My life is becoming more and more focused as I learn to walk in God's purposes for me. I believe with increasing confidence that the major purpose for my life is to be a disciple of Christ and help others learn to be disciples, also... learning to love God, hear his voice and obey him. In our postmodern, post-Christian, highly relational culture, I am certain that we will fail to reproduce as disciples unless we learn to have authentic, intentional friendships. That's what true Christian community is about - friends learning to together to live like Jesus.
On that note, here are some principles that are developing in me as I learn to lead my friends to follow Christ more closely:
1) Maximize this season. We all know that friendships wax and wane with the seasons of life. Several friendships remain precious throughout the years, few are maintained and many are lost altogether. Be friends with people for the sake of being friends, not for the sake of spiritual conquest. However, develop the discipline of submitting your friendships to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Ask God, "What friend have you given me for this season with whom I'm supposed to take a disciple's journey?" There should be urgency in this prayer because God opens doors for influence that will eventually close. Make the most of the season you have because it will not last forever... and you do not want to find yourself on the other side of it holding regrets.
2) Be an authentic friend. This goes back to my previous statement, "Be friends with people for the sake of being friends, not for the sake of spiritual conquest." No one wants to feel like a spiritual project. There is a certain level of boldness, accountability and power that come from authentic friendship... you earn the right to be heard and you work hard to develop a safe space within which you can deal with tough issues. Ask yourself this question: "If this person refused to let me lead him in discipleship, would I still want a friendship with him?" If the answer is negative, don't pursue discipleship.
3) Establish an end date. We've all had friendships that explode for weeks or months but somehow fade. Upon discovery of this new kinship, you do lunch several times a week, go on double dates with your spouses, call one another just to catch up, etc. This kind of intimacy is not perpetual and we shouldn't expect it to be so. It is a sad fact of friendships, however, that when this season of close comradeship passes, we sometimes feel as if we've suffered a romantic break-up! The same will be true of the discipling season in your friendship. If you're going to meet together once a week for Bible study, set an end date... three months out, six months, maybe a year. Acknowledge that it's not realistic in life for a weekly meeting to last perpetually. Say it up front so that when the end comes, it doesn't feel like rejection. Also, because seasons and relationships change, there is an urgent need to meet consistently and make the most of each meeting. Say so up front. For me, it usually sounds something like, "I really want to give myself to our disciple's journey but I only have so much time. Can we make it a priority to meet together once a week at such & such day and time for six months and miss very, very little? We don't have much time so we need to make the most of it..."
4) Choose a few and invest well. Having a short end date allows you to prioritize the way you invest in your friends. For instance, you may hear God tell you to walk closely with Jon for a season. Because you know it will only be for six months and you have invited him to take the disciple's journey for that season, you can feel good about making him a priority in that time frame. In fact, you may only want to walk with him and one or two other guys during that season because you know you cannot invest well in more than two or three men. Set your goals - mine are to help my friends become spiritually active, personally responsible and intentionally multiplying disciples who hear God's voice and obey. Because these are the goals that I believe God has given me, I choose to work with only a few at a time so I can see this happen. I want to pray for them consistently, meet often and really share life for a little while. I would rather give myself away to a few for a season and see them develop well than meet with many, barely get them on the right track and drag the process out longer than it should take.
I am definitely still in process as a disciple and may look back years from now and disagree with some of these principles. However, at this point I feel strongly about them. I hope they help you as you seek to follow Christ and live in such a way that others can follow you.
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Me Last!
My almost three-year-old daughter has a habit that, even at her young age, strikes a wrong chord in me. It surfaced again today as we walked up the steps to my mom's house; in the long line of Foster-Whiddons, I was last and Zoe was just in front of me. As we made our way onto the porch, my little girl picked up her pace and told me repeatedly and emphatically, "Me first! Me first! Me first!" In classic parental reverse-psychology, I responded, "Fine! I want to be last! You can't be last! That's my spot!"
