What Is Leadership?

Reason #12 - Professional Pastors Suggest That Payment Should Be Given For Service

Professional Pastors by definition receive a salary. This salary comes in exchange for services rendered. The problem with this arrangement is that both the pastor and the church are strongly implying that payment should be given for any service done for anyone else.

When we look in scripture we see many exhortations to serve others. Jesus Christ himself was the ultimate server. Throughout his ministry he gave of himself constantly. Our Lord took care of need after need after need. He, of course, had supernatural abilities that the rest of us do not have. However, we are not expected to heal people's illnesses. What Jesus was doing was providing a model for us of serving free of charge. Jesus never expected any money from the folks he helped.

As we move through the rest of the New Testament we find numerous encouragements and commands to the church to serve others sacrificially. This is one of the marks of the body of Christ that makes it unique. The world offers services for payment. This is not an evil in and of itself; for example, I receive a paycheck for performing my daily duties at JCB. That said, we followers of Jesus are not expected to ever give of ourselves in the name of Christ for payment of any kind.

The problem of pastors serving in exchange for a paycheck stems back the modern church's idea that pastors are professionals. They ought not be. No where in the bible is it indicated that pastors are a set apart, special class that gets to receive money for doing for others. This is a man-made phenomenon.

If modern churches were to be consistent, they should give paychecks to anybody in the church who serves anybody else. I imagine that would increase the amount of service going on (sarcasm alert).

To sum up, the church sends a dangerous message when it gives paychecks to pastors. Pastors are irresponsible in accepting them. Their message is loud and clear: service demands payment. This should be sickening to the body of Christ.


(This is post twelve as part of 25 Reasons Professional Pastors Should Resign.)

Church Simply: Leadership Through Service

Much of the modern church is consumed with its leaders. This is true with Catholicism, where the Pope makes the headlines at least weekly. However, it is also true in evangelicalism. Super-star pastors are frequently in the news for saying things about things.

If you ask most Christians about their church, one of the first things they will begin to talk about is their pastor. Go ahead and try it. See what they say. Even if you do not mention the pastor, this will be one of their first topics of conversation.

Pastors/leaders within the modern church almost always lead through one main method: decision making. They certainly do other things such as preach, teach, baptize, etc. However, their primary leadership activity is making decisions for the body.

In the New Testament the church body as a whole makes the decisions. Since that's the case, what do leaders in the New Testament church do? The answer is that they lead through serving others. Not only do they serve, but they model this service to the rest of the body.

In John chapter 13, Jesus leaves a model for his twelve disciples to follow. He washes their feet and instructs them to do the same. This is extremely significant because it is part of Christ's final teachings to those who would lead the fledgling church. Jesus did not, conversely, give them all sorts of instructions in how to make decisions for his body.

Christ's model of leadership was service.

Earlier in Jesus' ministry he said the following, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all" (Mark 10:42-44).

Jesus is talking to those who would take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Service equals greatness in the Kingdom.

Jesus Christ is Lord of his church. He expects leadership; however, he does not expect the earthly definition of leadership by making decisions. Rather, our Lord demands a heavenly sort of leadership: sacrificial service.

Church Simply: Everybody Actively Use Your Spiritual Gifts!

One key aspect to simple church life is that everyone is encouraged and expected to actively use his or her spiritual gifts to serve the body.

This is based on the view of the body described in I Corinthians 12. Paul informs us that every member of the body is important. The body will not function properly unless all body parts are healthy and active. None are ignored. None are more important than others. In order for the body to do what it is supposed to do, every part must be up and running.

For this to occur the body as a whole has to trust the lead of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit not only bestows spiritual gifts, but also leads believers into using these gifts. The body must respond to the Spirit's leading by encouraging everyone to use their own gifts actively for the building up of the entire body. Everybody matters.

One place many churches (regardless of form) fail is in encouraging everyone to be active. It's easy to simply let some folks sort of sit quietly in the background and not do much. If this happens the body will suffer - possibly in ways it hasn't really considered. Since I Cor. 12 is true, then everybody needs everybody. We the church must get the message out that every believer has the responsibility to be active. Let's not guilt one another in this, but instead encourage each other. Ironically, this means we will be encouraging each other to encourage each other.

