Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I Love This Quote!

When author Roland Bainton describes Martin Luther's incredible courage during the Reformation, he says:

"The most intrepid revolutionary is the one who has a fear greater than anything his opponents can inflict upon him. Luther, who has so trembled before the face of God, had no fear before the face of man (quoted in Roland Bainton, Here I Stand, 104).

God help us all to have this fear.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Sermon of the Week!

I heard this sermon while at the SBC convention this summer. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. God does not need us, but he delights to use us!

David Platt: SBC Pastors Conference 2009 from Todd Thomas on Vimeo.

How much do you have to hate someone?

Here is a stirring quote from a non-believer!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Lessons in a Leaf Pile

The yard was a sea of colors. Just a few days ago there was grass; now all we could see was a leaves, leaves, and more leaves. In classic Shane fashion, I scheduled a time to clean them up and clean we did. It was a team effort--all five Arnold racking and bagging. (Really it was 4.5. After all how much can a 2 year old really do on leaf day). I was hip deep in leaves when I noticed that my wedding band was gone. It had been too big for the last few years, but now it was gone. Instantly I was on my hands and knees searching for the lost ring. At that moment I did not care about leaves, mud, or anything else. All I knew was that I wanted that ring. Sadly, my ring is gone--swallowed in the abyss never to return.

I did, however, find hope and challenge in this event. I found hope the next day when I reflected on the event. Actually, reflected is the nice word; whining and fussing are the right words. I thought how Jesus sought me. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. That meant He left the glory of heaven and dirtied himself with the mud of this world in search for me. But unlike my unsuccessful search He was most successful--pulling me from the muck and mire, bringing me to God.

I found challenge when I thought of what he demands of me. Jesus said as the Father sent Him so He sends me. He calls me to dirty my hands and change my schedule to be a part of his redemptive plan.

God help me to remember this. I am both loved and sent by God. These lessons from the leaf pile hurt. But I hope they will last a life time.

I Think I Know Why I am Tired

I was helping my dad clean the leaves out of his yard. Seeing a lawnmower in action, my youngest son ran out to help. Up to this point the job was fairly easy and productive. Then Lucas climbed aboard. Suddenly an easy joy got noticeably harder. I turned right; he tired to turn left. I turned left; he tried to turn right. When we got finished I was tired, because a lawnmower was not made for two pilots.

Then it hit me: what is true for a lawnmower is--on some level--true for my life. My life was not made for two pilots but for one. I was created to worship and serve God. Thus my life works best when one is in charge. While I know this I often fight it. God says zig but I zag. As a result, I am worn out.

The good news is God calls me to rest. God calls me to submit to his rule and follow his ways. He calls me from the futility of building up my kingdom to the joy of participating in the up building of his. That is what Jesus means when he issues the invitation, "Come unto me all who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you will find REST for your souls (Matt. 11:28ff.). So here's the choice: run our lives our way and feel the exhaustion of working against my creator or submit to his rule and find rest for our souls. Choice wisely.

I think I know why I am tired, but I won't be for long!

Fight Pride with Joy in Christ

I listened to an amazing sermon by Tim Keller about pride. Based on the book of Ester, Keller described two forms of pride. The first form is the superiority form of pride. This is the kind of pride that elevates the self above some other person or class. The second type of pride is the inferiority type of pride. This type of pride constantly degrades the self, where we are down about our looks or talents or station in life.

What both forms have in common is a relentless focus on the self. When you feel superior to others, you are mainly seeing yourself. And when you are downing yourself, you are almost totally focused on self.

Both forms are deadly. Keller calls pride the carbon monoxide of sin. You cannot see it or smell it but it is deadly. This is true because the bible constantly affirms that pride goes before a fall. In addition, the bible says that God is opposed to the proud (see 1 Peter 5). That means when we are gripped by our feelings of superiority, God stands opposed to us; and when we are gripped by our inferiority, God opposes us.

