1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:1–2 (NASB95)
What does “success” look like?
Numbers matter. Yep, I said it. As a pastor, I constantly fight the feeling within me to focus on “numbers” as a proper measure of success. Many days I have walked away from a great sermon and felt like it “flopped” simply because the attendance was low. At other times, I’ve taught an average (or below average) lesson and felt like a rock star because the room was more filled than normal.
Activity matters. There have been days when I was really proud of the fact that I preached four or five times…or I taught for six or eight hours. After all, if you are doing a lot, you must be successful.
Truthfully, activity is important and numbers are a reasonable measure of influence; however, neither activity nor numbers are effective indicators of success. In the passage above, we see that the Apostle Paul instructs Timothy in his ministry…to entrust what he has learned to faithful men who will entrust these things to others. No amount of activity is given as a standard. No base line of numbers is identified as acceptable. What is articulated is duplication…or more accurately, multiplication. Stated differently, Paul says to Timothy: your ministry is to multiply people who do what you do, which is to take what they’ve heard and teach it to others. Another word for this is discipleship.
Discipleship is not a class or a multi-week study. It is not an hour set aside on Sunday or Wednesday evenings. It is not a program, a pathway, or a track to follow. Discipleship is a descriptor of the life of a Christ-follower. Discipleship describes a life of learning, obeying, and teaching others to learn and obey. It alone is the measure of success.
I expect that many will be surprised when standing before Jesus one day. These will try to tell Jesus how busy they were, how many groups they were in, how many hungry people they fed, how many spiritual crisis situations they intervened in. These people will point to the breadth of their ministry lives. In then end though, when they came to the end, so did their ministries because they never multiplied their influence.
Is it possible that one faithful person who intentionally discipled one person a year who went out and did the same could better obey the Great Commission than the most active of church members and eloquent of teachers?
Reflection: Who are you discipling right now? Who is discipling you? If you hesitate on either or both questions, then the next step is to ask the Lord for forgiveness and commit to begin the discipleship journey today.
8Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8–9 (NASB95)
Have you ever noticed that you often see what you’re looking for? Several months back, I was considering changing vehicles. I got in my head that I wanted a Toyota Tacoma. Of course, it had a good reputation and held its value well. I liked a number of the features of it. What struck me the most was how many other people had the exact same idea. It seemed that every third or fourth vehicle in town suddenly became a Tacoma. Everywhere I went, there were more of them. They were everywhere! How did so many people know to go buy a Tacoma the week I started looking at them?
Of course, that’s a silly question. No one rushed out to buy the truck I was looking at. My focus and awareness simply changed. The same trucks were always there…but now I was seeing them.
That works with the other circumstances of our lives. If you’re looking for trouble, you’ll find it. If you are looking for a conspiracy theory (especially in election season), there are dozens of people who will help you find it on the Internet. If you want negativity, suspicion, defeatism…all are readily available.
The same is true if you’re looking for hope. If you want to see the fruits of the gospel, there are there too. Kindness is there. Respect for authority…also there. Grace and forgiveness is also right there! Certainly, you see these things rehearsed in the pages of Scripture, but they also exist in your life if you are a believer. They are rehearsed in sharing within your Connect Group/small group at church. They are trumpeted in praise songs and heralded in preaching. They are present in acts of kindness prevalent around us.
It leads one to wonder…if you see the darkness of the world as its most prominent feature…what are you looking for? Do you focus on criticism or on compliments? What are you projecting? Maybe the world needs a little sunshine and you’re the window through which God wants it to be revealed. What if we simply took the counsel of Scripture above and applied it? Whatever is good, lovely, true, honorable, excellent, praise-worthy—dwell on these things.
We often find what we fixate on. By the way, I love my Tacoma.
39Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”
John 4:39 (NLT)
Have you ever considered the value of a simple Gospel Conversation?
In John 4, Jesus encountered the woman at the well. Their exchange was unusual. It was cross-cultural. It was uncomfortable (at least for the woman). At times, it was adversarial. It was also essential. The disciples did not understand. The woman did not fully understand. Certainly, she was not totally oblivious; however, she could only see and understand the events from a very narrow perspective.
This momentary exchange with the woman led to a witness. The woman did not have to explain all of the theological nuances of Judaism. She did not have to give a defense of her Samaritan traditions. She simply and plainly bore witness to what Jesus did in her life in a personal encounter. From this simple exchange, Jesus drew many Samaritans to a saving relationship.
Who are the “Samaritans” in your pathway? How are you looking for bridges to the gospel? How do you pray for God to make opportunities clear to you and to give you courage to speak?
What if through a faithful witness, just like the Samaritan woman, many people you knew could encounter Jesus and believe?
I enjoy feeding birds. Jodi and I have installed several feeders in the backyard and get the opportunity to watch many birds drop by for a snack. It is enjoyable and interesting to watch them.
