So, one of
the most lucrative made-for-Hallmark holiday moments is right around the
corner, and if you haven’t bought your mother an obligatory card or a token
gift you’re probably going to be banished to the island of Unequivocal Guilt
Levels You (aka, UGLY), where all of the bad children go when they fail to come
through on that one particular day of the entire year when how you treat your
mother makes all the difference.
I’m not
against mothers, you understand. I was born to one, as you probably were, too.
And I have been incredibly blessed to have been raised by a wonderful, godly
mother. You may have been, too. Praise God for mothers who fear the Lord and
train up their children in the way they should go!
But if you
detected a hint of sarcasm in that opening paragraph, I assure you my
objections are aimed not at mothers but at the disproportionate value attached
to that one day. I could literally be a thoughtless, ungrateful, disrespectful,
rebellious jerk of a son for 364 days of the year, but if I score a nice card
and a decent gift on Mother’s Day, I’m good for another year. On the other
hand, if I treat my mom like a queen throughout the year but blow it on
Mother’s Day, it’s UGLY for me.
Okay, that
may not be exactly how it works, but there’s some validity there.
All I’m saying is that we ought to
honor our mothers every day. If it helps you to have a special day once a year
to remember to do that, fine. But in light of the fact that, first of all, we
are commanded by God to do so, and secondly, that our mothers have poured more
love and care and prayer into us than we’ll ever know, we should make every
effort to show them honor, appreciation and love while we have the opportunity.
I’m done ranting now.
With that said, I also realize that
Mother’s Day is not a happy time for everyone. I know of some moms who have
lost a child, and the pain of this day for them is unbearable. Other mothers
have children who have wandered far from the faith in which they were raised.
Still others are reminded of the grief and shame of having aborted a baby, and
others of the fact that they didn’t do such a great job of being a mom.
It’s true that not everyone has had
a good mom. If that’s your case, then please know that I truly hurt for you.
May the Lord God himself shelter you under his wings of love and protection
that you might rest securely in his abundant grace.
Speaking of grace, maybe you’re a
mom who knows that you’ve blown it. What can you do but fall upon the mercy and
grace of a great God and Savior whose arms are strong enough to catch you, the
One who is also more than able to make a masterpiece out of a mess? Yes, even
you! A favorite song of mine says it well:
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus.
Maybe you’ve been living on the
island of UGLY, but I assure you on the authority of the Word of God that there
is hope and a way of salvation for you. Jesus didn’t come and lay down his life
on the cross for perfect people. He came for sinful wretches like you and me.
Don’t think your sin is too much for him to bear, either. He came for thieves
and liars and adulterers and prostitutes and lepers and murderers and the
demon-possessed. It’s all in the Bible; look it up.
“For God so loved the world that he
gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish
but have eternal life” (John 3:16). You may be a wretch, but you’re also a
“whosoever,” and, praise God, his amazing grace has saved a wretch like me! He
can save you, too, dear friend. Cry out to Jesus, and you’ll find grace.
And by the way, I did get a card and gift for my mom (or at least my wife got it for me), just in case you were wondering.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Confident faith in Christ through the chaos of life
The news has been wild and crazy lately. I’m not really a news junkie, but
probably watched more TV coverage than I needed to. The Boston Marathon
bombings and ensuing manhunt for the suspects proved to be excruciatingly riveting
drama. Then you had the fertilizer plant explosion that rocked West, Texas, leaving
more trauma in its wake, which would have been headline news for a week if not
for Boston.
There was the mind-numbing shooting in the small town of Manchester not too far away just last week which left five family members dead, with a six-year-old girl barely surviving the senseless attack.
On top of that we’ve been dealing locally with major flooding issues in our own state and in communities not far from here. The mayor of Beardstown has declared a state of emergency as he watches the river rising on the way to record levels. My family and I had been keeping a pretty close eye on the waters rising from the Sangamon River and creeping through the field across from the parsonage. Thankfully the Lord set the boundaries and the waters receded before reaching the house.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Life is filled with uncertainty, chaos and calamity, but Jesus fills us with peace and comfort and hope in the midst of the confusion. God does not intend that we live in fear, but in faith. And when we know Him as our Sovereign Lord, our Strong Tower, our Great Shepherd and our Mighty Defender, we can rest safely in His arms even though the world may come unglued all around us.
The villainous adversary, the prince of darkness, the mastermind of mayhem may wreak havoc of every sort in this world and in your life, but his schemes and his power are no match for the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. Yes, the battle is fierce as we face temptations of every kind, waves of sorrow and grief, encounters with despair and hopelessness and trials that threaten to undo us. But God is greater! The King of glory is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, who is able to save and rescue and deliver us from every confrontation and tribulation known to man.
Are you resting securely in Him? As the old song goes:
What have I to dread?
What have I to fear?
Leaning on the everlasting arms
I have blessed peace
With my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
In one the Bible’s most familiar stories, a young shepherd boy named David was squaring off against a towering opponent in one of the greatest UFC matches of all time. The giant struck fear into the heart of every warrior. No doubt even the announcer would have trembled in saying, “In this corner, standing over nine feet tall, weighing in at a mass that’s off the scales, wearing a bronze helmet and 125 pounds of body armor… ladies and gentlemen, the heavyweight champion of the world – Goliaaaaath!”
Las Vegas had the odds so high you couldn’t even place a bet. But the giant was no match for the one whose trust was in the name of the Lord. David could never defeat this enemy on his own, but he had absolute confidence that God would be victorious. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel,” (1 Samuel 17:45). And indeed, the battle belonged that day to the Lord, and the knock out was a stunning upset.
