Spiritual Gifts Series: Click | View Series

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit... (1 Cor. 12:8-9 NIV)

The Spiritual Gift of Faith Defined

The gift of faith is the ability to envision what needs to be done and to trust God to accomplish it even though it seems impossible to most people.

People with the Gift of Faith

Those with the gift of faith trust God in difficult, even impossible situations when others are ready to give up. These people are often visionaries who dream big dreams, pray big prayers, and attempt big things for Jesus. These people tend to be optimistic, hopeful, persevering, change-oriented, and future-focused. These people also tend to be very convincing about the truth of Scripture because they themselves are so convinced of the truth and power of God and his Word.

Faith in Scripture

In one sense, Jesus' entire life and ministry could be summarized as one of faith because he continually and perfectly trusted in God the Father in all things.

Faith is also illustrated in the lives of Paul (Acts 27:21-25), Stephen, who was "full of faith" (Acts 6:5), and Jesus' mother, Mary, who trusted God to give her a child though she was a virgin (Luke 1:26-38). Hebrews 11 also lists a great number of Christians who had the gift of faith.

Do You Have This Gift?

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you view obstacles as opportunities and trust God for the impossible?
• Do you find yourself frequently boasting about the power of God and what you have seen him do?
• Do you get motivated by new ministries?
• Do you find yourself feeling opposed to anyone who expresses that something cannot be done or accomplished?
• Do you find other believers coming to you for hope when they face a seemingly overwhelming trial or task?
• Do you have an effective prayer ministry, with many wonderful answers to prayers that were impossible from the human point of view?

Recommended Books:

A collection of fantastic reading material on various important topics, used and shared by Pastor Mark Driscoll. Find out more.

Eat with Non-Christians

We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive

If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular

Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians

Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers.

How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits.

Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events

Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors.

Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

Resurgence Literature:

Re:Lit is a ministry of Resurgence. There you will find a growing line of books to help guide the resurgence of the new reformed. Find out more.

Editor's Note: Read more from the Mars Hill blog about precautionary measures.

What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a type A influenza virus present in pigs. Human infection is usually uncommon except among people who work and live closely with pigs.

What is unusual about the present strain?
The new strain is a hybrid of swine, human, and avian flu viruses. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it can spread from human to human, but the level of virulence is not yet clear.

What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to regular human flu: fever and chills, a cough, sore throat, aching limbs, headaches, and general malaise. However, there are reports of swine flu also causing diarrhea and vomiting. Pneumonia and respiratory failure can occur and lead to death, as also happens in regular human flu, which kills thousands of people every year.

Are there warning signs in children?
Children having trouble breathing, being averse to drinking, lethargy (not waking up or not interacting), being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough, or fever with a rash.

Are there any drugs to treat swine flu?
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza) are the possible pharmaceutical frontline defenses and are proving effective in treating patients diagnosed early enough. There is no vaccine.

How can we prevent the spread of swine flu?
People at risk should cover their mouth when they cough. They should regularly wash their hands with an alcohol-based cleaner and avoid close contact with the sick. Patients with the disease should stay at home. There is no need to avoid eating pork.

Will there be a global flu epidemic?
“We do not know whether this swine flu virus or some other influenza virus will lead to the next pandemic,” says Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC. “However, scientists around the world continue to monitor the virus and take its threat seriously.”

Signs and Symptoms

• Fever that comes on suddenly (101 to 104 degrees F)
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Fatigue
• Nonproductive cough
• Sore throat
• Sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, especially in children

Risk Factors
People most likely to get influenza are those whose immune systems are not working properly (for example, transplant recipients or people with HIV), or those whose lifestyle or work brings them into frequent contact with sick people (like health care workers).
The following put you at greatest risk for complications from influenza:

• Age over 50
• Having a serious underlying medical condition like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease (such as asthma or cystic fibrosis), or kidney disease
• Having a weakened immune system (see description above).

Preventive Care
Annual flu shots are recommended if you:

• Are 50 years of age or older
• Have chronic heart, lung, or kidney disease
• Live in an institution (such as a nursing home)
• Have a weakened immune system
• Have sickle cell anemia

You should not receive the vaccine if you are allergic to eggs.

