Sterizo ('To Establish')

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Called, Competent and Committed (part 3)

I have been considering ordination, and what makes one qualified to receive that charge. In the first post I shared about the essential need for a person to be called. In part two, I offered thoughts on a person being competent. In this third post I will discuss the importance for a person to be committed to the work of the ministry, and the process of training.

Leading a congregation is hard and the statistics on pastoral burnout are well known, but I am not talking here about pastors who receive a salary for their ministry service. What I am sharing about are, for lack of a better term, ‘lay leaders’; elders, deacons, teachers, etc, who serve the local congregation out of simple love and devotion to that family. When tough times come, they cannot look at ministry as their ‘job’ as a mental aid to help them stick it out. They need to decide, is their ministry worth hanging tough or is it easier to just walk away?

When considering ordination, it is important to determine whether that person demonstrated a desire and ability to persevere through tough times. This is difficult to do when ordination is reserved for those who have spent most of their training period in traditional institutions and have not been exposed to the challenges of ministry. They can be told all day how difficult it is but until it is experienced they will not know.

So we send our young men and women to Bible school or seminary, cutting them off in large part from the daily life of the local church. Then after two or four years, we gather an ‘ordination council’, ask the candidate a load of theological and hypothetical questions, lay hands on them if they got the answers right, and set them to the work of the ministry.

The New Testament points to a different way.

In writing of deacons, Paul gives the following instruction: “…let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.” (1 Timothy 3:10) What would be the components of this ‘test’? The context shows us that the test is comprised of observable life patterns as well as faithfulness to doctrine (verses 8-9, 11-12).

But we do not usually find that deacons are ordained. It is my contention that those who “serve well as deacons” (1 Timothy 3:13) are in fact training for the potential call to eldership (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7), the ‘office’ on which ordination is conferred. Has the one serving as a deacon demonstrated a commitment to ministry and to the process of training and testing? Have they chaffed under spiritual authority, or shown themselves teachable and willing to grow and learn? Have they persevered with observable Christian character under times of trial and difficulty, or have they been prone to either give up, find an easier way or responded in unhealthy ways? Have they devoted themselves to the growth of their life and ministry, understanding the importance of the call (see 1 Timothy 4:15-16), or emphasized themselves above the ministry?

These things are observable and quantifiable. This pattern takes a commitment on the part of the ‘candidate’ to be open and transparent. A commitment to allow others access to their lives; to submit to spiritual authority; to be confronted with areas of weakness and sin and to act t change and grow.

If a person cannot, does not, or is not willing to, commit to the process and the ministry, it would be obvious that they are not qualified for ordination, even if they have that special piece of paper from the seminary.

In the final post I will take on some other questions such as process and procedure and the question of who is qualified to issue the ‘rite’ of ordination.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Called, Competent and Committed (part 2)

In the first post I considered the importance of a calling in terms of determining ordaining a person for ministry. The next issue to consider in terms of ordination is whether that person is competent.

Competent is defined as having the skill or ability to do something well. A competent mechanic can correctly fix my car. A competent musician can play pleasing and recognizable music on their instrument.

To a great degree, our education model is focused on imparting information and ‘teaching to the test’. If a student can reproduce the information on an exam they pass. But have they truly understood? Can they retain that knowledge and make it work for them in practical situations? Are they competent?

This has found its way into ministry education. Let’s face it, there are plenty of ministers who are ‘book smart’, meaning they got good grades by passing exams. When it comes to life and ministry skill, however, they are lacking because they were not evaluated in a ‘real world’ setting on their ability to use the information correctly or effectively. I believe education is important and I highly value my own seminary experience; yet I must wonder how well the current system does at determining competency. To remediate this, many Bible colleges and seminaries now include some form of on-site practicum.

