Altar-ology

I had athoughts recently about Christian altars in the Sanctuary.  As a pastor, I wonder if anything of supernatural value actually takes place at them as part of worship service.  I also wonder if they are a fad that has been passed by, after all, they don’t seem to make same impact that the mourner’s bench did. 

Many fight coming to the altar today.  Christians and church-goers alike do not want to go because of fear.  Yet, it is not a right fear; if there is one.  It seems that people do not go because they are afraid of what they will look like in front of others in the church.  They are afraid that people will know that they have work to do in their spiritual lives.  Hey, we all do. 

Some have a healthy fear of the altar.  The altar should represent death to us.  It should be a place where people come to die to selves.  In other words, this is where we come to put our inner-man to death.  Yet, some might be afraid that the pastor is going to find out something or ask them to do something that is too personal.  Well, that is what God does. 

A problem I see with is that real work is may not be happening there anymore.  When people finally respond, some might be there to “help” the pastor because they do not want him to become discouraged.  When they arrive, some may think the pastor is taking too long in prayer.  Some may be there because someone shamed them.  Some may go down there because their friends are there.  They do not want to be left out.

Here is the challenge of the altar we Christians need to consider again.  As I mentioned earlier, the altar should be a place where someone goes to die.  This is a harsh act.  We do not want to put our egos to death.  We should not see Christians who were moved to come down, simply get up from the altar because the pastor said Amen.  Instead, people should be distraught and broken while at the altar.  I find it amazing that God works on people just before lunch and accomplishes what He wants to just in time to go to lunch.   

At the altar, people should be praying through; not simply going to say sorry without having the intention to change. Praying through means that we need to stay at the altar earnestly pleading that God change us from who we want to be into who He wants us to be.  This is why the altar is a place of great work that can only be performed by the Holy Spirit.  It should be an emotional moment in our lives.  It is at the altar that we go to be transformed; not to clear our consciences, but to cleanse them. 

Spurgeon saidonce  that the altar was a place where you and I can feel the sting of sin which helps us to get away from sin.  Many today simply want to stand up or raise their hand when the sermon is over so that the pastor will dismiss them in a timely manner.  Yet, I believe that God has more that He wants to accomplish with them and bids them to come and die in front of the church so that they can be transformed. 

I realize that God can work on us anywhere, but the altar still seems to be a place, when rightly used, to accomplish His tasks.  Laying broken at the altar is when the Spirit begins to recreate that which is distorted in us.  Where else are we going to have the best chance to die with our brothers and sisters in Christ?

God bless America

This year the Fourth of July landed on Sunday.  This is fitting since we say God bless America. 

I asked a few people how God blesses America.  I had some interesting feedback.  As I suspected, the view was that God blesses us because He has chosen us and because we support Israel. 

I think as Christians there are some things we should consider.  One thing that should be thought about is that God blesses the world and not just America.  I know that I am sounding less than patriotic.  I love America!  John 3:16-17 tells me that God blesses more than America. 

Yes, America is chosen, but God has chosen the world to be His too.  So what makes America special?  It is the way that God blesses America.  He uses His Church.  That’s right.  As unpopular the Christian Church is right now, in the West, God uses His people to bless others wherever they may be geographically. 

Another issue that should be understood in a better light, and I realize that there are other theological views, is that God doesn’t bless America because we protect Israel.  We should be allies with Israel, but God doesn’t need us for this.  We need Him to protect us.  We haven’t brokered a deal with God as we tend to think sometimes. 

Here is what we Christians need to ponder.  Do we continue to serve God through our patriotism?  Or, do we serve Him through humility?  In the OT, I am as always taken back when I consider that Israel combined patriotism to their country with Temple worship as a way that made them distinct from other nations.  Yet, in Nehemiah and Ezra, they were challenged to observe the Law to become distinct from other nations.  After all, they did not have borders during this time.   

Amazingly, churches likely preached sermons about how bad our nation has gotten all over this last Sunday.  I can hear it now, “God will no longer bless our country because of homosexuality and the fact that prayer has been taken out of school.  God is also mad that other gods are being worshipped and tolerated.  He is mad because we have publishers printing of the a different Bible version than the KJV.  Therefore, He is going to punish America.”

Now, I am being a little harsh and I know it.  Nevertheless, is God not concerned with the state that the American Church has gotten to? How many church attendees all over are focusing material things that they can get their hands on instead of making disciples?  How many even attend their churches on a regular basis?  How many give to God others who have need?  How many are practicing sexual immorality?  How many are judging others on a regular basis? How many church attendees are striving to overcome sin?

