A Leadership Gem

As Jesus was leaving, he saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting at the place for paying taxes. Jesus said to him, "Come with me." Matthew got up and went with him. Later, Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Matthew's house. (Matthew 9:9-10a)

There's a verse later in this same passage that piqued my interest in a huge way, so I backed up to see what I could discover about the context of Jesus’ words: “Go and learn what this means…” (vs. 13)

Imagine my surprise when I was stopped cold in my tracks by this simple, familiar phrase: “Jesus and his disciples were having dinner at Matthew’s house.” 

I’ve known this story since I was a kid. I’ve taught about it. I’ve pondered it. But I’ve missed the leadership gem tucked away in that phrase.

I suppose it is the immediacy of the action that grabbed me.

Jesus calls Matthew. Nothing striking so far; most of us are familiar enough with how scandalous it was for the Rabbi to invite a Roman tax collector to walk with him.

Immediately Matthew says "yes." No big surprise there, either, though it may be because we’ve grown accustomed to the lightning fast obedience of the Master’s first followers.

It’s the next line that got me. “Later, Jesus and his disciples were at Matthew’s house.” They were where?

Call me out of touch, but when I have invited folks to be part of the worship ministry, I expected them to be at my office, our worship center, and maybe even… if I was as personable as I’d like to be... invite them to my home.

But Jesus finds a follower and then follows him to his house… to be on his turf… to be with his friends... that same day!

How many times have we, have I, missed the opportunity to testify to friends or develop other leaders because I was so caught up in building my turf… my friends… my house, that I didn’t go with those I was leading.

What do you think? Strike you as significant?

At Kroger? Really?

I was checking out. Just stopped in to grab a few things, not a weekly trip. So I went to the self-checkout and all was going well 'til I scanned my daughter's eye liner. The scale wouldn't recognize that I'd put it in the bag. You've been there, right? (Maybe not with eyeliner, granted.)

Well, when the scale didn't acknowledge my item the attendant came over. I quickly imagined this was his retirement job. He was friendly enough. Joked around that "after all, it is a woman's voice in this machine." I chuckled. It was clever. No big deal. 

After he walked away I guess he felt some sort of connection, so he decided to go a couple of steps further, just doing some general woman-bashing.

Now I'm not sure why, I don't typically do stuff like this, but I happily replied, "well I sure am glad I didn't marry a woman like that." I wasn't angry about it. I wasn't condemning. I just stood up for the dignity and value of my bride. 

You might say that, for once, I loved my wife like Jesus loves the church.

So on the drive home I started pondering even more...

I also have two daughters. I really don't want the men in their lives to think of them the way that man was talking. I don't want those men even talking about women like that. I sure don't want the men they will marry to treat them that way!

And then it became even clearer as I processed it. I wonder how many of us bash the church, the bride of Christ. And I wonder how Jesus defends her. And I wonder if Jesus has ever had to defend the church--His bride--when I've said something that would trouble Him.

Just one of those brief encounters that makes me go "hmmmmmmmm."

Any thoughts?

Not for the beginner?

From Jesus... "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44)

From Paul... "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Rom 12:4)

From Rod... SERIOUSLY?

I am intrigued by this massive challenge, these land mines of love.

Let me start with this: you and I seldom choose to make someone an enemy. I get that. Our enemy is the evil one, not the person in the fourth row of the sanctuary. But the reality of doing ministry in a fallen, broken world is that others will choose to be our enemies. That makes me sad. Very sad. But it is our reality.

And let me add this: these commands from Jesus and Paul can't be done by trying harder, by willpower. I've been pondering some aspect or another of these verses for years and I am discovering that only as "Christ-in-me" grows can I begin to bless and love my enemies. As time with God through the spiritual disciplines does the work of training me in righteousness, I am in a better position to extend blessing to those who curse me.

So how do you do this?

When the driver of that car flips you off, how do you love that enemy? How do you return their curse with blessing?

Or harder, when someone in your church speaks poorly of you, how do you actively engage in enemy-love?

Harder still, if someone in your ministry circle at your church is persecuting you, what ways do you find to bless them?

I wish I had a long list of the things I've done through the years. I really do. But this is a rather recent part of my Christian journey. As of this writing I'll have to be satisfied with a measly three things to share. My great hope is that you will be able to comment with many more ideas!

First, for the guy who flips me off... I take a breath, smile back and wave happily... usually.

Second, for the church member who decides I'm the enemy... I have learned to lovingly offer relational healing. I pursue them. I want to--as far as it depends upon me--live at peace with all people.

