What Does It Mean To Be Independent?

Mark 9:38-40 38 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. 39 But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. 40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

The question is ask, “What does it mean to be independent?” We see the word coming up a little more in the media these days in relation to voters who do not claim to be affiliated with one political party or another. But I am thinking of the word in the context of our churches, and I am sure that most of my readers are too. The church I pastor, the First Baptist Church of Westland, MI, is what is known as an independent Baptist church. This simply means that we govern ourselves outside the control of a denomination and or any fellowship. This does not mean that we are against these things, or even that we don’t associate with any of them, because we do. It simply means that we conduct our mission as an independent church.

Many of my pastoral acquaintances fall under same category of being independent. Yet, the truth of the matter is that few ever truly act independent. Often times, we take on the attitude of the disciples and not of Jesus. How do we do this? We see the answer by paying careful attention to the words of the disciples (vs. 38) and noticing that they were more worried about who was not following them, not Jesus. We take it personally when someone else does not want to do it exactly the way we do, and in doing so we fail to remember and practice the words of Jesus in verse 40, “For he that is not against us is on our part.” Too many pastor’s have crossed the line from being a shepherd to becoming a dictator. And when they run out sheep in their church to rule over with their iron fist, they find other churches, and more importantly, pastors, to begin to try to control. As much as these pastors will preach against religious rulers like the Pope, they become pope-like in their dictating of convictions and personal preferences in ministry and daily living. And with the popularity of social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, this has seemingly gotten worse.

Would we not do better, and be more Christ-like, if we just followed the Lord in all that we do and allow others to exercise their liberty in following Him, even if they don’t follow us step by step? Instead of worrying about the direction of other Christ-followers, lets pay more attention to our direction and our motives.

eBook Review: Why Men Hate Going To Church by By David Murrow

Book Description

It’s Sunday morning. Where are all the men? Golfing? Playing softball? Watching the tube? Mowing the lawn? Sleeping? One place you won’t find them is in church. Less than 40 percent of adults in most churches are men, and 20 to 25 percent of married churchgoing women attend without their husbands. And why are the men who do go to church so bored? Why won’t they let God change their hearts?

David Murrow’s groundbreaking book has been completely revised and updated, with eye-opening research and a persuasive grasp on the facts, to explain the problem and offer hope and encouragement to women, pastors, and men. Why Men Hate Going to Church does not call men back to the church—it calls the church back to men.

MY TAKE:

This is not a book that I could recommend. First and foremost, there is nothing groundbreaking about acknowledging the fact that men do not come to church as much as women. And unfortunately, the author decides to go outside the Bible for the reasons why and the answers to the problem. A lot of what he says is correct, but our answers must be biblically bathed, and not based on marketing and pop psychology. I regularly read from people that I may not totally agree with, knowing that I can still find some nuggets of truth to build upon. That never happened for me with this book.

As a pastor, I cannot recommend this book to other pastor’s or church leaders.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Sun AM, 2-5-12 - Gentleness, The Kind of Kindness We Need

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SERIES: STOP DOING AND START GROWING

TITLE: GENTLENESS: THE KIND OF KINDNESS WE NEED

TEXT: GALATIANS 5:22

INTRO:

·       Love (Agape – God’s love in us)…joy (In Jesus, despite circumstances)…peace (inner, outer, eternal)…longsuffering (patience)

·       Gentleness – modern translations update this for us into our language of KINDNESS.

I.                  KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS SPEAKS TO OUR MODERATION TOWARDS OTHERS

a.   Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

b.   It is good to be passionate about many things, but there is a need for moderation and balance.

c.    We do not need to be extreme in issues that do not warrant it.

d.   Especially to those who are outside of the faith.

                                                            i.      EX: This is often how people develop caricatures about others.

e.   Don’t make mountains out of molehills.

f.      Rom 14 teaches about kindness and moderation. It deals with helping those who are young and weak in the faith – esp. in issues of the celebrating certain days and eating certain food.

g.    Moderation also reminds us that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

                                                            i.      EX: Churches/Christians who get off track following certain issues – politics, church history…etc.

                                                         ii.      EX: Believers who cause trouble and division in a church because decisions that are made that go against their personal preferences.

h.   Why? Because the Lord is at hand – His return is near.

i.      God will not ask whether we had all our desires and preferences filled – but how many we tried to reach, and what we did to make it happen.

II.               KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS SPEAKS TO OUR MEEKNESS TOWARDS OTHERS

a.   Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

                                                            i.      Here, Paul is writing a letter to Titus, who was setting up the leadership of the church in Crete. After laying down some qualifications for leaders, he now exhorts him to speak to all the believers on how to live and interact with the world around them.

