Moments on a God Journey

10 Books Every Youth Leader Should Read

2009-09-07T13:04:00.001-07:00

Taking a brief time-out from the current series here. Occasionally I get asked what books are best for youth leaders to read. Here are my favorites, though I'm sure different youth leaders will tell you different things. There's no particular order to the selections.

1. Impact student ministry that will transform a generation. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman, 2005. Print.
I'm reading this one right now, and so far it's great. It does a good job giving some basic principles for youth ministry, and has terrific insights, without overdoing ideas. If you're looking for a book that will tell you step-by-step how to do youth ministry, this one won't. It's better: it'll give you foundational principles for you to build a youth ministry on that will last longer than any ideas.

2. Lawrence, Rick. Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry. New York: Group, 2007. Print.
It's not about being purpose-drive, it's about being Spirit-led! The author makes that point throughout the book, that our youth ministries are to be centered on Christ alone. Great read, and will change the way you think about youth ministry.

3. Coleman, Robert Emerson. Master plan of evangelism. Grand Rapids, MI: Spire, 1994. Print.
Every Christian should read this book. I read it while in college, and it literally transformed my approach to ministry. This short book has been the foundation of much of my philosophies for the past 15 years.

4. Ken, Davis,. How to speak to youth-- and keep them awake at the same time. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan House, 1996. Print.
This may not be the most detailed book about how to preach, but Davis does a good job explaining basic principles and offers a simple sermon structure that is good for beginners. It's a short read, so I advise anyone to pick it up and make the truths here part of your sermons. Plus, the cartoons are funny.

5. McDowell, Josh. Josh McDowell's handbook on counseling youth a comprehensive guide for equipping youth workers, pastors, teachers, and parents. Dallas: Word Pub., 1996. Print.
This is a good reference guide. Buy it, keep it handy on the shelf, and be prepared to take it out often. It leaves some major issues out, but the ones it covers it covers well.

6. Olson, Ginny, Diane Elliot, and Mike Work. Youth Ministry Management Tools. Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, 2001. Print.
Youth leaders seem to have a problem with administration. (I know from experience!) This book started me on the path toward organization, and I still pull it down from time to time to use as a reference guide. Plus, the software it comes with is a great simple program for tracking students, and is worth the price of the book alone.

7. Yaconelli, Mike. Getting fired for the glory of God collected words of Mike Yaconelli for youth workers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Youth Specialties, 2008. Print.
What can you say about Mike Yaconelli? The Father of Modern Youth Ministry, his insights for youth pastors are terrific. Plus, the DVD/CD with his sermons is great. Take this stuff to heart!

8. Fields, Doug. Purpose-driven youth ministry 9 essential foundations for healthy growth. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1998. Print.
I hesitate to include this, because it is often over-used and abused. Fields has a good approach, but you'll need to modify it greatly to fit your church. If you read this one, be sure to balance it with #1 and #2 on the list above.

9. Manning, Brennan. The Ragamuffin Gospel Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out. Sisters: Multnomah, 2005. Print.
10. Foster, Richard J. Celebration of discipline the path to spiritual growth. [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998. Print.
EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD READ THESE BOOKS! They aren't about youth ministry, except that the youth pastor's spiritual health is vital to the health of the youth ministry. These books are every bit as important (probably more important) than books that give you ideas about how to do ministry. Your ministry will flow from your character, and these books will develop your character. So put them toward the top of your reading pile.

That's all for today, folks. We'll resume the small group leadership series soon.

How to Lead (and not lead) a Small Group, part 1

2009-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

My new blog series will focus on how to lead a youth ministry small group, though the same principles can be applied to leading just about any kind of small group - youth, adult, or otherwise. Plus...there's videos! (thanks to YouTube!)

Part 1: The Unprepared Leader

I'm not sure if I was quite this bad when I started, but I certainly remember early on in youth ministry my first youth group experienced sermons I hastily jotted on the back of napkins and church bulletins. Eventually, I learned that to be effective at all, I had to take the time to prepare.

1. Prepare Yourself
Spend time in prayer and be sure that you're in a place to be spiritually in tune to your group. As I say when I teach this stuff, if I could turn back the clock and do one thing different for the last 13 years, I'd pray more. I've never once thought, "Man, I spent way too much time praying!" Be sure your own heart and walk with God is right, and that you're in a place where you can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

2. Prepare Your Lesson
As a youth pastor in Indiana, I prepared handy hand-outs a week ahead for my leaders to use in their small group times, usually that went with my sermon for the coming week. (Yes, that takes planning! That's another blog series, though.) But whether you are using already prepared materials from your youth pastor or a book, or you're creating your own materials, you need to take time to make sure you're using the Scripture correctly and communicating to your particular group in an interesting and relevant way. You need to know your stuff and be excited about it in order to communicate it in a way that has life-transforming power.

3. Prepare Your Environment
Be there early! You should be the first person to arrive, ideally. Make sure the room isn't too hot or too cold, and try to minimize any distractions (some distractions I've experienced include extra noise, televisions, and puppies). Make sure the chairs are arranged, snacks (if any) are ready to go, and everything is in order. Greet the students by name as they come in, and chat with them...chatting is discipleship, remember!

Next time will be part 2, The Inflexible Leader.

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Genration (part 3, conclusion)

2009-07-17T08:50:00.001-07:00

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Generation
Part 3: Making it Practical

The principle that students are not satisfied being media and ministry consumers, but are looking to be producers, has tremendous ramifications for youth ministry. As a youth pastor, I've watched students graduate from the youth ministry and from the faith in Christ at the same time. I've heard as many as 80% of our students are leaving the church upon graduation, though I'm not sure the official study. Certainly large numbers are leaving.

The students who have remained most faithful to God throughout my years in ministry are overwhelmingly the students who have been actively involved in sharing the responsibility for at least some part of the ministry. True, the more mature Christian students are typically the ones who shoulder responsibility - but my challenge is this: if we turn even part of the ministry over to students sooner, and involve them more in the process, then I believe we will retain more in the long-term. With the added benefit that, as we saw in part 2, we are approaching ministry more biblically.

So how can we practically do this? What are some ways that students can take ownership of THEIR youth ministry?

1. Students can make announcements. I've seen adults desperately try to get students' attention for announcements using videos, drama, even dressing in drag once (yeah, that wasn't me, for the record). But a student giving the announcements commands more attention from the crowd because it's "one of us." Rotate the students, and challenge them to come up with the most creative way possible to communicate the information. Set up a schedule. Students don't have to be especially "spiritual" to do this.

