Month: September 2008

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? (The Deity of Jesus Christ)

Read Jn 5.17-47

But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
(John 5:17-18)

An assumed violation of the Sabbath led the people to question Jesus. His response led to another infraction; making oneself equal with God. The first was a breach, not of the Law but of man’s tradition. The second was the not a crime because it was the truth. He is God.

When Jesus is confronted about working on the Sabbath, He makes a very bold statement. He was so bold that the people wanted to kill Him. He made Himself out to be one with God the Father. Instead of stepping back and letting things settle, He stirs the waters even more. Jesus does not deny their claims, He confirms them. He makes it abundantly clear that it was no slip of the tongue but that He really believed He and the Father where one. He makes His case for being Deity:

· One in duration of work vs17
· One in work vs19
· One in love vs20
· One in life vs21, 26
· One in authority vs22, 27
· One in honor vs23
· One in Word vs24
· One in intent vs30

Now what does the Deity of Jesus Christ have to do with discipleship? Everything! Would you want to follow a man who made himself out to be an equal with God if He was not? Besides, Jesus flat out makes the case that belief in this oneness with the Father is directly connected to our salvation (Jn 5.21, 24). As Disciplemakers it is imperative that we help people follow the real Jesus. This identity crisis of Jesus in our modern world is as dangerous as it was in days leading up to the cross. People have manufactured their own “jesus” and think that this poor facsimile will somehow save them. This is why it’s so important to get a young disciple in the Gospels on a consistent basis (I recommend daily). To worship anyone less than the Jesus of the scriptures is idolatry. FJ64

I will be out of internet contact for the next week so I’ve pre-loaded some illustrations for your perusal. They’ll be posted each day. Enjoy!

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

The Whistle Blower

Read Jn 5.1-16

But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.
(John 5:13-16)

After the man had been healed by Jesus from a 38 year illness he is confronted by the religious people. He was carrying his mat on the Sabbath (which Jesus had told him to do vs 8) and after being questioned about the “violation” he pins the infraction on Jesus.

Why did this man rat out Jesus? Wasn’t he grateful for what Jesus had done? Perhaps the man wasn’t ratting Him out. Maybe he thought he was doing a good thing by telling the religious people what they wanted to know. After all, Jesus did tell the man not to sin any more or something worse would happen. Unfortunately, we are left to speculate why the man felt compelled to go back to the religious people and inform them that it was Jesus. But regardless of the man’s motives, the result is clear; they began persecuting Jesus.

This is one of the cold hard facts of ministry; Not everyone you help or train will be appreciative, responsive, or enduring. Actually, some people may even become your enemies. But why should we be surprised? It happened to Jesus all the time. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it was one of the 12 that betrayed Him. But Jesus never stopped helping people. He never gave up on the 12 when they let Him down or did something stupid. As Disciplemakers we must become accustomed to failure (including our own). It is part of ministering in a lost world. One of my favorite Proverbs is “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” (Proverbs 14:4). In farming there is Ox poo and with people there is people poo. Whether the offences are intentional or not, ministry is messy. And by the way, unlike Jesus, we are not perfect Disciplemakers. So sometimes we are the poo. But the benefits far outweigh the problems. Disciplemaking is a life of forbearance, forgiveness, understanding, and endurance. Keep Pluggin’.

Tips for Messes in Ministry:

· Failure is often a great teacher
· Confess your sins to the people you are discipling
· Do not put yourself or anyone else on a pedestal
· Take the moral high ground when offended
· Be quick to forgive
· Make a clear distinction in your own mind between helping and training
· You can help many but train few

FJ63

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

The Process

Read John 5.1-9

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
(John 5:6-8)

Jesus comes upon a man by a miraculous pool waiting to be healed when an angel stirs it. He asks the man if he wants to be well and then heals him.

Doesn’t it seem a little cruel that God would send an angel just at a certain season to stir the waters and then only heal the first person in the pool? Just one person! It’s kind of like a spiritual lotto!? But these circumstances produce desperateness for the man. It creates greater need. He had been in his condition for 38 long years. And to put a cherry on top of this hot miserable sundae, Jesus asks this question, “Do you wish to get well?” Can you feel the tension in the air? Do you hear these circumstances coming to a crescendo? God has a plan. The plan often takes time for the situations to develop to create the perfect environment for God to receive all the glory. Our job is to be patient and persistent in the process. Both require unwavering faith. The answer is often found in the process not the results. As I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I realize that first; God did not spare me from this disease. Second; He did not heal me immediately when I prayed for it. And third; My MS is a process that will ultimately bring Him glory. My job is to trust Him and respond appropriately.

I believe that part of our job as Disciplemakers is to help followers of Jesus develop a good theology of suffering. No one avoids the trials and tribulations of this life. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” And how we respond to suffering will determine how we relate to the Father and others. Here’s an illustration I developed in order to communicate our response to suffering. FJ62

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Read Mt 9.14-17, Mk 2.18-22, Lk 5.33-39

And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.'” (Luke 5:36-39)

After being questioned, Jesus describes the Pharisees’ root problem; they were stuck in the old ways and could not embrace the new. They were unteachable.

A disciple is a learner. Teachability is a primary characteristic that Jesus is looking for in His followers. The disciple must remain pliable and alert to the new lessons the Father brings into his life. One of the common mistakes for young disciples is that they often reinforce new found knowledge with rebar and concrete only to dig up many of these “convictions” later. Ultimately, the Word of God is their authority not a Disciplemaker. They must always stand ready to change based on the new information they get from the Word of God (Act 17.11).

