Matthew 6:19-21 marks a transition in THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. In the first half of this chapter, Jesus explains how righteous people practice religion. Verses 1-4 address how righteous people give. Verse 5-15 address how righteous people pray. Verses 16-18 address how righteous people fast. In the later half of this chapter, Jesus moves from warning his disciples about the consequences of hypocrisy to calling his disciples to embrace the values of the kingdom of heaven. Verses 19-34 make it clear that true righteousness transcends religious activity. To be a citizen of the kingdom is to adopt a countercultural mindset toward material possessions. In other words, righteous people do not, cannot live for the Lord on Sundays and live for money the rest of the week. We show where our devotion rests by seeking the eternal rewards of heaven rather than the passing riches of this life. This does not mean that Christians must be poor to be righteous. The Lord does not condemn giving, having, or using material possessions. Money is morally neutral. It is our attitude toward money that is either godly or evil. And having material possessions is not a sin. But being materialistic is.
A rich man with a miserable attitude visited the local minister who lived a simple life. They were not together long before the minister got a wonderful idea on how to illustrate to the man that his attitude was wrong. He led him over to his window and said, “Look out the window and tell me what you see.” The said, “I see some men and women and children.” “Fine.” Then minister then led him across the room to a mirror. “Now tell me what you see.” The man frowned and said, “Obviously, I see myself.” “Interesting,” replied the minister. “In the window there is glass, in the mirror there is glass, but the glass of the mirror is covered with a little bit of silver. And no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others, only yourself.”
If the Lord allows you to see financial prosperity, you are blessed. But it is a curse if that is all you can see. We must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and trust that God will take care of our needs. That is what Jesus is teaching here in this text. Go ahead. Lay up treasure for yourself. Just make sure you lay it up in the right place. Do nit live for material possessions that will not last. Live for what 1 Peter 1:4 calls “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” Let me bottom-line this for you. It is not wrong for you to have possessions; it is wrong for your possessions to have you. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus teaches us how to have possessions without being possessed by our possessions.
I. BE CAREFUL OF WHERE YOUR TREASURES RESIDE.
Verse 19 issues a prohibition: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” In the ancient Near East, one’s wardrobe was considered a part of one’s wealth. In 2 Kings 5:22, Gehazi attempted to swindle Namaan out of two changes of clothes. And In Joshua 7:21, Achan sinned by stealing a beautiful cloak from Jericho. Fine clothes were considered great wealth. But Jesus says do not treasure your clothes, because moth will destroy then. Likewise, precious metals were considered a part of one’s wealth. But Jesus warns not to treasure precious metals, because rust will destroy it. And whatever other valuables you has stashed in your house, don’t treasure them. Thieves will break through the mud walls and steal them.
Then verse 20 gives a parallel exhortation: “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither most nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Notice that the issue Jesus addresses here is not whether you lay up a treasure. The issue is where your treasure resides. And the location of your treasure – earth or heaven – indicates the character of your treasure – worldly or spiritual. Laying up treasures on earth speaks of worldliness, materialism, and covetousness. Laying up treasure in heaven speaks of trust in God, communion with God, and blessings from God. The point is that in order to have possessions without possessions being possessed by them, you must have a godly value system. You must make sure your priorities are in order. You must adopt a heavenly attitude toward earthly things.
There is an important play on words here. More literally, verse 18 reads, “Do not treasure your treasures on earth. But treasure your treasures in heaven.” And in verse 19 is in a grammatical emphasis that forbids an action that is already in progress. In other words, Jesus says, “Stop treasuring your treasures on earth. But continue to treasure your treasures in heaven.” If you are not going to be possessed by your possession, you must resist treasuring worldly things, and persist in treasuring spiritual things. Proverbs 23:4-5 says: “Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When yours eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his good income; this also is vanity.” And in Matthew 16:26, Jesus says: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?”
Mark it down.
• Money can buy amusement, but not joy.
• Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.
• Money can buy companions, but not friends.
• Money can buy a house, but not peace.
• Money can buy a medicine, but not health.
• Money can buy sex, but not intimacy.
• Money can buy therapy, but not redemption.
Matthew 19:16-21 records the story of a young man came to Jesus wanting to know how to inherit the heavenly treasure of eternal life. Jesus told him, in essence, to obey THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Interestingly, though, Jesus skipped over the first commandments that deal with how we should relate to God. And he only mentions the later commandments that deal with how we should relate to our neighbor. But this guy totally missed the point. And he replied, “I learned those commandments when I was a little boy. And I’ve been keeping them all of my life.” Jesus said, “Good, but there is still something missing. Go sell all your stuff and give the money to the poor and come follow me. And if you do this, you will have treasure in heaven.”
In Matthew 16:21, Jesus explicitly told this man how to have treasure in heaven, which refers to eternal life. But this guy refused to follow Jesus’ instructions. Matthew 16:22 says that he walked away in great sorrow, because he had a lot of stuff. Or, according to the CHARLES INTERNATIONAL VERSION: “His stuff had him.” Now, when Jesus told this young man to divest himself of his wealth, he was not condemning the rich of calling for charity toward the poor. Jesus was addressing what was most important to this guy. Although the young man said he wanted eternal life, the truth was that he wanted his stuff more than he wanted eternal life. And that’s the danger and power of materialism. The quest to get, have, and spend money can so pull you away from God that you can get to a place where you don’t really even care whether you go to heaven or hell – as long has you can have your cash, cars, clothes, and other stuff in this life. That’s why Jesus says stop treasuring your treasures on heart and keep treasuring your treasures in heaven.
II. BE COMMITTED TO TREASURES THAT REMAIN.
Luke 12:13-21 records how Jesus responded to a guy who interrupted his teaching and asked him to settle a financial dispute he was in with his brother. “Make my brother split the inheritance with me,” he said. Jesus replied, “What do you thing this is? The People’s Court? Who made me a judge of an arbitrator over you?” And in Luke 12:15, Jesus says: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Then Jesus illustrated warning point with a parable. Once upon a time, there was a man who had a great harvest. His bumper crop was so plentiful that he didn’t have room to store it all. And with that premise, the story proceeds to show us the smallest package in the world – a man wrapped up in himself. He didn’t know what to do with his great harvest. So he went into counsel with himself and said, “Self, we’re rich! We’re loaded. In fact, we’re overloaded. What will we do? Where will we put it all? Yeah. That’s a great idea. Let’s demolish these barns and build bigger ones. We can store our harvest and we won’t have to worry about anything for years to come. We can just eat, drink, and be merry.”
But while he toasting himself for his great business savvy, God intruded into the conference room of this man’s heart, and said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Jesus called this man a fool, because he was shortsighted. He cared about his bankbook, but not his soul. He thought about tomorrow, but not eternity. He knew what he would do if there was a drought next season, but he did not know what he would do when he had to stand before God. So God called him a fool. And in Luke 12:21, Jesus warns: “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” That’s a disturbing statement, because we here this story all the time. The media regularly spotlights the stories of people who live, act, and think just like this man. But the world calls these celebrities smart, stars, and successful. But God calls them fools.
Indeed, the world around us is filled with people who are doomed, because they have embraced two foolish myths: more is better and now is better. But there is one big problem with our “get-more-and-get-it-now” way of life: the material things of this life do not last. Jesus says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where most and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
When Jesus commands us to lay up treasures in heaven, he is not in any way suggesting that one can earn his salvation by the performance of good works. Romans 3:23-25 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Sinners are saved from eternal judgment by trusting what God has done for us through the blood and righteousness of Christ – not by anything we do or do not do. So Jesus is not teaching a works salvation here. He is teaching that there are those who are saved by grace through faith should live in light of the fact that there is coming a day of reckoning and reward.
1 Corinthians 3:11-14 says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.” The matter that is before us in our text is this: make sure you are investing your life in things that will last. In his book, The Treasure Principle, RANDY ALCORN sums it up neatly: “You cannot take it with you, but you can send it ahead of you.” If that is true, then you should only invest your life in things that are going to last.
• How important will your house be a hundred years from now?
• How important will your car be a hundred years from now?
• How important will your diploma be a hundred years from now?
• How important will your career be a hundred years from now?
• How important will your accomplishments be a hundred years from now?
Some things we invest so much of ourselves into will not really matter ten years from now, much less a hundred years from now. How about 100 million trillion years from now?
In Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus declares the FACT of life’s loses. The old saying jokes that the one who has the most stuff when he dies wins. But the serious question is, wins what? In Job 1:21, Job confesses, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” The inevitable reality is that earthly treasures do not last. This may be the most valuable lesson of the board game, MONOPOLY. At the end of the game, the board is folded, everything is put away, and the lid is placed on top of the box. It’s a little reminder that someday our lives will be over as well. Then it will hardly matter who owned how many railroads and utilities, or who owned boardwalk. Earthly treasures do not last. Likewise, Jesus declares the FACTORS of life’s losses. Verses 19-20 name three factors that guarantee the loss of material possessions: moth, rust, and thieves. Moth speaks of nature: tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, etc. Rust speaks of time (depreciation, wear-and-tear, out-datedness, etc. And thieves speak of people: swindlers, car-jackers, family members, televangelists.
Furthermore, Jesus declares the FORCE of life’s losses. Jesus mentions three factors that he places into two groups: moth and rust being one; thieves being the other. Moth and rust destroying your stuff says that some things we will lose passively, subtly and eventually. But thieves digging through and stealing says that we will lose some things abruptly, immediately, violently. The point is that, be it over years or overnight, earthly treasures do not last. In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul says, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, not to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly live.” If you are going to have possessions without possessions having you, you must be committed to treasures that remain.
III. BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT YOUR TREASURES REVEAL.
MARTIN LUTHER, the father of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, coined a slogan. In Latin, the statement is: Sacra Scriptura sui interpres. It means: “Sacred Scripture is its own interpreter.” That is, the word of God explains itself. I wholeheartedly agree. Consequently, a significant part of my personal Bible study involves the process of discovering what the rest of scripture has to say about the specific passage of scripture I am studying. And I did that in my study of Matthew 6:19-21. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, a big book of cross-references, is the primary resource I use during this part of my study. The first passage it mentions in relation to Matthew 6:21 is Genesis 21:14. It says: “So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.” This reference is a backdoor into the meaning of Matthew 6:21.
God called Abraham away from his family and homeland in order to walk with him. This call was accompanied by the promise that God would make a great nation through Abraham seed. Abraham trusted God and obeyed. But after years of following God, Abraham still did not have a son, his wife Sarah was barren, and old age was gaining on him. So Sarah devised a plan where Abraham would have a son through her maid Hagar, before it was too late. He did. But that was not the son that God had promised. God intended to give Abraham a son through his wife, Sarah. And sure enough the Lord visited Sarah and she conceived and had a son named Isaac. After this, it did not take long for the already-present tension between Sarah and Hagar to grow, concerning the respective boys they had borne to Abraham. And Sarah demanded that Abraham kick Hagar and Ishmael out. Abraham’s heart was distressed, to say the least. But God told him to do what his wife said. Genesis 21:14 records that early the next morning, Abraham prepared a meal, gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent them away.
Sarah represents the sovereign and guaranteed promises of God to bless Abraham. Hagar represents Abraham’s doubt-filled and flesh-centered attempt to do what God promised to do. Juggling these two realities brought inevitable distress to Abraham’s heart, because the two realities couldn’t live together under the same roof. It would have confused and compromised God’s plans for Abraham. Likewise, you are I today are either standing on the sovereign promises of God, or we are attempting to accomplish in the flesh what God has promised to do if we trust and obey him. Both realities cannot live in the same heart. The only way to ensure that you do not confuse or compromise God’s plans for your life is to heed the voice of Jesus: “For where your treasures is, there your heart will be also.”
When the heart is mentioned in scripture metaphorically, as it is here, it refers to the seat of personhood, the totality of our inward being, who we are underneath the skin – the mind, the will, and the emotions. So when Jesus says that your heart follows your treasure, the point is clear, precise, and stinging. Your treasure is revealed by what you think about the most. Your treasure is revealed by what you choose to do and do not do. And your treasure is revealed by what you are passionate about. R. KENT HUGHES said it well: “If anything in this world is everything to you, it is an earthly treasure.” In order to have possessions without your possessions having you, you must be concerned about what your treasures reveal. And note that Jesus makes this statement to his own disciples. But even though the disciples were following Jesus, their hearts could still be lead astray into an ungodly fixation with things. And the same thing can happen to you. 1 John 2:15-17 says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” So you must be careful about what your treasures reveal.
Acts 8:14-25 records how the church at Jerusalem sent Peter and John to verify what was going on, after the Holy Spirit fell on the Samaritans. When they saw that the Lord was now moving among the Samaritans, they affirmed it by the laying on of hands. A magician named Simon watched all of this curiously. And he offered the apostles money if they would show him how to do that “laying-on-of-hands” trick. Acts 8:20-21 records, “But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.’” I submit to you that we need people today who are courageous enough to say to this covetous generation of so-called Christians, who are only concerned about health-and-wealth. “Your heart is not right.” Be careful about what your treasure reveals. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” In Matthew 12:35, Jesus says: “The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” And Hebrews 3:12 says: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” I repeat: Be concerned about what you treasure reveals.
When I first engaged this text in a meaningful way, it had a radical and revolutionary effect on my view of life. I assumed that your treasure follows your heart. That made perfect sense to me. You invest in that which you love. Your resources follow your affections. That makes perfect sense to me. Where your heart is, there will your treasure be also. But Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Counter-intuitively, Jesus teaches us not to invest in earthly treasures – be it a goal or relationship – that you do not want to love. Only invest in that which is worth loving. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The more I invest in the kingdom of heaven, the more my heart will be drawn toward God the Father. But if I only invest in earthly things, then my heart will never be drawn toward the things of God. So let me challenge you to make a new commitment today to invest your life in the things of God. May FANNY J. CROSBY’S song be your prayer:
DRAW ME NEARER, NEARER, BLESSED LORD
TO THE CROSS WHERE THOU HAST DIED
DRAW ME NEARER, NEARER, BLESSED LORD
TO THY PRECIOUS, BLEEDING SIDE
One day, a shipwrecked sailor was seized by the natives, hoisted on their shoulders, and carried to the village, and set on a throne. He later learned that it was their custom once each year to make some man a king. King for a year. He liked it until he began to wonder what happened to all the former kings. Soon he discovered that every year when his kingship was ended, the king was banished to an island, where he starved to death. The sailor did not like that, but he was smart and he was king for the year. SO he put his carpenters to work making boats, his farmers to work transplanting fruit trees to the island, farmers growing crops, masons building houses. So when his kingship was over, he was banished, not to a barren island, but an island of abundance.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
In Praise of Long Pastorates
My orientation to pastoral ministry is bent toward long pastorates. My father served the church I grew up in for forty years. My adopted dad has is congregation for forty years. My own pastor has served his congregation for thirty-five years. And most of the men who have shaped my faith, theology, and ministry philosophy are men who have had long pastorates.
Of course, not every man is cut out for long pastorates. The calling of the Lord on each person’s life is unique. And some men are not divinely wired for long pastorates. Some men are called to serve different congregations for relatively shorter periods of time. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are times and places where that is what is needed.
Likewise, some men serve in church structures that do not lend themselves to long pastorates. I have friends and colleagues who serve in the Methodist church. And each year the bishop determines where each pastor is going to serve. I have been invited to preach by Methodist brothers and by the time the date arrives a few months later they have been moved to another church. I definitely would not want to serve in that kind of system. But it seems to work for those who are a part of it.
Furthermore, there are some occasions in which long pastorates are detrimental to the soul of a pastor and the health of a congregation. In some instances, long time members of a church develop a sinful sense of ownership of a church. “This is our church,” they think. And their attitude and actions become detrimental to the mission of the church. But pastors who serve a local church for a long time can also adopt this corrupt and corrupting mindset, which is absolutely not healthy.
And there are other times when it is just not possible for a pastor and congregation to serve Christ together for a long time. Division and turmoil may arise that make it best for a pastor and congregation to part ways, rather than damaging their witness for Christ with infighting. Or the Lord may call a pastor a way to another place of service. Or sometimes a pastoral is just the transitional guy that God intends to get a church through a difficult period.
Yet, while factoring in all these qualifications, I still believe that it is best for pastors and congregations when a man plants his flag and determines to serve a local church for the long haul.
It is usually a benefit to have stability at the top of an organization. Churches are no different. I am convinced that unhealthy patterns develop when there is constant pastoral turnover in a local church. It usually means that people who are not called to be pastors are actually pastoring the church from the pews.
But there are more important, spiritual reasons why long pastorates make a difference in a local church. Namely, it takes time to nurture a healthy congregation. You can attract a crowd in no time. But a crowd is not a church. A church is made up those who trust, obey, worship, serve, and give, witness, and suffer as they grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, not just people who show up on Sunday mornings. To nurture a Christ-centered, biblically functioning congregation requires a long time of teaching and patience. A mushroom can grow in hours. But it takes longer to grow an oak tree. What are you trying to grow?