2. Students can lead worship. Most youth ministries already allow involvement here, so I'm not going to dwell on it, other than to say be sure you're allowing new students the opportunity to break into the club and use their gifts as well.

3. Students can lead games. They'll have better ideas that the group will like, anyway. Sure, at first an adult might have to monitor for safety or other concerns, but once the students have the hang of it they'll have a blast thinking of great ideas. They can whip the crowd up to involvement easier than adults, usually, too.

4. Students can conduct small groups. Give them materials to work with, and let them at it. Again, an adult might have to be close at hand (especially at first) to make sure things go okay. But let the students take the initiative.

5. Students can preach. Other students respect hearing one of them give the Word. A student can say, "I'm right there with you, figuring this out as I go, too." It might be necessary for an adult to review what a student will say, or train them in some basic sermon preparation tips - but that's good and part of the leadership training process! What if a student says something off-script that is wrong? Well, in that case, you'll have to gently guide the student (and, maybe, the crowd) to the truth. But I've rarely seen that happen - students take the responsibility for sharing the Word of God seriously (and, usually, they're terrified they'll mess up, so they're pretty careful).

6. Students can plan events. If you aren't already using students to plan your events - involving them in everything from the idea through the execution phase - then you're not using a great resource God has given you. Students have great ideas. If it's their idea, they'll be more excited about it and are more likely to bring their friends. Meet regularly with students and talk with them about what kind of events they want to see, then enlist them to help plan, prepare, execute, and cleanup. Lead them through the process, then eventually turn it over to them.

7. Students can handle visitation and greeting. Welcoming and including new students is something the students should be doing already, but most youth ministries don't make it intentional. Have students selected to greet others when students walk-in, and run check-in if your youth ministry does that. Have students selected who are willing to make phone calls, send emails, or drop by to visit newcomers to the group. A visit from another student saying "thanks for coming" goes much further than a visit from an adult - let's face it: we're just struggling to stay cool and relevant.

8. Students can lead ministry teams. Let them take on ministry teams that are important to them. Let them focus on recruiting other students to be a part of it. Maybe you'll need adult presence at the meetings, but let the students take the lead. It will make them more enthusiastic and allow them to really offer themselves and their gifts to God in a new way.

These are just some starter ideas. But essentially, there is very little that I do as a youth pastor that a student or group of students is not capable of doing. Youth pastors must just make an intentional effort to turn the ministry over to the students and let our youth ministries become "by students, for students."

One place to start is something I practiced in Indiana. The first Wednesday night each month we had a "student-led service." The rule of thumb was: no adults on the stage at all. I met with students to plan the whole thing, they selected what would happen and who would lead what service element, and then they pulled the evening together. It gave them great exposure to ministry and in some cases respect for what I went through every week. It allowed them to really own their youth ministry and to become ministers.

Let's make a commitment to engage the You Tube Generation by applying biblical principles of ministry and transforming our ministries into true Student Ministries.

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Generation (part 2)

2009-07-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Generation
Part Two: The Biblical Imperative

In Part 1, we looked at the societal shift taking place especially among teens today. The principle is: Students are no longer satisfied being media consumers; they now want to become media producers.

With this in mind, I suggested that churches should begin adapting our ministry focus to give students key roles in the ministry process itself, rather than being content with the students being the "consumers" of ministry that we youth pastors are "producing."

In Part 2, we need to look briefly at the biblical implications of this shift. Is it biblical for students to be involved in all aspects of the ministry: planning, preaching, leading worship, announcements, conducting small groups, etc.?

This should be a no-brainer, if you ask me. Ephesians 4:12 describes the role of the minister as follows: "Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12 (NLT) One of the primary responsibilities of ministers is to equip God's people - including teenagers - to do God's work of building up the church.

It's not my job to preach, plan events, etc... it's my job to train others how to do those things. Naturally, that means I do those things, but I do them in cooperation with others while I am preparing them to train still others.

The problem is that a lot of times training someone else is harder than doing it myself. For example, planning a Middle School Night (as Nick and I are doing right now) is easy for me. I've planned dozens in the past, and I know the right order to go through the steps, what will work and what won't, and I can plan one in hardly any time at all. Next month, we're bringing students into the process. I'll have to explain what needs to be done at each step. It will be more work and take longer. But it is more biblical.

Another problem is that when I release a student or someone else to minister, they may not do it the same way or with the same degree of excellence that I do. I've preached several hundred sermons to teenagers over the last 13 years, but a student who is preaching his or her first sermon ever will not be as good (probably!), because it takes practice to become good at preaching. But unless I release my standards for excellence to allow for student sermons, then they'll never get the practice they need to become better. The same is true for worship ministry, small group ministry, or anything else we release students to do.

And this is where our focus needs to shift to Jesus' model. John 4:2 reminds us, "though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did." Jesus turned the ministry of baptism over to his disciples. In Matthew 10, Jesus sends his disciples out to do ministry without him. They had watched him and helped him, now it was their turn to take over. Jesus tells them, "Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!" Matthew 10:7-8.

At what point in our ministries are we turning the reigns over to the students? Where are we intentionally saying to them, "Okay, you've seen me plan these events, lead the worship, preach the sermons.... Now go for it!"?

The You Tube model of ministry is clearly biblical, and is certainly necessary to connect with students in our culture. In Part 3, we'll take a look at ways to make turning ministry over to students a practical reality in our ministries. We'll focus on how take students off the church bench and get them in the game, making them producers of ministry and not merely consumers.

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Generation (part 1)

2009-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Youth Ministry and the You Tube Generation

For a while now I've been contemplating You Tube and it's implications for youth ministry. I don't mean "how can youth pastors use You Tube for ministry purposes?" though that is an important question. I mean, "what does the rise of popularity of You Tube signal, and how should the church respond?"

On You Tube, students are the stars of their own television show. It started with Jerry Springer and shows like that, where normal people (or, not-so-normal people) could become instant starts for a day. Then reality television took over, giving more people the chance to become a star, or look like a fool, on the national stage.

Now, with You Tube, anyone with a video camera or a cell phone camera can make themselves a star. Students have their own shows and have followers. We've moved from, "Hey, look - there's someone like me on television" to "Hey, look - I'm on television."

