Fasting 101

On Thursday as a church we are fasting together for the "advance" of God's kingdom IN us and THROUGH us. Here are a few thoughts on fasting along with an excellent web site that goes in more detail: "Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer" --

Why fast?

• To remind ourselves that we do not live on "bread" alone but ultimately upon God and His presence (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 73:26)


• Because certain spiritual victories only come through fasting (Matthew 17:21; Ezra 8:21)


• To heighten our sensitivity to God and His voice (Acts 13:2)

What should I fast from?

• Something that you will consciously miss:
  
  
  
  • A meal or several meals
  
  
  • The use of Facebook or the internet or other social media
  
  
  • TV
  
  
  • Cokes, coffee, caffeine, sugar, or even meat
  
  
  • Limiting your diet to fruits and vegetables and juices (this is a good option for a longer fast)
  
  
  
  

What do I do while I fast or when I miss what I am fasting from?

• By fasting you free attention and time to focus on the things of God (Colossians 3:1-3)


• When you feel the desire to eat or watch TV or check Facebook or whatever you are fasting from, instead turn to God in prayer, Scripture reading, or worship music

Remember fasting is about turning from something so you can turn to Someone--God.

Any advice if I am fasting from food?

• Drink plenty of fluids before and during your fast.


• Do not "gorge" yourself on food the day before.


• Get rest


• During your fast, slow your pace down (don't engage in strenuous physical activity for example).


• Have a plan for what will do when your body says, "Feed me". A few options are to drink water or juices, immediately turn to prayer and Bible reading, talk to other Christians who can help encourage you, etc.

 

Responding to the Reality of Evil

This past Friday our nation was struck again by the reality of evil. This time the evil was directed primarily at innocent and precious little children. This tragedy is heartbreaking, and we mourn with our fellow Americans in Newtown, Connecticut. This is the time to weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15b). This is not the time for spiritual platitudes. We must feel this as a people, taking comfort from the shortest but perhaps most telling words that describe our Savior's response to death: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35).

The reality that Friday's massacre reminds us of is that this world is broken, not right, unjust, and in disrepair. Our own hearts and consciences testify that there should be another way and that this is not the way the world should be. Why is that? Because intuitively we know there is a standard of goodness and justice that ought to rule the world but does not ... at this time in history.

2000 years ago another town (Bethlehem) grieved the loss of innocents when King Herod ordered the slaughter of all boys under the age of 2 in an attempt to destroy the Christ Child (see Matthew 2:16-18). Despite the evil that occurred that day, Herod failed to destroy Christ and the hope He brought to the world. 33 years later that Child, now a Man, was Himself murdered unjustly. He did not escape the reality of evil either. Then 3 days later, He rose from the dead to demonstrate that justice can and will prevail, goodness can and will win, and death does not have the final say. The words to the third verse of "Joy to the World" offer a timely reminder:

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

The curse manifested itself once again in Newtown, Connecticut as it has all over the world and all throughout history. And so we mourn and we cry. But "as far the curse is found," the hope and joy of Christ prevails. This is why we ARE the church, this is why we must BE the church, this is why we must LIVE the reality of a hope that evil cannot take away ... so that people will ask us the REASON for the HOPE that we have (I Peter 3:15).

In deep hurt and hope,

Matt

 

Satisfied Recap

We just wrapped up the “Satisfied” series this weekend. Praying God’s Word bears fruit in our lives! Here’s a recap of this series:

PART 1
We all have to deal with discontentment in our lives. It will drive us somewhere. In doing so, discontentment has the potential to dethrone Jesus or enthrone Him.
Big question: Does my salvation bring contentment? Is Jesus just a ticket to heaven for later or treasure to enjoy now and forever?

PART 2
We are all driven by the desire to have a certain standard of living. When God gave Jesus (His standard of giving), He changed our standard of living. Instead of holding onto things tightly, now we hold them loosely while holding onto Christ as the real standard of living.
Big question: What is driving my standard of living?

PART 3
We all experience “gaps” between our expectations and our reality. We’ll try to fill those gaps with many things, and often develop a critical spirit or attitude of negativity. However, God asks us to fill those gaps with thankfulness. Thankfulness comes from recognizing what really matters and responding in gratitude.
Big question: Is my thankfulness dependent on having a quantity of things or having the superior quality of Christ?

PART 4
Giving away money is part of your satisfaction equation. Despite the fact that this makes no sense in our culture, God prescribes giving as a critical component of contentment and satisfaction. We cannot experience all of God’s sufficiency without giving as a response to Him. God as owner of all things, lovingly asks us to steward His gifts. Part of stewardship is returning a percentage back to God in a way that is driven by faith, joy, and worship. The ultimate goal of giving is to trust God’s ability to satisfy you so much that you are live generously.
Big question: Will you evaluate your finances to become a percentage giver? Would you assess your current level of giving as generous?

