How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

 

 

I’m going through the book of Matthew this year at the church I lead in Tucson, Arizona.  Today, I’m covering Matthew 11:1-19, entitled “Ears to Hear.”  You’ll learn what to do when you have doubts, why encouraging words are so important and what to do when you are shopping around for a different church, job or environment. 

Transcript:

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.  Matthew 11:1

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.  Jesus finishes his preparation of his disciples and continues his personal ministry.  The disciples’ short-term or limited commission isn’t described.  Chapter 11 and 12 describe the varied responses people had to John and especially Jesus.

1.    John’s response to Jesus:  11:2-6

2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

John doubts

After at least six months in a dungeon, John isn’t the man he once was.  John is disappointed, disillusioned, doubting, discouraged and depressed.  Why?  Jesus doesn’t follow his pattern of fasting and instead eats and drinks with sinners.  John has taken offence or has been “tripped up” by Jesus’ approach.  Another thing that may have bothered John is that Jesus didn’t immediately declare, “I’m the Messiah!”  John had predicted that Jesus was going to baptize with “fire.”  He may have had in his mind that Jesus was going to blow people away in massive judgment.  Elijah struggled when, after calling down fire from heaven, there was still opposition from Jezebel.  John may have felt like Jesus’ didn’t come through as he expected.  Jesus’ “low-key” ministry of preaching, eating and drinking with shady people wasn’t matching his expectations.  He was looking for something more “messianic” and judgmental. 

The good thing about John is that he goes to Jesus with his doubts and fears.  He doesn’t ghost Jesus, drop out or cut off communication.  He doesn’t pretend or hide his worries.  He goes to Jesus himself.  Did you know you can go to church without going to Christ?  You can spend years in church and still have doubts about your faith.  That’s when you need to get into the word and start praying to Jesus to help you build a solid foundation. 

Jesus reminded him of all the scriptures he WAS fulfilling in 11:4-5, but apparently this was not enough for John, he wanted to see fire falling from heaven.  John’s struggle shows how personal troubles and hardships can affect our walk with God.

Jesus gives John a mild rebuke in 11:6.  He cautions him about getting tripped up spiritually because his expectations aren’t being met.  It may have been because Jesus was bringing in a new era and a Kingdom that John only knew from afar.  He wasn’t part of it. He offers a beatitude that shows the importance of being willing to elevate Jesus over and above our own expectations and feelings.

There are times when we have been super strong in the past spiritually, but then things can “trip us up.”

·       Physical problems

·       Health issues

·       Losing people to death

·       Different church styles

·       Things changing in church

·       Things not being the way they are “supposed” to be

·       People doing things differently

This is where it takes spiritually conviction and flexibility to go to Jesus and remember he, not any method or circumstance is the source of your faith.  Things are going to change.  You will lose your health, your friends, your family.  The question is will that damage or strengthen your relationship with God.

2.   Jesus’ Response to John:  11:7-15

7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,     who will prepare your way before you.’[c]

11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,[d] and violent people have been raiding it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. 15 Whoever has ears, let them hear.

Jesus asks three times, what did you go out to see?  What were you expecting?  Not a reed swaying in the wind.  John wasn’t flexible, sensitive or tactful.  It is not surprising that he got thrown into prison for challenging the king about marrying his brother’s wife.  He wasn’t the kind of guy who was going to spin things or overlook things.  Jesus highlights this.  That’s what you’d expect from a prophet.

The Greatest

Jesus considers John the greatest of men and prophets up until that time.  He is not just a prophet, but the prophet who is predicted in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6. 

3 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.  Malachi 3:1

5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”  Malachi 4:5-6

Imagine being a regular person who is predicted and highlighted in the Bible!  He is the last Old Testament Prophet.  He was great as a man, a prophet and a herald announcing God’s arrival on the planet.

What an encourager Jesus is!  He knew everything he said was going to get back to John.  So he takes time to really build up John and encourage him in his distress.  He verbally builds him up.  Are you an encourager?  Are you a person who not only recognizes the good points in other people, but talks about it, verbalizes it and praises that person both in their presence and when they aren’t there?  Praise gets back to people.  It is a loving currency in the kingdom of God.  Who have you praised recently?  Who have you written a card to?  Recently, I received a card of praise from Lena Valenzuela.  It made me choke up.  I put it up on my refrigerator so my family and friends could read it.  It carried me for about a week.  Today, take some time, not to gossip and tear down, but to praise and build up with your words.

The Kingdom of Heaven

At the same time, John is outside of the Kingdom of heaven.  Jesus came to build his church.  The church is like an embassy from heaven.  In this world but belonging to heaven and filled with citizens of heaven.  John is on the hinge of history between the Old and New Testament.  Just as Moses was an amazing prophet and leader and yet never got into the promised land himself, John led the people right up to the gates of God’s Kingdom but wasn’t a part of it himself.  John was a servant to the law, Jesus revealed the sonship of the gospel.  John’s message was about repentance and reformation, Jesus’ was about repentance and regeneration.  Just like Moses, they are in heaven because of their faith, but they never were part of God’s Kingdom on earth.   

11:12:  Forceful men. 

This is one of the most controversial scriptures in the Bible.  Is it forceful men who grab hold of it or is it subject to violence.  In the past it was interpreted as saying you needed to be forceful to enter or grab hold of the kingdom of God.  I lean toward the second explanation because both John and Jesus were victims of violence as they announced the Kingdom of God.

11:14  John=Elijah. 

This is the only reference in the New Testament where Jesus makes the connection clear that John is the “Elijah” who was to come.  He looked like it, wearing the uniform of the prophet Elijah with a leather belt wrapped around him.  He preached like it.  He had a similar hardline temperament.  He experienced super highs and popularity and super lows and isolation. 

11:15  Whoever has ears, let them hear. 

Jesus often used this to invite people to concentrate and think deeply on what he is really trying to say.  This is why you can grow up in church for years hearing the Bible preached and yet one day, you finally “hear” the message for the first time.    How do you know if you are really hearing God’s message?  You can feel it.  You can feel it in your body.  You get goosebumps or the hair on your arm stands up.  You lean forward, you get focused. You start thinking about it after church.  You come up with ideas to put it into practice.  You think, “That guy’s talking about me!”  These are signs that you have ears to hear God’s message to you and that should encourage you.   Many people go their whole lives hearing, but they aren’t really listening.  Pray that God opens your eyes and ears to really see and hear his message for you.

