Notes from Sunday - 10/11/09

Today was a warm, beautiful day in Jacksonville. And the Lord blessed us with a wonderful day of worship at Shiloh.

I am grateful for all the guests who were in worship with us today.

In new members class, I taught on "What Shiloh Expects From You." I plan to list the seven points of the lesson in a post later this week.

Our choir sang up a storm today. It was rich. And the pre-message solo really set the tone for the preaching of the word.

Our elementary choir also led us in music today. As always, I praise God for the participation of our children in worship.

This month, I am preaching on financial stewardship and Christian generosity. I preached today a message on 1 Chronicles 29:10-19. I called the message: "A Godly Attitude Toward Material Possessions."

I paced myself much better a 8 than I did at 10. I was excited about the material in both services. But my heart was really full at 10 AM and I preached much harder than I intended to. What a mighty God we serve!

Next Sunday's Sermon: "Worship Through Giving" (Malachi 3:6-12).

Praise God for the new members who were added to our church family today.

This weekend, we funeralized Deacon William Hamp. He was 98 years old and had been a member of Shiloh for more than 60 years. He has served the Lord at Shiloh in countless ways. And he will be missed by many. Please pray for his widow, family, and for the entire Shiloh Church family.

The Cowboys pulled out a 26-20 overtime victory today over the Chiefs.

The Seahawks beat the Jaguars like they stole something!

Praying Through The Lord's Prayer

We have a new monthly prayer meeting at Shiloh that I am calling the "Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting."

During this prayer meeting, it is my goal that we would focus on prayer for kingdom, spiritual, eternal matters, not just personal matters. Of course, there is nothing wrong with praying about personal matters. You ought to pray about everything. But we often error by praying mainly for matters of health and finances and the like, without concentrating on the things of God in our prayers.

I am guilty of this myself. And I need this prayer meeting just as much as the congregation does that I may learn to pray more intentionally and strategically for the spread of the gospel, the health of the church, and the advance of the kingdom of heaven.

During this month's prayer meeting, we prayed through the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. I was moved to do this after reading Martin Luther's A Simple Way to Pray, translated and edited by Dr. Archie Parrish. It was Luther's practice to regularly pray through the Ten Commandments, The Lord's Prayer, and the Apostle's Creed. He did not just recite them. He would pray through them, seeking God that the implications of these truths to be fleshed out.

I prepared a guide for our last prayer meeting to help us pray through the Lord's Prayer. Here it is. May you find it helpful in your times of prayer.

Our Father in Heaven: We praise God for adopting us into his family through Jesus' blood and righteousness and for giving us access to him through Christ.

Hallowed be Your Name: We pray that God's holy name would be glorified by our worship, our commitment to the truth, and our obedience to him.

Your Kingdom Come: We pray for the salvation of the lost in Jacksonville and around the world and for the church to influence the culture for Christ as "salt" and "light."

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: We pray for submission to the authority of God's word, for understanding of the truth, and for divine help to observe all that the Lord commands us to do.

Give us this day our daily bread: We pray for provision for our needs, for wisdom for our governmental leaders, and for greater concern and generosity toward the poor.

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors: We pray that the Lord would grant us to respond to our guilt with repentance and to respond to the offenses of others with mercy.

And lead us not into temptation: Grant us spiritual wisdom, diligence in prayer, and devotion to Christ that we may avoid sin and error.

But deliver us from evil: Pray for God's protection for our families, for Shiloh, and for our city, for greater confidence in the faithfulness of God, and for the hope of heaven to fill our hearts.

Two Special Days with the Master's College and Seminary Family

This past Monday and Tuesday, I had the rare and special opportunity to speak in the chapel services at The Master's College and the Master's Seminary in Southern California.

I was invited to speak at the Master's College last year. But my move to Jacksonville forced me to cancel the engagement. And I concluded that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I would never have again. But I was graciously extended another invitation to come. And I was extremely grateful.

Monday, I spoke in the chapel service at the college. It was the beginning of their Outreach Week. It was a moving time of worship. And I was grateful to have such an attentive group of young people to minister to.

Later that afternoon, I taught a freshman class that was opened to the student body. We discussed biblical evangelism and practical strategies for sharing your faith. After a brief devotional like talk, we spent most of our time in questions and answers. I really enjoyed the passion of the young people to reach lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Later Monday evening, I had the opportunity to speak at the chapel service of the Los Angeles Bible Training School. It was the fourth or fifth time I have spoke at the training school. So we are pretty familiar with one another. Likewise, there were some Mt. Sinai members present, who attend the school. Pastor George Hurtt teaches there. He is presently teaching Philippians. It was a great time of worship.

Tuesday morning, I spoke at the Master's Seminary. I was privileged to attend the seminary for a period. And the ministry of John MacArthur and the wisdom of the faculty has have a tremendous impact on my life and ministry. It was an unspeakable honor to have the opportunity to minister to the young men who are preparing themselves for pastoral ministry.

I pray that God will be pleased to use the messages to be a spiritual benefit to those who heard them in the days and years to come.

Tuesday afternoon, I sat in on a class at the WHW Expository Preaching Conference. Tuesday evening, George and I attended the annual banquet. And I had the opportunity to hear Dr. A. Louis Patterson Jr, pastor of the Mt. Corinth Church in Houston. Dr. Patterson is one of my heroes. And it is always a joy to hear him minister the word.

Tuesday night, I caught a red-eye home. And Wednesday evening, I was back in my own pulpit. There's no place like home! The Lord blessed our time together, as we continued our study of the Great Commission. I preached on "A Conspiracy of Kindness" from Matthew 5:7.

Thank you for your prayers during this busy week of preaching and teaching.

HBC3 Is In Double Digits

Yesterday was my son's - H.B. Charles III - tenth birthday. Or, as he put it, he is now in "double digits." I remember the day of his birth as if it was yesterday. I was on an overnight trip to Atlanta when he was born - almost two months premature.

He had a slow start. But God has been faithful. And I am grateful that he is healthy and strong today. I am praise the Lord for how I have watched his personality develop over the past year, since we have been in Florida.

When I was considering the possibility of relocating from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, I was very concerned about how a move would affect my wife and children. By the Lord's grace, my family has adjusted to our new home well. In fact, they have all adjusted faster and better than I have.

But especially H.B.

Several weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles. And as told family and friends about how H.B. was doing, they wondered if I was talking about they same little boy that they knew.

H.B. was in a shell, always nervous about being around people - even people he has known all of his life. But since he has been in Jacksonville, by God's gracious providence, his personality has opened and developed. It is a wonderful thing to see.

