09

Jump start # 3674

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3674

Luke 9:57 “And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, ‘I will follow You where You go.’”

Our verse today introduces an interesting exchange and conversation Jesus had with three different people. A common thread running in all of these conversations is following Jesus. The first man and the third man initiate the conversation. They both begin by telling Jesus, “I will follow You.” I will—a declarative statement. An affirmation. This is what I will do. What wonderful words to hear. Most times we hear the opposite.

The second man was asked by Jesus. The Lord said to him, “Follow Me.” Both the second and the third man had a priority and perspective issue. They would follow Jesus, but first, they had to do something else. The second man had to bury his father. The third man had to say good-bye to those at home. First, let me bury my father. First, let me say good-bye to family. Their order of things was simply out of order.

The first man declared that he would follow Jesus, however, he did not know where Jesus was going. This is why Jesus said, “…the Son of Man ha sno where to lay His head.” Jesus was going to Jerusalem. Did he know that? Jesus was heading to a cruel death on the cross. Did he know that? Impulsive is what this first man was. And, impulse often leads to regret and buyers remorse. Our emotions get a head of us. We stop thinking with our heads and start following our feelings. This logic fuels pep rallies. Walk into a high school gym before the big home coming game. The band is playing loudly. The cheerleaders are jumping up and down. The team is high fiving each other. A lot of energy. A lot of emotion. A lot of feeling. This same idea is the outcome of mobs. Someone screaming in a meg-a-phone gets the crowd to chant a phrase over and over and people get excited, pumped up and ready to move to action, even if it is illegal and destructive. Impulsive. Not thinking things through.

I will follow You, Jesus. Will you? To the baptistery? To worship services? To godly and righteous living? To resisting temptation? To obeying the commands of the Lord? Later in Luke, Jesus talked about counting the cost. Salvation is free, but discipleship comes with a cost. Too many have been baptized never to show their faces again. They didn’t know where following Jesus would take them.

The second and third men had trouble with self. They would follow Jesus, but it was on their terms and in their timetable. First, I must bury my father. First, I must say good-bye to family. Both men failed to understand the core principle of following Jesus is to deny self. Deny self comes before taking up our cross. Deny self comes before following Jesus. Until we rid ourselves of self, we will only do what we want to do. We will only do what feels good. And, we will not make it very long with the Lord.

Now, some thoughts:

First, following Jesus is not always convenient, comfortable or to our liking. Do you think the apostles enjoyed going to Samaria or up into Gentile country? On their own, without Jesus, they would have never done that. Do you think apologizing is comfortable or easy? Do you think having a hard conversation with someone about the choices in their life is easy and to our liking? For Paul, following Jesus led to often being hungry and thirsty. He was homeless and defined his life as being the scum of the earth.

The world will not like you. Satan doesn’t like you. We must stop trying to package Christianity as something that gets along with everyone. It’s like those “Co-Exist” bumper stickers. A Jew and a Muslim? A Christian and a Hindu? Nothing in common. No starting point. No foundation to stand upon. Nothing agreeable to put on the table. Not in the same galaxy with one another. Christianity is counter culture. It’s light in darkness. It’s swimming upstream in a world that is flowing downstream. It is focused and has direction. Following Jesus is not comfortable.

Second, following Jesus has consequences. There are positive consequences, such as salvation and reconciliation with God. Positive consequences such as fellowship with God’s family. Consequences such as being engaged in the greatest work in the world, kingdom work. But there are negative consequences. You can’t do everything that others do. You won’t see every movie that is popular. You won’t go to every concert that your friends talk about. You won’t watch every sitcom on TV. And, the reason is you are following Jesus. He will lead you away from wrong. He will walk in righteousness. Following Jesus means there are choices greater than myself that must be made. There are thoughts about influence and impressions upon others. If I want to follow Jesus, I must walk away from the world. Jesus and the world are moving different directions. If I follow Jesus, I am walking away from the world.

Third, following Jesus is more than just a wish or something that I say. These three men in our context wanted to follow Jesus. Did they? Would they? Following Jesus means action. It means moving the direction that Jesus is going. It means making the right choices and changes in your life.