Repentance

What is repentance?
The word 'repentance' should be no stranger to a Christ-follower.  Repentance is part of our initial step into Christianity. We often say that when a person becomes a Christian, they "put their faith" in Jesus.  Repentance and faith are different sides of the same coin and are inseparable experiences of God's saving grace. Repentance is the turning from sins and an overall God-less path, and turning to Jesus.  As we turn to Jesus, we place our faith in Him as our Savior, Lord, and highest treasure.  The result is a life that has a new affection for Christ and a new ambition to live for Him.  This also means that we have a new battle.  Before Christ (and repentance) we were at war with God and His ways.  After Christ (and the new life He gives us), we now are at war with sin.

Because Christians are always at war with sin, repentance is an ongoing part of our walk with Christ.  God will continually reveal sins in our lives to produce repentance. This ongoing repentance continually demonstrates that Jesus is our Lord and that our highest desire is to live in fellowship with Him.

Finally, we must understand that repentance is not an endless cycle of sin, remorse, and confession ... only to keep on sinning. Repentance is not sorrow for getting caught or sorrow for consequences.  Nor is repentance an attempt to "do better".
Repentance includes sorrow for sin, its consequences, and its offensiveness to God.
Repentance is more than doing better; it is also a conviction that believes Christ is better than sin.

What causes repentance?
Repentance is the right response to God's revelation.  God through the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to us about our sins and about Himself. We see sin for what it really is -- offensive and dishonoring to God and harmful to us. We also see God for who He is -- glorious, almighty, loving, holy, and perfect.  This clarity about sin and God prompts us to turn from sin and turn to God.

How do I stay "repentant" before God?
First, would be to pray something along the lines of Psalm 139:23-24, asking God to search us and reveal anything that is offensive to Him.
Second, would be to ask yourself (and perhaps your spouse, mentor, accountability partner, small group) some questions about yourself:

• Are there any idols in my life? Is there anything in my life that is carrying more "weight" than God?


• Have I turned to substitutes for God? Is anything causing me to "forget God"?


• Are my words and speech tearing others down? Critical? Gossip? Condemning? Discouraging?


• Is my heart full of love for others?


• Am I disobeying any known command of God?


• Do I currently have the "joy of the Lord"? {lack of joy generally = lack of repentance}


• What would those closest to me say about my walk with the Lord?


• How unified am I with other Christians? Am I regularly meeting together as commanded by Scripture?

What You Don't See

Watching ducks can be a fairly peaceful and entertaining experience. They are beautiful, naturals in the water, and can twist their necks almost 360 degrees (which is a skill I'd like to have).  However, what we normally don't see is below the surface of the water where ducks' feet are pretty busy "paddling".  In other words, "there is more than meets the eye" to a duck; it takes more than what we see to make a duck ... well, a duck.

This is especially true in a local church.  We see preachers and singers. We see buildings and bulletins.  But just like our friend the duck, it takes (way) more to make a church ... well, a church.

What most people don't see are the people who prepare the bulletins, pick-up the trash, mix the sound, manage the lighting controls, run the computers, pray during the services, make the volunteer schedules, put out the signs, check the batteries in the microphones, call the first-time guests, send out letters, count the offering, make meals for the sick and bereaved, visit the sick, teach the children, change the diapers (I know my son's can be particularly nasty, sorry), hang out with the teenagers, check the toilets (and toilet paper), lead the small groups, organize the prayer requests, send out the prayer list, answer the phones ... you get the idea.

So I want to acknowledge and thank those members of the church that we don't normally see, encourage, or appreciate. Thank you for making the church function.  Thank you for doing what needs to be done with grace, humility, and excellence. Thank you for giving without expecting. Thank you for serving without selfishness.  What would we be without you??  One thing is for sure, we would not be a church. So ...
thank you for BEING the church!

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:4-5 {NLT}

 

Today

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="The Today Show Studio at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC"][/caption]

I have always enjoyed watching NBC's Today Show.  I would watch it before going to school after I watched Inspector Gadget or, as I matured, The Three Stooges.
But I always anticipated the 7:00 am introduction to the Today Show as the host would summarize the major news story they were covering and seque into a dramatic ending of "... Today, [the date]." The impression: major things happen every day; every day is full of news, promise, and pain.

In fact, today is the only day we have -- to live for God, to love our families, to treat people right, to make things right, to seize opportunities, and in essence, to live.

Martin Luther used to say, "There are only two days on my calender -- this day and that day."
"This day" refers to today.  "That day" is the day we stand before the Lord to give an account of how we used the "todays" He gave us.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 [NIV]

God & the Ferber Method

When we first adopted Abreham we had a hard time getting him to fall asleep on his own or without being held.  There were times it took us over an hour to get him asleep in his bed ... and if he woke up during the night, we'd just have to repeat the process.

Then we read an interesting fact:  "Most babies have the ability to fall asleep on their own around 4-6 months of age."  And we suddenly became fans of the "Ferber Method" which basically means you let your kid cry for a predetermined but increasing amount of time until they fall asleep on their own (sounds cruel & unusual I know).  I picked a time when Beth was going to be out of town for a few days and decided to give it a try.  The first night Abreham cried for 45 minutes non-stop. By the 7th night, he was quiet as a mouse after about a minute or two.  Sleep problem solved ... for Abreham AND Mommy & Daddy.

