Now Generation

Now Generation

How we can be okay with being Replaceable.

By Pastor Adam Fox

I am a comic nerd and very comfortable with that designation. While I may not have the discretionary resources to visit my two favorite comic shops, Amazing Fantasy and Graham Cracker Comics - I still like to sit down and leaf through a new comic or re-read some older issues. 

When I do go back and re-read comics, there are a few titles that deserve being enjoyed one more time – like the Ultimate Spider-man, Doctor Strange and What If?.

What if? is a comic line done by marvel that gives the reader a second view of a character, story or event. It takes what is known and changes one detail about it and plays it out to see the difference.

For instance: What if Captain America was not a patriot but instead a paranoid Communist hunter? The story of  Captain America, who gets frozen in World War II, is thawed out when and returns to fight for justice. In this alternate story, Cap is found in 1983. However, by that time a deluded soldier has already taken up the mantle to give America the Cap his twisted mind believes they need. The new morally twisted Captain America is obsessed with rooting out Communism from its perceived hiding places in America.

Weird. Unlikely. Fun to read.

I have another What If? for us to ponder, and there is no comic for this idea. What if the Church never had Paul as a believer and it’s first missionary?

I know what you are thinking, the Shelter-in-Place directive has gotten to me and your old dear pastor has gone stir crazy. But let me settle your worry, this is perfectly cromulent thought.

What if the Apostle Paul was not chosen by God to be the teacher, preacher and leader that the early church needed to spread the Good News of Jesus? What if Paul never even had that Road to Damascus moment with God?

Looking at this logically, If Paul never existed or stayed as Saul – the man breathing threats to the Way in the first century – God would have used someone else to proclaim His name to the Gentiles and to the world.

It is a fascinating thought exercise, having the idea that Paul never became the writer and preacher that we know him to be – and someone else doing all that we know and can read. The New Testament and the Church as we know it would look differently. Is different bad? No, just different. It is like when I get to step in for Pastor Gil when he is on vacation. My way of teaching and preaching is different but gets you to the same place, I hope.

Thankfully we are not in this what-if world and had the Apostle Paul and can leaf through the New Testament and see the ramifications and actions of his life. We get letters written by Paul to churches and individuals, we have churches founded because of Paul, and there was a team of people who were led to Christ by Paul, mentored by Paul and installed as leaders by Paul.

Paul was a mentor and a fantastic leader to many and can teach us still today how to help the next generation. For us in the Modern American Church – we should be listening with both ears.

Our church and many churches in this great nation of ours and around the world are doing a poor job at developing the next generation of believers. The common mentality in most churches that I have been in, read about or talked with other Ministers is to focus in the immediate needs of the now generations or the tithe giving adults. The future generation, the children and students are tomorrows worries, next years problems.

  

This is a dangerous thought and pretty darn foolish one too. Children and students should be a part of every church and if you take it one step further, are a sign of a healthy church.

Having a church that emphasize children and student ministries means there is a church with an eye on the now generations but also another eye on the future and for these children to grow – both physically and spiritually – into believers who are a part of the church and will oversee the church into years to come.

I have spent some time looking at our church and studying other churches through school and other fun book reads and keep going back to the biblical examples of Paul. Paul was a fantastic leader and even better mentor to younger Christians.

The way the Church should run is by preparing others for the work of the Gospel. No church, not a mega church, not a ancient catholic church, not a television church can succeed if the leaders of that church are not training and preparing other Christians for success. Let me explain why this is and how it shows us how to be better believers by being Replaceable.

The church is the Earthly body of Christ, made up of individuals who have given a unique set of spiritual gifts from God. We can see those in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

There is not one of us who has all of the gifts, talents and abilities – instead God has given each of what He knows we need to succeed. We are to take these talents and spiritual gifts and develop them and use them to bring glory to God. So we cannot just say that it is the Pastor’s and Deacon’s job to do all the work of the church and I can just come worship and leave.

If this was the case, the church would have slowly fizzled out in the early centuries. BUT IT DID NOT! Because the early believers were so excited and dedicated in witnessing to people and mentoring these new believers.

We need to have the same fervor in preparing the next generation for leadership in the church. Teaching and guiding these new believers with the foreknowledge that they will replace us one day.

Being replaceable in ministry is a beautiful thing. We are each members of God’s church and when we are using our talents in ministry and in evangelism, we are growing the church. But the hard truth is, God may have someone more skilled or gifted to help in your ministry. When this happens, rejoice.

