House Rules (SOAP Journal from 1 Timothy 3)

Photo by Ben Dixon on Unsplash

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully, they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

We used the simple SOAP acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today?
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of reading this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

S = 1 Timothy 3: 2-7, 14-15

"Therefore an overseer must be above reproach,

• the husband of one wife,
• sober-minded,
• self-controlled,
• respectable,
• hospitable,
• able to teach,
• not a drunkard,
• not violent but gentle,
• not quarrelsome,
• not a lover of money.
• He must manage his own household well. (v.4)
• He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit. (v.6)
• He must be well thought of by outsiders. (v.7) [bullet-list mine]

v. 14-15

I hope to come to you soon, but 

I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay,

you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God,

which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. (emphasis mine)

O = Paul was preparing Timothy and those to whom Timothy would minister for the possibility of his being delayed. He gave Timothy what amounts to a list of “house rules” that pertained not so much to a physical place as relationally to the family of God! This list is pretty descriptive regarding the “above reproach” character (KJV "conversation") attributes of someone pastoring/overseeing the church. This is a great gift for it is a (non-exhaustive) list of how God's love manifests itself in God's family on earth. Because pastoring is a “noble task” the pastor/overseer must have a noble character. It needs to have been transformed by Christ from the inside out. So many problems would be solved if all who serve in church leadership lived up to these lofty standards from a heart responding to the love of Christ. If there is any hope for people to mature and become more like Christ, their leaders should show evidence of such change in their lives.

A = Just as we have a sign in our home listing attitudes and actions that we would like to characterize our lives together, Paul left just such a set of affectively descriptive “house rules” for Timothy and those he would pastor. However, we don’t always live up to such lists. I recognize how much I need the grace of God to live into such noble standards! I am reminded of a quote from the movie Remember the Titans, "Attitude reflects leadership!" The attitude of church leadership is contagious—one way or the other.

Will I be honest and vulnerable about my own struggles, wrestlings, and lessons learned the hard way? It is not a failure to show people:

• that I am human but adopted into God’s family,
• that I am broken, but depending on the God who heals the sick, and
• that I am not perfect but am hopeful and am being transformed by the love of Christ poured into my heart by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

This week I will see this scriptural list not as a condemnation of my weaknesses but as an invitation—listing areas where I can respond more affectionately to the love of Christ for me.

P = O Lord, please help us to live by your "house rules", not just by behaving in a way that honors you and honors your presence in your people but as a loving response of our hearts to yours! Let us function as a community of mercy and grace, full of forgiveness, yet rightly focused on the work of gently, faithfully, and lovingly, advancing your kingdom.

"I Held My Peace To No Avail"

Have you ever struggled unsuccessfully to bite your tongue, to not respond in kind to the stupid or wrong things being done around you? Have you tried not to defend yourself against untrue things that are being said? I know I have. 

As pastors and Christian leaders, it is in just such moments that we often tend to say things that we regret... I know that I have. 

This week while we gather to express gratitude to God for his blessings, sometimes our encounters with others are a challenge.

Psalm 39 expresses the agony of the slow burn such silence produced in his heart and what surprising thing he did about it. 

Check out this new post on my Psalms blog, entitled "Psalm 39: Agony & Irony—I Was Silent...Then I Spoke!"

Don't Stop Praying (SOAP Journal from 1 Timothy 2)

Photo by Ben Dixon on Unsplash

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

We used the simple SOAP acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today?
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

1 Timothy 2:1-4

S = “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

O = These four verses say that we are to offer all kinds of prayer for all kinds of people no matter how high or low their position. To make this more challenging, it would seem likely that the king/emperor at that time for which Paul exhorts prayer would have been the infamous Nero. How do you pray for a leader who is harmful to your people? The same way you pray for anyone else…maybe just more so. 

Photo by Jason Betz of Unsplash

At least a couple of clear reasons for this public prayer as the gathered church that readily appear. First, it explicitly effects our ability to live peaceful and quiet lives (implicitly = living unhindered for Christ and as a ready example for others) as the community of God. Second, our prayer pleases God and effects the lives of those for whom we pray—God desires “all people” to experience salvation and thoroughly know the truth. It behooves us to pray in agreement with the revealed will of God!

A = Do I spend more time complaining about others or praying for them? Can I give thanks for them, even the difficult ones? That can be stretching to my faith especially in the area of political leadership. My prayer life will be evidenced in how I live: peaceful or stressed out, quiet or loud, godly or selfish, dignified or disturbing? This week I will pray before posting, I will intercede for others rather than insisting on my own way, and I will talk with Jesus (conversational aspect of prayer) and let him correct my heart before trying to set others straight.

P = O Lord, let me pray before I choose to complain, critique, criticize, or condemn. Give me a thankful heart today. so that I can bless others, building them up in the faith, and be fully present with them in their walk. Because you first loved me, I want to be pleasing in your sight by sharing in your heart for the lost.

Don't Swerve from Love (SOAP Journal from 1 Timothy 1)

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

In addition to regular articles, I will be posting highlights of some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular gathering of pastors to journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied they are generally the work of 20 minutes reading, 20 minutes writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. These brief devotional journal posts will begin in the Pastoral epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus). Hopefully they will be encouraging to the readers of this blog.

We used the simple SOAP acronym as a devotional guide... which stands for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today?
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

1 Timothy 1:5-7

S = “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (v.5-7)

O = Certain persons that Paul chooses not to name had “swerved” (ektrépō). But from what things did those “certain persons” swerve? They had turned away from love. The love that flows from…

• A pure heart
• A good conscience
• A sincere faith

Some in Ephesus had swerved from these three things and thought that they should be teachers—but in reality—nothing about them was worthy of being passed on to others. Today, in the Twitter world we sometimes talk of “sub-tweeting” which is a way of calling out or criticizing someone without mentioning their name in your tweets. Does it make you wonder who Paul was writing about? This turning from the priority of love was an issue that needed to be repeatedly addressed in Ephesus. This lesson was the very issue mentioned by the risen Christ to the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:4).

A = Am I a pastor or a teacher? If so then I should ask myself how I am doing with these three issues of love? Do I make confident assertions about things I don’t understand? I hope not. Do I argue for the sake of arguing or waste time in baseless speculation? I better not. This passage challenges me to stay on target…to live a life of love from... 

• a pure heart (cleansed and without competing affections), 
• a good conscience (exercising confession and relational repentance) and 
• a sincere faith (authentic trust in Jesus).

Because my conscience tells me that I can’t save myself, I will fully rely on Jesus to reproduce his character in my heart. So, if my heart is pure, my conscience good, and my faith sincere can I conclude that Christ’s love will issue forth from my life? Make it so.

  

P = O Lord Jesus, let me relate all I do today to these three issues of love…for the glory of your name and the good of those around me. My ministry cannot be effective without it starting affectively in my own heart. Lord, let your love transform and bring purpose to my life and may it overflow to others through me.