No topic is probably more intense and makes people as uncomfortable as "money". Jesus devoted about 25% of his teachings to the subject so clearly it is important. However, I think any discussions about money have got to under the broader category of "biblical stewardship".
A steward is simply a manager of someone else's assets. They are responsible for using those assets wisely, taking care of them, and leveraging them in the most beneficial ways for the owner. For example, when I was in the Navy I received a qualification called Officer of the Deck Underway which meant when on watch I was in charge of the safe operation and navigation of a $1 billion warship! However, I represented and worked for the Captain. I was to operate the ship according to his instructions and keep him posted on progress and problems. You cannot imagine the thrill of driving one of the most powerful weapons in the world into the Persian Gulf; yet with that thrill was a tremendous sense of responsibility.
I think this illustrates how we are to view ourselves in relation to God. God has given us His creation to manage. We represent Him and are to manage things according to His intentions. This should be a thrilling undertaking & adventure but should be done with the highest sense of responsibility.
The Bible is clear that God owns everything (Psalm 24:1-2) and therefore has a right to instruct us how to manage His stuff. Paul even goes so far as to ask the question, "What do you have that you did not receive?" (I Cor. 4:7) Biblical stewardship begins with the acceptance of this truth. Before you talk about tithing and generosity and net vs. gross, you have to nail this truth down: God owns it all!!
From this truth the next steps are simple and obvious but will still challenge us because we are obsessed with ownership whether it is a house, a car, clothes, a cell phone ... we like the words "my" and "mine" in connection with stuff.
How does God want me to use His stuff? This is the most basic and fundamental question. This enables us to live in freedom instead of fear because once we know God's heart we can live according to it. The bottom line is that God wants us to steward His gifts & blessings for His own glory and for the good others. Jesus knew the vicious cycle that happens when things are not used for God's glory. You can see this in the parables of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) and the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-25). Once we know God's heart we understand then that He wants us to be generous and selfless while living for His mission and not our own.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Weekly Rundown (3.29.09)
- First Wednesday is this week!!
- Remember we're collecting non-perishable food items all this week at church for some local food pantries that are in need.
- Rock Bridge officially entered the world of Twitter this week. You can find our "Tweets" (or Twitter announcements) in the following locations: our web site under the "Information" Header or through your own "Twitter" account where you can get text messages sent to your mobile.
- As a staff, we're working hard to create multiple opportunities for communicating within our church family. The bulletin, the web site, this blog, weekly announcements, the email newsletter, and now "Twitter" are a main communication lines. We're even considering going to Facebook.
- It looks like Providence Ministries is going to start a women's shelter for homeless women in our community. Currently, no such shelter exists for women. This need has been on our hearts and minds for quite some time and we'll be excited to help Providence with this project.
- Next week is the finale for our Stimulus series ... we'll be in Nehemiah 8. This is one of the most amazing chapters in the Bible!!
- March Madness is the only time of the year that I watch basketball ... 5 more months to college football :)
- We had a really great Elders meeting this week. The meeting covered everything from launching a third campus to service times in Dalton to small groups.
- We are still hearing amazing stories from last weekend's Disciple Now. I just want to thank all of the adult volunteers who gave their time and their hearts. I believe with all my heart that seeds were planted for God to grow into a generation of godly men & women.
- Had an awesome meeting with church planters in the greater Chattanooga-NW Georgia area. Being a church planter, I have a heart for church plants. New churches are a great way to reach lost and disconnected people. The future of the church in America depends on 4 things: -1) Getting existing churches healthy -2) Planting new churches -3) Multi-site and -4) PRAYER!
- I'm out!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Now on Twitter!!
Rock Bridge has decided to enter the world of Twitter!
What is "Twitter"? Twitter is simply a way to stay connected with people and organizations using text messaging or web-based applications to answer the question: "What are you doing?"
The New York Times has called it "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the internet."
Why are we doing this? We are attempting to communicate more effectively with more and more people in more and more ways. There is no single best way to communicate and so we want to broaden how we are able to communicate with people.
How do can I use this? First, you'll need a "Twitter" account. It is easy and free to sign-up: go to www.twitter.com to learn how. You can receive twitter updates via your cell phone (text messaging) or you can simply logon via the internet. We may even post our "Twitters" on our web site under the "Information" section.
We'll send out a few "tweets" a week to share what's happening at RBCC, remind you of upcoming events, make comments, and share some random thoughts from our staff. We hope this will help more people feel more informed and more connected with what God is doing at Rock Bridge.
What is "Twitter"? Twitter is simply a way to stay connected with people and organizations using text messaging or web-based applications to answer the question: "What are you doing?"
The New York Times has called it "one of the fastest-growing phenomena on the internet."
Why are we doing this? We are attempting to communicate more effectively with more and more people in more and more ways. There is no single best way to communicate and so we want to broaden how we are able to communicate with people.
