Archive for May, 2008
Melody sent us this message this morning:
Dear Family and Friends,
Just a quick email to ask for your prayers. The same morning (this past Saturday) that I left for Mexico, my father died. One moment he was chatting with a young man about every day things, and the next he collapsed, and was gone instantly. I could not be reached until Monday morning, after I had taken a bus down to Southern Mexico. When I finally got online, I had an email from my brother saying that Dad had died. My missionary friends worked a miracle, and got me to New Mexico by late afternoon.
The funeral is tomorrow morning. Please pray for my family. At the end of this week, I will return to Mexico, Cost Rica and Haiti to continue with the second half of my mission there. I’ll do the first ministry another time.
All of my family are Christians, so we are taking this very well. We all know without a doubt that we will see my Dad again. He was a wonderful man, and gave us so much. Our grief is for ourselves, and how much we will miss him.
God bless,
Melody Warford
May 28th, 2008
Here’s another practice of the Pharisees that needed to be addressed. What we need to understand is that fasting, as it was practiced during this time period, was more than the absence of food and drink. The people did not wash or anoint themselves. They were – in a word – unsightly. What this did was get them (again) praise from men, because that is who this ‘show of faith and obedience’ was for. So what does Jesus teach? The fasting that is acceptable to God is one that is observed before God Himself. These folks missed the point! Take a bath and clean yourself up on the outside, because impressing men with your obedience is not what our Heavenly Father is looking for.
4 – Attitude towards wealth (Matt. 6:19-24)
Part of this teaching stems from Deut. 28 where God promises to bless people materially if they walk in obedience to His words, and discipline by reducing them to want and poverty if they were disobedient. From this comes the teaching that is recorded in their statement ‘Whom the Lord loveth, He maketh rich’.
To the Jews, riches were a sure sign of God’s pleasure and blessing. During this time (the time of Christ) the goal of life was to accumulate material things. I guess not much has changed over the years. What Jesus illustrates is that having material things as the goal of life shows our view towards what is temporary. Your stuff can be destroyed, it will decay, and it will fade. It’s just stuff! What our goal should be is to acquire things that are permanent or eternal. In accumulating treasure there is the danger that one will love what is accumulated. Just thinking that through will illustrate that a person can then easily become enslaved by the things they love. Don’t believe me? What are you working hard for? What conclusions could one draw if they examined your checkbook or your credit card statements?
Jesus teaches that it is impossible to serve two masters. If stuff is your thing, let me tell you that you are fooling yourself if you think you are serving God. And if you fall on the other side of the fence and raise your hand to say you are serving God, then you need to examine if you are enslaved by your material things. Which latitude does your attitude (towards money) take?
May 25th, 2008
I’m writing this article while sitting in the admissions office of Thomas Nelson Community College. It’s hard to imagine that Hannah is going to college. When our family came to Seaford in 1989, Kat was pregnant with Hannah. Just as our family has faced many joys and challenges and “yes,” even disagreements and conflicts over the years, so has Seaford Baptist.
One of the signs of health or disease in the life of a body is how it handles conflict. Conflict is inevitable and is not necessarily a sign of disease or even disunity. Ironically, a complete absence of conflict is not a good sign. Either no one cares enough to be passionate about an issue or leaders could be squelching dissent. Either way, it is not good. It is interesting to note how people handle those who disagree with them. I believe that one of the tests of a healthy family or a healthy church is how they handle conflict and how they handle those with whom they are in conflict.
On May 15, we had a church family forum to discuss several matters as a body trying to answer the question, “who are we?” Answering this question is an important part of the development process of a church in transition. The forum represents a healthy and positive way for us to address issues that might divide us.
During the course of this meeting, we discussed the following questions.
“Think of some people who have been active at Seaford for a long time. What has kept them active and involved?” A related question that we did not get to ask was “What excites you about your church?”
What is one positive thing you could say about people who hold an opinion opposite yours? What is one positive thing they could say about you?
What are the positive reasons for going to one service? For staying with two services?
Because of time constraints, we did not discuss the following question (I assigned it as homework.)
What stories in our church would you not want to tell a new member? Why not? These two questions could help us think about issues in our history that may need addressing in this interim time.