So the threats that God is going to judge America if our political leaders don’t enact laws and mottos that say we support God may not need to be focused on.  It would appear that God might have a beef with Christians because they are no longer willing to live for Him so that our country can be blessed. 

These are some of the thoughts that I had this last week of the Fourth.  Church signs everywhere talking about our God-given freedom and the threat that God may judge America because those who have not known Jesus are sinning.  Maybe it is time the Church stood up and accepted her responsibility that God has given her.  This is what makes us (Christians) distinct from those who lost in the world.

Continuing with Jesus

Here are some quick thoughts about continuing with Jesus.  A lot of Christians tend to become discouraged with a lot things they deal with on a repeated basis.  Over the course of time, which sometimes seems to weed out the ”chaff,” people fall away from Christ.  These some thoughts that I hope will make sense to you if you are one of those people who is struggling to continue on.    

• Do not count on other Christians to lift you up when you fall into a downcast state.  That is what Jesus wants to do for you. 
• Seek God’s approval.  Do not look for someone’s approval so that you can be blessed.  Going with Christ means seeking His blessing alone. 
• When looking for direction, do not seek it from other people first.  Pray that the Spirit will reveal direction to you. 
• When giving effort, do so to please your Heavenly Father.  People cannot look into your heart like your God can.
• Do not busy yourself with ‘religious work.’  Spend time alone God.
• Do not allow situations to discourage you.  Trust that God is working things out for your good. 
• Do not allow unconverted people to frustrate you.  Realize that they still need Jesus. 
• Know that there is not anything that wastes your time.  God does not waste anything.
• When someone tries to convince you of a major life decision that you should make, always think back to what God told you first. 
• Know that it is normal to struggle over dying to yourself on daily basis. 
• Trust and obey God.  Do this even when it goes against everything that you feel during a crucial moment.      
• Focus on giving worship, great worth, to Christ.  Do not look to recieve all of the time.  Giving is the seed of recieving. 
• Draw a line in the sand and do not go beyond it spiritually.  Commit to staying with Christ no matter what. 

Community Life of Disciples

Key Scriptures for Disciples of Christ

Key Scriptures should define key elements to a healthy spiritual life.

Matthew 22:36-40; The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 25:31-46; The Least of These Warning

Matthew 28:18-20; The Great Commandment

Christ Centered Community Life Image

Worship in mind and soul takes place through meditation, prayer, and corporate worship.

Worship in heart takes place by recognizing God’s love for us which causes us to adore Him.  Jesus has wooed us to Him by His love for us.

Worship in strength seems to be accomplished by our works of righteousness.  Plus, in my mind it should also be accomplished in our commitment to the Lord when we do not feel like remaining committed.

Loving our neighbors occurs when we realize that the DNA of God is in them since He created us in His own Image.  We are told to be imitators of Christ.  Loving those who do not love us is also part of that strength in the first commandment.

These 2 commandments set Jesus Christ up as King in the world that we live in today.

We feed the mind, soul, and heart through discipleship.  This is accomplished by learning God’s Word together or one on one.

Worship and discipleship are vehicles that the Holy Spirit uses to transform us.  We are in the process of becoming more like Christ.

Fellowship with each other helps us to learn to love our neighbor; it is the proving ground.  Paul’s letters were written to the churches about how to get along with each other.  Remember, Paul said that we are to submit to each other in unity.  This deals with strength and heart.

The author of Hebrews conveyed the importance of continuing to meet together in worship and fellowship even though these people were being persecuted; much different than being teased.

James called righteous works, or service, real religion; another proving ground.  If we are being transformed in worship and discipleship, then we are rooted in the good spring.  Therefore, good works flows from us without faking them.  They are now natural to us.  This is also back to strength again.

Jesus simply told to evangelize; another proving ground.  We love Him and others and this now becomes the natural thing to do.

I made the pieces of the pie bigger in the areas of corporate worship and discipleship because these pieces feed the other 3 pieces.  Focus on the other 3 pieces without these 2 is idolatry.

Missing the Point

I just can’t get away from the frustration that I feel when I see or hear about churches arguing over a style of music, dress, and focus.  It really makes me feel tired.  I understand that these are serious issues in the church today.  Yet, these seem to side track us too.   

