Instruction for Christian Leaders

In 1 Peter 5 we find a concise summary of the basics of Christian leadership. This is one of those passages that will take a lifetime to live out. If church leaders would implement Peter's advice, their churches would be well led. Here we find key principles of leadership for the church: humility, voluntary service, examples of faith to the church, exercising oversight under the will of God, avoiding sordid gain, resisting evil and the Evil One, following Christ.

May God bless the church with such leaders.

Sharing with Christ

Far too often we think of fellowship with Christ as sharing in his blessings, his purpose and the life he gives us. Peter is adamant that life with Christ means fellowship with him in all things: blessings and suffering. The Table of the Lord is an excellent reminder that life with Christ brings the sweet and the bitter, just as the Passover meal illustrated for the Hebrews.

"If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name" (1 Peter 4:14-16).

My reality check comes with opposition and difficulty times. Do I thank God then or only when I am showered with blessings?

The End of All Things

"The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer" (1 Peter 4:7).

By 1830 William Miller became convinced that 1844 was the year of the return of the Messiah. He based his calculations on study of the Bible and dates assigned to events in various prophetic books (Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation). Many Christians were convinced that Miller was right, abandoned their farms or sold their homes and left their employment to wait for the return of the Messiah. When 1844 passed without a visible return of Christ, that year became known as the Great Disappointment. Those influenced by Miller split into a number of groups but did not give up on his view of the imminent return of Christ. The Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists are descendants of those who followed Miller. The current teaching is that Christ return occurred in heaven and is invisible to those on earth.

I tell this story (briefly) as a reminder that we lack the knowledge to assess matters of faith that are known only to the mind of God. The return of Christ is one of these matters. Yes we are to live expecting the return of Christ but with are to do so with sober minds. We are to live lives of hope, prayer, hospitality and service so that we bear witness to Christ not to madness. The expectation of Christ's return and God's judgment calls us to live in the world but not of the world. We remain in the world as obedient servants of Christ, loving our neighbors not abandoning them so we can greet Christ on the top of a mountain. Read all of 1 Peter 4:7-11.

The Time In The Flesh

"Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God" (1 Peter 4:2,3).

Christ has redeemed the flesh through his obedience, his teaching and his suffering. The Bible uses flesh to indicate that dimension of life which is lived in opposition to God. Though man was created in the image of God, our flesh has been cursed because of the fall. Flesh that was in harmony with the spirit of man and the will of God became an enemy. Jesus came to the world and assumed the flesh of man in order to overturn the curse and restore wholeness to man and return man to fellowship with the will of God. Through faith in Christ our flesh no longer wars with our spirit and we have peace in God. It is through this peace that we find meaning in our time in the flesh. We now live in the flesh, not under the curse, but for the will of God. Because of this truth we find meaning and purpose because we suffer. Through Christ we now understand suffering as death to the way of sin and life in God.

The Low Approval Rating of Congress

Approval rating for Congress is 22% compared to 37% for President Bush. See my previous post on the credibility of Congress for one possible reason why it is so low.

Read the Gallup analysis of Congressional approval rating.

Colorado Gunman Leaves Anti-Christian Message

Matthew Murray posted anti-Christian rants in between shooting sprees at Youth With A Mission and Life Church in Colorado. Here is a sample:

"God, I can't wait till I can kill you people. Feel no remorse, no sense of shame, I don't care if I live or die in the shoot-out. All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

I wonder where he got that idea?

Read Gunman May Have Warned of 2nd Attack.

Why Politicians Lack Credibility

USA Today has an interesting story about Earmarks in today's paper. Earmarks are spending provisions attached to another unrelated bill to benefit a lawmaker's district and elevate his political stature. Another name for this practice is pork spending. Democrats made this an issue in 2006 and USA Today credits that campaign issue as one key factor in Democrats gaining control of the House of Representatives. Now Democrats are using Earmarks to help freshmen Democrats viewed as vulnerable in the 2008 campaign - all of the 49 freshmen Democrats have sponsored or co-sponsored an earmark in the current proposed spending legislation.

"Democratic candidates accused GOP incumbents last year of abusing earmarks. Patrick Murphy attacked then-congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., during a debate for failing to make the "tough decisions" on a transportation bill heavy with earmarks, the Bucks County Courier Times reported. Now a representative, Murphy sponsored $11.8 million for local projects and businesses - fourth-highest among House and Senate freshmen. In an e-mail, Murphy pointed to new rules requiring earmark sponsors to be disclosed for the first time. The House also requires members to disclose each earmark recipient. Murphy said he makes "no apologies for fighting hard for my district.""

And politicians wonder why they have approval ratings just below used car salesmen?

Read 'Earmark' Cash Aids Democrat Freshmen in USA Today.

