What Dishwashing Taught Me About Being a Christian

December 2010 Newsletter

I’ve worked a lot of part-time, entry level jobs in my day. Many of them, you won’t find on my resume simply because they don’t represent the type of employment we tend to lead off with when trying to get that next promotion. Nor do we consciously draw on them when preparing for a great task or intensive project. However, as I think about them, I’m reminded of all they taught me about life, success, and people. Here are just a few of them and their respective lessons on applying Colossians 3.17 (look it up!) to daily living.
 

 

 

Paperboy—My First Job

I got this job at age 12 because my dad “suggested” I do so. Two decades later, and I’ve never been without a job since that cold morning he and I got up to roll our first papers and hit the neighborhood delivering goodness in the form of local headlines. That job taught me:

· If you want to buy stuff, you gotta work. Nothing comes free.
· There’s just something about getting started early in the morning that makes you feel a sense of accomplishment.
 

 

Lawn care and Snow-shoveling

I used my paperboy notoriety to secure year-round employment by advertising my grass-cutting, leaf-raking, and snow-shoveling services (another one of Dad’s great ideas). Those years taught me:

· Earning a good reputation and then leveraging that reputation to your advantage is a priceless skill.
· If you do something well enough, people will tell their friends about you, and then their friends will want you to do it for them too.
 

 

Dishwasher at a Family Diner

I hated this job! But, it taught me good stuff:

· The small, menial jobs that nobody wants to do really do matter. Dishwashing isn’t fun, but restaurants can’t sell food—even good food—on dirty dishes. You can be excellent at the main thing, but cutting corners in the details will undo all your hard work.
· Some people have too much on their plate.

 

 

Waiter at a Steakhouse

I probably made more on-the-hour money doing this job than any other, but I also worked harder at this job than most all my other ones. Doing it taught me:

· Giving people what they need before they ask for it (or even before they realize they need it) makes a great impression.
· Some people, no matter how hard you try, are just never going to give you a tip.
· Everybody likes to be smiled at.


So, don’t forget where you came from! Learn from all of life’s experiences, and then throw your whole self (1 Tim 4.15) into building God’s Kingdom, one relationship at a time.
At Your Side,
-bill

1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4 is an extremely exciting chapter of this letter.  Paul has been building toward giving Timothy these words of encouragement and exhortation.  He warns the church about lurking, demon-controlled wolves, and he gives their pastor advice on how to train and prepare his people to not only overcome the wolves, but to shine in such a way as to bring many to Christ!

 

 

 

Scripture Used

1 Timothy 4 (NLT)
Acts 20: 28-30 (NLT)
1 Cor 9.24-27 (NLT)

Quotes and Statements

“Our differences, at most, are about the things in which the kingdom of God does not consist, that is about matters of private opinion or human invention.” –Thomas Campbell

I’m going to serve Him until I see Him.

“The opposite of the Gospel is idolatry.” –Mark Driscoll

Questions that Expose Idolatry[1] in your life:

· What do I worry about most?
· What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live?
· What do I use to comfort myself when things go bad or get difficult?
· What do I do to cope? What are my release valves? What do I do to feel better?
· What preoccupies me? What do I daydream about?
· What makes me feel the most self-worth? Of what am I the proudest? For what do I want to be known?
· What do I lead with in conversations?
· Early on, what do I want to make sure people know about me?
· What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God?
· What is my hope for the future?
The limitations you are willing to accept establish the boundaries of your existence.

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[1] (Patrick 2010)

References

Patrick, Darrin. Church Planter. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010.
Wiersbe, W. W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996.

John Wesley’s 12 Rules for a Preacher

John Wesley (1703-1791) was a key leader in “waking up” the lost spirituality of Britain during the late 18th Century.  He is also credited as the driving force in the establishment of the Methodist denomination. 