The church is stunted when a small number of people do most of the ministry. That model makes for a sick body, where some parts are overworked and others are undeveloped. Much healthier is a body where every part is in shape from regular exercise. Let's all do our part by using our gifts to serve and encouraging others to do so.

All Salaried Pastors Everywhere, Please Resign!

This is a call to all salaried pastors everywhere on earth: please resign right now!

Christ's church has both much potential and many problems. The church could be so much more if Christ's people en masse lived as the priests they already are. One of the biggest roadblocks to an active, thriving church is salaried pastors. I should know; I used to be one.

The salaried pastorate inadvertently keeps the church shackled. A damaging co-dependent relationship exists between paid pastors and the people in the pews: the pastor(s) gets paid to "do the work of the ministry" while the people largely sit and watch. Despite good intentions, this relationship stifles the good that the church can do and the wondrous thing it can be.

I do not sugarcoat or soften this call in any way. I believe all pastors who receive salaries from churches should resign today. This applies to all places on earth. Do not worry; you are not indispensable to the church. The Holy Spirit can lead things just fine on His own. In your absence, He will raise up elders from within the body who will lead through servanthood.

Rather than leaving the churches where you are employed, I'm simply stating that you should resign from your positions. Consider teaching about why this will help the church. Stay there. Change your role. Lead through service instead of decision making. Become one of the body, equal with everybody else. Encourage others to lead in their various areas of gifting. Stay in the background.

Please, pastor friend and brother in Christ, resign now. God will take care of you. He provides for me and my family each day. It won't be easy, but Christ did not call us to lives of ease. Rather, He called us to live as part of His priesthood and encourage/exhort others to do the same. We are all part of one body, all needed by the whole.

Resign and watch what the Holy Spirit will do. It will be an exciting ride and one that will please the Lord.

Love the One You're With

We often make an all-too-common mistake as Christians: we incorrectly believe we need to do "big things for God."

These "big things" can include going on overseas missions trips, taking part in complex church programs, or even leading some sort of ministry that touches the lives of hundreds. Any of these "big things" can be fine, but they are not necessary.

Anytime we treat another person with the love of Christ we are doing something significant for God.

You probably have a busy life. Almost all of us do. I work about sixty hours per week. It is difficult to find time to meet with other believers or reach out to the lost in my community. What, then, can I do? I can love anyone I come into contact with. Due to my work schedule I'm around my co-workers a lot. Instead of thinking of my work as something I only do to make a living, I can and should think of it as a primary location to lovingly serve others.

To quote a song that means something far different, love the one you're with. Whoever you meet in your daily activities, love them. This will, of course, mean different things in different circumstances. However, when we are kind to others and give service as is appropriate, God is pleased. I'm convinced that our Lord simply wants us to love the one we're with, regardless of situation.

Don't worry about trying to do "big things for God." If you will just love others by giving sacrificially of self, you will be doing exactly what you should. We can take comfort in the fact that God takes joy in our doing simple yet profound things for Him.

Women in the New Testament Summary

Women are critical to the life of the church. Throughout much of church history women have been treated as second-class citizens. This ought not be. When we look in the New Testament we see example after example of women being faithful, obedient servants. This should inform how we treat our sisters in Christ today. Read any of the posts in this series below:

The Church and Its Amazing Women
Women and Gatherings
Mary
Anna
Mary Magdelene
Mary and Martha
Phoebe
Lydia
Priscilla
Euodia and Syntyche
Many Other Faithful Ones

Many Other Faithful Ones

There is not enough time to write about all the faithful women we meet in the New Testament. However, a few more come to mind that I'd like to point out:


Tabitha

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity." (Acts 9:36)


Mary, John Mark's mother

"When Peter came to himself, he said, 'Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.' When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying." (Acts 12:11-12)


Philip's Daughters

"On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied." (Acts 21:8-9)


Chloe

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers." (I Corinthians 1:10-11)


Nympha

"Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house." (Colossians 4:15)


The consistent theme in the New Testament is one of women who were faithful, obedient servants of Christ. This does not occur in some sort of vacuum. Rather, the women of the New Testament follow in the footsteps of the faithful ladies who preceded them in the Old Testament. Although it is not the purpose of this blog series, let's never forget women like Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Zipporah, Rahab, Deborah, Ruth, Abigail, Esther, and many more.

