Originally published on March 1, 2016

I’m not a huge pastry fan, but I do enjoy a fresh, hot slice of apple pie with a generous scoop of rich vanilla ice cream.
The rich, creamy ice cream, luxuriously melting over the warm, flaky, buttery crust is pretty much irresistible. Pie a la Mode was invented about 1885.

Fruit pies were common in the Roman Empire as early as the 5th Century B.C., and ice cream was available to the general public by 1660. Yet, the world would wait more than 200 years before ice cream and pie were combined to offer something wonderful—pie a la Mode. The moral of the story is that sometimes “both and” is better than “either or.”

What Is the “both and” of making disciples?

We need to be both filled with the Spirit and intentional in making disciples. Some might assert that not being intentional is organic, thus led by the Spirit. But that’s not necessarily the case. Similarly, one could argue that if a process is intentional (strategic), it’s of man (flesh) and not of the Spirit.

But again, a review of the Scripture reveals that the claimed divide between organic and strategic is a false dichotomy. In fact, a review of Paul’s ministry at Ephesus demonstrates the “both and” principle (Acts 19:1-7; Eph. 5:18).

Have you ever met people who claimed to be followers of Jesus, but there just seemed to be something missing that made you wonder if they were really submitted to Him? When Paul returned to Ephesus, he found some disciples and asked the curious question “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” On no other occasion do we have a record of Paul making this inquiry. What prompted him to ask?

Presumably, there appeared to be something missing in their spiritual lives that prompted the question. Perhaps they didn’t seem to be submitted to Christ as Lord, or empowered by the Spirit for Christian living, or perhaps Paul had some discernment about what was lacking. These disciples at Ephesus confessed their ignorance of the Holy Spirit (verse 2).

Yet, the text indicates they were disciples and implies they were believers. They understood the need for repentance and desired to follow Jesus (verse 4). But they were apparently seeking to become mature followers of Christ by either the power of self-discipline or man’s efforts rather than the power of God’s Spirit.

And Paul recognized the problem. Subsequently, the Holy Spirit came upon them and was manifest (verse 6).

Jesus declared that His followers would receive power to represent Him when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). He likened it to being baptized with the Holy Spirit or being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 2:4).

We believe that the baptism, or filling of the Spirit, is distinct from salvation, but it may occur at the same time or subsequent to being saved. The work of the Holy Spirit empowers Christian living. Jesus affirmed that the Holy Spirit was available to those who sought this gift from God and were yielded to Him (Luke 11:9-13).

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he instructed them as follows: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18).

The Greek reveals that it’s a commandment, and the tense can be translated “Being constantly filled with the Spirit.” The terminology of being filled might cause some to assume that we can leak the Holy Spirit, like a car engine can leak a quart of oil. Or we might think that the issue is how much of the Holy Spirit a believer has. Nevertheless, the issue isn’t how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us the Holy Spirit has.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit flows from being submitted to Jesus. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be disciples and to make disciples.

Once the believers at Ephesus were filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul began an intentional process of mentoring them to become mature followers of Christ (Acts 19:8-10). Paul taught the Scriptures daily to make disciples and develop leaders at Ephesus.

The Bible helps us to understand God and know His commandments. Thus, Bible learning is critical to being a disciple. For example, it is through the Scriptures generally, and Ephesians specifically, that we learn how being filled with the Spirit is manifest in praise, gratitude, mutual respect, marriage, family, and the workplace (Eph. 5:17-6:9).

But having knowledge, apart from the power of the Spirit, to apply the lessons is futile. So, making disciples requires us to be both filled with the Spirit and intentional (“both and”).

The filling of the Spirit is so critical to disciple-making that Paul issued a sober warning: “And don’t be drunk with wine in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit …” (Eph. 5:18). Please pardon the pun about “sober” warning, for the issue is not limited to excessive alcohol consumption. Paul’s exhortation is connected to the earlier cautions to live carefully in wisdom, redeem the time, and understand and do the will of God (Eph. 5:15-17).