My own statement reminded me of a message I heard recently at the Creative Church Conference (C3) at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. Brian Houston, the pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia, delivered a sermon in which he described what it was like to be the pastor of Darlene Zschech, one of the most recognized worship leaders in the world. He illustrated his point by proclaiming that when they go on trips together, people want a picture with Darlene and he is the guy who ends up holding the camera! Pastor Houston's challenge to a building full of ambitious leaders stuck with me - practice being last.
Being last does not come easily to mankind; it definitely is not at the top of my list of personal goals. However, I want to be like Christ, and Philippians 2:5-8 describes how my attitude should look in order to reflect his:
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Oh Jesus, help me learn to be glad to be last. Help me lay down my pride and place others above myself. Let "Me last!" be the cry of my heart!
My own statement reminded me of a message I heard recently at the Creative Church Conference (C3) at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas. Brian Houston, the pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia, delivered a sermon in which he described what it was like to be the pastor of Darlene Zschech, one of the most recognized worship leaders in the world. He illustrated his point by proclaiming that when they go on trips together, people want a picture with Darlene and he is the guy who ends up holding the camera! Pastor Houston's challenge to a building full of ambitious leaders stuck with me - practice being last.
Being last does not come easily to mankind; it definitely is not at the top of my list of personal goals. However, I want to be like Christ, and Philippians 2:5-8 describes how my attitude should look in order to reflect his:
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Oh Jesus, help me learn to be glad to be last. Help me lay down my pride and place others above myself. Let "Me last!" be the cry of my heart!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Feeling Unhealthy?
Do you ever feel unhealthy? When you've eaten too much junk food, when you're on your third soda and it's only 11:30AM, when you haven't raised your heart rate past a mild trot in weeks? Unhealthy is not a good feeling - it hints of current shame and impending doom.
I often feel spiritually unhealthy. My heart burns for the devotional life, for spiritual disciplines, for discipleship. How can you be spiritually unhealthy when you love such things? Several reasons:
1) A loss of focus on the Teacher. All the things that make spiritual growth happen can become ends in themselves. The disciple has to remember that his journey is about one person - Jesus. If he works hard, learns a lot and grows immensely but is no closer to Jesus, the journey is in vain. Why am I doing what I'm doing? Why am I a Christian to begin with? I need to get close to Jesus, apart from my official position in ministry.
2) A lack of obedience. As the disciple learns to follow Jesus, the Teacher will ask him to do things that are uncomfortable. He will be stretched beyond the aspects of discipleship toward which he is naturally bent. If he naturally leans toward evangelism, the Lord may ask him to learn to study. If he leans toward private disciplines, the Lord may ask him to evangelize. God will lead toward specific conversations, influences, relationships, etc. It is too easy for the follower to dismiss and forget about the thing the Spirit has shown him to do and pursue other holy discipleship endeavors, sedating his conscience with easier good works. What has God directed me to do that I have left incomplete? When the LORD left his final instructions with his friends, he told them to make disciples and teach them to OBEY his Word. I need to obey.
3) A lessened influence in the world. Christians have a bad habit that is destroying the influence of the Church - the longer we are believers and the more involved we become in our local church, the more removed we become from the unbelieving world around us. This is a tragedy. This trend does not model Jesus' life and ministry at all. The LORD did attend synagogue and have conversations with the religious community, but he was frequently accompanied by the "seeking" unchurched. Seclusion in the Christian ghetto does little for the advancement of the kingdom of God; it encourages an us-verses-them mentality and our hearts no longer bleed for the lost and hurting. The Christian subculture feels safe for the believer but is death to the purposes of God in the earth. Am I having significant, caring conversations with those who are far from God? Do I have friends who are unbelievers? If not, I am convinced that I am not really following Jesus and I am living in disobedience and sin.
If my life is suffering from these diseases, I will live with a sense of current shame and impending spiritual doom & failure. We are called by Christ to live lives of eternal impact - am I having the impact I'm supposed to have? Am I a significant player in the kingdom of heaven, a notable character in God's story of redemption today? I want to be healthy.
