The Hymn of Christ

THE HYMN OF CHRIST
Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5-11 is called THE HYMN OF CHRIST, because scholars tell us that this passage records an actual hymn that was sung in worship by the early church. Contextually, Philippians 2 is a call to spiritual unity. In verses 1-4, Paul says, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry and conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourself. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The rest of this chapter gives four models of the selfless humility needed for spiritual unity: Jesus Christ, Paul himself, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. The example of Christ is first and foremost. The supreme example of the Lord Jesus is gloriously celebrated in the hymn of Christ. Verse 5 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” If you truly want to know what it means to humble yourself, look at Jesus and adopt his mindset. Verses 6-11 explain the mind of Christ. This explanation of the selfless humility of Christ simultaneously explains the gloriously majesty of Christ. This text is one of the most important Christological passages in the New Testament. It records a vital statement about the divine nature, redemptive work, and sovereign authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. The text makes this statement about Jesus Christ in two parts.


I. THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST

Philippians 2:5-8 says: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yourselves in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” These verses explain the humiliation of Christ by contrasting the eternal deity and the human life of the Lord Jesus. First, verse 6 teaches…

A. JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNALLY GOD.

The Bible is clear and consistent in teaching that Jesus Christ is God. Yet the deity of Christ is the doctrine of Christ that has been more often attacked in church history. Other doctrines of Christ have been attacked to undermine the doctrine of Christ’s deity. For instance, there are those who reject the historical fact of his physical resurrection, not because there is no credible evidence for it, but because to affirm the resurrection would be to acknowledge the deity of Christ. The deity of Christ is constantly and vehemently attacked because it is essential to the historical Christian faith. Simply, Christianity is Christ and Christ is God. If you can undermine the deity of Christ and make him merely a good teacher or a great prophet, you render Christianity impotent. All of our hopes rest on the fact that Jesus Christ is God.
First of all, the preincarnate Christ was God by his NATURE. Verse 6 describes Christ as being “in the form of God.” This statement refers to the eternal nature of Christ before he came into the world as a human being. He was “in the form of God.” The word form speaks of the internal reality of a thing being expressed in its external appearance. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus Christ is eternally, equally, and essentially God. Likewise, the preincarnate Christ was God in his STATUS. Verse 6 says that he had “equality with God,” meaning that the preincarnate Christ totally shared the fullness of God’s nature. So Christ must never be placed in any category below or less than God. God the Father and Jesus Christ equally share the nature, authority, and glory of God. But note the contrast. Jesus Christ is eternally God. But…


B. JESUS CHRIST BECAME FULLY HUMAN

Verse 6 says “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The word grasped translates a Greek term that is used only here in the New Testament. It speaks of plunder, a prize, or anything to be seized or greatly desired. It is used here to speak of the attitude of Christ toward the perfect will and redemptive plan of God the Father. Every privilege of deity belonged to Christ, because he is God. Yet he did not hold on to the glory of his deity, like a robber clutching his stolen loot. Christ, who had every reason to put his rights first, did not. He did not view his divine glory as something that he must hold on to at all costs. Verses 7-8 affirm this humiliation of Christ in two ways: the incarnation and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.


THE INCARNATION. Verse 7 says Christ “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” The phrase “made himself nothing,” translates a verb that means to empty, make void, drain out, abase, or neutralize. Christ, who by nature and status was God, made himself nothing when he came to earth as a human being. G. CAMPBELL-MORGAN wrote: “He was the God-Man. Not God indwelling man. Of such there has been many. Not a man deified. Of such there has been none save in the myths of pagan systems of thought; but God and man, combining in one personality the two natures, a perpetual enigma and mystery, baffling the possibility of explanation.” Think about it.
• Christ, who in eternity rested on the bosom of the Father without a mother, in time rested on the bosom of a mother without an earthly father.
• God, who in Eden’s garden took from a man a motherless woman, in Bethlehem’s barn took from a woman a fatherless man.
• Jesus, the Ancient of Days became the infant of days – a baby as old as his heavenly Father but ages older than his human mother, Mary.
• Jesus, who created the angels, was made a little lower than the angels.
• Jesus, who said, “Before Abraham was, I am,” was born two thousand years after Abraham died.
Historically, the church has referred to this miracle of the incarnation as the doctrine of the KENOSIS. The word “Kenosis” is derived from the verb that is translated in verse 7 as “made himself nothing” or “made himself of no reputation” (NKJV). The church formally stated this doctrine to defend this text against misinterpretation. It teaches that the incarnation was not Christ emptying himself of his deity or exchanging his deity for humanity. The Kenosis was a sovereign self-renunciation. In the Kenosis, Christ laid aside his heavenly glory and the independent use of his authority, divine prerogatives, eternal riches, and favorable position with the Father. But never in the process did he every stop being God. The Godhead is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Therefore, if Christ stopped being God, God himself would cease to exist. That is impossible. God is self-existent, eternal, and immutable. So Christ could never stop being God. But in the Kenosis, Christ became something in addition to being God without becoming something less than God. He became what he had not been in his eternal deity: a human being.
Verse 7 says He “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Christ made himself nothing in the reality of the incarnation. But he made himself nothing by his role during the incarnation: a servant. The incarnation proves that the gospel is not something we could think up. It is inconceivable to our finite minds that God, who enjoyed eternal glory, infinite sovereignty, and unlimited power, would take on the weaknesses and limitations of humanity. Even if we could come up with the idea of the incarnation, we would have messed it up by making God a human being with great power, influence, wealth, fame, and skill. But that is not what God did. Christ “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” NATE SERVANT said it well: “If we could just grasp the significance of the Incarnation, the word ‘sacrifice’ would disappear from our vocabulary.”

ASIDE HE THREW HIS MOST DIVINE ARRAY
AND HID HIS GODHEAD IN A VEIL OF CLAY
AND IN THAT GARB DID WONDROUS LOVE DISPLAY
RESTORING WHAT HE NEVER TOOK AWAY

THE CRUCIFIXION. Verse 8 says, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” The death of Christ is mentioned twice in verse 8. And these two statements describe the submissive nature and sacrificial manner of his death. First, the death of Christ was an act of SUBMISSION. Verse 8 says “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.” You and I have a date with death that we have no control over. You can diet, exercise, and live right, but death is still imminent and inescapable. But that is not the way it was with Christ. Death had no control over him. Death did not kill Jesus. He freely, willingly, and voluntarily gave up his life. The death of Christ was not the result of the plot of the religious leaders or the betrayal of Judas or the protest of the crowd or the sentence of the Roman government or the actions of the Centurion soldiers. Verse 8 tells us what actually happened: “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.”
• He could have declared that his GLORY was too precious to disrobe for sinners.
• He could have declared that his POSITION was too high to condescend to sinners.
• He could have declared that his POWER was too great to lay aside for sinners.
• He could have declared that his HEAVENLY POSSESSIONS were too valuable to part with for sinners.
• He could have declared that his BLOOD was too good to shed for sinners.
• He could have declared that his HANDS were too holy to be pierced for sinners.
• He could have declared that his LIFE was too sacred for him to surrender for sinners.
But he did not do that. Thank God he did not do that!


Likewise, the death of Christ was an act of SACRIFICE. Crucifixion, death on a cross, was the most painful form of execution in the ancient world. It was cruel and unusual punishment of death by suffocation that could take days to accomplish. Death by hanging, stoning, or even burning, was considered an act of mercy in comparison to crucifixion. It was so painful that a new term was coined in Latin to describe the agony: excruciating. Crucifixion was not just execution; it was torture. When verse 8 says “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,” it declares the totality of Christ’s obedience. But when it goes on to say “even death on a cross,” it declares the extent of his obedience. Earth has no darker sin, history no blacker page, humanity no fouler spot, than that of the Savior’s crucifixion. But Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the founder and perfecter of our faith “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” This leads us to the second part of this hymn of Christ.


II. THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST

Verses 6-8 record the humiliation of Christ. But verses 9-11 record the exaltation of Christ. These two parts of this great hymn are connected by the first word of verse 9, “therefore,” which signifies that what is about to be said is based on what has already been said. Verses 6-8 is a powerful description of how Jesus Christ, the second Person of the holy Trinity, humiliated himself when he came to earth as a man, lived as a servant, and died on a cross. But this second part describes God the Father’s sovereign response to the selfless humiliation of his only begotten Son. Verse 9 says, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” If you end the story of Jesus at the crucifixion, you do not have the whole story. The cross is not the end of the story, for God “highly exalted him.” That phrase, “highly exalted,” is emphatic in the original. It is a compound term that could be translated, “God super-exalted him.” God lifted him above everything. God exalted him to the highest place. God raised him to a position of supreme majesty.
The humiliation of Christ was fully compensated by God. In fact, there was totally reversed. Verse 6 says he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Verse 9 says that God highly exalted him. Verse 7 says that he made himself nothing. But verse 9 says that God has given him the name that is above every name. Verse 7 says that he took the form of a servant. But verse 10 says that every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus. Verse 8 says that he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross. But verse 11 says that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus is no mere baby in a manger or great teacher or mighty prophet or miracle worker or religious martyr. We worship, serve, and trust the exalted Christ who is eternally worthy of an exclusive name, sovereign lordship, and universal worship. In John 17:4-5, Jesus prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” Philippians 2:9-11 records that Father’s answer to that prayer. God highly exalted his Son, Jesus Christ. And these verses record the present reality and future realization of the sovereign exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.


