"Just Call Me Barney"

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:3-6 NLT)

The most famous “Barney” I know about is the one who hung out with Andy Griffith.  You know, the Deputy Sheriff who was only allowed one bullet for his gun, and that bullet was carried in his shirt pocket instead of in the gun!  Barney Fife was his name.  That’s NOT the Barney I’m talking about.

There are only two types of people in this world.  The ones who make you glad when they show up, and the ones who make you glad when they leave.  The first type looks for the best in people and circumstances, and the second drains you and seeks the worst.  When you see some people coming toward you, you look for a fast get-away or a place to hide because you know you’ll be hearing a lot of criticism and complaining.  But, there are others who immediately raise your spirit when they arrive and you are blessed, and encouraged.  We love being around those people.

In the New Testament, there was a guy named Joseph.  He fell into the category of the type of person that makes you feel better about yourself and about life, than the other type.  He was such a great source of encouragement that his buddies gave him a nickname.  They started calling him Barnabas, which means, “Son of Encouragement.”  Now that’s what I call a great nickname  (You and I might have called him Barney).  If you read about Barnabas, he was a lover, an encourager, and an all-around good guy.  He loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart and wanted to be a blessing to everyone he touched.  That’s the kind of person I want to be.

So, if you’re looking for a nickname for me… please, just call me “Barney!”  

JC

The Most Dangerous Person at Christwalk

As a pastor, it is important to know who is mingling with the flock.  Part of the responsibility of a shepherd is to know what the sheep are eating, what influences shape their world and, which, if any, sheep have problems that affect the entire flock.  Recently, I’ve been made aware of a very dangerous person at Christwalk.

For sure, some of the folks at Christwalk injure themselves with self-inflicted wounds because of a lack of knowledge.  They will even injure others because of ignorance.  Some of the sheep hurt themselves because of a lack of commitment to the call on their life… and they hurt others because of this lack of commitment.  Then, there are those who don’t really know the Bible.  They get all they get when I teach from the platform and they starve themselves throughout the week.  That’s dangerous!

However, I’m not really talking about one particular person, as much as, one particular type of person.  The most dangerous person at Christwalk is the person who is “unteachable.”  You know, they really believe they have it all figured out.  They have a strong grasp on God, spirituality, the church, and their place in the world.  They are the ones who say “Don’t confuse me with facts. I know what I believe.”

The most dangerous person at Christwalk seems to have a lot of Bible knowledge.  They can use big Bible words and make a good argument.  They are often involved and seem to have it all together.  However, they are dangerous because they will not allow themselves to learn something new.  They are unteachable.  Here’s a few thoughts:

1.     Making disciples includes learning.  You can’t be a disciple without being a student, a learner.  We never “get it all”.  We are always learning, even the leaders and pastors.

2.    The unteachable person has a critical way about them.  Although he might sit quietly and listen to the message or teaching, he is quick to pick apart everything when he gets out in the car or back at home.  James 1:21 says “…humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts…”  It seems like nobody knows ‘how to do it’ better than the unteachable one.

3.    The unteachable person is divisive.  They obviously have influence in the church.  However, because he is unteachable, he does not allow the wisdom of God to influence him and, because he already “arrived”, he will not listen.

4.    He takes up much time and energy that should be going elsewhere.  The unteachable person will rehash, again and again, the little things that are important to them.  Instead of being busy in the harvest, they are busy with pet projects and private concerns.

Let’s make up our mind that we will not be the “unteachable” one.  Let’s humble ourselves in the sight of God, consider other people’s ideas better than our own, and understand that God’s ways are so high above ours that we can never “get it all” while still in this life.  We will be better for it and the flock will be better for it!

JC

(Special thanks to Erik Raymond of Emmaus Bible Church for his article and the idea for this entry)