Treatment Approach
The most important aspect of treatment is rest and fluids. Taking mild pain medication, available without a prescription, can help relieve muscle aches and pains. If you are at high risk for complications (see Risk Factors), then antiviral medications (drugs that fight the virus) may shorten the duration of your symptoms, but they need to be started within 48 hours of the start of the illness. Certain herbs, supplements, and homeopathic remedies may help some of your symptoms and acupuncture may help reduce fever.

Lifestyle

• Drink a lot of water
• Rest to restore your energy and avoid complications like pneumonia.
• Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods provide lots of antioxidants (substances that may help boost your immune system), especially vitamins A and C.
• Exercise regularly, which may diminish your chances of getting the flu and may improve your response to the vaccine.
• Minimize your stress and your reaction to stress. Consider yoga, tai chi, or other forms of relaxation on an ongoing basis. Stress can put you at increased risk for viruses like influenza.

Medications

• Acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen—for fever reduction and relief of minor aches and pain. Note: aspirin should NEVER be given to children with a viral illness because of the risk of a life-threatening disease called Reye's syndrome which can affect the liver and brain.
• Antiviral medications—amantidine and rimantadine for prevention and treatment of certain types of flu; zanamivir and oseltamivir to reduce the symptoms and duration of flu

Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
Because supplements may have side effects or interact with medications, they should be taken only under the supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your physician about any supplements you are taking or considering taking.

Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus is a probiotic, which means that it is an organism that actually helps fight, rather than cause, infection. Studies have been quite promising in terms of the ability of lactobacillus supplements or lactobacillus in certain milk and yogurt products to help reduce the likelihood of getting a respiratory infection, like the flu, even in children. Talk to your doctor or pediatrician about possibly trying lactobacillus to prevent infections. Recommended Dosing: 1-2 tsp for adults, ¼ to ½ tsp twice a day for children.

Spirulina
Spirulina is widely used to enhance immune function. In support of this popular use are test tube studies that suggest that Spirulina has activity against influenza. Whether this laboratory finding will prove beneficial for people in treating this infection is not yet clear.

Vitamin C
Despite the popular belief that vitamin C can cure a cold and the flu, the scientific evidence supporting this idea is limited. There have been a few studies suggesting that taking large doses of vitamin C supplements at the onset of cold or flu symptoms, or just after exposure to someone with one of these ailments, can shorten the duration of the illness or ward it off altogether. However, the majority of studies, when looked at collectively, lead researchers to conclude that vitamin C does not prevent or treat flu. However, Vitamin C is extremely beneficial in keeping the immune defenses strong. Recommended dosing is (to bowel tolerance) 4-10 grams average for adults, 500mg-1500mg for children.

If that is the case, however, why do so many stand strongly by the belief that it works? Some experts suggest that vitamin C may only be useful in case of the flu if you have low levels of this nutrient to begin with. Another possibility is that the likelihood of success may be very individual—some improve, while others do not.
Talk to your doctor about any pros and cons with regards to using vitamin C during cold and flu season.

L-Lysine
L-Lysine is a powerful antiviral amino acid and safe to use. During an outbreak it is advisable to take 4000-6000 mg daily. L-Lysine has been shown to slow down viral replication.

Zinc
Zinc plays an important role in the immune system, which may explain why it seems to be helpful in protecting against infections like influenza. People who are zinc-deficient tend to be more susceptible to a variety of infections. Zinc supplementation enhances immune system activity and protects against a range of infections including colds and upper respiratory infections (like influenza). Several important studies, but not all, have revealed that zinc lozenges may reduce the intensity of the symptoms associated with cold and flu, particularly cough, and the length of time that the symptoms linger. Similarly, nasal zinc gel seems to shorten the duration of the virus. However, zinc nasal spray does not appear to have the same benefit. Recommended dosing: 30-60mg

Herbs
The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care and only under the supervision of a practitioner knowledgeable in the field of herbal medicine. Be sure to also talk to your physician about any herbs that you are taking or considering taking.

