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Proverbs 6:17-19

Being a Team Player

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 15, 2013

As a team sport (see yesterday’s devotion) each person has a particular position to play in the family: husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather, grandmother, etc. Each of these carries with it some general directions and instructions regarding what responsibilities are to be fulfilled by each party on the team. These days there are incredible debates over what responsibilities should be assigned to each role in a family. Surely things have changed radically over the past couple of millenniums but in many respects the more things change the more they remain the same. The scriptures lay out the responsibility of the husband; love and sacrifice for his family. The wife is to love and respect (submit to) her husband. The children are to obey their parents. Parents are to nurture, not abuse, their children with their God given authority in the home. The problems I’ve encountered over the years in marital counseling are all related to one person in the family rejecting, abusing, denying, or rebelling against their God given responsibility as part of the family. A husband refuses to sacrifice, the wife refuses to respect or a child is disobedient. In my opinion, all family discord can be classified under one of these issues.

The same is true for the Family of God, the church. Each person has been gifted, shaped by God, to perform certain functions or play certain positions in the family. Every church discord I’ve ever experienced or heard about amounts to the same thing. One of the people, playing a particular position in the church family, rejects their role and usurps the roles of others assigned by God. As I mentioned several days ago that Psalm 68, verses 5 and 6 tells us that God is the one who places us in families. We are where we are because of God’s design and personal plan for our lives. The Church is the family that God designed, Jesus builds, and the Spirit oversees and directs. The problem comes when family members rebel from God’s program.

The wisest man in the world, Solomon, wrote in his excellent book of wisdom called “Proverbs” that there are certain things that God hates. The Hebrew word for hate does not carry the same connotation that our word does, but it still tells us what deeply displeases God. He say there are six things, then he pauses and says, “no wait, there are seven.” That little phrase puts all the attention on the 7th thing. Here is what they are according to Chapter 6, verses 17-19, “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” These are called “abominations” to God. A divisive player can destroy a team, a family and a church!

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Philippians 1:27, 2 Timothy 2:5

Family is a Team Sport!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 14, 2013

Paul used sport illustrations to communication spiritual truths on several occasions. In 1 Corinthians 9:26, Paul uses the picture of a boxer who does not simply swing at random shadows, but is focused and intentional with his punches. In Philippians 3:14 he speaks of the discipline necessary to win a race as he explains how he “presses on towards the prize…” In Hebrews 12:1, he exhorts us to run our “race” with endurance. Athletic competition is said to have been as big in Paul’s day as it is in ours. William Barclay writes, “In the Greek world there were the great Isthmian Games at Corinth, the great Pan-Ionian Games at Ephesus, and, greatest of all, the Olympic Games, held every four years.” The competition and discipline associated with athletics seemed to ring in Paul’s heart. Barclay goes talking about Paul, “He knew the contests of the boxers… He knew the foot-race, most famous of all the contests. He had seen the herald summoning the racers to the starting-line… he had seen the runners press along the course to the goal…he had seen the judge awarding the prize at the end of the race…he knew of the victor’s laurel crown and of his exultation …He knew the rigorous discipline of training which the athlete must undertake, and the strict regulations which must be observed…”

His use of sports metaphor is clear, but what is often overlooked when discussing this is that Paul considers the Christian life as a Team Sport. The Greek word athleo, from which we get our word for athletics, is only used twice in the Bible. Both times it’s in 2 Timothy 2:5. It says, “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” according to the ESV. The word is used once as a noun (athlete) but then it’s the same word in its verb form that’s translated as “compete.” I would translate this passage as “an athlete cannot win his competition unless he follows the rules of the game.” Another noun which is a cognate of this word shows up also in Hebrews 10:32. I would translate that passage, “you stood your ground in a great contest (athlesis) in the face of suffering.”

But the word forms a compound verb in Philippians 1:27. Greek is great about combining prepositions with its verbs to intensify or enhance the verbal idea. The preposition “syn” or “with” is added to “athleo” to form synathleo, which means to compete together against a common foe. Paul exhorts us in this passage to “…let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…” The phrase “striving side by side” is the translation of synathleo. Every member of a Christian family has a position to play; husband, father, wife, mother, son or daughter. These positions change as players grow up and as life transitions take place. But the truth remains the same. No one can win personally, or as a team player, unless they play by the rules.

