Challenge #1 – What Is the Church to Do with the Bible?

One of the evidences that the 21st Century church is in trouble is our posture toward the Bible.  Not, our doctrinal statement about the Bible, but our use – or misuse/lack of use – of it.  Several symptoms point to the reality that we do not consider the Bible to be our authoritative guide.

    • We elevate our feelings and experiences over the clear teaching of Scripture.  Books and movies like Heaven Is For Real gain popularity even though many things in the book are contrary to the Biblical account of heaven.
    • We lack discernment of Biblical truth and buy into preaching that seems to “make sense” to us.  John Hagee’s recent book concerning Blood Moons lacks good Biblical scholarship, yet many treat its teachings as gospel truth.
    • We spend more time reading, teaching, and talking about books that address Biblical topics than reading, teaching, and talking about the Bible itself.
    • We establish church policies and practice based on worldly, political models rather than on Biblical ones.  We place unbiblical expectations on our leaders.
    • We make decisions based more on “I think,” “we want,” “we’ve always,” and “it would be nice,” than “the Bible says.”  In fact, all too often I have heard from believers, “I know the Bible says ____, but…”

The list could continue, but that is sufficient for now.  One 1st Century church was famous for being Bible-centered.  Acts 17:11 tells us that the church in Berea “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”  Everything they heard was first compared to what God had said in the Bible.

We need to remember the standard of God’s Word in the church today.  God’s Word is the all-sufficient source for teaching, reproof, instruction, and training in righteousness.  The Bible will equip us for “every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

When the Church decides to return to the Bible as the source for faith and practice, we will be inching closer to revival.  Such a return will not come easy, however.  Precious traditions will have to go.  The church will take Biblical stances that will be largely unpopular; not to those one the outside, but to church members.  The way we do things will have to change drastically to square up with God’s Word.

Yes, it will be difficult, but well worth it.  Without such a change, the future looks bleak.


This Week on the Blog Site

 

I am a churchman, and I am not ashamed of it.  I believe in the local church.  I’ve been a member of one since I became a Christian as a boy and even if I weren’t a pastor, I would be a member of a local church.  I believe the local church is the plan of God for each believer’s protection, growth, and expression of service in the Kingdom of God.

The word church in the New Testament translates the Greek word ekklesia and refers to a group called out of another group for a purpose.  Many believe that it is sufficient that one is a believer and is part of the “universal Church.” Interestingly, however, ekklesia appears 115 times in the New Testament and 99 of those times it refers to a local collection of believers.  Also, one would be hard pressed to find the same accountability and opportunity outside of the local church.

My heart is broken, however, because I believe most 21st century churches are unhealthy and in dire trouble.  At a time when the world needs the church the most, the church is least prepared to be the salt and light in our communities Jesus intends us to be.  This weeks’ blogs will deal with what I believe to be the most critical challenges churches today face.  These challenges are not external –governmental harassment, public ill will, or dearth of opportunity.  Our issues are internal; we have become our own worst enemy.

I hope that you will come back each day this week and read the heart of a pastor who loves the local church and who loves the Lord of the Church.  I want to see the American Church revived and awakened to overtake the gates of hell as Jesus promised we could do.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18

 

 


How to Be Poplar

flower from tree in yardThe picture to the left is a flower my wife cut from a tree at the edge of our yard.  My Facebook friends helped us identify it as a Tulip Poplar.  What make this particular flower so unique is that is comes from a tree that fell into our yard last year.  I pushed the tree back into the brush and figured it would eventually wither and die.  The tree produced a stunning display of blooms in spite of the fact is had fallen, been pushed aside, and was overgrown with brush.  The picture below shows the mess through which this tree bloomed.

The Tulip Poplar bloom reminded me of the Biblical admonition to remain steadfast in the DSC_0038midst of adverse and difficult life circumstances.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:1-3

We find it easy to allow our circumstances to dictate our effort.  When the going gets tough, we get going…in the other direction.  Jesus provided the example we can follow by enduring shame, ridicule, betrayal, pain, and ultimately death for us. Jesus was willing to endure the immediate hardship because He knew the payoff of joy that was to come.

