Jump Start # 1582

Acts 4:13 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

  Peter had changed. Instead of being the timid disciple who allowed a servant girl to run fear through him at the trial of Jesus, he was now boldly proclaiming the name of Jesus in the public. Our passage reveals several interesting thoughts about Peter and John.

First, they were known as uneducated and untrained men. This is not to mean that they were simpletons. They were not dumb. They were fishermen. Their living was made through their hands. They knew their jobs. But they were not teachers. They were not ones to stand up in a crowd and say anything. They were not university men. No one would confuse them with a rabbi. They knew Jesus. They had been with Jesus. They understood the Lord. With the Holy Spirit in them, they were teaching God’s word.

Can a man be like that today? Does a man have to be “educated and trained” to preach? Not in the formal sense. He does need to know the Bible. He does need to know how to communicate. Education can help some. But some of our forefathers were farmers by day and preachers by night. They spent hours pouring over the Biblical text. They knew the Bible. Many leading universities today have long left the Biblical concept of inspiration, authority and God’s way of doing things. Liberal theology would probably do more harm and waste more money than it would be helpful. Peter and John were common men who told the story of Jesus. That can be done today. That is still needed today.

Second, Peter and John had a certain confidence or assurance about them. It was obvious. It was easily seen. They were not shaking in their boots. They were not going to back down from what they knew. They were sure. This is where we need to be today. We need to have such confidence. A person will never be bold until this confidence is in him. The confidence comes from knowing the Bible is right. It comes from study and study of God’s word. It comes from realizing that there is no other possible way. Doubters will throw arguments to disprove what we believe. They will mock creation. They will call you names if you do not accept their sinful choices. They will point to the abuses in religion and the hypocrisy of others to discredit you. Stand confident. Speak boldly. Know the Bible.

Boldness was a trademark of those early disciples. Being bold has nothing to do with volume. A person can be loud, obnoxious and shout and still be dead wrong. Boldness is that courage to speak what needs to be spoken. It is to be done in kindness and gentleness. It is not afraid to call sin, “sin.” It is not afraid of consequences. It will not put up with spiritual bullies, those in the church or outside of the church. It stands with the word of God. It is confident because of God.

I have heard people say, “What if when you die, you find out that the Bible was not true?” The common answer is, “Well, I would have still lived a good life.” Wrong answer. First, if the Bible is not true, you won’t be finding out anything after you die. Dumb question! But the correct answer is, “It’s impossible for the Bible to be wrong.” There is just too much evidence and proof. I won’t even consider that notion. We could waste an hour talking about what if I had three legs. Well, I don’t. I won’t. The Bible is right. I may not understand the depths of sciences, but I know God created the world. He said so and the Bible stands behind that. I may not fully understand all the notions of modern theology, but I know God’s word is complete and He doesn’t speak to people today like He once did. I may not understand fully what happened, but I can know for sure that no one in our times has died, gone to Heaven and came back to retell what they saw and heard. I don’t care if a gullible society has purchased dozens of books that claim that. It can’t happen. It didn’t happen. How do you know? The Bible. I can read God’s word and understand fully what a church ought to be doing today. I can know why same-sex marriage is wrong. I can say it is wrong. The LBGT movement wants to put guys in girls bathrooms and girls in guys bathrooms. Wrong. How can you say that? The Bible. Well, what if someone says, “God made me this way.” Wrong. How can you be sure? The Bible. When people say, “Jesus never said anything about homosexuality,” they are wrong. He did. How do you know. The Bible.

Confidence. Confidence recognizes poison in religion. It recognizes wolves who want you to believe that they are one of us, but they are not. Confidence will allow you not to be afraid to say what needs to be said. This is not justifying rudeness. This is not being offensive. But in plain, Biblical speech, we can and we ought to be saying just what the Bible says.

Third, they knew that Peter and John had been with Jesus. What a great tribute. What a great reflection of influence. We can only hope that others can see that in us. It is compassion, boldness, truth, love that would be noticed. It wasn’t the outfits that they were wearing. It wasn’t a special handshake or code words that they were using. They noticed character. They noticed godliness. They noticed these simple, common men were so sure about Jesus. They were speaking as if they knew Jesus. They did. They were speaking as if they had been there. They had. The influence of Jesus was upon them.

You are one of them, was first spoken to Peter during Jesus’ trials. Peter denied it. He cursed. Now, changed, he is boldly professing and confessing Christ.

Jesus can have the same effect upon you. Open the Gospels. Read. Drink it in. Think about it. Put yourself there.

They had been with Jesus. Have you?

Roger

Jump Start # 1581

Acts 12:4 “When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.”

  Our passage today comes from one of the dark times for the early church. Things up to this point were excelling. The word was spreading and the little band of followers were multiplying by the thousands. It was just as Jesus said it would be. That small little mustard seed had become the largest tree in the garden. The Jews were grumbling about things. Herod, wanting to quiet the Jews down and not wanting more Roman presence in his region, decided to gather up some of these believers. His plans were to mistreat them. Herod started with the leaders. The apostle James was assassinated with a sword. This thrilled the Jews.

