Did you hear what Brother Sam said Ms. Sue was sayin' about Mrs. Helen? Or, have you heard what Pastor Jeff was doin' Friday night? Ever been involved in a conversation like that with a church member? Guess what, you're a gossip! What do you mean I'm a gossip? I didn't repeat what they said. Doesn't matter. A gossip cannot be a gossip without someone who is willing to listen.
The old navy saying is, "loose lips sink ships." I have lived in many places. I've lived in good sized cities, smaller cities and as out in the country as you can get. 2 1/2 years ago I moved to my first small town, Chesterfield, SC, population 1500. I've found many things about small town living I truly treasure. I love the easy going pace. I enjoy the intimate atmosphere. But shortly after I moved here I found out one of the real drawbacks to living in a town where everyone knows everyone, and most are related in some way or another. Word of things get around town, and many times that word has a way of becoming something very distant from the truth. I myself was a victim of the rumor and gossip mill and learned a valuable lesson about life in a small town. According to some, and I do not exaggerate here: My wife had children that we were not telling anyone about; I exposed myself to an old lady in the church; I didn't want certain people in the church; I was stealing from a fund in the church; my wife was having an affair; their were many more, but you get the picture.
In many ways a church is like a small town. It is a community of people and for the most part, the regulars all know each other and many times are related in some way. Sadly, in spite of stern warnings from scripture regarding the evil of gossip, some church people can be among the worst about spreading rumors, half truths or propagating outright lies. Their is an old preachers saying about gossip: Their is a reason the bible talks more of gossip than about drinking, it's because gossip is a bigger problem in the church. So just what does the bible say about gossip? Proverbs gives us some straight talk about this sin.
Proverbs 11:13, "A gossip reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter."
Proverbs 18:8, "The words of a gossip are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the most inmost body."
Proverbs 20:19, "He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips."
Proverbs 26:20, "Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no gossip, strife ceases."
Gossip is a cancer in the body of Christ. While we all have an innate human curiosity to know things, when it comes to things involving other people, people we claim to love, we should be sure of the truth. In a small town a piece of information can change 3-4 times before it traverses one end of main street to the other. In a church, what's said on one end of a pew is often far different than what is heard on the other end. Gossip does nothing more than reveal a true spiritual immaturity. He who spreads it has a desire for attention and to stir things up. He who listens is just as guilty.
I'm reminded of an old episode of the Andy Griffith Show, one of those great old shows which taught us moral lessons, and was not ashamed of Christian values. In it, Andy and Barney are tickled at how a piece of information, after it has passed from Clara, to Aunt Bea to another woman, has grown from a simple thing to a dramatic event. Barney has cut his finger, but when this information made it's way through town, Barney was on his deathbed. The women took offense and decided to show the men that they were as big of gossips as they believed the women were. So they plant a seed about a shoe salesman in town, that he's not what he appears to be. By the time the tale works it's way through the men, the gentleman is a talent scout from New York City. The point being, gossip is not gender specific, and even good people can fall prey to it. So what should one do if confronted with information regarding someone else? Here are a few recommendations:
1) If you do hear something about someone, go to the person. If you are not willing to speak with someone about something, you should not speak with anyone else about it.
2) If someone says, "don't tell anyone else about this." DO NOT LISTEN!!!
3) A word of prayer is far better than a word to the neighbor. God is someone we can talk to who we know will not repeat things.
4) Avoid people who are consistently talking about other people.
5) Love thy neighbor as thyself! How would you feel if people were talking about you. The best way to not gossip is not to repeat things.
Gossip is a sin. If you repeat something that is not true, you have lied, whether you know it or not. More strife is brought about in peoples lives and the church from "loose lips" than most other things. And the thing about gossip is, we are inherently in control of it. If we do not listen, we cannot repeat. If we do here something inadvertently, we should always consider the source and respect the person being spoken of by dealing only with them. Feel free to add to my list of recommendations. And remember, as Harry Truman said, "the buck stops here."
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Reality of Hell
Tomorrow at Oakland as we continue our expository journey through the gospel of Luke, I'll be preaching from Luke 16:19-31. Here we have what some call a parable, and others a true account of a certain rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. Regardless of whether Jesus gives us a parable or a factual account here, few can argue that this scripture details one of the most terrifying views of hell in the bible. Hell is indeed a real place. Jesus mentions hell 3 times for every 1 time He mentions heaven. So what can we discern about hell from this scripture in Luke?
1) Luke 16:19-22-Our status here on earth has no bearing on our eternal destination: The rich man here was clearly well thought of, respected in town and a prominent person. Lazarus was an overlooked and disregarded beggar. On earth the rich man enjoyed status and prominence, while Lazarus was an outcast left for the dogs. But in eternity it is Lazarus who was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom(paradise), while the rich man was simply buried. The bible teaches us in 2 Samuel 16:7 that God does not regard the outward appearance as man does, but rather, the heart. This scripture verifies that.
2) Luke 16:23-Hell is indeed a place of torment. In the English language 3 Greek words are translated as the word hell, but each has a distinct meaning. The Greek word Sheol, simply means grave. The word hades speaks of a place of torment. The Greek word Gehenna, speaks of the true hell, the "lake of fire" spoken of in Revelation 20, that is the eternal dwelling of all of those who died without faith in God covered by the blood of Christ. As this scripture was spoken by Christ, the word for hell would be hades. Here, life after death, was one of 2 places. "Abraham's bosom" spoke of the place where Old Testament saints saved by grace, through faith dwelt. It was a place of comfort and peace, that is now empty. Christ took the Old Testament saints with Him to what we now call paradise(Ephesians 4:8-10), which is where we also go as saved believers now. When we teach that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," this is what is defined as paradise. It is not yet the eternal heaven(The New Jerusalem) for the church. The place of torment, where we find this rich man, is still present. This rich man is still there. He will spend eternity in Gehenna, the "lake of fire," but that will not come until the "Great White Throne Judgment" of Revelation 20.