                                                         ii.      In 3:2, Titus is to remind them to be gentle, and doing so by exercising meekness to all those they come in contact with.

                                                      iii.      Meekness is having your power in control and deferring it.

                                                       iv.      Meekness is the inner attitude that is shown in our outward gentleness and kindness to others.

                                                          v.      Meekness is having your emotions and actions under control.

                                                       vi.      When others do you wrong – how do you react?

                                                    vii.      Meekness is deferring your wants and preferences for the growth of others.

b.   Jesus as our example of meekness – Matthew 11:28–29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

III.            KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS SPEAKS TO OUR MISSION TOWARDS OTHERS

a.   1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

b.   Matthew Henry define Gentleness as, such a sweetness of temper, and especially towards our inferiors,^[1]

c.    We see that aspect of gentleness and kindness here in Paul’s first letter to the church of the Thessalonians. The Apostle is reminding them of how he and Timothy did everything within their power to not be a burden to them and not make themselves to be the focus (2:5-6).

d.   Instead, they were gentle and kind with these believers because they were young in the faith and their mission was to build up their faith and their church, not to be a burden and tear it down.

e.   One of our missions today is to be a builder of people’s faith – not a tearer-downer of their faith.

f.      If our mission is to help people, then we must:

                                                            i.      Sacrifice for them (vs. 8-9) – give time, effort, and money to areas of ministry that may not benefit us…may not be our personal preference…but will help us reach the lost and disciple new believers.

                                                         ii.      We must be kind and gentle in all aspects, treating new believers and members with respect and love and breaking down the “cliques” that develop in a church.

                                                      iii.      There is nothing worse than “fake friendliness.”

CLOSE:

·       This is the kind of kindness we need today in our churches:

o  Moderation – not making mountains out of molehills. Putting personal preferences aside to reach others.

o  Meekness – are you willing to defer in non-essential areas to the weaker for their growth and benefit?

o  Mission – are you willing to sacrifice your time, money, and efforts for those who growing in their faith? Are you willing to be a true friend and break down the wall that you have developed around the circle of your friends?

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^[1] Henry, M. (1996). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ga 5:13–26). Peabody: Hendrickson.

Josh Hamilton & Tim Tebow: The Plight Of Christian Celebrities

It seems like the sports world and Christianity have been together in the headlines a lot recently. Either there is overzealous adulation for guys like Josh Hamilton and Tim Tebow, or there is extremely negative comments, hand-wringing, and ridicule for them. Where does the problem lie? I know many who would love to blame the media and the anti-faith, anti-Christianity movement of our world. But the truth is, Christians are primarily to blame.

That may sound strange to some, but I hit upon this issue when I previously wrote a blog about “Why You Like Tebow Too Much.” For some reason, Christians today are swept up in this celebrity culture that has developed here in America. In order to “fit in” we need our celebrity Christians, those individuals that we can point to and show the tell the lost around us, “See, Christians are cool, too. You should want to be one just like so-in-so.” By the way, it is not just sports, too. This celebration of individuals is seen in many of the popular preachers of our day.

In taking on this mindset, we have allowed these “celebrity Christians” to become idols in our life. Remember, and idol is anything that takes the place of the Lord in our life. You may be thinking right now, “I’m just a fan, but these athletes are not idols in my life.” But let me ask you this – which do you talk about more? And when you do talk about God, how many times is it often wrapped around one of these celebrity Christians?

Each of us has a God-sized hole within us that only He can fill, and when we constantly try to fill that hole with the different idols this world has to offer we will always end up feeling empty and unfulfilled. What is needed today are not more Christian celebrities, but more Christians promoting and practicing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now, before I  finish, let me reassure my readers that I am not saying sports are evil. I like sports and am in the process of remodeling my office, and it will still have a “sports theme” to it. You follow me on Twitter and you will see that I tweet about sports just as much sometimes as I do about faith and the Bible. And I am not saying that these athletes are necessarily evil, either. Again, we made the situation, not them. Though I must be honest here and tell you that it is hard to feel too bad for those who carry “million dollar crosses” while others in our world bear their cross all the way to the grave.

What I am cautioning against is making idols out of teams, and even more so, Christian athletes. I am amazed at how many Christians I have read who make statements like, “Its not fair that everyone knows his (Josh Hamilton’s) business. That’s between him and God.” But the truth is, we are to blame for idolizing men and women like him for their faith. Men and women will fall and let us down – God never has and never will.

eBook Review: Jesus+Nothing=Everything by Tullian Tchividjian

I just finished Tullian Tchividjian's book Jesus+Nothing=Everything. This was my second book of his that I had read. The first one, Surprised By Grace, is one of the best books that I have read in a long while, outside of my Bible. It helped to open my eyes to my shortcomings in judging all that I do for God while not giving the Gospel the correct place in my life. This second book seemed to build upon that subject for me.

