Three Observations From John 11 (by Bobby Thompson)

 It is hard to believe, but our blog has well over 600 posts.  These posts stretch all the way back to 2007.  From time to time, we like to re-post something from the past.  This is one of those posts.  It was written by Bobby Thompson and was originally posted in September of 2007.


John 11 records the familiar story of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead. Most people know the details of the events in the story, but have you ever stopped to think what we can learn about God through the words and acts of Jesus in this account? Here are three short observations and maybe you can think of more:

1. God is working in our lives for His glory.

If you look at verses 1-4 you will find two perspectives on the situation at hand. For Mary and Martha they saw a difficult and desperate situation – their brother was sick unto death. Jesus saw the situation through different eyes. He saw how the Father and the Son could receive glory in it (v.4) so he said, “This illness does not lead to death”. Yes, Lazarus did die, but ultimately Christ gave him life again in this age and in the age to come.

2. God is at the same time working in our lives for our good.

In verses five and six we read, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed two days longer in the place he was.” That is a pretty remarkable statement. What he said is essentially, “Because I love you, I am going to stay here and let Lazarus die.” This seems rather odd and unloving until we read verses 14-15, “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.' ” You see, Jesus not only had the glory of God in mind, but also the good of his friends. He knew that they needed to trust him, more than Lazarus needed to live – Which leads into the third observation…

3. God is always working in our lives to produce faith in Him.

John 11:35 says, “Jesus wept.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus wept at this particular point in the story? I have often thought it had to do with his feelings for Lazarus or his empathy with Mary and Martha. The closer I look, it seems that he was weeping for their lack of faith. Earlier in the chapter Martha did respond in faith saying, “I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give to you.” Later however Mary came to Jesus with other Jews, and they were all distraught and weeping; It is at this point that Jesus also weeps. Surely Jesus had great affection for Lazarus and his sisters and friends, but more that anything he wanted was to see faith in God produced in them, and by application, in us also.

Extraordinary faith in God brings him great glory and us great satisfaction.

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Tribute to Pastor Bobby Thompson (part 2)

(Dakota Hancock giving tribute to Pastor Bobby & Lynn Thompson)

On Sunday night July 24, 2011, FBC paid tribute and said good-bye to Bobby Thompson.  Bobby has been our youth pastor since 2006.  We thought it would be appropriate to post some of the tributes that were given during that service.   On Monday, we posted some tributes from the Church staff.  Today we post tributes from some former members of Pastor Bobby's youth group.

Dakota Hancock: 

I was privileged to have Pastor Bobby as my youth pastor from the time he came on staff here during my eighth-grade year until I graduated this past year. Sitting under his teaching and having him and Lynn as godly examples and friends has been such a blessing. Pastor Bobby always said his main goal as a youth pastor was that by the time a student graduated from high school, that if they’re consistently doing their devotions and have developed a love for God’s Word, he was successful and had done his job. Pastor Bobby is the person God has used to help me develop a love for God’s Word. He’s the one who taught me how to really study God’s Word effectively. I’m so glad for his love for God’s glory and his faithfulness in his teaching.  I’m so thankful for the Thompsons’ influence on my life.

Cody Hancock: 

I had Pastor Bobby as youth leader the upper part of high school. It was very formative. At that time I had decided that I wanted to go into full-time ministry. Pastor Bobby really helped me figure out—“If you really want to do it, then do it. But if you feel like that’s not really what you want to do, don’t joke yourself into doing something you don’t really want to do.” So we talked about it. He was always my youth pastor and always my superior, yet he always was my friend. I knew I could always come to talk to him about anything.

(During the service to honor Pastor Bobby, Cody played the role of 'Pastor Bobby.'  Jonita Barram recently interviewed Cody regarding the impact Pastor Bobby has had on his life.)

When you played him in the skit, which of his speech or behavior idiosyncrasies were you spoofing?

He does talk slow. Some of his idiosyncrasies were he always leans back in the chair. I’ve been to a couple of staff meetings, but the guys told me that he always has food. So I brought the backpack and I had Sprees, one of his favorite kinds of candies.

When I poured the candy in my mouth—Pastor Bobby will do that. He’ll get a handful of candy and then tuck it into one side of his cheek. He’ll talk to you, but he’ll be eating candy at the same time. 