Understanding Christian Suffering

In 1 Peter 3:15-22 the topic turns again to the suffering of Christians. The suffering Peter has in view here is that opposition or persecution that comes from doing what is right. He is not talking about being inconvenienced or when we rile others by being annoying. The key phrase in these verses is "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." Simply put Jesus suffered for our cleansing and spiritual health, if He suffers for us we may be called upon to suffer for his name. The Christian is one who takes the path of following Jesus and that means he is our Lord. We belong to him and are not our own. Our tendency is to look out for ourselves, avoiding confrontation and conflict, especially if it will cost us something. The work of Christ in us is putting to death our flesh, which is that sphere of human will and activity which is opposed to God. It is only as we sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts that we have direction for doing what is right and for understanding the opposition we will meet. Baptism is the sign that Christ is our Lord and symbol of his washing of our hearts. Baptism reminds us that we are not our own Lord but have submitted to Christ.

Intimidation and Trouble

"Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled" (1 Peter 3:13-14).

Peter was a realist. He understood that Christians could be perceived as a source of tension as well as a source of blessing in the world. Even when Christians are obedient to Christ and blessing their neighbors there are those who will be threatened by this behavior because it is counter cultural and upsets power structures. Some authorities will have a vested interest in the way things are. The Christian lives by a different standard: obedience to Christ. A militant atheist like Richard Dawkins sees Jesus as a threat to the authority of science (though I do not). The racist is threatened by Jesus because God desires to bring good news to every tribe and nation. So the view of the Christian is to fear the authority of God and to obey Christ. If we encounter blessing or we suffer for the sake of righteousness, God is honored in each circumstance. We are to live in a way that honors God, there we find life.

What Kind of People?

Some cynics dismiss the Bible and Christians as hopelessly out of touch with the times or malicious hypocrites. Many critics of Christians and the church rage against what they see as moralism forced down upon them. When I read a passage like this one, 1 Peter 3:1-12, I wonder what our families and churches would actually be like if we followed Peter's call for holy living? Wives whose adornment is their character and faith rather than the latest fashion. Husbands who cherish their wives and respect them. Blessings and humility in our relations with neighbors and friends. Who wouldn't want to live in a community that looked like this? Maybe Christians are out of touch with the times. Maybe Chesterton was right that Christians are the real rebels. I would like to see more Christians living out of step with the times and in step with the Apostolic witness to the Risen Lord.

The Gospel of Judas - According to National Geographic

The New York Times is reporting that the Gospel of Judas Iscariot story reported by National Geographic was not all it purported to be. Hat Tip to Michael Sammamish at the Moral Christian blog. You can read the NY Times story here. The story is written by April DeConick, a professor of Biblical Studies at Rice University and author of The Thirteenth Apostle: What the Gospel of Judas Really Says.

This is another case of a journalist's desire for an exclusive story leading to bad decisions. National Geographic used their own experts and restricted access to the text so they would get the story first. The problem is that led to getting the story wrong as well. Judas is not a hero, he is portrayed as a demon in the gnostic text. The author of the ancient text was trying to undermine the story of Jesus by portraying him as sacrificed to the king of demons rather than the supreme God. DeConick uncovers at least one act she refers to as "egregious" - "a single alteration made to the original Coptic." In other words one or more of the National Geographic scholars removed a word from the original.

Lot's of questions here. Why did the National Geographic Society behave this way? Why did the media rush so eagerly and uncritically to repeat this story? I suggest two possibilities: the desire to be first on the story and second a desire to find an alternative to Jesus as portrayed in the Bible.

In my opinion two factors

Fear God, Honor the King

Peter has been writing to Christians dispersed from their homeland, instructing them on how they should live as exiles in their new homelands. One theme that emerges from this letter is that Christians live with a type of dual citizenship. The Christian is a citizen of heaven, longing for the presence of God and a citizen of the nation in which they live on earth, though ultimately a stranger on a sojourn there. In 1 Peter 2:13-25, the Apostle speaks to the matter of governing authorities and how Christians should view the rulers and laws of the land in which they live. The priority for the follower of Jesus is to do good and silence those who would oppose them. They are to live as free men and as servants of God. He sums up this attitude with the phrase: fear God, honor the king. That summary provides clarity as we live with our dual citizenship. We respect the government but we fear and worship God. This wisdom has stood the test of time and provides the standing which helps Christians avoid two errors: accommodation to the government of the moment and the temptation to renounce human governance.

Five Kinds of Christians

Leadership Journal has published the results of a survey commissioned by Christianity Today and Zondervan Publishing, titled Five Kinds of Christians. The study was intended to analyze the 70-80% of Americans viewed as mainstream Christians. Leadership Journal reports three critical issues that have emerged in the study.

1. The local church is no longer considered the only outlet for spiritual growth.
2. Churches must develop relational- and community-oriented outreach.
3. Lay people have to be better equipped to be God's ambassadors.

No kidding.

How much did Zondervan and Christianity Today pay for this survey? Whatever it was they paid way too much. At any point in the last three or four decades they could have drawn the same three conclusions. It has been a long time since the local church has been the only outlet for spiritual growth for 70-80% of Americans who believe in God. Does the calendar at Christianity Today still read 1957?

We have known that 80% of Americans believe in God for a long time. Studies for decades have shown this to be a stable number. We have also known for quite some time that about half that number are actually regular church attenders. There is nothing new here.

We need better leadership in the church. Yep.
We need intentional, relationship building outreach in the community. Yep.
People bring people into the church. Yep.

Could have said all this in 1980. Christianity Today and Zondervan continue to think behind the curve.