Why need to learn doctrine

By Tom Holladay

 

This article is adapted from Foundations, a comprehensive tool for teaching the essential truths of Christian faith, by Tom Holladay and Kay Warren.

Doctrine is what God says about the most important aspects of our lives such as:

• How do I determine right from wrong?
• What happens to me when I die?
• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Why do people act the way they do?
• Where do I find the life that I long for?

Here are nine ways to clearly explain to your church members why they need to learn doctrine.

1. Because knowing the truth about God helps me KNOW GOD BETTER.
“Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God.” (Prov. 2:2-5, NCV)
J. I. Packer once said, “We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place ... for those who do not know about God.”
Living in this world without knowing God is like driving a car with the windows blacked out. It doesn’t matter how hard you step on the accelerator or what direction you steer, you keep running into things and you never get anywhere. If you’re going to get to know God, you have to know the truth about him. You cannot develop a relationship with God based on your guesses or wishes about what he is like. Relationships are built on the truth. You can’t know someone if you believe a lie about them.

2. Because knowledge is an ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION.
“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction [doctrine] about washings [baptism] and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” (Heb. 6:1-2, NAS)
We all build our lives on a foundation that guides the decisions we make and the direction we take.
But the only foundation that is strong enough to build on is knowledge of God. Just as you have to know your ABCs before you can read and write, you have to know the truth about G-O-D before you can live right.
The old phrase “ignorance is bliss” is not true! Ignorance can put us at risk. And ignorance of God’s truth is incredibly dangerous. Our joy is at stake. Our families are at risk. Our place in eternity is at risk.

3. Because doctrine feeds my soul.
“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” (1 Tim. 4:6, NAS)
Have you ever gone on one of those liquid diets? What happens? In just a few days you would sell your firstborn child for a carrot, anything with some crunch to it. You hunger for solid food. That’s a sign of maturity; you need solid food to sustain you. Doctrine is solid food for our soul.
This nourishment of our soul is not automatic! We have to choose to eat this solid food. We have to chew for a while on some of the truths in the Bible in order to understand them. In Hebrews (5:12-14) we are warned very clearly that if we don’t decide to dig into God’s Word, we’ll remain baby Christians. Baby Christians are believers who always seem to have so many needs that they can never meet the needs of others.
You need solid food not only to keep growing in faith but also to sustain the spiritual life you already have. If you stop feeding on God’s Word, don’t think you’ll stay where you are. Without God’s Word, your spiritual life will weaken.

4. Because knowing the truth enables me to serve others.
“If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed.” (1 Timothy 4:6, TEV)
Notice the order of the passage in 1 Timothy. First, you feed yourself, then you serve others by sharing with them what you have learned.
Would you like to encourage others? Look at Titus 1:9: “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9, NIV)
One of the keys to real encouragement is knowing the truth of God. Without God’s truth, your encouragement is just words - and that’s pretty weak encouragement.
Suppose a friend shows up on your doorstep one evening filled with discouragement over a tough situation at work - or maybe your friend is out of work. How are you going to provide comfort and encouragement? Invite your friend in to watch a video of Rocky? Make a banana split? Pat your friend on the back and say, “It’ll be okay?”
To which your friend probably would say, “How do you know it’ll be okay?” And that question pinpoints the difference between our saying that things will be okay and what God promises. It’s entirely different to remind a friend that God says he will never fail us or forsake us - that’s encouragement your friend can bank on. Then you can make the banana split!