3) Luke 16:24-26-Their is no escape or comfort available for those who die apart from God. It is an eternal place of torment. The rich man looks toward paradise, and asks for just a drop of water. Why does he ask for just a drop? Because, if he can get one drop, he can get more. But even one drop is unavailable. If we die apart from God, their is no escape from a life of eternal torment. A gulf is fixed that cannot be crossed from either side. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, "that man is appointed to die once, and then the judgment." We are judged for this single life on earth. Here, we either accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, inheriting paradise and eventually eternity in heaven with God; or we are sentenced to a life of eternal torment with no hope of parole, no change of address, no relief, no comfort.
4) Luke 16:27-31-In hades, and probably Gehenna, eternal hell, we will be keenly aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It may not have mattered to us here on earth, but it will in hell. We will live for eternity knowing all we had to do to be in heaven, the place of love, peace, comfort, joy; the place of God. All we had to do was accept Christ, and our eternity would be glorious instead of, well, hell. While we had no concern for our loved ones souls on earth, we will be in anguish over them in hell, but powerless to affect any truth or wisdom to them. This is part of our eternal torment. Basically we realize for eternity, we blew it.
Today, hell is still a much discussed place. Many, even some professing Christians, question the reality of hell. They ask why would a God who claims to be a God of love, banish people to such an awful place. Many simply refuse to accept the clear teachings of Jesus and the bible. They want the good, heaven, but ignore the horrific, hell. Hell is not a popular message to be preached. It's offensive to many, and as thus is ignored in many pulpits more interested in pleasing people instead of pleasing God.
Friends, their is an eternal heaven and an eternal hell. You will wind up in one place or the other. To assure yourself of an eternity with God in heaven, you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You need to confess to Him you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and that only He, as God, can forgive your sins. You need to believe that on the cross, through His blood and death, your sins are forgiven. You need to believe He was buried and rose again from death to eternal life on the third day. You need to confess Jesus with your mouth and believe in Him in your heart. If you do this, you will be filled by the Holy Spirit. You will repent of your sins, and begin a walk of following God and conforming to the image of Christ. You will stumble and you will fall, but you will continue to move forward toward God, denying yourself, and following Him.
Sadly. many here on earth are just like the rich man in Luke 16. They look at things from the outside, instead of examining their hearts. They trust that somehow their accomplishments here on earth will be enough to please God. These people need to hear of hell. For those who disregard the message of hell, all they need do is listen to Jesus. While Jesus clearly taught of the "good news," the gospel. He also regularly warned of the consequences of rejecting His message. The consequence, is hell. For those who have an ear, let them hear.
1) Luke 16:19-22-Our status here on earth has no bearing on our eternal destination: The rich man here was clearly well thought of, respected in town and a prominent person. Lazarus was an overlooked and disregarded beggar. On earth the rich man enjoyed status and prominence, while Lazarus was an outcast left for the dogs. But in eternity it is Lazarus who was carried by angels to Abraham's bosom(paradise), while the rich man was simply buried. The bible teaches us in 2 Samuel 16:7 that God does not regard the outward appearance as man does, but rather, the heart. This scripture verifies that.
2) Luke 16:23-Hell is indeed a place of torment. In the English language 3 Greek words are translated as the word hell, but each has a distinct meaning. The Greek word Sheol, simply means grave. The word hades speaks of a place of torment. The Greek word Gehenna, speaks of the true hell, the "lake of fire" spoken of in Revelation 20, that is the eternal dwelling of all of those who died without faith in God covered by the blood of Christ. As this scripture was spoken by Christ, the word for hell would be hades. Here, life after death, was one of 2 places. "Abraham's bosom" spoke of the place where Old Testament saints saved by grace, through faith dwelt. It was a place of comfort and peace, that is now empty. Christ took the Old Testament saints with Him to what we now call paradise(Ephesians 4:8-10), which is where we also go as saved believers now. When we teach that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," this is what is defined as paradise. It is not yet the eternal heaven(The New Jerusalem) for the church. The place of torment, where we find this rich man, is still present. This rich man is still there. He will spend eternity in Gehenna, the "lake of fire," but that will not come until the "Great White Throne Judgment" of Revelation 20.
3) Luke 16:24-26-Their is no escape or comfort available for those who die apart from God. It is an eternal place of torment. The rich man looks toward paradise, and asks for just a drop of water. Why does he ask for just a drop? Because, if he can get one drop, he can get more. But even one drop is unavailable. If we die apart from God, their is no escape from a life of eternal torment. A gulf is fixed that cannot be crossed from either side. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, "that man is appointed to die once, and then the judgment." We are judged for this single life on earth. Here, we either accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, inheriting paradise and eventually eternity in heaven with God; or we are sentenced to a life of eternal torment with no hope of parole, no change of address, no relief, no comfort.
