Cultivating Fields and Life

Just the other day as I was on my commute to Milwaukee for a staff meeting I was listening to a message by Matt Chandler from the Village Church. While the message was great, one of the things that stood out to me was a quote that he used from A.W. Tozer. In this quote, Tozer was examining two different types of life. One that is content to coast through and seek it’s own satisfaction and contentment, or one that allows God to challenge and grow.

I’ve included the message below, it’s worth the time to read. 

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A.W. Tozer
"Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness on you" (Hosea 10:12)

Here are two kinds of ground: fallow (Unplanted) ground and ground that has been broken up by the plow.

The fallow field is smug, contented, protected from the shock of the plow and the agitation of the harrow(spiked discs). Such a field, as it lies year after year, becomes a familiar landmark to the crow and the blue jay. Had it intelligence, it might take a lot of satisfaction in its reputation: it has stability; nature has adopted it; it can be counted upon to remain always the same, while the fields around it change from brown to green and back to brown again. Safe and undisturbed, it sprawls lazily in the sunshine, the picture of sleepy contentment.

But it is paying a terrible price for its tranquility; never does it feel the motions of mounting life, nor see the wonders of bursting seed, nor the beauty of ripening grain. Fruit it can never know, because it is afraid of the plow and the harrow.

In direct opposite to this, the cultivated field has yielded itself to the adventure of living. The protecting fence has opened to admit the plow, and the plow has come as plows always come, practical, cruel, business-like and in a hurry. Peace has been shattered by the shouting farmer and the rattle of machinery. The field has felt the travail of change; it has been upset, turned over, bruised and broken.

But its rewards come hard upon its labors. The seed shoots up into the daylight its miracle of life, curious, exploring the new world above it. All over the field, the hand of God is at work in the age-old and ever renewed service of creation. New things are born, to grow, mature, and consumate the grand prophecy latent in the seed when it entered the ground. Nature’s wonders follow the plow.

There are two kinds of lives also: the fallow and the plowed. For example of the fallow life, we need not go far. They are all too plentiful among us.The man of fallow life is contented with himself and the fruit he once bore. He does not want to be disturbed. He smiles in tolerant superiority at revivals, fastings, self- searching, and all the travail(hard work) of fruit bearing and the anguish of advance. The spirit of adventure is dead within him. He is steady, “faithful,” always in his accustomed place (like the old field), conservative, and something of a landmark in the little church. But he is fruitless.

The curse of such a life is that it is fixed, both in size and in content. “To be” has taken the place of “to become.” The worst that can be said of such a man is that he is what he will be. He has fenced himself in, and by the same act he has fenced out God and the miracle.

Broken To Bring Forth Fruit

The plowed life is the life that has, in the act of repentance, thrown down the protecting fences and sent the plow of confession into the soul. The urge of the Spirit, the pressure of circumstances and the distress of fruitless living have combined thoroughly to humble the heart. Such a life has put away defense, and has forsaken the safety of death for the peril of life. Discontent, yearning, contrition, courageous obedience to the will of God: these have bruised and broken the soil till it is ready again for the seed.

And, as always, fruit follows the plow. Life and growth begin as God “rains down righteousness.” Such a one can testify, “And the hand of the Lord was upon me there.” (Ezek. 3:22)

Corresponding to these two kinds of life, religious history shows two phases, the dynamic and the static. The dynamic periods were those heroic times when God’s people stirred themselves to do the Lord’s bidding and went out fearlessly to carry His witness to the world. They exchanged the safety of inaction for the hazards of God- inspired progress. Invariably, the power of God followed such action. The miracle of God went when and where his people went. It stayed when His people stopped.

The static periods were those times when the people of God tired of the struggle and sought a life of peace and security. They busied themselves, trying to conserve the gains made in those more-daring times when the power of God moved among them.

Bible history is replete with examples. Abraham “went out” on his great adventure of faith, and God went with him. Revelations, theophanies, the gift of Palestine, covenants and the promises of rich blessings to come were the result. Then Israel went down into Egypt, and the wonders ceased for four hundred years. At the end of that time, Moses heard the call of God and stepped forth to challenge the oppressor. A whirlwind of power accompanied that challenge, and Israel soon began to march. As long as she dared to march, God sent out His miracles to clear a way for her. Whenever she lay down like a fallow field, God turned off His blessing and waited for her to rise again and command his power.

This is a brief but fair outline of the history of Israel and the Church as well. As long as they “went forth and preached everywhere”, the Lord worked “with them…confirming the Word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). But when they retreated to monasteries or played at building pretty cathedrals, the help of God was withdrawn ‘till a Luther or a Wesley arose to challenge hell again. Then, invariably, God poured out His power as before.

In every denomination, missionary society, local church or individual Christian, this law operates. God works as long as His people live daringly: He ceases when they no longer need His aid. As soon as we seek protection out of God, we find it to our own undoing. Let us build a safety- wall of endowments, by-laws, prestige, multiplied agencies for the delegation of our duties, and creeping paralysis sets in at once, a paralysis which can only end in death.

Miracles Follow The Plow

The power of God comes only where it is called out by the plow. It is released into the Church only when she is doing something that demands it. By the word “doing”, I do not mean mere activity. The Church has plenty of “hustle” as it is, but in all her activities, she is very careful to leave her fallow ground mostly untouched. She is careful to confine her hustling within the fear-marked boundaries of complete safety. That is why she is fruitless; she is safe, but fallow.

The only way to power for such a church is to come out of hiding and once more take the danger-encircled path of obedience. Its security is its deadliest foe. The church that fears the plow writes its own epitaph. The church that uses the plow walks in the way of revival.

by A.W. Tozer

Mosaic - Women's Retreat

DETAILS

Location: Mercy Hill Church – Bay View
When: Friday, Feb 6th, 6:00pm
Saturday, Feb 7th, 9:00am to Noon
Registration is due before Sunday, February 1
Included: Dinner and desserts on Friday night (gluten free options available) and Breakfast on Saturday morning.

We each have a story and no two are alike. Our journeys take us through dark valleys and to mountain summits, through wild meandering places and wide open plains.  Our experiences shape us, change us, break us and lead us to the One who can make us whole. At Mosaic Women’s Retreat, you will hear six women from among us, women of Mercy Hill Church, share part of their journey, part of their journey that has indelibly changed them as they met their Savior in the midst of their sorrow, pain, confusion and fear and found joy, comfort, clarity and freedom.

