Jump Start # 2971

Joshua 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

What a straight forward and even blunt announcement God delivers, “Moses is dead.” I think Joshua knew it was coming, because Moses had laid his hands upon him and it was understood that Joshua was going to be the next leader, but still, it had to be shocking to him. Moses died and God buried him. There was a period of mourning for one month. That month passed and now it was time to get about the business that God wanted them to do.

This verse is swirling around my mind today as yet another friend, another fellow preacher, another hero has passed. Three wonderful preachers that I knew and loved have gone through that door of death this year. A historian and scholar, Ed Harrell, who opened my eyes to the love of church history. A master preacher, Dee Bowman, who I learned the art of preaching and communication from. And, now, yet another, Gerry Sandusky, who would tell you that he doesn’t belong in the same lists with the other two, has passed. Gerry was a simple man who loved people and the Lord. The Bible tells us about Moses that when he died his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. That’s Gerry. Tirelessly working to the very end, preaching his heart out to anyone who would listen, Gerry was a hero in my book.

And, as I think about these three wonderful preachers several reminders come to my mind.

First, as with Moses, the nation of God move on. The kingdom is larger than any of us. It didn’t stop when Moses died. Joshua took over. Later there would be other heroes like David, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Ezra, John the baptizer, all pointing towards God’s divine son, Jesus Christ.

Historically, this year is turning out much like 1940. In that year, several well known preachers passed away. Many today would not recognize their names, but we stand upon the wonderful work that they did. They served their generation well and lived and taught the word of God the best that they could. So, it is now. The amazing work that Ed, Dee and Gerry have done continues on in the lives of those who were influenced by them. But the kingdom won’t be crippled without them here. It won’t be crippled without us here. We do our part. We pour our hearts into God’s work and then the Lord calls us home.

Second, the torch was passed from Moses to Joshua. Joshua wasn’t Moses. He would do things the best he could, but it would have his touch, not Moses’. After 1940, came the next generation of preachers. They took on the role of teaching, writing and helping others. Now, some of our current leaders are handing us the torch. It’s our turn to step up and carry on. We will not be Ed, Dee, nor Gerry. We’ll work the kingdom with our own touch. But the work isn’t done. After a period of mourning, God told Joshua, let’s go. They were marching onward. The promise land was ahead of them. And, thus it is for us. There is a new generation that must be taught the ways of the Lord. There are battles to be fought against error, virtual church syndrome, selfishness and sin. The work is great and the need for people to step up is there. Some of my dearest friends are preachers of my generation. Too many to list, I love them all. They are spread out all over the place doing good. Some are engaged in overseas work. Some are working with elders throughout the land to open their eyes to shepherding. Some are working with young men who want to preach. Some are working in small places. Some are in large cities. They recognize that our heroes are passing through the door one by one. Keeping the ship of Zion pointed in the right direction is a heavy task, but it can be done through continual preaching and teaching of God’s incredible word.

Third, the day will come when it will be my generation’s time to pass through that door to the other side. Time is slipping by quickly and there is so much to be done. One of the most important things is preparing those who follow to carry on faithfully and courageously. There is a treasure that has been handed to us, it is the honor of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must handle that carefully and soon pass that on to those behind us. It is like watching a flag being folded at a military funeral. There is such care and respect that is shown. And, in a solemn fashion, that flag that was draped over the casket of a long ago soldier is now carefully handed to the family of that deceased person. In many ways, this is what I see taking place now. Ed, Dee and Gerry have folded that wonderful Gospel that they loved and taught so well for decades. They have turned and handed it to us. And now, we must take that Gospel, spread it worldwide and when our time comes, we must carefully hand it to those who follow.

Heroes in the Gospel. Lovers of truth. Seekers of Heaven. We’ve got something in common with those kind of people. These are our people. They are loved for the wonderful work that they have done. They are friends. They are in many ways what we wish we were. And, now that they are safely home. It’s our time to keep marching toward that promise land, driving out the enemies and keeping the people of God safe. We hold to the promises of God. We long to see our heroes again in that Heavenly home.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing our lives to intersect with these spiritual giants. May we now have the courage to travel boldly and pick up the work that you would have us to do.

We have been blessed.

Roger

Jump Start # 2798

Joshua 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

I’ve heard it said that this verse contains the shortest funeral address of all time. Five words—Moses My servant is dead. This wasn’t actually a funeral. The end of Deuteronomy shows that the nation mourned and wept over Moses for thirty days. God is making a declaration here. There is a change taking place. For many years Joshua was being groomed for this very day. His time with Moses was a learning experience. The work of God is much greater than any of us. Moses would die, but the nation, the promises and the plans of God would continue.

