When I arrived at Trinity, I gave all those in leadership a book (that can still be ordered at the Pastor’s Picks table) entitled “What Is A Healthy Church?” - the reason I gave this particular book is that Mark Dever establishes the idea, from Scripture, of what the vision of Trinity should be. I know this comes as a shock in the numbers-driven Baptist life, but I do not have a goal as to how many members Trinity should run, or what kinds of building I want us to have…not only that, but I think it would be working way outside the standard of Scripture for any Pastor to say that they “have a Word from God” as to what they should be running, or what their buildings should look like. I want to spend this time sharing with you what we should look like according to the Word of God, and how this is going to happen.
Expositional Preaching: As stated before, I believe Trinity should expect the Word of God to be proclaimed every time we meet. If we grow in this area, it means that five years down the road, when someone stands up and gives a sermon that is not derived from the texts of the sacred script, we as a Church just don’t like the way it tastes. We, as people of God must become people that are accustomed to hearing what God says on a particular subject. I heard a pastor some time ago preach a sermon Prov. 29:18 KJV “Where there is no vision the people perish….” -he conveniently left out the last part of the verse that says: “but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” He made the entire sermon one of setting goals (mostly numerical) for a church and how if a church doesn’t have these types of goals in mind, they are in trouble. Problem - the church didn’t gag on the sermon. Now, I don’t mean be rude or unbecoming, but a mature church will have a restlessness/uneasiness when the Word isn’t dealt with properly. They will have confidence that their Pastor will correct the misuse of Scripture. By the way, the point of Prov. 29:18 has NOTHING to do with setting goals in a church or in life, the proper interpretation would be: “where there is no revelation the people perish….” The point is where the Word of God is not delivered, the people will perish. My desire is that in the next five years, Trinity Baptist Church has a clear understanding of what biblical preaching sounds like and not only can recognize untruth, but has a distaste for anything contrary to Scripture. I want us to be a thinking Church and for the preaching of the Word of God to be a time of intense participation on everyone’s part!
Biblical Theology: We are seeing this take place now in some ways…but this needs to be evident beyond simply what we preach, to include what is taught in Sunday School, what songs are sung by the choir and in our congregation, as well as what is being taught to our children and teens. One of the reasons I am so thrilled to have Bro. Jon in place is there is an incredible emphasis on this in his ministry. Too often today Worship Pastors like the way a song sounds, but seem to never stop and listen to the words and see what they say theologically. When we SING the same theology we TEACH and PREACH, we will have a view of God, salvation, the Church that has its foundation in Scripture. We are seeing this come together but this will take years of consistency in every area to accomplish - by God’s grace we will get there!
Biblical Understanding Of The Gospel: As believers, we never get beyond the cross. We need the cross for our salvation, but we need it for our daily lives, we need it for humility, we need it for our parenting, our marriage, and on and on. I don’t believe we ever get beyond this as a church! We will always be in battle with the “church culture” to remind old members, new members and visitors what the Gospel is all about. We need our leaders to rightly define the gospel - we need our children to be able to define the gospel. If we cease to comprehend this, and cease to teach this, we will cease to be a true church. If we get this right, we will have people with a passion to reach their neighbors and touch our community.
I will delve into more of this “vision” or goals for TBC in my next blog. But realize, this is not just where I want to be in five years, but also in fifty years! We don’t get beyond these things or say we have reached this “level” and we set loftier goals… we aspire to be a biblically based, solid, doctrinal and true Church in every way Scripture lays it out – not exactly a goal we will just “accomplish” this side of Heaven – but one we sure need to work on nonetheless! We will hold these goals out as our “vision” for Trinity because it is what I believe Scripture holds before us – we will, as we grow and mature, simply go deeper into these truths and understand more about how we are to live them out! May we never be satisfied with where we are as a Church or be in the dangerous position of believing that we have somehow “attained” the prize set before us and be content to rest!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Wedding is Worship: Part 2
Okay, I have settled down a bit and wanted to continue my discussion with you on the newsweek.com article, which you have a link to in the blog below. I am not going to review what I have said previously, trusting you can read the previous blog. I will just jump right into the subject matter. The Bible makes clear that in all we do, whether it is eating or drinking or getting married, we do all for the glory of God. We must teach our children, regardless if they are male or female, that as believers we must value holiness - this would obviously include modesty. On with the article:
At the actual ceremony, however, brides were nearly as reserved in the 1990s as they'd been in the 1950s. But then the numbers of women who got married in churches started to drop, and so did the strictures on what was appropriate to wear. (According to a survey by Condé Nast bridal media, only 46 percent of brides were married in a church or synagogue in 2006, down from 55 percent the year before.)… But now it's perfectly clear that white no longer symbolizes virginity. It's become a symbol of merely being a bride. SO ONCE VIRGINITY GOES OUT THE WINDOW, WHY WOULDN'T YOU SHOW MORE OF YOUR BREASTS OR HAVE A BACK CUT DOWN TO YOUR WAIST?"