This is a trend, and churches - especially youth ministries - should be looking to take advantage of it. As with any societal shift, it presents unique challenges and opportunities. If youth ministries respond correctly, we have a chance to further transform our students into the image of Christ by taking advantage of this moment.

The key principle of this series of blogs is this: Students are no longer satisfied being media consumers; they now want to become media producers.

We see this trend on You Tube. We see it with create your own commercial contests. Facebook and Myspace are even a part of this trend. Yet in youth ministries, we are too often the ones producing the content without regard to our students' urge to have their own hand in creating it themselves. We youth pastors are the content experts, and our students are the consumers.

The trend is changing. Even small churches with limited resources can now create youth ministries where students can help create their own content. We can elevate our students to be the stars of the youth ministry.

This will require humility on the part of we youth leaders to allow ourselves to take a backseat coaching role. It will require us to understand that "excellence" may not always be achieved in the same way it has been before, as students are learning new skills. But it will allow us to truly engage students in the mission of Christ like never before.

In my next post, we'll look at how a You Tube approach to youth ministry is more biblical in some ways than what we have been doing. In the final post, we'll look at some ideas to make You Tube Youth Ministry a practical reality.

Surrendering to the Reality of God

2009-03-21T16:02:00.001-07:00

[The following is the essence of the sermon I shared with Dayspring Youth Ministry on March 18, 2009. I think it gives us all some food for thought.]

On January 19, 2003, the Springfield News-Leader printed an article titled, "Fighting a proliferation of porn" by Eric Eckert. This article opens with the startling statement, "Louie Keen says it's possible to be a good Christian and operate a porn store and strip club." Keen goes on to explain that his relationship with Christ has nothing to do with his business.

Obviously.

As Christians, we might find it hard to believe that someone could create such a disconnect between one part of his life and another. But aren't we guilty of the same things, to a lesser degree, sometimes?

How often do we not allow Christ access into certain areas of our lives? "God," we say, "I want to follow you. But don't tell me who to date." Or where to work. Or what kinds of friends to hang out with. Or how to dress. Or what music or television shows or video games or movies are appropriate. We give God every part of our lives...except the parts that we don't want Him to mess up.

It's time for us to grasp the reality of God. It's time that God's reality permanently messes up our lives. We need to live out the reality of God on a daily basis. When we're hanging out with our friends, we need to experience God's reality. When we're at the movies, or on a date, or at work, we ought to be living out the truth that God is real.

After 400 years in slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews were starting to doubt God's reality. They'd been surrounded by the false gods of the Egyptians for a long time. Not only that, but the God of Abraham had allowed them to be enslaved and it seemed that He would never hear the people's cries for help.

So when God took action, Moses was concerned that the Israelites wouldn't even know which of the many gods had sent him. God responded by giving Moses His personal name:

[Exodus 3:13 (NIV)] Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" [14] God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

I AM.

God's message to the Hebrews was simple: I AM. I AM real. I AM concerned about your circumstances. I AM aware of your suffering, and I AM going to do something about it. What distinguished God from the Egyptian gods? I AM - the Hebrew God is real, the others are not.

God's very name stresses His reality. Do our lives represent that reality to the world? Or is our faith in God all talk? Have we truly surrendered every part of our lives to the reality of God?

Let's make a decision to give God 100% of our lives this week...let's hold nothing back from Him.

Getting Fired for the Glory of God - book review

2009-03-07T19:57:00.001-08:00

I just read a book in one night. Okay, I read a lot. But this one is a special book. This one is a book that I'll read over and over in the years to come. I'm giving it a permanent place on my bookshelf. If you're in youth ministry, read this book. If you're in ministry at all - or one day want to be - then read this book. Contemplate it. Let it get inside of you and transform you, challenge you, shape you.

Mike Yaconelli's new book, Getting Fired for the Glory of God, is a treasure. Mike passed away in 2003, and his wife and children have put together some of his articles from the years before his passing. Mike's other books are great, too, and he's one of my favorite writers (as is his son, Mark). But this book is by far his best.

Some of the articles I remember reading when they first appeared, as I was a regular reader of Youthworker Journal for many years. (The fact that I remembered them more than 5 years after reading them ought to say something.) Mike has a way of writing what I'm thinking. He speaks to my struggles, my issues, my thoughts on the church and ministry. When I think, "Why doesn't someone say this?" I usually discover Mike already has.

Some of my favorite quotes (though I highlighted about half the book):

"The last time I checked, it took Jesus three years of concentrated effort to make 12 disciples - and it took them the rest of their lives to understand what discipleship means." (p. 38-39)

"If your church doesn't have a rule that exists just because of your ministry...then you aren't letting Jesus have first place in your ministry.... Remember, all they can do is fire you." (p.57)

"Youth group should be an adventure, a cauldron of fire and passion, an uncontainable and terrifying present of the Holy Spirit overflowing into the souls of students and resulting in a volatile desire for Jesus, regardless of the chaos caused by following him." (p. 67)

The Cost of Discipleship

2009-03-06T09:23:00.001-08:00

I've spent the last few days working feverishly to finish the rough draft of the youth leader training notes. It's going along well, but I thought I'd pause to blog about a stray thought I had while writing about youth discipleship.

I've grown up in church and heard countless sermons on "the free gift of salvation." Many of them use the classic verse from Paul in Ephesians:

[Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)] God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

The good news in this verse is that God accepts us as we are, where we are. We don't have to get cleaned up to approach God. We don't have to try to make ourselves acceptable to Christ. He loves us as we are, and accepts us - flaws and all. He loves us. He wants to have a relationship with us. Not because we deserve it (none of us do), but because He chooses to lavish His love on us.

BUT THAT ISN'T THE END!

It's just the beginning. God accepts us as we are, but as we build a relationship with Him, He begins to change our hearts gradually and we become more and more like Him. Salvation really is a free gift, but discipleship - becoming like Christ - costs us everything. Mind you, God replaces it with something much better and longer lasting, but it will cost us.

It's like offering a homeless man with a shopping cart full of junk the keys to a mansion. But to get the mansion, he has to give up his shopping cart full of junk. And a lot of us homeless people are really attached to the trinkets we're holding on to in that shopping cart. We try to find ways to smuggle the garbage into the mansion with us. But God won't stand for it.

That's why Jesus warned His disciples about the high cost of being a disciple.

