September 14, 2011

Posted on September 14, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 3:5 If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?

Churches and homes alike would be much better places if more attention were paid to this verse. The parallels between being a good father and being a good pastor are almost too many to mention, and people in each position can gain insight by considering the other position. In each case the father/pastor is limited in the degree of direct control he has, but he has strong influence and authority, and with that authority, responsibility. Fathers would do well to consider the things Paul lists before and after this verse as necessary qualifications for a pastor, because they likewise make for a better father. Much of the influence of a father/pastor is non-verbal. The Japanese speak of learning things from “watching someone’s back.” A father/pastor’s character transmits to his children, both physical and spiritual, through the totality of his lifestyle, and not just from the words he speaks, as important as those words are. On that subject, words of praise and correction are of the utmost importance, because they can generate either aspiration for good or resentment at perceived injustice. There are no perfect pastors, as there are no perfect fathers, so both are forced to depend on our heavenly Father, the Great Shepherd, and follow His directions in order to do things right.

I am somewhat painfully aware of my own failings, as a father and as a pastor. In my case, words of praise and correction have been a tricky area. I have tended to fail to praise progress, holding out for perfection, and that has not been good. Likewise, at times I have over corrected, being a micromanager, and at other times I have failed to correct. Neither brings good results. At this stage in my life my physical children are out of my direct control, but I still have considerable capacity both for wounding and encouraging, and I need to be very careful of my words. My spiritual children are with me all the time, and they are both many and varied. Just as with physical children, I cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach, but at the same time I need to strive for consistency. I don’t have the wisdom for that! I’ve got to stay in such close fellowship with my heavenly Father that I will hear and obey what He says about each situation, because there’s no other way safely to navigate the minefield of interactions that is present in any local church.

Father, thank You for this reminder this morning. I dealt with some of this just yesterday, and I will deal with more today. Help me be faithful as an open channel of Your love and grace, to my physical and my spiritual children, so that together we may grow as Your family, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 13, 2011

Posted on September 14, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.

Christian monotheism, that is, that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, is taught throughout the New Testament, and actually can be found in the Old Testament as well. This is of course a major affront to anyone who denies Christ and/or claims another deity. However, Christians are not known for killing apostates, but rather mourning them. Few Westerners want to acknowledge that Islam actively teaches, and in several countries practices, the killing of apostates. From the standpoint of the Koran, it’s no sin to kill an infidel. Nothing could be further from the core of Christianity. The widely recognized value of the sanctity of life stems directly from the Bible, and comes ultimately down to the fact, stated here, that every human being is someone for whom Christ gave His life. The devil does all he can to counter that. Demonically influenced individuals, organizations, and governments show little regard for the sanctity of life or the inherent dignity of each human being. That is why each believer must be on their guard against such influences. It is clear today to any objective observer that the nations, organizations, and individuals who are most effective in compassion are Christian. Sadly, many are fooled into thinking that hand-out programs that destroy dignity and initiative are compassionate, when such are actually deceptions. Christ died for everyone, but each individual still has the responsibility to acknowledge and submit to Christ.

This is of course highly topical, in every sense of the word. The world today is filled with governments, organizations, and individuals that, to one degree or another, deny Christ and thus devalue human life and dignity. It doesn’t take five minutes of watching the news to be reminded of that. However, this knowledge has to be applied in the local setting, and that’s where my focus should be. It is very easy to get stirred up as I hear of how governments and organizations are cooperating with the devil, but I am responsible for how I listen and submit to God on a moment-by-moment basis. If I am not focused on God myself, I will be thoroughly ineffective in leading others to open their hearts to Him. It is tempting to get up on a soap box and rant about all that is going on in the world, but that would accomplish little if any good. Rather, I need to be obedient to the first and second commandments, as Jesus expressed them, (Matthew 22:37-40) loving God with all that I am and loving my neighbor as myself.

