Jonathan Evans

Don't work hard to prove people wrong

Don't work hard to prove people wrong. 

 

Living to try and prove that people are wrong about you is just another way the heart forms and fashions an idol. You end up being enslaved to a person, to their opinion of you and to your expectations of them. And in the end, all idols fail to give us what they promised us.

 

 

WHOEVER

When trying to prove ourselves not to be the person some think or say that we are, we find it increasingly difficult to be ourselves – to laugh naturally, to have a normal conversation, to be pleasant to be around. We become consumed in our mind by whoever we believe is an object to our detriment or our benefit. 

 

We're crushed under the weight of working to earn what we believe we'll be miserable without – respect, popularity, love, acceptance, vengeance, etc. We're bent and bending to a breaking point out of fear, anger or self-love to save ourselves – to be saved.

 

But who can save themselves? And who can save us from ourselves?

 

WHENEVER

God is not as concerned as we are with people's opinions of us. He doesn't want you comparing yourself to others; He's not comparing you to them. He's not comparing them to you either. God is, however, concerned with His opinion of you, your opinion of Him and your opinion of others.

 

"Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Corinthians 10:12)

 

Paul's constant striving and working was not out of competition or in comparison with others. In fact, Paul would say that whenever we live and thrive off of comparing ourselves to others and commending ourselves to others, we truly don't understand the way God sees or measures things.

 

WHATEVER

Everything Paul did was born and motivated out of love for Jesus and others. He wasn't trying to earn love in anyway from anyone. Paul knew he was already loved as much as any man or woman could possibly be loved. And he was loved having done nothing to deserve it

 

How is it possible to compare or commend ourselves when we have been freely loved, forgiven and accepted by Jesus Christ? Whatever judgment we receive from man cannot possibly compare to the judgment we deserve from God. Whatever love we receive from man cannot possibly come close to the love we don't deserve from God. Because of Jesus, God's wrath has passed over us and His love has come home to us. 

Be careful, then, not to put yourself below or above where Jesus puts you. 

 

Don't work work hard to prove people wrong; don't work hard to prove you're right. Neither is the kind of effort Jesus wants to give you grace for. Rather, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).

"For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends." (2 Cor. 10:18)

A thought for worship leaders and ministries

"THIS POST IS A TEST."

That's how I began a short message to the members of the worship ministry I lead. I included a link to a video from a recent church conference worship service.  It was different in approach, expression and style. As they watched it, I asked them to monitor their thoughts and their feelings and then come back to read the following:

"When we watch or hear a different type of worship 'experience', what is our FIRST response: do we rejoice or do we evaluate?  

For a worship ministry to both lead the congregation IN worship and INTO worship, our hearts must first and foremost be moved by worship itself – not worship as a definable or measurable output, but worship as the genuine and spiritual response of a heart to the glory of Jesus. 

So, whether it’s hymns being sung or music being danced to, may our FIRST response always be to rejoice and give thanks for worship being offered to Jesus, not to suspect and evaluate."

 

TAKE THE TEST and watch or listen to something a little bit different in approach, expression and style than yours...

What was your FIRST response? 

On God's Presence and Leading Worship

To be without God’s presence is to be without Him. His manifest presence is our future promise and our present joy. It is both/and, not either/or. For example, at times we experience His presence in a very strong manner...but not indefinitely. There’s a reason for this. These moments make us long for the day when our experience of His presence will be unbroken.

 

These moments and seasons of His manifest presence thrill our souls, fill our hearts and consume our minds. It's heaven on earth. As a worship leader, it’s what I pray for every song. As a preacher, it's what I pray for every sermon. As a pastor, it's what I pray for every meeting. Sometimes He comes in a stronger way and sometimes in a gentle way, but I'm convinced that He always comes. I might not feel Him as strongly as someone else did, but it doesn't mean He didn't come. And I might feel Him more strongly than others did, but it doesn't mean they didn't worship or seek Him. 

 

I've come to compare leading worship to watching trees. Without notice, a gentle wind begins to blow through the leaves. You begin to see the movement and you rejoice. Sometimes the wind grows stronger and sometimes it doesn't. Every blowing of His presence through our congregation is something to be thankful for. 