How do can I use this? First, you'll need a "Twitter" account. It is easy and free to sign-up: go to www.twitter.com to learn how. You can receive twitter updates via your cell phone (text messaging) or you can simply logon via the internet. We may even post our "Twitters" on our web site under the "Information" section.
We'll send out a few "tweets" a week to share what's happening at RBCC, remind you of upcoming events, make comments, and share some random thoughts from our staff. We hope this will help more people feel more informed and more connected with what God is doing at Rock Bridge.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Non-Perishables Needed
At both our campuses we are doing a drive to collect non-perishable food items to stock some local food pantries in Dalton & Calhoun. You can bring these with you to church anytime in the next couple of Sundays, including First Wednesday next week.
Thanks for the help!!
P.S.-Nehemiah 5 this weekend!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Rundown (3.22.09)
- Beth & I always wonder what God will do over the course of a Disciple Now weekend and each year we are amazed!! Students accepting Christ, repenting of sins, worshipping God with power and passion ... I'm just blown away at how God shows up big time every time!!
- Preaching ... I know the level of passion & intensity has been cranked up lately ... and I think God is really doing a deep work in our whole church right now ... I can even explain how I feel or why all this is happening ... for the 2nd week in a row we broke our non-Easter attendance record ... sort of have that "fear & trembling" thing going on ... asking, "God, what is going on? Keep us in the center of will and full of You. Help us not just to make church-goers but DISCIPLES!"
- The way our staff is working together right now is absolutely incredible! Thank you team!!
- The movie Slumdog Millionare is AWESOME and a MUST SEE!
- Met with our creative/tech/worship folks this week just to talk through some message ideas for the next several months ... I'm pumped!! We'll need YOUR help for some of these ideas to work ... stay tuned :)
- My dogs, Bear & Sammie, are feeling neglected from us being gone most of the weekend.
- So this is the one time a year, I actually follow (well, sort of follow) basketball. Got to admit March Madness is one of, if not the most exciting post-seasons in all of sports. (No, I don't fill out a bracket.)
- Got a lunch meeting planned with several church planters from the Greater Chattanooga-NW Georgia region. I'm excited to meet with these pastor-planters ... learn from them and hopefully encourage them on the journey!
- We have got to plant more churches, launch more sites, etc. etc. -- 3000 churches close down in America every single year and yet the population grows as does the unchurched population!!
- I want to sleep for a long, long time!!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Bible Translations
Lots of people ask me what translation of the Bible I use when preaching. For some this is a question of interest, for others it is a source of controversy (i.e. some people think only the King James Version (KJV) should be used in church). So here is a long answer to a short question about Bible translations.
Why are there multiple translations? First of all, there are more ancient Greek (the language of the New Testament) words than English words (i.e. - 3 Greek words for "love", but only 1 English word). This makes translating even more difficult because translators have to decide how to best convey the meaning of the original Greek texts. Second, the Bible was written in common language or "street" language Greek so sometimes the way the words translate do not give the full meaning or intention of the author. For example, in our language if we said, "It's raining cats and dogs outside", what we mean is different from what we are actually saying. Translators have to account for these type of variations and nuances as well. Another variable is that the English language has changed over the years, demonstrated by the New King James Version (NKJV) which sought to "update" the KJV into a more readable and understandable form for readers and listeners. Therefore, translators have to decide how to actually translate the Bible. There are roughly 3 options available (besides a corrupt translation such as the Jehovah's Witness translation, the New World Translation, which tries to eliminate the truth that Jesus Christ is God).
Word-for-Word translations make a concentrated effort to precisely translation and interpret each word from Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic into English. They strive for precision and exactness with the key word being ACCURACY. These translations are generally at a high school reading level and can lose some of the poetic beauty of the original languages. There are three primary word-for-word translations: New American Standard Bible (NASB); the King James or New King James Verision (KJV/NKJV); and the English Standard Version (ESV). I generally use these as part of sermon preparation and research.
Thought-for-Thought translations try to give the full meaning of the verse or passage and not just focus on the individual words. The goal is to give the reader the same thought that the reader of the original languages would have enjoyed. These type of translations are easier to read and understand. The key word here is CLARITY. The New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) are two well-known thought-for-thought translations.
I prefer the NIV because it is a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought. The translators of the NIV uphold the inerrance of the Bible and have the stated goal of "accuracy & clarity." They also wanted a translation that could be used for teaching and preaching. Interestingly, the NIV is the most published translation and accounts for 30% of all Bible sales. It was first published in 1978.
Paraphrase translations combine translation with commentary ... sort of like an editorialized news article or a news article that is not "fair and balanced" but biased. These translations are easy to read and understand but we must remember that the translators' commentary and narrative is not divinely inspired and authorative as is the inspired and literal Word of God. I use paraphrases for general reading and to get another perspective on a text. These translations can help provide a general understanding of a text or passage. It is wise to always read a word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation along with a paraphrase to avoid unintentionally compromising God's truths & teachings. Examples of paraphrases are The Message and The Living Bible (TLB).
