Life and ministry is better together.  It’s more fun to serve Jesus with other people.  In a culture of encouragement this is what happens and it’s a snowball of love, life & ministry that grows and grows!

Our example is Barnabas.  He saw God at work in Antioch, but he went and found Saul (who was soon to be known as Paul). The church was growing and Barnabas needed help! He also knew Saul and his story (Acts 9:15, 26-27) and had befriended him in Jerusalem.  Saul was the guy for Antioch!  These two would teach the church there for a year.  The church in Antioch became one of the great missionary sending churches in the Book of Acts (13:1-3). The rest of Acts would be an account of the effect of this church and their sending Barnabas and Saul out to share the Gospel.

So much of what the Holy Spirit accomplished was because Barnabas was an encourager.  Don’t discredit yourself if your ‘only’ gift to the church family is being an encourager.  Be one and watch God work!

Christians need to encourage one another.  There is plenty in life and ministry that easily discourages us. Our fellowship is sweet because of the ‘filling with courage’ that we receive.  As we do this consistently there is created a ‘culture of encouragement’ among us.  

We could have all the greatest ministries, marriage conferences, VBS, world class teachers, Christian concerts, etc., but with a culture of discouragement , none of those things would be useful.  In fact, it would be better to have NONE of those things but have a Barnabas culture. In a Barnabas culture (a.k.a. a culture of encouragement) spiritual growth and health take place. That that kind of culture is where the Kingdom of Heaven is extended!

When we encourage one another, then, it’s not just for ourselves but for the Kingdom of Heaven.  Discouraged Christians cannot reach the world for Christ.  Only disciples of Jesus who are ‘filled with courage’ will risk it and reach out to other people with the Good News.

Acts 11:22-24 tells us that Barnabas was able to be an encourager because he was filled with courage. Barnabas was 

• A Good Man
• Full of the Holy Spirit
• Full of Faith

He was good because he was full of the Holy Spirit and Jesus was rubbing off on him.  We all need this!  What’s amazing is that it’s all available to us!  We’re all invited to be in relationship with Jesus.  One of the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit is Goodness (Galatians 5:22-23).

Barnabas was also full of faith.  Regardless of the circumstances, he believed that God was at work.  This is an awesome way to live and if you do, you’ll find yourself encouraging other people. As you encourage other people God receives great glory through your life.

When the church in Jerusalem heard that the Gospel had reached the major cosmopolitan city of Antioch, they sent Barnabas to find out what was going on. Acts 11 tells us that Barnabas found evidence of the grace of God.  People were believing and turning to Jesus!  The Kingdom of Heaven is wherever Jesus is King and God is at work and Barnabas observed the Kingdom at Antioch!  He was glad an encouraged them to remain true to Christ.

Barnabas was living up to his name.  Actually, it wasn’t his name but a nickname that the Apostles had given him.  Acts 4:36 says, “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”)…”  His momma named him Joseph, but the Apostles called him ‘son of encouragement.’  No wonder they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  If the church had taken root there in that city, they would need some encouragement.  Barnabas lived up to his name!

If the Apostles were to give you a nickname, what would it be?

The Kingdom of Heaven is a life-giving, encouraging place because Jesus is the King.  He is creating this culture of encouragement by His Presence and through encouragers like Barnabas.  He uses us! 

Who can you encourage today?  If you do then the Kingdom of Heaven will be growing through you.

Would you go to a church where you leave a little beat up… a little more discouraged than when you came?  This happens more than we realize.  People looking to God, needing some encouragement, risk going to church thinking that some hope and healing might be/should be found there - but leave a little worse off than when they came.

At least they can say they went to church.

We’ve been invited to something greater! To be a part of a Kingdom where Jesus is King. And if Jesus, who is the Hope of the World, is King of this Kingdom - then there will be hope and healing and encouragement found here.

Why is this not always the case? How could a person ever leave church worse than when they came?  Surely it’s because the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is made up of hurting, broken people. Hurt people hurt people.  As hurt people we come to church looking for healing and we look to the people around us, who in their brokenness are often thinking of their own pain, not ours. They are not able to help us and we leave disenchanted because we think that healing isn’t found in the church after all.

The answer is for us to look to Jesus first.  Jesus never fails. If we look to Christ first (instead of those around us) we’ll find the hope and healing we need.  When we look to Jesus first the people around us could sin against us in the exact same way as before, but we’re able to take it in stride.  Keep looking to Christ and you could actually help that broken person.  You could point them to Jesus!  The Kingdom of Heaven is a positive, life-giving place! It is an atmosphere of encouragement, even being made up of broken people, because Jesus is the King.

