1 Peter 5:1-2a

In scripture, the term pastor is more accurately translated as shepherd.  To me that term is so much more descriptive.  Right now that term has so much more impact in my life because I will be finishing up a series on Psalm 23 with my church next week.  The series has taken about three months and we have gone into great detail about the role of the spiritual Shepherd (Jesus Christ) and also the role of a regular shepherd.

Some of the responsibilities of a shepherd are to lead, defend, provide, correct, tend to injuries, and care for the sheep.  A pastor/shepherd must do the same for his sheep, the congregation God has entrusted to him.

For me, one of the most serious responsibilities I have is to protect our church doctrinally.  When I became Lead Pastor of Lancaster Community one of the things I was not expecting was the weight of knowing my teaching was shaping the theology of so many people.  Though I have always taken my personal theology seriously and was aware my teaching would have influence, I wasn’t prepared for how much my theology would not only shape other people’s theology but carry over into their behaviors.  I intellectually knew I would have influence but seeing it play out week after week really had a sobering effect on me.  It now impacts every sermon I prepare.

Not only does my role require putting in a lot of study and prayer so every message I am teaching is of sound doctrine, it also means I have to be willing to point out false doctrine whether in our church or from other outside leaders.  This is not always popular though, but it’s necessary.

Here’s why I do it:

1. I’m called to do it.

The books of Timothy are letters written by Paul to Timothy.  They are Paul’s instructions, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to Timothy on how to pastor and lead the people entrusted to him.    After some opening remarks in the first letter to Timothy, Paul immediately instructs Timothy to correct false doctrine by certain people (1 Timothy 1:3-7).

Paul later charges Timothy again to put sound doctrine “before the brothers” so that he can be a good servant of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 4:6-10).   In chapter six, Paul once again addresses both the need for sound doctrine and the need to point out false doctrine.  He bluntly attacks bad theology in chapter six verses 2b-10.

As a shepherd/pastor, I recognize I have been placed in this position by God.  Ephesians 4 is clear on that.  If God has given me this position, then I would be sinning to not fulfill it to the best of my ability.

2. I will be judged for what I do and don’t do.

Hebrews 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

When I get to heaven, I am fully aware that I will be judged by God not only for how I lived my life but also for how I stewarded my position as shepherd of LCC.  Did I lead the people towards God?  Did I protect them from false doctrine?  Did I feed them with sound theology?  Did I correct and rebuke when necessary and in love?  I will  be judged for my role; Nobody else will be judged for my role.

My experience is that people who don’t think we should point out errors in other’s people’s theologies are not pastors themselves.  I don’t say that to belittle them at all.  I simply point that out because they have not felt the weight of the call of God in that role.  I know all my pastor friends fully feel it because we’ve discussed it many times.

I was at Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas and had the opportunity to talk to Robert Morris who is their Senior Pastor.  He asked me how it has been going as Lead Pastor and I told him about feeling the burden for how my teaching impacts other’s beliefs.  He smiled and nodding his head enthusiastically.  He then said, “The average person has no idea what that weight feels like.”

I was listening to Matt Chandler who is Lead Pastor at the Village Church in the Dallas area and he said something that summarizes how I feel:

“I’m going to be a slave to the text (Bible), which means I’m going to say things that are going to make you find places that say it softer.  I’m going to press harder than some people are comfortable with and I’m going to do that because I feel the crushing weight of my own accountability before the Lord.” – Matt Chandler

3. I want to do it.

I do not begrudgingly honor my duties as Lead Pastor.  I do so happily.  I am thankful God has given me this privilege.  I love the Word of God, studying it and teaching it.  I love seeing it radically change lives.  I love pointing people in the right direction even if that means correcting the previously wrong direction.  I consider it an honor to help anybody take one more step closer to Jesus.

4. People’s lives depend on it.

In Hebrews 4 it gives us a warning and an encouragement.  The warning is for those who do not heed to the Word of God.  It says they will not enter the Lord’s rest.  So the writer encourages the reader to listen and not harden their heart so the reader will be able to enter in the rest of the Lord.

The Word of the Lord, when obeyed, brings real life into people.  The chapter goes on to say the Word of the Lord is living and active and has true impact on a person’s life.  That’s all dependant on the Word of the Lord actually being proclaimed properly and not distorted.  That’s why good theology is so important…it really changes lives!

