The Puzzle, June 9-12, 2009
Maps and Leaders
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Exodus 13:21-22
I’ve been thinking a lot about what America needs, over the past few years. If you ask the Church in America what we need, a lot of the responses you would get would fit into the category of “maps and leaders.” The entire church growth movement has been about finding “keys” to numerical church growth, and implementing them. Most of the other religiously oriented movements in the U.S. have also been on a quest for a “map” to show which way to go and what to do to achieve the desired results, whether it be political victories, new ways of functioning as a church, or even revival in America. This work you are reading has pretty much been a search for a “map” which will show us what the Lord would have us do, as Christians in America.
All of it is pretty well-intended. We really do think we need a map, that this would be the answer to our questions. If someone can just come up with the new key to church growth or evangelism or church structure or something, then the Church will be O.K. We think.
The other thing in high demand: “Leaders.” If we only had some great leaders to show us the way, plus the map, so we all know where we’re going, we could take it from there.
Which is exactly the point. Even when we’re looking for revival, it’s all about us. It’s what we’re going to do. It’s our plan that we “got from God.” And what we’re really missing, and not even searching for, is “Spirit-led.”
We don’t even know how to do Spirit-led, do we?
Spirit-led
Neither did the Israelites, at first. When the Israelites were led across the Red Sea and into the desert, what they thought they needed was a map. If they just knew where they were going, they could get there. But God didn’t want them to know where they were going. He wanted them to learn to follow Him. He didn’t want them to be able to say to one another, “We are here,” as they pointed to a big X on a map, and plotted out the rest of their journey without Him. He gave them a cloud and a pillar of fire, and left them map-less for the next forty years.The next thing they wanted were leaders—real leaders, who at least knew where they were going! They’d gotten sick of Moses, who had no long-range vision and timetable to share with them; only a bunch of commandments he said he’d gotten from God. On multiple occasions, they were ready to choose another leader who would take them back to Egypt, which, when you think of it, is the height of desperation—electing someone to take you back to slavery being preferred over following God’s man in the wilderness!
In the Wilderness
In the Wilderness, it was not about maps and leaders; it was about being led by the Spirit of God. I think we’ve come full circle. Our problem today is not that we don’t have a map showing where we’re to go, next. And it’s not that we don’t have enough strong, visionary leaders who are itching to lead the charge into the future. I think our problem is that there aren’t enough of us willing to be led by the Spirit of God. We so love our maps and having leaders that we would prefer to go back to slavery before we would be willing to go anywhere without a plan under man’s control, preferably ours. It’s kind of a sad commentary, but I think it’s true. For the last couple years, I’ve felt that my role was to be some sort of “pioneer,” to look in the Bible for the pass through the mountainous wilderness of the 21st century, then come back and draw a map. It has been well-intended, but today I can see where it might lead. Let’s just say I really struck it rich, in terms of a great plan for our times and our country. What if the right movers and shakers bought into it and told others, “We’ve found someone who knows the way through the Wilderness, he says he got it from the Bible, and he even made us a map!” Well, the map would probably become a big seller. People beyond my family and personal acquaintances might buy one! And the next thing would be people pouring out into the Wilderness, armed with the map they got from Dave Ness—and not needing to depend on God, because they have a map.The Whole Point
Here’s the whole point of this little discussion. When it comes down to it, we’d rather rely on a map than have to rely on God. At least we can see the map! We love God, we want to serve Him, but this business of not knowing where we’re going and what comes next, and worst of all, not being able to make plans because we don’t have a map, well, that’s frustrating!If what the Israelites had really needed was a map, one of them had actually been across the desert, twice! The only suitable desert cartographer among them was conveniently also their God-appointed leader! So, why not make a map, Moses?! After all, that’s what the people want, and you’re the only one who could do it (the rest of them having been occupied with their full-time slave jobs, and not having much opportunity to travel).
As it turned out, the entire Israelite Wilderness saga made no human sense. Why would Moses lead the Israelites into a trap at the shore of the Red Sea, when Pharaoh’s chariots were in hot pursuit? Why would he lead them into areas completely lacking in food, or even water? Why didn’t they take the trade road? The answer to each of these questions, and more, is that Moses wasn’t leading the Israelites. God was. God chose to replace the normal “map and leader” method of getting from Point A to Point B with a new one: Spirit-led. He led His people through the Wilderness by means of a pillar of cloud. At night, He lit it up and it became a pillar of fire. It was the only plan they had: Follow the cloud. It was the only plan Moses had, too.
