Monday, December 25, 2017

Sermon Video: From Darkness to Light - Isaiah 9:2

In a world mired in moral and spiritual darkness, with humanity hopeless to solve the fundamental problem of our own fallen nature, it was up to God to intervene and change the trajectory of his creation.  And so God came, the Word of God made flesh, the Son of God in human form, to bring light to those living in darkness, truth to those who know only falsehood, and life to those who were spiritually dead.
The light of Christ was the beginning, from there the grace of God has spread throughout the earth as the Gospel's message of repentance, reconciliation, and restoration has transformed lives generation after generation.  We who believe today have inherited the light that first spread with the apostles, we now carry that light as ambassadors of God, bringing to news peoples and a new generation.  May we all shine brightly as we reflect the glorious light of the Christ.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Zeal that brought Emmanuel to Earth - Isaiah 9:7b

The most important events in human history invariably later involve those asking two questions: How did it happen?  Why did it happen?  For the most singular and momentous event in human history, the advent of the Christ child, the question of how was answered by the angel Gabriel, although it remains shrouded in mystery.  The question of why, however, has been clearly answered by Scripture, we need only ponder the character of God as we examine it.
The zeal of the LORD brought the Emmanuel, God in the flesh, to earth.  Why zeal?  Zeal is the emotion that is connected to both love (ardor) and anger (envy, jealousy) relating to the relationships between people and between God and people.  In this case, the zeal of God as our Heavenly Father would not allow God to sit idly by as humanity self-destructed in its rebellion against God.  The love of God, propelled by zeal, moved God to act in accordance with his holiness, thus the advent of the Son of God, sent to be a sacrifice for sin, sent to redeem humanity from darkness.

As we celebrate Christmas, marveling at the wondrous deeds of love which God has wrought, let us remember that zeal motivated God, for his is our God, and we are his people.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Sermon Video: The real Happily Ever After - Isaiah 9:7a

Many a tale, particularly those aimed at children, ends with some variation of, "and they all lived happily ever after".  Real life isn't like that, it doesn't suddenly become devoid of problems, nothing in our experience can approximate the fairy tale's claim of "happily ever after".  Are they any real happy endings that won't end?  Only one story, thankfully a factual one, will have an ending that will be glory and joy everlasting, that of the Chosen One of God, the Messiah.
The prophet Isaiah described who the Messiah would be in Isaiah 9:6, here in 9:7, the prophet speaks about what the Messiah will do.  The promise that he will reign on the throne of David with an unending government of justice and righteousness remains a future prediction, for the throne of David in Jerusalem remains vacant nearly 2,700 years after the last king of Judah.  We can, however, have confidence that this kingdom will be established, for the LORD's promise to send a Messiah was fulfilled when Jesus came as Immanuel, God in the flesh.  Jesus came first to serve and to save, he will return in power to reign.  What will that kingdom look like?  It will be unlike anything we can imagine, for no human government has ever been established upon justice and righteousness.

As Advent approaches, remember that God not only promised to send a Messiah, but to establish and everlasting kingdom among men as well, and while we will never know the day of its arrival, it is always closer with each new day.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Sermon Video: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6b

What's in a name?  The Messiah promised by the prophet Isaiah is given many names in Scripture: Jesus, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Son of God, Lamb of God, and Man of Sorrows (among others).  Here in Isaiah 9:6b, the prophet adds four titles given to the one who will bring God's salvation to earth: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Each of these in turn further explains who the Messiah will be and what he will accomplish.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Friday, December 8, 2017

A political rally is NOT a worship service

At a mid-week Church Service held at Magnolia Springs Baptist Church of Theodore, Alabama, a protest began with shouting during a political speech being given by Senate candidate Roy Moore.  Protests during speeches are nothing new, they're happening increasingly often and increasingly violently whether the speaker represents the political Left or Right, but the important thing to note is that the protest happened during what was described by Rev. David Gonnella as a worship service.  The pastor said, "I would remind everyone again that this is a worship service.  And by the way it is illegal to disturb a worship service.  The next one to disturb the service will be turned over to the police."  At least four uniformed police officers were in the sanctuary for the service, when the protest broke out they removed the protester and a few minutes later a comedian posing as a Moore supporter.

The Alabama Senate special election says a lot about politics in America, not much of it good, but it says something far more disturbing and dangerous about the Church.  How can a worship service be a political rally, just who/what is being worshiped by the local church when a politician is campaigning for him/herself?  Perhaps money and power are being worshiped, but to say that God is being worshiped at any such service, whether at a liberal or conservative church, whether the politician is a Democrat, Republican, or independent, is to risk (if not outright commit) blasphemy against God.

God is not an American, God is not a Republican or a Democrat, and in case you've been under a mistaken impression, God isn't white either.  God is the creator of the universe and the redeemer of humanity, we do God a great disservice when we lower the respect, admiration, and worship that we owe to Almighty God by bringing our own battles for money and power into the house of the Lord.  Politics is not pure, it cannot be, but the time and place where we worship God must be.  That worship has no room for ego, pride, jealousy, greed, or the pursuit of power.  When we the people of God, who are the Church, gather together to worship our Savior, our priority must be the elevation of God and the proclamation of his Holy Word as those who are the disciples of Jesus Christ fellowship together and the Lost are invited to hear the Gospel and repent.  Where in Scripture is the Church called to advocate for any political cause?  Where is the command to mix the worship of God with the business of man?

