The Zombie Apocalypse

Long before "Night of the Living Dead," "World War Z," and "The Walking Dead," the Apostle Paul warned Galatian believers of the Zombie Apocalypse (Gal 5:15).  

Hearing the news of what was happening in the churches of Galatia, he knew that the reality of what was happening there was much more gruesome than anything created by Hollywood schlockmaster.

A little context.  Paul and Barnabas made not one but two swings through the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in what is now modern day Turkey (Acts 13:13-14:23).  

They told everyone there about Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles.  The radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is the long awaited Messiah who has completely fulfilled and obeyed the Mosaic law.  

Christ came not only to save His chosen people but the entire world.  Just after Paul and Barney headed home, a group of false teachers called the Judaizers roll into these towns.  

Falsely claiming to be part of apostle's posse, they infiltrate the churches and convince these new believers that Jesus may brought us into His kingdom but it's up to us to stay through through religious rule-following (Gal 1:6; 2:4; 3:1).  Specifically, circumcision (Gal 5:2-11).  

The former Pharisee is so furious about the situation that he says if these spiritual snake oil salesmen are so hepped up on circumcision themselves, they ought to cut EVERYTHING off (Gal 5:12)!!

The Judiazers' counterfeit gospel goes against the freedom we have in Christ that Paul preached everywhere he went (Gal 5:1, 13).  Jesus lived and died under the law in order to be completely obedient to it.  

There's no way we could ever live up to that impossible standard.  God commanded us, "Be holy, for I am holy" (Lev 11:44; 1Pet 1:16).  We don't stand a snowball's chance of doing that apart from what Jesus has done for us.  

The result of the the freedom we have in Christ should lead us to loving and serving one another (Gal 5:13-14).  We're to love God and love others.  We're to have a "Me Third" attitude (Eph 4:31-32; Col 3:5-8).  

But these false teachers and their perverted preaching of self-salvation has taken the focus off of Jesus and others put them back in the mirror.  The result is the Galatian Zombie Apocalypse.

"But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another" (v15).  Instead of living a life of love and freedom in Jesus, the Galatians have turned on one another.  

Most commentators say the language here describes how a pack of wild animals attack and feed.  Paul paints a pretty gory picture.  

First he uses the Greek verb δακνω/dakno.  It means to rip and tear with teeth.  Think gator.  Think shark.  

Next he uses κατεσθειω/katestheio.  This describes something completely eaten.  It was often used when talking about birds.  Think vultures on a carcass.  

Finally we see the verb αναλισκω/analisko.  This term refers to something that's all gone.  Once the attack is complete, there's nothing but a greasy spot where the victim used to be.  

For some of you this conjures up the image of a feeding frenzy on the Discovery Channel.  For others, it sounds like the glassy-eyed undead relentlessly chomping away at their victims.

Paul is warning not just the Galatian churches but churches everywhere against a Zombie Apocalypse.  This is what happens when we take our eyes off of Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2) and begin staring at our own navels.  

The apostle saw it coming (Acts 20:29-30).  When the focus becomes our own sanctification, we so easily fall into what Tullian Tchividjian calls Christian narcissism.  It becomes all about me.  

We suddenly become self-centered, self-focused on our self-salvation.  Instead of born again believers, we're the walking dead.  And nothing stands in our way.  We chew and devour each other.  

Christian cannibalism is not a pretty sight.  It happens to churches everywhere.  Paul is warning us all of what happens when we stop loving each other and serving each other.  

It's the Zombie Apocalypse.

©2012

Jay Jennings

Who's the G.O.A.T.?

I Am the Greatest!

I love sports. Always have. For me, there’s a lot to like. The passion. The performances. The stories. The drama.

But if there’s one thing I can’t stand about athletics, it’s the non-stop self-promotion and boasting. Just about every sport has 

more than its fair share of egomaniacs who brag that they’re the G.O.A.T. The Greatest of All Time.

It seems to have started with Muhammad Ali. Back in the sixties and seventies, he constantly made the claim, “I am the greatest!” Chances are, in his sport, he was and still is.

How Ironic

In Mark’s Gospel, there’s the story of a similar argument about who’s the best. Yup, long before Ali, a group of guys try to make the case for which one is the greatest member of Jesus’ team (Mk 9:33-35). And the crazy thing is, they’re the closest followers of the MOST humble yet MOST deserving person to ever walk the planet. Ironic, isn’t it?

We pick up the story with the Lord and the Twelve returning to the home office in Capernaum. They’re fresh back from a trip to the mountains of northern Palestine near Caesarea Philippi and Mount Hermon (Mk 8:27; 9:2).

On the Way Home

On the way back, the Son of God heals a young man of demon possession while filling up the faith tank of his desperate dad (Mk 9:14-29).

During the trip home, Christ tells His team what to expect in the coming weeks (Mk 8:31-33). Get ready, boys. You’re gonna see the radical Rabbi/Carpenter betrayed, tortured, and murdered by the leaders of Judaism.

