faith Posts

Pastor: follower, leader, servant, debtor

02 Oct , 2010 3 Comments

I’ve been called to be a pastor.  Paul wrote, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers…” “Pastors and teachers is actually one word in the Greek- it could be said, “shepherd/instructor”.  Clearly my first calling is not to a position or a place but to a Person.  My highest calling (like any believer) is to Jesus Himself.  My role as a pastor is love God with all my heart and to love others- more than I love myself.  My task as a pastor is to communicate God’s vision for His church and to shepherd the people as together we accomplish the mission God.

“The first task of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say, “thank you”. In between the leader is a servant and a debtor.” Max Depree

I love Max Depree’s definition of the role of a leader.  My first task is to tell the Truth- whether people want to hear it or not.  The Bible gives us His truth.  And I know that I am a servant and that I indebted to anyone who will allow me to lead. It was Andy Stanley who said, “leadership is a stewardship, it’s temporary, and you’re accountable”.  All of us are accountable before God Almighty for the vocation (“calling”) He has given us.

My primary role is to stay close to Jesus. My highest calling is to Christ Himself- to stay so close to Him, to listen to Him and obey Him in my role as pastor.  The priorities of my life will be guided by Scripture: God first, my wife second, my family, and my ministry.  I will live openly and authentically before you. I follow the apostles example in Acts 6:1-4. I will devote my life to prayer and to my personal walk with Jesus Christ. This is true for me- but it is true of you as well- as a parent, a friend, a co-worker, a classmate… if you’re not walking closely with Jesus, everyone around you becomes a victim of your unspiritual life.

I long to walk so closely with Jesus that I could join Paul who said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 11:1 Copy me as I copy Jesus.  The pastor’s role is to point everyone to Jesus. I don’t want to waste my life- and I know you don’t want to either.  God is calling us into this great adventure that is His redemptive mission- to bring hope and healing to our world.  If a church can determine to align all things (both personally and corporately) with His mission, that church will change the world.  Let the journey begin.

Thoughts on Leaving…

01 Sep , 2010 8 Comments

I’ve recently made the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life.  Yesterday I was the Pastor of the FBC McKinney; today I officially begin my new role as Pastor of the Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.  Though God’s call on my life has come once again- with crystal clarity- it has been difficult nonetheless.  In fact, I’ve discovered that those things are almost always one and the same; following God is always costly.  Throughout the process I have turned to Jesus, venturing deeply into His character, His heart, and His desires.  I’ve hung out in places like Colossians 1 where Paul offers one of the most comprehensive revelations of Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. There, Paul speaks of the preeminence of Christ- the Supremacy of Christ in all things.  He summarizes his thoughts with, “Christ is all.” Colossians 3:11

Years ago I decided that Christ would be preeminent in my life but the reality of that commitment has played out in ways I would’ve never imagined.  Christ becomes preeminent in one’s life only after being confronted with a series of life’s hardest decisions.  I’ve been confronted with the same question(s) that Peter wrestled with on the shore of Galilee.  In John 21, Jesus is face to face with Peter for the first time since His resurrection.  He’s given up as a disciple.  He has denied his Master and now Jesus will show Him the depth of His forgiveness and the length of His restorative agenda for Peter.  Jesus asks,

“Do you love me more than these?” John 21:15

What are “these”?

  • More than these other disciples love Me?
  • More than you love these disciples?
  • More than you love these fish? (Some commentators offer a stronger argument for this option than you might imagine).

Do you love me? Here’s the weight of this question:

  • As I love you?
  • More than you love any other human relationship?
  • More than your own livelihood?
  • More than your own plans, hopes, and dreams?

As I’ve wrestled with this question as never before, I’ve asked (again), “How would I know?”  How would I really know if I love Jesus more than anything/anyone else in life?  In the end, the only way you would know is if God called you to give up your hopes, your dreams, your loves, – even your deepest and most meaningful relationships- in order to follow Him.  This, of course, aligns with Christ’s words in Matthew 10:37 (and elsewhere) when He says if we love our father or mother, son or daughter is not worthy to follow Him.  Did he really mean this?  He most certainly did.