Euodia and Syntyche

Uh-oh.

Lest we think everything was perfect with all the women in the early church, we must remember Euodia and Syntyche. These two ladies appear to have been at the center of the disunity that was harming the Philippian church.

Paul first visited Philippi on his second journey. It's where he met Lydia and the jailer; it's also where Paul planted a church. This church is specifically mentioned as gathering in Lydia's home to greet Paul and Silas before they departed.

Several years after this, when Paul is under house arrest in Rome, he wrote an epistle to his friends back in Philippi. The primary themes of this letter are joy and unity. Paul took great joy in his brothers and sisters in Philippi. He was also greatly concerned about the disunity he'd heard about within their church family.

In chapter 2:1-4, Paul provides a formula for unity. That formula is humility. It is putting others before self. Immediately following, in 2:5-11, Paul points to the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ. In this Christ Hymn, we see Christ display humility through his incarnation, servanthood, and crucifixion. Paul's hope is that the Philippian Christians will begin to show more unity through humility.

In chapter four we finally meet Euodia and Syntyche. Paul writes:

"I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." (Philippians 4:2-3)

Three things are clear from these two verses. First, Euodia and Syntyche are followers of Christ; they don't need evangelizing. Second, they are in disagreement over something. Third, they need assistance from the broader church family to help them agree. Additionally, this must have been a significant disagreement in order for Paul to have written a letter to address it.

Quite simply, these two ladies were arguing and it was hurting the church. Paul wants them to knock it off. They'll accomplish this by thinking of others before themselves. Their brothers and sisters need to get involved. This is a body issue.

This is real world church life. We all know that disunity is a terrible thing in the life of any church family. We've probably all been a part of it. It's a nightmare.

I mention Euodia and Syntyche to bring some balance to this series on women in the New Testament. Like men, women are not perfect. Many ladies we encounter in scripture are described in a very positive fashion. However, there were also those who aren't. Euodia and Syntyche show us that Christians can harm the church. We're reminded by Paul that we all have responsibility to get involved when disunity strikes.

Priscilla

Priscilla and Aquila are a Christian couple who are, appropriately, always mentioned together. They are friends of Paul who we meet in Acts chapter 18:

"After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade." (Acts 18:1-3)

"After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. But on taking leave of them he said, 'I will return to you if God wills,' and he set sail from Ephesus." (Acts 18:18-21)

The most interesting passage involving Aquila and Priscilla occurs later in Acts 18. In verses 24-28 we see them come into contact with Apollos. We can learn much from how this couple helped Apollos mature in Christ:

"Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus." (Acts 18:24-28)

Apollos was a gifted speaker who knew the scriptures well. However, his knowledge of Christ was limited. It's difficult to determine from these verses whether or not Apollos even knew of Jesus. Since we're told that "he knew only the baptism of John," it is likely that he did not. I love how Aquila and Priscilla handle the situation. Showing wisdom, they pull Apollos to the side and mentor him together, out of the public eye. Specifically, Luke tells us that they "explained to him the way of God more accurately." We immediately read the outcome of this encounter. Apollos, now with an accurate understanding and knowledge of Christ, traveled onward both edifying the church and proclaiming the gospel.

Apollos could never have done these things apart from Priscilla and Aquila's help. They were living out Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." They were both acting much like elders in the church.

Aquila and Priscilla remained Paul's friends and helpers for many years. Paul mentions them in three different letters that were penned several years after these events in Acts had taken place:

"The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord." (I Corinthians 16:19)

"Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia." (Romans 16:3-5)

"Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus." (II Timothy 4:19)

When we think of Priscilla, we should think of an obedient, faithful servant of Christ. Additionally, she and Aquila are an example of a great team: a couple that works together for the kingdom. And yes, Priscilla was involved in teaching Apollos. If you can't handle this example of a woman teaching a man, then you'd better white out that section of your bible.

Lydia

I love the books of Acts and Philippians. Therefore, Acts chapter 16 is one of my favorites in the entire bible. Near the beginning of the chapter we read about Paul's vision of the Macedonian man calling to him. Toward the conclusion of the chapter we see the fascinating account of the Philippian jailer's conversion.

