A couple years ago, I read an article called “The Dreaded Christian Table” that has been forever etched into my mind. It testified to the careless, stingy manners of many Christians in restaurants, and that Christians, in general, have a bad reputation as being terrible tippers. Here’s an excerpt:

When other servers got word that I had the “Church table” they all immediately patted me on the back and told me everything would be all right. My “non-Christian” co-workers automatically volunteered to help me out because they knew what was coming. They told me that I might as well not waste my time by trying hard at this table, because they were going to be rude and leave me next to nothing. The entire staff at the restaurant, including the manager on duty, had nothing but contempt for this group of people—the Church people—because time and again they come in and treat the staff like second-class citizens.

In a separate blog, a young man writes,

When I delivered pizza in college, I had a rotten feeling everytime I went to a door that had a fish outside or one of those ‘as for me and my house …’ plaques outside the front door.

Another guy I went to school with worked parking at what was then Starwood Ampitheatre in Nashville. He said his worst experience ever wasn’t Metallica or the rock shows but an Amy Grant concert.

What a tragedy! The Bible says “whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Surely, behaving rudely or leaving a lousy tip is not honoring to God. In 1 Timothy 6:16-18, Paul exhorts, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share…”

If I leave a shabby tip, I might rationalize it is good stewardship, but in all reality, I’m missing an opportunity to give generously and reward a laborer who is worthy of his wages. Worse yet, I’m damaging my Christian witness. Our actions speak louder than words. I can smile, be friendly, pray in public, and leave a tract at the end of the meal. But if I don’t accompany all of those little gospel seeds with a reasonable tip, then I’ve probably just driven that person further from the gospel. Not sure who deserves a tip, or how much is “reasonable?” Check out this “Tipping Etiquette” article. I have bookmarked it and refer to it often.

Generosity is important for all Christians, but especially for us pastors. We must model good tipping. God is watching. Our church members are watching. And that waiter is watching. Why not surprise him by tipping a little extra? Let’s tip to the glory of God, and for the spread of the gospel!

Fridays are often dedicated to practical church ministry issues. If you have a question or suggested topic for the future, please email me.

I’ve been meditating more on this concept of Christian discipleship as a “call to slavery,” and have two additional thoughts:

1. The alternative to slavery to Christ is not moral liberty and personal autonomy; it is slavery to sin and to Satan. Before Christ, we may think we are free, but we are actually slaves of a different dictator. Romans 6:17-20 says, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.“
2. The fact that Jesus Christ is my Master does not mean He is an unjust and abusive tyrant; on the contrary, He is always merciful, generous, and reasonable. His “yoke is easy, and His burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). Sometimes, He asks me to do hard things, but He always gives me the grace to obey Him. He is the most benevolent king of all. Thomas Watson says, “He is a king full of mercy and clemency; as He has a sceptre in His hand, so an olive branch of peace in His mouth. Though He be the Lion of the tribe of Judah for majesty, yet He is the Lamb of God for meekness. His regal rod has honey at the end of it. He sheds abroad His love into the hearts of His subjects; He rules them with promises as well as precepts. This makes all His subjects become volunteers; they are willing to pay their allegiance to Him” (Body of Divinity, p. 188).

Lord Jesus, thank you for shedding Your own blood to buy me off the slave trade of sin and to enlist me into Your gracious service. I am so unworthy of Your love, and so honored to be a slave of the Most High God. Help me this day to serve you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.

Here’s a recap of the final two main sessions of the 2008 Truth & Life Conference at The Master’s College:

