Drew Boswell

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Panic; Psalm 74

There was a time when my boys were of an age where they loved to get up and turn on the TV and choose “their” show (Batman Brave and the Bold, Star Wars Clone Wars, H-G’s was Olivia), etc. One morning Kimberly had gone to run some errands with the rest of the kids, and Caleb I were left in the house. I was going to do some yard work so I called Caleb’s name. He didn’t respond, so I called a little louder, he was focused on this tv show that he was watching, and I he really didn’t hear me. But I told him, “I’m going out to the garage.” So I went out into the garage and started to get the lawnmower ready to cut the grass, I put some new string in the head of the weed eater, filled them up with gas, and I was out there about forty-five minutes just doing different things.

When the TV show went off, Caleb regained consciences and began to look around. He began to run through the house yelling for Kimberly and I. No one was in the house and he began to panic. His loving father was not there, and he felt all alone. Eventually he came outside, really upset – to find me in the garage.

Have you ever had a time when suddenly you realized that God was not there anymore, or at least it felt that way? You pray, but don’t sense His presence. You serve, and discover that His power is not there anymore – you know you are doing it in your strength. You come to worship – But He doesn’t speak to you – you are just going through the motions. You seek Him, but you can’t seem to find Him anywhere – He is gone. Just like with Caleb, God told you “I’m not staying here anymore, I want you to go with me”, but you have allowed ourselves to be distracted by something. For some time it has had our complete focus. But now there is an awakening.

“Few things in life are more excruciating than suffering defeats while serving God. When God’s work is met with setbacks, his people agonize over these losses and long for God’s kingdom work to be reestablished. And until God’s kingdom is again prospering, distress fills the hearts of his servants. Until we find Him, and are in His presence again there is panic. This is the focus of Psalm 74.”[1] This lament expresses how God’s people experienced agony because of their devastation and were calling upon him for relief and restoration.

In 2 Kings 25 the enemies of God have destroyed the temple, and even worse it seems that God has forgotten them. It occurs 586 years before Christ is born – those who were not killed by Babylon were carried off into exile. The people are pleading for God to reestablish his people in their land. So they pray – but if we find ourselves in a similar situation what should we pray for? The following Psalm walks us through how to pray for the panic to stop, and our hearts to be calmed.

I. Pray with a Realistic Picture of Reality (vv. 1-3)  

O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt. 3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary!

Because of the events that occurred around them, God’s people cry out and ask God, “Why have you rejected us forever?” God had not rejected them; he had withdrawn the power of his presence from them. The psalmist asked how long will this rejection last? His abandonment was demonstrated by the ransacked city and ruined temple (Psalm 79:1).

“Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” – God’s people see the image of a smoldering city that had been devastated by a foreign power and link it to God’s rejection and abandonment of his people.

The psalmist asks God to remember how He has dealt with them in the past – his people who He had purchased from Egypt (Ex 20:2). God had chosen them to be His inheritance (Deut 4:20), those that He has redeemed (Ex 15:13, 16), God had dwelt among his people on Mt Zion (1 Kg 6:12-13), which was God’s holy hill (Ps 2:6), and dwelling with them (Ps 132:5, 7). God has done all of these same things for us.[2]

The Psalmist is asking God to look at the smoldering temple, how God’s people have been carried off into exile – in other words, “Lord look at our current condition.” This was not just a short term thing, but “perpetual ruin.” The destruction keeps going on and on and on.

“Lord this has been going on for some time now”, and “the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary” There was nothing left within the temple that the enemy had not desecrated and destroyed.

II. Pray With A Realization of the Destruction (vv. 4-9)

4 Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place; they set up their own signs for signs. 5 They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. 6 And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers. 7 They set your sanctuary on fire;
they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground. 8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.

The psalmist now points us to the foe himself. He comes into God’s house of worship and roars! He lifts up his battle flags and plants them right there in the meeting place where God’s people worship.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” While God’s people are distracted and focused on everything but the Lord, the enemy enters into the very temple of the Lord, and roars. His teeth snap the necks of the weak and the young.