He’s also on his Mac a lot. One thing I talked to Pastor about is that he [Pastor Bobby] will be in staff meeting, and Pastor will ask a question. Pastor Bobby’s on his computer, he’ll Google it, and he’ll come up with the answer really quick. And Pastor’s like, “How do you know that.” “Uh, it’s on the computer.” So when I was on the laptop, that’s like Pastor Bobby.

What do you admire most about him?

The focus of his life. His focus is on the glory of God. It says in Corinthians whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God, and that’s Pastor Bobby’s motto, his creed, for anything and everything that he does. That’s what I admire most about him.

Summarize the ongoing influence he had on your life after you graduated high school.

Once I graduated high school and went to college, I really got to transition to more of a friendship role with him. We do have a really good friendship, and I’m going to be e-mailing him and stuff when he’s gone.

Matthew DelValle: 

Pastor Bobby was my youth pastor for two years. His greatest influence on me was teaching me how to preach and teach. He did this by both example and instruction. 

I learned a lot about presenting God’s Word just by watching Pastor Bobby. I loved how he picked out key phrases in a passage and highlighted their significance. One example was his teaching on 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5. The passage reads: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” 

I had read this passage many times before, but I had never noticed the significance of that last phrase, “who do not know God.” Pastor Bobby made the point that sexual immorality is the result of not knowing God; on the other hand, sexual purity is the result of knowing God. Or to say it another way: Holiness of life is directly related to my knowledge of God. The more I know God personally, the holier I will be. 

This was huge for me—not just as a teenager but also as an aspiring preacher. A preacher could talk a congregation’s ear off about sexual immorality, abstinence, holiness, the will of God, and the like, but if he never gives them a basis for how to apply the truth, he leaves them without hope. Pastor Bobby’s many examples of seeing what is significant in the text helped me grow as a preacher. 

Pastor Bobby also helped me by direct instruction. He allowed me to teach Sunday School for a week during my junior year. In the weeks leading up to my lesson, Pastor Bobby gave me materials to read, and he also sat with me and reviewed my manuscript, providing helpful feedback. Pastor Bobby also reviewed a lesson I taught for teen VBS in 2009 and my first sermon for a college evening service in 2010. To this day, I value the instruction he gave me. 

Therefore, I learned much about preaching and teaching from Pastor Bobby. I can honestly say that this was his greatest influence on me. My desire to preach and teach God’s Word is largely due to Pastor Bobby. 

One of my favorite hymns begins with these words: “How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord / Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! / What more can He say than to you He hath said / To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?” The point of that verse is to remind us that the Word of the living God is totally sufficient for our faith and obedience! 

One of the greatest blessings a teenager can have is a youth pastor who not only believes this with his head but also practices this in his ministry. I thank the Lord with all my heart: Pastor Bobby believes in the Word of God and centered his entire ministry on the Word of God. It was the foundation for everything he did. And when I say “foundation,” I don’t mean like the foundation of a house that everyone assumes is there but no one can see; that’s not how Pastor Bobby did ministry. When I say “foundation,” I mean that the Word of God permeated every aspect of Pastor Bobby’s ministry: it was in the kitchen, it was in the living room—it was everywhere! 

And here’s why I know this was true about Pastor Bobby’s ministry: Pastor Bobby knows the main point of the Bible. The Bible is about Jesus. It’s about the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s about God’s glory and value, not our glory and value. 

So I know Pastor Bobby centered His ministry on the Word of God because every sermon or lesson I heard from him was ultimately about the glory of God and the gospel of God. 

Pastor Bobby kept what is central to God central to his ministry. All the planets of ministry—preaching, discipleship, missions trips, service projects—revolved around the sun of God’s glory in the gospel. God’s greatest passion was Pastor Bobby’s greatest passion—and still is. And for that, I admire him. 

The impact that Pastor Bobby has had on my life is immense. His personal friendship to me has helped me grow closer to Christ and love people more. Pastor Bobby invested in me, taught me, counseled me, and prayed for me. He gave me opportunities to teach Sunday School, preach sermons on missions trips, give devotionals, play the piano for youth group, plan games, and so much more. Pastor Bobby is most responsible for allowing me to develop the gifts God has given me and teaching me to use those gifts for God’s glory and the good of others. Through his life he has always pointed me away from himself, away from myself, away from any other created thing, and pointed me to Christ and Christ alone—and for that I am eternally grateful. I love Pastor Bobby and always thank God for him. I am glad he was my youth pastor and is also my friend.

