Changes: A potential sermon outline

This is the 200th post at the Open Mike. There is really no need to send cards of congratulations -- just post a comment! :) I trust that this short and sweet post will remind you to always be listening for great ideas and to always read for application (supported of course by good observation and interpretation).

I was listening as one of our leaders taught during the Sr Hi YG last Wednesday. It struck me that she had shared some pretty fascinating insights about the Holy Spirit and His involvement in us to bring about change. Here is the rough outline boullion for a sermon or at least a devotional:

Spiritual changes (individual or corporate) are...

a. part of God's training program --> Trust Him!

b. perfected by God's power and in His perfect timing --> Wait for it!

c. perfect God's people and "team" --> Embrace it!

These thoughts come rather roughly through the verses of Acts 1:1-8. They surround a much more major milestone than 200 blog posts; they are connected to the birth of the church. I hope that God is catching your attention through His Word, His Spirit, His people/church, and His world.

Changing, or rather being changed,

Mike

Creativity in Leadership

I was suppposed to get my van's oil changed at the local muffler shop. I had a 9:00 appointment and expected to be in and out with no problems. But I grabbed a book just in case I was delayed. Needless to say, when I got to the waiting area and found that there were no seats, I was worried. But the book that I had grabbed was Kenn Gangel's, Coaching Ministry Teams: Leadership and Management in Christian Organizations. I read portions of it while on internship and figured that it was appropriate for me right now as I wait for a ministry trip to Lamoka in August.

Here are some of the nuggets that I found (or maybe re-found):

"Creative people bring about something unusual... Creative people are dreamers, dissatisfied with the way things have been because there's always the hope they can be better. ... Like leadership, creativity is learned; it often comes down to a restructuring and reforming of
ideas."

Coaching Ministry Teams, p.26

That quote is where I am in my leadership journey. I am so dissatisfied with the status quo that I can barely keep it harnessed. I have a dream, a vision of where the church leadership team could be if we would lift up our eyes and see the harvest fields. If we could catch a glimpse of what it would be like if we got busy about personal spiritual growth, holiness and responsibility, we would all be straining at the reins. And then Gangel did it; he crossed the line.

"Joshua's years of preparation allowed him to enter his leadership role with the important quality of patience, a treasured companion of creativity in leadership." (emphasis by Gangel)

Coaching Ministry Teams, p.26

Oh yeah, patience. It has now officially become my most hated word. It makes my little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I cringe as people use it. I know I should exercise it; but I despise its overuse and the resulting excuse for inactivity. So once agin in the school of pastoral leadership, I am forced to acknowledge my weaknesses. As much as I would like to hitch my wagon to the whirlwind thoroughbreads named Creativity and Zeal, I must keep them attached to the wagon with the riggings of Patience and Timing.

So once again I have to pray,
Father,
Help me to wait upon the Lord to renew my strength, to mount up with wings like eagles and then to run and not be weary, to walk after your ways and not faint in them. Help me to balance the zeal and desire to be passionate about everything I do with the discipline of self-control. Keep me from rejecting and discarding those caught in apapthy. Make me a voice for positive, sensible, Biblical change. Keep me growing personally. Allow me to follow You, as I attempt to lead these dear people that you have entrusted to me today. May my consuming zeal be contagious and attractive inside the fire ring of the Spirit's control and filling. Don't let me be a dangerous uncontrolled wildfire.
Keep me burning til the break of day,
Amen

The Finger of God

In the plague narrative in Exodus, Pharaoh's henchmen make an interesting anthropomorphic conclusion during the third plague (gnats/lice/insects/bugs).

"The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh' s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said."

Exodus 8:16-19, NASB

The finger of God. I believe that the magicians intended for this to be a harbinger of things to come, intended to dissuade Pharaoh from further irritation of this Hebrew God, YHWH. THey were saying, in effect: "We're dealing with a seriously higher power here dude!" or "We are so definitely out of our league on this one." This statement highlights the fact that there was a divine influence in this situation. If the magicians were in charge, it would have only taken three plagues instead of the power of ten. They were ready to release the Hebrews on their own recogniscence. This is a God thing, king! Pull out now while we're still standing here.

Yet, the king in all of his own worldy wisdom allows this episode to further bake his heart into a sun-dried brick! He doesn't take even the advice of his own "wisemen". He is up for a showdown with God, YHWH, the Self-Existent One. That is exactly what he gets. The finger of God writes in judgment of sinful, corrupted hearts, "Mene, mene tekel upharsin" [weighed, weighed and found wanting]. Just like Beltashazzar, Pharaoh was in a serious spot of light shone from the finger of God. Like the finger of the prophet Nathan, the plagues from the staff/hand of Moses, pointed out "You are the man". Yet in the face of indictment, Pharoah demands and maintains his innocence or at least his superiority.

The finger of God is only the wake-up call. It is the tip of the iceberg, the first part of the migty hand of God that has been promised to bring God's people out of the land of bondage. Too bad that Pharoah keeps rolling over and hitting snooze.

1. Is God pointing out an area that needs some confession, repentance and rearranging?
2. Are you listening or are you hitting the snooze button?
3. Are you allowing the hardness of today to soften your spiritual sensitivities and draw you closer to God? Are you allowing them to bake your hardened, selfish heart and drive you farther from Him?

Don't wait for the mighty hand of God; choose to hear the finger.

Paying close attention myself,
Mike

**for further finger of God things, read Ex. 31:18/Deut 9:10, Luke 11:20, John 8:6

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

As the old love song goes, "breaking up is hard to do". The bond between people and pastors in a local church is a precious, sweet communion and fellowship. It has been referred to as a marriage. I want to be careful about using that image as God does not deal in divorces, yet He sometimes moves ministers to other parts of his vineyard.

One of the blogs that I regularly read is that of a pastor in my area in another denomination. He has heard clearly the call of God to move into a church planting role in the south after only two years in "Western NY". You really must read his blog post about the intensity and passion of the ministry through these separation days. Top shelf stuff!

If God were to call me/lead me to another part of the vineyard (as He has at least four other times before), I pray that I would be able to lead with such leadership strength as Paul is demonstrating.

Go in grace,
Mike