5. Because knowing the truth protects against error.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:6–8, NIV)
Once you get rooted in God’s Word, it will be difficult for anyone to throw you off with a false doctrine.
Take cars, for example. In order to drive a car, you don’t have to know anything about an internal combustion engine. You just push the gas pedal and the car goes. Likewise, you don’t have to know all of the truths in the Bible to become a Christian. All you have to know and believe is that Jesus loves you, that he died for your sins and that he was resurrected to give you new life.
But let’s get back in your car. Let’s say you’re driving down the street and the car starts to make a horrible sound. You think the sound is coming from the engine but you’re not sure. Spotting an auto repair shop, you pull in and ask a mechanic what might be wrong. The mechanic tells you, “You need to fill your gas tank with water. That will fix everything.” Obviously, at that point, even a little bit of knowledge about cars would be of great help to you.
The best way to protect yourself against errors of any kind is to know the truth. Agents at the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing are taught to recognize a counterfeit bill not by looking at counterfeits but by staring at new money eight hours a day, looking for flaws. Once you know the truth, you can spot a counterfeit every time.

6. Because how I think determines HOW I ACT.
“For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” (Prov. 23:7, NAS)
Beliefs determine behavior. Thoughts result in actions.
If you were sitting in front of me right now and I were to tell you that I had taped a hundred-dollar bill under your chair, you would almost certainly check the bottom of your chair. At least, if you believed me you would.
Let me stretch this illustration a little. We live in a world that tells us, “Here’s where to find the hundred-dollar bills.” So we spend our lives struggling to find fulfillment in our job or satisfaction in our vacations, and all we come up with is old bubble gum! The amazing thing is we often keep going back to the bottom of that chair again and again. You’d think we’d have learned the first time, but our beliefs keep determining our actions.
You cannot change the way you act without changing the way you believe. God’s truth changes the way we act. It will change the way you parent. It will change the way you work, the way you handle your business. It will change the way you think about the future and the past. It will change you!

7. Because I am commanded to study the Truth.
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NAS)
Knowing the truth enables you to better use the truth. Second Timothy 2:15 isn’t just for pastors; everyone is to learn how to accurately handle God’s Word. The Bible doesn’t tell us that all of us are to be teachers; that’s a gift some have and others do not. But the Bible does tell us that we are all responsible to know the truth for ourselves. We’re not to rely on just what others tell us. We are to study the truth for ourselves.

8. Because I am commanded to live the truth.
“I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.” (Titus 1:1, NLT)
There are two important facts in Titus 1:1. First, to live the truth, you have to know the truth. Second, to know the truth, you must first learn the truth. You wouldn’t expect to pick up a trumpet and know how to play; you’d have to learn. It’s the same with God’s truth. You and I can’t keep God’s command to live the truth unless we take the time to learn the truth.
If we don’t give our hearts to learning the truth, we become like Sheila. Interviewed about her faith, she revealed the self-centered attitude that many struggle with. She said, “I believe in God, but I can’t remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It’s Sheila-ism. Just my own little voice.” 
That so-called faith might carry her a long way, but she has no idea what direction it will carry her! Depending on your spiritual instincts is not enough, not if you’ve never taken the time to learn the truth.

9. Because I am commanded to DEFEND THE TRUTH.
“Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15, NAS)
The Bible demands that every one of us be ready and able to defend the truth of God’s Word. The Bible even tells us what attitude to have as we defend the truth.
A lot of people “DEFEND THE TRUTH!” in loud capital letters, with an overbearing and even angry attitude. The Bible tells us to be reverent toward God and to be gentle toward others as we defend the truth. You’ll discover that people who are confident about the truth, who have built a good foundation, are able to defend the truth with gentleness and a quiet reverence. It’s those who are unsure who have to yell the loudest.

TO WHOM AM I REALLY LOOKING TO MEET MY NEEDS?

"THE FACTS OF THE MATTER"

"A weekly letter of encouragement to business and professional men and women"

September 08, 2010

Good Morning!

TO WHOM AM I REALLY LOOKING TO MEET MY NEEDS?

While working my way through Psalm 16 the other morning, I jotted down a number of questions – kind of a self-evaluation based on the content of this marvelous Psalm.  Join with me in asking a few pertinent questions:

 

Who really is my master?  My emotions?  My circumstances?  My lusts?  My fears?  What others think of me? 

