It has been a Great Escape

Over the past few days I have had the privilege of spending time with student ministers on the Great Escape Student Ministers’ Cruise. The conference/cruise is an event produced by DiscipleGuide, the ministry I have the privilege of leading. This year’s conference speaker has been Ed Stetzer, head of research for Lifeway. Here are a few takeaways from the week:

1)   Student ministers come from different backgrounds, church structures, and ministry philosophies. Yet, whether fulltime, bi-vocational, volunteer, seminary trained, learning “on the job,” experienced, inexperienced, young, or old; they all love Christ and love students.

2)   Being a “cool,” “young,” “hipster” minister doesn’t hold a candle to being available and caring. Relationships trump cool.

3)   Any good student minister realizes that student ministry includes investing in the parent-child relationships. Student ministry must endorse, respect, and promote biblical parental authority –not usurp or replace it.

4)   Effective student ministries partner with parents to help students become life-long learners of Christ. If students never learn to grow in the Word and by the Spirit (as opposed to ‘borrowing’ mom and dad’s faith), they will be like a young adult who never learned to walk, read, or reason during their formative years at home. Once they leave the protection of home and church to enter “the real world,” they will have great difficulty standing on their own.

5)   Great churches embrace the student ministry and include it in the overall scope of the congregation’s mission rather than relegating it to a “ministry island.”

After spending a week with 45 student ministers and their spouses, I am excited about what God is doing in churches across America. I have been blessed to listen to conversations between those on the “front lines” who are comparing notes and sharing experiences of helping students and parents grow as disciples of Christ.

If you are a student minister and would like more information on next year’s Great Escape Student Ministers’ Cruise, check out discipleguide.org or call 1-800-333-1442. Also, be sure to check out DiscipleGuide’s summer SOAR student conference for 7th-12th graders.

Balancing Great Commission Work

The Great Commission has at least three key points of emphasis: 1) A Discipleship emphasis (…make disciples…) 2) A Global emphasis (…of all nations…) 3) A Local Congregation emphasis (…baptizing them…)

These three points of emphasis are not a checklist of tasks to be performed in order. It is not as if we are to first make disciples, then go to the nations, then establish churches. Rather, these three points of emphasis work together simultaneously. When any of the three are emphasized over the others, an imbalance occurs and the Great Commission is not being accomplished.

For instance, if missions is emphasized over discipleship, we may win souls and yet never see them grow into Christ-like believers. Likewise, if missions is emphasized over the church, the missions will become unsustainable and unsupported. The same could be said of discipleship endeavors that do not emphasize the church or missions. Without assimilating the disciple into a local, New Testament church, the discipleship is lacking in accountability and longevity. Without investing a global vision into the disciple, the long-term effect may remain local and never make an impact on the nations. Further, when churches are inward focused and neglect global missions, they deny their very calling and squelch the moving of the Holy Spirit. And, when churches avoid the responsibility to make disciples, they fail to pass on the baton of faith handed to them by the previous generation.

A Great Commission church, on the other hand, will emphasize discipleship, mission, and the church simultaneously. Such a ministry not only reflects the Great Commission, but obeys the Great Commission as well.

The Discipleship Emphasis

The command of the Great Commission is to “make disciples.” Everything else describes how to go about the task. For instance, When Jesus said, “Go,” it wasn’t because the disciples were idle. They were already going. Instead, He was telling them what to do as they were going. Jesus knew the disciples would come into contact with people everywhere they went. Like us, they were going to work, going to the market, and going to visit friends. Every person we encounter in life is a potential disciple. Churches must not fall into a “wait until they come to us” mentality. Instead, disciple-makers must “seek out” opportunities to invest in others. That’s the idea of go. But what exactly is a disciple to begin with?

A disciple is a learner who becomes like his/her teacher. When Jesus commissioned the apostles, they knew exactly what He meant by the word “disciple” because Jesus had discipled them. Christ’s method of discipleship went beyond sharing information. Jesus transformed the apostles by sharing His life with them. That is what He calls us to: Life-on-life training, pouring ourselves into others. If we want to see real change in our disciple’s lives, we must open our houses, simplify our calendars, share our possessions, and offer our attention. Consistent interaction is required for iron to sharpen iron. Discipleship goes beyond telling someone how they should act; it’s spending enough time together that they can watch how you react. It’s more than telling someone how to think, but letting them watch you process a situation. It’s weightier than describing the character of Christ, its displaying the character of Christ.