What Impact has Pastor Bobby had on your life?  What will you remember from his years as Youth Pastor at FBC?  Share your thoughts with us below.

Tribute to Pastor Bobby Thompson (part 1)

(Isabel, Sam, Lynn, Bobby, & Sara Thompson)

On Sunday night July 24, 2011, FBC paid tribute and said good-bye to Bobby Thompson.  Bobby has been our youth pastor since 2006.  We thought it would be appropriate to post some of the tributes that were given during that service.   Today we post tributes from church staff members.  Part 2 includes tributes from some of Bobby's former youth group members.  

Pastor Osborne: 

"I look for three things when I’m looking for a staff member. The first is character. I want to know that this individual knows the Lord. I want to know that their knowledge of God has filtered down from their brain to their heart and changed the way that they think, which changes the way that they speak, which changes the way that they behave. What I found in Pastor Bobby was a man who is honest, a man who is loyal, a man who is faithful, a man who loves his God, a man who loves his wife, and a man who loves his children. That’s what I found—a man of character, and I loved him for it. 

The second thing I look for is competence. I want to know that what he is asked to do he can do and that he can do it well. What I asked Pastor Bobby to do is one of the most difficult things to do in ministry. When you deal with people’s children or with their money, you’re never going to get it right. And that’s what I asked him to do—deal with people’s children, their teenagers. 

It is a unique type of person that can identify with junior high and senior high kids, keep their sanity, teach them God’s Word, and deal with their parents. And Pastor Bobby has done that well. He is competent. You have been a joy in my life, and I have been sharpened by you. 

The third thing I look for is chemistry—can they fit with me, and can they fit with Pastor Jerry? Can they fit with Pastor Pete and Stephen and Sean and Gerry Hill and Jared? Can they fit with Georgia? Can they fit with Gwen? 

There are some people who can come in and it will disrupt the chemistry. It will disrupt what you have going on in the office. It could be their personality; it could be a lot of different things. Pastor Bobby, you added to the chemistry of our staff, and I love you for that."

Pastor Brock: 

"When I first came to Faith Baptist a little over eight years ago, Pastor Bobby was in seminary. I heard stories about Pastor Bobby—how he was this marvelous young man. I got to know Bobby as he came on staff here at Faith. So my getting to know Bobby has been through our church life. I am thankful to God for the manner in which Bobby has been an example to me in a number of areas. 

As I thought of Pastor Bobby, my thoughts went to a verse in Colossians 4 that describes a man named Tychicus. Verse 7 reads, “Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord.” Tychicus is mentioned five times in the New Testament. We don’t know a lot about him, but he was a trusted companion of the apostle Paul. 

Pastor Bobby has been a Tychicus in my life. Every time Tychicus is mentioned in Scripture, it’s in a manner that proves his faithfulness, his loyalty, and his effective ministry. Colossians 4:7 lists three characteristics of Tychicus that I have observed also in Pastor Bobby. 

Bobby has been a brother in the faith, a brother with whom we can share our joys, our trials, our ministry triumphs, and our ministry failures. I thank you, Bobby, for being such a great brother in the ministry. 

“Faithful” means “to be certain, worthy to be believed, true, just, and trustworthy; one who is steadfast to one’s trust, word, and promises.” That sounds like Pastor Bobby to me. That’s what I think of Pastor Bobby. 

The term “servant,” or “minister” is “one who willingly serves.” The root of that word talks about one who labors in the dust. This is talking about the “stuff” of ministry, that daily grinded-out side of ministry—when you’re up late, and you got to get up early the next morning, and you keep doing it again and again and again; when you’re working with people, just that “stuff” of ministry. And Bobby did this well. I thank the Lord for that. 

As Tychicus was to Paul, so was Bobby to each of us on the staff. I thank you for that, Bobby."

Jared Malcolm: 

"I thought of two words. The first is “faithfulness.”  You’ve been faithful to God for as long as I’ve known you. You’ve been faithful to your parents. You’ve been faithful to your wife, and God has blessed the two of you with three great kids that you’ve been faithful to as well. But you’ve also been faithful to this church—I don’t mean just as a staff member. You’ve been faithful to this church for as long as you’ve attended here. When you went off to college and seminary, you remained faithful to this church, and you also were faithful to the traditions of this church by faithfully attending church wherever you were. I want to thank you for being that man of faithfulness. You’ve been a good example. 