Wow! What a statement - how much clearer can one be? I mean once there is no value on purity, once there is no expectation of holiness it shows in our dress. Once we remove the wedding from being about Christ, from being worship, and it becomes about us and we have no value of holiness - why wouldn’t I show my body to the whole world as a bride? I mean the man at the alter…he is just one of forty men who has groped me, one of five whom I have shacked up with, one of twenty whom I have given my heart to - and the same is true of him! So, what is the big deal if my grandparents and nephews see me in my wedding the way my soon to be husband will see me tonight? After all we are just headed back to our apartment where we got dressed together moments ago anyway! When we remove God from our standards, when we only have what the world calls sexy or beautiful, we shouldn’t be shocked when Madonna walks down the isle.
"When a girl left her parents' house to be married, she was making an enormous transition," Wallace says. "The wedding celebration was to help her negotiate the change. Now very often there is no functional difference between marriage and living together."
Do we really wonder why marriage is under attack? There is a tendency to blame the sinful homosexual agenda on the decline of marriage, but much of the attack on marriage happens in our churches! We have couples that get divorced and churches will not confront the couple nor help the couple by intervening in their lives. We have singles that are living together and the church remains silent…but then we must sign petitions when two men want to get married. Let me be clear, I am adamantly against homosexual marriages, but we are at best naïve and at worse sinfully ignorant if we do not notice the fact that we, as God’s people, have done as much damage to the sacred institution of marriage as any group in the world! When we use that day to make more out of the bride than we do out of our Savior, the problem sits at our door. I am reminded of what the Prophet Jeremiah said: Jer. 6:15 “Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.” We in the church, with what is worn in the average Sunday Service, what is worn by the average “Christian” woman and teen at the pool or beach… we have lost our “voice” when we try to have a discussion about modesty or about purity…we are as guilty as the world because we would rather be fashionable than holy! We have lost our ability to blush… We have lost our voice not because the world out shouts us, but because the world can’t distinguish us! Lord, give us godly ladies who will train their girls in Biblical feminity - teach us to value holiness above popularity!
At the actual ceremony, however, brides were nearly as reserved in the 1990s as they'd been in the 1950s. But then the numbers of women who got married in churches started to drop, and so did the strictures on what was appropriate to wear. (According to a survey by Condé Nast bridal media, only 46 percent of brides were married in a church or synagogue in 2006, down from 55 percent the year before.)… But now it's perfectly clear that white no longer symbolizes virginity. It's become a symbol of merely being a bride. SO ONCE VIRGINITY GOES OUT THE WINDOW, WHY WOULDN'T YOU SHOW MORE OF YOUR BREASTS OR HAVE A BACK CUT DOWN TO YOUR WAIST?"
Wow! What a statement - how much clearer can one be? I mean once there is no value on purity, once there is no expectation of holiness it shows in our dress. Once we remove the wedding from being about Christ, from being worship, and it becomes about us and we have no value of holiness - why wouldn’t I show my body to the whole world as a bride? I mean the man at the alter…he is just one of forty men who has groped me, one of five whom I have shacked up with, one of twenty whom I have given my heart to - and the same is true of him! So, what is the big deal if my grandparents and nephews see me in my wedding the way my soon to be husband will see me tonight? After all we are just headed back to our apartment where we got dressed together moments ago anyway! When we remove God from our standards, when we only have what the world calls sexy or beautiful, we shouldn’t be shocked when Madonna walks down the isle.
"When a girl left her parents' house to be married, she was making an enormous transition," Wallace says. "The wedding celebration was to help her negotiate the change. Now very often there is no functional difference between marriage and living together."