Or God? “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Master…”  (Vs. 2)  “Lord, at this moment I surrender up to you the incessant noise and confusion of the world that would crowd in upon my inner sanctum.  Today, I choose to make  you the Supreme Master of my every thought and desire. Amen.”  (See Psa. 31:14; 91:2; Isa 26:3, 4; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Whom do I view as my provider?  My frenetic efforts?  My genius?

 

Or God?  “All the good things I have are from you.”  (Vs. 2)  “Lord, forgive me for believing that I am the source of my family’s provision.  Help me to grasp the truth that you alone are the source of all that is good.  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (Jms. 1:17a) (See Psa. 84:11; Dan. 2:21; Matt. 7:11)

Who are my true heroes?   The powerful?  The rich?  The accomplished? 

 

Or the godly whom God holds in high esteem? “The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!...This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”  (Vs. 3; Isa. 66:2b) (See Psa. 51:17; 138:6; Matt. 5:3; Lk. 18:13, 14; 1 Cor. 1:26-31))

To whom do I look for my fulfillment?  The people who tell me how wonderful I am?  The folks a rung or two up the ladder, whose nod of approval is of paramount importance to me?

Or to God? ”LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing…The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance!” “[God] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. (Vs. 16:5, 6 – NLT; Psa. 62:6)

Who is it that guides and instructs me?  The power brokers in my business or professional world?  The media?  Pop culture with much of it’s inane, mindless values? 

Or the voice of God, through the Spirit and word of God?  “I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me…For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God…Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.”  (Vs. 16:7; Rom. 8:14; Psa. 119:105 – NLT)   (See Psa. 73:23, 24)

Wherein does my security lie?  My bank account?  My job?  My family?  My status in the community? 

Or in God alone?  “I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me...Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Vs.16: 8; 73:25, 26 – NLT)

Where is my primary focus?  On the temporal, as evidenced by being anxiously ensnared in the daily cares of life; operating in survival mode; slamming an jamming to get and stay ahead of the rat pack. 

Or on the eternal:  Living joyfully and  expectantly for the day when I will be released into his eternal presence? “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Vs. 16:11)  (See Act. 2:28; 1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Jn. 3:2)

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection!

R. Dwight Hill

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

I like the story quoted below which I highlighted in green below.

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Monday, August 16, 2010

Today's Text: Luke 12:13

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

One of my all-time favorite moments in the life of Jesus was when a man in the crowd asked Him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13).
One of my all-time favorite moments in the life of Jesus was when a man in the crowd asked Him: “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (Luke 12:13).
I have always thought that if I had one chance to talk with Jesus, getting more money for me might not be the best topic to choose. But nevertheless, the guy in the crowd was ticked that he hadn’t gotten his full share; and instead of taking the opportunity to go deep with Jesus, he could only think of how deep his pockets would be if Jesus would put the hammer to his brother.
As usual, Jesus took the opportunity to teach about the real essence of life and true riches. He replied, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (v.15).

Which reminds me of one of my all-time favorite non-Bible stories.

A young investor stood looking out into the cool Gulf waters on the end of pier in a small coastal Mexican village. Having spent the last several months working hard toward gaining his securities license, he left for a few days of sun-soaked pleasure in Western Mexico. As the sun sank into the pale horizon, a single fisherman docked his boat along the far side of the pier. The young Wall Street banker walked over to the boat and saw several large yellow fin tuna gasping for air. The young executive complimented the tanned fisherman, a wise-eyed, weathered man, on the quality of his fish and asked how long it had taken to bring in the catch.

“Not long at all,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, why not stay out longer and catch more fish?” the young New Yorker asked smiling.

“I have enough for today,” said the fisherman, “this is what I need to feed my family.”

“What do you do with the rest of your time?” the young man asked curiously.

“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village each evening where I enjoy some wine and laughter with friends. It’s a full and happy life,” the fisherman replied.