I praise God for the pastors and churches that hang in there together as partners in the gospel and maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord’s blessings be on those men who maintain their integrity and preach the gospel faithfully year after year. May do not without any acclaim. Yet they do not allow their place of obscurity to be an excuse for not giving God their best. May their tribes increase!
One final word.
Brothers, churches are not stepping-stones. It is wrong to pastor a church looking out the window for a bigger or better opportunity to come a long. The souls over which the Lord has made you an overseer deserve your best. For that matter, the Lord demands your best. So be faithful right where you are. Work on the depth of your ministry and trust God to work on the breadth of your ministry. If the Lord intends for you to be somewhere, believe me, he knows how to get you there. Until then, plant your flag. Preach the word. Love the people you have been called to. Count it a privilege that the Lord would use you to lead his people. And serve the Lord with gladness.
Of course, not every man is cut out for long pastorates. The calling of the Lord on each person’s life is unique. And some men are not divinely wired for long pastorates. Some men are called to serve different congregations for relatively shorter periods of time. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are times and places where that is what is needed.
Likewise, some men serve in church structures that do not lend themselves to long pastorates. I have friends and colleagues who serve in the Methodist church. And each year the bishop determines where each pastor is going to serve. I have been invited to preach by Methodist brothers and by the time the date arrives a few months later they have been moved to another church. I definitely would not want to serve in that kind of system. But it seems to work for those who are a part of it.
Furthermore, there are some occasions in which long pastorates are detrimental to the soul of a pastor and the health of a congregation. In some instances, long time members of a church develop a sinful sense of ownership of a church. “This is our church,” they think. And their attitude and actions become detrimental to the mission of the church. But pastors who serve a local church for a long time can also adopt this corrupt and corrupting mindset, which is absolutely not healthy.
And there are other times when it is just not possible for a pastor and congregation to serve Christ together for a long time. Division and turmoil may arise that make it best for a pastor and congregation to part ways, rather than damaging their witness for Christ with infighting. Or the Lord may call a pastor a way to another place of service. Or sometimes a pastoral is just the transitional guy that God intends to get a church through a difficult period.
Yet, while factoring in all these qualifications, I still believe that it is best for pastors and congregations when a man plants his flag and determines to serve a local church for the long haul.
It is usually a benefit to have stability at the top of an organization. Churches are no different. I am convinced that unhealthy patterns develop when there is constant pastoral turnover in a local church. It usually means that people who are not called to be pastors are actually pastoring the church from the pews.
But there are more important, spiritual reasons why long pastorates make a difference in a local church. Namely, it takes time to nurture a healthy congregation. You can attract a crowd in no time. But a crowd is not a church. A church is made up those who trust, obey, worship, serve, and give, witness, and suffer as they grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, not just people who show up on Sunday mornings. To nurture a Christ-centered, biblically functioning congregation requires a long time of teaching and patience. A mushroom can grow in hours. But it takes longer to grow an oak tree. What are you trying to grow?
I praise God for the pastors and churches that hang in there together as partners in the gospel and maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord’s blessings be on those men who maintain their integrity and preach the gospel faithfully year after year. May do not without any acclaim. Yet they do not allow their place of obscurity to be an excuse for not giving God their best. May their tribes increase!
One final word.
Brothers, churches are not stepping-stones. It is wrong to pastor a church looking out the window for a bigger or better opportunity to come a long. The souls over which the Lord has made you an overseer deserve your best. For that matter, the Lord demands your best. So be faithful right where you are. Work on the depth of your ministry and trust God to work on the breadth of your ministry. If the Lord intends for you to be somewhere, believe me, he knows how to get you there. Until then, plant your flag. Preach the word. Love the people you have been called to. Count it a privilege that the Lord would use you to lead his people. And serve the Lord with gladness.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
On Technology and Transcendence
So there I was in a worship service at the National Baptist Convention in Kansas City last week. Between messages, during the offering, the woman sitting next to me said to me, “Now you know you should not be playing with your phone during worship.” I explained that I chose to use the Bible on my phone and that I was simply following along with the text during the sermon. She accepted my explanation but added that using the Bible on my phone is a temptation to check emails or do something else in church. All I could say was, “You’re right.”
The times are changing. Rapidly changing. Ten years ago… five years ago… last year… we would not have dreamed of some of the technological gadgets that we not take for granted. And we can expect the pace of updates to continue in the days to come. Just today I read that my five-month old iPad may become outdated by the possible release of the iPad 2 by the end of 2010. And I love it. I am a gadget geek. And I love all of the user-friendly gadgets that are being released. Except when they come to church.
Am I old fashioned about worship protocol? I guess it depends on who you ask. I would like to think that I embrace a reverent informality when it comes to corporate worship. There are so many things I cannot believe people get so stuffy about in church. But then I catch myself getting stuffy about the use of gadgets in worship. I guess I am a recovering Pharisee, too.
For the record, there is nothing wrong with people using the Bible on their phones in worship, in and of itself. What matters are the words of the text, not whether those words are printed on dead trees. But I think that pushy lady who sat next to me in church last week may have been on to something. Because I was using the Bible on my phone, I was tempted to check emails, send a text, or pull up my Facebook page. Things I do not otherwise think about in worship.
On top of that, my cell phone Bible version was apparently a distraction for the lady sitting next to me. Sure, I could say that it was none of her business what I was doing with my phone. But that is not the spirit of Christ. The very nature of corporate worship and Christian living requires that I be careful not to allow my liberty in Christ to become a stumbling block for a weaker brother or sister.
Several weeks ago, a friend and colleague visited the midweek service at the church I serve. One of my members leaned over and asked him, “Why are you playing with that thing and not listening to my pastor’s sermon?” My friend was listening and following along and taking notes. On his iPad. But the fact that he was doing so on an iPad became a distraction to the person sitting next to him. And ultimately to him, as well, as he had to stop listening and explain himself while the sermon was going on. Is this right or wrong? I don’t know. But I think it is something to think about.
We are now at a place where people in church respond to something encouraging or helpful in the sermon by Tweeting it or posting it on their Facebook page. “Touch your neighbor and tell them…” has apparently been replaced by “Text your neighbor and tell them…” Before we just declare this reality to be the way it is, we should carefully think through the implications of how we use technology in worship.
I believe the most valuable asset we have as humans is our time. And with all the time saving gadgets available to us, most of us still complain that we do not have enough time for the things that are important to us. That includes God! Isn’t ironic that our time saving gadgets are crowding out the one place and time where many people focus on God – in corporate worship on Sunday mornings?
One of the great indictments against contemporary worship is that we have lost a sense of the transcendence of God. Everything is so immediate and imminent that we do not acknowledge that God is above and beyond us. The Lord is sitting on the pew next to us, not sitting on a throne high and lifted up. While I am grateful for all the ways the technology makes our lives easier, I am concerned about anything that aids our trivialization of the Almighty. And any medium that gets in way of the message. As we integrate our gadgets into our worship lives – or before we do so – we should think long and hard about whether our gadgets dull our sense of the majesty of God in worship or help us to see and sense the supremacy of God more clearly and deeply and joyfully.
Could it be that using mobile devices in worship can be just as dangerous as texting while driving?
The times are changing. Rapidly changing. Ten years ago… five years ago… last year… we would not have dreamed of some of the technological gadgets that we not take for granted. And we can expect the pace of updates to continue in the days to come. Just today I read that my five-month old iPad may become outdated by the possible release of the iPad 2 by the end of 2010. And I love it. I am a gadget geek. And I love all of the user-friendly gadgets that are being released. Except when they come to church.
Am I old fashioned about worship protocol? I guess it depends on who you ask. I would like to think that I embrace a reverent informality when it comes to corporate worship. There are so many things I cannot believe people get so stuffy about in church. But then I catch myself getting stuffy about the use of gadgets in worship. I guess I am a recovering Pharisee, too.
For the record, there is nothing wrong with people using the Bible on their phones in worship, in and of itself. What matters are the words of the text, not whether those words are printed on dead trees. But I think that pushy lady who sat next to me in church last week may have been on to something. Because I was using the Bible on my phone, I was tempted to check emails, send a text, or pull up my Facebook page. Things I do not otherwise think about in worship.
On top of that, my cell phone Bible version was apparently a distraction for the lady sitting next to me. Sure, I could say that it was none of her business what I was doing with my phone. But that is not the spirit of Christ. The very nature of corporate worship and Christian living requires that I be careful not to allow my liberty in Christ to become a stumbling block for a weaker brother or sister.
Several weeks ago, a friend and colleague visited the midweek service at the church I serve. One of my members leaned over and asked him, “Why are you playing with that thing and not listening to my pastor’s sermon?” My friend was listening and following along and taking notes. On his iPad. But the fact that he was doing so on an iPad became a distraction to the person sitting next to him. And ultimately to him, as well, as he had to stop listening and explain himself while the sermon was going on. Is this right or wrong? I don’t know. But I think it is something to think about.
We are now at a place where people in church respond to something encouraging or helpful in the sermon by Tweeting it or posting it on their Facebook page. “Touch your neighbor and tell them…” has apparently been replaced by “Text your neighbor and tell them…” Before we just declare this reality to be the way it is, we should carefully think through the implications of how we use technology in worship.
I believe the most valuable asset we have as humans is our time. And with all the time saving gadgets available to us, most of us still complain that we do not have enough time for the things that are important to us. That includes God! Isn’t ironic that our time saving gadgets are crowding out the one place and time where many people focus on God – in corporate worship on Sunday mornings?
One of the great indictments against contemporary worship is that we have lost a sense of the transcendence of God. Everything is so immediate and imminent that we do not acknowledge that God is above and beyond us. The Lord is sitting on the pew next to us, not sitting on a throne high and lifted up. While I am grateful for all the ways the technology makes our lives easier, I am concerned about anything that aids our trivialization of the Almighty. And any medium that gets in way of the message. As we integrate our gadgets into our worship lives – or before we do so – we should think long and hard about whether our gadgets dull our sense of the majesty of God in worship or help us to see and sense the supremacy of God more clearly and deeply and joyfully.
Could it be that using mobile devices in worship can be just as dangerous as texting while driving?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Disciple-Making Is THE Priority
The longer a congregation exists, the more concerned it tends to become with self-preservation - and the less concerned with its original purpose. Time, money, staff, and even the prayers become increasingly inward-focused. The result, not surprisingly, is that the church stops growing. The foremost principle says that leaders must keep, or turn, the focus of their church away from themselves and back to their primary goal -and Christ's primary goal - of making disciples. This happens through prayer, engaging the Bible, programming, budget, staffing, and evaluating all the church's ministries on their contribution to increasing the number of Christian disciples. - A church can do many good things. A church should do a few important things. But there is only one essential thing a church must do: "... God out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life..." - (Matthew 28:19, The Message). - Charles Arn
Monday, September 13, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 09/12/10
There are very few experiences like Sunday morning at the Shiloh Church.
As always, I am grateful for the guests who were in worship with us at Shiloh.
Shiloh is filled with many very kind people. It is very encouraging.
Bless God for those who expressed their faith in Christ through water baptism yesterday.
Praise God for our children's choir who led us in musical praise during our 10 service.
The choir sung the Edwin Hawkins version of “God Will Take Care Of You.” Yes!!!
I finished my little series on the book of Ruth with a message on chapter 4 that I entitled, “The Best Is Yet Come.”
I preached a part of the sermon to Crystal Saturday night. She replied, "So you are preaching to yourself in the morning." I said, "Nope." I thought, "Absolutely."
My prayer is that these messages on Ruth have and will encourage God-inspired hope for those who heard the messages.
I greatly enjoyed preaching through the book of Ruth. I am not strong at preaching narratives. But the challenge of working through these long Old Testament narratives has been a blast. And I have really needed each of these messages more than anyone else.
I intentionally avoided spending on the typological comparison of Boaz to Jesus. It is hard for a Christian to read this story without thinking about our great redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. But that is not the point of the book of Ruth. The connection is more with David and Jesus, rather than Boaz and Jesus.
That air was coming down on me so hard that it was painful. Literally. Painful.
Have you ever read H.Beecher Hick’s book, “Preaching Through a Storm”?
On of my favorite chapters of Charles Spurgeon’s “Lectures To My Students” is about the importance of ministers having one blind eye and one deaf ear. He’s right.
Praise God for those who were added to the church in our worship services.
Saturday night, the USC Trojans defeated Virginia. The Trojans are under sanctions this season. Thanks Reggie Bush. That is all the reason I need to wish for the Trojans to have a great season.
The Dallas Cowboys lost last night to the Washington Redskins last night. We deserved to lose that game. That’s all I have to say about that.
The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Denver Broncos yesterday. I am not a Jags fan. But I am cheering them on this year. If they keep losing, the odds go up that they will leave town. Maybe Los Angeles? And I do not want that to happen.
The Detroit Lions scored a touchdown last night. It was a stupid rule.
Is Michael Vick back?
As always, I am grateful for the guests who were in worship with us at Shiloh.
Shiloh is filled with many very kind people. It is very encouraging.
Bless God for those who expressed their faith in Christ through water baptism yesterday.
Praise God for our children's choir who led us in musical praise during our 10 service.
The choir sung the Edwin Hawkins version of “God Will Take Care Of You.” Yes!!!
I finished my little series on the book of Ruth with a message on chapter 4 that I entitled, “The Best Is Yet Come.”
I preached a part of the sermon to Crystal Saturday night. She replied, "So you are preaching to yourself in the morning." I said, "Nope." I thought, "Absolutely."
My prayer is that these messages on Ruth have and will encourage God-inspired hope for those who heard the messages.
I greatly enjoyed preaching through the book of Ruth. I am not strong at preaching narratives. But the challenge of working through these long Old Testament narratives has been a blast. And I have really needed each of these messages more than anyone else.
I intentionally avoided spending on the typological comparison of Boaz to Jesus. It is hard for a Christian to read this story without thinking about our great redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. But that is not the point of the book of Ruth. The connection is more with David and Jesus, rather than Boaz and Jesus.
That air was coming down on me so hard that it was painful. Literally. Painful.
Have you ever read H.Beecher Hick’s book, “Preaching Through a Storm”?
On of my favorite chapters of Charles Spurgeon’s “Lectures To My Students” is about the importance of ministers having one blind eye and one deaf ear. He’s right.
Praise God for those who were added to the church in our worship services.
Saturday night, the USC Trojans defeated Virginia. The Trojans are under sanctions this season. Thanks Reggie Bush. That is all the reason I need to wish for the Trojans to have a great season.
The Dallas Cowboys lost last night to the Washington Redskins last night. We deserved to lose that game. That’s all I have to say about that.
The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Denver Broncos yesterday. I am not a Jags fan. But I am cheering them on this year. If they keep losing, the odds go up that they will leave town. Maybe Los Angeles? And I do not want that to happen.
The Detroit Lions scored a touchdown last night. It was a stupid rule.
Is Michael Vick back?
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Faith of a Frequent Flier
I was on a flight this week that ran into an extended patch of rough air. The turbulence was like being on a roller coaster, as the plane bounced up and down. For the record, I hate roller coasters.
I kept reading as the plane danced a jig, until I heard a scream. A young lady, sitting nearby with her mother, cried out in fear. It was her first airplane flight. And she was overwhelmed by the turbulence, clutching onto her mother for dear life.
I understood. I smiled. I continued reading.
May the Lord help me to be that at peace when I am going through turbulence in my personal life, walk with Christ, and pastoral work.
I kept reading as the plane danced a jig, until I heard a scream. A young lady, sitting nearby with her mother, cried out in fear. It was her first airplane flight. And she was overwhelmed by the turbulence, clutching onto her mother for dear life.
I understood. I smiled. I continued reading.
May the Lord help me to be that at peace when I am going through turbulence in my personal life, walk with Christ, and pastoral work.
"There is no fire on that paper!"
It was youth Sunday afternoon. I was hanging out on the church grounds with my dad, waiting for the youth musical to begin. A car pulled up and a woman got out and walked up to me and asked, “Are you ready?” She was the lady assigned to pick me up to preach the youth service at her church that afternoon. The service my father forgot to tell me about. As a boy preacher, just into his teens, this was an indescribable crisis. But I got through it. Barely.
This early experience taught me to always be prepared to preach. And it taught me that I could actually preach without notes. My father was a manuscript preacher. And most of the preachers I admired as a boy were also manuscript preachers. I just thought it was the way to preach, with a manuscript in front of you. But that day introduced me to a whole new world, as it were. And as time passed, I began to hear other men I admired who preached without notes. I even heard about one preacher who actually moved the podium from the platform when he preached revivals, standing there with just a mike (and a Bible, I hope). I never saw him do it. But I was impressed with the idea that he could stand without notes and preach.