Do we really wonder why marriage is under attack? There is a tendency to blame the sinful homosexual agenda on the decline of marriage, but much of the attack on marriage happens in our churches! We have couples that get divorced and churches will not confront the couple nor help the couple by intervening in their lives. We have singles that are living together and the church remains silent…but then we must sign petitions when two men want to get married. Let me be clear, I am adamantly against homosexual marriages, but we are at best naïve and at worse sinfully ignorant if we do not notice the fact that we, as God’s people, have done as much damage to the sacred institution of marriage as any group in the world! When we use that day to make more out of the bride than we do out of our Savior, the problem sits at our door. I am reminded of what the Prophet Jeremiah said: Jer. 6:15 “Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.” We in the church, with what is worn in the average Sunday Service, what is worn by the average “Christian” woman and teen at the pool or beach… we have lost our “voice” when we try to have a discussion about modesty or about purity…we are as guilty as the world because we would rather be fashionable than holy! We have lost our ability to blush… We have lost our voice not because the world out shouts us, but because the world can’t distinguish us! Lord, give us godly ladies who will train their girls in Biblical feminity - teach us to value holiness above popularity!
Friday, June 19, 2009
A WEDDING IS WORSHIP: Part I
When I saw this article http://www.newsweek.com/id/200495?gt1=43002 to say the least my heart was burdened. I will quote some from it throughout this blog but you really must read the full article – it is that important! While I was shocked and disappointed in reading it, I realized that this is the day that we live in. It is interesting that I saw this because as I look on my “to do list” this week, one of the things I have to do is review the wedding policy at Trinity. Needless to say, after reading this, there is no doubt we will have a group of godly ladies that will need to review the dresses that that will be worn at the weddings at Trinity. When two people are joined together in holy matrimony, it is more than just two people coming together - it a covenant that they are making not only to one another, but to our Lord and Savior. The purpose of marriage is to give a living illustration of Christ and His church - the Word tells us that we will be presented “white, spotless, and pure” on our wedding day. We will be clean because the grace of our Savior has made us clean. We are in a culture that there is nothing sacred, including purity, marriage and worship! Our culture tells us that it is not realistic to expect our teenagers and single adults to stay pure until marriage - but our culture also tells us that we should not expect marriage to last a lifetime, that we will live on credit cards, that our teens will rebel….. is this really the expectation we as people of God should have? One of the sure ways that we know we are believers is that there is a separation from the World - if anyone should be different it should be us. We should be different in the way we conduct our family, we should be different in the way we dress, in the way we deal with the opposite sex, in the way we discipline our children, in the way we do finances… basically everything about us should be different, because we are a new creation in Christ Jesus. Let me highlight a few of the quotes in this article:
Two decades ago, when young girls wondered how brides were supposed to look and behave, they'd most likely conclude—with some prompting from Cinderella—that on their big day they'd be a princess. They'd be blushing, virginal and wrapped from head to toe in tulle and lace.
Two decades ago? Now they do not conclude they will be “blushing, virginal….” This is not only a societal problem - this is a church problem and, this is a parental problem! There is no expectation of purity in our society any longer, but have we also lost this in our churches? Looking at many of our teens week in and week out, and at our youth camps… I would say an embarrassed “yes”.
A big-selling style is a sheer lace corset midriff," says Millie Martini Bratten, the editor in chief of Brides magazine. "It's clearly meant to look like you're seeing through someone's shirt." And today's wife-to-be is hiring photographers for what are called "boudoir shoots," where they pose Maxim magazine-style in lingerie or nothing at all and give the prints to their grooms—a trend that Bratten says began about three years ago. "IT'S THE ULTIMATE DISPLAY OF FREEDOM AND IMPOWERMENT," says Bee-Bee Kim, the founder of Weddingbee.com, a wedding-planning site that gets more than a million unique visitors a month.
I capitalized the quote above, because it is an outright lie. If anything displays the bondage of man in sin it is the entire idea of displaying our “freedom” by indecency! If anything, it shows the lust filled culture that surrounds us has actually permeated the most sacred institution of our society. I would submit to you that even if the wicked idea of “homosexual marriage” were not front and center, we as people of God have already allowed a profane attack on the institution of marriage. What kind of culture is it that encourages little girls to dream of looking like a harlot on their wedding day?
