Sheep Feeding

I came across a quote from C S Lewis' book Letters to Malcolm in Richard Foster's book on prayer  "Jesus told Peter,  'feed my sheep,' not 'try experiments on my lab rats.'"

How true!  Pastors often forget what a pastor is. Basically, we are keepers of the sheep. 

We are called to feed them, care for them,  help them.  We are not called upon to drive them like a team of horses,  or experiment on them like guinea pigs, or to use them as fertilizer by a leader to grow a church.  We are called to care for the sheep God has given us.

Pastors frequently come down with the disease of "holy ambition."  I say "holy" because that is how Christians leader typically excuse their own ambition.  If we want a bigger church,  we can justify it as winning the lost.  If we want a big career with lots of followers, we can justify it as utilizing our gifts.  If we want to remake the church as images of our own egocentric vision, we are just fulfilling our call.  It's easy for us assume that the people we serve exist for the purpose of serving our purposes and not theirs.

But Jesus didn't call us to feed sheep.  To me, that means two things.

First we are called to acknowledge that the people we serve in our churches are  our flock, and not our servants.

Suppose you had a dog, but you decided you wanted cat.  You could staple whiskers on him, stick him in a tree, and teach him to say "meow"  it would not be a cat. It is by nature a dog. 

No amount of training will make lambs into lions.  Only God can do that.

Sheep do not have a purpose in life beyond being sheep. They will give their wool, but they are not treated like cattle or hunting dogs.  Most of all to be left alone in green pastures and still waters.

But what about the Great Commission (some will say)?  Jesus called us to go into the world and make disciples--that is, sheep of Jesus.  The Great Commission is not a call to build our own kingdoms, but to introduce people to the true, good Shepherd.  Church leaders will seldom lay down their lives for the sheep, but often leave the flock at the first hint that things may not go their way.  But the Good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, whether or not they do what He says.  He doesn't leave because some bigger flock is calling. 

Second, our job is to feed them that means to preach, teach, minister, and visit for their benefit, not for the benefit of others.

If we want to know what sheep need, look in the Bible.    In  Psalm 23, one of God's sheep lets us know what the Good Shepherd ought to do.

• I shall not want--The shepherd has my needs and wants in mind.  I have security,  knowing that the shepherd is doing his best to provide my needs and wants.

• He leads me in green pastures and still waters--the food he gives is pleasant and easily accessible. I don't have to work hard to get it.  He lays it out clearly and easily.
• He leads me in righteousness--He keeps me from straying the wrong way.  He doesn't let me go to far up the mountain, so I  lose my fooding, nor does he let me stray into the valley, where I can be devoured, but he keeps me on the straight an d narrow.  Step by step, he shows me the right path through life.
• He keeps me from fear--when I am in scary places in life,  He walks with me.  He doesn't take the danger from me, but he defends me and comforts me when I am in danger.
• He assists in my healing.  Anointing oil is medicine. Is presence is medicine to me,  and comforts me in trouble. 

• He uses his rod and staff.  He's not always gentle, but if I need it, he can give me a lashing.  More often, though he draws me back from danger, not drives me away.

• He stands with me in danger.  He recognizes that I live in a dangerous world, but he teaches me not to be afraid.  Instead, gives me valuable advice to sustain me in the rough patches of life.
• He takes me to my final destination. Nothing about the journey matters if I wind up in the wrong place.  Thanks to the Shepherd, I am going to make it home safely.  That’s what shepherds are for.

Feed God's sheep. Don't drive them, don't beat them, don't use them. Let God take care of them, they way He takes care of you. 

Pastoring the Pastors Part 2

A friend of mine recently told me about his honeymoon in Switzerland. While he and his wife were walking along a mountain path, he heard a young girl scream. There, on the other side of the railing that lined the path, was a girl, about nine or ten, hanging for her life off the side of the mountain.

My friend,  being a pastor,  first asked himself four questions.

First, did she deserve to be here? Obviously, she had been disobedient to her parents, so she was there of her own accord. We cannot expect someone to come to our rescue every time we disobey.  After all, our actions can have serious consequences.