At some point, I made an intentional decision that I wanted to preach without notes. I still wrote complete manuscripts, for the most part. I just would not take any notes to the pulpit. My dad used to say that I would stand there “flatfooted” and preach. It became something I was very proud of. Not a good thing. And not something I feel the same way about anymore.
As an older and hopefully more mature preacher, I am less neurotic about whether or not I preach with notes. In fact, when I moved from Los Angeles to Jacksonville several years ago, I planned to begin preaching with notes. No one in my new church would know the difference, I thought. But it never really happened. I still basically write out a manuscript or extended outline and review it thoroughly enough that I do not have to carry any notes to the pulpit. But it is not a big deal to me anymore. My philosophy of preaching can be summed up in the words of Malcolm X: “By any means necessary.” If I can do it with nothing in front of me, fine. If I need some notes to make sure I stay on point, fine. The goal is that I am faithful to the text and clear in my presentation. Whether or not I am able to do that without a “cheat sheet” in front of me is irrelevant.
If a younger preacher asks me how I preach without notes, I usually try to share some of the “tricks” I use to remember the major movements of my messages. But I confess that I have been doing it the way I do it for so long that I am not really conscious of my process anymore. I just do what I do. I also try to encourage them to put a lot of effort into the preparation of the message. Good preparation is the birthplace of good presentation. After you have fully prepared yourself in the study, the best advice I can give is that you do what it most comfortable to you. It may be that you preach best with a full, word-for-word manuscript in front of you. It may be that you preach best with an extended outline or just a few reminders. Or maybe you are able to prepare your message and deliver it without anything in front of you except your Bible. Good.
Think yourself empty. Read yourself full. Write your way clear. Pray your way hot. And then go to the pulpit and be yourself. Remember, preaching is, to use Phillip Brook’s famous definition, truth through personality. So be yourself. Don’t preach yourself. But offer the best you to God when you stand to proclaim the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Two men were walking together to a preaching engagement. One of them pulled a manuscript from his pocket and began to review it as they walked. His colleague observed this and said, “What are you doing with that manuscript? You need the fire of God to preach. And there is no fire on that paper!” Without breaking his stride, the manuscript preacher answered, “You’re right. There is no fire on this paper. But I can use this paper to start of fire!”
This early experience taught me to always be prepared to preach. And it taught me that I could actually preach without notes. My father was a manuscript preacher. And most of the preachers I admired as a boy were also manuscript preachers. I just thought it was the way to preach, with a manuscript in front of you. But that day introduced me to a whole new world, as it were. And as time passed, I began to hear other men I admired who preached without notes. I even heard about one preacher who actually moved the podium from the platform when he preached revivals, standing there with just a mike (and a Bible, I hope). I never saw him do it. But I was impressed with the idea that he could stand without notes and preach.
At some point, I made an intentional decision that I wanted to preach without notes. I still wrote complete manuscripts, for the most part. I just would not take any notes to the pulpit. My dad used to say that I would stand there “flatfooted” and preach. It became something I was very proud of. Not a good thing. And not something I feel the same way about anymore.
As an older and hopefully more mature preacher, I am less neurotic about whether or not I preach with notes. In fact, when I moved from Los Angeles to Jacksonville several years ago, I planned to begin preaching with notes. No one in my new church would know the difference, I thought. But it never really happened. I still basically write out a manuscript or extended outline and review it thoroughly enough that I do not have to carry any notes to the pulpit. But it is not a big deal to me anymore. My philosophy of preaching can be summed up in the words of Malcolm X: “By any means necessary.” If I can do it with nothing in front of me, fine. If I need some notes to make sure I stay on point, fine. The goal is that I am faithful to the text and clear in my presentation. Whether or not I am able to do that without a “cheat sheet” in front of me is irrelevant.
If a younger preacher asks me how I preach without notes, I usually try to share some of the “tricks” I use to remember the major movements of my messages. But I confess that I have been doing it the way I do it for so long that I am not really conscious of my process anymore. I just do what I do. I also try to encourage them to put a lot of effort into the preparation of the message. Good preparation is the birthplace of good presentation. After you have fully prepared yourself in the study, the best advice I can give is that you do what it most comfortable to you. It may be that you preach best with a full, word-for-word manuscript in front of you. It may be that you preach best with an extended outline or just a few reminders. Or maybe you are able to prepare your message and deliver it without anything in front of you except your Bible. Good.
Think yourself empty. Read yourself full. Write your way clear. Pray your way hot. And then go to the pulpit and be yourself. Remember, preaching is, to use Phillip Brook’s famous definition, truth through personality. So be yourself. Don’t preach yourself. But offer the best you to God when you stand to proclaim the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Two men were walking together to a preaching engagement. One of them pulled a manuscript from his pocket and began to review it as they walked. His colleague observed this and said, “What are you doing with that manuscript? You need the fire of God to preach. And there is no fire on that paper!” Without breaking his stride, the manuscript preacher answered, “You’re right. There is no fire on this paper. But I can use this paper to start of fire!”
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Notes from Sundays - 08/22/10
It was a good day of worship and fellowship today at Shiloh. The Lord blessed both of our services today in a special way.
We had quite of few guests in worship with us today. Some were special guests - teachers and administrators from local schools. And others who were invited by our members. However, they got there today, I was glad to have them in worship. For the record, a church cannot grow if no guests are attending.
When is the last time you personally invited someone to church?
Praise God for the one who was baptized today.
Our young adult chorale and youth choir led the musical praise today. It is always encouraging to have our young people serving in worship.
Deacon Harold Simmons, a member of the 8th Street Baptist Church of Kansas City and president of the Laymen's Department of the National Baptist Convention, USA Inc., led a special class for our men today during our Bible Study Fellowship time. Deacon Simmons was with us this week to speak at our Deacons' retreat. He was a blessing to our men all weekend.
In our 10 AM worship service, we held a special time of prayer for the school administrators, teachers, and students who begin classes tomorrow. As always, my prayer is that our children will grow as Jesus grew - in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:51).
Pastor Kenneth A. Duke, who has served the New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church in MIami, was our guest speaker today. He preached from Habakkuk 3:17-19 in both services. He entitled the message, "I Still Have Joy!" It was a very encouraging message.
I met Pastor Duke a few years ago, as we were both preaching in Oklahoma City. It was during that meeting that I heard him preach for the first time. I have followed his ministry since then. And I have a great respect and appreciation for him. It was an honor and blessing to have him minister the word to our church family today.
Habakkuk is a Minor Prophet with a major message! My faith is always stretched in great and unique ways when I read or hear this book.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
I cannot describe how good it was today to sit under the teaching of the word and to join the saints in being ministered to today. Most Sundays, I am preaching in worship. Today was a rare treat to be under the teaching of the word today.
Not being scheduled to preach today, I was all more prayerful today for my brothers who had to stand today to declare the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I have a compulsion. Before I was out of church three hours, I was thinking about the next sermon I have to preach on this Wednesday night. Woe unto me if I do not preach!
Throughout the day, I have been thinking that the real strength of a church is not found in what happens on Sundays, but on what happens between Sundays.
Just in case you did not know, NFL football has begun. I know it's only preseason. But I am enjoying the games anyway. I am ready to get the season started and cheer the Dallas Cowboys onto a Superbowl championship!
Wondering what AFC team will meet the Cowboys in the Superbowl. Any predictions?
We had quite of few guests in worship with us today. Some were special guests - teachers and administrators from local schools. And others who were invited by our members. However, they got there today, I was glad to have them in worship. For the record, a church cannot grow if no guests are attending.
When is the last time you personally invited someone to church?
Praise God for the one who was baptized today.
Our young adult chorale and youth choir led the musical praise today. It is always encouraging to have our young people serving in worship.
Deacon Harold Simmons, a member of the 8th Street Baptist Church of Kansas City and president of the Laymen's Department of the National Baptist Convention, USA Inc., led a special class for our men today during our Bible Study Fellowship time. Deacon Simmons was with us this week to speak at our Deacons' retreat. He was a blessing to our men all weekend.
In our 10 AM worship service, we held a special time of prayer for the school administrators, teachers, and students who begin classes tomorrow. As always, my prayer is that our children will grow as Jesus grew - in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:51).
Pastor Kenneth A. Duke, who has served the New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church in MIami, was our guest speaker today. He preached from Habakkuk 3:17-19 in both services. He entitled the message, "I Still Have Joy!" It was a very encouraging message.
I met Pastor Duke a few years ago, as we were both preaching in Oklahoma City. It was during that meeting that I heard him preach for the first time. I have followed his ministry since then. And I have a great respect and appreciation for him. It was an honor and blessing to have him minister the word to our church family today.
Habakkuk is a Minor Prophet with a major message! My faith is always stretched in great and unique ways when I read or hear this book.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
I cannot describe how good it was today to sit under the teaching of the word and to join the saints in being ministered to today. Most Sundays, I am preaching in worship. Today was a rare treat to be under the teaching of the word today.
Not being scheduled to preach today, I was all more prayerful today for my brothers who had to stand today to declare the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
I have a compulsion. Before I was out of church three hours, I was thinking about the next sermon I have to preach on this Wednesday night. Woe unto me if I do not preach!
Throughout the day, I have been thinking that the real strength of a church is not found in what happens on Sundays, but on what happens between Sundays.
Just in case you did not know, NFL football has begun. I know it's only preseason. But I am enjoying the games anyway. I am ready to get the season started and cheer the Dallas Cowboys onto a Superbowl championship!
Wondering what AFC team will meet the Cowboys in the Superbowl. Any predictions?
Friday, August 20, 2010
You Have To Do What You Have To Do
"You have to do whatever the Lord says you have to do in order to preach that Bible."
When I heard a friend say this in a conversation with a group of preachers, I laughed. He was asked his philosophy of sermon preparation. Specifically, they wanted to know what steps he takes to get from text to sermon. How long does it take him to prepare? Things like that. His answer: "You have to do whatever the Lord says to do in order to preach that Bible."
I laughed.
(Some things we laugh at because they are funny. Some things we laugh at because they are true. And some things we laugh at to keep from crying.)
Sermon preparation is both an art and a science. It is a science in that there are basic rules and principles you must follow to develop a biblical sermon (assuming you are seeking to prepare a biblical sermon). But it is an art in that the dynamic of each person's process is unique. Two men can go through the same steps of sermon preparation on the same text. But that does not mean they are going to end up with the same sermon (that is, unless they both wind up stealing a sermon from the same internet site).
But one thing is the same for all who would preach faithfully. You have to do whatever the Lord says you have to do in order to get ready to faithfully preach the word of God.
There are times when you go through all the steps and still end up without a sermon. You have read the text dozens of times. You have performed word studies and examined comparative translations. You have researched the historical and contextual background of the passage. You have looked up cross-references. And you have consulted the commentaries. As the Gospel song says, "You prayed and cried... You prayed and cried...." But still no sermon.
I have a cartoon picture in my study of a man on his hands and knees crawling through a dessert. He approaches a sign that says, "SERMON." Under the sign is a map with a dot that says, "You are here." But there is absolutely nothing else on the map! I have approached the weekend feeling that way many times.
Other times you sit at your desk and it almost seems that the Lord is sitting next you whispering in your ear. "This is what I meant in that text. And this is what I want you to say to my people Sunday." The point of the text is clear. You have a good idea about how to organize the text for preaching. The material you need to develop the sermon just falls into your lap like manna from on high. It rarely happens like this. But some times it does.
I think this mystery of sermon preparation is meant to both encourage and humble preachers. The sermon can be hard to come by when you have had a great week of study to remind us that scholarship alone does not produce the message God wants us to deliver. And the sermon can just come to you when you have had a hectic week that has stolen hours from your study to remind us that God is with us and he understands the burden we bear.
Above all, this mystery of sermon preparation keeps us from cheating! You have to do whatever you have to do to get ready to preach.
We preachers need to remember this. And so do those who sit in the pew and listen to us from week to weak. I often think that church members either misunderstand or underestimate what it takes most preachers to prepare. It seems they think that preachers learn everything they need to know in seminary. And from week to week, we just pick a text and stand up to preach from some storehouse of biblical wisdom. Believe me, you do not want to sit under a preacher who just picks a text and stands up to preach! If your pastor makes preaching look easy, it is usually the result of much hard work.
When the MacArthur Study Bible was being released, I saw an advertisement in a magazine that said something like this: "A young preacher asked Dr. MacArthur was the different is between average preachers and great preachers. He was surprised by the answer. 'Good preachers stay in the seat until the hard work is done.'" How true.
You have to do whatever the Lord says that you have to do to get ready to preach the word of God.
When I heard a friend say this in a conversation with a group of preachers, I laughed. He was asked his philosophy of sermon preparation. Specifically, they wanted to know what steps he takes to get from text to sermon. How long does it take him to prepare? Things like that. His answer: "You have to do whatever the Lord says to do in order to preach that Bible."
I laughed.
(Some things we laugh at because they are funny. Some things we laugh at because they are true. And some things we laugh at to keep from crying.)
Sermon preparation is both an art and a science. It is a science in that there are basic rules and principles you must follow to develop a biblical sermon (assuming you are seeking to prepare a biblical sermon). But it is an art in that the dynamic of each person's process is unique. Two men can go through the same steps of sermon preparation on the same text. But that does not mean they are going to end up with the same sermon (that is, unless they both wind up stealing a sermon from the same internet site).
But one thing is the same for all who would preach faithfully. You have to do whatever the Lord says you have to do in order to get ready to faithfully preach the word of God.
There are times when you go through all the steps and still end up without a sermon. You have read the text dozens of times. You have performed word studies and examined comparative translations. You have researched the historical and contextual background of the passage. You have looked up cross-references. And you have consulted the commentaries. As the Gospel song says, "You prayed and cried... You prayed and cried...." But still no sermon.
I have a cartoon picture in my study of a man on his hands and knees crawling through a dessert. He approaches a sign that says, "SERMON." Under the sign is a map with a dot that says, "You are here." But there is absolutely nothing else on the map! I have approached the weekend feeling that way many times.
Other times you sit at your desk and it almost seems that the Lord is sitting next you whispering in your ear. "This is what I meant in that text. And this is what I want you to say to my people Sunday." The point of the text is clear. You have a good idea about how to organize the text for preaching. The material you need to develop the sermon just falls into your lap like manna from on high. It rarely happens like this. But some times it does.
I think this mystery of sermon preparation is meant to both encourage and humble preachers. The sermon can be hard to come by when you have had a great week of study to remind us that scholarship alone does not produce the message God wants us to deliver. And the sermon can just come to you when you have had a hectic week that has stolen hours from your study to remind us that God is with us and he understands the burden we bear.
Above all, this mystery of sermon preparation keeps us from cheating! You have to do whatever you have to do to get ready to preach.
We preachers need to remember this. And so do those who sit in the pew and listen to us from week to weak. I often think that church members either misunderstand or underestimate what it takes most preachers to prepare. It seems they think that preachers learn everything they need to know in seminary. And from week to week, we just pick a text and stand up to preach from some storehouse of biblical wisdom. Believe me, you do not want to sit under a preacher who just picks a text and stands up to preach! If your pastor makes preaching look easy, it is usually the result of much hard work.
When the MacArthur Study Bible was being released, I saw an advertisement in a magazine that said something like this: "A young preacher asked Dr. MacArthur was the different is between average preachers and great preachers. He was surprised by the answer. 'Good preachers stay in the seat until the hard work is done.'" How true.
You have to do whatever the Lord says that you have to do to get ready to preach the word of God.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 1 of Proclaimer's Place 2010
I am in Oxford, England. I am participating in Proclaimer’s Place – a week of group Bible study and seminar of sermon preparation led by Joel Gregory.
I flew all night Monday night. I was armed with books, magazines, calendars, notebook, and study tools. I boarded the plane with big plans to get a great deal of study and reading done during the uninterrupted quiet time. But I basically went to sleep not long after the flight took off.
It was 6:30 AM when I arrived in London (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time).
The ride from London to Oxford is a little more than an hour. After I checked into my hotel, I walked a few blocks down the street and joined the session that had already begun.
Yesterday, we spent the entire day studying Jonah 2. I cannot believe how much I learned! I just preached a series on Jonah last summer. Yet I learned so much out of that chapter that I had missed before. I also learned several tools and keys to help me dig a little deeper in my studies.
Today we will study Acts 27.
More than the specific study of the text, I benefited greatly from the discussion about preaching. I believe that most preachers preach too often. We are always in the batter’s box, and do not get enough batting practice to check our swing. Or let me just speak for me. Preaching is my passion. But with so many other things I am responsible for, it is hard to give my preaching as much attention as I desire, during this season of my life. So it was very refreshing to just spend a day just studying the Bible and talking about preaching!
It is about fifteen of us studying together this week.
Several of us followed one of my friends to a special place he found to eat for lunch… Kentucky Fried Chicken!
