Hey Friends,

We still have some room left at the Passion4Christ Summit ’11, and we would like to fill those spaces with you. So with that said, we have extended the registration deadline till October 15 just for you. Or maybe, you know someone you could tell about this great opportunity to come hear God’s word preached and worship and seek the Lord with His people. Another week and half for P4C reg. Help us spread the word about this opportunity!

For His Renowned,

Daniel

In our last visit on the issue concerning missional focus, we jumped right into the methodology of missions. However, in starting with the methodology, we have begged another question that needs to be answer: what is the central motivating focus of missional work and why do missions exist? This blog will only afford us to answer the first part of that question in regards to the gospel. Although both questions are so very closely related that they cannot be separated, we will build the foundation so as to strengthen our answer to the second part of the question when we visit again.

Christ is Preeminent

Understanding the gospel is pivotal to understanding the implications it has on missional work. To assume that everyone understands the gospel is unwise at best because of how the gospel has been marred in modern evangelicalism.

Paul gives us the essence of the gospel in Colossians 1 in its simplest form: Christ is preeminent. If Christ is not preeminent in your life, preaching, or any aspect of you then it’s a sure bet that you may not have a biblical grasp on the gospel.

Christ has been and will always be the essence of all things.  Verse 17 tells us, “And He is before all things, and by him all things consist.” This is the basis for which Christ, the son of the living God, could come and pay the price of redemption for His people. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.” Looking to anything else as “good news” [i.e. gospel] is to mar and dismantle the very person of Christ. In Him all fullness dwells, and therefore as such, where else could the gospel come from? Christ is the essence of the gospel.  He is the consistency. The all.

Christ came to earth and died a brutal death on the cross to reconcile His people who “were sometime alienated and enemies in [their] mind by wicked works [v.21].” Through “the body of His flesh through death [v.22]”, He not only has saved the sinner who looks to him but is working out the implications in His life “to present [Him] holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight.”

My friends, this is what we had to look to in order to know and understand this grace in our lives, and it is what we continue to look to. It is what all of God’s people from every tribe, tongue, and nation must look to. This is what we must proclaim to every soul that our missional endeavors bring us in contact with. We must point them to Christ and none other. To quote a wonderful hymn, “In Christ Alone, my hope is found”.

Be not moved away

After clearly establishing that Christ is the essence of the gospel, Paul gives us a charge and a personal glimpse as to the implications this has made on his life. He charges the Colossian believers to “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the gospel.”  And what is it that Paul is so emphatically saying that they must be grounded in and never move away from? The text is clear: the gospel; Jesus Christ and Him crucified; everything that Paul has just finished establishing is to be our bedrock. We are never to be moved away from this in anyway shape or form.  The implications are profoundly life changing for the believer because it is his life. Our faith was rooted at the beginning in the gospel and it continues to be rooted till Christ returns. Ephesians tells us, “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in Him.” We received the gospel by faith and we must continue in the gospel by faith.

Therefore you are a minister

The personal glimpse that Paul gives us at the end of this charge sheds incredible light on the implications that the gospel is motivating the believer’s missional work. After driving home the solidity that the gospel gives our lives, he builds on this by sharing with us that the gospel is the very thing that has made him a minister. Lets take a look at verse 23: “and be not moved away from the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.” Paul has just stated with all clarity that it is the gospel that motivates him, that drives him, that gives him vision to be the minister that God has called him to be. For Paul, there is no greater reason.  Paul was missional because of the gospel and so should we.

Proclaiming the gospel and its implications

We have talked a lot about the gospel being our driving motivation as a person who does ministry, but you may be asking: So where in God’s Word do we find the implication of the gospel toward “missional work”? Or, where is the GO in the gospel?