[Luke 14:28 (NLT)] “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

Jesus Himself claims that discipleship will cost us everything we have. We have to get rid of our old ways - the garbage in our carts - and follow Christ, even to the point of death.

[Matthew 16:24 (NLT)] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.

Which is why Jesus tells us that only a few people will find the road that leads to life. Not because it's not there for them to find, but because when they find the road, they aren't willing to take it. They're too attached to the old life to be willing to accept the great exchange Christ is offering.

[Matthew 7:13 (NLT)] “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. [14] But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

None of this fits into the materials I'm writing. But the true essence of the gospel isn't just that Jesus Christ accepts us in our sins as we are - the true good news is that Jesus does not leave us there! He calls us forward, to leave our failings and our sins and to move into the glorious new life that He is offering to us.

My encouragement: let Christ change you. Put everything in your life on the table and offer it to God - let Him take away all the stuff that isn't like Him, and allow Him to replace it with His treasures. That's the good news of the gospel for our lives.

Random Thoughts

2009-02-26T21:08:00.001-08:00

One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog more and keep things updated better. The website (www.kevindawson.org) will be getting tweaked and updated in the coming days, and I'm still uploading pictures to the massive picture site. The King's Chapel pictures are now completely online! Everything has been scanned and is in place on there. I only upload a few of my pics to Facebook, so if you want to see everything you'll have to flip to my normal site.

In other news, I'm working on reading the Bible cover-to-cover right now, at a rapid-fire pace. It's not unusual for me to get through whole (long) books in a single day. There's several reasons for doing this: first, because it's been a while. I usually study the Bible more than just read it. As a result, I tend to dig deep and spend weeks if not months on a single passage. For example, my study on Jonah took a whole month, and Obadiah took some time, too. Also, by reading it this way I get a better sense of God's activity through history - how it sometimes takes God hundreds of years and multiple generations to see His promises come to fulfillment. That really rubs my American-cultured brain the wrong way, and so it's good for me.

Finally, if you're taking the time to read this, take some time and whisper a prayer for me, too. God's up to something right now, but He hasn't really let me in on it yet. I'll try to blog more, and I'll start Twittering more to keep people in the loop on the day-to-day of being Kevin. (It's mostly "wrote, worked, ate, slept," which makes for boring Twitters. But I'll see if I can't liven it up for ya somehow.)

Psalms: Introduction (part 1)

2008-05-25T18:26:00.001-07:00

(I decided to go ahead and post this today, since I had it done)

The book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible, located in the middle of the Scriptures. It is made up of 150 different Psalms. The singular of Psalms is Psalm (so you cannot turn to Psalm-s 150 - but you can turn to Psalm 150...it's one of my pet peeves preachers do).

The more I have researched this book, the more I begin to realize how valuable it is to life as a Christian. Truly learning about the Psalms will turn a person's worship and prayer life around. This book covers the keys to connecting with God's heart - and not in a teaching, 3-points kind of way, but in a practical way where we are given the examples of prayers and praise that have ministered to God and have expressed the hearts of His children for millennia.

The book of Psalms contains some of the oldest passages in the Old Testament, and also some of the most recent. It's passages were written, compiled, and sometimes edited over centuries. The largest portions of the book were written from 1000 B.C. through 400 B.C., though some individual Psalms perhaps were written earlier or later.

WHAT IS A PSALM?

Psalms are essentially poems, often written in a specific, tight, balanced structure (that is not always readily apparent in English translations, since the Psalms were originally composed in Hebrew and according to a different set of poetic rules than we are used to in modern times). Psalms were sometimes accompanied by music, and other times were used as liturgies to lead the people in prayer.

The Psalms were more often used in corporate worship than in individual devotions - such a thing was less common when not everyone had access to their own copies of the Scriptures. As such, we need to remember that the Psalms were to be read orally, not silently. Silent reading is a relatively new phenomena. In essence, the Psalms were performed. As you read the Psalms through this study, try reading each one aloud as we go.

That the Psalms were meant for corporate worship is also clear in that they rarely mention the names of the characters, "I" or "they" are often used, but generically. The titles to the Psalms were not added until much later - after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem, probably. That does not automatically mean the titles are false, but we don't need to put a lot of emphasis on them.

This is especially true since even the Psalms that were composed under specific circumstances are really designed for corporate worship - they are written so that the congregation can identify with the psalmist's predicament. The congregation can become the "I" in the Psalm, and it can be intensely personal and practical for everyone. As Broyles observes, "So the question is not 'Where does this Psalm fit into David's life?' but 'Where does this Psalm fit into Israel's worship?'" (Broyles, 4)

Further, the Psalms are possibly the most important part of the Old Testament for understanding the Hebrew's popular views of their religion and of God. Not everyone had access to their own copies of the Law or the prophetic oracles, but use of the Psalms was frequent at Festivals and in Temple worship, and later in the synagogues. Therefore the Psalms became key in teaching the people the truths about God, His laws, and the people's responsibilities in their part of the Covenant. The theology presented in the Psalms is the theology of the common folk. They are at the very center of Jewish doctrine and experience with God.

The 150 Psalms found in the book are not the only ones used by Israel in its history. Scripture itself lists many other examples of Psalms - the very earliest being the "Song of the Sea" celebrating deliverance from Egypt after God parted the Red Sea. This is the moment that Israel began to exist as a nation, and it was instantly connected to praising God. In fact, praise for God was put ahead of obedience to God, which was signified shortly after through the giving of the Law at Sinai. The emotional response came first, followed immediately after by the praise act of the will (that is, obedience).

Hannah's song in 1 Samuel is another example of Psalms. Luke even records Psalms in the New Testament era, as does Paul, indicating that this practice of praise continued through the centuries and is an important part of our experience of God as Christians. Praise through Psalms isn't just a Jewish ritual - it is for all Christians.

One would imagine that the Psalms would have a special place in Pentecostal tradition, but they don't. We tend to think of them as too liturgical or too old-fashioned (largely because we haven't taken the time to understand them). Psalms speak mainly to our emotions, to our hearts, and teach us the fundamentals of prayer and praise. Not old-fashioned concepts at all.

(Totally unrelated note: Pentecostal churches even engage often in another age-old praise tradition, common to the monks in the medieval era - I noticed this at church this morning as we went over and over and over a chorus, yet the praise continued through it. The repetition wasn't bad at all - it was an ancient form of worship: chanting. Okay, that was free.)