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
Astragalus has been used traditionally to enhance the immune system, including possibly preventing and treating colds and flus. Some practitioners claim that this herb shortens the duration of these viral illnesses, although science has not proven this. Astragalus should not be used if you are taking certain medications for HIV or other viruses.

Celery seed (Apium graveolens)
Celery seed is one of the lesser-known herbs in Western herbal medicine. In other parts of the world, however, it has been used for thousands of years for a variety of reasons, including by Ayurvedic physicians (practitioners who practice Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient Indian form of health care) to treat colds and flus.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)
One of the most popular herbs in America today is the Native American medicinal plant known as Echinacea (also called coneflower). Echinacea is primarily used to reduce the symptoms and duration of the common cold and the flu, such as sore throat (pharyngitis), cough, and fever. Although the data in the medical literature goes back and forth somewhat, certain scientific studies do support that Echinacea will have this effect if you start taking it soon after your cold or flu symptoms begin. Science does not support the use of Echinacea before you have a cold or flu, however. In other words, to date, research suggests that this herb does not help prevent colds and flus (despite the popularity of this use), but it does support that it helps treat them if taken early enough.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra.)
Some early scientific evidence shows that a standardized extract of elderberry can enhance immune function, including in people who have influenza. Although more research is needed, it may also reduce the number of days that you have flu symptoms to 3 to 4, from 7 to 14.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
Eucalyptus is commonly used in remedies to treat the symptoms of cold or flu, particularly cough. It can be found in many lozenges, cough syrups, and vapor baths throughout the United States and Europe. Herbalists recommend the use of fresh leaves in teas and gargles to soothe sore throats. Ointments containing eucalyptus leaves are also applied to the nose and chest to relieve congestion. Eucalyptus oil helps loosen phlegm, so many herbal practitioners recommend inhaling eucalyptus vapors to help treat coughs and the flu. Teas containing eucalyptus leaves have also been used traditionally to reduce fevers.

Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)
Goldenrod is used by herbalists for a wide range of health problems including colds and flus.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Goldenseal is often combined with echinacea in preparations designed to strengthen the immune system. Many professional herbalists recommend goldenseal in herbal remedies for colds and flu. Goldenseal has not been thoroughly investigated in scientific studies, however.

Pau d'arco (Tabebuia avellanedae)
Pau d'arco, or the inner bark of the Tabebuia avellanedae tree, is native to Brazil and has been used traditionally to treat a wide range of conditions including fever. For this reason, some herbalists may recommend the use of this herb as part of your treatment for the flu.

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
Peppermint is widely used for cold and flu symptoms. This is because peppermint and its main active agent, menthol, are effective decongestants. Peppermint is soothing and calming for sore throats (pharyngitis) and dry coughs as well.

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus/Acanthopanax senticosus)
Siberian ginseng may help the body deal with physically and mentally stressful exposures such as viruses that cause the flu. By strengthening your system, it may, in theory, also help prevent viral illnesses. In fact, a 4-week study of healthy people found that those who received Siberian ginseng extract had improvements in a number of measures that reflect the functioning of the immune system. Also, in laboratory studies, an extract of Siberian ginseng slowed the replication of certain viruses, including influenza A (which causes the flu) as well as human rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (both of which cause symptoms of the common cold). These findings don't guarantee that you will be less likely to develop colds and flus if you take Siberian ginseng, but they do suggest that that is possible. More research to test this idea would be interesting.