Also when I think of you, I think of the word “adaptability.” Over the years that we’ve known each other, God has led you in many different directions. I think of that as having an open heart and an open ear to what God has for you. 

Whenever God has changed your path, you’ve never been bitter about it, you’ve never been resentful about it. You’ve always kept that positive attitude. You’ve always looked for the next opportunity God had for your life. You’ve always trusted God to see you and your family through whatever life brings. 

I thank you, my friend—and you’re also my brother. I thank you."

What Impact has Pastor Bobby had on your life?  What will you remember from his years as Youth Pastor at FBC?  Share your thoughts with us below.

Ten Things I'm Thankful For (by Bobby Thompson)

1. A faithful, gracious, sovereign God
2. A beautiful, loving, supportive wife
3. 3, fun, adorable, challenging children (see above)
4. A servant leader for a boss
5. God's piercing and encouraging Word
6. Good health
7. The forgiveness of sin
8. Daily provisions
9. Good books
10. Golf

Related Posts:

• 8 Things I'm Thankful For (by Stephen Simpson)
• 8 Things I'm Thankful For (by Jonita Barram)
• Ten Things I'm Thankful For (by Dave Totman)
• Thankful Thoughts (by Peter Brock)

Poetry and Theology (by Bobby Thompson)

I have a love / hate relationship with poetry. When I understand it I love it, when I do not understand it I hate it. I believe one of the greatest applications of poetry is when great spiritual truths are conveyed in it. When poetry and theology come together it is a powerful wedding of truth with emotion. No one does this better than John Piper (in my opinion). The following is one example of his many works of poetry. This poem was written to his son just before his wedding. The truth he is communicating is that he should love his wife above all else - besides God. His wife will find love and security in his love for God. Listen to how he masterfully and beautifully communicates this:

"Love Her More and Love Her Less"

By John Piper May 29, 1995

For Karsten Luke Piper
At His Wedding to
Rochelle Ann Orvis
May 29, 1995

The God whom we have loved, and in
Whom we have lived, and who has been
Our Rock these twenty-two good years
With you, now bids us, with sweet tears,
To let you go: "A man shall leave
His father and his mother, cleave
Henceforth unto his wife, and be
One unashaméd flesh and free."
This is the word of God today,
And we are happy to obey.
For God has given you a bride
Who answers every prayer we've cried
For over twenty years, our claim
For you, before we knew her name.

And now you ask that I should write
A poem - a risky thing, in light
Of what you know: that I am more
The preacher than the poet or
The artist. I am honored by
Your bravery, and I comply.
I do not grudge these sweet confines
Of rhyming pairs and metered lines.
They are old friends. They like it when
I bid them help me once again
To gather feelings into form
And keep them durable and warm.

And so we met in recent days,
And made the flood of love and praise
And counsel from a father's heart
To flow within the banks of art.
Here is a portion of the stream,
My son: a sermon poem. It's theme:
A double rule of love that shocks;
A doctrine in a paradox:

If you now aim your wife to bless,
Then love her more and love her less.

If in the coming years, by some
Strange providence of God, you come
To have the riches of this age,
And, painless, stride across the stage
Beside your wife, be sure in health
To love her, love her more than wealth.

And if your life is woven in
A hundred friendships, and you spin
A festal fabric out of all
Your sweet affections, great and small,
Be sure, no matter how it rends,
To love her, love her more than friends.

And if there comes a point when you
Are tired, and pity whispers, "Do
Yourself a favor. Come, be free;
Embrace the comforts here with me."
Know this! Your wife surpasses these:
So love her, love her, more than ease.

And when your marriage bed is pure,
And there is not the slightest lure
Of lust for any but your wife,
And all is ecstasy in life,
A secret all of this protects:
Go love her, love her, more than sex.

And if your taste becomes refined,
And you are moved by what the mind
Of man can make, and dazzled by
His craft, remember that the "why"
Of all this work is in the heart;
So love her, love her more than art.

And if your own should someday be
The craft that critics all agree
Is worthy of a great esteem,
And sales exceed your wildest dream,
Beware the dangers of a name.
And love her, love her more than fame.

And if, to your surprise, not mine,
God calls you by some strange design
To risk your life for some great cause,
Let neither fear nor love give pause,
And when you face the gate of death,
Then love her, love her more than breath.

Yes, love her, love her, more than life;
O, love the woman called your wife.
Go love her as your earthly best.

Beyond this venture not. But, lest
Your love become a fool's facade,
Be sure to love her less than God.