Well, in case you have not seen it already, Matthew 28:16-20 is the most obvious but in many ways the most profound place to turn in answering this question. It is here that we are commanded to, “Go ye therefore, teach all nations.” But what is it that we are to teach? The answer is found in verse 20: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” The reason this is so profound is because of the context in which it is being said. Realize that Christ has just died for the sins of His people. Remember that Christ has just spent three years teaching His disciples what the gospel is and all the implications it holds. Christ has just lived the gospel before them both in life and in death and now He is telling them to go and tell all nations the things you have heard, seen, and believed. He is telling them to move from where they now stand and go be missional. He is inspiring them with the pure and fresh unadulterated gospel they have just experienced. He is motivating them to go into all the world for the sake of the glorious gospel. And, the motivation is no less true for us: Let us be missional because of the gospel.

In all honesty, we have been building to one last question that I feel answers itself: is the gospel enough? Is the gospel the only thing that drives us to do missional work? Is it what makes us GO? My answer is simply, yes. And based upon God’s word, I will boldly say that any “missional work” that does not have the gospel as its core and sole motivation is not and will never be “missional work”. The gospel is our life. It is the essence of who we are as believers and should always have profound implications for what we do.  I leave you with this: eat, sleep, breath, and teach the gospel.

For His Renown,

Daniel Cavanaugh

When we talk about methodology for anything when it comes to evangelism, there is always the danger of looking to the methods verses the person of Christ we seek to proclaim. Furthermore, when it comes to missions, volumes have been written on methodology. It always seems there is a more affective way to do things. “Follow these steps and you will see success in your ministry.” However, as I write this article concerning missions and its methodology, I realize that I to am making a contribution to the numerous things written on this subject.  But I would like to ask a question that has been asked countless times: what is the biblical model for missions? Actually, let me rephrase this in a more personal way: Have we ever looked to the scriptures to understand what makes missions “affective”? How can true missions leave a lasting impact on generations to come?

There are many things that need to be addressed when asking the above questions, but for now I would like to focus on one aspect and Lord willing we will come back to the others.  Lets jump right into the method. Lets see what the doing actually involves. Lets take a look at the life of Paul – a man who reached continents for Christ even while he was in prison.  Lets dissect how Paul went into all nations with the gospel.  Lets see what he actually did when he went.

Over the last several centuries, the church has sent missionaries to other countries with the hope of spreading the gospel to the lost. After all, that is what we have been commanded to do: “Go ye unto all the world”. We have raised large amounts of money to support and send these missionaries. The Lord has blessed the work of our hands and His word has not returned void. Countless people have come to know Christ and many stories could be recounted to bring praise to the mighty work of our God through these efforts.  However, what happens when the missionaries “retire”? What happens when they leave the country they were serving? Does the work go on? Does it last? Many times it does and that is a testament to their investment to equip the ones who will continue long after they are gone. Lasting fruit can be seen in many countries today from past work of yesterday. However, is this the rule or the exception? It’s a fair question to ask and one that is not asked enough; one that is overlooked in modern missionary work, as we know today.

It is in long-term effectiveness concerning missions that I believe the Apostle Paul gives insight to what really is affective missionary work. Paul as we know was not a pastor but received the special call of the Apostleship. He was commissioned to write the scriptures and as such he had the authority to establish methodology. There are four things that I believe stand out about Paul and his missionary work; four things that stand out about His methodology to which we would do well to pay heed to in the church today…

He stayed for a time

During Paul’s missionary journeys in the book of Acts, we see many occasions were he stayed for long periods of time. Months at a time were the norm. He invested himself day after day to the building up of the saints. Many times it was even at the cost of putting his own life in danger or at the very least suffering brutal persecution in order that the gospel may be proclaimed and go forth in power.  Paul was committed to one thing: the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He gave up all – and by all that means completely and fully. His life was not his own, and His love for Christ and the gospel is unmatched and unparalleled anywhere in history. Some historians say that Paul may have even been married since He was a former Pharisee with one of there requirements being marriage. If he was, we have no idea what happened to her. Did she desert him because of His conversion to Christianity? Did she die? Who knows? We are not told. But what matters is that Paul invested his days into the furtherance of the gospel through His missionary work at a cost. He built the gospel in others through the sacrifice of his time. He was not a fair-weather missionary. He was faithful. He invested. He gave his time. He gave his life.

