SOAP - 8/4/08 (1 Thess 5:12-22)

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."'

Observation

There are quite a few things in this passage so I might spend a few days on it.

Paraphrase:

"Brothers and sisters, please respect your pastors, elders and ministry heads. See how valuable they are and love them because of the work they do. Put aside selfishness as you work together."

What is God saying?

First, as I paraphrased this I wanted to make sure that we understood just who Paul was talking about. "Those who labor among you" are those who do the ministry in this church, particularly those who lead. Obviously the pastors and elders (lay-pastors) are among those who do ministry, but we tend to forget that those people who lead particular ministries (ministry-heads) should be included in this list.

So what does this passage mean? Let's start with what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that people in the church need to blindly follow their leaders. This has happened in the past, it is happening now and it will happen in the future. Wherever it happens trouble eventually follows. God has given us brains and he expects us to use it. The only time it is acceptable for a person to follow blindly is when following God. God is the only perfect being, but when men, who are not perfect, are followed blindly they loose all sense of self-control and humility and usually end up causing disaster.

With that being said I must also issue a warning. People who are constantly antagonistic towards authority are just as guilty of self-worship as those leaders who lead the blind. There are two extremes when it comes to leading/following. The leader can be self-absorbed or the follower can be self-absorbed. Both eventually lead to tragedy.

So where's the balance? God has placed specific people to lead specific ministries within the church. Most of the time, these people have a gift for that particular area they are leading. Once in awhile there will be someone who is trying to be faithful by assuming a leadership position they don't have a gift in waiting for the right person to come along. Leaders should be humble, and yet they should be able to lead a team of people based upon their gifts. Most leaders in the church, at least in our church, have been placed in leadership because the pastors and elders have seen good leadership qualities in them.

Leaders don't need to be criticized for everything they do!!! They are trying to lead to the best of their ability and they are trying to be faithful to God. Yes, all leaders need to continue developing in their leadership skills. It is very, VERY important that a leader has a group of people who will follow his lead, but also encourage him/her to develop into a better leader. Leaders have enough stress and pressure as it is trying to get things accomplished. They don't need people on the team who AREN'T A PART OF THE TEAM!!!

So Paul says, "Hey. You need to encourage the leaders. You need to love the leaders. You need to be a part of the team!!" I don't know if you noticed but Paul says "Be at peace among yourselves" right after he gets through encouraging a proper attitude towards leaders. Why? Because there are always people on a team who, even though they may not realize it, are the ones always causing strife and slowing down progress towards the end of a project. Paul says "Stop antagonizing!! But work together!! Follow the leader, encourage the leader, love the leader and get on board with the team." Antagonism comes from a selfish heart.

What is God saying to me?

This is just a reminder to me. I am part of a team that has a leader. I need to be constantly encouraging him, loving him and being a part of his team. If I disagree with something I need to first take a real good look at why. I really need to check and make sure that my selfishness isn't at the root of "the problem." If I can see, logically, where there is an issue then I need to lovingly address the issue.

I am also reminded of my responsibility as a leader. The cool thing about being a part of a team is everyone can have input. A good leader listens to his followers and knows how to correlate the different gifts (ideas) of people on the team. I have discovered that when I open up an item for discussion the end result is usually better then my original idea. Working together to accomplish things for God is really fun!!! I don't need to be the dictator of my team because sooner or later I won't have a team and all fun (and joy) disappear.

Application

I've pretty much said it. I need to be an encourager and a part of the team. It is important for me (and for anyone who is a part of the team) to let their leader know how much they are appreciated. So I'm going to drop Louie a little note telling him just that.

Prayer

Father, I know how tempting it is to be critical of everything a leader does, and I know how devastating such criticism can be to all parties involved. Help me to be a wise, loving, encouraging and faithful follower. Help me to take the example of Jesus as he followed you and apply it to my life. You are my ultimate leader and you have placed over me other leaders. Help me to be balanced as a follower. Help me to not blindly follow, but help me to wisely follow. I want to be like you in every situation in my life. Thank you for hearing my prayer.