Now in the fourth grade, H.B also seems to like school more than he did in the past. It was always a struggle to get him to pay attention in class. And that would be a major discipline issue for him. But those reports of restlessness in class as far more infrequent. And he is learning to enjoy reading. That's by boy!!!

"3," as Crystal and I occasionally call him, is a part of the media ministry at Shiloh. I am not exactly sure what he does back there. But he takes it very serious. And, ironically, he is much more attentive about worship and the word now that he has been helping the media team. Praise God!

Last weekend, H.B. had his first little league baseball game. Crystal and the girls were at the women's conference, so it was just me and him. He was really excited that it was just the boys.

He played left field. His first at bat, he struck out. In the next inning, he pinch ran and scored a run. In his second at bat, he hit a ground ball to the short stop but almost made it to first safely. In the final inning, H.B. hit a ball to center field, with two outs. He later stole home and tied the game for his team. Afterward, he was awarded the "game ball." I don't know who was more excited - him or me. He is also playing flag football. And In his first game, he scored his team's only touchdown. (Can you tell that I have become one of the dad's overnight?)

I thank God for my son. I praise the Lord for his ongoing growth and development. And I continue to pray that he would grow as Jesus grew - in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

Happy Birthday Son!!! Daddy loves you.

Notes from Sunday - 10/04/09

I love first Sundays. The celebration of the Lord's Supper is a special time in the life of our congregation. Today was no different.

I am grateful for our deacons and deaconess who serve quietly and diligently to make the Lord's Supper (and baptism) a meaningful time of worship and fellowship.

I was out of town last Sunday. So I think I was additionally excited about being in worship today with my own church family.

In my new members class, I taught on "What You Can Expect from Shiloh," sharing some of our fundamental doctrinal convictions and spiritual priorities. The time seemed to fly by this morning.

The choir really blessed us in both services today. I was greatly encouraged by the song, "Jesus Is A Rock In A Weary Land."<

I plan to preach on Financial stewardship and Christian generosity on Sunday mornings during the month of October. I began yesterday with a message from 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, entitled, "A Church Worth Talking About."

Point: A generous congregation is a church worth talking about.

In verse 4 of my text, Paul makes the point that our giving is not just a private matter. It is an issue of fellowship. I was very eager to make that point in my message. However, I left it out of both presentations of the message.

During my sermon in the second sermon, I said something that amused me to no end. Or maybe it was the way I said it. Either way, it took everything within me to hold it together. It happens.

It is said that someone sent Charles Spurgeon a letter complaining that he could not be a spiritual man because of he used humor in the pulpit. He replied by saying that the person would be more impressed with how spiritual he was if they knew how many humorous things he refrained from saying.

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

Please remember Andrae Robinson in your prayers.

I spent this evening flying to Los Angeles. In the morning, I am scheduled to speak at The Master's College in Santa Clarita (President John MacArthur). I am also to do an afternoon session. Tomorrow evening, I am to speak at the Los Angeles Bible Training School (President Paul Felix). Tuesday morning, I am scheduled to speak at The Master's Seminary (President John MacArthur). Please remember these meetings in your prayers.

You Are What You Eat

I resumed my study of the Sermon on the Mount tonight in our midweek worship service. I am still in the beatitudes. My text was Matthew 5:6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (ESV). I entitled the message, "How Is Your Appetite?"

I addressed three aspects of this beatitude tonight:

1. The Menu for True Satisfaction: "righteousness"  


2. The Appetite for True Satisfaction: "hunger and thirst"


3. The Blessing of True Satisfaction: "they shall be satisfied"

There was a section of the first point that I failed to cover. But I thought it was important. I wanted to explain the different ways scripture speak of righteousness and what I believe Jesus is referring to in this beatitude. Here is the section of the manuscript:

            Scripture speaks of righteousness several different ways. First of all, there is positional or forensic righteousness, which is the sovereign act by which God declares sinners righteous through faith in Jesus’ blood and righteousness. This is not what Jesus is talking about in our text. Unsaved or unconverted people do not desire to be justified unless or until God changes their heart and leads them to saving faith in Christ. And those who have declared righteous need not hunger and thirst for it. Likewise, there is what you call social righteousness, which involves caring for widows and orphans, providing for those in need, and seeking justice for those who have been wronged. As important as social righteousness is, this is not what Jesus is talking about in our text. He is not saying that all who desire to see the world become a better place are blessed and will have their desires fulfilled. What Jesus is speaking of here is what is called personal or progressive righteousness. That is, those who have been justified by God through faith in Christ demonstrate their righteous standing by a sincere and strong desire to have their daily life be conformed to the righteous position. This is what Jesus blesses in this beatitude. He affirms the citizen of the kingdom of heaven who desires his or her life on earth to be marked by continual and increasing conformity to the will of God.

I was moved today as I thought about a line from Ray Pritchard's book, He's God and We're Not. Commenting on this beatitude, Pritchard writes: "Whatever righteous thing you desire in the spiritual realm, you can have if you want it badly enough." Wow! If this statement is true, that means we should live without excuses. We can blame nothing or no one else for our spiritual condition. If this beatitude is true, we can be as close to God as we want to be.

I was glad to be home and in my own pulpit tonight. I was encouraged those who told me that they missed me. It is good to be missed.

Next Wednesday's Message: "A Conspiracy of Kindness" (Matthew 5:7).

Notes from Sunday - 09/27/09

I was in Chicago yesterday to preach the 5th pastoral anniversary services for Pastor Romell Williams and the Lilydale Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.

Romell and I have been friends for some time. I preached for his installation services six years ago. And have preached every year since then, last year being the exception. The day of his anniversary last year was my first Sunday as pastor of Shiloh. He graciously understood. Not every did when my schedule abruptly changed. It was a honor to be invited to be a part of this celebration again.

It was good to be with Romell and Lilydale again. He is a faithful preacher and the good shepherd. I am proud of him and rejoice for all that the Lord is doing in his life and ministry.

I was scheduled to preach for Dr. Steven Thurston’s live broadcast last night at New Covenant Baptist Church. But I was not able to do it. I lost my voice last Wednesday. And I have not regained it yet. It turned into a sore throat over the weekend. And after struggling through two sermons yesterday morning, my body really had all it could take. I appreciate Dr. Thurston’s understanding.

I read of a young Puritan who wore himself out. Literally. On his deathbed, his last words were, “The Lord has given me a message and a horse. I have killed the horse. My God, what shall happen to the message?” I am determined to take better care of my “horse” for the sake of the message the Lord has given me to declare.