Sandwiched in between the above two passages we meet Lydia. Although we don't have much information, we see that she was an impressive lady:

"So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us." (Acts 16:11-15)

Paul usually visited a synagogue on the Sabbath. It appears that Philippi lacked one. Therefore, Paul and his traveling team went down to the river (Luke was present at this time; thus the "we" statements). The men began talking with the women they found there. Lydia, one of these women, is described as "a worshiper of God." This indicates that although she was likely a Gentile, she knew and followed the God revealed in the Old Testament. She was, therefore, ready to hear and understand the gospel proclaimed by Paul. In one of my favorite statements in all of scripture, Luke tells us that "The Lord opened her heart." It appears that Lydia immediately accepted what Paul said as true. She showed obedience by being baptized, along with others, and then invited the group to stay at her home.

Shortly after the above account, Paul and Silas were tossed in prison. God caused an earthquake, the jail doors flew open, and the Philippian jailer almost committed harikari. However, Paul shouted out in time, and shortly afterward the jailer came to Christ. Later in the passage Paul and Silas revisited Lydia. The final verse in the chapter tells us:

"So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed." (Acts 16:40)

Something interesting is happening here. It appears that the very new church in Philippi is meeting, at least on this occasion, in Lydia's house. Notice that the "brothers" are mentioned. This is a typical way of referring to the church. It's also significant that the purpose of the meeting was encouragement.

As we look at Lydia in this passage, we see a woman of faith, of obedience, and of service. This should not surprise us. Most of the ladies highlighted in the pages of the New Testament can be described in this way. Like our Christian sisters today, they are of deep importance to the church.

Phoebe

Phoebe is yet another faithful, female servant of Christ who we meet in the New Testament. I could spend a few paragraphs writing about her, but there's no point. My good friend Alan Knox has already beaten me to it. I encourage you to click over to Alan's excellent post about the Phabulous Phoebe.

Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha of Bethany are best known for this passage:

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.' " (Luke 10:38-42)

Despite the above contrast between these sisters of Bethany, other passages show that they had something in common: they were faithful followers and servants of Jesus Christ. It appears that their home was a place Jesus stayed fairly often (Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem). Based on the language from the Lazarus dying-and-rising passage, we see that they knew Jesus well, trusted in him, and loved him:

"Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.' " (John 11:21-27)

"Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. So the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!' But some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?' " (John 11:32-37)

"Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.' Jesus said to her, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out.' The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.' " (John 11:38-44)

Later in the book of John we again see the sisters' devotion to Christ:

"Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 'Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?' He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, 'Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.' " (John 12:1-8)

Mary and Martha were certainly two separate people. However, we make a mistake if our focus is what makes them different. Better is to remember what they have in common. Like Mary, Anna, and Mary Magdelene, these two sisters showed themselves to be faithful servants of Christ.

Mary Magdelene

Much has been written about Mary Magdelene through the centuries. Much of it is rubbish. When we let scripture and not tradition drive what we believe, we see a faithful servant of Christ. In some ways, Mary Magdelene is portrayed as the ideal follower of Jesus. She is with him throughout his ministry, is present at the cross, is present at the tomb, is the first to witness the risen Christ, and proclaims the resurrection to, ironically, the male disciples.

We are first introduced to Mary in Luke chapter 8. We see that Jesus rescued her from demonic control. Mary was one of the disciples who traveled around with him, supporting his ministry financially:

"Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means." (Luke 8:1-3)

Mary was one of the women at the crucifixion:

"There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee." (Matthew 27:55-56)

Mary was present at Jesus' burial:

"When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb." (Matthew 27:57-61)

Mary was there for Christ's resurrection, was the first to see him, and was the first to proclaim it:

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.' So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, 'Greetings!' And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.' " (Matthew 28:1-10)

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, 'They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She turned and said to him in Aramaic, 'Rabboni!' (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." ' Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord' — and that he had said these things to her." (John 20:11-18)

Quite simply, Mary Magdelene wanted to be with Jesus wherever he was. She never fled, but sought him out. She loved Jesus, worshiped him, and told others about him. Although we do not know a great deal about her, we can learn much from her. She was yet another faithful female servant of Christ that we see in the New Testament.