Essentially, the "Ferber" Method is teaching your child to overcome his/her perceptions and rest in what is true.

• PERCEPTION:  I can't fall asleep without being cuddled up next to a warm body, preferably Mommy.
  
  
  
  • REALITY:  God designed your body so that you can enjoy sleep without depriving your parents of it.
  
  
  
  


• PERCEPTION:  When I wake up in the middle of the night, I am alone and need immediate attention.
  
  
  
  • REALITY:  You are never alone. Your parents can be in your room in 1.97 seconds if you really need them.
  
  
  
  


• PERCEPTION: Mommy & Daddy aren't meeting my needs. I'm scared.
  
  
  
  • REALITY:  Do I trust Mommy & Daddy?
  
  
  
  

Then it hit me:  this is exactly what God wants to teach us.  We perceive He is absent, when He is not.  We perceive we need something, when God knows exactly what we need.  We perceive His grace is not enough, when He knows His grace is more than sufficient. And God never sleeps, never slumbers, and never dozes off so we can rest in Him.

God wants us to rest in the reality of Himself, rather than become anxious about deceptive perceptions.

The only way we can "grow up" as a Christian is to live by the truth ... and sometimes God has to "Ferberize" us from our patterns and perceptions that are not based on truth.

When tempted to doubt God, question Him, or fear your circumstances, fall back on what is true and when it seems cloudy, go to the Cross.




 

 

 

Going For God

This weekend I attended the Apostles Church, only I did more than attend, I really connected to God. Although the church staff and volunteers did things to facilitate my connection, I can't pin point anything specific that made this worship service so full of God for me.  They did not try to manufacture God's presence or manipulate my emotions to make me think I encountered God.  They were authentic, reverent, and appropriately funny. They valued Scripture highly and leaned on it mightily.

However, I think I repented of some "God blockers" that do not keep me from attending church, but they do keep me from connecting to God.

1) I prayed about and prepared for the service before I got there. I think in our "event" heavy culture, we have learned to just show up and 'hope' for a good ______ (show, performance, movie, game, church service, etc.). We have the lost the practice of preparing ourselves to meet with God.  Granted by God's grace and Jesus' blood, we can enter His presence at any time and any place; however, maybe our weekly worship with our church family deserves more intentionality. Maybe even if we are not the singer, volunteer, or preacher, we too have a role to play in worship? Maybe our role is the most important one, and prayer is acknowledging we want to connect with Him but need help overcoming ourselves? After all, God promises to draw near to us when we draw near to Him (see James 4:8).

2)  I forced myself not to critique the church but to look for God. This was so hard for me, and I had to stop several thoughts before they distracted me.  We all want to drink good coffee, find a seat relatively easily, listen to good music, and hear a good sermon.  And in our consumeristic culture, we have been trained by our likes and dislikes to be critics ... and if a "dislike" pops up, then we have a "right" to be critical, right?  Maybe. But should our "dislike" overshadow God? After all, God promises to always work through His Word (see Isaiah 55:11) and be there when two or three (or more) gather in Jesus' Name (see Matthew 18:20). This means even if we encounter a "dislike", God is still very likely to be present.

3)  I (eventually) got over myself and remembered that God is the true audience of worship. So being new, I was self-conscious when a family sat directly behind me.  I starting thinking about how bad I sing and how my southern accent screams "Not from around here!", and I became more aware of myself than God.  Then a remarkable thing happened.  The worship team started singing a song, and I could not see the lead singer (gasp!). She was out of my sight line, hidden behind a speaker bank (those crazy tech guys, don't they know I need to see the singer in order to worship!).  But the message of the song starting gripping my heart, and I starting singing to God, not through "the middle man" worship leader -- just me to God.  I even shed a tear or two (that's a big deal) and even danced a bit (that's an even bigger deal, just ask my wife) and did a fist pump. This carried over into the message:  I wasn't critiquing the preacher or waiting for him to amaze me with his oratory skills, I was simply connecting to God through the preaching of His Word.  I was convicted: how often do I think connecting to God hinges on the singer and preacher being "good" according to me?

Attending church "hoping" to hear a good sermon and some good music would be like going to Ruth Chris Steakhouse for an appetizer and coke; we could say we've been, but we'd miss the point.  We'd be settling for less than the best.  Ruth Chris is not known for appetizers, they are known for great steaks. Let's go to church for more than an event ... let's go for God.

A Sure Way to Miss God (and not even know it)

A few weeks ago as part of our Faith Pirates series, we talked about King Asa's wisdom & leadership.  However, there was part of the story we did not cover.  For years Asa relied on God and lead his people to seek Him.  Yet toward the end of his reign, he relied on his own wisdom, talents and strengths when faced with a threat from King Baasha (see 2 Chronicles 16).  Unlike the previous threat, Asa never sought God, instead he relied on his own political and diplomatic skills to forge an alliance with the king of Aram against Baasha.  Here's the scary part:  his plan worked.  The threat from Baasha subsided and peace was preserved but he left God on the sidelines.

