Success Is in Numbers

The Bible teaches about success in many places, but since I’ve been reading in the Old Testament recently, today we’ll look at Moses’ example - in the Book of Numbers. : )

Moses had an amazingly close relationship with God. Yes, at first Moses was hesitant to obey God (back when God spoke to him at the burning bush), but throughout the rest of the Pentateuch, Moses was pretty obedient to God. For the most part, God told him to do something, and he did it*.

Yet, Moses faced disappointment again and again.

Moses told the Israelites how they were supposed to relate to God, but the Israelites rebelled against Moses (the authority figure God put over them – so, in essence, they rebelled against God). Just think of how often the Israelites grumbled and complained. Their disobedience cost them 40 years of wandering in the desert. God essentially said, “Moses, since your congregation now isn’t obeying Me, I’m going to let them die off in the wilderness and start with a new generation.”

Was all of Moses’ hard work for nothing?

God never told Moses that he was doing something wrong or should have done something differently. Moses wasn’t blamed for Israel’s hard-heartedness.

I think we can learn a valuable lesson from Moses. We are called to be obedient, not “successful,” because success in the world’s eyes has so many definitions depending on who you are trying to please. When you are trying to please One Person, success is a lot simpler. Just be obedient to what God has called you to do.

Moses spent a lot of time with God. God spoke with him “as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). That’s an intimate relationship. We cannot be passive about knowing what obedience looks like in our lives. Spend time studying the Bible, praying, listening to the exhortation of others, and fellowshipping with other believers.

Also, don’t quit if you feel led to start a Bible study or prayer group and no one shows up the first week. Believe me - that can be discouraging. Just remember that you are called to be obedient. Yeah, you might need to advertise more or talk to some people to invite them to your group, but don’t beat yourself up. God looks at your obedience to Him – not how many people were in your Sunday school class last week.

Success is not measured in the amount of people in your Bible study or how many people you have influence over.

Biblical success is measured in obedience.

*One exception was when Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:11). And He was severely punished for his disobedience.

How Do I Apply All This?

Being a Christian Studies major, I study the Bible a lot. I absolutely love my classes, but sometimes they can be overwhelming.

You see, with great learning comes great responsibility. : ) James said that Christians should be doers of the Word and not hearers only (James 1:22, 25). So, when I hear probably 20 “sermons” every week (going to class, listening at chapel, going to church, and reading the Bible for myself), I hear about a lot of things that I should be doing. And all of them are true. I know I should be doing/thinking all of these things. But how can I apply them all at the same time?

I can’t. But I CAN apply one thing at a time. And I know all the other knowledge is getting stored in my brain somewhere for another time when God grows me in another area in my life. Sometimes it takes a semester (or a year… or more!) of pondering a concept and learning more about it before I understand that thought. 

For those of you who are majoring in Christian Studies or going to seminary or Bible college, etc., don’t be discouraged. I know if I'm trying to apply 10 things at once, I'm not even going to remember how I was trying to grow. Instead, let God guide you in knowing what you are supposed to learn and apply to your life right now. Choose a couple things at a time to work on.

And to those who aren’t studying the Bible full-time (which is probably the majority of those reading this), I give the same exhortation. I’m sure you know someone who seems "super-spiritual" – a person who reads the Bible and prays for three hours a day, teaches Sunday school, and gives the perfect counseling advice. Don’t think that you have to become that person in one day (See “Lies vs. Truth: Being Perfect”). Work on a couple things at a time.

Lies vs. Truth: Being Perfect

Lie #1: I know people who are perfect and never mess up.

Lie #2: I can be perfect if I try hard enough.

Lie #3: If I’m not perfect, I’m not being a good Christian.

Like the ladies from www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com like to say, Satan tells lies. God tells us the truth.

Let’s search for truth.

In my life, I’ve gotten to know, read, and hear about some awesome, "super-spiritual" people who love the Lord. They have intimate relationships with God, and their nearness to Him is evident in how they treat others. They appear as if they never mess up.