I often feel spiritually unhealthy. My heart burns for the devotional life, for spiritual disciplines, for discipleship. How can you be spiritually unhealthy when you love such things? Several reasons:
1) A loss of focus on the Teacher. All the things that make spiritual growth happen can become ends in themselves. The disciple has to remember that his journey is about one person - Jesus. If he works hard, learns a lot and grows immensely but is no closer to Jesus, the journey is in vain. Why am I doing what I'm doing? Why am I a Christian to begin with? I need to get close to Jesus, apart from my official position in ministry.
2) A lack of obedience. As the disciple learns to follow Jesus, the Teacher will ask him to do things that are uncomfortable. He will be stretched beyond the aspects of discipleship toward which he is naturally bent. If he naturally leans toward evangelism, the Lord may ask him to learn to study. If he leans toward private disciplines, the Lord may ask him to evangelize. God will lead toward specific conversations, influences, relationships, etc. It is too easy for the follower to dismiss and forget about the thing the Spirit has shown him to do and pursue other holy discipleship endeavors, sedating his conscience with easier good works. What has God directed me to do that I have left incomplete? When the LORD left his final instructions with his friends, he told them to make disciples and teach them to OBEY his Word. I need to obey.
3) A lessened influence in the world. Christians have a bad habit that is destroying the influence of the Church - the longer we are believers and the more involved we become in our local church, the more removed we become from the unbelieving world around us. This is a tragedy. This trend does not model Jesus' life and ministry at all. The LORD did attend synagogue and have conversations with the religious community, but he was frequently accompanied by the "seeking" unchurched. Seclusion in the Christian ghetto does little for the advancement of the kingdom of God; it encourages an us-verses-them mentality and our hearts no longer bleed for the lost and hurting. The Christian subculture feels safe for the believer but is death to the purposes of God in the earth. Am I having significant, caring conversations with those who are far from God? Do I have friends who are unbelievers? If not, I am convinced that I am not really following Jesus and I am living in disobedience and sin.
If my life is suffering from these diseases, I will live with a sense of current shame and impending spiritual doom & failure. We are called by Christ to live lives of eternal impact - am I having the impact I'm supposed to have? Am I a significant player in the kingdom of heaven, a notable character in God's story of redemption today? I want to be healthy.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Graduate Already!
(The Church, the Holy Spirit and the Disciple)
As my understanding of discipleship and the simple life is developing, I feel the leading and providence of the Holy Spirit to certain resources, passages of Scripture and discussions with friends. Over the last week I came across a Messianic Jewish website called RabbiYeshua.com that gives some great insight into first century discipleship. I also came across an article by a fellow named Robert Brow on the role of the Holy Spirit as teacher or rabbi in the life of a Christian disciple. Both of these resources were very insightful, pointing my thoughts down the road of first-century discipleship as a context for understanding our mandate to follow Christ today. (However, I know very little about either of these sources and do not endorse or necessarily recommend them.)
A few days ago I searched for "Celebration of Discipline" on iTunes and found it in audiobook format and also discovered a sermon by its author, Richard Foster, given at a chapel service at Seattle Pacific University in the late 70s shortly after the book was written. The message was INCREDIBLE (I do highly recommend getting it - it's under the podcast section of the iTunes store). I began to search the digital library of SPU chapel services and found a message by Rob Wall entitled "Scripture and Jesus," given recently. In this message, Rob teaches from John 13 & 14 and gives great insight into the disciples' struggle to understand Jesus' impending departure and the gift of the Holy Spirit as an indwelling teacher (or rabbi).
I wrote all of that to give the back-story to my current thoughts and to assign credit where it is due. Now on to my thoughts...
What is the role of the church and the Holy Spirit in the life of a modern-day disciple? Rob Wall painted a gripping picture of the anxiety that Jesus' disciples must have felt when he announced his leaving; they were to become disciples without a rabbi, learners without a teacher. They had given their whole lives to follow one man, sacrificing their reputations and laying aside the normal responsibilities of life to align themselves with this radical teacher. What were they to do without him? Who would be the rabbi for this group of orphaned students?