As the enemy of the Lord he raises his disgusting and foul flag and he dares to plant it among the congregation. The enemy who roars says, “I have this one, and this one, and this, and this one, and this one, and this one – they are mine.” All the while, God’s people stare blindly into space.

The temple had beautifully carved wood paneling build by master craftsmen. So when we see “They were like those who swing axes in a forest of trees. 6 And all its carved wood they broke down with hatchets and hammers.” The enemy takes his ax to the temple paneling and splinters the temple. The enemy seeks to destroy what has been built. It is so much easier to tear down and burn rather than build.

How many churches has Satan taken his hatchet to, so that at the end of day it lays as a pile of splinters? Some here, some there – churches litter the landscape that have been destroyed – that have closed their doors for the last time.

Then when it was completely devastated, before it has a chance to rebuild – he goes one step further “They set your sanctuary on fire; they profaned the dwelling place of your name, bringing it down to the ground.” There is a very real enemy who seeks to bring every church burning to the ground.

The enemy has a plan and he is relentless in his carrying it out. The enemy is set on bring about our destruction – in hell they hold pep rallies where 8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.” They will not be happy until every church is destroyed – including yours. Have you not seen him parade with his flags and clamp his teeth on your fellow church member? You seek to build, but he splinters it again and again with his ax of destruction.  

“9 We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long” – There is nothing more terrifying and discouraging then not knowing how long will this pain and devastation continue. How long will this condition last among God’s people? Will the church wake up?

Will it regain consciousness? When will the destruction become so great that it will awake and do something? Will the church have to burn around us? The splinters are hitting you in the face. The person that sat next to you last week isn’t there anymore, only his foul and horrific flag is left. Blood paw prints stains the aisles and the mother’s around you weep.

III.       Pray with God’s Reputation in Mind (vv. 10-11)

10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever? 11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and destroy them!

Why does God seem to do nothing as His temple is destroyed and His people are carried off into captivity? To answer this question we go back to 2 Kings 25.

2 Kings 25 tells us that the nation is punished because of the sins of Manasseh. Manasseh was a king that we first see in 2 Kings 21:2-9 â€œAnd he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his son as an offering and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.”

There was a king who led the people to walk away from God. And the people willingly followed and left the Lord, and did things in the presence of the Lord that were horrible. The Lord moved, and His people did not follow, and it was only as they were being carried off into captivity that they awoke and realized what was going on.

IV. Pray With a Worshipful Heart (vv. 12-17)

12 Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13 You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. 15 You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. 17 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

 When things seem the darkest and you don’t know how you will continue, it is helpful to remember what God has done for you in the past. The psalmist says “you” eleven times in vv. 12-17 – and he praises the Lord for what he has done for His people. He praises God for his strength to crush and control.

For example, we don’t know what a Leviathan is but God has crushed it. God has power over all of creation, streams, brooks, day and night, stars and moons, seasons, and where the land begins and where it ends – God is in control. God has the power to stop this condition that His people are in.

Even after Israel had turned to false gods, (which involved the killing of their own children), even after all that they had done – God was still their God and He was still their king. When they turn from their wicked ways, He is still there. This God and King is always seeking to restore and redeem his creation “working salvation in the midst of the earth.”

God is able to see and understand something that we can’t. Since he “is from old,” He has seen all this before. A people who follow God, then turn from Him, then He must discipline them, and then they return – only to repeat the cycle again.

V. Pray with God’s Promises In Mind (vv. 18-23)

18 Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs, and a foolish people reviles your name. 19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. 20 Have regard for the covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence. 21 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame; let the poor and needy praise your name. 22 Arise, O God, defend your cause; remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day! 23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of those who rise against you, which goes up continually!

When the nation has forgotten why God had allowed the destruction of the temple, the psalmist asks God to remember. But to remember how the enemy has mocked Him and His name. He is asking God to not hand over his covenant people to the world or “wild beasts.”

Genesis 17:1-22 – God had promised to preserve them as a nation. When the “wild beasts” invaded their land they brought violence, and it filled the land with darkness – which is a reference to the grave. So the psalmist asks on behalf of the oppressed, poor, and needy for God to rise up and defend their cause. God’s people understood that as God’s people they were to be serving and helping the oppressed, the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans.[3]

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If God would spare and restore the church, then it would be for the reason that it could bring His name glory and be His hands in feet by serving others (widows, orphans, poor, needy).

