Readings for such a time as this(1): EDIFY ONE ANOTHER UNTIL I COME The demolition ball has been swinging in America this year, and walls have been falling all around us. It has been a year of scandal, denials, recriminations, brazen defiance, and national shame. It has been a year when people at the very pinnacle of national leadership have seemed determined to tear down everything important to our country’s future. We have torn down integrity … truth … purity … honesty … and respect. We have demolished the very things many of us have longed to rebuild in our nation. Not since the Vietnam War has our population been so divided and embittered. From talk radio to letters to the newspaper to the very halls of Congress, Americans seem intent on putting their own spin on these shameful events. And we’ve been tearing one another down in the process. Frankly, it sounds very much like the culture Paul prophesied would be in place just before the return of the Lord. Eugene Peterson’s Message paraphrase puts it like this: Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people. (2 Timothy 3:1–4) The destruction and demolition don’t stop at the Potomac River. They have a ripple effect reaching across our nation, dividing communities and undermining so many of the values we cherish. But I want to write about something better—an alternative to this wholesale demolition. Because, you see, while we cannot stop the erosion and the tearing down of biblical values in our culture before our Lord’s return—we can do something about building one another up. In fact, we must. “Feed My Sheep” The final chapter of John’s Gospel records one of the last conversations between the resurrected Lord Jesus and Peter. You may remember that brief, poignant exchange. The disciples had been fishing, and as they headed for shore, they were met by the risen Christ. He called them to a fragrant breakfast, prepared over hot coals. Just days earlier, Peter had denied his Lord beside a fire. Now, beside another fire, he will be restored. Just as Peter had denied Christ three times in his earlier experience, he would be given three opportunities to confess his love for Jesus. That’s the portion of the story most people remember. Jesus uses one word for love—a strong, intense word for committed love—and Peter, his confidence shattered, comes back with a weaker word in reply. That happens three times, until finally Jesus looks Peter in the eyes and uses Peter’s own, weaker word, as if to say, “Peter, do you even care for Me as a friend?” The question breaks the big fisherman’s heart, but Jesus neither rejects nor casts the sorrowing man aside. On the contrary, He recommissions Peter for service in the kingdom. In no uncertain terms, He gives him a job to do. That is the portion of the story so often overlooked. Every time Peter answered the Lord, the Lord gave him a strong, specific command: “Feed My lambs, Peter”; “Tend My sheep, Peter”; “Feed My sheep, Peter.” Did Peter get the message? He really did, didn’t he? Years later, he would take pen in hand and write: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. (1 Peter 5:2–4) I wonder sometimes what the Chief Shepherd would say to His church today if AT&T could establish a direct phone link between earth and heaven. Can’t you just imagine it? On a given Sunday morning, Jesus speaks simultaneously via satellite to congregations all over the world. You’re sitting there in your pew, your heart beating fast. What will He say? What will His instructions be as the church age draws to a close? Head for the Ozarks with a year’s supply of food? Throw up your arms in despair? Run for office? Go out on the soapbox circuit and rant and rail against the culture and its problems? No, I have a hunch His message would be the same one He gave before He ascended into heaven from that spot outside Jerusalem. “You shall be witnesses to Me … to the end of the earth.” And after He said that, I think He would certainly repeat the words He spoke three times to Peter:“Feed My sheep.” In other words, “Brothers and sisters in the church, you live in a time of terrible demolition. My eyes miss nothing. I have seen it all. But even while precious things all around you are being torn down and dismantled, you can be in the midst of building. Build up My church! Take care of My sheep. Feed them. Tend them. Love them … as I have loved you.” Building Up His People We don’t need a direct phone line, do we? We don’t need a satellite connection to heaven. He has given us His inerrant Word, which is a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. He has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, illuminating the pages of Scripture, reminding us of everything Jesus taught. And leaping out of those pages is a word that speaks to our mission as believers in a clear and specific way. It’s the word edification. You may have heard that term tossed around if you’ve spent much time in evangelical circles. It’s one of those “spiritual”-sounding terms we sometimes hear in church. It certainly sounds impressive, but what does it really mean? Actually, it’s pretty simple. The Greek term is made up of two words: One means “house” and the other, “to build.” To edify, then, means to “build the house.” That’s it. That’s all. Build the house. Jesus used