Conclusion: Personally, I own copies of all three types of translations and use them all in my study and devotional times. While personal preferences do play a role in selecting a Bible translation, here are some general guidelines:
Why are there multiple translations? First of all, there are more ancient Greek (the language of the New Testament) words than English words (i.e. - 3 Greek words for "love", but only 1 English word). This makes translating even more difficult because translators have to decide how to best convey the meaning of the original Greek texts. Second, the Bible was written in common language or "street" language Greek so sometimes the way the words translate do not give the full meaning or intention of the author. For example, in our language if we said, "It's raining cats and dogs outside", what we mean is different from what we are actually saying. Translators have to account for these type of variations and nuances as well. Another variable is that the English language has changed over the years, demonstrated by the New King James Version (NKJV) which sought to "update" the KJV into a more readable and understandable form for readers and listeners. Therefore, translators have to decide how to actually translate the Bible. There are roughly 3 options available (besides a corrupt translation such as the Jehovah's Witness translation, the New World Translation, which tries to eliminate the truth that Jesus Christ is God).
Word-for-Word translations make a concentrated effort to precisely translation and interpret each word from Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic into English. They strive for precision and exactness with the key word being ACCURACY. These translations are generally at a high school reading level and can lose some of the poetic beauty of the original languages. There are three primary word-for-word translations: New American Standard Bible (NASB); the King James or New King James Verision (KJV/NKJV); and the English Standard Version (ESV). I generally use these as part of sermon preparation and research.
Thought-for-Thought translations try to give the full meaning of the verse or passage and not just focus on the individual words. The goal is to give the reader the same thought that the reader of the original languages would have enjoyed. These type of translations are easier to read and understand. The key word here is CLARITY. The New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) are two well-known thought-for-thought translations.
I prefer the NIV because it is a balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought. The translators of the NIV uphold the inerrance of the Bible and have the stated goal of "accuracy & clarity." They also wanted a translation that could be used for teaching and preaching. Interestingly, the NIV is the most published translation and accounts for 30% of all Bible sales. It was first published in 1978.
Paraphrase translations combine translation with commentary ... sort of like an editorialized news article or a news article that is not "fair and balanced" but biased. These translations are easy to read and understand but we must remember that the translators' commentary and narrative is not divinely inspired and authorative as is the inspired and literal Word of God. I use paraphrases for general reading and to get another perspective on a text. These translations can help provide a general understanding of a text or passage. It is wise to always read a word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation along with a paraphrase to avoid unintentionally compromising God's truths & teachings. Examples of paraphrases are The Message and The Living Bible (TLB).
Conclusion: Personally, I own copies of all three types of translations and use them all in my study and devotional times. While personal preferences do play a role in selecting a Bible translation, here are some general guidelines:
- For indepth Bible study, word-for-word or thought-for-thought translations tend to be better.
- Paraphrases are good for quick reading, getting a devotional thought, or helping to understand a passage better.
- For Scripture memory paraphrases should probably be avoided.
- You can even purchase a "parallel" Bible that has different translations side-by-side. This is a great study tool!
- Someone new to Bible study might try the New Living Translation (NLT).
- My personal recommendations: the ESV for indepth study and reference; the NIV for personal quiet times, Scripture memorization, and church services; the Message for quick reading and a general overview of a passage.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Acts 4: Taking Care of Each Other
Acts 4:32-35
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
As our community struggles during this recession, we, as the church, have an incredible opportunity to minister to each other, care for each other, and love each other through these tought times. The verses above describe how the first church came together to meet needs and shine as an example of Christ's love in action. The world does not offer this type of love but the Church can when our eyes are on Jesus!! The world needs desperately needs this type of love!
At Rock Bridge here's some practical things we are doing for each other:
- Food Vouchers: We gave away $50 food vouchers this past Sunday to those in need. These are still available through the church office at each campus. These vouchers are good at a local grocery store in both Dalton and Calhoun.
- Benevolence Policy: Our church has a policy to help our members and regular attenders with food, gas, or bill payment. However, please remember our first priority is to our members (see verse 34 above) and then to regular attenders. We do support other agencies to assist those who do not attend our church. If you are a member or regular attender and need assistance, contact the office of your campus.
- Small Groups: Now is not the time to be alone!! This is the time we need each others' prayers and encouragement the most ... not to mention that we all need to be reminded of the great truths of the Bible and of the hope we have in Christ. Email connect@rockbridge.cc for more information.