 

3.   People’s Response to John and Jesus:  11:16-19

16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17 “‘We played the pipe for you,     and you did not dance; we sang a dirge,     and you did not mourn.’

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

11:16-17 

People of Jesus’ time were unresponsive to both John and Jesus.  John and Jesus had two different ministry styles or approaches, but like a child that refuses to stop sulking, nothing could make the crowds happy.  John’s method was appropriate for the work that God gave him, calling to repentance, getting your heart and life ready to come into God’s presence.  He was single-minded, intense and strong.    Jesus’ approach was perfectly suited to show another side of God, loving, seeking, reaching out, wanting to be with people.  There was no pleasing them the crowds.  John was too intense, hardline and strict.  Jesus was too loosy-goosy, indulgent and social.  He finishes by saying the “proof of the pudding is in the eating.” 

We can make the mistake of getting more wrapped up in “style” rather than “substance.”  This is especially true if you have been around church for a while.  We are looking for the right delivery, the right feeling, the right package rather than the right message.  John and Jesus were both right for what they had to accomplish.  They got God’s will done.  Many rejected them because they were hard to please.  They should have focused on the message rather than the man or the manner.

You might be just like the people in these crowds.  People like the Pharisees, Saducees and Teachers of the law.  You see flaws in every church, church members and church leaders.  You can pick apart, dissect, scoff at all the failings of various approaches.  This often leads to church-hopping.  You never settle in to one spiritual family.  You are looking for the “just-right” church of Christ.”  This one is hard to find because it mirrors your desires, strengths and weaknesses.  The problem with this response is that you never engage spiritually, you always have a reason for not following Christ closely because no one can bring you the experience you say you are looking for.  I was interviewing Dr. Sean St. Jean on my podcast recently.  He wrote a book about spiritual trauma and talked about how people come to him who are looking to go to different churches because they aren’t happy with __________.  He tells them “choose your dysfunction.”  Every family and every spiritual family has its own flavor of dysfunction.  You may not spot it until you’ve been there a few months, but don’t worry, you’ll find it.  And at that point you’ll pick up and go looking for the perfect church that has:

·       The right kids kingdom

·       The right music

·       The right teaching

·       The right length of worship

·       The right time of worship

·       The right kind of people

o  Same race

o  Wealthy

o  “Put together”

o  People your age

o  People you can date and marry

·       The right kind of parking

Unfortunately, after a few years like this, people often get so frustrated that they can’t get what they want that they disconnect entirely.  They look down on all churches and disconnect from Jesus’ body.  They opt for a religion created in their mind.  Just them and Jesus. 

If you’ve been playing your pipe trying to get churches to dance the way you want, maybe the problem is with you, not with Jesus or his church.       

Next Steps

·       Don’t let troubles trip you up.  Go to Jesus and ask him for the help you need in trials.

·       Encourage someone today and this week.  Praise people in front of them and in their absence.

·       Find a church and stick with it.  Connect to Jesus through his body and grow. 

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

 

Today, you’ll learn one of the secrets that enables billionaires and fruitful Christians become even more productive by seeking strong relationships. 

Transcript:

Nearly every day I go through my “Power Pack.”  This is a collection of scriptures and quotes that fire me up, encourage me and challenge me to grow, get closer to God and have greater faith.  I pulled one out the other day and it was a card on which I had written decisions made after a spiritual conference I went to.  I don’t know which one it was, but it had to be at least ten years ago.  It read:

1.        Conference Decisions

a.       Build a sharing habit

b.      Build relationships with strong leaders

c.       Build the church on small groups

d.      Raise the standards and confront difficult situations directly

e.       Concentrate on training leadership

                                                              i.      Build a training program:  Interviews

                                                            ii.      Write book on small church planting

I can see how I followed through with a number of those decisions.  I wrote a book on church planting, I developed a sharing habit, I have worked on training leadership with my young guns group and have forced myself to confront difficult situations directly.

However, of all of these, building relationships with strong leaders has probably done more to help me grow than all of the other ones. 

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Aesop said, “A man is known by the company he keeps.”  Jim Rohn said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”   All of these maxims point to the same conclusion, you maximize or diminish your life based on the quality of your friends. 

I can quickly point to those men who have made a powerful difference in my life through their friendship, example and advice, Dick Gee, Doug Baity, Ed Townsend, Preston Shepherd, Frank Kim and Bruce Williams.  Their influence on my life transformed me from a worldly kid into a spiritual man.  All of them shared their life and friendship with me.  They mentored me and made time to walk with me, teach me and correct me at times.  They were patient when I struggled and weren’t afraid to call me higher when I was coasting. 

My nature is to remain isolated and to try to tackle things on my own.  I’ve had to deliberately choose to allow people into my life so that I can “air out” my sin and weaknesses in an environment that fostered growth.  It’s way to easy for me to tell myself that I have to do it all by myself and should be able to do it without outside support.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  I’m reminded again of Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 4:5-6, 

“Two are better than one,     because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down,     one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls     and has no one to help them up.

My pride and fear would often keep me from seeking friendships with men who were as strong or stronger than me in the areas I was looking to grow in.  I had to realize that two are better than one.  I need someone in my life who can pick me up when I fall down.  My marriage is certainly one of those relationships, but that alone is not enough.  I need a number of trusted friends who can help me be a multiplying disciple and “have a good return” for my labor. 

I’ve been watching a series on TV called, “Undercover Billionaire.”  They drop three well-known multi-millionaires into a city they are not familiar with.  They give each contestant $100 cash, an old truck, a new name and identity, and a cell phone with no contacts in it.  The challenge for each contestant is to take their $100 and multiply into a $1,000,000 business in 90 days.  What I found most interesting and surprising about each of these three people is that the first thing they did was make friends with influential people in their new community.  They build their business by building relationships with strong characters in their area.  If I had been dropped off in the same challenge, it wouldn’t have been the first thing I focused on. 