I will follow You…but first, I gotta watch the game on TV. I will follow You…but I don’t want to belong to a church. I will follow You…but the kids are coming over. I will follow You…but there are a bunch of us going out after work. I will follow You…but I don’t want to stop drinking. I like that. I will follow You…but don’t ask me to give any money. I will follow You…but I’m not interested in doctrine and things like that. I will follow You…but don’t talk about my marriage. I will follow You…but I have a few ideas that I want to share with You. I will follow You…but be sure and go the direction that I want to go. I will follow You…but I don’t want to have to do anything. I will follow You…but don’t make it on a weekend. That’s my day off. I will follow You…but can we stop and do some shopping along the way? I will follow You…if the weather is nice. I don’t like getting out in the cold. I will follow You…if the crowd is not too big. I’m not a fan of big crowds. I will follow You…if it’s not too early in the morning. I don’t like getting up early. I will follow You…but I have to do some housework first. I will follow You…but does that mean I have to read the Bible? I don’t like to read. I will follow You…but if a certain person shows up, I’m not going. I don’t like that person. I will follow You…but do You have to go so far? Can’t we stay near my house? I will follow You…but I’m expecting a phone call first. I will follow You…

…but wait, where has He gone?

Roger

08

Jump Start # 3673

Posted on October 8, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3673

Ecclesiastes 2:18-19 Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

Solomon faced a situation that so many of us encounter as we get older. What to do with all of our stuff. Stuff that we have collected for years. Stuff passed down through the family. Stuff that is so important to us.  But as our passage states, “I must leave it to the man who will come after me.” Why? Why, is because we die. Why is because we can’t take it with us. Why, because our journey comes to an end here. And, then all that stuff is gathered by the family, divided up, taken to Good-will or put out in the trash.

Study after study reveals that millennials do not want grandma’s fine china. They don’t the silver settings. They are not interested in collectables. They don’t want all the things that fill our shelves. The person coming after may be wise or he may be a fool. Who knows, Solomon wonders what will happen to all that stuff.

Now this brings us to some thoughts:

First, enjoy what you have but do not expect that others will get the same joy or even have any joy in what you have. Our children may feel burdened by all our stuff. If you have enjoyed collecting things through the years, that is the satisfaction you need to have. Personally, I have a museum of restoration history. Books. File cabinets stuffed with old bulletins and restoration info. Tons and tons of stuff. What will happen to it? Good question. I’ve enjoyed strolling down that lane of history. But, those who after me may not. That’s ok.

Second, Solomon didn’t know whether the person getting his things would be wise or a fool. Sometimes within the family, one will find both. Someone who appreciates things and someone else who just wants to sell it all, take the money and run. And, this brings us to an interesting concept of legacy. There have been several places that have talked about a legacy plan for the church. Who will be the next shepherds? Who will fill the pulpit years from now? But, even within the home, there is a concept of legacy. The one who follows may be wise or he may be a fool. Could it be that there ought to have been some teaching? Could it be that there should have been some sharing of values?

A legacy plan is built around the idea of teaching and mentoring others. Keeping the church going the right direction happens when those who follow understand and accept the same values. Showing others. Teaching others. Helping others. This is all part of developing an on going system of legacy. In business, in sports and in congregations, much too often, those that started things, were passionate about things. As the keys are handed over to another generation, there isn’t that same appreciation, passion and desire like the previous generation had. Things change, and not always for the better. Second and third generation of owners can change the philosophy and feel of a company. The same is true of a congregation. If what is being done is right, healthy and working, impress those values upon others. Don’t hand things over to fools. Raise and train others to be wise, thoughtful and careful.

Handing things over—Moses did to Joshua. Elijah did to Elisha. Jesus did to the apostles. And, as one generation nears the finish line, it is important that they hand things over to the next who follow. Leave things better than you found them, is an important principle to follow. Leave the congregation stronger than what you found it. Leave your family stronger than what you found it. Without guidance, instructions and examples, those who follow may be fools. And, they may be fools, because of our failure to help them become wise.

