Proud to be TJ's man

Parents must do the ‘parenting’…..or it won’t happen in our homes

A new sermon has been posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPI1p9rI1mo

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Consider these words: ‘Children now live in luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love to chatter in place of exercise. Children are now t rants of the household. They no longer rise when an elder enters the room, and they contradict their parents. They chatter before company and gobble up the food at the table; they cross their legs and tyrannize their teachers.” Who said it? Socrates said over 2,000+ years ago.

Our own times are no different. But it is still true that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Many of us as parents have found ourselves in the middle of a conversation in the living room when our toddler comes into the room and literally ends all conversation.

They interrupt, complain, grumble, and certainly do not listen to our commands. Not only is it against what we wanted to occur, it is also quite likely an embarrassing situation.

What can we do to make certain it won’t happen again? We can begin by acknowledging that parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world…yet is usually performed by amateurs. And it also requires from parents a willingness to be taught. The sole purpose of this publication is to help us be better parents, have a peaceful home, and rear happy, responsible, and productive children.

It begins with parents being just that…parents. Parents are those responsible for deciding on acceptable behavior in our homes and it is also their responsibility to see that it occurs on a frequent basis.

One feature of our society which must be taught and expected is respect. This involves a respect for each family member as well as those in the community and our ‘church family.’ It must be taught in respect to those older and also with consideration to possessions.

Consider the following three tips as they relate to this important process:

DECIDE — Parents must first decide what behavior they expect in a given situation. You must determine this at the outset and realize that you have the option to make changes…but it must be communicated clearly and often to the child.

Do you want your child to come when you call their name? Do you expect them to sit at the supper table until they have asked to be excused? Are they allowed to run in a crowded, public place? At the church building, are they allowed to walk on eating tables or to rearrange furniture? Your decisions affect their behavior.

ACT—The second step is to act upon the decisions you have made. You must explain to the child involved what you expect of them. It needs to be clear and the consequences which will also be in effect must be taught. Make certain they hear what you say…have them repeat your words…and even take a moment with younger children to ‘practice’ the action you expect.

BE CONSISTENT – This is the crucial area that determines if this works…..you must be consistent in your follow-up. Don’t allow yourself to be ‘dragged’ into begging, yelling, or simply ignoring your child when something is expected and they have not responded according to your decisions. Remember, you are the parent: quickly and lovingly, you must make certain that their actions are not allowed and especially not encouraged.

And be quick to praise them when their actions are appropriate. A phrase used often by those trained in parenting: When that child is aware of your directions and willfully does not comply, you must make certain this is one ‘struggle’ that has only one winner —- you!

One thing is certain: items that are ‘cute’ when done by a two-year old are not cute when done by a five-year old.

THREE PHILOSOPHIES OF CHILD REARING. There are three philosophies of child rearing that should be considered:

1. Autocratic. In this method, the parents are the authority. The children may have ideas and suggestion; but when decision time comes, the parents’ word is final. Hassling and arguing is simply not permitted. The word of the parents is athe law.

2. Democratic. Here we have a situation in which everyone is on equal ground. Neither the parents nor the children are the final authority — all attempts to settle conflict are done so that everyone is happy. The problem: the children are essentially placed in an environment without direction.

3. Laissez-Faire. With this philosophy you leave the child to himself. He may do as he/she pleases. He will be what he will be – so why be bothered? The only thing the parents feel they can do is hope that through chance he will turn out all right.

The autocratic system is the Biblical approach: Eph. 6:1: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right.” Col. 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”

THE PRESENT GENERATION…ARE THEY MISSING OUT? The young people across the nation born in 1980…they have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era and did not know he had ever been shot. They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. They can only really remember one pres dent. They were 11 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War. They have never feared a nuclear war.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS. They never had a Polio shot and likely do not know what it is. Bottle caps have not only always been screw off, but have always been plastic. The expression “you sound like a broken record” means nothing to them. They have never owned a re cord Player. They have likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.

The Compact Disc was introduced when they were 1 year old. They have always had an answering machine. Most have never seen a TV set with only13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV. They have always had cable. There have always been VCR’s, but they have no idea what Beta is. They cannot fathom not having a remote control.

Popcorn has always been cooked in a microwave. They have never seen and remember a game that included the St. Louis Football Cardinals, the Baltimore Colts, the Atlanta Flames, or the Denver Rockies (NHL hockey, that is). They do not consider the Colorado Rockies, the Florida Marlins, the Florida Panthers, the Ottawa Senators, the San Jose Sharks, or the Tampa Bay Lightning “expansion teams.” They have never seen Larry Bird play, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a basketball player. The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI, WWII or even the Civil War.

They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. They cannot remember the Cardinals ever winning a World Series, or even being in one. Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America and Alabama are places, not groups. As far as they know, stamps have always cost about 32 cents. Zip codes have always had a dash in them.

Do you feel old now? Remember, the people who don’t know these things are in college this year. It certainly should remind us that every generation needs to hear those items which relate to their family and spiritual heritage.

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Posted by Gary Davenport on June 24, 2014 in Family

Order in the Church – What do the elders look like? 1 Timothy 3

21 Jun

Paul spells out 15 qualifications so that there are no doubts as to what spiritual maturity entails. Before we examine the qualifications in more detail, several things need to be said:

First, most of these qualities are prescribed elsewhere in the Bible for every Christian, including women. So we all should be seeking to grow in these areas. The moment we became a member of the body of Christ we are in the ministry, and we are given gifts for ministry.