There are groups of younger people feel that they could reach more people for Christ if their churches would change their Sunday morning program to a modern music format.  In contrast, groups of older people believe that the church should not change and that the modern music is not of God.  They reason that the church must not change so that people will recognize that the church is unchanging just like God.  They also reason that their style of music is sacred and should not be tampered with.   

Some groups dress casual and others dress formal for church service.  Some pastors believe that dress can be a barrier for people to attend their church.  Both believe that the way the other side dresses will run people off.  In my opinion, these groups that worry about these issues have spent their entire lives in church.  Both want to leave something of themselves in the church.   

Most of the time these groups grew up in church rebelling against what was established beforehand.  Each generation fights the other.  Each sees where the other generation has faltered in some way.  Each side uses Scripture from the letters that Paul wrote to different churches to justify why they believe what they believe.  What is unique about Paul’s letters is that he stressed the importance of unity and submitting to one another within the Church.  He even, in a few letters, dealt with how each generation was supposed to treat the other.  Are we missing the point? 

I asked the pastor I was saved under if he remembered when I came to the church for the first time.  I reminded him that I did not grow up in church.  My point was that I did not have any traditions that were following me through life to worry about.  I reminded him that when I came to Christ I did not say to him, “Hey, I will accept Jesus as my Savior if you wear a certain type of clothing.” I also did not say to him that I would get out of my Lazy Boy chair and come to church if they would assure me that they would play the right style of music.  He confirmed that these were not issues that I struggled with in the beginning. 

People! Listen to me!  There are not any people who are lost sitting in their homes tonight saying to themselves, “If the church would play my style of music, I would get saved.”  Or, “If the pastors would dress like I think they should would get saved.”  The only thing that  I was interested in was finding salvation.  The only Person I wanted to meet, was not the cool pastor who thinks that the Church is not doing enough to save the starving children, but I wanted to meet Jesus.   

Yes, I do care about the starving children and other injustices.  My point is that we Christians focus on the wrong things too much.  Don’t you think the devil loves our disunity over trivial issues?  My point is that we need to keep the focus on Jesus instead of on the non-essentials. 

When it is all said and done; I think the problem is that we just want to look like what we think a real Christian looks like.  We want to impress people with our huge compassion for the things that matter to the world.  We want to show people how intelligent we are by connecting the Word of God to the issues today.  We want to be the new, and improved, church.  Or, we want to be the church that did not change so that we can look super spiritual.  God’s point is, “When will His people get the point of Scripture and simply be the Church?”  In other words, when will we learn that we can find Jesus when we choose to look? 

I am not hindered by the style of clothing that I, or anyone else, wears.  I am able to enjoy all music that points me to Christ.  Why?  Because I know that I was lost, but now I am found.  I know what fate I avoided because of my desire to let Christ love me and save me which caused me to want to live for Him.  That is the point.

Sunday Ups and Downs

We had a good attendance at Smith Chapel yesterday.  I got to teach about the importance of being connected to church.  Our text was 1 Corinthians 12 and I read from verse 4 to the end of the chapter.  While reading we noted that this chapter is about more than simply trying to figure out what our spiritual gifts are.  The bottom-line is that God connects us to The Church, the church, Him, and connects us (the church) with a lost world so that Jesus can connect to those who do not know Him.  That is it in a nut shell. 

During our service we able to baptize a man, which connected him to The Church, and hopefully to the our church too.  It was a good moment in our worship.  Some of his family was there with tears in their eyes.  This helped us as a Body to focus on Christ and the importance of knowing Him which led to singing praises from our hearts. 

Later, a young man shared with me that he is a universalist.  I hate to admit it, but it is refreshing to meet someone who is honest in the Bible-Belt about their view of God.  Most really do not know what they believe and why they believe.  He challenged me to dig for intelligent answers.  It has been a long time since I’ve focused on Apologetics.  It might be time for a refresher.  Nevertheless, for those who think that there really is not much of a mission out there that requires Christians to share Christ, here is your reminder. 

Finally, I capped off the day going to see someone who might be hours from slipping into eternity.  This person has not received Christ as Savior and Lord.  These are always tense moments for me as a pastor.  There are nurses and family around who do not want you to bother someone who is passing away.  I understand.  However, we must realize that receiving Christ is also how someone can pass away peacefully.  I asked the question, “Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior?”  There was no answer.  We must remember that God gives us all a choice.  I wish I had better news, but I don’t. 

Sunday started out with a sense of victory, but it ended with the reminder that there are still many who do not know who Jesus Christ is.  Further, there are many who choose not to know Jesus Christ.  Yet, God is merciful and longsuffering.  He continues to astound me by trying to save right up to the last breathe.  To Him be all glory and honor forever.