All of life is a learning opportunity and as a general rule, more is caught than taught. As you pour your life into others your efforts are multiplied and each disciple becomes a part of your spiritual legacy. And as your spiritual legacy grows and multiplies, it combines with other legacies until disciples are made in all nations. Our hearts must be set on continuing the work of discipleship until disciples are made of all nations. Short of this, our work is not complete. Christ’s goal is both ambitious and attainable through the work of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8, Jesus prophesied, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. When Christ returns, He will completely rule every tribe, tongue and nation! (not just some tribes, many tongues, or most nations)

Interestingly, the church is the only institution to which Christ gave the Great Commission. Only the church is qualified, called, and equipped to make new disciples, provide them with nurture, and then send them out to make more disciples. And when those new disciples are made, new churches are formed to nurture and send them as well. Christ’s plan for perpetuating the work to completion runs directly through local churches. This is seen in the phrase “baptizing them.”

The Local Congregation Emphasis

The ceremony of baptism began long before Christ came to earth. It symbolized a person’s complete immersion into a way of life. It pictures the old man being buried and the new man being raised to life as a new creation in Christ. For believers, baptism is a public proclamation of a person’s commitment to follow Christ on a life-long journey of transformation. Baptism is the entry point toward church membership. By identifying with a local church through immersion, the disciple is pledging a commitment to Christ and to His Great Commission. The church, therefore, becomes a community of disciples mutually edifying one another as they live on mission together. Their unified goal is to see the Great Commission fulfilled.

The Global Emphasis

When Christ directed His apostles to make disciples of all nations, He wasn’t introducing a new idea. In fact, the idea of world-wide-worship has been around since the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 1:28, God commissions Adam and Eve to ““Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” with offspring created in His image. Later, in Genesis 12, God promised to bless all nations through Abraham’s seed. Habakkuk prophesied that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea,” and Isaiah likewise proclaimed, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Therefore, when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He was drawing on the promise of old. Only now, the promise was being presented as a command with a strategy. The nations will be reached for the Gospel through local churches making disicples!

It’s OK to Hide

My son can’t figure out how I can find always find him so quickly when we play hide and seek. One day it will occur to him that talking trash while he’s hiding isn’t such a good idea.

Interestingly, the concept of hiding has been around at least as far back as Genesis chapter 3.

Sin entered the human race through the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Immediately, man and woman began to hide from God. While it may see silly in some respects (i.e. God is omnipresent and omniscient), in other respects it makes total sense. God is the righteous judge who shall by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7). He is wrathful toward all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of man (Romans 1:18). Although we have no record of his righteous justice and righteous indignation being described prior to the fall of man, we know that certainly Adam and Eve were aware of these attributes because “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20).

Therefore it makes sense that they would hide because they were aware of their guilt and shame before a just God. They hid themselves in the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). And that’s where they made their mistake.

There’s nothing wrong with hiding from God. Yes, you heard me right. There is nothing wrong with hiding God –as long as you choose the right hiding place.

For instance, Moses hid in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22) in direct obedience to God. That was a good place to hide.

Adam and Eve, on the other hand, chose to hide in a place not prescribed by God. In their flawed wisdom (how quickly the fall tainted their thinking), they believed that they could use the very trees of God’s creation to hide from the one who created them. Further, they believed their shame could be hidden by mere leaves sewn together (that logic is not much better than my 6-year-old’s hide and seek strategy). They had not realized that shame runs much deeper than physical appearance. Their problem was actually an issue of the heart.

The first couple’s hope could only be found in the very God they were hiding from. By the end of Genesis chapter 3, God had provided a covering where their nakedness and shame would be hidden by the skins of animals. The bloodshed by these animals for the sake of covering (atoning for) the guilty painted a vivid a picture of Christ’s coming redemption.

Like the first couple’s animal covering, or like Moses’ hiding place in the rock, our ultimate hiding place is in Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, received the wrath of God on our behalf, shedding His blood for our sin, bearing our nakedness, sin, and shame so that we might run to Him and find our hiding place.

Instead of running from God to hide, we must run to God for our hiding through His provision in Christ.

For those who do not know Christ by faith, today is the day of salvation. Repent of your sin and turn to Christ by faith.