Father, what I’ve written seems somewhat jumbled this morning. That’s symptomatic of the jumbled state of the world today. Help me be clear in my devotion and obedience to You, loving and valuing those around me because of Your love for me and for them, so that as many as will may repent of ignoring and rejecting You and receive the full salvation that You provided in Christ, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 12, 2011

Posted on September 14, 2011 by jgarrott

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

This total passage (12-17) is one of the most concise and yet thorough descriptions of the Christian lifestyle in the whole Bible. This particular verse has been very effectively put to music in Japanese, and we sing it fairly often, though perhaps not often enough. What strikes me about it this morning is the element of mutuality expressed in it. Believers are to teach one another and admonish one another, not leave all of that up to the pastor. In his very effective work for literacy in the 20th Century, Frank Laubach coined a phrase that actually should be something of a watchword in the Church: “Each one teach one.” The point is that everyone has something they can teach someone else. Anyone with children has observed that older children can and do teach younger ones, often much more effectively than adults can do so. That’s because the older children are much closer to the younger ones in outlook and experience, so they know what will relate and put things in understandable terms. That is likewise true in the Church, though we forget it all too often. Few people are really ready to be taught by a theology professor! Rather, they learn best from someone who has been through the same lesson recently themselves. It has been noted that new converts are often the most effective evangelists. They don’t know much, but what they do know is fresh and real, and they are eager to share. That should apply in every area of church life, but too often we are hesitant to do so, feeling we “aren’t qualified.” That particularly applies to admonishing, because we are very aware of our own failures. Actually, such awareness is a necessary requirement for admonishing effectively in love, because otherwise we don’t see where the other person is coming from. As the day before yesterday’s passage said, the Body of Christ builds itself up in love, as each member of it expresses what God has given them. (Ephesians 4:16)

This is a major consideration for me, but one that I haven’t communicated all that well to the believers. Japanese society tends to be very expert oriented, with most people feeling they can’t do something unless they have been trained and credentialed in it. That puts a major damper on volunteering in general, and it has been crippling in the Church. The flip side of that is that since I was steeped in the Bible from infancy, Scriptural truths come naturally and easily to me. Often I have trouble grasping how something that seems so obvious to me could be so hard for the believers to understand. That makes me less than the most effective teacher! I love teaching the Bible, but I’ve got to help the believers grasp the concept that once they have learned something, no matter how small, they can teach that to someone else. They look at me and my depth of Bible knowledge and disqualify themselves from teaching anyone anything. That plays directly into the devil’s hand, and violates this verse. I cannot change Japanese culture on my own, but the Holy Spirit can change each one of us in this church, and that needs to be my goal.

Father, thank You for the good service yesterday, for speaking through me and for preparing the people’s hearts to receive Your word. Thank You for how You are leading us. Help me be faithful in my obedience, allowing You to work powerfully through me, so that all of Your purposes for this church and this city may be fulfilled, on Your schedule and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 11, 2011

Posted on September 14, 2011 by jgarrott

Colossians 1:28-29 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Here Paul expresses the what, why, and how of his ministry. Naturally, this should be a model for everyone who is called to minister the Gospel. The “what” is proclaiming Christ, teaching and admonishing with all wisdom. Any minister who relies on their own wisdom will quickly fall flat on their face, because this requires God’s wisdom. Thankfully, He has promised to provide that for those who ask. (James 1:5) As James points out, if we are constantly in doubt over whether we are operating in God’s wisdom, we won’t get anything done at all. However the other side of that is that conceit is a dangerous thing. What is called for is humble, submitted assurance. The “why” of all this is to present everyone mature in Christ. This goes back to the Great Commission of making disciples. Christians aren’t called to generate pew warmers! That’s why the “what” is both teaching and admonishing. Spiritual children need discipline just as much as physical children. Just as physical parents rejoice to see their children become mature, responsible adults, those who proclaim Christ have that same joy when their spiritual children grow to be active disciples. All of this would be incomplete without the “how,” because objective analysis shows that doing this consistently is beyond human ability. Paul is clear that it involves hard work, but the power ultimately comes from God. Any servant of God has to be willing for God’s power to work through them, because obvious miracles are the exception rather than the rule. Just as with wisdom, we have to walk the line between conceit and apathy. God will work through us, and we can’t possibly do it on our own, but we have to be available as His instruments, getting in there and being the physical expression of what He is doing.

This could hardly be more applicable, or more timely. I can see that God is indeed doing very good things in this church, but I’m not to sit back and watch it happen. Rather, I’m to be an active participant, applying the time and energy that He provides. If I think that energy has to come from me, I’ll give up before I start! I’ve got to submit to God and resist the devil, not just occasionally but all the time, so that I personally and this church as a whole may break through the barriers the devil tries to erect with his lies, and walk in the glorious fruitfulness God desires of and for us.

