It comes from 2 Timothy 2:8

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel…”

The key phrase here is “my gospel.” I double-checked various versions and the original language, and it is not supposed to say THE Gospel, it is MY Gospel.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the Gospel of Paul that was preached and written down and grew to overtake the “true” Gospel of Jesus. I don’t buy into that, but that isn’t my issue here. I am struck instead by the why I believe Paul called the Gospel his own instead of belong to anyone else.

Is it because of his writings or popularity? I doubt it. If you know many authors personally, most would tell that they do not write to become popular or because they want to have a devout following that respects them and increases their bank account. Rather, they believe they can shed light on something, speak into someone’s life, and find their blessing in being a part of the growth process for other people. Many cannot help but write because their mind is constantly at work and if they do not find an outlet they will either burst or become unable to progress in their own lives because they are constantly shackled by the thoughts they are not passing along. In many ways I believe Paul was similar in his heart; he could not help but write and be involved in the development of those he was privileged to encounter in life, even if he never physically met them.

Paul’s Gospel was HIS Gospel because he had made it integral to life. He could no longer live without it, the fact that Christ died and was raised so that we might be reconciled to the Father, finding new and eternal life in Him, and power through His Holy Spirit. It wasn’t his because he created it, it was his because it defined him.

Calling the Gospel MY Gospel is the simple way of stating what Paul had already said so eloquently and boldly:

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20)

Because he depended upon and lived through Gospel to the point that he could call it his own, Paul was able to endure all the trials that life brought him.

…and so I am willing to put up with anything. Then God’s special people will be saved. They will be given eternal glory because they belong to Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 2:10, CEV)

Have you made THE Gospel YOUR Gospel? Sure, you might be able to explain to someone else. But does it define who you are and how you live, what you dream of and what you hope for? That’s what I think Paul is telling us here. Make the Gospel your own.

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* Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are taken from English Standard Version (ESV).

Let’s start by asking a simple question: What comes to mind when you hear the word “gospel”? For some it is a genre of music, robust and soulful. Others think of the “gospel” message of the life, death, resurrection and teachings of Jesus. Some may consider the whole of Scripture the Gospel.

What do you do with the Gospel? Are you a preacher of the Gospel? This brings to mind the picture of an evangelist at a podium, preaching with a raspy, breathy voice. He swings his Bible through the air like a sword, points it at the crowd, and jigs to the sound of a gospel (there’s that word again) organ. Do you share the Gospel? Maybe you took an evangelism course, or witness to passersby on the sidewalk in the coffee house section of the city. You keep a Bible on your desk as a way of fishing for interest in your coworkers. Or maybe you just listen to Christian radio so that the Gospel gets out into your surrounding environment on a subliminal, subconscious level. Do you live out the Gospel? You study the Scriptures to find out the ins and outs of Jesus’ life on this earth and you try to emulate His life through your own.

Let me ask you another question: Why do you preach, teach, share, or live out the gospel? The most likely answer is to get people saved. In other words, we see people who are living sinful lives, often to their own detriment, and want to help them find a better life in Christ by hearing and receiving the Gospel. They are diamonds in the rough, and we have the tool to shape, refine and polish them into beautiful gems. Like Luke Skywalker, we try to coax them from the dark side to the good, proper side of life.

Suddenly the Gospel takes a meaning I’m not sure it was meant to have. It becomes a piece of the Christianization puzzle.

I may have just made up that term, but it reminds me of what the ancient Greeks and Romans would do to the nations they conquered. When a country or city was claimed by the Empire, it did not just receive a new flag to show who was in control of it. To be left in such a way would allow the inhabitants to consider themselves originally one nationality, under the dominion of another. In such a state, the Empire would constantly be at risk of rebellion by those who wished to be as their were, under their own rule, maintain their own culture and way of life.

