#5 - why must disciples be disciplined?

1 Timothy 4:7–8

“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

I’m fascinated by the Navy SEALs.  They are the military’s most elite fighting force able to bring the fight to the enemy in the sea, through the air, or on land.  SEALS.  They begin with the most rigorous weed out process, BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL), before continuing on with combat diving, land warfare, and jump school training.  Through mental and physical strain, these men are brought to edge of their breaking point.  And they are kept there for weeks on end.  They are the best of the best and some of them will aspire to join SEAL Team 6, the top 1% of the Navy SEALs, ready to deploy at any moment to engage insurmountable odds against the most dangerous enemy forces on the planet. 

Imagine the average teenager waking up at 10:00am in the summer, sitting on a couch, watching some documentary on the SEALs, putting his bag of potato chips down and shouting, “I could do that!”  Your response would be, “Riiigghhhttt," as you roll your eyes and keep walking.  No one, and I mean no one, fights and survives and thrives against the enemy like a SEAL without the most aggressive, ongoing training available. 

The same is true in our faith. 

Paul tells young Timothy to have nothing to do with godless wastes of time, but to train hard to be godly.  We too have a hate-filled enemy, the devil himself.  To walk in victory, we must train as well.  What’s more, no one who merely wants godliness becomes more godly. Only those who combine that desire with the training of the body obtain it.  Like a Navy SEAL trains regularly, so Christians must realize that there are no short-cuts to usefulness in His kingdom.  We must set alarms and get up when we are still tired to hear from God’s word.  We must fight regularly to pray alone and to pray with other Christians.  We must carve out times to meet with other Christ followers and work hard to obey what God is showing us.  We must learn to severely limit Redbox and TV and Facebook and Angry Birds and a thousand lesser joys if we will grow in godliness and joy in Christ.  Physical discipline benefits us in this lifetime.  It’s good.  But spiritual discipline blesses us now and stores up blessing for you that you will realize and enjoy in heaven.  It’s going to be awesome.  It’s going to be worth it.  It’s going to be the privilege of all who will discipline themselves to know and follow God.

God, I am by nature, lazy and distracted.  The truth is, it’s easy to sit around and do nothing.  And it’s easy to fill my life with a thousand lesser pleasures.   Help me to embrace a path of spiritual discipline so that I can be a warrior for You.  Help me to look honestly at my schedule and change it so that it reflects a life of spiritual discipline.  And help me to realize that intimacy with You, usefulness to You, joy and power and future blessing are all held in store for me as I pursue You wholeheartedly.  Help Candeo to not be a lazy church, but aggressive in our pursuit of You, for Your glory and our joy.  Amen.

#22 - why do we want overseers?

1 Timothy 3:1

This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”

Jesus said make disciples of all nations (Mt. 28:16-20) and with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the disciples got on it.  Everywhere they went, they shared the gospel, and when people responded in faith, the church was born.  Yet, who would shepherd these fledgling believers?  Who would protect them from rampant false teachings and shepherd them through the overwhelming hardships that would come their way?  God’s provision for the leadership and spirtual guidance of His church was elders.

Luke records in Acts 14:23, “When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”  What did it take to become one of these elders?  First, you had to desire this place of service.  1 Timothy 3:1 begins with that.  But it doesn’t end there.  What follows in the next 6 verses are the qualifications that must be met to serve God’s people in this capacity.  They might be the most convicting verses in all the Bible for men!

At Candeo, we are striving to follow God’s biblical pattern laid out in the New Testament.  We believe that God leads the church through a plurality of elders, not merely one pastor or outside ecclesiastical hierarchy.  These qualified, trained, and tested men share the joys of leadership and share the pain of leadership.  They are called to be examples to the flock (1 Pet. 5:3) and they are called to shepherd the flock the Holy Spirit has entrusted them (Acts 20:28-31).  It is a noble calling to be sure, but it is a real weight to be borne. 

Let’s join in prayer that God will raise up qualified biblical elders among us who will serve with joy, in God’s power, for the health of His church, His bride, for whom He shed His blood. 

Lord, I ask You to raise up strong, qualified, shepherd elders among us.  Make them men who will faithfully pray for Your church, teach sound doctrine, refute false teaching, and lead Candeo as we seek to advance the gospel in the Cedar Valley and to the ends of the earth.  Make them to be humble men who are the first to confess their own sins and lead their wives and families as well as our church.  Help me to make their leadership a joy as they care for me and watch over my life. Amen.

#28 - why could we all benefit from better posture?

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Leadership is given by God.  And leadership is hard work.  It takes courage and sacrifice and determination and thick skin.  Yet this passage isn’t about providing leadership, it’s about following leadership.

Listen to what God is saying here.  Obey your leaders and submit to them.  Yep.  The Bible says that.  In a culture that is fiercely independent and proud of it, God calls us to obey and submit.  Obey and submit.  Many think they are both 4-letter words.  But not in God’s economy.  Obedience and submission to authority is ultimately how we show God we trust Him.  The level of obedience in our life and the submissive posture of our hearts towards leadership reveals either our maturity or immaturity. 

Jesus, the perfect Leader – God Himself – modeled perfect submission to God as He submitted to wicked and evil authorites to the point of death on a cross.  How small a challenge Jesus has given us to follow those who love us.  And look at the tremendous blessing that is ours as we obey and submit to church leaders – “FOR they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”  It’s true.  God has put shepherd elders in the life of the church to guide and protect and pray for and lead you and they will answer to God for their leadership.   What a blessing it is to know that godly leaders bring your name and needs and cares and concerns into the presence of God regularly!  What a blessing to know that God has put godly leaders into your life to encourage, confront, and cheer you on in your pursuit of Jesus.

God, in my heart I confess I am a rebel.  I don’t naturally want to listen to anyone.  Apart from Your grace in my life, I would still try and be my own god, to my shame, sadness, and judgment.  Yet, You modeled perfect submission and were blessed by the Father for Your unwavering obedience.  And now You desire to love me by leading me through others.  Lord, today I want to show my trust and love for You by my obedience and submission to the shepherd elders of Candeo.  Help me to make their leadership a joy.  Give them courage to lead Your church in Your strength, to be men full of the Holy Spirit, to Your glory and for my protection and joy. Amen.

#39 - why "Candeo"?

Luke 1:78-79

 

⁷⁸ Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high will visit us
⁷⁹ to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Candeo is a church on mission with Jesus. Jesus came as Light into a world full of moral and spiritual darkness. What He did and continues to do is so amazing that we named our church after it. 

Candeo, from candere, means to shine or grow in brilliance. That's what He did.  He came not to condemn guilty people, but to free us from guilt and judgment through His perfect life and sacrificial death and guide us into paths of peace.  (Lk. 1:78-79)

And because of His life and mission, we have new life and new mission. Jesus, the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12) now calls us to be light to the world, shining in such a way that others see God in us, and come to know Him. (Mt. 5:14-16) 

We want to shine by loving God, loving people, and making disciples (Luke 10:27, Mt 28:19-20).  God wants to use you today to shine the light of Christ so that some man or woman, some boy or girl, will step out of the long shadow of death and begin to finally walk down a path of peace.

Jesus, I once walked in total darkness.  I didn’t like You, want You, seek You, or honor You.  I deserved eternal judgment in darkness and then You broke in.  Like the sun rising after a long cold night, Your love and compassion began to thaw my cold heart.  You began to direct my steps out of darkness and into your wonderful light.  You put me on a path of peace.  I thank You God for Your rescue effort for me.  Extend the rescue through me.  Help me lead people out of darkness and into Your wonderful light.  Help us to be Candeo. Amen.