We chose Mosaic as our theme as an image of the way we are fitted together in the body of Christ as a master artist fits together a glass mosaic.  As we journey, parts of us are chipped away so we can fit together more intricately. Our lives touch one another’s and we are held together by the Spirit of the Living God who dwells among and within us. We do not shine our own light, but when His light shines through us the beauty is breathtaking.

When we think we have nothing left to offer, He makes beautiful things out of the dust of our lives. If you’ve ever felt weak, broken, hopeless, lost, lonely, or abandoned, this retreat is for you.

Please contact us if you would like to sponsor a scholarship for a woman who cannot afford to attend or if you are in need of a scholarship to attend. Email elise@mercyhill.org            

Fervent Prayer: Health & Healing

"Praise the Lord! 
For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."  Psalm 147:1-5

Because the people had rejected God and had turned away from His Word they were exiled out of Jerusalem and out of all the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Psalm 147 is a song the people sang in the days of Nehemiah. They rejoiced and were in awe of their God who brought the nation back to the Promised Land and to Jerusalem. God did not just bring them back but built them up again as seen in the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, in spite of many enemies and obstacles. God did it! So the people rejoiced with a great celebration and praised Him who did this wonder. They realized their own sinfulness and rejection of God in their past. They realized they were here because of God’s great love and power:

they were here, in the Land again,
they were here, in Jerusalem again,
they were here, with their God again.

Let’s read now from Luke similar words Jesus spoke to the people of God at a much later time than the days of Nehemiah.

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 

And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well."

And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away." Luke 4:16-30

At Capernaum, Jesus healed the sick, the lame walked, and the blind could see. Here in Nazareth Jesus knew they did not believe in Him; they wanted signs and miracles, not Him. His first words were favorable, but then Jesus went on to tell them about two individuals. God performed signs and miracles for Zarephath the Sidonian and Naaman the Syrian but no one from Israel. The dark hearts of those in Nazareth were then revealed in their fury and murderous intent because no signs or miracles were going to happen for them.

So what is health and what is it to be healed? Let’s say we were in great health plus all our wants were fulfilled. Would that be health? What is the healing that God the Father brings to His people? These verses from Hebrews might help us understand a little better what being healed and having health looks like.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

"My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy…" Hebrews 12:1-16

So what is health and what is it to be healed? To endure our Father’s caring discipline, so we will lay aside the weight of sin that is clinging to us so closely, that we may see God and share in His holiness. Through our Father’s discipline, we are being healed to not only walk, but run with endurance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. 

So like those in Nehemiah’s time, we are aware of our past sins and failures and even our present ones. And yet, we realize we are here because of our God’s great love and power:

we are here, saved into His Kingdom,
we are here, with brethren loved by Him,
we are here, with our God.

So it is good that we lift up our hands and stand strong and walk straight by His grace, with His peace, and in His holiness. We are in awe of our God who brought us to this place where He is. Therefore, let us…

"Praise the Lord! 
For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."  Psalm 147:1-5

Fervent Prayer: Missions

"Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—  to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." Romans 16:25-27

In these final words of Paul in his letter to the Roman church he summarizes his message in an exultation of praise to God that the mystery of Christ has been made known to the nations and that this mystery foretold in the Old Testament prophetic writings results in their faith and obedience and “… glory to the only wise God.”  It is evident throughout the Scriptures that God desires worship and praise from all nations and desires to lavish his mercy upon peoples from every corner of the earth.  The nations are mentioned hundreds of times and in over 40 books of both the Old and New Testaments. God chooses Abram to found Israel and tells him “…I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing…and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).

Through the Psalms and the Prophets we see God’s desire to have mercy on the nations and bring them into his family.  “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:2-3). “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name” (Psalm 86:9). “I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever” (Psalm 45:17).  Through Isaiah, God proclaims, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.  I will also make you a light to the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6); “…I am coming to gather all nations and tongues; and they will come and see my glory” (Isaiah 66:18).

In the New Testament we see the revelation of the mystery and Jesus as the light proclaimed in Isaiah.  Jesus quotes Isaiah when clearing the temple, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7, Mark 11:17).  Jesus also, in his final instructions to his disciples, tells them to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), to “preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15), to be witnesses of his death and resurrection that “…repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations…” (Luke 24:47), and that “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Finally, John tells us what he saw in his vision of the culmination of all things “…a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne…and they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10).  

Let us pray that God continues to lavish his mercy on the nations and reveal the mystery of the gospel of his son Jesus Christ through his church!  

Lord, we ask that you guide and move Mercy Hill church to bring the gospel of your Son, Jesus Christ, to the nations of this world for your ultimate glory!

Fervent Prayer: Justice & Poverty

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18 (ESV)

Isn’t it amazing how God hears the cries of His Church and answers prayer?  God be praised! I’ve seen God faithfully answer prayer in my own life and in so many lives at Mercy Hill.  He is faithful to His Church.  But how does He do it?  How does God chose to answer those prayers many times?  Sometimes it’s through the miraculous and unexplained, but more often it’s through the stirring of His Church that needs are met.  I feel like sometimes we have a “genie” mentality in the way that we view prayer.  We pray; and magically, God does.  It’s almost as if we forget that He uses the hearts and lives of His Church to meet needs and answer prayer.  God’s love for His people drove Him to meet our deepest and greatest need through the brutal cross, and that same love should motivate us to meet needs around us - to the Glory of His name!

Today, as we focus our prayer on Justice and Poverty, here’s how we can pray:

Pray for justice and those in poverty in our city and around the world.  
Justice and poverty encompasses many different ideas and hurts: such as racial reconciliation, food and hunger issues, human trafficking, homelessness, genocide, global poverty, clean water efforts, and terrorism.  I realize these are heavy and very broad topics.  Do your best to be specific and intentional with your prayers.  Pray for God’s hand over our city and our world.

Pray for God to stir your heart and the hearts of His Church.  
God wants to use His church to answer prayers to the Glory of His name.  It’s a big part of our mission.  Ask God to open your heart to what He might be calling you to in the areas of outreach and missions.  Pray that the Church surrenders to our calling and lives boldly and selflessly to the Glory of Christ.  I’ve got a feeling that if we can do this we will see many answered prayers, especially in the areas of Justice and Poverty.  