When you are discouraged and need to be filled with courage, pursue the Presence of Jesus.  Encouragement comes by worshiping God and being in His Word.  Meet Him there… and then share what you receive with those around you. Our fellowship is sweet when God is at the center.

I know people have disappointed you. It’ll happen again.  Look to Christ.

I now have 3 teenaged daughters in my home. Alisa and I gave them each a ring on their 13th birthdays. It could be considered a ‘purity ring’ but there’s so much more behind it.  What’s behind the ring is their lifetime of love and investment from us as their parents.  What comes along with the ring is a conversation. It’s not the first conversation and won’t be the last, but it’s a significant one.  It’s monumental as they enter the teenage years. It’s given with our loving hearts that want God’s best for our daughters.

If you have a daughter, you might do something similar.  Below is the heart of the message.  What was cool about it this 3rd time is that the older sisters were in the kitchen too.  It was a communal family discussion and served as a reminder to the older ones about the rings they wear.

Tithe Your Life

Most people understand the teenage years to be one of rebellion and foolish decisions. While that may be normal, it doesn’t have to happen that way. In the Bible the idea of tithing is connected to our resources. We’re to honor God by giving back to him 10% of everything He blesses us with.  Here’s the challenge: ‘tithe your life!’

The Bible says that the length of a person’s life is 70 years, and maybe 80 if they have the strength.  Your life is a great gift from God. What would it mean if you gave back to him a tithe of your life?  It just so happens that there are 7 years of being a teenager.  Count them. What would it mean for the rest of your life if you pursued Jesus with all of your heart during these years?  Instead of being marked by foolishness and irresponsibility, what would your life look like when you turned 20 if you had tithed your life to God? 

(The thing about tithing is that 100% of your resources belong to God.  Tithing is how you honor Him with what He’s blessed you with.  The same is true for your life.  It’s 100% God’s.  You’ll continue to be led by Him in your 20s and 30s, just don’t wait until then to give your life to Him.)

Our Human Sexuality

A big part of life is our sexuality.  God has created us as sexual beings and we are to honor Him with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). As you ‘tithe your life to God’ in your teenage years, this is an important part.  Honoring God with your sexuality is the best way to live! We want you not to give pieces of your heart away to various young men during these years, but rather to guard your heart. We are praying for God to provide a young man for you to whom you could give your whole self to. We believe God will provide a husband for you, but we want you to save your heart for him.

People get involved physically because one or both of them have given their heart to the other.  The heart always goes first.  So guard your heart and your sexual purity will naturally follow.

Your Dad’s Not Twitterpated

If God provides a husband for you, do you know how you will know?  (Listening)  Here’s how you’ll know, God will tell your dad.  I will know if this young man is God’s provision for you! (Laughter…)  Seriously, I will know.  And I promise to tell you when you ask me. 

You might think that you will know if ‘he’s the one’, but you won’t.  You won’t know because you’ll be twitterpated.  I promise you that I WON’T be twitterpated by any young man that comes knocking on the door of your heart.  I won’t.  I will be more in love with you than him. I will want what’s best for you and that will rule my heart and mind.  I may not be totally objective, but I will be thorough!  And God will tell me if this young man is the one for you.

What I’ll be looking for, and what you should be looking for too, is a young man who loves Jesus more than he loves you.  You don’t want a guy who says ‘I love you more than anyone else!’  I don’t care how cute his puppy dog eyes are… that’s the wrong answer!  He needs to love Jesus more than you if he’s going to love you the way I want you to be loved.

Patience

If you keep this bar high, you’ll need to be patient.  Most young men these days are consumed, not with God, but with video games.  If he pauses his Xbox in order to txt you back, I’m not impressed.  Some call that true love. That’s funny. I'm not laughing.  

Keep your standards high.  Doing so will mean that it might be a long time before God provides the right guy for you.  Don’t settle for second best.  Don’t stress out when all of your friends are getting married and you’re not.  They’re probably settling for the Xbox kid, don’t you do it.

It is better to be married to the right person for 20 years than the wrong person for 40. Be patient and trust God.  Trust me too. I love you and have your best interest at heart.

The Ring

So wear your 13th birthday ring with this understanding and let it remind you of who you are and who you are saving your heart for. When people ask about it, tell them, ‘My parents gave it to me for my birthday!’

Learning to preach from the overflow of your deeply satisfying relationship with the Savior  

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In my early days of ministry I spent huge amounts of time absorbed in Scripture and great spiritual writers. The Lord made it possible for me to spend whole days—without any issue of preparing for something or taking an examination—soaking up the Scripture. I literally wore out the books of great spiritual writers. This focus was foundational to my spiritual journey, to finding satisfaction in Christ.

