northpoint notes

Joshua is on his way to Jericho (Joshua 5) and meets the Commander of the Lord’s army—he is actually standing before the pre-incarnate Christ. Whether Joshua was on his way to do some personal reconnaissance or marching ahead of the troops to do battle with the Canaanites does not really matter. In either case, Joshua has the task at hand on his mind and is doing what is normal for preparing to take a city. Notice his response as he encounters this Christ-figure:First—he falls face down on the ground in submission and honor. I wonder how many times I have rushed into the presence of God and my posture never changed. I am convinced God can hear us regardless of our posture. However, our posture likely has a greater impact on our total approach to God. Most of the time in my early days as a Christ-follower, I knelt beside a bed or chair to pray. A number of years ago, I began journaling – writing prayers – and found it was more convenient to sit. I have found myself on occasion lying face down in prayer. I frequently go into the church and kneel in front of the cross. While I am convinced that posture before God is as much an attitude of the heart as a position of the body, I also am convinced that the position of the body can be a reflection of the attitude of the heart. Do I presume too much on His grace by running in and dumping my list before him and running out with hardly an acknowledgement of His majesty?  While on His face, Joshua asks for instructions from the Commander-in-chief. I’ve tried to imagine how I might have prayed if I had just been given an assignment to lead a nation in conquest of another region. It think the prayers would have been something like this: Dear God, thank you for being in our midst today. You know that you have asked me to lead these people into this land. Please give me wisdom and courage. I pray you will grant us your favor today. Protect the soldiers. Care for their families back at camp. Help us to fight as one against the enemy. Thank you again for being with us. Joshua didn’t come with a list of requests. Instead, he came into the presence of God and asked if He had any requests. I am trying to learn to ask what is on His heart before I tell Him all the things I’d like Him to do for me.  The instructions – take off your sandals. This is hardly what you would expect on the road to battle. Take your sandals off – you are on holy ground. Jack Hayford spoke to a Promises Keeper’s crowd in Indianapolis several years ago about Moses’ need to remove his shoes at the burning bush. I cannot remember all of what Dr. Hayford said but he suggested that the sandals were likely hand-made and represented human effort and self-reliance; that they were likely the sandals he wore when he killed the Egyptian and represented the sin that he bore; that they would have been dusty and dirty and represented all of the stuff he had been through in his life. Whatever they may have represented, it made Joshua vulnerable – unshod in the face of the enemy. The Commander of the Lord’s army was establishing that while Joshua was given leadership of Israel, he did so under the leadership of God. As Christian leaders, we serve under the headship of Christ and as such must come to Him in honor and submission – removing anything and everything of self – seeking to know what He would say to us instead of telling Him how to help us lead.  

It began as family night a few (O.K. – more than a few) years ag0. It began with the purchase of our first VCR. I don’t remember the year but I remember they were much more expensive then than they are now.

Family night was pizza and movie night. We would rent a movie and order Pizza. Kim would make popcorn while I was getting the pizza. The popcorn was filler for our son. We would get him started eating popcorn – hoping to fill some space in his stomach before the pizza arrived. Our concern was not so much for satisfying his hunger as it was having enough pizza for the rest of the family.

When the pizza arrived we would sit and watch the movie together. Our offspring have both been out of the house for nearly 15 years but we have carried on the tradition.

It is now “date night.” We try to guard it as a time for the two of us to spend together. We still do pizza (usually) and we even make popcorn even though it is just the two of us – it’s a tradition. And then we watch a movie.

Last night we watched “Saving Sarah Cain.” I don’t often recommend movies but this one has a good story, some good lessons and touches the heart.

Leadership might be defined simply by whether or not a person has followers. There are those who have great ideas, may be entrepreneurial in gifting and have strong personalities who are labeled leaders because of those varied traits and yet if they are not able to influence others, they are hardly leaders.

Given that simple definition we begin to add adjectives: business leader – community leader – political leader – global leader – church leader – class leader – university leader – farm leader. Each one defines the arena of leadership – the sphere of influence.

There are other adjectives that have additional implications. “Christian leader” certainly implies sphere of influence but also suggests (or should suggest) certain character qualities. Christian leaders do not only influence but supposedly influence in ways that reflect the character of Christ.

When the children of Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua the inhabitants of Canaan were afraid because they had heard about God stopping the waters of the Jordan and parting the waters of the Red Sea years earlier. It made sense for Israel to strike while their enemies were afraid.

But God told Joshua to have all the men circumcised and then they celebrated Passover. God was renewing His covenant with them but there is more to it. He made them very vulnerable in enemy territory (while they healed).

This was a time of cutting away of all fleshly ambition and desires and of fully trusting in God. God was not concerned so much with Jericho as He was with the heart of His people. Jericho was not a problem for God.

He wanted a people and a leader whose hearts fully trusted in Him – even in the face of the enemy. Here is a hint to “Christian Leadership.” It is more of a heart issue than a skill issue. It is learning dependence, setting aside personal ambition and making certain that the focus is on God.