Second,  was this girl capable of saving herself?  As a rule,  ten year old girls are wiry, energetic and fairly flexible. Chances are if he did nothing she would be all right. She might be worried now, but she would find some way of climbing up.  After all, we should not do for others what they can do for themselves.

Third,  was this be best use of his time?  After all, it was their honeymoon. Switzerland is a largely pagan place these days.  He could see stopping to tell someone about Christ--after all, that would be a matter of their eternal salvation. But just to rescue a girl he did not know who  God may have already predestined to destruction--he was not sure.

Fourth,  would it not be better to pray for her?  He was not sure of his ability to save her, since he himself was not that strong, and leaning over the rail would be dangerous.  Prayer however, is always appropriate, since God can save her, and even if she were destined to die, her eternal safety would be secure.

My friend  asked nothing like any of these of course. He and his wife pulled her to safety.

I mention this to illustrate what we so often do when we come across someone in crisis.  We first want to access blame. Second, we access their abilities according to our judgment, not theirs. Third,  we assume our time is more important than theirs. Fourth, we apply the pious cop-out of generous prayer, rather than putting our prayer into action.

Two days ago, I published a blog about pastoring pastors. It occurred to me later than if I did not follow up on what I wrote, I would be guilty of doing the same thing. 

We can't just say that pastors and their families, especially pastors undergoing difficulty,  need pastoring, we need to actually do it. 

So here are some practical suggestions that I think we should consider.

1. Establish a denominational office that would work like a Human Resources department of a company.  They would be responsible for circulating and maintaining data forms,  educating pastors as to their benefits in retirement and insurance,  helping to counsel pastors through life transitions, and generally be a resource person for the personal needs of pastors and their families.  This person would have no authority, only the responsibility of smoothing the way for pastors and their families to manage the crises of their lives. This person should be knowlegable not only of resources available for pastors, but (in a denomination as small as ours, at least) of the pastors themselves, and how our system works.
2. Encourage every presbytery to have a pastor of pastors. Ideally this would be an older pastor, retired or semi-retired, with the time to go visit each pastor in their church and in their home. They would receive expenses and (if possible) a small stipend for this. They would not have any authority in the church structure to hire or fire, but would be there in the same capacity as a pastor has in a church.
3. Establish a system of mentors and coaches for pastors, similar to what we have for mission developers today.  Coaches would function to show young pastors around the system, and to offer advice and counsel. Mentors would function as spiritual directors,  giving them a confidant and accountability partner. This doesn't have to be a pastor. It should definitely not be a member of his own church, but it should be someone who does not mind asking hard questions such as "how's your prayer life?" or "How are you doing with your wife?" or "What are your  biggest personal struggles?"
4. Have a system of retreat houses for pastors and their families, where they can go for spiritual and personal retreat.  Preferably this could be done on a presbytery level.  I know that Bonclarken often opens up their facilities for this, but I do not think that most pastors know or remember this at a time of crisis. Many times, a pastor may not want to go to a place where he is liable to run into people he knows.  Perhaps people who own time-shares or vacation homes could be persuaded to open up these for a week for a pastor's family in exchange for  tax deduction from the presbytery or synod.
5. Organize small groups across the denomination so pastors can fellowship with other pastors and encourage one another in spiritual disciplines. Having people to meet with weekly face to face is ideal. If this is not possible, modern technology gives us many other options,  phone conferencing, instant messaging, video conferencing, and Skype,  just to name a few.
6. Connect pastors with larger networks for pastors in mutual support.  There are numerous prayer meetings, such as prayer summits which bring pastors and laypersons together across denominational lines. 
7. Have groups of laypersons from a large number of persons who can assist displaced pastors and their families, as well as pastors. If you want to kill an idea, give it to a busy pastor! But if you want a job done right, give it to a layperson who has a passion for it.  Surely there are people around out presbyteries who can come alongside pastors who have lost churches and help them find jobs,  shelter, personal, and financial support.

Anyway, these are a few possibilities that are out there. 

If we want to help the church, help the pastors.  They will do a better job for us, if they know that they are being covered by support, not just in prayer, but in practical living as well.