Closing Thoughts

There will be disagreements in theology amongst every teacher.  That’s a reality because the Word of God is so vast and complex.  I’m not encouraging a divisive attitude that nitpicks every little disagreement.  What I’m talking about are when pastors/people teach incomplete truths or false ideas where scripture clearly disagrees with them.  I’m really talking about the extreme examples.  There are many areas where people disagree because scripture isn’t completely clear.  Let me give you an example:  I personally do not embrace the tenets of Reformed Theology but I can see why some people do.  Some of my favorite teachers do embrace Reformed Theology.  Our disagreements are on things that the scriptures do not give black and white answers to.  Both of our theologies produce the same outcome: we preach the Bible, proclaim Jesus, evangelize the lost, and many other solid core understandings of scripture.  Our disagreements do not mean someone is wrong or needs to be corrected.  They simply are areas that can’t be resolved but still produce solid biblical behavior.

A vivid example of a false theology that needs to be addressed is the prosperity gospel that has become popular in America over the last 50-60 years.  It is a perversion of the message of Jesus and does great damage to people’s understanding of faith.  It needs not only to be called out, but the teachers who teach it do too because they are leading people away from Jesus and His teachings.  I think this is the most loving thing to do both for the listeners and the teacher.  I find great comfort in knowing people around me will call me out if I preach a gospel other than the gospel of Jesus.

I hope my heart comes through in this.  I love people and I love God’s Word.  I want people to know God’s Word more fully and correctly and that’s why I’ve dedicated my life to being a shepherd.  When I get to heaven, I hope and pray (literally) that I have stewarded my role properly.

Please leave comments so I can know your thoughts.

As I read this passage this past Monday morning, I thought about the different things God (the Master) has entrusted to me.  There were the obvious like my wife, children, ministry, finances and other relationships, but then I thought about one of the most precious things God has given me…His voice in my life.  It is one of the greatest gifts given to the children of God.  Our God loves us enough to speak to us direction, conviction, encouragement and life.  The question is, “What do we do with His voice in our lives?”

This past week I had a very real moment where I was glad I listened to God.  Over the last few months I have been hearing God’s voice encouraging me to not text and drive.  I rationalized some of the danger away saying things to myself like, “I have really good peripheral eyesight so it’s not a big deal.”  Finally I decided that ignoring God is both sinful and irresponsible.  I started to get in the habit of placing my phone in the console of my truck so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it.

On Thursday night I had to go to the church because I left something in my office and on the way a guy on a motorcycle pulled out in front of me without even looking.  He had no idea I was coming because he was only looking the other way.  I was driving 35 miles per hour down the street in a pickup truck.  I slammed on my breaks.  If I was distracted even for a second by texting I am convinced that man would have been killed.  I was so thankful I had invested the voice of God in my life by obeying.

God’s voice is always a gift.  Sometimes that gift is for us, while other times it is for people like the guy on the motorcycle.  If we don’t invest it, we guarantee it will be of no value to our lives or others, but if we invest it by obeying, we do just the opposite…we guarantee it will have value.

Fear of obeying is no excuse and neither is laziness.  The Master has given us a gift and with it comes expectations.  Though there are consequences for not listening, for me it is the rewards of listening that motivate me the most.  I want God to speak more into my life and guide me to greater things, but just like the servants, He only entrusts more to those who have been faithful with what He gave in the first place.

What has God been speaking to you?  Have you obeyed?  What else could God be waiting on to speak into your life until you obey what He has already said?

As a Lead Pastor, I speak to a fairly large group just about every week.  When 2011 is done, I will have spoken at least 47 times to our church which numbers in the multiple hundreds every week.  Speaking to that many people gives me a high probability I will say something that offends someone occasionally.  Though I never set out to do that and am very careful in my communication, sometimes it happens.  I’m not talking about people that are upset I preached a message that said their behavior is sin– I can’t do much about that nor am I apologetic because I believe speaking the truth of God’s Word is the most loving thing I can do.  I’m talking about when I say a comment or joke without fully understanding the fragile state certain listeners might be in.

Let me give you a personal example:

Recently, while teaching on Sunday I said the comment, “When I’m in public and I see kids misbehaving, I blame the parents more than I do the kids.”  I added in some jokes like, “Let me take care of your kids…they learn to act the correct way.”  Though I got many laughs, I also hurt some parents who have kids with conditions that cause their kids to act out.  These parents love their kids and work hard with them but there is not much they can do in some situations.  They are already insecure and I just added to that pain.  When a parent told me about how my comments affected them, my heart sank.  Though it was not my intention, it still was the outcome.