I have the tendency to compare myself to those people. When I look at them, I feel like I am so far away from Christ. I mean, if that person can study the Bible for 2 hours in the morning and have time to spend with family, why can’t I? How does that person pray for so long without getting distracted like I do? How does he even find time to finish reading a book about doctrine, theology, or Christian living when I have trouble finishing my homework on time?

So, I search to see how they do it. I need to wake up at this time, read my Bible for this long, pray for this amount of time, read these books… and the list goes on. I get overwhelmed, so I stop trying. And I get discouraged.

What went wrong? I’ve been listening to lies when I need to be preaching the truth to myself.

Lie #1: I know people who are perfect and never mess up.

Truth #1: The only perfect person I know is Jesus Christ. And He was fully God and fully man. The other godly examples in my life do mess up because they are sinful creatures - just like me.

Lie #2: I can be perfect if I try hard enough.

Truth #2: No matter how much I try, I cannot become perfect on my own. Our calling to be holy rests on the premise that Christ has ransomed us from our sinful ways (1 Peter 1:15-19) – not because of what we can accomplish.

Lie #3: If I’m not perfect, I’m not being a good Christian.

Truth #3: I shouldn’t strive to be a “good Christian” - I should strive to follow Christ out of love for Him (because of His grace to me!). I can follow Christ and still mess up sometimes. Sanctification (becoming holy, set apart, more like Christ) is a process. It doesn’t happen all at once.

Windy Words

Recently, I listened to a sermon by John Piper (http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/spiritual-depression-in-the-psalms) in which he talked about "words for the wind" - words that people who are grieving say, but don't truly mean. Piper's main passage in his sermon was Psalm 42, which I think is a great example of the thoughts of a person who is grieving. 

The sons of Korah wrote Psalm 42, but they wrote it to be sung in first person. So, for my purposes, I'll refer to the person in the psalm as "the singer."

The singer in Psalm 42:9 asks God, "Why have you forgotten me?" From this question, the singer sounds like he is questioning if God really cares for him or if God has given up on him - he seems to think that God has left him! However, in the previous verse, the singer states, "By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life." (8) Obviously, he knows that God is with him and is working in his life all the time.
So, is the singer contradicting himself?
Yes and no.

I think this is a knowing versus feeling issue.
The singer knows that God is always with him, directing his steps and working in his life. But, at the moment, he doesn't really feel that way. He feels like God is far from him.

John Piper referred to a verse in Job that helps explain the concept of a person speaking from pain. Job certainly went through a lot of pain. He lost his family, wealth, and health in a very short time period. His friends came to offer him comfort, but they were pretty lousy counselors. They criticized Job for everything he said that they could find fault in. Job asked his friends, "Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?" (Job 6:26) Job offered his friends (and us) an issue of consideration. Often, a person in pain will say something he doesn’t really mean because that person is speaking from emotions. Emotions aren't bad necessarily, and everyone has emotions, but those feelings can be misleading. A thought that a person speaks might be "wind" - something easily blown away, without substance. That person might say a “windy word” without meaning what he said.

The singer in Psalm 42 knows that God will never leave him; just, at the moment, he feels like God is not near.

So, if you are comforting a friend who is going through a great loss or a tough situation, be careful not to criticize his words that are untrue (maybe even heretical). At the moment, he or she is probably speaking from emotions. You have to know that person and where he stands with God - do you think he really believes that? The moment when you are comforting/counseling a person who is suffering is probably not the time to correct him on a sentence he said but probably regrets that he said out loud (because he didn't really mean it).

Also, don't beat up yourself if thoughts come into your mind that you know aren't true. Speak truth to yourself. Meditate on God’s Word. And realize that those thoughts are probably your emotions speaking. Instead of listening to your thoughts, preach truth to yourself!

WHY I Use The Swedish Method

In the previous post, I explained how to use the Swedish Method. Now, I'd like to talk about why I use it - and encourage you to use it, too!

Here are 5 reasons I use The Swedish Method.

1. Simplicity.
The Swedish Method is straight-forward and easy to use. It's great for people just beginning to study the Bible for themselves. No word-studies or diagramming (which are very useful, but sometimes intimidating). You have to start with the basics: reading the passage for yourself.