I am staying at the historic Randolph Hotel, where some of the filming of the C.S. Lewis movie “Shadowlands” was filmed. It is said that was in the restaurant of this hotel that Lewis first met his wife in person. Way cool!
I did not get an opportunity to do much sightseeing. I hope that I will be able to get some in before this trip is over.
They are not pants here. They are trousers. It is not an elevator here. It is a lift. It is not a bathroom or restroom here. It is the toilet.
Please pray for the remainder of this trip. I hope to come home spiritual refreshed and with my skills for preaching sharpened.
I flew all night Monday night. I was armed with books, magazines, calendars, notebook, and study tools. I boarded the plane with big plans to get a great deal of study and reading done during the uninterrupted quiet time. But I basically went to sleep not long after the flight took off.
It was 6:30 AM when I arrived in London (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time).
The ride from London to Oxford is a little more than an hour. After I checked into my hotel, I walked a few blocks down the street and joined the session that had already begun.
Yesterday, we spent the entire day studying Jonah 2. I cannot believe how much I learned! I just preached a series on Jonah last summer. Yet I learned so much out of that chapter that I had missed before. I also learned several tools and keys to help me dig a little deeper in my studies.
Today we will study Acts 27.
More than the specific study of the text, I benefited greatly from the discussion about preaching. I believe that most preachers preach too often. We are always in the batter’s box, and do not get enough batting practice to check our swing. Or let me just speak for me. Preaching is my passion. But with so many other things I am responsible for, it is hard to give my preaching as much attention as I desire, during this season of my life. So it was very refreshing to just spend a day just studying the Bible and talking about preaching!
It is about fifteen of us studying together this week.
Several of us followed one of my friends to a special place he found to eat for lunch… Kentucky Fried Chicken!
I am staying at the historic Randolph Hotel, where some of the filming of the C.S. Lewis movie “Shadowlands” was filmed. It is said that was in the restaurant of this hotel that Lewis first met his wife in person. Way cool!
I did not get an opportunity to do much sightseeing. I hope that I will be able to get some in before this trip is over.
They are not pants here. They are trousers. It is not an elevator here. It is a lift. It is not a bathroom or restroom here. It is the toilet.
Please pray for the remainder of this trip. I hope to come home spiritual refreshed and with my skills for preaching sharpened.
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 08/08/10
We had a good day of worship and fellowship today at the Shiloh Church.
Praise God for those who were baptized in worship today.
Our children’s choir led in musical praise today. As always, it was encouraging to have the little ones participating in worship today.
It was really cool to meet some of the guests who were in worship today. It is great that the members are inviting their family and friends to church with them.
Our choir sung “But God” today from Ron Winans Family & Friends IV. I really love this song. And it was a great blessing to hear it today. I was tempted to get a piece of it when I stood up to preach, but my better judgment prevailed. I had work to do.
I continued my brief series on the book of Ruth today with a message on Ruth 2 that I entitled “Nothing Just Happens!”
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I needed that sermon that I preached today more than anyone else!
This is the second week in a row that I have struggled to organize the text for preaching. Late last night, I wrestled with two different ways to preach the text. I am glad the Lord led me to preach it the way I did.
I had a lot of text and a limited amount of time. It was a challenge. But I really enjoyed preaching this message today. What a mighty God we serve!
I read a statement years ago that has really stuck with it: “The Bible is filled with stories about people. Let them live.” The more time I spend studying the stories of the Bible, the more I am learning to appreciate the rich theology embedded within biblical narratives.
I cannot wait to get to chapter 3.
I am thinking about and praying for a family that suffered a tragedy this weekend.
Praise God for those who were added to the church today!
Crystal cooked dinner today. It is rare for her to cook on Sundays. It was a rare treat! We “fared sumptuously”!
The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game this evening. It is still in the first quarter as I write, but you already know my prediction. Cowboys win!!!
In the morning, I am scheduled to fly to London to participate in The Proclaimer’s Place preaching seminar under the leadership of Dr. Joel Gregory. Pray for my travels and that my skills as a student of the word and preacher will be sharpened.
Praise God for those who were baptized in worship today.
Our children’s choir led in musical praise today. As always, it was encouraging to have the little ones participating in worship today.
It was really cool to meet some of the guests who were in worship today. It is great that the members are inviting their family and friends to church with them.
Our choir sung “But God” today from Ron Winans Family & Friends IV. I really love this song. And it was a great blessing to hear it today. I was tempted to get a piece of it when I stood up to preach, but my better judgment prevailed. I had work to do.
I continued my brief series on the book of Ruth today with a message on Ruth 2 that I entitled “Nothing Just Happens!”
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I needed that sermon that I preached today more than anyone else!
This is the second week in a row that I have struggled to organize the text for preaching. Late last night, I wrestled with two different ways to preach the text. I am glad the Lord led me to preach it the way I did.
I had a lot of text and a limited amount of time. It was a challenge. But I really enjoyed preaching this message today. What a mighty God we serve!
I read a statement years ago that has really stuck with it: “The Bible is filled with stories about people. Let them live.” The more time I spend studying the stories of the Bible, the more I am learning to appreciate the rich theology embedded within biblical narratives.
I cannot wait to get to chapter 3.
I am thinking about and praying for a family that suffered a tragedy this weekend.
Praise God for those who were added to the church today!
Crystal cooked dinner today. It is rare for her to cook on Sundays. It was a rare treat! We “fared sumptuously”!
The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game this evening. It is still in the first quarter as I write, but you already know my prediction. Cowboys win!!!
In the morning, I am scheduled to fly to London to participate in The Proclaimer’s Place preaching seminar under the leadership of Dr. Joel Gregory. Pray for my travels and that my skills as a student of the word and preacher will be sharpened.
Notes from Sunday - 08/08/10
We had a good day of worship and fellowship today at the Shiloh Church.
Praise God for those who were baptized in worship today.
Our children’s choir led in musical praise today. As always, it was encouraging to have the little ones participating in worship today.
It was really cool to meet some of the guests who were in worship today. It is great that the members are inviting their family and friends to church with them.
Our choir sung “But God” today from Ron Winans Family & Friends IV. I really love this song. And it was a great blessing to hear it today. I was tempted to get a piece of it when I stood up to preach, but my better judgment prevailed. I had work to do.
I continued my brief series on the book of Ruth today with a message on Ruth 2 that I entitled “Nothing Just Happens!”
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I needed that sermon that I preached today more than anyone else!
This is the second week in a row that I have struggled to organize the text for preaching. Late last night, I wrestled with two different ways to preach the text. I am glad the Lord led me to preach it the way I did.
I had a lot of text and a limited amount of time. It was a challenge. But I really enjoyed preaching this message today. What a mighty God we serve!
I read a statement years ago that has really stuck with it: “The Bible is filled with stories about people. Let them live.” The more time I spend studying the stories of the Bible, the more I am learning to appreciate the rich theology embedded within biblical narratives.
I cannot wait to get to chapter 3.
I am thinking about and praying for a family that suffered a tragedy this weekend.
Praise God for those who were added to the church today!
Crystal cooked dinner today. It is rare for her to cook on Sundays. It was a rare treat! We “fared sumptuously”!
The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game this evening. It is still in the first quarter as I write, but you already know my prediction. Cowboys win!!!
In the morning, I am scheduled to fly to London to participate in The Proclaimer’s Place preaching seminar under the leadership of Dr. Joel Gregory. Pray for my travels and that my skills as a student of the word and preacher will be sharpened.
Praise God for those who were baptized in worship today.
Our children’s choir led in musical praise today. As always, it was encouraging to have the little ones participating in worship today.
It was really cool to meet some of the guests who were in worship today. It is great that the members are inviting their family and friends to church with them.
Our choir sung “But God” today from Ron Winans Family & Friends IV. I really love this song. And it was a great blessing to hear it today. I was tempted to get a piece of it when I stood up to preach, but my better judgment prevailed. I had work to do.
I continued my brief series on the book of Ruth today with a message on Ruth 2 that I entitled “Nothing Just Happens!”
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I needed that sermon that I preached today more than anyone else!
This is the second week in a row that I have struggled to organize the text for preaching. Late last night, I wrestled with two different ways to preach the text. I am glad the Lord led me to preach it the way I did.
I had a lot of text and a limited amount of time. It was a challenge. But I really enjoyed preaching this message today. What a mighty God we serve!
I read a statement years ago that has really stuck with it: “The Bible is filled with stories about people. Let them live.” The more time I spend studying the stories of the Bible, the more I am learning to appreciate the rich theology embedded within biblical narratives.
I cannot wait to get to chapter 3.
I am thinking about and praying for a family that suffered a tragedy this weekend.
Praise God for those who were added to the church today!
Crystal cooked dinner today. It is rare for her to cook on Sundays. It was a rare treat! We “fared sumptuously”!
The Dallas Cowboys are playing the Cincinnati Bengals in a pre-season game this evening. It is still in the first quarter as I write, but you already know my prediction. Cowboys win!!!
In the morning, I am scheduled to fly to London to participate in The Proclaimer’s Place preaching seminar under the leadership of Dr. Joel Gregory. Pray for my travels and that my skills as a student of the word and preacher will be sharpened.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 07/26/10
It was a long but good day of worship yesterday. I really enjoyed worshiping with and ministering to the Shiloh family.
I started my day a little earlier than usual, so that I could check my bags in at the airport before our 8 AM service. I did not want any hassles for my 12:40 PM flight to Atlanta.
I am grateful for all who volunteer to serve at Shiloh. May the Lord be glorified as we speak his word and serve in his strength (1 Peter 4:10-11).
I really had a great time teaching my new members class yesterday. It did not hurt that I was explaining the gospel, either. What a Savior!
Good to have our guests in worship yesterday. Three families, celebrating their family reunions over the weekend, attended our service yesterday.
No Hailey incident yesterday. Security must have stepped their game up. Good job!
I preached from 1 Peter 2:1-3. I entitled the message, “It’s Time To Grow Up.” Peter exhorts the saints to change their clothes (v. 1) and change their appetites (vv. 2-3) to grow in spiritual maturity.
I love this text. I pray through this passage regularly before my private study of the word. I also pray this passage publicly in worship before I preach. It is a remarkable reminder that the power of the word will be nullified in our lives if our hearts are not cleansed of unconfessed sin and set on the pure spiritual milk of the word.
For some reason, I felt that I was not clear in our 8 AM service. I left out of the serving considering whether I should preach something else at 10. I am glad I did not.
Praise God for those who were added to the church in our worship services yesterday.
Next Lord’s Day, I plan to begin a new series on the book of Ruth. I intend to preach the four chapters of Ruth in four messages. This will be my first time ever preaching from Ruth. And I find it quite difficult to preach from narrative texts. Pray for me.
After putting on a dry shirt, Crystal and the kids drove me to the airport. I flew to Atlanta and went straight to church to preach again. I am here to preach for Dr. Timothy Fleming and the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
It is hot in Jacksonville. It is HOT in Atlanta.
Mt. Carmel celebrated their annual homecoming yesterday. It was an “old style” worship service. And food was prepared for the members of the community. I preached as briefly as I could. The congregation was very kind, considering the smell of B-B-Q was in the air.
Dr. Fleming sung his signature song, “Got The Devil Under My Feet,” in the service last night. It was great.
Crystal and the kids arrived last night. We hung out and then passed out.
I started my day a little earlier than usual, so that I could check my bags in at the airport before our 8 AM service. I did not want any hassles for my 12:40 PM flight to Atlanta.
I am grateful for all who volunteer to serve at Shiloh. May the Lord be glorified as we speak his word and serve in his strength (1 Peter 4:10-11).
I really had a great time teaching my new members class yesterday. It did not hurt that I was explaining the gospel, either. What a Savior!
Good to have our guests in worship yesterday. Three families, celebrating their family reunions over the weekend, attended our service yesterday.
No Hailey incident yesterday. Security must have stepped their game up. Good job!
I preached from 1 Peter 2:1-3. I entitled the message, “It’s Time To Grow Up.” Peter exhorts the saints to change their clothes (v. 1) and change their appetites (vv. 2-3) to grow in spiritual maturity.
I love this text. I pray through this passage regularly before my private study of the word. I also pray this passage publicly in worship before I preach. It is a remarkable reminder that the power of the word will be nullified in our lives if our hearts are not cleansed of unconfessed sin and set on the pure spiritual milk of the word.
For some reason, I felt that I was not clear in our 8 AM service. I left out of the serving considering whether I should preach something else at 10. I am glad I did not.
Praise God for those who were added to the church in our worship services yesterday.
Next Lord’s Day, I plan to begin a new series on the book of Ruth. I intend to preach the four chapters of Ruth in four messages. This will be my first time ever preaching from Ruth. And I find it quite difficult to preach from narrative texts. Pray for me.
After putting on a dry shirt, Crystal and the kids drove me to the airport. I flew to Atlanta and went straight to church to preach again. I am here to preach for Dr. Timothy Fleming and the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
It is hot in Jacksonville. It is HOT in Atlanta.
Mt. Carmel celebrated their annual homecoming yesterday. It was an “old style” worship service. And food was prepared for the members of the community. I preached as briefly as I could. The congregation was very kind, considering the smell of B-B-Q was in the air.
Dr. Fleming sung his signature song, “Got The Devil Under My Feet,” in the service last night. It was great.
Crystal and the kids arrived last night. We hung out and then passed out.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 07/18/10
It was a good day of worship and fellowship at Shiloh Church today.
We sang, “Here I am to Worship,” today. This song is really growing on me.
We had quite a few guests in worship today. Way cool.
I am thankful for all of our volunteers for their service. You make it happen!
Praise God for those who were baptized today. One of our pastors had the privilege of baptizing his two daughters today.
I really had a good time teaching our new members class today, so much so that I did not finish my lesson today.
I sat on the floor today. All was going well until a little girl named Hailey confronted me. Apparently, I look like her dad or something. She jumped on my lap and would not leave. Her mother finally had to come get her so that I could preach. Last I heard, security escorted the little girl from the auditorium.
I prefer to sit on the floor. Definitely.
Today I concluded my series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:17 entitled, “Overcoming Covetousness.”
I think I had a good understanding of the text. I wish, however, that my message had been better. I don’t think I was as clear I wanted to be. Praise God for blessing his Word in spite of the weakness of the messenger.
I really enjoyed preaching through the 10 Commandments. And I am really glad this series is over. It was hard work.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to our church family today.
I have a free Sunday next Sunday before I get to my next series. I need to determine what I will preach next week. Fast.
We ate soul food for lunch after church. I give you one guess where were ate.
This evening, a beloved deacon of Shiloh, Charles Brown, went home to be with the Lord. Please remember his wife, family, and our congregation, in your prayers.
We sang, “Here I am to Worship,” today. This song is really growing on me.
We had quite a few guests in worship today. Way cool.
I am thankful for all of our volunteers for their service. You make it happen!
Praise God for those who were baptized today. One of our pastors had the privilege of baptizing his two daughters today.
I really had a good time teaching our new members class today, so much so that I did not finish my lesson today.
I sat on the floor today. All was going well until a little girl named Hailey confronted me. Apparently, I look like her dad or something. She jumped on my lap and would not leave. Her mother finally had to come get her so that I could preach. Last I heard, security escorted the little girl from the auditorium.
I prefer to sit on the floor. Definitely.
Today I concluded my series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:17 entitled, “Overcoming Covetousness.”
I think I had a good understanding of the text. I wish, however, that my message had been better. I don’t think I was as clear I wanted to be. Praise God for blessing his Word in spite of the weakness of the messenger.
I really enjoyed preaching through the 10 Commandments. And I am really glad this series is over. It was hard work.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to our church family today.
I have a free Sunday next Sunday before I get to my next series. I need to determine what I will preach next week. Fast.
We ate soul food for lunch after church. I give you one guess where were ate.
This evening, a beloved deacon of Shiloh, Charles Brown, went home to be with the Lord. Please remember his wife, family, and our congregation, in your prayers.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 07/11/10
Praise God for a blessed day of worship at the Shiloh Church today!
I am grateful for all of our guests in worship today.
I have been away from home preaching all week. It was great to be home to worship with and minister to my own congregation this morning.
The musical praise was exceptional today. I am grateful for our music team. Thanks for your service today.
I rejoice with all who were baptized today to express their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is very encouraging to be a witness to this important step of faith today.
It was tough preaching today after being at a preaching conference all week long. I have been reminded this week of how far I have to go as a preacher. May the Lord help me to continue to grow as a Christian and pastor-teacher.
Today I continued my series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:16 entitled, “Tell The Truth.” I argued that God commands us to be people of truth who (1) tell the truth about God, (2) tell the truth about ourselves, and (3) tell the truth about God.
A little boy came up to me after church and told me what he learned from the message today, “Do not lie!” I think he was listening.