Moses’ Job—and Mine
Moses had the wisdom to realize his job was not to make maps or be a traditional leader, even though he was the only one remotely qualified for the task. Moses figured out that his job was to listen to God, then pass it on to the people. Hmm. Ditto.In this fifth year of serving God through the ministry of Servant Connection, I’m realizing that my job is not really mapmaking; it’s listening to God, then being willing to pass it on to others. We in the 21st century are in a similar place as the desert Hebrews: We’re not in need of a map or a grand scheme; we’re in need of learning to follow the Spirit of God. When we get that, then He can do whatever He wants through us, knowing we’ll obey. Until we get the obedience part down, our plans and maps get in the way more than they help, even when they’re well-intended.
Moses knew his job wasn’t mapmaking or being a traditional leader; it was to show the people how to be led by the Spirit of God. Same, here. It was to listen to God, then pass it on to the people. Me, too. The “leader” part of Moses’ job had nothing at all to do with making big plans of his own, then getting people to help him make it happen. It was all about following God. That was the plan. Ditto.
The First Job of Disciples
When Jesus chose His disciples, the Bible talks about how He chose twelve apostles/disciples, so that they might be with Him. That’s our first role. Here’s the passage: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. (Mark 3:13-15)Apparently, the first job of an apostle (or disciple) is just to be with Jesus. The preaching and the authority enter into it, eventually, but the first thing it means to be a disciple is just to be with Jesus. You follow Him. You learn from Him. You’re available for every order He might give. You don’t work so many hours a week as a disciple, then have the rest of the time to call your own. A disciple is someone who walks with Jesus, and loves Him and obeys Him. This is what we’re supposed to be, and this is what we’re supposed to make: Disciples. Hmm.
Plan Revision, Again
And here I was, getting all ready to make a map for the 21st century! Oh, well. It would be much better if I improved in being Spirit-led, and tried to be a good example for others who don’t even know what that is, yet.I still think I’m called to write down what I learn from this journey, and if that looks like a map, so be it. Nor do I think all the Christian leaders and cartographers out there should throw down their pens and quit. But I believe that we need to look for the cloud before we launch out on any journey. There’s a God who wants to lead us, if we’re willing to be led by His Spirit. Maps, leaders and authority may come in later, but before that comes being with Jesus, learning to take directions from our Lord.
The Puzzle, June 15-17, 2009
Tearless Evangelism
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. Acts 20:31
Paul didn’t approach missions as a “career.” He didn’t hold back by maintaining reasonable working hours and a professional distance from his converts. He threw himself into the work, wholeheartedly. Usually on the move, his three-year stay in Ephesus was quite unusual; it was also proved one of his most fruitful mission fields.
When you’re in enemy territory, in a place entrenched with the demonic and hostile to holiness, you’d better expect to have it be demanding! You don’t just set up shop, say you’re starting a new church, and watch it fill up. I’m told that close to the hall of Tyrannus, out of which Paul based his ministry, was the red light district of Ephesus. People had a choice. The prostitutes were one way, the man of God another. It just depended on which way you turned, when you came to that intersection.
Paul cared enough about the people of Asia to hang in there with them for three years, putting in long hours and giving himself over to the ministry among them. The passion he felt for these people brought him to tears. He was not just an uncaring messenger dumping off a message; he really cared.
Authentic Advertising
In our culture, we are bombarded with advertisements every single day. Billions of dollars are invested to create the illusion of a passionate love for products, so the seller can enjoy a profit. Professional actors and actresses read off their lines. Writers pore over products, coming up with creative ways to entice people to buy them. We’re pretty jaded. Advertising of less than top-notch quality provokes laughter or disgust.Then, along comes the Church. We speak of the joy of the Lord, and manage an occasional, weak smile. (Did you ever notice that when people are truly happy, they don’t have to tell anybody they are? And they’re not acting?) We piece together long speeches about how great it is to serve God, call them “sermons,” then people watch the clock to make sure we don’t talk about it too long and end up having to wait in line at the restaurant. Some who say they love God seldom breathe His name outside a church building. Some ministers only talk about God when they’re paid to, or expected to. Otherwise, it doesn’t come out.