To put a man or a woman behind the pulpit, when God's people are gathered in worship, who has his/her own advancement as the goal of what is being said, is a slap in the face of God.  That this practice has a long history in America is no excuse.  Politics is an unholy marriage with the Church, the Bride of Christ is having her reputation dragged through the mud.



You can ignore the first part of the video if you like, it is the introduction to and commentary on this clip by James White, the relevant portion begins at the 6:58 mark and lasts until 8:40.  The voice in the background is actually that of a comedian, but you can hear the words of the pastor as quoted above for yourself (beginning at 7:49 where he begins his comments by insulting the protester from the pulpit).

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Sermon Video: The Government on His Shoulders - Isaiah 9:6a

Why did take the extraordinary step of the incarnation?  Why come himself to earth, taking on human likeness, why not just continue using intermediaries like the prophets and priests of old?

In this crucial passage about the promised Messiah, the prophet Isaiah lays forth who the child that he called Emmanuel ("God with us") back in chapter 7 is going to be and what he will accomplish.  Jesus, who 8 centuries after Isaiah fulfilled his promise, would be no ordinary man, but the very Son of God, God in the flesh, here on earth to save humanity from itself.  Why?  Because humanity was hopeless, even with the assistance of God's Law and those called by God to assist his people, to save itself.  Humanity couldn't even govern itself, let alone save itself.  Outside help was needed, mankind needed a Messiah.

The reason why is simple: The sinful nature of humanity prevented any form of reform or revival in the face of how deep-seated our rebellion against God was in human nature.  A rebirth was needed, and for that the penalty for sin of death would need to be paid for.

In addition to solving the problem of sin (no small task!), the Messiah would also one day take upon his shoulders the government of the world.  Every human leader who ever has been, male or female, and who ever will be, is inherently flawed.  All are either sinners in need of God's grace, or sinners saved by God's grace, all are sinners.  Every human leader, no matter what form of government, will be prone to the temptations of sin, will fail at some point, for none can compare to the perfect Messiah.

As Christians, we long for a leader unlike any other, we long for a government unlike any other.  Our kingdom is not of this world, for we await the return of the Messiah, for when he returns to reign there will truly be a government of justice and peace.

To watch the video, click on the link below:


Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Sermon Video: The great and dreadful day of the LORD - Malachi 4:1-6

What does the future hold?  Nearly every culture and religion has an explanation about how the world will one day end, most viewing it as a time of judgment.  Through the prophet Malachi, the LORD warns that a "great and dreadful" day of judgment will one day come, a time when the wicked will be destroyed with fire and the righteous will find healing and renewal.  The only hint as to when this day will arrive is that is will be after the return of Elijah, an event that Jesus would later equate with the arrival of John the Baptist.  As the people of God, we do not know when the day of judgment will come, but we do know with certainty that such a day is coming.  Let us then be ready, walking morally upright before our God, so that he will find us ready if that day be soon or not for many generations.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: They will be my people - Malachi 3:16-18

Following the warnings from the prophet Malachi to the people of Israel, those who "feared the LORD" gathered together to discuss the need for repentance.  God responded to this show of commitment from his covenant people by telling them that they will receive his favor as his "treasured possession", that they will receive his compassion, for "they will be mine".  When the people of God were moved to repentance and re-commitment, God responded quickly with compassion and love for his people.
At that point, the people decided to create a "scroll of remembrance" to help seal their commitment to the LORD, a public ceremony/document that would help them stay true to their word in the days ahead.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Friday, November 17, 2017

Sexual Immorality disqualifies leadership

The harsh reality of the pervasiveness of sexual assault, harassment, and exploitation throughout society has been brought out of the shadows (where it, like much sin, hides) and into the light of public scrutiny following numerous accusations against powerful men in business, politics, and entertainment.  In many of these cases the person (almost universally male) accused of sexual deviancy has been fired or forced to resign, and in some of the more recent episodes, criminal charges may follow.

What then is the attitude of the Word of God, and hence hopefully the Church, regarding such things?  The N.T. is clear that among the people of God, "there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." (Ephesians 5:3)  Rather than give sexual temptation a foothold, the people of God are told to "flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18)

From a Christian leadership perspective, any sort of sexual immorality is disqualifying, it need not be any issue of force or coercion.  Consensual immorality, that is sexual conduct not between a husband and wife, is impermissible for those who would lead the people of God (and for the people themselves).  And while the Church recognizes that forgiveness for past sins will be granted to those who repent of them, and that sins committed before a person becomes a Christian are not disqualifying regarding future leadership once that person has matured in his/her faith, the Church ought to hold firm against any notion that ongoing unrepentant sexual immorality can be in any way overlooked or excused, especially by those in leadership positions.

Do Christian men and women in leadership still sin?  Of course they do, they are only sinners saved by grace, only imperfect vessels of the Holy Spirit striving to live righteously in this present age, just like those in the Church whom they minister to.  Are all types of sin disqualifying of Christian leaders?  Obviously not, or there would be nobody in leadership, for all of us who lead the Church remain sinners, none are perfect.  But there are a number of sins which do require the local church (if not the denominational leadership) to take immediate action (with due process), and on that list certainly ought to be sexual assault, harassment, and exploitation, along with adultery (for the married) and fornication (for the unmarried). 