Excessive alcohol consumption is an obstacle to being controlled by God, and is sin. And Paul notes that being drunk is dissipation. Dissipation relates to squandering energy, time, money, or other resources.

The only way to avoid wasting resources and wasting a life is to be intentional to live as Christ’s disciples, disciples who make disciples. And the only way to be a disciple is to be controlled by God or filled with the Spirit.

Thus, the moral of this story is that sometimes “both and” is better than “either or.”

Lifework

1. How can disciples neglect the need for the filling of the Spirit?
2. Why is it helpful to have an intentional process, along with the filling of the Spirit, to help become a disciple?
3. How do you believe that being filled with the Spirit and intentionally going through the discipleship process would help you in making disciples?

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. You can find part 1 and part 2 here: Part 1 Part 2

(Originally published on March 7, 2016)

Practicing Priesthood

In the previous posts in this series, we looked at the need to set the culture in regards to depression, as well as provide training for the church. Now we come to the third aspect to consider, namely, we are a royal priesthood and are called to act as priests toward one another (1 Pet. 2:9). These are the trenches of one-anothering. Our maturing and training is lived out within a culture for the purpose of aiding one another in growth. A person struggling with depression feels isolated and alone. They scream out into the darkness, “Why?!” not, “How?!” He or she is not looking for steps but for meaning. We can easily err in this priestly role and try to be engineers—dealing symptomatically to restore normalcy. In walking with someone who suffers with depression, the priest seeks to help with the deeper struggle.

Recently Jennifer (not her real name), who battles depression, told me that, “It feels like I can’t live, but I can’t die either. My heart is continually ripped out over and over again.” Such words echo Bunyan’s Giant Despair in The Pilgrim’s Progress, “Why should you choose life, seeing it is accompanied by so much bitterness?” The Proverbs tell us that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Pro. 13:12). Such hearts need voices of hope, to speak into their pain. In endeavoring to impart hope, we must ensure that the hope we impart is Gospel hope.

We can easily impart false or trite hopes in an effort to lighten spirits. Gospel hope, however, is the sustaining wind that carries us through the storm to our desired haven (Psalm 107:30).

Below are four different ways we can seek to unveil this hope:

Befriending

Just this week, I spoke with Edward (not his real name) whose neighbour committed suicide. Edward, oblivious to his neighbour’s depression, assumed his neighbour was simply avoiding relationship. While he may have been avoiding relationship, it was expressive of his isolation. But the greater our suffering, the greater will be our sense of feeling alone. Hope says, “You are not alone.” “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Pro 17:17). Befriending one who suffers, brings Christ near to them through his Body. God said he would never leave us nor forsake us (Deut 31:6). He declares us His friends (John 15:15). We can model the hope of God’s presence in befriending those struggling with depression.

Remembering

Second, when we remember people, it tells them that, even though we are out of sight, they are still in mind. In Ed Welch’s book, Side by Side, he says, “If we are affected by someone’s suffering, we will remember it, which is one of the great gifts that we give to each other” (pg. 103). The Apostle Paul certainly communicated this in his prayers for the church, “I always remember you in my prayers” (I Tim 1:3, see also Eph 1:16; Phil 1:4). Remembering communicates,“You matter.” It is certainly true that we are created for a purpose, and we are meant to be shaped by one another (Pro 27:17). Remembering brings solidarity, and there is beauty in solidarity, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them… since you also are in the body” (Heb 13:3).

Sufferers of depression often feel that they are incapable of expressing their anguish. Our remembering their anguish says that at some level, “I feel your pain.” Knowing another feels their pain helps unbolt the doors of solitude. This too is a reminder that we have a high priest who can, “Sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb 4:15). The fact that weaknesses is plural means we cannot exclude a category of weakness (such as depression), from Christ’s sympathies.