Leadership 101 - The Leader's Responsibilities

A leader's job is to lead right? But what does this really mean. It depends on the context. A business leader leads a company to make money. A trail guide (leader) leads a group of people on a trail. A general leads his army to conquer and overcome. The amount of success a leader experiences is proportionate to their influence and ability to lead.

What is a Christian leader's job? If our purpose as humans created by God is to know God and become more like Jesus, then our purpose as a leader is to help people know God and become more like Jesus. This is why Paul wrote his letter to Timothy. He was encouraging him in two ways, or you could say he was showing him two responsibilities he had as a leader.

First, a leader is responsible for creating an atmosphere where people can grow.

Second, in order to help people grow a leader is responsible for his/her own growth as well.

A leader can't take a person where they have never been themselves. Christian leaders need to help others grow in their relationship with Christ and likeness of Christ, but they must be growing themselves.

Paul points out that there are people who in essence have stopped growing, or at least stopped growing in the right direction. They have become very legalistic requiring their followers to submit to a bunch of ridiculous rules. They lost focus of two very important principles.

As leaders we have to be careful to keep these principles at the forefront of what we do. If we don't we lose site of what is important. We end up making decisions based upon our personal feelings rather then letting these principles guide our decisions.

What are these principles? Love God and love others. So when we talk about growing to be more like Christ we are in essence talking about growing in our love for Him and others. When we help others grow we help them become more like Jesus by encouraging them to love God and love others.

As we create an atmosphere of growth we have got to be sure we don't make a bunch of self imposed rules that have nothing to do with loving God and loving others. We create an atmosphere based upon and encourages people to love God and others. We need to ask ourselves, "Is what I am going to do going to encourage people to love God and each other more fully?" If the answer is no then a new plan needs to be developed.

Paul tells Timothy "...train yourself to be godly." This is exactly what we are talking about. God is the ultimate example of love. I tell people "God doesn't have a selfish spiritual bone in His spiritual body." Everything God does is for a purpose. That purpose is us. Even when it seems like God is doing something a little selfish He really has his mind on us. (For example. Why should God receive all the praise and glory. Short from He deserves it because He is the Creator of all things, He is also the only being that doesn't let such praise go to His head. God understands that we humans need something greater than ourselves to focus on so we can learn to be humble and fully love.)

Let us as leaders do our best to grow in our own love of God and others. As we are growing (not when we have grown because we will never grow to completion until we are in heaven) we need to help others grow as well. We can only take people where we have been. Let's make sure we are well on our way.

An Interesting Blog on Leadership

I was made aware of this blog through Pastor Louie's blog, Marshian Chronicles. It is on leadership and since I am doing a class on leadership I thought it would be good to share this insight from Chris Elrod. Check it out! It's The Price Of Leadership.

S.O.A.P - A Simple Way to Spend Time In the Word

During this last leadership class I introduced the teens to S.O.A.P. I recently learned of this simple Bible study method. I have encouraged the teen leaders to do four of these this week with a partner. Here is the method.

Soap stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. It is a journaling method of Bible study. This means you need a journal or note book (or blog ;) ). As you read through scripture follow the steps below.

Scripture

Choose a passage of scripture. Pray that God gives you understanding into His Word. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your Bible next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verse(s) you marked. In your journal, write down at least one that particularly spoke to you.

Observation

What do you think God is saying in this scripture? Write a paraphrase (rewrite the scripture in your own words). What is God saying to you through this scripture. Write it down.

Application

Personalize what you have read by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

Prayer

This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. You may want to use the scripture as inspiration for your prayer. Remember, prayer is a two-way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! You may be surprised to find more insight during your prayer. Write it down.

By journaling your time in the Bible you are more apt to remember what you are reading which in turn can be used by the Holy Spirit in your life.

