Excellence - Part 4

Sub-titled:  So You Want to Be Great!

There is not a culture in the world that naturally, by instinct, honors servanthood.  But Christ calls us to such a attitude.  Actually in Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus describes the attitude of servanthood using two words.  The first one we find in verse 26.  In the ESV it is simply servant.  It is the Greek word διάκονος [diakonos /dee·ak·on·os/].  ^[1]  

 This noun probably referred to someone who ran errands.   Dr. Gary Inrig adds further insight by describing this as a person who does the menial or the mundane; serves tables; and depends on others.      We consider their work dirty and messy (ergo: footwashing (John 13)).   They are undeniably people who rarely get any recognition or praise.

                           

If that isn't bad enough, Jesus also describes them in another way.  Notice  Matthew 20:27 "and whoever would be first among you must be your slave."  From servant to slave.   Not the word diakonos, but not the word doulos.[2]  Undoubtedly it’s a person whose time is not his or her own; whose freedom is severely limited. 

 

“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” (Matthew 20:26–27, ESV)

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^[1] Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

[2] δοῦλοσ1, δοῦλοσ2 [doulos /doo·los/]

Excellence - Part 3

What is it about pursuing excellence that is uniquely Christian?

Last week the headlines read: Defiant Armstrong tells cancer conference: I’m a seven-time Tour de France champ.  Let me say very clearly that I don't know if Lance Armstrong is guilty of doping.   Assuming the charges are correct let us be clear about one principle for sure: 

Excelling in what you do will never can replace excelling in what you are.   

If you are a cheater, you are not a winner – no matter how far ahead of the pack you are.   This is what makes this subject uniquely Christian. Listen to the emphasis from the New Testament:

• 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that [may excel more and more –NASB]  you do so more and more.

• 2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

Paul reminds us often in the New Testament that our love ought to be one character that we consistently seek to excel in.  For example:

• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,

• 1 Thessalonians 4:10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,

You see the problem with talking about excellence apart from moral character takes the topic into paganism.   Excellence of character is always of a higher priority than excellence of conduct.

Excellence - Part 2

The Bible calls Christians to live in pursuit of excellence.   Notice these familiar passages:

• 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Or

• Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

And this does not just mean in our work and around the home, the Bible does call for us to attend to our ministry with excellence.   Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."   That word "abounding" is important.  A.H. Strong identifies the word from the Greek περισσεύω [perisseuo /per·is·syoo·o/].^[1]  He explains it as:

• to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure.
•  to excel … excel more than, exceed.
•  to make abundant or excellent.

Our lives including our ministries ought to show evidence of excelling … going over the top!    When Paul was giving instruction to us protégé, Timothy, he counseled him this way: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” (1 Timothy 4:15, ESV) .  The verb form of the word that Paul uses here (προκοπή [prokope /prok·op·ay/]) means to hammer out.   It was used as a metal worker would heat metal and hammer it out increasing and shaping its size.   Paul told Timothy that as he attended to his ministry that it should be obvious that he was growing and progressing. 

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^[1] Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Excellence - Part 1

Perhaps when a church introduces things like standards, training, expectations or evaluations it reminds people of jobs or families where results were preeminent and people didn't matter.   That is a valid concern.  Let me clarify, then, what I mean.  When I suggest that we as members of Christ's church should pursue excellence, I am suggesting that:

#1.  Excellence is not something that is competitive.  In other words my desire to be a better at  ________ is not to make you look bad.

#2.  Excellence is not simply related to so-called important things.  In other words to be a person of excellence is not saying I get to be excellent in this and the rest doesn't matter.  Excellence and integrity go hand in hand. 

#3.  Excellence is not simply a legal thing.   What do I mean by that?   It not enough that we make choices of right or wrong.  Even within right choices there are choices that are more excellent than others. 

#4. Excellence is not simply a mechanical thing.  In other words you could be skilled in something and not be excellent.  

#5.  Excellence is not a cleverness thing.  To be excellent is far more than being talented, gifted or successful.

#6.  Excellence is not perfection.  Edwin Bliss once said, "The pursuit of excellence is gratifying and healthy. The pursuit of perfection is frustrating, neurotic, and a terrible waste of time."  I'm not sure I agree with him totally, but this I know: seeking to do better is possible in this world;  seeking to do it perfectly is not.

So let's define excellence.   To be excellent means to "go over the top".     The words excel, surpass, exceed, transcend, outdo, outstrip all suggest the concept of going beyond a limit or standard.   

But it's more than that ......