The report from the meeting was positive. Though not everything spoken was comfortable to hear, many of the body were able to share significantly. We discussed these questions around round tables, everyone had a chance to share in this small group environment, and each table chose a spokesperson who reported to the whole group. We posted the responses on the screen and then captured them for further reflection and prayer. You can see the responses to those questions here.
I would still like to receive your feedback on these questions so that we can hear from a broad base of people within the body. You can do that by sending your responses to me by e-mail, by commenting on the blog, or by writing them down and turning them in to the office.
On Wednesday evening, June 11 we will have a second Family Forum utilizing the same process and addressing another set of questions. I hope you can join us.
Gene
May 19th, 2008
The material below is what we captured live and projected to the screen in the family forum on the above date. If you did not participate, you may still respond to these questions here on the blog or by emailing them to gcornett@sbc-va.org
We were divided into eight groups. Each group brainstormed answers to the questions at their table. Then a spokesperson from each table reported to the entire group. In this way, everyone at the forum had an opportunity to hear and be heard. The answers below were captured as the spokespersons reported to the whole group.
We discussed the following questions:
• Think of some people who have been active at Seaford for a long time. What has kept them active and involved?
• What is one positive thing you could say about people who hold an opinion opposite yours? What is one positive thing they could say about you?
• What are the positive reasons for going to one service? For staying with two services?
Family Forum
May 15, 2008
Gene opened with prayer and challenged us to be the church body we all dream of – committed to God, to one another, to reaching out to all with whom we interact.
Question One:
Think of some people who have been active at Seaford for a long time. What has kept them active and involved?
• Fellowship & relationships
• Caring people
• Responsive to needs
• Activities
• Pastors who care
• First interaction with someone – Wallace Tucker
• Warm loving church
• Love for the church in all times
• Feeling for one another
• Sense of community
• Individuals who inspire service – Wallace
• History – been with church and have invested in church
• Close/programs
• Love for people
• Mentoring – quality teaching
• Desire to be part of a group who encourages people in the faith and to grow
• Who would we hurt by leaving?
• Love of people
• Accept lots of different kinds of people
• Holy Spirit
• Strong praying people
• Family
• Strong friendships
• Involved in a ministry
• Long serving
• Drama/Christmas musical
• Sense of ownership-stake driving ceremony
• People you make connections with
• Variety of ministries
• Bible believing
• Intensity of faith
• Kids Praise/Children’s Musicals
• Availability of small groups
• Love of God
• Fellowship
• Relationships
• Strong Youth/Kids programs
• People
• Sense of family/community
• Friends that really care
• Dedication to Christ
• Investment in church
• Love for the church
• People who deeply believe in their ministry
• Commitment
• Family prayer support
• Sense of family
• Those who move away and come back
• Programs that meet family needs
• Love of people
• Called to ministry
• Committed to church
Question Two:
Leaving personalities out!!!
What is one positive thing you could say about people who hold an opinion opposite of yours? What is one positive thing they could say about you?
• Respect them
• Respect their opinion – even if it was wrong
• Even if we differ in our opinions, we love one another
• Respect their commitment to their opinion
• We don’t want to be the one to cause disunity
• Bless their heart
• Okay to have different opinion
• Gives me the opportunity to evaluate my opinion
• Helps me to appreciate that God has made us unique
• Hopefully others will respect my opinion
• When things are decided that everyone is still friends – no offense taken
• They will say I treated them with respect and kindness
• We are all seeking the same thing – the long-term health of church
• Disagreement encourages discussion
• Commitment and conviction
• We are all children of God
• Differences of opinion causes you to rethink your own thoughts
• We can make a decision to deal with someone in a Christian manner
• Room for growth
• You value their judgment and they value yours
• Care enough to have an opinion even though they are wrong
• We should work to love and restore fellowship after a disagreement
• We are both God’s children
• Opposites attract
• Help see one another viewpoints
• Learn from others
• Speaking on God’s behalf
• Appreciate their faithfulness to their beliefs
• They took time to listen
• Stood on the Word of God
• Relationships are more important than issues
• Relationships are more important than issues
• Agree to disagree
• Give honor and respect
• Celebrate the 90% we agree on
• Forgive as Christ forgives us
• Don’t have to be best friends
• Be positive
• Good listener
• Gave respect
• Always willing to express their opinion in order to help out the church
Question Three:
Brainstorm positive reasons for going to one service on Sunday mornings.