God willing, I will conclude this series with a message on Exodus 20:17 entitled, “Overcoming Covetousness.”
Praise God for all who were saved and added to the church in our services today.
A big “shout out” to our security team for the service today. Thanks guys!
I received the news this evening that Dr. WIllie Smith, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, went home to be with the Lord Saturday. Please remember his family and congregation in your prayers.
I also received news that Walter Hawkins passed away today. Please remember his family and congregation in your prayers.
I am grateful for all of our guests in worship today.
I have been away from home preaching all week. It was great to be home to worship with and minister to my own congregation this morning.
The musical praise was exceptional today. I am grateful for our music team. Thanks for your service today.
I rejoice with all who were baptized today to express their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is very encouraging to be a witness to this important step of faith today.
It was tough preaching today after being at a preaching conference all week long. I have been reminded this week of how far I have to go as a preacher. May the Lord help me to continue to grow as a Christian and pastor-teacher.
Today I continued my series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:16 entitled, “Tell The Truth.” I argued that God commands us to be people of truth who (1) tell the truth about God, (2) tell the truth about ourselves, and (3) tell the truth about God.
A little boy came up to me after church and told me what he learned from the message today, “Do not lie!” I think he was listening.
God willing, I will conclude this series with a message on Exodus 20:17 entitled, “Overcoming Covetousness.”
Praise God for all who were saved and added to the church in our services today.
A big “shout out” to our security team for the service today. Thanks guys!
I received the news this evening that Dr. WIllie Smith, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, went home to be with the Lord Saturday. Please remember his family and congregation in your prayers.
I also received news that Walter Hawkins passed away today. Please remember his family and congregation in your prayers.
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
The 2010 E.K. Bailey International Expository Preaching Conference
I am attending the E.K. Bailey International Expository Preaching Conference in Dallas. Pastor Bryan Carter and the Concord Church host this conference. The theme this year is “Preaching Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:5).
The late Dr. E.K. Bailey, the founding pastor of the Concord Church, established this conference. In a recent article by Michael Duduit, Dr. Bailey was listed among the twenty-five most influential preachers of the past twenty-five years. I fully agree. My own commitment to expository preaching was sealed as a result of hearing Dr. Bailey preach. He is one of my homiletical heroes. And his conference has been used by God to introduce and equip many preachers to rightly handle the word of truth.
The conference is already off and running. Last night, Michael Duduit and Maurice Watson brought the opening messages. Wow! That’s all I can say. This morning, Dr. Ramesh Richards and Pastor Bryan Carter will speak in the general sessions. Many other great preaches will be speaking this week. And there are many classes that area available. At the same time, a women’s conference is taking place under the leadership of Dr. Shelia M. Bailey.
I am scheduled to teach a session this afternoon on developing expository sermons. I will bring the message in the general session this evening. Wednesday morning, I am scheduled to participate in an extended session on developing a preaching plan. Then I have two sessions to teach Thursday afternoon, on developing expository sermons and the theology of preaching.
Please pray for the meeting and for the hundreds of Christian ministers who are here to learn, worship, and fellowship. And pray for Pastor Bryan Carter and the Concord Church, as they give leadership to this meeting.
Next year’s conference is scheduled for July 11-14, 2011.
The late Dr. E.K. Bailey, the founding pastor of the Concord Church, established this conference. In a recent article by Michael Duduit, Dr. Bailey was listed among the twenty-five most influential preachers of the past twenty-five years. I fully agree. My own commitment to expository preaching was sealed as a result of hearing Dr. Bailey preach. He is one of my homiletical heroes. And his conference has been used by God to introduce and equip many preachers to rightly handle the word of truth.
The conference is already off and running. Last night, Michael Duduit and Maurice Watson brought the opening messages. Wow! That’s all I can say. This morning, Dr. Ramesh Richards and Pastor Bryan Carter will speak in the general sessions. Many other great preaches will be speaking this week. And there are many classes that area available. At the same time, a women’s conference is taking place under the leadership of Dr. Shelia M. Bailey.
I am scheduled to teach a session this afternoon on developing expository sermons. I will bring the message in the general session this evening. Wednesday morning, I am scheduled to participate in an extended session on developing a preaching plan. Then I have two sessions to teach Thursday afternoon, on developing expository sermons and the theology of preaching.
Please pray for the meeting and for the hundreds of Christian ministers who are here to learn, worship, and fellowship. And pray for Pastor Bryan Carter and the Concord Church, as they give leadership to this meeting.
Next year’s conference is scheduled for July 11-14, 2011.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Notes for Sunday - Independence Day Weekend 2010
Happy Independence Day weekend!
It is a great blessing to live in the United States of America, with all of the liberties we enjoy. Thank God for those who have given their lives and continue to stand in harms way for our freedom.
Because it was the 4th of July, we adjusted our worship schedule. All Bible Study Fellowship groups were cancelled. And we only held one worship service – at 9 AM.
For the record, attendance was much better than I thought it was going to be.
I am praying for all the members of Shiloh who are traveling over the holiday. May the Lord put a hedge of protection around you and grant you to come and go in safety.
I am grateful for all the guests who were present in worship with us yesterday.
It was our privilege to celebrate the Lord’s Table yesterday. This is always a special time of worship and fellowship for us as a congregation.
Thank you to our deacons and deaconess for your service in and for our celebration of Communion.
I was greatly encouraged by the musical praise yesterday.
I continued my series on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) with a message on the eighth commandment that I entitled, “How Did You Get That?” (Exodus 20:15)
Sermon Point: Do not take or keep anything that does not belong to you.
Outline:
I. Do not rob other people.
II. Do not rob yourself.
III. Do not rob God.
Next Sunday’s sermon: “Tell the Truth” (Exodus 20:16)
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our worship service yesterday.
I am grateful to God for our Health Ministry and Security Team at Shiloh. When there is a medical emergency, these men and women are there to care for the sick and calm our members. Thank you for your service yesterday.
After church, I did absolutely nothing. It was wonderful!
What team do you think LeBron James will finally end up signing with? My guess is that he is going to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Congratulations to Serena Williams Rafael Nadal on their 2010 Wimbledon championships.
Please pray for me this week as I participate in the E.K. Bailey International Conference on Expository Preaching in Dallas.
It is a great blessing to live in the United States of America, with all of the liberties we enjoy. Thank God for those who have given their lives and continue to stand in harms way for our freedom.
Because it was the 4th of July, we adjusted our worship schedule. All Bible Study Fellowship groups were cancelled. And we only held one worship service – at 9 AM.
For the record, attendance was much better than I thought it was going to be.
I am praying for all the members of Shiloh who are traveling over the holiday. May the Lord put a hedge of protection around you and grant you to come and go in safety.
I am grateful for all the guests who were present in worship with us yesterday.
It was our privilege to celebrate the Lord’s Table yesterday. This is always a special time of worship and fellowship for us as a congregation.
Thank you to our deacons and deaconess for your service in and for our celebration of Communion.
I was greatly encouraged by the musical praise yesterday.
I continued my series on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) with a message on the eighth commandment that I entitled, “How Did You Get That?” (Exodus 20:15)
Sermon Point: Do not take or keep anything that does not belong to you.
Outline:
I. Do not rob other people.
II. Do not rob yourself.
III. Do not rob God.
Next Sunday’s sermon: “Tell the Truth” (Exodus 20:16)
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our worship service yesterday.
I am grateful to God for our Health Ministry and Security Team at Shiloh. When there is a medical emergency, these men and women are there to care for the sick and calm our members. Thank you for your service yesterday.
After church, I did absolutely nothing. It was wonderful!
What team do you think LeBron James will finally end up signing with? My guess is that he is going to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Congratulations to Serena Williams Rafael Nadal on their 2010 Wimbledon championships.
Please pray for me this week as I participate in the E.K. Bailey International Conference on Expository Preaching in Dallas.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Save Us from False Ambition
God, I am just too busy. Too many people, too many questions, too much to do. We confess we stay busy because we fear acknowledging our emptiness. How amid this busyness do we rest? How do we worship you? Please create space, which may be other people, to make time, our time, serve you. Force us to rest through the activity of prayer so that all our loves and fears might be made perfect in you. Help s see how such busy service, if it is service, may be just the rest we need – just the worship we need. Finally, and most importantly, save us from false ambition. Amen. - Stanley Hauerwas, Prayers Plainly Spoken, p. 72
Monday, June 28, 2010
I resumed my study of the Ten Commandments this past Sunday with a message on the seventh commandment. Yes, where's still counting number seven!
Here is the sermon skeleton...
Title: "Keeping Pleasure in its Place"
Text: Exodus 20:14
Series: The Ten Commandments: Loving God, Loving Your Neighbor
Theme: The sanctity of marriage and sex
Point: Do not have sex with any person you are not married to.
Outline:
I. Do not commit literal adultery: To commit adultery is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
II. Do not commit moral adultery: To commit fornication is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
III. Do not commit emotional adultery: To lust is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
IV. Do not commit spiritual adultery: To live in sin is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
Here is the sermon skeleton...
Title: "Keeping Pleasure in its Place"
Text: Exodus 20:14
Series: The Ten Commandments: Loving God, Loving Your Neighbor
Theme: The sanctity of marriage and sex
Point: Do not have sex with any person you are not married to.
Outline:
I. Do not commit literal adultery: To commit adultery is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
II. Do not commit moral adultery: To commit fornication is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
III. Do not commit emotional adultery: To lust is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
IV. Do not commit spiritual adultery: To live in sin is to put pleasure beyond its God-designed place.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 6/27/10
What a joy it was to be in worship with the Shiloh Church family and to minister the word of God to them today.
By the way…
I had the privilege of preaching at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education this past Tuesday in Houston. It was my first time attending the congress. I appreciate the privilege of preaching the word to this assembly.
Wednesday, I preach in Dallas for Pastor Brian Carter and the Concord Church as they celebrated their 35th anniversary.
I returned to Houston to hear President George Waddles’ address to the congress.
I also got to hear Dr. Jerry Black from Atlanta preach for the first time in a very last time. It was very encouraging.
I made it home Saturday afternoon. Hung out with the family. Prepared for Sunday.
Thank you to all of our volunteers. You make it happen!
I led our parent-child dedication for the first time today. It was a joy and privilege to lead the church in this important act of devotion.
Praise God for the one who was baptized today.
I am grateful for all of our guests in worship today, including our special guests - the Jean Ribault High School (not the William M. Raines) graduating class of 1985.
Two weeks in a row.
I continued my study of the Ten Commandments today with a message on Exodus 20:14 entitled, “Keeping Pleasure in its Place.”
I was supposed to preach this three weeks ago, but changed in the last minute. The next Sunday was Youth Sunday. And last Sunday was Father’s Day. So I am just getting to it today. Better late than never!
During lunch, H.B. told me to stop “double-looking” at his mother. Later, he asked me if my wife was my sister. At least he was listening to the sermon.
Next Sunday’s sermon: “How Did You Get That?” (Exodus 20:15)
Praise God for those who were added to the church today.
Thanks Mae for learning the tag to that song so quickly for me.
I enjoy baseball. But I am ready for football to begin. Go Cowboys!
Hung out with the kids this evening. Caught a movie. Good times.
By the way…
I had the privilege of preaching at the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education this past Tuesday in Houston. It was my first time attending the congress. I appreciate the privilege of preaching the word to this assembly.
Wednesday, I preach in Dallas for Pastor Brian Carter and the Concord Church as they celebrated their 35th anniversary.
I returned to Houston to hear President George Waddles’ address to the congress.
I also got to hear Dr. Jerry Black from Atlanta preach for the first time in a very last time. It was very encouraging.
I made it home Saturday afternoon. Hung out with the family. Prepared for Sunday.
Thank you to all of our volunteers. You make it happen!
I led our parent-child dedication for the first time today. It was a joy and privilege to lead the church in this important act of devotion.
Praise God for the one who was baptized today.
I am grateful for all of our guests in worship today, including our special guests - the Jean Ribault High School (not the William M. Raines) graduating class of 1985.
Two weeks in a row.
I continued my study of the Ten Commandments today with a message on Exodus 20:14 entitled, “Keeping Pleasure in its Place.”
I was supposed to preach this three weeks ago, but changed in the last minute. The next Sunday was Youth Sunday. And last Sunday was Father’s Day. So I am just getting to it today. Better late than never!
During lunch, H.B. told me to stop “double-looking” at his mother. Later, he asked me if my wife was my sister. At least he was listening to the sermon.
Next Sunday’s sermon: “How Did You Get That?” (Exodus 20:15)
Praise God for those who were added to the church today.
Thanks Mae for learning the tag to that song so quickly for me.
I enjoy baseball. But I am ready for football to begin. Go Cowboys!
Hung out with the kids this evening. Caught a movie. Good times.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Remember my Dad on Father's Day
My Father passed away Father’s Day weekend, 1989 – twenty-one years ago. I was 16-years-old.
I remember that day like it was just yesterday. I was young. But I think I understood what was going on. I prayed that I would be able to at least say goodbye to my day. That did not happen. But I was not angry with God at all. I did not know what was going to happen next in my life without my father. But I was not really worried.
I was numb with grief.
But I was also grateful. Very grateful.
I was immeasurably blessed to have H.B. Charles to be my father. He was not a perfect man – by no means. He made a lot of decisions that did not understand. Still don’t. But he was a good man. I am still reaping the harvest of the seeds he planted in my life. And I am still benefiting from the things he taught me over two decades ago.
It’s been a long time since that memorable last conversation with my dad. But I can still hear his voice. I can still see his smile. I smile as I remember his style, mannerisms, and idiosyncrasies. He was truly one of a kind. And I miss him.
My theology of heaven doesn’t allow me to think that he is looking down on me. I think heaven is too wonderful and Jesus Christ too glorious for him to be paying me any attention. But I hope I have become (and am becoming) the man and preaching he was praying, nurturing, and encouraging me to become.
I love my dad. I miss him greatly. And I thank God for him on this Father’s Day.
I remember that day like it was just yesterday. I was young. But I think I understood what was going on. I prayed that I would be able to at least say goodbye to my day. That did not happen. But I was not angry with God at all. I did not know what was going to happen next in my life without my father. But I was not really worried.
I was numb with grief.
But I was also grateful. Very grateful.
I was immeasurably blessed to have H.B. Charles to be my father. He was not a perfect man – by no means. He made a lot of decisions that did not understand. Still don’t. But he was a good man. I am still reaping the harvest of the seeds he planted in my life. And I am still benefiting from the things he taught me over two decades ago.
It’s been a long time since that memorable last conversation with my dad. But I can still hear his voice. I can still see his smile. I smile as I remember his style, mannerisms, and idiosyncrasies. He was truly one of a kind. And I miss him.
My theology of heaven doesn’t allow me to think that he is looking down on me. I think heaven is too wonderful and Jesus Christ too glorious for him to be paying me any attention. But I hope I have become (and am becoming) the man and preaching he was praying, nurturing, and encouraging me to become.
I love my dad. I miss him greatly. And I thank God for him on this Father’s Day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Bible Study Is Not Meant To Satisfy Our Curiosity
I think that there are people who enjoy Bible study the same way that other people enjoy filling out crossword puzzles. Get all the parts and get the thing completed – they find satisfaction. I think there are people that study the Bible that way. They can see how it relates to its context and how its details work to get across the concept. But if it never gets into your life, if it never really touches your experience, I doubt seriously that you can call it a study of biblical truth, because I think God’s truth is always designed to challenge and change us. – Haddon Robinson (Michael Duduit, Preaching with Power, pp. 155-56)
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Making Time for God
MAKING TIME FOR GOD
Exodus 20:8-11
Exodus 20:8-11 continues the train of thought of the previous three commandments. The first commandment -“You shall have no other gods before me” - instructs us to have the proper object of worship. The second commandment - “You shall not make for yourself a cared image” - instructs us to have the proper manner of worship. The third commandment - “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” - instructs us to have the proper attitude of worship. The fourth commandment - “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” - instructs us to have the proper time of worship. We must worship God exclusively, correctly, reverently, and – and this fourth commandment teaches - regularly. If you are not careful, life has a way of crowding God out. But redeemed people must never forget to make proper time for the God who created us, sustains us, and redeemed us. That is the message of this text. We must make time for God. Let’s talk about three aspects of this fourth command.
I. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SABBATH
This fourth commandment charges us to be faithful stewards of the gift of time. It gives us three ways to sanctify our time to and for God.
A. IT IS A CALL TO WORSHIP.
Exodus 20:8 commands: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This command to remember the Sabbath indicates that they already knew about it. After God delivered Israel from Egypt, he provided heavenly food called “Manna” for them to eat. Every day, when they woke up, it would be on the ground. And they would go out and collect enough for their households. On the sixth day they were to collect twice as much, because God did not provide the manna on the seventh day. Exodus 16:23 says, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.’” So Israel had already been introduced to the concept of the Sabbath. Now, in this Mosaic legislation of it, God tells them to remember the Sabbath. Verse 8b states the reason why it is to be remembered: “to keep it holy.”
