Where are the sheep?

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. – Matthew 9:36

Throughout my ministerial training there was a great emphasis on the importance of pastors caring for the “flock” – the “sheep” God had entrusted to them. “Sheep” were those people who were members or faithful attenders of the local body of believers. References to Jesus’ instructions to Peter in John 21 (feed my sheep) were almost always used to admonish pastors to teach the Word faithfully to the flock gathered on Sundays, Wednesdays and any other time they assembled.

While I don’t totally disagree with that responsibility for the flock that assembles, it is obvious that Jesus saw His flock differently. He recognized that some were lost, harassed, caught in the stuff of life and unable to assemble with the rest of the sheep either because of distraction or because they weren’t aware there was a safe place for sheep to gather and feed. So sheep gather in dangerous places or wonder alone – lost and helpless.

The “sheep crossing” sign was a gift – not because I am a pastor but because I once raised sheep. It has served to remind me that nearly every where I turn, there are sheep. There are sheep at the local Walmart, in the neighborhood park, driving down the interstate, sitting in government offices, attending classes at the local university or public school. Some are harassed, caught in addictions and unhealthy relationships and totally lost.

We have this incredible opportunity to seek the lost sheep and show them a Shepherd who can lead them to green pastures and still waters and to places of safety.

 

The Humanity of Jesus – early years #2

Scriptures tell us that Jesus was tempted in every way as we are. 

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. – Hebrews 2:18

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. – Hebrews 4:15

In addition to temptation, Jesus had other experiences that helped Him identify with the human experience:

• He experienced 1st century family life - a self-employed father, mother and siblings (and perhaps sibling rivalry).
• He experienced a family of faith – parents who believed the word of the angelic messengers and fled to protect their son. Parents who certainly had to trust in God for provision for a trip to Egypt. Was this the reason for the gold, frankincense and myrrh? Did the Magi arrive just in time for them to leave for Egypt?
• He experienced work in the carpenter’s shop.
• He experienced relocation – uprooting of family when they fled to Egypt and when they returned – assuming he had boyhood friends, He experienced the sadness of leaving them behind.
• Knowing that He was without sin would He have experienced teasing as a teen for not participating in activities that others may have been doing?

If He was fully man and His heavenly Father was able to provide for Him, meet His needs and keep Him from sin, is our heavenly Father able to do the same for His children who trust in Him today? Can He keep us faithful? Comfort us when wronged? Encourage us during times of disappointment? Provide those just-in-time resources?

 

The Humanity of Jesus – early years

Luke records the presentation of Jesus in the temple where he was officially named and circumcised when He was 8 days old. Simeon praised God as he held the child in his hands. Mary and Joseph “marveled at what was said about Him.”

• Why did they marvel? Were they surprised that Simeon recognized who He was?
• Were they having difficulty believing that this child was actually the Messiah in spite of their encounters with angels prior to His birth?
• Was it Simeon’s words about Mary that troubled them?
• What were the family dynamics in those first 8 days as they held Jesus? Did they see anything more special in Him than any parent would see in their child? Was their anything of His divinity showing that would confirm the messages from the angels?
• Was this a normal Jewish home?

Matthew records the visit of the Magi who brought gifts to the home of the “child” – toddler -Jesus. I’m trying to picture Jesus learning to walk – grasping the legs of the tables Joseph made for the family. As the Magi (in all their refinery) come to the front door of what was likely a very humble home, I can imagine an eager toddler wanting to see what was going on.

• Were His eyes wide in wonder as they presented their gifts.
• Did those gifts bring any memory of the wonder of heaven? Did He have memory of heaven at this point?
• What happened to those gifts?
• Were the gifts used to fund their trip to Egypt when they fled Herod’s death sentence on boys under the age of two?