Grace Hunting

Third, as we enter into their pain, we obtain a new vantage point. Our first response tends to be going on an idol hunt. We want to find the sin or the idol that is at the heart. Whilst there is a place for this, the depressed person is likely heavily engaged in morbid introspection and thus would be greatly helped seeing signs of God’s grace at work in them. Saying something like, “You are so courageous. God has given you grace this week to get out of bed and get the kids to school.” We want to commend manifested grace where we see it. For those who feel hopeless and alone, this is a reminder that God is near and working even in the mundane.

Jesus’ Suffering

Fourth, the suffering of Jesus is both our example and help. We may want to speak of the glories of heaven obtained by Jesus’ suffering. But there is also consolation in Christ’s suffering itself. Spurgeon, who suffered from depression, said, “It is an unspeakable consolation that our Lord Jesus knows this experience.” Zack Eswine, in his book Spurgeon’s Sorrows writes, “To feel in our being that the God to whom we cry has Himself suffered as we do enables us to feel that we are not alone and that God is not cruel.” Here we can begin to see our burden as belonging to him.

When Amy Carmichael struggled with an unbearable burden in India, she considered Christ and his burden bearing in the Garden, “Under one of those trees our Lord Jesus knelt, and He knelt alone. And I knew that this was His burden not mine. It was He who was asking me to share it with Him, not I who was asking Him to share it with me.” She found great comfort knowing that she was partaking in the sufferings of Christ. Jesus not only knows our pain, he endured it, and we kneel beside him in it.

Continuing Work

God is a redeeming God, who continually works his redemption into us. As we walk with depression sufferers, God is not only continuing to work in them, he is continuing to work in us. We mutually grow, building one another up in our most holy faith, as we await the day when all sin, sickness, and death gives way to the glorious liberty of the children of God (Rom 8:21).

In this episode, we are joined by Brenda Leavenworth, Jody Ponce, and Rosemary Cady to discuss how we can more effectively disciple through generational shifts. We pray that this conversation encourages you to continue to lead with humility and transparency by the filling and empowerment of the Spirit.

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When She Leads is a podcast for women in ministry hosted by Brenda Leavenworth, Krista Fox, Jody Ponce, Rosemary Cady, and Kelly Bell.

Email us at whensheleadspodcast@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram at @whensheleads

Since one of the roles of CGN as a network is to provide care and coaching for those in ministry leadership, what is CGN doing to support women specifically, who are serving in ministry leadership?

In this episode Nick Cady and Kellen Criswell are joined by Brenda Leavenworth, who leads the Women’s Care and Coaching Team for CGN. They discuss some of the unique challenges that women face when it comes to serving in ministry, and what CGN is doing to provide resources and support to meet those needs.

They discuss some of the ways that women can be involved in leading in the local church within a complementarian framework, and Brenda shares some stories of ways in which this team has helped women, as well as how those listening can connect with what is being provided.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The CGN Statement on Women in Ministry Leadership
• CGN Mission & Methods episode on Women in Ministry Leadership: What CGN Leaders Believe
• When She Leads Conference in Temecula, CA – October 21-22, 2022
• When She Leads Podcast

We’d love to hear feedback from you on these episodes. You can email us at CGN@44.229.177.13

Right now it seems as though the Church is changing in many dramatic ways, and it can feel a bit scary. The thing is, the Church has always been changing. Regardless of the tradition you come from, it has changed. Historically, we can see that the Church reconsiders doctrines, and it reflects and reforms. Martin Luther — the great reformer — knew this. The Reformation was a mammoth shift in the way the Western Church looked: It was a shaking, a sifting and ultimately, a renewal.

There is much discourse in the contemporary Church about the “falling away” of young people from Christian belief. A Barna Group survey from 2019 shows that 64% of young people stop attending church between the ages of 18-24. The pandemic has also left a lasting mark on church attendance.