Likewise, believers need to be reminded to hide in Christ. No matter how long you have followed Jesus, the call to run toward Christ is just as pertinent. Christ is the only safe hiding place for:

  • The troubled heart seeking peace,
  • The jealous, greedy, or lustful soul longing for contentment,
  • The pride-filled person in need of humility,
  • The sinner in need of hope,
  • The exhausted saint in seeking rest.

Conversely, hiding in gluttony, materialism, debauchery, achievement, independence (or a million other forms of sin) will always lead to exposure to the fact that left to ourselves (i.e. without Christ) we are naked and ashamed.

“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:7)

Now that sounds like my son’s kind of hiding place!

Who Is Responsible For Revival?

Growing up, I remember the announcement every year in church: “Ladies, please sign up to bring food for next week’s revival services.” I loved that announcement. Why? Several reasons: Home-made fried chicken, sour dough bread, mashed potatoes, and CHOCOLATE PIE!!!

Revival: The very word has different meanings for different people. For some, it means week-long meetings in the Fall and Spring (with lots of fried chicken). For others it means gathering for services two or three times a day for intense worship and prayer.

The biblical concept of revival refers to an awakening in which the souls of believers are stirred toward greater affections for Christ. It is a time in which men draw close to God as God draws close to them (James 4:8) and the presence of God seems unusually strong (Psalm 16:11).

I can’t imagine any believer who does not desire revival. Which begs the question, “Who is responsible for revival? -God or man?” Since only God can grant revival, should we take a passive “wait and see” position, or is there something we can be doing to prepare for revival? It really comes down to the age-old issue of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility.

God has given men the responsibility to break up “fallow ground,” (Jeremiah 4:3) knowing that He alone can bring revival. R.C. Sproul and Archie Parrish point out that, “the role of the Church is not to produce revival but to prepare for it.” II Chronicles 7:14 highlights man’s responsibility to “humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways…” before God sovereignly “…hear(s) from heaven and forgive(s) their sin and heal(s) their land.”

Such a situation occurred with Charles Simeon, the eighteenth-century pastor who, despite heavy resistance from his congregation, prayed eleven years for revival. During the twelfth year, God brought a revival resulting in a ministry that raised up Inter-Varsity, the Cambridge Seven, a mission to China, and C.T. Studd.

Referencing Isaiah 62 in his book Revival, Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, “Give him no rest, give yourself no rest. Keep on. Bombard God. Bombard heaven until the answers come.” Certainly, this is a call to responsibility. But the very act of calling upon God admits man’s dependence on His sovereignty.

In the late twentieth century, Dr. Cornell Haan joined other evangelicals in an effort to draw believers to pray for revival. The effort was named the “Lighthouse Movement,” calling for people to become lighthouses of prayer in their neighborhoods and communities. Haan expressed his belief in man’s responsibility to pray for revival as well as God’s exclusive ability to grant it.

When one looks at the history of revival, it is obvious that revival comes in answer to prayer. And who sets the church to praying? It is God himself. If God is stirring the church to pray, then how can we believe anything else but that revival is on the way? He is calling His church –and you as a lighthouse– to pray!

Another way to view the implications of man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty is in the ways Scripture describes the Spirit’s work in revival. At this point, Lloyd-Jones makes a clarification explaining that being filled with the Spirit is man’s responsibility while revival is a work of God’s sovereignty. He states:

Now, that is precisely what happens in revival. It is God pouring forth his Spirit, filling his people again. It is not that which is talked of in Ephesians 5:18, which is the command to us, “Go on being filled with the Spirit.” That is something you and I do, but this is something that is done to us.

So what can we do -in light of God’s sovereignty- to prepare and plead for revival?

1) Start by “breaking up your fallow ground” (Jeremiah 4:3). Till the soil of your heart. Repent of sin and humble yourself before God.

2) Pro-actively “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) and be “filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

3) Pray, Pray, and Pray. Beg God for revival. Ask Him to start in your own heart. Call upon Him to awaken your church. Be so bold as to plea for a global movement of His spirit around the world!

 

What Ice?

My son is very outgoing. He rarely meets a stranger. Or, in terms of “breaking the ice,” Bryce usually just skates on across!

That should probably scare me a little bit, but for now it just makes me smile. In fact, sometimes it makes me blush.

Several months ago Bryce and I were on a flight together. As usual, he was making friends and influencing people in the seats around us. When he got to know the young ladies sitting behind us, he could sense a receptive crowd. He started working his charm (I have no idea where he got that from).

