What Could Have Been?

One thing that is hard as a youth pastor is that you see people achieving far less than their potential.  A student seems to be on a path to really make something of their life and seems to derail so much with one or two impulsive decisions.  They settle for just surviving or doing just enough so they are above average, but nowhere near their potential.  Yes, they are young, God can redeem, and much of life is still ahead of them, but I can’t help but feel a sense of grief over their decisions.  I feel a loss for them knowing what could have been. 

Recently as I was grieving one such situation, God brought Genesis 6 and the story of the flood to my mind.  After God saw the evil actions and intentions of man, it says, “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Genesis 6:6, NASB)  The emotions of God really stuck out to me.  He had sorrow and grief.  But what caused those emotions? 

First of all, I don’t think God this verse means that God wished that He didn’t make mankind.  He wasn’t sorry because it was a mistake making man.  A full explanation of that would be way more than a simple blog (I have written several seminary papers on it), but God doesn’t make mistakes nor is He ever surprised.  Before the foundation of the world God had made a plan for Jesus to come and redeem us (1 Peter 1:20) and chose me (Ephesians 1:4).

Second, God’s emotions weren’t driven by anger, bitterness, or vengeance.  Yes, the flood is a story of judgment, but notice the difference between all the other passages where it says, “The anger of the Lord burned against…” (e.g.,  Exodus 4:14, 2 Samuel 24:1).  Instead, you see God showing sorrow and grief. The flood displays God’s justice and judgment on sin, but He wants us to see His other emotions in this passage. 

We are filled with sorrow when we have desires for something to turn out one way and it goes the other.  We are filled with grief, when we experience loss.  In the same way, our sins and evil intentions of our heart pain God, because they are not His desires for us.  It hurts Him that our relationship with Him is fractured.  God has a sense of loss for us because He knows what could have been.

These are the same feelings I have for many of my students.  It comforted me that God understands my emotions and in His grace allows me to experience some of the same things so that I may know Him more.  Part of knowing Him is the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians3:10). 

It has also challenged me that these are the same feelings God has for me when I choose other things over Him.  When I choose entertainment over spending time with Him, He has sorrow because He desires a relationship with us.  He feels a sense of grief because of the loss of what could have been. 

Now when I show these emotions, it can lead to despair, but God story and plan doesn’t end there.  Despite every intention of man’s heart being evil, God made a way of salvation. While Noah’s ark saved his family from the judgment by flood, the ark of Jesus Christ will save those who believe from the judgment by fire.  He is a God who can restore the years the locust have eaten (Joel 2:25), He will be faithful to complete the work He has started in us (Philippians 1:6). 

The Most Important Thing in the BIble

If you’ve been in church for a while, I want to say something that may strike you as a bit off-putting. But it needs to be said:

Some things in the Bible are more important than others.

For the all-star church member, I hope you haven't stopped reading yet - I do have an explanation. Others of you might be cheering and dancing because you didn’t really like Leviticus all that much anyway.

But before you pack up or start celebrating, let me make sure you understand something: all of Scripture is important. It is true, it is from God, and we are bound to understand and apply it without leaving out anything. It is the "mirror" which reveals the areas in which we need to grow - a vital tool for the Optical Lumberjack. (James 1:21-25)

However, there are some things in Scripture which come first in importance. If we miss the things which matter most, then we'll end up trying to seek and obey God in ways that he never intended. (That's why people misunderstand Leviticus).

This is what Paul himself says in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. He says the Gospel is of first importance. It is foundational for everything else about our life and walk with God. Check out what he says:

¹ Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...  (NASB)

Did you catch that? The Gospel is of first importance. Don’t think that the rest of Scripture is unimportant, it is not. But the Gospel comes first.

When we talk about being an "optical lumberjack" and trying to live as Christians, it is imperative that we don't assume this point. Living rightly cannot happen apart from God, it only happens when we first encounter the risen Christ, who died for our sins, and believe in Him. The is the fountainhead for every aspect of Christian living.

There are an alarming number of people in churches who are not clear on the most important thing in the Bible. It's good to pray, to read your Bible, to help those in need, and to stand up for truth. But if we miss the Gospel, we miss everything!

Paul understood that, he understood that the Gospel was the hope of all men, including himself. Have you?

The Gospel is fuel for Christian living, because Christ himself is at it's center. When we know that we are forgiven and accepted by Christ, we don’t have to beat ourselves up for failing. We have the courage to admit that plank in our eye is real, because Jesus loves us. Then Christ provides the power to pull it out through confession and repentance: He died to make it so.

This is good news with which we can never grow bored, because it's the most important thing in all of Scripture.

Is the Gospel of Jesus the fuel for your Christian life? Does it make your heart stir?


It should.