There are pastors and their wives today who are hanging by their fingers.  We have a responsibility to hear their cries. 

Pastoring the Pastors, Part 1

I once heard John Maxwell tell about his minister father who served as a pastor from the 1920's to the 1950's. After retirement  he made a list of names of his fellow graduates from  seminary in the '20's and what happened to them later.  Out of the twenty men who  started with him, only two retired as pastors.  The majority dropped out of ministry in  the first five years. 

Sad, when you think about it. The ministry is a career with a very high casualty rate being tough on pastors and families alike. There is a reason we call the ministry "spiritual warfare."

Recently, I did something similar to what Maxwell's father had done.  I made a list of twenty names of ministers I have known in my thirty-two years  of ministry, who had served for at least five years, and what has happened to them.   I admit it was not a scientific list.  I just put down the twenty ministers in my church that I had known the best.  But I think it is a fair cross-section.   Here's what has happened to those twenty

--Six of them are currently out of the ministry.  As far as I can remember, none of them left voluntarily. They left because of strife within  their church, their family, or both. 

--Seven of them transferred out of our denomination.  Not one of those six would ever think of returning.   Ever.  In most of those cases family strife, internal strife, or denomination strife caused the change.

--The other eight are still are serving  within the denomination or have already retired.

After looking at the list,  It seems that more people are burned in the ministry than are blessed by it. According to one survey,  seventy percent of pastors reported that the ministry had had a detrimental effect on their families.   The pressures of the ministry are devastating and  long term. 

--Here are some statistics that appeared in Alan Fading's blog

--Eighty percent of seminary graduates do not stay longer than five years.

--Fifteen percent of foreign missionaries return home after a single year due to burnout and depression. Thirty-two percent of planted churches die within four years.

--The ministry is one of the highest professions for clinical depression.

I admit this may be a subjective judgment, but I cannot help but think that our little denomination is particularly unfavorable for ministerial retention and satisfaction. I have met many former ARP pastors, but I have never met one who wanted to come back in.  The main reason they cite for this is a lack of support.  There is a general impression among those who have left that they were abandoned.  I  remember a comment that one former colleague said to me after I had left a church--"What friend got you?"

I take remarks for what they are worth.  It is natural for those who have been hurt to make comments which are really just sour grapes. Many of those I have met,  even while saying the church abandoned them, will name individuals in the church who helped them.  Yet the complaint seems so universal that we must take it seriously.  If only one  of these hurting pastors is right, then that is one too many. 

When a pastor becomes ordained, he is no longer a member of any church, but is now a member of presbytery. Presbytery is now responsible for his spiritual well-being as well as his spiritual discipline.  A pastor's spouse may join a church, as may his children,  yet everyone knows that if the pastor leaves, or is asked to leave, the family goes with him.  The spiritual care of the pastor's family therefore depends upon what presbytery decides to do with the pastor. If the presbytery removes a pastor from his church,  they are also de facto removing his wife and children from the church as well.  At that point, the entire family is left without the spiritual support of a Christian church.   Yet at this time, when the pastor and his family needs help, who stands with him?  There will be an expression of concern from the Minister and His Work committee,  a few calls of assurance from others that they will be there for them if they think of anything to ask, and if they are not too busy.   There will be an offer to have lunch sometime, and lots of people wiling to pray for them, since prayer is cheap and never takes much time, but that's about it. 

Pastoral care of pastors is a hit-or-miss proposition.  If they have close friends in powerful places, they may receive tremendous support. If they do not, they can be all but ignored. 

Let me ask a few more practical questions.  Why do we not have a structure in place to help pastors?  Why do we not have a structure for helping pastors transition into other careers?  Why do we not assign particular churches to look out for displaced pastors and their families?  Why do we not have regular debriefings of pastors who are forced to leave churches, to see how we may help them, and more importantly to see what we can learn from them?  Why do we not have support groups for pastors and their families?  Why do we not have a system of regular pastoral visits of pastors and their families?  Why do we not work with pastors in helping them establish and maintain their spiritual disciplines?  Why do we not have anyone on a presbytery or synod level who is responsible for the pastoral care of pastors?   Why do we continue to solve our pastoral problems by asking the pastor to leave, even when we know it is not the pastor's fault,  when we know that the problem is with the church, but it is easier to replace the pastor than fix the church?