Depending on ourselves can bring success to our lives ...

This means we can work hard, do our best, use our "brains" & talents, take matters into our own hands ... and see positive results ... and yet miss God.  We can even think we are "blessed" because we have avoided trouble, made extra money, drawn a big crowd, earned accolades, or reached a certain level of achievement.  However, God sees it differently because God defines success differently. God defines success as faithfulness to Him and whenever we create or cause "success" apart from Him, He says we are "foolish."

In 2 Chronicles 16:7-9, Asa is rebuked for not relying on God and told that he would have had an even greater victory over Baasha if he had relied on God.

Depending on ourselves can bring success to our lives ... but it keeps us from experiencing God's best.

And God's best only comes when we are fully reliant, fully committed, and fully surrendered to Him. As A.W. Tozer said, "We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the Spirit is all but gone."

• When I have a financial choice to make, this means I pray and study the Scripture BEFORE choosing to save, invest, or give ... realizing that relying on God sometimes means very radically UN-relying on money (Matthew 6:24).


• When I prepare a sermon, this means spending MORE time with the Scriptures than with commentaries or other books ... realizing that the with the Bible comes the promise that a harvest will be reaped (Isaiah 55:11).


• When I preach, this means trusting the power of God's Word and Gospel, MORE than my presentation ... realizing that Paul intentionally preached in a way that minimized himself while maximizing God (1 Cor. 2:3-5).


• When I have a potential opportunity before me, this means I pause and wait on God (never to delay obedience), allowing my preferences and instincts to be submitted entirely to His will ... realizing that God's wisdom and timing are not mine (Isaiah 55:8).


• When I deal with people, this means my attitude must be humility and my actions must seek to honor others ahead of myself ... realizing that God's relational rules come from the Cross (Philippians 2:3-5).

God, may I never think that what I do apart from You can bring Your blessings.  May I never mistake the results of hard work for the genuine work of Your Spirit.  Instead, lead me beyond myself for only there do You become fully alive and only there is life full & abundant.

What I've Learned (so far)

As the church planter who helped start RBCC and now serves as the lead pastor, I have a very big desire to see Rock Bridge be all that God wants us to be.  I have struggled a lot with what is my role in that pursuit and what is God's role.  More often that not I have erred on the side of "if it is to be, it is up to me." This mentality pushed me to work really hard and do my best.  Doing your best and working hard can produce positive results and make us feel good (about ourselves) but the danger is that we start relying on our "best" (which is no where close to God's best) and our hard work instead of the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we become self-reliant, not Christ-dependent ... and our self-reliance becomes like a god that feeds the ego and pushes away the God of the Bible who declares that "apart from Him we can do nothing". These sinful patterns also produce the stress and weight of undue responsibility. Hard things for a pastor to admit ... but perhaps I did not really know how to rely on God.  But when do we really have to rely just on God?

Then the bottom fell out.  My neat little world with all my natural tendencies were rocked by Beth's unconventional and untimely illness and the treatment it required for her to have a chance to live.  For once, nothing was up to me ... not the "success" of Rock Bridge or the outcome of Beth's treatment.  For once, I had to essentially stop pastoring Rock Bridge during the critical month of Beth's transplant.  For once, all I could really do was pray, turn to the Scriptures, and lean into the encouragement of my church family.  While I'm still seeking to process much of this, there are some common themes emerging--

• I am way more sinful than I imagined. The degree of self-reliance in me was/is strong and so natural that I did not even see it as sin.  Even my strategies for fighting sin where sinful in their humanistic, self-help tendencies. This fight is far from over, but at least I see the enemy more clearly now.


• All sin is a result of unbelief, and all spiritual growth & joy are the results of belief. This really simplifies Christianity.  The struggle is not to do more; rather it is to believe more and to trust more.  It is as simple (or hard) as getting onto an airplane -- you either believe it will fly or you don't.  There really is no middle ground. I'm finding that the middle ground is losing ground in my life as I learn to see my life in terms of where I believe God and where I don't.  Where I believe Him there is much joy and the peace;  and where I don't believe Him, I am praying like the father in Mark 9 -- "I believe, help my unbelief!"


• Our work is to respond to God's. God is responsible for building churches and saving sinners.  God is responsible for conforming His children into the likeness of His Son.  To cast all responsibility on God means resting in the power of the Gospel, trusting in the production power of His Word & Spirit, and praying based on His character and not your circumstances.


• Rock Bridge is healthy. I could make this point with our attendance, baptisms, small group launches, and special offering numbers BUT those things alone don't make a healthy church.  I have seen this church in a different light and the view is amazing!! We are not a perfect church (far from it) but we are seeking to be a biblical church ... and that pursuit did not slow down, suffer, or lose momentum because of my family's situation or my absence ... AND in many ways Rock Bridge has sped up!!