Jesus created a similar “reality show” challenge two thousand years ago when he sent his disciples off on the “limited commission” in Matthew 10 and Luke 10.  The hidden and yet essential key to victory is found in this passage in Matthew 10, 9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.   In Luke 10, Jesus echoes this direction by saying find a “man of peace.”  They were told to find a worthy person, a quality friend and concentrate on building a relationship with them.  Why?  Because they would be able to reach far more people through that worthy persons network of relationships.  Good things happen when we build relationships with strong leaders. 

Take a look at your friendships around you.  Step one is to determine if you have some good friendships.  Don’t be like the man “all alone” with no one to help him up.  If that describes you, it’s time to start looking around for at least one good friend.

Secondly, start building the number of spiritual, quality relationships.  Ideally, you want five or more friends that you can turn to when tough times hit.  You need people who can offer you advice, encourage you and keep you on track.  Satan loves it when he can isolate someone and take them out like a lion takes out a wounded or young animal. 

One reason I started the Rob Skinner Podcast was to build more relationships with strong leaders.  By calling to interview my spiritual heroes I have been able to build relationships with people I respect and honor.  I have learned from them and have grown from the relationship.  The number of my friendships has grown exponentially especially during a time of isolation caused by the COVID pandemic.

I recently had dinner with Brock and Anne Roby, who lead a church in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I asked them if they would be willing to have a discipling relationship with each other.  They jumped at it.  We talk every couple of weeks, encouraging each other and doing our best to call the best out of each other.

Let me leave you with some practical steps:

1.        Repent of the pride and reject the fear that keeps you from building good friendships.

2.       Stop listening to and making excuses for why you can’t be surrounded by good friends.  The only thing stopping you is you and your empty rationalizations.

3.       Realize that you deserve good friends and you have a lot to offer others.

4.      What can you do to build your circle of friendships?  How can you find a “worthy person?”  Find a meetup, join a club, have someone over, start a podcast, contribute articles to an organization you enjoy.  Get involved and find your worthy person.

5.       Make a call this week and set up a time to have fun and start building a friendship.  Text, call email but whatever you do, don’t let another week go by without asking for help

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

I’m Rob Skinner and this is the Rob Skinner Podcast.  Today I’m talking about how to become a multiplying disciple.  Specifically, how you need to multiply your talents in order to multiply disciples and your impact in your spiritual, financial and personal life.

Reach Rob at [email protected]

 

Transcript

Multiply Your Talents to Become a Multiplying Disciple

“Skinner, you’re a jack of all trades and a master of none.”  My friend, Chris Bishop, gave me a rough evaluation that later proved to be right on target.  He was describing my interest in so many different areas and at the same time, I wasn’t great at any one thing.  In the fall I had tried soccer and dropped out.  In the winter, I got cut from the freshman basketball team.  I placed my hopes in making the spring freshman baseball team.  If there was one sport I thought I was good at, I thought baseball would be the one.  I bought brand new Adidas cleats.  I tried my best at the tryout.  Jeff Martinez laughed at me after the sprints and said, “Skinner, how’d you get so slow?”  The coach told us that our names would be posted on the coaches’ office window if we made the team.  I waited all day, sitting in classes visualizing the name, “Rob Skinner” on that roster.  When the final bell rang, I ran to the gym locker room where the coaches’ office was.  I looked down the list of names.  I thought I must be reading it to quickly.  I read each name again, slowly. 

·         Todd Newman

·         Shawn Huff

·         Jeff Martinez

·         Chris Bishop…

All my friends were listed, my name wasn’t.  I looked one more time and raced to my Mom’s office in room E-5 of the English department.  She was an English teacher and department head.  She said, “What’s wrong?”  I said, “I didn’t make the team!”  I kneeled down and sobbed and sobbed on her lap.  On top of the humiliation of getting cut, someone stole my new cleats.  I guess I wouldn’t need them anyway.

I’ve never been great at any one sport.  I’ve been passable at a large number of sports and activities.  I love to surf, scuba, play frisbee and ultimate.  I’ve run a marathon in Tokyo.  I love to backpack.  I enjoy clubs and activities and served as the president of the International club and Senior Class President in high school.  I like to write and was the editor of my high school newspaper. 

I always thought this lack of focused greatness was a weakness until I became a disciple of Jesus.  Then I realized the gift I had been given.  God’s Kingdom is filled with every type of person.  Every race, age, class, language, height, gender, interest, skill and occupation is represented in his church.  When I became a true disciple and joined the fellowship of believers I felt like a fish back in water.  I was able to connect with so many people.  My varied background allowed me to make connections with people from all over the world.

Scott Adams talks about the importance of developing a broad array of talents in his book, “How to fail at almost everything and still win big.”  He calls it “Talent Stacking.”  He writes that it’s much better and more achievable to be in the top 25% in two or three or more skill or talent areas than it is to become the top 1% in any one field.  He himself was a cartoonist with a background in computers and added writing, public speaking and hypnotism to his talent stack.  The uniqueness of his talent stack makes him a unique and wealthy individual.  He claims that for every person genetically gifted to master a particular field like LeBron James, there are thousands who can combine reasonably good skills from a variety of fields and excel.

Paul talks about this very thing in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, “ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”  Although Paul was a hardcore Jewish Pharisee by birth and training, he realized the necessity of adaptability if he was going to reach the people God had called him to reach in Acts 9:15-16, “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”  Gentiles, kings and Jews were all part of God’s purpose for Paul.  Paul, who had surpassed all his peers in devotion to his Old Testament training, realized that he would have to add to his skills if he was going to be able to connect with the many who didn’t share his gifts, pedigree or background. 

If you want to be a multiplying disciple, build your “talent stack.”  The people God wants you to reach very likely will be different than you.  It’s also important to keep expanding your skills because our economy and world is changing so quickly.  If you want to be able to support yourself while reaching the lost, you will need to stay in a permanent state of learning new skills.  What kind of skills do you need to develop?  Here are a few:

Spiritual Skills

1.        Knowledge of the Bible.  Read the entire Bible.

2.       Ability to teach someone else the gospel.  Know how to guide a seeker from initial interest to salvation.

3.       Prayer.  Ability to sit quietly and pray and meditate for thirty minutes straight

4.      Fellowship.  Ability to make new friends, set up Bible studies, encourage others and connect with people unlike yourself.