There is no substitute for simple satisfaction in the Word of God, in the presence of God. That affects all your actions.

Characteristics of dissatisfaction

Preachers who are not finding satisfaction in Christ are likely to demonstrate that with overexertion and overpreparation for speaking, and with no peace about what they do after they do it. If we have not come to the place of resting in God, we will go back and think, Oh, if I'd done this, or Oh, I didn't do that.

When you come to the place where you are drinking deeply from God and trusting him to act with you, there is peace about what you have communicated.

One of my great joys came when I got up from a chair to walk to the podium and the Lord said to me, "Now remember, it's what I do with the Word between your lips and their hearts that matters." That is a tremendous lesson. If you do not trust God to do that, then he will let you do what you're going to do, and it's not going to come to much. But once you turn it loose and recognize we are always inadequate but our inadequacy is not the issue, you are able to lay that burden down. Then the satisfaction you have in Christ spills over into everything you do.

The preacher who does not minister in that satisfaction is on dangerous ground. Those who experience moral failure are those who failed to live a deeply satisfied life in Christ, almost without exception. I know my temptations come out of situations where I am dissatisfied, not content. I am worried about something or not feeling the sufficiency I know is there. If I have a strong temptation, it will be out of my dissatisfaction.

The moral failures of ministers usually are over one of three things: sex, money, or power. That always comes out of dissatisfaction. Ministers are reaching for something, and they begin to feel, I deserve something better. I sacrifice so much and get so little. And so I'll do this. The surest guarantee against failure is to be so at peace and satisfied with God that when wrongdoing presents itself it isn't even interesting. That is how we stay out of temptation.

Characteristics of a satisfied soul

We are long on devices and programs. We have too many of them, and they get in the way. What we really need are preachers who can stand in simplicity and manifest and declare the richness of Christ in life. There isn't anything on earth that begins to compete with that for human benefit and human interest.

One mark of preachers who have attained deep satisfaction is they are at peace and they love what they are doing.

When people hear a preacher who is satisfied in this way, they sense that much more is coming from him than what he is saying. When I hear a preacher like this, I sense something flowing from him. Preachers like that are at peace. They are not struggling to make something happen.

That is one of the biggest issues for ministers today because of the model of success that comes to us. We get this idea we are supposed to make something happen, and so we need services to go just right. The concluding benediction has hardly ceased before those in charge are saying to one another, "How did it go?" or "It went really well." The truth is we don't know how it went. From God's point of view it will be eternity before we know how it went. These folks are not at peace if they are trying to manage outcomes in that way.

One mark of preachers who have attained deep satisfaction is they are at peace and they love what they are doing. Peace comes from them. From such preachers I sense something coming to me that is deeper than the words. Hearers sense the message opening up possibilities for them to live. In the presence of this kind of preacher, people find ways of doing the good that is before their hearts.

That is the living water. Jesus brought people that opening up of possibilities. In John 8, when he said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more," I don't think she felt, I've got to do that. She experienced Jesus' words as That's really possible. I can do that. That is one characteristic of preaching that comes from a satisfied life.

Another mark of satisfied preachers is they can listen. They can be silent in the presence of others because they are not always trying to make something happen. Such a person has the capacity to listen to people and come to an awareness of the needs that underlie the felt needs. We should be attentive to the felt needs of people, but we should know that the game is at a much deeper level of the soul.

A large part of what the pastor does in preaching and life is to listen and help people feel their real needs, not just superficial needs. The satisfied preacher speaks from a listening heart. Since people often do not know what they really need, such preaching can help them find out. This requires a spaciousness that only comes if your cup is running over because you are well-cared for by God.

Steps toward finding satisfaction

We can take steps to find this deep satisfaction and to preach from the well within us.

I encourage pastors to have substantial times every week when they do nothing but enjoy God. That may mean walking by a stream, looking at a flower, listening to music, or watching your children or grandchildren play without your constantly trying to control them. Experience the fullness of God, think about the good things God has done for you, and realize he has done well by you. If there is a problem doing that, then work through the problem, because we cannot really serve him if we do not genuinely love him.

Henri Nouwen said the main obstacle to love for God is service for God. Service must come out of his strength and life flowing through us into receptive lives. Take an hour, sit in a comfortable place in silence, and do nothing but rest. If you go to sleep, that's okay. We have to stop trying too hard. There may be a few pastors for whom that is not the problem, but for most it is. We need to do that not only for ourselves but to set an example for those we speak to.