This is, after all, a generation that is comfortable with "sexting" and posting provocative pictures of themselves on Facebook and MySpace. And it's an age when respected actresses and role models pose seductively on the covers of the lad magazines. "In American society now, you see little girls being sexed up," says Chrys Ingraham, a sociologist and author of White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture, a critique of the wedding industry. "You can't disconnect that from the way the wedding industry is going. We have 13-year-olds getting makeovers and having oral sex."
Where can one start with this? We allow our thirteen year olds cell phones - but not just cell phones…most with cameras. Many parents never check their Facebook accounts, let alone who they are calling or what pictures are on their phone or their “profiles”. The most telling quote of the statement is in bold and underlined - who would sex up these 13 year old and even preteen little girls? The very same people who buy their clothes, who believe it is cute to look ungodly and who so desperately want their little girl to “fit in” that they are willing to sell her out to the world in order to win her some friends! Heaven forbid our children stand out, huh? They start in elementary school wanting the “fashions” and rather than explaining about modesty and purity, parents want them to fit in….we had little girls this week at VBS talking about their short shorts and bikinis – how it is “cool” to wear things that show your stomach! We allow them to dress in skirts too short, shorts WAY too short and tops cut too low – things that you (or some of you) would be embarrassed for them to wear to church – but you allow it other places with their friends….why? Let them dress that way in public and they may fit in, but you are teaching them a double standard that God expects them to behave one way on Sunday and you live like you want the rest of the week. Worst yet, many parents today don’t see anything wrong with the fashions…they’ll let them wear it even to church. Some of you hold their hands while they are getting belly button rings (who is seeing their bellies?) and help them pick out their formals that are cut open on the sides and middles…Why do we make these compromises in our teen’s lives??? Why is it so wrong to explain to them that the world is not always going to understand us or agree with us? (probably because in truth, we are scared of our children thinking we are uncool or old-fashioned…we want to be their friends instead of their parents. That’s why we allow them to talk back to us the way they do, to get away with disrespect and to have friends that we know are not good influences for them). The Word of God makes it crystal clear that truth, modesty, honesty, those are things that are beautiful… but like it has with most things, the Church has bought into the world’s toxic idea that the culture can dictate our fashion, our standards and even the way we “raise” our children.
I will continue this in our next blog. I have too much to say, along with being too frustrated, baffled and perplexed to continue. But for Heaven’s sake teach biblical modesty!
Two decades ago, when young girls wondered how brides were supposed to look and behave, they'd most likely conclude—with some prompting from Cinderella—that on their big day they'd be a princess. They'd be blushing, virginal and wrapped from head to toe in tulle and lace.
Two decades ago? Now they do not conclude they will be “blushing, virginal….” This is not only a societal problem - this is a church problem and, this is a parental problem! There is no expectation of purity in our society any longer, but have we also lost this in our churches? Looking at many of our teens week in and week out, and at our youth camps… I would say an embarrassed “yes”.
A big-selling style is a sheer lace corset midriff," says Millie Martini Bratten, the editor in chief of Brides magazine. "It's clearly meant to look like you're seeing through someone's shirt." And today's wife-to-be is hiring photographers for what are called "boudoir shoots," where they pose Maxim magazine-style in lingerie or nothing at all and give the prints to their grooms—a trend that Bratten says began about three years ago. "IT'S THE ULTIMATE DISPLAY OF FREEDOM AND IMPOWERMENT," says Bee-Bee Kim, the founder of Weddingbee.com, a wedding-planning site that gets more than a million unique visitors a month.
I capitalized the quote above, because it is an outright lie. If anything displays the bondage of man in sin it is the entire idea of displaying our “freedom” by indecency! If anything, it shows the lust filled culture that surrounds us has actually permeated the most sacred institution of our society. I would submit to you that even if the wicked idea of “homosexual marriage” were not front and center, we as people of God have already allowed a profane attack on the institution of marriage. What kind of culture is it that encourages little girls to dream of looking like a harlot on their wedding day?
This is, after all, a generation that is comfortable with "sexting" and posting provocative pictures of themselves on Facebook and MySpace. And it's an age when respected actresses and role models pose seductively on the covers of the lad magazines. "In American society now, you see little girls being sexed up," says Chrys Ingraham, a sociologist and author of White Weddings: Romancing Heterosexuality in Popular Culture, a critique of the wedding industry. "You can't disconnect that from the way the wedding industry is going. We have 13-year-olds getting makeovers and having oral sex."