-BJ

Some great Christ-Centered resources:

• The Story - a brief and interactive introduction to the truth of the Gospel.
• Gospel Formed, by J.A. Medders (devotional).
• Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, by J.D. Greear

FAQs on Biblical Accountability

After writing and thinking about Biblical accountability (see my previous posts on the Foundations and the Practice of Accountability) it still seemed like there were some unanswered questions out there for my own life, especially on how I would counsel someone.  Below are a few more thoughts on accountability: 

1) I would love someone to hold me accountable and point me to Christ, but I don’t really have any friends I trust or who are willing. What should I do? 

As I mention in my first post, relationship precedes accountability.  Just a list of questions that we ask each other really isn’t Biblical accountability. 

I remember when I was first challenged in High School that I needed an accountability partner. I freaked out, because I just didn’t have close friends.  I knew it would be helpful, but I just didn’t have the right friend.

But instead of working towards relationships where accountability could happen, I just gave up because I couldn’t have it now.  Real accountability relationships take time.  Don’t be discouraged that you don’t have them now, but instead consider how you can work towards them. 

Initiate time with people who are also believers desiring to grow in their faith.  When you are with them, initiate real conversations with them.  Talk to them about the Word.  Ask them questions about their faith journey and what God is teaching them, not just about football. As the relationship progresses, study the Bible with them.  Ask them how you can be praying for them, and pray with them. 

It will take time, and you may need to pursue multiple people, but it is well worth the effort.  Relationships don’t happen overnight, so don’t be discouraged and don’t give up if it doesn’t happen on your time schedule. 

2) My Christian friend always seems to be struggling with or complaining about the same thing.  He says he wants a sin pattern to change, but week after week it is still the same old thing.  How do I help?    

Once I was holding someone accountable weekly in the area of pornography, but he just seemed stuck.  Week after week, I would ask the question almost knowing the response in advance.  He would be frustrated with himself, we would come up with a new rule to help, but it was still the same thing.  Looking back, I can see three things that eventually helped pull him out:

First, he was willing to do anything to subdue his lust.  He didn’t accept defeat, but every thing I suggested he was willing to try. I eventually even took parts of his computer.  But some people don’t want to change, and if you sense that is their case, it does come to a point where you need to challenge them and ask them if they really want to change.  Are they willing to put the work into seeing God change their life? 

Second, we prayed a lot together and I prayed for him a lot.  As James 5:16 says, we should confess then pray for each other, so that we may be healed.  

Third, I would constantly remind him about God’s grace.  We read through books about grace (e.g., Ragamuffin Gospel). We read Scripture about grace.  He was someone who built his identity on his performance, and so we studied a lot about God’s grace.  Again, he was great at taking every one of these assignments, and praise God that His Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). 

After probably 6 months, he came to me one day and said, “You know for the first time I think I understand God’s grace.”  And it was amazing to see the way his understanding of grace changed the power sin had over his life.  It wasn’t an easy fight, but it was one where he eventually saw victory. 

3) Would you Alcoholics Anonymous or something similar as a form of accountability? 

First of all, there is a lot that I respect about AA. In the AA meetings I have been to, there is a deep care for each person there, a welcoming non-judgmental environment, a celebration over sobriety, and a commitment to each other.  I definitely see how AA, Celebrate Recovery, or a similar affiliate could be part of the solution for someone dealing with addiction. 

That being said, it seems that the focus of AA was just treating the symptom of alcoholism, and not the underlying causes that lead people to alcoholism. While human effort and determination can heal a lot of symptoms, it cannot deal with the underlying brokenness we all face.  True healing can only be found when we really deal with the causes with the Gospel.

I would certainly not discourage participation in AA or similar program, but I would partner it with counseling or another set of deep relationships that help with the inner healing that is also necessary. 

4) Is James 5:13-18 talking about physical or spiritual healing?

Sorry that this response is way more “technical”, but I think this passage is crucial to understand Biblical accountability. 

I think James 5:13-18 interpreted by many to only be about God healing our physical infirmities; however, I think the entire passage is all about spiritual issues.  For example in verse 14, when the “sick” are instructed to ask the elders to pray for them to be healed, I don’t think “sick” refers to physical illnesses, but spiritual weakness. 

While the Greek word a,sqe,neia (translated as “sick”) is used to mean physical illness in the Gospels and Acts (e.g., Matthew 8:17, Luke 5:15, John 5:5, Acts 5:15) its major use in the Epistles is a spiritual weakness (e.g., Romans 6:19, 1 Corinthians 8:9-12, Hebrews 4:15). It carries the real meaning that the person is weary.  This is further supported by the use of  ka,mnw in verse 15 (translated as “the one who is sick”).  Its only other use is in Hebrews 12:3, where it is clearly talking about not growing spiritually weary in our lives.  