Leadership is vital to success and it’s lacking in so many places today. It’s missing in politics. It’s missing in the home. It’s missing in the church. Among us are Moses’ and they die and there is no one to step up and take their places. And when that happens, the work flounders and falters.

I write these words on a Saturday evening. In the morning, one of our shepherds is no longer going to be serving in that capacity. He is moving out of state and new chapters of opportunities await him. For him, I am excited. I wish him well and want the best for him. He was one of the three shepherds years ago that allowed me to come and work with this church. And as we have transitioned, changed, and found a better focus, he was in the forefront of leading us. His insights are amazing. His kindness set the standard for the rest of us. We will miss him and I know that I will miss him.

Through my preaching years I have seen elders come and go. Sometimes the going part isn’t pleasant. But not this time. All is well. He has brought us to a great place and has helped us in ways that will be felt for generations. He truly understood the concept of shepherding. He will be a great help to another congregation, but he will be missed.

Here are some thoughts:

First, it’s easy to take our leaders for granted. They are always there. Every Sunday. Sometimes we cause them headaches, and that’s usually our fault. But Moses wasn’t always going to be there. I believe this passage is more than a transition from the Law to the History section of the Bible. I believe it’s more than simply showing us how the nation finally got into the promise land. Here, before our eyes is a change in leadership. Joshua wasn’t given ninety days to prove himself. There wasn’t a committee formed to search for the next leader. Joshua had been trained. He had seen Moses in action. More than that, he has seen God in action. I wonder if we complain about our leaders more than we thank the Lord for them. I wonder if we stand in their way more than we support them. This past year has been dreadful for most congregations. Masks or no masks. When do we come back together. What will that look like. Godly men have searched their hearts to find the right decision, knowing that some will not agree with them. It’s time to be thankful.

Second, congregations cannot wait until there is an exit in the leadership to start looking for replacements. The role of mentoring began long before Moses went up to the mountain for the last time. Who is on the horizon to be a leader? What is being done to develop them?

Third, when the work is done well, there are wonderful footprints and examples left for others to follow. Much too often men are appointed to the eldership simply because they meet the qualifications. Nothing is said about leadership. Many do not know what they are expected to do. Here is a sobering thought for us to consider: there are three qualifications to be President of the United States. One must be at least 35 years old, a natural born citizen and had lived here for the past fourteen years. That’s it. That’s the qualifications. So, a 35 year-old, unemployed man, who never graduated from high school, who lives in his mamma’s basement and plays video games all day long, technically is qualified to be the President. Now, you and I know there is much more to it than that. And, what happens too often is that men are selected to be elders and they don’t know what they are expected to do. Other than being nice guys, with decent families, they are put in the position of leading when they are not sure where they are going.

So, it would do well to spend some time talking about leading. It begins in the home. It would do well to look at the many shepherd passages in the Bible. It would do well to have some classes before names are ever selected. Do the people know what they are getting themselves into?

Fourth, we all know the horror stories of leading. We’ve seen them and heard them. Moses had his share. The sons of Korah. Aaron’s golden calf. His sister rebelling. The nation wanting to go back to Egypt. The complaints. God wanting to wipe the nation out and start over. And, when one only hears the horror stories, no one will ever want to step up and serve. Those that serve now, must paint a true picture, but they must not forget the joys and the blessings of serving such as seeing lives turn around for the Lord. Seeing young men grow and develop and step up to different roles in the congregation. To see the good that the church does worldwide. I’m certain every shepherd has moments when he wonders ‘Why am I doing this?’ And, forgive us when we are the cause of those thoughts. However, there are many, many more bright spots. Being able to leave a place better than you found it is one of the greatest blessings. A church that is growing, healthy, united, strong, engaged and making an impact worldwide is a great accomplishment of leadership. A church that honors the Lord before all things. A church that stands solid upon the word of God. A church that is Biblically strong, yet at the same time compassionate and helpful. It is said that the followers never exceed the leaders. And, when godly men are leading well, there is such peace among us.

And among us for nearly twenty years has been one such shepherd. The words “Thank you,” do not seem strong enough nor deep enough for the tender and careful leadership we’ve had and continue to have.

Thank you, Lee. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May your kind be found through God’s kingdom. You have made a difference and we are the better for it. Thank you!

