Green Acres

“It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (2Tim 2:6).

Loved me some “Green Acres” when I was growing up. If you remember the theme song, sing along…

Green acres are the place for me

Farm living is the life for me

Land spreading out so far and wide

Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside

There were just two teensy problems with Mr. Douglas’ dream of farming. One, his wife Lisa hated every moment of it. Two, it was hard work. VERY hard work. We won’t even go into his ongoing issues with Eb, Mr. Haney, and Arnold the pig.

Farming is back-breaking and gut-busting. Few professions out there are more difficult. So much effort. So little return. So much out of your hands. And that’s agribusiness in the 21st Century. Modern farmers have the latest high tech tractors and agri-gadgets. But one thing they have in common with sodbusters throughout the centuries: hard work.

(Disclaimer time. While the name of my hometown is Farmington, I did NOT grow up on a farm. A couple of my uncles were farmers and we visited them occasionally. We only visited occasionally because they were always working and working HARD. Long before sunup to way after sundown. I’m not pretending to have firsthand knowledge of slopping hogs, milking cows, or putting up hay. I may be from a small town but I’m a city boy through and through. Clear?)

Which brings us back to 2nd Timothy. Here in this little letter, Paul reminds his protege that ministry is anything BUT the country club life. No, it’s more like life in the country. On a farm. In the field. Doing work. “It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (v6).

Dirty hands. Sweaty head. Aching back. Serving in God’s kingdom is no place for wimps and couch potatoes. Little time for a rousing game of Pokemon Go. But in the end, ministry is like farming. It’s worth every ounce of energy you put into it. God guarantees a record harvest.

Before you get the idea the apostle is painting some pie-in-the-sky pastoral landscape, remember where he is and what’s going on. The former Pharisee is locked up in full restraints on Death Row inside Rome’s notorious Mamertine Prison (2Tim 1:8, 16; 2:9; 4:6-7). This place makes places like Folsom, Sing Sing, Attica, and Shawshank look like Club Med. More like Abu Ghraib. 

Paul begs Tim to see him before his date with the executioner (2Tim 4:9, 21). It won’t be long. In the meantime, he scribbles down important instructions as he passes the baton of ministry to the young pastor (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

Here in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, the apostle compares serving our Savior with a sold out solder, an elite athlete, and diligent farmer. We can learn lessons from the battlefield, the playing field, and the farm field. (I’m tempted to say something clever about being “outstanding in our field” but decided to walk away from it. And aren’t we all glad about that?)

Despite what John Denver sang and Mr. Douglas dreamed, life on the farm is anything BUT laid back. It’s the ultimate example of sweat equity. You don’t get anything out of it unless you put everything into it. Paul describes farm life as “hard-working” and uses a word (Gr. kopiao) that means busting your tail to the point of weariness. Striving. Struggling. Slogging. This is labor to the point of absolute exhaustion. A lazy farmer won’t be farming long. Even a quick study of kopiao in the NT will absolutely wear you out. 

Remember when Jesus asked a commercial fisherman He called Rocky to take Him fishing again after a long night of the disappointing zero? Simon was bone tired and ready for bed. When the Lord wanted to book a charter, Pete relented and said, “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night and took nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets” (Lk 5:5). With Christ, the Rock had a record-breaking catch!

There was the time the radical Rabbi/Carpenter and His posse cut off the dogleg from Judea to Galilee and stopped for water deep in enemy territory of Samaria. “Jesus wearied (Gr. kopiao) as He was from His journey” plopped down next to a well at high noon (Jn 4:6). Nobody realized He had a divine appointment with a Samaritan divorcee who soon be face-to-face with God’s long-awaited Messiah.

When we get our Greek grammatical shovel and dig into the word a little deeper, we see that it means to beat yourself to the point of pain. In other words, farming like ministry looks like a self-inflicted wound from the outside. Folks wonder why you work yourself silly? Why do you consistently drain your tank below “E”? 

The answer is simple. Eternity hangs in the balance. We give it everything we’ve got for others because Jesus gave everything He had for us. We place our trust in the hard work Christ did on our behalf. We don’t work to earn God’s favor because that’s never gonna happen (Rom 3:28-30; 11:6; Gal 2:21). Jesus gives us credit for His spotless history (2Cor 5:21; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). We roll up our sleeves because our Savior did the same for you and me. 

So it’s no surprise that one of Jesus’ most popular ag images is actually a breath of fresh air and cool glass of water for a weary worker. “Come to Me, all who labor (Gr. kopiao) and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Mt 11:28). Stop working to earn God’s favor. As an act of worship and gratitude, we get our hands dirty telling others about what He’s done for us.