4) Luke 16:27-31-In hades, and probably Gehenna, eternal hell, we will be keenly aware of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It may not have mattered to us here on earth, but it will in hell. We will live for eternity knowing all we had to do to be in heaven, the place of love, peace, comfort, joy; the place of God. All we had to do was accept Christ, and our eternity would be glorious instead of, well, hell. While we had no concern for our loved ones souls on earth, we will be in anguish over them in hell, but powerless to affect any truth or wisdom to them. This is part of our eternal torment. Basically we realize for eternity, we blew it.
Today, hell is still a much discussed place. Many, even some professing Christians, question the reality of hell. They ask why would a God who claims to be a God of love, banish people to such an awful place. Many simply refuse to accept the clear teachings of Jesus and the bible. They want the good, heaven, but ignore the horrific, hell. Hell is not a popular message to be preached. It's offensive to many, and as thus is ignored in many pulpits more interested in pleasing people instead of pleasing God.
Friends, their is an eternal heaven and an eternal hell. You will wind up in one place or the other. To assure yourself of an eternity with God in heaven, you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You need to confess to Him you are a sinner in need of forgiveness and that only He, as God, can forgive your sins. You need to believe that on the cross, through His blood and death, your sins are forgiven. You need to believe He was buried and rose again from death to eternal life on the third day. You need to confess Jesus with your mouth and believe in Him in your heart. If you do this, you will be filled by the Holy Spirit. You will repent of your sins, and begin a walk of following God and conforming to the image of Christ. You will stumble and you will fall, but you will continue to move forward toward God, denying yourself, and following Him.
Sadly. many here on earth are just like the rich man in Luke 16. They look at things from the outside, instead of examining their hearts. They trust that somehow their accomplishments here on earth will be enough to please God. These people need to hear of hell. For those who disregard the message of hell, all they need do is listen to Jesus. While Jesus clearly taught of the "good news," the gospel. He also regularly warned of the consequences of rejecting His message. The consequence, is hell. For those who have an ear, let them hear.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Lost in the Church
I've been involved in an interesting conversation on Facebook the last few days. In this conversation the topic has been how many of those who are church members are actually regenerate, saved people. Many including myself have quoted Billy Graham regarding a percentage, and the quotes range from 50% of church members up to 85% of church members being lost. Problem is, no one can find a source for Billy Graham saying anything like this. However, people like George Barna, Bill Bright, George Truett, W.A. Criswell and R.G. Lee have all been cited of believing at least 50% of those who hold church membership in protestant denominations are indeed lost. So, is their any way to accurately determine how many in our pews are lost and how many are saved? Well, the simple answer is no.
Their is no doubt we have a huge problem in the church. The problem is that many if not most church members look nothing like what the bible says a Christian will look like. Far too many Christians who profess faith in Christ show little or no evidence of a true conversion from unregenerate to regenerate. They exhibit little or no fruit in their lives leaving open the question; Are they really saved? One thing is for sure, they are either carnal or backslidden in their faith, or they are lost. Can we make a certain determination of which though?
The fact is only God knows our hearts. But, I believe we must be sensitive to the fruit which professing Christians will bear. Jesus Himself tells us we will know those that are His "by their fruit." He also tells us we will know those of the world "by their fruit." I guess the question is, will a person who has truly been converted remain in a carnal, backslidden state, or will they eventually, under conviction of the Holy Spirit which indwells all believers turn from their worldly ways and sin to God and His ways?
One thing I do know about God, is He is patient with sinners, even those who are His who are currently living in a carnal, sinful manner. But the bible also teaches us in Hebrews chapter 12 that if we are a true child of God, God will discipline us to bring our hearts back to a right relationship with Him. As one who has been taken to God's woodshed many times in my life, I can vouch for God's loving, albeit many times, tough discipline.
Hebrews 12:7-8 to me are the key verses in this text. It reads, "If you endure chastening(discipline), God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten. But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." This is strong teaching, for it tells us that if we are indeed saved God will convict us of our sin and we will return to Him. But if we are not saved, then the chastening of the Lord will not be present as the Holy Spirit is not present in us. So who can judge this?
Well, we know God can. But Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to also examine ourselves. He writes, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you are disqualified." Are we willing to do this, or simply believe we are saved?
To examine ourselves, I recommend we read Galatians 5:16-26. Here we see Paul through the Holy Spirit give us the characteristics of what an unsaved, carnal person will look like, and what a saved person under control of the Holy Spirit will look like. As we look at these characteristics, will we be honest with ourselves as to which "list" here we truly resemble? If we do bare more similarity to the works of the flesh, rather than the "fruit" of the Spirit, will we ask the eternal question am I truly saved? At the very least we must confess we are backslidden and apart from the will of God.
If the Holy Spirit does indwell us, we will not be comfortable in our sin. We may stay there awhile, but not forever. With God inside of us their cannot help but be radical change in how we view the sinful things of the world, and the holy ways of God. If we surrender to the Holy Spirit we will grow in our walk with Christ and separate ourselves from the ways of the world. Are we willing to take the test of faith, and be honest with ourselves regarding the answer? We need to truly reflect upon the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus says here, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Are you sure Jesus knows you, and that you truly know Him? The answer to this question holds your eternal fate. Are you destined for heaven and eternity with God, or destined for Hell eternally separated from God?
Their is no doubt we have a huge problem in the church. The problem is that many if not most church members look nothing like what the bible says a Christian will look like. Far too many Christians who profess faith in Christ show little or no evidence of a true conversion from unregenerate to regenerate. They exhibit little or no fruit in their lives leaving open the question; Are they really saved? One thing is for sure, they are either carnal or backslidden in their faith, or they are lost. Can we make a certain determination of which though?