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Philippians 4:8

Families & Sin!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 13, 2013

We’ve all seen families struggle with the imperfections of the individual members in many different ways. We’re all born into families and many of us have started our own families and we all know that we’re not perfect ourselves either. We’re all sinners, as mentioned yesterday, and as sinners we need to learn how to relate to each other in healthy ways that stimulate us to love and good works. Thankfully, most of the families I know work hard at managing their struggles and face the weaknesses of the various members with courage and confidence and learn how to work things out together. However, I’ve also seen numerous families that have struggled desperately with many sinful habits that have eaten away at the health and happiness of their families in many ways.

I’ve seen married couples who have adapted to a situation of spousal abuse. It’s not unusual for the strong personality of one party to abuse and take control of the relationship to such a degree that it crushes the life out of the other party. Different personality types in a marriage must be recognized and care must be taken by each party not to be a door mat, or to ever treat another as a door mat in word or deed. Substance abuse has been another major problem in families. Various forms of alcoholism and drug abuse will eat away at the health of any relationship if not dealt with quickly. Mental illness can also cause incredible stress on relationships in the family. Depression as well as anti-social behavior of any kind can negatively impact a family. I’ve seen obsessive compulsive disorders destroy families. I’ve seen bi-polar personalities stretch the patience of their partners to the breaking point. There are many other issues that will eat away at the family; gambling addictions, workaholic behavior, materialism, and many, many other sinful behaviors have destroyed marriages and families.

One of the most devastating diseases in our society today is sexual addictions. A specialist on the home and the family writes, “Sexual addiction has always been with us but has become more pervasive in its impact on the family. Those of us who would never have considered wandering into the red-light district of sleazy porno shops and massage parlors cannot peruse even the non-pay TV channels of a typical hotel room today without confronting highly erotic, soft-core pornography. The neighborhood video store makes available every kind of voyeuristic opportunity to those of all age levels. The typical Hollywood film cannot succeed without implicit and most often explicit activity that encourages our societal preoccupation with distorted sexuality. And the Internet brings every kind of pornography imaginable—and some unimaginable—directly into our family.” Christians must always focus on “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).

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Romans 3:23

All Have Sinned!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 12, 2013

My wife and I had the privilege of taking the “Marriage and Family” Seminary Course while at Dallas Theological Seminary back in the 80’s. Dr. Howard Hendricks, along with his wife Jeanne, led that class and it was truly amazing. Dr. Hendricks, The Prof, passed away last week. He will be missed by thousands of ministers around the world who have benefited from his ministry. When I took Nick Bank to visit DTS back in April several years ago, we just happened to sit in on the Prof’s last class of Bible Study Methods. I was grateful that I had the chance to sit under his wisdom once again and that Nick had the experience also.

I remember how he used to address us young prospective ministers. He knew from many, many years of experience how capable we were of messing up our own families. One of his quotes is “any man with a little bit of money, a Christian education, and some popularity can with great style make a mess out of his marriage.” No one is exempt from the struggles, strains, and stress associated with relationships with imperfect people. There is no such thing as a perfect husband or a perfect wife or a perfect son or perfect daughter. Thus there is no such thing as a perfect family. When Curt Isaacson opened his sermon on Sunday he began with Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one is perfect except God. We all fall short in each and every relationship in our lives. We all must learn to live with imperfect people. I always enjoy telling the congregation, “Men, you married a sinner! Women, you married a bigger one.” It’s this truth that requires healthy effort on the part of each person in a relationship to make it work as God intended.

Donald Grey Barnhouse was Howard Hendricks mentor in his younger days. The Prof’s students would hear him frequently tell stories about Barnhouse and quote him in class. In his commentary on Romans 3:23, Barnhouse writes, “This is the flat declaration of the Creator of the universe and the Author of the supernatural Word. All have sinned. It makes no difference what your thought is about the matter: all have sinned. It makes no difference what your religious ideas: all have sinned. It makes no difference if you declare that sin is an error of mortal mind: all have sinned. You may attempt to do away with the idea of sin by philosophical speculation. It makes no difference: all have sinned. When the Communists came to power in Russia they published a new dictionary. Under the Russian word for ‘sin’ was the definition: ‘archaic and bourgeois word denoting the transgression of a mythical divine law.’ Such definitions make no difference: all have sinned.” When we grasp the reality of our own sinfulness we can finally stop expecting, and or demanding, perfection from others. Only those with a low view of their own sinfulness demand perfection from others.