• It is possible to be satisfied with Jesus Christ ... and nothing more. This is what the Scriptures claim and the lives of the apostles model, but very rarely are we forced into "just Jesus" dependence so we can really taste "just Jesus" satisfaction.  I can't say that I live this truth every day, but I can say that for a few moments I got there (or rather God got me there) ... and it was better than great.  To push past circumstances, empty yourself of yourself, and just press into Jesus was/is beautiful and wonderful!

Power in the Blood

When I was a teenager I remember reading a book by Billy Graham where he explained why the blood sacrifice of Jesus was necessary to give new and eternal life. He quoted Leviticus 17:11 --

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves ... it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

Like so many things God uses a physical reality to demonstrate a spiritual truth.  As blood is necessary for us to live physically, blood would be necessary for us to live spiritually.  And not just any blood, only the pure and perfect blood of Jesus Christ. Without this blood there can be no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22).  But the power of this blood goes beyond just forgiveness -- it also brings His goodness and abundant life, instead of His wrath against our sinfulness (Romans 5:9; Romans 8:32).

Today we rejoice because Beth is receiving new blood. A gift of grace and a miracle of mercy flowing from the greatest grace gift and most miraculous mercy ever -- the Cross. Here Jesus' physical life-blood removed the Father's wrath and replaced it with His goodness that now comes in many forms of His rich and sufficient grace.  We celebrate the goodness of God in the form of 19 million new and healthy stem cells entering Beth's body to produce new, healthy, and leukemia-free blood cells.  Life is indeed in the blood!

While nothing is greater than the salvation Christ purchased for us with His blood, we still praise God for His "lesser" graces (like a bone marrow transplant) that give Him glory and give us a foretaste of His eternal goodness. These foretastes remind us that the best is yet to come and victory is assured as we live by His blood-bought grace in a sin-stained world full of pain and suffering.  While Beth's battle with leukemia is not over with today's transplant, we know and believe that there is "power, wonder-working power" in the blood!!

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers Mean So Much!!

The emails, texts, Facebook messages, etc. etc. MEAN SO MUCH!! YOUR PRAYERS MEAN SO MUCH. THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!!!  We wanted to share one such email/prayer from a friend -- 

Just saw your blog;  wow, the warfare is on.............a pastor's wife at a church here in {xxxx} has cancer in her jaw and involves radical amputation.  Interestingly enough, my daughter found my wife unconscious in the bathroom early one morning, this week, and gave us a scare.  Pastor of a church plant that is 5 years old, out in the country in {xxxx} County has a brain tumor and progressively going down fast.

Here's a word for you guys that is in my heart this morning:  My heart is bothered by this news about Beth, but not burdened.  This trial is to take you guys higher, holier, and more healthy that you already are.  It will cause so many who love you both, to drop down to their knees, weep, groan to God, and for the first time, experience a fellowship with our King.

Be encouraged..............It will be fine!  You win! ... God is getting ready to take Rock Bridge and your lives to the next level.  I know it's health here, but it's also warfare.  You can't progress and attack hell without resistance...........you are getting it.  Praise can be the greatest weapon in this battle.  It works!

"Lord Jesus, we bind and attack fear and anxiety right now in Matt and Beth.  We give you our minds because it all begins right here.  According to the psalmist, 'you have answered us.'  Do it again.  Give us the desires of our heart, but you are also sovereign and we give you our voiced liberty to do what you will.  Father, Matt and those boys need Beth......your local body needs Beth.  If you've ever worked mightily on our behalf, do it now.  Do it now..........we pray for wisdom, for favor, for mercy, save some grace for us, and we plead the blood of Jesus Christ over Beth for the miraculous.  I pray explosion that is unexplainable happen in worship tomorrow for Rock Bridge.  We give you glory! Father, for the answer, we ask all of this in Jesus' name."  -Amen

Bonus Feature to Follow Me (Part 3): Giving & Tithing

{Bonus Feature blog posts: Part 1 and Part 2}

I'm so excited to hear how so many of us are wrestling with what it really means to follow Jesus and aligning ourselves with God's revealed truth.  An area of constant struggle is giving, tithing, and money in general.  For this bonus feature (stuff that did not make the sermon) we'll discuss tithing, special offerings, giving to the church vs. giving through other channels.

Tithing is the biblical practice to give the first 10% of one's income to the Lord through the church.  In the OT this money was used to support the Levites who were the priests and who worked in the Temple (and therefore could not farm).  Some people argue that is not a New Testament command or practice; however, the biblical evidence supports the notion of not just a tithe but grace-based, radically generous giving for Christians.

• Actually in the Old Testament a Jew would end up giving around 25% of there income to God's work: the 10% for the Levites/Temple plus additional offerings to pay for the festivals and offerings to help the poor and aliens.


• The tithe started BEFORE the law was given in Exodus. The first tithe was given by Abraham to a priest in Genesis.


• Jesus actually mentioned that tithes should be given but not in a "legalistic" spirit. (Matthew 23:23)


• Special offerings were a part of the New Testament church (see 2 Cor. 8-9).  We also see people on their own giving generous gifts for the church leadership to distribute (see Acts 4:34-35).


