Ministry in the Marketplace

“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” ESV Acts 17:16-17

What does it mean to share your faith? Christians often use the term “witnessing,” but what does that term really mean? Unfortunately, the term often carries a negative or stressful connotation. I’ve got a friend who prefers to describe witnessing, or faith-sharing, as “the ministry of reconciliation in the marketplace of life.” I like that phrase. It’s more descriptive than “witnessing” and the underlying assumptions are more precise. Let’s think about the underlying assumptions briefly.

The first part, “ministry of reconciliation,” suggests in its context that there is a need for two people to be reconciled; namely man to God. Likewise, some prior event must have occurred in order to separate them; in this case, sin. And finally, these efforts at reconciling men to God can be thought of as a ministry. And when you think about it, isn’t that the end goal of Christian witnessing; sharing your faith in a way that reconciles others with God?

The second part, “in the marketplace of life” hints at when and where we should share our faith. Should we Christians dare only to talk about our faith at church or among church folks? No. Is our witness confined to inviting and bringing people to the building where we meet for worship? No. In reality, the scope of our sharing should and does extend into the very corners of our everyday lives; our jobs, our hobbies, our families—you name it.

Now, is this phrase (ministry of reconciliation in the marketplace of life) biblical? Yes. The thought originates in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 and I encourage you to go there for further study. And I know of no better biblical example of this than the life of the Apostle Paul. Yes, you say, but Paul was an Apostle and I am not Paul. While that is true, you and I are not Paul, we do have some important things in common.

As Christians, formerly separated from God by sin, we now stand with Paul reconciled to God through faith in Christ. And like Paul, we run into folks everyday in every corner of our lives who have not yet found the joy of our faith. Truthfully, if you call yourself a Christian, are you not troubled, like Paul, by the things you see in the world? Are you not troubled by the idols (entertainment, sports, houses, cars, jobs, etc.) we so often worship today instead of Christ? If you can look around you and not be troubled, then let me suggest that you should examine the genuineness of your faith!

Finally then, let me encourage you to either begin or to continue to share your faith in the marketplace, just like Paul, “to those who happen to be there.”

Ken Askew

Stick to the Word

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” ESV 2 Timothy 3:16-17

It all began innocent enough. Two friends needling one another by exchanging verbal, in this case virtual, jabs at one another. The exchange was short, all in fun, and it ended with neither friend being offended. It was the kind of joking exchange that might occur any day in any number of settings. But what might the jabs look like from a few feet away?

Well, from a few feet away this particular conversation took on a whole different meaning. One person made assumptions and came to conclusions that reached beyond the initial exchange and was not shy about voicing those opinions. Another person, with seemingly little thought, joined the foray with basically a “me too” position. While others, correctly sensing a misunderstanding, rose in defense of the original jabbers.

When it was all over I couldn’t help but smile and muse about how easy it is to get embroiled in meaningless and needless controversy. But it is easy. And too often we find ourselves doing it at home, at work, and even at church—many times simply because we make conclusions based on distorted or incomplete facts.

Recall with me the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. The serpent began his temptation by distorting what God had said when he asked Eve, “Did God actually say...?” (Genesis 3:1) And Eve really messed up when she began to reason and make decisions based on those distorted facts that reached beyond what God had actually said. The rest, as they say, is history.

Contrast that with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Satan begins almost immediately to distort what God had said in scripture by going beyond scripture’s original meaning. And while on the surface many of Satan’s claims sounded plausible, Jesus doesn’t take the bait. Instead, Jesus resists the wiles of the devil and repeatedly replies, “...it is written.” (Matthew 4:4) Notice how Jesus is able to resist. Jesus rebuffed the devil by being careful to follow scripture as far as it went without going beyond. Don’t miss this. Jesus didn’t discard any teaching in scripture and he didn’t go beyond the teachings of scripture; not even when the arguments seemed plausible.

So, let me encourage you to do the same. Like Paul’s admonition to Timothy, recognize that “all scripture is breathed out by God;” even those parts that you and I may not fully understand. Let’s commit to study scripture diligently and to follow it as far as it goes on any subject; even those subjects we may not fully understand. And finally, let’s avoid error and meaningless controversy by being cautious to not leap beyond scripture in our reasoning.

Ken Askew

If Only I Had Wings

“And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.”” ESV Psalm 55:6-8

Have you ever wanted to hop in the car and just keep on driving? Have you ever had more than a passing thought about starting over in a different place without the years of baggage that seem to pile up at home? Have you imagined that the grass may indeed be greener or that you would find rest for your weary bones if you could just get to the other side of the fence? I suspect most of us have had thoughts like these on occasion. But hey, if you have then you’re in good company; the Psalmist had these thoughts too!

How do you deal with stress? I really believe that one of the reasons I enjoy the outdoors as much as I do is because of the peaceful solitude it offers. A long hike in the woods is refreshing after a stressful day. Maybe you prefer fishing, hunting, a shopping trip, or just a long drive; regardless, sometimes we just need something to release the stress in our lives.

Many things cause stress and sometimes we bring it on ourselves through our actions. But Psalm 55 was written in response to a particularly stressful situation; betrayal at the hand of a close friend. How did the Psalmist deal with the stress?