Anna

(I apologize for the distracting nature of the above graphic, but I decided to use it simply because it spins.)

Anna is a fascinating woman who we don't know much about; she's only mentioned in one short bible passage. The context is Joseph and Mary presenting Jesus at the temple. Simeon has just seen Jesus and praised God for allowing him to look upon the promised Christ. Then, in Luke 2:36-38, we read the following:

"And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem."

In just a few verses we see Anna's faithfulness to God and service to his people. We read specifically that:

-Anna was a prophetess.
-Anna worshiped with fasting and prayers.
-Anna worshiped ceaselessly.
-Anna proclaimed God's faithfulness to his people.

It's difficult to determine exactly what it means that Anna was a prophetess. However, we can assume that she at least faithfully spoke words of truth to the people based on what had been revealed in the Old Testament. Since she was elderly, it is likely that the people of Israel sought her out for her wisdom. She carried on this ministry without pause. It's an amazing statement that "she did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day." As part of her prophetic gifting, God showed her (similar to Simeon) that this baby was the Messiah. Anna understood this, thanked God for it, and told others about it. We know this because Luke specifically mentions "the redemption of Jerusalem," which is another way of referring to God's rescue of his people through the Messiah.

Anna was a faithful follower of God who obediently carried out service to his people. This is the continuing theme we see among many of the women who are highlighted in the pages of the New Testament.

Mary

Let's begin with the mother of our Lord. She was truly an amazing woman.

Mary's obedience and service stand out from the first time we meet her. She was, of course, not perfect. However, she consistently showed herself to be a faithful follower of God's very unique plan for her life.

We meet Mary in Luke chapter 1 when Gabriel tells her that she will be mother to the son of God. I love Mary's response to the difficult-to-believe situation. She says, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

Mary's view of God may be best summed up in the Magnificat. At the beginning of the poem/song Mary says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name."

Prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, Mary did not understand his full significance (see here and here). However, she knew that he had power and position beyond that of any normal person. Her words to Jesus at the wedding in Cana show this.

She also undoubtedly suffered various forms of scorn and persecution during her life due to the circumstances surrounding Christ's conception and birth. This is one example.

Mary was faithful for the entire life of Jesus. She was present at the cross, even when most of the disciples scattered. Mary was also part of the early church in Acts. The final mention we have of her occurs in Acts 1:12-14, "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."

Within the church today we tend to downplay Mary's significance. This may be a reaction against Roman Catholic faulty views of Mary. Regardless, the way we think about Mary ought to be driven by what we see in scripture.

From beginning to end, Mary's life can be described as one of obedient, faithful service. If we could talk with her today, Mary would in no way want us to elevate her. Based on her humility we see in the bible, we can surmise that she would accurately point our attention to her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mary is one of several ladies who stand out as wonderful examples to us in the New Testament. She reminds us that the church is full of amazing women.

The Church and Its Amazing Women

From my earliest memories I can recall "going to church." As a kid, it was always the ladies who took care of me. They taught me Sunday School, gave me snacks, played games with me, etc. As I grew older, I continued to see much of the actual service in the church performed by the ladies. When someone was sick, the ladies brought the food. When someone was dying, it was usually the women who came by to visit. When a task needed done, the females in the body stepped up.

From what I could see, the ladies carried more than their fair share of the burden of serving others. However, when I attended worship services, it was the men who took the lead role. Men preached. Men led the singing. Men took up the offering. Men prayed. While the women served in the background, the men took center stage. It should not be so.

Paul tells us clearly in I Corinthians 12 that every member of the body is critical to the health of the church. No one member is more important than any other. And yet, women have been relegated to the background for much of the life of the church. It's not right. We should recognize and appreciate the ladies in the body for the work they do. As a man, I need to be certain that I don't make the women feel like second-class citizens in the church. I realize that men and women have different, complementary roles to play. However, this doesn't suggest for a second that either role is more important than the other. Simply put, women matter in the life of the church.

I do not write this post for reasons of political correctness (I couldn't care less about that). I don't write it out of some sort of latent guilt feelings. Rather, I write it because the women in the church are absolutely critical to the life and health of the body. We should recognize them as such. Regardless of where we fall on the institutional-organic spectrum of church life, let's make sure the ladies know how important and cherished they are.