The reason is obvious. Pastors are expendable.  There is always a line of naïve young men lining up to move into even the most difficult situation,  ready to be chewed up and spit out, like their brothers before them.

When I have brought these things up in the past, I have been accused of wanting to have bishops in the church, who would exert power above. That's our problem--we only see the relationship between pastor and presbytery as a power relationship.  Having a person responsible for being supportive and friendly seems beyond our grasp. 

In John 17,  Jesus prays in His high priestly prayer that the Father would make us one with one another as we are one with Him.  In John 13 he tells us that loving one another is the mark of being a disciple.  So--where is the oneness?  Oneness is not something we work to have. It is there already.  We are mutually accountable to each other, whether or not we even know each other.  If one of us is injured we all suffer.

Sometimes, our little denomination reminds me of a partially dead tree.  Here and there we see new, green life, and we rejoice for it. But we also see dead branches, cut off from the rest, rotting and termite riddled,  where the life never touches.  The whole tree suffers because of it.    

It comes down to this--we ministers need to see ourselves as members of each other's families.  When one brother stumbles, other brothers need to help him,  both officially and unofficially.  We do not have to know them well to recognize the organic connection that exists between other members of Christ's Body--in particular members of our own Presbytery. That is the unity we want in our churches. It ought to what we crave between pastors as well. 

Maundy Thursday Message

I became an ordained minister 31 years ago.  Since then, I have led or assisted in almost two hundred communion services. In most of them I read the “words of institution,” as they are found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.  Not until a couple of years ago, did I come to question what I thought was it meant, 27-32

 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.  When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Let’s face it--how many people have you known who have gotten sick or died because of communion? How can communion make you sick?

Yet here it is in the Bible. According to Paul, communion caused some to be sick and others to “fall asleep” that is, to die. 

One interpretation is that if we take communion with a guilty conscience we are cursed by it. But I have known many unrepentant sinners to take communion, yet none of them have gotten sick by it.  Besides, if sinlessness were required for communion, none of us should take it.

Another explanation is that if we take it without understanding we are guilty. But again, there are ignorant people in every church. Some whole denominations misinterpret communion, in my opinion yet you don’t see them getting sick because of it. 

Here’s where I think we have it wrong. The ritual of communion was in Paul’s day very different from what it is today. In the early church, communion was the culmination of the agapae or love feast that came after the formal service. The church fathers, such as Ignatius of Antioch, Pliny the Younger, Hyppolitus of Rome, Tertullian, and many others.  Everyone shared a full meal together.  It was what we call today a covered dish dinner, eaten as a symbol of unity and love.

Anyone who has ever attended a church social knows what a great time it can be.  But we also know what headaches they can cause, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11: 17-23.

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. (In other words, Paul was really ticked off.)

18-19 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt, there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.

Have you ever been to a covered dish in a church where people were not getting along?  The fellowship hall becomes a war room, full of whispered conversations and angry looks.  One group sits together at one table, while another group sits at another. 

Disagreements don’t bother Paul.  On the contrary, disagreements in the church are a healthy way of arriving at the truth. What bothered him was how they expressed their disagreement. Instead of seeing disagreements as opportunities for the common edification and growth, they were an occasion for pride, jealousy, even violence.

I once heard an elder threaten to lay a tire tool to the skull of another over a “theological disagreement.”

Some disagreements were over doctrine or practice. Some were over racial or ethnic differences. Many had to do with the way the church should relate to the world around them. Some were divisions between rich and poor.  All were harmful to the peace of the church.

But these divisions were not the only problems--they weren’t even the worst problem.

20-21 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.

People seemed to have forgotten that this was a “love” feast. In their minds, it was just another covered dish. They were not asking the question “How can I used this as an opportunity to show my brothers and sisters how much I care for them?”  Instead they were saying “How do I keep Peter from eating all the biscuits?”