Leadership 101 - The Qualification List

Finally, after two chapters, Paul gets down to what qualifies a leader. Why so late in coming. Another leadership principle is that leaders train leaders. Leaders need to reproduce. A good leader gains many followers. A better leader produces more leaders to handle the many followers.

Though this is a leadership principle, and a very important one, I really want to focus on the qualifications of a leader. The lists found in 1 Timothy and Titus concerning elders and deacons can be summed up into five simple qualifications.

1. A leader must have the desire to lead. (1 Timothy 3:1)

Everyone influences someone. The sad truth is, not everyone realizes this and some of those who do still refuse to step up to the plate. Any successful organization has leaders who want to lead.

2. A leader must be above reproach. (1 Timothy 3:2)

A leader must try to live their lives in such a way that people cannot point their finger at them for doing something wrong. Notice that I said "try." The only perfect man I know of is Jesus. Leaders will make mistakes and as we saw in the leadership lesson titled "Christian Leader, Product of Grace" it is important that a leader acknowledges wrong quickly and takes the necessary steps to correct his wrong. We leaders are going to mess up, but we should try our hardest to live good lives. The motivation? Love for God and love for others.

3. A leader must make sure that the important things come first. (1 Timothy 3:4)

A leader knows what is important. Paul says that an elder and deacon should have their households under control. For any family man his family is a priority that demands a lot of attention. His job also demands a lot of attention. A leader puts the important things first, gets them done and then focuses on the smaller things. For those who are teens family still comes first, then school and on down. A teen who is a leader should have a good relationship with his parents and his grades should reflect a disciplined life.

4. A leader must be humble. (1 Timothy 3:6)

A leader who is not humble is a leader who leads for his benefit. We are servants of God. We serve a being that is far greater then we are. We need to remember that the reason why we lead is to help others become more like Jesus.

5. A leader must have a good reputation amongst outsiders. (1 Timothy 3:7)

It is easy to lead those who are like minded, but it is harder to influence those who are not. A true leader is respected in and outside the church. A good leader influences those who are not Christians to behave ways contrary to the world. If a leader cannot lead outside the church then they will not be successful leading inside the church.

A leader who does not have these qualifications will not succeed. They will do more damage then good. It is important for all of us (whether you are a Christian leader or not) to live by these qualifications. Everyone influences some one. It's the truth.

Leadership 101 - Keeper of Order/Maintainer of Focus

Chapter 2 of 1 Timothy can be a real headache, but I want to keep it real simple. What message is Paul trying to convey in chapter 2. In my NIV Bible the heading of chapter 2 is "Instructions on Worship." A pastor's job is to maintain order and keep people's eyes focused on God particularly during worship, but I see this as being the job of every leader all the time. A leader MAINTAINS order and ENCOURAGES focus on God.

This doesn't just happen during our "spiritual" moments during the day. Every moment can be a spiritual moment. Having the proper attitude and focus on God makes life's moments so much easier even when they are real tough.

Our job as leaders is to help people stay focused on God and this requires a certain amount of order. There will be situations that demand more order than others. Playing a game demands a level of order. Sitting in a youth lesson demands order. Leading a small group demands order. It is up to the leader to maintain that order.

Here are some simple suggestions that can help a leader maintain order.

1. Know what is going on and what is supposed to be happening. If you don't understand, ask. If a leader doesn't understand chances are others don't understand as well.

2. Be aware of what is going on around you. It is real easy for people to develop tunnel vision. Leaders need to develop panorama vision. Tunnel vision leads to us missing some of the disorder that could be flying under the radar. Panorama vision helps us see everything so that we may maintain order.

3. Listen. We may assume we know the reason why there is disorder when in reality it could be something very different. Listening, and not just seeing, is key to keeping order.

Ultimately we set the atmosphere that helps people keep their eyes focused on God. If we fail to know what is happening, be aware of what is happening and listen to what is happening we only make the confusion and chaos worse.