5.       Speaking.  Learn how to lead a small group discussion, speak in front of a church audience, teach a Bible class and preach a short lesson using scripture, stories and applications.

Life Skills

1.        Money.  Learn how to save and invest money.  Refuse to live paycheck to paycheck.

2.       Computer skills.  Keep learning new skills.  Never make the excuse that you’re too old or no good at technical stuff.  Memorize this scripture in Philippians 4:13 (Jerusalem Bible),  “There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength.”

3.       Entrepreneurship.  Learn how to start a new business or side hustle.  It can be real estate, window washing, dog walking or options.  Keep looking for ways to be a “tent maker” like Paul was.  He always had a way to support himself when church support dried up.

4.      People skills.  This is what I would consider to be the most important skill that often gets overlooked.  Read the book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”  Your way with people makes all the difference in your success or failure as a fruitful and effective disciple.

This unique gift of having a number of good, not great skills came in handy when I moved to Tokyo, Japan.  I was asked to develop an International Ministry.  This was anyone in Japan who wasn’t native Japanese.  We started with a handful of “Gai-Jin” or foreigners and in a few years we had over 200 disciples from all over the world, Africa, Polynesia, Australia, England, The US, Canada, South America, China, Korea, Asia and Continental Europe.  I think my interest in a broad array of people, things and interests, enabled God to use me to reach people from all over.

If you are a “unicorn,” a person gifted with a singular gift like Mozart or Einstein, congratulations and may God continue to bless you.  If you are like the rest of us, having moderate or average gifting, take heart.  You can live an amazing life.  Cobble together your best skills and learn new ones to add to your collection.  This set of talents unique to you only will set you apart and define you as fruitful and multiplying disciple.

Application

·         What one new skill, if you learned it in the next six months, would make the biggest difference in your life? 

·         Take a first step toward learning that skill.  Read a book, watch a YouTube video or go to a seminar to learn how to do it. 

·         What are your top three best skills currently?  How can God use that “cocktail” of talents to build his kingdom? 

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

In this episode I  talk to Ben and Susan Borland, missionaries to Montevideo, Uruguay.  Listen as they share about their first year on the mission field.  They talk about:

·        Their first impressions after landing in Montevideo

·        What the country is like

·        The challenges they’ve faced

·        Their plans for their second year

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

In this episode I  talk to Budi and Listiana Hartono from Jakarta, Indonesia.  They led the church in Jakarta, Indonesia and now they oversea the growth of the 40+ churches in Indonesia outside of Jakarta.  Converted in the early nineties, they have witnessed the church grow from a handful of disciples to over 7,000 disciples all over the country.  Listen as they share about:

·        How they reach out in the country with the largest Muslim population

·        How Listiana fought through cancer and is now five-years cancer free

·        How they planted their first church at the age of 25

·        Their joy at seeing their daughters Karla and Andrea become Christians

·        The spiritual zeal and growth of the younger generation in Indonesia

·        How they are planting four new churches in Indonesia this year

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

In this episode, I continue my series on becoming a multiplying disciple.  I talk about resisting the natural tendency to run from getting help when we need it the most.  I talk about why we do this and how we can seek help instead of run from it.

 

Transcript

I remember listening to a lesson at the 1995 world missions seminar in Johannesburg, South Africa.  The speaker was sharing about good news around the world.  One church was lifted up for baptizing hundreds of people and becoming a church of thousands.  Over the next few years I heard conflicting reports from that same church.  Then I heard the church’s leader had been removed.  It seems the actual membership was hundreds of people short of what had been reported.  When I heard that I thought, what happened?  How could that happen?  How could people not know how many people were in the church?  I’m sure there were a number of reasons for that leadership failure, but I would guess that primary among them would be that the leader or leadership team didn’t seek help early enough and may have run from getting the help it needed before the problem became so severe.

“Where are you?”

This failure to seek help goes back to the garden. 

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.  8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”  Genesis 3:6-9

When offered that first temptation, centuries of misery could have been avoided by asking for help and advice from God before chomping into the apple.  Once the sin was committed, shame, pride and fear kept them from turning to the one being who could help them.  God had to ask, “Where are you?” 

This is why we struggle to get the help we need from God and others so that we can grow and get back on our feet after a set back.  Shame, pride, embarrassment, laziness and the distorted thinking that comes from these problems forces us into isolation.  We delude ourselves into thinking that if we run from the problem, from God and from other people, the problem will disappear.  It rarely does.  In the case of that first sin, it quickly compounded and affects us today, thousands of years later.

During finals week of my first semester at UC Berkeley if faced five finals in two days.  On the second day I arrived at my statistics final after little sleep.  The previous day I had rear-ended a car on the way to campus, showed up to the wrong building for my first test, ran out of gas on the way home from campus and spent two hours waiting for the tow truck.  It seems God had designed this two-day gauntlet to humble me and prepare me to become a Christian.  The first half of the statistics final was closed book.  I had difficulty answering the questions.  My only solace was that the second half of the test was open books and open notes.  When the professor said “start!” for the second half, I dug through my backpack for my book and notes.  They weren’t there.  I had forgotten them in my dorm room.  I struggled through that 45 minutes as I watched those around me find the answers they needed in their notes and books.  At the end of the test I went up to the professor and told him I had forgotten my notes.  In his heavily accented, Eastern European English, he said, “Why didn’t you ask me for help?  I would have given you my notes and my book!”  After he said that, I felt even worse.  On top of my massive failure was the knowledge that I could have avoided it by simply asking for help rather than sitting quietly in my shame, embarrassment and self-hatred.

Unfortunately, too many of us repeat my mistake in a multitude of situations.  We kick ourselves later for not asking for assistance when it could have made all the difference.  Growing disciples grow because they push past the fear, shame and embarrassment to ask for help.  Here are some simple things you can do to accelerate your spiritual growth.

First, laugh at failures.  View them as simply part of the process of growing.  Everyone faces little and big setbacks.  Satan wants you to continue thinking that you shouldn’t be making mistakes and that “you should know better by now.”  That kind of thinking will keep you isolated and cut off from life-giving help.

Don’t place others on a pedestal.  In addition to thinking we shouldn’t be making mistakes is the equally mistaken assumption that others don’t struggle with weaknesses like we do.  Have you every talked to an older person in the fellowship, and felt like you couldn’t talk to them about struggles you might be facing like lust, anger or coarse language.  It’s hard to conceive of that kindly older person ever having an impure thought.  And yet, they were young once and faced the exact same trials you are going through.