• Financially cheaper
• Worship center more full
• See more people
• Have the opportunity to meet people
• Builds unity
• Excitement will grow when church is full
• Easier to gave health of church visible
• Lessens work burden on volunteers
• Lessens work burden and stress on paid staff
• Lower operating costs
• Possibly more children in Wee praise
• Helps parking (multiple cars from one family)
• Builds family unity
• Stops arguments
• Re-establish unity & community
• Less work for everyone
• Less work for staff
• Build fellowship
• More economical
• More environmentally friendly
• Pastors can speak longer
• Unity of congregation
• Full choir
• Less taxing for all service leaders
• Easier to note if someone is missing
• Cost savings
• Continuity of service
• Spiritually uplifting to see everyone
• More excitement with more people
• Meet more members
• Less work for leaders
• Recognize more people
• Lessen utility costs
• More space for small groups
• Not burn out pastors
• Everyone hears the same message
• One church to build unity
• One church to build unity
• Lessens burden on staff and volunteers
• Makes for more energy in service
• Quality of volunteering would go up – not stretched so thin
• More energy
• More HR
• Resources would be more directed – band, pastors, sound, choir
• Might have a choir
• More sense of family
• Crowd draws a crowd
• Closer contact – fewer seats
• Cuts costs
• May improve scheduling on Sunday morning – time is often cramped… Service can bleed into SS time
• Could be adjustment to schedule – change start times
• No assumption that the 8:30 AM service would be cut
Brainstorm positive reasons for staying with 2 services on Sunday mornings.
• Bigger window of opportunity for people to come
• What people are used to
• Too many changes make people feel unstable – need stability
• Fits the needs of certain people
• Gives more options
• No more changes
• Sunday morning service for those who are in Children’s ministry
• Donuts during band during 1st service
• Schedule works for some people – gives them more family time in the afternoon
• Provides a worship opportunity for other workers
• Flexibility to accommodate schedules
• Better seat selection
• Keeps doors open longer
• Provides for nursery workers to attend service
• No one sitting in “your” seat
• Shift workers have a service
• Minimal energy savings
• Provides choices
• More family in afternoon
• People like to get to lunch early
• Dress rehearsal for 11AM service (Gene’s skeleton)
• Provides opportunity for 2 different types of service
• People have choices
• Kids Praise workers have a service
• More room to grow
• Correct mistakes from early service
• People’s schedules
• Workers to get to a service, SS teachers like to ramp up for SS
• Family time in afternoon
• 2 different types of services
• accommodates family schedule on Sunday (like early)
• ensures that you get your seat
• some people can’t attend due to work
• Workers can attend a service
• Appeals to more people
• Less change – especially now
• Opportunity to grow
• You can choose – convenience
• Workers can attend a service
• More parking
Other comments:
• See lots of volunteers at 8:30AM service, how would they be able to worship if we changed?
• Consider other options besides just cutting current services
• If going to 1 service was wildly successful, we would have to start thinking about 2 again
• We would lose families due to change, can’t afford to lose them
• Are the workloads a correct assumptions/ways of doing things?
• Is 1 hour of electricity savings worth it?
• Is the savings worth the potential alienation?
• Is the 1 hour of rest staff would get worth the alienation?
• Run a pilot to prove/disprove assumptions
• Staff and volunteers are actually here longer than 1 hour before
• Pluses and minuses are on both sides of issue
• Disruptions to people’s schedule are not necessarily bad
• Change is bad & good
• Previous experience of similar change was not good
• Wrong question – why are we hemorrhaging members? Underlying problem?
• Not everyone thinks we are hemorrhaging
• What are we here for? To serve families and community, bring them to God, to worship
• Let’s not lose focus
• First service is dull – people are so spread out they do not seem to feel connected
• 2nd service – more people, closer together,
• conduct 1st service in Red Room to increase togetherness
• Could start services at other times than 11 & 8:30AM
• Excitement changed in services when we moved from FLC to Worship Center
• Disagree with previous statement. Honor various ways of worship – intimacy in 1st service, seconded
• Is it 6 or half a dozen? The key is… how is God going to use us to effectively reach out to the community and to one another?
• What will it take to build excitement?
• Applaud Gene for encouraging us to talk. This is how we are/can be a family.