Father, thank You for this strong, encouraging Word this morning. Help me internalize and apply it properly, not just saying it was a good word but making it mine by application. Thank You for the message You’ve given me for this morning. I pray that Your Spirit would speak it through me as I open my mouth. May each one who hears, in person or electronically, receive a revelation of their value in Your sight, so that together we may rise up as a mighty army, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 10, 2011

Posted on September 10, 2011 by jgarrott

Ephesians 4:7, 16 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

I could preach tomorrow’s message from these two verses, just as well as from 1 Corinthians 12! The great truths of the Bible are not just recorded once, but again and again using different expressions. That’s why my sermons tend to use so many Scriptures, because there are always so many related passages. That ability, sort of like being a human concordance, is one that was given to me, but that doesn’t mean it’s the greatest gift, much less that it could do any good in isolation. As these two verses make clear, everyone has been gifted by the grace of God, and it is when those gifts are put to work that the Body of Christ is built up. Probably very few, if any, churches express all that God has provided in and for that congregation, because such a small percentage of believers really recognize and utilize the gifts God has placed in them to build the Church. As Paul stressed in 1 Corinthians 13, gifts must be used in love, just as it says here. If love is not there, the Body is not built up; it’s that simple. Love must be the motive for all we do: love for God, love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and love for the many lost people who surround us. It is remarkable how many people honestly don’t believe God has gifted them in any way. When they understand that they are indeed gifted, and why God has gifted them, they discover a joy in service that comes in no other way.

As a pastor, a major part of my job is helping people understand that they are gifted and how they are gifted, and then training them in using those gifts to build up the Body of Christ, just as it says in verse 12. I’ve barely scratched the surface of all of that! Tomorrow’s message may well be the springboard for getting going in that. I hope so! The thing is, there are not only different gifts, there are different types of gifts, and there is a great deal of misunderstanding about the whole thing. Don and Katie Fortune have done the Body of Christ a great service in their teaching on gifts, but that has not spread as widely as it might have. After a few sermons on the subject, this congregation might be ready to get serious in learning about gifts, but I must remember that the focus isn’t academic knowledge, it’s application. As I’ll be saying in tomorrow’s message, they need to grasp first of all that they are valuable just as they are, so that they may learn to trust God to use them for His glory.

Father, this topic is huge! I don’t have the wisdom to deal with it properly, so I ask for Your guidance. Guide as I create the Scripture list for October and following, so that the believers may have daily Scriptural input on the subject. Guide in how fast to move with this, so that the believers may be brought along and not left in the dust. I ask You to pour Your Spirit out on all of us so that we may have ears to hear and hearts to obey all that You are saying to us, causing Your Name to be hallowed, Your kingdom to come, and Your will to be done fully and perfectly in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 9, 2011

Posted on September 10, 2011 by jgarrott

Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

This passage needs to be trumpeted to everyone in the whole world! However, even if that were done, there would be many who would reject it. There are churches in the US today that essentially teach people to sow to their flesh, emphasizing the temporal over everything else. That is making the way to destruction broad! (Matthew 7:13-14) People do not like to be told there are consequences to their actions, but that doesn’t change reality. God is a God of grace and mercy. If that were not so, no one would stand any sort of chance of salvation, because every one of us has turned our backs on God at some point in some way. (Romans 3:10, 23) Many people today spend a lot of energy denying that is true, but denying it doesn’t change reality, because God cannot be mocked, as this passage says. Telling someone they have a cold instead of terminal cancer doesn’t keep them from dying. If we have no grasp of the consequences of rebellion against God, that is, sowing to the flesh and ignoring God, then we will have no grasp of the magnificence of God’s grace in sending Jesus to take the penalty for our sins on the cross.

I don’t like preaching “hellfire and brimstone,” but I probably need to do it more than once every few years! One of the biggest problems is that people don’t realize that ignoring God is sowing to their flesh. They think, “I’m not so bad,” but then they turn their backs on the guidance and other blessings that God offers them so freely. That never ends well. This is the biggest reason God allows trials and even disasters in our lives, to shake us hard enough to get our attention so that we will look at Him instead of constantly at our flesh. A frequent theme of mine is taking our eyes off of ourselves and our problems and fixing them on Christ. It amazes me and breaks my heart the resistance I’ve gotten, from Christians, even, to that message. I have been accused of being uncaring and worse, simply because I’ve tried to help people understand that God is bigger than their problems. My flesh wants me to quit trying, but as Paul said in verse 9, I need not to grow weary in doing good, but rather keep sowing in the Holy Spirit so that I will reap the harvest I desire, and that God desires for me.