The fact is only God knows our hearts. But, I believe we must be sensitive to the fruit which professing Christians will bear. Jesus Himself tells us we will know those that are His "by their fruit." He also tells us we will know those of the world "by their fruit." I guess the question is, will a person who has truly been converted remain in a carnal, backslidden state, or will they eventually, under conviction of the Holy Spirit which indwells all believers turn from their worldly ways and sin to God and His ways?
One thing I do know about God, is He is patient with sinners, even those who are His who are currently living in a carnal, sinful manner. But the bible also teaches us in Hebrews chapter 12 that if we are a true child of God, God will discipline us to bring our hearts back to a right relationship with Him. As one who has been taken to God's woodshed many times in my life, I can vouch for God's loving, albeit many times, tough discipline.
Hebrews 12:7-8 to me are the key verses in this text. It reads, "If you endure chastening(discipline), God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten. But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." This is strong teaching, for it tells us that if we are indeed saved God will convict us of our sin and we will return to Him. But if we are not saved, then the chastening of the Lord will not be present as the Holy Spirit is not present in us. So who can judge this?
Well, we know God can. But Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to also examine ourselves. He writes, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you are disqualified." Are we willing to do this, or simply believe we are saved?
To examine ourselves, I recommend we read Galatians 5:16-26. Here we see Paul through the Holy Spirit give us the characteristics of what an unsaved, carnal person will look like, and what a saved person under control of the Holy Spirit will look like. As we look at these characteristics, will we be honest with ourselves as to which "list" here we truly resemble? If we do bare more similarity to the works of the flesh, rather than the "fruit" of the Spirit, will we ask the eternal question am I truly saved? At the very least we must confess we are backslidden and apart from the will of God.
If the Holy Spirit does indwell us, we will not be comfortable in our sin. We may stay there awhile, but not forever. With God inside of us their cannot help but be radical change in how we view the sinful things of the world, and the holy ways of God. If we surrender to the Holy Spirit we will grow in our walk with Christ and separate ourselves from the ways of the world. Are we willing to take the test of faith, and be honest with ourselves regarding the answer? We need to truly reflect upon the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus says here, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Are you sure Jesus knows you, and that you truly know Him? The answer to this question holds your eternal fate. Are you destined for heaven and eternity with God, or destined for Hell eternally separated from God?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Getting Men in to Church
With Father's Day just having passed, I was interested in some of the "methods" some churches utilized to draw men tho their church. Their is definitely a gap in the number of men and women in the church today. Women outnumber men in most churches, and many wives attend services regularly while their husbands do not. The question is, if we draw men with worldly things; 1) Are they in church for the right reason? 2) If these are the things that are used to draw men, will they stay if sound doctrine is practiced, preached and promoted.
From the "Faith and Values" section of the Charlotte Observer on Saturday, June 19, we read about the efforts of the Next Level Church in Matthews, NC. On Father's Day they had recliners in the sanctuary. a motorcycle and car show in the parking lot, ESPN highlights on the monitors leading into the sanctuary, a grill going with chicken wings and turkey legs, they were giving out free cigars, and the service was intentionally shortened so as not to impose on the mens time. Wow, sounds like quite a little party was going on there. But my question for men is, if this is what it takes to get you to church, is your heart in a place where it can truly worship God?
Now I know many would consider me old fashioned here, but, how can any church say that they are not appealing to the flesh when such stunts are used to draw a crowd. I realize Paul says we should be "all things to all people," but does he mean we are to be like the world to draw the world? Absolutely not! The bible teaches that we are to be "in the world" but not "of the world." We seem to have lost that important doctrine in many churches.
In fact Jesus tells us He has called us out of the world and it's ways. In John 15:18-19, Jesus says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it's own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Yet in spite of Jesus's clear teaching here, many churches use the world to draw worldly people, believing getting them into church is the answer. Church is not the answer for these people, the Holy Spirit is.
Friends, bringing the world and it's ways in to the church is not what church is supposed to be about. Did Paul, or Peter, or John, or Jesus use this method to win the lost? I can find no where in scripture where any of the early church invited worldly people to church. Instead, they went into the world, won the lost, and then the formerly lost had a sincere desire to come in to church. Today, the exact opposite is going on.
We may grow our numbers using worldly methods to appeal to worldly people, but we will never truly grow Christ's church. Growing the church is about far more than increased attendance and getting people through our doors. Growing the church is first and foremost a spiritual matter, as without spiritual growth, the church may be busting at the seams numbers wise, but stagnant and fleshly from a spiritual standpoint.
Jesus says in John 12:32, "And I, if I am high and lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." When we offer cigars, ESPN highlights and turkey legs, is that Jesus drawing people, or us by looking like the world? Jesus tells us that no one can come to Him unless the "Father first draws" them. If it is not God drawing us to church, we are there for the wrong reason. In this day and age though we seem far more concerned with drawing a crowd in the flesh than allowing God to draw people in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:17 Paul writes, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." When the flesh is used to appeal to the flesh, how can the Spirit be present if they are contrary to one another?