What circumstances and situations currently tempt you to quit trying?  Tell Jesus about them and ask Him to overcome through you so that you can bloom where He has planted you.  He knows what you’re going through and He has already overcome.

 


Pay Attention

Moses was going about the daily routine of herding his father-in-law’s sheep just as he had done for 40 years, when suddenly, one day, something peculiar caught his eye. He almost missed it, but he didn’t.

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” – Exodus 3:1-3

What if Moses had not noticed this phenomenon? What if his profit margin had been foremost in his heart? What if, in boredom or frustration, he had been daydreaming of a better job? What if Moses had missed God?

What of us? How many times do we miss God because we are not looking for Him? What if that schedule “interruption” is actually God positioning us so He can use us in someone’s life? What if God is trying to come to us in a gentle breeze, a child’s laughter, or a “chance” encounter (if there were such a thing)?

Let me encourage you to look around you today and look for God to show up. There is an old saying, “The devil is in the details.” Although I loathe bogging down in details, I do not believe that saying is true. On the other hand, often God is in the details of our lives, lurking quietly hoping someone will notice Him and enjoy the blessings of His revelation for that day and time. Open your eyes; you don’t want to miss anything.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15-16

 


Spiritually Oblvious

Could I possibly be so busy IN the Lord’s work that I fail to see the Lord AT work around me?  Like the men who unknowingly carried on a conversation with the resurrected Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), could I go about my daily affairs oblivious to God at work right beside me?  Unfortunately, such is a distinct possibility and for many, a sad reality.

We can get easily so caught up in our physical existence that we fail to see things happening in the spiritual realm.  To “walk in the Spirit” as Paul instructs (Galatians 5:16, 25) is in great part to live in such a way that we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit resident within us, guiding us and revealing Christ as work around us.  We cannot heal our own spiritual blindness, but we can ask God to help us see through the lens of the Holy Spirit, to learn to be acutely aware of what is happening around us spiritually.

There is so much more to see than what we see on the surface.  Here is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite preachers:

If all you see is what you see, you will never see all that there is to be seen. – Tony Evans

May we by God’s grace and through the power of His Holy Spirit learn to walk in the Spirit so that we see Him at work around us always. May we see beyond the superficial physical events of our day.  The reality of the resurrection is not good for only one day of celebration a year, but for every day of our lives.  May we come to the same result as those men on the road to Emmaus:

And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. – Luke 24:31a

 


The Worst Saturday EVER

The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. The Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus’ friends hurriedly prepared Him for burial due to the soon approaching Sabbath.

We can imagine what they must have been feeling because we have all experienced the pain of loss and shattered dreams. It’s almost paralyzing isn’t it? After all, they had invested three years in Jesus (his family even longer). They anticipated He would overturn Roman rule and sit on the throne in Jerusalem as King and Deliverer. Instead of a throne, He now inhabited a tomb. Their future seemed to end with the load thud of a heavy stone rolling into place. That stone had an air of permanence and finality about it.

No pain hurts like the pain of unrealized expectations, especially when we stake our whole lives in those expectations and invest so much physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When things don’t turn out the way we had dreamed, life seems pointless. So what do we do when our dreams are dashed and our hopes are hijacked? Let me suggest doing what Jesus’ friends did.

… And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. – Luke 23:56

They kept doing what they knew to do. They observed the Sabbath. They rested and they worshipped. They remained faithful even when it seemed pointless. I am sure they were tempted to abandon all faith in God, because, after all, they thought God had led them to follow Jesus. They thought He was God’s plan.

When we obey what seems to be the voice of God and things don’t work out as they should, the temptation arises to quit trying. What’s the use? Life may have buried your hopes and rolled a big stone of what seems to be finality over your dreams, but there is a truth we need to remember always: things aren’t always what they seem.