Let me explain from my life. I was asked by my last church to head up a team of volunteers to run a youth group after other adults gave it up. I jumped on the opportunity because I like working with students and the other volunteers were friends. After a few years of normal highs and lows in church ministry, there came to a tipping point in my life. I wanted to go back to school. In order for me to do that and work full-time, I had to step away from the ministry that I ran and started. I still remember telling my best Bobbo, that if I quit the ministry would end. I was stupid and short sided.

That youth group is still running to this day and doing well with other leaders and new volunteers. Each of these people are still doing the work I had been doing – thinking foolishly that I was unreplaceable.

We cannot be foolish like I was in thinking that we are the secret sauce that is making the ministry that you are a part of run. Because it is not, God is the one doing all of it THROUGH us.

Some Christian thinkers even go as far as say that church leaders should be investing in people so that they learn how and why of ministry of the Church. I would say that the Apostle Paul would be one of those people.

Paul was a great leader and important figure in the early church, there is no way to deny that. But what made him such a foreword thinker – he poured himself into so many people, Timothy and Titus are two main people.

Paul invested greatly in these two men, we can see three letters from Paul to these 2 individuals. These three letters are unique and different from the other Paul letters in that they were written to these 2 men and not to a church, but also in that they had more of a personal nature to them.

I guess Paul could have used these two men, or any of his close group of Christian mentees as underlings or cogs. Instead of treating these men as individuals and make their ministry he could have seen this as his work and them as just a part of his success.

Just look at Titus for a quick example of how Paul prepared this young man to continue his work and the work of the church.

Titus was given responsibility of leadership for the island of Crete. Paul encourages Titus to raise up leaders to help him in the work of sharing the gospel and growing the church in Crete. This was going to be a challenge for Titus due to the issues in the church of: quarrelsome members, false teachings and those who advocate for the Jewish law.

What a challenge for this young minister. But how does the relationship between Paul and those under him apply to us in understanding that we need to be replaceable in ministry?

God places us in the roles we are in for a reason, even if it is just for a short season or if it is for a life. The role God has you could be vast from parent, teacher, coach, pastor, boss, neighbor… anything.

We are in these roles, establish by God and using the gifts and talents that God has given to us. It is natural for us to take pride in what we do, in where we are. As in, Joe Schmoe is the Youth Pastor for ABC Church and he take pride in that. It would be easy for him to enjoy the establishment of him in this position and stop listening to God’s whispers.

Being replaceable in ministry means asking yourself regularly, can you imagine someone else doing this? While this is a frightening thought for some of us, it is something we should consider regularly.

How can we show a younger Christian how to lead, how to develop their gifts and abilities and how to share the Gospel. God has placed us in these spots for a reason – just like the Apostle Paul. But like Paul, training and developing many to do the work that he is doing and of course, doing so by seeking the Lord’s guidance.

How wonderful would our church look, would any church look, if we are preparing the next generations for leadership. Willing to mentor a younger or newer believer, listening to the tugging of your heart in knowing when to stay in a position, or when to let someone else shine.

I am encouraging each one of us, to prayerfully consider this evaluation of what God has you do for the church. How can we encourage someone to find where they belong, like Paul did for Titus.

While I have not said and am not saying everyone quits their ministry, their role. But for all of us to be willing to be replaceable so that the church will continue to grow and be around for centuries to come.

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam

Culture War

Culture War

Why the Church needs to help the broken and not add to the pile.

By Pastor Adam Fox

The Fox family has a president that they gravitate to normally. While there have been many men who range from good to below average - one is the favorite, Illinois' favorite son - Abraham Lincoln. 

Honest Abe was our 16th president and haled from Springfield - which is why we went to Springfield SO MANY TIMES growing up for vacations. We went there so much, I am pretty sure the Springfield Holiday Inn has a "Mike Fox Special".  We have done all the Lincoln things, read all the Lincoln books, seen all the Lincoln movies. We know Lincoln from his belief in God to his views on slavery. 

"If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong" Abe. 

Thanks to our Greatest President, we are a free nation - each and every person in it. No matter what color of skin, what gender or where from. Freedom is a right for the citizens of this country and is one of the hallmarks that America brings to the rest of the world. 

While slavery is officially over - it still does exist in dark corners of the world and even in secret here in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Children as young as 7 and women mainly are still the primary target for disgusting people to rent for a season, buy and do unthinkable things with them.

For most of us, slavery is not something we think about, worry about or come in contact with on a day-to-day basis. Good thing we are not in the old Roman Empire then. 