Jesus had a plan! "I will not leave you as orphans..." Our Savior needed to leave so that the next stage of their discipleship could begin. Until this time, they followed a physical person in attempts to garner wisdom from him and live life as much like him as possible. Their three years of following Jesus were riddled with frustrating moments for their rabbi; often he would say things like, "How much longer do I have to put up with you?" or "How long have I been with you and you still do not know me?" The disciples were trying their best to follow Christ but had not developed "eyes to see and ears to hear" what God was doing in his kingdom. Rarely one of them would have moments of revelation; when Peter identified Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior replied "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven!" Jesus was eager to initiate his disciples into their next stage of learning because they would receive a new, much needed type of instruction - learning from a teacher within. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would remind them of all he said and lead them into all truth. This teacher would take them to places they had yet to go (and would not be able to go) following an earthly rabbi. This was the beginning of the best...
Believers today long for the opportunity to follow Christ as the disciples did. "If I could spend three years with Jesus I would really get things right!" There is a stage of discipleship that requires a season of following an earthly teacher and, in Jesus' absence, the Body of Christ fills that role. Christians rightly look to the church (local and universal) to lead them in learning about God and all things spiritual. However, we make a grave mistake when we see the church as our primary source of spiritual learning. Jesus intended for the twelve to graduate to a new level of discipleship and he intends the same for us today. There comes a time when we must wean ourselves off of the church as our substitute rabbi and lean primarily on the indwelling Teacher that Christ died to provide.
This concept can be frightening for both the disciple and the church leader. What might happen? Will people stop attending services? Will error creep in as people seek to find truth "on their own"? Yes, these things will happen to some (hopefully slight) degree. However, the power of Spirit-led discipleship is explosive! Imagine an army of Christ-followers who are united as a body but dependent primarily on the Holy Spirit (not the pastor) to lead them into truth! Imagine the impact as we follow Christ in pursuit of the lost, listening to his Spirit and living by his Word!
What role does the church play in helping disciples graduate to the next level? That's another post...
John 13:36-14:31
A few days ago I searched for "Celebration of Discipline" on iTunes and found it in audiobook format and also discovered a sermon by its author, Richard Foster, given at a chapel service at Seattle Pacific University in the late 70s shortly after the book was written. The message was INCREDIBLE (I do highly recommend getting it - it's under the podcast section of the iTunes store). I began to search the digital library of SPU chapel services and found a message by Rob Wall entitled "Scripture and Jesus," given recently. In this message, Rob teaches from John 13 & 14 and gives great insight into the disciples' struggle to understand Jesus' impending departure and the gift of the Holy Spirit as an indwelling teacher (or rabbi).
I wrote all of that to give the back-story to my current thoughts and to assign credit where it is due. Now on to my thoughts...
What is the role of the church and the Holy Spirit in the life of a modern-day disciple? Rob Wall painted a gripping picture of the anxiety that Jesus' disciples must have felt when he announced his leaving; they were to become disciples without a rabbi, learners without a teacher. They had given their whole lives to follow one man, sacrificing their reputations and laying aside the normal responsibilities of life to align themselves with this radical teacher. What were they to do without him? Who would be the rabbi for this group of orphaned students?
Jesus had a plan! "I will not leave you as orphans..." Our Savior needed to leave so that the next stage of their discipleship could begin. Until this time, they followed a physical person in attempts to garner wisdom from him and live life as much like him as possible. Their three years of following Jesus were riddled with frustrating moments for their rabbi; often he would say things like, "How much longer do I have to put up with you?" or "How long have I been with you and you still do not know me?" The disciples were trying their best to follow Christ but had not developed "eyes to see and ears to hear" what God was doing in his kingdom. Rarely one of them would have moments of revelation; when Peter identified Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior replied "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven!" Jesus was eager to initiate his disciples into their next stage of learning because they would receive a new, much needed type of instruction - learning from a teacher within. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would remind them of all he said and lead them into all truth. This teacher would take them to places they had yet to go (and would not be able to go) following an earthly rabbi. This was the beginning of the best...
