Love’s Rivals

          Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” He asked him this question three times. (John 21:15-17) Perhaps He asked him three times because Peter denied the Lord three times. But no doubt each time the Lord asked, Peter’s heart was drawn closer to the ultimate reality. Peter really did love the Lord.
          Living in the kingdom of Christ involves loving Christ. The love required is not a sentimental affection, but deep abiding loyalty, sacrificial service, and undying commitment to His teaching and His cause. It is to be an unrivaled love. No one nor any thing is to compete for the love that is due only to Jesus Christ.
          When one internalizes the Divine meaning of the cross, it is quite possible to understand why Jesus demands us to love Him.
          “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27) Discipleship is not teaching people to love the Lord. Loving the Lord above all begins from the start. Discipleship is adhering to the teachings of Christ and being devoted to His cause because of our love for Him. Sometimes love for family demands the loyalty which belongs only to the Lord.
          Another area which might rival ones love for the Lord involves leaders. Jesus faced a fierce rival for the minds and hearts of men. The lost sheep of Israel had lost their way. They had institutionalized the covenant God gave them into a highly organized and structured religion.
          In Jesus day Israel’s religion had the scribes. They were experts in both canonical and traditional law. Israel’s religion had the Pharisees. They were a political and religious party who were strict adherents to the Law and numerous traditions. Israel’s religion had the Sadducees. They were a smaller more influential political party which didn’t believe in the resurrection. Israel’s religion had a council to enforce their laws and traditions. This council had seized for itself great power over all things civil and religious concerning Israel.
          Jesus said that this people honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from Him. The nation as a whole had more loyalty toward the institution of religion rather than to the God the people were supposed to love above all. The institution had enslaved their hearts. It was not the structure nor organization which led to Israel’s being lost but the way authority and power were exercised over the people.
          “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.” (Matthew 23:8-10) In the kingdom of Christ there is one Teacher, one Father, and one Leader, i.e., God our Father and Jesus Christ our Teacher and Leader.
          Christ gave the organization and structure to the communities of Christ. But every leadership role must follow His model of exercising authority. When disciples exercise authority in their roles as Jesus taught, they become great in the kingdom and are exalted by Christ. “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12) More next time…

Just Imagine

          And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. (Matthew 8:5-13)
          This snap shot within the life of Christ shows us servant leadership in action. This military leader understood the ‘over/under’ model of leadership. He understood that his military mission limited the exercise of authority toward those under his command. But he also recognized something different with Jesus.
          Jesus had unlimited authority. He had command over disease and death. He had command over the elements of nature – wind and rain. He had the power to control man and creature.
          It would nothing for Jesus to command an invincible army and rise to reign over the entire inhabited earth. His enemies fighting soldiers who could not be killed. His enemies fighting against the elements, floods, winds, etc. all at His beckoning call. And all Jesus had to do was ‘say the word’ and it was done.
          This centerion recognized what no one in Israel saw. Jesus uses His resources to serve. He used His resources to help the weak. He used His resources to manifest His character and heart.
          In contrast to Jesus the centerion felt unworthy for Jesus to enter his home. But Jesus could simply speak and his servant would be healed. What faith the centerion possessed.
          Jesus modeled the exercise of both leadership and authority. He did so not just to be admired but to be imiatated. Imagine His community controlling their resources to benefit others leading them to righteousness. Imagine His community using their resources to manifest His character and heart within them. Imagine His reign within His community at work to restore justice, righteousness and peace in His Father’s creation.
          Imagine you and I dead to self. Dead to serving self for our personal gain. Dead to the desires of the flesh – power, prestige, and worldly pleasure. Imagine you and I dead to sin. Dead to that which causes us to fall short of God glory. Imagine you and I dead to society. Bending twisting contorting to be conformed into its political correct forms.
          Imagine all of this becoming reality because we imitate the model of Jesus in servant authority and servant leadership. More next time…

