Mark 7:13 “... making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.”
The American church has a lot of pet doctrines. They seem to be teachings that people are adamant about. But sadly, many of them have no scriptural support. They probably began as exaggerated and dramatized story-telling - but many of them have become entrenched dogma in American churches.
Some of these are silly and harmless:
“Paul got knocked off his donkey on the way to Damascus.” - I challenge you to find a donkey in that story!
“For forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites only ate manna! Can you imagine how tired they were of it?” - Well, if you read Exodus through Deuteronomy you’ll find out they were still raising livestock while they were being fed manna. Manna was there to replace the crops they couldn’t grow; but it wasn’t the only thing they ate.
“The walls of Jericho were so thick that they had chariot races at the top!” - Not only will you find the lack of chariot races in the book of Joshua, you’ll also find the glaring lack of any chariot in Jericho when it’s described! Actually, the fact that Jericho spent so much resources on a defensive structure probably meant they lacked any real type of offense. As near as I can tell, this particular teaching started from a Carman song!
These teachings are essentially harmless, as long as you remember that they’re man-made embellishments. If you start pushing them as hard doctrine, you may get into trouble.
But some of the other pet teachings are more serious. They have formed the foundation of several false and flawed doctrines:
“Lucifer rebelled sometime between the first and second verses of Genesis. That’s why the world was covered in water in Genesis 1:2” - I would respond this way: Show me! Show me in scripture where Lucifer led a rebellion from earth into Heaven and the world was flooded before the creation week. If that’s what happened, how do you explain God saying that everything He made was “very good”? How could creation have been good if Lucifer (something He created) was already in rebellion and millions of a “pre-Adam” race were dead and buried? This false teaching is at the heart of “old-earth creation” and it begins to redefine what you think God calls good.
“Jesus went into Hell after He died and fought with the Devil. He beat him and took his keys away.” - An exciting message? Sure. But Jesus did NOT go to Hell! He didn’t have to...the cross was enough! Just read Jesus’ own words. Jesus Himself told the repentant thief, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise.” Isn’t that enough to convince you that Jesus didn’t go from the cross into Hell? Colossians 2:13-15 makes it very clear that Jesus victory over the devil’s kingdom was on the cross! “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
The one pet doctrine that I hear most often is this: “First and Second Timothy and Titus are the Pastoral Epistles. Paul is teaching these two men how to be pastors.”
I would be more inclined to believe this teaching if the word pastor was mentioned once, in any of the three books. But it’s not. You may be surprised to hear this, but nowhere in the New Testament is the office of pastor mentioned! This whole “good little pastor” teaching is entirely man-made!
However, in all three epistles, you do see the office of apostle mentioned. All three start with, “Paul, an apostle” - and then are addressed to Timothy or Titus “a true (or beloved) son.” Do you see it? Paul (an apostle) took these men under his wing to mentor them in his office! It wasn’t Pastor Timothy or Pastor Titus, it was the apostle Timothy and the apostle Titus!
Look at what Paul told Timothy in chapter 3 of his first letter. He instructed him in how to appoint deacons and bishops (in today’s terminology, that would be senior pastors). Who did Paul think Timothy was? In 1 Timothy 5, Paul went on to instruct this young church leader how to distribute payment to the church leaders and how to handle correcting them. Surely Timothy was more than what we call a pastor!
Titus was also following in the apostle Paul’s footsteps. Paul left this young apostle in the island nation of Crete to set the new churches in order. Paul started these churches and then Titus was responsible for setting up the leadership. Let me repeat that. Titus went from church to church, in each Cretan city to appoint people into leadership positions. Does that sound like he was a “good little pastor” to you?
Clearly, Timothy and Titus were more than what we’ve made them into. These were young men who had an apostolic call on their lives. Paul had seen that calling and took them with him to train them in their gift. As they served with Paul, they were faithful to work in his ministry. Paul brags on Timothy’s faithfulness in Philippians 2:22: “But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” Because of Timothy and Titus’ faithfulness to his ministry, Paul helped them into their own place. Timothy was placed in a position of authority in Ephesus and Titus in Crete.
We need to be diligent when we read and study God’s Word. We cannot allow our traditions to interpret what we see in its pages! Instead, we should be letting what we see in God’s Word change our man-made traditions!
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Joshua
Luke 16:12 “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?”
Like Elisha, Joshua was a man who was faithful in another man’s responsibility.
The first time we see Joshua is in Exodus 17. By that time, he is already the captain of Israel’s army. While Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for Israel, Joshua led the soldiers in battle against the Amalekites. But in Exodus 24:13 we find out that Joshua went on from being the captain of Israel’s army...to being Moses’ assistant. What a promotion, right? But Joshua understood something that no one else in Israel knew - God rewards faithfulness!
Then we see Joshua being sent with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. He was one of the two spies that viewed the land as a promise from God instead of a death trap. In fact, the whole nation of Israel was so afraid to move forward, they were contemplating stoning Moses to death and making a return trip to Egypt! Even during this dangerous time, Joshua still stayed by Moses’ side.
Joshua stood beside Moses during many severe trial.