• I Cor. 16:1-2 encourages giving on the first day of the week in relation to (in proportion to) one's income. This indicates some type of "percentage" based giving.


• Jesus never lowered an OT standard but raised the standard and encouraged people to keep the spirit of the law.  For example, no longer was adultery defined as just sex with someone other than your spouse, but Jesus said lust in your heart was also adultery.  He went on to say hatred for someone was akin to murder.  Paul seemed to apply this principle to giving when he commended churches for giving "more than [they] were able."

Based on these scriptural truths, here is where I think the safest place to land biblical on the issue of tithing:

• Tithing (10%) to your local church is the starting point for Christian giving.  It is clear scripturally that the local church is the primary (but not the only) "collection" point for funding God's work.


• Christians must constantly look for ways to be generous and sacrificial with the monies God has given them. This could take "giving" well beyond 10%.  This could also mean some money is given to individuals, families, or organizations besides the local church.


• Church members should participate in special offerings (above and beyond their regular giving) when the church unites to give sacrificially (see 2 Cor. 8-9).


• The "spirit" of the tithe principle is to trust God financially and be generous.  We must constantly look at how much we make and how much we give, asking "Am I trusting God or money?" and "Am I being generous based on God's grace to me?"

The following has proven helpful to me (this is from Andy Stanley) when thinking about giving:

• PRIORITY GIVING: give first right when you get paid to the church and other Christ-centered causes.  This indicates that God is first in your finances and invites Him (through obedience) into your financial matters.


• PERCENTAGE GIVING:  this helps make our giving consistent and intentional.  Again 10% is a good place to start and a reference point.


• PROGRESSIVE GIVING: we should seek to grow in giving like we grow in Bible knowledge or Christian understanding or as we grow as a spouse or parent.


• PROMPTED GIVING: God will prompt you to give as opportunities arise.  We should expect this, be prepared for it, and count it as a joy to be able to do so.  We can't foresee when our friends might need something or our church has special burden to do something more for Christ or when a disaster strikes and Christians need to respond.  The Holy Spirit will lead us to give in spontaneous ways.

The Next 40 Days ...

This past weekend as a church we suggested some significant steps for our folks to take over the next 40 days.  Steps of alignment behind our Lord Jesus; steps of persistence that will hopefully form some new spiritual habits; and steps of faith that will honor God and fill us with more of His presence.

1) Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Over the next 40 days we're just challenging ourselves to read God's Word to learn more about Jesus and how we are to follow Him.  {This averages out to reading about 3-4 chapters per day.}

2)  Pray and fast in a bold, new way. We have the 24/7 prayer option online AND the 24:00 prayer service on Dec. 1-2.  We are will seek to fast from something (food, internet, Facebook, TV, etc.) on Wednesday, Dec. 1st.  The bottom line: just commit to praying more and praying with greater boldness for God to show up in your life!

3)  Sacrifice and invest your money for the Gospel and glory of Christ. As a church we are taking up a special offering on Dec. 2nd/5th.  Portions of this offering will go to campus needs and another portion to missions. However, there are many other ways to take this step.  Just pray and ask God for direction about where to give AND how much!

4)  Spend an hour together as a family/couple with God. We are very intentional about helping our kids be better students and athletes. Many of us take regular "date nights" to invest in our marriages.  However, how intentional are we about growing as family closer to Christ? How much time is spent on "training" our children to go the Lord's way?

• Every week our Children's Ministry sends something home to parents to help reinforce the lesson and use for family devotionals.  You can use this as a tool to teach your children about the Bible and Jesus.


• In Student Ministry, our web site contains information for parents about each week's topic and the "devotional" activity your teenager is asked to do on their own.  Click here for more details.

5)  Do intentional and consistent disciple-making. Invite people to church; share Christ with someone; get in a small group or go on a global mission trip.  Just be intentional about sharing the love and truth of Jesus Christ!!

• The Story is a great way to share Christ with others!


• On November 18/21 we start a new series on the end of times.  This is a VERY popular topic and a GREAT TIME to invite someone to church with you!!


• For more on small groups -- groups@rockbridge.cc


• Global Mission Trips

6)  Share what happens. Just talk about the next 40 days in your family, with your small group, or on your campus Facebook page.

Follow Me Bonus Feature: People Who Never Hear

In every message or series there are always things that cannot be covered in great detail.  One subject that I am hearing a lot of "chatter" about is the issue of people who never hear about Jesus.  We have taught in this series that people who do not hear about Jesus are not innocent and thus will experience eternity apart from God.  Here is a detailed explanation of this biblical fact.

All people have knowledge of God and still reject God.

This means that there are NO INNOCENT people in the world.  Whether we have knowledge of Jesus' existence or not, we are ALL still eternally sick with sin.  Therefore, the person who has never heard about Jesus is STILL guilty for his/her sins. Romans 3:10 clearly states that no one is righteous.  But the Bible also states that people do have knowledge of God and that they reject this knowledge. Romans 1:18-20 is the key verse explaining this and ends with the very clear statement that "men are without excuse."  Not hearing about Jesus does not make a sinner innocent.  We are without excuse and in need of salvation -- all of us.