One of the books on my desk that I read at in spurts is Paul and His Team by Ryan Lokkesmoe. This marvelous little book had a fantastic chapter on the book of Philemon. Philemon was written by the Apostle Paul around the year 60 AD and was written to a single person in a church named Philemon about his slave named Onesimus. 

Today we can read this letter and look at a Christian owning a slave and have more questions. But Philemon was still a citizen of the Roman Empire and when in Rome...

Apparently, men in Roman households ruled like an autocrat and their decisions were law for that house. As few of these men who were heads of their house as there were, the opposite is true of slaves. Slaves had nothing and in fact were considered non-human. 

The estimated amount of slaves in Rome during this time period was 20-50%. Could you imagine living in a country where 2-5 out of every 10 people are owned as slaves. Unreal! This over-run slavery problem did not stay outside the walls of the church though because Philemon owned Onesimus. And that is why we get this very short letter from Paul.

Because slavery in Rome was such a great problem, it brought up other issues as a result of - even for these believers. Onesimus was owned by Philemon and he had no rights. Lets review the circumstances of this tiny letter. 

Onesimus was a slave of Philemon and there was some type of conflict with between the two that is not mentioned in this letter. Onesimus ran away from his master and became a fugitive. The speculation is if Onesimus had to steal from Philemon to finance his get away. While on the run - Onesimus had to avoid slave catchers and some how made it to Rome and found Paul. The good news from all of this is that Onesimus accepted the Lord as his savior. 

Out of all this drama, we get the letter of Philemon and Paul's diplomatic actions to help the broken, hurting and forgotten and heal this division. But on a bigger scale show us how we can rise above the normalcy of culture to show love and help the marginalized and hurting.

Let's take some time and look at the single chaptered book of Philemon. 

6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Paul was a master of dialog, he takes time in verses 4-7 to praise Philemon for his spiritual maturity and expressing his respect for him but at the same time softening him up for a difficult conversation. 

8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,

Read this again - look at the tone used by Paul. This is what we all need to hear and learn about dealing with anyone and everyone in our modern world. Paul, the experienced and older believer could have ordered or demanded that Philemon to release and forgive Onesimus but instead appeals to Philemon's character. What a small reminder for us as Christians in how to act and behave when in dialog with anyone. 

Paul refers to Oneisumus in verse 10 as his son, a useful and valuable person to Paul. If Paul were to follow the rule of society, and jump onto the hate and self-centered society and take Onesimus back for a reward since he was a run away slave. Or perhaps go the opposite direction, demand that Philemon just deal with the loss of his slave and order him to get over it since it did not effect Paul personally or even the church. 

Does that sound like a modern American to you? Shoving down the values and morals that God instills in us to join in with the loud and angry crowd? Ignoring the hurting and need of a person because it does not affect you?

Verses 12-14 is a masterclass for us on being believers in God in a morally religious (and pretending to be Christian) country. 

12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. 14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

Of all the ways Paul could have handled this situation, he leaves it up to Philemon. Letting this former master decide the fate of his slave, but also of a person who is now a believer in God too and fellow human who has become a large asset to Paul. By doing this, Paul is coaching Philemon and us in how we are to act and handle difficult and unclear situations. 

Philemon has rights as a Roman and a male and could or should be made whole by forcing his property Onesimus to come back to him and work for the rest of his life. Or Philemon could be completely counter culture and do what Christ would do and lay down his rights. 

To make things easier for Philemon, Paul even volunteers to ease any financial burdens that Onesimus may caused when he stole from Philemon to fund his escape. What a mensch! Paul did not need to do this but offered to do this as a way to help the two brothers in Christ. Paul is such a Godly generous example to all of us! Paul does not just talks the talk about being an example of God to the world but walks the walk with his actions. 

This tiny little letter from Paul to Philemon is an education on how we as believers in God should act in difficult situations. While the advice from Hollywood or Washington may be to get your pound of flesh and seek vengeance on all who cross you - that is not how God wants us to act. Paul is showing us how we as Christian influencers should approach difficult situations. 

Paul showed Philemon in this letter of how to see people as God sees them in an age where the value of humanity was varied. Instead of seeing people as Roman or not, freed or slave but rather as someone that Jesus Christ came to Earth and died for them so that they can have the opportunity to be forgiven. Nothing more. Paul writes as much in his letter to the Galatians. 