Pulling back the Curtain

But that’s not all. He’s going to rise from the dead!!! The problem is, the guys clearly don’t get it. Peter pulls Jesus aside and tires to tell Him that real Messiahs don’t die (Mk 8:32).

Then there’s the mountaintop meet-up with Moses and Elijah that Jesus allows Pete, James, and John to witness (Mk 9:2-8). Next thing you know, God pulls back the curtain of heaven to reveal His Son’s spectacular glory.

Some Sort of Blowup

On the return trip, the boys are having some sort of blowup. And they clearly don’t want Christ to know what they’re bickering about. Once they’re home, the disciples haven’t even set down their suitcases when our Savior asks them a question.

“After they arrived Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked His disciples, ‘What were you discussing out on the road?’” (v33). Before we get to the question, let’s set the scene geographically.

A Blue Collar Bump in the Road

Capernaum is a little fishing village on the northern tip of a large freshwater lake called the Sea of Galilee. We’re talking blue collar bump in the road inhabited by the working class poor. It’s also become the headquarters of Jesus’ team.

Pete grew up just down the shore in Bethsaida.  But he’s since gotten married and moved here (Mk 1:29-30). He shares a home with his brother Andy and their extended family.

Jesus’ House

The town may be tiny but it’s big enough to have a synagogue. That’s the equivalent of a Jewish church community. Jesus has the honor of being the guest speaker on a few occasions (Mk 1:21). The ruins of that place of worship are still there today.

There’s an interesting little tidbit that might be easy to miss in the NLT. In the original language, Mark literally describes how the Lord “was in the house” (v33 ESV). The use of “the” tips us off that this is where the Son of God is living at the time. It could be Pete and Andy’s place. Who knows, maybe Jesus knew the joy of home ownership.

Trying to Keep It from Jesus

Whatever the case, Christ has a question for His crew. “What were you discussing out on the road?” (v33). It seems the boys were chatting it up while they were on the way back. And for whatever reason, they didn’t include the Teacher in the conversation.

Clearly whatever they were talking about, they tried to keep it from Christ. Don’t mistake His question for His ignorance. You can be sure He knows EXACTLY what the guys were chewing the fat about.

Coming Clean before Christ

Jesus asks them because He wants them to admit and repent. He knows. He simply wants them to come clean and realize how ridiculous they are. There’s no need to think He doesn’t already know.

He knows.

Jesus Doesn’t Need a Transcript

Christ offers us the same opportunity. He’s fully aware of everything we say, everything we do, and everything we think. He doesn’t need a transcript. There’s no reason to compose an executive summary.

He knows.

Before You Say It

Over in John’s Gospel, we read how our Savior didn’t need anyone to explain others’ motives “for He knew what was in each person’s heart” (Jn 2:25). King David wrote a song about how intimately God knows each one of us. “You know what I am going today even before I say it” (Ps 139:4).

He knows.

The Open Door of Confession

The reason He asks is to give them the opportunity to confess and repent. He’s not putting them on the spot to embarrass them. The Son of God wants them to realize their ego battle is exactly the wrong approach for one of His followers. He’s graciously opening the door of confession for them. He does the same for you and me.

We not only need let God know what He already knows but have the courage to confess to fellow followers of Jesus. The Lord’s little brother James tells us that this is a critical part of life in God’s family. “Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

That is why it is critical to find a group of believers where you can let our guard down and be the real you. Here’s the deal. If you can’t confess and come clean to the people who love you in the Lord and want His best for you, where can you do it?

Christ Gets Crickets

Back inside the house in Capernaum, it’s quiet. Too quiet. After Jesus asks the question,  the disciples don’t say a word. “But they didn’t answer” (v34). Christ gets nothing but crickets. There’s little doubt they’re too embarrassed to tell Him.

He’s thrown open the door of confession. But the Twelve is standing on the front porch and won’t come in. They’ve got nothing to say. You can see them looking at the floor and shuffling their sandals. The boys are busted.

A Silly Squabble

It’s at this point that Mark let’s us know what the disciples are unwilling to tell their Leader. “They had been arguing about which of them was the greatest” (v34). Seems kinda stupid to have this sort of silly squabble when you’re in the presence of the sinless Son of God, don’t you think?

This is another example of the author of the second Gospel giving us behind-the-scenes info we don’t find anywhere else. What’s his source? Early believers thought Peter is the one feeding Mark these crucial details.

The Guest List for the Transfiguration?

Could this argument have started over who got an invite to the Transfiguration and who didn’t? Did the other nine feel jealous when Jesus asked Pete and the Thunder Brothers to up on the mountain without them?

Any chance the Big Three felt cocky about what they were on the Son of God’s guest list and rubbed the noses of the other nine in it? I’m sure you’ve never been part of a group that didn’t have its fair share of drama. *wink wink*

A Teachable Moment

Instead of chewing His team out, He turns it into a teachable moment. “He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to Him” (v35). Back in the First Century, rabbis sat down to teach. When the Son of God grabs a seat, the disciples know that class is in session. They probably have a good idea He’s about to go deep on God’s view of greatness.