And third, for the person in the ministry circle I'm part of leading, I pray, seek counsel from my supervisor, and show greater care and compassion for that person than I might for others.

Bottom line: we can learn to treat people because of the way WE are, rather than the way THEY behave.

OK. It's your turn. Push back for dialogue if you'd like. I'm really hoping you will be able to help all of us by tossing more ideas for enemy-love and lavish-blessing.

Preparation

I was listening to a podcast from Willow Creek Community Church. If Bill Hybels is preaching, I always listen. If someone else from their team is preaching, I usually listen. If there's a guest, I sometimes listen. This particular week they had a guest. I was intrigued by Bill's introduction, so I decided to listen to Dr Gary Burge, New Testament professor at Wheaton College. I'm glad I did. No need for me to revisit the sermon here, you can just listen for yourself. But there was one tiny phrase he used that I'd like to unpack: "Preparation shapes celebration."

Interesting, eh?

I thought of how I prepared a celebration recently--for our 25th wedding anniversary. I didn't have much of a budget, but I had some time. So I spent about a month putting it together, probably requiring more than 40 hours of my time. If you know us personally, ask Jackie about it. She'd love to tell the story. For our purposes here, though, I just want to tell you that the length of time, the depth of thought, and the attention to detail in my planning led to an amazing celebration. (Did I mention I had a very, very small budget?)

And I thought of some other celebrations I wish I'd prepared better. A birthday party here, a banquet there. My lack of significant thought, my decision not to dedicate a great deal of time, and my disregard for details is now embarrassing to remember. 

Perhaps you can identify with me?

Then another thought emerged--one of terminology. While I was serving as Pastor of Worship Arts at Memorial Baptist in Frankfort we decided to stop calling our mid-week get-together practice and started calling it preparation. Semantics? I don't think so. Consider the differences.

Practice is about accuracy. Preparation is about attitude.
Practice is about repetition. Preparation is about inspiration.
Practice is about rehearsing. Preparation is about worshiping.

And the more we were able to move from practicing on Wednesday nights to preparing on Wednesday nights, the more our preparation affected our celebration.

Sundays weren't just right, they were dynamic.
Sundays weren't just "tight," they were free.

It made a huge difference.

In other places I've served briefly--without the luxury of shaping the language of a ministry--I have simply encouraged people to practice more than music; practice worshiping... which has helped us prepare better... which has helped us celebrate better.

What do you think? Is your weekly preparation shaping your weekend celebration of Jesus?

Is Testimony really THIS powerful?

I have had two responses to the testimonies I've heard in worship services. Perhaps yours have been the same.

a) Moved. Afftected. Inspired. Often accompanied by tears.
b) Frustrated. Distracted. Bored. Always accompanied by disappointment.

And so, as a worship designer, I have been reticent to include testimonies unless I heard them ahead of time and, if at all possible, they were on video. I can imagine how controlling and arrogant that sounds. Inasmuch as it is, I confess to you and repent.

There have been two passages of scripture that have challenged me in recent days, and which make me think maybe I (we?) should reconsider how and how often we use some sort of testimony in our worship celebrations.

First, in John 12 some folks are crashing a dinner party in Bethany because Jesus is there. No surprise, right? I imagine that was a fairly normal thing, which explains why Jesus often "withdrew" to get alone with His Father. The surprise came for me in verse 9: "Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead."

People came to see Jesus, sure, but they also came to see Lazarus... to hear the story. Can't you hear them? "Dude, what was it like to be dead, then alive?"

And honestly, isn't that was everyone's testimony is? It is sharing what it was like to be dead, then alive! If not a testimony of salvation--from spiritual death to abundant life--than in any particular part of our journey where Jesus has rescued us from our dead lives and raised us to new life. And if people would come to hear Lazarus point them to Jesus, perhaps they would come to hear those in our churches point them to Jesus too.

There's another passage that I first noticed when digging into the worship song "Overcome." It's in Revelation 12, verse 11. Oh my. The word "and" here is just astounding to me!
   They triumphed over [the accuser]
       by the blood of the Lamb
       and by the word of their testimony;
   they did not love their lives so much
       as to shrink from death.

Really? The blood of the Lamb is surely all we need for salvation. But triumph came through the blood of Jesus AND the words of testimony. Holy cow.

Powerful, isn't it?

So I have a renewed desire to dig til I find testimonies, to find ways to use them, and to watch for how God will use those words...for triumph, for making much of Jesus.

How about you? Are there some specific ways you include testimonies in your worship gatherings?