One of the requirements for a Methodist minister, still practiced today to some extent, was that he travel “on a circuit.”  To maintain credibility and to be as productive for the Gospel as possible, Wesley laid out these guidelines:

 

1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed. Never be triflingly employed. Never while away time, nor spend more time at any place than is strictly necessary.

2. Be serious. Let your motto be, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.

3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women, particularly with young women.

4. Take no step towards marriage without solemn prayer to God and consulting with your brethren.

5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction you can on everything. You know the judge is always sup­posed to be on the prisoner’s side.

6. Speak evil of no one, else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker; keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

7. Tell every one what you think wrong in him, lovingly and plainly, and as soon as may be, else it will fester in your own heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.

8. Do not affect the gentleman. A preacher of the Gospel is the servant of alL

9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; no, not of clean­ing your own shoes when necessary.

10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And do not mend our rules, but keep them, and that for conscience’ sake.

11. You have nothing to do but to save souls. There­fore spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not only to those who want you, but to those who want you most.

12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel, and in union with your brethren. As such, it is your part to employ your time as our rules direct: partly in preaching and visiting from i house to house, partly in reading, meditation, and prayer. Above all, if you labour with us in our Lord’s vineyard, it is needful you should do that part of the work which the Conference shall advise, at those times and places which they shall judge most for His glory.

5 Reasons why the Mesaeh Family is Committed to DCC

 

In my absence, I thought it’d be a good idea to write you all a brief reminder of my commitment to DCC and the ministry God has called us all to do.

Even though we are separated by many miles, I think of you often and long to return home and get back to building the Kingdom with you! 

Here are five reasons why:

 

1. We still have work to do

Habakkuk 1:5 (NLT)
⁵The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.

I do not think we have even scratched the surface of what God has brought us here to do.

Small groups, a Bible institute, an organic and professional leadership training program, a permanent face as THE community-serving church in the area, and a Christian school preparing our children both academically and spiritually are just some of the many plans God has on the horizon for DCC.

 

2. Our friends are here

Philippians 1:3 (NLT)
³Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

Over the past year and a half, Hannah and I and our boys have made some truly wonderful friendships. Hannah and I sincerely feel God caused our paths to cross with these friends for two very important reasons: (1) to build us up, encourage us, and hold us accountable in our walk with Christ, and (2) to serve as complementary partners in Kingdom work.

 

3. The people have untapped potential

Romans 12:6–8 (NLT)
⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

The more time I spend getting to know the people being drawn to DCC, the more I am amazed at all we can do together. The men, women, boys, and girls sitting in our pews all bring unique backgrounds, passions, and skillsets to Jesus’ church. I firmly believe the majority of those abilities are currently sitting dormant. As your pastor, I am committed to finding out what those are and helping you draw them out in service to the Kingdom.

 

4. Defiance needs more Jesus

Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)
⁷ And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you... Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Many people in Defiance do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. A quick survey of churches in the area reveals very few models able to withstand the constantly evolving world around us. DCC can be that church on the forefront of ministry—successfully adapting our methods to ensure the timeless Message is preached, from this very congregation, by our children and our children’s children until Jesus returns.

A relevant and modern church firmly committed to using contemporary methods, technologies and language to teach and model the timeless Gospel will thrive in Defiance. I have a vision for DCC to grow and expand so fruitfully that we would be able to take advantage of the new Hwy 24 as people as far as Ft. Wayne or Toledo come to Connect, Grow, and Glow with us.

 

5. We’re devoted

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Coming to Defiance wasn’t a decision we entered into lightly. It was one I prayed over, sought much council over, and finally reached after a period of study and fasting. Many factors went into our decision, and I ultimately made that decision with the full conviction that it was completely within God’s will.

While frustrations in ministry come and go, to leave before we’re finished would be to say God made a mistake in bringing us here. He obviously didn’t. So, we’re here for the long haul. I plan to sweat, laugh, cry, rejoice, and worship with the fine people of DCC for years to come.

