The Measure of Success

There are some common definitions of success:
"Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill
"The more you're actively and practically engaged, the more successful you will feel." - Sir Richard Branson, Virgin founder
"Success is not having to describe what's been accomplished...others do it for you." - Deborah Hopkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Citibank
“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do.” - Bob Dylan

Browse any bookstore or newsstand and you will see books telling you how to be successful. They feature smiling authors who have become successful and want to share their secrets with you so you can be successful, too. Many have become wealthy by selling being successful! The quotes and books and seminars about being successful all tug at our desire to succeed. When you look up the word success in the dictionary you will find this definition: "the attainment of wealth, power, or fame." Each of these authors as achieved one or more of these things. 

Our culture and family can put different spins on what success looks like. But they almost always are simply variations of the wealth, power, or fame theme. Even in the the Christian subculture we can have variations of these themes. What does it mean to be a successful Christian?

For some, it is being an active and wealthy follower of Jesus. So they set their hearts on earning as much money as possible while being busy with church things. Often they will give generously. But the words of Jesus are clear: You cannot serve God and money. Pursuing wealth is not compatible with following Jesus (Matthew 6:24). Yes, I checked the Greek. "Cannot" means "cannot", as in "not possible to". 

For others, it is the Pentecostal gifts of the Spirit manifest in their lives. Miracles, words of knowledge and prophecy are the goals that are pursued. Often these things are also gained. But Jesus is clear once again: "On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matthew 7:22-23).

Moses was a mighty man of God. Raised in Pharaoh's household, he fled for his life and lived in obscurity for years before God called him to lead the children of Abraham out of Egypt. Incredible miracles accompanied his life (just think of the plagues in Exodus 7-12!). He met with God with such intimacy that his face shone (Exodus 34:34-35). He wrote five books of the Bible (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Talk about a leader! It would be intimidating to be his replacement.

Joshua was that man. Leadership can look easy until its mantle falls on your shoulders. Joshua would be faced with leading the people into the Promised Land and conquering the people who lived there. His mentor was dead and could not give advice any longer. He was on his own.

It was at this moment that God spoke to him and revealed to him the secret of success.

"Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  - (Joshua 1:7-8)

The Lord told Joshua that the Bible was essential to his success. He needed to be continually meditating on its truths. Day and night the words of the Bible needed to fill his thoughts. Then he needed to be careful to do what it said. This would be the key to his success.

And it is the key to our success as well. Our culture teaches us that we can be successful by pursuing career, family, fortune, and fame. God says the way to be successful is by continual meditation on his Word and then putting it into practice in our lives. In fact, he says that doing anything else is like building a house without a foundation. Foundations are boring. It is tempting to overlook them and concentrate on the things that are above the ground. Skimp on the foundation and we can afford to put in a swimming pool! A swimming pool seems like a sign of success until the storm comes and reveals that our house lacked a foundation (Matthew 7:24-27).

The key to success is mediation on the Bible and putting its truths into practice. We cannot just pick things that we like to do and ignore other things. We need to allow the Bible to shape and mold our thinking and behaviour. We will learn to pray, and work, and give, and worship, and will discover the joy of serving Christ. We will be filled with a peace that passes all human understanding. We will be blessed beyond measure. We will have built a house that cannot be shaken regardless of the strength of the storm. 

We need to understand that the people around us are not the judges of our success. Nor are we the judge. Instead, the Bible tells us that there is coming a day when each of us will stand before a God. He will judge whether we have been successful or not. The standard will be the Word that he has given us. Have we meditated on it and obeyed it? If so, we will hear "well done, good and faithful servant." On that day we will be able to say, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that Day" (2 Timothy 4:7).

So today I urge you to begin the the journey toward a successful life. Pick up the Bible. Read and meditate on its truths. Then obey it. You will be amazed at what happens.

Warning: It may be that you think that this does not apply to you because you are not a pastor. 

You are a student, a business executive, a lawyer, or a diplomat. Your life is busy and the Bible seems unimportant to what you have going on this week. Please remember: Joshua was not a priest. He was the leader of several million people. The demands on his time were overwhelming, yet God insisted that the key to success was continual meditation on the Word and obedience to what it says. If it was true for Joshua, it is true for you.

Abiding in the Word: Some Practical Help

Last Sunday I preached a message about the importance of abiding in the word of God. You can listen to it here (English) (French). I was pleased by the fact that there were several people who told me that the Lord had been telling them that they needed to spend more time in the Word. Few things are more important than the habit of spending time in God's Word.