Believers today long for the opportunity to follow Christ as the disciples did. "If I could spend three years with Jesus I would really get things right!" There is a stage of discipleship that requires a season of following an earthly teacher and, in Jesus' absence, the Body of Christ fills that role. Christians rightly look to the church (local and universal) to lead them in learning about God and all things spiritual. However, we make a grave mistake when we see the church as our primary source of spiritual learning. Jesus intended for the twelve to graduate to a new level of discipleship and he intends the same for us today. There comes a time when we must wean ourselves off of the church as our substitute rabbi and lean primarily on the indwelling Teacher that Christ died to provide.
This concept can be frightening for both the disciple and the church leader. What might happen? Will people stop attending services? Will error creep in as people seek to find truth "on their own"? Yes, these things will happen to some (hopefully slight) degree. However, the power of Spirit-led discipleship is explosive! Imagine an army of Christ-followers who are united as a body but dependent primarily on the Holy Spirit (not the pastor) to lead them into truth! Imagine the impact as we follow Christ in pursuit of the lost, listening to his Spirit and living by his Word!
What role does the church play in helping disciples graduate to the next level? That's another post...
John 13:36-14:31
Saturday, January 26, 2008
The Ministry of Philip
"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'" John 1:43-46
I feel like I am called to the ministry of Philip. After meeting Jesus and being called as his disciple, Philip found Nathaniel to share the news of Jesus. He not only "evangelized" but also urged Nathaniel to come and see Christ for himself. Philip did not attempt to become Nathaniel's teacher but, instead, wanted to personally introduce him to Jesus so that he could "taste and see" the Lord's goodness first-hand.
I love to teach and I enjoy preaching, but I feel that my calling is to urge others to meet Jesus personally, to experience him for themselves and to answer the call to discipleship by which I myself am challenged. I am learning who God wants me to be - a disciple-maker in the model of Philip.
John 1:43-46
I feel like I am called to the ministry of Philip. After meeting Jesus and being called as his disciple, Philip found Nathaniel to share the news of Jesus. He not only "evangelized" but also urged Nathaniel to come and see Christ for himself. Philip did not attempt to become Nathaniel's teacher but, instead, wanted to personally introduce him to Jesus so that he could "taste and see" the Lord's goodness first-hand.
I love to teach and I enjoy preaching, but I feel that my calling is to urge others to meet Jesus personally, to experience him for themselves and to answer the call to discipleship by which I myself am challenged. I am learning who God wants me to be - a disciple-maker in the model of Philip.
John 1:43-46
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Object Lesson #1 - Dirty High Chair
Two object lessons came to mind as I was going about my daily stuff today; one involves a dirty high chair and, the other, an old tool shed in the process of being demolished.
DIRTY HIGH CHAIR
We all have pet peeves, certain things that must be a particular way for all to be right with the world. One of mine is Holton's high chair after a meal. Of course, our one-year-old makes a glorious mess when he feeds himself. In the process of cleaning the kitchen, Vanessa usually leaves the chair as the last project and often ends up called away by more urgent needs before she gets to it, thus leaving it dirty longer than I would like. When I see the high chair in a mess, it makes me feel sick. I can't handle it. I want it clean before the food dries and I most DEFINITELY don't want anyone to see it in such a state. Initially I would fuss about the dirty high chair. However, I have found that if I want the high chair cleaned immediately after a meal, it works best if I am the one to clean in.
We all see areas in life that need work - in our marriages, jobs, churches, etc. These are real needs that we are keenly aware of and they need to be addressed, but for some reason no one else is making an effort to fix them! Could it be that God has opened your eyes to that particular need? Others may not see it so clearly or feel the urgency of addressing the problem, but God has gifted you to be aware of it. You have "eyes to see and ears to hear." With that awareness comes responsibility. It may be your job to wave the flag for the need you see, but most likely it is your calling to actually do something about it. Don't wait around for others to see the need, criticize them when they don't and move on to another marriage/job/church when the need remains unmet. You see the need, you meet it. It could be divinely appointed that you're the right person for the job!