A. THE PRESENT REALITY OF CHRIST’S EXALTATION

Verse 9 says, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” Notice that God is the source of the exaltation of Christ. Christ did not exalt himself. And he was not and is not exalted by men. We often speak of exalting Christ. But in worship we only acknowledge, affirm, and adore the exaltation of Christ. We do not accomplish it. God has highly exalted him. And it is a done deal. The term “highly exalted” is in a grammatical emphasis that means God has exalted Christ once-and-for-all. Jesus is the exalted Christ. And this exaltation is not some mystical or esoteric idea. The exaltation of Christ is rooted in three real, concrete, and historic events.
God exalted Christ through the RESURRECTION. The real, physical, and historical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the bedrock of the Christian faith. It is the bedrock of our faith because we believe that the resurrection was God’s validation of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We believe that God stamped his approval on the humiliation of Christ when he raised him from the dead. In Acts 2:32-33, Peter said, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” Likewise, God exalted Christ through the ASCENSION. Acts 1:9-11 says, “And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up. And a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’” This dramatic departure of the risen Christ marks again and in a greater way the end of the humiliation of Christ and his entrance into exaltation. It tells us that Christ was not only exalted from the grave; he was also exalted over earth itself.
Finally, God exalted through the CORONATION. The coronation of Christ tells us where he went when he left planet earth in the ascension. Ephesians 1:20-22 says that God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” In the resurrection, Christ was exalted over sin, death, and the grave. In the ascension, Christ was exalted over time and space. But in the coronation, Christ was exalted over every name that is named. That is why verse 8 says that God has “bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” What exactly is this “name that is above every name”? That is the natural question of the conscientious reader. But to ask that question is to miss the point. The word “name” does not refer to some title for Christ. The significance of the word “name” is found in the comparative phrase attached to it: “the name that is above every name.” This is a statement of the exalted office of infinite majesty, glory, power, dignity, and authority Jesus Christ received from God the Father. This statement is not about a proper name. It is about a glorious position of sovereign Lordship.


B. THE FUTURE REALIZATION OF CHRIST’S EXALTATION

Philippians 2:10-11 explains the intended purpose and proper response to the exaltation of Christ: “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST WILL NOT BE DENIED. Verse 10 says, “at every name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The bowing of the knee pictures submission, surrender, even slavery. And this verse teaches that the bowing of the knee is the physical posture that is deserved and demanded in response to the exaltation of Christ. When a dignitary or celebrity enters a room, people stand, applaud, even cheer. But if Christ were to walk into that same room, no one would stand. No one would be able to stand. Every knee should bow down before him. And note the emphatic extent of this mandated reverence for the exalted Christ. Paul says, “Every knee should bow.” That is clear enough. But then he punctuates the point by outlining the three places where the knee must bow before Christ: “in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The Lordship of Christ is total, absolute, and universal. The day is coming when the Lordship of Christ will not be denied. Every knee shall bow before Christ.
• The holy angels in heaven will bow before Christ.
• The glorified spirits of the redeemed will bow before Christ.
• The Christ-followers on earth will bow before Christ.
• The unbelieving sinners in the world will bow before Christ.
• The devil, his demons, and all the lost souls in hell will bow before Christ.
THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST WILL NOT BE DEBATED. Verse 10 sees THE PHYSICAL RESPONSE to the Lordship of Christ. Verse 11 hears THE VOCAL RESPONSE to the Lordship of Christ: “and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Verse 10 emphasizes the scope of Christ’s Lordship. Verse 11 emphasizes the sovereignty of it. Verse 11 states it in four words: “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The Lordship of Christ is the initial confession of the church. Scholars tells us that this confession, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” was the first creed of Christianity. Long before the church formally stated its convictions about the Trinity, Justification, and other important doctrines; it was clear about this essential truth: Jesus Christ is Lord. Likewise, the Lordship of Christ is the authentic confession of every Christian. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And the Lordship of Christ is the ultimate confession of all creation. Verse 11 declares that there is coming a day when every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.


This text does not teach UNIVERSALISM. It does not teach that every person will be saved. We are called to evangelize the lost because every person will not automatically or inevitably be saved. UNIVERSALISM and the GREAT COMMISSION are mutually exclusive concepts. We are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations because there will be no universal salvation for all people. But there will be a universal confession of the sovereign Lordship of Jesus Christ. Now, the primary message of this hymn is to the church: humble yourselves and God will exalt you. But there is also a secondary message here for the lost: Humble yourselves and be saved. Have you every asked the question: “What is the world coming to?” Philippians 2:9-11 answers that question. The world is coming to a day when every being in the created universe will recognize Jesus Christ as Lord. No tongue will be silent; no knee will be unbowed. But we are still in an age of grace. That means the promise of Romans 10:9 still stands: If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
• To acknowledge him now is to receive his grace; to acknowledge him later is to suffer his judgment.
• Now you may bow and confess; then you must bow and confess.
• Now it may be in joy; then it will be in terror.
• Today you can confess him as Lord and Savior; then it will only be a Lord.
If you have already received Christ as Savior and Lord, you can fulfill the purpose of the humiliation and exaltation of Christ: the glory of God. And verse 11 says, “every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” To God be the glory for the Lord Jesus Christ!

ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS’ NAME!
LET ANGELS PROSTRATE FALL;
BRING FORTH THE ROYAL DIADEM, AND CROWN HIM LORD OF ALL;
BRING FORTH THE ROYAL DIADEM, AND CROWN HIM LORD OF ALL!

Notes from Sunday -07/26/09

Today was long but rich and blessed day. The Lord was gracious to smile on our worship services today at Shiloh.

Thank you for praying for me, as I have not been feeling well this week. I am still having up and down days. But I am grateful that the Lord has been giving me strength to preach at the appointed times. Please continue to pray for me and my health. And pray that the Lord will give me wisdom to follow doctor’s instructions and my boss’ commands - Crystal!

Our youth and young adults choirs led the music in today’s services. I encouraged by the continual progress. May the Lord continue to use them to his glory!

Praise God for those who followed Christ in baptism today.

I continued to teach on the church in my New Members Class. It really does make my day to teach that class each week.

I preached “The Hymn of Christ” from Philippians 2:6-11. It is one of the most important Christological passages in the New Testament. And I was very excited to preach a text to my congregation.

For the record, I absolutely love preaching to the Shiloh Church family. I am blessed way out of my league to have the privilege to shepherd such a wonderful congregation.

I am still having a wonderful time studying and preaching through the book of Philippians.

Next Week’s Message: “The Ins-And-Outs of Christian Living” (Philippians 2:12-13).

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today in our worship services.

I left the church and Crystal took me straight to the airport. I had a flight to Atlanta to preach for Pastor Timothy Fleming at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church at 3 PM. By the time I arrived at the church, the service had already started. It was a warm worship. And the Lord gave me strength to preach.

Believe it or not, I preached about 30 minutes this afternoon. The service was to be followed by a picnic on the grounds for the membership. And the congregation was patient to listen to me with the aroma of good food in the atmosphere. So I “chopped up” the message quite a bit. But I think the Lord helped me to get the heart of the message across. And one was added to the church. Praise God.

About ten years ago, I preached the closing night of Pastor Fleming’s “Upper-Room Conference.” As the service was going on, Crystal was rushed to the hospital and gave birth to our son, H.B. He was born more than six-weeks premature. Pastor Fleming’s prayers, compassion, and encourage meant so much to me and my family at a very critical time. I am honored to be invited back to Mt. Carmel to preach again.

I will be preaching at Mt. Carmel the next four nights. Please remember this meeting in your prayers.

An Old Picture of My Dad

From Left to right: Unidentified, W.P. Carter, Gardner C. Taylor, H.B. Charles, Sr., Lawrence A. Felix, Sr., Horace N. Mays

Than you Professor Paul Felix for sharing this picture of our fathers with me.

Notes from Sunday - 07/19/09

Long day. Good worship. Important message. Hard work. Totally exhausted.

I am grateful to God for the privilege he has given me to shepherd the saints at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

The Lord richly blessed our Vacation Bible School. Forty-three young people took of step of faith to Christ. Praise God!

As always, I am grateful to God for the guests who worshiped with us at Shiloh yesterday.

In New Members Class, I continued my study of the church. I spent our time focusing on Matthew 18:15-20. It was a good time of study.

I began my study of Philippians chapter 2 with a message of verses 1-5, entitled, “A Call to Spiritual Unity”

Next Sunday’s message: “The Hymn of Christ” (Philippians 2:6-11).

Praise God for those who were saved and added to our church family today.

The Lord has a way of using the kindness of others to encourage you just when you need it the most.

Please remember me in your prayers this week.

The Gift of Suffering

This past Sunday, I concluded my study of Philippians chapter 1 with a message on verses 29-30, entitled, "The Gift of Suffering." Here is the sermon skeleton:

TITLE: “The Gift of Suffering”

TEXT: Philippians 1:29-30

SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

THEME: The gift of suffering

POINT: Christian suffering is a gift from God to be embraced and endured with joy.

TRANSITION: Consider with we me three things these two verses teach us about Christian suffering.

OUTLINE:

I. The privilege of Christian suffering (1:29)

A. Belief in Christ is a gift from God: "For it has been granted to you for the sake of Christ not only to believe in him"

B. Suffering for Christ is a gift from God: "but also to suffer for his sake"

II. The purpose of Christian suffering (1:29) - "for the sake of Christ"/"For his sake"

A. Our suffering advances the gospel of Christ

B. Our suffering advances our growth in Christ

III. The proof of Christian suffering (1:30)

A. We are engaged in a spiritual conflict: "engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and hear that I still have"

B. We are engaged in the same conflict: "engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and hear that I still have"

Notes from Sunday -07/12/09

We had a good day of worship at Shiloh yesterday. I have a “hard saying” to preach. But as the saying goes, difficult texts make good preachers. If so, I became a better preacher for struggling with the text this week. And I pray that the church was made the better for hearing the word.

One the practical benefits of verse-by-verse exposition is that it forces you to deal with passages and subjects that you would otherwise avoid. This discipline helps us to preach the whole council of God, not just our favorite subjects.

Praise God for those who were baptized as a public expression of their faith in Jesus Christ.

In my New Members Class, I continued to teach on the church. I spend our time surveying the two places in scripture where the Lord Jesus directly mentions the church – Matthew 16:13-20 and 18:15-20. I look forward to continuing my look at Matthew 18 next Sunday.

I was excited to get the pulpit after spending a week at an expository preaching conference. I was reminded that I have so much to work on to be a better preacher. But I left encouraged to work harder at my craft, so that I may be the clean, sharp, and ready tool in the hands of the Lord.

