Using Your Gifts For A Cause Bigger Than Yourself

I love sports stories and next to the Phillies World Series Championship of 2008 (my own bias!), maybe the next greatest story (many would say "the greatest") is the victory of the US Hockey team over the Russians in 1980.  No one expected them to win. The Russians were more like a professional hockey team and seemingly unbeatable. The story of the US hockey team was the subject of a movie called "Miracle on Ice."  It focuses on Herb Brooks, the coach for the US Hockey Team. There is one scene in the movie where the US team loses in one of the preliminaries. At the end of the match, Brooks tells the team they are going to stay on the ice and stay for "conditioning."  "Conditioning" simply means brutal trips up and down the ice until everyone is totally exhausted. He drives them so hard that his coaches ask him to stop. He asks the players for their name. They say something like "Smith, University of Minnesota", "Baxter, University of Vermont".  Brooks will not stop until they have learned a certain lesson. He asks the question again, "What is your name?" and a guy by the name of Mike Eruzione says, "Mike Eruzione, Team USA!".  At that point, Brooks says, "OK, you are done."  The point is not until you realize the name on the front of the jersey (USA) is more important the name on the back of the jersey (your own name) can you play on this team. It made them unstoppable and they went on to win perhaps the most surprising victory in sports history.

As we saw last week in the message, God has called us to something much bigger than ourselves.  We learned that Jesus ascended where he is working out his plan to fill the universe with Himself (see Ephesians 4:10 and Ephesians 1:9, 10). Paul says, "There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all."   He says God has given grace and gifts to each person to be a part of that grand vision. Of course everyone asks, "How do you find that?"  And you might say, "My life is so mundane, so drab, so uneventful."  Paul says that the job of a pastor is to "equip God's people for the work of ministry"..."until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood."  If there  is anything we pastors talk about and wrestle with all the time it is on how to equip you to be these kind of people.  At times it seems very difficult and elusive. You work long hours in your jobs.  You are scattered all over the city so it can be difficult to find the significant time that is needed to equip you to be God's people  You need to be equipped for the work place to be Christ's representative there---to work with integrity, excellence and for His glory.  You need to be equipped so you know how to have a quiet time, share your testimony, present the gospel, memorize scripture, lead a Bible study. Pray for us and make yourself available for that kind of training. Do you know that on your back so to speak you bear the name of Jesus? Do you know that His cause is greater than any human cause?  Are you experimenting with the gifts God has given you, sometimes failing, but little by little finding out what He has called you to?  Are you doing something or are you doing nothing?  Are you seeking to be equipped through your own prayer and study and also with others? Come and talk to us and we will try to explore this with you.  Please respond to this e-mail with your thoughts or come and talk to us.

This past week I had the privilege of playing a small role in the equipping of ten young church planters with Redeemer City to City. They came from all over Asia. They were being equipped to go out in the next eighteen months to plant churches in large cities of Asia. As I visited with Jay Kyle, my friend and mentor, he talked about the amazing things that are happening right now in parts of Asia that I cannot describe in detail. He mentioned a movement for training pastors that is growing rapidly and has the possibility of changing this part of the world.  Along with growing this church so that it is increasingly outward focused, and equipping you to be His people, I have the awesome privilege of contributing my meager gifts to this cause. When I met for Jay for dinner on Tuesday evening, he said, "Someday we may sit in our rocking chairs and reflect on what God has done in this part of the world and know that in some way we were able to contribute to it."  It is a unique moment in history. That energizes me everyday of my life. Whenever I can, I try to expose people to this larger vision and ask them to participate in it. One businessman told me how much it had helped him in his life to begin to be part of it. What is God laying on your heart? Where have you seen some fruitfulness? Where have you simply been paralyzed by fear of failure and thus loss of face so you have done nothing?  Isn't it time that you got out of the stands and onto the ice to play the game where the name on the front of your jersey (Jesus) is more important than the name on the back (your individual or family name)? Without one shred of triumphalism, and with utter humility (because we serve a crucified Savior) we can be confident that we will win because in Him (Jesus) "all he fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him, He is reconciling to himself all things whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross." (Colossians 1:19, 20)

Steve Jobs, The Ascension, and Your Monday Morning

I want to give you a taste of what I want to share with you on Sunday morning. In the early 1980's Steve Jobs was trying to recruit a guy by the name of John Sculley. Sculley was the president of PepsiCo and Jobs needed him desperately for his marketing and managing experience. But the job that Jobs was offering would have meant that Sculley would have to move his family to the west coast and take a pay-cut. Sculley writes about his meeting with Jobs in his book Odyssey. He said we were on the balcony's west side facing the Hudson River when Jobs asked, "Are you going to come to Apple?" Sculley said, "I really love what you are doing. I'm excited by it. How could anyone not be captivated? But it just doesn't make sense. Steve, I'd love to be an advisor to you, to help you in any way. But I don't think I can come to Apple." Sculley said Job's head dropped. He paused and stared at the ground. Jobs then looked up and issued a challenge to Sculley that would "haunt" him. Jobs said, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?" Sculley said it was as if someone delivered a stiff blow to his stomach. Sculley took the job!