What will happen to the various entertainers, business leaders, and politicians who have been accused of sexual immorality?  Time will tell, but within the Church we already know what the answer ought to be.  Am I afraid that such a message might boomerang back at me?  No, because there isn't a hint of sexual immorality in my life, nor will there be in the future, my vows to my wife are sacred, and she is the only person with whom anything sexual will happen in my life, as long as we both shall live.  I am fully aware that a failure in this venue would end my time here as the pastor of my church, but that's the way it should be for God's people answer to a higher standard and the leadership of the Church to a higher standard still.  The people of God have been called to be holy, and we must honor God.


Thursday, November 16, 2017

Our Christmas Gift from God

Christmas is the time that we give gifts to others, our children in particular, more than any other time of the year.  At Christmas many of us give gifts to people beyond our family, and devote more to charity as well.  This enthusiasm for giving gits is appropriate at Christmas, for it was at the original advent that our Heavenly Father gave to humanity the beginning of a gift that would surpass all others, even our gifts of life.  That gift was the redemption of our souls, and the renewal of our relationship with Almighty God, given to humanity by grace through faith in the person of the child born of the Virgin Mary, the God-Man Jesus Christ.

Having recently passed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, it is also appropriate for us to remember that God's gift was given to humanity: Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"), Sola fide ("by faith alone"), Sola gratia ("by grace alone"), Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone"), and Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone")  What God gave to us, beginning at Bethlehem and culminating at Calvary and the Empty Tomb, is a truly free gift.  It can be no other, for it was a work solely of the trinity, with God the Father planning/directing it, the Holy Spirit assisting in it, and Jesus carrying it out in the flesh.

A gift is not a gift if you pay for it, nor is it a gift if you earn it.  Our salvation in Jesus Christ, is and always will be, a gift from God.  As Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

This Christmas, as you give and receive gifts, remember to thank God not only for the material blessings which we have received, but primarily for the far more important spiritual redemption which has been offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ.  The gift of God is available to all, may the Spirit of God call those who have not yet received it to accept this one of a kind gift, and may those who have already received it always remain grateful for the bountiful love of God.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

In praise of a gentle spirit - Philippians 4:5

There are a couple of popular phrases used by Christians either among themselves or when trying to explain their attitudes to others regarding how confrontational they choose to be: "Hate the sin, but love the sinner" and "speaking the truth in love".  The first phrase is pretty popular, although it is not Biblical, the second is a quote of Paul from Ephesians where he urges it as a mark of Christian maturity in response to false teaching.  It has become apparent, however, especially in the realms of social media and politics, that many Christians (and/or those claiming the name of Christ) struggle mightily with actually loving the sinner and with combing love with truth.  It has been the experience of many that hatred of sin spills quickly over onto the sinner and that zeal for the Truth drowns out love in an effort to "win" the debate.  A mature and balanced Christian will avoid both of those mistakes, thus their prevalence is a sign that many within the Church lack the maturity which they ought to be striving for through the power of the Spirit.
Which brings me to Paul's words in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all."  Of the Christians you know, how many would you describe as gentle?  How many would you describe as disagreeable, harsh, or irritable?  In a healthy Church, the answer to those two questions would result in a 90/10 split or higher, with only a few immature people who display angry and rude behavior.  In the Church today, at least here in America, that ratio has slipped, too far, tarnishing the reputation of Christ's Church and imperiling the message of the Gospel of Peace.
How has this happened, what factors are pushing/pulling so many Christians toward confrontational attitudes where the unsaved have become the enemy rather than the mission field?  One of the most obvious negatively contributing factors has been the increasing presence in politics within the Church, as well as the over-identification of political goals and parties with Christian goals and Churches.  This has resulted in an us vs. them attitude, where those who disagree politically about everything from immigration to tax policy, let alone things like abortion or homosexuality, are viewed through a political prism as the enemy to be conquered and destroyed rather than the lost to be invited home to our Father's forgiveness.
A second factor which has negatively impacted the gentleness that Christians are supposed to be displaying is the pseudo-anonymity of social media.  Things a Christian would not say to someone's face are somehow acceptable when responding to a post in your Facebook feed.  This phenomenon is not particular to Christians, online rudeness is rampant throughout society, but it ought not be among a people called by God to make their gentleness evident to all.  As a Christian, are you displaying gentleness both in person and online, or have you decided that the battles you think you must fight give you an excuse to ignore God's Word?  Is your gentleness evident to all?  It should be.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Sermon Video: Is it futile to serve God? Malachi 3:13-15

Why do the people of God, disciples of Jesus Christ, serve God?  Is it for the rewards and blessings, in this life or the next, that we sacrifice in this life?  Or do we serve God out of gratitude for what he has done for us, and out of respect for the majesty and holiness of God?
The prophet Malachi encountered grumblers among his own people who complained by asking, "What did we gain by carrying out his requirements...?"  They were upset that serving God had not benefited them sufficiently in their view.  Whenever the people of God base their service to him on promised or assumed rewards they will end up disappointed and disillusioned, especially when they see the unrighteous/wicked "prospering" in this life as they gain power, wealth, and fame through their misdeeds.  Jesus did not promise his followers material gain, quite the opposite, he promised them "troubles" and told them that to follow him they must bear their own cross as well.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Thursday, November 9, 2017

A Consumer Friendly Church? - What we can, and can't learn from the business world.