But perhaps the most relevant and influential shift that I see taking place in the contemporary Church is the shift of power dynamics away from the traditional senior pastor into a diffusion of influential voices across the digital space, from blogs to YouTube channels to podcasts. These days, some of the most influential voices in the Church are not pastors, and never will be pastors. Instead, many of them are podcasters.

What does it mean for the global Christian Church when many of its most influential voices do not have any particular church affiliation?

If you google the top 50 most popular Christian podcasts, you will find most of them are not associated with a church or run by a pastor. They are run by “Christian journalists, researchers, scholars, apologists, influencers and artists,” to name but a few.

Why are people choosing to listen to these podcasts? Why are they so popular among young Christians?

I believe these are questions the Church should be asking. It may be that many pastors already recognize that the seat of power and influence is moving to the digital space because large numbers of them are moving there too.

From Pastors to Podcasters

On December 24, 2021, the Washington Post published an article entitled “The first Christmas as a layperson: Burned out by the pandemic, many clergy quit in the past year.” On February 21, 2022, the Wall Street Journal ran an article entitled “Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic.” Even the secular outlets are noticing the changes.

The Wall Street Journal article reports that the pastors they interviewed repeatedly admitted that “the job of being a pastor, while always demanding, has become almost impossible during the pandemic: Relationships with and among parishioners have frayed, and political divisions have deepened, fueled by fights over Covid-19 protocols.” A Barna Group survey of Protestant pastors published in November 2021 found that 38 percent of Protestant senior pastors surveyed have considered leaving the ministry over the past year. Among pastors under age 45, that number rose to 46 percent.

I can think of quite a number of pastors who have stepped down in recent times. I am sure you can too. Many of them are starting non-profit organizations or different discipleship ministries outside the context of the local church. And, of course, many of them are starting podcasts.

These changes are in large part due to the pandemic we have just been through, which rapidly and dramatically shifted the “way” we do church. All over the globe, Sunday morning services transferred to the digital space. I ended up watching many different sermons, in addition to my own local church, as YouTube suggested videos to me. In many ways, it was wonderful to engage with other Christian voices and perspectives. It was also formational for my faith in unexpected ways, as I am sure it was for you too.

The point is, we are not the same. The Church is not the same. We have been through a dramatic season of change. And we need more than ever to meet God in the present, to find Him in what might seem like unfamiliar or confusing settings.

The secular journalist Ian Lovett (writer of the above-mentioned Wall Street Journal article) states that “The labour shortage within the clergy, which parallels shortages in other industries, is reshaping worship in some parts of the country as more congregations search for ways to operate without a pastor. Lay people are filling more roles and congregations are sharing leaders.”

How is the Church reshaping? Where is God taking us?

I would suggest that God is taking us to the MISSION FIELD. What do I mean by this? I do not mean that you need to get on a plane. No. This new season of dramatic change is our mission field.

In the past decade, we have watched the trickle in the decline of church membership turn to a geyser. Young people doubt their faith en masse. There is persecution and war. Dogmatism and confusion are epidemics because of the proliferation of digital echo chambers. Politics is king, and confusion abounds.

This is our mission field. This is the space that needs God’s truth spoken in love. It is the place that needs the light of the gospel, now more than ever.

A missionary must learn the place in which they are called to, i.e., the language, the culture, the people. But now, in 2022, we need to learn how to navigate the changed face of our culture so we can effectively reach it.

How do things work on the mission field?

First, I would say that everyone is used on the mission field. Hierarchies break down if you are ministering in the jungle, so anyone willing to serve is given a chance. The Church cannot afford to strain out a gnat when the world is in such desperate need. I would suggest that our hierarchies are already being undermined by all the podcasts our congregants are listening to anyway.

Paul, our great example in missions, was willing to use all kinds of people. He was innovative and flexible rather than rigid and legalistic. He had Timothy circumcised when he felt it would help the mission (Romans 3). He worked in a secular job outside of ministry (Acts 18). He spoke to secular politicians (Acts 26). He advocated for enslaved people to be freed and then used them in the ministry (Philemon). He willingly used women in extraordinary ways (Romans 16 and elsewhere). It was these early God-directed, flexible choices Paul made that enabled the successful spread of the early Church.