Just in case you think I’m blowing Paul’s connection between work, farming, and ministry way out of proportion, check out the word he uses here for “farmer” (v6). It’s the Greek word georgos), which literally means “land (ge-) worker (-orgos).” It describes someone with their hands in the soil. This is no gentleman farmer or weekend gardner. We’re talking about a sharecropper or migrant worker. That’s the picture the apostle wants us to see.

Few folks demonstrate faith like the farmer. They risk everything trusting that God will ultimately come through. They know it’s all in His hands. But they still till the soil. They still plant the seed. They still fertilize the field. They still water the plants. They still nurture the crops. All this despite the constant thread of drought, flood, hail, pests, or blight. They work hard BECAUSE they trust. Is there a better picture of delayed gratification? The farmer hopes God will reward his blood, sweat, and tears at harvest time. 

That’s why God’s Word is chockfull of agricultural imagery. There’s endless talk livestock and crops. Jesus Himself compares to planting seeds and soil conditions with spreading the Gospel (Mt 13:1-9; Mk 4:1-9; Lk 8:4-8). In a letter to the folks in Corinth, Paul tells them how he’s not working the fields all by himself. He and his buddy Apollos are working in shifts. The apostle plants. Apollos waters. But in the end, God’s the REAL source of growth (1Cor 3:6-9). I could be wrong but my role is probably spreading fertilizer. So watch your step.

Meanwhile Paul tells Tim that it’s the “farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops” (v6). In other words, one huge benny for the one tending the field is being the first to enjoy the harvest. Fresh not frozen. We’re talking serious farm-to-table stuff! 

Since the apostle is comparing farming to ministry, what’s the application? Well, it could be immediate and financial. Paul talks openly about that with the Corinthians. “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?” (1Cor 9:11). His team made a spiritual investment among believers there. It’s only natural for folks to help them out in return.

Or he could be talking about future and spiritual rewards. Paul couldn’t wait for the day when Jesus would take the cosmic stage for His encore. “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (1Th 2:19-20). Christ would reward the apostle and his crew for their Gospel grunt work in Thessalonica. 

Why can’t it be both? There are certainly near term benefits of tilling the spiritual soil, planting the seed of the Gospel, and being there for the harvest. So let me ask the awkward question. Have you been generous with those who’ve done God’s agriculture in your life? And Scripture is VERY clear about how the Lord will provide an amazing eternal return on the investment those who have cultivated His grace in the lives of others. 

But let’s not miss the big idea. Ministry is very hard work. Just ask Paul in prison over in Rome. Farming is very hard work. Just ask Oliver Wendall Douglas down in Hooterville. But in the end, they are well worth every drop of sweat. Or as it reads in the Message, “It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce” (v6 The Message).

Let's sing it together. Green Acres, we are there!

Hand Grenades and Preacher Pay

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1Tim 5:17-18).

Toss out the topic of preacher pay at just about every church and rolls around the floor like a grenade without a pin. Everybody runs away from it. And if you get to close to it, someone’s going to get hurt. This is a particularly hot potato in America today. 

It seems like every single day, bloggers have a field day with some megachurch pastor’s stupid decision build a megamansion or buy a jumbo jet. As a result, the pendulum swings wildly the other way in some churches where people expect pastors to live on food stamps and government cheese.

Well, it’s no surprise that our good buddy Paul is willing to have a very frank discussion about preacher pay in his first letter to Timothy. The apostle writes to the newly installed pastor of the Ephesian church while he hits the road for ministry over in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). Tim is to put out the grease fire cause by the false gospel started by false teachers (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Assemble a new team of elders and deacons who lead and serve with integrity (1Tim 3:1-13).

As part of his instructions to Pastor Tim, the man from Tarsus isn’t afraid to address compensation packages for the local church. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (v17-18). Teaching and preaching God's Word well is exhausting. Let's be generous with those who do it.

The first thing we see as we dig into the passage is the expectation for our elders to be outstanding leaders. Paul uses a verb (Gr. proistemi) which the folks at the ESV choose to translate “rule.” While the original Greek word certainly carries that meaning, it’s a whole lot more than that. It means to lead, direct, guide, guard, care for, and manage. 

There’s a sense of intense devotion to the task at hand and to actively help those placed in your care. It’s exercising influence over others in order to cause them to follow a recommended course of action.

The word literally means “to set yourself in the front.” As a godly leader, you put yourself out there! Servant/leaders expose themselves as they set the example for what it means to follow Jesus. We’re not to sit on our God given gifts but use them as members of the church, including “the one who leads (Gr. proistemi) with zeal” (Rom 12:8). 