Despite the disciples’ silence, Jesus puts all His cards on the table when it comes to any claim to be the best. “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else” (v35).

Right out of the chute, notice how the Lord doesn’t dismiss the idea of wanting to be great. There’s nothing wrong with ambition. It simply must be focused on godly goals.

Last Is First

Somewhere along the way, many of the followers of Jesus have gotten the idea that greatness has no place in God’s kingdom. Heaven’s definition of success is a complete 180 from how we see it here on earth.

Christ tells His crew that it’s okay when someone wants to be first. So if that’s you, take a deep breath. But instead of fighting for the front of the line, it’s just the opposite. Jesus wants His followers walking to the back of the line. You see, for His disciples, last is first. Least is best.

Success Centered on Self

Society has sold us on a picture of success that puts us at the top of the org chart. The truly people have got it all going on. An corner office in the c suite. Countless employees. A sizable staff. Maybe even servants to respond to their every want and need.

Greatness here on the third rock from the sun is all about power, money, and influence. that use to your advantage. It’s success centered on self. What can I get out of it since I’ve got the leverage?

Don’t Buy a Fast Pass

But true greatness in God’s eyes turns the whole thing on its head. According to Christ, success means being in last place and serving everybody else. So if you see a long line, don’t look to buy a Fast Pass. Simply move to the back. That’s because in God’s view, the back of the line is actually the front.

Our Savior uses this very logic when wrapping an illustration about payday for employees at a vineyard. The workers hired in the morning get their undies in a bundle when ones hired late in the afternoon get the same check.

In the story, the owner of the company steps in and explains his pay structure. “Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others? So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last” (Mt 20:15-16).

The Mother of the Thunder Brothers

This idea that last is actually first becomes a HUGE theme in Jesus’ last days. He makes it the point of His teaching not once, not twice, not three times, but a grand total of four times! It sure seems like He doesn’t want us to miss the point!

The first time is when the mother of the Thunder Brothers goes to bat for her boys and asks Jesus to give them positions of power in His kingdom. Helicopter parenting is not a modern invention. The Lord tells her that’s the wrong way to go about it.

“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:26-28).

The Choice Is Yours

The second comes a couple of days later when Christ speaks before a big Passover crowd in Jerusalem. “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exactly themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Mt 23:11-12).

Let me put it another way. Humble yourself or suffer humiliation. The choice is yours.

A Real Leader Waits Tables

Number three is just hours before His betrayal and murder when He settles yet another battle for power among His team. “Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like the servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course! But not here! For I am among you as one who serves” (Lk 22:26-27).

Washing Filthy Feet

Moments later, the Son of God shows the boys how it’s done when He grabs a bucket and a towel and washes their filthy feet. “I gave given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. 

Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them” (Jn 13:15-17).

Our Savior Serves

A few hours later, Jesus would provide the ultimate example of servant leadership by giving His life for us. Dying a brutal death for our sin so that we could live. By doing for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves, our Savior serves us and saves us.

The Man from Heaven Humbled Himself

The man God used to spread His message of grace around the Mediterranean Rim writes how we are to model our Savior’s humility. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Phil 2:3-8).

Leveraging Your Position

This doesn’t mean to success is evil or that greatness is ungodly. First of all, let God examine your heart. Why do you want it so badly? Is it so the world will be impressed? Or is it so you can leverage your position for others and shine the spotlight on our Savior?

Here are a few subtle symptoms of pride from Fabienne Harford. Do you love to find fault with others? Do you have a snarky spirit that enjoys putting folks down? Are you more worried about your image than your integrity?

Do you go on the defensive when criticized? Are you desperate to be the center of attention? Do you neglect the needs of others? Oops, did these hit a little too close to home? Sorry, not sorry.

The Lamb is the G.O.A.T.

Last is first.

First is last.

Greatness in God’s eyes is serving others.

Follow the Lamb. He just happens to be the G.O.A.T. The Greatest of All Time.

©2018

Jay Jennings

Love Me Some Me

“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2Tim 3:2-5).

Self-centered. Self-absorbed. Self-promoting. Self-obsessed. Their Facebook feed is a never-ending series of selfies. Know somebody like that? Let’s face it. We ALL do.

Conversations with them always center on a single topic. What is it? Well, you get two guesses and the first two don’t count. If you’re lucky, your friendly neighborhood narcissist will eventually come up for air and ask you a question. But it’s usually something along the lines of, “Enough about me. What do YOU think about ME?” NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens wasn’t afraid to admit, “I love me some me!"

While you may think the world has never been more full of folks who are full of themselves like T.O., it’s really nothing new. Two thousand years ago before a Kardashian walked the planet, Paul warned a young pastor named Timothy this was going to happen. It’s all part of his last day’s forecast. There’s a 100% chance of danger (2Tim 3:1). The apostle then gives us a detailed scouting report of just exactly whom to dodge.

“For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (v2-5).

Stop. Read it again. Read it again SLOWLY. It’s way too easy to put the pedal to the metal about after the first few and fly to the end. Take your time. Pause after each comma. Let it sink in. Let it soak in. It’s okay. We’ll wait for you. Nobody’s going anywhere.