Where can one start with this? We allow our thirteen year olds cell phones - but not just cell phones…most with cameras. Many parents never check their Facebook accounts, let alone who they are calling or what pictures are on their phone or their “profiles”. The most telling quote of the statement is in bold and underlined - who would sex up these 13 year old and even preteen little girls? The very same people who buy their clothes, who believe it is cute to look ungodly and who so desperately want their little girl to “fit in” that they are willing to sell her out to the world in order to win her some friends! Heaven forbid our children stand out, huh? They start in elementary school wanting the “fashions” and rather than explaining about modesty and purity, parents want them to fit in….we had little girls this week at VBS talking about their short shorts and bikinis – how it is “cool” to wear things that show your stomach! We allow them to dress in skirts too short, shorts WAY too short and tops cut too low – things that you (or some of you) would be embarrassed for them to wear to church – but you allow it other places with their friends….why? Let them dress that way in public and they may fit in, but you are teaching them a double standard that God expects them to behave one way on Sunday and you live like you want the rest of the week. Worst yet, many parents today don’t see anything wrong with the fashions…they’ll let them wear it even to church. Some of you hold their hands while they are getting belly button rings (who is seeing their bellies?) and help them pick out their formals that are cut open on the sides and middles…Why do we make these compromises in our teen’s lives??? Why is it so wrong to explain to them that the world is not always going to understand us or agree with us? (probably because in truth, we are scared of our children thinking we are uncool or old-fashioned…we want to be their friends instead of their parents. That’s why we allow them to talk back to us the way they do, to get away with disrespect and to have friends that we know are not good influences for them). The Word of God makes it crystal clear that truth, modesty, honesty, those are things that are beautiful… but like it has with most things, the Church has bought into the world’s toxic idea that the culture can dictate our fashion, our standards and even the way we “raise” our children.
I will continue this in our next blog. I have too much to say, along with being too frustrated, baffled and perplexed to continue. But for Heaven’s sake teach biblical modesty!
Monday, June 15, 2009
FYI Trinity...
I just want to mention to you some things to be in prayer about concerning some upcoming events in our life at Trinity.
June 21: This will be our VBS celebration day as the kids present all that they have learned in the morning services! And, by the way, Happy Father’s Day! We will have regular services that evening as well.
June 22: Please make this date a priority. Because of summer schedules and the lower number of visitors we have during this time, for the summer only we are going to once a month visitation. Because of this we need mass participation, so please pray for this but also attend this very special night.
August 9: We will be kicking off our Peacemaker Sunday School Curriculum. Use this as a fresh start to get active in Sunday School, be here on time and expect God to do a great work as we walk through the Word of God together.
August 23-December 27: We will be giving towards our love offering for Jesus. We are asking that members commit to weekly or monthly giving towards all of our mission endeavors for the year (except our budgeted missions). If you have been giving towards missions throughout the year as some do, we will add that to this total also. We will break up this total amount and give out of this to our Foreign Missions (Lottie Moon), North American Missions (Annie Armstrong), our State and many of our Church missions. We will be showing the percentage break down in the coming days. One hundred percent of this offering will go to missions, and we will probably have a record offering for missions by doing it this way!
Those are just a few dates to be praying and preparing for! Thank the Lord for these opportunities we have to serve him!
June 21: This will be our VBS celebration day as the kids present all that they have learned in the morning services! And, by the way, Happy Father’s Day! We will have regular services that evening as well.
June 22: Please make this date a priority. Because of summer schedules and the lower number of visitors we have during this time, for the summer only we are going to once a month visitation. Because of this we need mass participation, so please pray for this but also attend this very special night.
August 9: We will be kicking off our Peacemaker Sunday School Curriculum. Use this as a fresh start to get active in Sunday School, be here on time and expect God to do a great work as we walk through the Word of God together.
August 23-December 27: We will be giving towards our love offering for Jesus. We are asking that members commit to weekly or monthly giving towards all of our mission endeavors for the year (except our budgeted missions). If you have been giving towards missions throughout the year as some do, we will add that to this total also. We will break up this total amount and give out of this to our Foreign Missions (Lottie Moon), North American Missions (Annie Armstrong), our State and many of our Church missions. We will be showing the percentage break down in the coming days. One hundred percent of this offering will go to missions, and we will probably have a record offering for missions by doing it this way!