Because small groups are such a big part of ministry I have included some guidelines for leading a small group Bible study developed for one of KCC's training days.

Why group Bible studies?

Group Bible studies provide an atmosphere for discipleship, fellowship and mutual edification to take place.

Essentials for a successful Bible study:

Preparation. Study and know the material. Know definitions of words, know cross references, know what the Scripture says in context.

Atmosphere. Create a comfortable atmosphere that lends to learning and sharing.

Facilitate. The job of a small group leader is to HELP people discover truths found in Scripture. Small groups are not class room settings. No lectures allowed.

How to be a successful facilitator:

1. Take the group through the process you went through when you studied the Scripture.

2. Ask lots of questions:

"What does he mean by....?"
"How does this connect with what he previously said?"
"What does this look like in our lives today?"
"Does anyone have an example?"
"How does this apply to you?"
"Are there other scriptures that can help us understand what is being said?"
etc...

3. Be encouraging. Encourage answers and encourage Bible usage. Always find something positive to say that is truthful.

4. Stay on subject.

5. Stay on time.

Leaders are the Keepers of Order

Leadership 101 - Christian Leader, Product of Grace

Leader's are examples and that is why I love this next passage of Paul's letter to Timothy. He basically says "Look at me Timothy. I'm not the super apostle those in the future think I am." He's still pretty super to me.

Paul writes in 2:12 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." Paul, why wouldn't he appoint you to his service? I mean come on, isn't this a no brainer!?

2:13 "Even though I was once a blasphemer and persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance (teaching? 2 Timothy 3:16) and unbelief." Those are pretty big fightin' words your using Paul...wait! You're not talking about me? Your talking about yourself!

2:14-16 "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the wrost of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."

Wow!!! Can I say that again? WOW!!!!

What am I wowing about? Paul's example of God's grace, mercy and love. I think there are three things Christian leaders can learn from this passage.

1. Leaders need to see themselves as a product of God's grace and mercy!

2. Leaders need to be real and honest about themselves!

3. Leaders need to be seen as a work in progress!

As a leader it is important to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect person (except Christ). We are not perfect people. Let's not fool ourselves. People want and need to follow those who are a work in progress. What I mean by this is that people want to see God's amazing work being done in the lives of those they are following. When people see leaders similar to themselves and they see the changes taking place as a result of God's grace they will be more apt to follow.

Paul was so honest with Timothy, yet he wasn't flaunting the fact that he sinned. He was demonstrating the love of God in his life. Christian leaders need to demonstrate the love of God in their lives. Part of this demonstration is a leader showing the same grace, mercy and love to those who follow him. Why? Because our job is to help other become more like Christ.

Why is Paul such a "super apostle?" Because he was brutally honest about himself. He took every opportunity afforded to him to share the grace, mercy, love and truth about Christ. A great Christian leader will do the same.

God uses those who turn their weaknesses over to Him. Our weaknesses become His strength. The mark of a great leader is one who is able to give God his weakness and not be afraid to admit it. "For that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."

Leadership 101 - Keeper of the Truth

An interesting aspect about 1 Timothy is that Paul doesn't start by telling Timothy what the qualifications of a good leader are and how a leader is supposed to act (he does this later), but he begins by telling Timothy "As I urged you...command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer..." Why does Paul begin his letter like this?

I believe Paul begins his letter to Timothy with this command because Timothy is a leader. Yes, he is still undergoing training, but he is in a position of leadership and a leader needs to take action when the situation demands.

For the Christian leader there is always the situation of keeping the truth true. We are created to become like Jesus. I believe that our number one priority in becoming more like Jesus is to love others. As a leader, my love motivates me to speak the truth. Why? "Because the truth will set you free."

Without truth being a priority in the Christian leaders life he cannot lead people to Christ or lead them in developing a relationship with Christ. If truth is a priority for the Christian leader then he better make sure he knows it. Where is this truth found? Scripture.