It is not the elders who are to do the work of the ministry: We are!

Second, spiritual maturity takes time, effort, and discipline (1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV) Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

There are no shortcuts. We live in a day when we’re used to instant everything. But there is no such thing as instant godliness. The crucial question is, Are you involved in the process?

Third, no one is perfectly qualified to be a church leader. These qualities, for the most part, are not the kind of thing where you can say, “I’ve arrived!” There is always going to be room for growth. If you require perfection, no one would qualify as an elder. But at the same time, an elder should not be in glaring violation of any qualification. If he is weak in any area, he should be aware of it and should be working on that area.

2 Corinthians 2:16 (NIV) To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

(2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NIV) Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Elders are to be watching for this. That is what the word for elder, episkopos, means — “looking over.”

Elders are to be looking to see what the Lord is doing with his people, and utilizing the opportunities that arise on every hand. They are to be instructed in what the Lord has said in his Word so as to be able to guide this new and exciting thing that is coming into being, correcting it if need be. That is the work of elders. So it is a “noble task,” as Paul says.

Elders are to know and to seek the mind of the Lord, to guide the burgeoning ministry of the congregation as it develops, in direct inspiration of the Spirit of God, as each one in the congregation finds what the Lord wants him or her to do. The elders are to oversee that, to guide it, to correct it, if need be, along the lines of what the Scriptures teach and what the Spirit of God has led them to understand as they seek the mind of the Lord in prayer.

Those are the things you look for:

First, an elder’s reputation. “Above reproach” (KJV, NKJV = “blameless”). That does not mean he must never have had anything gone wrong. If that were so none of us would make it. It means that when something did go wrong he handled it rightly, dealt with it openly, giving every indication of desiring to be a godly, righteous man.

Second, he is to be a “one-woman man,” literally. It is to be very evident that an elder is committed to one woman, his wife, whom he loves.

A third requirement is that an elder be known for a number of good habits he has formed:

First, “Temperate” (KJV = “vigilant”) Basically, that means to be calm. He is not to be flighty or nervous, constantly jumping from one thing to another.

“Prudent” (NIV = “self-controlled”; KJV = “sober”; NKJV = “sober-minded”): A kind of inner peace governs him; a discipline of life keeps him level and steady.

“Respectable” (KJV, NKJV = “of good behavior”): The word really means “orderly,” to have an orderly life, not to have everything going helter-skelter, unable to lay his hands on anything and not knowing what is happening.

“Hospitable” (KJV = “given to hospitality”): Literally, the original means, “a lover of strangers.” He is quick to open his heart and home to others. He is not afraid to meet new people. He’s able to make them feel relaxed and welcome. All Christians are exhorted to pursue hospitality (Rom. 12:13) and to be hospitable without complaint (1 Pet. 4:9).

An elder must be able to teach. He must be able to expound the Scriptures, to correct those who are misusing them and recognize error when it appears.

An elder is not to “not given to much wine.” The fact that our Lord and the disciples did drink wine was a common experience in that day. But it was not to be over-indulged; there was to be no reproach in this area.

Another requirement is that an elder be “not violent,” i.e., not a contentious, angry man who is always attacking others.

Then he must not be “quarrelsome.” The word really is “stubborn,” not insisting on his own point of view at all costs.

He must not be in it for what he can get (not a “money lover”). He must not be out to keep up with the Joneses, but must maintain a simple lifestyle, without undue affluence evident.

Then an elder has to have a certain record of accomplishment in three specific areas.

First, He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God’s church? {1 Tim 3:4-5 RSV}

The first thing you look for is whether the man has a well-managed family. Look at his children. Are they obedient, or are they the scandal of the church, nobody can control them? I know that ministers’ and elders’ children are under more inspection than others. (They get that way from playing with the children of the other members of the church!)

But his children are to be obedient and courteous in their responses, learning how to address life. This does not necessarily govern the children after they have grown up and left home. The word used here is “small children.” This is a test of a man.

This does not mean he is not to have any problems ever come in his family. What this urges us to observe is how he handles those problems. Does he evade them by busying himself in his business, or does he tackle those problems?

He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. {1 Tim 3:6 RSV}

“A good reputation with those outside” (KJV = “a good report”; NKJV = “a good testimony”): He should be recognized in the community as a man of moral character and proper conduct. His business dealings should be honest and right. This should be true of all Christians, but especially of leaders. Non-Christians should not be able to bring the charge of “hypocrite” against a church leader.

Servants: Official & Otherwise (1 Timothy 3:8-13) All Christians are servants; some should be “official” servants. Christ is our supreme example of servanthood.

A farmer had a team of horses in which one horse consistently worked harder than the others. The farmer said, “They’re all willin’ horses. The one’s willin’ to pull, and the rest are willin’ to let him.”

Sadly, that’s how it often is in the local church. Everybody is willing: a few are willing to work and the rest are willing to let them.

A. The office of deacon is recognized in Scripture.

Most scholars agree that the office of “deacon” (= “servant”) finds its roots in Acts 6:1-6. There were a number of widows in the church without any means of income who were served food on a daily basis. But a problem arose when the Greek-speaking Jews felt that their widows were being neglected in favor of the native Hebrews. They needed some fair administrators to handle the situation so that the apostles would be free to devote their time to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

Men deacons: There are eight qualifications:

(a) “Dignified” (KJV = “grave”; NKJV = “reverent”; NIV = “worthy of respect”). The word is the opposite of being a goof-off or clown. A deacon should have a seriousness of purpose about him, so that those he serves sense that he is concerned for them and so they trust and respect him.