So what can we do? How can we be free from the slaving terror of pride? We meditate one how Christ emptied himself of all glory to make us sons and daughters of glory. We meditate on the gospel until our hearts are melted into self-forgetfulness. Then we can live for his glory. We become interested--truly interested--in others, because we are not constantly posturing or comparing. In other words, the only cure for the prideful soul is to be captured by the joy of Jesus to the glory of the grace of God

Thursday, November 5, 2009

So What Can We Do? Part 3

Here is the final instalment of some practical steps we can take to move our churches toward health and growth.

Fifth, engage in sacrificial acts of love and service for the purpose of displaying the glory of God. "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is not longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).

The Bible assumes we will do good works in the world. After all, faith without works is dead (James 2:26). But there is a way that we can do good works that puts the attention on us instead of God. This happens when our motivation is to meet a need and at the same time be thought of as generous. If, however, we are bent on displaying the love, goodness, and glory of God as our greatest motivation for good works, others will notice God and be drawn to him. So in humility do good works for the purpose of putting God on display through your life.

Finally, we should pray, pray, and pray some more. Admittedly, this should have probably been first. Most Christians, of course, believe in the practice of prayer. We write slogans about prayer like: A prayer a day will keep the devil away; A family that prays together stays together; or Seven days without prayer makes one weak. But are we as good at actually praying? How often do we pray for renewed spiritual zeal? How many times do we ask for effectiveness in witness. At the end of the day, church growth and health is a work of God, and He grants us the privilege of participating through prayer. Do not let this weapon go neglect in the fight of faith.

As I said before, this list is not exhaustive. That is, there is more to be said. But there is no doubt that these things will make a real difference in turning our churches around for the glory of Christ.

So What Can We Do? Part 2

What are some practical things we can to to see our churches grow? In our last post, we focused on our identity as kingdom people on a mission. Today we continue that thought with some more suggestions.

Third, worship God (both in life and in corporate services) with the zeal, passion, and earnestness that God deserves. Our identity is change in Christ for the purpose of commending God to others. Peter reminds us, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)." One way that we do this is worship. But worship is not limited to services; rather, it encompasses the totality of our lives (Rom. 12:1-2).

That does not mean, however, that services are not important. The way we worship is a living testimony--to all who might see--of the value of God in our lives. When we worship God in stale ways, when we seemed uninspired with the whole process, we belittle God. We paint a picture to all who are there that God is less exciting than our favorite T.V. show or sporting event. When that happens, they feel no need for this kind of God and will go in search for a god who inspires. That is why we need to take the necessary time to prepare for worship. We need to come to worship with engaged hearts so that we commend God as worthy of all our worship.

Fourth, place yourself in a position to grow in grace. We are commanded to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 4:18)." Nothing is as repulsive as hypocrisy mixed with a strong helping of judgmentalism. At the same time, nothing is as winsome and attractive as God-exalting humility and sacrificial love. None of us are naturally humble or loving. We tend to be self-satisfied with our spiritual life and begin to coast. That is why we need others to point out our blind spots and encourage us in the faith. Such work takes small groups of believers who are radically committed to the work of grace in each other's lives. Sadly, however, most believers are content to attend one service per week, where people are safely distant from us. We do this to our own hurt. Without the sharpening of others, our witness is less effective because we are cut off from an important means of grace. But when we are engaged with others and growing in our faith, our friends, relatives, and neighbors notice our love, which opens doors for faith.

In other words, the combination of worship and growth that takes place in a community of faith promotes a vibrant faith that is noticeable to others. More thoughts tomorrow.

So What Can We Do? Part 1

You could see the distress on her face. We had just talked about the state of the American church as well as the state of our own church. We discussed our lack of growth over and extended period of time and what that means for the next generation. After some time a hand went up. After she was acknowledge, the sweet lady simply said, "What can we do to see the church grow?" She was distressed because she loved the church. She had felt the power of Christ's love through the body, and she wanted others to know the same. That is why she asked the obvious and pressing question, "What can we do?"

It is a hard question because it is where the rubber meets the road. It is one thing to talk about health and growth, but it is quite another to pursue it. Ultimately, of course, God causes any growth to the glory of his name. But there are theologically informed things we can do. In this post--and a few to follow--I want to offer some practical answer to this pressing question. This list, of course, is not exhaustive, but it is a place to start.

