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Occasionally, when I’ve cried out to God in desperation like that, I’ve sense His immediate, clear response. This was also such an occasion. I perceived God saying, “I don’t want your relationships to be fragile!” His response jarred me, because I’ve often thought of the health of relationships as fragile in terms of how volitile or easily they disintigrate. I had always assumed that frailty was simply the nature of our earthly relationships.  All that evening and into the next morning I mulled over the characteristics of fragile relationships and contrasted them with the characteristics of durable relationships. My brainstorming over these characteristic yielded the list below. I trust that God will use this contrast in your heart and life. May all your relationships become durable ones!

©2011 Rob Fischer

God created us for relationship with him, but what does that look like? How do we interact with God? What does he expect from us? We are to love God, but what is this about enjoying him? Two-way communication is a hallmark of any relationship, so how does communication function in our relationship with God? How does God speak to us? How do we recognize his voice? What do we do with what he tells us? Rob seeks to answer all these questions and more through the Scriptures and lots of examples from his own life, so that you too may be enthralled with God!

Enthralled with God–Cultivating a Joy-Filled Relationship with Him is available on Amazon.com! You will find the book in both soft-cover and e-version.

Below is the brief introduction from this book that I’m sure you’ll want to read.

Introduction

A few years ago, a young woman named Amy was living with us. One evening we heard the front door open and my wife and I went to the top of the stairs to greet Amy. She was returning home from discipleship training at our church. I called down to her and asked her how it went.

Amy had a huge grin on her face and stood there speechless for a moment. Then she blurted out, “I’ve been a Christian for many years, but tonight I discovered that I can enjoy God!—This changes everything!”

It’s true! Enjoying God, being enthralled with him does change everything! My experience and that of countless others have been every bit as dramatic and life-changing.

If you long to know God more deeply, seeing him as your joy and delight, then this book is for you! You are embarking on a great adventure with God!

© 2010 Rob Fischer

To order your copy of Enthralled with God please click on the link: http://www.amazon.com/Enthralled-God-Cultivating-Relationship-ebook/dp/B004CRSSZ6/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290529603&sr=1-4

Conclusion

But as I’ve attempted to demonstrate briefly above, corporations and churches do not share the same goals and cannot function successfully within the same model. Imagine a corporation implementing the church model in which their goal becomes building relationships, not making money. No employees are expendable. All leadership is shared and servant-based. There are no metrics, simply values. It might be fun to work in such a corporation—until the money runs out! The church model will not work for the corporation! Why would we think the corporate model would work for the church?

What about a very large church with a large paid staff? Aren’t we forced to step into a more corporate model where staff like this is involved? To answer that question let me ask, What has changed? What is different with a large staff versus a solo pastor of a small church? There are a number of differences which could be summed up with the word complexity. But have the goals, means, values, etc. changed? I trust not! So why impose a corporate model that is inappropriate for the church?

The crux comes down to this: “Christ is the head of the church, which is his body.” (Colossians 1:18 NLT) Jesus Christ–-no man or woman or board—is the Head! We, the church must look to our Head, our Leader. How do we do that? It must be through shared leadership. How can I say that? Because shared leadership is relational. A corporate CEO model of leadership is not.

I currently serve in a large church as one of the pastors with administrative duties: all the staff report to me and I have responsibility for the finances, the facility and leadership training. But I’m a member of a leadership team. Through prayer we seek God’s direction and act when consensus is reached. I cannot begin to count the times when I would’ve made a dumb decision apart from the interaction and input of the team and our dependence on the Holy Spirit to lead us together. Such shared leadership is holy, reassuring for the church family and spiritually protected.

A strong leader on a church staff often has a bent for efficiency. And we should look for ways to print the church bulletin or check kids in on Sunday morning more efficiently. But when leadership becomes enamored with a corporate model of efficiency, it loses sight of relationships, because relationships are rarely efficient. Relationships get messy and get in the way of efficiency. Christ has called us to relationships in the church not efficiency. Shared leadership is holy because Christ’s people are coming together relationally seeking his mind. In his presence he changes us.