(b) “Not double-tongued” (NIV = sincere). He cannot be a man who tells one person one thing, but another person the opposite in an attempt to please everybody. Since the deacon was involved in handling church finances, he had to be a man of his word.

(c) “Not addicted to much wine”. Since wine was commonly served as a gesture of hospitality, it was important for a deacon, making his rounds from house to house, to exercise control or else he could become a drunkard.

(d) “Not fond of sordid gain” (NKJV = “not greedy for money”; NIV = “not pursuing dishonest gain”). Since a deacon’s duties often involved the distribution of money and gifts to the needy, there was always the possibility for embezzlement. A deacon could not be a man who would pursue dishonest gain.

(e) “Holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (the NIV’s “deep truths” is misleading). A deacon must be a man of conviction regarding the central truths of the Christian faith. In addition to sound doctrine, he must be sound in obedience (“clear conscience”).

(f) “Tested and found beyond reproach” (NIV = “if there is nothing against them”; KJV, NKJV = “blameless.” It means, literally, “not called to account.” This is to be determined by “testing,” which means that a man has an observed track record before he is put into office. You don’t put a man into office and then test him to see if he’s trustworthy. Test him first and then recognize him.

It’s obvious that the church should never recognize someone as a deacon in order “to get him involved,” or because he’s “willing to work.” The real issue, as far as holding office in the church is concerned, is proven spiritual maturity, both for elders and deacons.

Wives: “Not malicious gossips” (KJV, NKJV = “not slanderers”). If they went from house to house with juicy tidbits of private information, they could ruin a church very quickly. They must be able to control their tongues.

“Faithful in all things.” She must be trustworthy. She must follow through on assigned tasks. If an elder knows of a family that needs care of some kind, and assigns it to a deaconess, he needs to be able to trust her to follow through. We must commit ourselves to know, live by, and defend God’s Word of Truth.

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Posted by Gary Davenport on June 21, 2014 in Church, Sermon

Choosing character…the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy

20 Jun

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Mark Twain’s advise…Always do right; it will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

His words were intentionally piercing, wanting them to find their mark in the hearts of the Pharisees. They needed what was being offered. Their souls were in trouble.

“For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Their problem was pronounced: they coveted the attention given to those in places of spiritual authority, wanting the acclaim and fanfare. They liked to be noticed when performing ‘acts of righteousness.’ They looked down on people, and had replaced praying to God for praying about themselves to God.

They received the praise of men, but God had other words when referring to them, even in public. Hypocrites! Brood of vipers! They noticed specks of sawdust in other’s eyes and missed the plank in their own!

Forty-eight percent of American workers admit to taking unethical or illegal actions in the past year. USA Today listed the five most common types of unethical/illegal behavior that workers say they have engaged in because of pressure:
–Cut corners on quality control
–Covered up incidents
–Abused or lied about sick days
–Lied to or deceived customers
–Put inappropriate pressure on others.

D. L. Moody was certainly seeking our attention when he said that “character is what a man is in the dark.”

Honest Abraham Lincoln understood this principle: “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”

Bryant Kirkland has character—a minister of his church for 25 years. But now Dr. Kirkland’s beloved wife has Alzheimer’s and is unable to respond. I mean, you talk about suffering. Some of you know what that’s like when love is one way, don’t you, when you love and the person cannot love you back. But Dr. Kirkland doesn’t complain about it. He loves his beloved wife one way. He loves her and loves her and loves her.

And you know what’s happened as he’s hung in there? His suffering has produced endurance, and his endurance has produced character. He is a man of integrity. He is one of the great religious leaders of this time in history at the age of 80 because he has character. His sermons ring true with authenticity and fire because we know he’s been there, and he’s been steadfast. But that doesn’t come in a week.

The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the grey morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.

Mark Twain’s advise? Always do right; it will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually. It is right to be contented with what we have, never with what we are.

The story is told of an Irishman who was being tried in a Kansas town. His was a petty offense. The judge asked if there was anyone present who would vouch for his character. “To be sure, your Honor,” he declared, “there’s the sheriff.” The sheriff looked amazed. “Your Honor,” he said, “I do not even know the man.” “Your Honor,” came back the Irishman as quick as a flash, “I’ve lived in this county for more than twelve years, and the sheriff does not know me yet. Isn’t that a character for you?”

How we live makes a difference. And our character lives on even after the dirt is pushed onto the casket.
In the old cemetery at Winchester, Virginia, that starlit abbey of the Confederacy, there is a monument to the unknown Confederate dead. On it are cut these two lines: Who they were, none knows, What they were, all know.

In all our journey as a believer, we will have two categories of spiritual experiences. One is tender, delightful, and loving. The other can be quite obscure, dry, dark, and desolate. God gives us the first one to gain us; he gives us the second to purify us.

No professional football team that plays its home games in a domed stadium with artificial turf has ever won the Super Bowl. A climate-controlled stadium protects players and fans from the misery of sleet, snow, mud, heat, and wind. Everyone is comfortable. But athletes who brave the elements are disciplined to handle hardship. Apparently such rigors have something to do with the ability to win the Super Bowl.

Long before there was football, the Christian’s playbook declared the purpose of hardship. It builds Christlike character.