“Well, I'm a Harvard MBA and have just completed my investment securities training. I could help you. You could spend more time fishing and with the proceeds from the larger catch, buy a bigger boat. Then you could catch even more fish. With those profits you could buy several more boats and hire captains to fish for you, and eventually you could open your own cannery. Then you would control the product, processing, and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City or LA or even New York where you could run your expanding enterprise.”

“How long would that all take?” asked the somewhat bewildered fisherman.

“Fifteen, maybe twenty years, max.”

“But then what?”

“Well, when the time was right, you could announce your IPO, sell your company stock to the public, and become very rich. You could be worth millions,” retorted the proud young investor.

“Millions? Then what?”

“Then you could retire and move to a small coastal village like this one where you could sleep late, fish a little in the morning, play with your grandkids, take a siesta, and enjoy wine and music with your friends in the evening.”

The fisherman grinned, tipped his hat at the young advisor, and shook his head as he walked off the pier without a reply.

When Jesus finished His warning about the emptiness of a life that is driven by greed, He told the story of a rich man who built bigger barns to hold all his stuff. To the surprise of His audience, Jesus called him a fool, not because he had lots of stuff but because he had lots of stuff and was not rich toward God!

Which makes me wonder, if you had one shot at talking to Jesus, would you want Him to make you rich, or would you want Him to lead you in the prosperous pursuit of becoming rich toward God? 

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Whose work ethic more closely resembles yours—the village fisherman’s or the New Yorker’s?
• Would you rather be rich by the world’s standards or rich toward God? How are you proving the accuracy of your answer by the way that you spend your time and attention?
• Just for fun, put yourself in the shoes of the man in the crowd. If you could go up to Jesus and ask one question, what would it be?

THE “WENT ALONG” PRINCIPLE

"THE FACTS OF THE MATTER"

"A weekly letter of encouragement to business and professional men and women"

August 04, 2010

Good Morning!

THE “WENT ALONG”  PRINCIPLE

”As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth (Jn.9:1).” You remember the rest of the story of how Jesus wonderfully healed this man.

Jesus’ style of living and ministering was characterized by the fact that he “went along” – or as some translations put it – “walked along.”  What this suggests to me is that Jesus helped people in the natural flow of life.  Pondering this passage, I have to ask myself, “Am I ‘going along’ in my life?”  That is, am I moving naturally at the pace of life so that I see people’s needs and naturally minister Christ’s love to them?  To be honest, at the pace I am living, I have to ask myself whether I really want to see their needs, much less deal with them.                                                                

Not so with Jesus. It is interesting that you never see Jesus rushing to get somewhere.  He was already there. He simply “went along” in his life because he knew that the present moment, ordained by the Father, was the most important moment in the universe.  And as he “went along” he naturally ministered to the needs of those around him.

I wonder why it is so difficult for us to grasp this idea of slowing down and living in the present at the speed of life.  Living as life unfolds rather than slamming and jamming.  You know, Blackberry driven. Does it have something to do with our panic over survival?   Or our fear of failure?  Or our angst over “getting ahead?”  Or our belief that we must beat out our competitors?  Could it be that we simply do not believe that if we really “went along” and ministered, as did Jesus, God would somehow meet our needs?  Certainly Matthew 6:33 makes that promise.

I’ll bet I know what you are thinking.  “Hey, I’ve got to control my circumstances because it’s up to me to ‘make it.’ It’s up to me to provide for my family. It’s up to me to keep the machine oiled and running.  I’ll admit to myself, but certainly not anyone else that underneath my smooth exterior I am shackled by an unsettled fear.  One way I quell the beast of anxiety is to race through life, controlling every eventuality that could crack the armor of my fragile security.  It’s sad to admit it, but I have fallen into the trap of defining myself by what I do (“I’m an accountant”) rather than by who I am (“I’m a child of God”).  So this ‘went along’ thing is way out of my league.”