First, seek to re-prioritize your life and church according to the dictates of the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33 tells us to "seek first the kingdom of God." The word first points to priorities. When something is a priority, it receives our attention, energies, and is the object of our dreams. Clearly, we are given a first priority, and that priority is the kingdom of God. Jesus was very concerned with the kingdom. He taught us to pray that God's "kingdom would come (Matt. 6:10)." The kingdom of God is God's rule over men and women through the gospel. The kingdom expands as people come to know, love, and worship, God. And that is our priority.

Understanding this forces us to reevaluate our lives. What gets our first and best attention each day? Are we on a mission to expand our kingdom or God's? Understanding this forces a church to evaluate their priorities and releases us from a "small church mindset." A small church mindset says, "We have never done it this way before." But a kingdom mindset looks for bold creative ways to join God on mission. A small church mindset values closeness to the exclusion of others. But a kingdom mindset values closes so much that there is a longing to include others. If we want to see real change, we must make changes that are consistent with our identity as kingdom people.

Second, realize that we are sent by God with the gospel. When Jesus appears to his disciples in John 20, he says to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you (v. 21)." Jesus was the greatest missionary in history. He traveled from heaven to earth to reclaim rebellious men to the glory of his Father. John reminds us that the Jesus who came is the same Jesus who sends the church to be a part of this grand redemptive drama.

Knowing this revolutionizes our understanding of life and work. There are no ordinary job when you are on mission with Christ. People are not meant to slug it out in a factory or coast by in a class. God's people are strategically placed by God to work for God in all places.

But it is not just enough for us to show up. We are sent with a message. We are witnesses of Christ. The same Jesus who sends the disciples sends them with a message. He says that "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations (Luke 24:47). The apostle Paul explains for us the urgency of this task. "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without some preaching (proclaiming the good news of Christ)? And how are they to preach unless they are sent (Rom. 10:13-15)?"

We are sent as kingdom people to proclaim the good news wherever God has placed us. Embracing this will move us from stagnant to vibrant. But there is more to say.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Asking for Forgiveness: Risky Yet Rewarding

Some of you may remember Happy Days with the lovable and cool Fonz. "The Fonz" could do just about anything except admit that he was wrong. When he tried the word would barely come out of his mouth.

It's funny how we like characters that are at least a little like us. "The Fonz" was not the only one who has trouble admitting wrong or asking for forgiveness. Why is this? I think that this quote from Paul Tripp nails it.

Asking for forgiveness is so hard because of what it says about life and what it says about me. You cannot ask for forgiveness without acknowledging that there is something in life that is more important than the progress of your own kingdom. You cannot seek forgiveness without owning the fact that you were created for the glory of another. You cannot make honest, humble confession without acknowledging that there are more important things in life than getting your own way and being happy. You cannot admit wrong without being hit with the fact that there are bigger things in life than how you feel about how you feel. You see, it's our sturdy allegiance to our own kingdom that makes us unwilling to confess that we have gotten in the way of God's kingdom on earth (A Quest For More, 156-157)

Monday, November 2, 2009

The Basis of our Confidence

In a discussion of the role of a pastor John Calvin once wrote, "If any one object that the governance of the Church is a matter of so great difficulty, that it ought rather to strike terror in the minds of persons of sound judgment than to excite them to desire to do it; I reply, that the desire of great men does not rest on confidence in their own industry or virtue, but on the assistance of 'God, from whom is our sufficiency.'"

This quote highlights for us the necessity of confidence in God in ventures of faith. At the outset of any great attempt in Christian service, there is a mixture of nervousness and hope. As time goes by and difficulties increase hope tends to fade and nervousness turns to despair. It is during those moments when our hearts are exposed. Our confidence in God has waned, and our desire shrivels. But the desire of a great person rests on confidence in God's help not our ability.

What might change in our lives if we believed this? What new venture might we pursue? May God radically change our hearts so that our faith in him exceed our misplaced trust in ourselves. The world will feel and see the difference.