In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul encourages believers there to be good followers of their leaders. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over (Gr. proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13). Elders and deacons put themselves out there for the good of their families and their churches (1Tim 3:4-5, 12).

While servant/leaders don’t seek the spotlight, they also realize God has placed them in a public position for His people. There’s no hiding in the ivory tower. It’s no time to go all Wizard of Oz and tell folks to “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Whether you like it or not, being a servant/leader and an elder comes with a level of exposure and transparency. Leading means putting yourself out there.

For those leaders who knock it out of the park, they should “be considered of double honor” (v17). When they do a job so nice, let’s thank them twice. Paul’s talking about giving these elders BOTH respect AND financial compensation. Any doubt of that comes from the Old and New Testament passages he drops in the following verse (more on that in just a bit). 

I’m pretty sure he’s NOT talking about paying certain elders twice as much as anybody else. But you can bet he’s pointing to the big biblical idea of generosity. Let’s be doubly generous to our leaders who are generous with their gifts to us.

The apostle points out certain elders we should absolutely consider as those recipients of our double generosity. “Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (v17). For those of you who’ve never had the humbling privilege of teaching God’s Word, it’s not something you mail in. To do it well is hard work. VERY hard work. 

Paul backs that up in his description of it as “labor” (v17). He uses the Greek word kopiao. No, that’s not some sort of Asian chicken dish. It’s working hard to the point of fatigue or becoming physically or emotionally exhausted while doing something.

It’s a go-to term for authors of the NT when they describe folks who are drained. Before Jesus gave him the nickname Rocky, Simon wasn’t hot on the idea of taking our Savior fishing after a long, hard night. “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night long and took nothing!” (Lk 5:5). 

When Christ took a load off at a Samarian well, He was “wearied (Gr. kopiao)…from His journey” (Jn 4:6). Paul acknowledges a pair of disciples who busted their tails in the Roman church. “Greet Mary, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) for you” (Rom 16:6) and “Persis, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) in the Lord” (Rom 16:12).

Creatively “preaching and teaching” (v17) the Bible is no walk in the park. It’s draining. It’s exhausting. And it should be. It’s THE most important news ever delivered. God’s Story is THE Story! You have the responsibility of staying true to God’s Word. 

You can’t compromise His truth. It requires incredible accuracy and creativity. It’s probably why Jesus’ kid brother James told those who think they might want to teach to think again. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

One reason “preaching and teaching” is so exhausting is because God preaches the message the minister first and foremost. As far back as the 17th century, John Owen said a pastor doesn’t preach his sermon well if he doesn’t first preach it to himself. Opening yourself up to that sort of repeated examination and conviction by the Holy Spirit is intensely draining. 

I would suggest that a church not just reimburse its pastor generously but also make sure he gets a liberal amount of time off for R and R. (Let me be clear. While I am elder, I’m NOT a paid staff pastor. This isn’t some attempt to twist the Bible and guilt a congregation into a lavish compensation package.)

Just so you know he’s talking about the generous financial support of preaching pastors, Paul quotes a couple of passages. One from each of the Old and New Testaments. First, he goes old school from Deuteronomy. “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” (v18; Dt 25:4). Moses was originally talking about not starving livestock while its working. The apostle applies the idea to preachers. Don’t let your ministers go hungry.

The apostle then quotes Jesus’ instructions to His advance team. “The laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). When somebody works, they should get paid. That includes your pastor. For those of you who had your doubts about it, here’s the direct and unmistakeable link to “double honor” and reimbursement. 

There’s also the interesting point that Paul clearly understands Christ’s teaching to carry the same authority as the Old Testament. The interesting fact is that Dr. Luke probably just completed his bio of Jesus (around 60-61 AD) about the same time that Paul is writing to Tim (approximately 64 AD).

Those who lead well put themselves out there. It wears you out to leave yourself exposed like that. And in particular, preaching and teaching God's Word well is exhausting. It’s draining. It’s incredibly hard work. Let’s not be stingy and tightfisted when it comes to compensating our pastoral staff. 

Stop freaking out about preachers and their pay. Paul wants us to know that it's not a hand grenade. So let’s be generous with those who are generous with their gift of teaching and preaching.

Max Effort

“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1Tim 4:10).

Pet peeve alert! Few things get under my skin as an athlete saying, “We’ve got to give 110% in order to win.” Dude, that’s mathematically impossible. You can only give 100%. That’s all you got. You can only give 110% if you’ve been holding back to this point, say giving 85% to 90%. 