After a while, I had tuned out his conversation with the ladies and I started back to reading a book. But then something caught my ear. A familiar sound –too familiar. It was my home address!

“So come on down to our house for a sleepover anytime!” Those were the last words he got out before I quickly interrupted.

“Um, Bryce, I think its time to work on your coloring book now!”

Our section of he cabin erupted with laughter. You had to admire his people skills, right?

I hope my son never loses his sense of welcoming everyone into conversation –just not always our home. I especially hope he will carry that enthusiasm over into a desire to share the gospel with all people.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16). I imagine the apostle Paul had that same sort of charisma when he would initiate conversations with those who encountered. I can picture him eagerly and freely sharing the gospel with such enthusiasm that nobody could doubt his sincerity and love for Christ.

Of course for Bryce to grow up with that attitude, he will need to see it in his dad. I am the one with the God-given responsibility to “train up my child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), and to “bring him up in the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

In other words, although I understand that God is the only one who can transform my son’s heart, I also understand that God has chosen to use me as a tool to accomplish the work. It’s part of the mysterious relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility –in this case, it is seen in the issue of Christian parenting.

Now the challenge before me is clear. I must be a bold witness of the gospel not only to my son, but also in front of my son. I have a feeling, he can give me a few pointers on breaking the ice.

Liberty from Pastoral Burnout

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Those words are quoted from the Emma Lazarus poem, New Colossus, inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. While the original intent is to describe all who are welcomed by Lady Liberty, they may also sound like an apt description of a near-burnout pastor.

  • Tired? Check
  • Poor? Check
  • Yearning to breathe free? Check

How is it that pastors, ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ, experience such stress? Didn’t Jesus say, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30)?

Multitudes of statistical data point out the fact that pastoral burnout has become epidemic. Many reasons exist for such burnout:

  • Many pastors feel isolated and fear sharing their problems with others.
  • Some churches have unrealistic expectations for their pastor.
  • The work of a pastor is never done.
  • Many pastors believe they can never rest or take vacation for fear that someone will need them.

Perhaps pastors facing burnout feel like the prophet Elijah in I Kings 19. In the previous passage, He had just faced off with the prophets of Baal and watched God’s fire from Heaven consume the drenched sacrifices on Mount Carmel.

However, this action only served to infuriate Jezebel, leading her to declare a death sentence upon Elijah.

Elijah ran into hiding in the wilderness where he prayed under a broom tree, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (I Kings 19:4).

Sounds like burnout to me.

Maybe you don’t have a lady named Jezebel in your congregation, and perhaps you don’t frequently encounter any prophets of Baal, but I bet you know the feeling. It’s the same feeling you experience when a “concerned member” shares what “others are saying” about you. It’s the pain you feel when a leader betrays you. It’s the disappointment of seeing a strong family leave because of something outside your control. It’s the thoughts of failure that attack you when nobody seemed to respond to the sermon you labored on for days. It’s the exhaustion that comes from endless hospital and home visits.

There are a million different scenarios. But ultimately, the feelings they all emanate are expressed well by Elijah: “It enough; now.” Have you ever felt like enough is enough? My guess is that if you’ve been in ministry at least a year, you’ve felt this way at least once.

But Elijah doesn’t stop there. No, he goes on to ask God to take away his life. Maybe you’ve never taken it this far. Maybe. But the statistics on suicidal thoughts by pastors may startle you.

Elijah concludes his thought saying, “I am no better than my fathers.” In other words, he feels like a failure.

I don’t know about you, but the last word I would associate with Elijah is, “failure.” Especially after reading about the showdown with the prophets of Baal in the previous chapter. In the midst of depression and burnout, however, the big picture is difficult to see. Recent disappointments, failures, offenses, and fears cloud all reasonable judgment to the point that you can’t merely think you’re way out of the situation. Divine intervention is necessary. And that’s what happened next for Elijah.

The angel of the LORD (Jesus) appeared to Elijah and gave him food, which gave him enough strength to journey for 40 days to the mount of God at Horeb where he lodged in a cave. Forget Power Bars, right?

God spoke to Elijah in the cave. First, He asked him “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah began to vent. He explained how the people of Israel had disappointed him by forsaking the covenant, throwing down altars, and killing prophets. He finally exclaims, “I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” (I Kings 19:10).