Yet the Scriptures instruct us to emulate Jesus:  “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did. (1 Jn. 2:6 NLT)”

What if, as a life style, you and I were to practice stealing away with Jesus often enough to tap into his heart and mind? Steal away enough to absorb his assurances that he truly is there with us, caring and providing for our needs;   calming our fears?  Steal away enough to sense his heart and direction for us, appropriate his promises, and experience his inexpressible peace, joy and rest?  (Jn. 14:27; Eph. 2:14; Jn. 3:29; 15:11; 16:20-24; 17:13; Ps 37:7; 62:1, 5)

Perhaps, at that point we would be delivered from our fears (Psa. 34:4; Phil. 4:6, 7).  Perhaps then we would understand and truly learn to live out the vine-branch relationship of the natural flow of his life into ours, as we touched the lives us for him (Jn. 15: 1-16).  Perhaps then we would naturally live out his “went along” principle of life.

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection!

R. Dwight Hill

Reach out to the hurting people in your church and community

By John Baker

We live in difficult and uncertain times. Many people in our churches are feeling hopeless and defeated as they face job losses, financial pressure, and an array of physical and emotional hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Pastor, if there are hurting people in your church, I have good news for you. We know that God uses hard times to draw people closer to him. Romans 8:28 (NLT) tells us, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” We know that the only true answer for those feeling hopeless is to turn to Jesus Christ.

After serving as the founding pastor of Celebrate Recovery for almost 20 years, I’ve learned that everyone struggles with something. We’ve all been hurt by other people, we’ve hurt ourselves, and we’ve hurt others. And as a result, every single one of us ends up with some sort of hurt, hang-up, or habit.
But when people learn to apply the principles from the Beatitudes of Jesus, their lives are transformed.

Matthew 5:3-10 (NLT) says:
God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
By applying the principles from this passage over the years, we’ve discovered that happiness and healing are choices – and we choose them one choice at a time:

1. Admitting need – the reality choice
2. Getting help – the hope choice
3. Letting go – the commitment choice
4. Coming clean – the housecleaning choice
5. Making changes – the transformation choice
6. Repairing relationships – the relationship choice
7. Maintaining momentum – the maintenance choice
8. Recycling pain – the sharing choice

Regardless of what someone is struggling with – whether it’s emotional, financial, relational, chemical, physical, spiritual, or sexual – the principles and choices that lead to happiness are the same.

How you can reach out to the hurting people in your church and community?

There are several key ways you can lead your church and community to freedom from hurts, hang-ups, and habits this fall:

1.    Offer your support as the senior pastor. When you encourage people to make healing choices and get help, you make it acceptable for someone to be in recovery. People understand it’s not just for “those” people anymore – it’s for all of us.

2.    Commit to leading your church through a Life’s Healing Choices Campaign. To help you care for the hurting people in your church, lead your church through an eight-week sermon series based on the recovery principles in the Beatitudes. To receive your free online access pass, go to www.lifeshealingchoices.com.

3.    Encourage your small groups to do the Life’s Healing Choices curriculum. To accompany the sermon series, we’ve developed an eight-week small group study guide to help people discover and face their hurts, hang-ups, and habits for perhaps the first time. While freedom does not happen overnight, small groups offer a safe place to begin the journey.

4.    Offer fellowship events. If you have a Celebrate Recovery program at your church, make sure it’s out in the open and easy for people to join together and get God’s answers on how to overcome their struggles. With good leadership, fellowship events help members grow into a support team of sponsors and accountability partners.

5.    Reach out to those in your community. It’s great to have a recovery program for those who attend your church, but this isn’t just a strategy for your own members – it’s also an outreach opportunity to connect with the unchurched in your community. Make sure your community knows you have a safe place for people to begin dealing with life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

6.    Include worship. Worship is a central part of Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback. It’s also a major difference between a Christ-centered and a secular program. It gives everyone an opportunity to put aside the busyness and hassles of the world and get in touch with the true Higher Power – Jesus Christ.