He helped plant churches

We do not have time to go into the theology of church planting. We will only say this: it is biblical and primary. Paul was a church planter. The first place we see him planting churches in the New Testament can be found in Acts 13 & 14. It was on his first missionary journey with Barnabas that we see the church plants of Antioch, Lystra, and Iconium [as well as others]. More specifically, in chapter 14:21-28, we see that he ordained elders for those churches on his return visit [fair assumption that he established churches on his first visit with the new believers seeing he was ordaining the elders on the second.]. Let us not also forget that most of the books that Paul wrote were specific letters written to the local churches that he had help to establish during missionary journeys [Acts] through the years. Paul was committed to the body of Christ and more specifically to the building up of the local bodies that he help to establish. He occupied himself with establishing churches with the new believers of his missionary journeys. He new that Christ had ordained the institution of the local church for the purpose of building the saints for the furtherance of the gospel. He understood the importance of the continued discipleship in the gospel long after he would be gone. And further more, there was no way he could do it all himself. Other saints must be equipped in order for the gospel to continue you.

He equipped local saints

You will notice that Paul dealt specifically with issues that the local churches were dealing with in his letters of the New Testament.  We noticed in Galatians, Colossians, and Ephesians him dealing with the heresy of the Gnostics, antinomians, or the Judaizers desiring to impose the laws and customs that had been fulfilled in the person of Christ.  Or we have in Corinthians the believers who were having a hard time breaking the old habits of former lifestyles, which he challenged them to die to.  And as we have already stated, he would spend months at a time exhorting the new believers that had come to Christ through the faithful preaching of the gospel on his missionary journeys [Acts 14:21-28].

He trained leaders

Throughout Paul’s life we see him not only proclaiming the gospel but also equipping other men to do so. He trained leaders to lead other people in the work of the gospel. Basically, he discipled, but more specifically he trained men who could fill the role of pastoral leadership within the local churches he established. The first time we see Paul taking someone under his wing is in Acts 16 with a young man by the name of Timothy. As we well know, Timothy would go on to be the pastor of the church of Ephesus. While in prison, Paul would write two letters [1 Tim. & 2 Tim.] to Timothy addressing him specifically as the pastor.  He encouraged and challenged him in doctrinal clarity, church matters, the importance of discipleship, how to conduct himself as a young man in leadership, and to not loose heart in the work of the gospel. We also see him doing the same thing with Titus in the letter he wrote to him. And though he is not mentioned in detail as much as the first two, Mark was another individual who received the discipleship and training of Paul [2 Tim. 4:11; Act 12:25; Philemon 1:23&24; Act 13:5].  These men continued the work of the gospel in the places he had done missionary work even after Paul was dead. He followed a biblical structure that would and still does leave a lasting impact.

Conclusion…

Paul reached continents for Christ. His missionary work covered most of the known world at that time. This is amazing considering he was in prison much of his life. However, he went unto all nations to make disciples, and everywhere he went he stayed for a time, planted churches, equipped the saints, and trained leaders who would continue the work of the gospel. He made disciples. This “methodology” was Paul’s life. It’s affective. It’s tried. It’s biblical. It’s the way God designed it and commissioned us to do it.

With this lifestyle, empowered by a gospel vision, he spent his life building the kingdom of God for His glory.  It was his passion. It was his call. It was his life work. It was lasting. And, it must be ours. Though we are not Apostles, his life stands, as a continuing monument to what our missionary work should be patterned after – preaching the gospel and making disciples in order for the glory of God to continue from generation to generation till He comes again.

For His Glory,

Daniel Cavanaugh

Continued…

Leading from the position of being under authority can sound incongruous or unrealistic. After all, being under authority is about obeying and following, not leading. And while those of us under authority should obey and follow, our preconceptions about relationships, leadership, and how God works can blind us to the possibility of leading from there as well. Esther illustrates how wise subordination set us up, as it were, to have proper and effective influence, with those over us. And wisely using any favor we may gain with those over us makes our influence effective.