"Love that consists only of words is utterly worthless, if it is true love, it must prove itself by kind deeds and gracious actions."  - C.H. Spurgeon

Fervent Prayer: Ministries

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21

Our focus today is on ministries. All too often, ministries in churches can just be seen as departments in an organization. To some degree, this is true. Usually a ministry has a leader, a team, and a specific focus that serves as a branch to a larger organization. Based on that definition, I can see how a ministry is a department. But we know it's much more than that. If you simply take a look at verse 21:

...working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

He works in us. What we do should be the Lord working in us... not us dictating to the Lord the work that should be done. Secondly, the work being done should be pleasing and this can only be accomplished through Jesus. Lastly, it's about Him. For and to His glory (so that He is plainly seen). 

So please pray for the ministries at Mercy Hill Church for the following specific areas:

Focus
That we may be focused on what is pleasing to the Lord. That we don't fall trap to the "standard" programs and convention offered by churches because it's popular. That the work done is truly what the Lord is calling us to as a body.

Leadership
That the Lord raises leaders and that the hearts of those he's raising be open to serve and be the Church; not self-serving and about "building something." Also for the current leaders in place. 1 Peter 4:11 says "...whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies." May we pray for our leaders of each ministry that they serve by the Lord's strength and not their own.

Humility
Philippians 2 reminds us of Christ's humility. Specifically verse 3: Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. At the heart of our ministries, there should be the mindset that we're "being the Church." Meaning we are pursuing what is pleasing to Him through Jesus for His glory. For this to happen, all those who serve must continuously seek humility.

Fervent Prayer: Government

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."  1Timothy 2:1-6 ESV

Today we are continuing our week of focused prayer by praying for governments and authorities. At times, praying for those in governmental authority may feel pointless, especially when those we are praying for don’t know God or share our personal political views.  But regardless of what our own feelings may be, Scripture directs us to be in subjection to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-4, 1 Peter 2:13-14). And in our text for the week, Paul writes to Timothy and instructs him to pray for all people as well as those in “high positions”. 

The reason that Paul gives is “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Paul recognized that, despite a corrupt political system, the government is responsible for keeping public order and prosecuting those that break laws.  He was directing Timothy (and us) to pray for the leaders so that they would rule in a way that allows for peaceful, godly lives. This includes praying that elections, law making, and judicial decisions would create a political environment that allows for freedom to worship and the ability to live according to Biblical standards. In addition, because God desires all people to be saved, we should be praying that our leaders come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

Please join us today as we lift up our national, state, and local leaders in prayer. Pray that they would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Pray that they would have wisdom in law making, interpreting, and enforcing.  Pray that we continue to have peaceful freedom of worship in our country, states, and cities. And pray that our persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the world would be allowed greater peace in worshiping our God. 

In addition, please pray for all of the law-enforcement officers within our country.  With the nationwide controversies, new threats have arisen against those that have sworn to protect the public.  And with the recent random attacks, their dangerous jobs have become even more hazardous.  Pray for these officers and their safety. Pray that they would have wisdom and caution in all circumstances, and that they would uphold justice with restraint and accountability. 

Fervent Prayer: Church Leadership

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things." Hebrews 13:17-18

The word “leadership” brings with it a fascinating dichotomy in perspective. There is the classic idea that leadership is about bringing rescue to those in need, demonstrating courage in the face of danger, or taking charge of a desperate situation. That view brings to mind names like Abraham Lincoln, George Patton or Aaron Rodgers. And while no one would argue that, in their given contexts, these men demonstrated tremendous leadership abilities, the passage above hints at a very different view of leadership altogether.

Throughout the Bible true leadership is described as living a life of sacrificial service to others. We see the greatest example of true leadership in the life of Jesus Christ himself who came to this Earth, “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:42-45). That humble demonstration of service set the precedent for what church leadership should look like. True leaders are called to love and serve the church; not for personal gain, but to set an example of that humble, loving sacrifice of Jesus (1 Peter 5:1-3). Furthermore, leaders are to live lives that are honorable with a clear conscience, avoiding behaviors and attitudes that detract from the truth of the Gospel
According to Hebrews, once this kind of leadership has been established, the church is to submit to that leadership. Submission in this context doesn’t mean to blindly follow. Far from it. Even the best human leadership is tainted by the effects of sin, and we are called to obey the Bible as our ultimate authority. Rather, Hebrews calls us to submit and follow the leaders of the church knowing that they are ones who humbly desire what is best for the church. Ultimately, the leaders of the church will give a personal account to God for the things that they do. Leaders will answer for how they teach, how they use their leadership, and how they treat their brothers and sisters within the church. So, with that in mind, here’s how you can pray . . . 

Pray for humble, Spirit-led, Christ-honoring Leaders
As a leadership we want to be marked by humility and a desire to bring God glory in everything that we do. We want to be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit and be sensitive to His will for us, our families and our church. We want the love and grace of Jesus to drive us in our teaching and in our lifestyles. Pray that God would continue to raise up men and women in this church who would live lives of sacrificial service to others.

Pray for faithful, mindful, Gospel-focused submission
As a church we want to follow the instruction that we’ve been given to faithfully submit to Godly leadership. We want to be a blessing to our leaders knowing that they will give an account before God for each and every one of us. We want to be a thoughtful people, thoroughly devoted to the Word of God so that we don’t get drawn away by pride, error or foolishness (Acts 17:11). We want to live out the Gospel of grace in our lives- forgiving, loving, and looking out for one another.

Fervent Prayer: Repentance

"As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter."   
2 Corinthians 7:9-11

The practice of repentance is a central discipline of the Christian life. One of the most consistent messages of Jesus Christ throughout His ministry was to call people to repentance. (Matthew 4:17). In fact, imploring people to “repent or perish” (Luke 13). As followers of Christ this isn’t an odd call because to come to our salvation one of our first acts of faith was to repent, but so often we do not make the act of repentance a consistent discipline of our Christian walk, which is a pity. In the same way greater victory is discovered in repentance at that moment when we come to Christ, victory can be found in the practice of daily examination and repentance. 

Interestingly, Jonathan Edwards, who was the catalyst of the Great Awakening in the United States, established a list of seventy resolutions that aided his spiritual discipline. In resolution 37, he "Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year."  Undoubtedly this consistent practice of self examination and repentance was a key to his spiritual growth. 

During this week of prayer I would encourage you to pray prayers of repentance. There is no better example than David’s prayer in Psalm 51:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."  Psalms 51:1-7

MH Equip

Mark your calendars and plan on attending Mercy Hill Equip every Wednesday night at 7pm starting February 4th at our Bay View location. 