Call me old fashioned if you like, but I cannot see from scripture how methods such as this are in any way biblical. We are told by scripture to resist the temptations of the flesh, not use them to draw a crowd. Until it is Jesus who is drawing men unto Himself, all we are doing is bringing more of the world in to the church. And quite frankly, we already have enough of the world and it's ways in the body of Christ. Christ's church continues it's slide into apostasy when it uses ploys such as this. We seem to think we can do a better job than Jesus at drawing people. Remember, Jesus says he has chosen us "out of the world," and it's ways. so if you attended church this past Sunday because of free cigars and turkey legs, ask yourself this question. Was God drawing me there, or my appetites of the flesh? The answer to that question has eternal consequences.
From the "Faith and Values" section of the Charlotte Observer on Saturday, June 19, we read about the efforts of the Next Level Church in Matthews, NC. On Father's Day they had recliners in the sanctuary. a motorcycle and car show in the parking lot, ESPN highlights on the monitors leading into the sanctuary, a grill going with chicken wings and turkey legs, they were giving out free cigars, and the service was intentionally shortened so as not to impose on the mens time. Wow, sounds like quite a little party was going on there. But my question for men is, if this is what it takes to get you to church, is your heart in a place where it can truly worship God?
Now I know many would consider me old fashioned here, but, how can any church say that they are not appealing to the flesh when such stunts are used to draw a crowd. I realize Paul says we should be "all things to all people," but does he mean we are to be like the world to draw the world? Absolutely not! The bible teaches that we are to be "in the world" but not "of the world." We seem to have lost that important doctrine in many churches.
In fact Jesus tells us He has called us out of the world and it's ways. In John 15:18-19, Jesus says, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it's own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Yet in spite of Jesus's clear teaching here, many churches use the world to draw worldly people, believing getting them into church is the answer. Church is not the answer for these people, the Holy Spirit is.
Friends, bringing the world and it's ways in to the church is not what church is supposed to be about. Did Paul, or Peter, or John, or Jesus use this method to win the lost? I can find no where in scripture where any of the early church invited worldly people to church. Instead, they went into the world, won the lost, and then the formerly lost had a sincere desire to come in to church. Today, the exact opposite is going on.
We may grow our numbers using worldly methods to appeal to worldly people, but we will never truly grow Christ's church. Growing the church is about far more than increased attendance and getting people through our doors. Growing the church is first and foremost a spiritual matter, as without spiritual growth, the church may be busting at the seams numbers wise, but stagnant and fleshly from a spiritual standpoint.
Jesus says in John 12:32, "And I, if I am high and lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." When we offer cigars, ESPN highlights and turkey legs, is that Jesus drawing people, or us by looking like the world? Jesus tells us that no one can come to Him unless the "Father first draws" them. If it is not God drawing us to church, we are there for the wrong reason. In this day and age though we seem far more concerned with drawing a crowd in the flesh than allowing God to draw people in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:17 Paul writes, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." When the flesh is used to appeal to the flesh, how can the Spirit be present if they are contrary to one another?
Call me old fashioned if you like, but I cannot see from scripture how methods such as this are in any way biblical. We are told by scripture to resist the temptations of the flesh, not use them to draw a crowd. Until it is Jesus who is drawing men unto Himself, all we are doing is bringing more of the world in to the church. And quite frankly, we already have enough of the world and it's ways in the body of Christ. Christ's church continues it's slide into apostasy when it uses ploys such as this. We seem to think we can do a better job than Jesus at drawing people. Remember, Jesus says he has chosen us "out of the world," and it's ways. so if you attended church this past Sunday because of free cigars and turkey legs, ask yourself this question. Was God drawing me there, or my appetites of the flesh? The answer to that question has eternal consequences.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Sinners Prayer
John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"
Last night at Oakland's VBS I had the privilege of sharing the gospel with many children, youth and adults. At the end of the gospel presentation, all were asked if they would receive Christ as their Savior, and they were led in a prayer by me to confess and ask forgiveness of their sin, and to confess with their mouths that they believe from their hearts that Jesus is the only One who can forgive sin; that by His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood their sin is forgiven and no longer held against them by God; that they believed that Jesus rose again on the 3rd day and that His resurrection is our guarantee of our future resurrection and a life in eternity with God in heaven. Many responded to the invitation to receive Christ. So, are these people now saved?
The sinners prayer has become the most popular way to lead someone to pray to receive Christ. But does simply saying this prayer automatically mean a person has now passed from lost to a child of God? The answer, quite simply, is no. True salvation rests upon far more than simply saying a prayer, undergoing baptism, or answering a call in the invitation. True salvation is a matter of the heart. Have we, in our hearts, truly turned to God and received His blessed Son into our hearts. Have we been what the Jesus calls "born again." If we have, a radical change will occur in our lives.
You see, being "born again" means that we have experienced a new birth in the Holy Spirit. If this has occurred, the Holy Spirit now indwells us, and we have the power of God living inside of us for the rest of our lives. This is a remarkable and transforming thing, for if God now lives within us, we cannot be the same as we were. If we have been "born again" in the Spirit, we now have the conviction and instruction of God that will not allow us to exist as we once did. Oh yes, we will still commit sins, but when we do, we'll know it and acknowledge it before God. Our heartfelt desire will be to depend upon the new found power of God within us to turn from the sins we commit and live a life of faithfulness, obedience and sacrifice for Him. So why do so many who have claimed to receive Christ, have prayed a prayer and been baptized; why do so many who claim to know the truth about Jesus seem to exhibit so little change in their lives?