Each time I am confronted about something I say that hurts someone, I feel horrible.  I apologize and I also learn.  I learn more about how people hear things and how to better communicate.  If we fail to learn, we will continue to hurt people.

I’m going to list some things and then give some explanation for why I did.  Obviously this list could go on for a very long time, but I hope after reading these examples it will cause us all to give our communication a little more thought so we don’t carelessly offend people.

The Obvious (I hope):

• You look tired.  – What you’re really saying is, “You look awful.”  Tired is not a good look.  Most people don’t wake up, look at the mirror and think, “I look awesome.  If only I could keep this look all day.”
• You’ve gained weight! – Do I need to explain this?  If so, you have failed the common sense test.
• How much money do you make? – For whatever reason, this is too personal of a question.
• Are you pregnant? – I will not reference a woman’s pregnancy until I hear her personally confirm it…in writing…notarized…with ultrasound pictures to prove it.  If the person is pregnant, this is typically taken well but if they’re not, the damage is done.
• Is that your natural hair color? – If they are dying it, there’s a reason…they don’t want their natural color.
• Is that diamond real? – They sure hope so!

Less Obvious:

• That’s gay.  – Any comment where you use a reference to homosexuality as a way to make fun of someone or something is completely inappropriate no matter your views on homosexuality.  In the secular world, it is offensive because you are degrading people who happily live that way and not only view it as nothing to be ashamed of but as how they were made.  In a Christian culture that views homosexuality as being outside the design of God’s plan for sexuality, it is destructive to creating a safe environment.  I have some friends who have chosen to resist their desires of same sex attraction because of their belief in God’s Word.  They have said the “church” is still very unreceptive to them opening up about their struggles.  One of the main reasons is people using terms like “gay” to make fun of stuff.  I’ve even had pastor friends openly say comments like that.  It always makes me cringe because I know how it hurts people.
• When are you going to start having kids? – I never knew how damaging this question could be until I had friends who had a difficult time conceiving.  When you are trying to have kids and can’t, every mention or question is like having a knife stuck in your heart again.  As a result, this question (or any form of it) should never be asked.  On a different note, some people might choose not to have kids and their reasons are none of anyone’s business.
• Was this pregnancy on purpose? – This is just a stupid question.
• Do you know what causes that? – This question is usually asked of a couple that have many kids.  The answer to this question is “Yes we know, and no we don’t want to talk or joke about our sex life or reasons why we have/want the amount of kids we have/want.”  It’s a joke question…just not funny.
• Are you finished having kids? – None of your business.
• What kid is the adopted one/real one? – Adopted children are their real children too.  Parents don’t view them as “real vs. fake.”  There is no reason why this question is needed to be asked.
• Why are you single? – The assumption is the person is choosing to be single which is rarely the case.  What you are really asking is, “What’s wrong with you?”
• When are you getting married? – This is usually asked of a couple that has been dating a while.  What if they are working through issues?  What if they aren’t sure about marriage?  What if one of them is thinking about how to break up?  What if it is simply none of your business?
• You look like you are ready to explode/pop! – This is said to a pregnant woman.  This is in no way, shape, or form a compliment.  You are saying, “You look huge, swollen, uncomfortable, etc.”  Besides the obvious problems with this statement, it is being said to a person that is uncomfortable, sleep deprived, hormonally messed up, and just tired of it.  Not the best choice.  Another form of this is “Are you having twins?”  Not a good question…
• Enjoying married life? – This is usually said to newlyweds.  I asked this once of a person that I was a mentor to because I was trying to help him.  He answered, “It’s a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.”  That was a truthful answer…given to a person who had a right to ask.  Everyone else, the best case is they answer truthfully that it is going well.  Not good case is to lie and say it is going well when it’s not.  Worst case, it’s going bad and they actually tell you.
• We’ve all been talking and there’s something I need to tell you. – Another twist to this is “We’ve all been talking and I have been chosen to be the spokesperson.”  The truth behind this is usually the “spokesperson” is the one gossiping to everyone and because the recipients don’t have the character to stand up to them, either their participation or silence confirms in his or her heart the gossip they are spreading.  The person hearing this statement does not feel loved or safe.  You have just told them you’ve been gossiping and now I’m ready to confront you.  If you think something needs to be said, just go to the person and tell them personally without adding the weight of “we all agree…”.
• Is it terminal? – This is asked when you discover someone has cancer.  Another insensitive response to cancer is “good luck with that.”  The proper response is one of genuine concern like, “I’m sorry to hear that…so how are you doing in your fight?”
• When are you going to get a real job? – There are so many things wrong with this question.  Maybe they love their job.  Maybe they have been trying to find another job but can’t.  Maybe they have that job because of personal reasons like a sick family member.  Who decides what a real job is?
• Why did you get divorced? – Divorces don’t happen on a whim.  There are often years of hurts that lead up to it.  You are neither entitled to that information nor would the person be able to share it in brief terms.