Next, God passed by the mount followed by a great wind, and earthquake and a great fire. But the Lord was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire. Instead, God appeared in a still small voice.

So what was all the ruckus about? Why the wind, earthquake and fire? I’m not sure anyone can say with certainty, but I wonder if God just wanted to remind Elijah of His power -even though Elijah had seen it on display before (one chapter ago to be exact).

Maybe like Elijah, you see God’s power on display every week in your church without even recognizing it. Burnout has a way of blinding our eyes like that.

Nonetheless, I think God’s words in the still small voice are very interesting. He doesn’t share an inspirational thought or motivational speech. Instead, God simply tells Elijah what to do and where to go next.

While that may sound anticlimactic to the story, I think it was very powerful for Elijah. You see, in that moment, God was communicating to his prophet, “I still have work for you to do. Your ministry matters.” For many of us, those are the very words we most need to hear in the midst of burnout.

So, here are a few suggestions if you are facing pastoral burnout today:

1)    Be willing to share your heart with the Lord. Come boldly before His throne through Christ. God spoke to Elijah after Elijah was willing to open up.

2)    If you can find a trusted biblical counselor, consider spending time sharing your feeling with them. Iron sharpens iron.

3)    Take a break and get away. Elijah took a 40 day journey to get to Horeb. When way the last time you had a vacation?

4)    Feed on God’s Word. Remember the food the Angel of the LORD gave to Elijah? Feed on the Bread of Life!

5)    Pour into a replacement. The last instruction God gave Elijah was to begin training Elisha to replace him. Whether you are near retirement or far from it, raising up new leaders in your church is not only Scriptural and beneficial –it is a great blessing that can help treat burnout!

For all who are tired, poor, and yearning to breathe free –remember, real liberty is found in Christ. And make no mistake about it –your ministry matters to him!

I’m Happy He’s Growing Up

Over the past couple of days, I was able to spend some time alone with my son on a short “get-away” trip. As we were having a major water-gun war, I realized something: My son is growing up.

Don’t get my wrong, he’s not going to college next year –he’s only four. Okay, four-and-a-half (the half is very important).

But in the midst of chasing each other with water guns, I saw him turn around and give me a grin that I hadn’t seen before. It seemed that in this grin, new facial features had suddenly been chiseled on his face. It was a glimpse of a man soon-to-be.

It took me aback for a minute. I didn’t know whether to be scared or thrilled. Maybe I should be both.

As our “get-away” trip went on, I began to notice other glimpses of manliness in my son.  When we got ready to unload the car, he was eager to help –even carrying things that were a little too heavy. And as I was carrying bags into the cabin, guess who held the door open for me?

There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing your child develop into the person God created them to be. I think that’s what the apostle John was feeling when he wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4).

Here, John is writing –not to his physical children- but to his spiritual children! Just as a parent takes joy in watching their child grow into maturity, disciple-makers rejoice to see their disciples become more like Christ.

The parallels between parenting and discipleship are infinite. Both require a large investment of time into the life of another person. Both involve a relationship built upon deep love and care. Both are a difficult, but rewarding task.

Most importantly, both parenting and discipleship are completely dependent upon the power of Christ in order to be honoring to Christ. Let’s be honest, no parent has all of the answers for all of the scenarios they will face with their child. Every step of the way, a parent must “lean not on [his or her] own understanding, but instead “trust the Lord with all of [his or her] heart” (Proverbs 3:5). Just recently, as I was sharing my own struggles with parenting, my mom explained that she and my dad faced many situations in parenting me where they simply didn’t know what to do –they had to spend time seeking God’s wisdom.

It’s the same with disciple making. We will never know all of the answers or have all of the solutions to our disciples’ problems. Instead, we must constantly be in prayer for and with our disciples.

The interesting thing is that, as I contemplate the difficult issues of raising my son, I find my Heavenly Father continuing to “raise” me. Whereas I once thought parenting was all about teaching my son, I’ve come to learn that it is just as much –if not more- about God teaching me.

That’s why the disciple-maker is so joyful when his or her disciple shows signs of growth. It’s a sign that God is working through us in the lives of the ones we love most –and it’s a reminder that He hasn’t stopped maturing us as well!

