2 Timothy 4:2-4
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2 Timothy was a letter written by Paul from a prison cell in Rome to his son in the faith, Timothy. Paul’s epistle surely contains wisdom regarding the work of making disciples. But if we take a step back, we see that the letter also contains valuable insights into what we might call “church life.”
The passage above is a good example of that. Though written as a charge to a church leader (Timothy was a pastor in Ephesus at the time), it should cause all who desire to be followers of Christ to pause and reflect: How do I resist sound teaching in favor of messages that suit my desires? To phrase this in the poetic, witty imagery of Paul: How do I like to have my ears tickled?
Reading that some “will not put up with sound teaching” and will “turn their ears away from the truth,” many modern Western Christians may focus on the question of eternal salvation. It might be easy to think that the people Paul writes about are rejecting the Gospel itself: the divinity or the resurrection of Jesus, or the message that we are saved through Jesus. Certainly, some people do reject Jesus’ divinity. But I suspect Paul had something else in mind: namely, folks who accept the story of the resurrection but still reject aspects of Biblical teaching on how believers are called to live.
One reason is the context. Paul is writing to Timothy about the pastoral responsibility to preach the Word and about the opposition to that preaching. He mentions that those opposed to sound teaching will try to find alternate teachers to say what they want to hear. It doesn’t say that they have stopped believing in Jesus or left the church; they are still looking for teachers. In their book titled “The Challenge of Resistance to Leadership,” Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky write, “You place yourself on the line when you tell people what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.”
To boil this down to one issue: comfort. Even those who proclaim Jesus as Lord may still want to avoid challenging teaching that makes them uncomfortable. And there is a lot of solid Biblical teaching that can make us uncomfortable.
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount should make us uncomfortable, especially the opening passage in Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus speaks of the blessedness of being poor in spirit and meek.  Recently, churchgoers, even church leaders, have rebelled against the Sermon on the Mount, saying that it no longer applies. Or consider when Jesus speaks of those who are persecuted for faith as being blessed. It makes us uncomfortable because we would rather be in control than be persecuted.  The blessings on those who mourn and the many calls to lament make many in the church uncomfortable (see Romans 8:22-23 and the numerous Psalms of lament). We’d rather focus on what makes us feel good. And the messages of prophets from the Old Testament through John, the Baptist, calling people to repent, may be at the head of the list of messages that make us uncomfortable. After all, Jeremiah was accused of being unpatriotic and even treasonous for preaching unfavorable messages and calling the nation of Judah to repentance.
Of course, all of this relates to discipleship. The challenge to grow spiritually, at its very core, is that we are often made uncomfortable as we are stretched to submit to the Holy Spirit. I invite you to consider some of the ways that solid Biblical teaching makes us uncomfortable.
Reflection
In what way do I resist sound teaching in favor of messages that suit my own desires?
When was the last time a sermon made you feel uncomfortable?
 
Prayer
Gracious Heavenly Father, I confess the times I have ignored or pushed aside messages from Your Word because they made me uncomfortable. Make my heart soft and receptive to the words I need to hear so that I might grow closer to You and more like Christ.
Amen.

Luke 1:68-75
 
In Luke 1:68-75, Zechariah receives a visit from an angel, who informs the priest that his elderly wife, Elizabeth, will bear a child. When Zechariah doubts the angel’s good news, his power of speech is taken away until the time when his child is born.
After the birth of this promised child, we see that Zechariah’s ability to speak is restored. The first thing he does with his voice after months of silence is to praise God (v. 64). A portion of his celebration is found in Luke 1:68-79, a passage that we often call the Benedictus (which is the first word of the Latin version of v. 68, meaning “blessed”).
In his praise to God, Zechariah proclaims that God “has raised up a horn [a strong King] of salvation for us in the house of His servant David” (v. 69). Through this Savior, the people of Israel would be saved “from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.” For Zechariah, these enemies and haters were the armies and leaders of the Roman Empire.  
Notice what follows from this act of salvation. Zechariah says that when God rescues us from our enemies, it will enable us to “serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness” (vv. 74-75). God’s people are saved so that they might respond by serving God. How does this service happen? To be sure, in Zechariah’s day, it included the offerings presented in the temple and the other actions of the priests. But the Old Testament concept of serving God also embraces our daily work. In fact, the Hebrew word for “service” (avodah) can mean “work” or “worship.” Those whom God saves will serve God, not just in their religious activities, but also in every part of life.  
Those of us who have been saved by God’s grace through Christ have a similar experience and the same calling. We have been saved to serve the Lord in a variety of ways, including our daily work. In Ephesians 2:8-10, for example, we learn that we have been saved by grace through faith (v. 8) and that when we are saved we are also recreated in Christ for good works (v. 10). We are to do our ordinary work “in holiness and righteousness” (v. 74). When we do so, we live out our salvation by serving God and contributing to God’s work in the world.
Reflection
When you envision serving God, what images come to mind?
What does it mean for you to do your daily work “in holiness and righteousness”?
How might you live out your salvation more completely through serving God in your work?
 