How would you know?  Well, every now and then in life we have one of those defining moments when we are faced with a decision.  God comes to us and says, “Do you love me more than these? More than anything in your life?”  For me to leave the greatest church I’ve ever been a part of and dive into the great unknown of the future has been heart-breaking, hopeful, sad, exciting, and gut-wrenching.  I know that He has called me to go; so I must go.  It is true, “saying goodbye is such sweet sorrow”.  Some day I will stand before my Savior again, face to face (like Peter) and on that day I will be the one resurrected, following after my Savior.  When He asks, “Did you love me more than these?” I want to say, “Yes, you know I did.”

What about you? What is He asking you to release, to deny, to give up, in order to love Him comprehensively, with your whole life? Seek His face.  Let Him reveal what it is.  Then, do it.  Ultimate freedom in life comes when you realize that nothing is yours and all is His.  Freedom. Release.  Joy.  Christ is all.

Mystery Solved: The Chicken or the Egg?

17 Jul , 2010 1 Comment

Scientists in the UK say they have certain proof that the answer to the oft-posed question of whether the egg preceded the chicken or the chicken preceded the egg. The answer, say the researchers is… (drum roll here)… the chicken came first.  There you go.  You can sleep tonight.

According to the scientists a protein called “ovocleidin” (OC17) is the catalyst for the creation of eggs, and it’s created in the ovaries of chickens (and nowhere else).  One news report noted that, “Some mysteries remain as it is still unclear where the chicken that came before the egg came from.”  Okay, let me solve that mystery (and maybe I’ll make national news too).  The Bible says God created all things- including the chicken.  God created chickens so they could make baby chickens; that’s why the chicken comes with an ample supply of ovoleidin.  Sheffield University´s Dr. Colin Freeman stated, “It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first.”

This is further proof of God and the fact that He created all things.  It is pure (and simple) Aristotelian logic: For every cause there must be an effect.  The world and all that is (again, including chickens) is the cause and God is the effect.  Let’s talk science: You can’t something from nothing! It is scientifically impossible.  Living matter does not come from non-living matter.  This is not improbable or unlikely; it is impossible.  End the debate.  God created everything that is.  Let’s all be accountable to Him and steward this one and only life He’s given, for His glory.

“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:22

The Chicken or the Egg?

Christ Transforming Culture

16 Apr , 2010 No Comments

Call me crazy but I am certain that when Christ was dying on the cross He was not thinking, “Now my followers will be able to go to church on Sundays until I return.”  I believe His vision was one of a people radically transformed by His love and, in response to His love, loving others in the same way He did.  I say this because this is exactly what He taught.

The Church Jesus envisioned was one transforming every aspect of culture, one person at a time.  By “the Church” I mean His people (not a building or even a gathering) but His followers scattered across every aspect of culture.  Christ alone will transform our culture and He will do it through His followers.  How does this happen?

When we speak of culture we are talking about multiple domains among a people.  In America it might be shown like this graphic on the left (there are clearly other ways to break down the different domains but these are the main divisions).  Often we think that the Church (or even our faith) is one domain among many and if we could just get people IN church we will impact our culture for Christ.  Increasingly, however, people are not going to church and therefore many conclude that our impact in culture is waning.  However, when we explore the early Church we see that “success” was never measured by how many were “coming to church”.  Their measure of “success” was simply dying to self, living for Jesus, and loving Him so passionately others were blessed.  I believe that God is bringing about an awakening among His people and I see a reformation of global proportions taking place.  This reformation is not about something “new” but about something very old.  It is a rediscovery of the Church, not simply gathered, but scattered.  Gathering is critical to the life and health of Christ’s followers but it is the church scattered that transforms a culture.