So often we are taught the principles of Christianity without being trained in the "how to".  Mercy Hill Equip is a series of 4 week sessions designed to train believers how to live out their Christian faith. The first series is entitled "Studying the Bible: Discovering the Gospel Story in God's Word".

We'll have classes for all ages so make sure you attend with the whole family. 
 

Weather Alert

Due to the extreme sub-zero temps, we are canceling all TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY night activities. This includes:

MEN'S COMMUNITY GROUP
WOMEN'S COMMUNITY GROUP
UPRISE STUDENT MINISTRIES 
ALL-CHURCH PRAYER

Please share this info with those who attend these events.  

Stay inside. Stay safe.

Advent 2014

This year we're having two Sundays focused on Advent, December 14 & 21.  

Also join us on Christmas Eve for a night of scripture reading and carols as we sing by some candlelight. It's a great tradition for you and your family to start or continue.  

Only nursery age will be provided, but children are welcome to attend this hour long service.  

The Sounding Joy

The Sounding Joy

A Food Drive Christmas Concert

Who doesn't love desserts and Christmas music?!

Each location has it's own line up of wonderful artists:

Bay View:  Friday, December 19 at 7PM.
We are bringing back Larry Moore, Elise Orlando and Holly Hartz, performing traditional Christmas favorites and new classics in an array of stylings, including pop and jazz!  Along with some other special guests including a string trio!

The Bay View location is collecting non perishable food donations for City on a Hill.

Lake Country: Sunday, December 21 at 6PM
We are bringing back the old time Christmas country soundings of "Poor Grumpy People".  Featuring a violin, banjo, mandolin, guitars and more, you'll be brimming with Christmas cheer this year.  

The Lake Country location is collecting non perishable food donations for the Hartland Food Pantry. 

There will be no childcare provided for this event, so please make your own arrangements. 

Hope & Stay

Often in life, circumstances beyond our control, can cause us to feel unhinged, ungrounded and grasping for hope.  In the midst of a struggling relationship, financial insecurity or health issues the ability to see a brighter future that is rooted in a secure present is a life skill that is essential for simple survival.

With that being true, the question often becomes how do you find that sense of security and hope for a brighter future. In life we work so hard to create security, we struggle to establish through great effort a sense of hope for tomorrow, we embrace those around us, clinging to them as if they are the anchors that hold us in place and the reality is when we put our hope in temporal things eventually we WILL be confronted with their temporary nature. We build financial security, working hard, investing smart and then circumstances beyond our control wipes it out. We create the illusion of strength through our eating habits and exercise every morning looking in the mirror and rejoicing in the health we are building to have it all shattered by one doctors appointment. We put our trust, investing all we have in our husband or our wife and in one honest confession of infidelity and it’s gone. Building a foundation on the temporary only produces temporary security.

It’s because of this truth that I have often found great wisdom and direction in the writings of the Apostle Peter as he wrote to the scattered Christians throughout the the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia in the book of 1 Peter. The church at that time was gripped in great upheaval. They were suffering under great persecution, being scattered, facing imprisonment, torture and even death and in the midst of it Peter directed them to have their hearts and minds set on the eternal.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,  who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  1 Peter 1

I am looking forward to investigating his eternal truths as we examine 1 Peter during our upcoming series “Hope and Stay”.

Buried With Him - Water Baptism

Check out these awesome shots of people following Jesus' command to be water baptized.  

A huge thank you to Mo Schultz Photography for grabbing all these images and to everyone who helped make this day such a great time.  

Water Baptism

Join us on September 7 at 12:30 pm. Following our second service. Lunch will be available!

We will have a cookout at Bay View Beach Park and then walk down to the lake and baptize those making a declaration to follow Christ in water baptism.

If you would like to follow be baptized, sign up at the Welcome Table or email Pastor Jonathan at jonathan@mercyhill.org. 

 

Taking Marriage from Good to Great

I know this is going to sound a lot like "the dog ate my homework" excuse but honestly I had planned a blog post for this week entitled "What Marriage is Really For" and it was meant to be a response to what appears to be a popular blog post that has been going around entitled "Marriage Isnt For You" by Seth Adam Smith.

I found the post to be good. Good not great. It expresses a good idea of not seeing marriage as being about you but as a means of serving your spouse. The problem is it misses the great idea that marriage isnt about either of you but, in the life of the believer, it's about Jesus. As I was planning that post I was sent a link to someone who had the same reaction I had. There is a good response written by Benjamin Pontius at his blog "The Everlasting Fallout." It expresses the idea really well and I would encourage you to read it.

The only point I would add to his well written post is, since the "main reason that our King created marriage was to give the world an image of what his love for his people looks like", we can see the reason why God calls us to fidelity in our marriages and why Malachi says God "hates divorce" (Malachi 2:16) and why Christ paints a very narrow exception for divorce (Matthew 19:3-9).  He is faithful to His church, He endures for His church and He provides for His church. We are called to do the same in our marriages.

Marriage isn't for either of us, it's for Jesus. 

Where Wolves III: Eliminating Wolves

As I have been writing this blog series I am keenly aware of how rare it is that I have ever been taught or even heard this topic addressed in all my years of church attendance. Despite the fact that there are two prominent passages quoting both Christ and Paul on the topic of wolves and despite the fact that there are dozens of passages warning us against false teachers, rarely, if ever, do I remember a sermon dedicated to these warnings. And even more rare is the message on what to do if and when we do come upon a wolf.  It is truly fascinating to me when I consider that it seems one of the only passages on the topic I have heard taught, or should I say mis-taught (more on that later), is taken from Philippians 1 where Paul makes the declaration,

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition… What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.  (Philippians 1:17-18)

 I know I have been taught repeatedly something along the lines of  “well, as long as they are preaching Jesus, let it go.”