Friend, if you will put your trust in the name of the Lord Almighty, He will be your help in time of trouble. He will be your shelter in the raging storm. He will be your deliverer in seasons of despair. He will be your rock of refuge and your strong fortress when the darkness closes in. He will be your shield and defender from the attacks of the enemy. And don’t you know that the Lord Jesus will be your salvation from sin and death, for “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
This world may get even crazier, but God will never be defeated or dethroned.
He cannot fail
He must prevail
Have faith in God
Have faith in God!
There was the mind-numbing shooting in the small town of Manchester not too far away just last week which left five family members dead, with a six-year-old girl barely surviving the senseless attack.
On top of that we’ve been dealing locally with major flooding issues in our own state and in communities not far from here. The mayor of Beardstown has declared a state of emergency as he watches the river rising on the way to record levels. My family and I had been keeping a pretty close eye on the waters rising from the Sangamon River and creeping through the field across from the parsonage. Thankfully the Lord set the boundaries and the waters receded before reaching the house.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Life is filled with uncertainty, chaos and calamity, but Jesus fills us with peace and comfort and hope in the midst of the confusion. God does not intend that we live in fear, but in faith. And when we know Him as our Sovereign Lord, our Strong Tower, our Great Shepherd and our Mighty Defender, we can rest safely in His arms even though the world may come unglued all around us.
The villainous adversary, the prince of darkness, the mastermind of mayhem may wreak havoc of every sort in this world and in your life, but his schemes and his power are no match for the supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. Yes, the battle is fierce as we face temptations of every kind, waves of sorrow and grief, encounters with despair and hopelessness and trials that threaten to undo us. But God is greater! The King of glory is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, who is able to save and rescue and deliver us from every confrontation and tribulation known to man.
Are you resting securely in Him? As the old song goes:
What have I to dread?
What have I to fear?
Leaning on the everlasting arms
I have blessed peace
With my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Leaning, leaning
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning
Leaning on the everlasting arms
In one the Bible’s most familiar stories, a young shepherd boy named David was squaring off against a towering opponent in one of the greatest UFC matches of all time. The giant struck fear into the heart of every warrior. No doubt even the announcer would have trembled in saying, “In this corner, standing over nine feet tall, weighing in at a mass that’s off the scales, wearing a bronze helmet and 125 pounds of body armor… ladies and gentlemen, the heavyweight champion of the world – Goliaaaaath!”
Las Vegas had the odds so high you couldn’t even place a bet. But the giant was no match for the one whose trust was in the name of the Lord. David could never defeat this enemy on his own, but he had absolute confidence that God would be victorious. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel,” (1 Samuel 17:45). And indeed, the battle belonged that day to the Lord, and the knock out was a stunning upset.
Friend, if you will put your trust in the name of the Lord Almighty, He will be your help in time of trouble. He will be your shelter in the raging storm. He will be your deliverer in seasons of despair. He will be your rock of refuge and your strong fortress when the darkness closes in. He will be your shield and defender from the attacks of the enemy. And don’t you know that the Lord Jesus will be your salvation from sin and death, for “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
This world may get even crazier, but God will never be defeated or dethroned.
He cannot fail
He must prevail
Have faith in God
Have faith in God!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Come get your pardon
Here's a story I used in church recently about the depth of God’s desire to show forth His mercy and His
grace. This comes from the files of the great preacher D.L. Moody. I'll add my thoughts in the closing paragraph.
When I was in Ohio a few years ago, I was invited to preach in the State prison. Eleven hundred convicts were brought into the chapel, and all sat in front of me.
After I had finished preaching, the chaplain said to me, “Mr. Moody, I want to tell you of a scene which occurred in this room. A few years ago, our commissioners went to the Governor of the State, and got him to promise that he would pardon five men for good behaviour. The Governor consented, with this understanding—that the record was to be kept secret, and that at the end of six months the five men highest on the roll should receive a pardon, regardless of who or what they were. At the end of six months the prisoners were all brought into the chapel. The commissioners came; the president stood on the platform, and putting his hand in his pocket, brought out some papers, and said – ‘I hold in my hand pardons for five men.’”
The chaplain told me he never witnessed anything on earth like it. Every man was as still as death. Many were deadly pale. The suspense was awful; it seemed as if every heart had ceased to beat. The commissioner went on to tell them how they had got the pardon; but the chaplain interrupted him.
“Before you make your speech, read out the names. This suspense is awful.”
So he read out the first name, “Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon;” and he held it out, but none came forward.
He said to the warden, “Are all the prisoners here?” The warden told him they were all there. Then he said again, “Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon. It is signed and sealed by the Governor. He is a free man.”
Not one moved. The chaplain looked right down where Reuben was. He was well known; he had been nineteen years there, and many were looking round to see him spring to his feet. But he himself was looking round to see the fortunate man who had got his pardon. Finally the chaplain had caught his eye, and said, “Reuben, you are the man.”
Reuben turned round and looked behind him to see where Reuben was. The chaplain said the second time, “Reuben, you are the man;” and the second time he looked round, thinking it must be some other Reuben. He had to say three times, “Reuben, come and get your pardon.”
At last the truth began to steal over the old man. He got up, came along down the hall, trembling from head to foot, and when he got the pardon he looked at it, and went back to his seat, buried his face in his hands and wept. When the prisoners got into the ranks to go back to their cells, Reuben got into the ranks, too, and the chaplain had to call him, “Reuben, get out of the ranks; you are a free man, you are no longer a prisoner.”
And Reuben stepped out of the ranks. He was free!
Friend, this can be your story of freedom and breakthrough! Only God doesn’t base His grace upon your good behavior, for there is no one righteous. We have all sinned and deserve the just penalty of death. But, praise God, in His mercy He offers a pardon to whosoever will receive it by repentance and faith in Jesus. The liar, the thief, the adulterer and the homosexual. The greedy and the arrogant. Even the murderer who detonated the bomb in Boston. And you. Will you take it?