This principle applies to Disciplemakers as well. We should be setting the pace for younger disciples by increasing in knowledge, wisdom, and application. We model the art of teachability by becoming lifelong learners, eager to seek Jesus on new levels and different angles. As Howard Hendricks says, “The disciple who has stopped learning has stopped living.”

Teachability is also a primary consideration for me in determining whom I will engage in a mentoring relationship. My resources are limited. I can only mentor so many people. If a person is unwilling to learn and apply the principles I am teaching, it is a waste of God given resources (Notice I said mentoring not helping. Jesus helped many, He mentored few). I am looking for hungry people. I feed based on appetite. Jamming food down someone’s throat usually just makes a mess. I have another saying, “You can’t push a rope.” The disciple must be willing to learn.

Tips for Teachability:
· Set the example of being a lifelong learner
· Challenge learning but don’t force learning
· Let people simmer if they need to
· Always have the radar up for the teachable moment
· Help disciples learn from different people and sources
· Ask a lot of questions
· Leave room for self discovery
· Recognize there are different techniques (you may learn something!)

FJ61

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

The Disciplines and Motives

Read Mt 9.14-17, Mk 2.18-22, Lk 5.33-39


Mat 9.14 Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

The Disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees want to know why Jesus’ disciples are not practicing the spiritual discipline of fasting. They considered fasting a key element to spirituality.

Jesus can always turn ritual into reality, religion into relationship. John’s disciples and the Pharisees had fallen into the trap of dead religion. They were practicing spiritual disciplines for the sake of the disciplines themselves rather than developing their relationship with God. They were, quite frankly, checking the blocks. Jesus draws the distinction between practicing a good spiritual discipline in the wrong way. Fasting, according to Jesus, is inappropriate when the one you desire to relate to is physically with you. It is a time of celebration and joy. As one would not put on sack cloth and ashes for a wedding, neither should one be fasting in the very presence of the Jesus. But there would come a time where fasting would be very appropriate, when the Bridegroom (Jesus) is taken away.

The principle for disciplemaking is quite clear. Jesus acknowledges that the disciplines are important but how and why they are practiced, are just as important. As we instruct young disciples on the practices of being in the Word, prayer, fellowship, sharing the faith, worship, and yes, even fasting, we need to add instruction on the importance of the objective of the discipline. To have a Quiet Time for the sake of just having one or to be able to share some finding with another is not the intended affect (although this may be where a person begins). Ultimately, all spiritual disciplines should lead us to loving God and loving people. Anything less is to completely miss the purpose of the disciplines and to fall into the same trap as the Pharisees.

This is a very tricky area for the disciplemaker. We are venturing into the very murky waters of motives. Some would completely throw the disciplines out because they are being practiced for the wrong reasons. This is like never going outside because you got sunburned once. In my opinion this is as dangerous as practicing the disciplines with bad motives. The young disciple may now be completely cut off from the very source that is able to transform their motives (example – Heb 4.12). On the other hand, if a disciple is not called into accountability as to why they are practicing the disciplines (which Jesus did all the time), then they are practicing all for not (example – Jn 5.39). This is why disciplemaking is a process of helping people become like Jesus and not a six week program. It is a growth process of transformation into Christ’s likeness and not just practicing spiritual disciplines. FJ60

Tips for helping people practice the disciplines for the right reason:
· Pray for them
· Share not only the How but the Why
· Don’t keep count (verses memorized, minutes in prayer, times read the Bible)
· Ask the person why they practice the disciplines
· Watch for spiritual pride and confront it
· Set the example
· Share your own short comings in the area
· Recognize that the disciple is in process (Motives mature as well)

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

To End the Comparison Game

Read Mat 9.9-13, Mk 2.13-17, Lk 5.27-32

After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.
(Luke 5:27-28)

Jesus calls Matthew the Tax Collector to be part of His evangelistic team.

Can you imagine what enlisting Matthew did to the team dynamics? We know how this addition of a social pariah affected the religious leaders, the Pharisees. They didn’t even try to conceal their distain of such an association. But what impact would this have on His closest disciples? No doubt the Fishermen had paid their taxes to Matthew at some point in time as he was taxing commerce along the road near the Sea of Galilee. And yet Jesus takes this huge risk. Why? It is obvious that this was not only meant for Matthew’s personal relationship with Jesus but also to send a clear message. He would accept anyone who would follow Him in repentance and sincerity (Act 10.34-35, Rom 2.11). This underscored the striking contrast between those who need Jesus and those who think they don’t. The difference is not found in occupation, status, or even morality. The only place the real disparity exists is in their attitude. When Jesus said it is the “sick that need a physician,” He was not implying the Pharisees were not sick. They were sinners of the same caliber but just did not acknowledge it. Matthew had no trouble acknowledging He needed the physician.

As Disciplemakers, we need to help people understand that there is no such thing as an “exciting testimony.” No one’s sins got them any closer to the flames of Hell than another’s, whether it be homosexuality or white lies (Rom 3.23). And no one has received any more grace than that which was poured out by Jesus on the cross (1 Pet 3.18). In the economy of sin and grace we all stand on a level playing field. It is our attitude toward the Judge of sin and the Giver of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, which will ultimately determine our relationship with Him. Put an end to the comparison game. FJ59

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…