Right Worship

While at Family Camp this week I have enjoyed the worship and preaching.  This year our district had The Difference from Southern Wesleyan University come to lead our worship in music segment of the nightly service.  It is great!  I’m blown away with the amount of talent that God has given to the SWU; it is like that every year.  Let me tell you, those young guys and gals, I guess I can say that since I am 40 now, really give it up to Jesus.  Hey, isn’t that awesome!  I say yes!

I have sensed that not everyone is excited about allowing a different style of music to be played during our Holiness    camp setting.  It is possible that some think it is the world being mixed in with the church.  I confess, as a person who was young in the Lord, I entertained those types of thoughts some time ago too.  I think God brought me out of that by showing me that He is not limited in the ways that He chooses to connect with people.  Besides, what is right worship?  Jesus said that it is in spirit and truth.  In the OT God desired obedience over sacrifice and noted that His people worshiped Him with  their lips but their hearts were far from Him. 

One thing that I come back to time after time is the thought that people who are lost (those who are not trusting in Christ as their Savior) are not having heated debates about what style of music should be played during church service.  American Christianity is something else sometimes.  We continuously find ways to focus on everything but what matters.  Jesus forgive us!  Listen, I can worship traditionally, or worship with older tradition like chants, or contemporary.  You get the picture. 

Without going into a long story about an experience I had with Christ I will tell you that the outcome of it was that I sent an email to my pastor and his wife and asked them if they wanted to come over to my house to worship with me.  It was in the middle of the day and everyone else was at work or I would have called them too.  Now this was a lot like a child calling another up and asking the child to come over and play games for the day.  I didn’t have any special music in mind, I only knew that the Presence of Christ was with me and that I wanted my friends to worship Him with me. 

Wouldn’t we Christians do better to focus on bringing the lost to the Presence of Christ so that they could make a decision to accept Him or reject Him?  I think so.  But, most of us believe that before we can invite someone to church that the music has to be a certain way or that the pastor has to be a certain way.  We Christians are wasting precious time that some who are lost do not have debating over whether or not modern music is better than traditional music and vice versa. 

It is funny how many are in a continuous search for the right ministry or church to be part of.  Can we ever be honest admit that it is ultimately about us instead of Christ?  It tires me.  The path that leads to the Presence of Christ is to truly seek Him and only Him through humbleness and Holiness.  Good, or bad, music has less to do with it than we would like to admit.  It is a tool that the Spirit uses to help put me into the right attitude.  Seeking Him is about thirsting for Him and when you find Him you bring others to the drinking hole where you found refreshing. 

So what is right worship?  Is it seeking Christ with the heart?  Or is about finding the right pastor, the right type of music, and making sure things are done the way they have always been done?  Then if everything meets our standards then we will give approval and consider that to be our worship for the day.  Let me tell you that giving our approval is missing the bulls-eye by a mile.  Meaningless.  It is about us coming in to His house so that we can receive His mercy.  Then we adore Him because of who He is.   

So I say let’s not burn up our energies on this issue.  Instead, let’s use our energies to seek Him and bring the lost to Him.  This is right worship to me.

Expectations of Christians on Sundays

As a small church pastor, I have wrestled with church attendance for years.  As a matter of fact, I may have been guilty of focusing on church attendance too much.  Yet, in my defense, church attendance is really one of the quickest indicators that we, pastors, are able to see how well God is using us as shepherds of his flock.  I would like to say life-change could be another indicator, and maybe it can, but that indicator is what The Holy Spirit uses.  After all, He is the One who is able to change people’s lives. 

To explain myself better, I would like to assure you that these thoughts are not those of a depressed pastor who is struggling to make sense of lack of attendance.  Or are they?  You decide.  Yet, I have been in ministry for 12 years now.  I have gone from expecting those who follow Christ to be at church every night of the week to one morning a week.  As you can see, I have either lowered my expectations for attendance at worship as well as participation once a week in spiritual education and edification.  Nevertheless, Brady and I have had a discussion about what I, as a pastor, should realistically expect from church members, not just Covenant but all who attend, as an A+ effort.  Does God expect His followers to worship often on the Day that Christ arose from the dead? Is that still significant?  I think so, but I would like your thoughts.   

So I would like to know your opinions.  Should a Christian commit his or herself to attending Sunday morning worship at least 48 times a year?  Another question.  Is it important which day of the week a Christian worships?  Another question.  Is worship service important for the Christian?  Or, is small group discipleship enough? 