Your dashed dreams and awry plans are not the final chapter. God is still at work. Rest in His providence and wisdom. Trust Him even if it doesn’t feel like it. Friday may have been a tragedy, and Saturday may seem empty, but hold on . . . Sunday’s on the way.


TGIF

Read this. Slowly. Several times today. You cannot help but be moved.

 Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

9 And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.


It Happened at Wednesday Night Supper

Wednesday night suppers are a popular church thing . . . at least in the South they are. Last night at our church, we had lasagna. Yum. During Holy Week, Jesus ate a Wednesday night supper too, and a most unusual thing happened.

Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. – John 12:2-3

What strikes me most about this story is the effect the perfume had on the room: “the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” What do I find when I compare Mary’s worship of Jesus and my own commitment to Him? Mary gave Jesus something costly and she gave it without reservation. She held nothing back for herself; she had no regard for what others thought. At least one, Judas, was offended, although his offense arose out of his selfish heart. But for most, the aroma was a sweet smell.

Do I bring that kind of “gift” to Jesus? Do I give Him the most costly thing I have . . . my heart? Do I serve Him without regard to what others may think? Do I offer the worship of my obedience to the point that it affects others? Am I broken and spilled out for Jesus?


Setting the Table in My Heart for Easter

I guess Mondays were challenging days in Jesus’ time too. On Monday, Jesus found people using God’s House for their personal advantage.

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'” – Matthew 21:12-13

People travelled from great distances and from other countries during the Passover to worship at the Temple. The traveling distance often prevented people from bring a sacrificial animal with them, so opportunistic people set up shops to sell sacrificial animals to the travelers. This created the need for banks to set up stations to exchange foreign currency for temple currency. The travelers were at the mercy of the bankers and the merchants if they wanted to purchase what was necessary to worship God. When Jesus saw them taking advantage of others and using what was holy to the Lord for their own personal gain, He took care of business for them. They had ignored the true purpose of the Temple and made it their own personal flea market. Jesus literally cleaned house in the Temple on that Monday.

Today, as I prepare for Easter, I ask Jesus to walk through the courts of the Temple of my Heart and overturn any part that has become selfish. I am asking Him to walk by the tables of ambitions, attitudes, and affections and to cast out what doesn’t please Him. Will it be pleasant? Probably not. A lot of Mondays aren’t. But the result will be a pure heart devoted entirely to HIM.


Prosperity the BIBLE Way

 

The so-called “Prosperity Gospel” is all the rage these days.  A plethora of preachers on TV will tell you that God wants you to be rich, healthy, and popular.  They promise that all you have to do is declare what you want, and God will make sure it happens.  This preaching is neither biblical nor practical.

The Bible does contain, however, a condition for a successful and prosperous life.  Joshua 1:8 contains that simple, two-part formula:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

The first condition of God’s version of prosperity is to meditate  on God’s Word.  The “book of the Law” mentioned was the Torah, or first five books of the Old Testament.  The Torah constituted the complete “bible” of Joshua’s day.  The meditation to which God calls us is not empty, repetitious monosyllabic incantations associated with meditation to most in our cuture today.  To meditate is to think about something, consider its meaning, and apply its practical teaching to life.

To meditate on a Scripture passage, you might read the verse several times, emphasizing a different word each time, and noting the nuances of meaning in each word.  You might also rephrase the verse in your own words, personalizing it by placing your name in the verse in place of pronouns.  You can also ask questions of the verse to glean its truth.  One such helpful tool for me is to use the word SPECK as a guide.  Is there
         a Sin to avoid,
         a Promise to claim,
       an Encouragement to hear,
         a Command to obey,
       or Knowledge to gain.

Develop the habit of reading and pondering on Scripture daily.

Then the second condition is simply to obey God’s Word.  Be careful to DO all that is written in it.  When God reveals something to you from your meditation, immediately put it into practice.

Notice the observation of the verse is that those who meditate and obey will make their way prosperous and enjoy good success.  Prosperity the Bible way will always work.