Whatever you’ve done, whatever you’ve been, freedom can be yours in Christ Jesus today. Come and get your pardon!
When I was in Ohio a few years ago, I was invited to preach in the State prison. Eleven hundred convicts were brought into the chapel, and all sat in front of me.
After I had finished preaching, the chaplain said to me, “Mr. Moody, I want to tell you of a scene which occurred in this room. A few years ago, our commissioners went to the Governor of the State, and got him to promise that he would pardon five men for good behaviour. The Governor consented, with this understanding—that the record was to be kept secret, and that at the end of six months the five men highest on the roll should receive a pardon, regardless of who or what they were. At the end of six months the prisoners were all brought into the chapel. The commissioners came; the president stood on the platform, and putting his hand in his pocket, brought out some papers, and said – ‘I hold in my hand pardons for five men.’”
The chaplain told me he never witnessed anything on earth like it. Every man was as still as death. Many were deadly pale. The suspense was awful; it seemed as if every heart had ceased to beat. The commissioner went on to tell them how they had got the pardon; but the chaplain interrupted him.
“Before you make your speech, read out the names. This suspense is awful.”
So he read out the first name, “Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon;” and he held it out, but none came forward.
He said to the warden, “Are all the prisoners here?” The warden told him they were all there. Then he said again, “Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon. It is signed and sealed by the Governor. He is a free man.”
Not one moved. The chaplain looked right down where Reuben was. He was well known; he had been nineteen years there, and many were looking round to see him spring to his feet. But he himself was looking round to see the fortunate man who had got his pardon. Finally the chaplain had caught his eye, and said, “Reuben, you are the man.”
Reuben turned round and looked behind him to see where Reuben was. The chaplain said the second time, “Reuben, you are the man;” and the second time he looked round, thinking it must be some other Reuben. He had to say three times, “Reuben, come and get your pardon.”
At last the truth began to steal over the old man. He got up, came along down the hall, trembling from head to foot, and when he got the pardon he looked at it, and went back to his seat, buried his face in his hands and wept. When the prisoners got into the ranks to go back to their cells, Reuben got into the ranks, too, and the chaplain had to call him, “Reuben, get out of the ranks; you are a free man, you are no longer a prisoner.”
And Reuben stepped out of the ranks. He was free!
Friend, this can be your story of freedom and breakthrough! Only God doesn’t base His grace upon your good behavior, for there is no one righteous. We have all sinned and deserve the just penalty of death. But, praise God, in His mercy He offers a pardon to whosoever will receive it by repentance and faith in Jesus. The liar, the thief, the adulterer and the homosexual. The greedy and the arrogant. Even the murderer who detonated the bomb in Boston. And you. Will you take it?
Whatever you’ve done, whatever you’ve been, freedom can be yours in Christ Jesus today. Come and get your pardon!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Let's Pray
The theme verse for this year’s event is taken from Matthew 12:21, “In His name the nations will put their hope.” Indeed, as Isaiah prophesied long before Jesus was sent from the Father into our world, Christ is the only One who offers true, everlasting hope.
The hope of the nations will never be found in a President or in the next American Idol or rising sports hero. The hope of the nations will never be found in the latest medical breakthrough or greatest technological advance. The hope of the nations will never come in stock market gains, peace treaties, government policies or Hollywood productions.
Jesus is the hope of the nations. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth. He is the Sovereign Ruler and Supreme Justice. He is the King of righteousness and King of glory. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! He is our Rock and Redeemer, Provider and Protector, Comforter and Friend. He is the Shelter in the storm, the Tower of Refuge, our Shield and Defender, our Shepherd and our Savior.
And friend, may I say to you that not only is Jesus the hope of the nations, but He’s the hope of the longing of your soul. Put your trust in Him, for He is the hope that will never fail and never disappoint. He is the living hope, an anchor for your soul, because He has conquered death by rising from the dead and lives forevermore.
If our nation will return in humble repentance and trust in Christ Jesus, we’ll find the steadfast and sure and unshakeable hope of resting securely on the faithfulness of Almighty God. And so will you. As you read through Pastor Laurie’s prayer, please internalize this and make it your own prayer to God on behalf of this land.
Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.
How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.
Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have “forgotten God.” But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.
Scripture tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, “Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You” (Psalm 85:6)?
That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land (2 Chronicles7:14).
Forgive us today, Lord, and heal this troubled land that we love so much.
We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Waiting on the Lord is always worth the wait
All right,
so nobody told me that signing your kid up for junior high track meant that
you’d be standing around all day waiting for him to run a race that took all of
15 seconds. In the cold wind, with sand and dirt blowing from every which
direction in your face and eyes. With a concession stand lunch consisting of a
lukewarm hotdog.
The sacrifices we parents make for our children. Guess I’m exaggerating a little. It wasn’t really all day. Just that we arrived in Rochester for the 9 a.m. meet, and it wasn’t until about 11 that Tyler participated in his first event, the long jump. Then we must have waited another two hours before he ran in the 100. Then I think it was another two hours before his relay team was on the track. So, yeah, pretty much all day.
Not a waste, mind you. We were able to see quite a few PORTA junior high athletes perform, and they all gave a great effort in representing the school. So, good job, guys, in your first meet of the season!
We are blessed to have a good school with teachers and coaches and administrators and staff, not to mention some outstanding volunteers, who lead our kids well and strive to prepare them for success in life, whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, through music and the arts and a host of other organizations in which they have opportunity to learn and to lead. Thank you for investing in our children’s lives!