This list could go on and on but my goal is to get all of us to think about the implications of our questions and comments.  Rarely do people set out to hurt someone, but unfortunately it happens.  Hopefully this will save some people some hurts and others some embarrassment.

One of the things we have to realize is our tone, timing, position, and relational equity with people all play into our communication…but that’s for my next post!

I am concerned about a trend I’m seeing on facebook, twitter and blogs: people are creating a persona instead of just being themselves.  People are actually using these tools to market themselves but the problem is, they’re not a product…they’re people.

When I said “I’m concerned”, I really mean concerned.  I’m not writing this as a way to bash people or do some passive aggressive dig.  I’m worried this trend is damaging the hearts and self esteem of people.

Recently there were two athletes inducted into their sport’s hall of fames: Deion Sanders in football and Dennis Rodman in basketball.  Both of these men either described themselves as having a persona or were described that way by friends who knew them.  Both of them were/are very flamboyant in their lifestyles and the act they put on for the cameras.  Though I still think it’s unhealthy, I can see why they do it, because for them, they are making money off of the brand of their persona.

My big problem is I’m seeing that behavior with average people that don’t have a brand to sell…though I think that’s exactly what they are trying to do…sell themselves so people will like them more.

Here are some examples of things I’ve seen:

• Writing in a way they don’t talk in real life.  This would include being more aggressive than normal, using slang, creating pretend drama, and even being more funny than they really are (I know that sounds weird).
• Posting a ton of self-portraits (usually done in a mirror with the camera/phone fully exposed) with them looking ways they don’t normally look.  There are also pictures of inappropriate situations so they can look “cool”.  I’ve even seen girls wearing inappropriate clothing to try and be sexy.
• Pictures edited to make people look different.  I’m not talking about the cool features of apps like Instagram…I’m talking about changing the pictures to make them look thinner, taller, etc.
• Using language that is either a lie or misleads people.  (I’m seeing this a lot with organizations/businesses people are starting)
• Giving yourself a nickname and posting it as your name.

Here are the main reasons I’m concerned:

1. It’s a lie.  I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true.  Misleading people is the same as lying.  I think we all agree lying is bad.
2. Liking your persona is not the same as people liking you.  They will eventually meet the real you.  Creating a persona that people begin to like will put incredible pressure on you when you try to become that persona in real life.  It is exhausting to be fake in real life.  Being clever or cool is so much easier online because you can take all the time you need.  You can even research it by examining what others are doing however, when you have to be spontaneously someone/something else, it’s incredibly difficult.
3. People that feel the need to create a persona are not comfortable with the PERSON God created.  That can sound so cliché but the truth is much deeper.  God created the real you specifically for a purpose.  The real you will also be placed by God into specific situations.  God knows your personality can be used to touch specific people in specific situations.  God didn’t create your persona and neither is it a part of His plan for you or others.
4. Personas are masks we use (refer back to the definition)  Mask cover up things we don’t want exposed.  Personas are our attempt to cover up insecurities, hurts, and lies we have bought into.  God wants to uncover the hurts so He can heal them.  The only way that happens is to take off the mask before Him by taking it off before others.

Lastly, I am not saying posting pictures or being funny is wrong to do on social media…that’s one of the main reasons we like it so much.  I would encourage you to examine your motives though.  Are you doing things to create a persona?  Remember, this is not me complaining about my pet peeves…this is me saying I’m worried for my friends.  I want to know the real you and I’m sure others do to.

God could have made you any way, but He chose you exactly how you are.  There’s a reason.  You’re perfect for His plan.  You will be happier living the way you were designed.  Trust God.