Acupuncture
For some individuals, as reported in the medical literature, acupuncture can help bring down fever when you have the flu

Homeopathy
Although very few studies have examined the effectiveness of specific homeopathic therapies, professional homeopaths may consider the following remedies for the treatment of the flu based on their knowledge and experience. Before prescribing a remedy, homeopaths take into account a person's constitutional type. A constitutional type is defined as a person's physical, emotional, and psychological makeup. An experienced homeopath assesses all of these factors when determining the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

• A combination remedy including Aconite, Gelsemium, Eucalyptus, Ipecacuanha, Phosphorus, Bryonia, and Eupatorium perfoliatum
• A mixture of Anas barbarice hepatis and Cordis extractum
• Gelsemium for chills, weakness, lack of energy, fever, and headaches in the back and top of the head; this is one of the most common homeopathic remedies for the flu
• Eupatorium perfoliatum for deep aches, sneezing and coughing
• Nux vomica for violent vomiting, irritability, dry cough, chills, and a stuffy nose that develops into a watery, irritating discharge

Warnings and Precautions
If you are in any of the high risk groups described earlier in the section entitled Risk Factors, be sure to call your doctor at the earliest signs of flu symptoms. The sooner you are treated, the less likely you are to develop complications.

Prognosis and Complications
As stated earlier, most healthy individuals get over the flu in one to two weeks. For those at high risk as described in the section called Risk Factors, certain serious, even life-threatening, complications can occur including:

• Pneumonia
• Encephalitis (an infection of the brain)
• Secondary bacterial infection elsewhere in the body

Other Recommendations
It is advisable to receive intravenous hydration and immune nutrition to assist in fighting the virus, and it may require 3-4 sessions to assist in the immune response against the exposure. Seek the assistance of an integrative medical physician.

These guidelines about influenza can be found here.

Defending Your Title: Click | View Series

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another (Rom. 12:4-5).

Backpack Ministry

I once had a discussion with a friend who works for a parachurch ministry. My friend loves Christ and the church, and was struggling with the relationship of his ministry to the larger church body. He stated, "It functions less like an arm and more like a backpack. It may be on the body, but doesn't always work well with the body." We went on to discuss the benefits of this utility, how it can serve the body, as well as the potential injury it may cause to the body.

Body Language

If all were a single member, where would the body be?…But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor. 12:19, 24-26).

The word "corporate" comes from the Latin corporare, meaning "a united body." Understanding the corporate nature of God's people has strong implications for the church. Paul, affirming the Old Testament understanding of corporate identity, uses his "body language" in reference to both various members of one congregation (1 Cor. 12:27) as well as believers of other local congregations (Rom. 12:4-5, 16:3-15). (Dictionary of Paul and His Letters)

Relational Significance

First, we understand Christ to be the head (Eph. 1:22-23). He is the source of life for the body and the authority over the body. Second, we see our relationship with other members of the body. There is both unity and diversity (Eph. 2:16-18). Yet there is an interdependence of each part to the others—there are no "rogue members," and they are "joined and knit together" (Eph. 4:16, Rom. 12:5). This applies to both various members of one local church as well as various local churches to each other.

Functional significance

Functionally, there is a Christward orientation with all activities of the members of the body. There are no competing agendas amongst the various parts and certainly no self-inflicted injury. There is an "other-member" focus between the various members. They are to build up each other in service, love, and growth (Eph. 4:16). Imagine the affect the unified body can have as each member functions as a part of the body, rather than as a backpack.

To be continued.

A Book You'll Actually Read:

Clear, biblical answers to some of the most common questions—all in concise books you'll actually read! Mark Driscoll boils down the big ideas into little books. Find out more.

Spiritual Gifts Series: Click | View Series

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:8 NIV)

The Spiritual Gift of Knowledge Defined

The word of knowledge is the ability to research, remember, and make effective use of a variety of information on a number of diverse subjects.

People with the Gift of Knowledge

These people love to study, love to learn, and are not content with a surface-level knowledge of topics. They are compelled to conduct thorough research and compile their findings so that others can benefit from their long hours of focused study. People with this spiritual gift love God with all their mind (Mark 12:29-30). And these people tend to like footnotes.

Knowledge in Jesus' Ministry

Throughout his ministry, Jesus frequently quoted the Old Testament Scriptures from memory because he had committed himself to studying Scripture so faithfully. Jesus also rebuked the scholars of his day because they studied the Bible but failed to love him, which is the purpose of all study (John 5:39).

Knowledge is illustrated in the lives of Ezra (Ezra 7:10), Solomon (Ecclesiastes 1:13; 7:25; 8:9), and Timothy (2 Timothy 2:15).