The Church in 2022 is still vitally important in the world.

How can we be a connected and useful body if we are just dispersed across the digital space?

In the digital space, we can choose not to be challenged by choosing to listen only to voices we fully agree with or affirm us completely. Yet, sometimes we need to be challenged. The body of Christ is bone, muscle, and sinew that are closely connected and work together for God’s Kingdom (1 Corinthians 12).

If the real live Church is to continue toward renewal, we must be willing to have a missionary mentality because 2022 is our mission field.

So let us throw open our doors, roll up our sleeves, and decide to work together. We need everyone in this mission. We need all the outlets at our disposal. We need NGOs, podcasts, cathedrals, and school gymnasiums. The Church is made up of women and men, those with disabilities along with the able bodied, all colours, nationalities, genders, and races. We are the body of Christ, together reaching out to this contemporary mission field.

In 2022, we need everyone. The harvest is ripe, but the labourers are few. But God is in control. He will bring renewal from this turmoil, but it will not be a return to something: It will be a new work.

And all of us are needed on the field to work together for God’s Kingdom.

Bibliography:

Boorstein, Michelle. “The first Christmas as a layperson: Burned out by the pandemic, many clergy quit in the past year.” Washington Post. December 24, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2021/12/24/christmas-covid-pandemic-clergy-quit/

Lovett, Ian. “Houses of Worship Face Clergy Shortage as Many Resign During Pandemic.” Wall Street Journal. February 21, 2022.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/houses-of-worship-face-clergy-shortage-as-many-resign-during-pandemic-11645452000

Calvary Chapel has been recognized as one of the greatest church planting movements of recent times. What are we at CGN doing to make sure we keep this aspect of our heritage alive in this generation, and in those to come? How can we, as a network, use the relationships and resources God has given us, to encourage, train, and support the planting of Bible teaching, gospel-centered churches – around the world?

In this episode Nick Cady and Kellen Criswell discuss one of the key initiatives that CGN is developing called: Cultivate. Cultivate is a program designed to assess, train, and deploy new church planters and missionaries — using the local church as the garden in which those leaders are cultivated. Kellen and Nick explain the design and heart behind the Cultivate program, as well as how to get more information and register.

Listen for a clip from Pastor Chuck Smith from the 1980’s, in which he talks about how many Calvary Chapel churches had been planted back then, and what he envisioned for the future.

New episodes come out every two weeks, on Wednesday mornings. Make sure to subscribe, and new episodes will be delivered to you as soon as they are released.

Well everyone, as you know the season of Easter is upon us!

My colleagues and I over at Calvary Global Network were, talking about ways we could serve the pastors in our network during this busy time, and we had a thought: there is so much pressure on preachers to come up with an Easter sermon every year that is both fresh and also impactful / evangelistic. Combine that with the busyness of Easter and it can create quite a challenging season for leaders.

With that in mind I sat down to have a conversation with Mike Neglia and Nick Cady, two pastors in our church family, and some of the leaders of The Expositors Collective, a fantastic ministry/movement all about helping preachers do their absolute best with their calling and craft.

We had a great discussion about Easter, and we’ve decided to release is as several small video clips for you to check out. We hope this helps you as you lean into the Easter season and seek after Jesus for what He has for your Church this year!

1.How do you approach your easter sermons?

2. How do you keep Easter fresh?

Mike and Nick also discuss their differences on the topic of lent in this one!

3. What are some unique ways to approach Good Friday?

4. What gets you excited about Easter?

5. What’s the worst Easter sermon you’ve ever preached?

Editor’s note: Nick Cady has a story in this one that simply can’t be missed… haha.

6. How do you help kids appreciate Easter?

Great question, especially for pastors with children.