Before I sat down to write this blog article, I popped over to Desiring God and noticed that their lead article was by Jimmy Needham. He gives us five reasons to read the Bible every day. If you are looking for motivation, that is a great article to read. I will focus on giving you some practical advice about abiding in God's Word.

So how do we go about it?

Pick a time and place.

We have a plan for everything that is a priority in our lives. Whether it is going to the gym or picking up groceries, we figure out ways to get them done. I am convinced that making a specific plan will multiply the time we spend in God's word many times.

This plan does not have to be complicated and can vary depending on a person's stage in life. If you have not yet developed the habit of Bible-reading,  I suggest a timeframe of fifteen minutes as a starter. As you grow, you will find that is not enough time.

As a university student, I found time before or after class. When I had a traditional job, I found that getting up a little earlier worked the best for me. I needed the quiet before the kids got up to spend time alone with the Lord. Sometimes parents have to find a time when they have a break from parental duties. Whatever your life's situation figure out how you can get it done. Sure, you have to jettison television or facebook time, but what is more important?

I've always found that first thing in the morning is the best time. I am fresher and it seems to put my day in a good perspective. Some people tell me that late at night works better for them. Personally, would probably fall asleep!

The place should be free from distractions. Jesus told his disciples to go into their room and shut the door (Matthew 6:6). A busy living room would be too distracting. Find a place and make it a routine to use it regularly.


Remember the Goal.
The goal is a relationship with God. It is easy to make the goal growing in the knowledge of the Bible, being prepared for a life group, or simply checking something off our list of things to do. We need to consciously remind ourselves that this time is for developing a deeper relationship with Jesus. It helps to begin and end the time with prayer. That keeps the focus on actually meeting God rather than mastering some biblical content.

Remember the Means.
God gave us the Bible as a means to meet and interact with him. So we want to spend time in its pages. I have found that my devotional life varies depending upon the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit seems to emphasize different things throughout the year.

Reading: The Broad View. Sometimes I will spend my time reading one of the books of the Bible. For example, I may read the gospel of Luke over a period of several days. As I read, I am listening to for the Holy Spirit to point something out to me. Sometimes he does, and when he does I will stop and think about whatever it is. Other times I will simply read for most of the time. Then I will pray based on what I learned as I was reading.

Studying: The Accurate View. Studying is deeper than reading. Reading is like looking out over the garden of Versailles and drinking in the beauty. Study is deciding to go and take a closer look at one particular part of the garden. In studying, the goal is to do the best we can to determine what the author intended. What did he want to communicate to us by using those particular words? We are looking with the understanding that God wants to speak to us through the words that he inspired. So those words (the verbs, nouns, pronouns, articles, and prepositions) matter. In studying we seek to understand what they mean.

Memorizing: The Profound View. There have been times when the Lord has led me to memorize a chapter or an entire book of the Bible. This leads to a much deeper and richer understanding than is typically possible through simple reading or studying. You might memorize the 23rd Psalm, 1 Corinthians 13, or Romans 8. Learning these chapters word or word will unlock treasures that you never realized were there.

Meditating: The Transforming View. Reading, studying, and memorizing all lead to meditation. Meditation is simply pondering about a passage. Joshua 1:8 tells us that meditating on the law day and night is one of the keys to success in life. We think about what we were read that morning as we take the tram to work, go jogging, or make lunches for the kids.  As we do, the Holy Spirit begins to change the way we think about things and draws us closer to God.

Remember When You Walk Out the Door.
Once your time in the Word is over, then comes the need to obey what you read in "real life". It may involve loving your enemy, confessing your sin, helping the weak, or remembering to thank Him for the blessings you experience during the day. The Lord expects us to follow through on the things that we are learning. Jesus told his disciples, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17).

Upon This Rock

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”   (Matthew 16:16-19 ESV)

There are three basic interpretations of this passage. They all revolve around the question of the identity of "the rock" upon which Jesus says he will build his church.

Interpretation #1: Peter is the Rock.

This is the common traditional interpretation of the passage. It is based on two primary facts. First, Jesus calls Simon "Peter", which is Greek for rock. Then he says that "upon this rock I will build my church." In the context, it is not difficult to imagine Jesus pointing at Peter as he says this. The second fact is that Jesus says, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom" and it is important to understand that the "you" in that phrase is singular, not plural. Jesus is giving Peter the keys. This is the natural reading of the passage.