Even so, as mentioned in the first post, it is still often the framed paper on the wall, reflecting a particular level of education, rather than the quality of training which carries weight. Why do we consider someone who completed a four-year post graduate program at a prominent institution more qualified for ordination than someone who has invested the same time being mentored and learning one-to-one in a local church setting? Some aspects of ministry certainly benefit from a traditional educational setting (studying the original Biblical languages with skilled linguists comes to mind), but much can and should be learned within the local church.

Let’s go back to the passage in Mark 3:13-15: “And [Jesus] 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.”

The original disciples were ‘ordained’ by Jesus for the work of the Gospel ministry (see also John 15:16), but the condition by which they were set apart for this work had nothing to do with traditional ideas of education. In fact when the Jewish authorities encountered the disciples “and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.” (Acts 4:13) In this sense ‘uneducated’ means that they had no formal training in the schools of the scribes or rabbis. Yet they possessed an amazing ability, a competency, which amazed the authorities. Where did this come from? The Jewish leaders “recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

Jesus called those He wanted “that they might be with Him”. This was the training program for the disciples. It wasn’t about being sent away to schools or seminaries; it was about real world training in the presence of a master, the Master. It was about mentoring and practical teaching. It was learning how to understand and handle the Word of God in everyday situations. It was about being given opportunity to go out (see Luke 9:1-2; 10:1). It was about being allowed to ‘fail’ (Matthew 17:19-20). They disciples became competent through experience, not education.

An exam does not reveal if a man is fit to be a deacon or elder. A grade for a one semester course cannot measure if one is truly “a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15). Academic institutions are not places where character is formed or nurtured.

I am convinced that competency is best formed, observed and evaluated in a local church community. Training for ministry at the local level more readily fits the Biblical model and could be more effective in preparing people for ordination than sending them away for education.

In the next post I will discuss commitment.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Called, Competent and Committed (part 1)

During a recent conversation with a friend, our discussion turned to the matter of ordination for ministry. Like many issues in the Church we make assumptions which are not always rooted in Scripture. I would challenge some of those traditional assumptions surrounding the issue of ordination.

At its most basic, ‘ordain’ means “to officially appoint or invest with authority”. Where does this appointment come from? On what criteria is the decision to ordain based? Over the next several posts I am going to offer three benchmarks by which a person should be evaluated as to their fitness for ordination and greater ministry service, and then conclude with some thoughts on the process of ordination itself.

What do people usually consider as the most important component for someone to be ‘qualified’ for ordination? If we are honest, the larger percent would suggest training, by which they mean education, by which they mean a degree from a Bible College or Seminary. Ask yourself, especially if you have ever been involved with a pastoral search committee, if the possession of formal education didn’t play a large role in the selection process. I’m not saying a quality ministry education isn’t important; I’m simply asking if it should be given the weight usually affixed to it, and if those above mentioned institutions are the best avenues for ministry training.

When considering someone for ordination, the first aspect to take account of is whether that person is called.

We read in Mark 3:13-15, “And [Jesus] 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.”* We note that it was Jesus Who specifically called and appointed the ones He wanted.

Paul had a thriving teaching ministry in Antioch when one day the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2) Paul later acknowledges this call of God in Galatians 1:15, “…he who had set me apart before I was born…called me by his grace…” Paul did not undertake his missionary/church planting ministry under his own impulse. He was specifically called out by the Spirit.

The question certainly must be raised as to how one may recognize the call either for themselves or for another. In this regard the importance of spiritual disciplines, particularly prayer, fasting and worship, cannot be overemphasized.

In Luke’s account of the calling of the disciples he records that Jesus “went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12) Jesus invested time in serious prayer and the following morning He selected the Twelve. In the case of Paul and Barnabas, the calling came while the leadership team was engaged in the spiritual disciplines of worship and fasting. These men had put themselves in a position to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them. When Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for the local churches they did so after a time of prayer and fasting (Acts 14:23). The Lord reveals and confirms the calling when people put themselves in position to hear Him.