Herod then ordered Peter arrested. Peter seemed to be the main leader of this group. James was dead. And now, Peter was in prison. Taking no chances, Herod placed sixteen soldiers to guard Peter. He was even chained to some of the guards. As soon as the Jewish feast was over, Peter would be brought out before the people. His fate seemed sealed. What would happen to this group if Peter was executed? It looked like the wheels were coming off the kingdom.

The very night in which Herod planned to bring Peter out, an angel appeared, doors were opened and chains came off. Peter escaped through the miraculous help of God.

There is an expression from our verse that we need to consider. First, in the King James Version, the word “Easter” is used instead of Passover. There is a difference. The Jews do not celebrate Easter. Easter as a “religious holiday,” as it is today, was not known back then. Poor choice of words. Anglican influences of James, the King of England, led to that.

Herod was intending after the Passover to bring Peter out. Intentions. Plans. Goals. We all have them. After high school, the question is asked, “What’s next?” There are plans, goals, intentions. After the retirement party, “What’s next?” There are plans, goals, intentions.

Have you ever considered what your intentions are after church services? I do not mean, where do you want to go to eat. That’s the common thought. Services have ended. You have worshipped God. You have prayed, sang and heard God’s word preached. Now what?

Some intend on changing because of the service. Something was said. A point was made. A passage was read. It struck a cord with a good and honest heart. Now, the mind and the heart are working together. It may have been a dad sitting in the audience that day. He hears a lesson about raising children to know the Lord. He realizes that he’s been spending too much time at the office and not at home. He sees that he has not been doing his part. The lesson moves him. He intends to make adjustments and do better.

It may have been a young couple sitting in the audience that day. The preacher talked about purity and holiness. Be holy as Jesus is holy. The couple feel guilty. They realize that they have allowed their affection to go unchecked and gotten too close to sin. The lesson hits them. They intend to spend less time alone and be around others more. They intend to work more on being pure in thought.

It may have been someone who has held on tight to his money. He hears a lesson about the generous God. He sees the good that the congregation is doing. He understands that the church needs givers. He intends to give more.

Intentions. Do you see how it works? But for some, it’s the opposite.

Some will sit through a lesson with no intention of changing. They will leave as they came in. The lesson sails right past them. They have not made personal application. They have allowed their mind to wander as services went on. They fully expected not to be changed and they weren’t. That is the intentions of some.

Others, like Herod, are waiting for something to happen. They are intending to do something after school. Or, it may be after they move out of the apartment. Or, it may be after the baby is born. Or, it may be after the kids have moved out. They have intentions, but not right now. It’s a later on thing. They put things on hold, until a better time. The problem is, there is never a better time. There is always a reason to delay things. There is always sacrifices that will have to be made. There is always something. Always. This is where faith and commitment to God must come first. Take up that cross and follow Me, is what Jesus said. That cross was heavy and rough for Jesus. It may be hard for us.

Intentions. There is a great line from the movie Apollo 13, when it is revealed that the astronauts were not going to make it to the moon. Tom Hanks says, “Gentlemen, what are your intentions?” He replied, “I want to go home.” And, so it is for us. We want to go home. Not to our houses, but to Heaven.

What are your intentions to get there? What must be done for this to come about? What’s the plan?

Intending afterwards—God had other plans for Peter. God wouldn’t let Herod’s plans come about. God had intentions! He always does!

Roger

       Jump Start # 1578

Acts 18:11 “And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

  Our series on preachers is almost finished. Thank you for staying with this. I have tried to write some things that we don’t normally think about or discuss. There will be one final article, “The Preacher’s family.”

One of the hardest things preachers face is that decision when to leave one congregation for another. That’s a hard decision. When do you know it’s time to go? What considerations ought to be given as to whether to stay or to leave? Our verse today shows us that Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half. That’s long for Paul. That’s short for us. We must remember that Paul was an appointed apostle with the mission of taking the word to the Gentile world. He was on the move. He was establishing churches and then retracing his steps and strengthening those young congregations. It is interesting to see that Paul stayed 18 months in Corinth.

I have been preaching for 36 years. I have worked with four congregations, counting where I am at now. I have faced that decision when to leave, when to stay, three times. I have never been fired or asked to leave. Each time it was my decision. Each move crossed state lines. Illinois to Indiana. Indiana to Missouri. Missouri back to Indiana. I had kids in school during some of those moves. I was moving away from family in some of those moves. I was moving back closer to family in other of those moves. I’m not sure what I did was good or bad or even a model that I would recommend to others. I just wanted you to see my story.

In coming to the decision to move, there are two pressing matters that must be considered.

• First, why am I leaving ? That answer tells you a lot. I remember the story of a guy who was ready to move to a new house. He was tired of his place. The realtor listed his house. The man read an ad for the idea place he always wanted. It had a lake. The house wasn’t too large. It had just a few acres. He called the realtor and said that’s what he also wanted and he was to go see it and put an offer on the place. The realtor told him that he was reading her description of his current house. Sometimes we need to take a good look at where we are.