Christian leadership is really about God’s leadership and our submission – not an easy assignment. “Christian leaders” are defined more by how completely they follow the One who really is in charge. It is only from this position of following that we can lead others to discover all God has for them.

I admit it – I have become incredibly dependent on my cell phone. I resisted those early “bag phones” that people had in their cars but finally yielded to the pack. We have come so far in technology in such a short time.

I like being connected. I like being available anytime my family wants to call. My wife appreciates those daily “check in” phone calls that I can do whether I am in my office, on the road or out of town.

When I leave home there is an inventory to check – wallet, pocket knife (I was raised on a farm and every farm boy carried a knife), keys, laptop, and cell phone (fully charged). When I leave the office it is primarily checking to see if I have my cell phone and laptop with power cord.

If I get down the road and do not have my cell phone, there is almost a sense of panic. It happened last evening. I left the office and was driving out of the parking lot. I checked my pants pockets – no phone. I reached into my coat pocket – no phone. I felt my shirt pocket – no phone. I looked in the cup holder and the passenger seat of the car – no phone. I was anxious to get home but knew I would have to return to the office to get my phone.

I put the car in reverse to back up toward the door and told Kim (I was talking to her on the cell phone) that I would be a bit late because I couldn’t find my phone. It was only then that I realized my phone was in my left hand, at my ear and that all the time I was looking for the phone, I was talking with Kim (on the cell phone). 

We both had a good laugh but it got me to thinking – (my first thoughts were of senility). How many things in our lives are so obvious that we miss them. The very thing we are looking for is right there but we miss it.

I wonder how many times as Christ followers we are looking desperately for Him – for answers, for direction, etc., – and He is closer than my cell phone . But we are so distracted by what we are doing that we miss Him.

Had anyone been with me in the car and asked me what I was looking for could very easily have told me because they would have seen the phone at my ear. I meet people who are desperately searching for God and I can see His hand in so many ways in their lives and yet they cannot see because of their own sense of desperation.

Several years ago I was involved in coaching church planters (men and women who were starting new churches). I had been through several “church planting” training events myself – not with the idea of planting a church but of coaching others.

One of the phrases I remember hearing and repeating to those I was coaching was, “celebrate the wins.” Leaders were encouraged to find ways to corporately celebrate accomplishments. Of course tied to that was their own benchmarks for “success.”

If hitting 200 in worship attendance was one of those benchmarks, then it was important to acknowledge that and celebrate it publicly. Celebrations could be for hiring staff, buying (or building) a building; reaching a particular budget figure and per centage of people involved in small groups.

The intent was to keep people encouraged – to let them know that the church was moving forward – achieving its goals.

As I read Joshua 4 I find that God understood the value of “celebrating the wins.” He had the children of Israel take 12 stones (representing 12 tribes) from the Jordan (which they had just crossed on dry ground even though it was at flood stage) and set up a memorial – a marker so that when future generations saw the stones they would ask why they were there and the children of Israel could explain how God had stopped the waters of the Jordan.

This memorial was to be for future generations, the present generation and for aliens in the land so that the the present generation would continue to fear God and future generations and aliens would know the power of the God of Israel.

What I noticed was that my coaching approached this celebrating idea slightly differently from the Biblical pattern. In the coaching model, it became very easy to celebrate what “we” had accomplished. The Biblical pattern was to celebrate what God had accomplished.  I have been in some of those “celebration” settings and we try hard to give God credit. “Praise God for what He has helped us accomplish.”  Did you catch the subtle shift of focus to “us.” If God is only helping, I guess we can share the credit. The children of Israel could not have walked across the Jordan River had not God parted the waters and dried up the riverbed.

I must continue to ask – where are the Jordan Rivers in my ministry that I cannot cross unless God steps in. When I get to the other side of those, I really need to celebrate – not what I have done but what God has done.

Move when God moves – We are all about strategies, goals, and plans. Leaders are measured on the effectiveness of their plans – on the size of their vision and their ability to communicate that vision.

In the Christian context there is another key ingredient – discerning when God is moving. The instructions Joshua gave to the children of Israel (Joshua 3) was that they were to move when they saw the Ark of the Covenant (the sign of the presence of God) move. It was the presence of God that determined the timing. How often have leaders tried to force decisions or created ministries only to have them fail because God wasn’t moving. It may have been a great idea but God wasn’t ready.

It also says in chapter three that following the Ark was how they would know the way because they had not been that way before. God always leads us into places we have not been before – He does it so that we will be dependent on Him and so that He will get the glory.

We have generally been taught to make plans, bathe them in prayer and expect God to bless. It seems that a better way is to pray to see where and when God is moving and then join Him. If He is moving and we join Him we can expect there will be Godly success and we will find incredible peace and rest.

When we can get the responsibility for ministry shifted back to where it belongs - on Him, we can begin to be leaders who watch for His move first instead of leaders who step out on our own praying that God will bless our efforts. The latter position has great risk. The first has only the risk that I might not see when He moves. It requires paying attention to Him more than anything else.