An important trait for businesses, of all kinds, is to be consumer friendly.  If those intended to purchase the goods or services provided by the company are turned off by their interactions with the company, especially those unrelated to the product itself, they will be less likely to continue to be consumers of that company's products even if they like the goods/services provided by the company.  For example: If the place that makes a decent burger down the street is habitually unclean with rude employees, won't you go someplace else?  If your doctor's office is conveniently located, staffed by friendly people, and appointments take place on time, as long as your doctor is competent, won't you continue to go to that doctor?
In business, these things are obvious, and companies that ignore them do so at their own peril, if competition exists in their market, they will lose customers until they make the experience of their customers more user friendly.  Those who fail to take customer relations seriously end up in bankruptcy sooner or later.
But what about the Church?  Is the Church supposed to be user friendly?  That really depends on what you mean by that.  It is important for a church to have a decent website, convenient parking, handicap accessibility, competent and safe childcare, proper lighting and sound in the sanctuary, service times that work for the community they are in, and other such similar things which are positive, not negative, factors in the relationship between a church and its congregation and potential new members.  Are there churches that ignore these things, making it more difficult than it has to be for people to be a part of that church?  Certainly, and everything else being equal, they will lose congregants to similar "competing" churches, and tragically some people who experienced that less than friendly interaction with a church will cease to go to church anywhere.
Where the discussion gets sticky, and controversial, is when the desire to make church user friendly spills over into the core functions of the church itself: worship, proclamation of God's Word, discipleship, and outreach to the unsaved and those in need.  If the church in question molds these areas into what their consumers (congregants) want, are at least the church thinks that they want, they risk creating a man-centered experience that puts the emphasis on pleasing people not God.  Whatever they build, even if it is wildly popular, won't stand the test of time nor will it please our Heavenly Father, for the Church gathers together to honor God, not please ourselves.  On the other hand, if the church in question sticks rigidly to their way of doing things, ignoring what their consumers (congregants) want, or even purposefully working against it, they risk emptying out the place and leaving themselves with a remnant who actually like the way things are, but no real potential for bringing in anybody new.  Both extremes are not hard to find in the wider Church today.  There are plenty of churches whose ministry feels an awful lot like they're trying to entertain people more than they are to transform people, and there are a lot of churches where the "its our way or the highway" approach has them on life-support.
This is, like so many things in society, a modern phenomenon.  Our ancestors by and large went to the local parish church that was nearest to their home (transportation being so much of a bigger deal back then).  That church was in almost every aspect a mirror image of its neighboring churches in how they did things, thus the experience for the consumer (congregant) would have been almost the same even if they had traveled further.  Today, it is not uncommon for most people who attend church to drive past a few, if not dozens, of churches on their way to the one they attend.  With denominational loyalty at all-time lows, churches feel pressured to be "attractive" to potential new members.
What is needed, as in so many things in our lives as Christians and as the Church, is balance.  Balance between what the people want and what they need, between doing things the same old way, and following the latest trends.  A spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down, perhaps, but not a cup full, and not a "eat it, its good for you!!" approach.  If we remain in balance, we can focus upon doing what we do, as a church, in a way that honors and pleases God, and we can do so knowing that it is ok to tweak how we do what we do, as long as we keep honoring and pleasing God as the reason why we do what we do.
Should your church update its music to be more user friendly?  Perhaps, music changes over time, we're not still using Gregorian Chant are we?  Should your church consider using a translation of the Bible that is easier for people to understand?  It might help, as long as the preaching remains centered in God's Word no matter which translation is used.  Should your church start a new poverty relief program, update the way it does discipleship, or consider a new approach to evangelism?  If things are not working well now, it is certainly worth studying to see what else you could do, there isn't any virtue in continuing to do things in a way that is failing.
In the end, the Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ, it is our one "product" our one indispensable "service", something that we must always do with honor, truthfulness, integrity, and dedication to serving others.  How we do that very thing is open to change, different approaches work better in different locations, and at different times, but we have nothing else to offer, so if we aren't doing that, whatever else we're doing won't make up for it.
Should the Church be friendly?  Absolutely.  Easy to approach and join?  You'd better believe it.  More concerned with what the people think than what God requires?  Not at all.  Willing to compromise our core beliefs to give people what they want?  Sorry, no.  We have one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, regardless of whatever else may change over time, that must always remain the same.  So go ahead, be more user friendly, just do so in a way that is in balance, that honorably maintains the Gospel of the Apostles, no matter how it is packaged.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Sermon Video: Don't Rob God - Malachi 3:7-12