Roger

Jump Start # 2467

Joshua 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

Moses was dead. However, the mission wasn’t over. Israel had not reached the promise land. There was still more to be done. Joshua was now the new leader. He would take over after Moses. It is interesting that it appears that Joshua was being groomed or mentored for this role for a long time. He was with Moses several times on the mountain. He saw and learned from Moses. Now, the journey for Moses was over. It was time for Joshua to take over the helm and lead Israel into the new land. Interestingly, God didn’t open the door for other possible candidates for the position. God doesn’t interview others or have others submit resumes. There was no campaign, nor a vote taken by Israel. God decided and it was to be Joshua.

There are several layers of lessons in all of this but I want to focus upon a couple.

First, the work of God is much greater than any one of us. Moses died. For forty years it had been Moses. Everyday when Israel woke up, Moses was there. It was Moses before Pharaoh. It was Moses and the ten plagues. It was Moses and the Ten Commandments. It was Moses and the Red Sea. It’s hard to imagine life without Moses, but there would be such. In the New Testament, one by one the apostles died. How would the work go on without them? It would. And, for us today, the work is greater than any one of us. Elders come and go. Preachers come and go. Some retire and move away. Some just move. Some get too old to be functional. Some die. But the work of the Lord must go on.

Second, it is essential and very important to share, teach and train others to follow. Let me share a story that happened this summer. I love restoration history. Through connections I was able to visit an old church building that is still being used by one of the oldest existing churches in this state. There is an even older church building that is owned by the folks that had the building I was visiting. I asked if I could get inside the really old building. Several phone calls were made. This one was called. And then that was called. No one was really sure who had the keys. They are still trying to chase down who has the keys so I can get into that old church building.

Here’s the point. Are the passwords to the church’s website, the codes for the alarm, the keys to the building all in such a place that more than one person knows these things? If someone died suddenly, would anyone else know how to keep things going? Sometimes in matters like this, congregations are not on the ball very much. They operate like the dark ages. Important info ought to be kept in file cabinet and others know that.

The example of Joshua shows us that we ought to include others, teach other and train others how to do things that keep the church functional. I have heard of all kinds of horror stories such as the person who always takes care of the communion passes away and it’s Sunday morning and no one even knows what to do. I’ve heard of visiting preachers showing up to begin a meeting and the person who always kept that information moved away and forgot to tell anyone. No one knew that a meeting was scheduled. I’ve known of a place where the preacher made all the arrangements about the copy machine. He moved. No one knew if the church owned the copy machine or if it was leased. No one knew where any of the papers were kept or if they were kept.

I have heard of families having to dig through desk drawers and shoe boxes after a death, looking for important papers and life insurance. The person who died never told anyone where he kept those files. The family panics and gets frustrated because of such disorganized mess. Yet, congregationally, often it’s even worse. At home, in an old elder’s basement are papers concerning the church. Important papers. No one knew they were there.

I have seen many times that when a preacher moves, there is no weekly bulletin until the next preacher moves in. No one knows how to use the copy machine. No one knows where the paper is. No one knows. And, with that we must ask, is that any way to conduct the Lord’s business. Why is it that no one knows?

So, the person who takes care of the website, ought to find some capable people and show them what he does. He ought to write out what he does and keep it in a notebook that is kept at the church building. Others ought to know where keys are kept, what the passwords are, and where to find the things necessary to keep the work moving.

All those years Joshua was tagging along Moses, he was being shown and trained. He may not have know it, but he was. The same goes for David. When we first meet him, he’s a teenager out in the fields watching the sheep. How does one go from that to running a kingdom? He didn’t know about armies, foreign policy and how to lead people. Yet, what took place? After Goliath, David’s harp playing put him in the palace before the king. There he saw. There he learned. There he witnessed the running of a kingdom. When the time was right and David was ready, he was ready to lead God’s people.

Who will be the next shepherds in the congregation? They may not even know it yet, but by spending time with the current shepherds, they can be mentored, taught and shown how to lead the people of God. Moses to Joshua and the kingdom never skipped a beat. It ought to be that way today in our congregations. It takes good communication, transparency, legacy and developing others for that to happen.

I’m sure Israel missed Moses. However, they weren’t stopped, crippled or defeated because he was no longer with them. They marched on because God was still with them. And, the same will be true of us. The church is greater than any of us. It will move on fine after we are finished here.

Keep great records about how things operate. Store them properly. Share the location with certain ones. Be looking for your Joshua.