Those are just a few dates to be praying and preparing for! Thank the Lord for these opportunities we have to serve him!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Truly Blessed
Prov. 31:29 “many daughters have done well, But you excel them all”
I love having a blog on which I can communicate with people, especially with the church I love so much, here at Trinity. I enjoy getting to share my heart and thoughts to the number of people in our church who follow my blog, as well as with others who I love deeply, but I am going to take a moment of personal privilege on this blog today. I remember when I was about 20 years old, I was at a preaching conference with my Dad and I told him something that probably showed wisdom beyond my years in this matter: I said, “Dad, I have noticed something about preachers, God usually allows them the blessing of marrying way over their head.” I must confess that 15 years ago, on June 11th God allowed me the honor of marrying way over my head.
She is not only physically beautiful, she is beautiful in every way. The Word of God describes beauty in terms of truth, virtue, holiness, purity, modesty: I can tell you that Michele is the most beautiful lady I know. She has watched me on my worst days, the days when I didn’t want to be with me, and she has loved me. More times than I care to mention, she has gently reminded me of my sermons on the providence and sovereignty of God, when I felt things were out of control. She has encouraged me as I have stood on truth through the years and my motives would be questioned by those who would rather take the path of least resistance…all the while knowing in my heart how I longed to follow the same path, but God has used her to remind me who I would answer to on that final day. I think of Susannah Spurgeon (wife of the “Prince of Preachers”, Charles Spurgeon) how she, being sick so often and unable to go out with him, had this ministry to Charles Spurgeon - she would just give him the encouragement to preach boldly and face dark days… I have married a lady cut from that cloth. I have been blessed by God to have wonderful parents and a family who I love deeply, with boys who love the Lord, but outside of my salvation and calling to the ministry, the greatest blessing I have ever been given is Michele. She has been faithful to me as her husband but also as her Pastor, she has poured her life into our boys: she is a true keeper of the home. She opens her mouth with wisdom and her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household and she does not eat the bread of idleness. Her boys will one day rise up and call her blessed; but her husband does so today. I love you and I again tell you: many ladies have done well, but you my darling, exceed them all!
I love you - Happy Anniversary!
I love having a blog on which I can communicate with people, especially with the church I love so much, here at Trinity. I enjoy getting to share my heart and thoughts to the number of people in our church who follow my blog, as well as with others who I love deeply, but I am going to take a moment of personal privilege on this blog today. I remember when I was about 20 years old, I was at a preaching conference with my Dad and I told him something that probably showed wisdom beyond my years in this matter: I said, “Dad, I have noticed something about preachers, God usually allows them the blessing of marrying way over their head.” I must confess that 15 years ago, on June 11th God allowed me the honor of marrying way over my head.
She is not only physically beautiful, she is beautiful in every way. The Word of God describes beauty in terms of truth, virtue, holiness, purity, modesty: I can tell you that Michele is the most beautiful lady I know. She has watched me on my worst days, the days when I didn’t want to be with me, and she has loved me. More times than I care to mention, she has gently reminded me of my sermons on the providence and sovereignty of God, when I felt things were out of control. She has encouraged me as I have stood on truth through the years and my motives would be questioned by those who would rather take the path of least resistance…all the while knowing in my heart how I longed to follow the same path, but God has used her to remind me who I would answer to on that final day. I think of Susannah Spurgeon (wife of the “Prince of Preachers”, Charles Spurgeon) how she, being sick so often and unable to go out with him, had this ministry to Charles Spurgeon - she would just give him the encouragement to preach boldly and face dark days… I have married a lady cut from that cloth. I have been blessed by God to have wonderful parents and a family who I love deeply, with boys who love the Lord, but outside of my salvation and calling to the ministry, the greatest blessing I have ever been given is Michele. She has been faithful to me as her husband but also as her Pastor, she has poured her life into our boys: she is a true keeper of the home. She opens her mouth with wisdom and her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household and she does not eat the bread of idleness. Her boys will one day rise up and call her blessed; but her husband does so today. I love you and I again tell you: many ladies have done well, but you my darling, exceed them all!