When I think about this reality I can’t help but be reminded of the popular series of commercials from Chik-fil-a where the cows are ardent advocates for the consumption of chicken. Some how it feels like there might be a “hidden” agenda.  Doesn’t it seem odd that most in the church are well versed on the couple of times in the New Testament that deal with the tithe but don’t seem to know what to do when confronted with wolves? This is true despite the fact that there are more then a dozen passages that address this threat to Christ’s church. The problem seems to be If the wolves we are warned against are most likely teachers in the church (and I think the Bible reveals this to be true) where will the flock go to learn about how to avoid and eliminate the wolves that threaten them? This is one of the reasons, I believe, Paul in particular is so adamant in his condemnation of wolves. Wolves are a very real and insidious threat. The very people the church turns to for teaching on what the bible says about spiritual matters are the people using their position to take advantage of the church. As a result it is important to look to God’s word, inspired and illuminated by the Holy Spirit, as the source of our direction when dealing with the existential threat to our spiritual well-being. Doesn’t that seem to be exactly what John is saying in 1 John 2:

 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:26)

 He’s not eliminating the need for teachers but he’s saying when these teachers are trying to deceive you the ultimate source of teaching is the Holy Spirit and obviously by extension the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God. This practice reflects the noble practice of the Bereans in Acts 17:

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Diligently studying God’s word and in concert being led by the Holy Spirit will always be the starting point when getting prepared to face down the wolves that threaten the flock.

I’ve discovered in my years of church experience that quite often before we can learn what God’s word is calling us to do we have to unlearn what God is not calling us to do and if ever there was a case that this was needed it’s in this case.  I referenced earlier the passage in Philippians that is used far too often in a way that the verse does not allow and in a way that provides cover to false teachers. When you look at the full passage and it’s context you discover that Paul is not saying that the way to deal with wolves/false teachers is to simply say “as long as they preach Jesus let it go”.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (Philippians 1:15-18)

The first reason that this interpretation, or teaching, from this passage is false is that when you read this you discover there is a very specific type of conflict with which Paul is dealing.  The conflict is about personal rivalry with fellow ministers who are taking a position that is critical of Paul himself. Paul identifies two preaching factions and their motivations; one faction preaches from envy and rivalry and the other from goodwill. The determining factor for both is their view on Paul’s imprisonment.  “The latter do it out of love, knowing that I AM here for the defense of the Gospel” and “the former proclaim Christ… not sincerely but thinking to afflict ME in my imprisonment”.

The people Paul has issue with are not wolves, they are simply brothers who have found a point of contention with Paul himself. D.A. Carson explains it like this:

They think that Paul has done damage to the Christian cause by getting himself arrested. Probably they magnify their own ministry by putting Paul down. We can imagine their pompous reflections: “It really is sad that so great a man as Paul has frittered away his gospel opportunities simply because he is so inflexible. After all, I and many others manage to remain at large and preach the gospel. One must assume that Paul has a deep character flaw that puts him in the path of trouble. My ministry is being blessed, while he languishes in prison.”

Paul’s expression here is an example of how ministers need to behave when they personally come under criticism, when they personally are being criticized for issues that are not biblically supported.  Paul is simply maintaining the position that he has always had,  acknowledging he as messenger is irrelevant in light of the message (1 Corinthians 3:5-9). Paul was saying he was not going to create division over his position or ministry. He was not saying that when a minister’s lifestyle and message are counter to the Gospel don’t oppose them as long they “preach Jesus”. This position is incompatible with the context of the passage and incompatible with everything else we see about Paul’s life and teachings.

And that ultimately is the second reason this is a wrong interpretation of this passage, everything we see from Paul reveals a man who is not afraid to confront publicly and emphatically those who live and teach counter to the Gospel.

People don’t seem to realize there are many passages in which Paul, Peter, John, James are specifically critical of the integrity and message brought by other teachers, other leaders, and they are not vague and they’re not hidden and they’re not even private. Just in Paul’s writings to Timothy there are about twelve incidences where he calls out a warning about false teachers and teachings and on 2 two of these occasions he names them:  

Some have rejected these (faith and good conscience) and so have shipwrecked their faith.  Among them are Hymanaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme... (I Timothy 1:19-20)

and again in 2 Timothy 2:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:15-18)

He’s confronting by NAME false teachers and there are at least a half dozen other places in scripture where dozens of names are mentioned.  And think about this; How do we  know that there was a conflict/confrontation between Peter and Paul? We know because we can read in it in a passage of scripture written by Paul:

But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.  For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.  But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to (Peter) before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Galatians 2:11-14)  

He calls him a hypocrite, publicly, in a letter that is going to be passed from church meeting to church meeting, where it would be read aloud and that, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was included in the canon of scripture and would be read for generations.  When Paul saw Peter behaving in a manner that was inconsistent with the message of Jesus Christ he called him out, publicly. Does anyone doubt that Peter was “preaching Jesus”? No, of course not, but Paul saw an inconsistency with the Gospel in his public behavior and out of compassion for both the people being led astray and for Peter himself he publicly brought correction.

And so in this we begin to see an indication of one of the patterns for response to those who may be wolves. We can not be afraid of identifying and responding to false teachers.*

I believe there are two reasonable responses to the threat of a wolf and each is dictated by the role we have in God’s kingdom.

The first is the least glamorous and the most effective; flee. It seems reasonable to assume the best thing for sheep to do when confronted by a wolf is run. As “cowardly” as that might seem it appears to be the best advice for the preservation of the flock and the neutering of the wolf.  This approach does seem to carry with it a natural logic. It is probably the rare occasion in the animal kingdom when some “ninja sheep” finds the courage to stand his ground and fight the marauding wolf and my assumption is even when that happens the outcome is probably not what the lamb was looking for.

As in the animal kingdom, it appears fleeing is the first prescription in the church world. In Romans 16 Paul instructs the church to “avoid” those who “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites” who “by smooth talk and flattery… deceive the hearts of the naive.” In Colossians 2 he tells us to make sure “no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit” and in 1 Timothy Paul extensively describes the mark of false teachers and then gives a simple instruction in regards to our response:

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, FLEE these things. (1 Timothy 6:3-11)

 And all of these admonishments reflect Christ’s own statement in John 10;

“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.  A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:2-5)

When leaders speak in a “voice” other than that of Christ Himself the reasonable response from the flock is to flee.

Beyond the obvious analogous image of sheep fleeing wolves the truth is that this response by members of God’s community will most efficiently eliminate the threat of wolves to the church.  When you understand that the primary focus of the wolf is to satisfy his ravenous hunger with the blood of the sheep it becomes clear that when the wolf lacks access to the sheep he will ultimately die.  A false teacher will not deceive with un-Christlike teaching where there is no audience and he will not have his greed satisfied where there are no offerings.  A church populated by vigilant people committed to a Gospel message and Gospel leadership, who are willing to walk away when it becomes clear that the teaching and lifestyle of “pastors” do not match the pattern of Christ will effectively remove the power of false teachers to profit from peddling the Gospel and from victimizing the flock.