Roger

Jump Start # 1125

Joshua 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

Moses My servant is dead. That was the shortest funeral address ever. For the past forty years, Israel woke up every morning to Moses being the leader. He brought them out of Egypt. He led them through the wilderness. As a new generation grew up, it was Moses the leader. Now as they were ready to finally step into the promise land, a change was taking place. Moses was dead. Joshua would lead them. Would Joshua be as good as Moses? Would Joshua know what to do?  Would the Lord remain with Joshua? Would they like Joshua? Many questions. Many fears.

This simple verse reminds us of some profound truths.

1. Change is a part of life. Only in eternity do things remain the same. Things here do not remain the same. For some, this is exciting. New adventures. New chapters in the book of life. Students move through the school system and graduate. Off to college. They graduate. They find a job that launches a career. Often that is away from hometown. New people. New places. New congregation. Change. Some do well with that. Others don’t. Others want things to remain the same. It never does. Some change is very hard to adjust to and deal with. The spouse that returns from the cemetery to an empty house. Things will never be the same. Change. The parents that see that last child move out. Things will never be the same. Change. The aging parent that must move out of his home and into assisted living. Things will never be the same. Change. Some of these changes brings tears to our eyes. We want things to remain as they were but they cannot. In the midst of all this change, God remains on the throne. For Israel, Moses was gone, Joshua was the new leader, but it was the same God, the same plan and promises, the same hope that they had. That helps us. The God we have prayed to for years, is the same God that sees us now and walks us through the new changes.

2. Sometimes we make the transition to change harder on ourselves by resisting what is happening. God prevented this with Israel, but leading the way and announcing the change. It was God approved. God wanted Joshua leading the nation. To resist Joshua was to resist God. The changes in our lives are not so “divinely” chosen. As a result we can go down kicking and screaming and resisting change and all that does is make life more unpleasant and it takes much longer for things to move forward. An aging parent resists leaving their home for assisted living. This is not easy on any one. Health and safety demand that this be done. There are no other options. The parent can make this an easy transition or it can become a nightmare. A church changes preachers. That happens. I’ve been the preacher who is the new guy in the pulpit. Some accept things and make the transition very easy. Others constantly make comparisons to the former preacher, thus making the transition very awkward. I’ve found that the sun still comes up, the birds continue to sing, and life moves on, after change. There is no going back and reversing the change that takes place. So we can fight it, pout about it or move on as God wants. Moses was dead. There was no bringing him back. Israel could stay where they were. They could refuse to move on into the promise land, but that’s not what God had planned. God’s goal for them was to move on without Moses. Death makes change very hard. It forces us to change when we do not want to. Those unprepared, such as having no will or life insurance and savings, put their loved ones into positions of having to encounter more changes. The family may not be able to afford the house now, which means another change. We all change. We age. We can anticipate, plan and help those around us with the change or we can make things harder than they have to be. Forward looking, thinking about the next five years, the next ten years, helps with the change process. Churches need to do that. Families need to do that. Each of us need to do that.

3. Someday I must face my death. We don’t like to talk about that. It often frightens us. Ignoring it, putting it out of our minds, does not change the fact of what will happen. It is appointed unto man once to die, is what Hebrews tells us. This will be the greatest change of all. Death isn’t the end of our story. There is no “The End” to our lives. The cemetery is not where the journey ends. We live on and on, as one of our hymns goes. Living today, living short sighted, fails to see what awaits on the horizon. Living today ignores consequences of sin and eternity with God. The Lord prepared Joshua to lead Israel. It wasn’t a random choice. It was the obvious choice. Joshua was groomed long before he knew he would take that role. The same with David. God was shaping him to be a king before he ever gave that much thought. Preparation. Plans. Putting things in place. Stewardship demands this. Love requires this. Thinking these thoughts can make us sad, morbid or they can lead us to laying foundation stones, making plans for smooth changes. The wise servant of Christ is aware that someday will be his last day. He does move through life with a cloud above his head. We walks by faith. He makes each day a blessing. He does what he can. If he is given another day, he continues on. Each day is a gift. Each day is a blessing. Each day is an opportunity. We make plans, but we also know that someday will be the last day. Change will take place. We will move on to the eternal where all things will remain. There is not hurrying up because I have somewhere else to be, not in the land of the eternal. That is our destination. That is where the journey is completed. That is where we stay.

Change. It happens all the time. It happens right before our eyes. Some change is easy and some very hard. Moses was dead, yet Israel had things to do. Life was moving on with God. And so it is with us.

Roger