I love you - Happy Anniversary!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Protecting the Sheep
I will repeat some of what I said in my sermon this week on this blog, but if you watch this video and do not see a problem with it - there may be something wrong with you! I played this to our church without the overlay of typing but felt it appropriate in this blog to include it – not because I want to the take the chance of you being offended, but because there is some value of seeing the thoughts there in the immediacy of what she is saying. The tendency if you have this video and have played it to your children, is that you become defensive – after all, you would never do anything to harm your kids so it must be ok. Let me just begin by saying that we are all growing, learning and should be, becoming more like Christ everyday! The things we knew to do 2 years ago are different, or should be than what we know today. When our boys were 2 and 3, we did not have the grasp on teaching them through doctrine using catechism that we do today – so do not allow the enemy to rob you of this teaching opportunity out of a sense of having done something “wrong” by your child – it is simply a matter of responding properly to what we now know! This should be an ongoing practice in our lives! What you should do is use this as an opportunity to discuss the real Gospel with your child. The most exciting thing this video produced was when I let my boys listen to it without watching it and asked them to stop me if they heard something wrong. Immediately Joshua stopped me and said: “We weren’t created to be God’s friend we were created to enjoy Him and glorify Him forever.” At the end Caleb said “She never mentioned repentance or the death of Christ.” I was thrilled that they could grasp the true Gospel.
When I had the joy of proclaiming the Gospel to my boys I discussed that sin was not just what we did, but who we were. Original sin, repentance and the death of Christ, if these are left out you DO NOT have the Gospel. The response by many will be: “Well she was very sweet and sincere” - the truth is, what makes a false teacher believable is their sincerity. If you agree with this presentation, I plea with you go to Scripture and see if this is how Christ dealt with the Rich Young Ruler or how Paul dealt with King Agrippa, please give me one illustration in the Word of God that this presentation of the Gospel is the whole Gospel. The tragedy is we are living in a culture today that many in our church today will even defend this false gospel presentation. I shared with our people Sunday that the FIRST of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses was in short: “The whole of the Christian life is one of repentance.” If that was an issue to divide over (and it is) in Luther’s day shouldn’t it be an issue we divide over in our day? This truth is a separation of sheep and goats! If there is anything the Church should get right today, is it not the Gospel?
She says: “Jesus wants to give you a fantastic life?” Huh? Tell Stephen that who was stoned to death, tell Christ that as He hangs on the cross, tell the believers who die across the world today that what Jesus really wants for them is a fantastic life. That, my friend, is a Gospel that will only work for Joel Osteen and America! That gospel would be declared heresy by the underground churches in China, by those who are suffering in the Middle East because they have declared Christ as the only way. No wonder our children walk away from the church we have presented them a picture that boils down to a false advertisement of Jesus. What about when the Word of God tells us we will be hated, we will be rejected by friends and family, and will suffer? What about Paul, when the false teachers at Corinth said he was a liar, he was a money grubber, he didn’t have education, he was ugly? Pretty fantastic, huh? If you catch anger, frustration and sarcasm then you read me right. When sheep go astray we help them, when wolves come among the flock no matter how sweet, kind, and loving, we reveal them for the threat they are and get them away from the flock! You can afford to be wrong on your eschatology (end times), you can afford to be wrong on how Spiritual gifts work, you can be wrong in your view of what biblically constitutes a church - and if you are wrong in these things it may harm your walk or your maturity depending how “off” you are. However, if you get the Gospel wrong, this does eternal damage, this results in eternal damnation.
While I am on this subject, I thank God for a Children’s Minister who brought this video to my attention. I thank God for a man who partners with me to make sure my boys get the Gospel! I thank God for a man who helps to equip our parents to get this right.
If we get anything right dear Lord let it be the Gospel!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
On June 2nd I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking to the senior adults of our church. I get to fellowship with them just about every Sunday morning before Sunday School and it is a true joy just to hear the ways God is working in their lives! There seems to be a stereotype in people’s minds regarding senior adults: the idea is that they can be contrary, they don’t like change, they will complain when things don’t go their way, and so on. However, after almost 20 years in the ministry I have found that this is true within every group of people you will find anywhere. There are always some in every class, from 2 year olds to senior adults, who can be contrary or resistant to change or will complain when things don’t go their way! In fact, if you ask my family on the right day, that could describe your Pastor!