Shared leadership is incredibly reassuring to the church family. When a team of elders, who are enthralled with God and exude Christ’s character, spend time praying for God’s guidance and he gives them a unanimous decision, the church rests confident in its spiritual leaders and in Christ. In Acts 15 the apostles and elders in Jerusalem met together to discuss a very important issue. After coming to consensus, they wrote a letter to the churches. In that letter they said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” What assurance and refreshment the recipients of that letter enjoyed in that statement!

Finally, there is strong spiritual protection in shared leadership. When the leadership at the church of Antioch was worshiping the Lord and fasting, “the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (Acts 13:2) The church knew that this decision was not simply the bright idea of one of its members or the dictate of an overbearing leader. This was a team leadership decision in which the Holy Spirit led the whole team. Imagine the security and confidence that gave Paul and Barnabas as they went out under difficult circumstances and experienced persecution.

The corporate model is a good one—for corporations, but not for a church. Let me leave you with the following out of Ephesians 4:11-16 (NLT):

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

©2009 Rob Fischer

Leadership

When a new CEO is appointed from outside that corporation he/she often brings with them their own key staff and a shuffle occurs in the organization. One of the maladies inherent with the CEO model is the CEO’s tendency to hire leaders like him/herself. The CEO becomes the standard of leadership. Those with a variant style of leadership aren’t considered qualified to lead, so the hunt goes outside the organization for “more qualified” employees (i.e., those with a similar leadership style to the CEO).

Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. His headship creates a leveling of leadership within the church family. With relationships as the means to the church’s purpose, pastors, elders, staff and all members are called to serve the church family. Church leadership is servant leadership. The byword is “submit to one another.” The relational focus of the church demands teamwork (shared leadership) and high levels of accountability to each other.

Teamwork is definitely not the most efficient means of leadership! But in the church we are not seeking efficiencies, but relationships and Christlikeness. Team leadership enables us to engage and leverage the values and skills of relationship-building like no other leadership approach. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. A CEO in the church vies for that headship that only belongs to Christ. The New Testament presents a team model for leadership (a plurality of elders: Acts 14:23; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1-4). Because a variety of leadership styles are represented on the team, the team recognizes great value in equipping leaders with various styles.

Also, our American custom of hiring professional pastors and staff must subject itself to the leadership model of the New Testament and not the other way around. What I mean is that all pastors must meet the qualifications of an elder whether serving as an elder or not. The elders are to have oversight of the church with all other pastors and staff in submission to them. Some churches have a senior pastor to whom the elders report. Biblically, there’s strong evidence that such a senior pastor is usurping Christ’s headship!

©2009 Rob Fischer

• Paul was chosen by God to proclaim His Good News—1:1
• God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures—1:2
• The Good News is about God’s Son Jesus, who is both a descendent of King David and the one and only Son of God—1:3-4
• God intends His Good News for all nations everywhere, that people might believe His Good News, obey Him and bring glory to His name—1:5
• Paul’s calling, passion and privilege is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ—1:15-16
• The Good News of Jesus Christ is God’s power at work to save all who believe—1:16
• This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight—namely through faith in Jesus—1:17

People long for some good news in a world filled with bad news that’s sensationalized to sound even worse! People want to hear of an improving economy, a peaceful settlement in a war-torn land, rain with promise of future crops where drought has prevailed, emotional relief in a life ravaged by grief and turmoil. As refreshing as all those examples of good news sound, they pale in comparison with the Good News that God has for us.

The Good News that God has promised and carefully prepared for us transcends our physical, emotional and social needs and at the same time does not leave those unattended. God’s Good News shows us once and for all how to be reconciled with Him, our Creator. He wants us to be in right standing with Him.

One would think that God would demand a high price for right standing with Him. And in fact He did—but the price was so high, we could not pay it. So God paid the price for us through His Son Jesus. And what does He ask of us? Believe. Trust Jesus. Put your faith in Him. Accept that God’s payment for sin was satisfied in the death of His Son Jesus and humbly thank Him!

Father, thank You for Your Good News! Thank You for giving us right standing with You through Your Son Jesus. We do believe and place our trust and faith in Him. Thank You!

© 2009 Rob Fischer

I had her perched on our kitchen island and I asked her the question (not knowing what kind of answer, if any, I was going to receive), “Hattie, what are YOU going to wear to church today?”  She looked up at me with her beautiful, big brown eyes and peanut butter and jelly spread all over her face and emphatically replied, “JESUS!”  I stood there stunned, speechless, silent.  Then it hit me – was I going to “wear Jesus” today?  Conviction rolled over me, because I don’t “wear Him” everyday.  Was I going to wear Jesus today?  Not just at church where it is easy.  What about the rest of the week, where it is not easy?

