17

Jump Start # 3146

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3146

John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me.”

I’ve been doing some preaching recently about the role of shepherds in God’s church. This is one of my favorite topics and I have traveled the country talking to leaders in the church about their role. Moving away from the administrative, micro-managing, CEO business model that is dominate in so many congregations today is hard. But, many are seeing that what they have been doing is not working and it’s not really the Biblical model and pattern that God has. It’s great to sit in a room of Godly men, with their Bibles opened and to talk feely about these things. I love seeing the light bulbs come on in their thinking. They are getting it and what a powerful and positive change they will make for the church.

In our verse, two things come up. Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. This comes about because He cares. In Acts, the apostle reminds us that Jesus purchased the church with His own blood. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, the most precious thing He had on earth was His life.

Jesus knows the sheep because He cares. The previous verse in John 10 reminds us that the hireling runs when trouble arises. He saves his own skin. He leaves the flock to fend for themselves, which they are incapable of doing. The Lord tells us that the hireling runs because he “is not concerned about the sheep.” That’s it. That’s the bottom line. When you don’t care, you simply do not care. No loss of sleep, no second thoughts, no worrying. It’s not your problem, so you don’t make it your problem. That’s the hireling. Sadly, that does describe some elderships today. They need to change. They need to do better.

But, from our verse today comes a thought. “I know My own, and My own know Me,” says the Lord.

First, sometimes we make it very, very hard for shepherds to know us. We carry things very close to our vest. We do not reveal. When asked, we are vague. When a shepherd wants to come over and visit with us, we are quick to turn that down. Don’t want you in my home. How about going out for lunch? Too busy. How about coming over to my home, the shepherd offers? Nope.

It’s hard for shepherds to know the sheep, when we make ourselves unknowable. Then, on top of that, some will complain and pitch a fit, that no one came to visit them in the hospital when they had surgery. How were they to know you were in the hospital, when you don’t share things? Some will complain that the shepherds keep their distance, when the truth is, we walk about in a cloud and we keep them at arms length.

Jesus had an advantage that doesn’t exist today. He was God on earth. He could read hearts and know what people were thinking, even when they never said a word. Our shepherds today can’t do that. They only know what we will tell them. They want transparency, but we like hiding behind clouds. They want to be open, and we want to be closed.

Knowing sheep and knowing shepherds is a two way street.

Second, Jesus is showing us that the more we understand each other, the closer we are connected, the better it is. The hireling didn’t care. Jesus does. As we build relationships, the trust, love and concern for each other grows. Their words take on greater emphasis because they know us. They love us. They are concerned for us.

Third, there will be some natural bonds established because of similarities in life. Fishing or golfing buddies have a lot in common. That bond grows tighter when one is a shepherd. Age, family matters, hobbies, interests will pull you closer to one shepherd more than others. Among the shepherds, there cannot be jealousy because of that. Use that opportunity to help grow, develop and mentor those that are close to you. Jesus did more with the apostles than He did with the multitudes. Jesus had a purpose and a special bond with the chosen. Did that mean He liked them better? Not necessarily. But time together allowed Jesus to say and do things with the twelve that He didn’t do with others.

Even among those dear to Him, like Mary and Martha, we do not find the Lord rebuking them and saying, “O you of little faith,” when they were upset about the death of Lazarus. He did tell the disciples, in that same context, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe…”

The closeness of friendship must not taint our eyes or change our mission with what needs to be done. Favoritism does not belong in the home or the church. When something needs to be done, then stick with the Biblical pattern and do it. Do it with kindness and love. Do it with promptness. But don’t drag your heels because it is a friend who is involved. Use that opportunity to reach out and say what you couldn’t to someone else.

I know and they know…what a wonderful relationship.

Roger

16

Jump Start # 3145

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3145

Exodus 18:17 “And Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘The thing that you are doing is not good.’”

Poor Moses was over his head with work. From sunup to sundown he was dealing with the complaints, disputes and troubles of the nation. Long lines filled with bitter and unhappy people makes the best of days not so good. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw all of this. Our verse was his observation. This isn’t working. In fact, “You are not doing good.” And, there was valid reasons to say that. Moses was on a quick trip for a mental meltdown and burn out. And, when testy people have to wait and wait, they become even more testy. Impatient. Grumbling. Jethro saw that something big was about to blow up.

Now, there are some great lessons here for us:

First, not only did Jethro see the problem, he understood and detailed a workable solution. It’s easy to see problems. Just turn on the nightly news, you’ll see a bunch from racism, to the economy, to foreign policy. We see the problems. How do you fix them? Jethro had the solution. It wasn’t a wild idea that wasn’t thought out. It was very doable. Delegate. Train. Oversee.