What do we owe God?  That seems like a rather important question.  The prophet Malachi warned the people of Israel that they were under a curse for failing to fulfill their covenant obligations to give the tithe that was used to support the Levites (the ministry at the temple and beyond) as well as the vulnerable in society (immigrants, widows, and orphans).  The Mosaic Covenant stipulated what the people of God were obligated to give, and they were in violation of that requirement.
As an incentive, God promises to Israel through Malachi that he will richly bless them if they act in obedience to the covenant, turning their land into a blessed place.  It is unclear if the people of Israel ever took God up on that offer, it seems as if there were always some who held back from obedience.  The promise given here is one of the blessings of the Mosaic (Old) Covenant, and contrary to the teachings of those following the Prosperity Gospel (among others) it is not transferable to the Church, and certainly not to America.  The Church is not Israel, and neither is the U.S.A.  God's promises to Abraham's descendants are eternal, cannot be revoked, and cannot be transferred to others.  And yet, those who falsely teach that the Church (or America) have been promised material blessings for obedience make that assumption, reading Old Testament covenant promises to Israel, in particular regarding the promised land and the people as a nation, as if those promises have also been made to us.  What did Jesus promise his followers?  Trouble, persecution, hardship, and spiritual blessings in abundance.  The Gospel's purpose is not for you to be healthy, wealthy, and happy, but to create disciples who will serve the kingdom of God as they grow ever more Christ-like through self-sacrifice.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Sermon Video: "I the LORD do not change" - Malachi 3:1-6

The physical realm that we inhabit is in a state of constant change, everything we know changes, with only one exception.  There is only one thing that doesn't change: God.  The prophet Malachi, in response to the complaint of the people that God's justice was absent, responds by speaking of the messenger to come who would prepare the way for God himself to come among his people.  This dramatic change, for us, does not harbinger a change within God, for Jesus the Son of God was still one with the Father, even while taken upon himself humanity.
What does it mean that God does not change?  It allows for humanity a sure foundation for morality and ethics, for they can be built upon the changeless character of God, and it provides hope and security for we know that the promises of God will never falter, for God does not change.  In the end, it is the changeless nature of God which allows his people to exist, for despite their ample shortcomings in conforming to his holiness, they are not destroyed, for God has promised to redeem them and make them into a holy people, and God does not change.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
 

Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Reformation - How We Got Here


            Unity has always been a concept that it was easier for the Church to proclaim than to actualize.  When the Apostle John wrote his first epistle, as the first generation of Christianity came to a close and the second non-eyewitness generation came to the fore, it was already necessary for him to counter the heretical claims of the Gnostics by reaffirming the humanity of Jesus, both before and after the resurrection, as the one, “we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.”  Three centuries later, the Arians would put forth the heresy that Jesus was less than God, the Church, now the official religion of Rome after remarkable growth from humble beginnings, responded under the leadership of men like Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, ultimately leading to the councils of Nicea and Calcedon where the theology of the person of Christ; handed down from the Apostles, was codified.  From that point forward, only fringe groups would challenge the humanity and deity of Christ, but even with theological unity regarding Jesus, division was still coming, developing along cultural lines as the Latin West drifted away from the Greek East.  The Emperor Diocletian had already administratively split the Roman Empire in half in A.D. 284, after the fall of the empire in the West in the 5th century, the Latin Western Church and the Easter Greek Church grew more and more estranged.
          The Protestant Reformation, which began 500 years ago on October 31st, 1517, was not the first major division within the Church, that occurred formally in A.D. 1054, and is known as the Great Schism.  In 1054, the functional East-West divide was made formal when the legate of Pope Leo IX excommunicated the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius (Keroularios), who in return excommunicated the representative of the Pope.  There were theological and cultural issues that divided the two sides, but the proximate cause of the split was a dispute over power; Leo IX was seeking to assert universal papal authority, the bishops of the East, the Patriarch of Constantinople in particular, refused to accept that claim.
          While the Eastern and Western Churches went their own way, struggling to make a unified response to the rise of Islam and deepening their animosity when the army of the 4th Crusade turned under Venetian prompting from Jerusalem to sack Constantinople, new issues of theology and politics developed in the West that would lead toward the spirit of reform which Martin Luther inherited.  The West had never been politically unified after the fall of Rome.  In the East, the Emperor of Constantinople held authority over the Patriarch, but in the West the authority of the bishop of Rome had been challenged by Charlemagne and his successors, the Holy Roman Emperors.  Dynastic feuds kept Christian vs. Christian warfare in the West at endemic levels as families vied for power, and the various kings claimed the right to choose their own bishops, typically choosing a family relative regardless of qualifications, as an extension of those power struggles.  On multiple occasions, the right to install a bishop was asserted against the claims of kings, by a Pope, leading to episodes like the excommunication of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV in the 11th century, who in response led his army over the Alps to besiege Rome, seeking to depose Gregory VII and replace him with a Pope who would do his bidding.
          The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 caused a flood of Greek speaking refugees to head west, sparking a renewed interest in the original Greek of the New Testament.  The Dutch priest, Desiderius Erasmus published his Greek New Testament in 1516, spurring on those who desired the Scriptures in the vernacular, for only the educated few could read Jerome’s Latin Vulgate.  In the 16th century, ideas spread much more rapidly than in the past thanks to the invention of a workable printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1455; by 1500, 10 million books had been printed in Europe.
          Add to this mix of political turmoil and warfare, and ongoing struggles for power between kings and popes, a series of would-be reformers like the Englishmen John Wycliffe and the Czech Jan Hus.  Reforms did occur within the Church, but the pressure was building for more substantial changes, and that pressure burst forth when a young German priest named Martin Luther issued a call for debate concerning issues that troubled him regarding salvation theology.  Luther had been inspired by his readings of Saint Augustine, as well as Erasmus’ Greek edition at Romans 1:17 where the Vulgate’s Latin read “Justitia”, but the Greek read “dikaios”, that is righteousness rather than justice.  This translational nuance spoke to Martin Luther, leading him to issue his challenge by posting his 95 objections on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg on October 31st, 1517.
          At this point, Martin Luther was no revolutionary in intent or spirit, merely a reformer, like many within the Western Church.  One hundred years prior, Jan Hus had been promised safe conduct to discuss his proposed reforms, by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund himself, but had been burned at the stake anyway as a heretic.  Knowing this, Martin Luther still came to Worms to meet with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Pope Leo X’s representative, Johann Eck.  Asked by Eck to recant his writings, Luther refused saying, “Unless I am convinced by testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against my conscience.  May God help me.  Amen.”
          The tribunal then issued the Edict of Worms, declaring Martin Luther to be a heretic and outlaw and excommunicating him.  Luther would have ended like Jan Hus, but several German princes, opposed to Charles V and seeking to curb his authority over them, sheltered Martin Luther, allowing him time to translate the Bible into German, and time for the spark which he had inadvertently lit, to fan into flame and turn from reform to Reformation, leading quickly toward conflict and war as Luther’s ideas spread throughout northern Europe, dividing the Western Church along roughly north-south lines. 
          How did we get here, how did the Church become divided, east-west, and then 500 years later, north-south too?  Theology was a necessary part of it, interpretation and application of Scripture being a task that often leads to disagreement, even among otherwise like-minded people.  Cultural and linguistic differences were also a part, when the fault lines did occur, there was a reason why they split so neatly where differences already existed.  But in the end, the one avoidable factor, the one factor that should have been absent within the Church, was the pursuit of power.  Fallible people lead the Church, they always have, and they are not immune to the siren’s call of power.  On all sides men made choices tainted by their own greed for power, and in the end, it was the unity of the Church of Jesus Christ which paid the price.

