mercy and grace. He cares. He understands. He knows what He is doing. And whatever it is, it is for our own benefit.
"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it." 1 Corinthian 10:13
Are you to the point of giving up?
Talk to Him, Our Heavenly Father. His Spirit is within us. And with others. Work with them, but not just with anyone but with those with the same Spirit, the same love, the same wisdom and understanding.
Teach God's ways and wisdom. Listen, learn, heed. Jesus did all the heavy lifting. In fact, His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
If yours aren't, which often might be the case, then it is time to come back to the Source of life, of hope, of peace, of joy and love.
"When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest is to come forward and address the army, saying to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle with your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be alarmed or terrified because of them. For the LORD your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” Deuteronomy 20:1-4
After Moses led God's people out of Egypt through the wilderness and to the verge of entering the Promise Land, they now had to overcome the armies of the people who were living there.
But before they do, God had to do a few more things for them.
1. Strengthen their Faith
2. Encourage Them
3. Remove Their Fear
4. Let Them Know they Are Victors
Take Away
In the face of a battle, God wants to remind His people about the things He was able to bring them out from.
He gives instructions to His priests to give His people, words of encouragement and to keep them from being afraid and lose hope.
And He reminds them that He is with them in their battles and that He fights for them, ensuring their victory.
This is why Scriptures tell us that 'if God be for us, who could be against us'
And
'He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.'
And
'Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.'
"After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall. And from that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.
The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” Nehemiah 4:14-20
Over and over again, Scriptures remind God's people that the battle is the Lord's and that He will fight for them.
Many of us need to hear this now than ever before.
In the passage we read above, God's people were being discouraged by the work they had to do by the extent of what was to be done and by their enemies' taunting and threats.
Nehemiah's solution was six fold.
1. Encouragement - he reminded them of God's promises, pushing them to continue on instead of giving up.
2. Led by example - he joined them in what was needed to be done.
3. Half did the work (offense)
4. Half did the watch (defense).
5. All were ready either way (regardless of where they were).
6. Trumpet call
Take Away
Words they work both ways -- to discourage or to encourage.
The enemy uses it to dishearten, confuse, condemn, scare, hurt and stop people from doing what they are meant to be doing.
But the Lord uses it to achieve the opposite -- encouage, motivate, give peace, hope and clarity, bring joy, strength and direction, and to delight in continuing His work and not lose heart.
Trumpet Call
The bible uses the trumpet call many different ways, but mostly to call attention back to God and His Word -- His promises, and away from the distractions and deflections, and the smoke and mirrors -- back to what's important and out from the trivial.
It is used to give God praise and honor and to lift Him up.
It is used to call people together and rally them and signal the time to go defend or to attack the enemy.
Jesus Himself will come back with the sound of the trumpet. That alone is a good reason to continue His work and to not give up, in the face of daily or constant discouragements.
If our church is a business, our slogan would be...
Experience God, Find Hope, Share Christ.
Where we could say, life happens, let it happen here.
Vision
The vision we have set out to do ties in with this slogan and it is to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Go (in that order).
Worship (Experience God, Find Hope)
Because...
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
Connect (Experience God, Find Hope)
Scriptures admonish us...
"Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
Grow (Experience God, Find Hope)
"asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." Ephesians 1:17
to...
"grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." 2 Peter 3:18
Serve (Experience God, Share Christ)
Serving others because...
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatian 5:13
And we serve our God, because...
"how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Hebrew 9:14
Go (Experience God, Share Christ)
And lastly to go and share Christ...
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
But not without..
"you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Acts 2 Journey
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46-47
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good,and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." 1 Timothy 4 NIV
After Paul tackled leadership requirements on the first three chapters of his letter to Timothy, in the next chapters, he gave him more reminders. Let us talk about five of them.
1) There will come a time when church leaders will teach things which originated from the enemy. These teachers will be hypocrites and liars. Among their teachings will be people should not get married and people should abstain from certain foods.
2) Paul advised Timothy not to follow myths and old wives tales. The sad part is that these false teachers will cause many to lose their way.
3) He also reminded him to set an example for other believers in the way he speaks and in his conduct, through his love, his faith and his clean living.
4) Paul told him to devote himself diligently to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. This is the life that people will see in public, what they do not see will be hours of studying and spending time with the Lord in his private time.
5) And lastly, to watch the way he lives his life and the Christian doctrine which he has been taught.
He also reminded him that He should not allow others to look down on him because he is younger than them.
Keeping in mind that he was chosen to do the things he is doing. And that things may not be easy, but his mandate and his hope comes from the Lord, and to persevere in everything he might be facing and will face in the future.
"The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church: serious, not deceitful, not too free with the bottle, not in it for what they can get out of it. They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. No exceptions are to be made for women—same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine. Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs. Those who do this servant work will come to be highly respected, a real credit to this Jesus-faith.
I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I’m delayed, I’m writing this letter so you’ll know how things ought to go in God’s household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory." 1 Timothy 3:8-14 MSG
I decided to cut the lesson from Chapter 3 into two sections. This is the second part and will cover the requirements of being church servant leaders.
Although most of this letter is self-explanatory, let us highlight at least 10 points that Paul was charging Timothy, in regards to those who want to serve in the different capacities, in the different ministries within the church must also posses these characteristics:
1) Like the Leaders which we tackled in Lesson #3, Servants appointed should have a good reputation and respected within the church and the community.
2) They should also not be deceitful or two-faced.
3) They should not be addicted to alcohol.
4) They must be eager to serve, rather than eager to be served.
5) They should not take for granted their salvation, which is free but not cheap.
6) They must be tested first and have proven themselves worthy.