When a Staff Member Becomes a Detriment

This happens anywhere - in the US Military, a Church and in the normal office space.

 

June 24, 2010

When a Staff Member Becomes a Detriment

By Joe McKeever

Yesterday, as I write, President Obama fired his top general in Afghanistan. Therein lies a tale which every pastor and staff member ought to take to heart.
General Stanley McChrystal is a case study in a lot of things: militarism, athleticism, patriotism, gung-hoism, machoism, and egotism.
What got this commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan sacked was a lengthy article just published in the July edition of Rolling Stone magazine. Since the article is online, anyone can read it. I did last night.
Can you say "insubordination?" (I'm channeling my inner Fred Rogers now.) In a sentence, McChrystal was openly critical of Obama and his diplomatic team. He held nothing back, said exactly what he thought, and had little favorable to say about anyone he has to work with.
The article says Obama had previously taken McChrystal to the woodshed and told him to bridle his mouth. But some people cannot be told anything; they are a law unto themselves.
The writer says McChrystal prides himself on being sharper and guttier than anyone else. But his brashness comes with a price: he has offended almost everyone with a stake in the Afghan conflict.
The title of the article says it all: "The Runaway General: The top commander in Afghanistan has seized control of the war by never taking his eyes off the real enemy: the wimps in the White House."
You cannot fire a guy like that fast enough. Get him gone now.
Ever seen a church staff member like that?
I've seen runaway staffers, but clearly no one just like General McChrystal, a man said to sleep 4 hours a night, run 7 miles a day, and eat one meal a day. He is so intense about his work, he sees his wife something like 30 days a year.
He's a mixture of brilliance and cockiness, we are told--the poster child as well as the role model for the gung ho culture in the military.
Colleagues say of this general, "He puts soldiers' lives in even greater danger. Every real soldier will tell you the same thing."
Insubordination. A law unto himself. He knows better than anyone.
That attitude is what cost General Douglas MacArthur his job in 1953. President Truman got tired of having his commander on the field countermand his decisions and criticize his policies. He knew what firing this popular general would cost him but did it anyway. I know of no one, no historian especially, who questions what Truman did. It did indeed cost him politically, but history has vindicated him.
Here's a scenario for you.
The pastor has a popular staff member whose area within the church is little short of amazing. That assistant minister runs a tight ship, leads a team of fiercely loyal (to him!) co-workers, and is acclaimed far and wide for his successes. He writes articles for magazines on his subject, whether his area be worship leadership, education, youth ministry, missions, children, or administration. He certainly knows his work well and does impressive work.
The problem is he is not a team player. He does not care who the pastor of the church is at any given time. He was in place at the church when you the pastor arrived and fully expects he will outlast you. He sits patiently through staff meetings, hardly participating, and does all the things you require of him, although absent of all enthusiasm. He irritates the other team members by his attitude.
You can't prove it, but you are sure he is criticizing you and the other staffers behind your back. His team members are his cult followers, think he is the beginning and the end of their responsibility, and have little to do with the rest of the staff.
He has shrewdly built his network within the membership of the church. At budget planning time, his people will invariably be in places of decision-making and vocal about how he deserves a great hunk of the finances.
He is the tail that wags the dog.

So, you are the pastor. What do you do with such a one?
The easy answer is: fire him. The harder question is: how?
How to get him out and live to tell about it.

What follows are my answers. They may not be yours. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. You will go in His strength or you will not survive the trip, friend.