Secondarily the Bible calls pastors in their role as (under)shepherds to fight against wolves for the protection of the flock.  Again the analogy of sheep, (under) shepherds and wolves lends itself towards the concept of pastors engaging the fight for the good of the flock, but additionally, the Bible charges pastors with this responsibility as a part of their pastoral function.  Read Paul’s instruction the the elders, pastors, of Ephesus in Acts 20. Before he warns them of the threat of wolves he provides them this instruction:

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.  Therefore be alert.. (Acts 20:28-31a)

The call to the elders is to protect the flock from wolves.

 In 1 Timothy 4 we see Paul encouraging Timothy to expose the fallacies being taught by in the church:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared...  If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:1-2, 6)

Notice he says “if you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus.” It seems clear it is the role of a good (under)shepherd to make it clear to the church when there is error being taught. But this tactic of protection reaches it’s fullest potential when the pastor couples it with a commitment to sound teaching:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

The role of an effective pastor is not simply to attack wolves but to diligently feed your flock. It’s in this principle that I fear too often well intentioned “wolf hunters” get into trouble. The truth is I don’t see a biblical role for a “wolf hunter.”  I only see faithful (under)shepherds, who in the context of their duties, are required, on occasion, to set their sights on wolves.  We see in the modern church culture a proliferation of guys who feel it is their responsibility to take shots at every perceived wolf on the radar screen. Anybody with a blog and bad attitude can be on the attack. I’m not sure this is helpful or beneficial. I tend to think this is a problem because it is disconnected from what I believe is the proper church function that has been established by God in His word for the Church’s fight against wolves.  He hasn’t left us defenseless. If we as the Church do what he is instructing us to do we won’t need the individual disconnected from the ecclesiastical structure stepping into the ring of conflict.

If sheep flee, as a result of their diligent examination of God’s word and the leading of the Holy Spirit when they observe pastors who are not living and teaching as a reflection of Christ’s Gospel but their own greed, and if true pastors teach their congregation the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ that courageously exposes wolves within their sphere of responsibility, there will be sufficient defense to keep the church pure.

Unfortunately, this is not happening nearly as much as it should. Lay people are too willing to accept teachings and lifestyles exhibited by pastors because it is more convenient and self serving. They sit and watch fellow christians being mistreated and devoured, they observe their pastors living in luxury and teaching a message that accommodates their greed because they like the comfort of their community and the approval of their own self serving lifestyle. Too often pastors are unwilling to call out the wolves in our midst because it is difficult and not without consequence. Many will refrain because of a misguided sense of fraternity with anyone who claims the mantle of Christ, while others realize that in doing so it might highlight their own failings, empowering people to confront them, and might even prevent them from some day building their own self serving kingdom.

This is a dangerous game the church is playing. When we permit the “peddling of the Word of God for profit,” abiding the prostitution of the Gospel for the purpose of self aggrandizement we are collectively leading the church down a destructive path. If God judges this nation it will not be because our society has tolerated gay marriage as much as it will be because our churches have tolerated pimps masquerading as pastors.

*Note: I am not calling Peter a wolf here. The marks of a wolf I clearly dealt with in the last 2 blog posts and Peter doesn’t rise to the level on either point. What I am saying is, if Paul is willing to confront those who are in the wrong, even someone as “right” as Peter, how can we be unwilling to confront those who are wolves.

Where Wolves II: Identifying the Wolf - Part 2

The most conclusive identifier of a wolf is revealed in the very imagery of the term wolf as it is used by Christ and repeated by Paul.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

As Christ makes this declaration he is painting a picture of the motivations and actions of wolves. He describes the wolf as being ravenous. The greek word that is translated here is harpax and the word has a multi-layered definition. When you look at Thayer’s greek lexicon it defines this word first  as rapacious, ravenous and then the second definition is an extortioner and a robber. When you take the totality of the meaning of the word it is very telling the declaration Christ is making.  

Rapacious means aggressively greedy and ravenous means hungry. The second definition extortioner becomes important especially when you consider that the four other times the word harpax appears in the New Testament it is translated as extortioner. So in this one word you get both the motivation and the action of the wolves to which Christ is referring. Jesus is saying that, disguised as sheep, there will be wolves who, motivated by their aggressively greedy hunger, will extort and rob.  Now the victim of these greedy extortioners is clearly the sheep. The wolves feed on the sheep to satisfy their own hunger.

This becomes even more identifying when you begin to work your way through all the warnings against false teachers found in the New Testament. What you will discover is that virtually all of them resolve with people who are looking to their own self gratification.

Look at Paul’s warning again in Acts:

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

What does he say will reveal the wolf? They will “twist things to draw away the disciples after them”.  It’s the image that these “pastors” are looking to build a following after themselves.  Is it possible that this is what we are seeing with the now too common practice of “territorial protectionism” we see with pastors? Or the new phenomenon of “no-compete clauses” demanded by pastors of new staff hires? Could this be what is reflected in the declarations of pastors who insist “these are my people” as they discourage others from infringing on their claim to portions of God’s flock?

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. (Romans 16:17-18)

Notice how through “smooth talk” they deceive the naive to feed their own appetites, and he declares unequivocally that they DO NOT serve Jesus.

Paul’s final warning in I Timothy about false teachers identifies clearly their theology of self indulgence:

Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:2-5)

Remember this passage is about wolves. Paul is wrapping up this letter to Timothy by revisiting the warning against false teachers with which he opened this letter. He says these frauds “teach a different doctrine” that is not in accordance with the words, the teaching and the godliness of Christ  (the Gospel) and they “imagine that godliness is a means of (financial) gain”.  This is a direct indictment against the theology that  godliness or righteousness will result in financial wealth but, it seems, this passage is indicating that it is the false teacher who is teaching, leading people in all kinds of false ideas and that he sees his “godliness”, or his position of ministry, will be his means of financial gain. Adam Clarke in his commentary on this passage describes these teachers as;

Professing religion only for the sake of secular profit; defending their own cause for the emoluments (profit from employment) it produced;

And the passage culminates in describing these folks as being driven by the destructive desire to be rich.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. (1 Timothy 6:9)

Peter in his second book addresses false prophets and says:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

In this passage we see the culmination of the definition of wolf. They are motivated by their greedy hunger and will exploit/extort God’s people by using false teaching. And after making this declaration Peter gets serious:

But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

Peter emphasises in this passage the almost animalistic desire for self gratification that controls the wolves in the church. He reveals the deceptive relationship that these wolves have with the flock when he states they sit and eat with them in fellowship all the while seeing the sheep as simply the means of satisfying their sinful greed.  And then he brilliantly reveals why it is so difficult to identify the wolf among us. He illustrates beautifully the progressive self deception that forms these wolves and at the same time camouflages them.