There are a lot of barriers to effectively practicing the truths of Acts 4:
- Not connected to a community of believers
- A church that is fearful, guarded, and thus lacks biblical generosity
- A church that lacks the wisdom (through systems & plans) to administer Acts 4 assistance
- Pride -- some people will not ask for help even though the Bible is clear: in the church we BELONG to Jesus and to EACH OTHER (Romans 12:5).
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Disciple Now Weekend!!
Friday night kicks off one of our biggest student events of the year: Disciple Now. The theme for this year is "Gracebook".
Experiences like these shaped my life in ways that I still thank God for today. Beth & I made some of the most significant spiritual decisions in our lives during these amazing and intense events that were planned for us by incredible adults during our teenage years:
Bottom line: these events CAN CHANGE LIVES, SAVE TONS OF PAIN, AND SHAPE FUTURE GENERATIONS FOR CHRIST!!
PARENTS -- TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CHILD'S SPIRITUAL DESTINY -- train them in the way they should "go" (Proverbs 22:6) and leverage the amazing opportunity this weekend at DISCIPLE NOW '09: GRACEBOOK!! (Email students@rockbridge.cc to sign-up or for more information.)
Everyone else: Please PRAY for this weekend!!!
Experiences like these shaped my life in ways that I still thank God for today. Beth & I made some of the most significant spiritual decisions in our lives during these amazing and intense events that were planned for us by incredible adults during our teenage years:
- Beth answered God's call on her life to go into full-time ministry!
- I made the decision or "pre-decision" to stay away from drugs & alcohol and to save myself sexually for my future wife!!
- We both fell more in love with Jesus.
Bottom line: these events CAN CHANGE LIVES, SAVE TONS OF PAIN, AND SHAPE FUTURE GENERATIONS FOR CHRIST!!
PARENTS -- TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR CHILD'S SPIRITUAL DESTINY -- train them in the way they should "go" (Proverbs 22:6) and leverage the amazing opportunity this weekend at DISCIPLE NOW '09: GRACEBOOK!! (Email students@rockbridge.cc to sign-up or for more information.)
Everyone else: Please PRAY for this weekend!!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Life Change Stories
On Vision Sunday at both of our campuses some incredible stories were shared. These stories illustrate why we do what we do!! If you want to hear Jennifer's story, you can view it on YouTube at the link below:
Jennifer Wagner testimony
Jennifer Wagner testimony
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Weekly Rundown (3.15.09)
- So today was a "WOW! GOD" day at Rock Bridge! We had our highest non-Easter attendance ever!! Thank you for being a church that INVITES and BRINGS people to hear about Jesus!!
- Let me encourage everyone who had a guest come to church today to follow-up with them this week, encourage them to come back and pray that they will!!
- The coolest part of today was walking into my office after the 2nd service and seeing an Elder praying (we have people who pray for our service during our service in my office) with tears streaming down his face about how he sees people becoming more like Jesus!! WOW! That is so much more important than attendance ... people becoming disciples!! Jesus wants disciples because disciples bring glory to God!! (see Matthew 28:19; John 15:8)
- Lots of people used our new online "e-invitation" tool!
- We plan on rolling out online giving through bank draft real soon ... I know I'm going to use it!
- I made two resolutions today: 1) I want to use "notes" less & less when I preach. I used them too much first service and it felt like I was laboring in the flesh instead of walking in the Spirit. Second service was better AND -2) To not read or mention the Forum in the Dalton paper for awhile!
- More from #2 above -- the Forum does NOT bother me ... it makes me laugh and helps me know what a segment of our community is thinking about. However, our battlefield is not in the newspaper and not through the Forum. I think I've unintentionally made it too big of a deal to folks. So I'm fasting from the Forum :)
- I am more committed and more passionate about preaching Jesus than ever before!
- Spent 24 hours up in Chicago this week in a roundtable discussion with 18 pastors, church consultants, and authors. This event was sponsored by the Cornerstone Knowledge Network. I was stretched, frustrated, challenged, and inspired. We need the church in America more than ever to be who she was created to be by Jesus -- His beautiful, unblemished bride!!
- I am very much a practical, "get r' done" person so "discussing" stuff for a day on a more theoretical level was hard but valuable; however, eventually, I want to implement and execute.
- Chicago is cold & windy!
- Beth and I have a gift card to P.F. Changs!!! Won't last long!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Vision Sunday '09
A quick comment: 24 was great Monday night! Jack is BACK. Just had to share that :)
Seriously, this Sunday is a BIG day in the life and history of our church. Once a year we use this Sunday to remind ourselves of why God started this church, to renew our commitment to His vision for us, AND to invite unchurched, disconnected folks to join us!
This is an amazing time to be on earth and to be alive as God uses His church to reveal His good news to a world in desperate need of Him. Here's a few things God has been reminding me of lately:
Church, we have an amazing opportunity from God to show Christ, teach Christ, and in effect BE Christ to a hurting, watching, & wanting world. Pray for God to be revealed through you everyday and in our church every week!!