Duplicating the Leadership of Christ

           Leadership is about affecting change leading to growth and maturity among those the leader serves. Jesus taught and modeled this form of leadership. The real question concerns the duplication of this power filled form of leadership. Leadership development is as much a part of discipleship as is character development. It is revealing to read Peter’s teaching the leaders within the community of Christ what Jesus taught him.
          Allow me a liberty to expand word meanings as I quote Peter. I’ll use brackets.
          Shepherd [to lead, with the implication of providing for] the flock [the followers of Christ constituting a well defined community] of God [those belonging to God] among you [not under you], exercising oversight [to care for or look after, with the implication of continuous responsibility] not under compulsion, [not out of obligation] but voluntarily,[willing to do something without being forced or pressured] according to the will of God [not according to what is  natural to man]; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness [from a real eagerness to serve];nor yet as lording it over [to rule or reign over, with the implication of lording over someone] those allotted to your charge [what has been assigned as one’s responsibility to take care of], but proving to be [to possess certain characteristics, with the implication of their having been acquired] examples [a model of behavior as an example to be imitated] to the flock. (1 Peter 5:2-3)
          Here is another quote: Remember those who led you [to so influence others as to cause them to follow a recommended course of action], who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct [to conduct oneself, with the apparent focus upon overt daily behavior], imitate [to behave in the same manner as someone else] their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:7-8)
          Here is a quote from Paul: Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. (2 Corinthians 1:24)
          My friends we need to rethink how we allow power and authority to be exercised toward us in our lives. There are institutions that have authority over us to control the realm of their scope. Government is such an institution.
          But authority over the followers of Jesus Christ to control them, to establish policies over them, etc. i.e., lording over God’s people – this is not the will of God. There is no Divinely approved example of this type of institutional control over the disciples of Christ in scripture. On the contrary, there is direct teaching against it.
          Leadership is a stewardship of which the leader gives an account. Leadership is not a position one possesses and owns to control others under them. At the end of the day, one must ask themself, did I freely provide for the needs of those given to me to lead? Did I willingly care for those given to me to care for? Did I eagerly look after them? Did I imitate Christ well enough for others to imitate me as I follow Christ? Leadership always begins with self leading. It is removing the log from our own eyes so that we can help others remove specks from their eyes. Leadership begins and ends with humility. More next time…

Leadership

          “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”(Luke 22:27)
          Jesus modeled leadership. And he taught the apostles how not to lead. And in their writings they taught leaders in the community of Christ how not to lead. Leadership is a core element in kingdom living. It is both positive and negative. But more importantly it is ALWAYS connected to the mission of Christ.
          Jesus was always very clear about His mission. He came, not to be served, but to serve. His service was to prepare people for a redemptive kingdom in which He reigns in righteousness over a people made righteous by His death through their trusting faith in Him. The obedience of their faith continually brings about growth and development as His disciples.
          He came as a seeker. He sought the lost, those who knew they were lost, and having found them, He saved them. His teaching astonished people because of the authority it embodied. When someone honestly studies the teaching of Jesus Christ they are bought face to face with the highest calling upon their lives and the truest reality of their short comings. And they aren’t angry but thankful because The Suffering Servant came to serve.
          He came to offer His life as a ransom for many. The cross was then and is now central to the mission of Christ.
          Luke tells us from the first chapter of Acts that Jesus began to do and began to teach. That which Jesus began to do is still unfinished. There are still lost people needing the work of Christ powerfully appropriated to their lives by coming to have faith in Him. Disciples still need teaching and training to ultimately grow to stand in the fullness of the stature of Christ.
          Jesus was also very clear about the mission He gave His disciples just prior to ascending to His throne. Leadership is connected to making, training, and maturing disciples of Christ.
          The disciples thought that leadership was dependent upon preeminence, power and control. This is why they constantly argued about being greatest in the kingdom. But Jesus put an end to this idea with the words, “Not so among you.” (Luke 22:26) What Jesus taught about leadership in this text is profound. The leader is not to seek control in becoming a ‘good ruler’ i.e. benefactor. The leader is not to ‘lord over’ those he leads. Jesus taught that leadership is not about how to rule well over others.
          Leadership is about affecting change leading to growth and maturity among those the leader serves. Great leadership comes only by great serving, great teaching and great training.
          Did the apostles teach to others what Jesus taught them? Did they teach leaders the secret to greatness? Did they warn about preeminence? Did they warm about ‘lording over’ people? Next time we’ll look at these questions.

Over or Among?