That’s the first thing that popped into my pea brain whenever I read Paul’s words to Timothy here. The apostle just told Tim the importance of hitting the spiritual gym to get in ripped and prepped to tell others about Jesus (1Tim 4:7-9). Sharing the Good News isn’t for wimps. “For this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (v10). Leave it all on the field. Give it everything you’ve got. We give max effort for others because Jesus gave max effort for us!

A team of false teachers have distracted Ephesian disciples from focusing on the game. Instead, they’ve duped folks into spend all their energy on stuff that really doesn’t matter (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). Myths. Endless family trees. Pointless controversies. Crackpot teaching about staying single and restricted diets. They’ve fooled folks into believing they can save themselves by subtracting stuff from their lives. Self-righteousness by subtraction didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now. 

Paul reminds Tim the reason it’s so important to be in top spiritual condition and be CrossFit (1Tim 4:7-9). “For to this end we toil and strive” (v10). Don’t miss the teamwork involved here. “WE toil and strive” (v10 emphasis added). As pastors, they’ve got a fight on their hands. But they don’t do it alone. This is a team sport. The apostle doesn’t face the opponent all by his lonesome. He knows Tim is a trusted teammate. Every minister must be prepped to play the biggest game of their lives. But we’re not flying solo. We have brothers and sisters who cover our blindsides and backsides. 

Together we “toil and strive” (v10). Toil. Strive. If it sounds extreme, that’s because it is! “Toil” is the Greek verb kopiao, which means working to the point of exhaustion. Striving. Struggling. Busting your butt until you’re physically and emotionally fried. In Luke’s Gospel, Simon tells Jesus how he and the crew of his fishing boat “toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night long and took nothing!” (Lk 5:5). When Christ sat down next to Jacob’s well, He was “wearied Gr. kopiao) as He was from His journey” (Jn 4:6) and totally wiped out. That’s what happens when you give max effort.

Just in case we might think we can simply roll our helmets on the field and win, Paul says we must “strive” as well (v10). This is agonizomai, which describes competing in first century sports with 100% effort. It’s where we get our word agonize. The apostle compares the race each believer runs with how “every athlete exercises (Gr. agonizomai) self-control in all things” (1Cor 9:25). When Jesus meets with Pilate, He tells the governor that if His kingdom was an earthly one, “My servants would be fighting (Gr. agonizomai)” to keep Him from being crucified (Jn 18:36). It’s about leaving it all on the field. We give max effort for others because Jesus gave max effort for us!

The man from Tarsus teams both of these words together in a letter to the church in Colossae. And here’s the shocker: he’s talking about the VERY same thing! “For this I toil (Gr. kopiao), struggling (Gr. agonizomai) with all His energy that He powerfully works within me” (Col 1:29). Did you catch that? We bust our tails but we do it in the strength and power of God! God specializes does His best work when our tank is empty and He gives us the endless power of His Holy Spirit. We give max effort for others with the max effort Jesus is working in us!

We leave it all on the field because “we have our hope set on the living God” (v10). Hope isn’t just a vague optimism. Gospel hope is an absolute certainty and stone cold, lead pipe lock. We can be absolutely sure because our God lives! Even when his world collapse all around him, Job held on tight to this very same hope. “I know my Redeemer lives!” (Job 19:25). We see His ever-presence in the very name He whispered to Moses from the burning bush (Ex 3:14). He’s the Great I Am. Our God is always in the present tense. Jesus tells the religious police, “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58). Bad grammar, but GREAT theology!

As followers of Jesus, we haven’t placed our hope some long dead religious leader. Every other founder of world’s major religions are dead and gone. Muhammed? Dead. Buddha? Dead. L. Ron Hubbard? You got it. Dead. There’s only One who walked out of the cemetery once and for all. Jesus Christ. When the women went to the tomb that very first Easter Sunday, the angel announced, “He is not here, but has risen!” (Lk 24:6). Guess what. If you go to the tomb today, He’s STILL not there! Our hope is in “the living God” (v10). 

But Jesus isn’t just for an exclusive group of people. He’s not just for the so-called One Percent. He’s not only available to folks who make a certain amount of money or members of specific countries. Christ “is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (v10). The Son of God came to our rescue when we couldn’t save ourselves. He made the ultimate cosmic dumpster dive, coming from the heights of heaven to filthy, sin-filled world in order to deliver us from our self-inflicted mess.

Jewish people waited for thousands of years for the One God promised to send. They expected Messiah to come to Jews and Jews alone. They had no idea He was coming THROUGH God’s chosen people as “the Savior of all people” (v10). But God has generously sprinkled this idea of a worldwide Rescuer throughout the entire Old Testament (Gen 18:17-18; Ps 18:49; Is 9:1; 11:10). 