So you went to church on Sunday? Did you eat some lunch afterwards? This week you plan to take the kids to ball games and swim practice. You’ll go to work and put in another week. You’ll probably even go back next week sing some songs and hear another massage. But be prepared to see another flag, and the enemy will claim another. Will it be one of mine? Will it be one of yours? Will we awake from our distractions?

There is a way to change the course of the wayward church – They don’t have to sit by and watch as the enemy plants his flags and destroys their families. Jeremiah 29:10-14 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

They can awake and cry out to God. 

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[1] Max Anders (ed.), Homlan Old Testament Commentary, Psalms 1-75 (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman & Holman, 2003), 373.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid. 374.

Career Sabotage: Fear of Success

images1Paulo Coelho in the introduction of The Alchemist discusses four ways that people “fail to confront their dream”[1] (or one’s personal calling). The first way is that people are told from childhood that what they are seeking to do is impossible for them. People often do not try because there is a voice in their head that says, “you can’t do it.” It may be an echo from childhood, or the way they speak to themselves where they say, “stupid, ugly, fat, and who do you think you are?”

The second reason is love – we have those in our lives that are resistant to us leaving them behind in order to pursue the dream. Coelho says, “We do not realize that those that genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are prepared to accompany us on that journey.” There will be times when a person may want to grow and those around them are not ready for them to change. They fear that they won’t be loved anymore, or that when they depart for this new journey that they will not return (either in the physical or in the way we grow as people).

There may also be financial obligations where support for a family or spouse and this commitment may outweigh one’s personal desire for exploration. It may just have to wait to a more opportune time.

Third is the fear of defeat. We cease trying to fight for our dream and stop reaching for it because we believe that we will fail. Similar to number one but different in that we may set out on this new journey but are willing to take set backs as a way to quit. We say to ourselves, “well, I tried.” If you don’t really try, then you don’t really fail.

Then the fourth way that we fail to confront our dreams is that we fear that we will actually achieve it. Coelho quotes Oscar Wilde where he said, “Each man kills the thing he loves.” We ask ourselves, “what if I am actually successful.” There is a scene in the book where the protagonist is working for a merchant who sells crystal. In their discussions it is discovered that the boy is on a journey toward his life’s calling and the merchant has always wanted to go to Mecca as an act of worship.

The protagonist, by working for the merchant, has brought renewed business and success to the shop owner. Before this newfound success the storeowner has always been able to say that he could not afford to travel, or could not leave the shop, etc. But now he has the ability to go to Mecca but has come to realize that he really doesn’t want to have the success.

The boy didn’t know what to say. The old man continued, “You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I see them, and now that I see how immense the possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse that I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”[2]

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Fear of Success

Unknown“I have known a lot of people who, when their personal calling was within their grasp, went on to commit a series of stupid mistakes and never reached their goal when it was only a step away.”

— The Alchemist

There are things that I have seen leaders do, and I myself have done, that when “success” is within grasp or is appearing on the horizon have done things or made decisions that have sabotaged that success (consciously or subconsciously).

Why would a person do things that would sabotage their own success?

  1. Fear of Leadership. They don’t like the idea of moving from the crowd to standing alone as the leader. It may mean having more resources, money, power, etc. than those around them, so they take actions that will keep them on the same level as their friends, workmates, family members, etc.

The idea of leaving home or moving away from loved ones in order to make our next career move may seem scary so they are unwilling to take the steps required to move forward.

  1. Not Feeling Worthy of Success. Some struggle with the idea of seeing themselves as successful. They may say they want this, but just can’t see it in their mind’s eye – because their self-image won’t let them. It may be a form of self-punishment where they keep themselves from success in order to punish themselves because of previous sins.
  1. Fear of Change. Success brings changes in life. But you can never predict how these changes will affect your life, so you decide that it is better to stay with what you know instead of advancing toward what you don’t .
  1. Fear of Embarrassment. If you never try to climb the mountain, then you will never have to deal with the embarrassment of only getting half-way up the mountain. If you don’t try, then you won’t fail. There are many very talented people who because they fear they will be embarrassed never step on the stage and try.
  1. Feeling Trapped. There are those in positions of responsibility that feel trapped and because of emotional immaturity don’t know how to get out. They don’t want others to look to them as a leader. They do not want to carry the weight of leadership, so they sabotage their position so they can just “be normal.”