          Living in the kingdom of Christ is a joint participation in an upward call to growth with each individual at different stages in the process of life under Christ. Simple. Powerful. Beautiful. The way of the Master was to build people thru disciplined leadership. The process is biblically called discipleship. However, discipleship cannot take place without leadership.
          The mission of Christ, given from the beginning, sets every disciple as a leader. Every disciple is actively leading others to either follow Christ or reject Christ. Every disciple is leading other disciples to a higher level of living under the reign of Christ. Now an authority question arises, “How does a leader exercise authority under the reign of Christ?”
          There are two models in the New Testament concerning the exercise of authority. In the first more popular model, authority is to be exercised over others. The higher position one attains leads to more power to control. This model results in the greater ones being at the top and the lesser ones toward the bottom. Ambition to be the greatest is birthed from this model of authority.
          The second model exercises authority among others. The focus of authority, in this model, is outward, toward those benefited by the authority – not ambitious, self-serving power from being on top. This is best described as servant authority because the power derived from the authority is used to serve others. The greatest serves the least.
          Being a disciple of Christ requires one to follow His leadership/authority model. And not only this, but to teach the leadership/authority style He taught to others. So, is the model of Jesus ‘over other’ or ‘among others’?
          He taught that Gentile kings ‘have authority over them,’ i.e. their subjects. And He taught they are called ‘Benefactors,’ i.e. good rulers. “But it is not this way with you,” Jesus emphatically taught.
          And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.” (Luke 22:24-26)
          Jesus makes it clear. The model He demands from citizens in His kingdom is not an ‘over/under’ model but an ‘among’ model. The ones with greater authority are not to exercise rule over others; they are not to ‘lord it over’. The ones with greater authority reverse roles with the ones who are to be benefited by them.
          The greater become the younger. This means the greater submits in respect and honor to serve the lesser. The greater utilizes his power for the good of the lesser. Thus the leader becomes like the common servant. Jesus not only taught this astonishing model but he modeled it showing how to make it functional.
          It is important to note that this model can be very effective in living communities, like the kingdom belonging to Jesus Christ, but is nearly impossible in secular institutions. More next time…

Discipleship 101

          This week we want to drill a little deeper. Jesus commissioned His apostles to make and discipline disciples. But to disciple someone and also to teach someone a discipline, one must have authority. “By what authority do you do these things?” is one of the most important questions in the Bible.
          Just as important is this question, “How does one exercise authority in the kingdom?” These two questions will be the focus of our articles in the coming weeks. Last week we ended with a third question, “How did the early church disciple each other?
          To attempt to answer this third question we need to see the pattern they followed. The overriding pattern was reciprocal dependence or interdependence. Kingdom living thrives when its citizens are neither dependent (helpless) nor independent (rebellious) but when they are interdependent (synergistic). Notice with me the pattern from the book of Romans: Romans 12:5, 10, 16; 13:8; 14:13, 19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16. Please take the time to read these passages. Every one of them describes life as it should be in the kingdom.
          Observe with me these powerful truth-filled principles.

• 1. Citizens in the kingdom have a joint life as individuals. We are not to be like eggs in a carton – together in one place but separate. We are to be like eggs broken and beaten together where community identity and function is preeminent and individual identity lessened and submissive. We are still individuals but the ‘we’ is far more important than the ‘me’. Humility replaces pride.
• 2. Behaviors are upward reaching. Many ‘actions’ (read above scriptures) are to be reciprocal, i.e., love, affection, preferring, edifying, attitudes, acceptance, instruction, recognition, etc. This is more than just mutual relationship. Each of these is an element within a relationship that is to grow and excel all the more! You are to be loved by members jointly connected to you within the kingdom. And you are to reciprocate that love in return. Here is the kingdom difference. You are to grow and excel in loving others because someone submissively helped you grow. Then you are to help others grow and excel in loving others submissively. The whole kingdom is to excel in loving others due to synergy and cooperation rather than ‘star power’ and celebrity worship. Citizens of the kingdom are to grow and excel in love, in affection, in encouragement, in acceptance, in honoring others, etc. synergistically. This excellence and growth continually reaches upward to become more like our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• 3. Citizens in the kingdom are at different stages of development in these upward behaviors. This creates opportunities for every citizen to serve and to be discipled. The citizen submits themselves to help others who are not as advanced along the upward path as they are. And simultaneously, the citizen submits to others who are more advanced than themselves. Leaders submit to serve those who have not progressed to their level of growth AND they submit to be discipled by those superior in the discipline of life in His kingdom. Greatness in the kingdom is not in being a ‘star’ elevated because of personality and power but in being a slave submissively serving all who can be benefited by their service.