Homework:
What are the stories that you would be hesitant to tell a new member? Why not? (addresses skeletons in the closet that might trip up a new member/visitor or pastor)
Next Forum – June 11th
Next Questions – Where does God want to take us?
Gene closed us in prayer.
May 19th, 2008
Just as the Pharisees made a public show of their giving, prayer was no different. The point of their prayers as recorded seem to be that of impressing people with their piety. Again, Jesus makes the point in verse 5 that they got exactly what they asked for (their reward) – the approval of people.
Now, I’d like to make a distinction here. This passage isn’t saying that these folks wandered out into the streets when it was time for prayer. I think it is making the point that they had no problem with being seen if it was time or there was a need to pray. The issue was they made the decision to pray where they would be seen, they pretended to have intercourse with God (yes, I chose that word on purpose – look it up if you were somehow taken aback by it). You see, prayer that is only offered in public is prayer that is only for a show. It should be intimate, familiar time with one that we need communion with apart from the world, apart from the hustle and bustle. That is where the issue was – that was not being done here.
Note that Jesus didn’t condemn prayer. He, instead, looked at what prayer had become and saw the perversion of it, becoming similar to pagan prayer practices (many of which continue today) that feel like repetition endears them to God. Jesus says to stop ‘babbling like pagans’ because God is not dependent on our endless repetition. Wow – how much freedom is wrapped up in that? (I can already hear the debates – what about persistence? The prayer for one that is lost and does not know Christ? Should I pray once and forget it (use our ‘easy’ button)? Or model prayer in earnest as Christ did in the garden of Gethsemane? We certainly want to know it all, and follow some formula for prayer success – and Christ takes us there now, but we have in turn potentially made this into exactly what Jesus spoke of : that prayer of recitation, of rote reliance, of ritual without any reality.)
Now we come to the model prayer. Some have called it the Lord’s prayer, personally it seems much more accurate to call this the Disciple’s prayer, since Jesus was teaching them how to pray (not teaching himself). I don’t for a minute believe this was a prayer that we should memorize and recite all the time. It seems to be areas that should occupy our time in communion with God.
First – prayer should involve worship (vs. 9). It magnifies God and involves worship of the object worthy of our praise: God the Father.
Second – prayer will occupy itself with the work God is engaged in (vs. 10). That means it’s not all about you! It is all about God and His work here with and among us.
Third – prayer addresses our daily needs (vs. 11). Here the believer shows their dependence on God and not the works of their own hands.
Fourth – prayer contains confession (vs. 12). This could be for the forgiveness of our sins, either known or unknown or both!
Fifth – prayer includes elements of protection and deliverance from the evil one (vs. 13). Keep in mind the world you and I live in is ruled by the prince of the air, not the Prince of Peace. Prayer should recognize the need for God to protect and deliver us from this reality as we live for Him.
Jesus finishes off this review of what prayer should be by setting the expectation that God wants us to be a forgiving people. If we have an unforgiving spirit then it becomes an impossibility for God to answer our prayers. And that may seem strange to you. How can we – who have been forgiven so much on so many levels – not forgive someone else and expect God to answer our cries for forgiveness? Take a few moments to reflect on Matthew 18:21-35.
May 19th, 2008
Rejection of the Pharisaic practices of the law (Matt. 6:1-7:6; Luke 6:37-42) [Part 1]
After Jesus rejected the Pharisaic interpretation of the law, He moves on to show that their practices that came about because of their interpretation was to be rejected as well. Let’s think about that for just a moment. You and I act on various things based on our beliefs. And the Bible is pretty clear on this from a very practical standpoint. For instance, take Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. I seem to constantly be amazed as ‘church folks’ say things that would seemingly be out of character as followers of Christ outside of church. You know, the off colored jokes, the cursing, the guys who talk less than glowingly of their wife or family. What this tells me is there is a heart condition that has not been addressed. And what is really contained in the heart – and mind – comes out of the mouth. Folks are acting on (or speaking of) things they truly believe. There are tons of examples in this area, and the one above is far from all encompassing or perfect, but it shouldn’t take any of us long to think of many examples of acting on our beliefs in very practical ways.