NEXT TIME: Introduction, part 2 - types of Psalms

It's Been A While

2008-05-25T17:38:00.001-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately with stuff and haven't had time to do much blogging, which doesn't make sense because I'm still studying the Bible as much or more than ever. So I might as well post what I'm studying here, right? Right!

So I'm going to make a new effort. The last time, I was digging deep into Obadiah. I've switched gears lately and gone back to an old stand-by, the Psalms.

The last couple of years, I have really lived in the Psalms. They have become my refuge in a world that has been pretty chaotic. I was drawn to them originally by their honest portrayals of the struggles of living for God. The more I have learned about them, though, the more I have realized how key they are to life as a Christian.

So tune in here, probably tomorrow or maybe Tuesday, and I'll start walking through the Psalms online. I'm not 100% sure if we'll get through all of them, but hopefully together we'll start to see them in a whole new, very relevant way.

Obadiah Study: conclusion (vrs 17-21)

2008-03-26T12:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the fifth and final installment of the Obadiah study.

v17 - The fugitives will return to Mount Zion and there will be holiness. The household of Jacob will possess Edom's possessions.

In contrast to the destruction it will bring on the enemies of God's people, Judgment Day brings restoration for Israel. Those who were once looted now come into possession of Edom's possessions, reversing the fortunes and another example of God's justice allowing punishment to fit the crime.

v18 - And the household of Jacob will be a fire - the household of Joseph a flame, and the household of Esau will be straw. And they will burn through and devour them, leaving no survivors from the household of Esau, because Yahweh has spoken.

The idea of fire/flame here represents divine judgment. Fire is often used this way in Scripture, both as a purifying agent and a destroying agent. Here the divine judgment is exercised by God's people.

Edom, who cut down Israel's survivors, will be left with no survivors of their own. Again, the punishment fits the crime.

And, lest someone think that these actions are Israel's idea of revenge, Obadiah notes that this is all to happen according to the Word of the Lord. What the Lord declares is sure to happen.

v19 - And they of the south will possess the hills of Esau, and those of the plain will possess the land of the Philistines. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and fields of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.

v20 - The army of the exiles of the children of Israel will claim Canaanite land as far as Zarepath, and the exiles of Jerusalem in Sepharad will take possession of the cities of the south.

Edom's territories will be possessed by Israel. Samaria, which is to the north of Israel, was taken by Israel partially in 153 BC and fully in 106 BC. Gilead was taken by Israel in 164 BC. So in part, these prophecies have already seen fulfillment. Yet not in their entirety at this moment. Total fulfillment will not happen until the Day of Judgment, when God will sort out everything according to His promised Word.

The reference to "exiles" here further underscores dating this book at the time of the captivity to Babylon.

v21 - And the deliverers will go up to Mount Zion to rule the hills of Esau, and the kingdom will belong to Yahweh.

Jerusalem, recently destroyed in Obadiah's time, will be rebuilt and become a place where the nations will be judged.

Deliverers here carries the idea of future salvation - the Messiah. From Jerusalem, the Messiah will judge Edom - here representing all the nations who opposed God.

Yet the book reminds us that Israel is not really the one in charge, either. God Himself is the ultimate ruler of this future kingdom, ruling Israel and all the nations. Thus Obadiah looks forward to a day in our future, and reminds us that a time will come when all the wrongs of this life will be made right.

This concludes the Obadiah study. Hopefully within the next couple weeks all 5 parts will be united in one document on my website, possibly with some small group materials and/or sermon outlines.

Obadiah Study: part 4 (vrs 10-16)

2008-03-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the long delay getting this finished. I'm moved into the new place now and all is starting to get more organized. Here's the fourth installment, with one more yet to come:

v10 - Because of your violence toward your brother Jacob shame will cover you and you will be cut off eternally.

"Your brother" reminds the readers of the close association of the two nations and the ancient conflict between Jacob and Esau.

Edom thought that Israel was destroyed forever, but in reality, it is Edom who will be destroyed.

v11 - On the day you stood and watched while strangers took their army captive and foreigners entered the gates and cast lots to divide Jerusalem. You were like one of them.

"the day" sometimes refers to the Day of the Lord in Scripture, when God judges the heathen and the nations. Here, however, it refers to the day of Israel's destruction, when Babylon invaded.

The point of this verse is that it is just as bad to watch someone do evil to another as to do it yourself. Too many times we justify not getting involved as something isn't "my problem." One of the lessons of Obadiah is that if your brother (and we Christians know what "brother" means) is experiencing trouble, it is our obligation to help out, otherwise we are just as bad as the one causing the trouble.

v12 - Do not watch on the day of your brother's misfortune. Do not rejoice on the day the sons of Judah perish. Do not open your mouths on the day of adversity.

v13 - Do not enter the gates of my people on the day of their calamity. Do not passively watch on the day of their calamity. Do not steal their possessions on the day of their calamity.

v14 - Do not stand beside the crossroads to kill the refugees. Do not hand over their survivors on the day of adversity.

In these verses, Obadiah writes in the present tense as though Edom's sins were happening at the moment. This is a literary technique he is using to express his shock and horror at the events.

Edom moves from an internal attitude to active participation in the events against Israel. First Edom stands at a distance, watching and mocking. Then Edom moves in for a closer view and beings to take advantage of the situation by looting. Finally they actively become a part of Israel's destruction by slaughtering those escaping from the invading armies, and handing survivors over to the invaders.

Often sin moves in a progressive line like this, both in Scripture and in our lives. The lesson is that we should not sit back and mock the misfortunes of others, or seek an advantage in them for ourselves. We should be helping those experiencing disaster, even if they are our enemies, and especially if they are our brothers or sisters.

In verse 9, God told Edom that the nation would be "cut down." In verse 14, we find that this is because Edom "cut down" the survivors of Israel. God's justice lets the punishment fit the crime. Which brings us to verse 15....

v15 - Because near is the day of Yahweh to judge all the nations. Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. He will return your reward on your own head.

This is a transitional verse, and possibly the key verse in Obadiah. Day here refers to the Day of the Lord, and Edom becomes a representative for all the godless nations that the Lord will judge.

Edom's wrongs will return back to it, illustrating the spiritual principle that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). Thus the verse encompasses the key to Obadiah - that people will be rewarded or punished in the Day of Judgment based on their actions (or non-actions) in this life. If our actions our good, then when God returns your reward on your own head, it will be good. If not, then we are destined for the same fate as Edom.

v16 - Because just as you have drunk on the mountain of my holiness so all the ungodly nations will continually drink and drink quickly, and they will be as though they have never been.