Read Psalm 139

The last two weeks have been intense weeks inside my spirit. Here’s what I mean; I’ve received news that three people I respected, compromised their integrity and are now no longer in their positions of influence.  I also had a very intense dream that I believe was clearly from God.  These things have caused my spirit and heart to be heavy over the last two weeks as I process the sadness from the news and the lessons that can be learned.

Before I tell you more about the situations with each guy, I want to be clear that I don’t write this to judge them.  I am honest that my heart breaks for them.  It really does.  That old saying keeps going through my head, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”

The first person was a prominent worship leader (maybe even the most prominent in the last few years).  The news came out he has been having an affair for four to five years.

The second person was one of the teaching pastors at the church I attended in college.  The church has over 10,000 weekly attendees and is very influential in their area.  I found out he was fired because he had been going to prostitutes for years.

The third person was the coach of the Ohio State football team.  It has come out the coach lied about breaking rules and it seems like there might be more negative information still to come.  I know most of you will read this and feel like I’m not being honest about respecting Jim Tressel but it is true.  I’m not an OSU fan because I was raised in Michigan, but I respected the character and witness that Jim Tressel seemingly modeled. (The only reason I list his name is even if I was vague, you would know exactly who I’m talking about)

After I found out about the first two guys I had a very intense dream.  It was one of the most realistic dreams I’ve ever had.

In the dream I was walking at night.  It was more than just dark though; it was foggy too.  As I was walking, I somehow knew there was going to be steps going down that were ahead of me.  As I got close to the place I thought the steps were, I started to use my foot to feel for them.  I found the first step and slowly lowered myself until I felt the top of the next step.  I then repeated that process to locate the next step.  The third step was different though.   No matter how low I got, I couldn’t feel the next step.  I decided to sit on the second step and just wait for some reason.

After some time, the fog all of a sudden lifted and when I looked down there wasn’t another step.  Instead, I was about 100 feet off of the ground.  It was terrifying.  It felt as real as anything I’ve ever experienced.  The reality came rushing into my head that if I had taken that next step, it would have certainly cost me my life.

I gripped the landing behind me and slowly pulled myself up.  The whole time my mind was racing with the thought that I almost died.  That’s when I woke up.

As I laid there in bed thinking over the dream, God instantly brought back to my mind the news of the two guys failing morally.  God said to me, those guys would not have taken that step if they fully believed it would cost them as much as it did, the same way you wouldn’t take the step off the cliff knowing it would cost you your life.

The dream seemed to be very much directed at my own relationship with God and my integrity but I couldn’t shake the idea it was also intended for LCC.

The three guys who compromised their integrity have lost so much.  I don’t know if any of them will ever fully recover.  They might get other jobs but each of them was in a place at the top of their profession.  It would seem that any other job at this point would be a lesser job and a constant reminder of all they lost.

Their situation reminded me of the story of Esau and Jacob.  Read below the account in Genesis.

Genesis 25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

It’s a simple story with profound meaning.  Esau in a moment of hunger/desire sold the most precious thing he could ever have, his birthright.  It not only represented power and wealth, it also represented his legacy.  He gave it all away for a bowl of stew!  It seems like such a stupid decision it’s almost hard to believe.  It’s only when we evaluate the decisions that we make every day and also look at the decisions people make like the three examples I’ve given, that we realize we all make stupid decisions on par with Esau.

I heard Andy Stanley (a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia) say a powerful statement about Esau’s story.  This is a paraphrase, but he said:

“If I could go back in time and talk to Esau I would say to him, ‘If you make this trade (your birthright for a bowl of stew) you will lose the opportunity to forever be remembered in a powerful way.  If you don’t make this trade, you will have 12 sons and they will become the 12 tribes of Israel.   In a few hundred years, God will introduce Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Esau.  In the book of Matthew, it will track the genealogy of Jesus from you.  But if you take this deal, you will lose it all, along with your power and wealth from your family.”

Esau’s story is our story the same way the other three guys’ stories are our story.  In moments of fog, we trade things of incredible value for things that make us happy in the moment.

We lose control in our anger, in our passions, in our greed, in our desire for power, and in many other ways for a moment of pleasure or satisfaction only to lose so much more than we gain.

I think we make bad decisions for a number of reasons.  Here are some possibilities:

1. We don’t think we will get caught.
2. We think it is a one-time thing.
3. We think this is just a season and we will eventually come back to integrity.
4. The payoff seems too valuable to miss.
5. We’re selfish so we rationalize our behavior.
6. We don’t acknowledge we are really addicted.  We think we still have control.