The truth is, all of us can have bad days, but overall there is probably no age group in Trinity’s fellowship that experiences more change than our senior adults. They are involved with (and, in many cases, raising) several children and grandchildren who are in various stages and predicaments in their lives, a constantly changing and insecure Medicare program, ever changing and confusing financial times, many have lost spouses, had major change in housing and lifestyle due to income, and most have changed areas of service in the church and community as a result of aging. However let me share with you what few know - when sharing with all of our adult teachers about the change we are making to our Sunday School Curriculum in August (the new study on PeaceMakers), the Senior Adults were the most optimistic, positive and participatory! They had no complaints, and we have had more of this group begin reading Ken Sande’s book The PeaceMaker than any other age group at Trinity!
The joy of being in love with, and involved in a local church is that we can take all of our ideas and opinions and, while they are different, it is our job (in fact it is our calling) to glorify God in the way we handle these differences. The way we deal with change and the way we deal with one another in different age groups must be a reflection of the love of Christ and we must honor God with our relationships! All of this is what makes the Church such a special place - that we can all come together regardless of our ages, and have the common interest of glorifying God. I didn’t have to speak to our senior adults, I GOT TO SPEAK TO THEM! I don’t have to love and fellowship and pastor all the different age groups at Trinity…I GET TO! Thank you for loving us and allowing me to Pastor you, you are a great blessing to me and my family!
The truth is, all of us can have bad days, but overall there is probably no age group in Trinity’s fellowship that experiences more change than our senior adults. They are involved with (and, in many cases, raising) several children and grandchildren who are in various stages and predicaments in their lives, a constantly changing and insecure Medicare program, ever changing and confusing financial times, many have lost spouses, had major change in housing and lifestyle due to income, and most have changed areas of service in the church and community as a result of aging. However let me share with you what few know - when sharing with all of our adult teachers about the change we are making to our Sunday School Curriculum in August (the new study on PeaceMakers), the Senior Adults were the most optimistic, positive and participatory! They had no complaints, and we have had more of this group begin reading Ken Sande’s book The PeaceMaker than any other age group at Trinity!
The joy of being in love with, and involved in a local church is that we can take all of our ideas and opinions and, while they are different, it is our job (in fact it is our calling) to glorify God in the way we handle these differences. The way we deal with change and the way we deal with one another in different age groups must be a reflection of the love of Christ and we must honor God with our relationships! All of this is what makes the Church such a special place - that we can all come together regardless of our ages, and have the common interest of glorifying God. I didn’t have to speak to our senior adults, I GOT TO SPEAK TO THEM! I don’t have to love and fellowship and pastor all the different age groups at Trinity…I GET TO! Thank you for loving us and allowing me to Pastor you, you are a great blessing to me and my family!
Monday, June 1, 2009
As Long as YOU are Glorified, Lord!
A few Wednesday nights ago as I was preaching on Psalm 118 and I spoke of a song from Sovereign Grace Music that I was listening to. I couldn’t quote the song, and you certainly didn’t want me to sing it, but in a world (especially in America) that is filled with the “Health and Wealth Gospel” and individuals who love the false gospel of a Joel Osteen, we need more songs like this! Below I have the lyrics of the song “As Long As You Are Glorified” by Mark Altrogge. Regardless of what you are facing, good times or bad, a song like this will keep you focused on THE ONE that really matters.
Shall I take from your hand your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank you in times of plenty
Then leave you in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap the harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt
(chorus)
Oh let your will be done in me
In your live I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As you are glorified
Are you good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are you King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night
If you are like me, when blessings are falling and things are great, I am quick to praise God: however, when I’m in days of drought, in doubt, and in the darkest night, I tend to grumble and fret. It is good to remember that regardless of what we are going through, in good times or in tough times, it is our job to glorify the one true God! Just something good to hold to regardless of where you find yourself!
Shall I take from your hand your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank you in times of plenty
Then leave you in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap the harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt
(chorus)
Oh let your will be done in me
In your live I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As you are glorified
Are you good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are you King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night
If you are like me, when blessings are falling and things are great, I am quick to praise God: however, when I’m in days of drought, in doubt, and in the darkest night, I tend to grumble and fret. It is good to remember that regardless of what we are going through, in good times or in tough times, it is our job to glorify the one true God! Just something good to hold to regardless of where you find yourself!
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