For several summers during the mid-1990s, Dave Wolter, head women’s basketball coach for Concordia University in Irvine, California, flew to Asia and put on basketball clinics for both players and coaches.
On one flight, his plane experienced mechanical trouble at 30,000 feet. Panic broke out. People were screaming, crying and standing up in the aisles. Wolter, on the other hand, sat calmly and prayed. When a woman sitting next to him saw how different his demeanor was to the rest of the passengers, she shouted in Wolter’s face, “Why aren’t you hysterical?”

Fortunately, the crew was able to correct the problem, and nervous tranquility was restored in the cabin. For the rest of the flight, Dave answered the woman’s question as she and several others listened intently to how his faith in Christ Jesus enables him to face death with confidence.

Our Christian influence has an effect not only through our words, but also through our actions. Stated another way, the fish symbol on the rear bumper of our car definitely makes a statement, but people will probably pay more attention to how we drive.

Our task as laymen is to live our personal communion with Christ with such intensity as to make it contagious.

What other people think of me becomes less and less important; what they think of Jesus because of me is critical.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Billy Graham often says, “Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”
It is our choices . . . that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

Character is not made in a crisis. It is only exhibited in a crisis! A flaw in one’s character will show up under pressure.

The Christian character is simply a life in which all Christian virtues and graces have become fixed and solidified into permanence as established habits. It costs no struggle to do right, because what has been done so long, under the influence of grace in the heart, has become part of the regenerated nature.

The bird sings not to be heard, but because the song is in its heart, and must be expressed. It sings just as sweetly in the depths of the wood with no ear to listen, as by the crowded thoroughfare.

Beethoven did not sing for fame, but to give utterance to the glorious music that filled its soul.

The face of Moses did not shine to convince the people of his holiness, but because he had dwelt so long in the presence of God that it could not but shine.

Truest, ripest Christian life flows out of a full heart –a heart so filled with Christ that it requires no effort to live well, and to scatter the sweetness of grace and love.

It must be remembered, however, that all goodness in living begins first obeying rules, in keeping commandments. Mozart and Mendelssohn began with running scales and striking chords, and with painful finger-exercises.

The noblest Christian began with the simplest obedience. The way to become skillful is to do things over and over, until we can do them perfectly, and without thought or effort. The way to become able to do great things, is to do our little things with endless repetition, and with increasing dexterity and carefulness.

The way to grow into Christlikeness of character, is to watch ourselves in the minutest things of thought and word and act, until our powers are trained to go almost without watching in the lines of moral right and holy beauty. To become prayerful, we must learn to pray by the clock, at fixed times.

It is fine ideal talk to say that our devotions should be like the bird’s song, warbling out anywhere and at any time with sweet unrestraint; but in plain truth, to depend upon such impulses as guides to praying, would soon lead to no praying at all.

This may do for heavenly life; but we have not gotten into heaven yet, and until we do we need to pray by habit.

So of all religious life. We only grow into patience by being as patient as we can, daily and hourly, and in smallest matters, ever learning to be more and more patient until we reach the highest possible culture in that line.

We can only become unselfish wherever we have an opportunity, until our life grows into the permanent beauty of unselfishness.

We can only grow better by striving ever to be better than we already are. and by climbing step by step toward the radiant heights of excellence.

Character is like the foundation of a house. Most of it is below the surface.

In Acts 27, the angel appears to Paul and says that he will reach Rome safely and that everyone aboard the ship will be saved. As Paul says later, “Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” Absolute blanket, unequivocal authority.

But Paul doesn’t settle down in his bunk and go to sleep. He goes out on deck, and seeing the sailors escaping, he says to the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
Paul says that depending on what human beings do — two sets of them: the pagan soldiers and sailors–in the next 30 seconds the Word of God will be true or false.

It’s as if the Word of God dangles over the side of the ship alongside the lifeboats. The lifeboat is about to be cut off; a knife’s cut can do it. The Word of God could be falsified in a second by the soldier saying, “Who are you?” Or the sailors saying, “We don’t care; we’re off on our own.”

For Paul, God’s sovereignty is the springboard on which he bounces in faith to obediently do what he must do so they do what they must do so that what God says will be done is done.

John Wooden remains today as one of the great coaches of our generation. He rose to prominence not just as a winning basketball coach but as mentor to literally thousands of individuals at UCLA and the world through his books and speeches.

One of his principles was that we are to be concerned more with our character than with our reputation, because our character is what we really are, while our reputation is merely what others think we are.

Tom Landry, the legendary football coach of the Dallas Cowboys, said “I’ve seen the difference character makes in individual football players. Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete of good character; and I’ll choose the latter every time. The athlete with good character will often perform to his fullest potential and be a successful football player; while the outstanding athlete with poor character will usually fail to play up to his potential and often won’t even achieve average performance.”

If you cheat in practice, you’ll cheat in the game. If you cheat in your head, you’ll cheat on the test. You’ll cheat on the girl. You’ll cheat in business. You’ll cheat on your mate. Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.

In a speech delivered in New Haven, Conn., on March 6, 1860 — just two months before the Republican Convention that nominated him, Abraham Lincoln said this: “What we want, and all we want, is to have with us the men who think slavery wrong. But those who say they hate slavery, and are opposed to it, but yet act with the Democratic party — where are they?

Let us apply a few tests. You say that you think slavery is wrong, but you denounce all attempts to restrain it. Is there anything else that you think wrong, that you are not willing to deal with as a wrong?
Why are you so careful, so tender of this one wrong and no other? You will not let us do a single thing as if it was wrong; there is no place where you will allow [slavery] even to be called wrong!