I missed being in worship at Shiloh yesterday. But I understand that the Lord blessed the day of worship. Praise God.

Yesterday was only the second time this year that I have not preached at Shiloh on the Lord’s Day. And it continues an unbroken streak of Sunday preaching all year. I do not think that either of these realities is a good thing. The bow that is always drawn soon breaks. I hope to do a better job in 2010 in taking natural and needed break for the sake of prayer, study, and… (Wait for it.) rest.

The fourth Sunday of September last year was my first Sunday as pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church. I remember three things about it right of the bat. Natalie was really sick that morning. And Crystal had to take her to the hospital, while I went to preach. Likewise, I preached the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). It was my subtle – or not so subtle – way of declaring right up front what I believe the mission of the church is all about. Thirdly, the congregation received me so warming. They really made me feel that they were glad to have me as their pastor. I am grateful that has not changed.

It is hard to believe that a year has past already. Time flies when you're having fun!

I thank the Lord for sending me to the loving congregation of the Shiloh Church. I am more than blessed to serve a congregation who loves the word of God and has a heart to see lost people saved through faith in Christ.

I pray that the Lord is using my leaders, teaching, and service for the spiritual good of the saints at Shiloh. I think it is still way to early to tell. May the Lord help me to persevere in guarding my lifestyle and doctrine to ensure my salvation and the salvation of those who hear me (1 Tim. 4:16).

The Burdens within the Blessings

As I wrapped up a phone conversation with a friend yesterday, we exchanged prayer requests. I was hesitant to share my prayer requests, even though this brother is a longtime and trusted prayer partner. I was hesitant, because I did not know how to express what my sense of need is. I have been struggling with that a lot lately.

I concluded that if I could not share where I am with this brother, I wouldn't be able to do it with anyone. So I took a shot at it. And, once again, I rambled.

When someone asks me how am I adjusting to living in Jacksonville and serving the Shiloh Church, I respond affirmatively. I share the things that I find different and what I find to be the same. Moreover, I talk about what I like about where I am. I have to be careful at this point. I do not want to brag or sound obnoxious. But I don't want to hide the fact that the Lord has been good to me, either. My wife and children have adjusted to living in Jacksonville and I can tell it is home for them. And I serve a loving people at Shiloh who have warmly received my family and ministry. I truly have nothing to complain about.

But...

There are some things I could complain about.

As I was talking with my friend, I wanted to find a way to share my concerns without complaining. I also wanted to express my concerns carefully, without contradicting the things that I am grateful for.

With fits and starts, I shared some of these things to give my friend a sense of what to pray for me. And as I tried to find a way to summarize what I was saying, I asked him to pray that the Lord would help me to deal with the burdens within the blessings.

The burdens within the blessings.

That statement stuck with me after we prayed and hung up the phone. There are always and inevitably burdens within the blessings of life. We cannot receive a blessing that does not come with some burden. Yet we must not reject or minimize the blessings of God because they come with burdens - no assembly required. You must received both the blessings and the burdens.

Some burdens come because because you receive the blessing. That is, there are trials you face because of the place where you find yourself. You would not have the trials if you were not at that place. For instance, the married person has some trials the single person does not. But it would be foolish to throw your marriage away because of these trials. Beware, singleness as its own unique trials.

Other burdens come along with the blessing. They are the responsibilities that are a part of the stewardship of the blessing. When God blessings us it is never merely about us. God blesses us to make us a blessings to others. And we must be faithful stewards of the blessing so that we do not rob others of their blessing through you.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the master blesses the five- and two-talent guys because of their faithfulness. Ironically, the blessing was more responsibility! "You have been faithful over a few things... I will make you a ruler over many things." That's the way it goes.

What should be our response to this reality?

Read 2 Corinthians 12. Paul received the blessing of a heavenly vision. To keep him from pride, the blessing resulted in the burden Paul calls a thorn in the flesh. He repeatedly asked the Lord to the painful situation. But the Lord refused. However, the Lord did give Paul several consolation blessings. "My grace is sufficient for you," the Lord said. "My strength is make perfect in your weakness." (2 Co. 12:9).

A Good Meeting at a Familiar Place

The past three nights, I have had a great privilege of preaching for Pastor George Hurtt and the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church.

As I said to the congregation, of the many undeserved honors that have been graciously bestowed upon me, I do not know if there are any that are comparable or as special to me as the invitation to minister again to the church in which I grew up, met Christ, began my ministry, and served as pastor for many years.

George Hurtt is my friend and brother, not just my successor. And I praise God for all that the Lord is doing in and through his life and ministry. I am very proud of him. I rejoice in all that the Lord is blessing MSMBC to accomplish under his leadership. And I pray that their dreams would be greater than their memories.

Over the past three nights, I have preached messages from the Sunday series I am preaching to my own congregation. I think the messages were we received. May the Lord give the increase.

I preached pretty hard each night. By the time I made it to the pulpit Wednesday night, I have lost my voice. But the Lord gave me strength to get complete my assignment.

Beyond the worship services and preaching moments, it was a joy to see family and friends and to have an opportunity to meet new people the Lord has added to the church, as well as renew fellowship with those I have walked with down through the years.

It was such an encouragement to see so many pastors and preachers from around the city who shared in the worship services over the three nights.

Please continue to remember George Hurtt and the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in your prayers.

Speaking @ Mt. Sinai in Los Angeles

I am on my way to Los Angeles to speak for three night at the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, where George Hurtt is the pastor.

Yesterday, the Mt. Sinai congregation celebrated its 67th church anniversary. My brother, Kevin Willis, who pastors the New Life in Christ Church in Mississippi, was their guest speaker. The celebration continues tonight with three nights of worship and the ministry of the word.

I am honored to have been excited by Pastor Hurtt to be the guest speaker for this meeting. Pastor Hurtt is one of my best friends. And Mt. Sinai is the church in which I met the Lord Jesus Christ and was called to preach the gospel. I also served as MSMBC's senior pastor from 1990 to 2009. So this entire congregation is family to me. And it is a privilege to be invited home again for this special time of worship and fellowship.

Please remember this meeting in your prayers. And pray that the Lord would use me to exalt Christ through the faithful exposition of the word of God.

Notes from Sunday - 09/20/09

My Saturday morning bled into my Sunday morning. Not a good thing.

It was a rainy morning here in Jacksonville. But I glad that many saints of SMBC pressed their way to worship anyway.

The musical praise in worship today was very uplifting. I am grateful for all who serve the Lord in our music department and worship team.