The same works today in our homes and in the church. We could spend all day talking about the problems. But, how to find workable, doable solutions, now that’s something else. Balancing work, home, church, kids, and a zillion other things is hard to do. Many families feel stretched thin. Another game. Another practice. Tired. Frazzled. Stressed. That’s many homes. I’ve been there. I know the feeling. Sometimes a parent has to say “no.” It’s ok if your child isn’t in every activity. We see the problem, how are we going to fix it?

Second, Moses had the heart to listen to Jethro. It was Moses that God called, not Jethro. This was Moses’ job, not Jethro. And, Jethro was family. That’s all it takes, especially for some of us preachers to say, ‘You don’t know what you are talking about.” Not Moses. He listened. He implemented. Things got better. More people were heard and more people were used and more people were trained. It was a win-win situation. But, if Moses had dug his heels in and decided that he took advice from no one, especially an “in-law”, then he likely would have cracked and came apart. We need to listen to our spouses. We need to listen to our children. We need to listen to the sound advice of those that know.

Third, it’s alarming to me that Israel had that many complaints and problems with one another. And, more than that, they couldn’t solve these problems without going to Moses. None of this speaks well for the nation. None of this looks good. And, sometimes this sad picture, is the image of some congregations. Bumping, bruising, and pushing each other to no end. Fellowship strained and lacking grace and forgiveness, we look for a Moses to tell our problems to. I wonder if Moses ever thought of standing up and shouting, “You each go home and figure this stuff out yourselves.” But, he knew that wouldn’t have done any good. Sometimes the house isn’t big enough and sometimes the church building just isn’t big enough, because we can get into each other’s way and become more of an obstacle than a help.

Fourth, it’s hard to delegate. I know that personally. I’d just as soon do something myself, because I know how I want it to be done. By the time I tell someone, show them and walk them through it, I’d have it done if I was doing it myself. But delegation is important. In Acts 6, the apostles told the church to pick out seven spiritual men to take care of the widows. Couldn’t the apostles do that? Sure. Were they above that and too good for that? Never. But no one else could do what the apostles were assigned to do. Let them do what they can and then let others do what they can. This produces a team spirit and this gives everyone a piece of ownership. They need me because I do this.

The words of Jethro—not being critical, but helpful. Not making things worse, but better.

Roger

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Jump Start # 3144

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3144

Psalms 79:8 “Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; let Thy compassion come quickly to meet us; for we are brought very low.”

Our verse today are the words of Asaph. He wasn’t happily writing about sunny days, calm seas and blessed memories. The chapter begins with “the nations have invaded.” He details the destruction of Jerusalem. Blood has been poured out. The birds are eating dead bodies. We can understand why Jeremiah’s second book is known as “Lamentations” or mourning. The call for God to help, to stop what was going on, and to avenge the righteous runs strongly through this Psalm.

I want to look at the opening expression in our verse today. The iniquities of our forefathers is brought to the surface. The plea is to not remember those sins. It was the sins of Judah that brought about the wrath of God. They ignored prophets that God sent. They rebelled against the commands of God. They insisted on worshipping idols. It was because of their forefathers that the current troubles had arisen. If possibly, God would not remember those iniquities, then the disasters that they were currently facing would ease up and go away.

Sometimes you and I have a hard time with the sins of our forefathers. The past often colors the present and ruins the future. Move on is hard for some. This is true in our families. The sins of our forefathers have hurt many of us. This is also true congregationally. The mistakes and iniquities of the past have led to divisions, sour and bitter feelings towards others and ruined the faith of many young people. Older Christians who walked through the troublesome church splits of the 1950s and 1960s are very cautious about anything that seems out of the ordinary. New and different are met with suspicion and followed by a warning. It’s hard to blame them because of the iniquities of our forefathers.

We all have a past. How do we deal with the iniquities of our forefathers?

First, we are not responsible for our forefathers. They made the choices that they did with what was available to them. Some made wise choices. Some made foolish choices. Some made selfish choices. Decades and generations later, we often are living with the consequences that came from that, but they are not our sins. A mother who abused her self while pregnant with alcohol or drugs, may have brought you into the world but you started off with a huge disadvantage. Health problems may have plagued you all of your life. You may have grown up where sin was as normal as the air. No Bible readings. No prayers at the table. No Sunday worship. It took you a long, long time to learn what our little ones in church already know.

Because of the sins of our forefathers, we can be bitter and resent them. We can be jealous of others who never experienced the pain, tears and horror that you have. Some grew up being loved. You may have been adopted away. Some had a stable family. You may have never known your dad. Now, you can wear this as a cross the rest of your life and many do. They walk through life with a chip on their shoulder. They are bitter, miserable and unhappy. That will be your choice. You can’t blame your forefathers for the attitudes, bitterness and misery that you have chosen to carry the rest of your life.