the term literally in Matthew 7:24 when He said, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock” (emphasis added). Again, in Luke 6:48, Jesus speaks about “a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation” (emphasis added). Back in Matthew 24:1, the Bible uses the term to speak of the buildings of the temple. I will never forget the process of building the worship center for our church here in El Cajon. It was exciting for us, a vision taking shape before our eyes. Even now I can visualize every step of the process: from the time the first backhoe dug the first scoop of dirt on that empty lot until they laid the brand-new carpet in the finished building. We get excited about building buildings and seeing them take shape. The New Testament, however, is much more concerned about building people. Most often in Scripture, edify is used in a metaphorical sense to mean “build up one another.” Build up the body of Christ. Build up fellow believers. That, I believe, is what you and I are to be about as the last days come upon us. It’s a sad story, but I have met scores of people here at our church who say, “Please don’t ask me to do anything. Don’t ask me to say anything. Just let me come and heal for a while. You can’t believe how I was torn down at our last church. I need time to be built back up.” When a church doesn’t function according to the pattern of the Word of God, it can be one of the most destructive places anywhere. How that must grieve the heart of the Master Builder! With all my heart, I want this year of my life to be a building year. I’m not speaking of physical buildings, though some may be built. I’m referring to the building of God’s people. That’s the passion of my heart. That’s why I get up every morning. I want to build up—or edify—the body of Christ until He comes or calls me home. One of the most important statements from the lips of our Savior is these words of Matthew 16:18. He said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Was Jesus talking about some brick and stone structure with a steeple on top? No, He was talking about the worldwide body of believers. The church is built up externally through evangelism. We add people to the body as we baptize them and they become part of the church. But the church is built up internally through edification, through how we strengthen, encourage, and minister to one another in the body of Christ. And my friend, I am convinced that if ever there was a time when we needed to concentrate on building up one another, it is during this era of history—when values and morality and everything we hold dear seem up for grabs. Let’s face it, when you walk out into the world, you walk into an environment that automatically tears you down. Christians are no longer viewed with favor by our culture. Our beliefs and concerns are under attack in the schools, in the universities, in the entertainment industry, and in the mainstream media. It’s hostile out there. We can get beaten up just going about our business. We gather with our brothers and sisters to get built back up, so we can go back into the world and face the challenges again. That process has to be an intentional goal of every one of us, or we will be victimized by our culture. In another word picture, Scripture refers to believers as “living stones” in a building being constructed by the Lord. Peter writes: “You also, as living stones [that’s you and me], are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). We are the building, a living entity that spans culture and language, heaven and earth, time and eternity. Our church building in southern California is a beautiful place and we love it. But do you know what? The Church isn’t in this building when all the people leave. The Church isn’t in your worship center when the people have departed. When you leave, the Church leaves. The real Church is not the building: It is people. Redeemed men and women. If you moved your whole congregation out to the parking lot one Sunday, the Church wouldn’t be in the building anymore. The Church would be out in the open air. Paul said as much to the Corinthians: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Do you see that? We are the building of God! We build it up externally through evangelism when we add people to it. But we build it up internally by strengthening and encouraging and ministering to the members of the body so that they have the strength to serve God in a world that is hostile to everything we believe. What Is Edification All About? When you survey the word edification through Scripture, it’s amazing the things you can learn. It’s Not About Yourself; It’s About the Saints You and I are called to build up and strengthen one another. I am called to build you up. You are called to build me up. I must be very careful not to tear you down by my actions, inaction, or words. I heard about a young preacher who began one of his messages by asking his congregation for honest feedback. “I want to get better at this,” he told them. “And when I get done, I hope you’ll tell me how I’m doing.” Now, it’s a risky thing to open yourself up like that, because there are those (for whatever reason) who take perverse delight in being hypercritical. Such was the case with an older gentleman who approached the young