Among the beliefs of the Pharisees there was a ‘code’ (if you will) of teachings that revolved around certain acts of righteousness that should certainly be taught and followed. Among these were giving alms, praying and fasting. Jesus addresses each area, but realize that right up front (ref. Matt. 6:1 – Be careful…) these three items – designed by God to be a God-facing action – had been perverted to become man-facing actions so the Pharisees could build on their reputations of being pious. They were hypocrites! And none of us have heard believer and non believers call followers of Christ that same thing, have we?
You don’t have to look back far to see that Jesus gave blessings on those who were merciful (Matthew 5:7 – Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.) So…what’s this? Giving to those less fortunate, to those in need, is certainly an act of mercy. What an opportunity for followers of Christ to demonstrate the love of God by meeting needs. The Pharisees had perverted this in that they used it to impress men. This was something that was so widespread that the beggars – they may be poor, but they weren’t stupid – sought to stage themselves at the approaches to the temple so that they might receive these flashy gifts from the Pharisees as they entered.
It’s interesting to note that Christ says in the end over verse 2 that those that do this have received their reward in full. These folks were not really ‘giving’ in the sense that the law spoke of, in fact they were buying a service. That service was the praise of men! And that was all they would get for their purchase. God certainly couldn’t be bought in such a manner and He would not be heaping praise on them. They got what they paid for.
We talk about the blessings from God. You want them? Stop giving out loud! Why do we feel obligated to tell others? Is it to impress them? To make a show? Granted, we can gussy it up with our veil of religion and say it is to ‘encourage others to follow our example’. If I’m reading my Bible right, let me say this about the practice – it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. You may try to make it more appealing, but it’s still a pig. You want a true reward, one that won’t go anywhere or fade with the passing of time? Then get it from God – do your giving quietly, which is the right attitude taught by the Lord. He will reward those who follow His teaching in their practice, and He certainly repudiated the perversion the Pharisees had made of giving to the needy.
More parts of this lesson to follow…
May 11th, 2008
For fifteen years we experienced a strong leadership presence from our senior pastor, including as church business moderator. Now, while in transition, we have held five business meetings in less than three months, more than in an entire year previously, and voted to meet in such parlimentary forum monthly. Clearly, we have a need to talk, air concerns, frustrations, and offer good ideas; some have even returned from deserting or vacating the body for several years.
The inclusion of all member towards accomplishing the purpose and mission of this new testament church is appropraite, even essential. In I Corinthians chapters 13 and 14, the Apostle Paul instructs the believers at Corinth that all done in public forum should be for the glory of the Lord, framed in love and unity, and to edify the body. Specifically, in chapter 14 verses 29-33, Paul states all can prophesy or speak so that everyone is instructed and encouraged, but must be done orderly and with accountability. With some 250 families in our church body, this can only be accomplished through family forums, not parlimentary procedure.
Our pastors, with the training and more that forty years of combined experience, those we elect to serve on committees and as church officers, deserve our attention and support in leading this body orderly and with accountability. Following the lead of those minimally involved, invested or even familiar with the current vision, mission, and needs of the church is gravely dangerous.
I urge the body to support with your presence our family forum discussions. Show up ready to listen and share. Only then can we appropriatley and effectively meet in parlimentary forum and expect to move forward.
May 7th, 2008
In a past article I asked,
Is there any significant move of God in all of Scripture in which He did not work through a core of spiritual leaders?
I still haven’t been able to think of an example, unless you count Numbers 16. You could call this chapter a significant move of God, and in a way, it did not involve a core of spiritual leaders. The episode begins,
Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men. And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”
This was a challenge against God’s appointed leader. Of course, God’s anointing on Moses was unique. No church that I know of today has a pastor who was called at a burning bush or parted a sea to lead his people across it. Therefore before we draw any application from this passage, we have to determine whether it has any real parallel in today’s church. We’ll look at that question first, then we’ll return to see just what the work of God was in this passage.
We’ll start with whether church leaders today are called by God. Most churches assume so, but does the Bible say? Ephesians 4:11-14 says pastors (shepherds) and teachers are given to the church by God:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
1 Corinthians 12:27-28 takes this idea of gifting and extends it to include others are involved in leading God’s people. The meaning of “apostles” and “prophets” is controversial in this post-apostolic era, but virtually all Bible students accept teaching and administrating as leadership gifts/roles for today’s church. Note that they are appointed by God.
Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
We don’t expect burning bushes to confirm such appointing, of course. God only did that once. Now, instead, he generally uses other qualified people to identify and appoint spiritual leaders. Paul told Titus to appoint elders, having first made sure he knew the proper qualifications:
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—-if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Once they have been properly recognized and appointed, God pronounces elders and teachers to be worthy of honor:
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
And again,
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
And then, ten verses later in Hebrews, we see this strong affirmation of spiritual leaders:
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Now, this hardly means that there is no accountability for our leaders. James 3:1-3 says their special honor comes with special responsibility:
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
Earlier I quoted from 1 Timothy 5. I need to return to it and add another couple of verses. That passage ends with:
Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
In addition, I could go into all the very strict, even dire warnings, about false teachers and false prophets throughout Scripture; but I don’t that is necessary to cover in detail. We know that leaders are accountable. Now, how does that accountability take place? Different churches have different answers. There are episcopal structures, where a bishop presides over a large number of churches. There are elder-oriented structures, where accountability comes primarily through an internal body of qualified spiritual leaders. Both of these have their pluses and minuses.
Can an entire church hold its leaders accountable? Certainly any person (or at least one who is spiritual) could initiate the accountability sequence of Matthew 18:15-17, approaching a leader privately, then bringing some along if necessary, and later (if needed) taking the issue before the whole church. The above admonition still holds, though: do not admit an accusation against an elder without definite evidence of their wrongdoing.
But can a church body together stand up and take over the appointed role of a leader? This brings us back to Numbers 16. I encourage you to read the whole chapter, but I’ll highlight the beginning and the end for you here. Remember what the people had said?
For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?
It’s easy to think that any one of us could do what our leaders do, that we’re all qualified for their work. That’s not the issue, though. Moses did not exalt himself above the assembly of the Lord; the Lord called him and placed him there. It was the Lord’s doing. Moses made it clear at the time that the issue was, whom has God sent? God did not call the whole congregation to run the whole. He called the qualified spiritual leaders (also including others to whom leadership was properly delegated–see Exodus 18 and Numbers 11).
So what happened to those who thought they could stand up in place of those leaders? Something we wouldn’t want to happen to anyone around us!
The ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
Of course just as no leader is called by means of a burning bush today, it’s also unlikely that the earth will open up and swallow a rebellious church, or part of a church. Nevertheless the lesson is clear: there are right ways to hold leaders accountable. And there is at least one way that Scripture tells us is a very, very bad idea.
What then does this mean regarding the purpose of our church business meetings? This blog post is getting long, so this is not time to try to answer that in detail. The business meetings certainly have their purpose, but whatever we do there, it should be consistent with following and giving honor to our teachers and leaders; and we dare not try to usurp them as Korah’s group did. We don’t want to end up the way they did.
May 6th, 2008
This is part 2 of the series…
4 – Oaths (vs. 33–37)
When I think of Pharisaism, I think of the deeply rooted practice of taking oaths. As noted by Pentecost, ‘A man took an oath to affirm the truth of the word that he spoke. The oath involved a curse that he placed on himself if his word were not true or his promise not confirmed.’
Let’s talk a bit about oaths. I find this in a well noted Bible Encyclopedia:
Oaths Permissible: That oaths are permissible to Christians is shown by the example of Our Lord (Matt 26:63 f), and of Paul (2 Cor 1:23; Gal 1:20) and even of God Himself (Heb 6:13-18). Consequently when Christ said, “Swear not at all” (Matt 5:34), He was laying down the principle that the Christian must not have two standards of truth, but that his ordinary speech must be as sacredly true as his oath. In the kingdom of God, where that principle holds sway, oaths become unnecessary.
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The conclusion reached by Pentecost is that, since Christ allowed Himself to be put under an oath (as seen in Matt. 26:63-64) one can conclude that He did not forbid His hearers to put themselves under an oath. He also agrees with the annotation above that their character, their reputation of honesty, and their word should be so true that no one would suspect or question their integrity in what they said. Why? When the Pharisees took an oath, they affirmed something that could be understood in more than one way. Let your yes be what you said it was! Believers should affirm only what is true because Christ demands trustworthiness in speech.