To God be the glory for the things he hath done,

-bill

1 Tim 3.8-15

Satanic Gossips & Female Deacons

This week’s sermon was on the role of Deacons in the church. Two topics I taught on may have generated some interesting discussion. Allow me to quickly comment on them both:

 

Women as Deacons

The prototype for a Deacon first emerges in Acts 6, where they help the Apostles solve a very pressing problem. Many are hesitant to state the men named here are officially deacons, mainly because the word used to describe their work (diakoneo: διακονέω) varies slightly from the word used elsewhere to refer to the position within church government (see below for the discussion on διάκονος). At the end of the day, that argument lends little to the church’s understanding of what a deacon is and what she/he does. The result in Jerusalem (Acts 6) as well as Ephesus (1 Tim 3) continues to be the result today: the church grows when everyone serves according to their assignments and abilities (Acts 6.7).

The word for and responsibilities of the “Deacon” is based on the Greek word diakonos (διάκονος), which literally means “servant.” It is used throughout the New Testament to refer to various individuals: Jesus (1 Cor 3.5), men & women serving with the title (1 Tim 3; Phil 1.1; Rom 16.1), & Paul (Rom 15.8), to name a few.

A quick look at what those prototypical deacons did, when combined with the meaning of the word used to describe their place in church government, yields a biblically comprehensive view of who these people are and what they are to continue doing today: they are servants who serve. And, they are expected to do so with defined restrictions on their moral behavior.

So, why do some traditions only extend this title to females today? Two reasons: a distorted view of the text, and the resulting distortion that view has had on church tradition.

 

The Text

Many proponents of all-male deaconship would point to 1 Tim 3.8 and argue that the word “deacon” is in the male form, which is correct and also what would be expected as Paul moves from discussing men in the role of Elder to men in the role of Deacon. However, we cannot overlook the women addressed in v. 11. Many English translations unfortunately translate this word (γυνή) as “wives” or “their wives” (such as NIV, NLT, KJV, etc.). This translation has colored the church’s view of how these women are addressed, and consequently who exactly can fill the role of Deacon.

The word used to refer to women in 1 Tim 3.11 is simply the Greek word for “women” (see the NASB translation for its proper rendering). Therefore, we actually see Paul addressing two groups of individuals during the section on Deacon qualifications: men and women. Followed up with the direct reference to Phoebe as a female Deacon in another letter (Rom 16.1), and we now have multiple 1^st Century Biblical examples of gender neutrality in the role of Deacon.

The NIV seems to have a particular agenda with “their wives” translation of 1 Tim 3.11 and “servant” translation of “deacon” in Rom 16.1. The inconsistency in a translation’s rendering of the original text makes it difficult for non-Greek-reading believers to gain an accurate feel for the writer’s original intent.

 

The Tradition

Problems arise today when we stretch the role of Deacon to mean something it was never intended to mean. An emphasis on an all-male deaconship guides contemporary leaders to extend the responsibilities of doctrine teaching and the authoritative enforcement of church policies (both Elder-specific responsibilities; cf. 1 Tim 2.12; 3.2) to the Deacons. Once this is done, we are bound to limit the deaconship to only men. However, we bind ourselves unnecessarily because we do so without biblical authority or necessity. Consequently, we (as Elders) abdicate responsibility when we relegate to the Deacons what God expects us to do.

The solution: select and equip Deacons in accordance with the biblical guidelines and then expect of them only what the Bible expects—service set apart by the highest of moral character.

 

Satanic Gossips

That’s exactly what the text says. Paul’s word here for slander/malicious talkers/gossipers (a female rendering of diabolos / διάβολος) is the same word used for devil elsewhere in Scripture.