          Let us, then, recognize our theological and cultural differences, welcoming honest and respectful study, dialogue, and debate as we together attempt to be what the bride of Christ ought to be, but let us fully reject as folly unbecoming of servants in the kingdom of God, the desire for power which led our ancestors in the faith toward division, and ultimately toward violence and war amongst themselves; for regardless of what they did, and what we here do today, “God’s truth abideth still: His kingdom is forever.”

Friday, October 27, 2017

Commercialism and Politics interrupt worship at a Baptist Church

It saddens me that some of the most head-shaking things that happen within the "church" in America today happen at Baptist Churches.  On one hand you have the screeching hate/conspiracy theories coming out of Westboro Baptist in Topeka, Kansas whose website is primarily dedicated to the things they're currently yelling about, and with them you can place Steven Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, who at least puts forth a normal website, but a quick Youtube search will find plenty of videos of his favorite targets for yelling.  Contrasting those in the us vs. the world camp, are those who have embraced the power that this world offers, going so far as to carve out time during Sunday's worship service to bring in a TV political celebrity to advocate for a new movie and of course promote the latest book from the famous pastor who himself regularly goes on the TV show of the famous guest.  Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

Pastor Jeffress interviews Sean Hannity during the worship service

First Baptist Church of Dallas, with Dr. Robert Jeffress as pastor of the mega-church, interviewed Fox News host Sean Hannity this past Sunday for fourteen minutes, at the end of which pastor Jeffress encouraged his audience to go see the movie that Hannity was there to promote.  Hannity received a standing ovation from the congregation (or is audience the right word here?).  This wouldn't be the first time that I've warned about the danger of how readily Pastor Jeffress is mixing politics with the Church, (blog post: Assassination, Pastor Jeffress, and Romans 13) as he has made quite a name for himself since the start of the 2016 election cycle, appearing on TV thousands of times and becoming a regular contributor to Fox News. 

At one point Hannity said, "I don't like liberals", which earned laughter and applause from the audience, then said, "I'm in the right church" as Jeffress laughingly said, "Hannity country right here".

At the end, as Jeffress indicated that his producers were telling him to wrap it up, Hannity joked, "We haven't even talked about Trump yet", leading Pastor Jeffress to chuckle and respond, "That's another sermon".

Perhaps this doesn't seem wrong to you, maybe you applaud the melding together of Fox News and First Baptist Church of Dallas, if so you probably won't be swayed by the mountain of historical evidence that shows the danger to the Church of getting in bed with political power, money, and fame.

At what point is the attention turned from the worship of God and the edification of his people onto the things of man, the pursuit of wealth and power?  If this isn't too far, how far can it possibly go, during a worship service, before you think it is a problem?  Will it be too far when they have commercial breaks during the service??

At what point does a pastor stop being a shepherd and start becoming a celebrity?  Is it not a problem when a pastor hocks products and helps people make money instead of leading people in worship of Jesus?  Whatever came before or after this point in the service, these 15 minutes were not in service to the Gospel.


If only Jesus had a book to sell, or was running for office...