The statute of Peter
holding "the keys" in
St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.

Of course, this is also the passage that the Roman Catholics turn to in order to support the idea of the Roman papacy. Is the best application of this passage the idea that Jesus was establishing an ecclesiastical structure with Peter as its head?

It is an important question because of the prominence of Roman Catholicism. The importance of the church in Rome developed early in the church. In 96 AD, the church in Corinth turned to Clement, the leader of the Roman church, to help them with some internal problems. While the Catholics point to that as an example of Clement being the pope, there is little evidence, however, that the first generations of Christians thought of Rome as being the "head church" or that Peter had been the head of the church. Rome gained in importance primarily because of its location as the center of political power. When Christianity became the state religion, it was natural for the leader of the church in Rome to be seen as the leader of the whole church.

There are serious problems with seeing this passage as the founding of the office of the head of the worldwide church. There is nothing in the text or in the rest of the Bible that indicates that this is an appointment that could be transmitted from one person to another. Certainly, there is nothing in this passage that gives Peter either infallible or supreme authority in the church. In fact, in just a few verses Jesus calls Peter Satan!

The Reformers were correct in saying that the passage does not establish the papacy.

Interpretation #2: The Confession is the Rock.

Over the centuries a highly organized church structure developed with the pope as the head of the church. It was said that the pope "occupied Peter's seat" and his power was absolute. Corruption and unbiblical practices had infiltrated the church and it was in desperate need of reform. The pope fought against the reformers and turned to this passage as a key basis for their authority.  Protestants have tended to interpret "the rock" as being Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. The church, according to this interpretation, is built upon the foundation of people's profession of faith.

This interpretation draws on many other passages of Scripture. The reformers noted that all believers are living stones that are being fit together into a living temple and that Jesus himself is chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:1-5). In addition, Paul writes that we are being built into a temple with Jesus as the cornerstone, only he indicates that the apostles and the prophets are the foundation of the building! (Ephesians 2:18-22). A person's profession of faith is an indication of their salvation and their inclusion in the church (Romans 10:9).

The reformers also pointed out that Jesus had chastised the teachers of the law in Luke 11:52. They held in their hands "the key of knowledge" and they had not used it and had hindered others from entering. This supports the idea that the "Rock" is the confession of faith. Peter had understood and declared the truth about who Jesus is. The declaration of truth unlocks the door to the kingdom so a person can enter it. Thus the teachers of the Word hold the key to the kingdom.

Interpretation #3 The Revelation of Jesus is the Rock

In more recent times there has been an interpretation that identifies the revelation of Jesus's identity to Peter by the Father as being the rock upon which the church is built. This interpretation tends to be more common in more charismatic churches which stress the ongoing work of the Spirit and its importance in building up the church.

It rightly emphasizes that human ingenuity and reasoning are not sufficient to understand who Christ is in a way that brings salvation. This revelation must come from God to each individual. No one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). It is similar to the interpretation that the confession of Christ is the rock, only that it goes back up the timeline to point to the work of the Spirit in Peter's life.

Conclusion:

If one asks the question, "What was Jesus pointing to when he said 'upon this rock I will build my church?" the answer would have to be Peter. Protestants today too quickly reject that answer because they reject Catholicism. But if the Bible is our authority, then we must submit to what it says. It is clear that Peter is the rock. But he was not the only rock that made up the foundation. The other apostles and prophets were also part of the foundation. And we demonstrate that we are living stones by making the same profession of faith that Peter did. In that sense, Peter's profession of faith is foundational in building the church. That the identity of Jesus was revealed to Peter (and to us) by God is good theology. However, it is not the intent of the passage or the answer to the question of what the rock is.

A final thought:

Protestants should think about why they so quickly reject the idea of the papacy. It should be rejected because it is not biblical. I fear that too often people reject it for a different reason: They object to the idea of there being a spiritual authority that they must submit to. However, we must remember that the scripture does teach us to submit to leaders in the church (Hebrew 13:7). We must ensure that our individualism is not a subtle form of simple rebellion against authority.

