Ed Thomas: The impact of a Christ-centered life

Today, the people of Parkersburg and Applington, IA, will celebrate the life and mourn the death of a man who, by all reports, was a giant. To be fair, I did not know Ed Thomas or any member of his family, but when everything I read, even in the Des Moines Register, points to his faith as his first and foremost priority, I can’t help but take notice. For example, from desmoinesregister.com last night:

“When you remember Ed Thomas, remember this: football was fourth on the depth chart. Servant of the Lord, loving husband, dutiful father, coach. In that order.”

The overwhelmingly dominant theme in every interview I’ve seen, from the local television news to the national network shows, emphasizes the fact that this man was a positive role model who challenged his students, players, and everyone else to live a life of character and integrity. And when the line for the visitation extended five blocks and several hours, and the list of people waiting in it included everyone from rival football coaches to NFL players to Senator Charles Grassley – who himself stood in line for more than three hours to get in – you realize that this man made an impact.

Truly, a Christ-centered life will make an impact. Now, that impact might not always be marked by such a media frenzy as Mr. Thomas’ has been for the past week, and it might not be as universally popular as that of a winning football coach. But it will make a difference. That’s the whole point.

So, if there’s one thing that I take from the life of Ed Thomas, it’s simply this. Get your priorities straight. Live a life that makes Jesus first and everything else secondary, and you will make an impact.

June 28, 2009: 1 Corinthians 3

Notes

• (1-3) These are stern words of rebuke. Paul had expected that, by now, the church at Corinth would be growing mature and increasingly prepared – and engaged – in ministry, but they were still wallowing in the same issues and squabbles that their worldly neighbors were. They were, for all intents and purposes, still infants in faith. The first time through, Paul had been gentle, explaining what needed to be done. Now, though, it was time for a more stern tact, as a parent correcting his/her child.
• (3-4) Jealousy and quarrels are sure signs of spiritual immaturity. We are to be a body, working together and rejoicing in each other’s successes, rather than looking enviously on. And we are not supposed to be in competition, emphasizing minute points of teachings which should be complementary to the point of contention, but embracing a complete and full gospel message.
• (5-9) Paul and Sosthenes take a moment to expand on the point that quarreling is unacceptable through an illustration. There are numerous jobs that must be accomplished in the field before the harvest can come. The different people that perform these tasks are not competing with one another, but working together for the successful harvest. Although it is tempting to think that our church, our ministry, is the only one that people need, the truth is that there are numerous teachers out there that have something to contribute.
• (10-13) The illustration changes now to that of a building. There is – and can be – but one foundation: Jesus Christ. All other foundations will fail. We cannot add to or subtract from Jesus. He alone must be the root of all that we say and do. In other words, it’s not about Paul, Apollos, Peter, Jeremy, or anyone else. It’s about Jesus.
• (14-15) Even beyond the foundation, our entire ministry and teaching must come under scrutiny. If we are working on the foundation of Jesus with mediocrity or triviality, we are building with wood, hay or straw, and these things will be burned away as worthless in the final judgment. How easy it is to build entire, even elaborate and seemingly beautiful, mansions with these things, but we must resist the temptation. These things are expedient, yes, but they are not lasting. Rather, we must strive to build with things that matter: costly stones, the solid, essential teachings of the faith; silver, the lustrous metal which must be broken time and again to be made pure and usable; and gold, the spectacularly malleable metal which comes from true purity.
• (16-17) We ourselves are the temple. The implications of this revelation are nearly infinite. But I think that the primary idea Paul and co. were trying to convey goes back to the quality of the structure we’re erecting on the foundation of Jesus laid in our lives. When Moses and the Israelites built the tabernacle, they were called to build with nothing less than the best, and with an extreme attention to detail. When Solomon and Israel erected the temple, they were compelled to take their time and do it right. We must be the same way in building our lives and our ministries. Don’t settle. Don’t compromise.
• (18-20) As we build on that foundation of Jesus, we must not rely on the logic and wisdom of the world. We must not build as they do, constructing massive effigies to our own egos or those that we deem good or convenient. We must humble ourselves and ask God to reveal what He has for us. Only then can we build a temple comprised of the good stuff from vss. 10-15.
• (21-23) So we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing which Christian leader we will follow, whose particular teaching we will champion. We must recognize that all that are built on Christ are important, and all that are founded on Jesus are from God.