We must not call it wrong in the Free States, because it is not there, and we must not call it wrong in the Slave States because it is there; we must not call it wrong in politics because that is bringing morality into politics, and we must not call it wrong in the pulpit because that is bringing politics into religion; we must not bring it into the Tract Society or the other societies because those are such unsuitable places, and there is no single place, according to you, where this wrong thing can properly be called wrong!

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.

Every man has three characters — that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.

The expression of Christian character is not good doing, but God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian is that the supernatural is made natural in him by the grace of God, and the experience of this works out in the practical details of life, not in times of communion with God.

What we stand up for proves what our character is like. If we stand up for our reputation, it is a sign it needs standing up for! God never stands up for his saints, they do not need it. The devil tells lies about men, but no slander on earth can alter a man’s character.

God alters our disposition, but he does not make our character. When God alters my disposition, the first thing the new disposition will do is to stir up my brain to think along God’s line. As I begin to think, begin to work out what God has worked in, it will become character. Character is consolidated thought. God makes me pure in heart; I must make myself pure in conduct.

Carl Sandburg, describing Abraham Lincoln, calling him a man of steel and velvet. On February 12, 1959, Sandburg referred to him in these terms: Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect. . . .While the war winds howled, he insisted that the Mississippi was one river meant to belong to one country. . . .While the luck of war wavered and broke and came again, as generals failed and campaigns were lost, he held enough forces . . . together to raise new armies and supply them, until generals were found who made war as victorious war has always been made, with terror, frightfulness, destruction . . . valor and sacrifice past words of man to tell.

In the mixed shame and blame of the immense wrongs of two crashing civilizations, often with nothing to say, he said nothing, slept not at all, and on occasions he was seen to weep in a way that made weeping appropriate, decent, majestic.

Today our culture is far less likely to raise up heroes than it is to exalt victims, individuals who are overcome by the sting of oppression, injustice, adversity, neglect or misfortune. … Success, as well as failure, is the result of one’s own talent, decisions and actions. Accepting personal responsibility for victory, as well as for defeat, is as liberating and empowering as it is unpopular today.

Have you ever watched the icicle as it is formed? Have you noticed how it froze, one drop at a time, until it was a foot long, or more? If the water was clean, the icicle remained clear, and sparkled brightly in the sun; but if the water was slightly muddy, the icicle looked foul, and its beauty was spoiled.

Just so our characters are formed. One little thought or feeling at a time adds its influence. If each thought be pure and right, the soul will be lovely, and will sparkle with happiness; but if impure and wrong, there will be deformity and wretchedness.

During his time as a rancher, Theodore Roosevelt and one of his cowpunchers lassoed a maverick steer, lit a fire, and prepared the branding irons. The part of the range they were on was claimed by Gregor Lang, one of Roosevelt’s neighbors. According to the cattleman’s rule, the steer therefore belonged to Lang. As his cowboy applied the brand, Roosevelt said, “Wait, it should be Lang’s brand.”

“That’s all right boss,” said the cowboy.

“But you’re putting on my brand,” Roosevelt said.

“That’s right,” said the man.

“Drop that iron,” Roosevelt demanded, “and get back to the ranch and get out. I don’t need you anymore. A man who will steal for me will steal from me.”

The late C.S. Lewis said that people can ask only three basic ethical or philosophical questions. To describe them, he used the metaphor of ships at sea. When sailing ships leave port to embark on a journey, sailors must determine three things, according to Lewis. First, they must know how to keep from bumping into one another. This is a question of “social ethics.” In other words, how do we get along with one another on this journey called life?

Second, they must know how the individual ships remain seaworthy. This is “personal ethics,” and it deals with the individual’s vices and virtues – with character. Finally, sailors must decide where the ships are going. What is their mission and their destination? This last question is the ultimate one for us. What is the purpose of human life? Why are we here?

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble. Integrity is “a better long-term investment than the best Certificate of Deposit known to man!”

Bob Hope once said, “If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”

When someone mentions the word “charity,” we usually think about giving material things, such as food, clothing or money, to needy people. However, the book “Hope Again” contains a true story about Tom Landry, the great coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and the late Woody Hayes. The story illustrates a different kind of charity, but real charity nevertheless.

Years ago, Woody Hayes was fired from his job as coach of the Ohio State football team. The reason Hayes was fired was that he struck an opposing player on the sidelines during a football game. The press had a field day with the firing, and piled criticism and shame on the former Buckeye coach.

Few people could have felt lower than Hayes felt. Not only did he publicly lose control of himself and do a foolish thing, but he also lost his job and much of the respect others had for him.

At the end of that season, a large, prestigious banquet was held for professional athletes. Tom Landry was invited, and he could bring a guest. Who did Landry take with him as his guest? Woody Hayes, the disgraced man everyone was being encouraged to criticize and scorn.

The game of football has rules against piling on someone who has been tackled. The reason for those rules is simple: prevent needless injury to the player who is down. The world would be much better if we actually lived by such rules. But when someone makes a mistake or is going through difficult times, one of the first responses of many people is criticism and gossip. Another response is to shun someone who is down. Either response piles on more pain–needless pain.

Tom Landry did not pile needless pain on Woody Hayes. Landry had charity in his heart. Charity, in the form of mercy. So Landry reached out with mercy to help a fallen man get up and begin climbing the hill back to a mended life.

So remember two things. First, instead of piling on the pain when someone is down, be merciful. Apply the principle in the Good Samaritan story that Jesus taught– to be the one to come to the aid of one who’s fallen, not one who passes by on the other side of the road– and help fallen people up the hill they have to climb.