I concluded our study of Philippians 1 with a message on verses 29-30, entitled, “The Gift of Suffering.”

Next Sunday’s message: “A Call to Spiritual Unity” (Philippians 2:1-5).

It took me ten sermons to get through Philippians 1. I did not expect it to take that long. I plan to get through chapter 2 in seven messages.

Thank God for those who were added to the church in our services yesterday.

Our Vacation Bible School begins today. Please remember the workers and children in your prayers. May the Lord draw these precious children to himself through the ministry of the word this week. And may the have a good time in VBS as well!

Speaking @ the E.K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference 2009

Two dramatic events took place in my life in February of 1990. First of all, I turned eighteen-years-old. My birthday was on a Monday. And by the end of that very week, I was moving into my first apartment. It was one in a series of events in which the Lord was forcing me to grow up quickly.

During that same month, I hosted our first revival at Mt. Sinai Church, where I been the pastor for three months. My guest speaker wanted to go to Mt. Moriah that Tuesday to here Dr. E.K. Bailey. I had heard of Dr. Bailey’s name before. But I knew absolutely nothing about his ministry. But if my guest wanted to go to church, we were going to church.

That day changed my life. Dr. Bailey preached on Joshua 7. That sermon changed my life. I was spiritually challenged by the word of God that day. But the message also sent my preaching in a new direction. I heard expository preaching that day, in which Dr. Bailey simply explained what the text meant by what it says. I had recently begun studying expository preaching. And I began to listen to some expository preachers. But that day sealed the deal for me. I remember leaving the service saying to myself, “That is what I want to do.”

Over the years, Dr. E.K. Bailey of the Concord Baptist Church in Dallas remained one of my homiletical heroes. And I was excited and encouraged when I learned about his Expository Preaching Conference. The year I attended, I had the joy of sitting under the teaching of Dr. Bailey, A. Louis Patterson, Jr., Kenneth Ulmer, Myles Jones, Warren Wiersbe, Stephen Olford, and Jasper Williams, among others. It was also the year that Dr. Bailey preached his classic sermon on Zacchaeus. Unfortunately, it was the only year I was able to attend. But I have purchased the tapes and CDs over the years, and have richly benefited from them.

My friend, Brian Carter, the senior pastor of the Concord Church, graciously invited me to participate in this year’s conference. I am schedule to speak this evening (Monday). And I am teaching a workshop on developing expository sermons on Tuesday afternoon. I do not have the words to express how grateful I am to have this opportunity to participate in this conference.

I will also have the opportunity to hear some good preaching and teaching this week. Brian Carter, Joel Gregory, Ralph West, Maurice Watson, and Robert Smith will all be speaking. Likewise, my pastor, Melvin Wade, is scheduled to teach on spiritual discipline and devotion.

This should be a great week of worship, fellowship, and study. Just going through the hotel lobby, I have bumped into friends from Chicago, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Oklahoma City, and Newark.

Please remember this great conference in your prayers. May the Lord cause much fruit to come from our time together in his work this week!

Notes from Sunday -07/05/09

It was good to be home and back in my own pulpit this morning. I missed being in worship with Shiloh last Lord's Day. And I am thankful that the Lord allowed me and my family to get home safely and be reunited with our church family.

This was my first 4th of July weekend in Jacksonville. I did not know what to expect this morning. I was pleasantly surprised.

We celebrated both Christian ordinances - baptism and the Lord's Supper in worship this morning. What a blessing!

I resumed teaching my new members class today. We discussed one my favorite subjects - the church.

One of the important and difficult parts of verse-by-verse exposition through a book is the selection of preaching portions. This week's text created a great dilemma for me. The paragraph consists Philippians 1:27-30. And until Saturday afternoon, it was my plan to preach the text in one message. But the more I wrote out my thoughts, the more I knew that it would take me two messages to deal with the text. This put me way behind in my preparation. But I still believe I made the right move.

I preached on Philippians 1:27-28. I entitled the message, "A Call to Steadfastness." In these two verses, Paul exhorts the church to steadfastness with threefold instructions:

1. Live for the gospel: "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you......" v. 27

2. Live in unity: "that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel" v. 27

3. Life without fear: "and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign for them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God." - v. 28

It was a hard day in the office today.

Next week, God willing, I will preach verses 29-30 - "The Gift of Suffering."

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.

Notes from Sunday - 6/28/09

I am in Los Angeles.

My wife and kids have been here for several weeks, visiting family and friends. I planned to come last week for two days. However, I decided last Wednesday to stay over the weekend with my family. I am glad I did.

When my friend and brother, George Hurtt, found out I would be in town over the weekend, he invited me… No, scratch that. He insisted that I preach for him Sunday morning.

Sunday morning, it was my great privilege and signal honor to minister to the word to the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles at the MSMBC. And I served as its pastor for almost eighteen years, until the last September. Most of my family and friends are here. And it was just good to worship and fellowship with them.

I preached two sermons from Philippians 1.

There are no words to explain what a blessing it is to be welcomed back to the place you have served after you have left. Of course, this says more about George Hurtt and the leadership and membership of Mt. Sinai than it does about me. But I am overwhelmed with gratitude, nonetheless.

I praise God for all that he is doing through Pastor George Hurtt and the Mt. Sinai Church family. May your dreams continue to be greater than your memories!

I really missed being in worship with the Shiloh family Sunday morning. It was my first Sunday away. And it was strange not being there. But I am glad that Lord blessed the services in my absence.

Thanks to Pastor A. Letson and Pastor M. Rodgers for their labor in ministering the word of God to the congregation.

Praise God for those who were baptized and added to the church.

Crystal and the kids will be heading home Tuesday afternoon. Pray for their safe arrival.

I will be heading home Wednesday morning. I look forward to being in worship and in my pulpit Wednesday night.

No comment.

My First's Father's Day Sermon

June 17, 1989. It was a Saturday. I flew home from Detroit to Los Angeles, after preaching a youth revival all week. As I was in the air, the Lord called my father from earth to glory.

When I finally arrived home, it was crowded with people. Mercifully, several of my friends picked me up and got me out of the house for several hours. I really needed it. When I returned home, several leaders of the church my father had pastored for forty years were there. They were waiting to talk to me. They asked me to preach the 11 AM service the following day. Father’s Day. Without really thinking about what I was getting myself into, I consented.

I was up all night trying to determine what I would say to the church, who would just be getting the news that their longtime pastor had died. I was only sixteen-years-old. And even though I had preached many youth services by then, this was an entirely different ballgame. Nothing I had ever preached seemed appropriate for that Sunday’s assignment.

I stayed up all night, preparing myself mind to preach (a pattern that has not changed in twenty years). As I read the John’s Gospel in those early morning hours, I hit a speed bump at the miracle of the fish and the loaves in John 6. I had preached it before (The lad and his lunch makes a good youth sermon). But something different jumped out me. Jesus asked Philip where they would find bread to feed the hungry multitude. Then John 6:6 records a parenthetical statement: “But this he said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do” (KJV). That was my first Father’s Day sermon. I labeled it, “The Lord Knows What He Is Doing.”

Of course, that sermon had nothing to do with Father’s Day. I don’t think Father’s Day was even acknowledged in the worship services that day. Yet for years to come, I would associate Father’s Day with that sermon.

It may have been more than ten years before I preached another Father’s Day sermon. Mind you, I was called to my first pastorate in November of 1990. But I for most of the early years of my pastorate, I did not preach on Father’s Day. I could not preach on Father’s Day.

On Father’s Day 2000, I stood to preach without my father being on my mind at all. I was thinking about another H.B. – H.B. Charles III, my son. My son had been born the previous year. And on his first Father’s Day, I preached a message entitled, “A Father’s Desire for a Godly Legacy.” In the sermon, I envisioned my funeral. And I considered what I would want my son to say about me if was to give remarks. I concluded that I wanted my son to be able to say three things about me:

1. I know my father loved me unconditionally.
2. I know my father loved my mother unconditionally.
3. I know my father loved God unconditionally.

If I remember correctly, I only wrote one more fathers-oriented sermon after that. It was on Ephesians 6:4, where Paul exhorts father’s not to provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. After that, however, I have not written another’s Father’s Day sermon. If I was not (conveniently) in a series, I would redo old work… if I preached at all. Several years ago, I did not even go to church on Father’s Day. Really not good.

The Father’s Day weekend was the twentieth anniversary of my father’s death. And in some ways, it was just as disorienting. First of all, Crystal and the kids were in Los Angeles visiting family and friends. It was my first Father’s Day without my family. Moreover, it was my first Father’s Day in Jacksonville, away from everyone and everything that is familiar to me.

I was really busy over the weekend. That helped. But the Lord also used his word to comfort my heart. My first Father’s Day sermon. For the record, I do not remember anything I actually said in that sermon twenty years ago. But I cannot forget that little verse from John and its all-important message: The Lord knows what he is doing.

God Is Bigger Than You Think

Last night, I concluded my brief study of the Old Testament book of Jonah with a message on chapter 4, entitled, "God Is Bigger Than You Think."

I have been stretched, challenged, and encouraged by studying Jonah over the past four weeks. And I pray that the saints of SMBC have been enriched and edified through the ministry of the word.

Here is the skeleton from last night's message:

Title: "God Is Bigger Than You Think"

Text: Jonah 4:1-11

Series: Jonah: God Won't Take No For An Answer

Theme: The Sovereign Mercy of God

Point: God is bigger than you think.

Outline:

I. God is bigger than what you think about him (4:1-4).

A. Jonah's angry prayer (vv. 2-3)

B. God's gracious response (v. 4)

II. God is bigger than what you think about yourself (4:5-8).

A. God appointed a plant (V. 6).

B. God appointed a worm (v. 7).

C. God appointed a strong east wind (v. 8)

III. God is bigger than what you think about other people (4:9-11).

A. A word about Jonah's anger (v. 9)

B. A word about Jonah's compassion (v. 10-11)

The Service Driven life

This Sunday, I continued by study of the book of Philippians with a message on chapter 1, verses 22-26. Here is the sermon skeleton:

Philippians 1:22-26 is the final portion of Paul’s report to the Philippians about his personal circumstances and missionary work. In verses 12-18, Paul looks back and remembers what the Lord had done through his life and ministry. In verses 19-26, he looks ahead and anticipates what the Lord will do through his life and ministry. In verse 19-21, Paul speaks about the future with great confidence. Yet his confidence is tempered with uncertainty. In our text, verses 22-26, continues to address matters of life and death with this tension between confidence and uncertainty.