DIRTY HIGH CHAIR
We all have pet peeves, certain things that must be a particular way for all to be right with the world. One of mine is Holton's high chair after a meal. Of course, our one-year-old makes a glorious mess when he feeds himself. In the process of cleaning the kitchen, Vanessa usually leaves the chair as the last project and often ends up called away by more urgent needs before she gets to it, thus leaving it dirty longer than I would like. When I see the high chair in a mess, it makes me feel sick. I can't handle it. I want it clean before the food dries and I most DEFINITELY don't want anyone to see it in such a state. Initially I would fuss about the dirty high chair. However, I have found that if I want the high chair cleaned immediately after a meal, it works best if I am the one to clean in.
We all see areas in life that need work - in our marriages, jobs, churches, etc. These are real needs that we are keenly aware of and they need to be addressed, but for some reason no one else is making an effort to fix them! Could it be that God has opened your eyes to that particular need? Others may not see it so clearly or feel the urgency of addressing the problem, but God has gifted you to be aware of it. You have "eyes to see and ears to hear." With that awareness comes responsibility. It may be your job to wave the flag for the need you see, but most likely it is your calling to actually do something about it. Don't wait around for others to see the need, criticize them when they don't and move on to another marriage/job/church when the need remains unmet. You see the need, you meet it. It could be divinely appointed that you're the right person for the job!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Ministry in Desolate Places (Matthew 14:13-21)
I was caught recently by two events in Matthew 14 - the death of John the Baptist and the feeding of the five thousand. They are in the same chapter but, in my recollection of them, I did not realize the connection between the two. From this chapter I gleaned two major lessons that have ministered to me in the past few weeks. One is "Ministry in Desolate Places" and the other is "Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord."
Jesus' response to the death of his friend, cousin and ministry partner colors the feeding in such a human way. When we think of our Savior's expressions of human emotion, a certain few events come to mind - the death of Lazarus, his weeping over Jerusalem and the Garden of Gethsemane. However, Jesus was also deeply moved by the death of John. When he got the news, the scripture says, "he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself." The blow of such tragedy effected Jesus and he felt the need to get alone and deal with it. The emotional pain that Jesus was feeling was represented by his withdrawal to "a desolate place." Jesus was in a desolate place on the inside, so he retreated to a desolate place physically in order to mourn.
The crowds followed Jesus (see "Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord") and, when Jesus saw them, "he had compassion on them and healed their sick." As the day grew late, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus was moved by the needs of the people in their sickness; the disciples were now moved by the needs of the people in their hunger. Notice the phrase "desolate place" coming up again. The disciples saw the need but felt ill-equipped to supply it. However, Jesus' response challenged them - "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." When the disciples protested that they had only meager supplies (obviously not enough for such an incredible need), Jesus said "Bring them here to me." And we know the rest of the story...
We are surrounded by people in desolate places; pain abounds in our world. Two things from this passage are incredibly encouraging when facing the reality of our current desolation.
1) Jesus finds himself in desolate places. He is not immune to our pain but, instead, "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." He did not simply mimic humanity; he was (and is) completely human in every way. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..."
2) Jesus will use what little we have to minister to others in their desolation, even when we are there ourselves. Like we often do, the disciples felt dramatically unprepared to meet the needs of the masses. However, their supply didn't determine their ability; their Savior did! Certainly the disciples were also hungry, feeling their own needs in this desolate place. However, when they gave their supply to Jesus, he was able to minister to the crowds.
As we find ourselves in desolate places, let us be encouraged that Jesus is with us in our desolation and he longs to use us to minister to others in the same place. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
Matthew 14:13-21
Hebrews 4:14-16
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Jesus' response to the death of his friend, cousin and ministry partner colors the feeding in such a human way. When we think of our Savior's expressions of human emotion, a certain few events come to mind - the death of Lazarus, his weeping over Jerusalem and the Garden of Gethsemane. However, Jesus was also deeply moved by the death of John. When he got the news, the scripture says, "he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself." The blow of such tragedy effected Jesus and he felt the need to get alone and deal with it. The emotional pain that Jesus was feeling was represented by his withdrawal to "a desolate place." Jesus was in a desolate place on the inside, so he retreated to a desolate place physically in order to mourn.