The problem with each of those reasons is they are an illusion.

Instead of falling for the illusions, we need to ask ourselves some hard questions.  I believe the answer to these hard questions will lift the fog that hides the true outcome of our decisions.

Here are some better questions to ask:

1. What does God want me to do? (This one is the most important and yet most ignored)
2. If my secret behavior became publicly known, what would the consequence be?
3. What is the worst-case scenario if I make this choice?  If that happened, what would I say to myself then?
4. If I were to go to Esau or the other three guys I listed previously and ask them, “Was the momentary pay-off worth what it eventually cost you?” (I would say with near certainly they would all clearly say “NO!”)
5. In light of all that is valuable to me and what I still want to accomplish in life, is this the wise thing to do?

Each of us has so much potential with God.  That potential will not be realized by taking a shortcut.  God’s plan requires us to take the full path because the path is the plan.  On that path, satan will try to create “fog” to trick you to take a step in another direction…a direction that will eventually cost you everything and give you nothing.  My prayer is for you to allow the Holy Spirit to bring clarity and courage so you will not trade it all for a bowl of stew.

One of those responsibilities is for the father to teach the children to love, respect and be generous to their mom.  One of the ways he should do this is to take the children out to buy gifts for mom for birthdays, Christmas, and especially mother’s day.  If the child has any of their own money, the father should make them use that money so they understand the value of what they are doing.

This is important for a few reasons.  The obvious is mom deserves the gifts.  We all know it is more than just a gift though…it’s what it represents.  The thought and love that is connected with the gift is what is most important.

The secondary issue is, by training the children (especially sons) to respect and cherish their mom, they will also be training them to do the same for their future wives.  By instilling in them the need to remember important dates/holidays and to be thoughtful, you will shape their minds for their future relationships.

So Dads, don’t forget to take your kids shopping for Mom this week and let them use their money or earn some money by doing chores.  The lesson you teach them will be with them for life.  Their future spouses will thank you.

The two men I am talking about are David Wilkerson and Osama bin Laden.  Wilkerson was killed in a car accident and Bin Laden was killed by the USA military in an operation designed for that purpose.

Though I am confident you know whom Osama bin Laden is, you might not be aware of David Wilkerson.  David was a pastor in New York.  He wrote the book “The Cross and Switchblade” which was based on his own ministry to people on the streets of New York City.  He founded a ministry called “Teen Challenge” to help people with addictions.  This ministry has grown into a global ministry with one of the highest success rates of any recovery ministry.  He also founded World Challenge for the care of orphans around the world.

Osama bin Laden was the founder and leader of one of the world’s most violent terrorist organizations call al-Qaeda.  They are believed to be responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon along with many other attacks worldwide.  They have taken credit for the murders of thousands of people.

Though on the surface, these men seem completely different, as you look closer you realize they have similarities.  Let me explain:

• They had global, national, regional and personal circle influence.
• Their leadership changed the lives of countless people.
• Many people looked to them for wisdom and guidance.
• They dedicated their lives to the passion of their hearts.
• Their power and influence began with a single passion in their heart.

As you study each man, you will see their power and influence began with a passion in their heart.  Osama bin Laden’s passion was hatred and David Wilkerson’s passion was Jesus.  Their passions took them both toward places of incredible influence but in polar opposite directions.  Osama’s direction was paved with the deaths of many men, women and children and David Wilkerson’s path was paved with lives restored from the brink of death.

It’s easy for us to look at these men and see them as extreme examples.  Both of their lives might seem as “not even possible” for where your life could end up.  Bin Laden’s life was so violent and evil that it seems unrealistic for you to go that direction.  Wilkerson’s life was so successful the other way, it too may seem out of reach.  Here’s the truth though…the passion of your heart is a powerful thing.  It leads you to places you never thought possible…both good and bad.

No one has ever accomplished something big and difficult without passion.  Passion, even with small amounts, allows us to accomplish more than we ever imagined.  Have you ever wanted something that seemed out of your reach and yet you finally got it?  It was passion that got you there.

Though passion can take you further than you thought possible, the real power of passion is influence.  Like these two men, you too will have influence in your life.  You will influence family, friends, spouses, co-workers, churches, and maybe even the masses.  Your influence will be motivated by your passion…whatever that is.