Thus our pray offered in faith for someone who is spiritually struggling (James 5:15), God promises to work in his life to restore Him.  Because God has promised to act in this way, we are commanded to confess to each other and pray for each other for healing.  James 5:16 is not a random one liner, but remember that it starts with “Therefore”.

Further, James exhorts us to remember the power of prayer when he reminds us of the power of Elijah’s prayers.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:17).

The point of all of this is to once again remind us (especially me) of the importance of prayer when we want to see change in our lives or in the lives of those we care for.  It is not just by human effort and asking each other a couple questions each week that bring about healing, but consistent and faithful prayer for the Lord’s power and grace to come alive within us. 

Accountability Lived Out

The theoreticals and theology of accountability are helpful in understanding a framework, but as is the whole point of this blog, we want to be applying God’s Word to our lives, and want to talk practicals. 

In my previous post I laid out three points from Romans 7-8 that give a framework for what Biblical accountability should practically look like.  Whether it is within the context of a formal accountability partner is irrelevant, if we have life-giving Christians friends.  Instead, I think we need to evaluate if our relationships include the following Biblical principles that provide accountability. 

1) I need to “need” my relationships. We will not “click” with everyone.  But when we find those Christian relationships, were we are encouraging and being encouraged, we need to do all that we can to make that time consistent and God-centered.  While both BJ and I have lots going on and it would just be easier to not to get together weekly, the reality is that we “need” our time together.  

When I see a relationship as something I “need”, I prioritize it and make it happen.  Unfortunately, if it is just something nice, it can get crammed out of the schedule.   We must put a priority on real relationships.  We must not give up the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:24-25). 

Note that I am not simply advocating our need to be around people.  I can hang out with lots of people without having any real relationships or experiencing true fellowship.  This happens most when I am self-focused in my time and interactions with others. 

The deeper question is really, “Do I prioritize self over relationship?” Self says it is more comfortable to watch the game on the TV in front of me than talk to the person next to me.  Self says posting a picture of my meal on Instagram so everyone knows what I am up to is more important than the person across the table from me.  Self says I deserve my time to do what I want. And self says to keep up this image I can’t tell you what is really going on.  Which leads us to…

2) I need to be honest.  It should be self-evident, that if I want to be accountable, I need to be honest.  However, we love to hide, gloss over, and give half-truth statements to cover up how we are really doing.  Accountability requires me to drop the false pretense of how everything is going fine that I want to show to the world and honestly asses my relationship with others and the Lord. 

Consider James 5:16, a classic verse when we think about accountability.  We are commanded to confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that we might be healed.  Confession requires honesty or it isn’t really confession (just telling your parents you didn’t do well on the test is not the same as you got a zero because you were caught cheating).  And confession and prayer together lead to healing.  It is amazing how BJ and I can talk for an hour together, but what I find most refreshing each week, is our time going honestly before God saying this is what we need You to change in our lives. 

While in our pride we want to carry all our own burdens, we need others and we have to let them know how to help.  As I think the greater context of James 5:16 teaches (more to come in my next post) when you are spiritually weary, you aren’t just supposed to hide or try to deal with it alone.  We are commanded to called the elders of the church and ask them to pray for us.  We are commanded to be honest about our condition, and seek the Lord with other believers.  And keep in mind, “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) 

Now being honest isn’t the end point of accountability. There are plenty of people who congratulate themselves and others for honesty, but honesty without direction or a heart to change is worthless.  Just admitting you have a plank in your eye, won’t help unless you start working on removing it.  Therefore, in my accountability…

3) I need to be pointed to Christ. Accountability doesn’t end with simple confession to another believer, but my sin or my desire to see God work more in my life needs to end up at Christ in the Gospel.  Accountability is not confession that leads to condemnation, but like Christ be full of both grace and truth (John 1:14).

When we see a brother in sin, we are commanded to “gently restore” that brother (Galatians 6:1).  Practically speaking, I need relationships where I am real and honest, so people can see into the sin in my life.

It is then their responsibility to point out my faults in a gentle way that acknowledges that they are fallible as well (so they don’t fall into sin).  I need help understanding that I am totally and completely forgiven, and as such, I do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit inside me (Ephesians 4:30). 

We should never leave a time with a brother feeling hopeless and defeated, but rather motivated and compelled by the love of a merciful Father to be pure and serve Him fully. 

Note that I am not saying that giving another Brother in Christ a list of 5 questions you want to be asked is a bad thing, but I think if these 3 principles are being lived out, your relationships will naturally hold you accountable and push you in your relationship with the Lord. 

While we are ultimately only accountable to God and will stand before Him to give an account for our deeds (2 Corinthians 5:10), we have not been called to live the Christian life alone.  We want to make sure we are not just pretending to have Christian friends, but taking those friendships to the depths that will really stretch and encourage our faith.  