As I taught my new members class this morning, my mind and heart were on the importance of speaking the truth in love among brothers and sisters in Christ in the body-life of the local church.

Praise God for the one who was baptized today.

I preached from Philippians 3:10-11. A called the message, “A Consuming Passion to Know Christ.”

This is the second week in a row my entire sermon outline has changed between Friday and Saturday. I don’t know what the deal with that is. But I am glad that I pressed on again to find a way to say it that I was most comfortable with. For the records, sermons are always unfinished products.

I lost my voice ten minutes into my 8 AM sermon. That has not happened in months. I did what I always do in such situations. I kept preaching.

Praise the Lord for those who were added to our membership today.

This Sunday, a year ago, was my last Sunday as pastor of Mt. Sinai Church in Los Angeles. I grew up in Mt. Sinai. And I have the privilege of serving as their pastor for almost eighteen years. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.” (Phil. 1:3, ESV)

Happy 67th birthday Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church!

Go cowboys!!!

Unafraid to Preach

The modern obsession with "user-friendly" ministry has stoked the fear of preaching into a pervasive phobia. Seminaries these days train men to be storytellers, entertainers, and motivational speakers - and discourage them from dealing with profound of difficult theological concepts from the pulpit.

Suddenly "too much Scripture" is deemed a greater homiletical faux pas than a whole sermon with no reference to Scripture whatsoever! Seriously, in some circles it is perfectly acceptable to give a motivational lecture of comedy routine practically devoid of any biblical content, but a verse-by-verse exposition of Scripture would automatically be deemed too weighty and (this is the unpardonable sin) insufficiently "relevant."

Meanwhile, real preachers, men willing to stand in the pulpit, open the Word of God, and proclaim it with authority and conviction, are in seriously short supply. It seems the whole church is seized with a fear of preaching.

- John F. MacArthur Jr. (in Whatever Happened to the Reformation, edited by Gary L.W. Johnson & R. Folwer White, p. 270.

Ray Pritchard Speaking at Shiloh Tonight

Dr. Ray Pritchard the President and featured speaker of Keep Believing Ministries is our guest speaker tonight at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Dr. Pritchard, the former pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park (Illinois), is a prolific author, a busy conference speaker, and a well-known blogger. I have benefited greatly from his his teaching, writings, and friendship.

It is a great honor to have Dr. Pritchard here to share with our church family. At 6 PM, he will speak to our married couples on, "Love Is Blind, But Marriage is an Eye-Opener." He will also bring the message during our midweek worship service at 7 PM.

If you live in the Jacksonville area - and do not have a local church or a previous commitment to your own local church - we welcome you to join us for worship tonight at Shiloh.

If you are unable to join us in person, you can also catch the service through our live internet feed by going to ww.shilohjax.com.

Please remember our service in your prayers tonight.

Lay Your Religion Down!

Last Sunday, I continued my study of the book of Philippians. I covered the first portion of Paul's testimony, in which he discusses his conversion from Judaism to Christianity.

What a text!

Here is the skeleton from Sunday's sermon.

TITLE: “Lay Your Religion Down”

TEXT: Philippians 3:4-9

SERMON SERIES: PHILIPPIANS: PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL

THEME: The dynamics of Christian conversion

POINT: Lay your religion down!

OUTLINE:

I. Paul’s past confidence in his flesh (3:4-6)

A. Paul boasting about his confidence in the flesh (v. 4)

A. A confession (v. 4a)

B. A challenge (v. 4b)

B. Paul basis for confidence in the flesh (vv. 5-6)

1. Paul’s confidence was in who he was (v. 5)

2. Paul’s confidence was in what he had done (vv. 5-6)

II. Paul’s powerful conversion to faith in Christ (4:7-9)

A. What Paul gained (vv. 7-8)

1. The extent of Paul’s loss (vv. 7-8)

2. Paul’s estimation of his loss (vv. 7-8)

• Paul made a definite decision (v. 7)

• Paul made a daily decision (v. 8)

B. What Paul gained (vv. 8-9)

1. Paul gained the knowledge of Christ (v. 8)

2. Paul gained the righteousness of Christ (v. 9)

Notes from Sunday - 09/13/09

Thank God for another Lord's Day at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Saturday morning, I spoke at our monthly men's prayer breakfast for the first time. I taught on "What Every Man Needs to Know about Temptation" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). I enjoyed the time with the brothers of SMBC. And I look forward to next month's breakfast.

In my new members class, I taught on "Why the Church?" I was not able to finish the lesson. As I discussed the three marks of a true church, I got caught up in the discussion of the faithful proclamation of sound doctrine. The new members their new pastor "rant" for the first time. But I pray they were challenged to be committed to truth and to be on guard against error - even as they listen to their new pastor!

Our children's choir led us in song during the 10 AM service. I praise God for the participation of our children in our corporate worship.

I preached on Philippians 3:4-9. I entitled the message, "Lay Your Religion Down!"

I was tempted to call the sermon: "The Testimony of an Ex-Religious Fanatic."

I did not get to quote a new verse that I memorized this week for this sermon. But I thought it summed up the problem with trying to approach God on the basis of religious merit succinctly: "There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed from their filth." - Proverbs 30:12

Between Friday and Saturday, my sermon outline changed completely. It forced me to work longer and harder on Sunday's message. But I am glad I hung in there to write out my flow of thought more clearly.

I have a lot of growing to do. Please pray for my ongoing spiritual growth and ministerial development.

Next week's text: Philippians 3:10-11.

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

Cowboys 31 - Buccaneers 21. Let the church say, "Super Bowl!"

The Jacksonville Jaguars are now 0-1.

Power Under Control

I continued my new study of the Sermon on the Mount. I am presently through the Beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12. What a challenge it is to wrestle with the demands of Jesus. My soul is being stretched and my mind is being renewed. I pray the congregation of SMBC is being blessed by the study so far.

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

Title: "Strength Through Meekness"

Text: Matthew 5:5

Series: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

Theme: The blessedness of meekness

Point: God blesses the person who lives with confidence that God is in control.

Outline:

I. What is meekness?

- Meekness is not weakness.

- Meekness is power under control.

- Meekness is self-control rooted in confidence that God is in control.

II. What is the blessing of meekness?

- Jesus calls the meek blessed because of their inheritance.

- Jesus promises that the meek will inherit the earth.

* This is a promise for tomorrow

* This is a promise for today

The Blessing of Brokenness

Last week I started a study of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in our midweek services at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

The first section of the message records the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matt. 5:3-12), in which Jesus announces those who exhibit certain kingdom attributes blessed.