Over the next few years in Egypt, what did Mary and Joseph tell Jesus? Did they tell Him about:

• The angels who came to tell of His birth?
• The shepherds who came to visit the night of His birth and the story they told of the heavenly chorus?
• The place of His birth – the manger – the city – the reason they were in a stable?
• The special star that led the Magi?
• The gifts they brought
• The reason they had fled to Egypt
• The prophecies regarding the Messiah – did they connect the dots for Him – telling Him that His birth and even His flight to Egypt were all prophesied?

As a child, what would have impressed Him most?

• The plan that had been foretold and the amazing unfolding of the story?
• The provision for them to go to Egypt?

Assuming the humanity of the child Jesus, I can imagine that as He grew there would be an excitement about what would unfold in the years to come – a sense of anticipation. What would the Father do next? As events unfolded and as He studied the prophesies, He was able to say at several points, “this is that which was spoken of by the prophets.” He was looking for places where the prophecies would be fulfilled.

What can we learn as those born anew – not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit? Can we trust the same heavenly Father to provide. Can we watch with anticipation for what He will yet unfold in our lives. Jesus never appears a victim of His world because there was anticipation of what was ahead. Neither are we victims of this world but we live in this world as Jesus did – looking to see what the Father has in store.

 

 

The humanity of Jesus – His birth

(Note: I changed the title of this post from “Looking at the Humanity of Jesus #1″ to avoid keeping track of numbers and to be a bit more clear about the content.)

I’m beginning a personal study into the humanity of Christ. This morning I read Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:1-25;  John 1:1-17. My quest is related to the statement in Jesus’ prayer in John 17: “I have completed the work you gave me to do.” For many years I thought the “work” he came to do was die on the cross for the sins of the world. I do believe He died on the cross for the sins of the world but he had not gone to the cross in John 17.

The “work” was to prepare a team of disciples who could carry the Gospel message to the end of the world by making disciples of others. If Jesus was fully man, what are the implications for us as disciple-makers? Do we have access to all the resources Jesus had as He prepared His disciples to reach the ends of the earth?

While I have been taught through the years that He was fully God and fully man, I have tended to see Him as more of a “super-man” than actually like us. So I am embarking on a study. For any who read these pages, feel free to wade in with additional questions or observations.

From these first chapters in the Gospels I wonder:

• Was Jesus as oblivious to his surroundings in the manger as other babies would have been?
• Did He have any memory of heaven?
• He obviously gave up his “omnipresence” to come to earth. Did He also give up omniscience and omnipotence?
• When did people begin to notice “his glory” (John 1:14)?
• Did he know about the visit of the shepherds or was He aware of the star or of the angelic chorus?

There are several things he would have experienced for the first time:

• Straw poking him through his infant clothes
• Hot and cold.
• Being held in the arms of a human mother and father.
• Riding on a donkey.
• The smells and sounds of a stable.

Why is all of this important? Why is it important for us to understand the humanity of Jesus? What are the implications for us. These become the important questions.

 

I John 2:6

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

I have been thinking about the implications of that verse a lot lately. It is perhaps the simplest definition of a disciple – a person who walks as Jesus did. I would assume that to walk as Jesus walked means embracing and living out the character and priorities of Jesus. Through the years I have heard a lot of teaching about the character of Jesus and our need to be like Him – living holy, loving lives – avoiding sin and all appearance of evil.

The result – we work harder at being good. When I look at the life of Jesus I see a couple other key components to His life.

1) There was incredible dependence on the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the Spirit at His baptism. When He came out of the temptation experience, “He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit.” In the Book of Acts it says, He gave instructions through the Holy Spirit (1:2). Believing that Jesus was fully God AND FULLY MAN, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit.

If Jesus needed the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to live as the Father desired and to accomplish the work the Father gave Him to do, how much more do we need the Holy Spirit to fill, empower and equip us for life and ministry. In our discipleship strategy, how much do we emphasize the need for the Holy Spirit and pray for His filling and empowerment?

