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I Am Not Ashamed
07/04/2004
"So do not be ashamed to
testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in
suffering for the gospel, by the power of God...and of this gospel I was
appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I
am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced
that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."
2 Timothy 1:8, 11-12
In
his last admonition to his "dear son" in the faith
Timothy, Paul proclaims, "I am not ashamed, because I know whom I
have believed!" Even in chains and condemned to die for his
testimony about Jesus, Paul refused to back down, back off or back away from his
conviction to preach Christ at all costs! Timothy, now 35 years of age, had been
discipled
and worked as a "partner in the gospel" with Paul for
about fifteen years (51-66 AD). Shockingly, he was backing down from boldly
preaching the gospel and backing away from his relationship with Paul. This
distancing perhaps was out of fear of persecution or the controversy surrounding
Paul or both. Yet, Paul pleads with him, "Do not be ashamed of the
gospel or me his prisoner!"
At
the Jubilee in my introduction of Steve Johnson, I read a quote from
Shakespeare's Henry V, "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he
today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother." Steve and Lisa
planted the church in New York in 1983, "poured out" their very life's
blood for 20 years, were the primary architects in building a church of seven
thousand disciples, initiated the "Chemical Recovery" (CR) and the
"Daytime" Ministries, and in the ambiance of Broadway co-wrote the
musical "Upsidedown" with Sherwin McIntosh. Earlier this year, Steve
was told by "the leadership" he will never preach in New York again!
This is wrong! Did the Johnsons make mistakes? Of course, no one attempts great
deeds of faith without mistakes. Did they sin in their leadership? Of course,
but what human leader has not sinned? Did repented leadership sins disqualify
Moses (anger), David (tolerance of sin), Peter (cowardice) or Paul (arrogance)
for leadership? The Johnsons have stepped up and publicly taken full
responsibility for their actions, but many in their former ministry refuse to
forgive. Why? I believe they are blind to their leadership sins (many of which
are the same as the Johnsons) as well as being afraid of the bitter voices of
outspoken people. I do not know all the details, but this I know - Steve Johnson
is a faithful preacher of the gospel for a church of 43 sold-out disciples in
Savannah, Georgia! He is a hero of the faith in Portland as well as in Africa
for which he raised funds for the saving of thousands of souls. He can preach in
Portland anytime! I am his loyal friend till death. I refuse to let the
naysayers dictate my allegiance to God, where I preach the Word and who my
brothers are!
Let
us consider God's process of refining our characters. Our sovereign God, our
perfect Father, disciplines us through the events of our lives. Some happenings
are out of our control and may inflict horrific pain. Other events stem from the
consequences of our decisions. If we persevere through these disciplines, our
faith is refined and our character changed as a "harvest of
righteousness." (Hebrews 12:7-14) It seems to me that this eternal
principle of God holds true for all disciples, including leaders. Therefore,
leaders who sin and repent are better leaders for their experiences. Yet
"conventional wisdom" seems to dictate, if they have made mistakes or
sinned in their leadership, then get rid of them! Praise God, He has much more
mercy, patience and vision than many of His children have with their leaders.
Many
around the world have asked, "Why is God blessing the church in Portland so
much?" The church in Portland began to grow after our "Evening of
Atonement" last August. Different than the precedent set in other churches,
at the Evening of Atonement, not only was the leadership called to repent of
harshness, insensitivity, cowardice and arrogance, but the "followership"
was called to repent of bitterness, gossip, factions, anger and rebellion. This
worship service lasted two and a half hours as individual after individual stood
up and apologized in tears to the group. What a time of healing! It is true that
leaders are held to a higher standard because they affect others. (Leviticus 4,
James 3:1) Consequently, from a human point of view bitterness in response to
unrighteous leadership is understandable; yet in Portland because of the
Scriptures, we preached it was still unacceptable in the sight of God. This is
why God has blessed us with a very loving, unified church that He is increasing
weekly with baptisms, restorations and move-ins from lukewarm congregations.
In
2 Corinthians 11:1-5 Paul writes, "I hope you will put up with a
little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. I am jealous for you
with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might
present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was
deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from
your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and
preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different
spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you
accepted, you put up with it easily enough. But I do not think I am in the least
inferior to those "super-apostles." I believe the lukewarmness
that is plaguing many American congregations comes from some leaders, who are "super
apostles" (thinking themselves "better" than past
leaders) who have begun to preach a more palatable, "PC" (politically
correct) Jesus! They preach a different Jesus who says, "You don't have to
come to all church services to be a faithful disciple!" "If evangelism
is too much pressure, do it only if you 'feel' good about it." "Only
the apostles were discipled. That was a 'professional preacher training
relationship' and it is not for all Christians." "Jesus practiced only
group discipling, no one-on one! Especially no one-over-one!" Sadly, many
through these destructive teachings are being "led astray from their
sincere and pure devotion to Christ."
Why
is this watered down Christianity so confusing and convincing? Perhaps as Paul
told Timothy, "For the time will come when men will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them
a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
(2 Timothy 4:3-4) In our secular democracy, we believe the majority (great
numbers) are right! In Bible history, it is most often the few that God empowers
to walk the narrow way. Therefore, Paul told Timothy, "All who choose
to live a godly life will be persecuted" by the many. (2 Timothy
3:12) Regardless of deafening applause or silence, "preach the
Word" because you are in the very presence of God and Jesus! Some
have suggested that the division among churches today is from dysfunctional
relationships between leaders. True, but I believe there is so much more.
Remember, everyone deserted Jesus, even those He trained. (Mark 14:27) And Jesus
preached the truth perfectly! Those who rejected Jesus literally rejected the
truth. Let us not forget, Timothy and others deserted Paul most likely because
they were afraid of people's response to truth. (2 Timothy 4:16) The primary
issue of this crucial hour and every hour is truth expressing itself in love.
Steve
has been rejected and hurt, yet through this all he is not bitter. I am so proud
to be called his friend. I appreciate all the brothers and sisters who came to
Portland to preach at the Jubilee! All where threatened with job loss, prestige
loss, and/or financial loss. This is why Sasha Kostenko of Moscow did not come.
However, *Guillermo Adame, came at what he believed was the cost of his
preaching job. When will principle supercede popularity? When will mercy
supercede condemnation? Some thinking they are taking the "high
ground" are neutral as Timothy was becoming to Paul. Neutrality towards
evangelism and evangelists are a gangrene that is destroying our fellowship.
John F. Kennedy's favorite quote was from Dante: "The hottest places in
hell are reserved for those who during the time of moral crisis preserve their
neutrality." As our friends well know, Steve, Guillermo and I have always
had our differences with one another. Yet, we are united by the blood and Spirit
of Christ. As with family, we are not ashamed of one another. We are loyal
brothers to the end. "We few, we happy few."
Kip McKean
Missions Evangelist
*Other
factors in Guillermo Adame's layoff were congregational financial challenges and
the elimination of a lead evangelist role.
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