Well, he didn’t follow through on his initial thoughts about flying away into the wilderness—and neither should you. Instead, he calls out to God in prayer. Verses 16 through 18 show a proper response in times of despair. The Psalmist says, “But I call to God and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.”

A couple of things stand out to me in this psalm. The most obvious is that the Psalmist calls out to God in prayer and makes his desires known. But how often does he pray? Did he pray once and gain instant relief? No, he prayed in the morning, at lunch and in the evening. The burden of his betrayal was not removed in an instant but he prayed with confidence that God could and would redeem him from the situation—from the battle he was waging.

What battles are you waging right now? What is it that irks you so much that you want to fly away and rest in a quiet spot? Do you struggle with addictions? Has someone betrayed you? Don’t run and don’t wait. Instead, “Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you...” Psalm 55:22.

Ken Askew

Taste and See

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” ESV Psalm 34:8

A couple of my buddies enjoyed a good laugh recalling this story the other day, so I thought I’d share it again here for you.

My bicycling friend told me I looked like a dead carp. You know what I mean. When a carp dies, the currents inevitably send it nose first into the shoreline where its lifeless, bloated body floats in the sunny shallows; only moving with the gentle motion of the water. That was me. Nose first into the shoreline, clothes and all, only moving with the gentle flow of Cypress Creek.

We had coaxed our wives into driving us to Nashville and dropping us off at the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway. In hindsight, the trip was fraught with danger. The girls were all alone as they navigated their way home past the dangerous halls of the Temple of Temptation (also known as the Cool Springs Galleria). Meanwhile, it was up to my friend and me to muster the strength and stamina to pedal home on our bikes. But given the choice, I’ll pedal the Trace any day to avoid the dangers lurking in the mall.

The first day was as hilly as anything I’ve ever ridden. There is literally not a flat spot of pavement to be found on the first 50 miles of the Trace traveling south from Nashville. Have I mentioned that our trip took place in late August? Do the words hot and humid come to mind? The first day was a 3-H day; hot, humid, and hilly. Though I have no recollection of it, I’m told that I slept for 12 hours straight that evening.

The next morning the hills subsided, but the hot August sun continued to bear down on us with all its might. To make the heat worse still, the pavement changed from a light grey chip seal to a fresh, dark black top. While infinitely smoother, it was also 15 degrees hotter. Having lost my peak riding form many years ago, this fat boy was suffering.

And suddenly there it was. Within sight of the Alabama state line was an Oasis. Cool, shallow water carved its way out of the wooded shade and flowed underneath the road. If the water could speak, I’m certain it would have called my name. So, I only shucked my shoes before plunging headlong into the creek. And it was everything I could have asked for; cool; refreshing; rejuvenating. It didn’t matter that I looked like a dead carp because I was enjoying every minute of it. The water was my refuge from the heat.

I see people every day, perhaps even you, who appear to be just as spiritually exhausted; weighed down by the worries, troubles and temptations of the day. They are exhausted, just as if they’d been riding a bike in the hot August sun all day. All the while God has provided an Oasis in Christ Jesus; cool; refreshing; rejuvenating; a refuge from the heat of the day. Won’t you taste and see that the Lord is good!

Ken Askew

Perspective

Then I said in my heart, “What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. ESV Ecclesiastes 2:15

Though we don’t know for sure, it is widely accepted that Solomon wrote this strange book that follows Proverbs. At first glance—well, for twelve chapters—it reads like the random, contradictory musings of an old, eccentric author. But taken in it’s entirety, a great and simple truth emerges.

No earthly king has known more material wealth, wisdom or knowledge than Solomon. He literally knew it all, owned it all, ruled it all and did it all during his lifetime. When Solomon came to the end of his storied life his bucket list was complete. (That is to say that everything he wanted to do before he “kicked the bucket” was done—crossed off this list.) Yet the most repeated phrase in Ecclesiastes is “all is vanity.” Why so? The answer lies in his perspective.

Have you ever been on the outside of a heated argument looking in and wondered why on earth they were making such a fuss over something? Or perhaps you’ve been in the middle of a heated argument and wondered why someone on the outside failed to grasp the significance of your point of view. It’s the same argument viewed from different perspectives. And that’s what Ecclesiastes is all about; perspective.

The writer seems to be looking back over a lifetime filled with activities that seemed important at the time but in hindsight, the insignificance of it all begins to come into focus. Many, many items on his bucket list really didn’t matter after all; working late for an extra dollar, studying for more and more wisdom, over indulging in fun and leisure.

Now, to be fair, those things do matter. The bible commands us to provide for our families. The bible encourages wisdom. It even says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Even rest and relaxation have their place in our lives. So I’m not suggesting that we take a “do nothing” attitude towards life.

But at the end of the day, the rich and the poor along with the wise and the foolish will meet their maker. Death does not discriminate. What will seem important then? Which activities will seem important from an eternal perspective?

The book of Ecclesiastes ends with this great and simple truth: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Let these words serve as a challenge to live life from an eternal perspective.

Ken Askew