There is a place for effort, but it never earns anything and must never take the place of God with us. Our efforts are to make room for him in our lives.

Dallas Willard is a former professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and author of numerous books, including Renovation of the Heart (NavPress).

http://www.preachingtoday.com/skills/themes/bedrockpreaching/200403.24.html

The Beauty of Discipline

I have to admit, I’ve always hated discipline.

But at an early age my dad told me that discipline was key to success in life, and because I could see implicitly that he was right, I practiced discipline diligently in just about everything I undertook, from sports to school to work.

Looking back I can’t deny that discipline was critical in everything I did well (as well as the culprit in everything that I didn’t do so well). I can say without doubt that my dad was right, that taking extra steps to do things the right way, again and again, really is key to success.

But there was a problem.

See, in my mind, the ultimate reward for years of discipline would be the arrival of the day when I could discard it. Someday, I promised myself, I would be successful enough to live a discipline-free life, to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. No two days would be the same, and no one would be able to expect anything of me that I didn’t feel like doing. That would, in fact, be the definition of success.

I don’t think I’m terribly different from many entrepreneurs and leaders out there. Though we all understand the importance of hard work and diligence in meeting our daily responsibilities, many of us quietly yearn for the day when our businesses will be in a place where we can be spontaneous and free, where we can choose how to spend our time depending on what we feel like doing at any given moment, on any given day.

Well, things don’t always turn out the way we think they will. For me there were two flaws in my thinking:

First, when it comes to having a family, freedom and spontaneity are really rare. There always seems to be an appointment, a game, a recital or a family activity to attend when you’re a parent or a spouse. And on that day when there are no activities, there’s usually an illness or an unexpected emergency.

But even if my home life was out of my control, I vowed to find a way to be discipline-free at work. That meant that whenever I wasn’t working with a client, writing a book or traveling to give a talk, I would free myself from time commitments and responsibilities that I didn’t enjoy. I would go to the office and bounce from one conversation to another based on whatever whims moved me that day or that hour. I would be as free from discipline as I had ever been in my life.

Well, to a certain extent, I was able to achieve that goal. And that’s when the second flaw in my thinking became apparent: freedom from discipline left me feeling empty.

Not only did my productivity diminish – which wasn’t a total shock – but something else happened that surprised me. I came to dread any activity, even relatively enjoyable ones, which prevented me from exercising “freedom.” I found that even though my days began with the promise of spontaneous creativity, they almost always ended with a sense of sluggish disappointment. I’d drive home feeling like a conscientious seventh grader who had spent his entire weekend playing video games. Aimless. Wasteful. A little ashamed.

In a very limited way, I think I caught a glimpse of what it must be like for professional athletes and famous actors who, when they’re between projects or seasons, have so much freedom in their lives and still seem unhappy. There is just something ultimately lonely and unfulfilling about not having any clear responsibilities, even if those responsibilities aren’t exactly stimulating.

And there is a point here for leaders and managers who, like me, often dread having to live more structured, disciplined lives than we think we want. After having indulged my life-long desire for freedom, I am now a reformed advocate of discipline, not just because it works, but because it has its own rewards.

Don’t get me wrong. I still greatly appreciate and understand the need for occasional freedom and unstructured time. We all need that. But I have to admit that I didn’t realize that freedom becomes its own kind of prison without a general sense of structure and limits. By embracing the need for discipline in our lives, at work and at home, we receive a sense of peace and humility that is far better than freedom. And ironically, it makes occasional opportunities for freedom much more enjoyable.

And so, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my wife and my children for filling my world with so many to-dos, which I probably never would have chosen for myself, thereby preventing me from the misery of too much freedom at home. And I’d like to apologize to my colleagues for tolerating my random interruptions during my prolonged period of adolescent rebellion. I guess it’s better to learn something at age 46 than never at all.

Yours,

We are living in a world where there are conflicting messages.  I don’t know if you watch the news, but if you do, there’s a good chance you’re depressed and worried about the economy.  It’s hard to escape all the negative.

You’ve heard people talk about the bad economy and say, “We don’t know what’s going to happen with the economy and with oil prices…we might be stuck here for a while."

Jesus, on the other hand, says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

You hear the politicians talking about Social Security and the next generation and the debt.  You’re worried if you’re going to have enough for later.  But Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

I know the television is telling you one thing, but God’s Word tells you the truth.  God is in control.  He has a plan.  We can trust Him.  When you know and understand that truth, it will set you free.  You won’t live a stingy, greedy, selfish and worried life – you’ll live a life that honors God.

“What if everyone in the church tithed?”