Go to seminars and conferences.  Whatever you want to grow in, there is a conference that will help you get there.  It might be a live conference or an online webinar, but there is a way to learn from others.  One growth expert I read recommends that we spend 3% of our income on personal development and seminars.  Too often I see people staying home, stuck in their rut because they don’t want to spend the money on their growth.  What a waste!  You don’t know what you’re missing.  I started a podcast in 2020 and recorded over 250 podcasts.  Earlier this year, I felt like I needed to take my skills to a new level.  I saw my listenership decline and I didn’t know why?  I went to a podcasting conference in Los Angeles.  What I learned there blew me away.  The first thing I learned was that everyone else had seen their listening downloads decline by as much as 60% and it had nothing to do with the podcaster’s performance.  The decline was due to an algorithm adjustment Apple had made on their podcast platform.  I was so happy and relieved to know that I wasn’t just tanking because of doing a bad job.  Prior to going to the conference I had thoughts of shutting down the podcast.  On top of that, the classes that were taught gave me at least five great ideas for taking my podcast to the next level.  I never would have known those things by sitting at home feeling sorry for myself.

Face down your weak areas.  I’ve worked out in a gym since college.  Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of my inspirations.  However, I’m still not much stronger than I was 20 or thirty years ago.  Then I asked for help from a physical trainer.  I shared my faith with him and then asked him to train me.  I’ve seen tons of progress in the past 5 months.  Why?  He is making me do things in the gym that either I didn’t know to do or that I didn’t want to do.  He helps me break mental and physical barriers.  Prior to hiring him, I would follow the same comfortable routine I had followed for decades.  He shattered that cozy pattern.  If you want to grow in any area, take a look at your weak areas and get help on them.  Any area that you have experienced a plateau or lack of progress is an area that could benefit from outside help.

Read books.  I’ve said it before and will repeat it till I die.  Learn from others how they overcame the challenges you are facing right now.  Whatever you are facing has most likely been written about, talked about or discussed in detail.  I love the story of how Elon Musk started his rocket company, SpaceX.  With no prior knowledge or rocket science, Musk started reading books on the subject and asked questions of the rocket scientists he hired to start his company.  It only took him two years to become an expert in the field and get his company off the ground. 

There is nothing you can’t grow in, become or achieve.  All you need is the willingness to ask for help, suppress Satan’s attempts to shame you into silence, and read, watch or listen to those willing to help you get where you want to be, a multiplying disciple. 

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

 In this episode I share from a series on Matthew that I’m going through on Sundays.  Please enjoy this exposition of Matthew 10.  

Transcript is below.  Feel free to use as needed.

 

Matthew 10: 26-42

Matthew Series

Sunday, June 9th, 2024

Introduction

This section of Jesus’s instructions to his disciples goes beyond practical training into deeper waters.  He starts talking about what drives us, what we will face once we start actively following Jesus.  He talks about two motives that can control or inspire us, fear and love.

These forces are incredibly powerful and if left unchecked, fear will keep us living small, meaningless lives.  The only power greater than fear is love.  As the Apostle John says in 1 John 4:17-19, “17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  19 We love because he first loved us.”

There is no fear in love.  Jesus talks about fear and then he talks about a greater motivation, love.  When our love grows, fear shrivels.

1.    Fear

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Fear is the key word of this section. 

When we share Jesus, invite people to listen to his word and face opposition we are going to experience fear.  There is no getting around the mission in order to avoid fear.  Jesus says that everything Jesus whispers, everything you hear in a Bible study or sermon, needs to be shouted from the rooftops.  Jewish homes had flat roofs and were used for sleeping, prayer and were great platforms for preaching to a crowd.

We can’t escape fear, but we can choose who to be afraid of.  We can live our lives afraid of what people think about us or say to us or we can live our lives in fear of God.  Fear of man is based on self-interest and self-preservation, it’s just plain cowardice.  Fear of God, however, is something that’s praised throughout the Bible.

I have a message from God in my heart     concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b There is no fear of God     before their eyes.  Psalm 36:1

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:7

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”  Job 1:8

When we don’t fear God, the Bible calls us a fool.  When Jesus says that folly comes from within the hearts of man, in Mark 7:22, he is referring to the sin of not taking God into account.  This person thinks he doesn’t need God, have to deal with God or factor God into his plans.

God is highlighting Job as an ideal follower or believer, characterized by the fear of God and avoidance of evil.  He values these characteristics today.

Why should we fear God and not people?  People can destroy our bodies, but God has the capacity to destroy our bodies and our soul in hell.  We don’t know what will happen in hell, but each one of us has the opportunity for eternal life with God.  God has power to bring us into his eternal kingdom or destroy our souls.  This brings up an interesting thought, does God destroy non-believing souls once they die or let them live on separated from him?  Does God annihilate the soul or let it go on in regret that they lived their lives rebelling against God.  In any case, you don’t want to fall into the hands of a God who controls your life now and after death. 

What does fearing people look like?  Some of us puff up and say, “I don’t care what people think or do!”  Really?  So did Peter at the last supper.  He said, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” (Matthew 26:33)  Fear of man shows up every day.  It’s when we walk through a checkout line and don’t offer an invitation to church because we don’t want to look funny to the people in line behind us.  It’s when someone brings up a spiritual subject and we remain quiet.  It’s when we decide to stay home when there is an opportunity to go sharing in the community.  It’s how busy we suddenly get when there is a Bible study and we just can’t seem to make the time to join.  It’s revealed when years pass without us sharing, meeting, teaching or bringing people nearer to God.  We say, “I don’t care what people think!”  Then why do all the people around you remain unchanged and unconverted?

Why else should we not fear people?  Jesus offers a reassuring reason, the same God who has the power to destroy in hell also takes time and attention to care for the smallest sparrow.  They were the cheapest birds sold for food in Jesus’ time.  This is an argument from the lesser to the greater.  “You are worth more than many sparrows.”  In contrast to certain people who claim that the life of an animal is equal to that of a human,  Jesus says you are worth far more.  If he cares for the sparrow, how much more will he take care of you.