Well, now neither you nor I can truly judge anothers heart, but the answer for many is that they have gone through the motions of becoming a Christian, but never experienced the new birth Jesus says must occur to truly become a follower of Christ. And through a lack of follow up and discipling we in Christendom have allowed many who have never been "born again" to go through their lives believing they are saved, when really they are not. We are so interested in claiming numbers about how many were saved in a particular meeting, we leave someone lacking the understanding of what it truly means to be saved. We wind up with church members who believe they are right with God, not comprehending the change that will occur when one gets right with God, is indwelt by the spirit, repents of their sin and begins walking with Christ. We are left with people who have not been truly converted, and are misled by Satan that by participating in one of these sacraments, they are saved.
Satan is never happier than when he has one who believes they are saved yet have not been born again. His battle is won here as the person dies believing they are going to heaven only to find themselves in an eternal hell wondering what happened. They never became a "new creation" in Christ. They believed and acknowledged the truth about Jesus with their minds, but never surrendered to Him with their hearts. And friends, when this happens, we as pastors, parents, family members, and friends bear part of the blame.
Jesus tells us that if we are His, the fruit we produce will bear that out. We will grow in Him, and become more like Him, as we grow closer to Him. Yes we will stumble, but we will return to the path of righteousness before God. If the Holy Spirit indeed is within us, He will not allow us to remain separated from God by our sin without searing our conscience with guilt. If we are a child of God, we will be miserable in sin, not comfortable.
Salvation is the work of God. Our work on earth is to present the truth of the life saving gospel of Jesus Christ and to instruct someone in how they can obtain His salvation. Our job is to also remain close to those who have professed Jesus with their mouths and teach them exactly what a "born again" believer in Jesus Christ will look and behave like. This is where we have fallen so short as the church. Our follow up has been dearly lacking, and so far too many have lived their lives believing they are saved, yet experiencing no appreciable change in how they live. We cannot make someone change, but we can teach them of the change sure to occur if their faith is genuine.
My challenge is not presenting the gospel, that is a joyous pleasure for Jesus. My challenge is the follow up to insure these dear people who confessed Jesus last night understand clearly what has and will happen in their lives. Then it's up to them. If they have been "born again," their lives will never be the same. If they have not, I pray one day the light will truly appear to them and they will embrace it. Only God knows for sure, but I must fulfill my responsibility to insure understanding. Father in heaven, don't let me fall short!
Last night at Oakland's VBS I had the privilege of sharing the gospel with many children, youth and adults. At the end of the gospel presentation, all were asked if they would receive Christ as their Savior, and they were led in a prayer by me to confess and ask forgiveness of their sin, and to confess with their mouths that they believe from their hearts that Jesus is the only One who can forgive sin; that by His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood their sin is forgiven and no longer held against them by God; that they believed that Jesus rose again on the 3rd day and that His resurrection is our guarantee of our future resurrection and a life in eternity with God in heaven. Many responded to the invitation to receive Christ. So, are these people now saved?
The sinners prayer has become the most popular way to lead someone to pray to receive Christ. But does simply saying this prayer automatically mean a person has now passed from lost to a child of God? The answer, quite simply, is no. True salvation rests upon far more than simply saying a prayer, undergoing baptism, or answering a call in the invitation. True salvation is a matter of the heart. Have we, in our hearts, truly turned to God and received His blessed Son into our hearts. Have we been what the Jesus calls "born again." If we have, a radical change will occur in our lives.
You see, being "born again" means that we have experienced a new birth in the Holy Spirit. If this has occurred, the Holy Spirit now indwells us, and we have the power of God living inside of us for the rest of our lives. This is a remarkable and transforming thing, for if God now lives within us, we cannot be the same as we were. If we have been "born again" in the Spirit, we now have the conviction and instruction of God that will not allow us to exist as we once did. Oh yes, we will still commit sins, but when we do, we'll know it and acknowledge it before God. Our heartfelt desire will be to depend upon the new found power of God within us to turn from the sins we commit and live a life of faithfulness, obedience and sacrifice for Him. So why do so many who have claimed to receive Christ, have prayed a prayer and been baptized; why do so many who claim to know the truth about Jesus seem to exhibit so little change in their lives?
Well, now neither you nor I can truly judge anothers heart, but the answer for many is that they have gone through the motions of becoming a Christian, but never experienced the new birth Jesus says must occur to truly become a follower of Christ. And through a lack of follow up and discipling we in Christendom have allowed many who have never been "born again" to go through their lives believing they are saved, when really they are not. We are so interested in claiming numbers about how many were saved in a particular meeting, we leave someone lacking the understanding of what it truly means to be saved. We wind up with church members who believe they are right with God, not comprehending the change that will occur when one gets right with God, is indwelt by the spirit, repents of their sin and begins walking with Christ. We are left with people who have not been truly converted, and are misled by Satan that by participating in one of these sacraments, they are saved.
Satan is never happier than when he has one who believes they are saved yet have not been born again. His battle is won here as the person dies believing they are going to heaven only to find themselves in an eternal hell wondering what happened. They never became a "new creation" in Christ. They believed and acknowledged the truth about Jesus with their minds, but never surrendered to Him with their hearts. And friends, when this happens, we as pastors, parents, family members, and friends bear part of the blame.
Jesus tells us that if we are His, the fruit we produce will bear that out. We will grow in Him, and become more like Him, as we grow closer to Him. Yes we will stumble, but we will return to the path of righteousness before God. If the Holy Spirit indeed is within us, He will not allow us to remain separated from God by our sin without searing our conscience with guilt. If we are a child of God, we will be miserable in sin, not comfortable.