 

As a worship leader, it’s critical to remember Jesus always has control; it's His church. And it's always all about Him; it's His glory. Often there are times when I've been leading worship or directing the service when the leading I sense is different from what I anticipated or planned. Yet I must be obedient, even when it seems contrary to what is happening. Sometimes it means continuing on and sometimes staying put. He knows. I always strive to lead worship based on what I perceive to be the leading of the Holy Spirit, not on what I see. The result may very well be confirmation of what I see. Or it may surprisingly be insight into what I don’t see. The longer you lead, the more attuned you become. 

 

As Christians, we (should) long to be in His presence (Psalm 16:11). He longs to be with His people (Rev. 21:3). But our individual longings cannot be strictly defined, measured or planned. They are not equal in height, depth or width. We are neither more spiritual for lingering longer nor less for leaving quickly. I spent a lot of years accusing and criticizing the latter. When He comes, not if He comes, He seeks a genuine and sincere response from each and every one of us. We will each respond differently based on personality and where we are in our walk with Him.

 

In the end, whether it's in worship, by prayer, through preaching or during ministry, this is what I desire to hear from the mouths of others as they leave: "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." (Genesis 26:16)

The long narrow road to leadership

^“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12

 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

 

Whether for graduating Bible school students or long time church members, ministry is not “found” after a short jaunt down to the grocery store. Ministry is a particular work which God has prepared beforehand for someone to do or to walk in. A minister is that servant whom God has called, chosen and prepared for that particular work. God fits people for ministry, not ministry for people. This means that without a minister there can be no ministry. Still, we are often more concerned with doing ministry, than we are with being a minister. So we sacrifice longevity for brevity, tomorrow for today. But it’s often a long narrow road that leads to a broad place of ministry. In God’s preparation of His ministers, there are two foundational things that are necessary, irreplaceable and time-consuming:

HUMILITY

Just because something is obvious doesn’t make it common. In essence Proverbs 18:12 says that before destruction, there is pride, and before honor, there is humility. God exalts into leadership those who are willing to humble themselves to serve others without needing to be served themselves. Humility has as much to do with how you view others as it does with how you view yourself. Those who are humble count themselves of less significance than those they follow and those they lead (Philippians 2:3). They are people who refuse to open doors for themselves, but are bold to walk through doors opened for them. They are patient and understand that God’s timing is not measured by seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years. Timing is measured by character.

 

LOYALTY

Loyalty is not the absence of one's own vision, but the willingness to make another's your own. While God will not give to someone a vision that is in opposition to the vision of leadership, He may give a different, yet complementary vision. Nevertheless, He will first ask them to surrender that vision and submit to another one. If we are faithful to another’s vision, God will give us our own, but not until then. Loyalty is where leadership and vision are born and how they grow and mature. Additionally, under authority is where authority is earned. If God can trust you to follow, then God can trust you to lead. Leadership is proven through loyalty. 

 

Everyone should be doing something in the church and we are all called to be ministers in the Kingdom of God. But there’s a big difference between being given ministry and taking ministry. God will only give us the ministry that our hearts are prepared to receive.  

The hard-working grace of God

GETTING WORSE BY DOING NOTHING

Many times we act like the Pharisee who said in Luke 18:11, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” We look at our lives and it appears that nothing is broken. We’re content with not going to hell, not being in debt, not being divorced, in short, not being anything like those “other” people who have big problems and need major help. What we are saying is that we might not be defeated, but we’re not going to protect ourselves. We might not be sick, but we’re not going to exercise.  We might not be struggling in our marriage, but we’re not going to work on improving it either. By doing nothing we’re in fact  getting worse. For example, some have a break in their finances after going through a very difficult time or crisis. But they become content, sitting in the breeze of “financial rest”, not recognizing that if they don’t learn from their past mistakes, live differently and steward rightly the storm will amount to a hurricane the next time. The same goes for a marriage. You may not have fought with your spouse in the last two months. That’s great! But are you both working towards a better marriage or are you simply content with the absence of conflict?

