21

Jump Start # 2289

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2289

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

Spiritual weariness—this is mentioned in Galatians, Hebrews, and here. We may not use that term. Instead, we may use the common expression, ‘burnout.’ The symptoms are all too common: exhausted spirit; sapped energy; dried up motivation. This is something that the workers and the servants in the kingdom struggle with and face. The lazy never experience burnout. The indifferent never know burnout. The non-committed don’t understand spiritual burnout. They are on the sidelines of the kingdom with one toe in the water. It’s the teachers, the shepherds, the preachers, the servants in the kingdom, those who are carrying the load, those who are trying so hard, those who are making a difference, that weariness can be a problem.

 

There are four stages of burnout.

First, disillusionment. Focus is lost. Vision becomes blurry.

Second, discouragement. We begin to complain. We begin to lose our heart.

Third, discontentment. Here a person becomes restless, negative and they see all the work and so few workers.

Fourth, disassociation. Finally, the towel is thrown in. The hard worker quits and joins those on the sidelines. Thoughts focus upon self.

 

Our verse today tells the disciples not to get there. Do not grow weary. That’s easy to say. Someone might respond, “you say that, but there is so few to help out.” Or, “I need a break, and there is no one to carry on.” And, when love for what we doing is replaced with a sense of obligation and duty, what we do suffers. The teacher becomes impatient and cranky. The preacher becomes demanding. The elder becomes bossy. Weariness carries over into our job performance.

 

This is something that is rarely talked about. So much of our effort is focused upon those sitting on the sidelines. We try to get them engaged and busy and we forget about those servants who are becoming weary. We assume that they will always carry on. We assume that they will never run out of energy.

 

How do we not grow weary?

 

First, realize that no one can do it all. Even the Lord couldn’t do it all. Jesus didn’t go into all the world and preach. The area He traveled in was small. Jesus needed the apostles. The apostles needed people like Timothy, Titus, and Apollos. Do what you can. Invite others to help you. Include younger ones to teach them. Communicate, share and work together. In the leadership, it’s an eldership, not one elder. The preacher ought to work with the elders and help each other by having transparent communications and sharing of ideas and concerns.

 

Second, remember that we serve the King. Our work isn’t about us, nor even the church. It’s about doing things for Jesus. We serve, because He first served. We work hard because He worked hard. Don’t lose that focus. The honor belongs to the Lord.

 

Third, refresh your spirit. You do that be connecting with others. Often you will learn that others are doing things and you just didn’t know about it. Draw ideas and energy from others. Our phones at the end of the day need recharging. So does our spirits. Worship is a wonderful way to get recharged. Spending time with quality people is another way. Spend some quite time reading, praying and reflecting. You can take a mental vacation without going anywhere. There are certain people in life that excite us. They have energy, enthusiasm and are a storehouse of ideas. Have lunch with them. Talk with others and share ideas.

 

Do not grow weary. It will happen unless you prevent it. It will happen unless you take the necessary steps to stop it. There’s not a lot of good that comes out of an old tired preacher or an old tired elder. Discouragement spreads. All it takes is for one weary servant to start complaining and before long, others have joined in that song. The mood changes. Things seem a lot darker than they were before. But the opposite is just as true. It’s like watching college basketball. Someone comes in off the bench. His legs are fresh and he has a lot of energy. He replaces a guy who has been in the midst of the game. He needs a break. He’s not done. He’s not out for the rest of the game. He’s getting a breather. Soon, he’s back in there.

 

It’s important that shepherds recognize who needs a breather. Pull someone off the bench and give your tired worker a short rest. Talk to him, just as a coach does when the player sits down on the bench. Pat him on the back. High-five him. Encourage him. Thank him. And, shortly, get him back into the game.

 

Across this country are tiny congregations that are holding on by a thread. A few deaths and the doors will close. In so many of those places, it’s just a few tired souls that are trying to keep the doors open. Some come and benefit but they do not help out. They need some help. They need some rest. They needs some ideas. What is needed is the spirit of Isaiah, who said, “Here am I, send me.”

 

Don’t grow weary. Don’t quit. Others need you. The Lord needs you. There is too much at stake here.

 

Roger

 

20

Jump Start # 2288

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2288

Titus 3:2 “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

Our verse today actually shows two powerful lessons. First, initially, it illustrates how God expects us to treat other people. Not speaking evil. Avoid quarreling. Be gentle. Show courtesy. Those are all choices. A person can be this way if they want.