Before you go to a church, find out all you can. Know in advance if you are walking into this kind of loaded situation.
You may assume two things: the pastor search committee as a whole will not talk about this with you (you'll have to find out from other sources), and such a staff member will have one or more of his people on the search committee. They will tell him every step the committee makes.
Former pastors and neighboring ministers will tell you if one staff member is a bear-trap waiting for your foot.
If the Lord gives you a choice in the matter, avoid that church altogether. If you are dead certain the Lord is sending you to that church, make your will, get your prayer life in order, and plan to rent for the first year. You may not be there long. I'm only half-kidding.

Know if you have the support of the true leaders of the church.
If you do, and if they are courageous enough to stand with you, you can pull an Obama and fire the runaway general. If they are timid and keep cautioning restraint on your part, your choices are narrowed greatly and you may not be able to pull this off.
You might decide to try to live with the bad situation. After all, it won't kill you. In fact, one of your options is the last thing in the world you might have thought of...

You could join that staff-member's team.
Become his biggest cheerleader. Befriend him (to the extent he allows anyone that honor). In doing so, accept that he may be laughing at you behind your back, calling you a wimp for caving in to him. Sometimes religious psychotics respect only those who oppose them and call them the crazies they are.
But joining his team is one of your options. In bringing in new members of your staff, you would inform them in one-on-one sessions that the Runaway Staffer is the 600-pound elephant in the church office and we're going to live with him. If they know going in, staffers can usually handle it. What they cannot handle is learning of his existence the hard way, by going up against the general expecting the fight to be a fair one and (as we say in Alabama) "having his hide put on a pole."

In one-on-one sessions with the runaway staffer, speak plainly, listen carefully, stay focused on the work of the Lord and the welfare of this church, and keep detailed notes.
The day may come when you have to pull those notes out and defend yourself. If you have taken the time immediately after your meetings with him--every meeting, no matter how casual!--to type up notes of the conversation and to date them, you will be able to respond to the false reports he passes along to his lackies and they to the congregation.

In case you haven't decided by now, this is a great reason not to pastor a mega church.
Clearly, it's the larger churches with huge ministerial teams that are more likely to have the runaway generals on their staff.
These guys--they're almost always men--have been there for years and have built their own organization complete with secret police. They are the Nazis of the 1930s and the rest of the church the acquiescent Allies blithely wanting only to destroy all weapons and be left in peace.
Smaller churches will sometimes have their own version of Reverend McChrystal. These will tend to be laypeople not ministers. They think they are impervious to being fired since they do not take a salary. But if the individual is a law unto himself, gives only lip service to the rest of the church program, criticizes you the pastor behind your back, and trains his workers to believe that his program is the only thing that matters--he is your problem and he must be dealt with.

Get good counsel from professionals before driving this hazardous course.
Your state denominational office will have at least one or two sharp ministers with experience which you can draw from. You may have a pastor friend from a previous city or a professor from your seminary whose wisdom you respect and whose counsel you need.
Don't try this alone.
One resource that might have escaped your attention is a former pastor who has worked well with the runaway staffer. Call him and ask if you can take him to lunch one day. It's worth a day or two of your time in case you have to drive or fly. Tell him what's going on and ask for his best counsel on how to work with the little Napoleon.
You may hear a side of the general you never knew. There's always the possibility that the guy is redeemable and a potential asset to the church.
Whether you do what the friend says or not is your call. But it's worth hearing him out.

If and when the time comes to fire the man, just do it.
Make sure the leaders who count most are standing with you.
Then, take a lesson from Obama: do the deed, don't apologize to the subject, do not take the blame for yourself, don't beat around the bush, don't wimp out, and get ready to take the heat. Make the termination effective immediately or sooner since this guy is able to do you a lot of damage.
Every staff member, no matter how ineffectual, will have supporters in the church. When you have to terminate a minister, assume some will be unhappy. Decide in advance you are going to love them (as much as they will let you) and keep telling yourself you will get beyond this.
I fired a guy once whose job I had safeguarded a year longer than the church leadership advised. They had told me before I came to that church that he was lazy and ineffective. I naively said, "I can work with anyone. Let me try working with him for a year."
When I terminated him, he was unable to comprehend what I was telling him. This could not be happening. So, that evening, the members of the personnel committee filed into my office for a session with this unhappy man. One by one, each voiced his/her own reasons for the termination.
Even then, he left the church angry at me, sure that I had sand-bagged him and done him wrong.
When I unloaded my frustrations with my wife, she said, "Joe, get real. You want to fire a guy and have him like it." I had to admit she was right. Once again.
In time, years later, he and I became friends again, although from a distance. He's in heaven now, and I'm still sad about the whole experience.
It's no fun, terminating someone.