The result of this was that those who were slower got nothing, while those who were faster got too much. So instead of it being a love feast, it was a gluttony festival—an all-you-can-eat night at Shoneys.

But even that was not the worst.

Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!

People watched what the others brought. Those who brought a lot thought they were getting cheated.  Those who brought nothing resented those who did, because they were not bringing more.  If people did not contribute to the meal they sent them home or made them get to the back of the line. Those who brought a lot got to go first. 

Paul contrasted their attitude with Jesus’ at the Last Supper

23-26  For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,  and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."   In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."   For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Paul begins. “The Lord Jesus On the same night he was betrayed.’

Why betrayed? Why not on the same night he was arrested?  On the same night he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why not on the same night he washed his disciples feet?

Jesus knew Judas was betraying him, but he washed his feet anyway. He made sure the Judas got a good meal before he went out to betray him. He loved him and continued to love him whether he betrayed him or not.  Jesus gave Judas a sop from his own hand, which meant that Judas had to be near Him in a place of honor.  Love people regardless of what they do to you.  Love your enemies and care for those with whom you disagree. 

He broke bread and said, “this is My body.” Jesus was saying he is going to have His body broken for us just like that bread.  He took the wine and said, “this is My blood.”  He would bleed for us, because He loved us. If Jesus can be broken and bleed for us, maybe we can be a little bit nicer to each other. 

For whenever you eat this bread or drink this cup, you show forth the Lord’s death until He comes.

Whenever you sit down to eat together, remember who you are. You are Christ’s Body, held together by the sacred sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. He bled and died for each one of us.  When you sit at the table, we show ourselves to be His family.

In this context, verses 27 through 32 finally sense.  I have never seen anyone get sick of die because he or she did not understand the mysteries of communion, but I have seen people get sick and even die because of bitterness, jealousy, and unforgiveness.  I have not seen people get sick and die from grape juice and crackers, but I have seen churches get sick and die because they were forgotten by the people in the pew next to them, who regarded them not a sister or brother, but as a set decoration for the drama that is their more important lives.

When we have communion, where is the Body of Christ?  The answer is easy--we are it.  The Body of Christ are the people with whom we share this feast.  When we don’t see Him there, and instead  see them as merely human, then we miss the reason for communion and might as well eat juice and crackers alone in our rooms. 

I urge you to look around this room, and see the Body of Christ, not just eating juice and crackers together, but  humbling ourselves before the Lord in repentance and sorrow. Then we discern the Body together. This is the body that should concern us, not food and drink, but flesh and blood.   

Becoming Light

In his later years, Albert Einstein came to America, and lived near Princeton University. Once a young physics student was walking in a park near the school, and came upon Einstein looking over a bridge at a stream.


What a wonderful opportunity. Here was the greatest genius in physics the world had ever known. What secrets were locked up in that brain! He desperately wanted to have a conversation with the great man. So he came and stood on the bridge next to him, and looked down in the water.

There are two great relationships in every Christian’s life. The first is a relationship with God. The second is our relationship with others. Without both of these, then the Gospel will die.

The Devil attacks us on two fronts. First, he tries to destroy our relationship with God. If that does not work, then he tries to wreck our relationship with others. If we want to have a private relationship with God, the Devil usually leaves us alone. He has already neutralized us into having an ongoing relationship with others. But if we have a vital relationship with God along with openness to people inside and outside the church, then the Devil has something to fear from us.

We looked at the first relationship, that divine relationship with God through prayer last summer. We presented a series of prayer skills that enable us to have a strong relationship with God. For the next few weeks, we are going to work on developing our second relationship—the horizontal relationships we have with other people so that our relationship with God can have a real impact on the world, and the relationship that others have in God can have a real impact on us.

We are going to start our study in the first letter of John. Though it is a little book, it packs a powerful wallop. It can revolutionize our walk with the Lord and our walk with others. I know, because it has had a powerful influence on me.

We don’t know much about the circumstances of writing this letter. We do not know when he wrote it, or exactly to whom. It is a general epistle, which meant it was written to be the whole church, not just a part of it. We think it was written fairly late in John’s life, after the rest of the New Testament. Many of the apostles of Jesus were already dead. The church was falling into doctrinal disputes and organizational debates.