Who really enjoys waiting, though? It’s not one of our strong points. We live in a culture where we want and expect things now, not later. You pull up to the drive-through at your favorite local fast food establishment and you don’t want to be there for 20 minutes when you only have a 30 minute lunch break. You arrive early at the doctor’s office for your appointment in hopes that you won’t have to wait too long, but you know bringing a good book with you anyway is a good idea. And who waits to read the morning newspaper when you can get all the stories right on your mobile device now?
The people of Israel were not good at waiting either. God had called their fearless leader Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai where He would give Him the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. As Moses went up the mountain, the glory of God came down in a cloud and His presence like a devouring fire lit up the atmosphere. I long for the day when God reveals His glory so visibly in our midst. Or perhaps I fear such a day.
Well, the people grew restless as Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain. They got tired of waiting. Apparently they forgot to bring their Kindle Fire along or couldn’t get a strong enough wifi signal to download another book to read. Either way, they wrote Moses off and demanded of Aaron that he make gods for them, apparently soon forgetting commandments number one and two (see Exodus 20:1-6).
And Aaron, Moses’ brother who was left in charge, rather than standing boldly for the Lord in truth and righteousness, caved in to the demands of the crowds, fashioned a golden calf and declared, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4).
It is a sad day when leaders of the people give in to the tide of current popular opinion instead of gaining strength by waiting upon the Lord. It is a sad day when leaders let the ungodly set the course and go right along with them. It is a sad day when leaders seek to please men rather than seeking to please God.
Rather than waiting to hear from Moses the Word of the Lord, the people began self-destructing by doing whatever they saw as right in their own eyes. Let us be a people who wait upon the Lord, who delight in and yield to the authority of God’s Word, and stand boldly upon His truth and righteousness in a world of wickedness and destruction.
The sacrifices we parents make for our children. Guess I’m exaggerating a little. It wasn’t really all day. Just that we arrived in Rochester for the 9 a.m. meet, and it wasn’t until about 11 that Tyler participated in his first event, the long jump. Then we must have waited another two hours before he ran in the 100. Then I think it was another two hours before his relay team was on the track. So, yeah, pretty much all day.
Not a waste, mind you. We were able to see quite a few PORTA junior high athletes perform, and they all gave a great effort in representing the school. So, good job, guys, in your first meet of the season!
We are blessed to have a good school with teachers and coaches and administrators and staff, not to mention some outstanding volunteers, who lead our kids well and strive to prepare them for success in life, whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, through music and the arts and a host of other organizations in which they have opportunity to learn and to lead. Thank you for investing in our children’s lives!
Who really enjoys waiting, though? It’s not one of our strong points. We live in a culture where we want and expect things now, not later. You pull up to the drive-through at your favorite local fast food establishment and you don’t want to be there for 20 minutes when you only have a 30 minute lunch break. You arrive early at the doctor’s office for your appointment in hopes that you won’t have to wait too long, but you know bringing a good book with you anyway is a good idea. And who waits to read the morning newspaper when you can get all the stories right on your mobile device now?
The people of Israel were not good at waiting either. God had called their fearless leader Moses to the top of Mt. Sinai where He would give Him the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. As Moses went up the mountain, the glory of God came down in a cloud and His presence like a devouring fire lit up the atmosphere. I long for the day when God reveals His glory so visibly in our midst. Or perhaps I fear such a day.
Well, the people grew restless as Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on the mountain. They got tired of waiting. Apparently they forgot to bring their Kindle Fire along or couldn’t get a strong enough wifi signal to download another book to read. Either way, they wrote Moses off and demanded of Aaron that he make gods for them, apparently soon forgetting commandments number one and two (see Exodus 20:1-6).
And Aaron, Moses’ brother who was left in charge, rather than standing boldly for the Lord in truth and righteousness, caved in to the demands of the crowds, fashioned a golden calf and declared, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4).
It is a sad day when leaders of the people give in to the tide of current popular opinion instead of gaining strength by waiting upon the Lord. It is a sad day when leaders let the ungodly set the course and go right along with them. It is a sad day when leaders seek to please men rather than seeking to please God.
Rather than waiting to hear from Moses the Word of the Lord, the people began self-destructing by doing whatever they saw as right in their own eyes. Let us be a people who wait upon the Lord, who delight in and yield to the authority of God’s Word, and stand boldly upon His truth and righteousness in a world of wickedness and destruction.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Ready to be blown away by the glory of God
I hope you
had a great Easter celebration this past Sunday. We were blessed by a wonderful
worship service in which our choir sang the praises of the One who died and
rose again. What a blessing, as well, to see all the children lining the
platform for the children’s message!
To all our guests who attended, as well as to our faithful fellowship, thank you for being a part of this special day. It was truly a joy to worship with you. And as I said, if you are looking for a church home but just haven’t quite found the place, we’d love to talk to you more about the mission and ministries of the First Baptist Church.
All I can say is, something good is going on. Maybe better said, Someone good is going on. That Someone is Jesus. And as long as He’s the main attraction of the main event, then church is good.
We’re not here to dazzle anyone with our music, although we do strive to give our best to the Lord through our songs of praise. We’re not here to impress anyone with fancy stained glass windows or magnificent architecture, although we’ll try to keep our windows clean and our building in good working order. We’re not here to tickle anyone’s ears with a feel-good, self-help, seven-steps-to-a-better-you kind of message, although we do hope you’ll feel better when you hear and believe the gospel message.
Our desire is to encounter the glory of God in worship. We want to hear from heaven. We want to experience the presence of the Almighty in our midst. And I believe God wants to show up and show out among us more than we know.
I think too many times we’re content to settle for less than God wants for us. We’re comfortable with going through the motions of worship without actually worshipping. We’re satisfied with coming to church instead of actually being the church. We’re good with making room for God without giving Him full control. We’re okay with hearing the Word of God as long as it doesn’t interfere with the routines of our lives.