He even knows how many hairs are on your head.  The average person has between 90,000 to 150,000 hairs on their head.  God knows your exact number.  Jesus knows what you are going through.  Your life and death have his attention.  You are extremely important to God.  You don’t need to fear that God isn’t with you or is forgetting you in times of trial.

What’s worse than being ridiculed, gossiped about or excluded by the people around you?  Being disowned by Jesus on the last day.  Here is where our day-to-day behavior connects to our eternal destiny.  When you are unashamed and proud of Jesus, that’s how he will treat you.  When you deny, disown, hide, are embarrassed of Jesus, that’s exactly how you will be treated when you appear before Jesus when you die. 

How are you doing at work, at school, with your mom’s group, your club, your old friends?  How you honor or dishonor Jesus in that setting is a mirror of how you will be treated when Jesus presents you to his father.  You choose who you’re going to stand with.  The people around you in this life or Jesus when he presents you to his father. 

As a baby Christian, I would have quiet times in the Doe undergraduate library at UC Berkeley and read passages like this from Isaiah 51:7-8,

“Hear me, you who know what is right,     you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals     or be terrified by their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment;     the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever,     my salvation through all generations.”

Passages like these would give me the perspective to understand how much greater God is than any person I’d meet on campus.  People are as shortlived and temporary as clothing that a moth can eat holes in.  Scriptures like this taught me to fear God, not the people I’d reach out to.

This choice takes up the rest of the chapter.

2.   Love

34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn

“‘a man against his father,     a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Jesus clears up a misconception we often have about God and his gospel.  We often think that the gospel will unite, bring peace and harmony between people.  We think Jesus’ purpose was to bring peace.  Jesus contradicts that and says he didn’t come to bring peace but a sword.  A sword is a symbol for conflict and violence. 

His message is peace for those who accept it.  Peace with God and peace with others who follow God wholeheartedly.  However, Jesus’ teaching brings division between those who accept it and those who don’t.  He doesn’t compromise.  His teaching will turn people against each other.  Family members will hate each other, stop talking to each other, kill each other over the gospel.  Middle eastern families are extremely close.  Your identity is bound up in your family.  I was talking to a young man, Fadi Alhinn, on my podcast and he talked about how his family in Jordan is incredibly close and how growing up it forms the basis for your identity along with your religion.

Jesus says your love for him must be greater than even your closest family members.  In Luke 14:26 he says the same thing using a semitic or Jewish saying,  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

If you don’t love Jesus more than your family, you’re not worthy of him.  We might say, “you don’t have what it takes” to be a disciple of Jesus.  How does that show up today?  When we won’t follow Jesus because our parents or siblings disapprove.  When they try to get us to calm down and we listen to them.  When those we love try to substitute a dead, sterile, fruitless form of religion in place of true discipleship.  When they beg us to return to our old lives, having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Many can’t or won’t make that sacrifice.  They look for a middle ground.  Empty religion, compromise with sin, outward observance covering hidden sin.  Jesus will never accept second place in your affections.  He knows your heart and he knows if you love him first. 

He then goes on to mention the cross for the first time.  It’s hard to recreate the fear and gut level reaction the disciples must have had when he drops that bomb into this conversation.  This was the epitome of embarrassment, humiliation, social disgrace, suffering and pain wrapped up into one image.  They had no idea at this point that Jesus would literally carry a cross for their sin and ours.  It points to the fact that Jesus won’t compromise.  If you want to be a disciple, you are signing away your rights to a comfortable, quiet life where everyone thinks you are a nice person. 

We are all left with some tough decisions.  Which life are we going to live for?  This one or eternal life.  Who are we going to stand in solidarity with?  The crowd, coworkers, family or Jesus himself?  Jesus offers public disgrace and the possibility of a savage death, he also holds out eternal life with him.  To borrow from a soccer coach, Bill Shankly, Discipleship is “not a matter of life and death, it is much more serious than that.”   

3.   Reward

40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”

Jesus closes this section by revealing how closely he identifies with his disciples.  When people treat us well, they are actually treating Jesus well.  They will be rewarded.  They will be honored. 

 

Conclusion:

Remember Jesus said in chapter 7:14, “14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”  Here is why that road is so narrow and hard to find and choose.  If you are struggling with your decision to follow Jesus, it shows you understand the level of sacrifice he calls for every disciple.

 

Next Steps

·       Repent of fear and people-pleasing, share your faith this week, stop living as a secret disciple.

·       Grow your love for Jesus, choose Jesus and his kingdom over friends, family and your own life.

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  If you would like to help support my mission to multiply disciples, leaders and churches, click here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

In this episode I continue my series on how to become a multiplying disciple.  I talk about the need to experiment with new things and to view your life as an experiment.

Transcript

“We won’t be meeting for live church services for the time being,” I told my church members in March of 2020.  Little did I know it would be well over a year before we started hesitantly meeting back together after Covid.  I thought to myself, how can I help people during this time when I can’t preach to them in a live setting.  I stumbled onto the idea of a podcast.  The only problem was I had no idea how to start one and had little confidence in the area of electronics or computer hardware.  In any case I decided to get started and step by step figured out how to start one.  I read a book on starting a podcast, I listened to books on it, I came up with my target audience and the reason why I was doing it.  There were many times I thought I couldn’t do it, I’m too old, I’m no good at technical stuff and no one would listen.  I chose to ignore those voices in my mind.  Within a month I had cobbled together seven episodes to launch the show with.  Through experimentation, I was a podcaster.

The reason we often don’t see the spiritual progress we are looking for is that we are naturally attached to the person we are right now.  Our habits, our thinking, our belief system, our inclinations have a form of inertia to them.  Once set in a certain way, it takes a lot of effort to get them moving in a different direction.  Jesus points this out in Luke 5:37-39, “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”  We get used to certain foods, certain drinks and it keeps us from trying something new that God wants us to try.  This is one of the reasons Jesus ran into so much opposition from the Pharisees and Saducees and even from his allies such as the disciples of his cousin John the Baptist.  Jesus was bringing something new and most people preferred the old and refused to experiment with change.

 

It is incredibly helpful to maintain a flexible and adaptable mindset when trying to grow as a disciple.  One of the best ways to do that is to view life as a series of experiments.  I love Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote,  “Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little coarse and you may get your coat soiled or torn? What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice? Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble.”