2. Time.
Like I said in the "HOW to Use The Swedish Method" post, the leader MUST study the passage that the small group will be studying together. But, the leader doesn't have to teach a lesson - which can take a lot of time and effort to create. So, if you would like to start a Bible study but don't know how much preparation time you will have, this might be a good option for you.

3. Flexibility.
Often, I use The Swedish Method to supplement a study I am teaching. I might teach for 15 minutes, then allow my small group to study the passage themselves. In other cases, we dive right into the passage, using all of our time reading and studying.

4. Effectiveness.
I cannot recall every instance I was shocked by an incredibly insightful remark someone made about a passage - there are too many to count! The various perspectives on a passage can be very helpful to others in the group.  (Disclaimer: I do NOT encourage the mindset of "What does this passage mean to you?" The passage teaches one thing. The applications may vary.)
Also, you get to know the spiritual insights of the people in your group. You might be surprised to find out how thoughtful your roommate, neighbor, or younger friend is.

5. Evangelism.
This method can be used for your friends who aren't Christians but want to know more about the Bible. Take them through the Gospel of John, and see what the Spirit of God might do in their lives.

Leading a Bible study can be intimidating! But there are simple tools you can use to get you started - The Swedish Method is just one of those. My objective here is not to make you a die-hard Swedish Method fan, but to show you a useful tool for Bible study so that you can lead one (or help lead one) of your own!

HOW to Use The Swedish Method

A tool that I find to be very effective in a small group Bible study setting is The Swedish Method. I was introduced to it years ago when my youth pastor started using it in the Sunday School class he led, and I have used it many times in leading Bible studies. It's a great way to introduce someone to the Bible or to teach someone how to study the Bible.

Here's how it works...

1. Choose the passage.
Think about your audience: For someone new to the Bible, a great place to start is in the Gospel of John. For others, an epistle or an Old Testament book like Genesis might be good.

2. Study the passage.
As the leader, I think it is crucial that you study the passage you are reading before you talk about it in your group. You cannot be prepared for every question someone might ask you, but you can be prepared for some of them! Also, you should encourage the people in your small group to read the passage on their own during the week.

3. Read the passage together.
When you meet as a small group, read the passage aloud. The passage should be limited to 10 or so verses. I usually do about half a chapter, depending on what the chapter is about. If we are studying in John, I will make sure we read enough to understand what is going on in the story. Sometimes this takes time explaining what is going on before and after. But, if you are going through John chapter-by-chapter, your group will know the context of the specific chapter of the week.

4. Draw some pictures.
Everyone will need a piece of paper, a pen/pencil, and a Bible. Each person reads the passage by himself (allow a few minutes for people to read the passage), looking for 3 basic ideas in that passage and writing down what he discovers.

     1) First, draw a light bulb.
The light bulb represents whatever stands out to you in the passage. It can be a word or a concept or really anything that stands out to the reader. Encourage your small group to write down why that specific word or phrase stood out to them.

     2) Next, draw a question mark.
Under this, the small group members write down any questions they have about the passage or a question they would like to ask the author of that book/epistle.

     3) Last, draw an arrow.
The arrow represents application. The small group members write down how something in this passage applies to their lives.

5. Talk about it.
As the leader, your job is to encourage conversation about the passage based on what your small group saw in the passage. You can answer questions and help people understand hard concepts.

P.S. This was my simplified version of explaining how to apply The Swedish Method in your small group Bible study. There are other more detailed resources that help you understand how you can use this method effectively.

New Blog Post?!

Some things have changed since I blogged about my adventures in Zambia back in the summer of 2013. I switched my major to Christian Studies in the fall of 2014. I've had 2 more years of college. I haven't been back to Zambia (or on any other foreign mission trips), but I do stay busy with ministry opportunities where I live.

Initially, I created this blog to keep the people who supported my trip to Zambia informed about what I did there. Now, I would like to switch things up. In this blog, I'll share lessons I have learned from ministry experiences, ideas for studying the Bible and leading a small group/Bible study, and my thoughts about recent events and other random things. : )

I am certainly not a scholar. But, I hope that this blog will be a good resource for you, whether it sparks a conversation or gives you an idea for your Sunday School class. Thanks for taking time to read.