In the Book of Colossians it says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And overall these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (3:12-14).  Jesus is love (1 John 4:16) and that love is perfect and complete.  And by us abiding in Christ and Him living in us, his transforming power takes the “grave clothes” of death (John 11:44) off from us and dresses us in His righteousness, contrary to the attitudes of this world.

God is perfect in His timing.  And today He used this two-year-old little girl to speak into my life in a massive way.  I thank God over and over for placing her in my life. And today He used her as a vessel for speaking a challenge that I will remember, keep and live out, by God’s grace and power (because He desires for me to change) for the rest of my life.  What the Lord was saying to me through her was, “Clothe yourself in the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Romans 13:14).

One day at a time, we must ask ourselves, “What am I going to wear today?”  Christ has a wardrobe picked out for us and it is to change into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).  The question is, “Will we open the doors of change?”  He will give us white clothes (sinless and spotless because of His righteousness) to wear (Revelation 3:18) that we need never be ashamed of.

“Maria, would you come in here, please?” The doctor called out from his office where he was packing his personal belongings. This was his last workday before retirement.

Maria appeared in the doorway, eager to help where she was needed. She had come to work at the medical clinic as office manager two-and-a-half years ago right out of college. “What can I do for you, Doctor?”

“Oh, yes, come in please. And…would you close the door behind you?” The doctor spoke in an unusually grave manner. He turned and walked to the far corner of his office and stooped down in front of an open cabinet door below a countertop. He reached to the back of the lowest shelf and pulled out a cardboard box that had once held cartons of cotton swabs. With a groan, he heaved the box from the shelf, stood up and walked to his desk where he carefully set the box down near the edge.

“Maria, I need you to dispose of something for me.” Holding the flaps of the box down with one hand, he paused and looked searchingly into Maria’s eyes. Whatever he was going to say, he seemed extremely uncomfortable about. Struggling for the right words, he labored awkwardly through a clinical explanation of the contents of the box.

With a twinge of guilt and embarrassment, the doctor lifted the box into Maria’s arms and mumbled, “Please dispose of them discretely and do not say a word of this to anyone.”

The next thing Maria realized, she was standing alone in the hallway outside the doctor’s closed door. She just stood there for a moment trying to gain her bearings. Her mind was numb and her emotions churned inside her tossing up disbelief, anger, sadness and agony over her grim assignment. In a mental fog she moved through the maze of halls to her desk and set the box down.

Perhaps in the feeble hope that she had somehow misunderstood the doctor, she opened the box. In it, she found 13 jars. Some were pint-sized canning jars, while others were six-ounce baby food jars. She carefully lifted one of the smaller jars out of the box. On the outside of the jar was a piece of white medical tape bearing a woman’s name and a date. Suspended in the jar, presumably in formaldehyde, was the tiny body of an aborted baby.

In spite of herself, Maria studied this miniature person. She was amazed by how small, yet developed this baby was. She could see the baby’s fingers, toes, eyes, ears, nose and that this one was a boy. She pulled out another jar, and then another. Each jar cradled the petite body of a boy or girl whose life had been snatched from them.

Maria couldn’t help but imagine the life of which each child had been deprived—a little boy who would never fly a kite, bruise a knee or climb a tree—a little girl who would never hug a teddy, brush her hair or kiss her daddy. Without warning, a wave of anguish overwhelmed Maria. She let herself fall into her chair and wept.

© 2007 Rob Fischer, 13 Jars

Would you like to read more? This is the first chapter of the book 13 Jars. The chapters that follow are true accounts that represent what may have been the stories of those whose names were on the jars. You can purchase the book at the Book Store on this site.

In 1 Peter 4:7-11, the Lord provides us with five values to guide us as we employ our spiritual gifts in the family of Christ:

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11)

In verse 7 we read, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” In the context of this letter, Peter has been reminding his readers of how temporal this world is. (See 1 Peter 1:3-5, 13 and 2:11-12). The value he gives us here is that we must be Kingdom-focused! We realize that what we’re doing has Kingdom impact. This is a God-sized endeavor and not some puny earth-sized thing! Also, what God wants to do through us is far bigger than we are.