Reading the apostle’s list makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it? Don’t you squirm just a little bit? Is it possible that something he said hits just a little close to home? Well, it does for me. More on that in a moment.

Paul didn’t have a clue about the selfie stick and the duck face (lucky him!), but certainly he saw where things were headed. Folks may look good on the outside. We put up a great front. We manage our image. Our social media feeds are more like our personally crafted highlight reel. Oops! Did I say “we” and “our”? But it’s just a thin veneer that barely covers the black hole of our ego sucking in anyone who gets to close. The apostle tells Tim to make a quick U-turn when meeting somebody like that before it’s too late.

Before we make a deep dive into this bottomless pit of self-absorption, let’s back up a bit for context. Paul is writing to Tim from behind bars (2Tim 1:16; 2:9). He’s been locked up in the joint before but this is different. This time he’s in his final days on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). The apostle hopes his buddy can get to Rome in time for one final visit (2Tim 4:9, 21). Just in case that doesn’t happen, he furiously scribbles down essential info for ministry in the last letter of his life (2Tim 2:1-4:5).

The apostle writes to a young man that he’s left as lead pastor at the church he himself planted a few years back in Ephesus (Acts 19; 1Tim 1:3). E City is a major crossroads of trade and culture on the west coast of what we know today as Turkey. We probably know more about this specific church than any other in the entire Bible. In addition to what we read in Acts and the two letters to Timothy, Paul writes his Ephesian friends an entire letter. He mentions this church to the folks in Corinth (1Cor 15:32; 16:8). Even the resurrected Jesus tells His best friend John to pass along His instructions to His people in Ephesus (Rev 1:11; 2:1-7).

This is all part of Paul’s repeated warnings about a team of spiritual hucksters who have weaseled their way into the church and their impact on the followers of Jesus. They’ve infiltrated the congregation and are tearing it apart inside out. He first sounded the alarm to the Ephesians in his letter to the church there and pointed them back to who our Savior is, what He has done, and who He says we are. The apostle continues waving the caution flag in his first letter to Pastor Tim (1Tim 1:3-11, 19-20 4:1-3, 7; 6:3-10, 20-21). This list is his latest in his long list of warnings.

There’s really no reason to drill down and dissect each of the disgusting qualities that Paul describes to Timothy, is there? You DO realize that, don’t you? These nasty traits pretty stinking obvious, aren’t they? I like what Alan Nute writes in the International Bible Commentary. This is “a list of vices which constitutes a frightful picture of a world which has turned its back upon God.” Instead of making a priority of God first, others second, me third, this list flips the script.

They love me some me.

Paul clearly makes the point that these folks have misplaced priorities when it comes to love. They’ve turned their love back on themselves. They’re “lovers of self, lovers of money” (v2). According Nute, these two are the mom and dad and who go on to raise an entire family of self-centered siblings. Man, talk about putting the funk into the ultimate dysfunctional family!

We see that they’ve earned a rep for what they DON’T love. They are “not loving good” (v3) and “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (v4). In other words, selfie-centered people don’t love good and don’t love God. They’re on a relentless hunt for whatever feels good. As personal pleasure seekers, they’ve elevated themselves to the place of worship reserved only for God. The irony is that no one in the universe is more dedicated to our joy than our Creator.

While they may be self-centered, self-absorbed, self-promoting, but there’s one quality of self they’re missing. These spiritual con artists and their customers are “without self-control” (v3). Their self-obsession is totally out of control. The original language uses a single word here (Gr. ακρατης/akrates). Let’s just say a couple of the translations render this as “incontinent” (KJV, YLT). I’m just gonna leave that right there.

They love me some me.

Self-absorbed folks continually pump themselves up. Paul calls them “proud, arrogant” (v2). The phrase translated “swollen with conceit” (v4) literally describes something filled with smoke. They’re full of hot air and blow a lot of smoke!

They use that in combination with tearing others down by being “abusive” (v2), “heartless…slanderous…brutal” (v3), “treacherous, reckless” (v4). The word “slanderous” speaks volumes. This is the Greek term διαβολος (diabolos). It paints the picture of an accuser or someone who is always tearing down others verbally. It’s should come as no surprise that this is the same word used for the Devil (Mt 4:1, 5, 8, 11). The word actually comes from a root word that describes throwing…as in throwing someone under the bus!

Most of us would take one look at this list and want nothing to do with anyone like this. There’s just one problem. They’re undercover. They’re incognito. Paul tips us off that they have “the appearance of godliness, but denying it’s power” (v5). The apostle wants us to know these are closer than you think. Chances are they are sitting right next to you in church or small group. They look good and godly from the outside.

From the outside, these folks appear to really get their worship on. You see, “godliness” (Gr. ευσεβια/eusebia) literally means “good (ευ-/eu-) worship (-σεβια/-sebia).” This may come as a shock to some of you, but worship isn’t just singing songs on Sunday. It’s a lot more than putting your hands in the air like you really do care.