Last week, we studied the first beatitude on “the poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3). Last night, the blessing Jesus announces on those who “mourn” (Matt. 5:4).

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

TITLE: “The Blessing of Brokenness”

TEXT: Matthew 5:4

SERMON SERIES: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

THEME: The blessedness of godly sorrow

POINT: God blesses those who mourn.

OUTLINE:

Consider what Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:4 about the sorrow and the comfort of the mourners.

I. The sorrow of the mourners (5:4a)

A. The place of natural sorrow

1. Natural sorrow can be evil.

2. Natural sorrow can be beneficial.

B. The priority of spiritual sorrow

II. The comfort of the mourners (5:4b)

A. God comforts the mourners through repentance of sin.

B. God comforts the mourners through faith in Jesus Christ.

1. Christ comforts believers by his atoning blood.

2. Christ comforts believers by his Holy Spirit.

Tonight, I began a new Wednesday night sermon series through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

I had planned on doing another series, on "Total-Life Stewardship." It was very eager to get that study going. But I just could not get a green light to start it. I trust that the Lord will allow me to get to it at another time.

For the meantime, I will be in the Sermon on the Mount for a while. I plan to cover the entire passage. And I do not intend to rush through it. I need to spend this time studying the radical, exacting, and counter-cultural principles of the kingdom that Jesus teaches in Matthew 5-7. My congregation needs these encounter with Jesus, as well.

Please pray for us.

I began tonight with the opening section of the Sermon on the Mount, known as the "Beatitudes" (Matthew 5:3-12). God willing, I will go through each of them individually.

Here is the sermon skeleton from tonight's message:

Title: "Good Credit for the Spiritually Bankrupt"

Text: Matthew 5:3

Sermon Series: "The Sermon on the Mount"

Theme: The blessed paradox of human depravity.

Point: God blesses the poor in spirit.

Outline:

I. What does it mean to be blessed?

A. True blessedness cannot be measured in man-centered terms.

A. It is not about emotional happiness.

B. It is not about favorable circumstances.

C. It is not about material prosperity.

B. True blessedness must be measured in God-centered terms.

II. What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

A. To be poor in spirit is to have a high view of God.

B. To be poor in spirit is to have a low view of self.

1. Spiritual poverty is necessary for salvation.

2. Spiritual poverty is necessary for spiritual growth.

III. What does it mean to have the kingdom of heaven?

A. The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit exclusively.

B. The kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor in spirit presently.

Notes from Sunday - 08/23/09

I was really behind in my work this weekend. So I was not able to the NFL preseason game Saturday night, as planned. Of course, Crystal and the kids went without me! And they were treated to a Jacksonville Jaguar defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In New Members Class, I taught on “Overcoming the Enemy,” Basically, I did an exposition of Ephesians 6:10-20.

As always, it was great to have our youth choir and young adult choir lead in the musical praise in our worship services.

Yesterday was designated as “Educators Appreciation Day.” We were glad to host local teachers and school administrators in our 10 AM service. Likewise, we spent a brief time in prayer to cover our children who are returning to school.

I am grateful for all the guests who were in worship with us yesterday.

I preached from Philippians 2:19-24, which records Paul’s commendation of Timothy to the church at Philippi. I entitled the message, “Is There No One Like Timothy?”

For some reason, I had a difficult time organizing this text for preaching. I finally decided to organize the message around the lessons in the text from the examples of both Paul and Timothy.

It has been well said: “Very few things are more irritating than the nuisance of a good example.” I feel that way as I work through the remarkable examples of humility and servanthood Paul gives in Philippians 2.

Next Week’s Text: Philippians 2:25-30.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in yesterday’s services.

Thank you for praying for me. Your prayers are much needed. And much appreciated.

I'd Rather See A Sermon Than Hear One Any Day

This past Sunday, I preached from Philippians 2:16-18. I entitled the message, “How to be a Living Sermon.”

I labeled the sermon based upon a poem that I had read by an anonymous author. But for some reason, I did not have the guts to quote the poem in either of my two sermon presentations Sunday. But, apparently, I do have the guts to publish it here. So here it is:

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day.
I’d rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way.
The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear.
Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear.
The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds.
For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done.
I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run.
The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true.
But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
I may not understand the high advice that you may give.
But there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how you live.

And here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday’s sermon:

Title: “How to be a Living Sermon”

Text: Philippians 2:16-18

Theme: An example of humble servanthood

Point: We should live in such a way that our walk matches our talk.

Outline:

I. Live purposefully.

A. To live purposefully requires partnership.

B. To live purposefully requires perspective.

C. To live purposefully requires perseverance.

II. Live sacrificially.

A. We sacrifice by laying down our lives for Christ.

B. We sacrifice by laying down our lives for the church.

III. Live joyfully.

Notes from Sunday - 08//16/09

Praise God for another Lord’s Day of worship at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. May our times together in corporate worship increasing shape our thinking and behavior so that we may have a transforming influence on the city of Jacksonville and to the farthest reaches of the world.

In my New Members Class, I taught on “Meeting the Enemy,” a lesson on what scripture teaches about Satan. This is always an interesting challenge, to say what scripture without speculating. Alongside of eschatology, this is one of the areas of scripture were men are prone to speculate. I tried to faithful to what scripture actually says about Satan. And to keep the main thing the main things, without going into extremes. I found my class members found it helpful.

Thank God for those who followed Christ in baptism yesterday.

I preached from Philippians 2:16-18. I entitled the message, “How to be a Living Sermon.”

My 10 AM presentation may have been the shortest message I have preached since I have been at SMBC. I did not feel well. I stood there as long as I could.

I praise the Lord that his grace is sufficient and his strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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

Next week’s sermon text: Philippians 2:19-24.

Last night, Crystal bought me the DVDs from the second season of The West Wing. That’s love!

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Oakland Raiders yesterday 10-31. But it was only the first game of the preseason. Bring on the games that count!

Last week, I was celebrating that I have been in Florida all summer and there have been no hurricane threats. I may have celebrated too soon.

Please remember me in your prayers today.

Notes from Sunday - 08/09/09

Today was a good day of worship. I was glad to be in the service one more time.

I finally finished Lesson #11 in my New Members Class. I know my class members are class that we finally finished that lesson after more than four weeks. I really enjoy teaching the New Members Class.

Our children’s choir sung during our 10 AM service. It was great. Natalie helped to lead one of the songs. She does not get her singing from her mother!

I felt such a sense of the presence of God in our service this morning as our choir sung about the holiness of God.