man afterward. “The first thing I need to tell you,” he said, “is you stunk.” “Oh, my word!” said the pastor. “That’s terrible! Can you be more specific? Can you help me a little here?” The old man was more than happy to comply. “I’ll give you three things,” he sniffed. “Number one: You read your sermon. Number two: You read it poorly. And number three: It wasn’t worth reading in the first place.” That, my friend, is not building up. That crusty old man who thought he knew so much was evidently ignorant (or willfully ignorant) of Paul’s words in Ephesians: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (4:29 NIV, emphasis added). You never forget critical remarks like that. They tend to replay in your head during times of discouragement. When I was a young preacher, my wife and I visited a church in Cleveland, Ohio, where I had been asked to speak. In those days, they tried to squeeze as much out of the visiting preacher as they could, so they asked me to sing a solo before I preached my message. Afterward, a lady came up to me and said, “I’ve heard you preach quite a bit. Son, you need to sing more.” I hope she meant well by that. But I have to tell you, the remark left me speechless. I was so devastated by those words I didn’t know what to do. You and I can be so adept at tearing down, can’t we? We’re demolition experts. We know where to swing the hammer. We know where to apply the crowbar. We know where to lay that charge of dynamite. Yet tearing down is the polar opposite of our calling in Scripture. You say, “Where do you get that principle, anyway?” Please take a close look at these verses: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but all things do not edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:23–24). Paul is saying, “There are many things I might do and many things I might say. But my first concern ought not to be me. My first concern ought to be, will this build up or tear down my brother or sister in the body?” That’s the emphasis in God’s Word: Build the church! Don’t get sidetracked into areas that benefit only yourself. First Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” You can edify yourself, to some degree; but God’s overarching plan is that we edify one another. I need your help and you need mine. I have gifts that benefit you; you have gifts that bless and benefit me. I hold you accountable to keep you from stumbling and you do the same for me. That has to be our emphasis as we move into the unexplored territory of this new millennium. Believe me, nobody “out there” in the secular world is going to build us up. We’d better be busy doing it in our local fellowships and in our small groups and with our believing friends. Every word that leaves our mouths ought to be spoken with careful regard to those who will hear them. It is not about me. It’s about the saints. It’s Not What You Profess; It’s What You Pursue When it comes to people, are you a builder or a demolition expert? Most people would reply, “Oh, I’m a builder. Absolutely. I’m a positive person. I don’t want to tear others down.” Yet people-building is something you have to work at. It isn’t easy. It takes thought—and discipline. I am amazed how quickly I can slip into a spirit of sarcasm or cynicism (especially when I’m weary) with my staff at church or at home with my family. I’ve been asking the Lord to rid me of that tendency. Truthfully, I cannot think of any good use for sarcasm. Sometimes when you’re in a comfortable environment with buddies and friends, you can get to tossing remarks back and forth—he zings you, you zing him right back, and it’s all in “good fun.” Right? Yet you never know—sometimes people weigh your words, even words spoken in jest, much more heavily than you think they do. Maybe a month or two later you learn that some off-the-top remark you made stuck in someone’s heart. You were “just kidding,” but the remark pushed on a sore spot—it hurt. And that hurt may begin to fester. It’s easy to tear people down in a jesting, offhand sort of way. It’s something we do in our culture. If we don’t feel secure in where we are, we think we can climb up on somebody else’s failure. Yet the Bible tells us, “Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God” (Romans 14:19–20). Did you hear that? Let us pursue those things. Let’s go after them. The New International Version says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” In other words, we have to do it intentionally. It won’t happen accidentally. You don’t get up one morning and float through the day edifying everyone you pass. You have to be on your knees before God, asking Him to fill you with His Spirit. You have to ask Him to show you opportunities. You have to be filled with the Word of God and begin to see people as individuals who need to be built up. And then you have to follow through and really do it! Good intentions benefit no one. One of my favorite recreations over the last few years has been watching the San Diego Padres. I can sit there in Qualcomm Stadium, munch on a hot dog, and forget all my worries and pressures for a while. One of the things that amazes me as I watch these professional players is their concentration. Have you ever watched an outfielder diving for a line drive, just inside the foul line? It’s poetry in motion. With