Take a look at what you are able to do. Take a long look. Count your blessings. Don’t let money cloud your vision. Are you able to do what you feel is your work as an evangelist? Is the leadership supportive and behind you? Do you feel stuck? Do you feel that you are carrying the full load? How are ideas received? What’s the plans for five years down the road? How’s the atmosphere among others? Is it healthy and good or tense? Are you discouraged or excited about the work? Are you on the same page Biblically with the elders? Take a long look. Remember, that grass sure looks greener on the other side of the fence, but that grass still has to be cut. Every congregation has a history, issues, challenges, opportunities and problems. Every church does. Every church does, because we do. Stop trying to find a perfect church. You won’t. Find where you will be appreciated, loved and allowed to do what you are to do—preach and teach.

Deciding to move too quickly can result in “buyer’s remorse.” Moving too often can make some places unsure about you. If you are busting it hard, doing your job, going above and beyond the call of duty, folks will notice. You’ll get places who recognize your talent and will want you. Be careful. Be picky. Don’t move just to get away from problems. You’ll find new problems. You are supported to preach and teach. You must do the work of an evangelist. Don’t look for a soft, easy place that you can coast by preaching old sermons. Work, preacher! Work hard, preacher! Wear yourself out for the Lord! The rest comes later.

The preacher with kids must give that a special thought. Where are they in school and what will moving do to them? Stability at home is as important as stability in the church. There was a time a generation or two ago when preachers moved every two or three years. I expect that’s why so many places owned the preacher’s house. They were moving preachers in and out often. That model didn’t help many congregations. Today, it is not uncommon to know of preachers who have stayed in one place for twenty or thirty years.

• The next question the preacher must answer is, why am I considering this different congregation? His answer to that question must not be totally personal. Getting closer to home is great. Making more money is great. But those can’t be the sole reasons he moves. Will it put him in a place where he can do more? Will it allow him to do things that he cannot do now? Will it help him reach more people? Will it help him do more for the kingdom?

Churches like people, come in different sizes. Some are young and just starting. Some have been around for more than a century. Some are large, some are small. Some are wealthy, some are struggling to pay the bills. The preacher needs to be honest and see where his strengths are. We remember Paul saying that he planted and Apollos watered. Planting means going where there are no Christians. Starting from scratch or with very few. Watering means working with Christians. It involves strengthening what is there. All preachers can do both, if they are worth their salt. However, some excel at one better than the other. Some preachers are better as class teachers than preaching. Some excel better one on one. Some are gifted writers. Some are great at making contacts. There is no shame in being better at watering than planting. You recognize your abilities and strengths. Here’s the point. A church that needs a planting preacher will not do as well if they get a watering preacher. What does the church need and do you fill those needs? Look beyond just delivering sermons on Sunday. Do they need fresh ideas? Are you an idea guy? Do they need some messes cleaned up? Can you handle that? Why did the last preacher leave? Was it good? How long was he there? Do some investigation and move with the intention of staying. It takes time for folks to get use to a new preacher. Build relationships. Teach and preach.

Sports teams will look at what they need and that determines who they pick in the draft rounds. Churches need to see what is it that they need. They should look for a preacher that helps fill that spot. We settle too easily on just anyone that will come and doesn’t ask for too much money. We need to move beyond that. Each congregation has specific needs and challenges. Finding the right match is important.

There needs to be some things written about the “trying out” process. Too little is understood about what ought to happen and what to look for, both from the church’s perspective and the preacher’s perspective. Some of the preacher training programs do not help young men in this area. They don’t know what questions to ask nor what to look for. Some walk right into a real dog fight. They get discouraged and leave. The church then has a sour taste about young preachers. It’s messy on both ends. Some of this could have been avoided and a lot of the Lord’s money not wasted if some thought was given into what one is looking for and knowing what to ask.

Moving. Most folks do not like moving. It’s hard for the preacher who feels it’s time to leave. Often it means leaving the area. That’s tough. Sometimes doors are opened in that process that brings new opportunities. Don’t burn bridges preacher. Don’t make things tough for the preacher who follows you. Remember the golden rule. You wouldn’t like that to happen to you. See beyond yourself. Think of the kingdom and the Lord whom you serve.

I’ve often thought of preachers as the little lost dog that shows up on your porch one day. You take him in, feed him and fall in love with him. But in time, he must go. That’s hard. Leaving often brings tears. Sometimes there is remorse. One wishes that more could have been done. Sometimes the next preacher tears up everything you took decades to build. That’s hard.

Moving introduces you to new friends and new opportunities. When you decide to move preacher, be kind to the congregation that you are leaving. Give them plenty of notice. Stand in their shoes. Be above board in how you do things. Pray before you make your decision, preacher. Do your homework. Think long. Get advice. Then trust the Lord.

Work hard—do the work of an evangelist. Endure hardship.

Roger