If it’s been a while since you’ve noticed growth in your disciple, maybe its time for you to plan some “get away” time. Schedule an afternoon of golf, hiking, shopping, (or whatever you do for fun) with your disciple. Ask God to show you –in the escape from the daily grind- how he is working in both of your lives to conform you into the image of Christ. Then, rejoice along with the apostle John knowing that you “have no greater joy than to hear that [your] children are walking in the truth” (I John 1:4).

Why Didn’t Jesus Baptize?

John 4:2 shares an interesting side note stating, “Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples.”

Why didn’t Jesus perform the act of baptizing himself? Certainly he wasn’t too lazy. And honestly, I don’t’ think he had a major theological reason. In fact, I believe he could have don’t he baptizing himself, but chose not to. Why?

Perhaps it was a simple function of discipleship in which Jesus was giving his men “hands on” work in the ministry. He was helping them get involved.

At the same time, it was painting a bigger picture of how life-long ministry under Christ was to be lived out: The disciples exerted human strength under the authority of Christ’s power.

In other words, this set the pattern for a lifetime of ministry. The apostles would have to “work heartily, as for the Lord” in all things (Col. 3:23).

This sets an example for us as servants of Christ and leaders of others.

  • As servants, we must always remember that Christ is the ultimate authority we labor for –not our employer or pastor.
  • As leaders, we must not let our ego’s get in the way. We must make sure those under our charge have a clear line-of-view to Christ’s authority over us.
  • As servants, we must be ready to perform any task as unto the Lord.
  • As leaders, we must be willing to let go of some control issues and allow those under our charge to gain ministry experience by helping us. (especially for us control freaks)

Ultimately, the issue of who baptized was not a right or wrong issue as much as an opportunity to train others for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). Can you imagine Jesus patiently holding his tongue as the apostles were trying to figure out how to keep water from going up people’s noses or to keep from dropping people to the bottom of the Jordan River? It takes patience and intentionality.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so thankful for the people in my life that gave me opportunities to serve in my church and in other ministries. Looking back, I know they could have done a much better job than I did –and many times, they may have wondered why they ever let me take part (or take apart!).

However, it was in those moments of serving –no matter the result at the time- that I learned so much about serving Christ and living under his authority.

So, no matter your role –employer, parent, pastor, etc- consider giving someone an opportunity to serve under you today. And don’t get too upset if it isn’t done to “your standards.” Remember, it’s a learning moment. The most important thing you can do is to gently point them to serve –not as if they are serving you- but as unto the Lord.

God Doesn’t Spill Coffee

Blame it on getting up to early. Or perhaps, blame it on lack of a good night’s sleep. Either way, what I did was ridiculously negligent and irritating at the time. But now, I just laugh thinking about it.

I have one of those coffee makers that you can set to brew automatically at a specific time. Almost every night I set it up to brew early in the morning before I wake up. There’s nothing like being able to pour a fresh cup first thing after getting out of bed.

Last night, however, I forgot to set the coffee maker. As you can imagine, I was a bit disappointed walking into the kitchen early this morning.

Already frustrated, I poured water into the brewer and placed the coffee in a filter. Then, I hit the “on” switch and went back to bed. I set the timer on my phone to go off in ten minutes. It was going to be a “do over” morning.

After the timer went off, I got up eager to grab my coffee. I could smell it as I approached the kitchen. The delicious aroma filled my hallway. In fact, the smell was stronger than usual.

I walked into the kitchen and couldn’t believe what I saw –there was coffee running all over my countertop and onto my floor. The burner plate on the coffee maker was sizzling and a slight burning smell was accompanying the rich aroma of coffee beans. I had forgotten to put the coffee pot in place.

Unfulfilled expectations are difficult to swallow –especially when they are due to your own neglect. From time to time, everybody forgets details, misses a crucial meeting, or neglects a vital task.

But it’s always good to remember that God never fails. He never forgets. He is forever faithful.

Of course, sometimes, in the mystery of His providence, it may appear that He has forgotten us. When circumstances become difficult, we often wonder, “Where is God in all of this?”

Whether we realize it or not, these are actually opportunities to strengthen our faith. Commenting on such time, the apostle Peter said, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-7).

God is in control even when you can’t see Him working. So when it feels like your entire life is being spilled out of control like a coffee maker with no pot, remember, He is perfect, He is in control, He is faithful.

Hidden Discipleship

Here’s a phrase you’ve never read in Scripture: “And Jesus called aside the apostles saying, ‘take up your discipleship workbooks and gather for the lesson.’”