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for saving us from sin and death through Jesus Christ.
As we receive Your gift of salvation, may we receive it with joy and gratitude. And may we offer ourselves as Your servants, not just when we do “religious” things, but in every part of our lives. Help us, Lord, to serve You intentionally and joyfully through our daily work. Amen.

I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name. (Isaiah 65:1, NRSV)
 
Isaiah 65 begins with a tragic thought. God stood ready to help Israel, but they didn’t bother to call upon God. God was ready to be found by those God had chosen, but they were not looking for God. In fact, as the rest of this chapter reveals, they were seeking other gods and indulging in the religious practices of pagan nations.
As I read this sad comment made by the Lord, I have to wonder how many times what was once true of Israel is also true of me. How many times has God been ready to help me, while I failed to turn to God? More than I realize, I’m sure. Now I haven’t engaged in pagan rites, mind you. But when I’ve been in a jam, I have often turned to something other than the Lord for help. Most of all, I tend to rely on myself: my cleverness, my intuition, my logic, my worry, and my hard work. God is ready to help me, but I seem to like putting myself through the emotional wringer for a while before I’m prepared to seek God’s help. How sad! And how foolish!
I wonder how our lives would be different if we truly believed that God is there for us, ready to help if we only ask. The promise Jesus once made to His first disciples is made to us also: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). Of course, the human person of Jesus is not physically with us. But Jesus is with us now and always will be through the indwelling Spirit of God.
I wonder: if we truly believed that God was with us through the Spirit, what difference might this make in our lives? How would we feel? How would we act? What might we be emboldened to do for God’s purposes and glory? How might God use us in ways we can’t even imagine?
Reflection
Have there been times in your life when God was ready to help you, but you failed to ask? When? Why didn’t you turn to God?
Are you facing challenges today for which you need God’s help, but haven’t asked? Are you willing to ask now?
Prayer
Gracious Lord Jesus, I wonder how often You look upon me with wistfulness, realizing how I have failed to turn to You when You are so ready to help me. Forgive me for my self-reliance and my foolishness.
By Your Spirit, teach me to live each day trusting in You. When I face a challenge or trial, may my instinct be to turn to You. Help me to look for You in every aspect of my life, whether I’m working, playing, resting, or praying.
Teach me to live in deeper and more consistent fellowship with You, so that I might serve You more effectively in the world, and so that I might live life to the fullest.
All praise be to You, gracious God, because You are always there to help me. Amen.

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.  (Philippians 1:3~5)

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  For many, it is a time to express gratitude to the pastor. But as a pastor, this is a time to reflect my “calling and serving” before God.  When I look back on my pastoral journey in East Lansing over the years, the first feeling that comes to my mind is not "how much I have served", but "how unworthy I am, but still used by the Lord with His grace."  Shepherding is not about a title or an achievement, but a privilege that is entirely by God's grace.

This summer, due to God's preparation and arrangement, I had the opportunity to lead a team to the rural areas in Taiwan (Hualien and Yunlin) to lead English camp with VBS.  This was my first time leading a short-term mission team, and I encountered many problems during the preparation process, whether it was the size of the team, financial needs, or various communication and coordination in the ministry, etc.  And during the actual service time, we also faced many challenges and deeply felt our limitations. But thank God for His grace to let us experience God's presence in our difficulties and see Himself at our service in many things; This also allows us to truly experience that serving does not depend on human power, but on the Lord who calls us.

However, through this short-term mission, I also realized more deeply: pastors are not lone workers. Without the prayers, dedication, and support of the brothers and sisters from the church, we would not have been able to complete this short-term mission. During this trip, we also had the opportunity to serve together with brothers and sisters from different churches from all over the places, which made me truly experienced the beauty of the body of Christ supporting and helping each other.  I Thank God that we are all part of His body!

Pastor Appreciation Month often makes people think of "the congregation thanks the pastor", but I feel that this is a time when "pastors should express their gratitude to the congregation", because without the brothers and sisters working together on the front line and behind, the service would not be as effective.  In addition, gratitude should not be just one-way, but mutual.  In the path of service, pastors need the support of the congregation; similarly, the congregation needs the shepherd of a pastor.  But more importantly, we all need each other's love, prayer, and encouragement.  This is a truly biblical image of the church: a community that perfects one another in grace.

Therefore, as I look back on this experience and think about Pastor Appreciation Month, my prayer in is: May we all learn to serve in grace and walk in thanksgiving.  The pastor thanked God for His call and the support of the congregation.  The congregation thanked the pastor for his/her hard work and for each other because each of us is a vessel of God's grace.  As we build up one another in love and encourage one another in faith, our church will be more united and empowered to fulfill the mission our Lord has entrusted to us.
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May we not only remember the hard work of the pastors this October but also learn to count God's grace and give thanks to each other.  In this way, we can connect more deeply in love, be more powerful in service, and have a more fiery heart in mission work, and build a church that is in line with God's will together.