7) Their spouse should possess the same characteristics.
8) They should not engage in gossip and should be careful with their conversations.
9) They should take care of their chilldren, their family and their affairs.
10) And they should be faithful to their spouse.
Meaning, pastors, leaders and servants all basically share the same qualifications.
"If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap." 1 Timothy 3:1-7 MSG
Continuing on this series, we will now take a look at the heart of the requirements of being church servant leaders (chapter 3).
From this we will pull out at least 10 points that Paul was charging Timothy, the young man he left to lead and pastor the church in Ephesus.
1) Leaders appointed to lead a church should have a good reputation not just from within the church but from the community and should be respected by his wife and children.
2) The leader must have one wife.
3) The leader should not be a drinker.
4) The leader must be accessible, hospitable and gentle.
5) The leader should not be easily offended.
6) The leader must not be greedy.
7) The leader should be able to teach the gospel.
8) The leader must be non-violent.
9) The leader must be able to manage his finances and his family affairs.
10) And lastly, the leader must not be a new believer. For this requirement, Paul added a warning, less the leader becomes arrogant and fall into traps the enemy will set for him.
Now the reality is that a few of these conditions, Paul himself do not possess. And this probably is why I believe he did not pastor a church. He sure planted many and oversaw their pastors, but he didn't really stay as a pastor of a church.
It is amazing that, the conditions he set forth, he himself would not be able to pass, such is the importance of choosing the right church leaders and the humility of this man who was once so self-centered and self-arrogant and so sure of himself, that he had no need for God.
"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.
I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. Adam was made first, then Eve; woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this." 1 Timothy 2:1-15 MSG
Continuing on this series, we will take a look at chapter 2, where we will deem at least five points that Paul was reminding Timothy, the young pastor of the church in Ephesus.
1) Pray. A believer's life should be marked by prayer - constant prayer. This follows the example of Christ, and it shows dependence and connection with our heavenly Father, apart from whuch we will be able to do anything.
Pray as well for our nation's leaders so as to have the freedom to live as a believer.
2) Salvation. Keep in mind that our Father in heaven wants no one to be lost but everyone to be saved. This is why this should be the same goal of every believer. And to this end, every believer's purpose is to share the gospel.
3) Praise. As with prayer, a believer's life should also be marked with praise - praising God over and more importantly instead of being quarrelsome with people.
4) Women. These instructions will be hard to take in back in their time but will surely be harder today. Paul had many things to say to Timothy regarding women and among them:
a) Women should not get caught up prioritizing their outside appearance over and above other more important matters, especially to the point of neglecting these other matters. They should not concern themselves with calling attention to themselves.
b) Inside the church structure,
women as much as possible should not lord it over men, telling them what to do. This in the context of wives being under their husbands, who in turn should be under Christ - meaning a wife who is following her husband is also following Christ, like a chain of command such as in a military or corporate setting.
5) Believers (men and women) should ought to continue in humility, in peace, in patience, in love and gathering it all into full maturity of their faith and their calling. We are all called to worship God and to be a witness to others, anything less is contrary to our new nature in Christ.
"On my way to the province of Macedonia, I advised you to stay in Ephesus. Well, I haven’t changed my mind. Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track. Apparently some people have been introducing fantasy stories and fanciful family trees that digress into silliness instead of pulling the people back into the center, deepening faith and obedience.
The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven’t the remotest idea of what they’re holding forth with such imposing eloquence.
It’s true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. It’s obvious, isn’t it, that the law code isn’t primarily for people who live responsibly, but for the irresponsible, who defy all authority, riding roughshod over God, life, sex, truth, whatever! They are contemptuous of this great Message I’ve been put in charge of by this great God.
I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.
Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.
Deep honor and bright glory
to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
ever and always. Oh, yes!
I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.
There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming." 1 Timothy 1:3-20 MSG
Apostle Paul wrote this "instructional" letter during the last years of his life.
This letter along with the second letter to Timothy and the letter to Titus are deemed to be the "Pastoral Epistles" as they contain both pastoral and practical advice from Paul.
Timothy at the time was the young pastor at the church at Ephesus.
It may be old but the practical lessons and the truths in these letters are still among the most important lessons one should take to heart if one is in or planning to be in ministry.
Scriptures say to whom much is given, much is expected. And also to rejoice not because evil spirits submit to you but instead rejoice because your name is written in heaven.
Church Leadership
Ministry work, especially ministry leadership work is subject to constant attack from the enemy, who has no other goal but to put you down. All they need is just a little foothold and if you allow it, it would be like placing one bad egg inside a basket full of eggs, to which soon enough will make the whole basket bad.
From the passage above, there are at least 10 points that Paul made to Timothy, which of course are applicable to any ministry leader today. They are:
1) Stay leading and pastoring the church you are in.
2) Keep on teaching your flock.
3) Stay away if not counter wrong teaching or doctrine.
4) Teach solely on LOVE with LOVE for LOVE and because of LOVE.
5) Guard against things, activities, people and influences that will take you out of your main teaching -- God's love.
6) Guidance and counsel although part of things you might do, are given out but with special care. Be very careful on what you say and to whom you say it to.
7) The LAW was given for law breakers and for them to see that they are lawless and couldn't be able to save themselves (apart from Jesus).
8) We owe everything to Jesus. We are not worthy of anything but because of our heavenly Father's great love and mercy, we were saved, set apart and made righteous, not because of who we are, or what we know, what we do or have done. No, nothing is about us. It is all about Jesus.
9) Ministry work has been passed on to you from your leader, teacher, mentor, pastor, and the Lord.
10) Wandering away from God or from these points, would mean being taught a lesson.