Often times these individuals don’t know how to get out from under this weight in a healthy manner so they do something destructive (an affair, embezzlement, hurt themselves, etc.) in an effort to cut themselves off from this feeling of being suffocated.

  1. Loving the Journey. If you actually achieve the goal, cross the finish line, make the sell, etc. (choose your best metaphor) then the journey is over – you are now successful in your life. As long as you were seeking the goal then you know where the path leads and what is involved on the journey. There are some people who become bored once they have what they want.

There must always be a mountain to climb. As long as they are preparing to climb, or are on the side of the mountain then they are happy. They love the journey – and may even sabotage the achievement (or at least delay it) because, for them, the climb is why they are doing it; the end result is really not important to them.

Whatever the reason may be for intentionally or unintentionally wrecking one’s career, it is worth the time to sit down and ask “where am I going?” “What are my immediate life goals?” (And) “Am I doing something consciously or subconsciously to keep those goals from happening?”

_______________________

[1] Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist (New York, New York; Harper Collins, 1993) v-vi.

[2] Ibid. 58.

[3] Click here to see a video with comedian Dave Chappell who at the pentacle of success left his business and went to Africa. He admits on this video that the success scared him. I am not judging Mr. Chappell, I only think the video adds to the discussion on this topic.

[4]Seth Godin and his discussion of the Lizard Brain. We sabotage our success because of our survival instincts drive us to be safe.

Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain from 99U on Vimeo.

Fear Factor, John 12:9-11

pharisees1Fear makes us do some pretty incredible things. While fishing in a bay in Florida I was asked to jump overboard to push the boat off of a sandbar. I asked how deep the water was according to the depth gauge. The captain told me about four feet. However, when I jumped into the water I sunk far above my head and continued to sink for several seconds. I never touched the bottom before swimming to surface. I was so scared at the shock I grabbed to side of the boat and literally jumped out of the water into the boat. Later in the day I tried this when I was not being terrorized by Jaws flashbacks and was unable to even pull myself somewhat out of the water. Fear, when allowed to control our minds, can make us do some very bizarre things.

 John 12: 9-11  “When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.”

Evidence the religious leaders had right in front of them:

 A Person Raised From the Dead

God’s people, the Jews, were coming to see Jesus and the one who had been raised from the dead, Lazarus. It was a very large crowd. Lazarus had died of an illness and Jesus intentionally waited for him to die (John 11). He was dead for four days before Jesus came to his town and raised him form the dead. There was no doubt among the people and the religious leaders that Jesus had raised a man from the dead.  So in their brilliance, the religious leaders thought it was a good idea to kill Lazarus so all the talk about him being raised from the dead would go away.

Prophesy

In John 11:50-52 the High Priest (for that year) had prophesied that “Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered.” The high priest himself had a word from the Lord, and told the others leaders what he was told from the Lord. They were so focused on  holding on to their power and prestigious positions that they didn’t listen when the Lord actually spoke to them.

Miracles

The religious leaders also recognized that Jesus had performed ‘signs.’ No one doubted that he was regularly doing miracles. Instead of recognizing the miracles for what they were (proof of Jesus being the Messiah), they wanted to kill Jesus so he would stop proving He was the Messiah.

__________________

From these things they determine in John 11:48 “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away (lose) both our place and our nation.” What kept the religious leaders from seeing the true movement of God? They had the correct information – but they had interpreted it incorrectly.

 Why would those who are the religious experts miss the arrival of the Messiah?