This text is a soliloquy, in which Paul muses over the possibilities of life and death. There are no commands or exhortations in this text. Paul speaks here for himself and about himself. Yet Paul writes this deeply personal letter in an open letter to the church at Philippi.Yet Paul does not write this passage to get some things off his chest. He writes this passage for the sake of the Philippians.

In the next passage, verses 27-30, Paul will exhort the church to live in unity and steadfastness. In chapter 2, Paul will emphasize the attitude of humble servanthood that is required for unity and steadfastness to take place in the church. But in our text, Paul makes this point, not by exhortation, but by testimony.

Title: "The Service Driven Life"

Text: Philippians 1:22-26

Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel

Theme: A Christ-centered life of service to others

Point: Real Christian Service

Outline:

I. The service-driven life is marked by Christian devotion (1:21-22).

A. A devotion in life or death (1:21)

B. A dilemma about life or death (1:22)

II. The service-driven life is marked by Christian desire (1:23).

In verse 23, Paul makes three points about death from a Christian perspective:

A. To die is to depart.

B. To die is to be with Christ.

C. To die is far better.

III. The service-driven life is marked by Christian duty (1:24-26).

A. Our responsibility to serve others (1:24)

B. Our reasons for serving others (1:25-26)

1. The immediate reason (v. 25)

2. The ultimate reason (v. 26)

Notes from Sunday - Father's Day 2009

I woke up Sunday morning, thinking about my father. And the first question I asked myself was, “Do you really feel like going to church today?” No, I did not ask, “Do you feel like preaching?” I didn’t feel like going to church. Thank God I did not give my feelings an opportunity to answer that questions. By the time my day was over, my “bandwagon” feelings had jumped on board. It usually happens that way.

I praise God for the good man and faithful preacher that God blessed me with as a father – H.B. Charles Sr.

Saturday, we held our annual All-Male Round Up. This has been an annual event at Shiloh Church for thirteen or fourteen years. But it was my first. And I was so encouraged to be with the brothers to fellowship, study God’s word together, and eat! I spoke on “Building Hedges for Godly Living” from Proverbs 4:20-27. I cannot wait for next year’s Round Up. But I hope we get a better speaker!

Our Women’s Chorus led the singing in both services. And they were a great blessing. Their singing of Jonathan Greer’s somewhat old number, “He Worthy,” was great. And the young lady who led Kirk Carr’s, “I Believe God,” at the 10 AM service blessed our socks off. It was wonderful. Praise God!

Deacon Brinkley covered my New Members Class for the second week in a row, finishing a lesson on “How to Keep Your First Love.” I am grateful for his assistance. And I look forward to getting back at it in my class this week.

I resumed my study of the book of Philippians.

My text was Philippians 1:22-26. To me, it is one of the more difficult passages in Philippians to organize for preaching. In fact, I had been planning to preach a message a message from it I was calling “On Making Difficult Decisions.” But over the course of the weekend, it became obvious that the point of the message I was writing was somewhat different. The basic outline of the message was pretty much the same. But the thrust was different. I called it, “The Service-Driven Life.”

The point of my message could be succinctly stated in three words: Real Christians serve.

The idea taken up with the subject of “the service driven life” by a quote from the ESV Study Bible that I used in the introduction: “Paul is not merely musing on his own crisis; he is giving the Philippians a model of the service-driven life.” (Page 2282)

I am looking forward to the next section of Philippians – chapter 1, verses 27-30. My challenge this week will be whether I will paragraph in one or two message.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our services yesterday!

After church, I went home and slept off most of the rest of the day. I believe in spiritual warfare through long naps.

I really miss Crystal and the kids. And I cannot wait to see them this week.

We do not choose what we preach as ministers of the gospel. We do not have a choice of what we preach week by week. There are times in my study when I am absolutely overcome when I sense that God has spoken to me through his word for our people. Pulpits are not private platforms to espouse personal philosophies or political views. The only preaching God honors is "the message that I give you." In my pulpit I preach from the Bible for two reasons. First, I am not smart enough to preach anything else. If I were to preach on social issues, there are sociologists in my congregation who would know far more about them than I. If I were to preach on political issues, there are politicians who would know more than I do in that field. second, I am too smart to preach anything else because I know that God blesses his word and it will not return void. - O.S. Hawkins, Jonah: Meeting the God of the Second Chance, p. 90

God Wants To Give You Another Chance

Last night, I continued my exposition of the book of Jonah with a message on the entire third chapter. One more chapter to go.

Here is the skeleton from last night's message:

Title: "God Wants To Give You Another Chance"

Text: Jonah 3:1-10

Theme: The Mercy of God

Point: God wants to give you another chance.

Outline:

I. God wants to give you another chance to change your ways (3:1-4).

II. God wants to give you another chance to change the world (3:5-10).

A. God's word can change the world (vv. 3-4)

B. God's power can change the world (vv. 5-9)

1. The scope of Ninevah's conversion (vv. 5-6)

- The citizens of Nineveh were converted (v. 5)

- The king of Nineveh was converted (v. 6)

2. The seriousness of Nineveh's conversion (vv. 7-8)

3. The source of Nineveh's conversion (v. 9)

C. God's mercy can change the world (v. 10)

We Rejoice in our Sufferings

Here is the sermon skeleton from the sermon I preached this past Sunday morning on Romans 5:3-5.

Title: “We Rejoice In Our Sufferings”

Text: Romans 5:3-5

Theme: The Christian Response to Suffering

Point: We rejoice in our suffering.

Outline:

I. The reality of Christian suffering

There are four major reasons why the Lord allows suffering in the lives of Christians:

A. An act of divine chastisement (Heb. 12:6-11)

B. A platform for God’s glory (John 9:1-4)

C. The result of spiritual warfare (Job)

D. The means of spiritual growth (Romans 5:3-5)

II. The response to Christian suffering

A. We rejoice in our sufferings

B. We rejoice because of what we know

III. The reason for Christian suffering

There are three Christian virtues God produces through our sufferings:

A. Suffering produces endurance

B. Endurance produces character

C. Character produces hope

Notes from Sunday -06/14/09

We had a good day in worship and fellowship at the Shiloh Church today.

We recognized our 2009 graduates in our 10 AM service today. And after the service, there was a luncheon for the graduates and their families. I was glad to attend.

We had quite a few guests in worship with us today. A family rejoice. A class reunion. And worship studies class members. It was a joy to have them fellowship with us in worship.

I missed my New Members Class today.

I ditched my study of Philippians this week and preached from Romans 5:3-5. I entitled the message, "We Rejoice in our Sufferings."

Romans 5:3-5 is a passage of scripture that means a lot to me personally. I was introduced to it at the age of sixteen, about two months after my father died. I was preparing to go home from Louisville, where I had been preaching. And I had bought of book that week that I skimmed as I waited for my flight. There was a reference to Romans 5:3-5 in it, entitled, "Blessed Fruit from a Bitter Tree." When I read that passage, I was both challenged and comforted by it at the same time. It has been dear to me every since.

Friday morning, my heart became heavy after receiving bad news. As I paced the floor, Romans 5:3-5 came to my mind. And I was not able to shake it all weekend. I really did not want to break my series. But I am glad that I was obedient and preached what the Lord placed on my heart.

I am really looking forward to getting back to Philippians next week - Philippians 1:22-26.

Praise God for those who received Christ and were added to the church today.

I said it. And I meant it. I do not believe you can be godly person if you rejoice in the downfall of a man of God.

I miss Crystal and the kids terribly.

Does anyone have enough faith to pick the Magic to win tonight?

Don't Settle for Soup

I preached a youth service at Shiloh last night. I worked hard to prepare myself. An there was something specific on my heart to say. I preached a message entitled "Don't Settle for Soup" from Genesis 25:29-34.

Here is the sermon skeleton:

Title: "Don't Settle for Soup"

Text: Genesis 25:29-34

Theme: Do not negotiate the spiritual for the physical.

Point: Don't settle for soup.

Outline: Here are three reasons why you should not settle for soup.

I. It costs to much. (That bowl of soup was not worth Esau's birthright.)

II. You are not as hungry as you think you are. (Esau was not about to die!)

A. You just need self-control.

B. You just need patience.

C. You just need wisdom.

III. It doesn't really satisfy. (A few hours later, Esau was hungry all over again.)

The Prayer of Jonah

The story of Jonah is recorded in two acts. Jonah 2 is the second scene of the first act. Chapter 1 is the first scene of the first act, in which we see Jonah’s disobedience. In chapter 2, we see Jonah’s deliverance.

Verse 1 tells us that Jonah prayed to the Lord from the belly of the fish. And verse 10 tells us that the Lord commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto the dry land. But sandwiched in between these two verses is a psalm in which Jonah gives thanks to the Lord for answering his prayer for deliverance. Some challenge the unity of the book of Jonah at this point, questioning how a psalm fits in the middle of a historical narrative. But there is no legitimate reason to question the place of this psalm. From a literary perspective, the place of this psalm may seem odd. But from a spiritual perspective, the place of this psalm is obvious. God the Holy Spirit moved Jonah to place this psalm of thanksgiving here in order to leave on record a word of hope, comfort, and encouragement for every other Jonah: There is nothing you are into that God cannot deliver you out of. God can deliver you!

Here is the sermon skeleton from last night’s message:

Title: “God Can Deliver You”

Text: Jonah 2

Theme: The prayer of Jonah

Point: There is nothing that you are into that God cannot deliver you out of.