          These truths cause the exercise of authority to be radically different in the kingdom if leaders follow Christ’s relational leadership i.e., servant leadership. More next time…

The Core of Kingdom Life

          Discipleship, truth, heart, Christ abiding within; these are elements of living in the kingdom of God. The reign of Christ over citizens of the kingdom occurs within them. The paradigms of the heart are transformed by truth. His mores and ethics become theirs; His way becomes their way.
          Jesus Christ is the core of the kingdom; everything centers on Him. Paul stated, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:2-5) When one internalizes this statement of Paul, the mind has a different focus and the body maintains a different lifestyle. Jesus Christ is the life of the citizens of His kingdom.
          Paul in this text was disciplining the disciples of Jesus in Colossae. He was training them with the written word. Jesus Himself said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) A disciple of Jesus becomes like Jesus. Then Jesus stated in this same context, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) How did the good treasure of the heart get there? Think about that for a good long while. Here is the powerful truth; training focused on the heart of the person to develop the mind and heart of Christ within it produces lasting good, i.e., a good treasure producing good works from a transformed heart.
          As Jesus is the core of the kingdom, the core of kingdom life is the heart of the disciple. The revelation of God through the Old Testament prophets predicted the coming King and His Kingdom. New Testament revelation clearly portrays the King and His Kingdom has come. The Good News is that the resurrected King established His Kingdom predicated upon His predetermined death by the eternal purpose of God. The cross manifests every divine attribute of Christ; it reveals His mind and heart. The cross sets the standard for the hearts of His disciples.
          As David, under the Old Covenant, was a man after God’s own heart under law; the disciple of Christ is a person pursuing the heart of Christ under the cross. This pursuit requires a new life (a complete world view shift) under the rule of the Only Sovereign, i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ.
          Living in the kingdom includes both a conformed behavior (external realm) and a transformed heart (internal realm). The Apostles Peter and Paul both speak of conformed behavior resulting in godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 6:3; 1 Peter 1:14). Paul speaks of transformation by the renewing of the mind and spirit (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23). These realms reach their divinely destined goal by disciplined training and the experience of obedience, i.e. discipleship. So, how did the infant church disciple each other? More next time…

Life Is Not About Conformity

          This I know, no doubt, my parents taught me how to behave. They gave me boundaries. They gave me rules to follow. They taught me that actions have consequences. That was my life – rules, actions, consequences. I changed my behavior continually in order to get the consequences I desired. Experience taught me that breaking the rules gets undesirable consequences. It taught me if you make bad decisions you’ll get bad consequences. That is life in this unfair and cruel world! Behavior IS directly connected to consequences. As a teenager I learned how to play the game, I learned how to get by, I learned how to appease my parents and run with my friends. What a life! Conform to my parents rules and conform to my peer’s expectations! I was a conforming non-conformist.
          How about you? You learn these things, too? Do you know now that the above is not a life nor is it living? The world’s approval for your conformity is not life. Read this simple and basic truth from God: Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23) Your heart is the core of your life! If the heart is connected to this world you possess death. If the heart is connected to God you possess life.
          The truth is that while we were growing up no one taught us about our heart. We weren’t taught how to protect, guard, or shape our heart. Unaware our heart became defiled. Read what Jesus stated: ”For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” (Matthew 15:19-20a) Defiled hearts is a universal condition.
          So, how does one purify their heart of its defilement? Can we even change our hearts? Yes, our heart can be made clean and our hearts can be changed! This is the best news possible. But, there are a few powerful truths we need to accept.
          The heart is spiritual. It is a significant part of our true self. It along with our soul/spirit and mind is eternal. Some have taught that the soul, mind and spirit of a person make up the heart. If one changes their mind and their heart, that change has the power to impact eternity. What a powerful truth!
          Our mind and heart is connected to our physical bodies. As Jesus taught, our bodies manifest the contents of our mind and heart. Specifically, the heart is tied to our eyes and ears. “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:10) Fact: our mind and heart are fed what our ears hear and our eyes see. Have you ever heard the cliché, “Garbage in, garbage out?” Jesus said it this way, “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.” (Matthew 15:18)
          Here is the over simplified cycle: In thru the eyes and ears; pondered upon by the mind; made emotionally acceptable by the heart; out thru the mouth, hands, and feet. Change is possible because what occurs in the cycle can be changed with the presence of a Divine ruler; Christ abiding within us. More next time …