Worship flows from a grateful heart and results in a lifestyle of grace. We worship well when we put into practice God’s truth. We worship well when we live what we say we believe. We worship well when we put others ahead of ourselves. We don’t just know God’s commands, we DO God’s commands! The big idea here? We may know all the words and sing louder than anybody without a mic, but that’s only the “appearance of godliness” (v5). We must be very careful that we haven’t made the deity in the morning mirror the REAL object of our praise.

They love me some me.

Oh, these snake oil salesmen put up a decent front but they actually have no real proof of God’s power in their lives. These people are “denying its power” (v5). A peak behind their hypocritical curtain shows there’s no real holiness, perseverance, or effectiveness when it comes to God’s kingdom.The Message knocks this out of the park when it says, “They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals” (v5 The Message).

At then end of this loathsome list, we come to the only command in it. “Avoid such people” (v5). It’s clear from the previous verses that Paul has high hopes for their repentance and restoration (2Tim 2:23-26). But he clearly knows desperate times call for desperate measures. He’s probably talking about kicking them to the curb and out of the congregation as a last resort.

The apostle drops a word here (Gr. αποτρεπω/apotrepo) that means to have nothing to do with or purposely avoid associating with someone. It literally means to turn yourself around. Put your whole self in, take your whole self out…and stay there! Does this mean the Hokey Pokey IS what it’s all about? When you find yourself around folks with a phony faith who refuse to change, give them your best spin move and get out of there. Turn before you get burned.

This is where things get hard. They may be people we love dearly. It can be hard to give someone a stiff arm after they’ve become close to you. I think the best way to understand the apostle’s command here is to limit their emotional access in your life. Be careful what you share. We don’t want to cut them off completely (unless they’re a threat to your safety or the ones you love).

I would suggest we treat them as unbelievers. Continue to love them. Continue to reach out to them. Continue to shower them with the grace of Jesus. The idea is repentance and restoration, not punishment and abandonment. Heartbreaking as it might be, God can use our strategic avoidance as a means to get someone’s attention. We need to be careful but we must keep in contact.

Mind if I ask you a question? Are people avoiding YOU? Could WE be the people Paul’s warning Tim about? Let’s face facts. If we’re not now, we used to be. This is EXACTLY the kind of folks we were before Jesus got His holy hands on us. That smacked me right in the throat when I read this list. Self-centered. Check. Self-absorbed. Check. Self-promoting. Check. Self-obsessed. Check.

I loved me some me.

There’s no doubt that I put up a good front back in the day. To be honest, there are times that I still do. But there’s one thing I couldn’t escape. God doesn’t see me the same way the world does. He sees my heart (1Sam 16:7). Better yet, He gives me a new heart (Ezek 36:26-27)! 

Like Terrell Owens, I may love me some me but get this. Jesus loves me more than that. A whole lot more. And He loves you and me too much to let us stay that way.

It's NOT about You. It's ALL about Jesus.

“I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service” (1Tim 1:12).

Rick Warren is right. “It’s not about you.” That’s the opening line to his best-seller “The Purpose Driven Life.” As a matter of fact, it’s not about me either. I don’t know about you, but that’s quite a relief. The book is awesome (as a matter of fact, you may want to stop wasting your time reading stuff like this on the internet and pick up a copy if you haven’t read it yet!). But it’s not like Rick has the copyright on some groundbreaking new idea. 

No, this notion was put in motion a few thousand years before in a little ditty known as the Bible. In a letter to his sidekick Timothy, Paul goes out of his way to say it’s not about him either. “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged me faithful, appointing me to His service” (v12). It’s all about the One who gives us strength. It’s all about the One who leads us to a place of faithfulness. It’s all about the One who handpicks us to serve. If you’re scoring at home, it’s ALL about Jesus. That’s A-L-L. ALL.

The apostle is not simply scribbling this stuff down in a vacuum. He’s not just waxing poetic. You see, Tim’s got his hands full with a gang of false teachers who are stirring up trouble at the church in Ephesus. Paul has left his spiritual son there as the pastor while he’s off on his next assignment (1Tim 1:2-3). The man from Tarsus already kicked two of these knuckleheads to the curb before he hit the road (1Tim 1:20). But there are still a few religious hucksters selling a counterfeit gospel and distracting people from the real deal (1Tim 1:3-7). These false teachers are misusing God’s law and abusing God’s people. Instead of using Scripture to diagnose sin and point folks back to Jesus, they use it to dominate and damage through legalism and self-salvation (1Tim 1:8-11). This isn’t just a first century issue. Garbage like this is still spewed in our churches today. 

Paul is making a clear distinction between himself and the spiritual snake oil salesmen. He thanks Jesus for giving him supernatural strength. The false teachers are driving on an empty tank. He thanks Christ for judging him faithful. The false teachers have only a faith in themselves. He thanks our Lord for appointing him to serve. The false teachers are self-appointed and serve only themselves. Every single one of us who thinks we’re serving God needs to ask the hard questions. Who gives me strength? Who judges me faithful? Who appoints me to serve? If the answer is NOT Jesus, I need to shut it down and turn to Him right here and right now. Remember, it’s not about you. It’s ALL about Jesus.