Look at the model he uses for the wolf he is identifying. He references Balaam. Now Balaam was a prophet of God. Balaam was a man that God had spoken to and a man that God had called. He had served God and the people of Israel. But he was willing to compromise the message of God for the appeasement of the corrupt in exchange for his own personal gratification. Albert Barnes describes Peter’s reference to Balaam;

(Balaam) was supremely influenced by the love of gain, and was capable of being employed, for a price, in a wicked design; thus prostituting his high office, as a professed prophet of the Most High, to base and ignoble ends. That Balaam, though he professed to be influenced by a supreme regard to the will of God was really influenced by the desire of reward, and was willing to prostitute his great office to secure such a reward...

Balaam starts out as a prophet of God, as a messenger of God. He even, at times, speaks God’s word and God’s truth and as a result he is perceived as a man of God.  But over time the allure of personal profit and gain entices him to bend and twist his words, his calling for personal reward.  This progression, this evolution, from the calling of God’s service to self gratification is what forms the essence of wolves and it is what makes the identification of wolves so difficult. They seem like good guys but their lives will reveal “that their belly is their god.” I’ve seen it repeatedly first hand in ministry.

There was a pastor I knew well. He was someone with whom I was always impressed. He exhibited great humility and I always felt he was a man of integrity. He came to the Lord in his late teens, early twenties and as such he always seemed very moved by God’s grace and it was reflected in his ministry. He was a church planter and I remember visiting with him shortly after he launched his church. It had been a highly “successful” launch and from the beginning there were lots of people and lots of resources. As he and I were driving to his very modest home on the outskirts of town I noticed a dealer tag on the key chain. I asked him if he had just purchased the van. He replied, almost embarrassingly, that it was a used car that the church had given to him and his family because the car he had been driving was on it’s last legs. He said he argued with the board over it, not wanting to be a burden, but they insisted that he take it. I remember the impression that made on me. I remember thinking how he maintained his humility and servant’s heart even as he experienced such ministry success. Over time his church continued to grow and became a “mega-church”.  

I didn’t have much contact with him over the years, a moment here or there, but even in those limited interactions there seemed to be a change. He seemed “bigger” some how. He carried himself as more important with more influence. I lost touch with him years ago and it wasn’t until recently he returned to my radar. Someone told me he had fallen. He had an affair with a young intern at his church. He lost his position, he lost his influence and he lost his ministry.  Shortly after I received the news someone sent me a link to the real estate listing for the house he was selling. In a community whose average home price is $137,000 he was selling his $1.1 million mansion. It was a home that was dripping with excess. He had used his position to acquire a home that far exceeded his needs, purchased with the emoluments of ministry and furnished with offerings of his flock.  In a community with roughly a quarter of a million people living below the poverty level this “minister of the gospel” believed he honored the name of Christ by living in such excess. I do not mourn the sin that saw him lose his ministry, I pray the same for all wolves because only in that is there hope for their repentance, but I mourn the man he once was, because that transformation fooled many and put his own soul in jeopardy.

I know of another mega-church pastor who in his youth professed a call to India to work on the streets with orphans and lepers. A young man humble in his mission and his calling wanting to work amongst the least of these.  Over time and circumstance he turned his back on that calling choosing instead to minister amongst the wealth of suburban America. Now he lives in a mini-mansion furnished with his church’s money, driving expensive luxury cars, wearing designer clothes and being whisked around the globe flying first class, all the while he is teaching the nonsense that to reach the rich people in his community he has to live himself in wealth.

Consider for a moment how that philosophy of ministry is so counter to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It may carry with it the weight of a “fine sounding argument” but does it at all reflect the ministry, the message, the nature of Jesus Christ.  This isn’t an idea that needs deep speculation. Jesus ministered to the wealthy. Jesus brought his message to the rich. Did he ever feel the need to assume their status to effectively convey the truth? Was his failure in converting the rich young ruler a result of his not assuming the posture of rich young ruler or was it the result of that man’s deep affection for the offerings of the this world? How is it that this peasant preacher, who couldn’t afford to pay his taxes without divine intervention, was able to enter the extravagant home of Zaccheus in his dusty rags and yet bring salvation and repentance to this rich man’s household?  We are admonished in scripture as ministers to follow the example of Paul. When he entered the courts of royalty to bring the truth of Jesus he did not wear the gold chains of wealth but the dull steel chains of a prisoner.  To teach that wealth must be embraced in order to effectively reach the wealthy, especially in a culture whose greatest idols are wealth and consumerism, is to teach a gospel that has no resemblance to Christ’s Gospel.

And ultimately this is where the first mark of a wolf finds its convergence with the second mark; wolves propagate false teachings that defy the Gospel as a means of facilitating the satiation of their greed. The bringing together of these two realities is what most clearly reveals a wolf.

You have to understand people do teach wrong things. People make mistakes and these errors do not in and of themselves become marks of a wolf but when those errors in teaching, those ideas counter to the Gospel, reflect and facilitate self gratification I can almost guarantee, you have come upon a wolf.  When the feeding of the flock the pure beauty of the Gospel takes a back seat to a gospel message that helps satisfy a “shepherds” rapaciousness you can know with near certainty it’s time to either run or fight.

Where Wolves II: Identifying the Wolf - Part 1

I went deer hunting. Once. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Before I tried it I always thought, “It can’t be that hard.” Deer are docile and non-threatening and honestly they seem a little… slow.  Not slow as in they can’t run fast (because I know they can) but more like they’re not real quick on the uptake.  I mean, they see headlights from an oncoming vehicle and just stand there. How smart can they be? And so I figured finding one and shooting one shouldn’t be that tough. I was wrong.

I went hunting with my father in law, who is such an accomplished deer hunter I am quite certain that at halloween many of the teenage deer dress up like him in much the same manner teens in the human world dress up like Jason from the “Friday the 13th” franchise.  I figured being with him afforded me an advantage. And to a degree I was right as I found two deer.