The other lesson is found in the next verse. Paul shows that they weren’t always this way. In fact, there was a time when they were just the opposite. They were foolish, disobedient, slaves to passions and hated by others and hating one another. Such a dark and sad description of their lives without Christ.

Hated and hating—brings an image to my mind of a snarling dog. Not the kind that you want to go up and pet and wags his tail at you. This one shows his teeth. This one scares you. Hated and hating—sounds like Cable talk news. I once thought it was all about politics. But I now feel that for some this is just their nature. If they didn’t hate the political scene, then it would be something else. Some folks are just not happy unless they are miserable. I’ve known people who came home from Disney grumpy and complaining. Even the happiest place in the world couldn’t make them happy.

Hated and hating is in our culture. I fear our younger folks will grow up learning that this is the right course to follow. Mad at everyone, unable to see good in anything, nothing to be thankful for, their hearts have soured, they only rejoice to see bad things happen to those they hate. Paul put himself in such a list. The passage begins, “For we also once were foolish…” Down that list one finds hated and hating. Paul was hated by others. And, Paul hated others.

What is powerful about all of this is that Paul changed. The brethren changed. God expects us to change. You can go from hating and being hated to being kind, gentle and courteous. You can avoid quarreling. You can not only get along, but you can be pleasant. You can be a blessing to others. Hateful people can drop that and become nice and loving.

This is not going to happen naturally. The switch and the change came about when they followed Jesus. When the kindness of God and His love for mankind appeared are the words of the fourth verse. Being saved by a gracious God gave them every reason, every example and every opportunity to change. They stopped hating. They stopped being selfish. They stopped arguing about so many things. They learned to get along. They learned to love others and be nice.

Now, what is interesting about this, is that some haven’t seemed to learn this. Even in the church there are those who always want to stir things up. They are not happy if others are happy. If they can find something wrong, they will and then they will tell others about it. And, hating, yes, it’s still there among some who call themselves Christians. Who they hate are any and all who are not like them. You hear it in comments in Bible classes. “Those people,” usually referring to those in different churches or the unchurched. “Those people,” are often mocked, looked down upon and just a shade away from being hated. Bring up those “tattooed” people, or men with long hair, or gays and you’ll find the most unkind, unpleasant and actually unbiblical comments. And dare any of “those” kinds of people enter the church building, the looks, the whispers, the shunning, all go into overdrive. You’ll hear, “What are we going to do?” Or, worse, “we don’t want those kind coming here?”

The Holy Spirit’s words through Paul to Titus was to remind the brethren. Remember where you came from. Remember who you are. Don’t go back to those foolish and wrong attitudes. Don’t open the door to hatred. Christians need to be reminded of these things. They did in the first century and they do today. Hatred can come right in the front door of the church house, carried in our hearts because we have never gotten rid of those things and have never truly learned to be kind, generous, loving and forgiving, as God has been to us.

There’s not much we can do about the world we live in. Hatred thrives. Some wouldn’t know what to do if there wasn’t someone to hate. The only hope of changing folks is showing Jesus. If anyone had a reason to hate, it would have been Jesus. He was perfect, but they accused Him of having a demon. He did good, but they argued with Him for eating with sinners. They didn’t like where He was from. They didn’t like the words that He said. They didn’t like who He included around Him. And, all the while, they were blaspheming Him, and violating the laws of God. Sure, Jesus had reason to hate. He could have opened up the earth and swallowed a bunch of them, but He didn’t. On the cross, He asked His Father to forgive them. His blood that they shed was the very means to forgive them. Hatred doesn’t flow in the veins of Jesus.

Standing in the shadow of Jesus, hatred must not flow in our veins either. This is true of color. This is true of politics. This is true of nationalities. This is true of sports. This is true of those who do not agree with us. This is true of those who do not believe. Hatred will never bring someone to Christ. Hatred will never open the doors for conversation. Kindness will. Love will. Prayers will. But hatred won’t. It always closes doors.

Hated and hating—what a sad way to live. It’s like wearing the ole’ sack cloth and ashes. Why? Miserable on the inside and now miserable on the outside. Hatred is nothing more than modern sack cloth. We can do better. We must do better.

Roger

 

19

Jump Start # 2287

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2287

Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

 

I’ve been preaching a series entitled, “Ten Things.” And, as the title suggests, each lesson has ten practical, put on your kitchen table type of points. We’ve talked about ‘Ten things you need to know before you get married.’ That was followed by, ‘Ten Things Parents Need to Tell Their Teens.’ This past Sunday, it was, ‘Ten Things That Can Help Your Marriage.’ It was in that last one, about helping your marriage, that one of the points was marriage is lived one day at a time. How do folks stay married 50 or more years? It was one day at a time. There are good days and bad days. There are days you want to forget and days you never want to forget. There are plain ole’ every day days and there are special days. Happy days and sad days. Days you did well and days you did not do so well.