When it comes to Christianity, my part of the world is quite skeptical. Do I think a half-hearted “worship” service attended by bored people, conducted by someone talking about God because he’s paid to do it is going to penetrate the hardened hearts of Northwesterners? I’m fooling myself if I do. It doesn’t make much difference, anyway, since Northwesterners don’t attend church just to attend church. They come because they’re interested, or they don’t come.
Passionless Evangelism
What I’m saying is that a passionless evangelism is not going to bear much fruit. If what we’re preaching is just because we’re “supposed to,” plus we confine it to church settings, it’s not too hard to tell this is an obligation, rather than a passion. It’s like the professional actress doing “sincere” for a commercial. She might be good at it, but everybody knows it’s still acting. Something different happens when a person is telling you about their faith, and they choke up, not because it says to do it on a script, but because they have a hard time getting the word “Jesus” out of their mouths without releasing a flood of relief for forgiven sin and new life. When they have to stop and compose themselves before they can continue, and the reason they’re having such a difficult time is because they care so very much about you and they want something for you so badly, is it hard to think this is more effective evangelism than a stranger reeling off a memorized speech, not truly caring if anyone responds or not?Without passion—genuine, heartrending, tearful passion, this nation will not be won for Jesus. Hard hearts are not penetrated by a dispassionate recitation of some Bible trivia. People are not flocking to churches by the thousands, trying to fill the God-shaped vacuum we say exists in each of us. They’re going to the beach, instead. While they’re at the beach, they may wonder about spiritual things, and, truth be told, they may feel closer to God than they would if they were sitting in the back row of a sanctuary where folks may be more concerned about someone sitting in their pew than they are in where that intruder might spend eternity. Sorry to be harsh, but what can I say? Where’s the passion for lost people, in the Church in America? Do we think they can’t tell when we don’t really care about them? How do they overlook the attitude which scans the population, looking for people who are already “nice,” and hopefully have jobs, so they can come join us and help make the church grow? How much of our “outreach” is about reaching out in the name of Jesus, without expecting anything back? How much of it is about getting more people into our building, and growing so we can make building payments?
Tearless Christianity
There’s a lot of tearless Christianity, in America. Not enough tears of repentance. Not much emotion shown for our lost neighbors or the lost in our nation. Sure, we get nervous about the spiritual destiny of our family members; some are counting pretty heavily on theology which says if they were ever “O.K.,” they’re probably still O.K., but would anyone try to argue they’re currently living close to God? What about that? Isn’t the desire to see them living a victorious Christian life worth some tears and a lot of prayer?If the salvation of our own children and grandchildren doesn’t overly concern us, how are we going to effectively evangelize strangers? We aren’t. Without a passion for souls, we won’t even try.
Getting a Passion for the Lost
So, how do we get a passion for lost people? Ask God. All we have to do is read the Bible to figure out that saving people is Number One on God’s priority list! If we will ask God to give us a passion for souls, He’s willing to provide it. It’s who He is. It’s just the kind of prayer He loves to answer.Our part is in the willingness: Are we willing to shed a tear for another human being? Do we care about others enough to do whatever it takes to love them into the Kingdom of God? Or are we typically more concerned with our own agenda? If self-centeredness, self-consciousness and apathy keep me from ever tearing up over lost people, I think I know where the revival needs to start—in me. God can do that, too.
The Puzzle, June 18-19, 2009
Letting Go
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts 20:32
This is about letting go.
Some of the problems in ministry, these days, are caused by pastors and others who refuse to let go of what they consider to be “their” ministry, their church, their people, or whatever. Founders who began organizations want to maintain control beyond their lifetime. Pastors like to protect their legacy and their hard-fought victories; it’s painful to watch someone new come in and dismantle what we’ve worked so hard for. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for a pioneer missionary like Paul to commit a whole region to Christ, knowing the obstacles they would face, knowing he would never see them, again. He did it, though, and he did it publicly, and on purpose.
Who Gives This Woman?