 

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Sermon Video: God rejects moral equivalence - Malachi 2:17

It has been evident throughout human history that virtue is not fully rewarded and wickedness is not fully punished; in fact, at times wickedness seems to be rewarded and virtue punished.  This state of affairs have led some to conclude that God does not exist and therefore right/wrong are simply arbitrary constructs based upon human consensus and thus open to redefinition.  Others have attempted to fix the problem by claiming that God himself (whether personal or impersonal) is not wholly good, but contains within himself both virtue and wickedness.  While both of these attempted solutions are unacceptable (especially since they're not based in reality), what is the answer to the problem of the existence of evil?
The prophet Malachi rejects the attempt by the people of Israel to embrace moral equivalence, telling them that God is wearied by willingness in their ignorance to blame him for the evil in our world.  God is holy, having no part in anything immoral or evil, that such things exist in our world is our fault, not God's.  In the end, the "success" of the wicked will probe short-lived, the justice of God will prevail, and righteousness will be rewarded.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Sermon Video: God Hates Divorce - Malachi 2:13-16

We all know that God "is love", even those who rarely, if ever, attend church seem to know that, but does God "hate" too?  The Word of God makes it clear that there are things which God hates, primarily things connected to idolatry, false testimony and violence among his people, but included within that list is something generally accepted by society: divorce.  The prophet Malachi declares that the LORD has said, "I hate divorce", a statement of God's response to the dissolution of marriages that leaves little wiggle room to those who value the authority of the scriptures.

Why does God hate divorce?  Malachi lists several reasons: (1) It is the breaking of a vow witnessed by God, (2) it is a rejection of the design of God as our Creator that two would become one in marriage, (3) it has a negative affect upon our responsibility to raise up "godly offspring", and (4) it puts the vulnerable party, usually women and children, into danger by depriving them of support and protection.

The Church is not unfamiliar with divorce, we have seen ample evidence that the people of God, when society allows them to do so, are willing to utilize divorce at rates nearly equal to those of their non-believing countrymen.  What ought we to do in response?  First, we must follow Malachi's example and warn our fellow Christians of the emotional and spiritual consequences of divorce, then we must help those who have made the mistake of seeking divorce to find forgiveness, as well as helping those who have been harmed by divorce to find reconciliation and healing.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Sermon Video: The Curtain is Torn - Luke 23:45 (1997)

We all start somewhere, maybe Billy Graham had the audience on the edge of their seat during his first sermon, but the rest of us need time to develop both our writing and our delivery.  This was my first sermon, delivered as part of an Easter service in 1997 at my home church of Galilee Baptist in Saranac, MI. 

The focus of the short message is the tearing of the curtain in the temple between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) when Christ breathed his last, from Luke 23:45.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Sermon Video: Spiritually Uneven Marriages - Malachi 2:10-12

The prophet Malachi warns the people of Israel against the practice of marrying outside of the Covenant people, not for any racial reason, but because it brings into the nation those who worship other gods, and foster disunity within marriages and in parenting.  The same warning applies to the Church, as made plain by Paul's warning about being "unequally yoked" to the church at Corinth.  It is a dangerous choice for a Christian to marry a non-Christian, or for a committed disciple of Jesus Christ to marry a spouse for whom faith is not a priority.
What then do we say to those already in a spiritually uneven marriage?  Pray, continue to pray.  Be faithful, be patient, be kind, make sure that your devotion to God does not waiver, and make sure that your children are brought up in the knowledge of the Lord.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Thursday, October 5, 2017

My rights are less important than doing what is right

As an American Christian, I have rights and privileges that were given to me when I was born in the United States of America, and I have obligations to do what is right (in the sight of the Lord) that I chose to adopt when I became a follower of Jesus Christ.  At times, these two sets of rights come into conflict.  There are many things which I have a right to do, as an American, which I will not do because it isn't morally right.  This probably shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, Christian or otherwise, that moral rights and legal rights don't always agree, but I have often heard Christians defend behavior which is hardly Christ-like by falling back upon their right as an American to do what they have done.  You may have a 1st Amendment right to say what you are saying, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ.  You may have a 1st Amendment right to belong to that group or patronize that gambling establishment or strip club, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ.

We are held to a higher standard as Christians than the Bill of Rights.  In Philippians Paul wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)  I will regularly choose self-denial of my rights in order to do what is right, as will millions of my fellow Christian Americans, for we answer to a higher authority, are called to a higher purpose, and have been commanded to imitate a higher example (Jesus) than the legal rights of any citizen of any nation.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Why the killing won't stop...

After yet another horrific mass shooting in America, this one breaking the "record" for most people killed in one incident, a "record" that continues to horrifyingly climb, talk will invariably turn toward questions of prevention revolving around issues of law enforcement, mental health programs, gun ownership, and safety precautions.  All of these conversations are necessary, and useful, but they won't solve the problem because the problem lies deeper.  Combating the inhumanity of man against his fellow man, is not like combating a communicable disease.  Education, treatments, and vaccines have a chance at wiping out a disease, and even though some diseases which were thought to be no longer a threat have made a bit of a comeback (often due to laxity in keeping the vaccinations going), there remains realistic hope that solutions are possible to even the deadliest and most widespread diseases.  The human propensity toward violence is a far different problem, and far worse.
Why do people commit heinous acts against each other?  The answer is simple: mankind is flawed; deeply.  This is not a new concept to those who are part of the Judeo-Christian worldview, for scripture contains the first recorded act of violence among humanity, the story of the murder of Abel by his brother Cain spurred on by simple jealousy, as well as ample teaching that repeats again and again that our individual and collective hearts are darkened.  The psalmists and the prophet Isaiah wrote (as paraphrased by Paul in Romans), "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one...the way of peace they do not know.  There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)  Making the same point, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)  In Christian theology this viewpoint regarding innate human nature is known as Total Depravity.  Its conclusions are simple: (1) All of mankind is flawed, in rebellion against God, (2) Nobody is capable of fixing this problem for themselves or anyone else, (3) therefore mankind is entirely dependent upon God's grace and transforming power.
We ought to do what we can as a free society to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm, but we also ought to recognize that the underlying cause is a spiritual one, not one of economics, education, or ideology.  Why do people kill?  Because their hearts are full of sin.  The only solution to this depraved state is the grace of God given freely to mankind through Jesus Christ our Lord, anything else is a band-aid on a bullet hole.
Pray for those who protect the innocent in society, but don't expect them to win this war anymore than the war on drugs, or the ongoing scourge of sexual slavery, the heart of man is too far gone to be restored by anything less than the power of God.