7. How do you help your church staff enjoy easter when they are so busy planning it?

Editors note: The CGN team wanted to take this opportunity to introduce our audience to Tommy Green and his organization “Run Against Traffic,” which does excellent work helping victims of sex trafficking. If you’d like to learn about their work and how you can help by participating in a simple yet effective fundraiser (at no cost to you), read on!

——

A Heart for the Wounded

Physically Healed, Emotionally Restored, Spiritually Aligned. In Community.

This is what the fruit of righteousness and the justice of Christ can look like in the lives of those in need. We’ve seen it first hand with victims of sex trafficking.

In the human trafficking space, especially in the USA, there are a multitude of issues that confront those seeking to bring about transformation to lives, systems, nations, and the world at large. The problem that we at “Run Against Traffic” are committed to tackling is that if we “saved” all those “enslaved,” there are not enough places for them to go to be fully restored to experience true restoration, healing, and integration to a more beautiful life.

Many of us in the church know that merely “Saving Souls” can sound more exciting and vital than all of the hard work that comes after. We’d argue that the long-term work of healing, balance, hope, discipline, and connecting in community takes a lifetime, and that is where the real vital work lies for all of us, regardless of our background. Discipleship is often a harder sell than evangelism to people in the church, but I strongly feel it is more critical for the long-term health of any genuine movement.

To put a broken soul back together again can take a lifetime, and we need patient and healthy systems of healing and community to stay the course for the long haul.

Who We Are

The work of Run Against Traffic started in 2015, and our experience working with survivors has shown that while the recovery can go swimmingly, without long-term aftercare in place, it can all fall apart dramatically and quickly.

Our goal at Run Against Traffic has been to create a foundation raising finances and resources and building community activists to match the sea of human need caught in the crime of Human Trafficking. Our efforts are directed specifically to fund USA aftercare and see adequate programs established for the people enslaved in our country through force, fraud, or coercion.

These precious image-bearers are many times hiding in plain sight. This problem is complex, and it will take all of us working together to adequately understand and address this and see these crimes ended and put in a museum for future generations to marvel over.

The Time is Now

When Covid hit many of the predatory and fraudulent targeting behaviors that fuel predators and national/international trafficking became more potent in the digital space. The landscape changed as humans were stuck at home or trapped without the ability to get to school, connect with teachers, school administrators, or have home visits from social workers, etc.

Social Media became the feeder system in a more pronounced way. It was during this pandemic that Run Against Traffic was given an incredible opportunity.

We were approached by a new independent social media platform called PYVOTT. They told us that for the month of December through January 11, they would donate $1 to our foundation for every single download of their free app.

This is significant for the masses of us who care about this issue and the millions of us who are so tired of the toxic and disconnected culture of the current social media climate. We believe having a new social media company with a value system to see healing and change in our world and use social media for good is a powerful statement of change and action.

As we work together, we will see victims coming out of these horrific experiences physically healed, emotionally restored, spiritually aligned, and in community with us all again.

Immediate Call To Action

Download the Pyvott App on your phone right now for a new social media experience.

With that simple act, you are partnering with us to contribute to the long-term aftercare of Human Trafficking Survivors.

Our goal is to raise $100,000 by downloads in this campaign, and we NEED you. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Tommy Green

Ever finished a project and thought: Is that it? The result just did not compare to the excitement that first inspired action. This is especially true if years of faithfulness, study, and prayer enabled the vision to become reality, but it was not quite what was expected. This kind of disappointment can lead to introspection.

Disappointment That Leads to Soul-Searching

I can think of a few examples in ministry such as preparing a group for outreach and then hearing about their experience of God’s great provision and the miracle of hearts touched by the Gospel. Yet, a few months after their return, the mission team’s lives do not appear to have profoundly changed as hoped. Another example might be during Bible study. A word or passage exegeted with skill opens a whole new understanding and fills hearts with joy. Then, through poor sermon delivery, lack of coffee, or lack of attendance, the whole study falls flat, and people want to flee the room as quickly as they got there. But these scenarios are not limited to ministry. Disappointment is everywhere – There is the excitement of losing weight, followed by the reality of living on a diet, paying off debt, and learning to really say no, or finishing a year-end goal at work only to realise it cost more personally in terms of health and relationships than it ever should have.