Earlier in this letter, Paul tells Tim about “God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved” (1Tim 2:4). God demonstrates His love for the entire world by sending His one and only Son to the rescue (Jn 3:16). The Samaritans nailed it when they saw Jesus as the “Savior of the world” (Jn 4:42). Christ lays it all on the line for a lost and dying world, “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2Pet 3:9). Jesus gave max effort for you and me!

But hope in Christ isn’t like Little League. Everybody does NOT get a trophy. Everybody does NOT get to spend eternity in paradise. Paul explains that when he writes how salvation is “especially for those who believe” (v10). The apostle’s statement takes universalism off the table. Universalism is the belief that God will save every last person who ever lives when it is all said and done. Instead, some scholars say a better understanding here is “While God is potentially Savior of all, He is actually the Savior of those who trust in Him.” 

God graciously grants eternal life only to those who place their trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us. He lived the perfectly obedient life to God’s holy standard that you and I failed to live. He died the brutal and bloody death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to the spectacular new life that we don’t deserve. He comes to rescue anyone and everyone who places their trust in what He’s done on their behalf. Christ gave absolutely everything to do for us what we could never dream of doing on our own. Jesus gave max effort for you and me!

We should put everything on the line to win even when it hurts. ESPECIALLY when it hurts! Fight with focus and intensity. The battle requires us to bust our tail. There’s too much at stake. People’s eternal destinies hang in the balance. Bust your tail! No pain. No gain. Leave it all on the field. We give max effort for others because Jesus gave max effort for us!

Periscopes, Microscopes, Telescopes, and Episcopes

“This saying is trustworthy: if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1Tim 3:1).

Submarines have periscopes. Labs have microscopes. Observatories have telescopes. Churches have episcopes. Episcopes? What in the world is an episcope anyway? So very glad you asked. The handy dandy episcope is essential to the guidance, care, and direction of any group of Jesus followers. But the episcope isn’t so much a what but a who. You may know them by another name. Some folks call them bishops. Others know them as elders or pastors. Paul likes to use the term overseers. They are reaching out and looking out for the local church.

Let’s back up a bit to see why the apostle would be talking about overseers in the first place. He’s writing to his spiritual son Timothy who’s now serving as the pastor of the growing church in Ephesus (1Tim 1:1-2). This is the same church Paul personally planted in the big port city on the west coast of what we know as Turkey (Acts 19). Fast forward a few years and the apostle is now on divine assignment on the other side of the Aegean Sea in Macedonia. He’s left Pastor Tim to continue cleaning up the mess that a team of false teachers have made (1Tim 1:3-7).

There’s a need to put leaders in place called overseers. This would lead you to believe these spiritual hucksters had risen to a level of leadership before Paul and Tim tossed them out the front door (1Tim 1:20). Pastor Tim is probably flying solo at this point. He needs help. The Ephesian church needs new leaders. Good leaders. Godly leaders. Leaders who reach out. Leaders with a passion. Leaders with vision. The church needs overseers.

This isn’t just an isolated first century issue. Every body of believers today needs overseers. Every congregation today needs episcopes. Your church does and so does mine. We’ll see in this verse that they should be people willing to stretch themselves for others. They should have a burning passion for the local church and believe it’s God’s hope for the world. They should have vision, perspective, constantly on the lookout for trouble, and setting the course for future. Solomon writes that without vision people are in a world of hurt (okay, that’s take on Proverbs 29:18, but you get the idea!). Without godly overseers devoted to following Jesus, our churches grind to a halt and slowly die.

Paul clearly wants his buddy Tim to pay VERY close attention to what he’s about to say. “This saying is trustworthy” (v1). This is the apostle’s way of shining a spotlight on what’s coming next. It’s a drumroll to get your attention for the big reveal. He does something similar two other times in this letter (1Tim 1:15; 4:9), once more in the sequel (2Tim 2:11), and yet one more time when writing to to Titus (Titus 3:8). It literally reads “a faithful word.” You can trust what you’re about to read. What he’s about to say about overseers, you take it to the bank. Count on it.

And what’s the big idea? “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (v1). First of all, don’t miss the fact that it’s okay to have a desire to lead. Somewhere along the way we’ve gotten it into our heads that aspiring to a leadership position in the local church is a big red flag. Alarms go off. Warning lights flash. Paul says just the opposite. When somebody wants to step up, that’s a good thing. It actually might be the first indication they’re just the one for the job. Or as the Message paraphrases it, “If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good!” (v1 The Message).