Do You Have This Gift?

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Do you love to study?
• Do you have a good memory that retains and compiles lots of information?
• Have others frequently pointed out your ability to know and understand God's Word?
• Do people often come to you with difficult problems and questions from the Bible, seeking your insight because they know you will have the answer or find it?
• In studying God's Word, have you found that new insights and understanding of difficult subjects come easy to you?
• Are you frustrated when you hear bad teaching from someone who has not done their homework?

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.

Defending Your Title: Click | View Series

For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior (Eph. 5:23).

Divorce Rates Among Christians

I was shocked to hear that the divorce rate among Christians is no different than non-Christians, according to the Barna Group. In a recent conversation, I was told that the divorce rate of Christians is actually higher than that of non-Christians because non-Christians are simply no longer getting married, but rather choose to date indefinitely, cohabitate, or remain single.

The Unfaithful Bride

In the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as God's bride (Is. 50:1, 54:6, Jer. 3:1,8-9, 20, 5:7, Ez. 16:32, Hos. 3:1). Sadly, the language is often in the context of Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Rather than maintain the pure covenant relationship, God's people "play the whore with many lovers" (Jer. 3:1).

Paul uses marriage imagery in the New Testament to describe the church (Eph. 5:22-33). The beauty of this marriage language in the New Testament is that it depicts Christ as the rescuer of an unfaithful bride, saving her from whorish pursuits. Christ restores the bride to the beauty God so desires for her, and there is a great feast of celebration (Rev. 19:7-9).

Even in church work, various pursuits distract us from the Christward orientation we are to have. Under the guise of ministry, other agendas and idols compete for our love and attention. A fellow pastor once referred to these idols and commented, "Stop dating the harlot and marry the bride!"

Marriage Is a Statement About the Groom

• Christ loves his bride (Eph. 5:25)
• Christ is the savior of his bride (Eph. 5:23)
• Christ purifies his bride (Eph. 5:26)

Marriage Is a Statement About the Bride

• The bride submits to the groom (Eph. 5:24)
• The bride is in union with the groom (Eph. 5:31)
• The bride respects the groom (Eph. 5:33)

Implications

Although there are many applications to marriage for men and women, there is a profound statement to the corporate church. Our identity as a people is found in the person and work of Christ. Our orientation and direction is toward him. As pastors, we understand the great love we must have for the bride. Indeed, if we love Christ we must love his bride.

To be continued.

Vintage Jesus:

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.

Spiritual Gifts Series: Click | View Series

Having laid some foundational principles regarding spiritual gifts, Paul begins to list some of the spiritual gifts: "To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:8 NIV)

The Spiritual Gift of Wisdom Defined

The gift of wisdom is the ability to have insight into people and situations that is not obvious to the average person, combined with an understanding of what to do and how to do it. It is the ability to not only see, but also apply the principles of God's Word to the practical matters of life by the "Spirit of wisdom" (Eph. 1:17).

People with the Gift of Wisdom

These people often have an ability to synthesize biblical truth and apply it to people's lives so that they make good choices and avoid foolish mistakes. These people today function well as coaches, counselors, and consultants.

Wisdom in Jesus' Ministry

Luke 2:40-52 says that Jesus was "filled with wisdom" as a boy and "grew in wisdom" as a young man so that the scholars of his day were "amazed at his understanding." Crowds who heard Jesus teach said, "What's this wisdom that has been given him?" (Mark 6:2). In Matthew 12:42, Jesus said that he was wiser than Solomon. And in Luke 21:15, Jesus said, "I will give you words and wisdom." We are also told that Jesus is the "wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:24, 30).

Wisdom is also illustrated in the lives of Joshua (Deut. 34:9), Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-28), and Daniel (Daniel 1:17-20; 2:19-23).

Do You Have This Gift?