Outline:

I. God can deliver you, if you pray (2:1-2).

II. God can deliver you, when there seems to be no hope (2:3-6).

A. God can reach you no matter how for you go (2:3-4).

B. God can reach you no matter how low you sink (2:5-6).

III. God can deliver you, before it’s too late (2:7).

IV. God can deliver you, but you must trust him alone (2:8-9).

IV. God can deliver you, because he is in charge of everything (2:10).

Conclusion: If God can speak to a fish and make it obey him, can he not speak to your situation and deliver you?

Why? Why do we do what we do? What is our ultimate goal? Why do we dress as we dress? Why do we allot time as we do in our services? Why do we preach as we preach? Why do we sing, and why do we sing it the way we do? Do we care about what the world will think of our activities? Where is God in all this? Do we seek to meet Him in His truth, begging the Spirit to use the word to reveal to us the depths of our on hearts so that we may be changed and made better servants of His? Do we think HE is lucky to have us around, or do we tremble at the thought of approaching Him, not out of fear of retribution or wrath (being in Christ), but because we stand in awe of his glory, His power, His condescension, His grace? Are we more concerned about making a misstep in our performance for the audience, or about the purity of the motives of our hearts before the God with whom we have to do? These are the questions that separate worship from entertainment? - James R. White, Pulpit Crimes: The Criminal Mishandling of God's Word, pp. 9394

True Deliverance

I am being greatly challenged by the study of Philippians. And it has been very convicting to preach the radical ideals of the Apostle Paul. Actually, Paul's thoughts here are not radical. They are Christian! However, many of us who follow Christ today (including and especially me) are so spoiled by the blessings of God that we do not really know what it means to live radically for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I praise God for all that I am learning in my studies. And I pray that congregation of SMBC is also being edified as we study "the Epistle of Joy."

Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "True Deliverance"

Text: Philippians 1:19-21

Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel

Theme: Rejoicing in Christ in the midst of life's uncertainties

Point: True deliverance is the ability to rejoice in spite of life's uncertainties, trusting that the Lord will cause your situation to work out for your good.

Outline:

I. The assurance of true deliverance (1:19)

A. The prayers of the saints: "through your prayers" (v. 19a)

B. The help of the Spirit: "the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (v. 19b)

II. The ambition of true deliverance (1:20)

A. May I never let Christ down: "as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed" (v. 20a)

B. May I always lift Christ up: "but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death" (v. 20b)

1. How? "with full courage"

2. When? "now as always"

3. Where? "in my body"

III. The advantage of true deliverance (1:21)

A. Christ is all in life: "For to me to live is Christ" (v. 21a)

B. Christ is all in death: "and to die is gain" (v. 21b)

True Deliverance

I am being greatly challenged by the study of Philippians. And it has been very convicting to preach the radical ideals of the Apostle Paul. Actually, Paul's thoughts here are not radical. They are Christian! However, many of us who follow Christ today (including and especially me) are so spoiled by the blessings of God that we do not really know what it means to live radically for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I praise God for all that I am learning in my studies. And I pray that congregation of SMBC is also being edified as we study "the Epistle of Joy."

Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "True Deliverance"

Text: Philippians 1:19-21

Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel

Theme: Rejoicing in Christ in the midst of life's uncertainties

Point: True deliverance is the ability to rejoice in spite of life's uncertainties, trusting that the Lord will cause your situation to work out for your good.

Outline:

I. The assurance of true deliverance (1:19)

    A. The prayers of the saints: "through your prayers" (v. 19a)

    B. The help of the Spirit: "the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (v. 19b) 

II. The ambition of true deliverance (1:20)

    A. May I never let Christ down: "as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed" (v. 20a)

    B. May I always lift Christ up: "but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death" (v. 20b)

        1. How? "with full courage"

        2. When? "now as always"

        3. Where? "in my body"

III. The advantage of true deliverance (1:21)

     A. Christ is all in life: "For to me to live is Christ" (v. 21a)

     B. Christ is all in death: "and to die is gain" (v. 21b)

Notes from Sunday -06/07/09

First Sundays! I love them. The celebration of the Lord’s Table and Baptism are always special times in the life of the church.

We showed a brief clip from our Make a Difference Day several months ago. And I continue to praise God for the way the Lord blessed us to be a blessing to others. May the Lord continue to use SMBC to be a lighthouse in our community and throughout the nations in these dark times. (Thanks to our media team for your work on the video.)

Members of the graduating class of Clara White Mission’s culinary school and janitorial service were present in worship with us. It was an honor to have them present. Thanks to Jacoby Pittman, president of Clara White, for choosing to worship with us.

In my New Member’s Class, I finished my lesson on how to pray effectively.

I continued my exposition of the book of Philippians with a message from Philippians 1:19-21, entitled, “True Deliverance.” My point: True deliverance is the ability to rejoice in the face of uncertain circumstances, trusting that God will work it out for your good.”

Hard work.

I plan to write a post one day on the futility of self-analysis. We really don’t know when and how the Lord is using us to be a blessing to others.

Next Sunday’s text: Philippians 1:22-26 – “On Making Difficult Decisions”

Praise God for those who were added to the church yesterday.

Hailey almost made it through 8 AM service. Almost.

The Magic need a miracle. And that’s I have to say about that.

I am ready for football season to begin.

10 Recommendations to Gospel Artists from a Loyal Fan and Concerned Pastor

I am a loyal Gospel Music fan. For years, I have joyfully collected Gospel CD recordings. More recently, I download music from iTunes. And I rarely go anywhere without my iPod. Keys, wallets, cell phone, and iPod - don’t leave home without them!

I love Gospel Music. Praise and worship. Traditional. Contemporary. Old school. New school. You name it. I like it, except for quartet music (Oops). Sorry.

Really, I just love music. But I especially love Gospel Music. However, most of the Gospel Music on my iPod, I would absolutely freak out to hear performed in an actual worship service on Sunday morning. The music may sell a lot of records. But it is not music that is appropriate for public, corporate, Christian worship services.

Gospel artists, know that you have my full support. I love your work. Many of your are very gifted and talented. And I pray that God will use your ministries to his glory. However, as a pastor, I am concerned about how your work shapes Sunday mornings in many local congregations.

Concerning music in worship, Paul exhorts, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16, ESV).

Note three things about this verse. A variety of music is acceptable in Christian worship. Music used in worship ought to teach and warn the saints in all wisdom. And the goal of music in worship is to cause the word of Christ to dwell in the hearts and minds of the saints more fully.

Even though you are performing music as a part of the music industry; as a Christian, you are not exempt from these instructions. The Lord will hold you accountable for the music you perform in his name, just as he will hold me accountable for the sermons I preach in his name. So sing, play, and write to the glory of God!

Here are ten recommendations you should consider as you strive for spiritual excellence in your music ministry:

1. Write and sing songs that exalt the Godhead, rather than songs to and about the congregation or audience.

2. In many instances, simple is better. But be careful not to dumb down worship by only writing and performing simplistic songs. 7-11 songs - where you keep saying the same seven words eleven times - are not edifying. Write a text. Make a point. Give us something grand about Christ and the gospel to listen to, sing, and think about.

3. Please stop doing so much talking before, during, and after the songs. Just sing. And let the lyrics speak for themselves.

4. Take the time to have a pastor or Bible teacher review your lyrics, to help you think through the theological, doctrinal, and textual implications of your lyrics. (Hopefully, it can be your pastor. You do have a pastor, don’t you?) Word of Faith teachers do not count.

5. Be sensitive to the fact that your recordings influence many local churches, music departments, and worship services - for better or for worse.

6. You may cause us to miss your point about how good God is if you are simultaneous trying to show us how good you can sing.

7. Do not give “shout-outs” during the songs to your record company, producers, fellow musicians, band members, home town, or... you get the point. What’s that about?

8. You dishonor the entire worship service and set a bad example when a pastor invites you to sing and you do your “set” and then leave.

9. Stop speaking in tongues on your recordings. Many of your listeners do not speak in tongues. And many who do believe that tongues should have an interpreter. Carefully study 1 Corinthians 12-14. And think about what you are communicating in a recording of worship music.

10. Stop addressing cities in your music. “Praise him, Detroit.” “Sing it with me, Houston.” You are not leading cities in worship. You are leading the congregation you are leading. Hopefully.

Here is one more recommendation for free:

11. Please remember that it is not about you.

Facing Friendly Fire

I am having a ball preaching through Philippians!

I am still in Paul's missionary report to the church, where he discusses the advancement of the gospel. In verses 14-18, Paul describes how God worked through his difficult circumstances to advance the gospel. Now, in verse 15-18, Paul describes how God worked through his ministerial opposition to advance the gospel.

Some parents were not satisfied with the explanation they were given about their son's death in the Vietnam War. They continued to ask questions and demand answers, until the found out the truth. Their son was not killed by the enemy. Rather, he was accidentally killed by the artillery of a fellow-soldier. They called it "friendly fire." Unfortunately, it happens in the church, as well.

The matter that Paul discusses in this text was not doctrinal or moral. It seems to have been a purely personal issue that caused the church at Rome to divide into two camps: pro-Paul and anti-Paul. But Paul responds by concluding that all that matters is what they say about Christ. What they say about him is secondary.

Here is the sermon skeleton of the message:

Title: "Facing Friendly Fire"

Text: Philippians 1:15-18

Sermon Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel

Theme: A Christ-centered response to interpersonal conflict

Point: There is joy in Christ that transcends how other people treat you.

Outline:

I. The humanity of the church's members (1:15)

A. The problem of sin in the church: "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry" (v. 15a)

B. The power of sanctification in the church: "but others from goodwill" (v. 15b)

II. The motivation of the church's ministers (1:16-17)

A. God uses people whose motives are right: "The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel" (v. 16)

B. God uses people whose motives are wrong: "The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment" (v. 17)

III. The priority of the church's message (1:18)

A. How should I respond when I am mistreated? "What then?" (v. 18a)

B. How should I respond when Christ is magnified "Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice" (v. 18b)

Notes from Sunday - 05/31/09

Today was another long but blessed Sunday. The worship services were rich at Shiloh today. Praise God for another wonderful Lord’s Day.

Our Women’s Chorus sung in our two morning worship services. Thank God for all the women who served us by leading us in musical praise today.