Friend, God wants to interfere with your life! He wants to disrupt your convenient schedule and change your self-focused plans and dreams. He wants to transform your worldly way of thinking. He wants to reshape your selfish attitudes and half-hearted motivations. He wants to conform your stubborn will to His.
The psalmist knew something about this desire to truly encounter the Lord and to seek Him above everything else. He didn’t settle for lesser things. He wanted the real thing and would not be satisfied with anything else.
We have two growing boys, both of whom often come home from school having worked up a mean appetite. They’re not satisfied with a single pretzel or a baby carrot or a slice of an orange. They’re hungry for food, and lots of it!
In Psalm 27 David’s worked up a mean appetite for God. His one-thing desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord, meaning to live continually in the light of His presence and glory. He’s not satisfied with a small taste of the Almighty or just okay with keeping traditions. He wants to encounter and enjoy and be blown away by the glory of God.
The reason David’s craving is so intense is because it’s fueled by knowing that the Lord is his light and his salvation. The Lord is his safety against the advances of the enemy. The Lord is his stronghold and shelter. There’s nowhere else to go.
It is time for us to look heavenward, to fix our eyes on Jesus, to settle for nothing less and nothing else than to know Him more, to encounter His presence, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Let’s come to church ready to be blown away by the power and majesty and glory of God! Come, Lord Jesus, steal our show for Your glory!
To all our guests who attended, as well as to our faithful fellowship, thank you for being a part of this special day. It was truly a joy to worship with you. And as I said, if you are looking for a church home but just haven’t quite found the place, we’d love to talk to you more about the mission and ministries of the First Baptist Church.
All I can say is, something good is going on. Maybe better said, Someone good is going on. That Someone is Jesus. And as long as He’s the main attraction of the main event, then church is good.
We’re not here to dazzle anyone with our music, although we do strive to give our best to the Lord through our songs of praise. We’re not here to impress anyone with fancy stained glass windows or magnificent architecture, although we’ll try to keep our windows clean and our building in good working order. We’re not here to tickle anyone’s ears with a feel-good, self-help, seven-steps-to-a-better-you kind of message, although we do hope you’ll feel better when you hear and believe the gospel message.
Our desire is to encounter the glory of God in worship. We want to hear from heaven. We want to experience the presence of the Almighty in our midst. And I believe God wants to show up and show out among us more than we know.
I think too many times we’re content to settle for less than God wants for us. We’re comfortable with going through the motions of worship without actually worshipping. We’re satisfied with coming to church instead of actually being the church. We’re good with making room for God without giving Him full control. We’re okay with hearing the Word of God as long as it doesn’t interfere with the routines of our lives.
Friend, God wants to interfere with your life! He wants to disrupt your convenient schedule and change your self-focused plans and dreams. He wants to transform your worldly way of thinking. He wants to reshape your selfish attitudes and half-hearted motivations. He wants to conform your stubborn will to His.
The psalmist knew something about this desire to truly encounter the Lord and to seek Him above everything else. He didn’t settle for lesser things. He wanted the real thing and would not be satisfied with anything else.
We have two growing boys, both of whom often come home from school having worked up a mean appetite. They’re not satisfied with a single pretzel or a baby carrot or a slice of an orange. They’re hungry for food, and lots of it!
In Psalm 27 David’s worked up a mean appetite for God. His one-thing desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord, meaning to live continually in the light of His presence and glory. He’s not satisfied with a small taste of the Almighty or just okay with keeping traditions. He wants to encounter and enjoy and be blown away by the glory of God.
The reason David’s craving is so intense is because it’s fueled by knowing that the Lord is his light and his salvation. The Lord is his safety against the advances of the enemy. The Lord is his stronghold and shelter. There’s nowhere else to go.
It is time for us to look heavenward, to fix our eyes on Jesus, to settle for nothing less and nothing else than to know Him more, to encounter His presence, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Let’s come to church ready to be blown away by the power and majesty and glory of God! Come, Lord Jesus, steal our show for Your glory!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Ready to go?
The Sunday
School teacher asked her class, “How many of you want to go to heaven?” They
all raised their hands, except one little girl. After class the teacher asked
her, “Why didn’t you raise your hand?” She replied, “I want to go to heaven,
but my mother said I have to go straight home after Sunday School.”
Funny. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to heaven, right? Especially when you consider the alternative, and I’m not talking annihilation or re-incarnation. Heaven ought to be the longing of every soul. We’d be foolish to not want to go.
One of the wisest men of all-time was Solomon, who wrote that God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), meaning that somewhere deep within each and every soul lies the sense that there is life beyond the present state of existence here on earth. And the Bible does not stutter in saying that the two options are heaven or hell.
So it’s good and right that we should desire to go to heaven, but not everyone does. Heaven is not an automatic destination.
I’d like to take a vacation to Hawaii. I hear it’s a beautiful place. I’ve seen pictures and talked to people who have been there, and it sounds like a wonderful place to go. If my Sunday School teacher asked who’d like to go to Hawaii, I would definitely raise my hand. But just because I want to go doesn’t mean that I will.
Jesus said it this way, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). This is a sobering truth. Not everyone who wants to go to heaven will be there. Those who will enter the kingdom of heaven will be those who do the will of the Father.
What is that will? It’s to believe in His Son, Jesus. That means to confess that we can’t be good enough to get to heaven. That means to repent of our sinfulness and self-sufficiency and self-rule and self-righteousness, and depend completely upon what God has done for us in Christ, yielding our lives in faith and obedience to Him.
The Bible says this, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus again, in John 14:6, says, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Friend, there is no other way to heaven. You don’t make it in on the faith of your parents or grandparents. You don’t get there by trying to follow a list of religious rules, by going to church, by being a good husband or neighbor or citizen of the U.S.A.