These moments of disappointment that bring us to the place of soul-searching, can be, much later, an example of the way God changes us through his sanctifying Spirit. But during our introspection, there comes a moment when we just need a word of comfort. I believe this is what Paul must have felt in Acts 23:11. “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome’” (ESV).

Would not Paul’s service in Jerusalem be considered faithful? It seems strange that the Lord would say, “Take courage,” unless he meant it, and that would imply Paul was down. I am not suggesting Paul was feeling sorry for himself. The text simply does not allow that interpretation. However, I know that in his shoes, I would be tempted and possibly give in. William Hines offers some insight:

“Self-pity comes when we are overwhelmed by how circumstances affect us. We may become irrational, emotional, depressed, angry or all of the above. When someone is involved in self-pity, he does not have God’s perspective because he is so concerned with what is happening to him he forgets to see the whole picture.”¹

Perspective Changes Everything

Again, I do not think Paul had given into this sin, but I find the way the Lord ministered to Paul echoes what we need when we fall prey to self pity. We need the Lord to stand by us, and we need to hear his Word. That is the perspective that will change everything.

In fact, consider that the Lord stood beside him. The word “Paraclete” is not used in the text, but is not this the meaning of it, “one who comes alongside”? Is not this an example of the Comforter’s ministry promised by Jesus? All this would seem heavy-handed if not for the following night in Jerusalem, when Paul wrestled through all of the disappointed introspection in his heart.

Let us review how he got there. He made a plan (Acts 19:21, 20:16), confirmed that he had heard from the Lord (Acts 20:22, 21:13), although he was warned before he arrived in Jerusalem (Acts 21:4, 11), and brought the offering that he collected (2 Corinthians 8-9). Upon arriving in Jerusalem, he fellowshipped with the Church and testified of all that God did (Acts 21:19-20a). But, while there, he was arrested as he tried to worship in the temple (Acts 21:27-33). He tried to address the crowd but could not finish (Acts 22:1, 21-22), then was given a chance to talk to the Sanhedrin but caused a riot (Acts 23:10). Certainly, there was so much more the apostle would have loved to say. Certainly, he had hoped for a better response, yet Scripture gives us every indication that he was faithful. Jesus stood next to Paul that night. He did not chide him; there was no rebuke. Rather, Paul received an exhortation to take courage and the gift of knowing his next assignment—he must testify in Rome. To me, this says that Jesus did not see Paul’s work in Jerusalem as a disappointment.

Take heart, or be of courage, in Greek is one word: θάρσει (thar-sey-i). It is in the present tense, second person singular, imperative, meaning Jesus is telling him personally, even commanding him. The root word θαρσέω (thar-sey-o), according to the lexicon BDAG, means “to be firm or resolute in the face of danger or adverse circumstances, be enheartened, be courageous.” It is the same word used in Mathew 9:2 when Jesus heals a paralytic man, and in verse 22 of the same chapter, when Jesus calls out the woman in the crowd who reached out to touch him. When Jesus says this word in the Gospels, he is not just cheering someone up: He is healing and ministering to their soul. In fact, one of the most touching uses of θάρσει in the Septuagint is in Zephaniah 3:16 where God comforts Israel with the promise of their deliverance. “On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.’” I believe it is in this way the Lord speaks to Paul in the night to bring him courage.

What did Paul do after this word? He went back to work and dealt with the next bit of drama thrown his way, notably an uncovered plot of some assassins in alliance with the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:12-26). Yet, that little situation got him out of Jerusalem (Acts 23:23) and closer to the day he would appeal to Cesar (Acts 25:11), and eventually, to the place of testifying in Rome.