Another means of recognizing the calling is through the affirmation of the church body. When the need of the local church grew, the Apostles instructed the congregation to choose ministers “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3) who could be appointed to the work. The seven men chosen were recognized as spiritually mature and fit to serve. This is where real relationships in the Church serve a vital role. Where there is discipleship and mentoring, those who exhibit a gift and desire for ministry may be more readily identified, prayed over and supported in their training. I am convinced that the best leaders for a local church are those who are already present in the church.

In the next post I will address the second benchmark- competency.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

The Power of Forgiveness

Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (ESV)

Most Christians have likely heard of the importance of forgiveness, and we know of the personal implications (see Matthew 6:15). Forgiveness, or a lack thereof, can hinder our spiritual growth and place a barrier to our communion with the Lord. Yet the necessity of forgiveness has broader repercussions as well.

In the above passage from 2 Corinthians, Paul is following up on a previous issue in the church. This is likely a reference to the man who was caught in sexual sin as we read in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. In his first letter, Paul commands that the man be put out of the fellowship and placed under discipline until he should repent. This sections of 2 Corinthians reveals that the man had indeed responded appropriately and repented. It was therefore now time to end that ‘sentence’ and bring the man back into fellowship not only for his own sake (that he would not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow) but for the sake of the entire church fellowship.

Christ outlined the plan and pattern for discipline in the Church (see Matthew 18:15-20), but that process was never intended to be open-ended. The goal of discipline is restoration. A person placed under discipline either repents, in which case they are to be restored, or they reject the discipline and so prove themselves to be outsiders to the faith family.

Our enemy, satan, and his minions lurk in and around our local churches looking for any and every opportunity to bring disruption. The devil loves to entice Christians into sin, but he garners an even greater delight in twisting the process of discipline to undermine Christian love, fellowship and unity. The enemy would see Christians divided, suspicious and hostile to one another. When unforgiveness rules, satan gains power in a local church. When discipline is not brought to its intended and appropriate conclusion, the enemy flourishes.

Discipline in the Church, though some may not like to hear or accept it, is necessary; but forgiveness is essential. Paul implores[1] the Corinthians to publicly and officially reaffirm[2] their love to the repentant brother.

Paul ties the forgiveness of the church towards the repentant sinner directly into the purposes[3] of satan. The intentions of the devil are to tear down the Church at every opportunity. Every good thing the Lord gives to His Church is a target and every Christian should be fully aware of this. Nothing satan attempts should catch us unaware, but many local churches have fallen to pieces because Christians became dull and failed to stay alert. I’ve seen it happen. Perhaps you have as well.

Genuine forgiveness and restoration takes all the wind out of the devil’s sails; it disarms him and renders him completely impotent in the matter. When we truly forgive one another, satan has no choice but to scurry back under his wet rock! And isn’t that a beautiful thing!

Is there any unforgiveness in your heart? In your church? In Jesus’ Name you must deal with that immediately. If you do not, you are ripe for the picking and the enemy is salivating! If you persist in unforgiveness you are not only endangering yourself, but your Christian brothers and sisters, your local church, as well. Take the power of the enemy away. Exercise the power of forgiveness!

Be blessed

[1] Greek parakaleo- to urge, exhort, beseech

[2] Greek kuroo- to ratify, make legally binding

[3] Greek noema- designs, intentions. Some translate as ‘schemes’ (NIV, NASB)

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Dealing With Doubt (Part 4)

This will be the final post of this series on dealing with doubt. What we have learned as we have explored the dilemma of John the baptizer in Matthew 11:2-6 is that many of our doubts arise from flawed expectations and misunderstandings about the nature or purpose of the Lord.

Jesus’ Challenge

When John asks if Jesus is truly the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus sends word back for John to consider how the work of Jesus truly fulfills those things which Messiah will do when He arrives. Having revealed His identity to John, Jesus ended His reply with a challenge: “And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matthew 11:6).[1]

Reality had not lined up exactly with John’s expectations of a warrior Messiah who would bring in a time of fire and judgment. This presented John with a choice. Would he be offended (the Greek word is literally ‘scandalized’) and doubt Jesus and disbelieve, or would he accept the evidence and embrace Jesus fully as the Messiah.