his eye on that little ball hurtling toward him at great speed, he stretches out and puts himself in position to make the catch—sometimes sacrificing his body in the process. That’s the way it is when you pursue some spiritual goal like edifying fellow believers. It takes concentration. It takes focus. Sometimes you have to fight off the inevitable distractions and interruptions. Paul wrote to young Timothy, “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith” (1 Timothy 1:3–4). It’s easy to get sidetracked, isn’t it? I get letters every week from people wanting me to become involved in a variety of programs, commissions, projects, boards, and tasks. I try to read these queries with a good heart. The truth is, I could get caught up in this issue or that issue, this righteous cause or that righteous cause, to the point that that’s all I would be doing. But you see, I am only one person and I can’t concentrate on a great number of things at one time. I have to look at all these questions through the grid of what God has called me to do. God has called me to teach the Word of God and build people up through His truth. If I expend all my energy marching, disputing, and sitting on commissions, I won’t be able to pursue what God has called me to pursue. All of us face myriad challenges, options, and choices. We have to sit down and intentionally say, “No, I can’t do that. Not because I don’t want to, but because I have to say no to that so I can say yes to this.” I’m reminded of a word I found not long ago: posteriorities. Isn’t that a great word? “Posteriorities” is the opposite of “priorities.” “Posteriorities” are all the things you are not going to do, in the order in which you are not going to do them! Isn’t that a wonderful thought? If you want to pursue peace and things that build up fellow believers, you have to have quite a list of “posteriorities.” That’s what Paul was saying to Timothy: Don’t get involved in all that stuff. Don’t get tangled up in endless controversies and divisive, pointless arguments. Get involved in the things that will build up the body of Christ. Use that as your grid, as you make decisions about your daily calendar. Does it build up men and women? Does it edify the church? If not … do I really have time for it? In one of his books on the family, Patrick Morley described being cornered one day by an angry acquaintance. “I tried to call you the other night, but you have an unlisted phone number!” “Yes,” he replied. “Well, I had important ministry business that I wanted to discuss with you. I can’t believe you have an unlisted phone number! How can you be a Christian and have an unlisted phone number?” “It’s real easy,” Morley said. “All you do is call the phone company, tell them what you want, and they take care of everything.” But then he added, “Look, I’m willing to die for you until 6:00 P.M. But after 6:00 P.M., I only die for my family. And the only way to know that we will have time for our family is to put it on the schedule like any other appointment. I would rather be a nobody in the world and be a somebody to my kids.” That’s focus, my friend. That’s pursuing the building up of his family. And it’s hard work! It may be the hardest work we do. If you want to be a builder, you have to start out with that as your purpose and say, “By God’s grace, by His enabling power, I will be one who builds. I will not be one who tears down.” It’s Not How Much You Know; It’s How Much You Care First Corinthians 8:1 says, “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (NIV, emphasis added). Edification isn’t about how smart you are. It’s not about how many courses you have taken in school, how many seminary classes you have under your belt, or how many impressive books you’ve read. Edification starts primarily in the heart when you open your eyes, see people you care about, and find ways to love and encourage them. When you’ve been wounded yourself, you begin to see wounded people in a new light. You find yourself with an entirely different attitude toward hurting people. My bouts with cancer have forever changed the way I view people in pain. And that’s precisely what Paul said would happen in his second letter to the Corinthians: Thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he is our Father and the source of all mercy and comfort. For he gives us comfort in all our trials so that we in turn may be able to give the same sort of strong sympathy to others in their troubles that we receive from God. Indeed, experience shows that the more we share in Christ’s immeasurable suffering the more we are able to give of his encouragement. (2 Corinthians 1:3–5 PHILLIPS) Sharing the encouragement of Jesus has little to do with head knowledge and everything to do with the inclination of the heart. It’s Not About Your Gifts; It’s About Your Goals I’m glad for the books and seminars and tests that help people identify their spiritual gifts. I believe everyone has a gift and ought to be aware of it and how to put it to work. But once you have that nailed down, don’t forget what the gift is for. Some treat their spiritual gifts like my grandson treats his soccer ball. He thinks that ball is the center of his universe. Whenever he sees me, he says “ball,” because I play ball with him whenever he is