Like a basketball player who’s just score and points to the one who passed him the ball, the apostle gives all the credit to where credit is really due. God. All throughout Scripture, we read of our God who gives. He gives creation. He gives life. He gives food. He gives His Son. Our God is not a grabber but a Giver. An over-the-top, crazy generous, radically lavish Giver. It’s just who He is. It’s just what He does. And He absolutely LOVES to give to those who don’t deserve anything. Just to clear up who these undeserving recipients are…it’s you and me. That’s why Jesus says He came so that we could dive into the deep end of a pool what He calls the abundant and overflowing life (Jn 10:10).

Paul is so thankful to “Him who has given me strength” (v12). He’s ultimately powerless without Christ. Jesus told His crew that when we’re vitally connected with Him, there’s really no limit to what He can do through us (Jn 15:5). Without that connection, zip, zilch, zero. The apostle knows without a doubt he didn’t do it. He didn’t have the strength. He didn’t have the oomph. He knows that God and His power are the secret sauce of all that he’s accomplished. In other words, it’s NOT about Paul. And it’s NOT about you or me. It’s ALL about Jesus. 

Make no mistake on just who this Jesus is and what this is all about. According to the apostle, He’s “Christ Jesus our Lord” (v12). These four words absolutely drip with significance. Jesus is the actual name His heavenly Father told His earthly parents to name Him (Lk 1:31). It literally means “Yahweh saves.” And boy, does He ever! God personally comes to our rescue through the Son of a carpenter from Nazareth. We see here that Jesus is so much more than Joe and Mary’s oldest. 

He’s “Christ” (v12). No, that’s NOT His last name. It’s an incredibly important title. It’s the New Testament equivalent of the Hebrew “Messiah” in the OT. As Messiah/Christ, He ties the entire Bible together. In fact, He is THE ultimate Hero of THE entire Story! Jesus is the long awaited Hero God promised for thousands of years Who would come. The Father first hinted at our Savior’s arrival to our first parents in Eden (Gen 3:15). Every promise and prophecy in Scripture points to the coming Messiah. He fulfills God’s pledge to Abraham. He fulfills God’s commitment to David. Jesus Himself shocked the world by saying all of the Scripture is about Him (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39, 46). The term “Christ” (Gr. Christos) literally means “Anointed One.” God the Father drenches God the Son with God the Spirit (Lk 3:22). If you’re wondering, that’s an unbeatable combo!

Paul wants us all to know that Jesus is not just Messiah/Christ but also “our Lord” (v12). In other words, He’s the One who is ultimately in charge. Jesus isn’t some mid-level manager with limited authority. He decides. He rules. He reigns. He’s not just a king. Later in this very letter, the apostle doesn’t want Tim to miss the fact that Jesus is “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1Tim 6:15). The Apostle John didn’t just call Jesus his best friend but also worshiped Him as the “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Rev 17:14; 19:16). With a title like that on your LinkedIn profile, you have “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). Because of that, He’s not just some random ruler with no right to tell you and me what to do. He’s “OUR Lord” (v12 emphasis added). Remember, Jesus didn’t come simply to sell us fire insurance. He came as the most benevolent Boss the universe has ever seen. As Lord, we must to do what He says. Our willing obedience to the Lord Jesus is the secret to unlocking the overflowing goodness of life He came to bring (Jn 10:10). You see, it’s NOT about you. It’s ALL about Jesus.

The apostle is pumped not because of what anybody else thinks of him but “because He judged me faithful” (v12). The ESV translates the Greek verb here hegeomai as “judged.” While Jesus certainly is qualified as our Judge (Jn 5:22, 27; Acts 17:31), this isn’t so much like a ruling in a courtroom. This is term actually means to consider, regard, lead, govern, and rule. Hegeomai describes the effectiveness of a leader (Acts 15:22). Paul sure seems to be making the point that Jesus led him into faithfulness when he had none. Did Christ do that for you? Chances are He’s still doing it right here and right now.

Paul doesn’t give a hot hoot about what bloggers say about him. He couldn’t care less about how many friends he has on Facebook or followers on Twitter. He writes to Galatian believers that the only thing he really cares about is God’s stamp of approval as Jesus’ servant (Gal 1:10). All that matters is Jesus and what He thinks of the man from Tarsus. It’s not that we shouldn’t care about others. Our Savior has certainly called us to love people in the same self-sacrificing way He did (Jn 13:34-35). But our worth doesn’t hinge on their opinion of us. Whose opinion matters? Christ. It’s ALL about Jesus.

The apostle is doing cartwheels because the Son of God “has judged me faithful” (v12). That’s quite a statement considering his rap sheet as Saul. In the very next verse, he admits to his rather questionable background as “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” and how he “acted ignorantly in unbelief” (v13). Check out the Message’s take on the risk Jesus took with the former Pharisee. “He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry” (v12 The Message). So how in the world does Jesus see any faithfulness in this faithless former terrorist against His kingdom? It’s because Paul realized he was neither too bad to be saved or good enough to save himself. He places his trust in what Jesus has done for him that he could never accomplish on his own. 

