Saturday, October 20, 2012

Following Jesus Does Not Make Everything Easy

Following Jesus is the single most important thing anyone can do.  It is our assurance of eternal life.  Our faith and belief in Jesus Christ is the way to our eternal treasure and reward.  But, following Jesus does not automatically make "this life" easy.  Following Jesus has a cost, it's hard, it's tough.  Consider some of the things that Jesus said (italics for emphasis):

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. - Matthew 16:24

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”- Matthew 20:20-28

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c]- John 15:18-24


I set this up as I look and consider the lives of the Apostles.  The Apostles loved Jesus with all their being and and faithfully spread the Good News of Jesus Christ (except Judas of course).  And, of the Apostles (including Matthias and Paul), they all died as martyrs with the exceptions of John.  Consider some of these facts about the Apostles after Jesus death:

  • Peter- led the church in Jerusalem.  Died by Crucifixion.  Requested to be crucified upside down as he did not feel worthy to die as Jesus did.
  • Andrew- went on to preach in Greece and the Ukraine.  Died by crucifixion.
  • James the Greater (brother of John)- Went on to preach in Spain.  He was beheaded in Jerusalem.
  • John- died in exile and wrote many letters and books of the New testament.
  • James the Lesser- The son of Alpheaus.  Martyred by the Romans.
  • Thaddeus- also known as Jude.  Went on to preach in Persia.  Martyred.
  • Simon the Zealot- Also went on the preach in Persia and was martyred.
  • Philip- was martyred in Hierapolis.
  • Bartholomew- some think he may have also been Nathaniel.  Went on to preach in Turkey, India and Armenia.  Martyred.
  • Thomas- Is said to have brought Christianity to India.  Martyred.
  • Matthew- known as Levi.  Shocked the Jewish community when he left being a tax collector to follow Jesus.  Writer of the Gospel of Matthew.  Martyred.
  • Matthias- replaced Judas.  It is said that he went on to preach to the "land of cannibals".  Martyred.
  • Paul- Brought the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Writer of most of the New Testament.  Beheaded in Rome. 
As you can see the lives of the Apostles were far from easy, but consider that the love they had for Jesus and the conviction in their belief was such that they willingly and lovingly sacrificed all they were for the One who sacrificed all He was.  Consider that the joy of the Lord was such that it led Paul to write these words as he was facing death at the hands of a Roman executioner:  

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 4-9

Yes, this life is hard and following Jesus is tough.  But the eternal reward and the treasure that was will inherit above is beyond imagination.  Stay close to Jesus, focus on Him, and consider it all joy.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. - Romans 8:18

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Some thoughts on the role of the Pastor and the Flock

I PETER 5: 1 – 4


JESUS CHRIST pledged Himself to build His church, and everything the Lord does is planned out and has a defined order to it. Therefore, the way He organized His church is no different. The text lists three primary group exhortations. This shows the church to have been well organized. Consider these traits of the pastor and the traits of the people in a church functioning as intended and planned.

“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (I Peter 5: 1 – 4).

THE PASTOR’S CHARGE

There are three words in the Greek text used here to refer to the office of pastor:

PRESBUTEROS – “Elder”

EPISKOPOS – “overseer” or “bishop”

POIMAINO – “Shepherd”

The last of these terms is the one used by the resurrected Christ when He said to Peter “Tend (poimaino) [Shepherd] My sheep” (John 21:16).

It is interesting to note Peter refers to himself as a “fellow elder.” If he had been the head of the church, the first Pope, this would not have been the title chosen. In verse one he makes even more emphatic his togetherness by using the word “partaker.”

The first two titles noted refer to the same person as the third. Two internal, Bible evidences indicate the first two to be the same as the third:

In Philippians 1:1 Paul greeted the Bishops and deacons. If the elders were a separate body, surely he would have greeted them also.

In Acts 20:28 Paul sent for the elders (PRESBUETROS) and told them God had made them overseers (EPISKOPOS).

In I Peter 5: 1 and 2 Peter greets the elders (PRESBUETROS) and tells them to “feed,” that is, “shepherd the flock.” The verb “to shepherd” is a translation of the same Greek root from which we get our English word “pastor.” This word was doubtless in Peter’s mind from the post-resurrection seaside charge Christ gave him after three times asking him if he loved Him.

The modern pastor is to be the same as the shepherd-elder of the early church.