2). More is said in preaching and teaching about His prayer life than about the work of the Holy Spirit in His life. However, I wonder to what degree our understanding of His prayer life impacts our own. Jesus spent time with the Father before ministries, after ministries and before making major decisions. It does not appear that He asked the Father to bless what He was doing but that He ask the Father what He should be doing. The only evidence of a personal prayer was in the Garden when, in agony, He asked if possible there could be another way. His praying throughout His ministry seems to be about intimacy with the Father and about the Kingdom. John17 is a good example of both.

In making disciples, do we spend more time giving them information – knowledge, ministry skills, lifestyle lessons – or do we teach them to pray?

A part of what it means to walk as Jesus walked is to depend on the Holy Spirit and to live a life of prayer.

 

Comparing Ministry

Yesterday was the last day of our two-week vacation. It was great to be away from the daily/weekly demands of ministry. We attended a church in another city and I found myself doing comparison’s rather than worshiping. I am a bit embarrassed to admit it but I wanted to know how we/I stacked up to the ministry at this church. To give you some examples:

• I evaluated the greeters (not as warm – didn’t engage)
• Communion needed more instruction both on procedure and meaning
• Attendance (though larger than ours) was down
• Music had some glitches – a guitar had trouble finding the right key
• The sermon was about the same length as mine (I was relieved)
• I liked what they did with their prayer time – prayer requests were written on cards and placed at the front of the church. People were invited to come forward and pray for the request on the card.

Notice what was missing from my observations?

• Was there evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit?
• Were people moved to a deeper relationship with God?
• Is there evidence of a commitment to make disciples?

We tend to look at the mechanics of the service. I think God is looking at the condition of the hearts.

Before I allow myself to feel too badly about looking at another church with a critical eye, I know that others make comparisons as well – when people from our church visit other churches they return with reports of what we did “better” and what they did “better.”  We say we are one Church and that we are not competing but we still make the comparisons. Seldom do we measure against a Biblical standard. We measure against what we consider valuable.

Could I have had a better worship experience if I had:

• Prayed for the service before I went
• Prayed for the pastor as he was preaching
• Prayed for those represented by the empty seats
• Prayed instead of comparing
• Rejoiced that God was working in His Church in this city

Lord, keep us from the pride that compares – that attempts to lift ourselves above others.

 

Silence in relationship

900 miles without radio or CD – the entire trip from Florida to Indiana. There were times of conversation – talking about the trip and the time away. There were times of absolute silence or deep breathing as one slept. We commented once near the end of the trip on the fact that we had not listened to the radio at all. It really was refreshing.

• There was no outside input into our lives – it was just us.
• The times of silence gave each of us time for reflection and opportunity to get lost in our own thoughts – sometimes thinking about the week of rest and other times about the work awaiting when we got home and sometimes just remembering younger days when children were still at home.
• Some thoughts were shared and others enjoyed privately.
• There was no news – no talk show opinions – no music to stimulate or manipulate our emotions.
• It was just the two of us – happy to be together – to have shared the time away.

This morning I was having my quiet time with God. I usually read a passage of Scripture and then journal my prayers. Today I really didn’t feel like praying or writing in a journal. I felt more like just sitting – reflecting – I felt like simply being quiet. I was reminded that relationships are not always about conversation – that praying is not always about talking but is also about listening. Sometimes the best prayer times use the fewest words.

 

Restoration in progress

 ”Stay off the grass!” “Caution – wet paint!”  ”Stay off the wet cement!” “Stay off dunes!” (I did see a few footprints just beyond the sign.) They are all warnings that something is being restored and therefore protected. Someone has put and/or is putting a lot of work into the restoration process and would like others to respect that work and allow the restoration to be completed.

I’m thinking of another place for a sign. I’d like to hang it around the neck of people who are young in their faith. It might say – “Soul restoration” or “Faith restoration” with the added plea, “please do not harm?”

A young lady who is recently discovering what it means to have faith in Jesus is experiencing tremendous financial and emotional strain which of course is causing a strain on her faith. Like most of us, some of the issues she faces are the result of poor choices. It’s just that the timing of the consequences is hard on the restoration of her faith.  I believe it is faith that will get her through and will restore the broken places in her life but I wish her faith had opportunity to be more firmly established before she was hit with so much.