In order to see transformation of a region, we’re going to have to let go. We can’t micro-manage it into the future. We do our work, we obey God, but then it has to be handed over to Him, completely and purposefully—maybe even publicly. This is a little bit like the “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” part of a traditional wedding ceremony. Everybody knows who it is, and everybody knows what’s happening, but saying it out loud, “Her mother and I,” brings a finality to it and helps in letting go. (And from what I understand, the father of the bride needs all the help he can get)!America needs all the help she can get, too. The Church in America needs to be turned back over to Jesus. Sure, it belongs to Him in name and in theory, but when it comes down to it, there are a whole lot of kingdoms out there! Ask that board member who has shepherded the church for the past forty years from the back pew! How many pastors refer to the church they pastor as “my” church—and they mean it? Then there are the denominational and doctrinal and traditional distinctions that separate “us” from “them.” When I read John 17, it seems Jesus was a lot more urgent about unity than He was in having His children beat each other about the head with their traditions and doctrinal peculiarities. There are a bunch of folks out there, though, who would take anyone to the mat over how much water should be used in baptism, whether they went in forward or backward, how old they were when it happened, and in whose building. And that’s just one of the thousands of controversies dicing the Church into a myriad of factions. What would happen if each one of these bodies was commended to Christ and to the word of His grace, and we let go? Would there be more division or less?
“Letting Go” Services
What if local churches maintained their leadership structure, but those leaders reminded themselves on a regular basis that this was not “their” church, but one belonging to Jesus? Entire denominations could do the same. We could have “letting go” services, whereby the whole works was “commended” to Jesus Christ, and we let go of our control. Whatever the Lord placed back under our stewardship we could manage for Him; whatever didn’t come back would no longer be our business.Yeah, I know. I’m talking “mystical,” again. That’s just me. But, when I look at the framework of the Early Church, I see a lot more mystical than I do hierarchical. I also see entire regions being transformed, through the efforts of a handful of people, back then, as opposed to billions spent and thousands of churches in the U.S., and not much happening, now. I think I’m ready to go back!
Let Go and Hold On
Let go. Whatever we think we’re keeping safe for God, we’re probably almost wrecking. When we’ve done the work He has shown us to do, the next thing is to let go. Hanging on too long or too hard may endanger everything we’ve toiled to achieve. Commend it all to Jesus. It’s safe with Him. If there is further involvement required on our part, He’ll let us know. Otherwise,... let go.And hold on—to Jesus.
We need to let go, and hold on. We must release our grip on the “ownership” of the church, our ministry, our legacy and traditions, etc. At the same time, we need to hold on to Jesus, to the Bible, and to one another. When we let issues and petty divisions separate us, we’re not doing anyone but the devil any favors. When we worry so much about someone driving our ministry into the ditch if we give them the wheel that we hang on too long or too tight, we’ll probably end up putting the car over the cliff, ourselves, while we’re busy fighting to keep control.
Hang onto Jesus. Let go of everything else. The only really “safe” thing to do with what and whom we love is commend it to Jesus Christ.
The Puzzle, June 22-24, 2009
Tenth Commandment Evangelism
I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Acts 20:33
Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders has yielded many important tips on spiritual transformation. Still, I didn’t expect to find one of the Ten Commandments in here—especially the tenth. You shall not covet. It is arguably the most ignored of the Ten Commandments; it’s difficult to find folks who even remember what the tenth commandment is, much less conscientiously try to obey it.
Think about it, though. Coveting is one of many obstacles to evangelism! When the skeptical non-Christian population gripe about pastors who are “just after your money,” sometimes they’re right! It only takes one covetous television evangelist to make the Gospel appear odious to thousands who might otherwise have been led toward Christ. It only takes one small-church pastor, continually whining about money, to turn off a whole community toward what seems to them “a religion of whining.”
Paul knew the Gospel wasn’t going to get too far in a place like Ephesus if the one presenting it seemed interested in getting their money or their possessions. What has changed in the past two millennia? Not that much. I can’t tolerate door-to-door salesmen. Why? Because I refuse to let someone into my house who is only after my money! If I want to buy something, I’ll go to a store. I don’t want the store coming to me—I know they’re not in my house for my good, but for theirs.
How does this apply to evangelism? The Gospel is all about “them.” It’s about a Savior who has come to forgive, to free, to save. It’s all without cost. When the element of greed enters into the communication of the Gospel, in the minds of the hearers it contaminates the free gift of eternal life. It’s no longer just about “them;” now, it’s also about the messenger wanting their money. I’m not suggesting that preachers don’t deserve to be paid for their ministry; what I’m saying is that covetousness kills evangelism and makes the Gospel confusing to people.