As I have been reflecting on this topic over the past few weeks, it just strikes me over and over, how much I receive life from people when I hear both the good and bad things happening in their lives, when I pray with them, when I share my struggles with them, when I experience an authentic fellowship with them, etc. Whether it is formal “accountability” or not, I don’t know, but it keeps me pursuing my Maker and Redeemer. 

Church Discipline for Real Life

Since Aaron wrote about church discipline several weeks ago, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the severity of the problem – this is a big issue for most American evangelical churches.

Scripture makes clear, particularly in Matthew 18, that loving discipline needs to be a priority in the life of the church. Aaron did a good job of highlighting key parts of that big picture.

But this leads to a second issue: how does this work in real life? Moving from theory to implementation is difficult, and church discipline becomes especially tricky given the contours of normative church culture.

But if we witness ourselves falling short of the biblical standard, it is wrong to do nothing. That’s the same as disobedience.

Now, I don’t claim to have this figured out completely. But as a pastor, I have responsibility to help implement this in my local church. Which leads to the main point of application I think churches need to grasp in order to grow in their ability to handle church discipline biblically:

Identify a point pastor.

Probably not the best way to attract a good candidate.

This sounds simple (and simultaneously difficult), but the reality is that no one ever wants to think about church discipline until it’s needed. By identifying a person who will preemptively build a church culture healthy enough to carry out discipline, the church will not only be ready to face the difficult cases  - they’ll avoid a few as well.

Let me try to spell out a few benefits below:

Why a point person? God will unfailingly give His church gifted people to make sure his church can be what He intends it to be (1 Cor 12). In a small church, that person is probably the pastor or elder, but in a larger church, it may be a specific pastor or team of individuals. Identifying the gifted people God has given to His church to carry out this task is a step of faith.

Once this person (or team) is identified, he needs to be entrusted with the early steps of church discipline. If he does his job proactively and preemptively, the church will be able to build the culture that can handle church discipline.  The point pastor becomes a champion for church discipline that restores believers and glorifies God.

Why proactive and preemptive? You might be wondering why  I keep using words like “proactive” to describe this role within the local church. Simply, it’s because that’s the example of Jesus himself.

Too often, we are confronted by a “big” sin and a church reacts by trying to “figure out” how to do church discipline. But Jesus gave us the paradigm for church discipline before the church even existed!

Think about it: the Matthew 18 outline for church discipline was given before the church had even started. Jesus was preparing the community of believers to lovingly address sin and restore individuals before the issue even came up.  A point pastor is one who continually explains to the present-day church the importance and practice of church discipline. He is the proactive agent in the church body, one who prevents the violent reactionary nature of much church discipline.

Why a culture? Being proactive manifests itself in a church body that has healthy culture in which church discipline can take place. In order for a program of church discipline to meet its goals of communicating love and giving God glory, it needs to run on an operating system of (1) preparation and (2) genuine relationships.

A point pastor – who is always conscious of the call for a church to practice discipline – invests in the church culture with a mind to build up these aspects of church life. A pastor who cares about church discipline will not be content for inauthentic relationships where people check in and out of church each week. A pastor who cares about honoring God will not sit idly by until a crisis is so intense it can no longer be ignored. He is on the front-lines, investing in the church community.

How do you follow-through? It’s on these front lines where a point pastor will show his value. He will lead the church through the challenges and spiritual battles that will likely surround church discipline. When the time comes to enact church discipline, a point pastor with the right blend of gifts will be able to lead fellow believers in the process of spiritual restoration (Galatians 6:1-3), using a Spirit-driven of boldness and compassion.

Because individuals have these gifts in different measure, identifying your leader will simplify the challenge of addressing all the tricky issues that come with church discipline. 
No two sins are alike, but all of them should be treated with prayerful love and care. In the face of a challenging confrontation, church members are tempted toward gossip or defeat, but a point pastor who coordinates the “next step” will help church members navigate these tricky waters without stepping into either error.

The church must know this individual is available to walk through the process of loving confrontation with them. Again, in larger churches, this may be a team of people. However, the individuals in the church need to know where to go with that “second step” of confrontation.

An identifiable leader within the church will lead his fellow believers through the process with love and special gifting. This is an invaluable gift for the church.

Standing Firm. Church leaders need to have the boldness to carry out the plans for church discipline they communicate. This happens way before the “cast-out” stage, and faithfulness in the early stages will (Lord-willing) lead to fewer final stage actions. But even should church leaders be faced with the heart-wrenching decision to “turn over a brother to Satan,” they should follow-through knowing that they’ve lovingly sought to restore their sinning brother every step of the way.

In smaller churches, the person I’ve described is most likely the senior pastor. However, larger churches need to make sure that church discipline doesn’t accidentally fall off the radar. For my money, a preemptive and proactive point pastor for church discipline will go a long way toward ensuring it happens well in the life of the church.

No matter what, may we glorify God in the way we live our lives as the church.