I will share that this isn’t a hill that I want to plant my flag on, but it is one that many love to argue about. In fact, I may be immature in this area, because I don’t find myself in agreement with the writers of the material I have studied. I do mean, I agree that we should let our speech be truthful and there should not be any need for swearing of oaths. However, there are many things I will not swear an oath to – things like commitment to give cards or drives that many churches conduct where you sign cards or some such oath to give a particular amount. I find those items (personally) in violation of what I believe to be sound biblical principals and a simple notion of letting your yes be yes – or your no being no. Again, color me immature, legalistic, or shallow – but I find such things to be either a throw towards clubs, the business world, or a lack of faith (while others frame this as planning, shows of faith, etc.).
This is an area that could take some substantial study time to get through, but in reflection it is an area each of us needs to look at in prayerful consideration for ourselves and others. How is my speech? Do I say what I mean and mean what I say? Do I keep my word and can others depend on my word? Is what I say truthful? Ponder those things…
5 – Retaliation (vs. 38-42)
A literal interpretation of the law by the Pharisees during this time meant that the law allowed for retaliation and equal retribution. “Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth” (Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21). If you suffered an injury or a loss, you are entitled (or had a legal right) to repayment in kind! Perhaps the intention of the law was to curb or control excessive behavior. The law actually set a boundary on retaliation.
It’s important to note that the law required anyone to react in a like manner to the offender. Jesus taught that to demand one’s right was not a manifestation of divine righteousness. Christ said that righteousness, godliness, and holiness do not demand one to seek his rights. The opposite seems to be the norm here – we give up our rights. When Jesus stood before Pilate because He was falsely accused, did He demand His rights? Looking at these words of Jesus, He requires believers to give up their own rights and go beyond what was demanded as a demonstration of the righteousness that is acceptable to Christ.
At verse 41, the Life Application Bible explains this well.
This is an allusion to the forced labor that soldiers could demand of ordinary citizens, commandeering them to carry their loads a certain distance (one mile, the term for one thousand paces). The Jews hated this law because it forced them to show their subjection to Rome. Yet Jesus said to take the load and willingly go two miles. Jesus called for a serving attitude (as he himself exemplified throughout his life and especially at the cross). Jesus’ words probably shocked his hearers. Most of the Jews, expecting a military Messiah, would never have expected to hear Jesus issue a command of nonretaliation and cooperation with the hated Roman Empire. By these words, Jesus was revealing that his followers belong to another kingdom. They need not attempt to fight against Rome (as did the Zealots, a militant group of Jews), which could only end in defeat. Instead, they should work on behalf of God’s kingdom. If doing so meant walking an extra mile carrying a Roman soldier’s load, then that was what they should do.
THE SECOND MILE
In an unequal power situation, you have no choice about the first mile. The soldier has the sword, so you carry his gear. And it’s a mile and an hour you can never get back. You’re the loser.
What’s to be done?
The second mile is your choice. It’s your way of saying, “God is in control here. He gives me energy, and a mere mile does not exhaust me. That sword is nothing; God is everything. Do you want to know where the real power lies? Try to keep up with me and I’ll tell you.”
(from The Life Application Commentary Series copyright (C) 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 by the Livingstone Corporation. Produced with permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
The Pharisees just knew they were on top of things here. They knew the full implications of “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy”. But Christ again turns this beyond their limited expectations by demanding more than the demands of the law – true righteousness causes the believer to love enemies.
You mean…I can pray for those that persecute me? Show love and kindness to those that do us wrong? If you only love those who return love, what have you really done? And is that all that God does, love those who love Him? Does it only rain on those who trust in God? Are those folks the only ones that get raises, dodge sickness and debilitating diseases? Get real! Christ shows us that loving folks for the show of it (oh, I love what you’ve done for…fill in the blank) or because of some kindness you have experienced is shallow at best for the believer.
Jesus is more concerned about the attitude of your heart than your shows of affection. He wants to know that your mind is in obedience to His acts of love as you share that with others by your actions. Jesus sums this up in verse 48 ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ This perfection is the standard to enter the kingdom of God. This far exceeded the standards of following the externals of the law like the Pharisees did. Following the law doesn’t make one perfect and acceptable to God. Only Jesus Christ can purify the mind and heart so that a life is transformed. And Jesus is in the business of transforming lives…what about yours?
May 4th, 2008
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May 4th, 2008
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