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• When studying God's Word, do you find that you discover the meaning and its implications before others do?
• Do you seem to understand things about God's Word that other believers with the same background and experience don't seem to know?
• Are you able to apply biblical truth in a practical way to help counsel others to make good life choices?
• Do you get frustrated when people make foolish decisions that damage their quality of life, because you know what they should have done instead?
• Do you find that when people have important decisions to make, they come to you for prayer and biblical counsel?
• Do you find that when you counsel people, God the Spirit gives you wisdom to share with them from Scripture, which they accept as God's truth to them through you?

Advance Conference:

Advance is coming June 2009. The Resurgence is hosting this conference in Raleigh, NC, to provision the local church for the advance of the gospel. Find out more.

Discipleship: Click | View Series

MMAWEEKLY recently made the following statement concerning Nate Marquardt: "Greg Jackson disciple Nate Marquardt exploited a gap in footwork and conditioning to secure his seventh victory in the UFC on Saturday." Once again we see this word—disciple—used in the context of martial arts in a way that we can learn from as disciples of Jesus Christ. What makes people call Nate, who is a brother in Christ, a disciple of Greg Jackson?

Sacrifice Your Convenience

One of Nate's qualities is a willingness to sacrifice his convenience in order to be under Greg's teaching. Nate lives in Denver, Colorado, and has his own gym there, but Greg teaches in New Mexico. Despite this inconvenience, Nate leaves his family and job in Denver, on a regular basis, to travel to New Mexico and train because he is committed to learning from and becoming a fighter like Greg Jackson.

Recently I met Rich Franklin in Bellevue, Washington, while attending a local fight. Rich lives in Ohio, yet he was in Washington because he trains under Matt Hume. On a regular basis, he leaves Ohio and his wife so that he might learn from and become a fighter like Matt Hume.

These fighters are not alone; Team Quest is full of people who have left their homes and family to move to Gresham, Oregon, in order to become a "Team Quest Fighter." Xtreme Couture is also full of fighters who have left family and friends to move to Las Vegas, so that they might train under Randy Couture. To be a disciple in the fight game means sacrificing part of your personal life and convenience.

Sacrifice Your Job

In Matthew 4, Jesus calls his first disciples. Peter and Andrew are busy working their jobs as fishermen, and when Jesus calls them, they immediately leave their nets and follow him. Then he sees James and John working with their father, and when he calls them, they immediately leave their job and father to follow him as well. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ requires commitment and sacrifice, and it is interesting to me that the first four disciples left their jobs in order to follow Jesus. For men, this is incredibly applicable since we have a natural tendency to define ourselves by our jobs.

Too often we get our sense of worth from our jobs, we sacrifice our families for our jobs, we live under the authority of our jobs, and we do what our jobs dictate. In short, we can easily worship our jobs. This means that to become a disciple of Jesus Christ we must leave our jobs, not in the sense that we must give up our employment, but rather that we will no longer worship it.

In some extreme situations, we may need to physically leave our jobs. Mark 8:35 says, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." The bottom line is that choosing to be a disciple of Jesus will require sacrifice, a sacrifice that God will honor by giving us something better than what we gave up.

Advance Conference:

Advance is coming June 2009. The Resurgence is hosting this conference in Raleigh, NC, to provision the local church for the advance of the gospel. Find out more.

In Vintage Church chapter eight we answer the question, "How Is Love Expressed in a Church?" Regarding love in the church, excerpts from Vintage Church pages 193, 196-197 say:

Inextricably connected to the doctrine of the Trinity is love. In the very nature of God there is a continuous outpouring of love, communication, and oneness. In perfect love, the three persons are characterized by reciprocal self-dedication to the good of the whole Trinity. Because God is a relational community of love, God is the source and model of all that is love....

Because God commands us to love, we must acknowledge that while it can and should include our emotional feelings, it is not based solely upon them. Despite our emotions, it is always possible to obey God and love because of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, who has connected us to the source of all love. Thus, we can love even when we are not feeling loving. That is why the Bible likens love to a fruit of the Spirit's work in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23; Rom. 5:5; 2 Tim. 1:7).