 

GETTING BETTER BY DOING SOMETHING

Paul said, “I am what I am by the grace of God” (1 Cor. 15:10). All that we are and all that we have is by the grace of God. We have no problem believing this. We gladly do. But Paul continues by saying, “and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Grace is as much needed in the initial work of salvation as it is needed in the continual living out of that salvation. To come to Christ we must admit our sin, but to grow in Christ we must admit our weakness. If we say we have no sin or if we say we have no weakness, we are a liar. Since apart from the grace of God you would be dead in your sins, apart from his grace you would be in a worse place than where you are right now. Conversely, apart from the grace of God you will never be in a better place than where you are right now.  So, like Paul, are you working hard in the grace of God? Are you working hard by God’s grace to grow in Christ as a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a steward, a friend, a worker, a servant, a disciple, a worshipper, etc.? If not, and you think you have no need to grow, you’re in danger of having received the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1).

Let us be more like the sinner from Luke 18:13, who said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14).

FRIENDSHIP IS FOR THE BRAVE

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” Matthew 18:15 

“For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.” 2 Corinthians 12:20
 

Gossip is for the coward

When we are offended, Jesus commands us to go and speak to that person (Mat. 18:15). This is a very courageous act. It’s an act though, not shrouded in revenge, but transparent in love. Love is intentional and sincere in seeking what is best for itself by seeking what is best for another (Gal. 5:14). But gossip is not a courageous act. It is a cowardly act, an act of selfishness and disobedience. Gossip is speaking or listening to something about someone with the intent of criticizing, mocking, or slandering that person. God is against those who do such things (1 Pt. 3:8-12). Gossip is hatred, since it seeks less than the best for another. Gossip is violence, since it aims to devour another (Gal. 5:15). Gossip is laziness, since it avoids the hard work necessary to live at peace with another (Rom. 12:18). Gossip is something we should fear (2 Cor. 12:20).

 

Friendship is for the brave

While in public gossipers tend to be polite in behavior and flattering in speech, but in secret they are unguarded and unrestrained. Friends on the other hand, are genuine and trustworthy at all times. When necessary, they will be honest, transparent and vulnerable. Confrontation is done with sensitivity, yet clarity. Conflict is not avoided because of fear. While gossipers take delight in spreading rumors and mocking others, friends take joy in speaking the truth and encouraging others face to face. Friendship is hard work, not for the faint at heart. Friendship is unreserved in speaking out and unafraid in battling against any evil that attempts to harm, separate or destroy it. Friends know that the reward of maintaining and growing their friendship is well worth the cost of pain, frustration, trouble and hardship along the way.

 

Jesus was a friend

Jesus came to give up his life for us, which is the highest demonstration of true friendship (Jn. 15:13). He came down to reconcile humanity to God, even though they deserved God’s wrath then and there, as we deserve it now and here. Jesus was single-minded and sincere, not double-minded and fake. Jesus didn’t accuse with wicked words, spreading rumors and lies; he confronted sin in love, giving mercy and grace. Jesus didn’t ignore, but showed compassion. Jesus didn’t flatter someone and then talk about them behind their back. He forgave their sin and gave them eternal life. Jesus didn’t shirk his responsibilities towards others, but fully embraced them, so that he could better serve them by ultimately dying on the cross. Jesus was a friend of sinners, so that we could become friends of God (Jn. 15:15), demonstrating his love to the world. 

And this is how the world will know that we are his friends: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14)

Broken ornaments, dying trees and everlasting love

^“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.” Matthew 2:16

 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4

 

BROKEN ORNAMENTS

Some ornaments on our Christmas trees are special and memorable. They represent something or someone. Still, there are many that have not survived, have broken and will never be replaced. Some of our Christmas trees are real. They look different, smell different and feel different than an artificial one. They need to be watered regularly. But because they are cut, eventually they begin to wither and the branches begin to droop. At some point, watering won’t reverse the effects. When it comes to Christmas, many people feel lonely, depressed and saddened for a variety of reasons. Things break in our lives and we feel that these can never be replaced. Things change in our lives and we lament they can’t be changed back to what they used to be. For Christians, there is often great guilt associated with these feelings. We might believe that we shouldn’t feel this way, that we shouldn’t think this way, that something must be seriously wrong in our relationship with God, that strong, faithful and mature Christians shouldn’t cry.  