10 Characteristics of Followers of Christ

There is no message more important than the gospel. It is the means by which people can be forgiven of their sins and become citizens of the kingdom of heaven. For some, the message of the gospel is a new idea. They never had a chance to hear about Jesus and his death on the cross for their sins. For others, the message of the cross is common. There are many who follow Jesus and their impact is felt upon the culture in which they live. When the culture mimics biblical values, there can be a question about whether a person is a follower of Christ or merely part of the broader culture. To put in another way, some people culturally identify as Christians when they have never been born again by the Spirit of God. They are in great danger of counting on their culture rather than Christ for salvation.

As ambassadors of Christ who have been entrusted with the gospel, it is important to discern as best we can the condition of people around us. When Paul wrote to the church Thessalonians, he listed 10 things he saw in their lives which were signs that they had been born again by the Spirit through the power of the gospel message. These are a good starting point to use when trying to ascertain a person's spiritual condition.

1. They heard the clear articulation of the gospel. Simply going to church is not enough. Sadly, what is proclaimed in many churches today is not the gospel, but some sort of deistic moralism.  Prosperity preaching attracts large crowds of people wanting to gain wealth and "the good life." Other churches advance a generic humanistic message of loving one another while ignoring the eternal consequences of our failure to love. The cross, repentance, and faith must be central to the message that a person has accepted.

2. Miracles. Many cases of true conversion have a sense of the supernatural about them. Miracles may have been encountered in their life leading them to faith. Of course, not every testimony of conversion includes miraculous events or dramatic deliverances, nor does the fact that someone claims to have experienced a miracle mean that they are a follower of Christ, but God sometimes reveals Himself in powerful ways as he brings someone to himself. Remember, the new birth itself is a miracle!

3. The power of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an experience they should be able to talk about. The reality of the Spirit in their life may be difficult to explain, but it will be something that they should be able to talk about. If not, something is lacking in their experience

4. The overwhelming sense that the gospel applies to them. Many people can explain the gospel. The person that is born again is overwhelmed by the fact that each part of the gospel applies to them personally. It is interesting to ask people the question, "Who is Jesus Christ to you?" Some will talk about him like a figure from history. Others will say things like, "He is the Son of God" and "Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin." While these things are true in a theological sense, they are stated in an impersonal way. A person who has been born again will almost always answer the question "Who is Jesus to you?" in personal terms. "He is my Savior" is a common response.

5. A change of life so that they begin to imitate the lives of other followers of Jesus. Those who have been born again want to be like Jesus. It is part of the transformation that takes place. It is normal for new believers to look at other believers, particularly those influential in their coming to faith, as models of what it means to be a follower of Christ. 

6. They make their commitment to Christ in the context of suffering for their faith. There is little social risk in becoming a follower of Christ in countries where Christianity is the majority religion. As a result, in Christian-majority societies, there are those who will flippantly make a commitment to Christ for a number of spurious reasons. Perhaps they like a girl who will only date Christians, or they want to belong to a certain social clique who happen to be church-goers. While they may seem to fit into local churches, these people will inevitably walk away from Jesus when the going becomes difficult because of him. In countries where loss of job or family connections, imprisonment, or even death are the common experiences of belief in Jesus, it is much more likely that conversions to Christ are genuine.

7. Joy. The redeemed are filled with a deep and abiding joy that burns even in the midst of affliction. It is not that they are simply putting on a happy face and have a pollyannish view of life, the believer knows that whatever troubles they face now are only temporary and God will ultimately use them for their good. Thier joy is not based on the things of this world. Their joy is found in their relationship with Jesus.

8. Welcoming other believers. When a person becomes a Christian, they become part of a family. This fellowship of the redeemed causes them to be open to and welcome other believers. They sense a common bond in Christ that transcends race, nationality, or language.

9. Repentance from former idols. The redeemed person must turn away from serving idols. This includes physical idols made of stone or wood as well as other things which they looked to in hopes of receiving life.  A job, money, popularity, drugs, sex, athletics, or any number of other things can serve as an idol. Serving Jesus means renouncing those things and following him wholeheartedly.

10. The anticipation of seeing Jesus. Jesus is the greatest treasure of those who have been born again. As a result, one of the great longings of their heart is to see him face-to-face. This is not a nebulous going to heaven where there will be no more pain or sorrow, but a heartfelt desire to be with their Redeemer. It is Jesus that they are looking forward to being united with.

These 10 things are indicators that Paul saw in the Thessalonians that convinced him that they have been chosen by God. It is not a fool-proof list, but it can help us discern whether a person has been born again. This can help us know how to minister to the person. It may also convict us that we have not experienced what the Thessalonians did and can spur us on toward a relationship with Jesus.

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