There is no doubt that Jesus was a disciple-maker and there is no doubt that He taught the apostles lessons. However, there is great doubt that he ever announced His discipleship in this way.

Certainly, in calling the apostles to “follow” him, He announced a general call to discipleship. But when it came to day-to-day learning, Jesus utilized a more potent method: hidden discipleship.

Hidden discipleship simply means it was unannounced.  Instead of being situated in a classroom, Christ’s discipleship was wrapped in real life.

For instance, Jesus didn’t announce, “Today I am going to teach you lesson seven: God will supply your every need.” No, instead, He took advantage of a real-life situation where masses of people were hungry. He involved the apostles in searching for a solution. Then, he took their incomplete understanding -five loaves here and two fish- (Matthew 14:13-21) and demonstrated His sufficiency. He even put an exclamation point on the lesson by giving each apostle a basketful of leftovers.

Jesus took advantage of another real-life situation when the apostles were sending children away. Instead of saying, “Okay Twelve, let them through –we’ll talk about this later in lesson eight: The nature of the Kingdom,” He spent time in the midst of the situation to explain how you must be like a little child to enter the Kingdom (Mark 10:15).

Further, Jesus allowed His apostles to observe Him in real life as he prayed, cared for the sick, displayed compassion on the hurting, and loved the unlovable –all lessons that are better caught than taught. It wasn’t until the end of His life, in the upper room, that Jesus spent extensive time teaching the apostles lessons.

Jesus was the master of hiding lessons in real life. But to be like Jesus, I don’t think we necessarily have to make extravagant plans for such “learning moments.” It’s not as if we have to pay a host of actors to portray a “single-mom-with-a-flat-tire” scene in front of us as we drive our disciple down the street at exactly 4:03 pm. No, life has enough “learning moments” already built in. An effective disciple-maker just has their eyes open to take advantage of the moments God puts in front of them each day.

Of course this requires two major factors: 1) the disciple-maker must live out a Christ-like example all of the time so that these “hidden discipleship moments” are a part of their daily consistent walk, and 2) the disciple-maker must spend enough time with their disciple for these “hidden opportunities” to arise. (Its probably not going to happen one hour a week in a classroom).

Is this method effective? Beyond the obvious answer –“it worked for Jesus”- is the affirmation of testimony. Recently I have interviewed several people asking them to describe the person who has had the greatest spiritual impact upon them. Guess what? Not one person described someone teaching a class or preaching a sermon. They all described people who invested their life in them and intentionally taught them Truth from Scripture as situations arose in real life.

One lady shared how, when her parents divorced, a friend’s grandmother took her under her wing and made her a part of their family. Through all of the hardships and difficulties of the divorce, “Mamaw” would point the girl to God’s faithfulness in Scripture.

Another person explained that while stationed stateside in the Army, he visited a local church. After the service, Bob invited him to eat lunch in his home. That began a long-term relationship in which the two men spent time together in normal activities –golf, hunting, sports. Over the years, when situations arose, Bob was a consistent example of Christ-likeness to the young man –even in death. When Bob developed lung cancer, the man spent hours with Bob in the hospital. Why? Because Bob had taught him compassion through his lifestyle over the years.

These are the kind of “learning moments” that last for life –and they rarely happen in the classroom. Instead, the truth of the lessons is most effective when imbedded in the context where it applies –real life. If we were meant to live life in a classroom, it would make sense to teach life in a classroom. But that’s not the case.

The classroom creates many obstacles to learning –it separates truth from life, it creates an artificial motive for learning –“finish the workbook/lesson,” and can become a burden rather than a blessing.

That’s not to say that teaching or preaching in a classroom or from the pulpit is ineffective. But rather, it seems that the classroom and pulpit are most effective when a person has been transformed in real life contexts first. It would be like a coach drawing x’s and o’s on the chalkboard for a bunch of guys who have never set foot on the field -its hard to wrap your mind around information when there has been no transformation. And transformation typically takes place in the “hidden discipleship” moments where truth is wrapped in real life.

In order to take advantage of “hidden discipleship” a disciple-maker must:

1)   Already live consistently as a disciple of Christ

2)   Spend plenty of time with your disciple in real life situations

3)   Keep your eyes open for learning moments

4)   Be intentional to direct each moment to Scripture –not just “man’s wisdom.”