Let’s zoom in on the word the ESV translates as “aspires” (v1). This is the Greek verb oregomai. No, we’re not talking about someone who’s good at folding paper into a swan. This term describes stretching yourself out in order to grab hold of something. Reaching after something with incredible desire. Striving to attain a goal. It’s used negatively for a greedy cash grab (1Tim 6:10). The writer of Hebrews says the heroes of the Old Testament strained to grab Heaven and bring it to earth (Heb 11:16).

Picture a wide receiver laying out for pass. A first baseman stretching for a throw. That’s the kind of effort Paul sees someone giving who wants to be an overseer. What does it look like when someone is giving it everything they’ve got to grow as a leader? Do they push themselves in serving? You can’t be a servant leader until you learn what it means to serve. Are they willing to learn to lead by following? Great leaders are always great followers. Do they study leadership in Scripture? Do they dig into stuff written by great leaders like John Maxwell, Jim Collins, and Seth Godin? Do they push themselves? Do they stretch themselves? That’s the kind of effort you see when someone extends themselves as a leader.

Specifically, Paul is talking about “the office of overseer” (v1). This is actually just one Greek word: episkope. See where we the whole periscope/microscope/telescope thing? You see what I did there? It’s a compound word which literally describes someone who has “over (epi-) sight (-skope).” This is actually the position and responsibility of oversight. Ancient literature uses it when talking about public officials in the city of Rhodes. After Judas Iscariot broke bad, Peter announced, “Let another take his office (Gr. episkope)” (Acts 1:20).

So just what kind of person do you think would fill the office of an overseer? You get three guesses and your first two don’t count. Yup, that’s right…an overseer!! In the very next verse, we see that the position of overseer (Gr. episkope) is occupied by an overseer (Gr. episkopos). It’s where we get the term episcopal. Some Bible versions translate this as bishop (KJV, NRS, NKJV, BBE). You wanna know something crazy? The Episcopal Church has bishops. That kinda makes my head hurt.

As you have probably already figured out, the emphasis here for the local church leader is on vision. An overseer sets direction and points to the horizon. He keeps his eyes peeled for trouble. He watches over the church, both as a group and as individuals. When Paul called a quick meeting of the Ephesian elders when he was swinging through, he told them, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers Gr. episkopos), to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). Overseers must be on high alert. 

Depending on your denomination or church tradition, there are a lot of terms that get thrown around when it comes to church leadership. A study of New Testament tips us off to the fact that overseer (Gr. episkopos), elder (Gr. presbuteros), and pastor (Gr. poimen) are almost interchangeable titles. Paul assembles the Ephesian “elders” (Gr. presbuteros) (Acts 20:17) and then calls them “overseers” (Gr. episkopos) (Acts 20:28). He instructs Titus to appoint “elders” (Gr. presbuteros) (Titus 1:5) and then calls these same dudes “overseers” (Gr. episkopos) (Titus 1:7). Confused yet?

Paul’s buddy Peter writes about Jesus as the “Shepherd (Gr. poimen) and Overseer (Gr. episkopos) of your souls” (1Pet 2:25). Pete goes on to encourages “elders” (Gr. presbuteros) to “shepherd the flock of God” because when the Chief Shepherd (Gr. poimen) appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory” (1Pet 5:1, 2-4). The big idea: an overseer is an elder, an elder is a pastor, a pastor is an overseer. No matter the title, the responsibility is the same. Watching over and watching out for God’s people in the context of the local church. 

The apostle goes on to say that anybody who’s stretching himself to be an overseer, “he desires a noble task” (v1). Earlier he “aspires,” now he “desires.” Two different words. Two subtle differences. Earlier we saw the idea of reaching out as an outward action. “Desires” is the Greek verb epithumeo, which describes an inward desire of longing for something. It means to be on fire for something. It’s a burning passion to do something of eternal significance. 

An overseer is fired up for “a noble task” (v1). A word for word translation here is quite simply “a good work.” Don’t miss the point. There’s work involved. Important work involved. Eternal work involved. An overseer is ready to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty. Don’t fool yourself into thinking this is a cush job. You’re not settling into some kind of leadership La-Z-Boy. It’s work. Good work. 

So how do you and I apply this? What do we do with it? For most of us, we should be good followers of those God has placed as servant leaders over us. We need to remember they are watching out for our church. Let’s pray for them. Let’s encourage them. Second, each one of us needs to remember that we’re all leaders. We all exercise influence over others. Let’s grow and stretch ourselves to be godly and effective leaders. Finally, there are some of you who aspire to lead and have a passion for the local church. Don’t be afraid to let your overseers know. It’s your job to raise your hand. It’s their job to see if your qualified. 

Sailors need periscopes to see above the surface. Scientists use microscopes to peer into a tiny world. Astronomers look into telescopes for a glimpse into deep space. Churches need episcopes known as overseers to watch out and watch over God’s flock. 