...The question persists, how should we love? Obviously, since Jesus was Love incarnate, he is the greatest example of love and the model for our own loving life, empowered by the same Holy Spirit as was his (John 13:34; 15:12; Eph. 5:1-2). In the remainder of this chapter we will explore some of the ways that deep Trinitarian love is visibly seen in the lives of the Christians who comprise a church.

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.

A Sermon for Christian Ministry Leaders
on the Assigned Text of 2 Timothy 2:14–26

The audio and video from this message is available free at The Gospel Coalition.

This blog post is intended to serve as an outline for my message at the Gospel Coalition. Because of the seriousness of the text that was assigned to me some months ago, I have prepared what is, for me, a very thorough outline. Rarely do I use notes of any length but I felt it would be helpful to post these notes because there are likely too many points (40ish) for attendees to capture. Nonetheless, I want to also stress that the message likely will deviate from the notes at certain points.

Before beginning, I want to give a few thanks. First, I want to thank the Gospel Coalition in general, and Don Carson and Tim Keller in particular, for the grace they have extended to me. Not being part of a denomination has the great benefits of freedom and independence, but also the downside of a lack of extended friendships and people to learn from. Part of this lack has been made up for thanks to the wonderful brothers I enjoy in the Acts 29 Church Planting Network. Still, the relationships I have enjoyed with mainly older pastors in the Gospel Coalition also have been used by God to help me learn and grow.

Second, I want to thank God for the text he had assigned to me in his providence some months ago. It has proven to be a timely section of Scripture for my own sanctification. In his kindness, God allowed this to be one of the easiest messages I have ever prepared for—I literally prayed one night and woke up the next with the sermon in my mind and typed it out in rough form in just over an hour. Third, my message will not be a full exposition of the text, but rather a word from a pastor to ministry leaders in hopes of serving them as they serve God’s people.

Introductory Comments on 1 and 2 Timothy

Paul and Timothy were as close as a father and son (Phil. 2:22; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2). These men are virtually inseparable throughout the New Testament; they work closely together (Acts 18:5; 19:22), co-author books of the Bible (2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1), and serve God side by side (1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; Rom. 16:21). Occasionally, however, they were separated because Paul would send Timothy on important missions to straighten out problems that arose in various local churches (e.g., 1 Thess. 3:1–6).

One of these occasions included Paul’s sending of Timothy to untangle a host of knots in Ephesus, where heretics and false teachers were devouring the church. During their separation, Paul wrote his friend two very personal letters of instruction and exhortation—1 and 2 Timothy. The two letters are very similar in many respects but do have some important differences.

For example, in both letters Paul is gravely concerned both about the condition of the church and Timothy. In 1 Timothy, however, Paul is primarily concerned with the well-being of the church, and secondarily concerned with the well-being of his friend Timothy. In 2 Timothy, though, the tone and content of the letter reveal that Paul’s concerns have flipped as he became primarily concerned with Timothy’s welfare, and though he is still obviously pained by the troublemakers in the church, they are treated as a secondary matter. Because of this, 2 Timothy is one of the most personal, intimate, reflective, emotional, and pastoral sections of the entire Bible.

Additionally, 2 Timothy is likely the last letter that Paul penned and may have been written only days before he was murdered by beheading at the hands of the megalomaniac, Emperor Nero (4:6–7). Rather than going out with his head down and voice trembling, 2 Timothy is a courageous, triumphant final shout from Paul about his coming entrance into God’s kingdom (4:18), where he would receive his final reward for being a faithful minister of the gospel who did not flinch, even in the face of death (4:7–8).

To help you enter into the passion and beauty of Paul’s final letter, it will be helpful for you to see Paul sitting alone in a dark, dank cell, rubbing the aching joints on his body, scarred by frequent beatings, and not whining about his lot or cursing God for his demise, but rather maintaining his steely-eyed gaze, determined to leave this world with his boots on and head high, singing the praises of his Lord Jesus. Indeed, they chopped off his head because it was the only way to silence him.

Before dying, Paul wrote 2 Timothy to express his deep affection for his faithful friend and co-laborer of fifteen years and to ensure that his ministry would continue after his death by younger Christians, who would take the baton from his hand and run their lives for Christ, pulling people in their wake as Paul had.