 

That thought actually is the same for living the Christian life. Ours is a journey. It’s not one big thing. It’s not the going overseas and spending a few weeks with third world people. It’s living for Jesus everyday. That thought is born from our verse today. Discipleship as defined by Jesus is composed of three elements. First, denying self. That must come first. If it’s not first, the other two won’t follow. Denying self is hard. We like self. We like to do what we like to do. We like to make ourselves happy. We don’t like to do what is uncomfortable to us. This is why Jesus starts here. It’s kingdom first. It’s Jesus first. It’s ‘Thy will be done.’ Self must be shoved to the back and kept there. It keeps wanting to pop up. It keeps wanting to move to the front. I don’t feel like going to church services, is what self sometimes says. Probably not some days. But if I have denied self, I will get down to the church house. There are days when you don’t feel like doing good deeds. Yep. We’ve all been there. Love to stay home, lay on the couch, watch a ballgame and forget about the world. But others need us. Deny self. Take care of others first. Be the servant.

 

Next comes our day to day. Take up your cross daily. Several things here. First, crosses were instruments of death, sacrifice. When one went to the cross, they weren’t coming back home. Even Jesus went to the tomb after the cross. The grave couldn’t hold him, but it was to the grave He went. To the first century pagan, the cross simply meant that the State was executing someone. To the disciple, the cross took his mind to Jesus. The cross of Jesus was more than death, it was a sacrifice. Jesus gave up His life. So, to be a disciple, I must take up my cross daily. Notice, it’s not Jesus’ cross. That has already been carried. Every year around Easter, someone is pictured carrying a large wooden cross down the road. He’s not Jesus, and that’s not what Jesus meant in this passage. We don’t carry Jesus’ cross. We carry our cross.

 

Now, what did Jesus sacrifice? Like the O.T. lamb, He was pure, innocent, holy and good. We can’t be like Jesus in those ways completely, but our sacrifice is given to God. Our sacrifice isn’t bad stuff, but good things. Our sacrifice are things that we are able to offer. Some will say having a handicapped child is the cross that they bear. It may be a burden, but not a cross. You didn’t choose that. You had no say in that. Others will say living with a drunk is the cross they bear. No. drunkenness is a sin that needs to be repented of, not a sacrifice.

 

Unlike Jesus, our sacrifice is daily. Jesus carried His cross once. We carry ours daily. Every day. Every day carrying that cross. Every day making a sacrifice for the Lord. Christianity is much, much more that being saved. It’s more than accepting Christ and believing. That’s the starting point. Now, it’s what do I do everyday. Not just Sundays, but Friday nights. Not just Wednesday evening Bible study, but Saturday afternoon at the ballgame.

 

Daily. That’s one of the best word descriptions of what our journey to Heaven is like. It’s following Jesus daily. It’s thinking about the Lord, daily. It’s reading God’s word, daily. It’s praying daily. It’s being busy in the kingdom, daily. It’s making sacrifices, daily. It’s more than giving up a few Sundays to teach the kids Bible class. That’s great. But what happens after the quarter ends? What happens between those Sundays?

 

Marriage is lived every day. Our walk with Jesus is following Him every day. Like I said above regarding marriage, the same fits with our discipleship with Jesus. There are some great days. There are some days that are not so great. There are some moments that I never want to forget. There are others that I want to never remember. There are many average, every day plain days. There are sad days. There are joyful days. It’s a journey of a lifetime.

 

You think about how long you have been a Christian. How many hymns do you imagine you have sung so far? A thousand? Ten Thousand? How many sermons have you listened to? How many times have you taken the Lord’s Supper? If you could add up every contribution that you have given, how much would that amount to? A thousand dollars? A hundred thousand dollars? How many prayers have you personally prayed since you were a Christian? How many verses have you read?

 

I expect if we could see on a piece of paper those numbers we would be shocked at the large amount. It’s living for Jesus each day. Sundays are special because we get to be with each other, remember the Lord’s death and hear powerful sermons. But Tuesdays are also important. Every day is part of our journey. Every day is a time to take up our cross. Every day we follow Jesus.

 

One day at a time…

 

That includes TODAY.