We need to remember that Jesus doesn’t call to anything but faithfulness to Him. It’s not about piling up a great resume. It’s not about building up a fabulous 401k. And it’s not even being successful in ministry or building a big church. Faithfulness in our gracious God is one of the Bible’s mega-themes. “The righteous shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). Don’t fall for the lie of up-and-to-the-right. Look at the only measure of success that matters in Jesus’ eyes. Faithfulness to Him is ALL that matters.

Christ gives us His strength for a reason. In Paul’s words, He is “appointing me to His service” (v12). And why not, it’s the whole reason Jesus came. The Son of God came to seek, to save, and to serve (Lk 19:10; Phil 2:5-8). That’s right, the King of kings is also the Servant of servants. He flipped the cosmic org chart upside down. We need to remember to do the same. He seeks, saves, and serves us so that we can serve as well. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re faced with a life of minimum wage drudgery by following Jesus and attending to the needs of others. Christ says we’ll find unbelievable blessing in serving others (Jn 13:17). He goes so far as to say it’s the REAL path to greatness in God’s eyes (Lk 22:26). 

Rick Warren is right. The Apostle Paul is right. It’s NOT about you. It’s ALL about Jesus. 

Get over Yourself

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

I’m a not-so-proud member of the “Me Generation.” As a Baby Boomer, we brought you the self-centered conversation stopper, “But enough about me…what do YOU think about me?” According to Joel Stein of Time, there’s a new narcissistic kid in town. He calls Millennials the “ME ME ME GENERATION.” Don’t miss the all caps. They’re screaming for your attention. Stein calls them narcissistic, overconfident, entitled, and lazy. If you’re wondering what they’re up to, just log into Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and they’ll be more than happy to share it with you. These folks invented the selfie. Is there anything more self-centered and self-absorbed?

But before you get too cocky comparing yourself to Millennials (ironic isn’t it, that we’re proud that we’re not so proud?), narcissism isn’t limited to any one age group or demo. In the words of Elspeth Reeve, “Every Every Every Generation has been the Me Me Me Generation.” Sorry, Millennials. Looks like you’re no longer number one. A few centuries before someone snapped the first selfie, Paul tells his friends back in Philippi that every last one of us needs to get our eyes out of the mirror. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v3-4). Yes, I’m talking to you. And me. It’s time to climb down off our high horse. The very first words Rick Warren writes in “The Purpose Driven Life” are “It’s not about you.” In other words, the purpose of life is NOT YOU! He’s just summing up the same sentiment of the apostle. 

Get over yourself. 

Here in chapter two of his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul talks about the impact of Jesus on our lives. Once the Lord gets ahold of us, “encouragement in Christ…comfort from love…participation in the Spirit…affection and sympathy” (Phil 2:1) are a guaranteed part of our rescue. As a result, we become a team. And as the old saying goes, there’s no “I” in team. As part of Team Jesus, we should have the “same mind…same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Phil 2:2). Nobody goes rogue. It’s all about giving God the glory and making our teammates better. Big TEAM. Little me. Huge GOD. Tiny me.

Before giving us instructions on what to do, Paul gives us a couple of land mines to avoid. Land mine number one: “Do nothing from selfish ambition” (v3). The man from Tarsus drops one Greek word (Gr. eritheia) that carries a truckload of ego. It means self-promotion, self-seeking, and a resent toward others based on jealousy. Aristotle used the word to describe dirty politics. Can you imagine a candidate campaigning for office by using unethical tactics? Yes, I am kidding. Stop working every angle to put yourself at the front of the line. Remember what Jesus told His posse. In His Dad’s kingdom, first is last and last is first (Mt 19:30; 20:26-27). 

Get over yourself.

Paul points out the second land mine as “conceit” (Gr. kenodozia). Steer clear of  groundless boasting, vain pride, or cheap talk. This word literally means “empty glory.” We’re talking about cockiness without basis. In Texas they call this “all hat and no cattle.” Don’t be a blowhard. Stop puffing yourself up! It’s not about you! There’s only One who deserves the applause. There’s only One who’s the star of the show. Here’s a tip…it’s NOT YOU! Jesus is the only One worthy of glory. Everything else is just flapping gums. 

Get over yourself.

Once we’ve gingerly maneuvered our way past the IEDs of self, Hurt Locker style, the apostle instructs us to keep on keeping on “in humility” (v3). For most of my life, I had a jacked up view being humble. I thought I was supposed to continually put myself down. But C.S. Lewis knocked it out of the park when he said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less.” It’s a “Me Third” attitude. God first. Others second. Me third. Or in the words of Paul, “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (v3). Instead of looking out for number one, I must put myself in third place. I give God the glory by serving and sacrificing for others just as Jesus did. I serve because I’ve been served. I bless because I’ve been blessed. It’s thinking of myself less.

Get over yourself.