The crowds followed Jesus (see "Pursuing the Withdrawing Lord") and, when Jesus saw them, "he had compassion on them and healed their sick." As the day grew late, the disciples came to Jesus and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus was moved by the needs of the people in their sickness; the disciples were now moved by the needs of the people in their hunger. Notice the phrase "desolate place" coming up again. The disciples saw the need but felt ill-equipped to supply it. However, Jesus' response challenged them - "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." When the disciples protested that they had only meager supplies (obviously not enough for such an incredible need), Jesus said "Bring them here to me." And we know the rest of the story...
We are surrounded by people in desolate places; pain abounds in our world. Two things from this passage are incredibly encouraging when facing the reality of our current desolation.
1) Jesus finds himself in desolate places. He is not immune to our pain but, instead, "in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." He did not simply mimic humanity; he was (and is) completely human in every way. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses..."
2) Jesus will use what little we have to minister to others in their desolation, even when we are there ourselves. Like we often do, the disciples felt dramatically unprepared to meet the needs of the masses. However, their supply didn't determine their ability; their Savior did! Certainly the disciples were also hungry, feeling their own needs in this desolate place. However, when they gave their supply to Jesus, he was able to minister to the crowds.
As we find ourselves in desolate places, let us be encouraged that Jesus is with us in our desolation and he longs to use us to minister to others in the same place. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
Matthew 14:13-21
Hebrews 4:14-16
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Impotency of Man, the Potency of Prayer
(05/28/03 journal entry)
There is a place where you understand with incredible clarity your own inability to achieve anything of eternal significance without the imposing guidance of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it comes through God's teaching in the area of pride and humility. Maybe it comes from trying over and over again to make spiritual things happen without the power of the Holy Spirit and watching those attempts flop again and again. Regardless of where it comes from, it is a sobering mindset to possess, understanding that any attempt of my own to cause a movement of the Spirit in someone else will just end up fumbled and will turn incredibly ugly; knowing that the most valuable, powerful and effective thing I can do for someone else is to constantly bring them to God in prayer. The act that seems the most boring and impotent is the very thing that causes the most change in the spiritual realm.
There is a place where you understand with incredible clarity your own inability to achieve anything of eternal significance without the imposing guidance of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it comes through God's teaching in the area of pride and humility. Maybe it comes from trying over and over again to make spiritual things happen without the power of the Holy Spirit and watching those attempts flop again and again. Regardless of where it comes from, it is a sobering mindset to possess, understanding that any attempt of my own to cause a movement of the Spirit in someone else will just end up fumbled and will turn incredibly ugly; knowing that the most valuable, powerful and effective thing I can do for someone else is to constantly bring them to God in prayer. The act that seems the most boring and impotent is the very thing that causes the most change in the spiritual realm.
Intimacy & Influence
(11/30/02 journal entry)
The will of God for the life of any believer is summed up in two words - intimacy and influence. Jesus said the primary call of God in our lives is the one to personal intimacy with him. God passionately seeks us and invites us to experience him deeply. The secondary call is that to influence other people for the Kingdom of Christ. Though we need to be deliberate in our attempts to influence others, our focus should always be first on loving the Lord our God with everything we are - then loving our neighbor as ourselves will come naturally.
The will of God for the life of any believer is summed up in two words - intimacy and influence. Jesus said the primary call of God in our lives is the one to personal intimacy with him. God passionately seeks us and invites us to experience him deeply. The secondary call is that to influence other people for the Kingdom of Christ. Though we need to be deliberate in our attempts to influence others, our focus should always be first on loving the Lord our God with everything we are - then loving our neighbor as ourselves will come naturally.
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