In light of this, I'm going to write a series of short posts highlighting some of the women in the New Testament church. Again and again, we read of their exemplary service to the New Covenant community. As the women served back then, they continue to serve today. The church would not function without them. We men must ensure that our sisters in Christ know how important they are to the church family as a whole.

Priesthood and Self-Sacrifice/Service

Living as priests to God is a mind-blowing reality. God looks to each of his children as living sacrifices. This, in turn, requires responsibility on our part. Unlike the passive (dead) sacrifices of the O.T. system, we are sacrifices who are very much alive.

As sacrifices, it is not surprising that God's expectation is that we will live lives of self-sacrifice and service. This is almost always in relationship to other people. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament shows us that Christ's expectation is that his followers will think of others before themselves.

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

Paul then provides his readers with the greatest example of service and sacrifice: Jesus Christ himself in the Christ Hymn of 2:5-11.

I love the irony in the bible. Jesus Christ is both our High Priest and our sacrifice. In turn, as Christ-followers, we are priests who are to live sacrificially as sacrifices to God (that sounds redundant but is not intended to be).

As priests, we have been given great responsibility. As sacrifices, we are to live sacrificially. That would be a burden except that Christ has gone before us. He is the ultimate priest and sacrifice. We just follow along is his blessed footsteps.

Resolved: To Help Others More in 2013

First a disclaimer of sorts: I realize that New Year's resolutions are somewhat hokey in nature.

Despite the above disclaimer, I'm going ahead with a resolution for 2013. There's not anything special about doing this on January 1st; it could happen any day. That said, I'm going to try, with the Holy Spirit's assistance and power, to do something more in the new year. That new thing is to help others more.

This may not seem very deep or complicated. It certainly doesn't sound very seminary-ish. However, when I dwell upon the life of Christ, I see a divine man who traveled around helping others. He helped them by meeting their unique needs and by proclaiming the truth. Matthew 4:23 tells us, "And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people."

I have no desire or ability to be divine (obviously). Rather, my hope and desire is to be more of a helper. I don't think this is as complicated as we sometimes make it out to be. All we have to do is ask God for opportunities and then act on them when God gives them. My guess is that it will always involve helping someone in need of some sort. That might be accompanied by gospel proclamation, but many times it might not. It may also lead to a friendship, or not. I really have no idea.

I just know that as Christ-followers we are to love others. One tangible way we do this is by helping them. It's that simple (if not necessarily easy). When we help, we give of self. We think of others first. We at least sometimes relieve suffering. These are all Christlike activities.

So there's my resolution. I want to help.

It's Not That Complicated

We tend to make church too complicated. When I write "we," I'm referring to the entire church, myself included.

On the flip side, I've recently seen a number of church signs and websites say things such as, "Loving God. Loving People." I have to admit that they've got it right.

Living to honor Jesus Christ can be summed up in "Loving God. Loving People." This is not some cliche, but is purely scriptural. In a familiar passage we read this:

But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)

What, then, does this look like? We show our love for God by loving other people. This does not mean that loving others is a means to an end, but rather that it is evidence, or fruit, of our love for the Lord.

This leads to another question: what does it mean to love other people? This is where we must be careful to avoid modern cultural definitions for love. In today's USA, love tends to be defined as warm feelings toward another. These may be familial, romantic, or platonic, but they boil down to affection based on our personal preferences.

When we look at the life of Christ, we see something different. Jesus certainly cared for other people, but we don't primarily see this through his expressing his affections in word. Rather, we see Jesus serving others again, again, and again. We read of Jesus going out of his way to help those in need. He was constantly sacrificing his own comfort, walking around in desolate and dirty places, hanging around with the "sinners" of society, and essentially living a homeless existence in order to show the love of God through service to others.

Jesus' teachings for his followers are not particularly complicated. They are very profound and revolutionary, but not complex or difficult to comprehend. For example, the Sermon on the Mount is very understandable, even to new Christians. It's the living-it-out part that is tough.

In discussing the church we can at times get distracted from what is both most important and simplest. That's loving God and loving people. We show this through acts of loving, self-sacrificing service.

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." I John 3:18