Edom and the other godless nations will be forced to drink from the cup of God's wrath - a continual drinking that will utterly destroy them. God will make it as though these nations had never existed.

Drinking from God's wrath is a common theme in Scripture. If you want to do a little mini-study on it, check out these passages:

Isaiah 51:17-23

Jeremiah 25:15-29 (note the reference to Edom in v. 21)

Ezekiel 23:31-34

Habakkuk 2:16

Stay tuned for the final part of the Obadiah study. If you're reading these and enjoying them, please leave me a little feedback to encourage me to keep going. Thanks!

Obadiah Study: part 3 (vrs 5-9)

2008-01-22T08:26:00.001-08:00

Obadiah Study, part 3

We're continuing to look at the shortest book in the Old Testament in an attempt to understand it's lessons for us today.

v5 - If thieves come to you, if raiders come at night, it would be a disaster for you! Would they not steal all they could carry? If gatherers come to you, would they not leave some behind for the poor?

v6 - But Esau's treasures will be searched for. All their hiding places will be sought out.

Unlike destruction brought about by raiders, who are limited by what they can carry, the destruction of Edom would be complete. In verse 5, the author speaks to Edom, but in verse 6 the author speaks about Edom - as though Edom no longer existed. These verses are in dirge form, as though the author is inviting his readers to mourn Edom, already as good as dead. This is a parallel of Jeremiah 49:9-10.

For the readers, this destruction stands in vivid contrast to the recent destruction of Judah, which while great was not total. A remnant of Judah remained. No remnant from Edom would survive, however.

v7 - Those you made covenants with will drive you to your borders. Those you had peace and bread with have deceived you and will prevail over you. They lay a trap under you and you will not understand it.

Edom is addressed in the strongest terms in verse 7. The Hebrew (which I have attempted to capture above) uses the "you" 7 times. The "driving to the borders" is possibly a prophecy of what occurred in the sixth century, when Arab invaders attacked Edom. The bread reference in v 7 refers to the covenant-making ceremony in the ancient Near East, where participants would share bread together. Edom's trusted allies would become the agents of her destruction, and the Edomites would not see it coming or understand what was happening.

v8 - On that day, declares Yahweh, I will destroy the wisdom in Edom and the understanding in the hills of Esau.

v9 - Your warriors will be dismayed, Oh Teman so that everyone will be removed from the hills of Esau by slaughter.

See Jeremiah 49:7 & 22 for reference on these verses. Those of wisdom and understanding in Edom would be removed. The warriors' courage would fail, leading to a slaughter. v8 reminds us that this is a declaration - a sure promise - of the Lord. There was no turning back from this decision. The reference to Teman in verse 9 - this is a part of Edom, which is used here to represent the whole. One of Job's friends was from Teman (see Job 2:11).

Taken together, these oracles build to a climax. Edom's wealth would be removed (v5-6), her relations with other nations would be removed (v7), her wisdom and understanding removed (v7-8), and her military might (v9). All the crucial elements of the ancient society would crumble, ending in the total destruction of the nation.

In part 4 of this blog, we will look at the reasons Obadiah and the Lord cite for this kind of judgment to be pronounced. Obadiah will tell us the reasons why God's judgment is a just one.

Obadiah Study: part 2 (vrs 1-4)

2008-01-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Now we begin to break down the verses in Obadiah, a few at a time. For those who may have more knowledge than I do, please feel free to add or correct things I miss in the comments section.

Obadiah 1-4, the Kevin Dawson version:

1 The revelation of Obadiah concerning what my Lord YAHWEH said to Edom: An envoy from among the nations has been sent, saying, "Rise and let us rise up against Edom and make war."

2 Behold, I have allowed you to be small and very despised among the nations.

3 The pride in your heart deceived you. You stay in the cliffs. You live up high. You say in your heart, "Who can bring me down?"

4 Even if you soar like the eagles, even if you make your nest between the stars - even from there I will tear you down. So declares YAHWEH.

Verse 1

Obadiah's announcement of Edom's doom is not based on his personal opinion of the Edomites. Rather, this is an announcement from the sovereign Lord. Though Edom is the subject of the prophecy, the actual prophecy is addressed to Israel. God intends Israel to learn something about His nature from the announcement against Edom. Thus Obadiah has value for all God's people, since we are to learn from the prophecies. This isn't just God announcing the destruction of a nation, but rather a message for the people of God.

Obadiah is closely related to Jeremiah. (Compare this verse to Jeremiah 49:14.) This is further evidence that Obadiah belongs right after the destruction of Jerusalem. Obadiah takes Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Edom and develops the thoughts further.

This is perhaps a reason why Obadiah says "we have heard" where Jeremiah says "I have heard." Jeremiah heard the prophecy and issued it, and then Obadiah and all Israel heard the prophecy of Jeremiah.

The messenger is likely from an enemy of Edom to other enemies of Edom. The nations were gathering against Edom. Still, two levels of history in operation are revealed - the human level and the divine level. Though God uses human means to raise and to destroy people and nations, God is still the great Mover working behind the curtains of history.

Verse 2

This is written past-tense, though it has yet to happen. It carries the idea that the declaration is so certain to happen that it might as well already be true. Even among pagan nations, God's rule is sovereign. (for a comparison, see Jeremiah 49:15)

Devotional Thought: the word of God is so sure that when God declares that something will happen, it can essentially be written in the past-tense. It is done. God's promises to our lives can be considered that certain.

Verses 3-4

Edom's destruction is due to pride. The Bible is filled with examples of pride coming before destruction (see Proverbs 16:18, for instance).

The same root word used here is found in Genesis 25:29 at the very beginning of the Jacob/Esau conflict.

Edom's deception due to pride and subsequent judgement recalls to mind the deception and subsequent judgement of Adam & Eve.

Edom was built in the mountains. One major city, later called Petra ("rock" in Greek) is built on a mountain that has three sides going straight up perpendicularly. The fourth side, on the southeast, features a sloping ascent. This geography makes it a fortress and made the Edomites feel invulnerable.

Obadiah builds on this motif. Eagles were the largest bird in the region. He elevates the Edomites' pride further by saying even if they flew higher than the mountains with the eagles, or even if they lived among the stars, God would still bring them down.