The word “holy” means to be sanctified or set apart for the special purposes of God. In scripture, certain people, places, and things are called holy. But here we find that certain times are also holy. The Sabbath was to be remembered so that it would be kept holy. This emphasis on the holiness of the Sabbath is a call to worship. It is a call to deliberately set aside time for God. It is a call to regularly schedule time in your life where you and your family stop working to worship God. MATTHEW HENRY rightly said that the Sabbath was made a day of holy rest so that it might be a day of holy work. The Sabbath is a call to worship.
B. IT IS A CALL TO LABOR.
Verse 8 commands Israel to stop working one day a week to worship God. But verse 9 commands, “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work.” This verse makes it clear that God expects his people to work daily and diligently. This call to labor reminds us that work is good. Many people view success as getting to the place where you do not have to work anymore. But that view of life reflects our sinful nature, not God’s holy wisdom. God has wired us to work. Work is not the curse. God created us to work. Genesis 2:18 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” The dignity of work was established by God in creation. The fall of man into sin in Genesis 3 resulted in work being difficult, exhausting, and frustrating. But work itself is good. Work is a part of what it means for human beings to be made in the image of God. Our God works.
• God was at work in the creation of the world.
• God was at work through the history of Israel. God was at work in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in the church of Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in and through every one of you who has been born-again by faith in Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in this place right now.
GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, HIS WONDERS TO PERFORM
HE PLANTS HIS FOOTSTEPS ON THE SEAS, AND RIDES ON EVERY STORM
God works. People often say that the devil is busy. But the devil cannot out-busy God. God never takes a break. God never calls in sick. God never takes a vacation. God is always at work. God works the night shift. And God always finishes the work that he begins. Our God works. And he commands us to work. ARTHUR W. PINK has written, “He who never works is unfit for worship. Work is to pave the way for worship, as worship is to fit us for work.”
C. IT IS A CALL TO REST.
In The Tender Commandments, Ron Mehl writes of waking up in the ICU to see the face of his friend Jack Hayford, who had flown from Los Angeles to Beaverton to check on him. “Good enough for you?” was Hayford’s strange greeting. “You’re a prideful man, Ron,” he went on to say. “You think people are really impressed that you work seven days a week.” Hayford had told him this many times before. But Mehl always found a way to escape the subject. But this time he was trapped in ICU, recovering from a heart attack. Hayford continued “This is an ego thing for you, isn’t it, Ron? You want affirmation. You want everybody to say, ’Isn’t he amazing? Look at that Ron Mehl. Always in the office. Never misses a service. Works seven days a week!’ Get serious, Mehl. Who are you trying to impress? God? Well, I can tell you something. He’s not impressed. God’s only impressed with one thing, and that’s His Son?”
After this stern confrontation, Hayford lovingly counseled his longtime friend to take the life principle of Sabbath-rest more seriously. And I want to challenge us to embrace the wisdom of God that calls us to rest. Exodus 20:9-10 says: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” This commandment should is not some restrictive rule. It is loving concern of a good God. Our heavenly Father, in his infinite wisdom, commands us to rest. It’s a personal call to rest. God knows that you cannot make it without rest, refreshment and rejuvenation. So he gave us this human maintenance schedule. God calls those who will not work lazy. But God calls those who will not rest disobedient. In Mark 6:31, Jesus told his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” VANCE HAVNER used to say of this verse that if we do not come away we will fall apart. You need rest.
It is also a communal call to rest. Verse 10 says: “On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.” Every one was to rest – you, your children, servants, and animals, even strangers. This all inclusive call to rest was meant to affirm equality and justice for all, the precious nature of creation, and the human dignity of even the people from foreign lands. We need to remember that our family, coworkers, and possessions belong to God. Every person that you come across is a person of value who has been created in the image of God. The Lord affirmed this by calling the entire community – including the cattle – to rest on the Sabbath.
Lastly, it is a spiritual call to rest. Exodus 20:11 explains: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, an rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.” God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. God did not rest because he was tired. Omnipotence cannot become weary. He rested in order to set a pattern for us to follow. The Lord blessed and sanctified the seventh day in creation to get us to stop and remember that he is the Creator. God established the pattern of six days of work and one day of rest to remind us to that our lives do not depend on our work. It depends on God’s work. God is our creator, sustainer, and redeemer. Our lives depend on his work; not ours. RAY PRITCHARD said it well: We give 1 day in 7 to God because 7 out of 7 belong to him!!!
II. THE PRESCRIPTION OF THE SABBATH
This fourth commandment is the longest of the Ten Commandments. It is the only one that is not taught, repeated, or affirmed in the New Testament. And it is, without a doubt, the most controversial commandment. The principle of this commandment is clear. But the prescription of it is very controversial, because it does not just tell us to make time for God; it tells us when that time should be. The prescribed time is named in verse 8: the Sabbath day. It is specified in verse 10: the seventh day.
For the record, today is not the Sabbath day. It is not the seventh day. It is not Saturday. Today is what the people of the text would have called the first or eighth day. Today is what the early church called the Lord’s Day. It is what we call Sunday. This Saturday-Sabbath/Sunday-Lord’s Day distinction makes this commandment so complicated. The issue is this: Do Christians violate this commandment by worshiping on Sunday? Why do Christians worship on Sunday when this commandment sets apart Saturday as the day of worship? Sabbath keeping is the fourth commandment; therefore, if we believe that Christians are obligated to obey the Decalogue, aren’t we saying that they are to keep the Sabbath? My answer is no. As I mentioned, each of the Ten Commandments is emphasized in the New Testament, except this fourth commandment. There is no place in the New Testament where Christians are taught to keep the Sabbath. It is not even suggested.
Matthew 19:16-20; Mark 10:17-20, Luke 18:18-21; and Romans 13:8-10 record summaries of the law. But none of them mention the Sabbath-keeping. In Romans 13:9, Paul gives a summary of the commandments, without mentioning the Sabbath. But he says that any other commandment can be summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In the New Testament, love is the law. In John 13:34, Jesus says: “A new commandment I give to you, that your love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This verse affirms the fact that love supersedes the law. It also affirms the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ over everything. This is the key reason why the New Testament church is not commanded to observe the Saturday-Sabbath. The impeccable life, bloody cross, and empty tomb of Jesus has changed everything. This is why the early church intentionally, willingly, and naturally changed their day of worship to Sunday. It was to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. They did not just celebrate the resurrection in an annual Easter observance. They celebrated it in their Lord’s Day worship meetings every Sunday.
Colossians 2:16-17 says: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” This is God’s word to every person who defines his relationship to God in terms of strict diets or special days. Stop chasing shadows. Embrace the reality. Trust in Jesus. Christ is our Sabbath-rest. Hebrews 4:9-10 says: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” Did you get that? True rest comes through saving-faith in and personal devotion to Jesus Christ. In Mathew 11:28-30, Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus is our rest.
The Sabbath was one of the greatest points of tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious establishment. By the time of Jesus, Sabbath-keeping had been entangled with many restrictive rules that made the fulfillment of the fourth commandment hopeless for most Jews. It is said that there were some 1521 rabbinical rules that many religious leaders could not faithfully keep. In what I believe was a sincere attempt to keep this commandment, the religious establishment built “fence laws” around the Sabbath. And these applications were eventually given the same authority as the commandment itself, so if one broke the rules of the establishment he was viewed as a Sabbath breaker. That was one of the religious leaders’ charges against Jesus himself. The Gospels record six incidents in which Jesus’ actions resulted in controversy over the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 records how he responded on one of those occasions. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
III. THE PRACTICE OF THE SABBATH
The prescription of the Sabbath is controversial. However, the controversy must not as an excuse to neglect or reject the principle of the Sabbath. The confusion about the specific designation of this command does not free us from the reality that God commands that we make time for him. What is the practical application of this commandment for us today? Let me give you two ways we as Christians can honor the spirit of this fourth commandment.
A. PRIVATE DEVOTIONS
Psalm 118:24 says: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This verse affirms a fundamental fact you can count on every day: God is in charge. God is in control. God is sovereign over every moment, event, and situation you will face today, tomorrow, and everyday. The Lord makes every day. And he reigns over all that he creates. Because God is in charge, you ought to rejoice and be glad every day. If you really believe that God the Father is good, faithful, and sovereign, you ought not to be miserable, frustrated, and hard to get along with. You ought to be grateful, joyful, and content. I am not saying that you have to like everything that is going on in your life. But you ought live with the confidence of Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” It is one thing to know the truth of the Lord’s unchanging goodness. But it is another thing to live it out. The question is how do you practice the presence of God on a daily basis? Let me answer that by recommending to you that you make it a priority to spend quality time with God in private devotions every day.
• Make time to offer thanksgiving to God everyday.
• Make time to read a portion of his holy word every day.
• Make time to bring your personal needs to God in prayer every day.
• Make time to pray for the needs of others every day.
• Make time to bless God every day.
I was a teenager preaching out of town. I was bored, lonely, and homesick. It was miserable. And I didn’t know what to do about it. I ended up turning on the TV. A football game was on. After watching the game for a few minutes, I saw something that I have never paid attention to before. The quarterback threw an interception. And when they showed him on the sideline after the series, he had a phone to his ear. And the commentators began to talk about the instructions he might be getting from the press box. And God used that to turn my room into a sanctuary. You see, the head football coach is on the sidelines. But the other key coaches are often up in the press box, where they can have a better vantage point on the whole field. When the series is over; players call up to the press box to get instructions about what they are doing wrong and what they are doing right. And every day God blesses you to go out on the field of life; call up your press box through scripture and prayer.
B. CORPORATE WORSHIP
Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This passage emphasizes the fact that we need one another. And the mutual care that builds one another up requires that we regularly meet together for worship, prayer, service, fellowship, and instruction. In fact, we should disregard the profession of faith of any person who habitually neglects the corporate meetings of their local church. Our failure to submit to the wisdom of this text dishonors the Lord, stunts our growth, and hinders our mission.
Don’t use your family as an excuse to neglect corporate worship. “God understands,” people say. “Sunday is the only time I have to spend quality with my family.” Let me respond to that two ways. First, if you really want to spend quality time with your family, the best thing for you to do is bring your husband, wife, and children to worship God together. Shame on you if you think that staying in or hanging out with your family on Sunday is of more quality then bringing them to praise the Lord for who is he and thank the Lord for what he has done. Likewise, if Sunday is really the only time you have to spend with your family, you need to check your priorities. Shame of you if the Lord gives you six other days every week, and you cannot find any time in them to spend with your family. This also applies to extended family and friends. “God understands,” people say. “But I couldn’t come to church because I had guests at my house.” Let me remind you of something: God gave you what you have. So use your family as an excuse to miss corporate worship.
Do not use your work as an excuse to miss corporate worship. I know you are busy. I know you have a lot to do. I know that you have bills to pay. I know that you have places to go, things to do, and people to meet. But if your are too busy to come to worship the God who has been so good to you, you may too busy. J.C. PENNY said: If a man’s business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the Sunday morning and evening services, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, then that man has more business than God intended him to have. Don’t use your work as an excuse to miss corporate worship.
A certain man took over the presidency of a large corporation. An aide told him that there was a very important meeting called for the next day at ten o’clock. He said, “I’m sorry. I won’t be able to be there.” The aide said, “But, sir, this is regarding a very important matter. It’s a crisis that must be dealt with.” But he just shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, but I have a previous appointment. I can’t make it.” His aide said, “Sir, “I’d really like to know what appointment means so much to you that you can’t break it for something as important as this.” The president smiled and explained, “I have an appointment with the Lord God Almighty tomorrow at ten-thirty, in his house, at his table, and I will be there.” This man’s name was James Garfield. And he went on to become the president of the United States.
Lastly, don’t use church as an excuse to miss corporate worship. I have pastor friends who extended the invitation to church membership by saying, “If you aren’t growing; why are you going?” I struggle with this statement because I am convinced that church-hopping weakens Christians and sheep-stealing weakens churches. But, I admit, that statement does make a good point. You ought not force yourself to go to any church where you are not being taught, edified, and challenged. It grieves me to hear that some person or family has left our church. But I recognize that the best thing some people can do for the development of their faith is to find another church.
• If you cannot receive the clear and faithful teaching of the word of God, you may need to find you another church.
• If you live so far away that the distance easily becomes a regular reason why you can’t make it, you may need to find you another church.
• If you do not respect the leadership of your church, you may need to find another church.
• If your heart is hardening so that you cannot worship freely, serve willingly, and fellowship sincerely, you may need to find you another church.
Before you run out and find another church, let me challenge you to examine yourself. The problem may be your unwillingness to submit, reach out, forgive, get involved, or consider others. But there is a right time, a right reason, and a right way to leave your church. And you ought to find a new household of faith before you allow yourself to use the church as an excuse to miss corporate worship. God is too good, time is too short, and life is too hard for you to keep going to a place where you are not growing. So don’t let the church keep you from coming to corporate worship. And don’t let the church keep you from worshiping when you come.
There was an old lady who shouted in church every week, not matter what. If the preach died or hit it out of the park, she shouted. If the choir was on it or missed it, she shouted. If the atmosphere of the worship was warm or cold, she shouted. Some people around her could understand how she praised the Lord like that every Sunday. And they asked her how is that you praise God like that every Sunday, no matter how good or bad the service is. She answered, “Well, when the preacher is good; I look at him and see Jesus, and I shout. But if he’s bad, I look around him to see Jesus, and I shout. If the choir is good, I look at them and see Jesus, and I shout. And if they’re bad, I look around them and see Jesus, and I shout.
JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME, MY LIFE, MY JOY, MY ALL
HE IS MY STRENGTH FROM DAY TO DAY, WITHOUT HIM I WOULD FALL
WHEN I AM SAD, TO HIM I GO, NO OTHER NAME CAN CHEER ME SO
WHEN I AM SAD HE MAKES ME GLAD, HE’S MY FRIEND
Exodus 20:8-11
Exodus 20:8-11 continues the train of thought of the previous three commandments. The first commandment -“You shall have no other gods before me” - instructs us to have the proper object of worship. The second commandment - “You shall not make for yourself a cared image” - instructs us to have the proper manner of worship. The third commandment - “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” - instructs us to have the proper attitude of worship. The fourth commandment - “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” - instructs us to have the proper time of worship. We must worship God exclusively, correctly, reverently, and – and this fourth commandment teaches - regularly. If you are not careful, life has a way of crowding God out. But redeemed people must never forget to make proper time for the God who created us, sustains us, and redeemed us. That is the message of this text. We must make time for God. Let’s talk about three aspects of this fourth command.
I. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SABBATH
This fourth commandment charges us to be faithful stewards of the gift of time. It gives us three ways to sanctify our time to and for God.
A. IT IS A CALL TO WORSHIP.
Exodus 20:8 commands: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” This command to remember the Sabbath indicates that they already knew about it. After God delivered Israel from Egypt, he provided heavenly food called “Manna” for them to eat. Every day, when they woke up, it would be on the ground. And they would go out and collect enough for their households. On the sixth day they were to collect twice as much, because God did not provide the manna on the seventh day. Exodus 16:23 says, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.’” So Israel had already been introduced to the concept of the Sabbath. Now, in this Mosaic legislation of it, God tells them to remember the Sabbath. Verse 8b states the reason why it is to be remembered: “to keep it holy.”
The word “holy” means to be sanctified or set apart for the special purposes of God. In scripture, certain people, places, and things are called holy. But here we find that certain times are also holy. The Sabbath was to be remembered so that it would be kept holy. This emphasis on the holiness of the Sabbath is a call to worship. It is a call to deliberately set aside time for God. It is a call to regularly schedule time in your life where you and your family stop working to worship God. MATTHEW HENRY rightly said that the Sabbath was made a day of holy rest so that it might be a day of holy work. The Sabbath is a call to worship.
B. IT IS A CALL TO LABOR.
Verse 8 commands Israel to stop working one day a week to worship God. But verse 9 commands, “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work.” This verse makes it clear that God expects his people to work daily and diligently. This call to labor reminds us that work is good. Many people view success as getting to the place where you do not have to work anymore. But that view of life reflects our sinful nature, not God’s holy wisdom. God has wired us to work. Work is not the curse. God created us to work. Genesis 2:18 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” The dignity of work was established by God in creation. The fall of man into sin in Genesis 3 resulted in work being difficult, exhausting, and frustrating. But work itself is good. Work is a part of what it means for human beings to be made in the image of God. Our God works.
• God was at work in the creation of the world.
• God was at work through the history of Israel. God was at work in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in the church of Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in and through every one of you who has been born-again by faith in Jesus Christ.
• God is at work in this place right now.
GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, HIS WONDERS TO PERFORM
HE PLANTS HIS FOOTSTEPS ON THE SEAS, AND RIDES ON EVERY STORM
God works. People often say that the devil is busy. But the devil cannot out-busy God. God never takes a break. God never calls in sick. God never takes a vacation. God is always at work. God works the night shift. And God always finishes the work that he begins. Our God works. And he commands us to work. ARTHUR W. PINK has written, “He who never works is unfit for worship. Work is to pave the way for worship, as worship is to fit us for work.”
C. IT IS A CALL TO REST.
In The Tender Commandments, Ron Mehl writes of waking up in the ICU to see the face of his friend Jack Hayford, who had flown from Los Angeles to Beaverton to check on him. “Good enough for you?” was Hayford’s strange greeting. “You’re a prideful man, Ron,” he went on to say. “You think people are really impressed that you work seven days a week.” Hayford had told him this many times before. But Mehl always found a way to escape the subject. But this time he was trapped in ICU, recovering from a heart attack. Hayford continued “This is an ego thing for you, isn’t it, Ron? You want affirmation. You want everybody to say, ’Isn’t he amazing? Look at that Ron Mehl. Always in the office. Never misses a service. Works seven days a week!’ Get serious, Mehl. Who are you trying to impress? God? Well, I can tell you something. He’s not impressed. God’s only impressed with one thing, and that’s His Son?”
After this stern confrontation, Hayford lovingly counseled his longtime friend to take the life principle of Sabbath-rest more seriously. And I want to challenge us to embrace the wisdom of God that calls us to rest. Exodus 20:9-10 says: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” This commandment should is not some restrictive rule. It is loving concern of a good God. Our heavenly Father, in his infinite wisdom, commands us to rest. It’s a personal call to rest. God knows that you cannot make it without rest, refreshment and rejuvenation. So he gave us this human maintenance schedule. God calls those who will not work lazy. But God calls those who will not rest disobedient. In Mark 6:31, Jesus told his disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” VANCE HAVNER used to say of this verse that if we do not come away we will fall apart. You need rest.
It is also a communal call to rest. Verse 10 says: “On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.” Every one was to rest – you, your children, servants, and animals, even strangers. This all inclusive call to rest was meant to affirm equality and justice for all, the precious nature of creation, and the human dignity of even the people from foreign lands. We need to remember that our family, coworkers, and possessions belong to God. Every person that you come across is a person of value who has been created in the image of God. The Lord affirmed this by calling the entire community – including the cattle – to rest on the Sabbath.
Lastly, it is a spiritual call to rest. Exodus 20:11 explains: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, an rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.” God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. God did not rest because he was tired. Omnipotence cannot become weary. He rested in order to set a pattern for us to follow. The Lord blessed and sanctified the seventh day in creation to get us to stop and remember that he is the Creator. God established the pattern of six days of work and one day of rest to remind us to that our lives do not depend on our work. It depends on God’s work. God is our creator, sustainer, and redeemer. Our lives depend on his work; not ours. RAY PRITCHARD said it well: We give 1 day in 7 to God because 7 out of 7 belong to him!!!
II. THE PRESCRIPTION OF THE SABBATH
This fourth commandment is the longest of the Ten Commandments. It is the only one that is not taught, repeated, or affirmed in the New Testament. And it is, without a doubt, the most controversial commandment. The principle of this commandment is clear. But the prescription of it is very controversial, because it does not just tell us to make time for God; it tells us when that time should be. The prescribed time is named in verse 8: the Sabbath day. It is specified in verse 10: the seventh day.
For the record, today is not the Sabbath day. It is not the seventh day. It is not Saturday. Today is what the people of the text would have called the first or eighth day. Today is what the early church called the Lord’s Day. It is what we call Sunday. This Saturday-Sabbath/Sunday-Lord’s Day distinction makes this commandment so complicated. The issue is this: Do Christians violate this commandment by worshiping on Sunday? Why do Christians worship on Sunday when this commandment sets apart Saturday as the day of worship? Sabbath keeping is the fourth commandment; therefore, if we believe that Christians are obligated to obey the Decalogue, aren’t we saying that they are to keep the Sabbath? My answer is no. As I mentioned, each of the Ten Commandments is emphasized in the New Testament, except this fourth commandment. There is no place in the New Testament where Christians are taught to keep the Sabbath. It is not even suggested.
Matthew 19:16-20; Mark 10:17-20, Luke 18:18-21; and Romans 13:8-10 record summaries of the law. But none of them mention the Sabbath-keeping. In Romans 13:9, Paul gives a summary of the commandments, without mentioning the Sabbath. But he says that any other commandment can be summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In the New Testament, love is the law. In John 13:34, Jesus says: “A new commandment I give to you, that your love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This verse affirms the fact that love supersedes the law. It also affirms the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ over everything. This is the key reason why the New Testament church is not commanded to observe the Saturday-Sabbath. The impeccable life, bloody cross, and empty tomb of Jesus has changed everything. This is why the early church intentionally, willingly, and naturally changed their day of worship to Sunday. It was to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. They did not just celebrate the resurrection in an annual Easter observance. They celebrated it in their Lord’s Day worship meetings every Sunday.
Colossians 2:16-17 says: “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” This is God’s word to every person who defines his relationship to God in terms of strict diets or special days. Stop chasing shadows. Embrace the reality. Trust in Jesus. Christ is our Sabbath-rest. Hebrews 4:9-10 says: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” Did you get that? True rest comes through saving-faith in and personal devotion to Jesus Christ. In Mathew 11:28-30, Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus is our rest.
The Sabbath was one of the greatest points of tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious establishment. By the time of Jesus, Sabbath-keeping had been entangled with many restrictive rules that made the fulfillment of the fourth commandment hopeless for most Jews. It is said that there were some 1521 rabbinical rules that many religious leaders could not faithfully keep. In what I believe was a sincere attempt to keep this commandment, the religious establishment built “fence laws” around the Sabbath. And these applications were eventually given the same authority as the commandment itself, so if one broke the rules of the establishment he was viewed as a Sabbath breaker. That was one of the religious leaders’ charges against Jesus himself. The Gospels record six incidents in which Jesus’ actions resulted in controversy over the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 records how he responded on one of those occasions. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
III. THE PRACTICE OF THE SABBATH
The prescription of the Sabbath is controversial. However, the controversy must not as an excuse to neglect or reject the principle of the Sabbath. The confusion about the specific designation of this command does not free us from the reality that God commands that we make time for him. What is the practical application of this commandment for us today? Let me give you two ways we as Christians can honor the spirit of this fourth commandment.
A. PRIVATE DEVOTIONS
Psalm 118:24 says: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This verse affirms a fundamental fact you can count on every day: God is in charge. God is in control. God is sovereign over every moment, event, and situation you will face today, tomorrow, and everyday. The Lord makes every day. And he reigns over all that he creates. Because God is in charge, you ought to rejoice and be glad every day. If you really believe that God the Father is good, faithful, and sovereign, you ought not to be miserable, frustrated, and hard to get along with. You ought to be grateful, joyful, and content. I am not saying that you have to like everything that is going on in your life. But you ought live with the confidence of Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.” It is one thing to know the truth of the Lord’s unchanging goodness. But it is another thing to live it out. The question is how do you practice the presence of God on a daily basis? Let me answer that by recommending to you that you make it a priority to spend quality time with God in private devotions every day.
• Make time to offer thanksgiving to God everyday.
• Make time to read a portion of his holy word every day.
• Make time to bring your personal needs to God in prayer every day.
• Make time to pray for the needs of others every day.
• Make time to bless God every day.
I was a teenager preaching out of town. I was bored, lonely, and homesick. It was miserable. And I didn’t know what to do about it. I ended up turning on the TV. A football game was on. After watching the game for a few minutes, I saw something that I have never paid attention to before. The quarterback threw an interception. And when they showed him on the sideline after the series, he had a phone to his ear. And the commentators began to talk about the instructions he might be getting from the press box. And God used that to turn my room into a sanctuary. You see, the head football coach is on the sidelines. But the other key coaches are often up in the press box, where they can have a better vantage point on the whole field. When the series is over; players call up to the press box to get instructions about what they are doing wrong and what they are doing right. And every day God blesses you to go out on the field of life; call up your press box through scripture and prayer.
B. CORPORATE WORSHIP
Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This passage emphasizes the fact that we need one another. And the mutual care that builds one another up requires that we regularly meet together for worship, prayer, service, fellowship, and instruction. In fact, we should disregard the profession of faith of any person who habitually neglects the corporate meetings of their local church. Our failure to submit to the wisdom of this text dishonors the Lord, stunts our growth, and hinders our mission.
Don’t use your family as an excuse to neglect corporate worship. “God understands,” people say. “Sunday is the only time I have to spend quality with my family.” Let me respond to that two ways. First, if you really want to spend quality time with your family, the best thing for you to do is bring your husband, wife, and children to worship God together. Shame on you if you think that staying in or hanging out with your family on Sunday is of more quality then bringing them to praise the Lord for who is he and thank the Lord for what he has done. Likewise, if Sunday is really the only time you have to spend with your family, you need to check your priorities. Shame of you if the Lord gives you six other days every week, and you cannot find any time in them to spend with your family. This also applies to extended family and friends. “God understands,” people say. “But I couldn’t come to church because I had guests at my house.” Let me remind you of something: God gave you what you have. So use your family as an excuse to miss corporate worship.
Do not use your work as an excuse to miss corporate worship. I know you are busy. I know you have a lot to do. I know that you have bills to pay. I know that you have places to go, things to do, and people to meet. But if your are too busy to come to worship the God who has been so good to you, you may too busy. J.C. PENNY said: If a man’s business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the Sunday morning and evening services, and Wednesday night prayer meeting, then that man has more business than God intended him to have. Don’t use your work as an excuse to miss corporate worship.
A certain man took over the presidency of a large corporation. An aide told him that there was a very important meeting called for the next day at ten o’clock. He said, “I’m sorry. I won’t be able to be there.” The aide said, “But, sir, this is regarding a very important matter. It’s a crisis that must be dealt with.” But he just shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, but I have a previous appointment. I can’t make it.” His aide said, “Sir, “I’d really like to know what appointment means so much to you that you can’t break it for something as important as this.” The president smiled and explained, “I have an appointment with the Lord God Almighty tomorrow at ten-thirty, in his house, at his table, and I will be there.” This man’s name was James Garfield. And he went on to become the president of the United States.
Lastly, don’t use church as an excuse to miss corporate worship. I have pastor friends who extended the invitation to church membership by saying, “If you aren’t growing; why are you going?” I struggle with this statement because I am convinced that church-hopping weakens Christians and sheep-stealing weakens churches. But, I admit, that statement does make a good point. You ought not force yourself to go to any church where you are not being taught, edified, and challenged. It grieves me to hear that some person or family has left our church. But I recognize that the best thing some people can do for the development of their faith is to find another church.
• If you cannot receive the clear and faithful teaching of the word of God, you may need to find you another church.
• If you live so far away that the distance easily becomes a regular reason why you can’t make it, you may need to find you another church.
• If you do not respect the leadership of your church, you may need to find another church.
• If your heart is hardening so that you cannot worship freely, serve willingly, and fellowship sincerely, you may need to find you another church.
Before you run out and find another church, let me challenge you to examine yourself. The problem may be your unwillingness to submit, reach out, forgive, get involved, or consider others. But there is a right time, a right reason, and a right way to leave your church. And you ought to find a new household of faith before you allow yourself to use the church as an excuse to miss corporate worship. God is too good, time is too short, and life is too hard for you to keep going to a place where you are not growing. So don’t let the church keep you from coming to corporate worship. And don’t let the church keep you from worshiping when you come.
There was an old lady who shouted in church every week, not matter what. If the preach died or hit it out of the park, she shouted. If the choir was on it or missed it, she shouted. If the atmosphere of the worship was warm or cold, she shouted. Some people around her could understand how she praised the Lord like that every Sunday. And they asked her how is that you praise God like that every Sunday, no matter how good or bad the service is. She answered, “Well, when the preacher is good; I look at him and see Jesus, and I shout. But if he’s bad, I look around him to see Jesus, and I shout. If the choir is good, I look at them and see Jesus, and I shout. And if they’re bad, I look around them and see Jesus, and I shout.
JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME, MY LIFE, MY JOY, MY ALL
HE IS MY STRENGTH FROM DAY TO DAY, WITHOUT HIM I WOULD FALL
WHEN I AM SAD, TO HIM I GO, NO OTHER NAME CAN CHEER ME SO
WHEN I AM SAD HE MAKES ME GLAD, HE’S MY FRIEND
Monday, May 24, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 05/23/10
This was a great weekend in the life of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.
Saturday was our “Make a Difference Day.” The ministries, districts, and Bible Study fellowship groups blitzed our city with good works to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful day of service, fellowship, and witness. May the Lord be praised for all that was done in his name (Matt. 5:16)!
Thank you to all who served during MADD10. You make it happen!
As always, I am thankful for all of our guests who were in worship with us today.
There were two couples in worship today that celebrate 53 years of marriage this week. Way cool.
Our Youth choir and young adult choir led the music in worship this morning. I am grateful for their service.
They did not listen to the “Mand of Gawd” and allowed my wife Crystal to sing with the young adult choir today. What a setback to music! As wonderful as Crystal is, singing is not one of her gifts. However, she lip-syncs excellently
Lawrence Flowers, a very talented young man, led a selection in our 8 AM service. I was glad to have him as our special guest.
I continued our series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:8-11 entitled, “”Making Time for God.”
A good Ray Pritchard quote that I did not get to use in either message today: “We give 1 day in 7 to God because 7 out of 7 belong to him!”
As strange as it sounds, I actually had a good time preaching on “remembering the Sabbath day.”
Next Sunday’s message: “God’s Pro-Life Policy” (Exodus 20:13).
Now, in the latest episode of “The Strangest Things Happen in Church:” So I am preaching during the 8 AM service. And out of nowhere, a balloon begins to descend from the rafters right in front of the main camera. It took everything for me not to freak out when I saw some U.F.O. floating down on my members!
Praise God for all those who were saved and added to the church today.
Sunday afternoon, our congregation worshiped with the Emanuel Baptist Church to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pastor Herb Anderson. Pastor Anderson is a beloved son of Shiloh. And it was a joy to join in this special celebration. Our youth choir led the music. I preached with the little bit of gas I had left in the tank.
Did the Lakers lose last night?
Saturday was our “Make a Difference Day.” The ministries, districts, and Bible Study fellowship groups blitzed our city with good works to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. It was a wonderful day of service, fellowship, and witness. May the Lord be praised for all that was done in his name (Matt. 5:16)!
Thank you to all who served during MADD10. You make it happen!
As always, I am thankful for all of our guests who were in worship with us today.
There were two couples in worship today that celebrate 53 years of marriage this week. Way cool.
Our Youth choir and young adult choir led the music in worship this morning. I am grateful for their service.
They did not listen to the “Mand of Gawd” and allowed my wife Crystal to sing with the young adult choir today. What a setback to music! As wonderful as Crystal is, singing is not one of her gifts. However, she lip-syncs excellently
Lawrence Flowers, a very talented young man, led a selection in our 8 AM service. I was glad to have him as our special guest.
I continued our series on the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:8-11 entitled, “”Making Time for God.”
A good Ray Pritchard quote that I did not get to use in either message today: “We give 1 day in 7 to God because 7 out of 7 belong to him!”
As strange as it sounds, I actually had a good time preaching on “remembering the Sabbath day.”
Next Sunday’s message: “God’s Pro-Life Policy” (Exodus 20:13).
Now, in the latest episode of “The Strangest Things Happen in Church:” So I am preaching during the 8 AM service. And out of nowhere, a balloon begins to descend from the rafters right in front of the main camera. It took everything for me not to freak out when I saw some U.F.O. floating down on my members!
Praise God for all those who were saved and added to the church today.
Sunday afternoon, our congregation worshiped with the Emanuel Baptist Church to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pastor Herb Anderson. Pastor Anderson is a beloved son of Shiloh. And it was a joy to join in this special celebration. Our youth choir led the music. I preached with the little bit of gas I had left in the tank.
Did the Lakers lose last night?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Notes from Shiloh's 135th Anniversary Sunday
Today we celebrated 135 years of God’s faithfulness to the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. What a church! What a history!! What a God!!!
Our media team prepared a brief video highlighting the history of our church. It was a wonderful testimony to the faithfulness of God to and through this wonderful local church.
Today’s worship was very encouraging to me. I believe our dreams are greater than our memories.
May the Lord be pleased to use Shiloh to spread the gospel and make disciples in a even greater way until Jesus returns!
I am especially grateful today for all our volunteers who serve at Shiloh. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You make it happen!
Praise God for those who were baptized today.
I led an “old school” number with the choir today, “Rise Up and Walk,” by Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers. I enjoyed leading in the musical praise and singing with our choir.
All of the music was uplifting today.