Comments

So often, we pride ourselves in being Catholic or Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, or Wesleyan. And we’re quick to point to the deficiencies of each of the others as proof that ours is the only way, truth, and life. But the truth is, Jesus alone is the way, the truth, and the life. And anything which is built on Jesus is valid and important for us to consider. Jesus is the foundation. There can be no other which will stand up to the storms of life and the fires of judgment.

It is also essential to consider what and how we’re building on the foundation of Jesus. So often, we build with what seems easy and efficient, but sometimes easy and efficient add up to cheap and passing. We must not focus on the minutia of eschatology or dwell only on spectacular stuff that makes us feel good. We must build our lives and ministries with solid, essential truths such as salvation by grace through faith (to name only one); ministry through service and humility; and personal purity and submission so that God can form us into whatever He so desires.

What am I building with?

June 26, 2009: 1 Corinthians 2

Notes

• (1-2) How often we think evangelism and ministry has to be eloquent and well-formed logic according to the world’s wisdom! And yet, Paul knew even two thousand years ago, that the gospel itself wasn’t “logical” as the world defined it. So he didn’t worry about fancy speeches or well-formulated arguments. He taught and lived the gospel. We would undoubtedly do well to stop worrying about our tracts and plans and training, etc., and start doing the same.
• (3-5) Again, Paul didn’t worry about looking good or demonstrating his own strength or prowess. He highlighted God’s power in the cross and, on occasion, in a miracle or two.  But these miracles were never designed to overwhelm the gospel; rather, to prove it. Our faith must be based on what Jesus did on the cross, rather than some little miracle He did the other day. Because if it’s based on the latter, we’ll always be looking for some new miracle.
• (6-7) Only after people are saved can they begin to grasp the real wisdom behind the gospel message. And so, for those who are already saved and growing in faith, a message of wisdom becomes appropriate. After all, our faith is not entirely senseless!
• (8-10) Oh, how these words could be uttered in the great halls or our day! Our rulers and leaders – even those eager to claim spiritual authority and Christian heritage – have deemed themselves so smart, and yet by their own actions, they prove themselves utterly incapable of comprehending – or implementing – the gospel message.
• (10-11) If we claim to have the Spirit – which is inherent in our claim of faith – then we must be being exposed to the inner thoughts and desires of God. After all, the Spirit is God. That Spirit naturally knows God and would reveal Him to us.
• (12) From the moment that we are saved, we are to begin knowing God better. Ultimately, we should know Him better than the world around us because we are being indwelt by His spirit, not the world’s. This is not to say that we withdraw from and become utterly ignorant of the world. Rather, it means that we should have that “insider’s knowledge” of God, while our understanding of the world is ultimately only that of an outsider observing.
• (13) It is normal and right for Christians to develop their own vocabulary laced with spiritual words to express spiritual truths. But that’s for use among Christians. That’s the point. Paul related to the world in the only way that they would understand the gospel: he told them the simple message and showed them the power in his own life.  Only after they took the bait and believed did they start in to the new vocabulary.
• (14-16) We cannot expect the world to understand the gospel or live by its precepts and principles. They just don’t get it. But the man (or woman) who believes is a new, spiritual creature in Jesus that can begin to understand and apply them, even to the point where they can start making decisions on their own about them because they know the mind of the Lord and can thus move and act in accordance with His will.