Edom knew it was beyond the reach of man, so it became proud. But Edom forgot that God is greater still.

Obadiah Study: part 1

2008-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

Map of Edom

Welcome to Part 1 of a study on the Book of Obadiah. Other parts will be coming in future days or weeks. Part 1 is concerned with an overview of the book. Future posts will present a commentary on the book.

Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, and is largely concerned with the destruction of the nation of Edom.

WHO WAS OBADIAH?
The name Obadiah means “servant of Jehovah.” It is a common name in the OT (13 people), but it could also be a title for an anonymous author.

One Jewish tradition identifies the author as the Obadiah who hid 100 prophets of the Lord from King Ahab (1 Kings 18:3-12).

He may have also been the Obadiah who was sent by Jehosophat to teach in the towns of Judah (2 Chr 17:7).

Or he may have been one of the overseers of the rebuilding of the Temple under Josiah. (2 Chr. 34:12)

WHEN WAS OBADIAH WRITTEN?
The Tyndale Commentary suggests that, while several dates are possible, immediately post-exile is the most likely (586 BC). During this time 2 Kings 25:4-6 records that those fleeing the destruction of Judah were captured by the Babylonians as they were headed in the direction of Arabia (a route that would take them through Edom). Personally, this is shaky because the Kings’ passage does not explicitly mention the presence of the Edomites involved in this issue, though they were certainly pleased at the outcome and may well have had involvement.

Another website (http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/mp/mp_02.htm) advocates a slightly earlier date – 845 BC. This was when Jehoram ruled Judah and Philistines & Arabs attacked, just after Edom rebelled (2 Chr 21:8-10, 16-17). Further, since the destruction of the Temple (586) is not mentioned, it might suggest the earlier date is correct – though arguments from silence are pretty weak in my estimation.

MY THOUGHTS (best guess)
The only real way to date Obadiah is from the text itself. Verses 10-14 suggest a catastrophic event that Edom did nothing to prevent, and in fact made worse. This most likely leads itself to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

A LITTLE ABOUT EDOM
The Bible tells us that Edom was founded by Esau. Edom was Esau’s nickname. It is implied that it might be because he was covered in red hair (Gen 25:25), but the Bible explicitly states that the nickname came about because of Esau’s request for red stew (Gen 25:30), an event which led to Esau’s abandoning his rights as the firstborn.

Geographic evidence suggests that the land of Edom is covered with red rock, which is how secular archeologists suggest that the Edomites got their name.

Edom is also called Seir, or Mt. Seir, which is a location in Edom, possibly of religious significance to the Edomites. Except for a couple of fertile spots along the Dead Sea, Edom is a very inhospitable region where it is difficult to grow anything. Edom’s importance had to do with the trade routes that passed through, making it important to commerce in the ancient world.

Historically, scholars were troubled with the Bible’s suggestion that Edom was a powerful nation during the time of Saul and David. But recent archeological evidence has uncovered a copper mine, indicating Edom had the blacksmiths and a sophisticated culture as early as the 1200’s. References to them as a people also are found in the annals of Egypt during this same time, indicating their presence. The Bible is clear that Edom existed as a nation before Israel did, and this archeological evidence matches the biblical record.

It is suggested that Job was Jobab, an Edomite king, who lived just prior to the Exodus. For full details, see web article at http://www.nabataea.net/edomch4.html.

THEMES IN OBADIAH
The book is divided into two sections – prophecies concerning Edom, and prophecies concerning Israel and other nations.

It is primarily a message of hope to God’s people – that God has not forsaken His people, even in the midst of their recent troubles.

A major theme is that what is sowed will be reaped. Verse 15b is the key to this theological theme, relating to Edom. But also the proud (v3) are humbled (v2), those who watch a nation get ransacked (v11-14) will themselves be ransacked (v5-9), those harassing survivors (v14) will have none (v18), and those helping with a dispossession (v14) will be dispossessed (v7,19).

Other Sources for this study include the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary Series (Obadiah, Jonah, Micah volune by Baker, Alexander, & Waltke) & the Complete Biblical Library Series & http://www.nabataea.net/edomintro.html

Choose Your Own Religion

2008-01-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

So there's a website (http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/) where you can take a survey about what you believe & then it will tell you which religion would best suit you.

In other words, religion isn't about Truth, it's about your opinion. You get to pick the one that you like.

This is just a great example of postmodernism. Truth is relative, and religion isn't about facts it's just about which one "works for you."

This is a great example of why the mission God has given me is so important. We need to impact teenagers with the gospel of Christ, and the way to do that is to help train youth leaders.

Anyway, just thought I'd share that. If any of you are wondering which religion is best for you, don't bother taking the survey. There's only One way to God, and it doesn't matter what your opinion is.

What's It Like to be Back?

2007-12-27T19:58:00.000-08:00

I've been back home now for 2 weeks after spending 2 months on the other side of the planet. The most common question: how does it feel to be back? The answer: GREAT! I love traveling, always have. I plan on traveling a lot more in the future. But my favorite part of traveling is coming home.

There's been only a moment or two of reverse culture shock, hardly worth mentioning. Mainly it comes in the form of realizing that I'm free to talk about God and religion and stuff now, and free to identify myself as a missionary.

There are lots of moments, though, when I suddenly sigh deeply and realize how good it is not to be eating strange foods, talking to people who speak strange languages, and driving my very own vehicle.

The world needs Jesus, and I'm happy to travel and share the good news wherever God sends me. But it's great to take a breather with friends and family, and eat a cheeseburger!!!

Thanks to all of you who prayed so hard for me on the trip. It was amazing. Hundreds were saved. You'll read & see more in my newsletter, in pictures on my picture page, and in a lot of other places on my website. But, in the immortal words of Dorthy, there's no place like home.

Thoughts on Jet Lag

2007-12-15T05:05:00.000-08:00

So it is now 7am on Saturday, and I have been awake for almost 3 hours. My stomach woke me up around 4:30am to tell me that it was time for supper. I ignored it for an hour, but couldn't return to sleep. So at 5:30 I got up and went to eat (the living room of the intern house was already populated by another member of the team experiencing his own jet lag issues). Now I'm sitting at Ziggie's and surfing the net, tired as I can be, but also with a full belly.

The point of all of this: coming home is great, but jet lag stinks.

This is a bleary-eyed Kevin Dawson, signing off for now......zzzzzzzzz.....