God's Work Zone

 “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

There are few things I hate more when I’m driving than work zones. Hey man, how in the world am I supposed to make good time when I’m suddenly faced with a giant flashing arrow, a sign warning “Left Lane Closed Ahead” and a line of orange cones disappearing into the horizon? There IS one thing worse. No workers in the work zone. Few things get my undies in a bundle more than a construction zone on the highway when the crew has the day off. Hey, I’m not opposed to anybody getting a day off. But why am I merging into one lane when there’s not a single hard hat along the highway? 

There’s one work zone that’s fully staffed 24-7-365. That’s the life of every follower of Jesus. Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that God never stops, never takes a break, never takes a day off when He’s working in our lives. There are no cones. No orange barrels. No Jersey barriers. But this is God’s work zone. It’s non-stop. He’s always up to something. Nothing is wasted. As a matter of fact, He even works to gives you and me the desire to and energy to please Him. Once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

The apostle reassures his readers that it’s not up to each of us to save ourselves. We may have gotten just a wee bit worried that it was up to us after reading the previous verse. We’re told to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). I don’t know about you, but I would be shaking in my boots if God left it up to me to earn my way into heaven. It would not end well. Instead, Paul tells us to explore what it means to be on the receiving end of God’s grace. If salvation were a car, we wouldn’t really enjoy our new ride until we took it out on the road to see what it will do. We work out our faith by exercising our faith muscle through obedience. It’s only when we do what Jesus commands that we truly experience the abundant life He has for us. 

One verse later, the man from Tarsus reassures us “it is God who works in you” (v13). We’ve already read what God starts in us, He will finish (Phil 1:6). God’s the ultimate closer. He’ll wrap things up every single time. Just as sure as He’s always closing is that He’s always working. Paul uses the Greek verb energeo, which means to be powerfully effective, be active, produce, cause, or be in action. It focuses on the energy, power, or force involved. God doesn’t just punch the clock. He simply mail it in when He’s on the job. He works and works HARD. He gives it His full supernatural attention. The verb form of energeo is in the present tense. You can easily read this as “God who is currently working in you right here, right now.” His work isn’t a one-time event. He’s not a short-term contractor. He’s doesn’t just punch the clock 9 to 5. If you’re a follower of Jesus, our Savior has His supernatural sleeves rolled up at this very moment. “It is God who works in you” (v13). And He’s working while you read this.

All throughout the Bible, we read how our God isn’t afraid to get His hands dirty. He pulls the first full six-day work week in the history of the universe and then takes Saturday off (Gen 1:3-2:3). Paul tells the folks over in Corinth, “There are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1Cor 12:6). The writer of Hebrews prays that God would “equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:21). And the apostle says he wouldn’t be where he is without heaven’s descending one-way love. “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1Cor 15:10). All awesome examples of our God at work.

There’s interesting aspect of God’s work is His impact on our desire to do what He wants. He’s plugging away “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (v13). The translators of the NLT do an awesome job of getting this idea across. It’s God who’s “giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him” (v13 NLT). He does simply just leave you and me swinging in the breeze after coming to our rescue. Who would blame Jesus for kicking back and waiting for us to get off our tails to obey Him? Hey, He did go out of His way to leave paradise, live the perfectly obedient life we failed to live, died a bloody death on the cross we should have died, and rose to a glorious new life we don’t deserve. That sure sounds like a full career to me. But He doesn’t stop there. He works overtime to give us the want-to. 

But wait, there’s more! Kinda like one of those cheesy Ginsu knife commercials where they throw in the Bamboo Steamer. God doesn’t stop there. He stokes us with the power to also do what He tells us. This is where His Holy Spirit does what He does best. The Third Person of the Trinity is the power behind Christ’s resurrection (Rom 8:11).  Jesus tells His followers not to make move until the Spirit powers them up for the mission of spreading His Gospel (Acts 1:8). God’s Spirit is a total game changer. Once the Spirit falls, the Good News washes across the Mediterranean like a supernatural tsunami. Imagine what the kind of power the Holy Spirit gives you and me.

So what in the wide world of sports do we do with all this? First, we’re God’s work zone. He saves us and keeps on saving us. Second, remember God is always up to something in your life. It doesn’t always feel like it but He is. Third, the Lord is working away in each and every one of His followers. I have to admit there are a few believers  I find it difficult to believe. And I’m sure there are a lot of folks who look at me and scratch their heads too. Anywho, He’s doing His thing no matter what we see. Fourth, His Spirit gives each of us the desire and the ability to do what God wants. Do you have any desire to obey Jesus’ commands? Well, you can thank Him for that. He also gives you the ability to actually obey. That’s because once Jesus comes to the rescue, your life is God’s work zone. 