Think about your life.  If you are passionate about a hobby, you influence your friends.  If you find an amazing product to use, don’t you recommend it?  Good book?  Good restaurant?  Good diet?  Good store?  Good recipe?  Good vacation spot?  Good repair shop?  Good church?

Negative encounters at any of the above mentioned examples will also cause you to pass that information on to friends. If someone wrongs you, do you bash him/her to your friends?  If you have hate, unforgiveness, frustration, or any other negative passionate traits, it will spill out to your circle of influence.

So I want to ask you…what are you passionate about?  My guess is we all can name simple things we are passionate about such as hobbies or TV shows, but what thing of importance are you passionate about?  Is your faith something you would say you are passionate about?  Does your relationship with Jesus affect every aspect of your life?  Does your passion for Jesus lead you to study His Word (the Bible), pray with anguish, worship with abandon, serve with purpose, and love like Him?  Or is your faith just something you kind of do?

I know for me, I have the privilege and responsibility of influencing hundreds of people every week at Lancaster Community Church.  I also know I influence the staff, my family, and my friends.   How I influence them can be directly connected to whatever I am passionate about.

For those of you that know me and see me on a weekly basis you are realizing that I am passionate about Jesus.  I really am.  He is the sole focus of my life…over my family, friends and church.  The reason I am comfortable about saying that, is my passion for HIM will flow into my influence of THEM.  That’s the greatest gift I could ever give.

Let us use David Wilkerson’s and Osama bin Laden’s lives as examples/warnings for what is possible with our passion and influence.  If both of their lives ended the way they seemed to be living, David is worshiping face to face with the passion of his life, Jesus, and Osama is realizing his passion led him and countless others astray.  Osama has come face to face with his loving Father and the full reality that his passion caused him to miss out on the greatest gift ever given, Jesus Christ.  As both men fulfilled the promise of God that every knee would bow, David Wilkerson bowed knowing he has served Jesus well and would be with him in eternity.  Osama bin Laden bowed with complete heart ache realizing he lived a life opposite of his calling and would for eternity be separated from the only real and loving God.

One of the things I will never leave to chance is the spiritual development of my kids. I firmly believe my children will grow up serving God and knowing Him as their friend, Lord and Savior. I believe this because I am purposed to lead them on their spiritual journey.

How does that look in our house? We include things we think will grow them spiritually and remove things we think will hinder them. It sounds simple, but it takes effort.

Here’s what we include:
• A lot of prayer
o With meals
o Before bed
o When sick
o When there’s a need
• Worship – we have worship music going all the time. It’s my kid’s favorite style of music.
• Bible study – my kids have multiple children’s Bibles. They love to be read to from them.
• Devotions every night
• Spiritual conversations – we talk about how God wants us to act and what God desires for our lives. We explain why we make certain decisions based on our relationship with God.
• We have three jars: one for their money, one for tithe, and one for savings. We want them to be obedient and smart with their money.

Here’s what we remove:
• A lot of TV – we don’t allow our kids to watch a lot of TV. It’s not just because of the content but because we don’t want them to become overly stimulated and lose a desire to read, especially their Bibles. TV, videos and video games can very much pull a child’s attention away from other productive things.
• Secular music – I do not believe all secular music is sin. That said, most of it is garbage (in my opinion) and I don’t want to have to risk my kids listening to something that will confuse them. As they get older, they will be exposed more to secular music, but in this early stage of their lives, I will shield them.
• Anything none G rated. We just don’t want to risk them hearing/seeing something bad at this young age. PG stuff is just inappropriate in my opinion.

As I reflect on what we remove, I realize it’s not so much what we remove as much as it is what we keep from our kids. We are involved enough to monitor everything they take in. As they get older and are exposed to more things, I will continue to engage them in conversations so they know the truth. I can’t shield them forever nor do I want to. I see these first years of their lives as foundational. I will be purposed though as I allow more things into their lives to walk them through the process of understanding what they are seeing/hearing and what God says about it.

Mary and I have made the decision to put our children in public school. We want them to be the salt and light. In order for that to happen, we must train them. Cole already is getting exposed to things we wouldn’t prefer, but we talk about it with him so he knows how to process it. It’s working too!

I want to tell you some good (and funny) stories of the good things that this produces in our kids to encourage you. Before I do, I want to be clear…I don’t think our kids are perfect. I think they’re great kids, but they disobey, throw fits, lie, hit each other, etc. just like every other kid.