Before we get the idea that the apostle is talking about buying your salvation by giving it all away, Paul tells us to pump our brakes. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (v4). Don’t miss the word “only.” It’s okay to look out for what we need but NOT at the expense of everyone else. Don’t buy the lie of poverty theology. But on the other hand, don’t fall for prosperity theology either. Look out for others. When we look up to Jesus, we look out for those around us. 

Let’s face it, we’re all members of the ME ME ME GENERATION. The Millennials don’t have a lock on the title. We’re all sinful. We’re all selfish. We all need a Savior. Once Jesus comes to my rescue, I realize it’s not about me. A big part of my salvation is being saved from myself. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. 

Get over yourself.

Self-Absorbed Hot Heads Need Not Apply

“He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered” (v7).

You’ve seen job postings on the web. They list various job requirements. Certain levels of education and degrees. Particular training. Specific skill sets. Even character qualities that an applicant should possess. Rarely does a potential employer let you know what they are NOT looking for. Not so with Paul. He doesn’t just give Titus a list of qualities God expects in spiritual leaders, he tells him what he doesn’t want. Right off the bat, he tells the Big T that self-absorbed hot heads need not apply.

Here’s the scene on the island of Crete. It’s around AD 62. The Gospel of Jesus is radically transforming lives around the Mediterranean rim. That includes this island just off the coast of Greece. God has used the Apostle Paul in a huge way to welcome people all across Crete into His kingdom. At this point, Paul has moved on, probably to the Grecian port city of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). But there’s still plenty of work left to do. To wrap things up, the apostle has left his “go to” guy Titus. He has three things to do. First of all, find qualified spiritual leaders called “elders” to fill the leadership vacuum (Titus 1:5). Second, shut down and shut up the posse of false teachers that are wreaking havoc on the island (Titus 1:10-11). Third, establish a sustainable structure for discipleship among the followers of Jesus (Titus 2:1-10).

Paul instructs Titus to look for men of integrity to lead. These should be dudes who are “above reproach.” This is such a critical quality that he repeats himself (Titus 1:6-7). They are to be faithful husbands and fathers (Titus 1:6). As “overseers,” these elders are to keep watch over the spiritual welfare of the church (Titus 1:7). They need to remember that as “God’s steward,” they are not the boss. They are working for the Man. The God Man. 

Suddenly the apostle changes directions. He stops listing what God is looking for in His leaders and lets us know what He doesn’t want. “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered” (v7). Hot heads and quick triggers need not apply. Paul uses the Greek word authades, which literally describes someone obsessed with pleasing themselves. You know the kind of person he’s talking about. Selfish. Self-absorbed. Self-obsessed. Egocentric. Somebody who lets you know they’re the most important person in the room. They’re constantly looking out for number one. Their wants and needs take priority over everything else. You might say they have an “I” problem. The only other time this word is used in the NT is when Peter warns believers about team of self-absorbed spiritual hucksters infiltrating local churches. These goobers “indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful (Gr. authades), they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones” (2Pet 2:10).

Yeah, these are NOT the leaders Jesus is looking for to lead His church. He’s after folks who’ve been radically transformed by His grace and understand who they would be without Him. When the Sons of Thunder attempted a power grab among the disciples, the Rabbi/Carpenter shut them down immediately. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:43-45). Instead of “me first,” Jesus’ leaders are “me third.” God first. Others second. Me third. That’s not just what He’s looking for in His elders, but all believers. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves,. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). In other words, be like Jesus (Phil 2:5-8). In the famous words of Rick Warren, “It’s not about you.”

The second character trait that will disqualify an elder candidate is being a hot head. A spiritual leader must not be “quick-tempered” (Gr. orgilos). This is somebody prone to anger. Given the pairing with the warning against arrogance, Paul is probably talking about folks who get mad when they don’t get their way. Whatever the case, there’s absolutely no place for folks in ministry leadership a hair trigger. That would be bad news, tennis shoes. King Solomon told his son not to stir things up, but cool them down. “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Prov 15:18). Someone with a long fuse also “has great understanding” (Prov 14:29). Jesus’ kid brother James encourages believers to have a very, very long fuse. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). 

That doesn’t mean God can’t transform hot tempers into cool heads. Check out the kind of fruit God’s Spirit produces in the followers of Jesus. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). God’s leaders aren’t locked and loaded, looking for a fight. They’re full of love and joy. They’re peaceful. They’re patient. They’re kind. They’re gentle. They have full control of their actions. 

This doesn’t mean that a leader shouldn’t have passion. This doesn’t mean that a leaders should never get angry. It does mean that he should be slow to anger. Like God. He should have a long fuse. Like God. Remember, that more than once Jesus got mad. Two different times He cleaned house at His Father’s temple (Lk 19:45-46; Jn 2:13-22). Over and over, the writers of the Old Testament describe our amazingly gracious and always loving God as “slow to anger” (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Ps 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Nah 1:3). God has temper. It just takes Him a long, loooooooooong time to lose it. It should be the same with leaders in the local church.

Self-absorbed hot heads need not apply.