3. There is a third requirement for leading under authority illustrated by Esther. Let wicked people “hang” themselves. All of us have known the helplessness and frustration of seeing people with selfish motives, or people who seem to have it out for others work their way into favor with the boss.  How is it that those in authority fail to see the bad character of the unscrupulous, or overlook significant flaws that affect others (I suppose the answer to that question would be a good chapter for a book). Our tendency is to want to expose such persons and, if possible, have a hand in their demise. While there may be a time for testifying against such persons for the good of the whole group, as we will see later, ratting can often be counter productive.

In Esther chapter three we are introduced to Haman the Agagite. Haman was a shrewd and wicked man who was put in a powerful position by the king. He proved to be the epitome of pride, hatred, and bigotry. His anger over Mordecai’s refusal to bow before him was the impetus for a devious plan of genocide to destroy the entire Jewish nation.

We do not always get to see the wicked and unscrupulous come to justice in this life. Sometimes it seems they get away with their wickedness. And for a time it seemed that way with Haman. His favor with the king seemed secure, but it was to be relatively short-lived. His arrogance and blind self-centeredness was setting him up for a great fall, which we will see in our next point.

4. There is one more requirement for leading under authority illustrated by Esther (and by her cousin Mordecai). As one under authority, there will come those times when you must stand for what is right and leave the consequences with God. It was mentioned earlier that there is a proper time for passing on information about those who are undermining and destroying. It maybe also be difficult to know when to stand for what is right and speak out against what is wrong. It is important that the Christian develop a biblically sensitive conscience and prayerfully approach such challenges.

In Mordecai’s situation, it became obvious that silence and inaction were no longer good and moral options. The wholesale genocide of the Jewish people was evil an crying out for opposition. In Chapter 4, we see Mordecai’s open identification with his oppressed and persecuted people. His action did not go unnoticed.

But there was only so much Mordecai could do. He had put his neck on the proverbial chopping block, and as things stood it was likely to be chopped off. Herein is the significance of Esther’s involvement. Her early attempts were to comfort and quite Mordecai, apparently somewhat convinced that their hands were tied in the situation (4:11). After all, what could she do under the authority of a tyrant like Ahasueras?

However, Mordecai knew this was no time for reticence or inaction. The time had come for Esther to come to grips with her priorities. There are some things more important that security, safety, or even life itself.  And this was Mordecai’s challenge to her, and what Esther had to come see if she was going to lead under authority. Leadership and influence are often about timing and how one can be at bringing glory to God where he or she is. Mordecai’s question to Esther and the question we should consider is: “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:14). God has put us where we are, at this time, for His purpose. The stakes may not seem as high as they were with Esther, but the challenge for you and me, if we are to lead under authority, is just as personally significant. This is no time for weak, reticent, security-seeking Christians. But for men, women, and young people who will stand for what is right and leave the consequences with God.

The rest of the Scriptural account though significant, is an addendum to the climatic turning point in chapter 4 v. 16. The nefarious Haman did hang himself. God changed the king’s heart. Mordecai was promoted to a position of prominence. And the Jewish people were saved from extermination. What would have happened if Esther had ignored Mordecai’s challenge? We are given a hint in chapter 4 v.13&14.  God can and will raise up those to use to accomplish his will and bring Him glory. He is not dependent on fickle humans. But if we fail to obey Him and stand for what is right, we will suffer the consequences and miss the God-given opportunity to be a part of what His is doing. Godly spiritual leadership is driven by a desire to do the will of God and to live to His glory. He has placed us where we are at the time in which we live. No matter what our position, leadership is not about us. It is about glorifying Him. Esther and Mordecai show us that the Godly spiritual leader stays focused on God and His glory and seizes the opportunity for Him. Wherever God has placed you, let this be a year of Godly influence and leadership, and make it your constant prayer that God will use you to exalt His Son.

Charles Cavanaugh

We pick up in part 2 where left of in our look at Esther…

The example of Esther as one who led under authority is significant because she did so in extenuating circumstances. She was involuntarily taken from the care of her cousin Mordecai and made a prospect to be Queen under the unpredictable, impulsive, and capricious king Ahasueras, or Xerxes of Persia. It is logical to ask why God would allow Esther to be put in such a position, but of course we could ask the same of some of the situations in which we find ourselves.