This week we remember that Jesus laid down His life on the cross of Calvary. When Jesus took the stripes on His back and when He took the nails in His hands, He did it so that we could be saved from death and hell and made righteous before a Holy God. All by the grace of God. All for His glory. And all for our good.
Death is a frightening proposition for most people, but it doesn’t have to be. The grave does not have the final word. On the third day, which we celebrate as Easter, Jesus rose from the dead in a triumphal display of His power and victory over death and over sin forevermore. And He still lives today as the Savior and King, the Everlasting One, who was and is and is to come. And it is by His resurrection victory that we who belong to Him also have the assurance of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Friend, have you come to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing from your sin? Are you trusting in Christ alone as your salvation? I don’t know about you, but heaven’s looking pretty sweet to me. What about you? I’m ready to go, even if I don’t make it straight home after Sunday School.
Funny. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to heaven, right? Especially when you consider the alternative, and I’m not talking annihilation or re-incarnation. Heaven ought to be the longing of every soul. We’d be foolish to not want to go.
One of the wisest men of all-time was Solomon, who wrote that God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11), meaning that somewhere deep within each and every soul lies the sense that there is life beyond the present state of existence here on earth. And the Bible does not stutter in saying that the two options are heaven or hell.
So it’s good and right that we should desire to go to heaven, but not everyone does. Heaven is not an automatic destination.
I’d like to take a vacation to Hawaii. I hear it’s a beautiful place. I’ve seen pictures and talked to people who have been there, and it sounds like a wonderful place to go. If my Sunday School teacher asked who’d like to go to Hawaii, I would definitely raise my hand. But just because I want to go doesn’t mean that I will.
Jesus said it this way, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). This is a sobering truth. Not everyone who wants to go to heaven will be there. Those who will enter the kingdom of heaven will be those who do the will of the Father.
What is that will? It’s to believe in His Son, Jesus. That means to confess that we can’t be good enough to get to heaven. That means to repent of our sinfulness and self-sufficiency and self-rule and self-righteousness, and depend completely upon what God has done for us in Christ, yielding our lives in faith and obedience to Him.
The Bible says this, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus again, in John 14:6, says, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Friend, there is no other way to heaven. You don’t make it in on the faith of your parents or grandparents. You don’t get there by trying to follow a list of religious rules, by going to church, by being a good husband or neighbor or citizen of the U.S.A.
This week we remember that Jesus laid down His life on the cross of Calvary. When Jesus took the stripes on His back and when He took the nails in His hands, He did it so that we could be saved from death and hell and made righteous before a Holy God. All by the grace of God. All for His glory. And all for our good.
Death is a frightening proposition for most people, but it doesn’t have to be. The grave does not have the final word. On the third day, which we celebrate as Easter, Jesus rose from the dead in a triumphal display of His power and victory over death and over sin forevermore. And He still lives today as the Savior and King, the Everlasting One, who was and is and is to come. And it is by His resurrection victory that we who belong to Him also have the assurance of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Friend, have you come to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing from your sin? Are you trusting in Christ alone as your salvation? I don’t know about you, but heaven’s looking pretty sweet to me. What about you? I’m ready to go, even if I don’t make it straight home after Sunday School.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
WWJW - What Would Jesus Watch?
But that’s only if I could wrestle the remote away from my boys who would be glued to some absurd braincell-draining attempt at children’s programming on the Cartoon Network. What ever happened to Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry? Where did the Super Friends go? Or The Flintstones? Now that was some quality television right there.
Speaking of cable, why is it not yet possible to subscribe only to the channels you want to watch? I don’t need 250 choices. I don’t want 250 choices. Let me pick out the few that I would actually watch and forget the rest. I don’t want the junk that comes with it available in my house. There’s enough poison on the major networks already to make you sick. If it weren’t for March Madness and the NFL and occasional news reports and weather updates, I’d be ready to unplug my TV and drop it at the Courthouse parking lot.
So why is Duck Dynasty such a hit? Isn’t the show about a backwoods Louisiana redneck family with scruffy beards who like to hunt ducks? What’s the draw in that?
I’m told that the Robertson clan enjoys some good clean fun, eats together as a family and aren’t ashamed of their faith in Jesus. Wow! Maybe that’s such a radical departure from just about everything else in the media that viewers are compelled to see what’s going on. Who would have thought a show that doesn’t rely on sexual innuendos or immoral storylines, doesn’t glorify violence or feed an appetite for the perverse, and doesn’t mock Christianity or applaud wickedness could actually attract an audience?
Almost makes you long for the days of I Love Lucy and The Brady Bunch.
I’m not telling you to take a baseball bat to your 55 inch Panasonic, but don’t you think it’s worth evaluating what kinds of stuff we put before our eyes and in our ears and into our minds? Isn’t it true that a man reaps what he sows? If you are planting filth and perversion and all kinds of wickedness into your mind by consuming the garbage available on TV and every other form of media, your life is going to produce trash.
And parents, if I may be so bold, let me urge you to shield your children from the refuse of the media world. They need you to set and enforce boundaries. You can’t feed them a diet of Pringles and Ding-Dongs and Coke and expect them to be healthy. Neither can you nourish them with the depravity that’s so prevalent in our culture. Be the parent. Set the example yourself, first, and guard their hearts from the waste piles of the world. It may not be easy. Expect a battle. But it’s one worth fighting and winning.
Christians, remember the popular WWJD question? Let me change out one letter and make it WWJW – What Would Jesus Watch? If you, as a child of God with the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you, would answer this before going to the movies, before surfing the internet, before turning on the TV, might it change your viewing habits? Or think on it this way. If Jesus were present in the flesh with you, sitting at your side as a friend, would you still watch the shows you watch? Or would you be ashamed at what you subjected His eyes to see? Oh, be careful little eyes what you see! For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.