He was there when Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ own brother and sister tried to usurp his authority. Moses’ own siblings were murmuring about his wife. The complaint of these leaders of Israel was, “Moses said that God didn’t want us to marry foreigners, but his wife is a Ethiopian! He’s not ‘practicing what he preaches’ - why should we listen to just Him? God can speak to any one of us.” (Numbers 12:1--2)
Joshua was at Moses’ side when they came down from Mount Sinai and saw the entire nation of Israel caught up in fornication and idolatry. He stood with Moses when he went into the tent of meeting and talked with God face to face. He was with Moses when one of the Levite leaders and two hundred and fifty other leaders accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much authority on themselves. Joshua knew what they didn’t know - that Moses didn’t take any authority, God gave it to him! When these rebellious leaders were wiped out by God, Joshua stayed by Moses when the rest of Israel accused him of murder.
Everything that Moses went through during the forty years in the desert, Joshua walked through it with him. He could’ve quit any time. He could’ve used his position close to Moses to his advantage when Israel wanted to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt. He could’ve gotten offended at Moses’ “hypocrisy” along with Aaron and Miriam. After spending two years at Moses’ side, Joshua could’ve gotten offended when Moses, by God’s direction, appointed Aaron as High priest instead of him.
Actually, if you think about it - Joshua could’ve gotten offended at any time during the desert years! Just the fact that Moses never led Israel into the promised land like he said he was going to would’ve been enough to offend most people. We know that because it did offend most of the nation of Israel! Even then, Joshua stood by Moses’ side. Can’t you see Joshua standing there amazed at these people who refused to enter the promised land and then accused Moses of not taking them in?
Despite everything that Moses went through, Joshua stayed by his side for forty years. I believe it was only Joshua’s faithfulness that allowed him to step into the leadership of Israel when Moses died. There were many other leaders who were probably much more qualified. But Joshua was faithful in what belonged to another man, and that opened the door for what happened in Numbers 27:18-21:
“ And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.’”
Joshua’s faithfulness brought him into his own position of leadership. The same applies to us today. Do you believe you’re called into the ministry? Are you anticipating becoming a leader in the church? Then learn from Joshua and find a church leader to be faithful to. If you’re faithful in their ministry, one day God will promote you into your own.
Like Elisha, Joshua was a man who was faithful in another man’s responsibility.
The first time we see Joshua is in Exodus 17. By that time, he is already the captain of Israel’s army. While Moses went up on the mountain to intercede for Israel, Joshua led the soldiers in battle against the Amalekites. But in Exodus 24:13 we find out that Joshua went on from being the captain of Israel’s army...to being Moses’ assistant. What a promotion, right? But Joshua understood something that no one else in Israel knew - God rewards faithfulness!
Then we see Joshua being sent with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. He was one of the two spies that viewed the land as a promise from God instead of a death trap. In fact, the whole nation of Israel was so afraid to move forward, they were contemplating stoning Moses to death and making a return trip to Egypt! Even during this dangerous time, Joshua still stayed by Moses’ side.
Joshua stood beside Moses during many severe trial.
He was there when Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ own brother and sister tried to usurp his authority. Moses’ own siblings were murmuring about his wife. The complaint of these leaders of Israel was, “Moses said that God didn’t want us to marry foreigners, but his wife is a Ethiopian! He’s not ‘practicing what he preaches’ - why should we listen to just Him? God can speak to any one of us.” (Numbers 12:1--2)
Joshua was at Moses’ side when they came down from Mount Sinai and saw the entire nation of Israel caught up in fornication and idolatry. He stood with Moses when he went into the tent of meeting and talked with God face to face. He was with Moses when one of the Levite leaders and two hundred and fifty other leaders accused Moses and Aaron of taking too much authority on themselves. Joshua knew what they didn’t know - that Moses didn’t take any authority, God gave it to him! When these rebellious leaders were wiped out by God, Joshua stayed by Moses when the rest of Israel accused him of murder.
Everything that Moses went through during the forty years in the desert, Joshua walked through it with him. He could’ve quit any time. He could’ve used his position close to Moses to his advantage when Israel wanted to appoint a new leader and return to Egypt. He could’ve gotten offended at Moses’ “hypocrisy” along with Aaron and Miriam. After spending two years at Moses’ side, Joshua could’ve gotten offended when Moses, by God’s direction, appointed Aaron as High priest instead of him.
Actually, if you think about it - Joshua could’ve gotten offended at any time during the desert years! Just the fact that Moses never led Israel into the promised land like he said he was going to would’ve been enough to offend most people. We know that because it did offend most of the nation of Israel! Even then, Joshua stood by Moses’ side. Can’t you see Joshua standing there amazed at these people who refused to enter the promised land and then accused Moses of not taking them in?
Despite everything that Moses went through, Joshua stayed by his side for forty years. I believe it was only Joshua’s faithfulness that allowed him to step into the leadership of Israel when Moses died. There were many other leaders who were probably much more qualified. But Joshua was faithful in what belonged to another man, and that opened the door for what happened in Numbers 27:18-21:
“ And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.’”
Joshua’s faithfulness brought him into his own position of leadership. The same applies to us today. Do you believe you’re called into the ministry? Are you anticipating becoming a leader in the church? Then learn from Joshua and find a church leader to be faithful to. If you’re faithful in their ministry, one day God will promote you into your own.
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