Paper Topics

Today was day number two of my week-long journey through the book of Acts in my I-Term class at Southwestern. The class is off to a good start (as good as 8-5 in one classroom everyday can be). Needless to say, today was an important day because we got to pick our topics for our research paper for the course. I selected the topic, "The Role of the Holy Spirit in Acts," which I am particularly excited about. However, that is not the reason I write tonight about "paper topics." I write because of a statement by one of my fellow classmates. Her name is Vicky and she was selecting her topic like everyone else in the class. I must be honest and let you know that once I picked my topic I was not paying much attention to my classmates selections, until I heard a statement that caught my attention. This is what she said, "Let everyone else pick because my ministry is private in nature, while each of yours is public. It is more important for you to pick the topics you want and I will just take what is left."

This statement struck me immediately. Is this really something that is uttered by someone that is in a seminary course? I ask this only because I would assume that she has been walking with God for a number of years and this is simply another step in her already mature journey with Christ. I then realized the core problem with her statement. I do believe that Vicky meant what she said in all humility. However, the problem is that what she said is not biblical. This means, more than likely, that somewhere along the way someone in the church conveyed to Vicky that there are more important positions than others in the church.

I find it humorous that we are studying a book that focuses a majority of its attention on the missionary journeys of the Paul. This is humorous because Paul wrote numerous times about the very subject that Vicky's statement today speaks to. This is what he wrote to the church at Ephesus regarding importance of position,

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV)

This concept is key for the health of any church. Each part must work properly so that the body can grow and progress. This means that we have all been gifted by God through His Spirit in unique ways. It is for the overall good of the church that we utilize what God has given us so that the body can grow and be healthy. I think Vicky's statement is an indictment on sick churches. We have bought into this false reality that certain positions and ministries are more important than others. This is hardly the way it is supposed to be. Paul goes on to solidify his point in his first letter to the church in Corinth,

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

God created and gifted each believer for the common good. This means that no gift is better than the other, but they are equally essential for the health of the Body of Christ. I know that Vicky is not alone in her view because the comparison of gifts and lack of importance on certain gifts or ministries is something that I have known other people to wrestle with. In fact, I have seen some pastors be insecure or unhappy with the gifts that God has given them. Furthermore, I have even seen pastors try to have every gift. Neither one of these scenarios should be the case. God has gifted us individually for the common good. Paul makes reference, beginning in verse eight of the previous mentioned chapter, to the human body and how each part must perform what it was created to do for the body to function. The church has operated in an unhealthy matter because the arms did not think their job was as important as the feet. The church has been silenced because the mouth did not like its job and would rather be eyes. The remedy for this problem is found in embracing the unique gift that God has given each of us for the advancement of His church and Kingdom. Let us pray fervently for less paper topics selected out of a defeatist mentality.

Boom, Roasted!

I consider myself blessed to have the calling on my life as a pastor. One of the great privileges of this calling is the opportunity to open God's Word and to be His vessel to communicate Truth to His Body of believers. There is nothing that stirs my heart in ministry like getting to preach the Word. In fact, I get frustrated when I do not have the opportunity to speak on a regular basis. Currently, God is allowing me the opportunity to speak on a weekly basis at our student worship gathering, Elevate.

We are currently in a series at Elevate called "CSI: My Life." It is based on the following question: "Is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian if your life was under investigation?" This series has been powerful for the first four weeks. There have been numerous students pray to receive Christ, and others have experienced authentic repentance. I have been stoked about each message of this series...until last night. Last night I had to preach one of the most difficult messages of my life.

The area that was being examined last night was the act of being kind. You might be shocked that a pastor would consider this to be a difficult message to deliver, but this area has been a struggle for me. Do not get me wrong, I consider myself to be a nice person. However, I have allowed myself to fall into the line of thinking that being nice is not funny. This is where my struggle developed. I often joke that God has given me the Spiritual gift of sarcasm. I embrace any opportunity I have to utilize sarcasm in my interactions. I convinced myself that this is what I do...it is who I am. Think about it, sarcasm is funny. Being kind to someone is not funny. No one laughs when you compliment someone. On the other hand, it is hilarious if you point out someone's imperfections. The latter was my focus because I love to get a laugh out of people. I was getting laughs, but damaging the advancement of the Kingdom.

I discovered the problem in my preparation for the message. The message came from Ephesians 4:25-32. I was studying these Scriptures and seeking God's direction on the text of the message. I was thinking of a way to introduce the message creatively and I remembered my favorite episode from the greatest television show on the planet, "The Office." I began looking for a clip from the episode where Michael Scott wants to have a roast in his honor. I thought this would be perfect clip because nothing that was said was kind. I finally found the clip that I was looking for. Andy Bernard sang a song for his roast and it goes like this,

I remember this episode vividly because I thought it was hilarious. Consequently, it provided an equally vivid picture of me and the way I use my humor sometimes at the expense of others. It was humbling to see myself in the characters as they were zinging each other. That was me. I could hang with the best of them when it came to classic one-liners. The painful reality is that is not something characteristic of a follower of Jesus Christ. It happened in my office, it was one of those AHA moments with God.

The moments following were beautiful for me because I had to repent before my heavenly father. Paul gives us an illustration of repentance when he writes about the thief in Eph. 4:28. Repentance is not simply stopping something, but it is doing something different in its place. Personally, this means that I need to use my words and humor positively. I am called, as a follower of Jesus, to build up the Body with my words. I am glad that God allowed me to get beat up a little bit by His Word because it was something that needed to change. I am not claiming perfection following last night. It will be part of my journey with God to replace the zingers with encouragement. I am thankful that at the end of the day it was almost as if God had said to me..."Boom, Roasted!"