Not only do they miss the advent of the Messiah, but they seek to kill him.  They say in John 11:50, “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” They are right that Jesus would die, not only for their nation, but for all the nations (John 3:16). They were blind to see that their own sinful nature would bring it about. They had all the pieces of the puzzle, but when they put it together and looked at the picture, what they see is skewed by a sinful heart.  This is why so many people when they encounter the truth of the Bible, have even experienced miracles in their own lives, and have heard God speak to them seek to destroy that voice because their sinful hearts.

How do we keep this from happening to us?

1)            Fear of Loss of Influence

Crowds were following Him (Jesus) not them (Pharisees).  The religious leaders wanted to hold the place of “experts” and to be able to tell people how to live and control their behavior. Matthew 23:4 says, “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

When we leaders are more concerned about our name, reputation, plan, etc. than Christ getting the glory and praise, and all glory going to Him, then we are on our way to working against God and His plan instead of being apart of it.

John 3:30 shows the difference in how John the Baptist responds to Jesus’ popularity where he says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  These men fear fading into obscurity where others will stop looking to them for knowledge and forget who them.  We must trust God with our recognition, and point all men to Him who is worthy of recognition and praise. What if God desires to use someone else instead of us? Are we willing to step aside and let someone else do our jobs if the Lord will it?

2)            Fear of Loss of Power

The Pharisees also feared the Romans would take away their positions, and eventually the nation. God is in control, not the Romans. When we seek to control our world instead of trusting the Lord, we begin to look to the temporal authorities as having ultimate control over our lives.

They also feared they would lose the plan they had for the people. How many times have religious leaders developed a plan, sought help from local magistrates, and then get frustrated when God shows up in power and leaves their plan dismantled? Instead of being part of the movement of God, they were actually working against it.

When we don’t understand who truly has the power we fear the apparent influence men have over us and we place our plan for others over what God has planned. We also misinterpret the signs God gives to all and instead interpret them through self-serving eyes.

Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”

 

“Where Are We Going?” Vision and the Leader (Part Three)

IV.         Vision Annihilators

“Vision annihilators” are beliefs, assumptions, practices and emotions that arise to prevent the vision from emerging or from being widely accepted.  These are the people who say “But we’ve never done it this way before.”  They tend to come from one of four ways of thinking:

A.            Tradition

God uses tradition to give people a sense of stability and it provides a sense of consistency.  But God does reshape tradition in order to go forward into the future.  Maturity means growing beyond your past.  No one would say that a child was healthy if it remained exactly the same for years at a time.

Tradition is the “stepping stone” of where God is directing ministry to go.  It should not become a millstone that pulls the ministry down to legalistic depths. Rick Warren also uses the example of a shoe that is outgrown. As the foot grows, if you don’t change into a larger shoe, it then becomes very uncomfortable and may even damage the foot and the development of the rest of the body.

B.            Fear

Change means stepping out of one’s comfort zone, doing new things.  Change can be scary and un-nerving.  There are several reasons why fear keeps us from seeing God’s vision. One is that we have failed in the past.  We should define defeat as making the same mistakes more than once.  Instead of fearing future failures we should learn from past mistakes. Fear is a sin.  It is a lack of faith in God to do what He says He will do.

Another reason for fear is that one may be concerned that the may mess up or ruin what they already have. So instead of moving forward, they are content to keep things in their current condition. Sometimes the only cure for this fear is the pain that comes from decline and deterioration as the organization crumbles. Eventually one will feel so much discomfort they are willing to change and move forward (if it’s not too late to do so).

C.            Complacency

This is the concept that “It really doesn’t matter what we do, God will bless it.”  (James 2:14-17; Luke 14:28-32; Rev. 3:15-18)  Vision stirs up passion within the leader and it comes across as he tells the story.  Complacency extinguishes this passion within the leader. So the leader just chooses whatever is in front of him at the moment. There is no thought as to how this lines up with the vision and direction of the church, they simply say yes to every suggestion given.

Another form of complacency is apathy. This is where a person says, “It really doesn’t matter what we do; it won’t work anyway.” Perhaps past mistakes or failures have caused this person to be disillusioned and discouraged. But you can’t move forward until this attitude is dealt with.