Father, thank You for this reminder and encouragement. I do get tired of preaching and teaching the same truths over and over again, but then You have done that for me, so I have no room to complain. I cannot be effective without the help of Your Spirit, so I ask for that anointing, for this Sunday and all the time. May I continually sow Your Word of truth into people’s hearts and lives by Your Spirit, so that there may be a rich harvest of salvation in Your kingdom, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 8, 2011

Posted on September 8, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 12:19-20 If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The truth of this chapter has to be re-taught at least every generation! We are so prone to expect or demand that everyone be the same, when even logical analysis shows that wouldn’t be best. We are so quick to exclude others, or even ourselves, on the basis of things that either don’t matter, like ethnicity, or the very things that make us valuable to one another. This applies to groups as well as individuals, when one church excludes another because of different theological emphases, each secure in their own theological “superiority.” The problem with that is that none of us has it all right, and we won’t know all the details until we are before the throne. That’s not to say that theology doesn’t matter, or that we can’t be assured of our positions, but it is to say that a majority of Church squabbles seem to be on the order of hands arguing with feet. Within the local church, self-exclusion seems to be much more of a problem, because people see that they don’t have the same gift mix as some admired brother or sister, and so they pull back and don’t see themselves as valuable. Paul is very clear that such thinking is simply wrong. I will never forget something that happened one year we were in Louisville, Kentucky while my parents were on furlough. We were members of a large church, and one of the church board members died suddenly of a heart attack. A man with cerebral palsy, who was extremely faithful as a greeter every time we had any type of church meeting, went to the pastor in tears, saying “Why couldn’t I have been taken instead? He was so valuable to the church!” The pastor replied, “You have touched more people with the love of God than he ever did.” And it was true. I had no idea who the board member was, but I’ll never forget that greeter, even though I was just 10 years old at the time. We need to understand that God has a good purpose in making each of us different, and rejoice to serve Him just as we are.

I can’t even write that story without tears coming to my eyes, though it happened over 50 years ago. I have the great blessing of having been raised never to think I was insignificant, but few around me are so blessed. I also had the other side of that taught to me, that those around me are likewise significant and valuable, and many who are raised in a privileged environment lack that. As a pastor, I need to communicate the worth of each individual to each individual, so that they may value themselves and value each other. Society hammers people down, in one way or another, and I am to lift them up and teach them to lift each other up. If we don’t see ourselves as valuable, we will have trouble valuing others. I need to seek to give them even a glimpse of how God values them, because once they see that, they will never be the same.

Father, I am so incredibly blessed, and You have a purpose for every part of that. Help me keep my eyes on Christ so that I will also be able to see others as You see them. Help me speak Your truth to them in love, so that they may be set free from the lies of the enemy to walk in the liberty of Your Spirit, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 7, 2011

Posted on September 8, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 11:32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Being corrected is often painful, on a number of levels. Even physical therapy can be painful, when it is working to correct a deficiency. Correction of attitudes and actions is painful to our pride, and many of us would rather hurt physically than have our pride hurt. This is an important issue, because all of us need a lot of correction of various sorts. When God applies correction, many of us are quick to rebuke the devil! However, God is a loving Father who cares too much about us to leave us in our uncorrected state. There’s a big difference between being corrected and being condemned. Japanese has a major problem in this area, because it doesn’t have a good term for “condemned,” and requires various work-arounds, that may or may not get the idea across. That makes it difficult to communicate when someone is being corrected but not condemned, and it might even be one of the reasons behind Japan’s high suicide rate. However, many English speakers have trouble with the distinction as well, because they weren’t raised in an environment of loving correction. One of the most important things a parent can do for their child is to get across the idea that even when they are wrong, they are loved. That is unconditional love, and every human being has a fundamental need for it. In far too many people, that need is simply not met. That leaves some with the idea that it’s not possible, which poisons their relationship with God, even if they believe in Him otherwise. As Paul said, (Romans 8:38-39) nothing can separate us from the love of God. Too often, simply being corrected makes us feel unloved.

I am in the middle of dealing with just such a situation, complicated by some presuppositions and verbal misunderstandings. I cannot let it ride, because it would fester and create all sorts of problems down the line. I don’t have the wisdom to deal with it rightly, but God does, and He has promised to guide me. My main focus needs to be speaking the truth in love. I need to apologize for my misunderstanding, even though it was generated by a presupposition on the other side. God can use this situation to teach the difference between correction and condemnation, and I need to rejoice in His perfect plan.