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

How would our world, our country, our city look if we applied with boldness what Jesus is teaching us and Paul is reminding us of?

As believers in God, the Church, we are called to be examples of God to all of the world. From friends and family, to neighbors and strangers  - the field of opportunity to witness is massive. But we cannot fall into the trap of acting like the world and culture does, of elevating some and demoting others. 

Look at Scripture for example on how we are supposed to act, as Christian Influencers in a sinful world. Because of Jesus death and resurrection, both Jews and Gentiles could worship together  - at the same time in the same location. Unheard of!

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, Eph. 2

God is our peace, we are all one race - not a divide and separated group. This is evident in all free people and all slave people in the world today as well as discourse with those we do not agree with too. 

These could be the driver in your commute who has those bumper stickers that offend you. It could be the actor who is promoting a person or organization that is un-biblical. And it definitely means with who we each vote for. 

Politics is an area that is difficult to talk about in our country lately. When an opinion is lifted into the air, it normally gets jumped upon and driven into the ground with much venom and lack of love and kindness, inside the church and outside of it. 

"We ought to avoid seeing one group as all wrong and the other as all right. We need to avoid unwittingly affirming divisions in our communities by not speaking out or by viewing them as the product of insurmountable problems. and we definitely need to become aware of how our modern political allegiances may be hindering our efforts in this area or shaping our rhetoric in unproductive ways. We must become the relentless voices of grace and unity in the name of Christ." Ryan Lokkesmoe

While I am not asking any of you to vote against your heart or against Biblical principles. What I am asking is that we stop joining in the chorus of tearing down people for how they vote or in any choices. If Neighbor Bob is going to vote for Kodos instead of Kang - that does not give any of us the right to talk about them on social media, call them stupid, attack the character or life choices... that is not what Paul shows us how to act. 

We are called to be salt and light to the world. Not to join in the song of hate, rudeness and discord that the world sings. Instead we are called to be Influencers of Christ and use diplomacy that we see in Philemon, love and kindness. 

Thanks to Mr. Lincoln, slavery is over officially in America but the astigmatism of better than and less than are not. If we are to be great examples of Jesus to all of the world, we need to start with our words and actions towards the people who are hurting the most. The ones who are clinging to the fringes of society, the forgotten and the ignored. Showing them God's grace, love and kindness no matter how much we agree with them or not. Because the same grace, love and kindness was shown towards us on the cross. 

Change the culture by ending the war of words. 

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam

Can I forgive him?

Please Forgive Me

Reminding ourselves to forgive

By Pastor Adam Fox

I am a proud member of the Millennial age group because I was born in the 1980s meaning that I was old enough to experience and enjoy the 1990s. One of the better parts of the Greatest Decade, trust me, was the TGIF television lineup on Friday nights. While many shows came and left from this dynamo lineup, one of the powerhouses was Boy Meets World.

Boy Meets World was a show with a simple plot: "The show chronicles the everyday events and life-lessons of Cory Matthews. It also stars Cory's teacher George Feeny, best friend Shawn Hunter, brother Eric, and love interest Topanga."

Boy Meets World was a show that I loved as a youth and still own on DVD and have watched as an adult many times. While the life-lessons are still the same and transcends the years – nostalgia is a driving force in re-watching it.

In 2012,  ABC announced that Boy Meets World would be getting a spin-off show based on the life of adult couple Cory and Topanga Matthews and their children called Girl Meets World. While I did not watch it live when it came to Netflix; I did take the time to watch this spin-off show in hopes it would rekindle those childhood memories of nostalgia.

It was not nearly as good, but it did have a few stirring and touching moments - and one of them was the episode called "Girl Meets the Forgiveness Project".  The plot of the episode was a simple one, Teacher Cory charges his class to expresses their feelings on paper to someone they wish to forgive. For most this is a simple project, but for the main characters best friend Maya - it is a daunting project.

The Maya character contacts her father who left her and her mother when she was a child and attempts to forgive him and give him the opportunity to show remorse.  This brings up many great points for us to learn about forgiveness. Who do we forgive, how do we forgive or why bother... forgiveness is not easy.

The Bible is filled with examples and commands to us to forgive, from forgiving ourselves, to our neighbor, to everyone.  As Christians, God makes it very clear to us in multiple places in Scripture to forgive BECAUSE we have been forgiven. Look at Paul’s words to the brothahs and sistahs in Colossians.