John saw his mission to restore and poetic and mystic side of the church. He was not mainly concerned with the fine details of what they should believed. As long as people accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, they were in. He was more concerned with how they believed what they believed. We can believe right and live wrong. We can have the right goal but have the wrong attitude. If all we do is to believe in Jesus, and do not believe on Him we have not understood the Gospel. Without a living relationship with Jesus and others, we are nothing.

John gets right into a discussion of relationships in 1 John 1:1-4



That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.



In verse 2 John tells us what he is talking about—the Word of Life. Not just the Word, but the life as well. The Word is not just propositional truth, but a living Person who we may know intimately. The word is Jesus, revealed by the Spirit in our lives.

John says four things about the word.

1. The Word has always been there. There is nothing new about it. The Word is like the stake you take out of your freezer and thaw for supper. All the ingredients are already there. It only takes the flame of the Spirit to bring it to life.

2. We have already heard the Word. Yes, the church already has its doctrine right. Christ is the God, the second person of the trinity. He died for our sins. John knew this, because he heard it from Jesus’ own mouth.

3. We have seen the Word lived before us. John saw this truth lived out by the Son of God. John did not have to wear a bracelet that said WWJD. He knew what Jesus would do, because he knew him personally.

4. We can still know the Word today. The eternal Holy Spirit is still with us, and is constantly revealing Jesus. John had the Holy Spirit with him constantly. His divine presence was revealed to him. He depended upon Him. He was his meat and drink.

So John intimately knew the Word of Life, and that life filled him with great personal joy. We write this to make our joy complete.

What do you do when you see a TV show or a movie you like, or hear a good song, or eat at a good restaurant? You can’t wait to tell someone about it. John is the same way. Once he has encountered the living presence of God in the Spirit, he wanted to share it with others, so that his joy—and ours—will be complete. Good things are so much better when there is someone we can tell about them.

John is not just joyful about the Word of Life—he is transformed by it.

In verse 5, John makes a “metaphorical leap.” He changes images. He no longer talks about the Word of life. Now he starts to talk about God as light. This is not really a change of subjects. A word is how we convey a thought or idea. The word we receive from God is more than a thought. It is a life. That life transforms us, and causes us to present a new word to others. The Word of Life becomes light not just to ourselves, but to others.

He has become a living container for the presence of God. Like electricity through a light bulb, the power of God was flowing through John, providing light to the world.

Who was John really? He was no one special. But the Word of Life in John was very special. God’s presence and power was inside of him. That made him very important indeed. He was part of God’s plan to occupy mortals, fill them with the Word of Life, until they illuminated the world.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said “You are the salt of the earth.” Their salt was mined from the Dead Sea in blocks. It was not pure salt, but had many inert materials in it. The substance the Bible calls "salt" is actually a complex substance, which contained salt, among other things. If the salt was not in the grain, then it was useless. If Christ is not in our hearts, we are no good to God.

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said “you are the light of the world.” What good is a lantern without a flame? A light bulb is garbage when it no longer can burn. It is no good without a glow. It is God’s light inside that is important. That is why John says in verses 5-6



This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.



Did you know that race cars have no headlights? They don’t need them. Some race cars have fake headlights, but they do not work. They are fake. Many Christians are fake, too. The light inside of them has grown dim. We do not see unbelievers converted, nor do we experience genuine spiritual relationships with other Christians. We are just pretending to have a fake light inside of us.

How do we really show others the Word of Life? There are only two things we need to do. First, we must have a clear relationship with God. Then we must have a clear relationship with other people. We have to be real and transparent.

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. God hides nothing. He pretends to nothing. His is honest and true.

Somehow, we think that witnessing is something we must work at. We treat Jesus like a product to be sold. We treat Christian fellowship the same way. We dress up to come to church, put on a churchy way of talking and acting, because we are afraid to be ourselves. But if the Word of Life is really inside, we do not have to pretend. All we will need to do is to be Christian. We don’t have to hide our doubts and deficits and put on a pretend piety. If the light of Jesus is in us, we just need to get out of the way and let the light shine through. John says in verse 7



But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.