The second point is that there is an interesting thing about hills. When you help a person up a hill, you find yourself closer to the top, and the better it will be when you need mercy. Yes, we all need mercy. Romans 3:23 tell us that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

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Posted by Gary Davenport on June 20, 2014 in Family

“If All Your Dreams Come True” (Senior Day – 2014 and Ecclesiastes)

20 Jun

Norman Rockwell’s painting depicted on the front cover of the Saturday Evening Post many years ago (I am showing my age) hit the heart of any father when it showed the son with his dad. The dog, too, knew life was changing as the youngster anxiously awaited his future.

It was also true of the girl, shown looking in mirror, pondering her future, wondering if it could be what she had always dream it would be.

We want to give special honor to our graduating seniors…but also acknowledge the accomplishments of all our children and teens today….your education is one of the most important things for survival in this world. You MUST devote the time necessary and put forth the discipline required to “make it in this life.”

I. The Problem Declared (1-2)

“Is life really worth living?”

Life is not worth living because life is full of vanity (emptiness). Then he states his reasons:

A. Man is only a cog in a big wheel (1:4-11)

What is man compared to the vastness of the world? Everything in nature continues, century after century, but man is here for a brief space of time, then he dies. It all seems so meaningless. It is vanity. Since life is so short and man so insignificant, why bother to live at all?

B. Man cannot understand it all (1:12-18)

Solomon was the wisest of men, yet when he tried to understand the meaning of life, he was baffled. Is it reasonable to live when you cannot understand what life is all about?

C. Man’s pleasures do not satisfy (2:1-11)

2014-napkin1 Solomon had plenty of money, pleasure, culture, and fame; yet he admitted that these things did not satisfy. Nor did they last.

II. The Problem Discussed (3-10)

A. God has a purpose in our lives (chap. 3)

God balances life: birth-death, sorrow-joy, meeting-parting.

(1) so that we will not think we can easily explain God’s works (v. 11)

(2) so that we will learn to accept and enjoy what we have (vv. 12-13).

God has set “eternity” in our hearts. This means that the things of the world can never really satisfy us.

B. God gives riches according to His will (chaps. 4-6)

Why is one person rich and another poor? Why is there injustice and inequality in the world? Because God has a plan for us, that we should not trust in uncertain riches but in the Lord.

C. God’s wisdom can guide us through life (chaps. 7-10)

It is true that man’s wisdom cannot fathom God’s plan, but God can give us wisdom to know and do His will.

Simply because we cannot understand everything does not mean we should give up in despair. Trust God and do what He tells you to do.

Did you notice that in each of these sections, Solomon emphasizes the enjoyment of God’s blessings and the reality of death?

The Dream of Knowledge

(1 Kings 4:29-34 NIV) God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. {30} Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. {31} He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite–wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. {32} He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. {33} He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. {34} Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

A one-man university

(Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 NIV) I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. {13} I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! {14} I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. {15} What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. {16} I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” {17} Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. {18} For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.

Makes us more aware of our ignorance

“A chasing after the wind”

The Dream of Pleasure

700 wives and 300 concubines

(1 Kings 11:3 NIV) He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

“I refused my heart no pleasure.”

(Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV) I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.

“Meaningless”

{11} Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

The Dream of Accomplishment

7 years to build temple

(1 Kings 6:38 NIV) In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it.

13 years to build palace

(1 Kings 7:1 NIV) It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.

All must be left behind

(Ecclesiastes 2:18 NIV) I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.

“Meaningless”

(Ecclesiastes 2:24 NIV) A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,

The Dream of Wealth

Richest man on earth

(1 Kings 10:23 NIV) King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.

Silver as common as stones

(1 Kings 10:27 NIV) The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills.

“Meaningless”

(Ecclesiastes 5:10 NIV) Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

Your Own Dreams

Look at your own dreams. What if they all came true…where would you be? And why would they be looked at ultimately any differently than Solomon?

Your Own Dreams A. Live by faith (11:1-6)

(Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 NIV) Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. {2} Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. {3} If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. {4} Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. {5} As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. {6} Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

Your Own Dreams B. Remember that life will end (11:7-12:7)

(Ecclesiastes 11:7-10 NIV) Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. {8} However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless. {9} Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment. {10} So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

(Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 NIV) Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”– {2} before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; {3} when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; {4} when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; {5} when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. {6} Remember him–before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, {7} and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Your Own Dreams C. Fear God and obey Him (12:8-14)

(Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 NIV) “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” {9} Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. {10} The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. {11} The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails–given by one Shepherd. {12} Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. {13} Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. {14} For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man. –Eccl. 12:13

From the human point of view “under the sun,” it seems as if life is futile and empty; all is vanity. But when life is lived in the power of God for the glory of God, then life becomes meaningful.

Any dream that doesn’t have God as the center is a dream that is unworthy of your life.

The best part of this story took place AFTER the movie. He played for three years and had more shoulder and elbow trouble. He realized baseball was jeopardizing a bigger dream: his family. Baseball wasn’t the most important thing in the world after all.

(Psalms 42:1-2) As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

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Posted by TJ's Man on June 20, 2014 in Family, Sermon

Who’s in charge of the church? Christ exercises headship over His church through spiritually mature men who shepherd His flock

19 Jun

The basic principle of church government is that Jesus Christ is the Head of His church.

Who is in charge of the church? Jesus Christ is! It is His church; He bought it with His blood. The local church does not belong to the minister, to the elders, or to the congregation. It belongs to Jesus Christ who alone is the Head .