Session 4
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Speaker: James MacDonald
Topic: The Compassionate Nature of Discipleship
Text: Hebrews 12:5-17
Summary:
If I am Christ’s disciple, then God loves me and is passionately committed to changing me into the image of Jesus Christ. This training sometimes takes the form of discipline, which is “for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.” In other words, the goal of discipline is holiness (separateness, pure joy in Christ). But unfortunately, we don’t get the benefit of discipline if we’re not “trained by it” (v. 11). To those who continually reject – rather than embrace – the loving discipline of God, there is a dangerous downward spiral:
1. The Lord’s discipline can lead to discouragement (vv. 12-13). We can become sorry for ourselves and refuse to be sanctified by denying our sin, pointing the finger at someone else’s “bigger sin,” or blame-shifting our shortcomings on others.
2. Discouragement leads to dislocation (vv. 13b-14). To those who refuse to listen, God could intensify the discipline by putting you out of joint, which is a very painful process! This is serious stuff, because without sanctification, no one will enter heaven. Holiness is the evidence of our faith, and the increasing preoccupation of every genuine disciple.
3. Dislocation leads to bitterness (v. 15). We can either lack joy, or find God’s grace to take us through the trial. Rather than going it alone and becoming bitter, we should pray, surround ourselves with caring Christian friends, meditate on God’s Word and journal our thoughts and lessons God is teaching us. Cf. Deut. 29:18-19. The root of bitterness starts in secret, but gradually defiles us and destroys many churches.
4. Bitterness leads to profane living (v. 16). The things of God didn’t mean anything to Esau’s life. Immorality doesn’t happen in ten minutes. It is a set of small choices and values that slowly turn us away from God.
5. Profane living leads to disqualification (v. 17). In the end, if we continue to reject God’s discipline, we will be disqualified. Cf. Romans 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:27. The proof of our profession is our endurance.
Personal Reflection:
This was a powerful reminder that the purpose of God’s discipline is my holiness. I pray that I will be a quick learner under discipline and avoid this frightening downward spiral toward disqualification. I want to be trained by every trial, so that I can become more and more like Jesus Christ.

Session 5
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Speaker: David Wells
Topic: The Character of Authentic Discipleship
Text: Titus 2:11-14
Summary:
Our society treats moral norms merely as “suggestions.” But how do we determine what is right and pleasing to God? We will first look at our postmodern culture for a few minutes, and then consider God’s standard for holy living.
1. There are four signposts that we’re moving out of a moral world. We’ve moved…
a. From thinking about virtues to thinking about values. People now does what’s “right for them” rather than what is morally good and based on the unchangeable character of God.
b. From thinking about character to thinking about personality. Honor, duty, and ethics have been replaced by likability and how you appear.
c. From thinking about nature to thinking about self. While we used to focus on what we had in common as human beings, we are now preoccupied with what makes us unique: gifts, gender, insights, feelings, etc. that we each have in a unique package.
d. From thinking about guilt to thinking about shame. The vertical dimension of accountability to God no longer exists. Now, people only think of the horizontal dimension of what other people will think of them. Ultimate “liberation” is to become completely shameless.
2. Why, then should we do what is right?
a. Christ’s first appearance was an appearance in grace (Titus 2:11). His grace teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and live righteously. We have lost an appreciation for God’s grace.
b. Christ’s second appearance will be an appearance in glory (2:13). At the incarnation, He temporarily concealed His divine brilliance into a flickering lantern. But He will come again in power, glory, and truth, and He desires us to shine in His glory. Knowing that God is the “Great Rememberer” of all our deeds (Matt. 25:31-46) gives meaning and dignity to all that we do.
Personal Reflection:
I appreciated how Wells connected discipleship and righteous living to the first and second coming of Jesus Christ. While his main point was great, the message was confusing at times, and seemed too dry and academic for a college Bible conference setting. It felt rather anti-climactic after the dynamic morning session by James MacDonald. Nevertheless, I always enjoy Wells’ focus upon Jesus Christ as the remedy to our cultural disintigration, and do hope that students will interact with some of his books, which are probably his forte and his greatest contribution to today’s church. I read No Place for Truth several years ago, and just recently ordered Above All Earthly Pow’rs, which I am looking forward to reading sometime this year.

Natalie and I were very blessed and refreshed by the entire conference. We were fed spiritually and got to catch up with many old friends. The college did a great job putting the whole event together. It reminded us once again how much we appreciate The Master’s College, and how thankful we are to be alumni!