This same adversary:

• · tempted Jesus (Mt 4.1),
• · produced Christ’s opponents (Jn 8.44),
• · prompted Judas (Jn 13.2),
• · oppressed God’s people (Acts 10.38),
• · actively conducts spiritual attacks against believers (Eph 6.11),
• · tries to trap church leaders (1 Tim 3.6),
• · looks for church members to devour (1 Pet 5.8), and
• · has worked to deceive the entire world (Rev 12.12)

That is the agent you go into league with if you decide to slander and/or gossip about others. God takes that sin serious enough to identify it in such a way. It’s a complete shame so many people today freely accept this as a “minor sin.” God takes your gossip seriously, so please don’t do it.

I’m a Sinner, but at least I’m annoying

non-Biblical Christianity

Wow! It’s exciting and refreshing to experience God pulling together so many people, resources, and ideas all at one time. The church I’m privileged to pastor has seen some considerable growth in the past year, and it has endured a couple challenges along the way. One of those challenges, to be sure, is being led by a sinner. Regardless of how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get out of God’s way fast enough to avoid making a mistake from time to time. Thankfully, I am pastored and led by Jesus-loving men of God capable of sharpening my iron with theirs. May they never shrink from speaking truth into my life, and may I never stop listening.

Other challenges come from those simply not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach a Christ-less generation with the life-changing gospel. Efforts made at trumping truth with tradition lead to frustration for any mission-minded congregation, and ours has been no different. Some stay, and some go; both decisions present challenges for a body of leaders who need to be both missional and pastoral. My deepest desire in life is to model Jesus as much as I’m able (1 Cor 11.1). The Jesus of the Bible[1] constantly reminded us of this often-ignored nugget of golden common sense: If we’re not being missional before everything else, there will soon be no one to pastor. Staying in the corral and spoon-feeding those who are under orders to sacrifice everything (including their spoons) so that others may know Jesus isn’t just bad leadership (though it is), it’s a blatant disregard of our King’s Command (Mt 28.19-20)[2].

I was encouraged recently through some stuff I read. While my heart breaks for pastors who struggle to keep their flocks from flipping Jesus off with the continual, “but I want…,” it’s somewhat soothing to know we’re not alone. One of the corny-yet-true-and-applicable clichés hits close to home: If you’re going to make an omelet, you have to break an egg or two. In the church world, I suppose that equates to seeing a few Jesus-loving eggs jumping ship when things don’t go the way they want. OK. That’s going to happen, and you do your best to take it in stride. But, the frustrating part comes when those who stay expect you (the paid Jesus representative) to go after them. Where is that in the Bible? (cf. John 6.66)

Perhaps we should be clear here: it’s not. And, quite frankly, it’s a downright insult to the Suffering Servant to even suggest it. Francis Chan touched on this in an article recently:

“Continuing, the popular Christian speaker challenged those in the audience to compare their lives to the Bible and see if it also fits. He said it is more weird that some Christians change churches because of the service time, the music style, or the fight they got into with someone. Think biblically ’What is weird?' 'Who is weird?‘ based on the scripture and whether we fit in it,” Chan stressed. “So many things don’t make sense. I got to look at scripture and go ‘Does my life make sense?’ I want my life to fit in this book one day.””

Brad Powell, another highly respected and successful pastor, recently wrote on the frustration and tension that exists when we’re “asked” by parishioners to chase down grumpy Christians or honor antiquated relics of the American Gospel at the cost of saving souls from the eternal reality of Hell (cf. 1 Cor 9.22 for starters).

“Sometimes the best thing that can happen for the health of a church is for the right people to leave. By the right people, I don’t necessarily mean bad or ungodly people. Though to be honest, this is sometimes the case. Rather, I mean those people who, for whatever reason, will never be part of the church moving forward. I strongly believe that you should let them go. But be prepared. These people don’t generally leave quietly or respectfully. I’ll never forget the very public words one disgruntled lady directed my way as she was leaving for the last time:  “You have the face of an angel, but the heart of a thief.” Ouch. When people leave this way, they seldom are content to leave alone. Just remember:  the negative splash won’t last long, but the health and peace that follows will have long-term positive impact.”