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Psalm 68:5-6

The Church Family

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 11, 2013

The Psalms often give us clear pictures of God’s character and nature that we don’t see in other parts of Scripture. Our songs today model these traits of God as we lift up our voices to praise Him together. Often a Psalm will begin with an exhortation for us to sing. In Psalm 68 we read, “Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the LORD; exult before him!” Then in verse 5 and following he expands on his exhortation be explaining why we should sing to God. Verses 5 and 6 of this Psalm says, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home…” It’s that last phrase that struck me as I have been thinking about family matters. God puts us in families.

Dr. Ted Ward was a professor at Michigan State University and at Trinity Seminary near Chicago. In his work on the family he refers to this verse when he discusses the three basic functions of a family. The first function, according to Ted, is protective. I think this is what the verse is referring to in the context of widows and orphans. When he explains this function, John Huffman says, “A family helps the individual, both child and adult, become more competent to deal with social realities. The very way we are held, fed by bottle or breast, talked to, prayed for, nurtured or not nurtured has a profound future impact on how we view ourselves and others. Healthy parenting provides a secure base of acceptance. It provides a secure base of acceptance from which an individual can move out into the world. We achieve competence. We become better able to reach out.”

I can’t help but relate these thoughts to the church family also. The Psalm might even be referring to the family of God because in its context it refers to widows and orphans. These are people without immediate families. God has placed us in a family through faith. As a spiritual family the church is supposed to protect people from the dangers in the world. We should help each other grow into healthy, productive citizens of the community. We urge each other in in our development as mature Christ-like adults. Huffman adds that as a church “we teach them how to eat the Bread of Life. All this is done within this caring community called the family of God. We protect each other. That is why God sets the lonely in families. We need to protect each other.” It’s obvious that it’s the nuclear family in which the physical provisions of food, shelter and clothing are made. But, as Huffman concludes, “A healthy church becomes the family of God to us, supplementing and complementing contributions of a good home and helping us to make good the deficiencies of a poor home. They help us cope with life, enabling us to live in community.”

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Luke 7:37

A Life of Adventure

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 8, 2013

In John Huffman’s great book, “How to build an Authentic, Loving Home,” he suggests that there are some things every family needs. Most of these seem readily apparent. He says our families need several things if they are to remain emotional stable and happy. He says every family member needs security, intimacy, and recognition. Of course these make good sense, but # 2 on his list of family needs is adventure. I’ve not considered this as a family need but something that comes along when it comes along. We all have trials and struggles and mountains to climb, new responsibilities to explore, new courses to take, etc. But he means something more than that. Here is what he says.

“Your loved ones have a need for adventure. No life is emotionally whole if there is not a sense of expectancy.
Remember your first business deal. You were working your way through school selling magazines. You were paid by commission. How excited you were with the first $20 you earned! Or perhaps it was your first day in the office on a new job. Remember the enthusiasm with which you arranged and rearranged your papers and settled in behind your new desk? It was probably a modest salary. To you it was a great adventure. Remember that love letter which didn’t come? You went out and said, ‘Mr. Mailman, I am sure there is one more letter in your bag.’ He looked and said, ‘No, I don’t believe there is.’ ‘But there has to be!’ you responded, expecting some word from your loved one. You went through this for the next three days until finally the letter arrived. I feel confident that you have received many letters in your day. But none, I believe, was ever quite as exciting as the one you expected which didn’t come, which made you all the more eager for the day when it finally arrived.” As he concludes this short article, I find myself realizing I haven’t been real good at this as far as my family experience has been concerned. He says, “I know that some of us have settled into bland living. There is no enthusiasm. There is no excitement. There is no joy. Every day has its routine. Even if you can survive on emotional K-rations day in and day out, your partner, your children, your parents need adventure. Are you doing anything to make your family’s life more exciting? Are you planning adventure?”