But the Greeks and Romans were too smart to have to deal with constant uprisings. They had far greater priorities. So to help keep peace, they would Hellenize the peoples they conquered. The goal was to take the people of say, Asia Minor, and turn from “asians” to “Greeks”. They would import the Greco-Roman culture to the point that the city no longer looked like it did, but now looked as if it had always been Greek or Roman. Greco-Roman arts, philosophy, law, representation, and various other elements became the new way of life. These conquered peoples could become citizens of the greatest civilization to grace the earth; they need only embrace it.

Applied to Christianization, it is the act of taking lost, unchurched people and retraining them to be churchy people. For the Romans we think of togas and feathered helmets. For Christians we think of cross necklaces, pressed clothes and leather-bound Bibles. No more cigarettes, drinking, loud music, dancing, unkempt hair, tattoos or piercings. It’s time to move from darkness to light, and that means acting more like Jesus and what the traditional picture of a Christian looks like.

The term “Gospel” is itself a churchy term. If you walked up to someone on the street and asked them what “gospel” means, how do you think they would answer? “Hey, man, do you want to hear the Gospel?” What are the odds that they’ll just cock their head, chuckle a little, and move along with their day?

We need to get back to the true meaning of the term. Gospel is literally translated as “good news.” Now, if you walk up to that same guy on the street and ask if he wants to hear some good news, there’s a better chance that he’ll want to stop and listen. In these times, good news seems to be in short supply. HLN, the network formerly known as Headline News, is constantly on the lookout for “Good News In A Bad Economy.” Why? Because our hearts can only take so much bad news before they breakdown and we become hopeless and useless.

The essence of the good news is hope, which is fast becoming the mission of my ministry. I want to be a beacon of hope. When you hear good news, you begin to hope that something good will come to you. If you don’t, if you’re first instinct is to mirror the heart of Eeyore and believe that you’ll never see the sun after the clouds, then you are in need of good news more than you can imagine.

There is good news that Jesus can reach through whatever circumstance you find yourself in and bring you peace, life, grace, and the promise of a future. When you are lost and alone, He will never leave you or forsake you. When your marriage is in trouble, there is hope for healing and restoration. When your child is sick and dying, there is hope that she can be healed. When everything around you is death and destruction, there is good news that your life will not be wasted.

I know it sounds like semantics, but it seems like a distinction that needs to be made. Let’s stop trying to Christianize the world with the Gospel, and starting bringing hope to a world in need by bringing them good news.

Afterwards I was going about my own business, getting ready for work, when my mind started to think about church and other matters floating through my head. (You don’t want to look in there, trust me.) I think that because I’ve been thinking about my next worship leading schedule, my thoughts were suddenly stuck on the worship track. This phrase came to mind, and I think it is something to think about for churches who have more than one worship leader on their teams.

Let me start by saying that if you as a church have more than one able worship leader in your church, you are blessed. Many churches across the globe wish every week for just one person who is talented and sensitive enough to lead their congregation in praise and worship. You have the ability to rotate responsibilities so no one person gets strained and burned out. But you also find yourself in what can become a difficult situation.

I wrote in previous posts about what I call “The Laws of Worship Leading,” and one of those was the Law of the Conductor. I mentioned how we might run into trouble with multiple leaders on a team at the same time, and how there can only be one true conductor, lead by the Holy Spirit, helping the team “keep in time” with the Spirit’s working in the service.

Having gone back and read that post before starting here, I realize that I neglected to delve deeper into the issue of what might happen with multiple conductors working at the same time. (Click here to read “Laws of Worship Leading | The Conductor”.)

Rather than repeat how the Law is stated on that other post, here is a more memorable version: “Multiple Heads Make A Monster.” Whenever you run across something that has two heads, your first instinct is that it isn’t natural. There is no species on this earth that operates in such a way. Independent eyes? No problem. No definitive head at all can be an option, but only when it comes to slithering around on autopilot (such as a worm). Why would we think that having two heads in church is alright?

When more than one person tries to direct a worship service, there is opportunity for various issues. These include confusion, for the designated worship leader, the members of the team and the congregation; hurt feelings; the perception of insubordination or power grabbing; and eventually schisms in the worship team itself. If you add any one of these to the worship team environment, surely a monster is the result.