Verse 8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” The value here is: We must be others-centered!  Investing in others is all about others. It is not about me or us. Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” (Phil 2:3, 5, 7)

Exercising our spiritual gifts must be about others and not about self-fulfillment. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” The spiritual gifts you and I have been given by the Holy Spirit are for serving others. The enjoyment we receive in serving others is a wonderful by-product of selfless service.

We find the third value in verse 9 (NLT), “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.” The value here is: We must be joy-prompted! (See Hebrews 12:2.)

The movie, Chariots of Fire is the story of a Scottish follower of Christ, Eric Liddell, who in the 1924 Olympics took the gold medal and set a world record in the 400-meter race. Eric loved to run. He was designed to run and he was obviously a gifted athlete and runner. When someone asked him why he ran, he responded, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure!” When we allow God to work through us to serve others, we feel His pleasure! And it truly is a great joy to serve and help others!

The first part of verse 10 contains the next value, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” The value here is: We must be action-oriented! Use your spiritual gift! Taking action also means taking risks. Risks with our time, money and reputation. But move out on it. Don’t be passive, timid, weak and unbelieving. Take a hold of God’s grace and take action! God has given you to your church family and situated you there strategically to act out his life-changing plan (1 Corinthians 12:18).

The fifth value we find in verses 10-11, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” The value here is: We must be God-dependent! The talents, skills and resources we have are gifts from God. We are totally dependent on him in employing our gifts for his glory.

The mind picture I get here is of an endless banquet table at which countless others are seated. It is a festive, joyous banquet. The Lord is our gracious host who has provided the most amazing, plentiful and tantalizing feast imaginable. Now picture yourself in the white coat of a food server. It is your privilege to fill someone’s plate from the buffet table with all God’s delicious delicacies and place those before the person you’re serving. You feel like a small child handing out Christmas presents from under the tree on Christmas morning. What joy is ours to distribute God’s grace to others!

© 2009 Rob Fischer

In 1 Peter 4:7-11, the Lord provides us with five values to guide us as we employ our spiritual gifts in the family of Christ:

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11)

In verse 7 we read, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” In the context of this letter, Peter has been reminding his readers of how temporal this world is. (See 1 Peter 1:3-5, 13 and 2:11-12). The value he gives us here is that we must be Kingdom-focused! We realize that what we’re doing has Kingdom impact. This is a God-sized endeavor and not some puny earth-sized thing!

Verse 8 says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” The value here is: We must be others-centered!  Investing in others is all about others. It is not about me or us. Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” (Phil 2:3, 5, 7)

Exercising our spiritual gifts must be about others and not about self-fulfillment. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” The spiritual gifts you and I have been given by the Holy Spirit are given us that we might serve others.

We find the third value in verse 9 (NLT), “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.” The value here is: We must be joy-prompted! The movie, Chariots of Fire is the story of a Scottish follower of Christ, Eric Liddell, who in the 1924 Olympics took the gold medal and set a world record in the 400-meter race. Eric loved to run. He was designed to run and he was obviously a gifted athlete and runner. When someone asked him why he ran, he responded, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure!”

When we allow God to work through us to serve others, we feel His pleasure! And it truly is a great joy to serve and help others!

The first part of verse 10 contains the next value, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others.” The value here is: We must be action-oriented! Use your spiritual gift! Taking action means taking risks. Risks with our time, money and reputation. But move out on it. Don’t be passive, timid, weak and unbelieving. Take a hold of God’s grace and take action! God has given you to your church family and situated you there strategically to act out his life-changing plan (1 Corinthians 12:18).

The fifth value we find in verses 10-11, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” The value here is: We must be God-dependent! The talents, skills and resources we have are gifts from God. We dare not boast of them.

The mind picture I get here is of an endless banquet table at which countless others are seated. It is a festive, joyous banquet. The Lord is our gracious host who has provided the most amazing, plentiful and tantalizing feast imaginable. Now picture yourself in the white coat of a food server. It is your privilege to fill someone’s plate from the buffet table with all God’s delicious delicacies and place those before the person you’re serving. You feel like a small child handing out Christmas presents from under the tree on Christmas morning. What joy is ours to distribute God’s grace to others!

© 2009 Rob Fischer