There are others who have had a similar background as you have, but they have chosen Christ. They have chosen to not let others color the picture of their life. They have refused to be bitter. They have refused to be miserable. They have seen wrong and they have made it the focus of their life to illustrate right. The sins of their forefathers have pushed them to have a warm, close and loving relationship with those in their life. They have chosen not to continue on the path of their forefathers. They refuse to allow the forefathers to hold them back, nor to be a nail upon which they will hang their hat.

We are not responsible for our forefathers, but we are responsible for ourselves. You can let the sins of others shape and define you, or you can stand in the shadow of the Cross and be defined by the Lord.

Second, it’s easy to point out the mistakes of those in the past. Being a student of church history, as I am, this is something that one can look for and see in the lives of nearly every person they study. But truth be, neither you nor I are without iniquities. As a father, as a preacher, as a citizen of the kingdom, I have made many mistakes and blunders. Only Adam had the right to say that he married a perfect person. Everyone since Adam, has come with a past, issues, baggage and sins. All of us. You may declare that your spouse is perfect, but they are not. There is no such thing as a perfect church. There is no such thing as a perfect preacher. It is so easy to look in the rear view mirror and see the mistakes of others, while we ignore what we are doing right now. Our attitudes. Our choices. Our willingness to forgive. Our involvement. Sure makes one think.

One day, some of our family or church members may look back to us and talk about our failures. We want people to see our goodness. We want to leave footprints that point to Jesus. But as in the hymn, “The World’s Bible,” sometimes the type is crooked, and sometimes the print is blurred. If all people ever see was our mistakes, that would not be the true nor complete picture. Shouldn’t we think the same about our forefathers? Yes, they made mistakes. But, they also did some noble things.

Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us. It would likely do us well not to remember the iniquities of our forefathers and to concentrate upon what the Lord would have us to do. Don’t hide behind the past of others. Don’t use the past as an excuse. Rise above those things and become the man and woman of God that the Lord expects. Use your past to help you and better you. Use yourself to help others be better.

Roger

12

Jump Start # 3143

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3143

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.”

As one studies the churches we read about in the N.T., it is easy to see that so many of them struggled. They had problems. Division, false doctrine, and trouble were common and ran through so many of the churches in the N.T. But, through it all, God was eternally optimistic. Follow the word and things will get better. Our verse today, written about the Loveless Ephesus, rings true to that optimistic spirit. “To him who overcomes,” speaks of hope, a brighter future and a change in the way things were.

Some lessons for us:

First, the presence of trouble, corruption, abuse and wrong is not an indication that all are that way nor that God’s system doesn’t work. The trouble is caused by those who are not walking faithfully with the Lord. They may have started, but they haven’t stayed with it. The presence of spiritual bullies does not come from following the word of God. It comes when some have left God’s word.

Even today, it is easy to write off a church because of a few who are not right with the Lord. The lifeless Sardis church had some who were still walking with the Lord. Those that cause trouble make worship and fellowship difficult for all, but they do not represent all.

Second, God always believes that there remains hope as long as we are alive. People can change. God believes in that. It would be good if we believed the same. Those that cause trouble need not continue to have their way, nor,  the final say in all things. People can change when given a chance. People can change when shown what is the right path that they ought to be following. This comes about through discussions, Bible studies and a whole lot of one on one.

Third, if trouble doesn’t stop and turn, God has a mechanism for dealing with that. We call that discipline. Even within the context of our passage today, God tells the Ephesians that if they do not change, He would remove the lampstand. “Do the deeds you did at first; or else…” is what the Lord says. It’s that “or else” that means business. For a student you must go to classes, or else. The or else, is that you will flunk out. For the employee, you must show up at work, or else. The or else, is that you will get fired. For the child of God, you must walk with the Lord, or else. The or else there means you will no longer be in fellowship with God or His people and your soul will be in grave danger.

Discipline, whether in the home, the work place or the church is never easy or pleasant. But to do nothing, is to allow wrong behavior to continue. It kills the momentum at work. It encourages more wrong behavior in the home. It introduces the idea that one can get away with murder in the church. Nothing is ever said. Nothing is ever done. The Lord said, “or else.”

Fourth, there needs to be some recovery, help and comfort to those who have been hurt by others. This is true in the home as well as in the church. Some real TLC needs to be extended. Broken hearts take a while to heal. When someone has been hurt by a fellow Christian it just gets the balance of things out of order. We expect trouble from the world. We know there are toxic people at work. Our neighbors do not follow Christ. But when one of us is the cause of trouble, that just doesn’t set well, and it never will. It should not be that way. And, because of that, some may walk away and never come back. This is why comforting shepherds need to take quick action. They must not defend what is wrong. They need to help those hurting. The lack of support and comfort and the failure to do anything to those who cause trouble makes one conclude that the leadership supports what is wrong. It sends a terrible message.