“Walking in the light” is how John describes our relationship to each other. All we have to do is to be honest, and we will win the world for Jesus.

Why is it so hard to have real Christian fellowship or witness? There are several obstacles that to being real with others. In upcoming weeks, we are going to look at five of them.

1. Distance—before we can be real with others, we must physically be with them.

2. Dishonesty—we must trust that God can use us even when we are not perfect He will shine as brightly through our failures as through our successes.

3. Rejection—we need to learn to accept people who are different, and who do things that are sinful, without judging them.

4. Resentment—it is hard for us not to want to hurt back but we must learn to forgive people who have hurt us. We cannot be salt and light to people we resent.

5. Indifference—the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. We cannot be salt and light without also being lovers of those whom God loves.

In order to answer these five blocks, we are going to offer five answers—hospitality, honesty, acceptance, forgiveness, and love. These traits are not something we learn one time. They are skills to be honed and practiced. The more we practice, the more we become the Word of Life in the world. It is not easy to do any of these things, but the closer we draw to Jesus, the easier it can become.

Come back next, week, and we will begin to learn what it means to walk in the light.

The Wrong Kind of Childish

Remember all those Bible School pictures of Jesus and the children you saw as a child? Something has always bothered me about those pictures. Now I think I know why. In the pictures, Jesus is sitting on a rock under a tree with happy children pressed around him. He is teaching and they are listening attentively. Now, Jesus is doing what I always imagine Jesus would be doing. But these children are not like any children I know. Kids don’t sit attentively. The children in those pictures don’t act like children. They act like little adults. There are a lot of qualities of children that we don’t want to copy. When Jesus said we should be act like children, the disciples were already acting childishly. Jesus said this in Matthew 18. Like most of Jesus’ sayings, it came as an answer to a problem. Matthew 18 opens: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" The disciples were acting like spoiled brats. They had been told that they all would be given thrones when the kingdom comes. Yet they were fighting over who would be second in command. If Jesus is in charge, does it really matter who is second in command? This was childish. In response, Jesus had a child stand in front of the group. He said” "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3-4) Jealousy and bickering was a problem in the early church. However, today we seemed to have overcome it. At least, that’s the way we report it. I did a Google search on the subject of jealousy. I found lots of sermons and teaching on the subject, but very few examples. Most of the examples that were admitted to were either hundreds of years old, or they were about crazy people, Few examples came from ordinary churches like ours. I am being facetious, of course. There is a lot of jealousy and bickering, even in churches like ours. Much of it, though is quiet bickering. We don’t say it, but we think it. Jealousy is a hidden sin, and the mischief which arises from jealousy is hidden, too. It comes in subtle forms, barely visible. Even so, it is devastating. Jesus did not tell to release our inner child. He referred to a child’s humility. Humble yourselves like a child. A child had no status in the world of Jesus. He wanted them to trust themselves completely to the leadership of Jesus, following like a toddler follows his mother. But the argument continued. It was an ongoing argument that went even during the last supper. Peter thought James was trying to upstage him. Judas thought John was getting uppity. The natural tensions of men travelling together had took its toll on the disciples. Matthew 18 is Jesus’ answer to the childish tensions in the church. First, Jesus says don’t hurt each other. If anyone hurts one of His children, it would be better for a millstone to be put around their neck and they be thrown into the depths of the sea. It is not physical children He is talking about. It is believers who follow Jesus with childlike faith. Notice also to whom Jesus is speaking. He is not speaking to unbelievers, but his disciples. If you ever come to the place of actually hurting each other--watch out! You’re hurting one of God’s children. The problem of family abuse is huge. It is estimated that one out of three women in America will experience some form of physical or sexual abuse before they are grown. The prevalence of domestic violence against women and children is actually greater among religious people. Anyone who strikes a woman or abuses a child or physically or harms any member of the church will be dealt with harshly by God. We cannot help what unbelievers do, but we can punish abusive or violent behavior. Christians can