"Deeper" Preaching

The responsibility that I have each week to stand before God's people and preach is deeply humbling. The Bible says in James 3:1, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." It isn't just the message of a man that is judged carefully, but rather, in the context of James, it is also his moral character which comes under great scrutiny. Believe me when I tell you that I do not take my calling as a messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ lightly. I understand that what I do is not a result of who I am, rather it is all because of Who I belong to and the amazing grace that flows from him.

Still, I can tell you that each week I have the joyful opportunity to labor in the Word of God to prepare what I genuinely hope to be is a God-honoring, Christ-focused, and church-building message. At the same time, I've been around the church long enough to know that there are many out there who think that the preacher just rolls out of bed on Sunday and climbs into the pulpit. There are some who think we work just one day a week! "How hard could it be?" they say. Others are homiletics experts in their own minds, and they aren't afraid to say so. I remember boldly (foolishly?) asking for feedback on a survey after one of my first sermons at a former church. Sure, there were some encouraging comments. But there were also some brutally honest remarks as well. (FYI, if you don't want somebody's opinion, don't ask them for it.) The longer that I am in the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ the more I realize that it takes deep humility and deep faith in God to do the work of a pastor. At times you sort of feel that, as a pastor, you are viewed by some as a "Customer Service Representative" for the Almighty God Himself! I'm sure that Moses felt that way from time to time.

Last week, I saw this blog post on "What is 'Deeper' Preaching?" by Pastor Pete Wilson. Pete is a dynamic pastor of a growing network of churches in the Nashville, TN, area. The post certainly resonated with my heart and I wanted to share it with you as well. Below is the same video that Pete posted of a conversation between John Piper and Rick Warren, two modern-day super-preachers of the church. Take a look at this video clip. Dare I say it...Let me know your thoughts.

Set the Example

The Apostle Paul wrote to his young protege in ministry:

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed...For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity...Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress (1 Timothy 4:6, 10-12, 14-15).

I am really proud of my brother. Tim serves as the minister of music and director of youth ministries at Oak Street Baptist Church in our hometown of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. (Now, I know what some of you are thinking...but I better not catch anyone making fun of the name of my hometown!)

Tim has such a heart for the Lord, for teens, and for his church. The past year has been especially difficult for Tim and the Oak Street family as they lost their beloved pastor, Joe Miller, to cancer back in January. Tim and I have had numerous opportunities to talk and pray about the challenges that present themselves to the church when a beloved leader goes to be with the Lord. It will shortly be one year since our own friend and elder, Danny Offenbacker, realized the eternal reward of his faith despite a harsh battle with cancer.

While I certainly haven't been a mentor to Tim, I am so blessed to have watched his growth over the past few years. Tim is pouring his life into young people and into teaching his church about God-exalting worship for the honor of Jesus. I know from personal experience how difficult and challenging ministry can be (and especially ministry to teens!), and so I find myself praying almost daily for my brother to stand strong for the Lord and to set an example for his church.

Tomorrow, Tim will be preaching at his church. He sent me his manuscript to get my thoughts and it was a really powerful message. Would you pray along with me for God to anoint Tim in a special way as he speaks God's Word to God's people tomorrow? May God be glorified in a great way!

"The Devil Made Me Do It!"

Sin is an awful thing, isn't it? Most of us, who claim to be Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ, would say that we long to be pure people of God who overcome sin and walk in sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father. However, the reality of the condition of our lives suggests that sin is still very much an active part of our existence.

Many of us are walking examples of Paul's words in Romans 7. Here we read, "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). A little later Paul says, "So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing" (7:17-19). Many of us would say a hearty, "Amen!" Even the most mature follower of Jesus Christ still finds the flesh-spirit battle to be a fierce one.

What is sin? According to 1 John 3:4, sin is "lawlessness". One theologian has defined sin as "any lack of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature" (R.C. Sproul, Essential Doctrines of the Christian Faith, p. 143). The Bible simply states it this way, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sin--whether it be doing something that is against God's will or not doing something that is a part of God's will--causes us to come up short of God's perfect standard and glory. This is a major problem for us because the Bible reveals that God is perfectly holy and won't allow sin to be in His presence (Psalm 24).