The Fruit of Covetousness
Here’s an Old Testament example, from 2 Kings 5. In the famous story of Naaman the Syrian being healed of his leprosy by God through Elisha the prophet, the fact that Naaman has brought thousands of dollars worth of gifts to bestow on whomever heals him is not lost on Elisha’s servant, Gehazi. When Elisha refuses to accept anything at all from the grateful foreigner, Gehazi hatches a plan, then races after the homebound caravan. He tells him that unexpected company has shown up, and Elisha could use a talent of silver and a couple changes of clothing for them. Naaman happily obliges, even throwing in an extra talent of silver.They don’t call Elisha a prophet for nothing. When Gehazi returns from his venture, Elisha tells him exactly what he just did, plus assuring him that Naaman’s leprosy would now cling to him and his descendants after him. The servant with the newfound wealth leaves the prophet’s presence, white with leprosy. Coveting was a bad move.
It still is. God had done a beautiful thing in arranging for the evangelization of a Syrian general. First, He used a captured Israelite girl, now a slave in a far-off land. Her cheerful witness brought hope to someone with an incurable disease. Next, He used Elisha, a prophet so in tune with God that he doesn’t even come out of the house to meet Naaman, but merely sends instructions through a messenger. Once the miracle is accomplished, Elisha keeps all the glory on the God of Israel, politely declining to receive anything from the camel loads of gifts brought to pay for the healing. This is all a wonderful story, with a happy ending—until the prophet’s servant can’t take it any more. He just can’t stand to see all that wealth going back to Syria, when Naaman actually wanted to give it to somebody!
But Gehazi’s lie mars the storybook ending. Naaman must have thought it a little strange that Elisha would change his mind so suddenly, but he didn’t flinch at doling out what was requested through the servant, and even more. What really gets messed up is the future of the servant! The succession of prophets is broken (Elisha seems to have been preparing Gehazi, the same way as Elijah had prepared Elisha); Elisha’s heart is broken, too. The majesty of the miracle is diminished, because someone siphoned off some of God’s glory for their own purposes; their covetousness only brought them lasting grief and disqualified them for future service. How sad!
That’s a Commandment?
Let’s face it. Breaking the tenth Commandment has become routine for so many. “That’s a commandment?”“What is coveting, again?”
Desiring something which belongs to someone else.
“Oh, yeah. That. And that’s wrong?”
Yup.
We need to get out of the routine of covetousness! Not only is covetousness often taken lightly, not really regarded as sin; in some circles it is accepted as being somewhat laudable. To listen to some in our present day, Gehazi was justified in his actions, even “smart.” Getting money from the “enemy” so we can enjoy the blessings of God? Hey, what’s wrong with that?! It’s a philosophy of covetousness. It taints the nobility of the Gospel with the flavor of the world. That’s what.
Untouchable’s
You shall not covet. Especially when you’re trying to win people to Jesus!We could be the Untouchable’s. Elliot Ness needed law enforcement officers who couldn’t be bought, to bring down the crime ring of Al Capone. To knock off Satan’s kingdom in our region, Jesus needs those who will pay attention to the task at hand, rather than being distracted and compromised by a desire for things not ours. Coveting makes for really poor evangelism. It is sin. It opens the door wide for the devil to drag us into the breaking of other commandments. Coveting is refusing to be content with what God has provided. In a way, it’s saying that God is not a good provider, that He’s not really good, after all.
I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. That simple statement helped make the difference in the spread of the Gospel throughout Asia. Because it was true, the Gospel was unimpeded by greed. Much fruit was the result. What can we learn?!
The Puzzle, June 25-July 1, 2009
Working Their Way Into the Kingdom
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:34-35
Yeah, I know we’re saved by grace. We don’t work our way into the Kingdom of God by our good deeds, it’s only by the blood of Jesus. It’s the free gift of salvation. Got that. But here is Paul, the one who wrote the books on “saved by grace,” espousing hard work and encouraging people to follow his own example in it. Is there a contradiction here? Not at all. Paul wasn’t working to get himself into heaven, he was working hard to get others in. Not that he himself could save anybody—that’s always been up to Jesus; he was working day and night to support himself, to set an example for other believers and to remove every possible obstacle to people receiving the free Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Although I can’t think of anything of greater value to the Ephesians than hearing the Gospel of Christ, Paul took considerable time off from “ministry” in order to provide for not only his own needs, but the needs of his whole group. His temperament as a tentmaker must have mirrored his missionary temperament: Driven! Somehow, it’s hard to picture Paul as either the “puttering” kind of tentmaker or the eccentric artist, attempting to create a masterpiece. “Get ‘er done!” That’s the attitude I would have expected him to have toward tentmaking, an “I can’t believe how many tents that guy made in one night!” sort of worker. Then he would go off to teach and preach for five hours.