We do not read anything of John’s reaction, but I surmise that Jesus’ answer was more than enough to satisfy him. Once John’s expectations could be brought in line with reality, once he was able to see, reality turned out to be so much better than what he expected.

Dealing With Doubt

When reality does not meet expectations, doubt often follows. So what can we do?

The main thing we must do is ‘own it’!

We often feel guilty when doubts creep in, but remember what I have already said: doubt does not automatically equal disbelief. Doubt simply means that your expectations are being challenged by reality. If you let your doubt drive you away from God, then there is a problem. But if your doubt drives you to God…that’s good!

So go to God! He is big enough to handle your questions and gracious enough to give an answer.

John did not let his doubts and questions drive him away from belief in Jesus. He went to Jesus and asked Him plainly why reality was not meeting expectation. Jesus did not scold John or belittle his questions. He graciously helped John see his expectations from a different perspective. Once he did, John could see that Jesus met every expectation and more! Happy is the person who can see Jesus for what He is, and does not ‘stumble’ or ‘fall away’ because He isn’t exactly what we thought He would be.

When reality does not meet expectations, doubt often follows. Yet reality often does match our expectations if we are able to see it; and when we can, we will find it to be much better than what we expected.

Having ‘owned’ our doubt, having taken them head on and gone in search of the answers we will find ourselves better equipped to handle future doubts and in a position to walk with others through their doubts as well.

Have these posts answered every question? Obviously not. But I hope they have given you a starting point for your battle to face and overcome doubt.

Be Blessed.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Dealing With Doubt (Part 3)

How do we deal with the doubts that come our way as pertains to our faith? We will continue on in Matthew 11:2-6 for the answers.

Jesus’ Response

John sent his own disciples to Jesus to ask if He was truly the Messiah. Jesus offers this answer: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” (Matthew 11:4-5) [1]

We recall that the previous chapters of Matthew’s Gospel record the healing of the blind, the lame and the leper and the raising of the dead. But Jesus is not simply saying, ‘Look at what I’ve done’. Jesus wants John to consider His work, certainly; but more important is that John recognizes Jesus’ work as the fulfillment of the work of Messiah as predicted by the prophets.

The blind see; the lame walk; the deaf hear: Isaiah 35:5-6 says, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” A wider reading of the context reveals that this is a text with connections to the end times![2] Isaiah 35 begins: “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you’” (35:3-4). In connection with this vengeance and divine retribution comes healing and wholeness!

The lepers are cleansed; the dead are raised: Isaiah 42:6-7 reads, “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” This is a text which promises the coming of the Messiah. When He appears, Messiah will release those who are bound by sin, disease and death. He will set them free!

The Good News is preached to the poor: Isaiah 61:1 tells, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Isaiah 61 is also a Messianic text[3]. Verses 2-3 go on to declare that the days of preaching and healing would also bring the Day of God’s judgment.

By making these connections, John would be able to see that Jesus was truly the long awaited Messiah. There was no need to look for any other. In Jesus, the One and Only Savior had come. Once he understood this, John would be able to see that not only did reality match his expectations but reality was in fact much better than what He expected.

As mentioned at the close of the last post, when we face doubts regarding our faith, one of the first things we need to do is check our expectations. The next step is to dig into God’s Word to correct our misconceptions; to see exactly what God has revealed about those areas where we are struggling.

In the concluding entry of this series I will offer some final thoughts on facing up to and overcoming our doubts and walking away with a stronger more stable faith.

[2] Isaiah 34:1-4 speaks of the Lord’s anger at the nations and His coming wrath. ⁴All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

[3] This text was also quoted by Jesus in His synagogue sermon in Luke 4

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Dealing With Doubt (Part 2)

In the previous post I embarked on an exploration of the issue of doubt. We began considering John the Baptizer as our example. Matthew 11:2-6 reveals John’s ‘doubt’ and how he handled it.