The Call: Be Different

          Jesus, in His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane the night of His betrayal, prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17-19) Jesus requests of His Father that the apostles be sanctified in the truth. He declared, “Your word is truth.”
          Living in the kingdom requires being sanctified. This word, sanctified, is a word used only in religious settings. It has little meaning in today’s market place. But it has significant meaning in the kingdom of God. It means being different in the highest possible way at the attributes of God. Being different sets one apart from the world. Being different means you live by a different standard than the world.
          Jesus made this distinction twice in His prayer. “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14) “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) So, why would Jesus pray for these men to be sanctified when they already were sanctified?
          The answer to this question leads us to the heart of what it means to live in the kingdom today! The physical presence of Christ and the loyalty of these disciples to Him set the disciples apart from the world. Please note these relational realities included in Christ’s prayer:

• 1. “As You sent Me” – “I also have sent them”
• 2. “I sanctify Myself” – “that they may be sanctified” and
• 3. “they are not of the world” – “as I am not of the world” 

Jesus was very soon to be removed from the earth physically and disciples’ relationship to Him very different. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” Truth rather than the personal presence will sanctify the disciples.
          Truth, an unchanging standard, is the basis for God to make citizens of His kingdom different. Truth is the means by which we can know what a citizen of the kingdom is to become and also how we are to be different from the world. Truth is unchanging because its source is unchanging. God declares the sanctifying truth in His Word.
          There is a contrast we need to understand at this point. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) On the one hand, man adjusts his behavior to obey law. On the other, God changes the heart of man through truth. Law changes behavior while truth changes the heart.
          Kingdom living is totally concerned with the reality of ones heart. The fact is, you and I can conform to all the religious rules and traditions pressing upon us and still have our hearts far away from God. Behavior may look beautiful like a manicured memorial garden while the heart remains corrupt like decaying flesh. The call to kingdom living is a call to guard your heart and allow God to transform it with the truth. A very real threat to kingdom living is one believing that behavior modification is enough and the heart remaining unchanged. ‘Kingdom Living’ will focus upon the teaching of the NT writings in regards to the reign of Christ over our hearts. More next time…

The Commission

          For about three and a half years Jesus trained a group of 12 men to be His disciples. He taught them about kingdom principles. He taught about leadership. He taught them about servant hood. He taught them what it means to be God’s people living by faith.
          After His death and before His ascension to the right hand of His Father, Jesus commissioned 11 of these 12 men to duplicate what they had been trained to do. Jesus commissioned these apostles to a global task of making disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19a). The apostles were to engage people of all nations in becoming, not students of themselves, but students of Jesus Christ. And not only students but a much deeper reality of relationship; they were invited into a Master/Servant relationship. The response to the invitation to become a disciple indicates this deep relationship.
          Jesus indicated the response by saying, “Baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19b). The phrase “into the name of” may be an idiom meaning “into the possession of.” In other words Jesus told His disciples that the response to the invitation of becoming His disciple was to be baptized into the possession of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This reality is confirmed by what Paul reminded the Corinthians: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
          This deep and loving relationship is further confirmed by the function of these eleven apostles in training their brethren in discipleship. Jesus further commissioned them: “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20a). Jesus is the Lord His disciples obey.
          Another qualified disciple was counted in their number in Acts 1 and later the Apostle Paul was called by Jesus Christ to be His apostle. The Apostles of Jesus Christ were commissioned to make, train and mature the disciples into faithful servants of Christ.
          The process of inviting and being invited, of teaching and being taught, of training and being trained, etc. is the process of living under the reign of God and His Son. It is kingdom living. Join with me in a journey of discovery. Let’s discover together how the Apostles of Jesus fulfilled their mission; what they taught about living in God’s kingdom. But more importantly, how are we to live and conduct our lives in the kingdom of God today. More next time…