I’m reminded of Luke 7:37. Jesus said, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” The man of faith, Abraham, lived an incredibly adventurous life. It was a life of obedience to God’s call. As a Christian that’s the adventure we should pursue. Max Lucado writes, “There is a rawness and a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Sell out to get it. Don’t listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won’t feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long; it’s to live. Jesus says the options are clear. On one side there is the voice of safety. You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe.…Or you can hear the voice of adventure—God’s adventure. Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart. Follow God’s impulses. Adopt the child. Move overseas. Teach the class. Change careers. Run for office. Make a difference. Sure it isn’t safe, but what is?”

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Joshua 24:15, Galatians 5:13

True Freedom

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 7, 2013

I’m always being asked questions regarding God’s sovereignty with respect to man’s free will. There are many different opinions regarding this issue and whole denominations have been built around disagreements and perspectives attempting to explain this mystery. I believe the scripture teaches us that God is sovereign over everything. He’s the only ultimately free being. Man’s free will is part of God’s sovereign choice. We all live in a world in which we can choose to help an old lady across the street or run her over (an example often used by existentialists).

A.W Tozer explains it well. He says, “Here is what I see: God Almighty is sovereign, free to do as He pleases. Among the things He is pleased to do is give me freedom to do what I please. And when I do what I please, I am fulfilling the will of God, not controverting it, for God in His sovereignty has sovereignly given me freedom to make a free choice.
Even if the choice I make is not the one God would have made for me, His sovereignty is fulfilled in my making the choice. And I can make the choice because the great sovereign God, who is completely free, said to me, “In my sovereign freedom I bestow a little bit of freedom on you. Now ‘choose you this day whom ye will serve’ (Joshua 24:15).”

Joshua answered that question by saying “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” I was struck by the obvious use of the idea of “service” in this passage. Really, all our choices come down to the ultimate one of who we’re going to serve. Will we serve the gods of the world around us, the gods of fleshly pleasures, the gods of material wealth, the gods of success and power and prestige? O will we serve the Lord. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is often the letter referred to as the Declaration of Independence for Christians. It’s all about the freedom we have been granted in Christ in contrast to the confines of the law. But as he begins to wrap up his letter on Freedom he reminds his readers, he reminds us that true freedom is found in serving others. He writes in Chapter 5, verse 13, “For you were called to freedom …Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” I guess we could look at this exhortation as the New Testament parallel to Joshua 24:15, “choose you this day whom you will serve…as for me and my house (my home, my family) we’ll serve the Lord.”

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John 13:15

Following His Example

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 6, 2013

When the apostles were following Jesus to the upper room to share the Passover meal together, Jesus noticed that there was no one to wash their feet. This custom was a practical necessity because of the dusty roads. No one had inside plumbing in those days and baths were normally taken in a common environment. Afterward they would walk home in sandals (at best) and their feet would be dirty from the walk. If the family was rich enough, they had domestic help that would bring a bowl of water and wash off the feet of each family member before they sat down to eat together. I would assume that family members would do this for each other if they did not have servants. When Jesus noticed that no one had made provision for this need, John 13:12f, tells us that he took the basin of water and wrapped a towel around his waist and proceeded to wash each of the disciples’ feet. When he was through he asked them if they knew why he did that. Actually he asked, “do you understand what I have done to you?”

As a Seminary student in 1982, I visited a church that practiced this ritual as a church ordinance. I had my feet washed by a member of the congregation and I must tell you that it’s an extremely humbling experience. It created an atmosphere in which competitive energy as well as intellectual arrogance dissipated into thin air. It brought to my mind a simple episode in my life right after I became a Christian in 1978. One of the oldest men in our small church in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, John Boffa, came to me as I sat with my family at one of the many potluck dinners we used to enjoy, and said, “let me get your some more.” He brought me coffee and a piece of apple pie. The atmosphere I felt when having my feet washed was exactly the atmosphere of old Mr. John Boffa serving me at that table.

Jesus went on to answer his own question to His disciples. He said, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master…” I don’t believe that Jesus’ example of washing feet is something that should be reduced to a ritual but is something that should motivate our lives. The Greek word for example is “typos.” We get our word “type” from that. It means, model, or even prototype. I often think of it as the letters of the alphabet above the black board in early elementary grades. When the children are learning to write they can look up at these “examples” at any time. Jesus gave us an example of how to live our lives. We should look up at our example daily. This is especially true in our family lives. Families that learn how to serve each other are truly families with healthy, happy, and wholesome atmospheres in which Christ like qualities can grow and flourish.

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