Nevertheless Esther shows us qualities and actions that are necessary if we are to lead while functioning under authority; sometimes an authority undeserving of respect and obedience.

1. Leading under authority requires wise subordination. The truth is that not ever one can be in front or on top. Most people will not acquire certain positions of leadership. In Esther’s case, she had the additional disadvantage of being a woman, and it was usually the case that women were subordinates in ancient times. Esther’s first line of authority came from Mordecai, her cousin, who became her guardian when she lost her original parents. Esther apparently took her relationship with Mordecai seriously, for her willing obedience to him is mentioned more than once [Esther 2:10,20 & 4:13,14]. Evidently this attitude carried over into her experience in the King’s court [Esther 2:15; 3:11]. Esther is an example of Biblical submission to authority. When the discussion concerning submission to authority comes up, we almost immediately hear concerns about blind obedience and abuse of authority. These are not invalid concerns. Almost all of us can sight examples of abuse and imbalance when it comes to the matter of authority. The tendency is to use these as reasons for disobedience or taking authority into one’s own hands. But abuses and imbalances are not good reason to explain away wise subordination. There may be times when we should respectfully disagree or disobey, but those times are probably not as frequent as we may think. Wise subordination puts us in a more credible position of influence with the one in authority and with others; a position that will be necessary if we are forced to conscientiously object or refuse.

In Esther’s case, she was preferred by Hegai, the one in charge of the women in the King’s court [Esther 2:8,9], and she achieved credibility in the sight of others [Esther 2:15]. She was then taken into the King’s house where she quickly won the favor or Ahasueras as well, and he chose her to replace Vashti [Esther 2:16-18].

If, as we have seen previously, leadership is influence, then those under authority can quickly lose their influence by exerting their own will and taking matters into their own hands. It is one thing to refuse obedience when to obey is to break God’s commands. It is quite another to be willful and proud. Wise subordination puts the serious Christian a far better position to “lead” under authority.

2. Leading under authority requires using the favor you have gained wisely. The old adage “fools rush in where wise men fear to tread” certainly applies at this point. Some will feign obedience, all the while intending to implement some secret agenda. That was the case with Haman, who appears on the scene in chapter 3 verse 1. From the beginning Haman works to promote himself and his wicked plans. He is the opposite of a humble servant and the epitome of prideful usurpation. Haman is concerned with the welfare of one person, and one alone, and that is Haman. He stands in stark contrast to Esther, and gives us an example to avoid. He is somewhat like Diotrephes of whom John said; “he loves to have the preeminence” [3 John 9].

On the other hand, Esther never presses her advantage nor attempts to use the favor God has given for personal gain, serving the King’s best interest when the opportunity arises [Esther 2:21,22]. The time will come, in the providence of God, that Esther will need to use that favor for God’s purposes and glory, and her previous restraint will serve her well.

When God shows us favor in the sight of others, we best not abuse it. If our purpose is to exert influence for His purpose and glory, then patient and faithful service where God has placed us is the best thing we can do. God may be pleased to give favor to such a one. The temptation will be to take advantage of such favor for personal gain and advancement. That is not leadership but larceny. To be entrusted with favor and opportunity is a great privilege, a great responsibility, and a great stewardship all of which require godly wisdom, if one is to lead under authority.

There are at least two other requirements for leading under authority which we will examine next time.

Charles Cavanaugh

Dear Friends,

Its that time of year again. P4C’11 registration is now open and we are excited at what the Lord has in store for this year’s Summit. The Cavanaugh family has already begun planning and putting things in motion for what we are praying will be a pivotal point in each individual’s life as they attend. Why are we praying for it to be pivotal for you? This year’s theme is simply ‘Foundation’. It is our two fold desire to challenge you in your biblical foundation and to give you  the building blocks that will strengthen you in that foundation – your faith in Jesus Christ. We want to show that doctrine [the foundation] is not something to be feared or even shunned. Rather, doctrine is the issue, because it defines what we believe about God, and what we believe about God is the foundation for how we live and therefore glorify Him in all things. His word tells us…