Seriously, this Sunday is a BIG day in the life and history of our church. Once a year we use this Sunday to remind ourselves of why God started this church, to renew our commitment to His vision for us, AND to invite unchurched, disconnected folks to join us!
This is an amazing time to be on earth and to be alive as God uses His church to reveal His good news to a world in desperate need of Him. Here's a few things God has been reminding me of lately:
- His Gospel is POWERFUL ... we don't have to enhance it, just share it (Romans 1:16)!
- We need to share the Gospel EVERY week ... in our worship service and in our personal service to others. (Remember you can INVITE people to church straight from our web site!!)
- God has a BIG plan for His church (Ephesians 3:20-21)!!
- The Word of God must be preached (2 Timothy 4:2-5) ... and will accomplish God's purpose when it goes out (Isaiah 55:10-11).
- If we, the church, connect people to anything but Jesus Christ, our work will not last. We must help people see the real Jesus and then give their lives fully to Him (I Corithians 3:10-15).
Church, we have an amazing opportunity from God to show Christ, teach Christ, and in effect BE Christ to a hurting, watching, & wanting world. Pray for God to be revealed through you everyday and in our church every week!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Weekly Rundown (3.8.09)
- Lots of progress on the new ministry center building this week! This space is going to be an amazing place of ministry.
- Vision Sunday is next week!!!
- God's Word never ceases to amaze me. I like the word "sufficient" in describing the Bible. It stands on its own and is sufficient for everything in life.
- Preaching through sections or books of the Bible is new for us at Rock Bridge. In 2009 we've done the Book of Ruth and we'll do parts of Nehemiah for the next 4 weeks. I hope people are learning to love God's Word, read it on their own, and apply it to their lives.
- I feel like as a church we are really growing spiritually right now: falling deeper in love with Jesus, His Word, His people and yet being burdened for our community and people who are are disconnected from God.
- How 'bout the weather? Last weekend we were on edge looking for signs of snow and this weekend sunshine and 75! Gotta love North Georgia!!
- I'm loving my station bike right now! I think I like it better than running. Actually, I've never really liked running ... I just make myself do it.
- I can't wait for 24 tomorrow night! Jack and the nation are in a serious bind but my money is on Jack!
- Pray for next Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Am I Really A Christian?
Living in the "Bible Belt" South, I think you could ask 100 church goers this question and get several different answers: be a good person; go through Confirmation class; be baptized; pray the "sinner's prayer"; believe in Jesus. So if we in the church are confused, no wonder unchurched people are confused and get mixed signals from the church and their "religous" friends. But like all things the Bible should get the final say. So what does the Bible say about "becoming a Christian"?
Peter's sermon in Acts 2:14-41 offers the initial explanation of the Gospel message and how to become a Christian. The pattern of salvation outlined in Peter's message breaks down into 3 components: (I'm indebted to Pastor Mark Driscoll's book Vintage Church for much of this explanation):
1) Revelation: What God did -- Peter begins by teaching his audience WHO Jesus is. He is the promised and long awaited Messaih Who performed miracles and wonders to affirm His identity (v.22). Jesus is also the Son of God, God Himself in the flesh (vv. 23-25; 32-36). Peter also tells the crowd WHAT Jesus did: He died on the cross to fulfill God's purpose (vv. 23; 32).
2) Response: What We do -- The people listening to Peter asked this question as God's truth gripped their hearts (v.37) and God's Holy Spirit empowered them to respond to the revealed truth. Peter instructs them to "repent" from their sins (vv. 37-38). Repentance is not just admitting our sin but agreeing with God about it and thus changing our minds about who God is and what is important to us. This leads to a change in behavior coming from a change in our values (this does not mean that we will never sin again!) In addition to repentance, the revealed message about Jesus is accepted in faith (v. 41). Faith is simply taking God at His word and trusting our life and eternity to His truth. Baptism is the visible symbol we follow to demonstrate our new connection to Christ by faith and repentance (baptism is not required for salvation but is part of our obedience to Christ. The word "for" in v. 38 literally means "in response to" so it could read "be baptized in response to your forgiveness of sins").
3) Results: What God gives -- (This all happens at once as we respond to God's work for us and in us). Peter says that as a result of faith and repentance, God forgives our sin because of Jesus' sacrificial death (v. 38). This is sometimes called "justification" which is a legal term somewhat equivalent to finding an accused person in a court of law "not guilty". We give Christ our sin which is nailed to the Cross and He gives us His attribute of righteousness = God does not see us as guilty sinners anymore but as righteous sons and daugthers. The second gift God gives is His Holy Spirit (v. 38) which gives us the new heart to live a new life for Christ. This is called "regeneration" where we now gain the ability to actually live a new life as a Christ-follower. The Holy Spirit enables us to have the activity of Christ's righteousness produced in our lives. In other words, when we are saved there will be changes in our lives, our thoughts, and behaviors. Please keep in mind that justification & regeneration are gifts from God that we receive immediately as a result of our faith in Jesus and God's truth. To say "I am a Christian" but then exhibit no change in your life goes against all biblical teaching about what happens when a person actually becomes a Christian (Jesus said that people would be known by the fruit produced in their life. In other words a Christian will bear Christ-like fruit because Christ's Spirit is in them!).