Ephesians 1:20-23 (ESV) “…that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Never in the New Testament are the leaders of the local church referred to as “head” of the church. Neither is the church viewed as a democratic organization, where the members are free to vote their own minds on issues. The key question in church government is not, “What is the mind of the members?” but, “What is the mind of Christ?”

The church is a living organism, with Jesus Christ as the living Head. While an organism is organized, it is more: it is living, responsive to the living Head. The church is a living organism in which every member is to be submissive and responsive to the Head and in mutual dependence and interaction with the other members so that the will of the Head may be carried out in a harmonious corporate manner.

So the main function of church government is to allow Christ to exercise His headship over His church. Having that view of church government results in an entirely different way of conducting church business. If you view the church as a democratic organization where every member has a right to vote, you’re into church politics.

“You’ve got to build your power base as a new leader in a church.” If you operate that way, you’re simply trying to manage and manipulate a bunch of self-willed people expressing their wishes through majority rule.

Christ exercises His headship through spiritually mature elders.

What are the responsibilities of the overseer? They are to rule (1 Tim. 5:17), to teach (1 Tim. 5:17), to pray for the sick (James 5:14), to care for the church (1 Peter 5:1–2), to be examples for others to follow (1 Peter 5:1–2), to set church policy (Acts 15:22ff.), and to ordain other leaders (1 Tim. 4:14).

The first ‘requirement’ is that they desire the work. The word “aspire” means to stretch oneself out or to reach after. This is not ambition for power and status, but a reaching toward spiritual maturity so that you can serve the Chief Shepherd by helping to shepherd His flock.

You should be taking advantage of every opportunity to serve God’s people, building caring relationships with others with the goal of seeing them become mature in the faith.

I actually heard an elder say “maybe if we make _____ an elder he’ll attend more on Sunday night.”

The church should not put a man into the office of elder so that he can serve; it should recognize as elders the men who are already living the life and doing the work. We need men who desire that fine work of oversight in this flock.

Do You Really Want to Be a Shepherd? (by Jerrie Barber)

“Before someone takes a job, position, opportunity, I think it is good to understand the job description. If there are parts of the responsibility that you don’t like, can’t stand, and will not tolerate, don’t take the job. Find something else to do.

Elders, shepherds, pastors, or overseers will be working with sheep. It is good to understand the nature of sheep. Do you like to work with sheep? If not, don’t take the job. Sheep are:

1. Dumb. “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23, NKJV).

2. Dirty. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

3. Disoriented. “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25).

All sheep are this way. “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

What is an elder?

The New Testament gives a fuller picture of the elder and his work than most people realize.

1. An older man. The Greek word presbyteros gives us the English derivatives “presbyter” and “presbytery” (I Timothy 4:14). He is a man of maturity, looked up to for his experience, wisdom and leadership ability.

2. An overseer. Our English word “bishop” is derived from episkopos, which means overseer (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5,7).

3. A shepherd of God’s flock. (Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1-4). “Pastors” in Ephesians 4: 11 is used to translate the poimen, which everywhere else is translate shepherd.

4. A steward manager of God’s business (Titus 1:7). This passage does not say that he is to be blameless in living; but he is to be a man with nothing laid to his charge, because he is God’s manager of the household of God on earth.

5. A teacher. (I Timothy 3:2; 5:17; Ephesians 4:11-16; Titus 1:9-11).

6. A superintendent caretaker, one presiding or taking the lead (I Timothy 3:5; 5:17; I Thessalonians 5:12). In these passages prohistemi is sometimes translated “rule” or “are over you”; but it means to stand before, lead, attend to. Jesus told the apostles they must not exercise authority as rulers do (Matthew 20:25-27). Peter taught the elders they must not be lords over the flock (I Peter 5:1-4).

Elders have responsibility for every kind of action and program by which all the members are built up in the faith, matured spiritually, completely filled with Christ, and: used in the service of the Lord. The key word is responsibility:

a. Responsibility for instruction of all in divine truth;

b. responsibility for protection from being led astray;

c. responsibility for correction of ideas and actions which are contrary to Christ’s rule in each of us;

d. responsibility for direction of every member in a life that works to contribute to the growth and good of all the rest.

The responsibility of the elders is to serve and lead the people in the will of Christ, even if they are resisted or persecuted for it.

Elders should be a plurality.

The term is always used in the plural with regard to a single local church (see Acts 14:23; 20:17; Phil. 1:1; Titus 1:5). The only one-man ruler in the New Testament is Diotrephes, whom the Apostle John castigates because “he loves to be first” and he exercised heavy-handed authority by himself (3 John 9-10).

Elders should shepherd God’s flock. (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2.) What a shepherd does for his sheep: He knows them (John 10:14); he leads them (John 10:3-4); he feeds them and guides them into the rich pastures of God’s Word (John 10:9; 1 Thess. 5:12; Titus 1:9; Heb. 13:7); he guards them from wolves (John 10:12; Acts 20:29-30); he seeks the lost and straying sheep and helps heal their wounds by getting them restored to the Lord (John 10:16; Ezek. 34:4-5); he corrects the erring or rebellious (2 Tim. 4:2); he equips the flock for maturity so that they can serve the Lord as He has gifted them (Eph. 4:11-16).

Thus the answer to “who is in charge of the church?” is, Jesus Christ is! He exercises His headship in the local church through elders who are spiritually mature men, selected by God and recognized by the church, who through example and servant-hood shepherd His flock.

John 10:11-13 (NASB) “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹²“He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³“He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV)We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) 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.

1 Peter 5:1-3 (ESV) So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

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Posted by Gary Davenport on June 19, 2014 in Church, Jesus Christ, Sermon

Order in the Church – The Priority Of Prayer 1 Timothy 2:1-7

18 Jun

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– {2} for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. {3} This is good, and pleases God our Savior, {4} who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. {5} For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, {6} who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time. {7} And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.”

1 Timothy 2:1-7 (MSG) 1 The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. 2 Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. 3 This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 4 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: 5 that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, 6 who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. 7 This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

As Paul begins to tell Timothy how to conduct oneself in the local church (3:15), he puts prayer as the first priority (2:1, “First of all”). But Paul is not just talking about the need for prayer in general. He is talking about the need for prayer as it relates to the salvation of the lost

1. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s plan (2:1-2, 8). Prayer is not a nicety, but a necessity. God is sovereign, yet His sovereign plan includes the prayers of His people. If we are involved with God’s plan for the world, then we will be praying in line with His plan.

A. God’s plan involves all kinds of prayer for all kinds of people.

• “Entreaties” = prayer stemming from a sense of need. Sensing our lack and God’s sufficiency, our impotence and God’s omnipotence, should move us to pray.

• “Prayers” = a general term for prayer to God….refers to requests for needs that are always present, in contrast to specific and special needs.

• “Petitions” = means to converse freely; it pictures someone who can go into the presence of the king and talk freely with him on your behalf.

• “Thanksgivings” = this points to the fact that we must express not only our petitions, but our gratitude to God for His gracious answers.

Not only do we need all kinds of prayer, but also we need to pray for all kinds of people. In his case, this included the cruel maniac, Nero, who later executed both Peter and Paul, who lit his gardens in the evenings with Christians covered with pitch, burned as human torches. Prayer is God’s means for removing tyrants and establishing peace.

It is extraordinary to trace how all through its early days, those days of bitter persecution, the Church regarded it as an absolute duty to pray for the Emperor and his subordinate kings and governors.

Justin Martyr writes: “We worship God alone, but in all other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging kings and rulers of men, and praying that they may be found to have pure reason with kingly power” (Apology 1: 14,17).

B. God’s plan involves the spread of the gospel so that all may be saved. We should pray that those in authority would govern so that we might enjoy a tranquil and quiet life. But the purpose for such a life is not that we might be comfortable and happy, but so that we can grow in “godliness and dignity” with a view toward the maximum spread of the gospel.

C. God’s plan designates men as taking the leadership in prayer.

God wants “men” (the Greek word in 2:8 means “males,” men in contrast to women) to take the leadership in the prayer life of the church.

2. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s pleasure (2:3-4).

Note the words, “good” (beautiful, pleasant), “acceptable,” and “desire.” God’s desire is for the salvation of all men. The Lord told Ezekiel (33:11), “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

3. Prayer that all be reached with the gospel is in line with God’s provision (2:5-6) and God’s procedure (2:7).

That one way of salvation involves a mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. In order for God to be reconciled to sinful man, man had to pay for his sin. The price was death, because the wages of sin is death. But God provided a representative man to be the substitute for all other men through His death. He became the ransom, the one who paid the price to release us from bondage to sin and judgment. This ransom is sufficient for all who will receive it.

The Conduct Of Women In The Church (1 Timothy 2:9-15)

I didn’t write the Bible. I just try to report what it says. But sometimes people get upset with me because they don’t like the forecast. For some that’s the case when I tell you what the Bible says about the conduct of women in the church.

Being a Christian means obeying apostolic doctrine, not changing the message to be more compatible with our times. The conduct of women in the church should be marked by godliness and submission to male leadership.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 (NIV) I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

(MSG) 8 Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. 9 And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions 10 but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it. 11 I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. 12 They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. 13 Adam was made first, then Eve; 14 woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. 15 On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this.

1. The proper attire of Christian women: not focused on outward appearance, but on godliness (2:9-10).

When a woman dresses for the worship service to attract attention to herself, she has violated the purpose of worship.

Our grooming and clothing says a lot about our values and the way we think. If a woman dresses in a sensuous manner or if by inordinate attention to grooming she emphasizes external beauty, it reveals that her emphasis is on the superficial and worldly rather than on that which is significant from God’s perspective. He is not prohibiting a woman from looking attractive, as long as she is not seductive or showy. Nor is he putting an absolute ban on a woman’s braiding her hair or wearing modest jewelry. He’s talking about emphasis. He was correcting women who went to great expense and effort to braid jewels and expensive ornaments into their hair. Their clothing was showy and expensive.

2. The proper attitude of Christian women: not assertive, but submissive to male church leadership (2:11-15).

When it comes to the roles of men and women, the Bible is clear that both male and female reflect the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Men are not superior over women nor women over men. In Christ, men and women are equal (Gal. 3:28), but at the same time, they are to fulfill different roles.

A. The realm of submission involves activities where a woman would exercise authority over a man (2:11-12).

Paul wants women to learn as long as their attitude is marked by two qualities: “quietness” and “submissiveness.”

The word translated “quietly” doesn’t mean absolute silence, but rather to have inner tranquility or peace (see 2:2). When the church gathers, however, women are to listen to the men who teach quietly … with entire submissiveness. Heôsuchia appears at the beginning of verse 11 (quietly), and the end of verse 12 (quiet), thus bracketing Paul’s teaching on the role of women with the principle of silence.

Order in the Church #3

The Priority Of Prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-7)