Sticky Fingers and Sticky Faith

“not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10)

I love how my wife decorates our home. She would never consider herself any sort of interior designer, but she’s got a very special touch. Deb’s decorating signature includes lots of pictures. Lots of family pictures. They’re everywhere throughout our house. She adorns our home with snapshots of kids and grandkids, parents and grandparents. Paul tells Titus that we decorate what we believe about God by how we work. He said that bondservants do this by “not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10). In other words, we shouldn’t have sticky fingers but a sticky faith.

Paul is in the middle of telling his man Titus how and what to teach new believers on the island of Crete about what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). Older dudes teaching younger dudes (Titus 2:2, 6). Older ladies teaching younger ladies (Titus 2:3-5). He wraps this section up with instructions to bondservants. These are slaves and indentured servants who have placed their faith in the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth. A modern application for this would be for every one who works for a living. Every employee should willingly obey their supervisor, work to put a smile on the boss’ face, and not complain and whine about what they have to do (Titus 2:9). The apostle goes on to say that how we work says a lot about what we believe about Jesus.

First of all, a good employee shouldn’t steal, or as Paul writes “not pilfering” (v10). This is the Greek verb nosphizomai, which literally means to separate. If it belongs to the company, it stays there. It this particular sense, it describes embezzling, misappropriation, stealing, and secretly taking stuff for your own use that doesn’t belong to you. Dr. Luke uses this same verb when writing about those early church embezzlers Ananias and Sapphira. This couple sold some real estate and then lied to say they were giving all the proceeds of the sale to God. They “kept back (Gr. nosphizomai)” some portion of profit for themselves (Acts 5:2-3). It’s not that they didn’t give all of the profits to support the new church. Their sin was lying and secretly skimming off the top. 

Don’t embezzle. Do we really need to tell you that? Apparently Paul thinks so. But this is so much more than some white collar crime to misappropriate thousands of dollars from the company coffers. This isn’t about the amount but the sin behind it. Don’t sneak stuff out of the supply closet. Don’t juggle the numbers on your expense report so that you actually make out like a bandit. Don’t steal time by goofing off when you should be working. Every one of these are examples of how each one of us skims from the top. Sticky fingers are a sign that what you and I were taught didn’t stick.

We’re called to be “showing all good faith” when we’re at work. This has a couple of very important aspects. First of all, a follower of Jesus should be faithful and steadfast in their work. We don’t give up when things get tough. We must stick to a project until it’s complete. Our Savior is the ultimate example of powering through in the most difficult circumstances. Aren’t you glad He didn’t give up when it got hard? The other implication is that there should be absolutely no separation between our work life and our faith in Jesus. I haven’t just given Him my Sunday mornings. He’s my Lord 24/7/365. That clearly includes when I’m on the job. My trust in Christ should have a tremendous impact on how I work. It becomes obvious to folks around me at work that what I’ve learned about my faith has stuck.

The Apostle Paul then tells us the reason why first century bondservants and 21st century employees should shine at work. “So that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (v10). A closer look at the original language reveals the verb kosmeo, which means to decorate, embellish, make beautiful and attractive. It’s the same root that gives us our word cosmetics. Jesus slammed the religious police for being hypocrites and spending money to “decorate (Gr. kosmeo) the monuments of the righteous” (Mt 23:29). Christ’s crew was blown away with the ornate decorations of the temple and “how it was adorned (Gr. kosmeo) with noble stones and offerings” (Lk 21:5). Pete writes that women who follow Jesus don’t so much worry about their makeup and wardrobe but “adorn (Gr. kosmeo) themselves, by submitting to their own husbands” (1Pet 3:5). Does how I work make what I know about Jesus more attractive to those around me?

Here’s the deal. If we claim to follow Jesus, my shoddy work, laziness, and a bad attitude trashes His rep. It reveals that we really don’t have an understanding about who He is, what He’s done, and who we are without Him. How we work should make Jesus more attractive and more beautiful to those around us. I’m not talking about slapping a Jesus fish on your car. This isn’t about slinging a cross around your neck. It has nothing to do with dropping a Bible on your desk. All of those things may be awesome. But a great witness for what He’s done in my life is to bust my butt and be a hard worker. Will I fall short? You betcha. Will I bring embarrassment on the One who rescued me? Take it to the bank. But when I do, I must be accountable to my mistakes and know that nothing that happens at work changes my standing in Him. 

As followers of Jesus, we’re called to have sticky faith, not sticky fingers.