Salvation is the work of God. Our work on earth is to present the truth of the life saving gospel of Jesus Christ and to instruct someone in how they can obtain His salvation. Our job is to also remain close to those who have professed Jesus with their mouths and teach them exactly what a "born again" believer in Jesus Christ will look and behave like. This is where we have fallen so short as the church. Our follow up has been dearly lacking, and so far too many have lived their lives believing they are saved, yet experiencing no appreciable change in how they live. We cannot make someone change, but we can teach them of the change sure to occur if their faith is genuine.
My challenge is not presenting the gospel, that is a joyous pleasure for Jesus. My challenge is the follow up to insure these dear people who confessed Jesus last night understand clearly what has and will happen in their lives. Then it's up to them. If they have been "born again," their lives will never be the same. If they have not, I pray one day the light will truly appear to them and they will embrace it. Only God knows for sure, but I must fulfill my responsibility to insure understanding. Father in heaven, don't let me fall short!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Title Deed to Israel
Genesis 13:15, "for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever."
As we are introduced to Abraham(Abram) in Genesis chapter 12, we see the initial promise given to this friend of God, and it involves a land which he and his descendants will possess(Genesis 12:1). Later in scripture we learn that the promise of the land is limited to Abraham's descendants through Issac and Jacob(the Jewish people) and that this is a covenant that is in effect, "forever." It is an "everlasting" covenant.(Genesis 13:14-17,15:18, 17:8, 35:12, 48:4, Exodus 6:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Acts 7:5) So, how long is "forever?" How long is "everlasting?"
According to most today "forever" and "everlasting" ended at some point in the last 60 years. When Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948, they returned to the land God had given to them. But today, even as the conflict in Israel has slipped to the back pages overshadowed by oil spills and college football realignment, the battle rages over whose land this really is.
The world today says it's the Palestinian peoples land. They were the one's displaced by Israel's return 62 years ago. But 62 years ago, their were no Palestinians. In 1948, they were Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians and Lebanese. Only when the world re-established the Jewish people in their traditional homeland in 1948 after the horror of the holocaust did the debate over whose land this is erupt. You see, in 1948, it was not a question in most of the world where the Jewish people's traditional home was. The world did not choose Germany, Poland, Russia or the United States as the Jewish homeland as disgraced former White House correspondent Helen Thomas suggested was where these descendants of Abraham were from. They chose the land of Canaan, where the bible says God established His people.
But today, the bible, which has been shown to be extraordinarily accurate historically, is no basis for establishing whose land this is. Today, squatters rights prevail. So the question is, who holds the original title deed to this land. Well, common sense dictates that the one who originally gave the land is the actual possessor of the land. And that would be Jehovah God. In Genesis 13:14-17 we read it was God who gave the land to Abraham and his descendants through Issac and Jacob. The original owner determined long ago whose land this is, and He said it was theirs "forever."
Now clearly Israel has been in and out of their land over thousands of years. They were scattered by God in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities between 600-500 BC, but they returned. They were scattered again by God in 70 AD when Titus of Rome destroyed Jerusalem, yet again God had them back in the land in 1948. But this land covenant made between God and Israel has no statute of limitations. God said it was "everlasting," that it was "forever." Nothing that happens here on earth, whether now or in the future will prevent God's word from being fulfilled. This promise of an "everlasting" dwelling place for Israel had no preconditions placed upon it when originally given to Abraham. To bad, the bible, the word of God, is not good enough for the world anymore to determine whose land this really is.
As we are introduced to Abraham(Abram) in Genesis chapter 12, we see the initial promise given to this friend of God, and it involves a land which he and his descendants will possess(Genesis 12:1). Later in scripture we learn that the promise of the land is limited to Abraham's descendants through Issac and Jacob(the Jewish people) and that this is a covenant that is in effect, "forever." It is an "everlasting" covenant.(Genesis 13:14-17,15:18, 17:8, 35:12, 48:4, Exodus 6:8, 2 Chronicles 20:7, Acts 7:5) So, how long is "forever?" How long is "everlasting?"
According to most today "forever" and "everlasting" ended at some point in the last 60 years. When Israel was re-established as a nation in 1948, they returned to the land God had given to them. But today, even as the conflict in Israel has slipped to the back pages overshadowed by oil spills and college football realignment, the battle rages over whose land this really is.
The world today says it's the Palestinian peoples land. They were the one's displaced by Israel's return 62 years ago. But 62 years ago, their were no Palestinians. In 1948, they were Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians and Lebanese. Only when the world re-established the Jewish people in their traditional homeland in 1948 after the horror of the holocaust did the debate over whose land this is erupt. You see, in 1948, it was not a question in most of the world where the Jewish people's traditional home was. The world did not choose Germany, Poland, Russia or the United States as the Jewish homeland as disgraced former White House correspondent Helen Thomas suggested was where these descendants of Abraham were from. They chose the land of Canaan, where the bible says God established His people.
But today, the bible, which has been shown to be extraordinarily accurate historically, is no basis for establishing whose land this is. Today, squatters rights prevail. So the question is, who holds the original title deed to this land. Well, common sense dictates that the one who originally gave the land is the actual possessor of the land. And that would be Jehovah God. In Genesis 13:14-17 we read it was God who gave the land to Abraham and his descendants through Issac and Jacob. The original owner determined long ago whose land this is, and He said it was theirs "forever."