I taught our mass Bible Study Fellowship today. I did an exposition of 1 Peter 2:1-3 – “A Call To Spiritual Growth.”

In our worship services, I continued my exposition of Philippians today with a message on Philippians 1:14-18, which I entitled, “Facing Friendly Fire.”

Next Sunday’s text: Philippians 1:19-21.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.

This afternoon, I spoke at the William M. Raines High School's Baccalaureate Service for the graduating class of 2009. This was a first for me. High schools in Los Angeles do not have these types of services, as far as I know. I was honored to host this service and speak to the graduating class. May the good seed fall on good ground.

Speaking @ Inspirational B.C. in Cincinnati

Last night I spoke at the 2009 Holy Convocation services being hosted by Bishop Victory Couzens and the Inspirational Baptist Church of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a great worship service. Joe Pace, of the Colorado Mass Choir, is the worship leader of this congregation. And the musical praise was very uplifting. And the congregation was eager to hear the word of God explained. Who could ask for more?

I met Pastor Couzens for the fist time last night. But I was very grateful to see the good work the Lord is doing through him and his congregation. Since his arrival at Inspirational in 2000, the Lord has blessed Couzens (who is still in his early thirties) and Inspirational to experience great growth, spiritually and numerically.

On Easter Sunday, Inspirational worshiped for the first time in their brand new facilities (their second in nine years), which includes a main auditorium, youth and adult Christian education space, an administrative wing, a gym and skate rink for the young people. Built on the site of a former theme park, the congregation even has a miniature golf course on its campus.

The services this week are a part of a week long celebration of God's goodness to this congregation. Bishop Victor Curry from Miami spoke on Sunday morning. Pastor Jeffrey Johnson from Indianapolis spoke on Tuesday night. Pastor Kevin Cosby from Louisville spoke on Tuesday night. And Bishop Greg Davis from Collegeville will close the meeting out tonight.

Please remember Pastor Couzens and the Inspirational Church family in your prayers.

Sermons Don't Grow On Trees

I am a husband, a father, and a pastor. These are my primary responsibilities. And these central roles, and all that go along with them, do not include the other responsibilities and opportunities the Lord has entrusted to me. I have a full and busy life. But there is one responsibility that is the more demanding than them all. Bar none. Without question. Sermon preparation! The wonderful privilege and terrible responsibility of weekly preparation is bondage. A sweet, rewarding bondage. But bondage nonetheless.

Most other things in my life are shaped by this primary task. That is, I am convinced that you must live the life of a preacher in order to do the work of a preacher faithfully and fruitfully. Preaching cannot be a "back burner" issue in your life, if you are going to preach with skill and power and diligence. You must have your priorities straight.

When the apostles were forced to deal with an issue of growing pains in the early church; the set a group of godly men over the pressing matter, rather than handling it themselves. The apostles stated their ministerial priorities in clear and simple terms: prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). Now it seems that we who are pastors are most concerned about the “table” matters that the apostles sought to avoid. We love to serve, plan, organize, manager, and administrate. And in the process, the ministry of the word is left unattended.

The point I want to make, however, is not really meant for those who preach. I want to say something to those whose task it is to listen to those who preach from week to week. Sermons do not grow on trees! Biblical preaching is hard work. Indeed, there are preachers who do it well and make it look so easy. But in most instances, the good preachers work very hard to make it look easy.

Before I go any further with this, let me admit that sermons do grow on trees for some preachers. Those who find sermon on trees fall into two categories. First, there are those who do not take preaching seriously.

A friend recently told me about a visionary pastor who is doing great things in the community. I was genuinely impressed, until I asked what kind of preacher the guy was. He told me that the guy’s goal is to preach as rarely as possible. I replied, "Don't tell me any more about him." I lost all interest when I discovered this brother did not make preaching a priority in his pastoral work. A pastor who does not preach is an oxymoron. Faithful biblical preaching is my primary, central, and definitive responsibility as a pastor.

Likewise, sermons grow on trees for those who take preaching seriously, but are not serious about preparation. For some men, the work of preaching is pretty easy because all it requires is that they find someone else’s work to steal. Without a doubt, no preacher is original. And if we are not learning from others, we should not be teaching. I would advise a man to milk a lot of cows, but churn your own butter. But beware. Pulpit plagiarism makes lazy preachers! And it cheats the congregation, no matter how well it is received. Not to mention, it’s unethical!

May we who preach take heed to Paul’s exhortation to Timothy: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, ESV). If you are a senior pastor, or a associate pastor who has weekly preaching duties, make sure you do your best to prepare yourself to rightly hand the word of truth. Plan your preaching. Delegate. And study. Think yourself empty. Read yourself full. Write yourself clear. And pray yourself hot. Then go to the pulpit and preach as a dying man to dying men, as Thomas Baxter said, as never to preach again.

If you are a leader or a member of a local church, do all you can to encourage your pastor to spend the needed time in the study to get himself ready to preach. Pray for him. Thank God for the shepherd God has given you to feed you with knowledge and understanding. Encourage him as you see his diligence in study is evident in his pulpit work. Make sure your pastor has the tools (translated: "books") he needs to do the heavy lifting of Bible exposition. Do not call on him to kill cockroaches (thanks for the line, Tony Morgan). That is, do not consume him with so many secondary matters that he does not have the time or energy to give to the study of the word of God. Consider him worthy of double honor if he labors in preaching and teaching (1 Tim 5:17). Above all, remember that sermons don’t grow on trees!

Reaching the End of Psalm 119

Tonight, in our Midweek Worship Service at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, I plan to conclude my exposition of the longest passage in the Bible – Psalm 119.

I began preaching through Psalm 119, stanza by stanza (or eight verses at a time), last September. I had not yet moved from Los Angeles. But I was traveling to Jacksonville to preach the Wednesday night services.

It is easier for me to prepare to preach when I am working through one extended passage of scripture. Moreover, I believe sequential exposition is the most faithful way to preach the word of God. And I knew that my transition process from Los Angeles would require that I land somewhere in scripture and be prepared to stay there fro a while. But I was surprised when the Lord placed Psalm 119 on my heart to preach.

I was glad that I would be preaching through a portion of scripture that I had previous preached through before. And I was even more glad to spend more time in Psalm 119 and to work on the manuscripts I had preached about four years ago. I would love to publish these messages one day in written form. But I still concerned about preaching this psalm as my first extended series at my new congregation.

Why, Lord, Psalm 119?

In retrospect, I think the Lord was using this psalm to further prepare me for the work that is ahead of me here. It was one thing to preach this series after serving in a local church for fifteen years. But it struck me differently to preach these messages as the new guy at a new church in a new town. At some point, I could not avoid the fact that it felt like I was preaching these message to myself more than anyone else.

I believe it is significant that we have started our journey as pastor and people at Shiloh celebrating the total sufficiency of God’s word to save the lost, nurture the believer, govern the church, order the worship, comfort the troubled, guide the confused, and even change the culture. I am totally convinced that the health and growth of a church must be measured in terms of its devotion to the word of God. Likewise, the growth and fruitfulness of every believer is inextricably tied to your devotion to the word of God.

My simple prayer for Shiloh is that we would be a biblically regulated church in every way. This means more that we preach and teach sound doctrine from the pulpit. It means that every area of the life is shaped by the word of God. Indeed, we have a long way to go. So does every church! But I we are going in the right direction. And I pray that the time we have spend together in Psalm 119 would be a means through God is pleased to cause us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What Happens to What Happens to You

This Sunday, I continued my exposition of Philippians. I preached from the beginning of the main body, verses 12-14. Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "What Happens to What Happens to You"

Text: Philippians 1:12-14

Sermon Series: Philippians: Partnership in the Gospel

Theme: The overruling providence of God

Point: God is in control of everything that happens in your life.

Transitional Sentence: Look beyond what happens to you and trust that God rules over and works through the circumstances of life.

Outline:

I. God reigns over the circumstances of life (1:12)

A. God's sovereign providence overrules what happens to you (v. 12a)

B. God's eternal purpose overrules what happens to you (v. 12b)

II. God works through the circumstances of life (1:13-14)

A. God can use your circumstances to influence unbelievers (v. 13)

B. God can use your circumstances to influence other believers (v. 14)

Notes from Sunday - Memorial Day Weekend 2009

I was quite sentimental yesterday. I had spent the week preparing to preach on the ironic providence of God. All the while, I could not forget that it was Memorial Day weekend 2008 when I first met the leaders and members of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. Boy does time fly!

I remember meeting with various leadership groups that Saturday. Later that evening, I talked to Crystal about how my day went. She asked, "Well, what do you think?" I replied, "I think I have two sermons to preach in the morning. And then I am coming home to get back to my life and work." Oh well. God had other plans.

I do remember how many of my stereotypes about Shiloh were shattered that weekend. I met many kind and loving people. The leaders I met were serious and prayerful. And the worship services were warm and uplifting. I would lie if I denied that I sense a real connection with the congregation. But I mentally wrote it off as the Lord just blessing me to have a good day of worship and preaching. Oh well. God had other plans.

I am truly grateful that the Lord ignored my plans and accomplished his own plans in my life. I desperately miss my family and friends in Los Angeles. But I will not dishonor God by complaining. God has been too good to me. He has sent me to a loving congregation and craves the word of God, is willing to follow leadership, and strives to accomplish great things for God. Of course, there are challenges here. There were challenges in Los Angeles. And there will be anywhere the Lord sends. So with all that God is doing in my life, family, and ministry, I can't complain. Can a man be more blessed?

Our youth choir and young adult choral (which is only several months old) led the musical praise in our morning worship services. I am grateful for their service and participation. May the Lord bless these two groups to grow, both spiritually and numerically, to make a vital contribution to our desire for God-intoxicated worship at Shiloh.

I walked into our 8 AM service, I saw a familiar face. But I said to myself, "That could not be him." So I stopped and asked, "Brother, do I know you." It was who I thought it was, Dr. Jackson, pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Chicago. I went over to speak and asked what he was doing in town. He said, "Dr. Curry and I..." "Dr. Curry is here?" I interrupted. When he answered in the affirmative, I thought to myself that I would not be preaching that service.