Issues & Problems: Too many people have only emphasized the first gift of forgiveness or justification. As a result many people "settle" for being lowly sinners saved by God's grace which is a half truth. We also receive the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to keep God's laws not "because we have to" but "because we get to." In other words, following Christ, which we were once opposed to as slaves to sin, is now a delight for us and not a duty or demand.
Additionally, many people have had religous experiences (walked an aisle, prayed a prayer, attended 'confirmation', been baptized, grown up in church, etc.) and they are trusting those acts for their salvation instead of God's work for them. This gives many people a false sense of security based on a tradition as opposed to God's revealed truth. Some even go so far as to say they can live however they want because they are under God's grace and He will just forgive their sins. Clearly, God's Spirit is not in them because God will never sanction a license to sin (Romans 6:1-2; Romans 8:9)
Another question that arises is "Why do I still sin?" or "If I sin, after I become a Christian, am I still a Christian?" The battle with sin will continue until our "glorification" or perfection with Christ in eternity. Why? Because we still have an "old nature" called our flesh and Satan is still at work tempting and deceiving us. These two forces are still active even though they are defeated (a football team behind 30 points late in the 4th quarter can still "score" some points even though they are clearly defeated). The difference for the Christian is that because of God's gift of the Holy Spirit we now have the ability to overcome and win against our sinful urges and Satan's schemes against us. We are free from sin's bondage!!
What are some signs or "fruit" of a true Christian? Here are a few found in Scripture:
Peter's sermon in Acts 2:14-41 offers the initial explanation of the Gospel message and how to become a Christian. The pattern of salvation outlined in Peter's message breaks down into 3 components: (I'm indebted to Pastor Mark Driscoll's book Vintage Church for much of this explanation):
1) Revelation: What God did -- Peter begins by teaching his audience WHO Jesus is. He is the promised and long awaited Messaih Who performed miracles and wonders to affirm His identity (v.22). Jesus is also the Son of God, God Himself in the flesh (vv. 23-25; 32-36). Peter also tells the crowd WHAT Jesus did: He died on the cross to fulfill God's purpose (vv. 23; 32).
2) Response: What We do -- The people listening to Peter asked this question as God's truth gripped their hearts (v.37) and God's Holy Spirit empowered them to respond to the revealed truth. Peter instructs them to "repent" from their sins (vv. 37-38). Repentance is not just admitting our sin but agreeing with God about it and thus changing our minds about who God is and what is important to us. This leads to a change in behavior coming from a change in our values (this does not mean that we will never sin again!) In addition to repentance, the revealed message about Jesus is accepted in faith (v. 41). Faith is simply taking God at His word and trusting our life and eternity to His truth. Baptism is the visible symbol we follow to demonstrate our new connection to Christ by faith and repentance (baptism is not required for salvation but is part of our obedience to Christ. The word "for" in v. 38 literally means "in response to" so it could read "be baptized in response to your forgiveness of sins").
3) Results: What God gives -- (This all happens at once as we respond to God's work for us and in us). Peter says that as a result of faith and repentance, God forgives our sin because of Jesus' sacrificial death (v. 38). This is sometimes called "justification" which is a legal term somewhat equivalent to finding an accused person in a court of law "not guilty". We give Christ our sin which is nailed to the Cross and He gives us His attribute of righteousness = God does not see us as guilty sinners anymore but as righteous sons and daugthers. The second gift God gives is His Holy Spirit (v. 38) which gives us the new heart to live a new life for Christ. This is called "regeneration" where we now gain the ability to actually live a new life as a Christ-follower. The Holy Spirit enables us to have the activity of Christ's righteousness produced in our lives. In other words, when we are saved there will be changes in our lives, our thoughts, and behaviors. Please keep in mind that justification & regeneration are gifts from God that we receive immediately as a result of our faith in Jesus and God's truth. To say "I am a Christian" but then exhibit no change in your life goes against all biblical teaching about what happens when a person actually becomes a Christian (Jesus said that people would be known by the fruit produced in their life. In other words a Christian will bear Christ-like fruit because Christ's Spirit is in them!).
Issues & Problems: Too many people have only emphasized the first gift of forgiveness or justification. As a result many people "settle" for being lowly sinners saved by God's grace which is a half truth. We also receive the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to keep God's laws not "because we have to" but "because we get to." In other words, following Christ, which we were once opposed to as slaves to sin, is now a delight for us and not a duty or demand.
