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Intent vs Technique

Read Mat 12.1-8, Mk 2.23-28, Lk 6.1-5

“But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
(Matthew 12:7)

Jesus rebukes the Pharisees about their legalistic practices of the Sabbath.

A very important part of discipleship is to recognize God’s intent for His commands. The Pharisees had “improved” on the commands of God and actually negated the intent. The Father established the Sabbath as a time of rest and spiritual focus. In order to enforce this spirituality the Pharisees attached additional rules for the sake of clarification and ended up muddying the water. They actually made the Sabbath a burden for the people.

Two thoughts; First, a disciple that has to be forced to follow is no disciple at all and Second, the principles are commanded not the techniques. Let me illustrate them both. If a person has to be forced to get into the Word, you as a disciplemaker are getting exactly what you are propagating, a person that has to be forced to follow Jesus. I’m not looking for men that I have to whip to follow Jesus; I’m looking for men who want to follow Jesus. On the other hand, there are many ways to get into the Word. To demand that a person get into the Word the way I do, is going beyond the principle and elevating technique above the command. Now don’t get me wrong, technique can be very helpful, but when they are demanded by the disciplemaker there is a real danger of missing God’s original intent. Take a close look at your ministry. Are people conforming to a set of traditions and to the way you do things? Or are they being transformed into the likeness of Christ? Is there room to be different or does everyone have to be in step? Is the goal being like “me” or to be like Jesus? FJ66

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

Living the Sermon

Read Mat 12.1-8, Mk 2.23-28, Lk 6.1-5


Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain.
(Luke 6:1)

Why were the disciples eating grain as they went? Was this a snack or a meal? Clues are in the text. This was not just one disciple who casually picks the head of grain as a between meal snack. Several disciples were engaged in eating. It mentions that they were hungry (Mt 12.1). And lastly, Jesus chided the Pharisees for not having compassion (Mt 12.7). It doesn’t seem to be wise to risk offending the Pharisees or potentially violating the Sabbath for a snack. The main point of this event is that Jesus knows what a violation of the Sabbath would be because He instituted it. But this also gives us a rare look at the poverty of the evangelistic team. They were in a foraging mode. They were living out Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 6 where He instructed His followers not to worry about their food. God would provide for those who sought the Kingdom first. For Jesus, the sermon was only half of the lesson. The second half was to live it before the congregation. Modeling is a key component to disciplemaking.

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

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…