I continued my exposition of Philippians. I preached from Philippians 2:14-16. I called it, “Let’s Work Together.”

I endeavored to make the point that we work out our own salvation (vv. 12-13) by working together as children of God.

I was prayerful this morning that the Lord would move to comfort those who were troubled in our worship services today. But I was concerned that my sermon for today was not a comforting sermon. However, several people shared with me how the message ministered to them as they faced challenges in their lives. It always amazes me how the Lord can take my preaching “out of context” to do what he wants to do in the lives of his people. To God be the glory!

Concerning my text today, one commentator says that this is one of those places where the listener thinks: “Rev. has gone from preaching to meddling.” The fact that Paul addresses something so specific and practical as “grumbling and questioning” says to me that faithful preaching does both.

Next week’s sermon: “How to be a Living Sermon” (Philippians 2:16-18).

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

Today was the day I made “the announcement” one year ago. It is still painful to think about it.

God Helps Those Who CANNOT Help Themselves (Sermon Manuscript)

GOD HELPS THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES
2 Chronicles 26:15-21

Isaiah’s glorious vision of the Lord God begins in Isaiah 6:1 with these classic words: “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” Unfortunately, this passing time-reference is basically all many of us know about Uzziah, King of Judah. But it is definitively not all that scripture has to say about him. A fuller record of Uzziah’s story is told in 2 Kings 15:1-7, where he is called Azariah, which was probably his personal name. And it’s also told here in 2 Chronicles 26, where he is called Uzziah, which was probably his royal name. The story of Uzziah is a cautionary tale about the necessity of divine help, the power of living contingently, and the danger of human pride. The life, reign, accomplishments, sin, and punishment of King Uzziah teach us an importance lesson: God helps those who cannot help themselves.
Some of you may be surprised to know that the old axiom, “The Lord helps those who help themselves,” is not in scripture. This familiar saying comes from BENJAMIN FRANKLYN’S Poor Richard’s Almanac, not the Bible. Franklyn may have remembered it from a similar proverb in Aesop’s fable, Hercules and the Wagoner, which said, “The gods help them that help themselves.” Either way, this emphasis on self-reliance reflects Ben Franklyn’s deistic worldview, not biblical theology. Scripture does not promote self-confidence. It encourages confidence in God, not self. It teaches that God helps those who cannot help themselves.
That’s the message of the story of Uzziah. In typical fashion, the chronicler tells the story in two scenes. 26:1-15 records Uzziah’s great success. The rest of the chapter records his tragic downfall. And the progression of the text from success to failure reminds us of the importance of finishing strong. Indeed, it’s not how you begin life journey that counts; it’s how you finish. And if you going to end this life successfully, you must remember that God helps those who cannot help themselves. Let me teach you this important lesson by retelling the story of Uzziah.


I. GOD HELPED UZZIAH

There are many high-profile religious personalities around today who are deceiving the church into believing that it is our spiritual birthright to be happy, rich, successful, healthy, and celebrated. But those of us who know and understand biblical Christianity reject these teachings as worldly foolishness dressed up in religious language. Following Jesus does not guarantee success in this world. And you need go no further than the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus himself to verify this fact. The Lord Jesus is the blending of deity and humanity, the meeting place of time and eternity, and the intersection of earth and heaven. Yet, the life and ministry of Jesus would be considered a failure, according to the warped standards of this sinful world. And we have no reason to expect the world to treat us any better than it did Jesus Christ.
So we rightly reject the dangerous extremes of prosperity theology. But in so doing, we must be careful to avoid the opposite extreme of reactionary theology. In other words, if we are going to be faithful to the truth, we must be clear with people that following Jesus does not guarantee that you will you will be successful in this world. But it is likewise true following Jesus doesn’t automatically mean that you will be a failure in this world. 1 Timothy 6:7 says, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riche, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” Mark it down. God delights in blessing godly people. God delights in rewarding righteous people. God delights in promoting faithful people. And that’s what we find in the story of Uzziah. 2 Chronicles 26:5 states it bluntly: God made him prosper.


A. THE SCOPE OF HIS SUCCESS

The scope of Uzziah’s success is recorded in the first half of this chapter. 26:1 says: “And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.” Amaziah was a foolish king who went to war unadvisedly. He was defeated in battle and taken captive to Samaria. Ultimately, Amaziah’s was dethroned by conspiracy, rebellion, and assassination. But the people of Judah did not hold Uzziah responsible for his father’s mistakes. They made him king when he was just sixteen years old. And he reigned for fifty-two years, longer than any other king of Judah. And his reign was filled with successful accomplishments.
• He organized a mighty army.
• He was victorious in battle.
• He reclaimed lost territory.
• He developed Judah’s national defense.
• He planned strategically.
• He built the economy.
• He turned little Judah into a world superpower.
No wonder 26:15 says “his fame spread far.” Of course, a king is famous in his own land. But Uzziah was internationally recognized as a king of the Jews whose greatness, success, and accomplishments could only be rivaled by the reigns of David and Solomon. Unquestionably, King Uzziah was a great success.


B. THE SOURCE OF HIS SUCCESS

26:7 tells us the source of Uzziah’s military success: “God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who lived in Gurbaal and against the Meunites.” Take note of that. Uzziah didn’t conquer his enemies merely because he was a trained, skilled, and experienced military leader. He defeated his enemies because God helped him. And 26:15b records the reason behind the international prestige King Uzziah enjoyed: “And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped, till he was strong.” Uzziah was not famous simply because he was a great king. He was respected, admired, and celebrated around the world because he was sovereignly helped by almighty God. In fact, not only did the Lord help Uzziah, he marvelously helped him. He helped Uzziah in an abundant and amazing fashion. The source of Uzziah’s success was the fact that he was the beneficiary of divine help, grace, favor, wisdom, and blessings. God helped him.
Now, the fact that the Lord helped Uzziah does not discount Uzziah’s real success, legitimate accomplishments, and remarkable prosperity. Uzziah was a godly man, a visionary leader, and a military hero. And it would not be right to ignore his personal accomplishments. And the same thing applies to you. You are not being humble when you deny your accomplishments. When a person denies his or her accomplishments in order to appear humble, it’s usually a veil that covers pride under a veneer of modesty. To say that you didn’t do it when you actually did it is not humility. It’s dishonesty. It’s humility when you admit that you did it, but also acknowledge the fact that you didn’t do it by yourself. Humility is when you look past your accomplishments and see that what you are, God made you. What you have, God gave you. What you know, God taught you. Where you are, God brought you. And where you’ll go, God will have to take you. Humility is when you acknowledge that your success is rooted in the God’s help. That’s the fact of Uzziah’s life. And it’s a promise for yours.
• If you seek the Lord, he will help you.
• If you call on the Lord, he will help you.
• If you trust in the Lord, he will help you.
• If you obey the Lord, he will help you.
• If you submit to the Lord, he will help you.

YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION, FOR YIELDING IS SIN;
EACH VICTORY WILL HELP YOU SOME OTHER TO WIN;
FIGHT MANFULLY ONWARD, DARK PASSIONS SUBDUE;
LOOK EVER TO JESUS, HE’LL CARRY YOU THROUGH.

ASK THE SAVIOR TO HELP YOU, COMFORT STRENGTH AND KEEP YOU;
HE IS WILLING TO AIDE YOU, HE WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH.


II. GOD HUMBLED UZZIAH

God help Uzziah. Then God humbled Uzziah. More specifically, he humiliated Uzziah. In fact, the words humility and humiliation are connected. And the two usually go together in our lives. This is why we should follow the pattern of the DR. MARTIN LLOYD-JONES. According to a biographer of the late Bible expositor, Lloyd-Jones prayed the same prayer every day: “Lord, keep me from pride.” And you ought to regularly ask the Lord to keep you from pride, so that you won’t experience the kind of tragic downfall Uzziah’s experienced.


A. THE CRISIS OF PRIDE

26:16 says: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his own destruction.” Uzziah’s crisis point was his own proud heart. And his crisis experience teaches us two things about sinful pride. First, PRIDE IS ROOTED IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY. We often define arrogance in terms of how a person treats other people. But arrogant treatment of other people is a secondary result of a proud heart. Primarily, pride is about how you view yourself. An arrogant man treats others as if they are beneath him because he is convinced that he is greater than he really is. In other words, there was a time when Uzziah would look at his kingdom, possessions, and accomplishments and declares, “What a mighty God we serve.” But at some point, Uzziah begin to look at those very same things and declare, “What a great king I am!” At some point, Uzziah forgot about the source of his success. And he began to credit himself for all that he had accomplished.
When I was still a boy preacher, I read a series of articles by MANUEL SCOTT, JR. entitled “Preacher Wait Your Turn.” In one of those articles, Scott warned against what he called “plagiarizing the Holy Spirit.” It’s when you take credit for things that only the Spirit of the Lord can do. I submit to you that preachers are not the only ones who are guilty of plagiarizing the Holy Spirit. Many of us fall in this sin without even being aware of it. That’s the danger of arrogant self-sufficiency. It’s deceptive.
• It causes you to think that you are something you are not.
• It causes you to think that you are more than you are.
• And it causes you to think that you are better than others.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 says, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me., that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.’”


The other thing we learn from Uzziah’s crisis experience is that PRIDE RESULTS IN SELF-DESTRUCTION. Again, 26:16 says, “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction.” In the first half of this chapter, you meet a king who was a military hero with strategic brilliance, a strong, large, and well-prepared army, and state-of-the-art weapons. And God helped Uzziah turn little Judah into a world superpower. Consequently, Uzziah was unbeatable. But in the later part of this chapter, Uzziah will tragically lose his great kingdom. But it is not a political foe or military enemy that brings Uzziah down. Uzziah lost it all because of destructive force of his own sinful pride. Uzziah grow proud to his own destruction. And if you are not careful, your own sinful pride can easily destroy what your steadfast devotion to the Lord has built up. Proverbs 16:18 is right: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”


B. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIDE

Uzziah’s downfall teaches us several things about the nature of pride. First, it teaches THE ESSENCE OF PRIDE. 26:16 says: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his own destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God…” Again, this statement corrects our understanding of pride by telling us that pride is not merely a human matter between self and others. Ultimately, it’s a spiritual matter between self and God. Pride makes a person become unfaithful to the Lord, transgress against the Lord, and rebel against the Lord. “It was through pride that the devil became the devil,” wrote C.S. LEWIS. “Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind.” And that’s exactly what happened to Uzziah. In fact, one of the disturbing details of Uzziah’s story is that there is no place in this chapter that explicitly records where Uzziah acknowledged for his success. His pride had blinded him to all the evidence of God’s power, goodness, and faithfulness that surrounded him. So he never thought to honor God for where he was and what he had accomplished. His pride made him unfaithful to the Lord. And you ought to be careful when the blessings you enjoy become an excuse for being unfaithful to the Lord.


Likewise, it teaches THE EXPRESSION OF PRIDE. The first expression of Uzziah’s pride was his rebellion against God’s authority. Notice 26:16 again: “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” In the Old Testament economy, God established a clear separation of powers between prophets, priests, and kings. Prophets represented the truth of God. Priests represented the holiness of God. And kings represented the authority of God. And although their roles were established to complement each other; there was a limited overlap. For example, a prophet could speak truth to the king. But he was not to usurp the king’s authority. Likewise, a king had the right to rule the nation. But he was not to intrude on the ministry of the priests. There was a clear separation of powers. In fact, this separation of powers in the Old Testament points to the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament declares that the Lord Jesus is our all-sufficient Prophet, Priest, and King.
• We need no other prophet but Jesus to revel to us the will of God.
• We need no other priest but Jesus to intercede on our behalf.
• We need no other king but Jesus to rule over our lives.
Did you get that? Jesus is both priest and king. But Uzziah did not have the divine right to function in both offices. Kings were not permitted to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Yet, Uzziah decided to go into the temple to sacrifice an incense offering to the Lord. It was an expression of naked pride. A proud heart most clearly reveals itself when you know what the Lord would have you to do but you rebelliously choose to do what you want to do anyway. James 4:17 says: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”


Likewise, pride expresses itself in rebellion against godly accountability. 26:17-18 says, “But Azariah the priest when in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests the son of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.’” We really don’t know anything about Azariah the priest outside of his sudden appearance in this story. However, I submit to you that every one of us needs a friend like Azariah in our lives. Now, I know that the text does not say that Azariah was a friend. And by the way Uzziah responded to him, it’s clear that Uzziah didn’t view Azariah as a friend. But I tell you, Azariah was definitely Uzziah’s friend. He was a man of conviction, character and courage, who was willing to tell Uzziah the truth. And I submit to you that we all need people in our lives that have the conviction, character, and courage of Azariah. Proverbs 27:6 says: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” In other words, it’s better to be hurt by a friend than it is to be kissed by an enemy. Enemies are people who stab you in the back. But friends are people who stab you up front.