A better depiction of the Church is one scattered across the many domains of culture.  As Christ’s followers recognize themselves as a sent people, sharing His love with others (by serving and sharing the Gospel), we will see the culture revolutionized by His love.  When a culture is transformed it means that people across every domain are encountering Christ and His bigger Story.  His bigger Story (the Gospel) is bringing restoration and redemption to all people and to every aspect of culture.  Business people realize that they are being called into God’s bigger and better Story- blessing others through ethical business, providing income for families to have what they need, and offering necessary goods and services.  They’re actually partnering with God and His greater kingdom agenda in Christ.  Parents realize that their role is to raise children to love God so passionately that others are blessed.  Politicians and government workers rise up to serve their God-given role to protect, bring justice, and bless the people by serving them.  Educators join the great calling to teach and train up children as global citizens and servants of God.  Those in media and entertainment seek to recapture the arts to the glory of God, expressing truth and beauty in all that they do. This is the church scattered.  And like all previous reformations this one will come from the bottom up as God’s people decide to trust Him enough to live out the words of Jesus:

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

“Good” Friday

02 Apr , 2010 1 Comment

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46

While on the cross Jesus cried out in anguish, perhaps the most perplexing words He ever offered. In an attempt to understand more fully what Jesus meant we must go back to the Garden of Gethsemane on Thursday night and hear Him crying out to God in Ch. 26:39- “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken away from me.  Yet not as I will but as you will.”  What was this “cup”?  What was Jesus hoping to avoid?  It’s not merely death, it’s not even the physical pain on the cross.  It’s not the scourging or humiliation, not the torture of nails being driven through His body, not the horrible thirst, or the disgrace of being spat on, stripped or beaten.  It was not even ALL those things combined.  I say this because those were all the things Jesus said NOT to fear.  In Luke 12:4, He said, “And I say to you my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more they can do.”  “But,” He went on to add, “I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast you into hell; yes, I say to you, fear him!” (vs. 5)  Clearly, what Christ dreaded most about the cross- the cup from which He asked to be delivered if possible- was not physical death.  It was the outpouring of the wrath He would endure from His Holy Father.  The key here is a clear understanding of “the “cup”- It was a well-known Old Testament symbol of the divine wrath against sin.

Look at this and you’ll see what I mean:

“Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of His fury; you have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, and drained it out.” Isaiah 51: 17

“Take this cup of fury from my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.  When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them.” Jeremiah 25:15-16

“Drink, be drunk, and vomit!  Fall down and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.” Jeremiah 25:27

What Jesus was experiencing on the cross was nothing less than the cup of the terrible wrath of God!  The Father’s holy reaction to sin unleashed on the Son.  The “cup” that Jesus was to drink was the vile, repulsive cup of sin bringing upon Him the full fury of the wrath of God.  THIS is where the story of Jesus intersects YOUR story, MY story.

“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

In the garden we find the only place where Jesus addressed God as “My Father” (Matt. 26:39,42).  In fact, Mark records He prayed “Abba, Father”.  “Abba” is the Aramaic equivalent of “Daddy” or “Dada”.  I believe that Jesus was experiencing a kind of “holy separation anxiety”.  What parent has not seen the terror in the eyes of a child while being left behind- as if their eyes and their cry is saying “I can’t believe that you are leaving me!” as if to say, “Why have you abandoned me?!”  I believe that is precisely what Jesus went through on the cross, and the garden was a prelude to the pain He knew was coming.  With this cry, He yelled, “My GOD…” not “My Father” (the only place He does this).  Did the Father really abandon the Son?  Was there really violence done to the Trinity while Jesus was on the cross!?  I can’t explain it theologically nor understand it rationally, but how else can you justify this cry of Jesus?

Here’s what happened on the cross: At this cry of anguish, God’s inflexible holiness and boundless love collided, and redemption was made possible.

For you to be fully forgiven, Jesus HAD to be fully abandoned.  The “man” Jesus is not in charge, the Father is in charge.  And this is where HIS story and YOUR story collide.  Praise God for “Good” Friday. Good for us, not for Him.  What a wonderful Savior!