Paul’s self-supporting missionary efforts in no way diminished the gospel of grace, nor do our present-day labors for Jesus. We’re saved by grace. That’s clear. What is also clear, yet largely ignored, is the emphasis on work in the New Testament. It’s not about working our way into the Kingdom; it’s about working because we belong to the King.
No Laziness
Laziness, half-hearted, passionless efforts to influence a nation toward Christ...these things don’t work! Just as sports teams who only show up for practice when they feel like it and only push themselves until it’s uncomfortable won’t win many championships (or even games), we are not going to see much territory regained for Jesus if we aren’t even willing to work at it. Satan won’t give up that easily! And if we think our potential converts are going to pay us to evangelize them before they’re converted, we’re dreaming. Our source of support will need to be either those already committed to Jesus, who believe in what we’re doing, or we’ll need to be earning our own way—and probably some of both.Paul was interested in setting an example at the same time he was wanting to provide for his team. He wanted to be able to tell the new Christians, “Do as you have seen me do.” He also wanted to be able to relay to them the words of Jesus about “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and without a clear example of what that looked like, the saying wouldn’t have as much power.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Here we have the polar opposite of the consumer mentality in the Church. Present-day attitudes in churches trend toward “What’s in this for me?” In other words, “What will I be receiving if I attend here?” It’s a good time to head back toward the words of Jesus, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Then, the question becomes, “What can I give if I join with this body?” It’s a lot healthier attitude, a lot more “blessed.”
Help the Weak, Don’t Ditch Them
Back to another of Paul’s statements. The expectation is that we are supposed to “help the weak.” Hmm. The church growth movement has sometimes promoted the thought that we’re better off to just get rid of the weak, and continue on with the strong. You know, the stuff about “finding eagles,” skimming the good people off the top and refusing to waste time on the rest. Add to that the mentality which says the pastor is the “leader,” as opposed to a “shepherd” content with loving a flock of sheep, when he could be doing something significant and big for God, and we have the makings for leaving all “weak” in the dust, with pretty much no one going back for the stragglers. Church growth philosophy and the theory of evolution have some similarities, when it comes down to it: “Survival of the fittest.” Help the weak. “Why? They only slow you down! Stick with the strong. Then you’ll get somewhere.” Enough of my soapbox. I just get tired of seeing perfectly good people left behind because they didn’t happen to already be in shape. Or, the times had passed them by, and since they were no longer trendy, they were promptly discarded by new leadership.The Christian Workers Union
The ministry has become a professional “career” entailing years of scholastic preparation; the rest of the congregation usually seems content to leave to the hired professionals everything they’ve trained to do, and more. It’s almost like there is a “union” which would strongly frown upon anyone but the paid professionals (Christian Workers Union) doing things which might be termed “ministry,” kind of like how the local electricians get really upset if you wire somebody’s house and don’t have a license, even if you did it, perfectly. Sure, anyone can hand out bulletins and if you have a commercial drivers’ license you already know you’re in trouble because you’re the only one who can drive the church bus, but when it comes to sharing words about Christ with non-believers, well, that would be too much like preaching and you need a license for that.Is that the way it was in the Early Church? Stephen preached such an effective sermon to the non-believing Sanhedrin that they plugged their ears, then turned him into the first martyr. His position? Table waiter. No license, no seminary—he wasn’t even one of the twelve apostles. He just did it—talked about Jesus. The only people who wanted him to shut up and leave it to the professionals were the ones who hated Jesus in the first place; the Church was thrilled with Stephen’s witness. Had the public testimony about Jesus been limited to the Twelve, it wouldn’t have been too hard to dispose of that handful; when even the table waiters are out holding revivals, you have a containment problem!
Satan doesn’t seem to be struggling too much in containing the Gospel in America, these days. Words exalting Jesus the Son of God do float over the airwaves, but a lot of that is counteracted by the accompanying self-glorification or the pleas for finances. When it comes to seeing someone in person bragging about Jesus, chances are, it will be in an organized church service in a church building, and the speaker will probably be a trained and licensed professional. How could you get more containment than that?!