Dr. L.K. Curry is the Pastor-Emeritus of Emmanuel. And he is one of the great preaching voices in the country. At 83 years, he is still going strong. And his life of integrity, service, and preaching is a great witness to the faithfulness of God. I just could not rob myself or my congregation of the opportunity to hear this great man of God.

By the time Dr. Curry made it into the room, the service had already begun. During the fellowship period, I went down, spoke, and told him to get ready to preach. Less that five minutes later, Dr. Curry stood and blessed us with a powerful word from God. What a blessing! After hearing Dr. Curry, who is one of Crystal's favorite preachers, she announced her day was already made! I agreed.

Praise God for all the guests who were present in our worship services yesterday.

I did not teach my New Members Class yesterday. Thanks Deacon Brinkley for filling in for me.

In our 10 AM, I continued my exposition of Philippians. I preached a message on Philippians 1:12-14, entitled, "What Happens to What Happens to You."

I plan to preach Philippians 1:15-18 this coming Sunday: "Facing Friendly Fire."

Thank God for those who were saved and added to the church in our worship services.

The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers last night 99-89 to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Come on, Lebron. What's the deal?

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day.

Praying for God's Best

This past Sunday, I continued my exposition on the book of Philippians with a message on the prayer report of Paul recorded in Philippians 1:9-11.

Here is the sermon skeleton.

TITLE: Praying for God’s Best

TEXT: Philippians 1:9-11

SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

THEME: A prayer for spiritual growth and maturity

POINT: Pray for God’s best. (God accomplishes his best with our partnership through believing prayer.)

TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Philippians 1:9-11 teaches us three ways to pray for God’s best.

OUTLINE:

I.    Pray that love may abound (1:9)

     A.    True love goes beyond the boundaries: "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more"
 
     B.    True love stays within the boundaries: "with knowledge and all discernment"

        1.    Love should be governed by knowledge.

        2.    Love should be governed by discernment.

II.    Pray that excellence may prevail (1:10)

    A.    God wants you to know what is best: "so that you may approve what is excellent"

    B.    God wants you to do what is best: "and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ"

        1.    Live with sincerity

        2.    Live with integrity

III.    Pray that fruit may grow (1:11)

    A.    The priority of the fruitful life: "filled with the fruit of righteousness"

    B.    The power of the fruitful life: "that comes through Jesus Christ"

    C.    The purpose of the fruitful life "to the glory and praise of God"

       1. We are to exalt the majesty of who God is: "glory"

       2. We are to exalt the power of what God has done: "praise"

Notes from Sunday - 05/17/09

At the end of last year, I put on the church calendar for us to celebrate the 134th church anniversary of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church on May 17. With so many things going on recently, I was not able to properly plan for it. I even failed to mention it yesterday. May the Lord help me make up for that next year. No, I am not into traditional church anniversary celebrations. But I am really into celebrating the faithfulness of God. Each week, churches around America shut their doors for the last time. And the fact that the Lord has sustained the ministry and witness of this local church for more than one hundred years is truly something a good reason to pause and rejoice in the Lord. Praise God for his faithfulness to SMBC. May the Lord be pleased to continue to use this great church to advance the kingdom of heaven in the world until Jesus comes again!

Last week, I preached the citywide revival in Buffalo, New York - preaching five sermons and teaching three lessons on preaching in five days. It was a wonderful meeting. I truly didn't expect to be so enriched. The worship and fellowship was just what I needed. And I left town with new friends. I did not, however, get to see Niagara Falls, which was twenty minutes from my room. But I was so glad to get home Saturday evening. And I was even more glad to be behind my prayer desk at Shiloh to preach the word to my beloved congregation. God has smiled on me to assign me to shepherd a flock that so loves the word of God.

Last week, our New Members Class did not meet, because there was a mass session for the women during the Bible Study Fellowship hour. I resumed our New Members Class with a lesson today on "How To Pray Effectively." As always, I had a great time in fellowship around the word with the new members of SMBC.

The musical praise led by our music department and choir was wonderful.

By the way, Mike Rodgers starting singing "O Happy Day" with the choir before the 10 AM service! What would Edwin Hawkins think?

I continued my exposition of the book of Philippians with the message from the prayer of Paul in Philippians 1:9-11. I labeled the message, "Praying for God's Best."

I love preaching on prayer. And I have found the prayers of Paul in the New Testament are great examples of prayer and instruction on how to pray. My message only scratched the surface of all that I had learned from studying this prayer report. If you want to jump start your prayer life, read, meditate on, and study the prayers of Paul.

I was also moved by the fact that Philippians 1:9-11 is the record of a pastor praying for his people. The work of a pastor involves many things. But there is no way a pastor can study the New Testament without being confronted by the centrality of prayer to pastoral ministry. With all the responsibilities that I have as a pastor, may I not compromise the biblical priorities of prayer and the ministry of the word.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our worship services.

My son has started helping the media ministry after church. And he now discusses my sermon with me in terms of how many CD's it did or did not sell after church. I thought America did not torture!

Minutes after Crystal pulled away from the church, I was fast asleep in the car. Tired.

As I took my Sunday afternoon nap, the Los Angeles Lakers slipped into the NBA Western Conference Finals. We shall see if the Denver Nuggets will be able to do what the Houston Rockets could not do.

The Orlando Magic put down the Boston Celtics in the second game 7 of the day. I really didn't have a feeling one way or the other. I just feel sorry for the Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers will make quick work of them.

I wonder if I am the only one who enjoyed the thunderstorm we had in Jacksonville last night?

What Made You Move?

“What made you move?” is the provocative question I was asked this afternoon. “I heard you mention that you recently relocated,” he continued. “What made you do it?”

The inquirer did not know me personally. He has heard me preach and teach over the past several days, I presume. At the least, he had just listened to me lecture for an hour and a half, during which I compared my pulpit work in Los Angeles to my new work in Jacksonville several times. And without knowing anything about my story, he was curious. So he asked. He went on to explain where he was going with the question. And he told me a bit of his own story, which made the question relevant to him. And he confessed that he was just curious.

I was only able to give him a sixty-second answer. About a minute into my response, several brothers approached with questions and comments. And we were unable to finish our conversation. But after we parted ways, the question was still on my mind. What made you move? And a larger question emerged. What practical steps should one take in seeking to discern the will of God in an important decision?

My situation is unique. And you should never follow the advice of someone just because it is they way they did it. But there may be some helpful principles you can glean from my experience and process of decision-making, as I was considered a major relocation of my family and ministry.

Admittedly, I was not conscious of most of the things I will mention as they were occurring. It is only now, some months removed from these events, that I can begin to make heads or tails of some of these things. If you didn’t know, I am a retro-prophet. I have no power to foresee or foretell. But I can predict yesterday with great accuracy.

Here is what I would recommend to someone who desires spiritual direction for an important decision.

Pray. James 1:5 says, “If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (ESV). This is an important and faithful promise that too many believers fail to take advantage of. But I would encourage you to start here as you process important decisions. Do you need wisdom? Ask God for it. Tell the Lord all about the situation. Pray for his guidance, leadership, and direction. Then trust that God will keep his word to give you wisdom with generosity and without chastising you for asking.

Trust the providence of God. I am not one of those persons to whom God reveals what’s coming way down the road. I cannot see what is around the corner. And I don’t have a sense of what is on the other side of the present obstacles. The Lord usually deals with me by simply directing me to the next step I should take. And when I have taken that step, he reveals the next step. And it is only over time that I am able to look back and see where I have come from or look ahead and get a sense of where the path will end. This is how it was for me as I was considering the possibility of relocation. If you would have asked me flat out if I was going anywhere, I would have told you no. But I was pretty clear about the next steps I should take. And at some point, I could tell that things were going in a certain direction.

Likewise, there is a sense in which I was putting God to the test. I do not recommend this. And there have been only rare occasions in my life when I have prayed like this, typically when I did just did not know what to do. I would say to God, “Lord, if you are in this, do this or don’t do that.” And each time, God did it. And it is as if he would say afterward, “Okay. Now what?” And I would find another condition. And every time I came out of the huddle, I would look up and God had moved the ball down the field. Let me be clear. I do not recommend that you deal with God this way. But this is what happened in my situation. I was Peter in a storm, asking the Lord, “If it is you, bid me to come to you on the water.” And he did.

Know your Priorities. I had a lot of voices with many different opinions, as I was considering if and/or how to proceed with the possibility of a call being extending by the Shiloh Church. I would have been absolutely dazed and confused, without a personal anchoring point. And you should be careful of armchair quarterbacks, who know how the game should be played, because they are fantasy football champions. It’s a whole different matter when you are actually on the field and the defensive linemen are charging after you. You need to have a game plan that reflects who and what and where you are.

For me, there were several key priorities for me to factor in as I processed things. But there was one most important personal priority, after the ultimate goal of doing what is pleasing to the Lord. Crystal Reanne Charles. More than any human being, my wife Crystal knows me. We have spent a decade together as husband and wife. And we share three children together. Crystal knows my strengths and my weaknesses. She has great respect for me but is not impressed with by me as the same time. She is honest with me and forces me to be honest with her.

God has entrusted Crystal and my children to my spiritual oversight. My family is my congregation, if I do not pastor anywhere else. So Crystal’s view of things was paramount. If she was not on board, that was the decision. But as we would talk about it, she kept saying, “For some reason, I think you should remain open to this.” After Shiloh voted, I was still not sure what to do. I bought a ticket to go meet with the leaders, looking for an excuse… I mean reason to tell them I was staying in Los Angeles. But I was still not sure. I reached my decision as I was flying to Jacksonville. Crystal’s affirmation was an important element in my being able to reach that decision. We really didn’t say anything to each other on the way to the airport. But as I was getting out of the car at LAX, she kissed me and prayed and told me, “Whatever decision you make, you have my full support.” I cannot tell you how that simple statement cleared away some many clouds that were hanging over my decision.