 

EVERLASTING LOVE

Jesus’ birth caused great weeping in Bethlehem. He was the target of Herod’s murderous rage and though he escaped, many baby boys did not. (Mat. 2:16) But Jesus’ birth was not accidental. It was in the fulness of God’s time that he was born (Gal. 4:4), as much as it was that he would die. (Eph. 1:10) There are no tears unaccounted for in God’s eyes and there are no lives forgotten about in God’s mind. His love is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus was perfect love coming into a broken and dying world. Jesus is perfect love coming into broken and dying homes and into broken and dying hearts. Jesus came because sinners needed a savior and he was the only one who could save them.

 

REJOICE!

This Christmas day, and every day after, remember that Jesus is Emmanuel, ‘God with us’, who faithfully comes into the midst of brokenness and weeping. Furthermore, the overarching reality is that because Jesus has eternally set us free from sin and its power over our lives, there is presently no pain or suffering, sadness or depression or any other thing rooted so deeply in our lives that he cannot reach in his grace and heal in his mercy. Nothing can separate us from his everlasting love (Rom. 8:37-39).  Rejoice, for he has come!

Do not give up

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

 

“And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

 

A RIGHT TIME TO SOW

No one who lives for Jesus will have an easy life. But everyone who lives for Jesus should have a joyful life. There are times in our Christian life when all we do is sow - praying for someone, witnessing to someone, attempting to reconcile with someone, working through problems with someone, etc. This can be incredibly difficult work. It often is painful and less than satisfying. It is all duty and no delight. At times it feels like the tools aren’t working, the soil is too hard and the rain is never coming. Still, you press on, because it’s the right time to sow. Faithfulness is the steadiness and stubbornness of conviction that comes from knowing the will of God. But discouragement can still come simply due to the strain and heaviness of the work. Faintness, weariness and frustration are very much present and to be battled against where little to no fruit is seen when compared to the large, long work of sowing that has taken place. 

 

A RIGHT TIME TO REAP

There’s a right time to sow and there’s a right time to reap and they are not simultaneous. Many times we do something the result of which we believe we’ll see instantly and dramatically. Many times the vision God has given us seems further and further away from the reality we’re living in. But there’s a right time to wait as well. When what we do doesn’t produce what we thought it would, we must not grow weary in doing good. By remembering that all our work done for God is done through Jesus, we recognize that our labor is never in vain and never without consequence. He will bring his work to completion. And when he does, we must give thanks. Reaping should be an act of thanksgiving, which is the disposition of a humble heart. There’s no arrogance in one who depends on elements out of his control for his success. Likewise, in the heart of the Christian, there is no pride, but rather humility that boasts in God by giving thanks for his endless flow of grace and power. He makes all things possible.

 

DO NOT GIVE UP

Write - If God has given you a vision, write it down. But remember, the vision doesn’t depend on you. Though you and I are called to labor faithfully, the success of it all is in God’s hand and in His timing. As you write you may find yourself being encouraged and being reminded of things you had forgotten.

 

Remember - If you have already written the vision down, go back and read it again. Also, remember Scriptures and prophetic words God has spoken through in the past.

 

Pray - Make sure to set time aside to pray for God's grace. Grace means you can’t, so pray, pray, pray!  

 

Ask - The best way to guard your heart against discouragement, anger and bitterness is to continually ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Make it a habit.

 

Talk - Find a friend. Just being heard by someone you trust can bring you critical relief, peace and encouragement. When necessary, friends should gladly help carry each other’s burdens.     

The trouble with Christmas

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3)

 

Authority challenged

Herod was the so-called King of the Jews. He relished his authority and fought hard to keep it for over thirty years. He went so far as to murder members of his own family, including his beloved wife, on suspicion of plotting against him. Additionally, he was fully backed by the Roman Empire, which also would react violently to any opposition against the local king they had established on their behalf. So when Herod heard about a king being born, naturally he was troubled. Jesus’ birth challenged the authorities of the day.