Comments

There are few people today who have not recognized the chasm which is forming between the church and the world. On an almost daily basis, the news speaks of Christians, evangelicals, fundamentalists, etc., as some alien species. And every week, our churches gather to describe hunker down and call the rest of the world the same. This chasm, though, is not just forming. Rather, it has been present since the very beginning of the church, even the beginning of time. There are, quite simply, fundamental differences between the people of God and everyone else, and those differences start with the fact that God’s people are given insight into God’s person, His character and plan, His reasoning and will. We know God, firsthand. The world, on the other hand, does not. So I really think there are a few things that we need to realize as a result.

1. Believers mustn’t be surprised when the world embraces something sinful. Sure, it may look absolutely atrocious to us, but they don’t look at things the same way or with the same understanding.
2. Believers mustn’t expect the world to be transformed by our “Christianese.” They won’t understand.
3. Believers mustn’t rely on political or other earthly processes to Christianize our culture. This is not to excuse us from the public arena (i.e., we must still get involved), but it is to say that we should not expect them to be our primary – or even only – channels for world transformation. Politics and other worldly processes remain products of a sin-broken culture. We must work for personal, spiritual transformations.
4. Believers mustn’t expect to be able to argue someone into heaven. How often do we think a simple tract or a better plan of salvation will mean more effective evangelism! So we go to evangelism training and read evangelism books and on and on. There is no way to connect the world’s logic to the gospel logic except through our actions. We must demonstrate that, as absurd as the gospel sounds to them, it is real; it has power in our lives; and they need to have the same.

June 18, 2009: 1 Corinthians 1

Notes

• (1) Authors identified as Paul, the apostle, and Sosthenes, possibly the synagogue ruler of Acts 18:17 (Ryrie).
• (1) Notice that Paul doesn’t say that he is an apostle because he chose to be, or because people elected him, etc., but because Jesus called him by the will of God. Thus, his authority to preach, teach, correct, and rebuke comes directly from God. It is not dependent on the church at Corinth, its members, or anyone else recognizing him.
• (1) Notice also the intimate title “our brother” used of Sosthenes. Whereas Paul claims a title of authority for himself, Sosthenes adopts a familiar relationship, showing that this letter is not just an apostle’s edict, but a strong and loving exhortation.
• (2) Destination identified as the church of Corinth, those sanctified in Christ Jesus, and all those everywhere who call on Jesus.
• (2) By limiting the audience of the letter to the church, et al., the authors are acknowledging that the teachings, while applicable to all believers, can’t be imposed on unbelievers. Indeed, we should expect the world to behave as the world, and the church to behave as the people of God.
• (2) In the end, all three identified audiences are really one and the same. All believers, be they in Corinth ca. CE 55 or Des Moines, ca CE 2009, are sanctified – set apart or designated – in Christ Jesus and called to holiness as long as they call on Jesus as Lord.
• (3) The opening benediction offers grace, that they would be forgiven and willing to forgive, freely; and peace, that they would be still, resting in the hope and promise of Jesus, even as they took the imminent words of rebuke and faced the scrutiny of a skeptical world.
• (4-9) Paul and Sosthenes open with a word of encouragement, contrary to what many may be tempted to do. The church at Corinth had serious problems, and those problems were about to be confronted. But they wanted the church to also know that things were not all bad. Indeed, they were thankful for Jesus’ grace shed on the church there. They recognized that the church had been blessed tremendously financially, in word and deed, and in spiritual gifts. They claimed the promise that those who would follow Jesus will be kept strong for the purpose of holiness. And they exulted in the truth that God, who called them, is faithful and won’t abandon them as long as they are pursuing Him.
• (10) How unfortunate, that churches often descend into cliques and segments, each with their own agenda and priorities. Paul (and Sosthenes) demand that the church reflect the perfectly unified nature of God by standing together. This is not to say that there may not be differences of opinion or even healthy debate on the direction in which God is calling them. Rather, it is to say that, once God’s will has been determined and a decision has been made to pursue it, all debate should cease, and they must work together in unity. Remember, unity is not the same as conformity, in which all things are the same. Rather, it is the area of overlap between things that are not entirely identical. The church must be comprised of different people, each with different strengths, weaknesses, ideas, and tasks, but each of these must come together into one unified whole.
• (11-12) The indictment here is shocking. There are fights going on in the Corinthian church, and over petty things! How horrified Paul, Apollos, Cephas (Simon Peter), and Christ himself would be if they knew that people were arguing over which of them to follow. Their messages were not competitive, but complimentary, intended and designed to work hand-in-hand with one another.
• (13-17) The priority here is identified in clear and certain terms. Jesus – and His bride – are not to be divided. The focus was to be on the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether you were a disciple of Paul, Apollos, Peter, or Jesus. And that gospel had nothing to do with human wisdom and ideas. Rather, it was all about the cross of Christ, which alone has the power to save from sin to holiness.
• (18-21) Indeed, the message of the cross is completely contrary to what we would do. We would have tried to build a bridge or make up excuses or redefine truth, etc. Anything to spare that cost. And our efforts would have come short. God alone knew what needed to be done, had the resources to do it, and actually did.
• (22-25) How often do we look for these things? We want powerful miracles, and then we’ll believe. We look for neat little arguments, and then we’ll accept. But the cross is neither of these, at least to those on the outside looking in. For those of us who fo all in, however, it is the one and only perfect solution to the problem of our sin. Truly God’s foolishness is wiser than man’s wisdom, and His weakness is far stronger than our strength.
• (26-31) Truly, our own credentials are pretty weak. Jesus chose a band of fishermen, tax collectors, thieves and pseudo-terrorists as his disciples, those who would be entrusted with the fate of His Church. He then added a no-name (Matthias), a murderous persecutor of Christians (Saul), Gentiles, and us. In and of ourselves, we have nothing, are nothing. We have a tendency to forget that as we grow in Christ and get ourselves cleaned up, but it remains true always. Jesus is the source of our righteousness, the enabler of our holiness, the supplier of our redemption. He is the only thing we have to boast in.