In many ways, this is a subject matter (the need for the Gospel every day in my life) that I am in much need of studying and comprehending. For too many years now I have consciously (and many more ways subconsciously) based my spiritual "success" on tangible things that I have done - prayer life, Bible study, growth of our church, etc. When those areas where going well, then I felt as if God approved, liked, and blessed me more. And the opposite emotion was felt when I stumbled and struggled in those areas. But there no more of a freeing affect than to begin to fully grasp that God's love for me and for you is not wrapped up in anything we do but is complete in us through what Jesus has already done for us! This book deals with this issue in a very pointed way, and cuts straight to the heart of the issue. 

Anytime we begin to approach this issue of a daily Gospel for the believer and our need to NOT do anything in order to earn God's favor, blessing, and love, one of the first statements made is usually along the lines of:

 That just opens the door for Christians to live however they want and sin without repercussions. What about all those Bible verses about what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to live?

 Maybe even you are thinking of this or something similar as you read my review. I know this use to be the  default answer for myself when others pushed the issue of the Gospel and grace. But before you accuse the author, or me, of promoting cheap grace, he deals with this issue near the end of the book by showing that we will serve the Lord and follow holiness because of our new motivation of grace. Not out of duty and the need to try to please God and earn His favor; but out of love, liberty, and grace. There is a great freedom in this, and it is something that I feel as if I am growing in each day.

Now, the book seems to get a little "long" in the end. By that, I mean it has a little bit of a repetitiousness feel to it as you get closer to finishing it. But by no means is it a reason to not pick up this book and allow yourself to be help from it and have the burden of performance removed from your spiritual life.

Sunday, 1/29/11 11am Message: LONGSUFFERING - IS PATIENCE YOUR VIRTUE

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SERIES: STOP DOING AND START GROWING

TITLE: LONGSUFFERING - IS PATIENCE YOUR VIRTUE

TEXT: GALATIANS 5:22

INTRO:

·       Who said, “Patience is a virtue?" The first known publishing of this quote comes from the poem “Piers Plowman” written between the years 1360 and 1387. Typical of texts from the 14th Century, authorship can be debated though literary historians normally attribute most of the text to William Langland. However, there are multiple versions of this poem written at different times with sections believed to be authored by unknown people.[1]

·       As we continue in the study of the graces, or fruit, of the Spirit, we now come to longsuffering, or patience.

·       Most modern translations translate longsuffering as patience.

I.                  WHAT IS PATIENCE?

a.   3115.        μακροθυμία makrothumia; from 3117 and 2372; patience, long-suffering:—patience(14).^[2]

b.    Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Galatians 5:22, defines patience as the deferring of anger and a contentedness to bear iniquities.

c.    Warren Wiersbe explains patience as courageous endurance without quitting.

d.   Patience is a result of love – 1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

e.   If we are not patient with those around us, then we cannot say that we are full of the love of God within us.

II.               WHO IS PATIENT WITH US?

a.   God – Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  

                                                            i.      If God were not patient with us, we would all be on our way to Hell right now!

                                                         ii.      Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

                                                      iii.      God is slow to anger and patient with us, yet we have such a quick fuse with others around us.

b.   Others – Jesus was longsuffering towards me, so I should be to others – 1 Timothy 1:15–16 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

                                                            i.      Patience and longsuffering start with you! Not the one who wrongs you.

                                                         ii.      BTW – you may want to consider who is being patient with you right now?

III.            HOW DO WE PRACTICE PATIENCE?

a.    In love – Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

                                                            i.      If you can’t be patient with others, then you are not filled with the love of God.

b.   Humbly – Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

                                                            i.      It is often our pride which gets in the way of spiritual growth, and the fruit of patience is no different.

                                                         ii.      Because we want to be vindicated when others wrong us, we don’t turn the other check…walk away…give grace.

c.    With listening ears – James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

d.   In Joy – Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

CLOSE:

Patience, it is a virtue, and a fruit of the Spirit.

No patience, no fruit.

No fruit, either…

·       No root – lost

·       You’re not filled with the Spirit.

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[1] http://answers.yourdictionary.com/answers/quotes/who-said-patience-is-a-virtue.html

^[2] Thomas, R. L. (1998). New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : Updated edition. Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc.

Sunday, 1/22/12 11am–Complete Peace

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SERIES: STOP DOING AND START GROWING

TITLE: COMPLETE PEACE

TEXT: GALATIANS 5:22

INTRO:

· Fruit/Grace of the Spirit – love…joy…PEACE

o Love and joy come together in the believer’s life, and this produces peace.

o This first trio of spiritual fruit reflects the “heavenward” aspect of our Christian life.