3 Kinds of People

1. Positives do gospel things in gospel ways for gospel reasons, bringing health, working for good, and being a blessing because they want the gospel to win. Few people are positives, and remaining one is difficult because it requires dealing with even negative people and negative situations in positive ways.
2. Negatives do ungospel things in ungospel ways for ungospel reasons, bringing sickness, division, and trouble because they want to win. Sadly, although negatives are not usually the majority, they are often vocal, determined, and well-networked, and therefore, as Charles Spurgeon said, much like bees who swarm into a painful threat.
3. Neutrals are unsure, confused, fearful, and caught in the middle. They need to be cared for by a positive shepherd or they will turn into negatives. Most people are neutrals and are swayed by the friends they keep, leaders they follow, and information they believe, and they need to grow in discernment and pursue wise friends.

20 Kinds of Negatives

1. Success Jealousy Negatives
2. False Witness Negatives
3. Misinformed Negatives
4. Personal Dislike Negatives
5. Take-Up-Offense-for-Another-Person Negatives
6. Missiological Negatives
7. Single-Issue Voter Negatives
8. Little World Negatives
9. Chain of Command Negatives
10. Tradition Negatives
11. Unforgiving Negatives
12. Plank-Speck Negatives
13. Diotrephes Negatives (3 John 9)
14. Distrust Negatives
15. Control Negatives
16. Critic Negatives
17. Warrior Negatives
18. One-Handed Negatives
19. Gossip Negatives
20. Theological Negatives

Responding NOT Reacting

Because God is both sovereign and good, he can and does use even the negatives for positive purposes. Perhaps the most classic example of this is Joseph’s positive declaration to his negative brothers in Genesis 50:20, saying, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

In 2 Timothy 2:14–26, Timothy is dealing with the following:

Negatives

• Hymenaus and Alexander were the chief negatives.
• Other varying kinds and degrees of unnamed negatives are also involved.

Neutrals

• Many people were neutrals, as the negatives were “upsetting the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18).

Positives

• Paul is the positive speaking into Timothy’s life and ministry, seeking to help him stay positive and not go negative, lest the neutrals only have negatives to influence them and the entire ministry becomes negative and toxic.

20 Ways to Be a Positive from 2 Timothy 2:14–26

1. Positively emphasize what you are for instead of against.
   Remind them of these things (v. 14)
2. Positively use your God-given authority.
   charge them before God (v. 14)
3. Positively invest your words.
   not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. (v. 14)
4. Positively do your best.
   Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved (v. 15)
5. Positively work hard.
   a worker who has no need to be ashamed (v. 15)
6. Positively study harder.
   rightly handling the word of truth. (v. 15)
7. Positively avoid getting drawn into endless arguments.
   But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. (v. 16-17)
8. Positively warn the sheep about the wolves.
   Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. (v. 17-18)
9. Positively rejoice that God rules the church.
   But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” (v. 19)
10. Positively practice repentance before preaching it.
    “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (v. 19)
11. Positively use your passion to be a better servant.
    Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (v. 20-21)
12. Positively grow up quickly.
    So flee youthful passions (v. 22)
13. Positively seek righteousness, faith, love, and peace with urgency.
    pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (v. 22)
14. Positively grow in discernment.
    Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. (v. 23)
15. Positively be kind like Jesus.
    And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone (v. 24)
16. Positively harness the opportunity to teach your people.
    able to teach (v. 24)
17. Positively suffer patiently like Jesus.
    patiently enduring evil (v. 24)
18. Positively correct gently.
    correcting his opponents with gentleness. (v. 25)
19. Positively desire good for your enemies.
    God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (v. 25-26)
20. Positively use your energy to win converts, not arguments.
    “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:5–7)

Conclusion

1. Who is your Timothy?
2. Who are your Pauls?
3. Who are your Hymenaeus and Alexanders?
4. Who are you Hymenaeus and Alexander to?
5. Are you positive, negative, or neutral?
6. What will your legacy be?