I would like inputs from both clergy and laymen on this topic.

We feel better when someone cares

Exodus 4:29-31 (NIV)
29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Interesting. The Hebrews were not free yet. As a matter of fact, they still had more hardship on the way. Yet, in the previous chapters of Exodus, out of bitterness and desperation the Hebrews prayed to God. So I think that it is interesting that although they are still struggling with their lives, the fact that they knew that God knew about their suffering actually was the first moment of relief for them. They felt better. And they were going to need to because their bitterness was about to increase. So how many times would we deal with a hardship in our lives if we could simply take comfort from the fact that God knows all about it and that He is working for our good too? Many times we just need to know that someone cares about what we are facing. And that Someone is God.

So what made them worship?  The signs or the fact that God cared for them?

Newpring and Unleash

I went to the Unleash 09 Conference this year.  Without a doubt, this was the best conference that I have been to.  As soon as we pulled into the parking lot things that made an impression on me were:

• The happy-to-do-it volunteers.  I think there were 500 of them.  Every one of these people smiled and waved to every vehicle pulling in that I could see. 
• There was a mob volunteers who hootin-n-hollerin with everyone that came in.  These people were located at the entrance.  They gave directions to where you needed to go.  They spoke to everyone that I could see. 
• It was a Thursday.  I wondered how many of these people gave up a vacation day from work to help at this event on behalf of their church?  I can’t even get people to come to church on Sunday consistently; and like it. 
• I know that these volunteers have been coached that what they do is important.  And, that they must make everyone feel welcomed; it works! 

Pastor Perry Noble was straight forward in each main session.  This conference was not the type that has someone come in to do some group counseling.  Instead, Perry challenged everyone to weather whatever storm they were facing and go hard for Jesus.  Let me share some thoughts about Perry Noble:

• As much as I would like to, out of jealousy, I can’t deny that God is using him.  I see it! 
• He had a breakout session for Senior Pastors only.  This was conducted the right way.  Pastors were able to ask questions and he answered every one.  He did this graciously.
• Every pastor wanted to know how he did it.  Pastor Noble was careful to point to the mission of spreading the Gospel.  In other words, sharing Christ is the difference. 
• He is straight forward about salvation through Jesus Christ alone.  This is not a liberal preacher.  He fears for people who are lost because they will go to Hell if they do not give their lives to Jesus Christ.  Preachers and churches everywhere would do well to be burdened in this way. 

For those seeking the formula for church growth.  And, I suspect that is why most churches and pastors showed up to this conference.  They want to know how to get to where Newspring is; and is going. 

• Preach Jesus Christ!  He is Savior, Lord, He will be Judge, He is coming back soon, He is Healer, Miracle Man, He is All that we need.
• Terms that were called a fad: Contemporary, Emergent, Missional, and etc. He believes these will outdated in 3 years.  I think he is right.   
• A funny illustration about Missional: All churches are missional or they are not churches.  Saying that we are missional is like a fish swimming around saying I love water. 
• There is no formula!  Just Jesus.  Amen.

The worship team was phenomenal!  I would say they are as good as anybody that I have paid to see.  That is saying a lot. 

• I have not been moved in worship like that in a long time.  Let’s admit it, we get bored with the way we systematically do it. 
• It was good to see one of the singers get moved by the Spirit.  I have not seen that for a while.
• The songs were so good. 
• The music was loud.  This meant that I could sing loud and not make anyone sick. 

Let’s talk about the money!

• $59.  Did you read that!  I will say it again, $59.
• They did not make any money, I don’t think.  They gave each person Lee McDerment CD.  Great worship music!  It would probably cost $16 to buy it. 
• They gave us Chik Fila for lunch.  $6 to buy it.
• Free drinks and snacks all day!  $5 per person. 

Hey! Christians! Let’s get motivated to preach Jesus.  Thank you to Newspring for caring for all, no matter what denomination that is Christian, because we are on the same team.  As Perry said, we don’t compete, but we complete each other.  I have been refreshed. 

To all of those that Perry and Newspring down, get over it.  Let’s all do what God called us to do without worrying what the other person is doing.  Did you know that there are enough lost in Pickens County alone that they could not possibly fit into all of our churches?  I am going to seek to do my part in God’s Kingdom.  What about you?  Or, will you focus on petty things and continue to put Newspring down because they are getting it done? 

It has been a while since someone encouraged me like I was at Unleash.  Thanks be to God!