As the new pastor of a church of medium size, I had a little conference with the staffer in charge of music. This good man did not lead worship at Wednesday night's prayer meetings, but left that in charge of a diminutive senior adult woman who was awful. Her inept leadership was destroying the spirit in the service. I asked why we had to put up with that.
"Pastor, she's been such a trooper through the years. Everyone loves her. And frankly, she loves doing this and it would hurt her to give it up."
I said, "It's hurting the rest of us for her to keep doing it. And the welfare of the whole group is more important than the wishes of one. I want you to deal with this. You are our minister of music. You will lead the music at each service. This is not debatable."
He did. She took it fine, and all was well.
Sometimes it works out well. Let's hope it will for you.


Link to original blog: Joe McKeever

HOW, IN THIS HELTER SKELTER WORLD, ARE WE TO MAKE SENSE OF LIFE AND HOW IT IS TO BE LIVED

"THE FACTS OF THE MATTER"

"A weekly letter of encouragement to business and professional men and women"

June 30, 2010

Good Morning!

HOW, IN THIS HELTER SKELTER WORLD, ARE WE TO MAKE SENSE OF LIFE AND HOW IT IS TO BE LIVED?

 

In Ecclesiastes,  chapter 3, wise old Solomon offers us a few clues:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”  (Eccl 3:1)  (See Eccl 3:17; 7:140

Therefore, take a deep breath and slow the pace.  Sense God’s timing and then move with it.  When we rush, we usually error and miss it.

 
“A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,  a time to kill and a time to heal,  a time to tear down and a time to build,  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”  (Eccl 3:2-8)  (See Job 14:5,14)

Therefore, learn to flex with the ying and yang of life.  Life is not a formula to be endured, but an adventure to be celebrated.

 

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.”  (Eccl 3:11a)  (See Gen. 1:31; Deut 32:4; Eccl 7:29; Mark 7:37)

Therefore, take the long view. God, on His timetable is producing something majestic and eternal. Few things in life of enduring beauty are born without time and pain.

 
“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  (Eccl 3:11b)  (See Deut. 29:29; Job 11:6,7; John 15:15; Acts 1:7; Rom. 1:19,20; 11:33, 34; 1 Cor. 2:16)

Therefore, respond to the pull of God on your heart for things eternal.  Rest your unknown future in His hands, trusting that He is mysteriously working His eternal wonder for His glory and your future.  How boring life would be if we understood it all!

 

“I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God.”  (Eccl 3:12,13)  (See Eccl 2:24; 5:18-20; 9:7)

Therefore, commemorate life!  Live it to the fullest!  Embrace your work as a sacred gift from God.

 
“I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.”  (Eccl 3:14)  (See Psa 33:11; 119:90, 91; Isa. 46:10; Dan. 4:34, 35; Eph 3:9-11)

Therefore, recognize that God has everything covered, choreographed and on time.  He’s not in heaven wringing His hands, anxiously worried that something might slip through the cracks.  Understand that His eternal work is about His glory, not ours.

 

“God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked…”  (Eccl 3:17b)  (See Psa 98:9; Eccl 12:14; Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; John 5:22, 26-29; Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:5-9; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Thes 1:6-10; Rev. 20:11-15)

 
Therefore, live life with a clear understanding that God will call you to account.

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection!

R. Dwight Hill