be among the cruelest people in the world. They can always justify their behavior as defending the kingdom of God. But the next time you want to burn a brother at the stake, remember who his Father is. His Father will not take kindly to us mistreating his children. But what do you do with the person who gets abusive? You try win them back. In vs. 16, He gave them a parable about a shepherd with a hundred sheep, who leaves them in the field to seek one who is lost. In context, this is about reclaiming our own. If a fellow believer has gone astray, try to reclaim them before you do anything else. He gets practical in verses 15 and 16. Go talk to him in private. If he refuses to listen, take someone else with you. If that doesn’t work, take it to the elders. If he refuses to listen, then let him go. After this, Jesus gives us a positive reason for learning to get along. We have authority when we are united. In verses 17 and 18 he says if we bind something in earth, it will be bound in heaven. If we loose something on earth, it will be loosed in heaven, and that if two or three agree on earth, it will be done for them in heaven. Being disagreeable will hinder our prayers, but being united in a single cause will loosen the doors of blessing in heaven. But the disciples kept quarreling. The Devil attacked the kingdom from the inside, stirring up their petty bickering and jealousies. Peter started getting nervous. “Lord, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times?” It’s not hard to imagine why Peter said this. There were some people around him who he having to forgive all the time. There must have been someone who was constantly needling Peter. This childishness goes on, even among disciples. Peter was ready to haul off and hit him, but if he did, according to Jesus, he might have a millstone put around his neck. Then he would be sent to have to bring the guy back. Jesus’ response is clear. “No, seventy times seven.” In other words, however long it is n necessary. He explains why in verses 23-35 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." The man owed “ten thousand talents.” Or literally “A myriad”--the largest number possible. Adam Clarke notes that the amount is the equivalent of 67,000,000 pounds, the annual income of the British Empire in his day. Today, it would be close to a billion dollars. A hundred denarii in our money would be worth about seven dollars and fifty cents. One billion dollars. Seven dollars and fifty cents. See the difference? We owe a debt that we cannot pay. “The wages of sin is death.” God forgave us and granted us eternal life with Him. So how can we bear grudges? The things that separate us are so petty—a forgotten birthday card, a small promotion, a dirty look. Even large things seem small by comparison. How can we take so seriously money taken from us, if God has given us so much? I once was approached by a choir member to go rebuke another member, because she thought the woman in the congregation was looking angry whenever they sang! Are there are any conditions of God’s forgiveness? Only one--that we forgive others. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” God expects us to forgive as we have been forgiving. Forgiveness is not easy. Forgiveness does not begin with somehow wishing away our anger towards a person and acting nice to hem. Forgiveness simply means to forego retribution. When we are hurt, we do not hurt back. Someone hurts us, and we feel they should be hurt in return, to even the scales of justice. We forgive when we decide not to settle the score ourselves. Forgiveness progresses to treating the one who has hurt us no different than we would treat another, Then in time, we may reconcile with our brother—or not, if he will not reconcile with you. We cannot practice retribution without deserving it ourselves. Without forgiveness, there can never be reconciliation. If we do not reconcile, our petty grievances will mount until they become a mountain of bitterness, obscuring the light of God. Getting along with flawed, sinful people is a like dancing with a porcupine. We’re going to get stuck, no matter how careful we are. But the Kingdom of God makes it worth it for us to climb above our vindictive natures and forgive each other. One of my favorite stories of forgiveness is that of Elizabeth Elliott. Her husband, Jim Elliot was one of a group of missionaries who flew into a remote region of the Amazon to evangelize the Aucas, an isolated tribe. Before the could begin, the Aucas ambushed them and killed them all. Elizabeth Elliot, after she had grieved for her husband, went to the Auca tribe and continued her husband’s work. At the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelism in 1974, Elizabeth Elliot showed up with an Auca tribesman. She introduced him by saying. “This is my dear friend and elder of the Auca church. He is also the man who killed my husband.” Her forgiveness of the Aucas enabled her to win the tribe. When we act like Jesus, we make Him visible to the world. When we get wrapped up in personal disputes, we show ourselves to be childish. But God forgives children, too.