Now clearly Israel has been in and out of their land over thousands of years. They were scattered by God in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities between 600-500 BC, but they returned. They were scattered again by God in 70 AD when Titus of Rome destroyed Jerusalem, yet again God had them back in the land in 1948. But this land covenant made between God and Israel has no statute of limitations. God said it was "everlasting," that it was "forever." Nothing that happens here on earth, whether now or in the future will prevent God's word from being fulfilled. This promise of an "everlasting" dwelling place for Israel had no preconditions placed upon it when originally given to Abraham. To bad, the bible, the word of God, is not good enough for the world anymore to determine whose land this really is.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Amended GCR Report Passes Easily
An amended Great Commission Resurgence report passed easily yesterday at the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, FL. With the passing of this report the SBC begins a season of change and prayerfully progress in strengthening our denomination. The amendment was to article 3, the most controversial article in the report. This is where the giving as accounted to SBC churches was to be changed from Cooperative Program giving to Great Commission giving, giving many concern that designated giving would weaken Cooperative Program giving. The amendment added language to strengthen the position of the Cooperative Program and satisfied many concerns.
So now what. Well, now comes the actual implementation of the report. In other words, now comes the difficult part. The GCR Task Force was challenged with making recommendations to re-focus the convention toward us more effectively fulfilling the Great Commission. This task force, whom I respect for the challenge they undertook, was not tasked with working out the details. That will fall the the Executive Committee, NAMB, IMB and other SBC entities. These folks are now the ones who are faced with the real challenge of seeing this vision work.
Before this meeting I predicted there would be division, and there was. I'd like to commend my brothers and sisters in Orlando on how they handled this division however, as from what I could tell from watching, although passions were great the debate remained very civil. I said that a spirit of compromise would be needed, and we saw that on the amendment of article 3. But the possibility as the reality of this report takes hold for more division is still present. Many still have legitimate concerns on how state and local associations will be affected by a shift in monies away from existing SBC strongholds and to areas of the nation where the SBC is not a real presence through NAMB. Many are concerned about increased bureaucratic redundancy. Many are still concerned about decreased Cooperative Program giving.
But now is the time to give this report, and the people challenged with implementing it a chance. Will there be some glitches, obstacles and unintended consequences, absolutely. But we as a convention need to unite behind this vision and allow the people empowered with implementation to work through these problems sure to arise. To continue to debate and question what is now SBC policy will not be productive.
This does not mean we should shy away from input, and raising questions. They just need to be raised in the right way. This is still a very challenging time for us as Southern Baptists as the hard work has only begun. There will be some fundamental changes in how we approach things from here on out and anytime there is change, frustrations can mount and tempers can flare. The old saying goes, "the devil is in the details." Well, plenty of details now need to be worked out. It could be painful for many, but, this is now our convention, and we now need to work together to make this work.
One thing is for sure: as a denomination, we needed a little shaking up. The way we were doing things was not working as we'd have liked. In my heart I still believe that it is our hearts that need change far more than our organizational structure, but that is up to each of us individually. This report sets an aggressive path to reach people for Jesus. If our hearts are right with God, it will work. If they are not, we'll be back at the drawing table some years down the road, still searching for the answers. As much as we prayed for GCR, we need to double that effort now as the implementation begins. We still have a long way to go, and unity will be a large part in reaching where we all desire to go; reaching the world in a more effective way.
So now what. Well, now comes the actual implementation of the report. In other words, now comes the difficult part. The GCR Task Force was challenged with making recommendations to re-focus the convention toward us more effectively fulfilling the Great Commission. This task force, whom I respect for the challenge they undertook, was not tasked with working out the details. That will fall the the Executive Committee, NAMB, IMB and other SBC entities. These folks are now the ones who are faced with the real challenge of seeing this vision work.
Before this meeting I predicted there would be division, and there was. I'd like to commend my brothers and sisters in Orlando on how they handled this division however, as from what I could tell from watching, although passions were great the debate remained very civil. I said that a spirit of compromise would be needed, and we saw that on the amendment of article 3. But the possibility as the reality of this report takes hold for more division is still present. Many still have legitimate concerns on how state and local associations will be affected by a shift in monies away from existing SBC strongholds and to areas of the nation where the SBC is not a real presence through NAMB. Many are concerned about increased bureaucratic redundancy. Many are still concerned about decreased Cooperative Program giving.
But now is the time to give this report, and the people challenged with implementing it a chance. Will there be some glitches, obstacles and unintended consequences, absolutely. But we as a convention need to unite behind this vision and allow the people empowered with implementation to work through these problems sure to arise. To continue to debate and question what is now SBC policy will not be productive.
This does not mean we should shy away from input, and raising questions. They just need to be raised in the right way. This is still a very challenging time for us as Southern Baptists as the hard work has only begun. There will be some fundamental changes in how we approach things from here on out and anytime there is change, frustrations can mount and tempers can flare. The old saying goes, "the devil is in the details." Well, plenty of details now need to be worked out. It could be painful for many, but, this is now our convention, and we now need to work together to make this work.
One thing is for sure: as a denomination, we needed a little shaking up. The way we were doing things was not working as we'd have liked. In my heart I still believe that it is our hearts that need change far more than our organizational structure, but that is up to each of us individually. This report sets an aggressive path to reach people for Jesus. If our hearts are right with God, it will work. If they are not, we'll be back at the drawing table some years down the road, still searching for the answers. As much as we prayed for GCR, we need to double that effort now as the implementation begins. We still have a long way to go, and unity will be a large part in reaching where we all desire to go; reaching the world in a more effective way.
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