Get godly counsel. Along with Crystal’s vital input, I was blessed to have a multitude of godly counselors (Prov. 11:14; 15:22). My pastor’s advice was invaluable. (By the way, if you do not have a pastor who’s counsel you respect, I pity you.) I also have several mentors and colleagues whose advice I trust. I talked to family members and friends. I even sought the advise of several people in my life who are not into the things of God, but who care about me. However, I did try to avoid talking to people who would respond to the situation emotionally. For instance, anyone who I felt was going to talk to me about what my dad would think was someone I avoided. That kind of emotional pressure would not have been helpful to me.

Interestingly, most of the people I talked to did not try to tell me what to. They listened. They gave their opinions. And they talked to me about the situation in light of what they know about me. Most encouraging were those who told me they were confident that the Lord would continue to bless my ministry if I decided to stay in Los Angeles or move to Jacksonville. But even those who had a specific opinion of what I should do, one way or the other, thought enough of me to state their viewpoint carefully, rather than acting like they had the final word of what the Lord wanted me to do. What a blessing!

Consider what fits you. I would have never considered the pastoral opening at Shiloh had it not been for several respected friends who told me that they thought it would be a good fit for me. I remember responding to the first three people who told me this by laughing. Long and hard. In fact, I responded to the first person that said this to me by saying (after I stopped laughing), “You would be a better fit than I would!” But after hearing this from so many different people, Crystal and I concluded that it was something we should at least consider and pray about. At this point, I cannot tell you how many people have said to me that they think me and Shiloh are a good fit as pastor and people. When I hear this, I inwardly smile, considering how God has a way of showing others things about you that you cannot see for yourself. This is why you should not make major decisions in a vacuum. You need people who know you well to serve as rear view mirrors for you to help you see the things that your blind spots prevent you from seeing about yourself and your situation.

Follow the sense of divine calling. I had no reason to leave Los Angeles and every reason to stay. Crystal and I had just had our third baby. And MSMBC had just purchased new facilities, something we had been praying for and working toward for several years. As we moved, I was convinced that the Lord was putting my roots deeper in the ground at MSMBC. Looking back, I think it may have been the direct opposite. I think the decision to move would not have been something I would have been able to consider if the church was still at 1800. Too much attachment. But the Lord forced me to deal with that before Shiloh was ever in the picture. I think I was divinely set-up. But only God knows.

Anyway, after we moved, I prayed a prayer that I regularly prayed over my almost eighteen years at MSMBC. I would offer God my resignation, as it were, and give God his church back. It would go something like this: “Lord, I am your servant. You are in charge of my assignment. And this is your church, not mine. Do whatever you want to do with me and this church. But do not let me forget that I am yours and this church is yours.” I am not sure. But I think this effort to be open to God helped me to be ready to discern the call of God when it was time to move.

I remember the day I met with the pulpit committee at Shiloh. I said to the deacon who was escorting me that I thought this was a complete waste of time. He stopped in the hallway and pleaded with me not to play the Jonah. Defiantly, I replied that I could not be Jonah, because the Lord had not told me to go anywhere! But less than three months later, when I was convinced that I was to go to Shiloh, I refused to play the Jonah. Honestly, I felt the Lord was sending me on a suicide mission. I did not want to go. And I could not understand why the Lord was doing this to me. But none of that mattered. I finally knew that it was the will of God that I move. And God already had my “Yes.”

A pre-commitment to say, “Yes.” Throughout this entire process, I had to deal with confusion and uncertainty and doubt. But as I prayed my way through, I regularly began my prayers with a statement of commitment. I would pray, “Lord, before I say or ask anything about this situation, I want you to know that you already have my yes.” Then I would pray about whatever was on my heart and mind. I had my concerns. But I was not trying to negotiate with God. More than anything, I did not was to miss God. I could not afford to miss God. Who cares if I looked foolish to people in any of this? I just wanted to make sure I did what was pleasing to God. God does not reveal his will for entertainment purposes. God reveals his will to those who had a precommitment to obey. So I wanted the Lord to know that whatever way he led me, my answer was yes. And I am so glad I said yes.

What’s your answer?

Speaking @ the Buffalo Citywide Revival

I am in Buffalo, New York. I am preaching the citywide revival hosted by the local Baptist Minister's Conference. President Daniels extended the invitation to me, after hearing me preach the Faith Seminary graduation at the WHW Expository Preaching Conference in Los Angeles some years ago. Isn't amazing how God works through us even when we have no idea what he is doing and who he is touching?

The first three days have been great meetings. One of the local pastors, Pastor Blackburn, has been lecturing each night on saving our youth. There has also been a citywide mass choir that has lifted us up in worship each night. And it has been a pure joy for me to minister the word to this assembled congregation each night.

The men also asked me to teach on preaching Tuesday through Thursday in the afternoon. And the past two days have been great. I didn't expect the men to come out to here this upstart teach them anything about preaching. But when I came into the room, several pastors, who have been preaching longer than I have been alive, were already sitting there with pens and pads waiting to study. The past two days, I have endeavored to share with them my process from text to sermon. And our discussions about preaching and pastoral work have been very stimulating. I can talk about preaching all day long! I love it.

I have one more session with the brothers this afternoon.

I am always encouraged when pastors work together for the spiritual benefit of the cause of Christ and reaching their communities. And I am glad to see the attendance of the pastors, and their cooperation with one another, and their desire to see their memberships edified by the word of God.

I am truly having a good time with week in worship and fellowship. But I am homesick. I really missed being in my own midweek worship service last night. But I praise God that the Lord blessed the service in my absence. Likewise, a five-night meeting is... five nights. I think I preached so hard last night out of instinct, as it would have been my last night in town in the typical revivals that I preach. But I am confident that the Lord will give me strength.

Please remember the last days of this meeting, that God would be glorified, the saints will be built up in their faith, and lost people will be won to Jesus Christ by the grace and power of God.

The Perseverance of the Saints

I preached on the perseverance of the saints (eternal security) this past Sunday from Philippians 1:6. Here is the sermon skeleton.

SERMON: “The Perseverance of the Saints”

TEXT: Philippians 1:6

SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

THEME: The perseverance of the saints

POINT: The perseverance of the saints is enabled by the preservation of the saints by God.

TRANSITION SENTENCE: Philippians 1:6 highlights two sovereign acts of God that guarantee the perseverance of the saints.

OUTLINE:

I.    God has begun a good work in you.

     A.    It is a work of God.
 
     B.    It is a good work.

     C.    It is only the beginning.

II.    God will finish what he has started in you.

     A.    We have divine assurance in Christ.
 
     B.    We have eternal security in Christ.

     C.    We have great confidence in Christ.

Notes from Sunday - Mothers Day 2009

Sunday was my family's first Mother's Day in Jacksonville and at Shiloh. And we were blessed to have a good day together as a family.

I am sure Crystal had a good day. She bossed us around all day and totally had her way. Happy Mother's Day, Sunshine!

I know all these mentions of "firsts" may seem redundant. But I can't help it. I am still easily shocked that I live in a new city and pastor a different church, even though I have been here for months. A year ago, I was just settling into our new facilities at MSMBC in Los Angeles. And I have never met anyone from Shiloh. Much has changed in a year. I praise God for God knows what is best and he is in charge of my assignment. And I am glad to be where God wants me to be.

Our Men's Chorus led the musical praise in both of our morning services. it was great to have the brothers leading the congregation in praise to our God.

The women had a mass Bible Study yesterday during our Bible Study Fellowship hour. My New Members Class was consequently canceled. Boy did I miss teaching that class. I look forward to resuming my time with the new members this Sunday, God willing.

Our Children's Choir sung in the 10 AM service. They did an excellent job, as usual, and made the day of worship even more special.

I preached from Philippians 1:6 on the Perseverance of the Saints. It is a doctrine that brings me great comfort. I pray that the Lord would cause the church to find this doctrine to be a source of comfort, not controversy.

I was a little nervous about not preaching a Mother's Day sermon, even though I was confident that I was preaching what the Lord had given me to preach. But once I started preaching, those concerns quickly evaporated. And I was able to get on with the business of the day.

Security came and napped up Hailey during my sermon at 10 AM. About time. LOL!

I am looking forward to preaching on Paul's prayer for the church in Philippians 1:9-11 this coming Sunday.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church yesterday.

The McKissicks were kind enough to invite us to dinner Sunday afternoon. Their generosity and concern for us has been a great blessing for which we are grateful.

News Flash: The Los Angeles Lakers were stomped down by the Houston Rockets. Stomped down, I say. Wonderful.

Supersizing the Church

The hard truth: God cares more about the holiness of a congregation than He does the size of the congregation. Using numerical benchmarks to somehow size up the blessing God pours out on a congregation or to evaluate members' ability to stay faithful to the guidelines of Scripture lacks spiritual maturity and reveals our reliance on human understanding in our vain attempts to build the kingdom of God through our own methods. -Thomas White & John M. Yeats, Franchising McChurch, p. 63

Why has the church bought into the lie that only big churches can win in the battle against our culture? What victory is it if we accomplish an incredible feat with massive budgets, slick advertising, targeted marketing, and the newest programming? Do we miss out on the greatest experience of God working through the "least of these" to impact all of eternity when we spend our effort more on marketing tactics than prayer? In fact, some of the great movements of God in history have come from small churches that decided to get right with God. As He moved in their midst, their small clay pots, torches, and trumpets become the sharp swords God used to bring salvation to hundreds if not thousands. - White & Yeats, McChurch, p. 68

The church is not a business; its pastors and leaders are not CEOs. The gospel is not a commodity that can be bought and sold, no matter how you want to package, market, or sell it. The church is not designed to be a purveyor of good feelings or emotional experiences like some kind of amusement park or vending machine. We can stall all of this, but the reality is that many churches evaluate themselves by asking the same type of questions mentioned above. Do the people have buy in? Are our ministries cutting edge? Do we utilize the best technology? Are we growing numerically? At the end of time, your congregation will stand before God. He will evaluate your ministries according to the hallmarks of success He put into place for the church, not human inventions. In fact, God's investment strategy is often exactly opposite to the measurements of the world. -White & Yeats, McChurch, p. 70