C. THE CONSEQUENCES OF PRIDE

26:19-20 tells how the Lord responded to the sinful rebellion of King Uzziah: “Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him.” Notice the graphic terminology the chronicler uses to describe Uzziah’s downfall: “The Lord had struck him.” And the great warning is that the Lord knows how to put you in your place. In Luke 18:14b, Jesus says: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” And 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” The key there is that we must humble ourselves. It’s much better for you to humble yourself than to have God to humble you. Mark it down. You don’t want God to have to put you in your place.


Because of Uzziah’s sinful pride, God struck him with leprosy. In the United States, leprosy is not a real threat to us. But in the ancient Near East, leprosy was a dreaded disease. It was the AIDS of its day. A leper was declared unclean, which meant he could not have access to the house of God or the people of God. He was separated from the rest of the society. And that’s what happened to Uzziah. When leprosy broke out on him, the priests drove him from the temple. And he himself was trying to get out of there. And he was placed in an isolated house outside of the nation for the rest of his days. Think about that. Uzziah was the great king that built the nation of Judah into a world superpower. But when he forget his place, God moved to that Uzziah couldn’t even step foot into the nation that he built. And this humiliation followed Uzziah to the grave. 2 Chronicles 26:23 says: “And Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, ‘He is a leper.’” When Uzziah died, they did not bury him with the kings. They buried him in a field that belonged to the kings. And their reasoning was straightforward: “He is a leper.” When Uzziah died, they did not put on his tombstone that he was a great king. They put that he was a leper. I repeat: God knows how to put you in your place.
Now, there’s two ways to view this situation. On one hand, the striking of Uzziah with leprosy is an expression of God’s holy wrath. God put Uzziah in his place. But on the other hand, the striking of Uzziah with leprosy is an expression of God’s amazing grace. I know that may sound strange. But it’s true. The striking of Uzziah with leprosy was an act of grace. Leprosy was grace in that God could have issued a punishment much worse than leprosy. The law prescribed that those who went into the temple illegally were to be put to death. God could have killed Uzziah on the spot. But he did not do that. Instead, even though he struck Uzziah, he still gave Uzziah an opportunity to repent and come back to him. And I have good news for you. No matter how bad your situation may be, you’re still here. And the fact that you’re still here means that God still have you in his plans. And today you have another chance to get it right with him. It is an act of amazing grace that you are still in the land of the living.


Let me close by giving you the remedy for pride: It’s praise. If you want to make sure that pride does cause you to be unfaithful to the Lord and bring you down, learn to give God the praise in everything. Psalm 100:4-5 says: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” And 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In order to make your heart and mind does not forget what the Lord has done for you, make sure you give him thanks and praise for all that he has done for you in Jesus’ name.

During an interview, the late evangelical scholar, Carl F. Henry – who at the time was in his seventies – was asked how he had managed to remain so humble for so many decades. Dr. Henry replied, “How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?”

DOWN AT THE CROSS, WHERE MY SAVIOR DIED
DOWN WEAR FOR CLEANSING FROM SIN I CRIED
THERE TO MY HEART WAS THE BLOOD APPLIED
GLORY TO HIS NAME

I AM SO WONDROUSLY SAVED FROM SIN
JESUS SO SWEETLY ABIDES WITHIN
THERE AT THE CROSS WHERE HE TOOK ME IN
GLORY TO HIS NAME

We Are In Charge Of Our Attitudes

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important that the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, that, successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.

Quotation from Charles R. Swindoll (Source Unknown)

Notes from Sunday - 08/02/09

It is always a great joy and privilege to celebrate both baptism and the Lord’s Table in corporate worship.

In New Members Class, I continued teaching on the church. The focus on my study was on the mission of the church recorded in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

I continued my study of the book of Philippians, preaching from Philippians 2:12-13. I entitled the message, “The Ins-And-Outs of Christian Living.”

Next Week’s text: Philippians 2:14-18. Most likely, it will take me two messages to get through this passage. We’ll see.

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

I was encouraged to meet many guests yesterday who worshiped with us. I hope they were blessed by the service and the Lord will allow us to visit again. Praise God for the members of SMBC who are inviting the unchurched family and friends to worship.

Friday, August 31, was the one-year anniversary of Shiloh’s meeting to select its new pastor, in which the Lord moved the congregation to extend a call to me as its new shepherd. Boy does time fly!

Saturday, we held our first Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting. For now, we will meet for an hour each Saturday before the first Sunday of the month. May the Lord strengthen the prayer life of our church for his glory.

Thanks, again, for your continued prayers. I am feeling a lot better.

I spent a portion of Sunday afternoon watching some of the TV preachers. Big mistake. It was pretty discouraging. Prosperity. Destiny. Ministry success. The power of your words. Pulpit filibustering. May the Lord have mercy on us and send true revival and reformation to the church in America through the faithful exposition of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

All NFL teams have reported to training camp. Bring on the football season! Let’s go Cowboys!!!

Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting (Prayer Guide)

This morning, we had our first Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting at SMBC. Each month, the Saturday before the first Sunday, we will spend an hour in prayer together as a church. Our focus will be on spiritual, kingdom, eternal matters, more than personal requests. We will beseech the Lord God that his name would be hallowed, his kingdom would come, and his will would be done on earth as in heaven. May the Lord smile on these times of corporate prayer.

Here is the prayer guide from this morning's meeting:

• Pray that we would receive a higher view of God that results in a surpassing passion for his glory (Rom. 11:33-36).

• Pray that our thinking and behavior would be increasingly shaped by the word of God (Rom. 12:1-2).

• Pray that the Lord would give us a greater zeal for the salvation of lost people within our sphere of influence (Luke 19:10).

• Pray that the Lord would help us to obey the Great Commission by striving to make disciples of Jesus Christ among the unreached people groups of the nations (Matt. 28:18-20).

• Pray that the Lord would be intentional and strategic about demonstrating the love of God to those in need through practical acts of Christian service (Matt. 5:13-16).

• Pray that our fellowship would be marked my truth and love that fosters spiritual unity among one another (Eph. 4:11-16).

• Pray for the salvation, spiritual development, and fruitfulness of the children, youth, and young adults of SMBC (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4).

• Pray for ongoing spiritual growth and direction for the pastors and spiritual leaders of SMBC (1 Tim. 4:16).

• Pray for all the governmental officials in authority over us – particularly President Obama and Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sotomayor (1 Tim. 2:1-4)

• Pray that God would teach us to pray with a greater focus on the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth (Col. 1:9-14; Phil. 1:9-11).

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.