Our church this week has been blessed in our revival services. God is changing hearts and lives for His glory. He’s convicting us of sin and leading us by His kindness to repentance. He’s compelling us by His love to seek Him and His righteousness. We need a revival of godliness. May God turn our eyes from worthless things to true worship.
In the meantime, I think I’ll start to grow a long, scruffy beard.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Sing it the way it's written
My wife has
a great ear for music. Me, I enjoy music very much. I have an appreciation for
good music, which depending on your definition of “good,” can range from such
classical pieces as Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” to the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”
and all the way to “Goodnight My Someone” from “The Music Man” and the
children’s church gem, “God Is So Good.”
I even like to sing. Not that anybody from Sony has been calling and begging me to sign a record deal, but I do get calls from my boys urging me to stop singing around the house. Secretly I think they like me making up silly songs and being goofy at home, but they would never admit it.
All that to say that I am a fan of music, but I’m not a musician. Amy, on the other hand, knows music. Her definition of “good” music far eclipses mine. When I get in the car after she’s been driving, I always have to change the radio station from classical music of Bach and Mozart to something that sounds more like TobyMac or Jars of Clay.
Amy’s also directing our church choir as we are preparing for an Easter musical. You should come, by the way, and hear us on Easter Sunday morning at 10:45. We’re also planning to sing one selection from that piece on the morning our Revival Services start, March 17. If you don’t have a church home, you should come and be our guest. And plan to attend our Revival Services if you can, March 17-20. We’d love to have you.
So anyway, we’re rehearsing these songs, and I’m telling you, if one person in the entire choir goes off key or gets behind, she doesn’t miss it. And she’s not afraid to stop the music and make sure we all get it right. She knows how the song’s supposed to go, and if it doesn’t go the way it’s written, we need to fix it. She’s tough, but she’s good.
And the end product sounds wonderful.
Now what would be so wrong, you may ask, if the choir director just let everyone sing the songs however they felt they wanted to? So what if one or two people are kind of making up their own parts somewhere between bass and tenor? Who cares if an alto wants to hold out a note for an extra beat, or if a soprano likes to take a breath in the middle of a word? They’re not hurting anyone, are they? And besides, who is the choir director to tell somebody else how they should sing?
It would be a pretty awful and chaotic sound. You know, though, that’s exactly what happens when people start doing whatever they think is right, even if it’s not. For example, the major social and moral issue facing our generation and our state is the “gay marriage” agenda. That part is not written in the score. Somebody needs to say, “Stop the music! You can’t sing it that way. You’re off key. Let’s work on this and get it right.”
Not everybody has to sing the exact same parts, I get that. But when a couple of basses are defiantly singing the wrong notes and refuse to change and demand that everyone else in the choir accept it, that’s not going to work. Yes, it does hurt the choir, and it recoils the ears of the listening world. The end result is an awful, chaotic noise.
Listen, God can and has changed the lives of many sinners, including homosexuals, and transformed them by His mercy and grace into living reflections of His glory. He offers forgiveness and cleansing for whosoever repents and turns in faith to Jesus, who gave His life on the cross for the forgiveness of all sins. Don’t reject His gift of salvation! Come to Him, and find rest for your soul. Come to Christ for life!
God has composed life in such a way that when we’re living according to His written Word, it’s a beautiful sound. He knows life better than my wife knows music. There is a right way and there are wrong ways. It’s time to follow His lead.
I even like to sing. Not that anybody from Sony has been calling and begging me to sign a record deal, but I do get calls from my boys urging me to stop singing around the house. Secretly I think they like me making up silly songs and being goofy at home, but they would never admit it.
All that to say that I am a fan of music, but I’m not a musician. Amy, on the other hand, knows music. Her definition of “good” music far eclipses mine. When I get in the car after she’s been driving, I always have to change the radio station from classical music of Bach and Mozart to something that sounds more like TobyMac or Jars of Clay.
Amy’s also directing our church choir as we are preparing for an Easter musical. You should come, by the way, and hear us on Easter Sunday morning at 10:45. We’re also planning to sing one selection from that piece on the morning our Revival Services start, March 17. If you don’t have a church home, you should come and be our guest. And plan to attend our Revival Services if you can, March 17-20. We’d love to have you.
So anyway, we’re rehearsing these songs, and I’m telling you, if one person in the entire choir goes off key or gets behind, she doesn’t miss it. And she’s not afraid to stop the music and make sure we all get it right. She knows how the song’s supposed to go, and if it doesn’t go the way it’s written, we need to fix it. She’s tough, but she’s good.
And the end product sounds wonderful.
Now what would be so wrong, you may ask, if the choir director just let everyone sing the songs however they felt they wanted to? So what if one or two people are kind of making up their own parts somewhere between bass and tenor? Who cares if an alto wants to hold out a note for an extra beat, or if a soprano likes to take a breath in the middle of a word? They’re not hurting anyone, are they? And besides, who is the choir director to tell somebody else how they should sing?
It would be a pretty awful and chaotic sound. You know, though, that’s exactly what happens when people start doing whatever they think is right, even if it’s not. For example, the major social and moral issue facing our generation and our state is the “gay marriage” agenda. That part is not written in the score. Somebody needs to say, “Stop the music! You can’t sing it that way. You’re off key. Let’s work on this and get it right.”
Not everybody has to sing the exact same parts, I get that. But when a couple of basses are defiantly singing the wrong notes and refuse to change and demand that everyone else in the choir accept it, that’s not going to work. Yes, it does hurt the choir, and it recoils the ears of the listening world. The end result is an awful, chaotic noise.