Now Ephesians says something even more remarkable. Paul says in Ephesians 4 that "the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things." He then goes on and tells how he is going to fill the universe--and the answer that he gives is that He does it with you and me! He says, "He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry" to accomplish this goal. In chapter 1, Paul said that God's purpose is "to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."  Jesus disciples thought it would be a disaster for Jesus to leave. Jesus said it was better because he would send His Spirit to be within His people so that instead of Jesus being confined to time and space He would be everywhere in the world through His people!  Few people have changed the world in the past 50 years as much as Steve Jobs, but it doesn't begin to compare with Jesus' plan of renovating the entire universe.  Someone said the church should have the acronymn of SASD--i..e. the society for the abolition of sin and death. 

Now I realize that it often doesn't feel that way.  Only around 5% of Taiwan are Christians. There is still AIDS in Africa.  The whole Middle East is in political turmoil. Last night on CNN, there was an interview with a missionary who is in a hard labor prison camp in North Korea.  You have had or will have suffering in your own life.  Christians should never be triumphalistic. So how does it all fit together.  I really don't know. It is beyond my own ability to answer. What gives me comfort is that the same Jesus who ascended to be the ruler of the universe is also the one who descended at an inn in Bethlehem to suffer more indignity than any human being in history (because he is not only perfect humanity but perfect deity). Christians understand that the world is worse than any of us could imagine (because of the fall), but also the most hopeful (because of our confidence in our ascended king).  The church will all of its weaknesses is the largest and most enduring movement in the world.  And the amazing truth of Ephesians 4 is that you are a gift to the world, that truly your hands are his hands, your feet his feet, your mouth his mouth.  That should both humble and motivate us to live distinctive lives at work and in our neighborhood. It should make us passionate about living credible lives where with both word and deed we serve others. Let me encourage you to be in a small group where you call one another to this profound task. Let me encourage you to simply have lunch or dinner with a neighbor and listen to them and try to love them. Why? Because we serve and follow the one who has "a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."

The Challenge of Pastoral Care

I realize how important it is for people to have a pastor. I also realize after so many years in the ministry how hard it is to provide it in a meaningful way. On the one hand, the Bible says that the main job of a pastor is to "to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 3)". So it only makes sense as a congregation grows that leaders need to invest in other leaders who can then provide care and nurture for people. So we are always trying to do that--to train leaders for small groups, to launch groups where people can fulfill the "one another" ministries that are mentioned in the Bible.

And yet at the same time I also know that nothing energizes my own ministry like life on life ministry with individual people. Yes at times it is draining, but it is equally invigorating. It keeps you in touch with the joys and sorrows of ordinary people. It informs your preaching and your plans for ministry. But how do you do it without being completely overwhelmed and burned out? My sense is that it requires balanced initiative on the part of pastors and people. On the one hand, part of my job is to reach out to you--knowing from the outset that I will not be able to get to everyone. Sometimes it becomes nothing more than a greeting on a Sunday morning, or a phone call. Other times it becomes a meeting for coffee or a meal or a visit in the office. Almost always, I find myself enriched through those times. Almost always, I get to be a spectator in the work of God in that person's life. You realize when you hear people's stories that there are often tales that rival a Shakespeare tragedy or comedy. You are also humbled that you not only get to view their life but hopefully to leave them with something that will encourage them in the journey

But let me also encourage you to take steps, to take initiative as well. I appreciate it when you say, "Let's get together in the office, or over coffee or over a meal." It can be a challenge sometimes to get the calendars to line up, but when they do, I feel God's Spirit and presence so often. Also when I see you again at worship or the fellowship hall, there is sense of knowing you in an entirely different way. You aren't just a person passing through, but someone you know on a deeper level that creates a bond. It is those bonds of the Spirit that make ministry encouraging and often exhilarating. So what is the bottom line? I would encourage you to step-up--call, send an e-mail, make an appointment at church. And then look for others whom you can pastor!! Does that sound strange to you? To be a pastor is many things, but one of the biggest things is to give care. You are called to that as much a I am? Think how vibrant and alive the church can be if every true believer saw themselves as called to care for (yes, pastor) others. You say, "Well I can't do that!" But let me challenge you. Can you listen? Can you encourage? Can you pray with people? If so you have the ability to pastor. It's really not that hard.