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. Colossians 3:12-13

Just meditate on those words of Paul for a second longer, as the elect - those who have been forgiven by God for our sins. We are to imitate or do the same as Jesus Christ did for us. Where Jesus willingly allowed men to harm Him and take on the punishment of the cross, even though He was blameless and perfect, out of His great love and kindness for humanity – for you and I specifically. God loved us before we loved Him! The sinful, terrible, selfish and evil people that we were and He still loved us and forgave us.

That is what true forgiveness is and that is one of our examples from the Great Teacher - the parable of the Unforgiving Servant found in Matthew 18. The parable is the result from a question from, my guy, the Apostle Peter in verse 21 of how many times should we forgive?

"22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt."

While Peter may have thought that 490 times is a sizable number - but Jesus shows us that true forgiveness has no ceiling or limits. We are not called to keep a record of how many times we have forgiven our boss, our spouse, our children or anyone. That is why the Almighty uses the real-world example - something that each person there could relate and understand of a king who forgives a debtor of a great amount owed. Not going to lie, if any member of our government would want to put this example into practice with my student debt... let me know.

If Jesus ended the example there it would be a heartwarming story of a rich and powerful person forgiving a poor person. Reality television has these moments of helpless people’s debt being wiped out from the well-off.  But he moves on, so that we do not just have the cockles of our heart warmed but understand the point of the parable.

"28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

There it is. Jesus shows us in an extreme example of how we are to live. This King forgave a mammoth amount of money in a person and then this newly forgiven and debt free person went right out and did not apply how to forgive for others.

The heart gripping reality of this parable should hit us hard. We have been forgiven greatly by God for our sin through Jesus death and resurrection. No longer guilty, no longer bound for Hell, no longer under the penalty for our actions BECAUSE Jesus willing took our place.

But we still live like this servant, are not applying and forgiving as we have been forgiven. We are still being rude, hurtful, unloving, unkind, lacking in grace that Jesus Christ showed to us to be through His example of love and forgiveness towards others.

Why are we not flowing with forgiveness towards everyone in our lives consistently? Why are we still acting like this wicked servant? We are believers in God, light and salt to a lost and sinful world, but if we are not showing the forgiveness, love, grace kindness that Jesus showed us - and the entirety of the World when He died for us - we are a terrible example of God to the world.

Forgiveness is hard, there can be a lot to forgive in our relationships with other folk but also with our self. We need to be able to forgive our past and our self completely. Paul tells us this plainly in Philippians 3, moving on from the hurtful scars of our sinful past and not letting us be bound by them any longer.

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The people or hurts of the past are hard to forgive and move on from. As we get older, we become more hind-sighted in our victories and failures and we all have a habit of letting past mistakes, hurts and failures keep us prisoners in the now. Which is why Paul takes the time to tell the church in Philippi and us to not let our past sins make us prisoners of our current.

The past is hard to forgive, memories and ghost are hard to forgive but, in my opinion, forgiving yourself is even harder still. The Triune God has forgiven you completely, knowing each part of yourself - our past, our future and even our secret inner thoughts. Knowing all these private and intimate thoughts and actions - God still forgave you. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that we have been saved by grace – a grace that is understood of having prior knowledge of who we were and what we have done. If God has completely forgiven you and I, why are we so hesitant to forgive our self?

Forgiveness is hard. It takes a lot of time and a lot of prayer to forgive our self, our past and others, it is not a quick thing. Completely forgiving is not something that we can do in a snap. We can tell our self that it is possible and that person has been forgiven in an instance, but seeing that person again usually brings up those memories and causes us to act un-Christianly. Keep forgiving and praying about it.

And of course, the greatest reminder is that God has forgiven you completely - and loves you unconditionally. Do the same.

"And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ" Ephesians 4:32

We have seen a lot about many types of forgiveness today. From forgiveness of yourself to forgiveness to others and releasing yourself from past mistakes. For some of us, forgiveness takes a great deal of effort and repetition. But no matter how challenging forgiving and being forgiven may be for us - we have to be a people of forgiveness. 

How can you and I show true forgiveness - like Jesus Christ showed towards us? Is there someone in your life you can finally and completely forgive? Is there multiple people or maybe yourself? Seek forgiveness and escape from the self made prison that guilt and sin. And most importantly, imitate God in all things - especially in how He forgave you and I for our sins. Keep forgiving, Keep showing grace, kindness and love. 

Who would have thought that a spin-off television show from the 1990s would bring up so many thoughts? Boy Meets World - more like Boy Meets Forgiveness.

Cheers and Excelsior!

Pastor Adam