The first one I found while sitting in a tree stand alone and since I couldn’t get a good shot, and he was a little ways off, I jumped down to try to get closer. As I approached him he started to run. I started to chase him. Not surprisingly he won. This is how I know they’re not slow.   

The second deer I found provided me a much better opportunity. My father in law brought me to a clearing that was about 180 yards across, surrounded completely by trees and full of clover. We settled down amongst the brush and waited to see if a deer would venture out into the clearing where we could get a good shot. Sure enough, in no time a small buck tentatively worked his way out to the edge of the clearing and provided me an inviting target. I lined up the shot and pulled the trigger. The crack of the gun echoed through the forest and, as my shot was high by about 3 feet, it simply scared the deer back into the woods. We figured he would be long gone and so I thought it might be time to pack it in but in just a few moments he began to work his way back out of the woods and into the clearing. He was tentative but continued into the open. I lined up my shot. I figured I had to compensate for going high the last time and so as I pulled the trigger I felt confident that this time it would hit the mark. I was wrong. I came up about 4 ft short and the deer scurried to the edge of the woods and, to my surprise, stopped. He looked around and then worked his way back to the the clover. I took another shot and missed right. The young buck flinched and jumped back but didn’t head for the woods. He ate more clover. I took another shot and this time he just lifted up his head and then went back to eating.  There is nothing quite as emasculating as standing there with a high powered rifle and knowing a deer doesn’t fear you because your shots are so far off the mark that he’s not convinced you’re even trying to hit him.

I tell you this story because hunting in general isn’t always easy and when hunting “wolves” the challenge appears even greater.  Think for a moment about Christ’s description in Matthew:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

He is telling us that those who are the greatest threat to the well being of the sheep will look like the sheep. That it will be difficult to distinguish the ravenous wolves from those that we cherish and call family. That creates a unique challenge. As difficult as it was for me to hunt deer at least I could identify what a deer looked like. And I am certain, even if the deer attempted to hide amongst my children, my family and those that I cherish, I would be able to make the distinction. Because I know how to identify deer. I know their characteristics, I know what they look like, I know how they behave.  

If we are going to work to eliminate the threat of wolves in the kingdom of God we are going to have to know how to identify them. Fortunately, there is much in God’s word that reveals the characteristics of ravenous wolves.

As I stated in my first post in this series the identity of wolves seems to always be that of those in leadership (elders, pastors, teachers, prophets) and as such one of the first identifiers is their teaching.  Christ, in the Matthew passage, says there will be prophets and therefore the implication is that they will make declarations, they will teach ideas. This concept is reinforced by Peter:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… (2 Peter 2:1)

And in Romans Paul says:

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; (Romans 16:17)

In this passage you see the divisions and obstacles are created by wrong doctrinal teaching. Again, it seems he’s not talking about divisions created by “unruly” sheep but by the purveyors of false teaching. In 1 Timothy 4, following his teaching on overseers and deacons, Paul warns:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…  (1 Timothy 4:1-2)

And in 2 Timothy he says:

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions… (2 Timothy 4:3)

It is clear that the first (but not only) way to identify wolves is by what they teach. So what do they teach that marks them as wolves? I think the easiest way to categorize false teaching is any teaching that is contrary to the Gospel.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9)

What a strong admonition. If you don’t teach the Gospel of Christ, Paul says, you should be cursed. This is why understanding what the Gospel is is so important.

Now I know this might seem elementary. Your response may be “who doesn’t know the Gospel, especially teachers in the church.”  But the truth is, unfortunately, many don’t. Many are fixated on the Gospel as simply the means of conversion. When asked, “what is the Gospel?” many pastors and teachers respond with, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, rose again and if we believe on Him you will be saved” and although this is central and important to the Gospel message it is not ultimately THE Gospel message.  Again, notice I said it’s CENTRAL to the Gospel message. I am not meaning to diminish the great truth of Christ’s work and how it is a gift to us but we need to understand that the Gospel message moves beyond our conversion experience to our entire Christian experience.

Far too often what is taught is the Gospel as the means of salvation and then it is put on a shelf in exchange for “good advice”.  The Gospel is meant to encompass the entire life, teaching, work, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ. It is on the image, the message, the ministry of Christ which all sound teaching is supposed to be focused.  When we move away from the nature of Christ embodied in His existence and proclaimed in His preaching we begin to exchange the Truth of Christ for the ideas of man. This is Paul’s warning in Colossians:

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments…. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:2-4, 6-9)

Sound doctrine, the Gospel, that builds up the church and believer is not “fine sounding arguments” and “deceptive philosophy”  but it is the full riches of completely understanding God’s mystery, which is Christ.  It’s why when there is division in the church Paul doesn’t call for a “mediation session” but he points to the image of Christ and says emulate His humility:

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:4-8)

When Paul offers marriage advice he doesn’t turn to “7 Steps to Happy Husbandry” he simply looks to the work of Jesus and says imitate His Gospel work:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28)

It’s why we are told to forgive as He forgave, love as He loved, sacrifice as He sacrificed, serve as He served, suffer as He suffered.  The sound doctrine of Gospel teaching leads us to Christ’s example of humility, Christ’s example of love, Christ’s example of sacrifice, Christ’s example of mercy, Christ’s example of holiness, Christ’s example of community, Christ’s example of truth and on and on and on. What this leaves us with is any teaching that does not reflect His nature is simply not sound teaching.

This is why we get pastors that espouse ideas like “we don’t have to practice unconditional love” or we should should stop “walking with turkeys ‘cause otherwise we won’t be able to fly like eagles” or “God wants you to have comfort and prosperity in this life” or “leaders need to be make tough decisions and sometimes that means removing people who aren’t pulling their weight”  All of these are teachings I have heard from “reputable” teachers and they are all counter to the Gospel and they are all false teachings. These may (or may not) be good advice but they are absent the Gospel. Christ exhibited unconditional love, Christ “walked with turkeys”, Christ didn’t seek nor find comfort and prosperity in this life and he never “removed” people that didn’t unify behind some vision, he cared for them and ultimately sacrificed for them, providing a way for them. Any teaching that does not reveal the nature of Christ is not a teaching that reflects the Gospel.

This is the first identifying marker of wolves but it is not the only one. In fact the first marker most often will/must be combined with the second to truly produce the biblical image of a wolf.