Listen, God can and has changed the lives of many sinners, including homosexuals, and transformed them by His mercy and grace into living reflections of His glory. He offers forgiveness and cleansing for whosoever repents and turns in faith to Jesus, who gave His life on the cross for the forgiveness of all sins. Don’t reject His gift of salvation! Come to Him, and find rest for your soul. Come to Christ for life!
God has composed life in such a way that when we’re living according to His written Word, it’s a beautiful sound. He knows life better than my wife knows music. There is a right way and there are wrong ways. It’s time to follow His lead.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Hallowed be Thy name
It amazes me how fast time flies
when I’m preaching. Perhaps no one in the congregation feels the same way, but
sometimes I don’t cover nearly as much ground as I had intended to. Although I
often cover some ground I did not intend to.
With that in mind, here’s the rest of what I wanted to say this past Sunday morning. If you weren’t there, I’ll start with some context.
God is holy. He alone is majestic in holiness. He is set apart. He is perfectly good in the absolute sense of the word. He is perfect in power, in wisdom and in deed. There is no blemish on His record. There never will be. He does all things well.
And He is adamant that all men recognize and honor His holiness. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims His handiwork. The winds and waves gladly obey the voice of their Creator. The mountains and the hills break forth into singing, and the trees of the field clap their hands as the sovereign God reigns magnificently over them. Among the gods and idols of the world there is none like the Lord Almighty. He is not interested in sharing the platform of His glory with another.
So as we look at how the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, we see God’s concern for His holy name. As much as the heavens speak of God’s glory, God has set apart His own people to reflect His glory in this world even more. That was His desire for Israel all along, that they would be a “light for the nations,” showcasing the salvation and grace and mercy and holiness and righteousness and glory of their God.
When Israel rebelled against God, in spite of all the great things He had done for them, His name was profaned. In Ezekiel 36 we see specifically that God indicts them for defiling the land by the impurity of their ways and their deeds. And in His holy and righteous wrath, after repeated calls to repentance were ignored, God scattered His people among the nations in judgment. Even as they came to the surrounding nations, they continued to profane His holy name.
Therefore, God said He was about to act for the sake of His holy name. In other words, He was about to begin of work of restoration for His reputation. It wasn’t because the people were worthy, but for His own glory God showered them with mercy and grace. He said He would gather them from the nations and bring them back to their own land. He would cleanse them from their sins. He would give them a new heart and a new spirit. He would give them His Spirit within them to cause them to walk in obedience to His ways. He would make the fields produce abundantly for them. He would make the desolate land like the garden of Eden and the ruined cities would become inhabited and fortified. Everyone would see it and know that the Lord is the holy and righteous God.
By way of application, this ought to lead God’s people to repentance. If we’re not living by the standard of God’s Word and His truth, then we are likewise profaning the holy name of our God, and we need to confess that and turn from every way and deed that brings reproach to His holiness.
A second application is that this ought to also lead us to long for God’s glory. When we claim the name of Jesus, our lives ought to reflect His glory through our wholehearted obedience to Word of God. Our greatest desire should be to glorify God in all that we do, in all that we say and in all that we think. We should spend our lives in pursuit of holiness, righteousness, faith, love and peace. We should delight in the things God delights in and despise the things God despises.
If God is so concerned that His name be hallowed and honored as holy among men, that must become our heart’s longing and our life’s devotion as well.
With that in mind, here’s the rest of what I wanted to say this past Sunday morning. If you weren’t there, I’ll start with some context.
God is holy. He alone is majestic in holiness. He is set apart. He is perfectly good in the absolute sense of the word. He is perfect in power, in wisdom and in deed. There is no blemish on His record. There never will be. He does all things well.
And He is adamant that all men recognize and honor His holiness. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims His handiwork. The winds and waves gladly obey the voice of their Creator. The mountains and the hills break forth into singing, and the trees of the field clap their hands as the sovereign God reigns magnificently over them. Among the gods and idols of the world there is none like the Lord Almighty. He is not interested in sharing the platform of His glory with another.
So as we look at how the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, we see God’s concern for His holy name. As much as the heavens speak of God’s glory, God has set apart His own people to reflect His glory in this world even more. That was His desire for Israel all along, that they would be a “light for the nations,” showcasing the salvation and grace and mercy and holiness and righteousness and glory of their God.
When Israel rebelled against God, in spite of all the great things He had done for them, His name was profaned. In Ezekiel 36 we see specifically that God indicts them for defiling the land by the impurity of their ways and their deeds. And in His holy and righteous wrath, after repeated calls to repentance were ignored, God scattered His people among the nations in judgment. Even as they came to the surrounding nations, they continued to profane His holy name.
Therefore, God said He was about to act for the sake of His holy name. In other words, He was about to begin of work of restoration for His reputation. It wasn’t because the people were worthy, but for His own glory God showered them with mercy and grace. He said He would gather them from the nations and bring them back to their own land. He would cleanse them from their sins. He would give them a new heart and a new spirit. He would give them His Spirit within them to cause them to walk in obedience to His ways. He would make the fields produce abundantly for them. He would make the desolate land like the garden of Eden and the ruined cities would become inhabited and fortified. Everyone would see it and know that the Lord is the holy and righteous God.
By way of application, this ought to lead God’s people to repentance. If we’re not living by the standard of God’s Word and His truth, then we are likewise profaning the holy name of our God, and we need to confess that and turn from every way and deed that brings reproach to His holiness.
A second application is that this ought to also lead us to long for God’s glory. When we claim the name of Jesus, our lives ought to reflect His glory through our wholehearted obedience to Word of God. Our greatest desire should be to glorify God in all that we do, in all that we say and in all that we think. We should spend our lives in pursuit of holiness, righteousness, faith, love and peace. We should delight in the things God delights in and despise the things God despises.
If God is so concerned that His name be hallowed and honored as holy among men, that must become our heart’s longing and our life’s devotion as well.
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