I’m veering away from my point, though. The “Christian Workers Union” doesn’t really have a monopoly on the Gospel, although there are a few who would try to convince us otherwise. And we needn’t heed Satan’s attempts at containment, any more than the Early Church did.
What I’m getting at is that we utilize way too many excuses for why we can’t share the Gospel and we too quickly excuse ourselves from anything like work (sometimes using theology as our rationalization). We would do well to take the energy spent in making excuses and turn it toward making disciples. We would also do well to honor those who are engaged in “professional” ministry and secular employment at the same time, rather than regarding them with a degree of condescension, the assumption being that they’re apparently not good enough at professional ministry to make a living at it, so they need to support themselves with a “real” job. In other words, there’s something wrong with them. Was something wrong with Paul? Did he not have enough faith that God would provide? Was the tentmaking side job because he wasn’t competent enough in ministry to earn his own salary through preaching and teaching? On the contrary: It all seems to have been on purpose.
Paul didn’t want anything to stand in the way of the Gospel, for one thing, and as we have already discussed, money is a frequent stumbling block for unconverted people (converted ones, too). He wished to set a good example for the Ephesians, particularly the elders. By hard work and generosity, he was doing just that. Furthermore, he was applying the principle of Jesus, the one about “It is better to give than to receive.” Paul chose to operate according to this principle, and he chose to enjoy it. It would be a good example to follow.
A Boost in Credibility
What would happen to the credibility of the Gospel in America if most of the pastors in the country had a trade, and continued to preach and teach about Jesus without receiving any salary for doing it? Would the credibility of the Gospel go down? Certainly not! A bunch of people would develop a new respect for the clergy. Besides that, evangelism would perk up considerably, for at least two reasons. One is that the “money” issue would not be the barricade to belief that it currently is for some, and the impact of the message would be deeper if hearers realized that this person was not being compensated for sharing about Christ. They would come to the conclusion that the speaker must really mean it.Another reason for an increase in evangelism is that with pastors entering the work force, new contacts would be made with unsaved people who would now be spending many hours per week working alongside a trained evangelist, with nowhere to go! If the pastor was genuine in his lifestyle and work habits, the Gospel would rub off. The experience of having to exist in the work world would also have a way of keeping the pastor more genuine, a mindset sometimes hard to maintain in the isolation of church world busyness.
As I’ve said before, the demands placed upon pastors of mid-sized and larger churches are already so high that the thought of taking on a job on the side is out of the question for most, but if the expectation level could be reduced, and the idea of a solo professional minister being in charge of everything or overseeing a staff of professionals could be altered back to a more biblical plurality of eldership, it would even be possible for large church leaders.
Let me hurry on to my last point about this. The way things are going, it would not surprise me at all to have a day come in America when, for whatever reason, professional ministry careers would be a thing of the past, at least when it comes to making a living by being a pastor. That’s why I’m thinking it would be a very good thing if each pastor in America made the effort to develop a skill or trade. I’m not suggesting we give up the professional ministry unless God instructs us to—but wouldn’t it be a good idea to pray about learning a trade or marketable skill which could one day either supplement ministry, for the reasons described above, or might be a way to provide for our family and friends, if pastor’s salaries became a thing of the past? Don’t do anything unless led by the Holy Spirit, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask Him about it, would it?
Conclusion
It’s pretty hard to miss the significance of what Paul is saying in his final words to the elders of Ephesus. The themes here are: Work hard. Be generous. Help the weak. This goes in direct contrast to some of what’s being taught, these days. So what? Do what the Bible says and help the weak, rather than discarding the weak and sticking with the strong. And pray about developing a trade, a skill, anything which would help to: (A) Connect with people in the working world, (B) provide for your family and associates in times when professional ministry would not.We might as well get used to the idea that if we’re a family member, we’re going to work. That’s the way it was on the farm; that’s the way I think it’s supposed to be in the Kingdom of God. In the Garden of Eden, God provided work for Adam to do as a gift, not a curse. Paradise was not a place with nothing to do! The work was fulfilling and enjoyable, but it was still work. In God’s perfect plan for us, there will always be things to do. Work is a blessing, not a curse. What is it the Bible says? “We are workers together with Him”? That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. We can’t work our way into heaven, but our work can be used of God to help other people get close enough to see and seize the free gift of eternal life.
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