Our family is currently attending the Truth & Life Conference at our alma mater, The Master’s College. The theme of the conference this year is “Follow Me: Christ-centered Discipleship in a Man-Centered World.” The featured speakers have each delivered one message so far, and all of them have been very refreshing and convicting. Here’s a quick summary of sessions 1-3:

Session 1
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Speaker: John MacArthur
Topic: The Costly Nature of Discipleship
Text: John 15:14f
Summary:
When we speak of having a “personal relationship” with Jesus Christ, we’re not using biblical language. Everyone has a personal relationship with Jesus; He is either their Savior or Judge and Executioner. There are two realities to our relationship with Christ:
1. Jesus is Lord (1 Cor. 12:3; Rom. 10:9-10). This means He has absolute power, authority, ownership, and the right to command.
2. Christians are slaves (1 Cor. 7:22-23). Though often translated “servant” or “bond-servant,” the Greek word doulos is used almost 150 times in its various forms, and it always means “slave.” Slavery is the perfect model for illustrating our relationship with Jesus: We were bought on the slave trade of sin, the high price of Christ’s blood was paid for our lives, we are owned, and we forsake all rights, property, relationships when we follow Jesus.
Personal Reflection:
MacArthur’s word study on doulos was very helpful, and I will definitely look at this word differently when I read the New Testament from now on. Thinking of myself as a slave is crushing to my pride, but also puts this life in perspective by getting the focus away from me, and onto my Lord and Savior. Suddenly, the petty little “sacrifices” in life and ministry that I make for Jesus Christ don’t seem so special when I realize what He has done for me, and that I am only an unworthy slave (Luke 17:7-10).

Session 2
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Speaker: David Wells
Topic: The Cross-cultural Impact of Discipleship
Text: John 20:19-23
Summary:
In the modern evangelical church, it’s “easy to make converts, but hard to make disciples.” But, if a person is not a disciple and genuinely following after the Lord, then they’re not a convert either. This is a world of breathtaking change (just look at technology), but we find our unchanging mission in John 20:19-23. Two points:
1. The abiding foundation truth: Christ has given us His Holy Spirit, which is the means of conviction and regeneration. There is no life apart from the Spirit. There is a boundary between God and man which we cannot overcome. Yet the Son of God was sent into the world, dying for us, and doing what we couldn’t do ourselves.
2. The challenge: Jesus Christ has now sent each of us into the world. He was the “great insider” to human experience, taking on flesh, passing through our experiences, and struggling deeply with temptation. Having acquired our salvation, He now sends us into a world which is increasingly (a) spiritual, yet anti-Christian and (b) multi-cultural. The mission field is now at our doorstep like never before.
Personal Reflection:
As always, David Wells was full of biblical and cultural insight. John 20 is another great passage that parallels our Great Commission in Matthew 28. Our call to follow Jesus in this world is humbling and overwhelming, yet we have the Lord on our side every moment of the way.

Session 3
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Speaker: James MacDonald
Topic: The Cross-cultural Values of Discipleship
Text: Acts 18:24-19:41
Summary:
As we look at the evangelistic ministry of the early church, we are reminded that “the messenger is nothing; the message is everything.” We are not called to endlessly study the culture and become like the culture. Christ crushes the culture! He does this in four ways:
1. Jesus conquers sincere religiousity (Acts 18:24-19:6)
2. Jesus conquers stubborn unbelief (19:7-10)
3. Jesus conquers Satanic strongholds (19:11-20)
4. Jesus conquers shallow secularism (19:21-41)
Personal Reflection:
James MacDonald delivered my favorite line of the conference so far: “Here at The Master’s College, you probably don’t hear this very often: John MacArthur is NOTHING!! … But let me quickly add that James MacDonald is also NOTHING. In fact [turning to MacArthur], I am more nothing than you will ever be!” MacDonald is quite funny and relates very well to the college students. His comments were shallow at times and didn’t always grapple with the text, but his main point was very clear and well-illustrated through this extended narrative in Acts 18-19. Christians are not called to become like our culture in order to reach it. We need to stop being so afraid of this postmodern culture, and just get the gospel out, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to implant the message deep in the hearts of hearers. God is glorified when His gospel is proclaimed, regardless of the response.