D.            Short-Term Thinking

God’s vision for ministry is long-term in nature.  It may even outlast the person who it was originally given to. Soon after the completion of Disney World someone said, “Isn’t it too bad that Walt Disney didn’t live to see this!” Mike Vance, creative director of Disney Studios replied, “He did see it – that’s why it’s here.”  If you limit your decisions and planning to only the immediate present, then you can never move past today.

V.            Exercising Vision

The following are some examples that you can think through as a team of leaders or volunteers in a ministry. Divide up or stay together and work through them and discuss what you find.

Example #1

From the following passages of the Old Testament, what can be learned from these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?

Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-7; 17:1-15.  Why did God state and restate three times the vision He gave Abraham?  What circumstances and plans in Abraham’s life were affected and changed by God’s vision on each occasion?

Example #2

From the following passages of the Old Testament, what can be learned from these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?

Moses in Exodus 3:1-10.  How much strategic detail did God add to the vision He gave Moses (Ex. 3:11-22; 4:1-17)?

Example #3

From the following passages of the Old Testament, what can be learned from these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?

Joshua in Joshua 1:1-5. How much detail is included in God’s vision for Joshua about the direction and goals of God’s plan to lead Israel into the Promised Land?  How is the additional direction from the Lord in Joshua 1:6-9 related to the vision in 1:1-5?  How important to the vision was identifying and marshalling resources (Josh. 1:10-15), information gathering (Josh. 2:1, 22-24), and strategic planning (Josh. 3:1-4; 6:1-7)?

Example #4

From the following passages of the Old Testament, what can be learned from these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?

Nehemiah in Nehemiah 2:12.  How did Nehemiah receive a vision form the Lord to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (Neh. 1:3,4; 2:4,5)?

Example #5

From the following passages of the Old Testament, what can be learned from these people about how the vision God gave them affected their lives?

David in 1 Samuel 17:34-37, 45-48.  What attitudes and qualities did David’s vision of God’s plan for Israel inspire in him (1 Sam. 23:15-18)?  What attitudes should the vision for ministry God gives you and your church inspire you?

Example #6

How did God’s vision for each of the following prophets cause the prophet to change the way he lived and ministered?

  • Isaiah 1:1; 6:1-10
  • Jeremiah 1:4-19
  • Ezekiel 1:1-28l 2:1-10; 3:4-9

Example #7

Read Proverbs 29:18.  What does this verse say about why you and your church need God’s vision for your ministry?

Read Paul’s vision for ministry in Acts 9:15; 26:15-23.  How did the vision God gave Paul affect the way he lived and ministered (2 Cor. 11:23-28)?

*this is part three of three articles on vision.

Click here to read part one.

Click here to read part two.

Background Checks and Security in the Church; Part Two

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be self controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

This passage directs us to be “self controlled” and “alert.” Both of these terms carries the idea of vigilance. Believers are to stay alert and vigilant because Satan seeks to destroy their faith. The devil “roars” to induce fear within them. In the early church it was persecution, and Christians were tortured to persuade them to deny Christ.

So if we understand that Satan seeks to make Christians fearful, let’s not do so with this topic of security in the church. We are to live by faith, and not in fear. We must take measures to protect our children, but not to create within the church (or the children) a sense of fear or dread.  So I encourage you to understand this topic in terms of “being alert” to the dangers and taking precautionary actions against it.

We have to be alert to the dangers around us.  We must also understand that predators are prowling around looking for a child that they may devour.  How can we then resist him?  How can we defend ourselves against predators?

Christian Ministry Resources, which specializes in legal and risk management for churches reported that in 2000, one in 100 churches across the country contended with allegations of sexual misconduct involving children. The organization found in its surveys of more than 1,100 congregations that the number of incidents jumped to 1 in 25 for fellowship with more than 1,000 members.  There is not one “test” that will identify a molester.  A predator can wait months, even years as he/she befriends parents, children, and the church.  Once he/she is trusted, the slow seduction begins.

There are two types of molesters; the “pedophile,” who prefers children sexually and the adult who has had a sexual encounter with a child or children because of availability or a close relationship that develops.  In any case, the relationship is criminal, immoral, and harmful to the child.