Third, we must not get so worked up about stuff. I know because I’ve been there. Stuffitis is easy to catch. But, after a few miles on the ole’ heart, one becomes less impressed with stuff and more interested in the things of value and substance, such as character, family, brethren. Walk through a local antique or thrift store. The shelves are lined with stuff. People are selling what they no longer want. They are hoping that you want what they don’t want.

As poor Lazarus lay at the rich man’s gate, dying, he certainly didn’t have any stuff. He had no food. He had no shelter. He couldn’t even keep the dogs away. But he had a heart that impressed God. While just through the gates, died a rich man. He had closets full of clothes. He had pantries full of food. He had the finest and the best. An imaginary walk through his home would have impressed us. Fine art. Nice sculptures. Fountains out back. Immaculate landscaping. Just the best. He was surrounded with stuff. Lots of stuff. But his heart was empty. And, when he died, none of his stuff helped him and all of his stuff went to someone else.

Someone follows…they will get all your stuff. It really doesn’t matter. They may like it, keep it and cherish it, or they may junk it and trash it. What matters is what is in your heart. Surrounded by stuff, but empty on the inside is not a way to live. It’s better to be empty on the outside and filled with faith in the Lord on the inside.

Following us…may be wise people or fools. Something to think about.

Roger

07

Jump Start # 3672

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3672

Acts 8:1 “And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles.”

Our verse today shows the means in which the Gospel was taken to other places. Out of the bad, good happened. The scattering of the disciples, led to the spread of the Gospel in other regions. The text picks this up in 11:19, with, “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.”

The church of Jerusalem changed. The members were gone. They may not have ever come back. And, this reminds us that often a congregation faces new challenges and is forced to go down roads it never has before. The Covid problem did that. For the first time, many congregations had to deal with what the government was calling for, what was safe, and what ought to be done. Moving services to live stream only was a new path for most of us. Many congregations experienced some who never came back. Weak, as they were, they just fell away completely. Others have remained watching livestream as their only connection to a congregation.

It challenges shepherds when new roads must be traveled down. They do not have the wisdom of the past to look to. They must consider what works and what remains Biblical as decisions are made.

This generation is facing another new challenge for many congregations, the retiring of the preacher. Generations ago, preachers preached until they died. Modern medicine is making it very possible to live well into the 80s and 90s these days. And, many preachers realize that they just can’t do it any more. The mental energy, the pace, to do quality work, it’s time to pass the torch on to someone else. And, for the first time, maybe in a congregation’s history, they are facing the fact that a preacher wants to retire.

It is good for us to put some thought to this. It is better to put some thought to this before it happens. It is good to talk this over, have plans and think things through.

First, what a treasure of wisdom, knowledge and experience to have an older retired preacher among you. Use him as he is able and desires. Can he still fill in the pulpit once in a while? Is he able to teach a class now and then? Can he be used behind the scenes to mentor younger preachers or help others learn to do things? Just putting the ole’ preacher out to pasture can sure be discouraging to him and a loss of great resources for the congregation.

Second, the relationship between the retired preacher and the new preacher can be a blessing or a curse. Everyone does things differently and we each have our own style. The retired preacher can be a constant negative to the work because things are different than the way he would do it or he can be such a wonderful help. Preaching is different than so many other jobs. The preacher pours his life and his heart into that work. It has been his baby. It has been his every thought for a long, long time. Turning the keys over to someone else is hard. He doesn’t want to see things go south. Wise shepherds would bring the retired preacher and current preacher together to build bridges between them. The egos, attitudes and how they view each other can be a real blessing or a real problem, not just between them, but to the entire congregation. An arrogant young preacher who thinks he knows everything can learn so much by spending a lunch once a month with a retired preacher.

Third, unlike many other occupations, the preacher in most places is paid a weekly or monthly check and that’s it. No benefits. No retirement. Nothing. And, as age gets to the point where he needs to step down, some can’t because of finances. He has to preach because he can’t survive without it. This is where a wise eldership builds a retirement for a preacher. Bless his heart, you don’t want a preacher in the pulpit every Sunday who does more harm than good. A loss for words, unable to remember passages, scrambling facts up, outdated and out of touch—he becomes more of a liability than an asset. But for some, they have to do that. And, worse, some congregations, force the old preacher out and bring in a younger preacher and the old preacher, late in life, must move and relocate to some small congregation to preach just because he needs the income.