In the book In God’s Waiting Room, Dr. Lehman Strauss recalls one of the hardest moments in his life:

It was Wednesday, April 14, 1982. Eighteen days had passed since [my wife] Elsie’s stroke. The neurologist in charge requested that I meet with him. I waited expectantly in the corridor outside Elsie’s room. When the doctor appeared his remarks were brief and pointed. “We are making arrangements to move your wife to a rehabilitation center in San Diego.” “What led you to this decision?” I asked. He hesitated. I detected a bit of concern in his delayed reply. I was right. His words came slowly. “There is nothing more that we can do medically for Mrs. Strauss.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and patted it gently. “I’m sorry,” he said, and he walked away.

For a few seconds I stood motionless, my mind almost blank. Then I walked slowly into the room, kissed Elsie, and sat in the chair beside the bed. She spoke first. “What did the doctor tell you?” “He said that you will be transferred to a rehabilitation center in San Diego.” I took her hand in mine. Then I assured her that there was nothing to fear because God was in control. But did I really believe that God was in control?

…We Christians affirm our belief in the sovereignty of God, but our faith is challenged in times of natural upheaval, national disaster, or personal affliction. Pain and poverty, disease and death, sorrow and suffering all tend to cause us to think seriously about God as creator and controller of the world of which we are a part. It is not always easy to believe that God is in control. On that Wednesday in April 1982, my faith was being tested. At that particular moment my mind was not capable of rationalizing the majesty of God’s sovereignty. When I was told the seriousness of Elsie’s condition, I realized that some cherished plans would have to be canceled. Quite frankly, I could not understand God’s reason for this turn of events. But I knew that the Bible contains all we poor mortals need to know. Our Lord said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Perhaps some of you have received news as earth-shattering that. Others have not. But we can all be certain of this: the longer God leaves us in this sin-cursed world, the more we can expect “natural upheaval, national disaster, and personal affliction,” and the more our faith will be challenged. Our increasing encounters with suffering will test our level of trust in God. And in moments like these, when experience and theology collide, we desperately need the message of Habakkuk.

The prophet Habakkuk wrote at a very dark time in Israel’s history. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) had already been destroyed and scattered by the Assyrian Empire. Now, the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was bracing for an immanent attack by the Chaldeans (or Babylonians), God’s new instrument of choice to discipline His people. At that moment, Habakkuk’s experience and theology collided. His “experience” told him that the world was falling apart, that God had forsaken His covenant people, and that God was standing silent while the wicked “swallowed up” the righteous (1:13). Yet Habakkuk’s “theology” told Him that God was sovereign, holy, faithful, and just in all His dealings. How could these facts be reconciled?

The key verse in the Book of Habakkuk, where God finally unravels this mystery, is Habakkuk 2:4. “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith.” Note the contrast between two kinds of people:

• The proud. God says that the “proud” (puffed up, inflated) person has a soul that is defective. As a result, the proud will eventually be judged and condemned. The God of vengeance and Judge of the earth will “render recompense to the proud” (Psalm 94:2). In the immediate context, the “proud” describes the Chaldeans, but it extends to all people who are arrogant and self-reliant rather than humble and dependent upon God.
  

• The righteous. By contrast, the “righteous” (the morally good, just, fair) will have a “faith” or “steadfast trust” in the Word of God that will cause him to persevere through a trial and patiently wait for God to act. This condition of “righteousness,” is not something we can earn because of any inherent moral goodness. Rather, it is a legal standing before God that occurs when we place our faith in Him. Speaking of Abram, Genesis 15:6 says, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He [God] reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Notice that it is faith alone (not works) that leads God to declare Abram “justified.”

Habakkuk 2:4 is one of the most important verses in the Bible because it summarizes two central truths of Christianity: we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ (Genesis 15:6; Romans 1:17, chs. 1-5), and we persevere by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 6-8; Hebrews 10:36-39). New Testament scholar S. Lewis Johnson said, “ ‘The just shall live by faith’ – it is, without question, near the soul of Pauline theology…Habakkuk’s great text, with his son Paul’s comments and additions, became the banner of the Protestant Reformation in the hands of Habakkuk’s grandson, Martin Luther.” Dr. John Feinberg described this verse as “The key to the whole Book of Habakkuk…the central theme of all the Scriptures.”

Do you have a faith that endures under trial? Or at the first sign of trouble, do you worry, complain, and grow angry? By the grace of God, when our experience and theology collide, let’s live with a steadfast trust in God and cling to the precious promises of His Word.