 

Roger

 

18

Jump Start # 2286

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2286

James 3:1 “Let not many of your become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

Well, it finally happened. I’m not shocked, but I am disappointed. After some twenty-two hundred Jump Starts, I made a technical blunder. On Friday, I wrote about marriage and love. It was a pretty good article if I say so myself. It was shared by several people. It was based upon Titus 2 where older wives were to teach younger wives to love their husbands. In that article, I compared that with how God loves us. Love is a choice, not a feeling. Love is a decision, not a reaction. Great principles. Good thoughts. Only one problem. The word love in Titus is not the same word as used in John 3:16. It’s not the Greek word Agape, which is a choice and a decision. The word used in Titus is the concept of friendship. Paul does use the word agape in marriage. It’s not Titus, but in Ephesians five. What happened was I just assumed that the word love in Titus was the same as in Ephesians. Seems logical. I didn’t look the words up. I didn’t do my homework. And, all of that leads to our thoughts today.

 

First, Mistakes happen. If you preach, teach and write enough, those things happen. What you quote doesn’t match up with the numbers on the screen or on the printed page. Your memory falters. That “ready recollection” that we are always praying about some days just doesn’t recollect very well.

 

This really bothers me. I may mess up names, forget dates, but I hate with a passion making a mistake when it comes to God’s word. I teach young preachers to be thorough. Do your homework. Look things up. Go over it and then go over it again. Get it right. And, when it’s not right, learn.

 

Second, we must be humble enough to recognize that we made a mistake. I’m thankful to a good reader who pointed this out to me. He knew. I didn’t. I do now. I won’t mess up that word ’love’ in Titus again. Don’t try to be a big shot and hide your mistake by something beyond you. Now, I could have said, “I did that just to see if any of our readers were sharp enough to catch that.” Nice try, but that’s not what happened. Or, I could have kept all of this to myself and most of you would have never known. However, that may make me look good, but it doesn’t change the fact that the assumption I made was not correct. If you made a mistake, be big enough to admit it and learn from it. There are greater lessons than just the mistake that was made. There is a lesson about how you handle mistakes. We want our children to be honest and admit when they made a mistake. Do we?

 

Third, assumptions, even innocently, can be the cause of much trouble. This is where our passage comes in. James was reminding the brethren that one is responsible for the what and even how he teaches. One can’t be so careless or so indifferent that he misleads, misrepresents, or mishandles the word of God. Especially in public settings, it is rare to have the exact same audience back. Now, where this often trips us is when reading the writings of others, including these Jump Starts. We read something in a commentary and it sounds really good. Check it out. Do your homework. There are many things that have been written that are not accurate, complete, nor representative of what God actually says. Just repeating what you read in a commentary, can be dangerous. You and I assume it’s right, but it may not be. We make that assumption even stronger when it is written by someone in our fellowship. Years ago, preachers use to say at the beginning of a lesson, “If I say anything untrue, you will be my friend by pointing these things out to me.” You don’t hear that much anymore. I don’t know if preachers today feel like they don’t make mistakes, or if it is because they don’t want to hear what others have to say.

 

The introduction of error most often is innocently. Peter talked about false teachers introducing heresies secretly. The Ephesian elders were warned about some who would speak perverse things. There is just a small step from what I think and how I feel, to making that what God says. Our opinions gel into becoming God’s statements. As Jesus said about the Pharisees, “teaching as doctrine the commandments of men”. Those that teach error can appear to be nice, kind and truthful. They do not have the word “False teacher” written across their foreheads. You can’t tell. Some look like sheep, but they are actually wolves. Words must be measured by and with the word of God.

 

The stricter judgment that our passage talks about is because of the teaching. Not only is one responsible for their own faith, but in teaching, you are responsible for what you have taught others. Carelessness, indifference, assumptions can lead to things that are not true Biblically. Teachers must be accurate with God’s word. This is why just “winging” it doesn’t work when dealing with God’s word. Our memories get fuzzy. We get things jumbled up and crisscrossed in our minds. We say things that just aren’t so. Do your homework. Check the facts. Be certain.

 

Finally, I’m reminded of the wonderful work of Priscilla and Aquila, when they first heard Apollos preach. Apollos was impressive, yet he didn’t know about the baptism in Christ. They did not write him letters. They did not run and tell Paul. They did not threaten to destroy him, cancel his meetings or brand him as a false teacher. None of those things happened. The passage states that they took him aside and taught him the word of God more accurately. They helped him. They showed him. Not only did he get that lesson, but he also saw a lesson in what to do when others are not completely accurate.

 

I’m thankful for our good reader who pointed these things out to me. So kind. So helpful. So much in the spirit of this Acts couple. So much the way I want to be when I encounter someone who made a mistake with Scriptures.