Along with the birds, I have a number of uninvited guests. These tree rodents (you may call them squirrels) live in the woods near our home. They seem to think that if I put food out, it is fair game.
Now I will admit, though it may be only me, that I have given an inordinate amount of attention to these uninvited guests. In our last home, I kept a pellet rifle by the door and would sneak up on them (picture Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs Bunny) and shoot them off the feeder. My efforts typically resulted in a stunned squirrel breaking into a sprint once he hit the ground and scurrying away until I went back inside. I’ve since given up on this line of attack. Now, it is not terribly unusual to catch me raising a window or stepping onto the porch to clap my hands and tell them to leave. Yes, I actually talk to the squirrels! The problem is, as I make this ridiculous commotion, the birds also head for the hills!
I have noticed that, if I am not careful, I will spend more time considering the squirrels than enjoying the birds. I think about their habits, their lack of manners, the money they cost me in feed, the fact that they are not wearing masks or social distancing (ok, maybe not so much on the last part). I think about all of the starving birds in the world and the piles of wasted grain on the ground once a squirrel hits the feeder. But…rarely do I remember the birds.
I find that many people do the same thing, only in matters far more significant. They think about the vacation they cannot enjoy this year and lose sight of the dozens of vacations in the past. They think of the lost enjoyment of sports and lose sight of the many great times experiences they’ve had in years past. They think of the seemingly endless barrage of restrictions and lose sight of the immeasurable freedoms we all enjoy. They count the numbers of sick in the state and forget the countless numbers of healthy.
Much of life is informed by our focus. If our focus is on the blessings and benefits of the lives we enjoy…our perspective is relatively sunny. If we rehearse the things we have temporarily lost, we will wait on the proverbial “other shoe” to drop. If we obsess with the squirrels, we will miss the birds.
I. Miss. You. That truly is the sentiment of my heart. Someone once said that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” In many respects that is true. In these days of intentional distancing for a gazillion good reasons, my heart has grown weary in longing for face-to-face community. HOW ABOUT YOU?
While we are so very grateful for the Lord’s grace through technology, how He has provided a way for the church scattered to be gathered through online worship experiences, Zoom groups, and social media, we also know that there is something special about gathering together physically. While the Old Testament rehearses allowances for worship, prayer, even instructions about giving offerings for those scattered and unable to join together, these instructions were an accommodation rather than ideal. Both Old and New Testament…the biblical ideal was for the church to physically worship together.
Does any of this inform us in the midst of COVID-19? I would argue that it does. The people of God are meant to gather. All over the world, believers go to great lengths to gather even in the face of governmental persecution. Others travel hours by foot, bicycle, automobile, rickshaw, bus, train, or trolley to gather in Christian community. The gathered church is instrumental in evangelizing those separated from God through proclamation as well as equipping, encouraging, and even exhorting one another to good works like proclaiming and applying the gospel to the lives of those around us.
With innumerable reasons to gather…and a deep desire to gather…are there reasons to remain scattered physically and gathered online? Yes…both good and bad.
A bad reason to remain scattered is fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God is not the One who gives us a spirit of fear; rather, He provides us with power, love, and discipline (a word speaking of self-discipline based on wisdom and understanding).
Another bad reason to remain scattered is governmental mandate. Even as I write this article, California state government has inserted itself into worship practices by outlawing corporate singing to God or gathering in groups the state deems too large. While the government cites health concerns, this rationale can become a very convenient vehicle for stifling the practices of our faith. These same governments even go as far as to point to virtual gathering as an acceptable faith alternative. Of course, determining what is “acceptable” worship is a bit above their paygrade. While we as believers are called to obey lawful authorities, we are never called to obey unlawful directives in opposition to God.
A good reason to remain scattered is meekness. Remember that Jesus identified “meekness” as a beatitude. Meekness is power under control. While we have power (the right and the ability to act) we choose to restrain the exercise of that power. If choosing to remain at home is an advantage to others, choosing to defer to the interests of others…meekness…is a good reason.
Another good reason is love. Love for one another and love of neighbor. If I have the flu, it would be an act of love not to place myself in a crowd of people. Doing so could cause them to be infected as well. Consequently, this is why I wear a mask. I want to mitigate my activity of moving about the community by wearing a mask (in case I have something and do not know it) and because doing so demonstrates my care and concern (insert love) toward my neighbors.
Another good reason is wisdom or self-discipline. That was the last of the graces that Paul listed in the verse above. For some who are immune-compromised or at higher risk, it would be crazy to expose themselves to risk unnecessarily. I say unnecessarily because if God directs them otherwise, then it would be crazier NOT to obey His leading. We can rely on information and judgment and self-discipline in being good stewards of our health.
In the days ahead, we as a church family will be making plans to reconnect in small groups, bible studies and other appropriate activities. We will choose to be meek, loving, and wise in how we do it, but we must seek a sustainable and edifying rhythm of worship, community, and mission. We NEED to be together. That’s not an idea of man, or men in church leadership…it is a design from God.
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