When you experiment with anything, you are accepting up front that some of your experiments are going to fail.  Most may fail.  However, if you keep experimenting enough with new habits, techniques and skills, you will stumble onto breakthroughs in your life.  You will find things that multiply your growth, influence and fruitfulness.

Viewing life in this way gives you permission to fail without fear and the shame associated with failure.  No one doing cancer research quits or gets discouraged when one attempt at a cure doesn’t pan out.  In the same way, in order for you to grow and make a difference in this life, you will have to pick up and try many new habits and skills that may or may not take you where you want to go. 

In 2004, I decided to plant a new church in my hometown of Ashland, Oregon.  I didn’t have any outside funding.  I didn’t have a team to support me.  I didn’t have an existing church to pay me.  I didn’t have a career I was stepping into.  I had to start a new career in real estate to pay my bills and support my family.  I chose to view this church planting as an experiment.  I remember thinking to myself and telling Pam, my wife, “This may not work.”  We may only be there a short time and then we’ll have to go somewhere else.  I deliberately didn’t ask anyone to go with me, because of the high risk of failure.  I didn’t want to responsibility of taking care of other people when I didn’t have the resources to support myself.  If I had waited to plant the church with full funding, a large team and a clear plan, the church wouldn’t be there today.  People that I love wouldn’t be Christians today.  It was a risky experiment that paid off. 

If you are reading this book, you probably have big dreams for your future.  You want your life to count and you want to do big things for God.  You may want to:

·       Go overseas on mission

·       Learn a foreign language

·       Start a new church

·       Work as a pastor or minister

·       Start a new business

·       Learn a new instrument

·       Find a great life partner

Whatever you are dreaming of, go ahead and take that first step.  View it as an experiment.  Expect and anticipate setbacks and failures.  Just keep going until you find the right path out of the many start down. 

Here are some ideas to develop an experimental mindset:

·       Read a book on an area you are considering growing in.

·       Write down three things you could do immediately to go in the direction of your dreams.

·       Give yourself 90 days to experiment with your venture.  Allow yourself to bail out if after 90 days, you don’t want to keep going.

·       Talk to someone who has done or is doing what you want to do.  Ask them how to start.

·       Give yourself full permission to fail, flop and fall flat on your face.

·       Reduce the risk by not including anyone else in what you are trying to do.  Limit your exposure.

·       Think about and fix in your mind others who have tried and succeeded in what you want.

·       Pretend that you are good at what you are trying to do.  Experiment with seeing yourself as more skilled than you currently are.

When I launched the Rob Skinner Podcast, I had no idea what would happen.  I only hoped that I could inspire people to make this life count, live a no-regrets life and multiply disciples, leaders and churches.  I started podcasting into a great big dark empty void.  I wondered at times if anyone was listening.  I started receiving letters from people thanking me for the podcast and sharing how it had helped them.  Two years after the podcast started, Pam and I went to a large Christian conference in Orlando, Florida.  I got approached so many times by listeners thanking me for the podcast and for helping them grow and make this life count.  I’m so glad I chose to experiment with something new.

·       Practical Application

o  What is one thing you’ve wanted to do, achieve or grow in that you’ve hesitated to start.

o  Give yourself permission to fail and to experiment with your desire.

o  Write down three things you can do this week to start your experiment.

 

 

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  Click Here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

In this episode I  talk to Fadi Alhinn, a disciple born in Jordan and now living in San Diego.  He talks about:

·        What it’s like growing up Christian in the Middle East

·        How he moved 20 times before the age of 20

·        Strengths and weaknesses of both US and Middle Eastern churches

·        How he lost his Dad at the age of 17

·        What it was like moving to the states and starting over

 

More about Fadi:

Fadi Alhinn, was born, raised and saved in the Jordan. His parents Maher and Samar lead Middle Eastern churches for many years, his uncle was reached out to and baptized at San Diego State University in the 80's and planted a church in Jordan. Fadi was baptized in 2011 and after a tragic car accident his father passed in 2013 during a leadership conference in Lebanon. In 2015 Fadi moved to the US on a student visa, met his wife Miranda in the campus ministry and together they serve in the full-time ministry. Currently Fadi and Miranda are the congregational youth and family ministers in San Diego.

How to reach Fadi:  909.344.0409 or [email protected]

 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

Would you like to be “prosperous and successful?”  God gives clear direction to his people on how to enjoy that very thing.  He tells Joshua the secret to prosperity in Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  In this episode I’ll be talking about how to:

·        Kindle or rekindle your passion for God’s Word

·        How to meditate on scripture

·        Ways to see old scriptures in new ways and…

·        How to develop “greatest hits” collection of your favorite scriptures

How to Support the Rob Skinner Podcast.  Click Here:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/robskinner

 

Transcript

How to Become a Multiplying Disciple:  Meditate on God's Word

8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

Joshua 1:8

Joshua was handed the unenviable job of following in Moses’ footsteps.  The same Moses who faced down Pharaoh, who raised his staff to part the Red Sea, who kept his nation fed for forty years in a desert and who brought down the tablets of the Law from Mt. Sinai.  Imagine the pressure Joshua must have felt in trying to follow in the footsteps of this man for all generations.  Not only that, but Moses had left Joshua with the massive challenge of crossing the Jordan, taking on the fortress of Jericho and conquering all of the promised land.  God assures Joshua in this chapter that he is with him and that he will give him the land and he hands him the key to success and prosperity, meditate on God’s word, the book of the law.  It’s interesting what God doesn’t give him.  He doesn’t give him a pep talk talking about how great Joshua is or how much God believes in him.  He doesn’t give him a buddy like he gave Aaron to Moses.  He doesn’t give him advice on his time management or speaking skills.  Instead he tells Joshua to devote himself to reading and meditating on the words of God.  That one habit will bring success and prosperity to his leadership.  Joshua must have taken this to heart because unlike most other Old Testament figures, Joshua lives a nearly perfect life.  He parts the Jordan, levels Jericho, divides and conquers the promised land, allots all of the tribal territories and successfully leads his new nation until his death.  The only failure he faces is when he forgets to pray when the Gibeonites scam him into making a treaty with them.  He is truly a worthy predecessor to his descendant who shares his same name, Jesus.