A Time for Introspection and a Time for Courage

I believe there is a time for introspection and a time to not be afraid of disappointment because of the courage the Lord gives. Pete Scazzero describes a similar experience that he calls “the wall”—an invisible barrier that every believer hits at one moment that leads to “the dark night of the soul.” As the believer moves through the wall, Scazzero observes: “Our great temptation is to quit or go backward, but if we remain still, listening for his voice, God will insert something of himself into our character that will mark the rest of our journey with him.”² Therein lies our hope for survival. It is what God produces in our lives. Even if we can expect to pass through these times like Paul in Acts, Luke left us an open door of hope. God’s Word is the deposit, producing healing encouragement.

I believe the encouragement the Lord gave to Paul, as well as to the people Jesus healed, is also the same word he would give to us in our weakness, like in Zephaniah. Be courageous. Why? Because he is the Lord, and the work belongs to him (Ephesians 2:10). The result we are looking at in the long night of introspection and disappointment may not be accurate. Just like in the physical world, the darkness obscures our vision, and so it is in “the dark night of the soul.” In the Lord’s sovereignty, he is the Judge and the Sender. He sees clearly. That is why we can rest in his encouragement and in his peace for our soul. How do we get there? It is by means of our daily walk, trusting him implicitly. Take heart, the night will pass, and the wonderful life-giving work of the Lord will continue as we meditate on his Word, each day a little more, until his glorious coming.

NOTES

_{¹ William Hines, Leaving Yesterday Behind: A Victim No More (Oxford: Christian Focus Publications, 1997), 1463, Kindle.}

_{² Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014), 105.}

The Leadership Collective podcast is a roundtable discussion with seasoned pastors, focusing on the nuts and bolts issues of ministry. Each month, we tackle the common challenges that leaders face and discover the practical lessons they’ve learned along the way.

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CGN is a family of churches working together for Gospel-centered renewal.

One of the primary ways to see global Gospel-centered renewal realized effectively is in the formation of healthy, autonomous, Gospel-centered churches – both locally and overseas.

This fall CGN is excited to introduce and implement a new Church Planter Training Program called “Cultivate”.

The vision of Cultivate is to see these churches planted not haphazardly or in solitude, but in partnership with the local church. Thus, our mission is to create a program which empowers local churches to assess, train, and deploy new church planters and missionaries.

Coaching / Training
The process begins with a three-step assessment and is characterized throughout by a methodical, relational, and pastoral approach to training the “church planter in training” based on their unique needs, in order to equip them with the character, skills, and knowledge necessary to fulfill their calling. Training will take place via a curated experience using resources primarily (but not exclusively) from Western Seminary’s Center for Leadership Development (CLD), some of which will be designed and taught by CGN leaders. A team of CGN leaders will oversee this process in conjunction with the local church in which the church planter in training is based.

The training portion is a two-semester, eight month training, focused on the head and the heart with an optional summer internship (a four-week intensive experience) in an applicable context (e.g. urban, foreign, etc).

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The Expositors Collective is a growing network of pastors, leaders, and laypeople which exists to equip, encourage, and mentor the next generation of Christ-centered preachers. We provide resources through our weekly podcast, our two-day intentional training seminars, and interactive webinars.

Our next Training Weekend for young preachers (men and women 18-34 years old) at Rocky Mountain Calvary in Colorado Springs on September 17-18, 2021 will be a hybrid event: both online and in-person. In this interactive seminar, attendees will meet in groups and build ongoing relationships.

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Leaders from all across Calvary Global Network share insights, perspectives, and best practices.

Listen to conversations with CGN Director, Kellen Criswell, as he talks with CGN Leaders on the upcoming leadership training opportunities at the Calvary Chapel CGN International Conference, happening on June 28-July 1! Listen below or on:

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Cinthya Rios from the Spanish Translation Team shares what will be offered in Spanish at this year’s Calvary Chapel CGN International Conference.

Learn more and register at conference.calvarychapel.flywheelsites.com