I attended a conference a few years ago lead by an older man who began by saying that when you reach his age there are three things you tend to talk about: the way things used to be; recent medical history; and grandchildren. I am finding a lot of truth in that statement. I’m not sure what age it begins but I do love to talk about and with grandchildren and I like to remember things of the past. There is a warmth to some of those memories.

I was traveling with my granddaughter a year or so ago and decided to drive past my childhood home. As I did I told a bit of what life was like then. When I finished, she said, “tell me more stories about when you were a boy.” For the next two hours I told stories – each one followed by, “tell me another story.”

Yesterday, my daughter called to ask if I ever thought about writing those stories down – perhaps having them illustrated for a children’s book. Honestly, the thought had never crossed my mind. She went on to say that even if it never became a book, it would be great for the grandchildren to have.

When I hung up the phone, my mind was flooded with memories of childhood experiences. I don’t know if I will get them written down or not but I had fun traveling into the past for awhile.  Perhaps those stories will become the focus of a totally separate BLOG.

I took a trip this week – a trip into those childhood days. It was an enjoyable trip and I am thankful for a daughter and granddaughter who asked me to tell more stories.

He was my childhood friend and first cousin. He was 9 months older than me and a year ahead of me in high school. There are too many stories to tell of boyhood escapades – sandboxes, bicycles, fishing, swimming, camping, riding go-karts, catching a duck, building hay forts, playing basketball and building model cars. From pre-school to high-school we spent many hours together.

He died Wednesday – it was also his birthday. He was not feeling well, drove himself to the hospital and died of a heart-attack when he arrived.

As adults we had not been close. We took separate paths. He took a factory job out of high school – a job he still had the day he died. I went away to college and moved out of state. We would see each other at family reunions and always enjoyed reminiscing.

I went to the family visitation yesterday – no casket, no funeral, no eulogy, a few pictures, a few flowers and people visiting and wishing his sons and brother well. It was all rather sad to me. Though he was active in 4-H and involved in the community, his life had a lot of sadness.

His parents divorced when he was in middle school. His dad died quite young. His own marriage ended after 10 years. His mother died a few years ago and his two sons had moved away.

I know little of his faith journey. When we were in high school I know he was seeking to know God. We prayed together and I tried my best to encourage him in faith. We did a little Bible study – it didn’t last long – schedules were too full and it became less of a priority. I was best man at his wedding and remember praying with him and encouraging him to make God the center of his marriage.

Through the years I have thought many times of trying to connect – to hang out – go fishing or something just to rekindle that relationship. I regret that I didn’t. We all say we know the value of relationships and yet we so often allow other things to rob us of those relationships.

I spent time with his younger brother yesterday. It was good – we have shared stories. Perhaps – perhaps I will have opportunity to rekindle a relationship with him and with his family. I hope so.

I had noticed that one of the young men, staying in the same dorm room at the discipleship training, had gone out running once or twice during the week. (I was a little envious – I had brought my shoes and clothes but didn’t feel there was time in the schedule so I didn’t get out.)

I decided to make conversation and asked how far he normally ran. This led to comparing notes about distances and races and other general running related conversation. The one comment that stuck out to me and has lingered with me now for a couple of days came after I had shared the number of miles I typically run in a week. The comment: “That’s amazing for someone your age.” I am just at that age where I am a little sensitive to comments like that. It may be the first time I have heard in recent years. It is a statement that feels good when you are 10 and someone is amazed at your accomplishments. But once you pass_____(you can fill in your own number) that statement doesn’t have the same feel.

Later that morning I was sitting at the breakfast table with other participants of the training event. We were discussing the previous days events and the focus was on the time when the older participants were compared to King David and younger men were compared to Solomon. David handed the kingdom over to Solomon. The older men (David’s) were encouraged to pray for the younger men (Solomon’s) and in a sense entrusting ministry to the next generation.

One of the young men at the table looked at me and said, “you are more of a Jesse” (David’s father) – another reference to being one of the older ones.

I suppose I could take offense – on the other hand I do feel blessed to be able to get out and run. And if David represents a father in faith passing faith and ministry on to the next generation; then Jesse must be a grandfather in faith passing faith on to the 3rd generation. I like the idea of being a Jesse – of having spiritual grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

I think I will do my best to keep running like Jesse.

Day three of the training – as I sit here I don’t remember much of the teaching except there was this emphasis on passing the baton to the next generation. These are my words not those of the presenter. We took time to affirm the young men and women who are leading ministries. We prayed for them.

This really is the heart of discipleship – equipping the next generation to walk with Jesus and make disciples of others.

A significant (not in time alotted but in importance) part of the day was spent in cohort groups discussing how we create time in our schedules to build faith into others – how do we balance weekly sermon preparation, committee meetings and time for investing in others. How do we create margins to allow for God to work instead of trying to force God to work within the constraints of our schedules.

We didn’t resolve anything but determined that if making disciples was important we would have to become intentional in making the time.

It really is following the example of Jesus who intentionally poured His life into a few in order to impact the world.