Father, I do thank You and praise You for how You use our foolish mistakes and turn them around for good. I pray that this situation would indeed be a powerful learning experience, building up the Body of Christ. Lord, another situation comes to mind, and there too I need to speak the truth in love. Thank You for not leaving us as we are, but correcting us with as much force as is necessary. Help us all be quick to recognize Your hand and accept Your correction, so that we may be more and more conformed to the likeness of Your Son Jesus, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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September 6, 2011

Posted on September 8, 2011 by jgarrott

1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This truth is constantly on display, particularly so right now as the US is gearing up for a presidential election. Non-Christians, and people in the media particularly, are ridiculing the positions taken by Christian candidates to a degree never seen before. From my perspective, the Christian positions are the only logical ones, but they seem foolish to those who have rejected God’s Spirit. On a more personal level, it is a complete waste of time to discuss some things with people before they become Christians, because they simply aren’t going to understand what is being said to them. The Bible has plenty of foundational truth that even a child can understand, but until that truth is received in repentance and faith, anything beyond that is just noise. This is a vital consideration in evangelism. Many people try to say too much to those who don’t have ears to hear it.

I have certainly been guilty here. With my gifting as a teacher, I tend to spout off more information than my listener wants to hear, and not just on matters of faith. It’s not a major problem if I happen to be a bore on other subjects, but being ineffective in communicating the Gospel is a tragedy. I need to allow the Holy Spirit to shut me up as well as put words in my mouth! I think this is the sort of thing Paul was talking about in verse 2 of this same chapter: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” I need to allow the Holy Spirit to refine what I say so that I don’t confuse or overwhelm people with things that, though true, aren’t essential for salvation. Likewise, as a pastor I need to train the believers to do the same. I’ve seen one believer thoroughly confuse a seeker by telling them far more than they needed to know at that point. I certainly understand the impulse, because I’ve yielded to it far too often myself. The difficulty here becomes one of canned presentations. When we use limited material, there are only a limited number of ways it can be arranged. That’s why sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is essential, as well as relating personal experience. Many believers don’t try to evangelize because they can’t express theology clearly, when they shouldn’t be trying to express theology, but rather their own experience of a God who loved them enough to save them.

Father, once again I’m past the level of my wisdom. I’m not a very effective evangelist myself, and I need to train others in evangelism! I ask for Your clear guidance and anointing, so that we all may be effective witnesses of Christ, bringing many to repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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September 5, 2011

Posted on September 8, 2011 by jgarrott

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Often we moan that we don’t know what God’s will is, as though it were something mysterious and difficult. But this verse gives the secret. It’s actually pretty obvious, but it’s something most of us really don’t want to hear: don’t conform to the world. As long as we are worried about fitting in with the world around us, we aren’t going to have much success in hearing God’s heart. We would like God to wave a wand and transform us into what we should be, but the Japanese makes it clear that Paul is saying here, “change yourselves.” We can’t do that without God’s help, but we can make the choice to change, and that is what is most important. If we are emotionally committed to the world, we aren’t going to make that commitment to God, and so we will maintain a wall between Him and us. He tore down all the walls from His side through the cross of Christ, but we are all too capable of erecting walls from our side, and then complaining that God is distant. The secret is simple: stop being conformed to this world, and choose to be conformed to Christ.

I had the huge advantage of being raised in a home where being conformed to Christ was far more important than being conformed to the world, but that doesn’t mean I’m not tempted to conform to the world, or that I haven’t made some pretty big mistakes by conforming to it. Frankly, it can be uncomfortable, not to mention lonely, when my thought processes don’t match those of the people around me. I am not to be different for the sake of being different, nor am I to be conceitedly thinking I’m always right, but my goal must always be Christ and His kingdom, rather than any sort of temporal popularity contest. As a pastor, I’m to be understanding but not compromising toward those in the flock who are under pressure to conform to the world. There are many who want to know and do God’s will, and I need to be consistent in pointing them in the right direction. That doesn’t mean dictating to them, and it certainly doesn’t mean micro managing them (or trying to), but it does mean helping them understand the world’s pressures, distinguishing them from God’s Word, and encouraging them to choose to be transformed. Our transformation becomes more complete with practice (Hebrews 5:14), so I need to keep at it myself, and encourage them to do likewise.

Father, this is intensely practical. Thank You. Thank You for the situation that was brought to my attention yesterday, and that I’ll have an opportunity to address it this morning. I pray that I would speak Your truth in love, not coming across as a bully but as a loving mentor, so that the traps of the enemy may be escaped. Help us all grow in our commitment to You, resisting the devil consistently so that he may indeed flee from us (James 4:7) and we may walk in the peace and joy of Your will for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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