Long before this happens, preachers need to do what they can to invest and prepare for the future. Many haven’t. This isn’t good. And, congregations need to take a long look at how we treat preachers and whether we put them in the position to be benevolent cases by the way we pay them. While many in the congregation enjoy retirement, having situations where the corporation contributed to a retirement, most preachers do not have that option.

Replacing the old mule, with a younger one, may work well on the farm, but it doesn’t work well among brethren. We can do better at the way we treat our old soldiers of the Cross. We must do better! They have given their life teaching and leading us. Can we not take care of them in their last years?

New roads to consider…the retiring of a preacher. It’s time to have discussions about that.

Roger

04

Jump Start # 3671

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3671

Job 2:9-10 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Our verse today illustrates the differences in faith and dealing with troubles that often exists within a marriage. Much too often, we assume that the husband and wife are at the same place spiritually. We assume that they go through life seeing the same things and being on the same page with about everything. And, what a major assumption and mistake that is.

It is easy to forget that Job’s wife also suffered. She was the one who bore those ten children that all died. It was her lifestyle that was dramatically turned upside down by raids, attacks and theft. And, now her husband’s health was failing. After this rebuke from Job, we don’t hear anymore about her until the last chapter when she again has another ten children. I’ve been asked if I think that she is the same wife as in the beginning? In our times, bearing twenty children is unheard of. There is nothing in the text to make me think that she walked away or that she died and Job remarried. Those assumptions cannot be proven Biblically.

The words of Job’s wife, “Curse God and die,” seems to indicate that Satan got to her. This is what Satan was wanting Job to do. It worked with Job’s wife. With worthless friends, dead children, and now your companion in life tosses in the towel, the picture given to us is that Job was all alone. Who could he talk to? Who would encourage him? Who would comfort him?

Now, some lessons we ought to see here:

First, a husband and a wife do not suffer nor grieve the same. This tends to be the way we are wired. Women, in general, like talking and sharing with other women. We guys keep things to ourselves. When with other men, we talk sports, politics and fun things to do. We don’t open up very often. Maybe we should. Maybe we need to. And, because of that, many men have only superficial friendships. There is nothing very deep, because we don’t go deep. We keep an image and a wall around us.

So, in comforting a family that has gone through some tragedy, remember that the man and the woman deal with those things differently. The man may say, “we are fine,” meaning, “I’m fine.” This is why shepherds, in helping a family through a crisis, needs to talk to both the man and the woman and they may need to talk to each of them separately.

Second, our verse reminds us that Job and his wife were not at the same place spiritually. Mrs. Job was done. She had enough. She was calling “surrender.” Her faith was not as strong as his faith. Interestingly, neither Job’s friends, nor God talk to Job’s wife. All the conversations focus upon Job.

So, this reminds us, that two people sitting beside each other on a pew Sunday morning, do not have the same faith. One may be bored and the mind wandering. The other may be engaged and connecting deeply with the passages and praise to the Lord.

Job’s reply to his wife is that she was speaking not as a believer. He said, you speak as a foolish woman. Foolish, as one who says there is no God. Foolish, as one who no longer believes that God is in control. Foolish, as one who thinks our problems are greater than God. Foolish, as one who thinks God cannot do something. Foolish, as one who happily accepts the blessings of God, but not the adversity from God.

Our verse ends with this tag, “In all of this Job did not sin with his lips.” I wonder if we are to assume that Job’s wife did sin with her lips.

Third, husbands and wives need to help each other in this journey of life. There are times when discouragement may get the best of one of us. The other is to be there to encourage, remind and help. Many, many of us preachers would have punched the lights out of some thoughtless brother, had it not been the words of our wives calming us down and reminding us of Jesus. That marriage vow of in sickness and health, richer or poorer, is more than just a definition of life’s journey, it is a plan and a pattern that we will be there for each other. Physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally, there is a need for encouragement, warnings, help, and support that helps each other through the moments we call life.

Job’s words to his wife are blunt. He was grieving, hurting and trying to figure things out. His words were a stern reminder to his wife that God has always been there for them. This was not the time to give up. This was not a Titanic moment.