Additionally, many people have had religous experiences (walked an aisle, prayed a prayer, attended 'confirmation', been baptized, grown up in church, etc.) and they are trusting those acts for their salvation instead of God's work for them. This gives many people a false sense of security based on a tradition as opposed to God's revealed truth. Some even go so far as to say they can live however they want because they are under God's grace and He will just forgive their sins. Clearly, God's Spirit is not in them because God will never sanction a license to sin (Romans 6:1-2; Romans 8:9)
Another question that arises is "Why do I still sin?" or "If I sin, after I become a Christian, am I still a Christian?" The battle with sin will continue until our "glorification" or perfection with Christ in eternity. Why? Because we still have an "old nature" called our flesh and Satan is still at work tempting and deceiving us. These two forces are still active even though they are defeated (a football team behind 30 points late in the 4th quarter can still "score" some points even though they are clearly defeated). The difference for the Christian is that because of God's gift of the Holy Spirit we now have the ability to overcome and win against our sinful urges and Satan's schemes against us. We are free from sin's bondage!!
What are some signs or "fruit" of a true Christian? Here are a few found in Scripture:
- Increasing love for God
- Repentance from sin
- Hunger for God's Word and obedience to it
- Increasing selflessness
- A desire to worship God and live for His glory
- Spiritual growth
- A transformed life
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Altar Calls
This past Sunday we incorporated a time of prayer at the "altar" to close our service. It was a very powerful time when God's presence was powerfully evident. I've had lots of questions about altar calls -- their purpose, why we don't do them a lot, etc.
History: Altar calls did not become a consistent practice in the church until around 1820. Evangelist Charles Finney was the first prominent preacher to incorporate them into the worship service. In more recent times, D.L. Moody and Billy Graham have used altar calls to call people to respond to Christ. Other famous evangelists and preachers such as George Whitefield and Charles Spurgeon did not use them.
The Benefits: I personally think "altar calls" and calls to prayer are important if and only if they are God-driven and Christ-focused. Sometimes people sense a need or urge to respond to Christ in an immediate and public way. In the Old Testament, we frequently see God instructing people to build altars or memorials to something He has done in their lives. I believe we have an innate need to respond to God and there are times when an altar call is an appropriate, Spirit-directed response.
The Dangers: Walking an aisle can never replace walking with Christ. I think in the South we have made altar calls a form of religion and a requirement for "salvation" or being "right" with God. This is "works" based theology that says something "we do" makes us right with God when the Bible clearly teaches that what Christ did for us on the Cross makes us right with God. The question then becomes are we placing our faith in Christ or in the religous act of walking an aisle. Sadly, I know people who believe they are right with God because they walked an aisle as a child or teenage, yet their life shows no evidence (or fruit) of walking with Christ.
Without an "altar call", how do people respond to Christ? What did people do before the 1800s? They did what we all do when we respond to Christ: we surrender our lives to Him in faith and repent of our sins and rebellion. We remember where this faith transaction occurs: in our heart and not down an aisle, at an altar, or in a baptistry. Practically, each church has to work out how this response is shared with church leaders and others who then can come alongside a person and help them grow stronger in their walk with Christ.
Altar calls at Rock Bridge: The altar call and time of prayer this past Sunday was part of a lengthy time of prayer and discussion by myself, our worship pastors, our Calhoun campus pastor, and our associate pastor. My message drafts are usually finished about 2-4 weeks in advance. Our worship & creative people then work to plan a service around the message theme (song selection, video usage, etc.). We all prayed and felt like this past Sunday would be a great time for people to respond to God at the altar. There will be other Sundays where the altar call element fits the service and the plan of God for that particular service; however, there will be Sundays where another element might work better for God's purpose.
History: Altar calls did not become a consistent practice in the church until around 1820. Evangelist Charles Finney was the first prominent preacher to incorporate them into the worship service. In more recent times, D.L. Moody and Billy Graham have used altar calls to call people to respond to Christ. Other famous evangelists and preachers such as George Whitefield and Charles Spurgeon did not use them.
The Benefits: I personally think "altar calls" and calls to prayer are important if and only if they are God-driven and Christ-focused. Sometimes people sense a need or urge to respond to Christ in an immediate and public way. In the Old Testament, we frequently see God instructing people to build altars or memorials to something He has done in their lives. I believe we have an innate need to respond to God and there are times when an altar call is an appropriate, Spirit-directed response.
The Dangers: Walking an aisle can never replace walking with Christ. I think in the South we have made altar calls a form of religion and a requirement for "salvation" or being "right" with God. This is "works" based theology that says something "we do" makes us right with God when the Bible clearly teaches that what Christ did for us on the Cross makes us right with God. The question then becomes are we placing our faith in Christ or in the religous act of walking an aisle. Sadly, I know people who believe they are right with God because they walked an aisle as a child or teenage, yet their life shows no evidence (or fruit) of walking with Christ.