The Journey

2007-10-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

Getting to Manila was about as difficult as getting home from Mexico in '01 (Nick knows what I mean....). Due to circumstances of the insane kind, we managed to miss the cutoff for our flight by 2 minutes in Charleston. This meant that we missed ALL of our flights. So we got another flight to Charlotte later in the day. Then from Pheonix we went to San Francisco. Then we had to stop and spend the night there.

We caught a transPacific flight the next day which got us to Hong Kong 14 hours or so later. But the Philippines Airlines wouldn't let us on the plane. We were booked correctly, but they refused to check the notes section of our files and since we didn't have a paper ticket they wouldn't let us aboard. (They wanted to charge us $1800 per person for the 2 hour flight from Hong Kong to Manila.)

So we spent the night in Hong Kong and traveled to Manila today. It's all good, though. We're fine, and we had a great adventure. But the journey itself was a bit frustrating (at least for me, since I was the guy on site and trying to negotiate through all these barriers - the students responded wonderfully).

Manila is great. Very warm and humid. Tomorrow we're going to be at a feeding program and teaching people in the area how to build water filters. Tomorrow night is a concert and we'll be participating in leading parts of it (not me, of course, but some of the more musically talented people in the group). Jet lag has hit some of them harder than others, too. But they should be fine by 6:45am, when we have to leave to the outreach.

If there's a lesson anywhere in this, maybe it's just that the small things in life can create huge difficulties. We were only 2 minutes late, 120 seconds. Not a big deal, until it becomes a big deal. It's important for us in life to stay on top of things, even the little things, so that they don't become a big deal later on.

Hands of Hope

2007-10-09T20:11:00.001-07:00

This is a shameless plug for Hands of Hope. Hands meets every Tuesday night from 6pm - 8pm at the Convoy warehouse in Springfield (east of Glenstone and just south of Chestnut). Volunteers from all over - of all ages - get together and bag groceries, or sort clothes, or unload boxes. Basically, anything that needs doing and that takes a lot of people.

The great thing about it is that, in just 2 hours each week, a volunteer can literally make a difference in hundreds of lives around the world without ever leaving the city. It's a great thing, and I plan to continue doing it even after my time at Convoy ends. I want to invite all of you to come out on Tuesday nights, too. Check it out. It really is rewarding, and it really makes a difference to the world.

I've Been Monk-ed!

2007-10-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

So the other night in Oklahoma I broke into a monestary. No kidding. How many people in the world can say that?

By the time we got back from the International Student dinner, the gate was locked. But the monks told me it would be and gave me a code to open the gate. Problem was, the lock wasn't a code lock. It was a key lock. So at 11pm at night, we're all in the van, about half a mile from our cabins.

Option 1: Call a monk at 11pm. I don't know if monks are allowed to get cranky, but since they rise at 4:50am, I'm thinking that an 11pm phone call might be enough for a monk to lose his salvation.

So we chose Option 2. We jumped the gate and walked down the gravel road in the pitch black for half a mile or more. Literally, we broke into a monestary. The next morning I hiked back to the van, after the brothers had opened the gate, and drove it down to our cabins.

The monks never said anything. Maybe it was a mistake. But, just maybe, it was a monk idea of a practical joke. Maybe I was monked.

The Miracle Drug

2007-09-30T08:10:00.001-07:00

So I woke up this morning as Mr. Cranky Pants (sorry again, Erin, for venting.....but thanks for your patience with me). Then I went to Ziggy's to snag some breakfast goodness. That's where I had my first dose of caffine for the day. And let me tell you what - it changed my whole personality!

Suddenly it's a wonderfully beautiful day outside. Suddenly I'm no longer irritable. Suddenly I'm smiling. Suddenly I'm being kind to the waitress and to my other fellow humans.

Which begs the question - is there a relationship between Jesus and caffine? Because when I drink it, I suddenly act a lot more like Him......maybe that's why He created it? Just some food for thought. Feel free to discuss in the comments section.

In the meantime, I'm off to get a refill.............

Sins: Expose or Cover?

2007-08-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

20Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. 21He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent. 22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. 23Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father’s nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father’s exposed body.
24When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done. 25He said, Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers!

This is an ugly moment in the life of an otherwise extraordinary Bible hero. Noah, the one who built the boat and whose righteousness saved humanity, finds himself in a very compromising position.

His son Ham exposes his sinful mistake to the rest of the family. Ham should have done what the other sons did - he should have quietly covered over their father's mistake. Instead, Ham chose to hold Noah up for public ridicule.

This verse has great meaning for the Christian life. How tempting it is for us to expose the sins of our fellow Christians! Too many times I have known Christians to jump at the chance to "share" about someone else's sinful failure. Too many times I have known Christians to expose the sins of others publically in an effort to do one of two things:
1) Maybe they expose the sin because they want to "help" their fellow Christian who has fallen. But exposing someone's sin rarely helps them. It is better to quietly deal with the issue than it is to expose another Christian's failings and so bring down ridicule on the rest of us, and shame our God in the process.
2) More often, the true reason Christians expose the sins of others is because of a desire to make themselves appear more righteous. It's a means of justifying the sinful condition of their own heart. "I'm better than that other Christian! Look at what they do!"

But that's not what the Bible teaches. 1 Peter 4:8 tells us how we should deal with the sins of other believers: "Above all, love each other warmly, because love covers many sins."

Love will do what Shem and Japheth did for their father - cover the sin. Quietly dealing with the issue in a way that will lead to the least amount of embarrasment for the Christian who stumbled.

I like how Galatians 6:1 is expressed in the Message version. "Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out."

How does this work in real life? It means that I don't talk about the failures of other believers. It means that when I see a fellow Christian making a mistake, I help that person to keep it as quiet as possible. It means I keep confidences. It means that I refuse to make myself look more spiritual at the expense of my fellow believer.

Further, it means that I only confront the person when it is appropriate. Shem and Japheth did not confront their father about his sin. It wasn't their role to do that. Noah, however, did confront Ham about his sin. Why? Because, as the patriarch of the family, it was Noah's job to confront Ham's sin. Noah's sin could be confronted by others - maybe his wife, or maybe by God Himself.

It is important to know when it is your role to confront someone in sin, and when it is your role to help the person who is struggling with sin. Often a carefully placed blanket is more powerful in convicting someone of their sin than in the ridicule of many.