· What is peace? The world seeks it, but really does not know what true peace is?

o At a NOVEMBER 1999 ceremony in Oslo, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and United States president Bill Clinton vowed to finish the job of making Middle East peace begun by slain Israeli premier Yitzhak Rabin. Barak and Arafat hope to make progress on a timetable for reaching a final peace settlement within the next 10 months. [1]

o Peace is a constant struggle, and cannot be attained by the means implored by the world.

· Bible peace is the freedom from worry.

o People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.  ~George Bernard Shaw, "Family Affection," Parents and Children, 1914

o For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe.  ~Author Unknown[2]

· The Bible has a lot to say about peace.

o OT word – shalom

o Interestingly, it is used most in Leviticus and Isaiah.

· Peace, in the Bible, comes from the verb form that denotes binding together and is reflected in the expression “having it all together.”

· So, true peace is something that only comes from God, and is a complete peace. We see that in the three aspects of peace:

I. INNER PEACE – Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

a. It is an inner repose (relaxation) and quietness, even in the face of adverse circumstances; it defies human understanding.^[3]

b. This peace must come from God, because He is the only source.

c. “Freedom happens when the affirmation you look for from others is replaced by the affirmation you already possess in Christ.” [4]

d. God gives us a sense of well being because of our relationship in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for us – past/present/future tense.

e. There is a God-sized hole in each of us, and when we try to fill that with anything other than God – we will never be a peace with ourselves, others, or in this world.

f. God is concerned with our hearts (desire) and mind (thoughts). He wants our desires and thoughts to be at peace – and they only can through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

g. That’s an inner piece that is indescribable.

II. OUTER PEACE – John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

a. True peace from God is not only an inner work, but it will be evident on the “outside.”

b. It will be seen in our behavior towards others.

c. While the world will constantly scratch, claw, and fight for every last inch, and every last penny, the Christian who exhibits peace will not be caught up in this unfulfilling whirlwind of sin and destruction.

d. Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

e. If you can’t be at peace with others around you, then there is no way that God’s peace is in you.

f. This outer piece will also been seen in our reaction to the circumstances that surround us.

g. We have a new world view, based on verses like Romans 8:28.

h. Our new worldview is based on the revelation of God that does not depend on our circumstances because God is the ultimate authority of this world.

i. I have peace knowing that no matter what goes on, God is in control and working all situations for His good pleasure and my eternal good.

III. ETERNAL PEACE – Romans 5:1–2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

a. True peace comes from knowing that through faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified with God.

b. ‘Justify’ (Heb. ṣāḏaq; Gk. [lxx and nt], dikaioō) is a forensic term meaning ‘acquit’, ‘declare righteous’, the opposite of ‘condemn’ (cf. Dt. 25:1; Pr. 17:15; Rom. 8:33). Justifying is the judge’s act^[5]

c. ILL: “One of the snores that is among the loudest evidences that we are asleep to the realities of death and eternity is the casual use of the phrase “R.I.P.” We say, “Rest in peace,” to wish a departed soul on its way to … where? For whom is death restful? Have we even considered the implications of this phrase?

i. Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28; emphasis mine). He also says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; emphasis mine). And once again, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27; emphasis mine). Jesus is the way to rest, life, and peace. There is no “R.I.P.” without “R” or “P,” and Jesus is the only way to both.”[6]

d. In the judgment to come, those who have repented of their sins, believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior have already had their verdict of “not guilty” given – and there is nothing that can be done to overturn it!

e. No matter what happens on this side of eternity, we have a heavenly Father waiting for us in our eternal, heavenly home.

CLOSE:

· The world has a warped and faulty view of true peace:

o Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. --Ralph Waldo Emerson[7]

· There is no peace within yourself. The Bible tells us that before we come to faith in Jesus, we are God’s enemy (Rom. 5:10).

· Maybe the peace you seek eludes you because you have never been justified in the presence of God.

· You can today by turning to the only true source of eternal peace – Jesus Christ.

· CHRISTIAN – God’s peace is much more than just an eternal peace – it is an everyday peace within you, and towards others.

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[1] http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/struggle_for_peace/

[2] http://www.quotegarden.com/worry.html

^[3] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983- ). The Bible knowledge commentary: An exposition of the scriptures (Ga 5:22–23). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

[4] Twitter @PastorTullian

^[5] Wood, D. R. W., & Marshall, I. H. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed.) (636). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

[6] http://www.ligonier.org/blog/rest-peace/

[7] http://www.bibleinsong.com/Promises/Temporal_blessings/Peace/Peace.htm