False accusations are as real a threat to churches as actual victimization.  In either case the church is liable for damages if it is proven that common sense preventive measures were not in place.  In civil court, victimization does not have to be proven, only the opportunity.  Often, civil suits are filed 20 to 30 years after the alleged incident, costing churches millions of dollars, when it is proven that church leaders did nothing.

Example: A child’s family comes forward to say a church worker touched him/her inappropriately.  There is not enough evidence to prosecute or at trial the worker was found not guilty.  The child’s family sues the church in civil court.  The pastor or church leader is placed on the witness stand.  He is simply asked if the church had any safety plans in place for workers to follow.  If the answer is no, the church can very well be out of millions.

Civil court will look at whether the abuse could have happened. It just takes one accusation to lead to the complete destruction of a church. Not having a prevention program in place leaves the church open for financial ruin, and it leaves its most precious treasure, the children, vulnerable to the devastation of emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds from which they may never recover.

The following are some steps or layers that a church can implement in order to keep predators away. Remember one of the main reasons police decorate their cars the way they do is to prevent crime by their presence. Simply having these “hoops” that predators have to jump through may keep them away.

A. Background Checks:

Reasons for Having Background Checks

  1. To prevent predators from infiltrating our ministries.
  2. To prevent false allegations and lawsuits from having grounds or weight.  We will never be able to prevent allegations.
  3. Protects the children, the workers, and the Church

The Church Law & Tax Report of May/June 1992 states “churches currently provide between one-third and one-half of all childcare,” and that parents of preschoolers “prefer church-provided child care” (p.2).

Benefits of Having a Screening

  1. Insurance rates are often lower;
  2. Workers feel chosen and trusted; there is a bar that is established.  “We don’t allow just anyone to work with our children.”
  3. Parents feel more confident about leaving their children with workers who have been screened.
  4. No screening process can guarantee that no accusations will occur or that no questionable person will be allowed to work with children.  Such a process can, however, reduce the risk.

How Do We Screen Volunteers?

The screening process should include four steps: 1) Worker Application, 2) Background check, 3) Checking References and 4) a Personal Interview.

Necessary paperwork:

  1. Worker Application Form, a document asking basic informationBackground Check Form,
  2. Criminal Release of Information Form, (if it is not included in the Worker Application Or Background Checks
  3. Worker Interview Form

All information obtained during the screening should be treated as confidential.  The only exception would be if disclosure is believed to be necessary to protect a child from potential harm.  Different levels of background checks can be done.  Your legal counsel and insurance agent should be able to help you determine the kind of background check that you need to conduct. You can also contact Background Check companies to see what they suggest.

Several local agencies and other service agencies around the country conduct background checks for a fee.  You will be able to find these services offered online over the internet. To locate them do a search for “background checks.”[1] This will also give you a good idea of the kinds of background checks that can be done and how much they cost.  Not all churches can afford or feel comfortable running background checks.  If this is the case, then every effort should b made to contact previous churches and employers.  A consent form should be signed to allow previous associations to release personal information about the worker.

Some questions to asks are, “Are you covered by their insurance if they make a mistake?”,  “What if someone gets by?” There have been instances where a company would accept the payment fee and send back a report showing that the person was cleared – when they really never checked.

Jim Wideman of Church On The Move, sends names he knows have criminal backgrounds to check the company to make sure they don’t make it through the system. State background checks are a waste of money because most predators move frequently.

What if I have a friend who works for the police department?  If they gather information and then give you this information it was gathered illegally and can not be used in court.

Check alias’ ,Check more than one Social security number.  (using dead people’s ss #)  How do they know that a person is not using another person’s social security number?

Has this person ever been accused?  If they have been they should not be allowed to work with children.  What if they were cleared of charges? If there is ever another incident, the judge will ask you, “What did you do to keep this from happening?” and “Did you have any prior knowledge?” You, at this point, would have known that there were concerns, but you let them continue to work with kids anyway.

What about the costs?

Which is cheaper? Lawsuit or background checks? What is a child’s innocence worth?  Run them on everyone, but if you can’t do all the men, then the ladies.

*this is part two of a three part article series.

[1] Accufax is an example of a company that does background checks.

"Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts." Rick Warren

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