Pastor Keelan Atkinson of the Word Reformed Baptist Church of Greensboro (NC) was our guest speaker today.
I still “blame” Keelan for me being at Shiloh (LOL!). He is the one who repeatedly encouraged Shiloh’s chairman to look me up and invite me to preach.
Keelan preached from Jonah 1 during the 8 AM meeting and from Philippians 3 in the 10 AM service. Both messages were timely, challenging, and encouraging.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
Today was the first Sunday I have not preached (somewhere) since my installation as Shiloh’s pastor in November 2008. It felt weird at first. But I really needed it. I cannot describe what it meant for me to worship with my congregation today and sit under the word preached with them.
Lord willing, I will resume our study of the Ten Commandments next Sunday with a message entitled, “Making Time for God” (Exodus 20:8-11).
I took daughter Natalie out for a date this afternoon. We had a good time. But she wished her big brother was with us. That’s love!
Thanks for praying for me this past week as I preached the citywide revival in Buffalo. It was a great week of worship, ministry, and fellowship.
Please pray for our Make a Difference Day 2010 that will take place this Saturday. We plan to blitz the city of Jacksonville with good works that will demonstrate the love of Christ (Matthew 5:16).
Our media team prepared a brief video highlighting the history of our church. It was a wonderful testimony to the faithfulness of God to and through this wonderful local church.
Today’s worship was very encouraging to me. I believe our dreams are greater than our memories.
May the Lord be pleased to use Shiloh to spread the gospel and make disciples in a even greater way until Jesus returns!
I am especially grateful today for all our volunteers who serve at Shiloh. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. You make it happen!
Praise God for those who were baptized today.
I led an “old school” number with the choir today, “Rise Up and Walk,” by Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers. I enjoyed leading in the musical praise and singing with our choir.
All of the music was uplifting today.
Pastor Keelan Atkinson of the Word Reformed Baptist Church of Greensboro (NC) was our guest speaker today.
I still “blame” Keelan for me being at Shiloh (LOL!). He is the one who repeatedly encouraged Shiloh’s chairman to look me up and invite me to preach.
Keelan preached from Jonah 1 during the 8 AM meeting and from Philippians 3 in the 10 AM service. Both messages were timely, challenging, and encouraging.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
Today was the first Sunday I have not preached (somewhere) since my installation as Shiloh’s pastor in November 2008. It felt weird at first. But I really needed it. I cannot describe what it meant for me to worship with my congregation today and sit under the word preached with them.
Lord willing, I will resume our study of the Ten Commandments next Sunday with a message entitled, “Making Time for God” (Exodus 20:8-11).
I took daughter Natalie out for a date this afternoon. We had a good time. But she wished her big brother was with us. That’s love!
Thanks for praying for me this past week as I preached the citywide revival in Buffalo. It was a great week of worship, ministry, and fellowship.
Please pray for our Make a Difference Day 2010 that will take place this Saturday. We plan to blitz the city of Jacksonville with good works that will demonstrate the love of Christ (Matthew 5:16).
Monday, April 19, 2010
Pray for a Busy Week of Preaching and Teaching
Tuesday begins a busy week of preaching in which I am scheduled to preach 11 sermons in 8 days in 3 different cities.
Tuesday: I am to preach the third week of the A.W.E. (April Word Experience) hosted by Pastor Kevin L. Pullam and the Friendship Baptist Church of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Wednesday: I will come home to preach our Midweek Service at Shiloh. I plan to continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount with a message on Matthew 5:38-42 entitled, “Radical Retaliation.”
Thursday: Our congregation will worship with Pastor Leophric Thomas and the Open Arms Christian Fellowship here in Jacksonville. I will be preaching their church anniversary and celebration of their new facilities.
Friday: I am to preach for Pastor Curtis Monroe for the closing night of the spring revival at Redeemer Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Saturday: I am to speak twice for the annual Men’s Conference sponsored by the Los Angeles Bible Training School (President Paul Felix). The service will be hosted by Pastor Carl Hargrove and the Fairview Heights Baptist Church.
Sunday: I am to preach the three morning worship services for Pastor George E. Hurtt at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
My friend, Romell Williams, Pastor of the Lilydale Baptist Church of Chicago, will be our guest speaker at Shiloh during our two morning worship services at 8 and 10 AM.
Sunday night, I am to attend the 35th pastoral anniversary for my Pastor, Dr. Melvin V. Wade, at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Los Angeles.
Monday: I am to be “the Order of the Day” (preacher) for the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles and Vicinity. Monday evening I am to speak for the chapel service at the Los Angeles Bible Training School (President Paul Felix).
Please remember this busy week of preaching and teaching in your prayers.
Tuesday: I am to preach the third week of the A.W.E. (April Word Experience) hosted by Pastor Kevin L. Pullam and the Friendship Baptist Church of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Wednesday: I will come home to preach our Midweek Service at Shiloh. I plan to continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount with a message on Matthew 5:38-42 entitled, “Radical Retaliation.”
Thursday: Our congregation will worship with Pastor Leophric Thomas and the Open Arms Christian Fellowship here in Jacksonville. I will be preaching their church anniversary and celebration of their new facilities.
Friday: I am to preach for Pastor Curtis Monroe for the closing night of the spring revival at Redeemer Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
Saturday: I am to speak twice for the annual Men’s Conference sponsored by the Los Angeles Bible Training School (President Paul Felix). The service will be hosted by Pastor Carl Hargrove and the Fairview Heights Baptist Church.
Sunday: I am to preach the three morning worship services for Pastor George E. Hurtt at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.
My friend, Romell Williams, Pastor of the Lilydale Baptist Church of Chicago, will be our guest speaker at Shiloh during our two morning worship services at 8 and 10 AM.
Sunday night, I am to attend the 35th pastoral anniversary for my Pastor, Dr. Melvin V. Wade, at the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of Los Angeles.
Monday: I am to be “the Order of the Day” (preacher) for the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles and Vicinity. Monday evening I am to speak for the chapel service at the Los Angeles Bible Training School (President Paul Felix).
Please remember this busy week of preaching and teaching in your prayers.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 04/18/10
We have a good day of worship at Shiloh today. For the record, each Sunday we are privileged to gather together for worship is a great blessing.
I went into our main building much earlier than usual this morning to get my Bible. But our Greeters were already gathered, preparing to greet the worshipers as they came into the doors. Thank you sisters for your service.
I enjoy my time with our new members this morning. I did not finish my lesson, however. I don’t know where the time went.
We sung “How Great Thou Art” as a congregation this morning. I love the great hymns of the church!
The choir sung a song from Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers: “Making a Way.” You can’t go wrong with the Tommies!
I was a great joy to baptize our new members this morning.
Praise God for all of our guests in worship on Sunday. I am always encouraged by the presence of guests. It means our people have been inviting their family and friends to worship.
I continued my study of the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:4-6 entitled “How to Worship God.”
I think I get really caught up with I am teaching about worship.
I worked hard to edit down my thoughts for preaching. But I still did not feel like I finished explaining the text in either service. It was a horrible feeling. May the, as always, look over my poor work and bless his people.
Random observation: People who sleep during the sermon should sit in the back of the church. Or maybe the balcony.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
Today was the second week of our new youth service for our teens. I have received good reports that it is off to a good start. Continue to pray for Pastor Andrae Robinson and the volunteers that are working alongside of us.
Our new Director of Media, Dan Beckwith, is on his way back to Texas to bring his wife and children to Jacksonville this week. Pray for their safe travel and relocation process.
Pray for our baby girl, Hailey. She has been having stomach problems all weekend. It got worse this morning. Crystal had to stay home with her today.
My prediction for the NBA playoffs: The Cleveland Cavaliers will be your new NBA champions.
How long will it be before Nike breaks out the new Kobe and Lebron puppets commercials?
Fight fans: Kelly Pavlik lost his middleweight belt to Sergio Martinez on Saturday night in a 12-round unanimous decision.
Prediction: This will be a very long week.
I went into our main building much earlier than usual this morning to get my Bible. But our Greeters were already gathered, preparing to greet the worshipers as they came into the doors. Thank you sisters for your service.
I enjoy my time with our new members this morning. I did not finish my lesson, however. I don’t know where the time went.
We sung “How Great Thou Art” as a congregation this morning. I love the great hymns of the church!
The choir sung a song from Rev. Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers: “Making a Way.” You can’t go wrong with the Tommies!
I was a great joy to baptize our new members this morning.
Praise God for all of our guests in worship on Sunday. I am always encouraged by the presence of guests. It means our people have been inviting their family and friends to worship.
I continued my study of the Ten Commandments with a message on Exodus 20:4-6 entitled “How to Worship God.”
I think I get really caught up with I am teaching about worship.
I worked hard to edit down my thoughts for preaching. But I still did not feel like I finished explaining the text in either service. It was a horrible feeling. May the, as always, look over my poor work and bless his people.
Random observation: People who sleep during the sermon should sit in the back of the church. Or maybe the balcony.
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church today.
Today was the second week of our new youth service for our teens. I have received good reports that it is off to a good start. Continue to pray for Pastor Andrae Robinson and the volunteers that are working alongside of us.
Our new Director of Media, Dan Beckwith, is on his way back to Texas to bring his wife and children to Jacksonville this week. Pray for their safe travel and relocation process.
Pray for our baby girl, Hailey. She has been having stomach problems all weekend. It got worse this morning. Crystal had to stay home with her today.
My prediction for the NBA playoffs: The Cleveland Cavaliers will be your new NBA champions.
How long will it be before Nike breaks out the new Kobe and Lebron puppets commercials?
Fight fans: Kelly Pavlik lost his middleweight belt to Sergio Martinez on Saturday night in a 12-round unanimous decision.
Prediction: This will be a very long week.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Notes from Sunday - 4/11/10
We had a good day of worship yesterday at Shiloh.
I was really glad to be home after preaching in Chicago last week.
I enjoyed teaching my new member!s class yesterday. I started off with an illustration yesterday that really did not work. But I think I was able to recover. So much for trying to be clever!
As always, I am glad and grateful for all the guests who were in the worship yesterday.
Where were the rest off the saints yesterday?
Our children's choir led us in musical praise during out 10 AM service. I was so excited to hear the adapted hymns they sung that I did not know what to say.
For the record, I love hymns. The older the better!
Yesterday, our youth pastor, Andrae Robinson, begin a new worship service for our middle and high schoolers. I understand that the first meeting went well. Please pray for God's blessings on this section.
I began my new series on the 10 Commandments with a message on Exodus 29:1-3 called "No Competition."
I think my 8 AM sermon sounded very different from my 10 AM sermon. But I enjoyed preaching both times.
Next week's sermon: "How to Worship God" (Exodus 20:4-6).
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our 8 AM worship service yesterday.
Texas Stadium, former home of the Dallas Cowboys was demolished yesterday morning. Precious memories, how they linger!
Are you ready for the NBA playoffs?
I was really glad to be home after preaching in Chicago last week.
I enjoyed teaching my new member!s class yesterday. I started off with an illustration yesterday that really did not work. But I think I was able to recover. So much for trying to be clever!
As always, I am glad and grateful for all the guests who were in the worship yesterday.
Where were the rest off the saints yesterday?
Our children's choir led us in musical praise during out 10 AM service. I was so excited to hear the adapted hymns they sung that I did not know what to say.
For the record, I love hymns. The older the better!
Yesterday, our youth pastor, Andrae Robinson, begin a new worship service for our middle and high schoolers. I understand that the first meeting went well. Please pray for God's blessings on this section.
I began my new series on the 10 Commandments with a message on Exodus 29:1-3 called "No Competition."
I think my 8 AM sermon sounded very different from my 10 AM sermon. But I enjoyed preaching both times.
Next week's sermon: "How to Worship God" (Exodus 20:4-6).
Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in our 8 AM worship service yesterday.
Texas Stadium, former home of the Dallas Cowboys was demolished yesterday morning. Precious memories, how they linger!
Are you ready for the NBA playoffs?
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Heading Home from the Biblical Exposition Conference of Chicago
I preached my final sermon this morning at the Biblical Exposition Conference of Chicago this morning. This has been a great week of worship, study, and fellowship. And it has been a joy to minister to the word of God to this eager minds and hearts this week.
I really do believe that pastors, Sunday school teachers, and counselors are on the front line of Christian ministry. They are the unsung heroes of the church. I praise God for the opportunity to minister to them this week.
The meeting ends this evening with a closing service. Pray God's blessings for this final time together and for all the delegates who will be heading home in the morning.
Most years I have been in Oklahoma City the week after Easter. I have had the privilege of speaking for Dr. John Reed, Jr. at the Fairview Baptist Church.
Because of the schedule conflict, I was not able to attend this year. But Fairview and OKC are on my mind this week. I am praying that the Lord will send revival to and through the OKC churches through this unique week of spiritual renewal.
I really do believe that pastors, Sunday school teachers, and counselors are on the front line of Christian ministry. They are the unsung heroes of the church. I praise God for the opportunity to minister to them this week.
The meeting ends this evening with a closing service. Pray God's blessings for this final time together and for all the delegates who will be heading home in the morning.
Most years I have been in Oklahoma City the week after Easter. I have had the privilege of speaking for Dr. John Reed, Jr. at the Fairview Baptist Church.
Because of the schedule conflict, I was not able to attend this year. But Fairview and OKC are on my mind this week. I am praying that the Lord will send revival to and through the OKC churches through this unique week of spiritual renewal.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Speaking @ the Biblical Expositional Conference in Chicago
I am in Chicago. I preached the opening message of the Biblical Expositional Conference. Dr. George Waddles, Pastor of the Zion Hill Baptist Church, is the host.
I preached from 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
The rest of the conference will consist of classes that Bible study techniques like observation, context, culture, and grammar.
I am to preach at 8 AM each morning to begin the dat of classes.
Outside of my own pulpit, it is my greatest joy to have the opportunity to minister to pastors, teachers, and Christian educators.
Please pray God's blessings on this conference this week.
I preached from 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
The rest of the conference will consist of classes that Bible study techniques like observation, context, culture, and grammar.
I am to preach at 8 AM each morning to begin the dat of classes.
Outside of my own pulpit, it is my greatest joy to have the opportunity to minister to pastors, teachers, and Christian educators.
Please pray God's blessings on this conference this week.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Notes from Easter Sunday 2010
The choir did a song from Walter Hawkins' "Love Alive IV" called. This one of my favorite Gospel albums. But I have never heard this song performed in a worship service before.
The ensemble really did set the stage for preaching with their selection.
I preached on "Seeing and Believing" from John 20:24-29.
Praise God for all who were saved and added to the church in our worship services today. To God be the glory!
Thank you to all of our volunteers. You make it happen at Shiloh? And I am glad to have you on our team.
An open appeal to Roy Jones, Jr. Please retire. Please.
My friends asked if a was doing a bracket. I told them no. All that mattered to me was that Duke was going to win it all. They should listen to the Mand of Gawd!
One word: iPad!
I have a flight to Chicago in the morning to bring the opening message at an expository preaching conference tomorrow night. Remember me in your prayers.
The ensemble really did set the stage for preaching with their selection.
I preached on "Seeing and Believing" from John 20:24-29.
Praise God for all who were saved and added to the church in our worship services today. To God be the glory!
Thank you to all of our volunteers. You make it happen at Shiloh? And I am glad to have you on our team.
An open appeal to Roy Jones, Jr. Please retire. Please.
My friends asked if a was doing a bracket. I told them no. All that mattered to me was that Duke was going to win it all. They should listen to the Mand of Gawd!
One word: iPad!
I have a flight to Chicago in the morning to bring the opening message at an expository preaching conference tomorrow night. Remember me in your prayers.
Because of Easter
Because of Good Friday you can look back and not be afraid.
Because of Easter you can look ahead and not be afraid.
Because of Ascension Day you can look up and not be afraid.
Because of Pentecost you can look inward and not be afraid.
Because of Easter you can look ahead and not be afraid.
Because of Ascension Day you can look up and not be afraid.
Because of Pentecost you can look inward and not be afraid.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Speaking @ St. Thomas in Jacksonville
I am speaking tonight for Pastor Ernie Murray at the St. Thomas Baptist Church tonight. This will be my second year participating in their Holy Week Revival. We had a great time of worship last year. And I am looking forward to tonight's service.
The service starts at 7 PM at 5863 Moncrief Road. Our mass choir will lead the musical praise. And I am to bring the message.
Please pray God's blessings in this service tonight.
And remember Shiloh's Good Friday Service is scheduled for tomorrow at 12 PM. Join us or watch online at www.smbcjax.com.
The service starts at 7 PM at 5863 Moncrief Road. Our mass choir will lead the musical praise. And I am to bring the message.
Please pray God's blessings in this service tonight.
And remember Shiloh's Good Friday Service is scheduled for tomorrow at 12 PM. Join us or watch online at www.smbcjax.com.
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