We are told regularly to be ourselves, to be individuals. In some circles we are taught not to “quench the Spirit” and to follow every leading or tugging on our hearts. But we can really operate that way, all of the time, successfully? It is true that God speaks to every one of us, and that there are times when the Spirit chooses to use someone outside of designated leadership to work in the lives of His people. But is that the norm? Are we supposed to be willing to let everyone with spiritual “goose bumps” interrupt and make changes in a service?

The Corinthians are known for their focus on spiritual things with a lack of discipline in their use. For them, it was about being spiritual, following the leading of the Spirit, having something great to add because God put it in their hearts. But what does Paul say? Does he congratulate them for their zeal in using the gifts of the Spirit? No; he corrects them.

So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church. . . . Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. . . . For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. . . . But all things should be done decently and in order.
(1 Corinthians 14:12, 20, 33, 40 ESV)

We must, as those who are leaders serving other leaders, must be careful not to 1) create issue within the church, 2) be childish and self-serving, or 3) act out of order. When another is called upon to lead a service, we cannot assume that because we are leaders in our own right that we have permission to interject as please.

The Big Issues

I see two reasons for why a person other than the one asked to lead feels they can interrupt the course of a service. Both are personal issues, and if left unchecked, are harmful to himself and the church body.

1) Trust

The first issue is that of trust. If another worship leader working behind me as I lead does not trust, he will feel more likely to interfere in a service.

The reasons for a lack of trust can be legitimate. One example would be training in the arts, if I have professional training in music and orchestration, and you are new to the music scene but are given a place of leadership because of your ability to sing or create a positive experience. Another reason is experience, where you may have led worship twice each week for twenty years, but I have only led two or three times in my whole life.

When we choose not to trust the leader appointed over us, we are acting out from a heart full of pride. We believe we are better than that person, that she doesn’t deserve what was given to her. We don’t trust them to lead us, much less the entire congregation. By interrupting a service we are actually saying that we have it right; the leading and sensitivity of the person leading is obviously inadequate or incorrect because what I am feeling must be correct.

If you cannot trust the leader that is put in place, even for a season, can you honestly stand before your fellow believers and lead them to worship? No; it’s not possible. You, acting spiritual while having a heart of rebellion, have a better chance of breaking down the unity of the team and even the congregation because your worship is tainted by your selfish heart. Even worse, your worship is rejected by God because you have failed to act according to the words of Jesus: “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24).

The follower who cannot choose to trust the leader is not a follower at all. He is a usurper in waiting. It would be better to step away and allow the leader to lead than to become a person who is critical and sows discord.

2) Authority

The biggest issue in failing to follow is a problem with authority. Ultimately, if we cannot submit to authority in something as simple as a worship service, we rebel against the leader, the pastor who put the leader in place, and God.

For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
(Romans 13:1-2)

When we start messing with authority, thinking that we have a right to know, a right to veto, or a right to counteract it, we start our journey down the path of destruction. In a society where democracy reigns supreme, we find ourselves needing a reminder that we in the church have submitted to a theocracy. If we could somehow circumvent the will of God by popular vote, where would that leave us? The one who thinks it possible or a positive idea has yet to delve into the Scriptures and see what it means to cut God out of the picture.

If you haven’t taken the time to learn about the significance of authority, you cannot afford to continue in any position of leadership or service before you start. I highly recommend John Bevere’s book, Under Cover. Get it, read it, study it, ask serious questions and put your life under the microscope. (You can read my book review here.) To jump out from under the authority God has placed over is detrimental to you and anyone you serve or lead.

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There has been a lot of talk about being lead worshipers rather than worship leaders. We don’t want to put ourselves up on pedestals or consider ourselves better than the congregations we are privileged to serve. Maybe we should look at what it means to be a worship follower. A good dose of humility and perspective never hurt anyone; it only helps.