Together, they should have prayed. Together, they should have gone to Scripture. Together, they should have cried and reminded each other that they still have each other. That’s the way they started, and that’s where they were at that moment. Not knowing if they would ever see blessings again. Not understanding why all of this happened and so quickly. More questions than absolutes, it is those moments that will pull a couple together or it will be the scissors that severs the marriage forever. I’ve seen it both ways.

Standing across the body of a sixteen year old, as a sheet was pulled over his head, parents on the other side sobbing, I told them, this will draw you closer or this will pull you apart. Within a few months, they divorced.

It is important for husbands and wives to understand that we are wired differently and to understand each other. What works for me may not work for my wife. Men need to shepherd their families and this begins by understanding them and what works.

Job and his wife…interesting study.

Roger

03

Jump Start # 3670

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 3670

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”

  CalTech physicist, David Goodstein, wrote a collegiate textbook on thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, called “States of Matter.” The introduction begins this way: “Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on this work, died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics.”

NOW IT IS OUR TURN?? The outcome of Boltzmann and Ehrenfest didn’t turn out well. I can only imagine a college student reading this and thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” It would be hard to read beyond this page. Goodstein is considered at the top of his field in this study, but he doesn’t know how to write. It was not necessary to tell how the earlier scholars died.

This is a great example and reminder to us about how we approach talking to people and the function of the Gospel. By very definition, the word ‘Gospel,’ means, “Good news.” Yet, some have a way of turning good news into bad news. Scaring people into the baptistery isn’t the same as making disciples of Jesus. Getting baptized so one doesn’t go to Hell, isn’t the same as believing in Jesus as the Christ.

Here are some thoughts:

First, faith and trust in God’s word is the starting point. Use verses. Show people in their own Bible what God says. Too many opinions, articles, even Jump Starts, can get in the way of simply reading the Bible. This is where faith comes from. Our Lord said, “Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.” How would they believe? They would believe from the eyewitnesses. They would believe because the message is true. They would believe because the reliability of the Bible.

I’m hearing stories of more and more places that are using less and less Bible. Personal stories have replaced the divine sent message. Philosophy, humor and long, long stories fill sermons and Bible classes. Hearts are touched. Tears roll down cheeks. People laugh. It’s a wonderful time, but very little insight and very little digging into God’s word takes place. That rock that withstands the storms, is the word of God.

Second, softening what God says isn’t the answer either. God opened up the earth and swallowed some. The angel of death killed thousands. Hell is real. We know there is a Hell because there is a Heaven. Without one, the other does not exist. Jesus puts them together in the same sentence in the judgment scenes of Matthew. Some don’t want to talk about doctrine, judgment, wrath, and punishment. They’ve turned God into a heavenly Mr. Rogers and in his neighborhood, everyone is nice and gets along with each other. The first Christians to die, was not at the hands of persecutors. Acts 5, God strikes down two dishonest lying Christians.

The warnings of Heaven are not to scare us but rather to keep us safe. They allow us to stay in the lane that we are supposed to travel in. It’s the love of Christ that makes us come home to Him. It’s not being afraid of pigs and filth, but it’s knowing that God made us for better things. We can do better.

Our words need to be balanced. Not everything is rainbows. There are storm clouds. The words of the Lord to the churches in Revelation were a cold reality check for many of them. Loveless. Lifeless. Lukewarm. That’s the truth. That’s the way they were. Yet, within each of those admonitions, the Lord offered hope. Repent. The Lord believed that they could change.

Third, even in correction, God places the words of gentleness as the means which this is to be done. Smacking someone with the sword likely won’t bring a positive change. Be honest. Be truthful. But, do it kindly. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Remember the golden rule. The goal is not to destroy someone, win an argument, or to say, ‘I told him so.’ The goal is the salvation of his soul.

The ole’ story of a parent telling his child before he spanks him, “this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you,” ought to run through our minds as we try to reach others who are not walking with the Lord. Mean, smug, self righteous spirits crush souls and leave a path of destruction.

Now it is our turn…I think he should have ran that statement by the English department. A little editing might have been necessary. And, when we think before we speak, a little editing often takes place in our minds.

Roger