“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” – Matthew 7:25-29

God’s word is clear about the pursuit of clarity in what we believe. The man or woman who is not “throughly furnish” in sound doctrine will be washed away with the winds and floods of temptation, lies, and tribulations. In a culture, where distinctives are destroyed and replaced with feeling and emotion, it is of utmost importance that we pursue the “the knowledge of the Son of God” [Eph. 4:13] so that we are not “tossed to and fro” by every false “wind of doctrine”.  Join us this year at P4C ’11 to discover that doctrine is not just academic or even theoretical, but it is intensely practical.  It is the pursuit of the knowledge of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ unto godliness [1Timothy 4:7&8]. It is the life of the one who longs to glorify God in all all things. We look forward to seeing you there.

Pursuing with you,

Daniel Cavanaugh

Most of us are prone to believe that leadership is positional. If one wants to lead then he or she must strive to obtain a position of leadership. And while leadership, including spiritual leadership, may be positional, it certainly does not have to be. We learned that in our study of Joseph [see article “Leading Where You Are”]. John Maxwell’s quote is a helpful reminder at this point; “Leadership is influence. Nothing more; nothing less.” There are those who have lead from the most unlikely positions [like Joseph], who took advantage of God given opportunities, employed their God given abilities, and looked to the hand of God to accomplish His purposes. There is no reason why many should not do so in our day.

Perhaps no one more strikingly illustrates this concept in scripture than Esther, and it would do us good to spend some time examining her fascinating life and how she lead under authority.

Esther had a few curve balls [to use a baseball analogy] thrown at her that perhaps some among us could relate to. We are not told how, but she lost her natural parents. She was separated from the security, apparent safety, and comfort of her native Jewish land ( although it may be possible she was born in Persia). She was immersed into a culture completely foreign to her customs, beliefs, and strict religious upbringing. These circumstances certainly would make it understandable to most modern Christians if she became dysfunctional or displayed any number of psychological maladies from which modern Americans often suffer. But one thing Esther displays in the entire Old Testament account is an amazing steadfastness and stability.

This is significant also in light of the fact that she had not only been uprooted but placed in a country with a very unstable political environment not at all friendly to or supportive of Jewish cultural and religious life. The city in which she lived was Susa, the center of the Medo-Persian Empire and Ahasuerus, or Xerxes, was its king. Xerxes was known as one of the more ruthless of ancient kings. The story is told of a mother who had lost all but one son to war. She pleaded with King Xerxes to spare her last son from going to war. Xerxes supposedly ordered her son cut in half and his army to march through the two pieces. Whether the story is true or not, it serves to illustrate the nature of the man under whose authority Esther would find herself. In the providence of God, Esther also found herself involved in some significant tension in the palace at Susa. Read the account in Esther for the full story, but the bottom line is that Queen Vashti spurned an important order from Xerxes and was demoted as Queen. The King’s assistant is sent on a search for beautiful maidens from who would be chosen one special woman to replace Vashti. Among the women brought to the palace for this purpose was Esther.

The challenges that are lining up before Esther are growing, which make her leadership under authority all the more significant and instructive for us today. Many of the reasons we might use to excuse insubordination can be found in Esther’s story. We will see incompetence, unreasonableness, vile character, fear for personal safety: you get the picture. How does one lead under such authority? Can it be done? It can, and it was, as we shall see when we continue our study of leading under authority.

Charles Cavanaugh

The test of David’s heart for God also came as the lure of promotion and advancement were held in front of him. David was anointed to be King at a relatively early age and chosen from among brothers who seemed more qualified that he (1 Sam. 16:6ff). It was David’s heart for God that set him apart from his brothers and qualified him for leadership above them in spite of his youthfulness (v.12).