Moreover, the consequences of sin are disastrous for us. Romans also says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (6:23). When our first ancestors (Adam and Eve, Genesis 1-3) sinned, they incurred the penalty of this act of rebellion--physical death and spiritual separation from God. Every human being who has ever lived, except for the sinless Son of God, has sinned and thus been in need of a solution to the sin problem.

I will take up the topic of God's provision for our sin in my next post. For now, I wanted to share one more passage that talks about sin. James 1:13-15 states, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." I'm sure you've heard someone say, "Well, I'm sorry, but the devil made me do it!" Certainly, it is true that we have an adversary, the devil, who is out to trip us up and vainly attempts to rob God of His full glory (1 Peter 5:8). However, the reality is that the sin that we commit is born out of a fleshly, rebellious propensity in our own hearts. We need to appreciate the wiles of the devil, but we need to take ownership of our own responsibility to submit our hearts and actions to the loving control of God's Spirit.

As Paul says in Galatians 5:15, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." God is glorified to redeem us through the blood of Jesus, His Son, and to reshape us through the abiding presence and control of His Spirit. In our struggle with sin, we need to remember that we are powerless against the flesh--on our own. However, God is placed within our hearts the source of power to walk in such a way that is approved by Him. 1 John 4:4 states, "...he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." The Word says, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" (2 Peter 1:3).

Sin is a problem. It's a problem for me, and it's a problem for you. But, because of Jesus Christ and His perfect loving sacrifice on the cross, the power of sin has received its own death blow (Hebrews 2:14-15). And, because God knows that we struggle and fail to live for Him, He comes to live within us. What a great hope!

Is there an area of your life--or, maybe a specific sin--that you need to give to the Lord?

"For Better, For Worse"

In a few weeks Laurie and I will celebrate ten years of marriage. It's pretty hard to believe that a decade has already passed since we stood before the Lord and exchanged pledges and symbols of our undying love for one another. At the same time, I can't remember life without Laurie. The Lord has done a lot in our lives over the past decade. We have lived in four homes in three states. We've had three incredible children. I've finished graduate school and have now been working in pastoral ministry for over five years. We would like to think that the future promises only to bring more stability. But, we'll have to wait and see.

A few days ago we had the privilege of celebrating with Dick and Joan Rindfleisch as they reached a major milestone in their life's journey--50 years of marriage. Dick and Joan have been a part of the core group of NBBFC since its inception nearly seven years ago back in "the garage". They are the kind of people who you can just count on at any time. Joan is the "Queen" of hospitality here at New Beginnings. She is our own (better) version of Martha Stewart. It has been a joy getting to know them and serving as their pastor for the past three years.

During the vow renewal ceremony, I shared the following words with Dick and Joan:

Marriage wasn't meant to be perfect. Why do perfect marriages not exist? Because perfect people do not exist. Prince Charming shows up only in fairy tales; and if we are honest, the Stepford Wives were a little creepy. Marriage teaches us how to love an imperfect person perfectly...(From Rick and Bubba's Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage)

The Scripture says, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends..." (1 Cor. 13:4-8a).

When young people get married it's hard for them to accurately envision all that "for better, for worse" entails. Some people naively think that getting married will solve all their problems. In reality, marriage is, at times, very difficult. The life you think you're going to have--a life full of adventure and romance--can be turned upside-down by financial stress, relational stress, or health issues, just to name a few.

As I shared with those at Dick and Joan's party, "It is uniquely a Christian idea to suggest that any flawed human being--which, by the way, we all are--can learn to love selflessly, sacrificially, and completely, another flawed human being out of a motivation to please and glorify God, Who Himself is our great example and source of love...In a culture where approximately half of all marriages are ending in divorce, we need to honor and celebrate these great examples--not of perfection, but of perseverance." I know that Laurie and I have been so blessed and encouraged to see such amazing examples of marriage here at New Beginnings.

Congratulations, Dick and Joan, on this awesome accomplishment! May God bless you for many years to come.

New Series

Beginning this Sunday at New Beginnings I will be preaching about the radical life of following Jesus Christ. The video above is from a promotion for David Platt's book Radical. The Lord has been teaching me so many things over the past few months from His Word and from sources like Platt's book. 1 John 2:6 states, "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." My hope is that the Lord will be glorified and pleased to use the next couple of months teaching in a special way to call the hearts of those who listen to His word to a genuine and radical life of discipleship. Please keep me in your prayers.

What are some examples of radical faith-walking that stand out to you from the history of the church or the contemporary landscape of Christianity?