John’s Question

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Matthew 11:2-3)[1]

Although John was in prison, he had contact with the outside world, and was aware of what Jesus was doing. Matthew 8-9 records Jesus’ miraculous ministry, particularly the miracles of healing. Jesus was healing people of leprosy and other diseases and those afflicted with paralysis, blindness and muteness. Extraordinarily, He had also raised a girl from the dead.

John heard all this but still had questions. As mentioned previously, John’s preaching centered on the coming judgment. When Jesus appeared and the Spirit revealed Him to be the Christ (see John 1:32-34) John’s thoughts must have naturally turned towards the impending arrival of the Kingdom of God. Why, if Jesus was the Messiah, did the Romans still oppress God’s people? Why was he still a prisoner? Why hadn’t the fire of God consumed the wicked?

When reality does not meet expectation, doubt often follows. The reality of Jesus’ ministry did not line up with John’s expectations. Shades of doubt had entered his thoughts; so he sent his disciples to Jesus for an answer. They asked Jesus, ‘Are You the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’

‘Are You the Coming One…?’

Everyone was hoping and looking for Messiah. The Pharisees had wondered if it was John (John 1:19-21). Maybe they had in mind the words of the Psalms and the Prophets (see for example Psalm 118:26; Isaiah 59:19-20; Malachi 3:1).

John now asks the same question. Who exactly is Jesus? Is He Elijah or the Prophet? Is Jesus the Christ? ‘…or should we be expecting someone else?’ The verse translates better as, ‘…should we be expecting a different type [of Messiah])?’[2]

Why would John think to ask about a different type of Messiah?

Out in the desert, near the Dead Sea, lived a Jewish religious community called the Essenes (the group responsible for writing and collecting most of the Dead Sea Scrolls). While John was probably not part of this community, many believe he had some contact with them. Theologically, there were some strong similarities between them. Perhaps this question betrays some of that familiarity.

From some of their writings, the Essenes appear to have had a belief in multiple Messiahs, different from one another.[3] They believed that, at the end of the age, a Priestly Messiah, the “Messiah of Aaron”[4] would appear first to teach and reform. The Messiah of Israel, a warrior who would lead the final battle, would then follow.

There is a distinct possibility that John was wondering if Jesus was the Priestly Messiah but not the Warrior Messiah. Should he expect a different type of Messiah?

I would argue that most of our doubt flows from a misperception of Who God is; of Who Jesus is. We may have some idea of what God should be doing; of the way He should act. We may have ideas of what Jesus should be like. When the reality of life hits us; when we are confronted with a challenge to our preconceptions, doubt can begin to creep in.

If you are facing doubts, the first thing you need to do is check your expectations. Chances are there is something askew there that needs to be corrected.

We will take up how we are to handle doubt in the next post.

[2] Luke 7:18-23 also records this episode. Both accounts are almost identical in every way: except here. Luke’s verse translates as ‘…should we be expecting another [Messiah])?’ Luke uses the Greek word allos which means ‘another’, usually of the same type. In Luke, John is asking if there will be a second Messiah, similar to Jesus. Matthew uses the Greek word heteros which means ‘another of a different sort’. Note the ‘hetero prefix that we use on word such as ‘heterodox’- a different belief; ‘heterogenous’- of a different part or species.

[3] For those really interested these references can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls called The Community Rule (1QS; 4Q255-64; 4Q280, 286-7; 4Q502; 5Q11, 13); The Messianic Rule (1Qsa = 1Q28a); Blessings (1Qsb = 1Q28b); Messianic Apocalypse (4Q521); as well as 4Q266; 1QSa11, 20

[4] From The Messianic Rule (1Q28a). Interestingly enough this ‘Messiah’ would be ‘begotten of God’.