But the time comes when the one who has a heart for God must wait on and trust in the God he has come to know. He must submit to God’s ways and wait on God’s timing and trust God to work all things together for good in His faithfulness and providence. And this can be difficult. Leon J. Wood has rightly said; “One of the hardest lessons for Christians to learn in any day is to wait on God for the time God sees right to bring aspects of His work to reality.” This was a challenge for David who watched as Saul’s shortcomings became more and more evident and disqualified him to lead the people of God. But as hard as waiting and watching can be, it is preferable to getting ahead of God. D. Martin Lloyd Jones emphasizes this point. “The worst thing that can happen to a man is for him to succeed before he is ready.” The difficulty with waiting on God became greater as more and more people became convinced of David’s abilities and God’s blessing on his life and as they became more and more loyal to him. It is difficult to be loyal under incompetence and when basic integrity is absent. But it was David’s heart for God that kept him focused and steadfast. This heart for God and steadfast devotion are expressed in one of David’s Psalms written as he fled from Saul. “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;…” (Psalm 57:7).

There is not room in a short article to recount every experience that tested David’s heart for God (e.g. the rebellion of Absalom and the disrespect of Shemei). But there is a glaring failure in this regard that cannot and must not be ignored. It stands as a warning and a negative example to any spiritual leader, indeed to any Christian who would influence others for Christ. It reminds us to take heed to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:12; “Therefore, let him who thinks He stands take heed lest he fall.” The danger of spiritual leadership and the position that sometimes goes with it is that the accolades and perks, (even the small ones), that come to such a one, can result in pride and presumption. This is not only true for one like King Saul, whom we discussed in an earlier article. It is true for the one who has a heart for God. That is why the writer of Proverbs instructs us in Proverbs 4:23; “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

You may have realized by now that the event in David’s life being referred to is his committing adultery with Bathsheba. While we are not given every single detail which led to this event, this we know. David was looking where he should not have and contemplating what he should not have. He evidently chose to forget or ignore the greater responsibility of leadership and how his decisions would diminish his effectiveness and negatively impact the next generation. More importantly, he chose to forget or ignore how his actions would give God’s enemies occasion to blaspheme God’s name and how God’s glory before others would be affected. David was a great leader which made his failure all the greater. It behooves all of us who aspire to lead to remember that having a heart for God does not exempt or inoculate us from failure, even great failure. May the Lord help us to diligently guard our hearts.

3. The future perspective of a heart for God: The leader with a heart for God lives with his eye on the future; not for himself and what he can gain, but for the unfolding will of God and His glory. Any leader can and should have vision. It is a necessary quality for effective leadership. But only a spiritual leader with a heart for God can have the kind of vision that will affect people for the kingdom of God.

We see early evidences of this perspective in David’s encounter with Goliath. We see it again in Psalm 132:4; “I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.” After this David became consumed with building a temple of worship to God’s glory, a place that would stand as a tribute to the majesty and splendor of Jehovah. And though God does not allow David to do this great thing, David does pass the vision on to his son Solomon and gathers much of the material necessary for him to do it.

But nothing testifies to David’s future perspective as much as his Messianic hope. God had promised him that his descendant would reign forever. From a mere human perspective, that was an incredible promise. But the Christological implications of this promise become more and more evident until its fulfillment at the coming of Christ. This Messianic hope is expounded in Psalm 72 in which David expresses his prayer for Solomon but obviously looks beyond him to the Messiah. It is expressed in Psalm 22 in which David prophetically describes the sufferings of Christ on the cross and His ensuing glorification. David’s perspective on the future is consumed with this Messianic hope, and it affected all he did. He is almost Pauline in his Christological obsession. In secular thinking, we would say; “He was ahead of his time.”

It must be so with every spiritual leader. A heart for God includes a passion for Christ and a perspective on the future that is Christ-centered. Such a perspective purifies life and sanctifies leadership. “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every one who has this hope purifies himself, even as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3).

Charles Cavanaugh

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog. I do apologize for the break in writing and hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family as I did with mine. Due to the length of the subject, David, we will be dividing this blog into more than one. So here is the first part of leadership: a heart for God.

Leadership is an important issue in both the secular and Christian arenas. Some qualities are important and applicable to both. Qualities such as general integrity and the ability to make good decisions are necessary wherever one leads.