It is not wise or kind to call
An idol by sweet names, and fall,
As in humility, before
A likeness of your God. Adore
Above your best beloved on earth
The God alone who gives her worth.
And she will know in second place
That your great love is also grace,
And that your high affections now
Are flowing freely from a vow
Beneath these promises, first made
To you by God. Nor will they fade
For being rooted by the stream
Of Heaven's Joy, which you esteem
And cherish more than breath and life,
That you may give it to your wife.

The greatest gift you give your wife
Is loving God above her life.
And thus I bid you now to bless:
Go love her more by loving less.

Lay it Down, Pick it Up, and Follow Jesus (by Bobby Thompson)

There is no such thing as a Christian who does not become a disciple of Jesus Christ. I did not say that as soon as one professes Christ his life automatically becomes spiritually disciplined and passionately persues the glory of God in all things. What I am saying is that the Bible does not allow for perpetual indifference in the life of a believer. There are no instructions for those who wish to become the best mediocre Christian they can be. It dosent even make sense. The only kind of Christian described in the Bible is the Christian disciple - learning about Him, living like Him, loving like Him.
One very concise statment of Christian discipleship is found in Luke 9:23:
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Three quick observations:
1. A disciple of Christ must deny himself. Self denial is not popular, fun, or easy - but it is God's way. Lay down our rights. Lay down our wills. Lay down our lives.
2. A disciple of Christ must take up his cross daily. Jesus has a cross for each of us to bear. It may come in different forms, but if you are a believer, be sure that it will involve bearing the reproach of Christ. (Hebrews 13:13) 1 John 3:13 says "Don't be suprised if the world hates you (because it hated Jesus first - John 15:18).
3. A disciple of Christ must follow Christ. "Where he leads me I will follow" - We sing it, and we preach it but are we prepared to do it?
I want to leave you with the next two verses of Luke 9, because they help us see that following Christ is not an optional matter for the true believer:
"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and looses his own soul?"

Joshua 7 (by Bobby Thompson)

Consider Joshua 7 for your Scripture reading today. I have written a short article about some background to this passage that I pray will enhance your understanding and application of this chapter as you travel through it.

Joshua 7 opens like a great novel or drama in which the narrator or opening scene reveals something significant about the conclusion of the story. The importance of the story is then placed on the events and circumstances that lead up to that climax or conclusion. The first word in most of our English texts is “but”; this causes us to appropriately want to relate the following statement with some previous knowledge. In this case the information referred to is in the previous chapter in which the children of Israel secured a great victory over the city of Jericho by trusting the Lord and precisely obeying his commands. Israel’s military campaign over the Caananites was to be like none other that the world had ever seen. Because Yahweh promised to fight for Israel, sometimes the military strategy took on some rather unconventional forms at times. God’s purposes in this was that Israel might be a nation whose trust was fully in their God, and that the name of Yahweh might be known and feared among the heathen nations. This was certainly the case in Joshua 6 as the Bible records the victory over Jericho. The chapter ends with a statement that summarizes the testimony of the nation of Israel in the land at this time: “So the Lord was with Joshua and his fame was noised throughout all the country.” What a contrast to the opening of chapter 7! The Bible says in 7:1, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing…” This statement is all too reminiscent of similar statements of failure on the part of the children of Israel to be the Kingdom of Priests and the example to the nations that God wanted them to be. Time after time Israel failed to trust the Lord and obey his commands and time after time the Lord lovingly pursued and chastened them. God is a holy God and demands a holy people. He will not allow his name to be dishonored and misrepresented by sin and rebellion among his people, his representatives in the world. The account of the failure of Israel and the judgement of Achan in Joshua 7 is not an account of wrathful retribution, but is an account of a holy God in pursuit of a holy people. This was a crucial point in Israel’s history. As they entered the land of Caanan they were on the threshold of blessing or compromise; Blessing, in that it was God’s will for them to dwell in the land as his people, and compromise, in that they were entering a land that was filled with every imaginable corruption. Their mission was to destroy all the elements of corruption that God commanded, that they might not be defiled by them. The danger was that the close proximity to these elements might cause corruption to spring up in the camp and thus defile the Nation. This is why the timing and severity of the Judgement of Achan was so important and necessary at the outset of the conquest. This was to be a reminder tattooed to the memories of the people in order that they might not again experience the tragedy of compromise and that they might experience the full blessing of God in the land.