God has made a way of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear that only because of God's merciful provision of His Son Jesus do any of us have any hope.  There are 2 important considerations here and both should drive us to our knees in humble worship:

1)  God did not have to save anyone and that would have been fair and just and right.  Why? We are ALL hopelessly sinful.  I think it is dishonoring to God to question the method or exclusivity of Jesus Christ as if God owes us salvation or should let us determine how salvation should be offered. Salvation cost Jesus His life!  God is more than fair and His mercy is incomprehensible.  We should worship Him, not question Him.  And if we are really concerned about justice and salvation for people, we should give our time, our money, and our efforts to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ locally and globally as God commands.

2) God's ways are higher and better than our ways.  In discussing the "Jesus is the only way" topic, many people start saying that is not fair or not right.  That means we are putting ourselves above God and allowing our limited, finite, and fallible perspectives to trump God.  Who is the highest authority in our lives -- us or God? Our viewpoint or the Scriptures?  Do we not believe that God is the ultimate definition and decider of what is "right"? Do we not believe that God is God?  When God has provided His Son to make a way for salvation, do we really want to have a "fairness" debate with God?!?

Sometimes I fear this entire discussion reveals that we do not take God's right to be God seriously and/or we lessen the urgency and importance of sharing Christ with people.  Interestingly, these 2 things are mentioned in Romans. Romans 1:23 says we will reject the true God for false images that look like us or like created things.  In other words, we make ourselves our God!!  Romans 10:14 states that if we do not preach Jesus then people will not hear and thus not be saved.  Therefore, we must resist any temptation to make ourselves into the final authority about matters of salvation and to make the Great Commission optional.

What about young children who die?

I think the Bible is actually pretty clear on this point as well.

First, according to Romans 1 people must have the capacity for God to be "known" and to be made "plain" so that the existence of God can be "understood" (see Romans 1:19-20).  Therefore, this implies that young children and people with certain mental handicaps would be excluded from God's wrath and somehow covered by Christ's atonement.

Second, when King David's son died shortly after he was born, David's words tell us that that child went to be with the Lord:  "...now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." {2 Samuel 12:23}.  David believes that when he dies, he "will go to" be with his son who now is with God.

The Fullness of the Holy Spirit

Every Tuesday our staff spends extended time in prayer together.  This week we focused on being "full of the Holy Spirit" as we recognize more than anything else we need a greater manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, our families, our church, our ministries, and our community.  Below is the prayer guide we used.

“The work of God is not by might of men or by the power of men but by His Spirit. The philosophies of men fail, but the Word of God in the demonstration of the Spirit prevails.  The resources of the church are in the “supply of the Spirit” [Phil. 1:19 KJV].  It is for the church to explore the resources of the Spirit; the resources of the world are futile.” {Samuel Chadwick}

Obtaining the Fullness of the Holy Spirit [Ephesians 5:18b]

REPENT

If we want to know the presence of the Holy Spirit, we must live a life of repentance.  As soon as conviction comes, repent. Turn from sin and find forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Christ.

As soon as people cry out for a filling of the Spirit, there will be immediate conviction of sin.  People will be convicted of breaking God’s laws and also of spiritual apathy that has left them weak and powerless.

Several godly individuals have used questions like the ones below to help identify areas of repentance:

Questions to “examine” ourselves:

• Am I slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?


• Am I enjoying prayer and Bible study?


• Do I pray about the money I spend?


• Do I insist on doing anything about which my conscience is uneasy?


• How do I spend my spare time?


• Am I defeated in any part of my life?


• Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?


• Do I grumble and complain?


• Have you exposed yourself to any questionable material (entertainment choices, time with opposite sex other than your spouse, etc.)?


• Are you holding anything back from God that you need to surrender?


• Is there anything dampening your zeal for Christ?

BELIEVE

We must believe in the truth of God’s Word to understand that apart from Him we can do nothing. We must believe that He has promised us Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit so that we can experience Him and His power in our lives.

DESPERATELY ASK

We have not because we ask not (James 4:2).  If God were to respond in proportion to your asking, would He sense your desperate need for the Holy Spirit?  Would He conclude that you could not live without His life in you? Would He be convinced by your persistence in prayer that you want to live a Spirit-filled life (Luke 11:1-13)?

My Prayers for Rock Bridge: August 2010

I've been saddened by how my prayers lack persistence which probably shows I lack the "desire" or the passion for what I am asking.  God promises to give us what we ask when our desires are real and for His glory.  So help me pray persistently for things that glorify God. Here are my current (not comprehensive) prayers for our church:

• For the spirit of mammon ("more" stuff) to be broken and a spirit of generosity unleashed
  
  
  
  • For an unprecedented special offering in December
  
  
  • Doubling our missions giving in 2011.
  