A Major Regret

I'm about halfway through my ministry career--Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

Looking back, I have only a few regrets. Some are too personal to share in this medium. Some are too common to even mention. But there's one I'd really like to pass along.

Too many of the services I've planned (must be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1500 by now) have not had Jesus as the primary, over-arching, meta-narrative.

Shoot, I've even planned services about communion that weren't enough about Jesus. 

He is what makes all the difference, you know. It is the power of Jesus that breaks the power of addiction. It is the power of Jesus that rescues marriages. It is the power of Jesus that gives hope to the hopeless. It is the power of Jesus that saves.

So if you are in charge of, or part of planning the worship gatherings at your church, please consider every service to have two themes--whatever the sermon is about and Jesus. If the sermon is about Jesus, even better. But please don't plan so thematically that the theme seems like a bigger deal than Jesus. Nothing is. And if it looks that way to the worshiper, you've just fashioned a new-fangled golden calf.

This first really struck me when I was part of planning worship for a long season when my team had no clue what the sermon would be about. We just decided it would be a great time to sing about Jesus.

It has been ramped up over the last couple of years as I've sought to "make much of Jesus" in more and more ways--in conversation, in writing, in private personal times, and in planning/leading worship.

And the more I make much of Jesus, the more I'm convinced both the object and the subject of our worship should be our Triune God.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, Ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Here's a newer song (not all that new, by today's standards--written in 2007) that does a great job of making much of Jesus. If you're not in a super-contemporary worship context you might consider introducing it:


Jesus Saves

Hear the heart of heaven beating
Jesus saves Jesus saves
And the hush of mercy breathing
Jesus saves Jesus saves
Hear the host of angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
And the sounding joy repeating
Jesus saves

See the humblest hearts adore Him
Jesus saves Jesus saves
And the wisest bow before Him
Jesus saves Jesus saves
See the sky alive with praise
Melting darkness in its blaze
There is light forevermore in
Jesus saves

Freedom's calling chains are falling

Hope is dawning bright and true

Day is breaking night is quaking

God is making all things new

Jesus saves

He will live our sorrow sharing
Jesus saves Jesus saves
He will die our burden bearing
Jesus saves Jesus saves
It is done will shout the cross
Christ has paid redemption's cost
While the empty tomb's declaring
Jesus saves

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Jesus saves Jesus saves
Are the saints who shout together
Jesus saves Jesus saves
Rising up so vast and strong
Lifting up salvation's song
The redeemed will sing forever
Jesus saves

CCLI Song # 5059278
David Moffitt | Travis Cottrell
© 2007 New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
First Hand Revelation Music (Admin. by The Loving Company) (Admin. by The Loving Company)

Heaven on Earth?

We all long for it. We all look forward to it. Most of us plan on being a part of it.

But is there anything we can do to make it happen now?

To be more blunt, when we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” do we really mean it?

My pastor had been teaching us about heaven for several weeks. One of the things that I learned—and that I’d never really considered before—is that in many ways life in eternal heaven will be like it is now. We will work, but without distress. We will be in whole, intimate relationships with people, and we will worship perfectly.

N. T. Wright commented, "The great multitude in Revelation which no man can number aren't playing cricket. They are worshipping. sounds boring? If so, it shows how impoverished our idea of worship has become."

Back to this world... take a minute to imagine a life lived according to Romans 12:1 worship where you “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

I’m learning heaven will be the fulfillment of that verse. Because of God’s mercy, those whom Christ knows will offer our whole self (body, mind, spirit) as 24/7 sacrifices. We really will be holy. We really will be pleasing to God. And our whole lives will be worship.

Of course we’ll gather for worship too, joining the eternal song of the angels. 

Can you fathom it? After a period of time working with people we love deeply, and with whom there is absolutely no impedance to those relationships, we will gather around the Lamb of God—in His perfect, personal presence—and without boundary between us and Him, we’ll sing, knowing for the first time how deeply true these words are:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Lord God, Almighty

So what can we do now to make our temporary home more like our eternal one?

Integrate faith and life.

Completely.

Worried about work? Live out your Master’s teaching in the workplace.

Kids driving you crazy? Apply the teachings of Jesus about following Him.

Afraid of what the doctor will say? Be filled with the love of Christ; it casts out fear.

Internal insecurities? Relentlessly pursue an understanding of what it means to be God’s masterpiece, made in His image.

Scared at school? Live like you are on the winning side. You are.

Home. School. Work. Health. Eternity. 

Integrate your faith into them all. 

After all, we might as well be as heavenly oriented as we can. It is only a matter of time.