• I was getting the boys ready for bed and could not find a pacifier for Titus. We looked all over the house. As I was explaining to him the situation, I was thinking how every time I have ever lost my keys or something important, I’ve prayed and God has helped me find it. I was worried though to tell him that in case we prayed and couldn’t find it. I decided to tell him in faith. I said, “Titus, when I’ve lost something, I have prayed and God has helped me find it.” Without hesitation Titus said, “God, can you help me find my fuddy?” (Fuddy is what we call pacifiers…Cole started that when he was a baby) No sooner than Titus prayed, I moved a toy in their toy box and found a pacifier. I was so happy and said, “See, God helps us!” Titus then said quietly, “Thanks God!”
• Whenever we eat, my kids ask if they can pray. When they do, they ask God to be with people and situations where people have needs. They do so without prompting because they have heard us talk about prayer so much. If someone in our family is sick, they pray for them.
• My kid’s favorite books are their Bibles. They know the Bible stories better than most adults. The negative of this is they will correct their teachers if they tell the story wrong. I need to work on that…nobody likes it when you’re that kid…
• As I was writing this today, Mary just texted me with this message: On the way to school “Strength Will Rise” (it’s actually called “Everlasting God” but our sons call it that) was playing. I looked in the mirror and saw Titus singing with his hands raised and his dinosaur mask on. Funny & sweet!

These are just a few examples. I share them to encourage every parent to be purposed in your parenting. It’s not difficult, it just takes thought. Make sure to be the protector of your kid’s minds and hearts. It will be the greatest gift you can give them.
I want to share one last thing with you I am sure will be obvious. In order for your kids to grow up believing in God and making Him a priority, you must live a life that models it for them. No matter what you say, they will follow your actions. Make prayer, Bible study, church, serving and giving a priority in your life and it will become a priority in your kid’s lives.

Untitled from Matthew Johnson on Vimeo.

The stress of those tough decisions can force a leader into asking “how” in two different ways.  One of them will eventually destroy the organization and the other will strengthen it for the future.  Let me explain the two:

1)   HOW do we think the people will respond if we _________________?

After reading this, some of you are wondering if this is the good “how” or the bad one.  Before you read any more, what do you think?

I think this is the BAD “how”.  Here’s why…when you start with worrying about people’s reaction, you quit being the leader God has equipped, appointed and anointed you to be.  You actually start to become a follower of the people and let’s be honest…the people you are worried about are typically the least likely person you would want to follow.  They’re the complainers and dividers.  By worrying about them, you quit worrying/focusing on what it is God wants you to do.

As a Christian leader, your sole responsibility is discovering what/where God is calling you to do/go.  That’s the first step.  If you don’t take this step, the other steps don’t matter.

If you are not a Christian but still a leader, the first step for you is figuring what’s best for the company. That’s the first step.  If you don’t take this step, the other steps don’t matter.

So what’s the good “how”?

2)   (Once I’ve figured out where God is leading) HOW do I best communicate this to the people?

I’ve witnessed many leaders having great vision only to fail in the way they communicate it to those following.  Some leaders fail because they don’t do it in a clear way while others don’t communicate at all.  Some fail because they communicate as if they are entitled to the people following.  Though we might be able to make a scriptural argument for that entitlement, it just isn’t the wisest way to lead.

Once you have done the necessary process to discover the best path for your church/organization, you must then think about the people this will impact and how you can best communicate the reason this will be better for the group as a whole.  Don’t get me wrong…during the decision process you can’t help but think of the future impact on people, but that can’t be the number one priority.  Instead, that is a part of all the facts you are considering as you plan for the future.

My experience is many people support decisions that impact them, even for the negative, when they can understand the reason or big picture.  A friend of mine, Tim Stevens, once told me some awesome advice.  I’m paraphrasing because I no longer have the email, but he said, “If you don’t cast vision and give the reason for the change when there are major adjustments, what is really a good thing might seem like a sinking ship.”

When he said that, I had the mental picture of people throwing boxes off of a ship.  If no one explained to the other sailors what was going on, everyone would just assume the ship was going down…even if all they were doing was getting rid of boxes of spoiled food.  How often does this happen in our organizations?  We start to shed programs, ministries, or fill in the blank, but we don’t explain why and people just assume we are a sinking ship.

So the healthiest time to ask “HOW” is after you do the hard work of discovering what is best.  Then you do the hard work of figuring out “HOW” to best communicate it to the people it will impact.