  
  
  


• For our people to take a risk in God's direction


• For the # of adults small groups in our church to double (~200)


• For several people in our church to become missionaries in another country


• For us to have an incredible baptism celebration with lots of changed lives and eternities on Sept. 19th


• For our church to make disciples (=people who follow Jesus; standby for next message series!) who make disciples.

Obey God No Matter What

Obeying God no matter what is one of the principles that I would love to be the basis for my life and am seeking to model & teach to my boys.

As I seek to "obey God no matter what", I've discovered that obedience is not limited to what we don't do (the thou shalt not's), nor is obeying God is not always black & white or as simple as the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule.  There are perhaps four types of obedience we must be aware of to actually "obey God no matter what" --

OBVIOUS OBEDIENCE: this probably gets the bulk of our attention & most of us know if we are obeying or disobeying God in this category because it is obvious.  Either we feel good about ourselves ("I don't drink or smoke or chew, or hang with guys who do!") or we feel guilty because we don't measure up.  Obvious obedience includes things like the Ten Commandments and treating people right.

OPPORTUNISTIC OBEDIENCE ... this is when a door opens and we have an opportunity to live for God that we did not have before.  Things like inviting a friend to church, praying for someone in need, being generous (more than the tithe, the tithe is obvious) with extra money, and taking the initiative to do the right thing (see James 4:17).  This type of obedience requires being alert, being prepared, and being bold.

We must look for God to open doors (see Colossians 4:2-4), be ready to go through them (i.e. When God opens the door for a single to begin dating, is their character ready? When God opens the door for you to share Jesus with someone, do you have the knowledge to explain why your hope is in Christ?), and we must have courage because opportunistic obedience requires us to seize the moment for God.

LIGHT YOU HAVE OBEDIENCE-- Often times we will never have all the facts, all the information, or the level of certainty we would like.  But God always gives us enough light to take the next step of obedience.  Sometimes God works like a flashlight does on a dark trail.  We have enough light to take two, maybe three steps but as we take those steps the light moves ahead of us and so we keep moving.  This means we don't need to worry about all the things we don't know, just respond to the light we have.  This keeps us moving and keeps us from regret.  The underlying principle here is that the amount of light we have at any given moment is not nearly as important as what we are doing with that light.  (Psalm 89:15)

ENDURING OBEDIENCE is being consistent in your walk.  We can't be hot and then cold.  We can't seize opportunities and walk in the light today and tomorrow be afraid to obey and drawn to darkness. We can't love our neighbor (obvious obedience) on Monday and curse him on Tuesday (obvious disobedience).  Enduring obedience is obeying God in "all of the above" categories which ultimately leads us closer and closer to God, God's best, and God's blessings.

Too Easily Satisfied

One of Satan's most effective tactics is to get us to settle for the good instead of God's best.  The forbidden fruit was "good ... pleasing ... and desirable" (see Genesis 3:6) yet it cost Adam & Eve God's best.  This is true for all sin.  Initially, sin seems good and pleasurable, but ultimately it proves very costly.

The Bible teaches us that the highest satisfaction we can discover is in Christ alone, the greatest pleasure we can experience comes from God, and that the greatest desire we can have is for God.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. [Psalm 16:11]

Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. [Psalm 119:35]

For most of us "joy", "pleasures", and "delight" are not something we typically associate with God.  So we look for those things in money, sex, food, other people, careers, hobbies, and entertainment choices.  And those things may be good or at least seem okay, but we'll never enjoy God's best if those are what we "settle for".  We become too easily satisfied while our senses are deadened and our ability to enjoy God is dulled.

I was thinking through some of the highest and greatest satisfactions my life ... and to be honest I have at times been satisfied with sin.  However, the highest and greatest pleasures for me have come from God.

• Marrying my wife, Beth.  She is God's gift to me.


• Starting Rock Bridge Community Church. Hard, challenging ... but WOW!!!


• Times in worship when I have literally sensed God's manifest presence ... I could have done it forever if my knees, feet, back, and voice could have endured! (Most recently for me this happened at the last Disciple Now 2010 service.)


• The times when I preach and absolutely know that it is not I who speak, but God.


• Moments in prayer when the still, small voice of God comes through loud and clear and God's presence is tangible in my heart.


• When I read the Bible and have an "AHA!" moment of clarity and insight.

What about you? In what ways are you too easily satisfied, settling for the good at the expense of God's best?  When have you been completely satisfied by God?

I Get Into Trouble When ...

"There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." --Proverbs 14:12

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." --Proverbs 27:12

I did a little self-evaluation today, trying to be prudent and see how and when I get myself into trouble.  Very humbling exercise but hopefully it will prevent some suffering.

Here's what I came up with ... I get into trouble (mental, spiritual, relational, etc.) when ...

• I forget God's Word is powerful, sufficient, and true.


• I try to impress people.


• I try to prove myself to people.


• I let my emotions overrule my beliefs.


• I act like it all depends on me.


• I talk too much.


• I try to do important things or have meaningful conversations when I am hungry, angry, or tired.


• I am not still before God.