Without an "altar call", how do people respond to Christ? What did people do before the 1800s? They did what we all do when we respond to Christ: we surrender our lives to Him in faith and repent of our sins and rebellion. We remember where this faith transaction occurs: in our heart and not down an aisle, at an altar, or in a baptistry. Practically, each church has to work out how this response is shared with church leaders and others who then can come alongside a person and help them grow stronger in their walk with Christ.
Altar calls at Rock Bridge: The altar call and time of prayer this past Sunday was part of a lengthy time of prayer and discussion by myself, our worship pastors, our Calhoun campus pastor, and our associate pastor. My message drafts are usually finished about 2-4 weeks in advance. Our worship & creative people then work to plan a service around the message theme (song selection, video usage, etc.). We all prayed and felt like this past Sunday would be a great time for people to respond to God at the altar. There will be other Sundays where the altar call element fits the service and the plan of God for that particular service; however, there will be Sundays where another element might work better for God's purpose.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Walls I'm Strengthening or Rebuilding
We talked Sunday (listen here) that our walls are our convictions. These convictions help define us, protect us, and make us distinct (or not) as Christ-followers set apart for God's purpose to bear His image and bring Him glory.
I wanted to share some of the "walls" in my life that I'm working on shoring up and/or rebuilding:
1) The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a preacher/pastor it is easy to forget that God is Almighty and to think that the Gospel of Christ needs our help (it doesn't, it just needs a platform in our lives). I want my life, ministry, and preaching to be marked by faithfulness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
2) The sufficiency of God's Word. (another preacher confession) With all the books and conferences out about preaching, it is easy for us to fall prey to the myth that preaching is dependent on our creativity and skillful presentation more than God's Word (and with our consumer/entertainment-hungry culture it is easy to see why we feel this way). How wrong this is and how much stress this invites into my life (the "everything depends upon me" stress). I want my life to marked by simple obedience to God's Word, our church to be bold in our stand on God's Word, and our preaching to be centered on the sufficiency of God's Word.
3) The radical call to be Jesus' disciple. The goal is not merely being a church attender or church member. The goal is not just to get people baptized. The goal is not only Bible knowledge. The goal is not to get people saved. The goal, according to Jesus, is to be a disciple ... to radically and completely follow Him ... to be sold out and surrendered to Him above all else. Jesus changed the world with 12 disciples, yet how much impact are 100,000,000 church "attenders" in the United States making??
I wanted to share some of the "walls" in my life that I'm working on shoring up and/or rebuilding:
1) The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a preacher/pastor it is easy to forget that God is Almighty and to think that the Gospel of Christ needs our help (it doesn't, it just needs a platform in our lives). I want my life, ministry, and preaching to be marked by faithfulness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
2) The sufficiency of God's Word. (another preacher confession) With all the books and conferences out about preaching, it is easy for us to fall prey to the myth that preaching is dependent on our creativity and skillful presentation more than God's Word (and with our consumer/entertainment-hungry culture it is easy to see why we feel this way). How wrong this is and how much stress this invites into my life (the "everything depends upon me" stress). I want my life to marked by simple obedience to God's Word, our church to be bold in our stand on God's Word, and our preaching to be centered on the sufficiency of God's Word.
3) The radical call to be Jesus' disciple. The goal is not merely being a church attender or church member. The goal is not just to get people baptized. The goal is not only Bible knowledge. The goal is not to get people saved. The goal, according to Jesus, is to be a disciple ... to radically and completely follow Him ... to be sold out and surrendered to Him above all else. Jesus changed the world with 12 disciples, yet how much impact are 100,000,000 church "attenders" in the United States making??
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Weekly Rundown (3.1.09)
- Ok, so today was intense in a way we haven't had in awhile at Rock Bridge. But I hope, pray, and believe it was all God Who was all over us, creating holy intensity, calling us to brokeness, repentance, and obedience.
- I'm praying today was not just a service but a start of something BIG ... something of God. I'm praying today was not a spiritual moment but a spiritual marker that moves us forward and that we never go back. I'm praying today was not a spiritual transaction but part of our spiritual transformation.
- We'll continue the spirit and prayer of today this week at First Wednesday -- both campuses!
- Don't forget VISION SUNDAY is March 15th!! Who are YOU going to invite to church???
- Remember you can send "e-Vites" or email invitations on our web site. Try it out!!
- Churchplanters.com Conference was incredible! I had the opportunity to lead a breakout on church planting in a small town. I really enjoyed it and hope it blessed people and helps them make an impact where God places them to plant. This conference is just a solid conference that really inspires me.
- I love NW Georgia!!
- I love Rock Bridge!!
- The BIG question though ... Is Jesus enough??
- Sitting at home wondering if it will snow?? I doubt it but hope so :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)