around. Whenever he looks through a magazine and sees something round, he says, “ball.” Not long ago he saw a huge water tank in a Florida city and he said, “ball.” Sometimes I think the boy has a one-track mind. Of course his father and his grandfather know he is just getting started toward an all-American career. As he gets older he will discover that it is really hard to play soccer by yourself, and you really need someone with more skill than your grandfather. He will learn that soccer or baseball or football is a team game and that real joy comes in pursuing the goal of winning as a part of a team. Unfortunately some Christians never do learn that lesson about the Christian life. They view their spiritual gifts as if they were for their own use and enjoyment. They never seem to understand that the greatest sense of fulfillment as a believer is to see how God is using his spiritual gift to enhance the body of Christ and build up a winning team for His honor and glory. The apostle really takes off the gloves in two passages speaking to this matter. He leaves no doubt where he stands. In 1 Corinthians 14:12, he says: “Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.” That’s pretty plain, isn’t it? You don’t have to look that verse up in a commentary to understand what he means. Later in the chapter he writes: “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26). Paul was saying, “When you get together, folks, don’t be so consumed with how you’re going to exercise this or that gift. It’s not your gift that’s important, it’s your goal with that gift. What are you doing with it?” The gift itself ought to be incidental. A person ought not to be running around telling everyone what his or her gift is. Can you imagine a man at a building site, running around with a big, shiny hammer, telling all the builders how gifted he is with that hammer, how well he scored in hammering tests, and how fulfilled he feels whenever he picks up that hammer? How silly! If you bring a hammer to the building site, start driving some nails. And if there aren’t any nails to pound, set down that hammer and pick up a saw. Or start carrying bundles of shingles up to the roof. Or pick up the trash. Just get busy. Why? Because there is a building to be erected and time may be short. There is no time for self-centered preoccupation with gifting. In this hostile culture where believers get torn down just walking out their front doors, we need to pour all our energies into building up the body of Christ. It is all about the goal. It’s not about the gift. It’s Not About Your Wisdom; It’s About His Word How do we know where to start this important process? Where do you place that first board or drive that first nail? How can you make sure you’re more involved in the building process than you were last year or the year before that? You may be asking yourself, “How am I going to turn this around? I know I’ve been negative. I know I say things I shouldn’t and sometimes tear people down. I’ve done it for years. What can I do?” Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, friend. As I already mentioned, I fight my own running battle with sarcasm and biting remarks. Our culture is permeated with it. It’s what’s in the news. It’s a habit of life for millions of people you rub shoulders with every day. And it’s the easiest thing in the world to get caught up in that current and just drift along with it, speaking and behaving like everyone else. Where do I learn how to be a better builder? One of my favorite scenes in all the New Testament is Paul’s encounter with the Ephesian elders on the beach at Miletus. Knowing he would never see these men again, he left them with this counsel: “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). How do you get built up to the point that you can build up somebody else? My friends, you need the Book. Read the Bible. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. If you are not spending time in the Word of God, I can almost promise you, you will tear down your own life—and tend to tear down the lives of others in turn. The Word of God is the fuel to help you be a builder. That is how you build yourself up, so that you in turn may build into the lives of others (Jude 20–21). Let’s Please the Master Builder We need one another. We need one another’s strength, help, encouragement, wisdom, warnings, and counsel. The growing hostility of our culture and the wholesale demolition of our nation’s formerly godly foundations ought to drive us together as never before. What should we be doing as we await His coming? We should be building one another up. As His people, we are to lift one another up through prayer, share our material means, and go out of our way to offer heart-to-heart friendship and a genuine effort to meet one another’s needs. Scripture says, “Edify.” Build the house. And while you’re busy building in someone else’s life, you will find your own life being repaired, restored, and remodeled. The Master Builder sees it all … and is well pleased! Jeremiah, D. (1999). Until Christ Returns: Living faithfully today while we wait for our glorious tomorrow (134–150). Nashville, TN: Word Pub. - via Logos 5
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:09:00 +0000
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