Paul writes to Timothy in his second letter "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Scripture is the basis for the Christian life. It is the truth that every Christian should live by.

There is an interesting leadership principle found in this passage when dealing with truth. Every situation of wrong calls for one of four responses: teaching, rebuking, correcting or training. Each response demands a different approach. Each approach is done out of love.

Before we respond we must identify the problem so we know how to respond.

First, is the problem a problem of not knowing? The proper response is teaching.

Is the problem a problem of misunderstanding? Sometimes people think they are doing what is right only to discover they misunderstood. The proper response is correcting.

Is the problem a problem of knowing better? The proper response is rebuke.

A way to curtail lack of knowledge and misunderstanding is training. This is when we reveal the truth before something happens.

We have to remember that each of these responses demands an approach that contains a proportionate amount of grace. For the person who doesn't know better a large measure of grace and forgiveness is needed. For the person who misunderstands a measure of grace and forgiveness is needed. For the person who knows better there continues to be a need for grace and definitely forgiveness, but I would say that grace diminishes with each repeated offense.

Paul confronted Peter out of love with not much grace. Peter began separating himself from the Gentile Christians during meal time. When Paul arrived and saw this he confronted Peter because Peter was a leader and knew what the right thing to do was.

Again, in order to be a good Christian leader and be able to teach, rebuke, correct and train we MUST know the truth. The only way to really know the truth is to study the source. Christian leaders MUST, MUST be in the Word every day seeking understanding from God!

Leadership 101 - High School class

I've started doing a leadership class for our high school teens. The purpose of this class is to prepare our older teens for service in the church now and in the future. In doing this class I want to see these teens putting into practice the leadership principles and skills they are learning by taking more of a leadership role in the youth group.

Why a leadership class for our teenagers? One of the things that I have been thinking about over the past few months, and something I have often questioned, has to do with two simple phrases found in three passages (1 Peter 2:1-2, 1 Cor 3:1-2 and Hebrews 5:11-14). The phrase is "spiritual milk" and "solid meat." Up to this point I never really understood what those two terms meant.

I often hear people say "I'm just not getting the meat I need from his sermons" and I think to myself "What does that mean?" I don't think they know. What I do think is happening is a misinterpretation of the God given feeling to grow. Many people think that spiritual growth comes from the pulpit and if the pastor isn't making them think about some obscure Greek word then he isn't doing his job and the people aren't being fed. The truth of the matter is only a portion of our growth comes from being in the Word.

When babies are born the only thing they can digest is mama's milk. They don't have teeth or the stomach to digest much else. As they grow they go from milk to solid food. Now I've never done a study on this or heard research concerning this, but I am assuming that a human being could not live on their mother's milk for the rest of their life and so it is with the Christian life.

A new Christian is ravenous for the Word and spends a lot of time devouring it, but God did not make us just to solely take in the Word. He also made us to put it into action. So I equate spiritual milk with being in the Word and solid meat with putting the Word into action. There comes a point in the Christian's life were they need to put what they have learned into action in order to keep on living.

I have about 50 or more teens in my youth group. Many of these teens have grown up in the church and know the Bible. Statistics show that many Christian teens will end up leaving the church after the graduate. Why? I think it is because we continue to feed them spiritual milk and never give them the opportunity to sink their teeth into solid food.

Jesus said in Mark 9:35 that if someone desires to lead they must serve. Serving is an action. Serving is solid food. I want to get our teens into eating solid food by serving their peers. I want them to start experiencing a growth that they have never experienced before that comes from being in ministry. So I am doing this leadership class.

Please be in prayer for the 8 students who are a part of this class. Pray that God gives them a passion to serve, an ability to learn and the desire to put it all into action.

There may be some reading this blog who feel like they aren't getting fed. I encourage you to start serving God. If you want some ideas on how you can put what you've learned into action just ask.