One of the challenges of the Church is to restore people so that they can truly live. I like this statement in “The Externally Focused Church” by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson: “The church is a place of rehabilitation, not convalescence. It is not a hospice that prepares people to die; it is a rehab center to prepare people to live.”

I believe there is an enemy who tries to destroy faith – I want to put a sign, in his language, on people who are new to faith that says, “Soul restoration – stay away.” Perhaps, however, it would be more like a magnet and would attract his attention. Just as I saw footprints near the “stay off the dunes” sign, there will always be evidence that the enemy is at work in the lives of new believers.

Instead of posting a sign, we will need to stand along side our friends, pray and walk with them until they are strong enough to walk with others.

 

Good trip – celebrating 40 years

We are taking some time off - celebrating 40 years of marriage – We left Sunday afternoon.  We have traveled much further than we did 40 years ago. We are looking forward to some time to relax, read, enjoy the sound of the waves and get some rest. I was reflecting on the trip from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Fort Walton Beach, Florida and decided it was a good trip. Below is just a little good news/bad news related to the trip.

• Good news – vacation began Sunday
• Bad news – we started much later than we (I) was hoping
• Good news – we made it through Indianapolis just in time for the Indy 500 to end – we beat the traffic
• Good news – we had packed deli wraps to eat on the way (one of the reasons for the delayed start) – no delays stopping for food
• Good news – made great time -
• Bad news – traffic stopped on I-65 around mile marker 109 in Tennessee – at mile marker 106 there was a sign that there was an accident at mile-marker 103. An hour later we finally passed the accident site. A semi on its side; a broken guard rail; a child’s saftey seat in the middle of the road. No sign of emergency vehicle – we assume they had already gone.
• So-so news – our lodging just south of Nashville was an older facility than expected – room seemed  clean but came with a strange odor. Breakfast the next morning was provided by the hotel. There was a lady serving what is usually a self-serve breakfast – she was more of a guardian than a server – I think assuring that no one took too much food.
• Good news – the rest of the trip was uneventful – long, but no accidents and punctuated periodically with showers
• Good news – we arrived safely in Fort Walton Beach, Florida – much more thankful than we had been if we hadn’t seen the accident on Sunday evening
• Good news – we found our lodging as promised and settled in – took a walk on the beach – found a Thai restaurant for dinner (good food) and Baskin-Robbins for a scoop of ice-cream

We were reminded earlier that Jesus often took time away and I’m sure his escapes were not always uneventful. The unplanned events make the trip memorable. They become the subject of stories.

 

What does it take to raise up a fearless generation in Christ?

This was the question posed to Timothy Eldred, Executive Director of Christian Endeavor International. Following is a part of his answer.

“The answer is simple, friend. Prayer. We need to raise a generation who knows how to pray and discovers their calling through prayer. In prayer, they will experience God’s power and move forward in His provision to accomplish His will and help build His Kingdom. The Body of Christ needs to stop programming and begin praying!

While the focus is on youth and raising the next generation, the message is true for the entire church. The Body of Christ needs to rediscover prayer. Too long we have tried to program our way to “success” and effectiveness. Christ-followers need to know how to pray. There are several ways to learn – listening to others – reading prayers – but perhaps the best is just to do it.

One of the men I have met with for nearly a year – privately, in a small group and with another new believer – had never prayed (aloud) until last Monday. We had talked about prayer; I had invited him to pray (he declined) and I tried to model prayer – keeping it as simple, not verbose and void of theological jargon.  Monday in the context of our group, he prayed – a prayer from the heart that blessed me. I am confident that as he grows in prayer – private and corporate – he will grow in confidence in Christ.

The men of my home church were men of prayer. When I was a teen, they invited me to be a part of their prayer times. Those prayer times blessed me, encouraged me and help me to grow deeper in my understanding of God and of the nature of prayer.

The disciples evidently saw the importance of prayer – they asked Jesus to teach them to pray.