Occasionally this question comes to me and this morning was another one of those times. Another guy in ministry posed the question and it’s a good one. Since we’re in the middle of our GIVE 2012 emphasis, it even seems timely.  What would we do if everyone in the church tithed?

There was a time when I thought everybody tithed.  Then I graduated from the 6th grade and knew better! (joke) I’m going to write some things here but know a couple of things first:

• I’m going to talk freely about stewardship, discipleship, debt & giving… but making you feel GUILTY is not what I’m about. I’m praying and leading Norkenzie towards being an even more generous church, that’s true!  But creating a group of guilt-ridden disciples is SO FAR from the heart of God and His Kingdom, I want nothing to do with that.
• Conviction from the Holy Spirit is different from feeling guilty. Being convicted and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit lead us to freedom. Being guilt-ridden is, in my opinion, bondage. It is counter-intuitive, but giving away money is the pathway to financial freedom.

“Everybody isn’t Tithing?”
For as long as I’ve been in ministry the statistics have told us that Evangelical American Christians give 2-3% of their income back to God in worship. The percentage of Adult Christians who tithe runs around 6-8% of the church. Around half (50%!) of American Christians give ‘little or nothing’ to their church’s ministry or upkeep.

Now I think Norkenzie is WAY above the national averages… I really do!  We have so many generous hearts in our church family! (NOTE: The only family’s giving that I know about is the Johnstons, and I like it that way!)  But think with me, if we’re TWICE as generous as the national average, that would mean we’re giving 4-6% of our income back to God in worship.  We’re probably not there, but who knows?  Maybe.

“Daydream with Me”
What would Norkenzie do if our resources for ministry doubled?  Apparently that’s what would happen if every household tithed (a ‘tithe’ = 10%). Here’s where my mind goes…

• Our missionaries would be fully funded! Some of them have lost support from other churches and we could take up the slack. Our Missions Team would be interviewing more missionaries to support, or maybe we’d support someone 100% in the mission field (a dream of mine).
• We’d be encouraging our best and brightest young people to attend Bible College and/or Seminary, and we’d be sure to see them through financially!
• We could add air conditioning to the Sanctuary! Wahoo! Have you been here in August?  The congregation is fighting off sleep and the preacher is sweating like a pig! I’m not sure which is worse.

“It’s really about Discipleship”
My motivation is really about growing mature followers of Jesus.  I had a conversation recently with a guy (not from Norkenzie) who was struggling financially. He shared with me all of the dynamics of his financial and family life and the pressures they were under. Then came what I figured must be true… this disciple ‘couldn’t afford’ to give anything to the church. 

His understanding was out of whack, probably from the pressure he was under. He couldn’t give because of his debt load (which was growing weekly because of an undisciplined life). His answer to the bondage was exactly the opposite of Scripture. He wasn’t giving in order to become financially free, but financial freedom can ONLY come through giving money away.  My friend was also missing out on one of the most powerful forms of worship. He thought he just wasn’t giving to the church when reality he wasn’t giving back to the Lord!  Everything we have been blessed with is from God. Tithing is how we honor the Giver of everything we have. We’re not giving back 10% of our resources… we’re keeping 90% of His resources! 

Jesus said that where our treasures are our hearts will be also.  He was talking about our money and possessions.  He also said that we cannot serve both God and Money (Money being a potential idol in our lives!). Our giving is the answer! It’s about the heart.  It’s about honoring God who has provided everything for us. 

Read Matthew 6:1-4, 19-34.

"Here’s my opinion"
I know it’s hard to believe, but people disagree with me on some of these things.  But just so you know, here’s my understanding of biblical stewardship.

• Giving 10% is a biblical precedent that we know honors God
• Generosity begins at giving 11% - these are the ‘offerings’ when we talk about ‘tithes & offerings.’
• Christians are free in Christ to give whatever amount they decide, not reluctantly or under compulsion because God loves a cheerful giver!
• You will ‘reap what you sow.’ Generous provision comes to those who generously give.  You cannot out give the Giver! (Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-9)
• Financial freedom comes when we give money away. We are free from it’s control over us. God has promised to provide even more resources so we can be even more generous! (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)

"Change the Question"
Let’s change the question.  Instead of wondering what would be if everybody in the church were to tithe, let’s just focus on our own household. What would it mean if my household were to trust God in this area of discipleship. What if I was to honor God in my giving?

Bring out your budget this weekend and re-do it.  At the top write your monthly income. The first line is your tithe (10%). On the second line put 10% into Savings. Below these write everything else.  Now, like you know you’ll have to, start cutting expenses.  Decide to live a disciplined life financially. Trust God.  Live the adventure!