 

Salvation denied

Before Jesus there had been other “saviors” who had risen up to deliver Israel from foreign power, attempting to restore peace and justice. But all had failed within a short period of time. With each failure came the disappointment of hope. Without question, Israel was hoping and waiting for a coming king, a ruler, a savior, a shepherd that would bring the kingdom of God to earth. Time and time again, though, they were disappointed and their anticipated salvation was denied.

 

Captivity prolonged

By God’s intervention, the baby Jesus was rescued by his parents, Joseph and Mary, who fled in the night to Egypt. God had told Joseph in a dream that Herod was about to search for Jesus to kill him (Mat. 2:13). God also warned the wise men in another dream not to return to Herod with the whereabouts of Jesus (Mat. 2:12). Upon realizing that the wise men had not returned, Herod went into a rage and murdered all the baby boys in the town of Bethlehem (Mat. 2:16). And Israel once again realized that they were in fact still captives to a king who was not God.

 

The Trouble with Christmas

The trouble with Christmas is that it reveals what is in our hearts, that we don’t want to be ruled by any other king or any other authority other than our own. But the joy of Christmas is that our sinful and willful rebellion against God has been forgiven, overcome and conquered by the precious blood of Jesus, the Son of God made flesh.

The trouble with Christmas is that we worship other idols and false gods and have put all our confidence in our own wisdom, strength and works. But the joy of Christmas is that our idolatrous worship, false security and empty hope have all been dashed to pieces by the love of Jesus, who has rescued us although we hated him, and has given us a hope that will never disappoint us. 

The trouble with Christmas is that we are slaves to sin, death and Satan and, therefore, subject to unfathomable brokenness and unyielding despair in unimaginable darkness. But the joy of Christmas is that all our chains have been broken off by the power of the resurrected and living Jesus, who calls us to Himself, into an eternal relationship with God where we can fully come to know and experience the inexhaustible riches of the grace, mercy and love of God.  

The trouble with Christmas is that Jesus came because we were sinners, but the joy of Christmas is that Jesus came to be our savior.

 

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." 1 John 4:9

Grace means you can't

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” (1 Cor. 15:10)

“For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God...” (2 Cor. 1:12) 

 

Misplaced Grace

Everyday when I come home from work I place my car keys on the corner of the counter.  It’s a habit. It’s a good habit, since I can easily find them the next time I need them. Every once in a while, though, my keys are misplaced and everything is put on hold until I can find them. If the right thing ends up in the wrong place, it’s of little to no use. We can often misplace the grace of God in our lives. While we might begin our day fully aware of our need for God and His grace, we end the day spent because our own wisdom and strength couldn’t get us through it. This is because of the tendency of our hearts to gradually wander away from the full awareness of our need for Jesus and his work of salvation into a foolish reliance upon ourselves and our own works. We were not saved according to the wisdom of God to then go and live according to the wisdom of men, as if we had found our own way from spiritual death to eternal life. Therefore, we can never forget the grace that gave and gives us life. If we forget and misplace grace we forget and misplace the cross of Christ. 

 

Displaced Grace

It is often the case in marriages that time together is displaced by otherwise good things. Computers, iphones and tvs all compete for the valuable, limited time that exists between getting home and going to bed. It is right when you use a phone to make a call. It is wrong when you use it and ignore the person sitting right in front of you. A good thing purposefully used in a bad way can cause considerable damage. The grace of God can often be displaced by many good things. For example, diligence is honorable. Laziness is shameful. But diligence cannot replace our inability to do what only God can do. We displace God's grace anytime we are persuaded we need anything more than God or that God's will can be done in anyway apart from God. This subtle shift occurs as I might begin to think that study is the power of a sermon or a good strategy is the key to church growth. With countless other examples in our lives, we must continually ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts in order to guard our hearts, so that we might always and only come to Jesus as the source of power and fountain of living water. There has never been and there never will be a substitute for God's grace.

 

In the end, grace means you couldn't, but Jesus could. Grace means you can't, but God can.