But there is one thing that must be true and can only be true of spiritual leaders. The spiritual leader must have a heart for God. This one thing must drive the one who would influence others for Christ. His heart must be driven by an intense desire for God and God’s glory. Everything else must line up under this. This was true of every great spiritual leader in scripture, and it will always be true. It was true of king David whom God Himself called “a man after His own heart”. David was obviously a man “of like passions” with us, but this one thing marked him. He was a man whose heart was focused intently upon God and His glory, and when he strayed, this focus always drew him back to his God. The one who would influence others to know and serve God must have such a focus.

But what were the elements in David’s life that produced such a heart for God?

1.  The early Development of a heart for God: The earlier one develops a heart for God, the more it will become an entrenched part of his or her thinking and leadership. David had the privilege of a Godly heritage: “You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name,”[Prov.61:5b]. But the development of a heart for God came in his early years, perhaps as he watched his father’s sheep alone. His brothers had the opportunity to do more glorious and impressive things, but evidently none developed his heart for God. The protecting of his father’s sheep gave him the opportunity for hours of meditation upon God’s word and to see God work on his behalf when the task was too much for him. It is evident that by his mid-teens David had a heart for God that stood out among his brothers.

Not all of us have the privilege of the Godly heritage David possessed. And many of us come to Christ later in life. But it behooves each of us to develop a heart for God and His glory as soon as possible. In the financial services industry emphasis is placed on starting early, when it comes to preparing financially for the future. If you start early, time is on your side. The later you wait, the more investment it takes and the harder it is to catch up.

When it comes to developing a heart for God, one cannot start too early. And if we want our children to develop such a heart, we must invest in their spiritual future as early as possible. Give them a big view of God by pointing them to Him in every situation and showing them how God is teaching you to trust Him. Developing spiritual leaders for tomorrow comes as we do all we can to give them a heart for God early in life, because when it comes to developing a heart for God, the earlier the better.

2. The Essential Testing of a Heart for God: No matter how early a heart for God is developed and not matter how evident that heart for God is, it will always be necessary for the heart to be tested. David himself said; “In my prosperity, I said, ‘I will never be moved.’” It seems relatively easy to have a heart for God when life’s pressures are minimal. I say that it “seems” easy because prosperity and ease can be the test of a heart for God as well.

David’s first recorded test came relatively early in life. At first glance it may appear to be merely an opportunity for a precocious young man to show his metal and prove his manhood. It may seem to be a young man’s first stage in an illustrious and successful military career. But David’s response to the situation shows us that it is much more than that, and he viewed it as such. This was a test of David’s heart for God, and this event would distinguish him from other men in that regard. Yes, it is the account of David and Goliath, but his view of Goliath and his view of God make it much more. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1Sam. 17:26). Neither king Saul’s offer of his daughter’s hand in marriage nor the possibility of defeat at the hands of a superior foe were anything compared to the reputation of his God. “Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God” (1Sam. 17:36).

Charles Cavanaugh

Dear Friends,

By the Lord’s blessing, the P4C audios are coming to you for download much sooner this year then they did last. We are excited to make available these audio downloads [free of charge] for those who could not attend this year or if you did attend to continually reap the incredibly, rich Biblical teaching that was given at this year’s Passion4Christ Summit. God truly did a work among us. The worship of God was heavenly. The fellowship of his people sweet. The word of God truly life changing. We hope you continue to enjoy and be encouraged by these messages for years to come. Oh, and did we mention that if you fall into the category of a P4C attendee, we would like to see you there next year [October 26-30,2012]?

In Christ,

Daniel Cavanaugh

“The Scared Rhythm” – Charles Cavanaugh [Wednesday Evening]

“Created with Purpose” – David Cavanaugh [Wednesday Evening]

“God’s Plan for Ministry” – Dewey Novotny [Thursday Evening]

“The Will of God” – Daniel Cavanaugh [Thursday Evening]

“Life in the Spirit” – David Cavanaugh [Friday Morning]

“Doctrine Denied” – Charles Cavanaugh [Friday Evening]

“Commit to Faithful Men” – Dewey Novotny [Saturday Night]

“Built for Fellowship” – David Cavanaugh [Sunday Morning]

“Sacred Beginning of Worship” – Charles Cavanaugh [Sunday Morning]