Why is it that some are bent on being problems? There are layers of answers for that and none of them are simple and easy. One reason is that some may never have fully left the world. Still others have never fully understood the way God expects things to operate. They seek attention, power and position, none of which are of God. To achieve that, some step on others. Some use dishonest means to accomplish that.

All of us are on a journey. As we grow and labor together, we can bump, crash and hurt each other. The good will apologize and learn. The wicked will not care. But we must remember through all of this, that our Lord never treated us this way.

Multiple times the disciples wanted to send people away. Jesus didn’t. There was an occasion when the disciples wanted to call down fire from Heaven and consume some. Jesus didn’t. Some of us get what Jesus is all about. Some of us get that quickly. For others, it takes a long time before they get it. Some never seem to get it.

One day our troubles will be over. One day these things that bother us will bother us no more. One day Heaven will be so sweet.

Roger

11

Jump Start # 3142

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3142

Revelation 2:5 “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; for else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”

Our verse today makes a major implication. Did you catch it? God says, “do the deeds you did at first.” Implied is that you are not doing them at the present. Currently, you are not acting like you once did. And, this is seen through several of these seven churches in Revelation. Ephesus had left their first love, which was the Lord. It’s rather hard to start a congregation when love for the Lord is missing. Sardis was called dead. Lifeless. You won’t get anyone to show up when they are dead. Imagine trying to start a dead church. “We are starting a  new church. Would you like to be a part of it? You never have to come. You don’t have to give. You don’t have to do anything. Stay just the way you are. Would you like to be a part of us?” Dead churches end. They do not start. And, then there is Laodicea. Lukewarm. Indifferent. Ephesus, Sardis and Laodicea all changed.

But, that’s true of most churches. In fact, that’s true of life. Things change. Little trees grow and become big trees. Puppies become old dogs. Babies are born. Later, they grow and move out of the house. We work. We retire. Life is very fluid and changing often.

What this presents to a spiritual leadership is how to navigate changes in the church. People move in. People move out. People die. Kids go off to college and do not come back, except for the holidays. People retire and the contribution changes. A cycle of many babies are born or a time of many seniors graduating. I have literally cried when some people moved. I wanted them to stay with us and to stay with me, forever. But things happened, opportunities opened, life changed and they moved.

How do we navigate through the changes in the church? This is something that is often tossed upon us without any time to think things through. This is not something that shepherds sit down and talk about. Maybe they should.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, it’s not the end, when changes come. A funeral. A family moves away. Yet, the work and the worship of the church carries on. There are people to be taught. There are people that need to be shepherded and led. Emotionally, we may hurt because some are gone, but our work carries on. God has provided all the tools necessary to do His work.

Second, often adjustments must be made. Sometimes that means knocking down walls to make larger classrooms. It may mean combining some classes because of dwindling numbers. It may lead to some empty classrooms. Leaders must be flexible. A congregation may have to tighten it’s belt financially. What was done last year may not be able to be offered this year. We do this personally. Our budgets may tell us that we can’t go very far for a vacation this year. We make adjustments. It may mean that we have to cut back on eating out or cancel some things because we can’t afford them. Many couples have a conversation about downsizing when the last child has moved out of the house for good.

The Joseph principle is a good one to remember. Through the good years in Egypt, they stored up grain. When the lean, famine years came, they not only survived, but they could help others. That helps us face coming changes that may take place.

Third, the history and cycle of a church can be good or it can be very sad. In my area, there was a time several decades ago that congregations numbered three or four hundred. Not today. Some of those congregations have closed the door for good. Others are struggling. A family can move in and turn everything positive and encouraging or a family can move in and get everyone to hating each other. Good leadership will notice these things and it will work hard to keep things right.

Loveless. Lifeless. Lukewarm. Those Revelation churches didn’t start that way. They changed. What helps is staying close to the word of God. Keep preaching lessons that are needful and practical. Keep returning to the book. Experience, faith and hope truly help.

Most older couples can look back and realize that they didn’t have much when they were first married. Cheap furniture. Going home to visit the family was the vacations. But today, it’s a different story. Things change.

Congregations change. Realizing this makes you count your blessings when things are going well. It makes you look at what really matters when things aren’t going well. Don’t take for granted that the way things are today will be the way they are in another decade. Look to make things better. Lay a foundation of legacy for others to follow. Don’t give up when things are tough.

There were a few at dead Sardis who continued to walk with the Lord. They did not die like the rest of the church. They made choices that reflected life and hope.

Navigating through the changes in a church. Such an interesting and needful topic.

Roger