Are you looking for success and prosperity in your life?  The formula for success hasn’t changed in three thousand years.  Keep God’s word on your lips, meditate on it and do everything written in it.  Your devotion and application of God’s word will establish the level of fruitfulness, effectiveness and impact of your life. 

Many turn toward God in times of difficulty, become followers and then attempt the long period of marching daily toward Zion.  Some fall by the wayside or settle for an unsatisfying and unfruitful existence with little “success and prosperity” to speak of.  They don’t become multiplying disciples, they often settle for spiritual barrenness, emotional distance from God and a sin-compromised existence.

That doesn’t have to be your life.  Determine today that you will follow in the footsteps of Joshua.  Here’s how you can do that.

Get excited about the Bible

I walked into the Christian bookstore in Berkeley, California a few days after my baptism.  I scanned the Bibles for sale and settled on a Zondervan Study Bible.  It had commentary notes below each page.  It was massive with a bonded leather cover.  I put the small paperback Bible my neighbor had given me into my backpack and used my new Bible for Bible study in my dorm room.  I remember opening the box, pulling it out and tearing open the mylar covering around the Bible.  I flipped through the pages and smelled the brand new book smell.  I loved how the gold gilding around the pages stuck together initially and how the pages were shining white without a flaw on any page.  I sensed something awesome and new was happening in my life with the opening of this new Bible.  I wore that Bible out. 

If someone handed you a goose that laid a one-ounce golden egg every morning, how would you care for and tend to that animal?  Would you be excited?  Would you take good care of it?  Absolutely!  How much more for a book that will bring you success and prosperity all the days of your life. 

Get excited about the Bible.  Look at it with new eyes.  Whether you have it on your phone or have a paper Bible, treasure it.  Here are some things you can do to refresh your excitement about God’s word.

Go out and buy a brand new Bible.  Sometimes it helps to buy a new Bible.  There are so many variations on the Bible that can stimulate your approach to God’s word.  Try a study Bible or chronological Bible.  A Bible that offers space in the margins for notes can help.  Figure out what works for you to bring a new passion to God’s word.

Buy a new translation every year.  Reading the same translation year after year can bring a comfortable feeling of familiarity to your Bible study.  It can also turn your active mind off and set you into mental cruise control as you read through page after page without remembering what you just read.  A new translation can often force your mind out of a mental rut and cause you to start consciously thinking about what you are actually reading.  New translations are coming out every year.  Try a new one to stimulate your excitement.

Read through the Bible every year.  This is one of the best practices that keeps your interest in God’s word burning hot.  Download a PDF file that will guide you through the Bible in one year.  This will keep you from the “flip and find” method of random scripture study.  It will broaden your love and knowledge of God’s word and the background to Jesus’ arrival.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to look up how many pages there are in your Bible, divide it by the number of days in the year, 365 and that will tell you how many pages to read each day.  Keep a post it note or bookmark handy to keep track of your location.  The only downside of this method is that it can be difficult slogging through the entire Old Testament before reaching the New Testament in the last quarter of the year.  One way to fix that is to alternate readings every day or for every two pages of the Old Testament, read one of the New.  This year I’m following the 52 Week Bible Reading Plan by Michael Coley.  Every day I read a passage from a different genre of the Bible such as letters, law, history, Psalms, poetry, prophecy and gospels.  You can find the link below. [1]

Carve out time every day

God told Joshua, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night.”  Joshua was commanded forcefully to make the Bible a daily habit of his life.  One of the best and most important ways to do this is to read your Bible first thing in the morning.  Do it before you check your phone or schedule.  Try doing it before you get out of bed.  Satan’s plan is to drown you in trivial details and get you to forget your devotion to God’s word.  You have to KEEP it on your lips.  Read or listen to at least a chapter a day of God’s word.  Those who experience growth in their spiritual lives prioritize the consumption of God’s word.  I force myself to get into God’s word as soon as I sit down to my desk after getting a cup of coffee in the morning. 

Keep it on your lips

I think God is telling Joshua to use the Bible in his daily conversation and normal activities of life.  Memorization of important passages is powerful in times of trouble, temptation and transition.  I keep a stack of 3x5 cards that are lined and whenever I run into a passage that physically impacts me, I write it out on the card.  I have a stack of cards that I started thirty years ago.  When I travel, I will bring them with me and pull them out.  It’s like having a “greatest hits” album with you at all times.  I know that each scripture I look at will be one of my favorites and deeply impacting. 

I’ve also use the Navigator’s memorization system to memorize scriptures.  They print and sell powerful scriptures from the Bible and can really help in keeping God’s word on your lips. 

The impact of this practice reveals itself in two ways.  When you are facing challenges, you can call up scriptures from within that can help you with whatever you are facing.  You don’t need to flip through the Bible to find them.  Secondly, when you are talking to others, you can drop in scriptures into your conversation that can counsel and encourage others.  The power of your conversation intensifies based on the power and wisdom of God’s word.

Meditate of God’s Word Day and Night

Meditating on God’s word is simply ruminating or thinking deeply about God’s word.  Meditation is integral to eastern religions and yet not limited to them.  God was calling his people to use meditation to deepen their walk with him three thousand years ago.  How can we do this?  Take time to think about what you just read.  Read long enough that your mind gets in sync with what you are reading about.  Sometimes it takes 10 minutes or longer before your mind settles down and starts really connecting with a passage.  That’s why as a younger Christian I recommend reading for volume as opposed to isolating single passages for deeper study.  If you are less than a year old as a Christian, your first assignment should be to first read through the entire New Testament and then read through the Old Testament.  A broad view of God’s word and his dealings with men will allow you to think more deeply and give you the context to drill down and understand better any singular passage.  Keeping notes or a journal of what you are reading can help you meditate on the meaning.  I like to read and then meditate on what I just read.  I kneel on my prayer bench and think about what God was trying to communicate to me that morning. 

Don’t turn from it to the right or left

Reading, knowing, meditating and memorizing God’s word is important but incomplete.  God’s intention is that we are so influenced by his commands that it affects our daily behavior.  This is what made Joshua one of the greatest generals and leaders of all time.  And that is what we will cover in the next chapter.

[1] https://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf