All you need

After our study of 1 Timothy 1:5, I was blessed by a number of links and notes. Here are a few that I’m sure will make you think and smile…

Wayne, here’s the pop culture summary of 1 Timothy 1:5:

Sparking creativity

Pastor Wayne, love changes everything! It even opens creativity and builds teams. Consider this article by Justin Brady: [Note – below is my edited version. You can read the original in the May 21, 2013 Wall Street Journal.]

I have observed many different strategies that leaders employ, hoping to spark creativity in the workplace. I’ve had discussions with the owners of local Ma & Pa shops and Fortune 500 executives. Some leaders inspired creativity, others didn’t. But the education or experience of their teams, the hiring of individuals known for their creativity, and the company’s size or its pay scale had nothing to do with it.

The creative output of any company always comes out of leadership that exhibits one very basic principle with three facets. Creative environments aren’t planted, they are cultivated by leaders who:

* Listen. Listening is much different from hearing. When someone is truly listening, they keep eye contact and they strain to find meaning. When you are listening, you discover insights that weren’t obvious before. In addition, your demeanor noticeably changes, making the person who is talking feel valued and thus more likely to be helpful – and creative.

* Empathize. This is a giant problem today, not only in companies but in politics and even relationships. Empathizing takes work. People who truly empathize not only try to put themselves in the other person’s shoes, but they also make it a priority to find truth in their words. This shift of focus is dynamic, and unlocks explosive creativity.

* Trust. Listening and empathizing are useless if you can’t trust another individual. Some ideas or concepts won’t make sense to anyone but the innovator. That’s what makes them innovators, they were capable of seeing a solution or connection no one else could. Any groundbreaking innovation is always poked and prodded when it comes out. Trusting is the final step of the creative process.

I call the three facets above the LET principle. Only when a leader exhibits all of them is a team truly creative and successful. Teams guided this way will adapt quickly and accomplish much. They will correct problems, in most cases before half the team even knows there is a problem. – Justin Brady 

Let all that you do be done in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14 NASB)

Help me love

Wayne, C.S. Lewis recognized the daily value of and battle for love. Remember his letter to Sheldon Vanauken: “Pray for me to be made more charitable: we’re in the middle of a Faculty crisis which tempts me to hatred many times a day.” – C.S. Lewis letter to Sheldon Vanauken, printed in A Severe Mercy 

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8 NASB)

In the home

Wayne, thinking about the love series, this quote jumped out from something I’m reading. Though the author is likely a little too Roman-church oriented and not enough Christ-oriented, he nails the idea of fathers loving their family:

Christian fatherhood demands more from the patriarch than is expected from any worldly leader because it demands all, the very giving of one’s life…Christ loved unto the laying down of his life for those that were given to Him. It is in this divine manner that the [Christian] must strive to fulfill his great God-given commission.” -G.C. Dilsaver, The Three Marks of Manhood

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

(Ephesians 5:1-2 NASB)

Elevated thought

Wayne, the sermon today elevated my thoughts on the love of Christ and the love we are to show one another. I never thought of Jesus’ enduring pain and death on the cross as an expression of tender love. It inspired me to take some quiet time to reflect and I wrote this:

Tender love flowing down on Calvary’s cross
The fearful faithful mourning their loss
The barbaric scene unfolding there
No greater love was ever shared
Wickedness repaid with love
Undeserved redemption for His Beloved
No eye perceived Grace’s plan
No priest conceived God as a man
The battle sacrificed indeed
Salvation now for you and me!

Preparation

I know that some of you who study along with me like to work through the background notes I craft for each series. You can download (Word.docx) the preparation materials for the series In The Name of Love HERE.

That’s a long time

“38 years.” That’s what the man said. He just stared at me with a shocked face and said again, “38 years.”

We were on a rather extensive flight last week and I had gotten up to stretch my legs and visit the head [nautical speak for the little pastor’s room at the rear of the plane.] Reaching the crew area, I noticed the flight attendants scurrying around under the spell of the witching hour – picking up all the lunch leftovers and getting the galley ready for the next snack. In that maelstrom of movement, a moan split the air. “Oh no! Get the rubber gloves.”

This sad cry came from a female flight attendant backing out of one of the restrooms. The steward caught my eye and sighed as he dug out the gloves. I stuck out my hand and said, “Here. You guys are swamped. Let me clean the bathroom for you.”

That led to the repeated statement regarding XXXVIII years. He followed up with, “I have been doing this for 38 years, and no one has ever volunteered to clean the bathroom.”

Turns out no real cleaning was needed. While I was prepared to battle airsickness combined with exploding diapers, the attendant had overreacted to a simple clogged sink. No more than ten seconds were required for all to be set right. The witching hour of busyness passed and activity slowed to that odd tranquility only experienced by tried people sitting still while their vehicle hurtles through the air at 600 miles per hour.

I read two books, took a nap, and dutifully ate my succession of snacks. Interestingly, each snack was delivered by a different flight attendant. Each wanted to thank me for being willing to help. Truly, there are no secrets on a ship! And in those brief chats, I was able to naturally refer to God’s love. Then at dinner time, Janna and I were surprised by a special delivery business class dinner, including – this was astonishing – real silverware.

Of course none of that is why you and I offer to clean restrooms. We do so because love is the ultimate goal of all God’s work in our souls. We love for no reward because that’s how we are loved by God. Yet one of the realities of love is exposed in that real silverware: love often engenders more love.

This coming Sunday, we get to dive in to a new short series at our church, “In the name of love.” It will be online atwww.friscobible.com each week and on All The Difference radio [www.allthedifference.us] this coming winter. And as always, our church would love to share worship in person if you are in the North Texas area.

In response to some requests, below is the script from the hilarious “Build-a-god” video produced by the drama team at Frisco Bible Church and shown as part of our study of Isaiah 55.

(scene opens with a salesperson behind a counter)

(jingle sound and a couple walks in)

Salesperson:  Welcome to build a god!  How may I help you?

Wife:  We got this gift certificate and would like to use it (hands it to salesperson)

Salesperson:  This is the gold package which entitles you to eight characteristics for your god.

Husband:  That sounds good…

Salesperson:  Okay, let’s get started  (hands them a sheet.) Now, what is the most important quality you want in your god?

Husband:  He better be a really tough dude.

Wife:  No, he needs to be more like a grandfather…always smiling, sneaks you candy…

Salesperson:  Ok, we’ll come back to that… How do you want your god to look?

Wife:  Like a grandfather: white hair…or maybe like George Clooney!

Husband: I was thinking more of a Chuck Norris type…

Salesperson: Let’s try something easy.  Umm, (looking at paper) who do you want your god to love?

Husband: Just the people who work hard and pay their taxes and…

Wife: I think he or she should love everybody!

Husband: Even Hitler?  Or your good-for- nothing Uncle Joe?

Wife: Ok, not them. (crosses arms) and not your ex-wife and not anyone who cheats at Bunco! But everyone else.

Salesperson: OK, (looks flustered) does your god have any taboos?

Husband: You mean like “sins”

Wife: No sins.

Husband: Cheating on your golf score – that’s got to be a sin.

Salesperson: You know, we have a special program for couples like you. For just a $199 extra, you can have 20 characteristics! That should be enough for both of you.

Wife: Oh, I get it! That way we can each have our own god!!

Husband: We’ll take it! (hands card to salesperson)

Salesperson: So, do you want the optional warranty?

Fade….

Run to the true Lord

There is a great deal of build-a-god going on in the world right now. Of course, it has always been that way. However, in previous epochs people would make an idol of wood or metal or concept and call it god. Today, it is far more popular to remake the biblical God in our image. We start a church and throw out the uncomfortable bits of scripture, especially those parts that don’t fit with current social constructs.

But think, friends! If you can make God in your image, then who is really in charge? You are, of course! The one who names, the one who creates – that is the one in charge. And if we are in charge, then there will be no rescue. The main point of Isaiah 55 is the phenomenal free gift of God’s salvation. But if we are the godmakers, then that offer is off the table.

Therefore, we must repent of our build-a-god thoughts and accept the amazing offer of life for those who trust in God and His Messiah, who paid our debt that those who trust Him might freely receive God’s covenant.

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance.

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

(Isaiah 55:1-2,7 NASB)

Infinite power

The amazing, unlimited creative power of God is on display in Isaiah 42. In fact, the Tri-unity of God is shown to be the power behind all creation, sustenance, and salvation – something Paul will later echo in Colossians 1. Specifically, Isaiah 42 introduces the Messiah as the special servant of God: one with the Father and possessor of infinite power.

And that ultimate power is what makes verses 2-3 of Isaiah 42 so astonishing.

“He will not cry out or raise His voice,

Nor make His voice heard in the street.

A bruised reed He will not break

And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;

He will faithfully bring forth justice.” (Isaiah 42:2-3 NASB)

Soft strength

The Messiah’s method for creating, sustaining, and saving is gentleness. Chew on that for a minute. He possesses all power, but Isaiah predicts that the Messiah will accomplish His work through authoritative softness. Truly that is unique and, to human thinking at least, unexpected.

Matthew particularly seems to enjoy showing how Jesus fulfills this Messianic prophecy. In Matthew 7 [see especially verse 29] Jesus is recognized as having singular authority; Matthew 11 highlights His gentleness [again, see verse 29]; and Matthew 12 quotes Isaiah 42 directly, declaring that Jesus is the Messiah, Servant of the Father.

A prayer

In light of that revelation, many of us no doubt find ourselves convicted. Parents, how do we exercise our appropriate and considerable authority? Leaders, what is our m.o. in executing our duties? My prayer for myself and each of us is that we will continually be conformed to the likeness of Jesus and His authoritative softness.

Fall of the Empire

It all began with a cartoon I used to illustrate the onomatopoeia in Isaiah 40:1. In Hebrew, Nahamu’ in verse 1 is the sound of someone sighing deeply. It’s that wobbly breath you take after you have been crying really hard. For the Jews, that sound came to be used as a word for comforting someone. It means to help someone stop crying, to calm their hearts, to dry their tears.

To illustrate the way nahamu sounds like what it describes (an onomatopoeia) I used this cartoon.

 A little laughter, an idea communicated, and I thought that was the end of it. Little did I reckon the phenomenal capacity for wit among those with whom I grow in Christ! It was delightful to see all the communication on the Ottoman Empire, onomatopoeia, and more. As representative of the many funny notes, consider this Pearls before Swine cartoon forwarded to me:

© Stephan Pastis

How grand to groan and laugh together in the Lord.