Comments

There are a lot of things going on in 1 Corinthians 1. Paul and Sosthenes wanted the church to know that they were valued and still called, but they could not afford to be ambiguous about the issues that they faced. The church at Corinth, and every congregation since, must unite – even in our own diversity – to bring glory to Jesus because, as crazy as it seems, He is the one way, the only truth and the real life.

God values even problem churches and believers. They are important to Him, and He will never give up the hope that they will once again renew their commitment to holiness. So we must not give up that hope, either.

And at the same time, God does not tolerate divisions. He knows we’re diverse; He created us that way. But He wants us to realize that all that diversity is intended to help us accomplish our singular purpose of bringing glory to Him and making more disciples to do the same.

My New Years Resolutions

Today being the first day of 2009, it seems that every commentator on the planet is talking about resolutions. You know the drill: every New Years Eve, we make a series of goals that we resolve to accomplish over the course of the next year. On New Years, Day, we start trying to realize those objectives. And within a couple of weeks, we’ve worked it all out of our system and forgotten all about the whole thing.

This year, in an effort to provide myself a method of accountability which, theoretically, will spur me on to realize my resolutions, I thought I would share the things that I intend to do over the next 365 days and beyond. So, here we go.

Personal

• Spend at least 60 minutes daily in Bible study and prayer
• Intentionally witness to no less than one real person per week
• Start working out regularly

Family

• Reduce credit card debt by 30%
• Institute regular time of family devotions

Professional (Church)

• Establish 12 new contacts in the community
• Increase in-home visitation of shut-ins to no less than 1/household/quarter.
• Read 6 ministry-related books
• File statistical reports on time
• Journal effectively

Professional (Web)

• Reduce project turnaround through better project management
• Build 6 innovative websites

So, this time next year, maybe I’ll come back and see how I did.  What are some of your resolutions? Share in the comments section below!