However, DCC must realize even larger challenges are (always) looming over the horizon. While growth is great, we kid ourselves if we don’t recognize the current superficiality supporting our numbers. Our goal now must be to convert, keep, and disciple those who have come to know, experience, and serve Jesus Christ. That task is daunting, and it requires continual realignment and constantly refusing to accept “good enough” when it comes to building the Kingdom. May we never stop going deeper, pushing harder, and asking for more from our flock. And, may we realize that starts with us (James 3.1)

Why do I get so passionate (or annoying, depending on your view point) about this? First of all, because I still remember my life without Jesus. It wasn’t good. And, it’s even scarier as I now realize that I didn’t then realize it wasn’t good. Now that I’m a pastor, I live haunted with the constant fear that some people sit in my pew with the false confidence that comes with believing in a Jesus they’ve conformed to themselves. When did we stop trying to look more like Him and start trying to mold Him into our image? Probably when we let Joel Osteen tell us Jesus came to give us Our Best Life Now rather than a cross to carry until He comes back. We have, “Blindly and unknowingly embraced values and ideas that are common in our culture but are antithetical to the gospel He taught.” (Platt, David. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Gospel)

I’ll give Jesus the last word, as long as you realize he was preaching to a very “religious” crowd when He said this:

Matthew 7:21–23 (NLT)
²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me…

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[1] No, there exists no other Jesus; but, we too often hear people theorizing, ‘Well, I think Jesus would say/do this’ without opening their Bible to realize he never elevated anything above Evangelism—hymns included.

[2] Yep, the Great Commission. That part’s still in the Bible.

The Restoration Movement: What’s That?

 

November 2010 Newsletter

“Remember where you came from!” is something my parents told me when I was growing up. Regardless of where I went in life, they wanted me to remember my heritage, our work ethic, and the values most important to our family.

That’s good advice, and it carries over to matters of faith. With an influx of guests visiting DCC, now’s a good time to briefly answer a few questions about what kind of church this is.

 

What kind of Church is DCC?

DCC is part of the Restoration Movement, which is a non-denominational effort to restore Jesus’ Church to its original New Testament form. We do not believe we are the only Christians, but we do elect to call ourselves ‘Christians’ only (Acts 11.26). We do so out of a firm commitment to teach, do, and insist upon nothing except which is found in the Bible. We have no creed but Christ and no book but the Bible.

We believe this is the best way to [1] maintain unity in the Body of Christ (John 17.11, 23), and [2] avoid altering God’s commands with man-made creeds, denominational divisions, or extra-biblical requirements. This is summed up well by one of our founding leaders: “In the great leading principles, or facts of the New Testament, we agree, and cheerfully let each other have his opinions as private property.” -BW Stone

 

What kind of history does the Restoration Movement have?

Restoration Movement churches aim to simply replicate New Testament Christianity as closely as possible. Therefore, the Bible’s book of Acts is the starting place for our historical origins. Throughout Christian history, there have been many genuine movements to return to “no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” We gladly fellowship with any body of believers sincerely calling Jesus ‘Lord’ and obeying His commands.

As early as the 1700s, many independent groups throughout the US began to realize they were all separately coming to a strikingly similar pair of conclusions:

1. Complete New Testament authority as the sole guide for church matters

2. Absolute Christian Unity (one Church, many congregations)

One of those early leaders, Thomas Campbell, succinctly states “Our differences, at most, are about the things in which the kingdom of God does not consist, that is about matters of private opinion or human invention.” Our goal at DCC is to always differentiate between these matters of human invention and the necessary Kingdom of God. If you desire to follow Christ as Lord and Savior—growing deeper in knowledge of and service to Him, DCC should be your home!

Your Brother in Christ,

-bill

For more detailed information on the history of the Restoration Movement, see my article: http://pbilly289.blogspot.com/2010/10/brief-history-of-restoration-movement.html