 

Mistakes will make us be more careful. Mistakes can be corrected. Mistakes, in the end, can lead us to being better people.

 

I’m sorry that made this mistake. I must be more careful. I’m thankful for great readers like Barry who cared enough to point this out. He wants to help, and he did.

 

Handling accurately the word of truth—that has a special meaning to me these days.

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 2285

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2285

Titus 2:4 “that they would encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children.”

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day—the day of romance, flowers, hearts and chocolates. I remember in school passing out little valentines to everyone in our class. I don’t know if that is still done anymore. Our verse today is about love. The older women were to encourage the younger women to love. They were to encourage them to love their husbands and to love their children. On the surface, it would seem that if there was one thing that was natural it ought to be the love of a wife toward her husband and a mother toward her children. You’d think that this wouldn’t be necessary, that’s why we must look beyond the surface.

 

First, the word “encourage,” is footnoted with the word “train.” This type of love is not a feeling nor an emotion. That is what comes naturally. That is what Valentine’s Day is all about. Romance, the sparks, the feelings, the look in a persons eyes, all of that is natural and you can’t teach someone to love someone that way. Either it’s there or it isn’t. The word ‘love’ that is used here is not a feeling, but rather a choice. This is the word God chose when He said, “For God so loved the world,” in John 3:16. This love is not a reaction. It’s not based upon how the other person feels. Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrated His love towards us, while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Christ didn’t come because we were really good. He came because we were really bad. Christ didn’t come after we stopped sinning and started to go to worship services. The passage states, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He came at the worse possible time. He caught us with our hands in the cookie jar. The while we were sinners part shows that God’s love isn’t based upon our we behaved, because we weren’t behaving. We were misbehaving. This is the same word love found in our Titus passage. Older women were to train younger women how to love, want the best, do the best, to family, when we are not our best. This doesn’t come naturally.

 

You see how unnatural this is by the TV promos for shows like Marriage Bootcamp. All that I’ve seen looks like drama, shouting, selfishness, anger and not much godly love. This is where the world lives. If you are nice to me, I probably will be nice to you. But, I’ll wait first to see how you are. The world operates on reaction and then responding. What Titus is driving at is the opposite. It’s deciding to do what is right and to have the right spirit and attitude. You decide this and you stay with this, no matter how hubby or the kids are acting. Choice, not a feeling. Decision, not a response.

 

Second, there are times when those very near and dear to us are ‘unlovable.’ That is true of all of us. There are moments when we are not very lovable. A child throwing up because he has the flu is not one of those precious moments that a parent holds dear to. What’s the loving thing to do? Help the child. Clean up after the child. Comfort the child. There are moments when husband feels threatened by his job. There are times he comes home upset and angry. He may vent at home. You have chosen to love him. You will help him, encourage him and support him. There are times when our selfish side rises to the top. The house is a mess. The basement looks like the stands of a ballpark, with cups every where, food spilled on the floor and everyone sitting around staring at the TV. Your home looks like the poster for Worst Homes and Gardens. You see this and feel like turning around and going out the door. You feel like screaming. However, you have chosen to love. That doesn’t mean you become the clean up crew and their sloppy and lazy behavior becomes the norm, but in those unlovable moments, you love.

 

Third, your example is illustrating to the others what they ought to manifest as well. Loving the unlovable husband ought to remind him that he needs to follow suit and do the same towards the wife. Loving the children when they are at their worst, ought to show dedication, love and responsibility within them as well. Sometimes those lessons aren’t picked up on. Sometimes people never change. Some are so selfish that they can’t see beyond themselves. Yet, our passage reminds younger wives to love. Even then, love.

 

Relationships are hard. They can be the best and they can be the worst. We expect more out of family than we do others. We want our families to automatically choose to do the right thing every time. But they don’t. We want our kids to run and hug us. But sometimes all they want to do is to stick their tongues out at us. We want them to jump in and help out, but there are days that all they seem to do is create messes. But still, in all of this, there is something that keeps us going and keeps us from giving up. This is our family. Our blood. Our people. We will put up with more from them. We will suffer more for them. We will tolerate pain much longer from them. And, the blessings, the joys, the smiles, the love is what makes it all worth so much.

 

Do what’s right. Do it when you don’t get a “thank you” back. Do it when you don’t feel like it. Do it when it’s hard. Do it when you seem to have to be the only one who cares. Do what is right, because that’s what love is based upon.

 

Getting a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day is much easier than this stuff. But this stuff is what God wants you to do. Not just on a special day in February, but all the time.

 

 

Roger