It’s going to be a busy weekend here.  Both Kim and I will be attending conferences.  Women in Ministry, the women’s organization at the seminary, is hosting a TULIP seminar.  I’m excited because it will be a cool opportunity for Kim to learn about the basics of Calvinism and Reformed Theology.  And I am attending a conference entitled “Homosexuality and the Church.”  They are going to be discussing ways the church can both full of grace and truth in this most sensitive and important of issues.

In my last post, I mentioned the questionnaire I received from a prospective church and a couple of the questions included. It was one of the other questions that provided the opportunity for part 2 of my 434 (or at least 3) part series on Biblical leadership principles…

God, in His sovereignty, has given His church two different accounts of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. Each of these accounts teaches us about humanity and our relation both to God and to the world into which we were placed.

Genesis 1 emphasizes man as one created with authority. Consider Gen. 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” God created humanity with authority and commissioned them to rule of his creation. Man and Woman were to serve as the vice-regents of God’s kingdom here on earth.

Compare that with the picture of Genesis 2, which emphasizes man as one under authority. In verses 16-17 we read, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.’” Man, for all the authority given to him to rule over creation in Genesis 1, is not the ultimate authority. Man is subject to God.

There is an important leadership principle in there. Leaders are given authority, sometimes positional authority and sometimes authority that falls outside of any formal organizational structures. Yet, for all their authority and influence, they are never the “final answer.” They always remain under God’s authority.

Too many leaders, especially Christian leaders, have fallen into sin. And it is usually precisely because they begin to believe their own hype and begin to see themselves as the ultimate. But they aren’t. They are accountable to God himself and their should always be other humans to whom they report (be it an elder board or a pastoral team). When a Christian leader falls, it is almost without fail the case that they have no accountability.

Leaders are given incredible authority to rule in the particular area into which God has called them. Yet leaders with authority are always to be leaders under God’s authority.

A couple of weeks ago on Smallville, Lex and Lana were hosting a party to celebrate their engagement. During the party, Lex stands up to toast Lana and says, “I know some of you never thought you’d see the day when I settle down. Well, this is far from settling.” He goes on to speak of Lana’s virtues.

But the point here for us is that we often “settle” for far less that the life God intends for us. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The irony of our lives is that we demand the ephemeral, momentary glories of this fading age, too easily amused and seduced by the trivial, when ultimate joy is held out to us.”

Consider these verses below…
“A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10, The Message).

“Now to him who by his power within us is able to do infinitely more than we ever dare to ask or imagine – to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever, amen!” (Ephesians 3:20-21, JB Phillips).

God, the Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of the universe, stands before us with the promise of a more amazing life than we could ever dream of because He is more powerful than we can even imagine. Yet still we bow to the things of this world, thinking these idols will offer us meaning, purpose, significance and value. The 77s wrote a song, based on 1 John 2:16, called The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes and the Pride of Life that captures our vain pursuit of these worthless idols.

Well, I feel
Like I have to feel
Something good all of the time
With most of life I cannot deal
But a good feeling I can feel
Even though it may not be real
And if a person, place or thing can deliver
I will quiver with delight
But will it last me for all my life
Or just one more lonely night

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

Well, I see something and I want it
Bam! Right now!
No questions asked
Don’t worry how much it costs me now or later
I want it and I want it fast
I’ll go to any length
Sacrifice all that I already have
And all that I might get
Just to get
Something more that I don’t need
And Lord, please don’t ask me what for

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

And I love when folks
Look right at me
And what I’m doing
Or have done
And lay it on about
How groovy I am
And that I’m looking grand
And every single word
Makes me think I’ll live forever
Never knowing that they probably
Won’t remember what they said tomorrow
Tomorrow I could be dead

The lust, the flesh
The eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me

That’s me. I “settle” for anything that offers to make me feel good, even if it is just for a fleeting moment. Yet inevitably, these idols are impotent. They may make me feel good for a moment, yet are destroying my soul. We spend our lives in pursuit of the next titillating moment, the next adreneline rush, the next moment of satisfaction. But they will all fail, because they are all “settling” for second best. When we find our joy in Christ, the only One who will never leave us nor forsake us, now that, my friends, “is far from settling.”

Reflection: How have you compromised and “settled?” Because God is promising a life more amazing than you could ever dream of because he is more powerful than we can even imagine.

Application: This week, when tempted to settle for less, ask God to give you a joy that surpasses anything this world can offer.

I am in the process of sending out resumes and praying where God would send Kim and I after graduation from RTS. One church liked my resume and sent me a questionnaire for follow up to get to know me a little better. Here are actual questions from their questionnaire (there were some serious ones by the way).

What flavor of ice cream did God directly inspire?

Which vegetable gives greatest evidence of the Fall?

After several months of stalling, we finally have the JeantetFamily.com website online. Over the next days and months, this will be the home on the web of Steve and Kim. Check back often for Steve’s theological reflections or recipes from Kim.