Sermon Video: God curses unfaithful priests - Malachi 2:1-9

After warning the priests and the people about offering blemished sacrifices, Malachi's prophecy turns toward the priesthood in Israel itself, and admonishes them with dire warnings of blessings being turned into curses because of their failure to accurately teach the Law of God to the people and apply it impartially.  What happens when the leadership of the people of God fails to champion God's Truth?  They lead the people of God astray and stumble into error.  The warning of Malachi against this danger rings true throughout the history of the Church as well, when the priesthood/pastorate fails through a failure to preach the truth and/or a failure to maintain a morally upright example, it is the people of God who suffer.

To watch the video, click on the link below:


Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Sermon Video: Sacrifices Worthy of God - Malachi 1:6-14

Following up on his explanation as to how God has loved his people, Malachi examines the way in which God's people have shown love, devotion, and honor to God in return, and the results are not good.  The priests in Israel had been offering animals for sacrifices with significant defects, in violation of the Law of Moses.  The implications of this violation are very serious, not only is it a sign of great disrespect for God, it will also result in sacrifices which are not accepted by God, causing a rift to develop between God and his people.
Now that Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system, the equivalent of Malachi's warning for the Church age is the ongoing need for God's people to show respect and gratitude to God by giving God acceptable offerings of love, worship, prayer, and service, offerings that reflect our best not our leftovers.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Sermon Video: Jacob I Loved, Esau I Hated - Malachi 1:1-5

The last of the prophets before the 400 years of silence preceding John the Baptist, Malachi brings a message to the people of Israel reminding them of their covenant obligations.  The Word of the LORD through Malachi begins with a hypothetical conversation between God and his people in which the people question the validity of God's statement of love for his people.  In response, God replies with, "I have loved Jacob, but Esau I hated".  The use of the example of Jacob and Esau, Abraham's twin grandsons, serves as a stark reminder of the nature of the relationship between God and his people, for it is a relationship founded entirely upon grace.  Esau was the older brother, but God chose to make Jacob the heir of Abraham's promise, before the boys were even born.  It was not a question of which brother was superior, for Esau displayed greater character than Jacob, but of the choice of God.  Because God's love is an act of grace, not obligation, those who receive it have no basis to demand anything of God, and ought to simply respond by praising the goodness of the Lord.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Friday, September 15, 2017

Sermon Video: Paul tries to make peace with his critics - Acts 21:15-26

Having returned to Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul finds renewed controversy there as false rumors being spread about him have antagonized the Jewish Christian community against his work among the Gentiles.  In response, James encourages Paul to make a public demonstration of his own ongoing personal commitment to the Law of Moses by sponsoring the completion of the Nazarite vows of several of his fellow Jewish Christians.  Despite having done nothing wrong, Paul accepts this advice and takes on the sponsorship expense in order to foster peace within the Church.  In the end, it will be a futile attempt, as fresh lies against Paul will result in his arrest, but the willingness of Paul to act as a peacemaker is an example of the humility required of a servant of the kingdom, and of the sacrifices that may prove necessary to preserve unity within the Church.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Mt Everest vs. Space: Why we can never reach God on our own.

When trying to explain why our own righteousness, that is the morally upright things that we do, can never be sufficient to please the holy God who created us, I hit upon an analogy that might help some understand what Jesus is trying to say in Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Given that those two groups were believed to be the most righteous people in Israel, the words of Jesus seem like an impossibility.  Later on Jesus would explain the failures of the religious leaders of his people, focusing on their pride, failure to care about those in need, and the shallowness of their devotion, but the point about righteousness remains.  The statement by Jesus is intended to invoke a sense of despair, about our ability to please God on our own, hence setting aside our pride and allowing us to lean upon the grace of God.

So, how high can we climb on our own, and why isn't that good enough for God?  Let's suppose that you make it to the pinnacle of human moral achievement, climbing higher than anyone else.

Image result for mt everest

That seems like a tremendous accomplishment, especially with so many other people falling far short of your lofty achievement and others not even trying.  But what is the goal, have you reached it, simply because you can't possibly get any higher?


Image result for space walk



But God is holy, perfect, without flaw; we are not.  Our highest possible ascent toward God, on our own, leaves us far, far short.  Could Sir Edmund Hillary have climbed from the summit of Everest into space?  Of course not, the gap is too wide, and there's nothing left to climb.  Our righteousness, whatever it might be, is equally hopelessly insufficient when compared to the holiness of God.

So, what is left for us to do, give up?  In a way yes, to come to God, we need to give up trying to fix ourselves and instead trust that the righteousness of Christ, who died and rose again on our behalf, will be applied to our account by God because of our faith in him.  So go ahead and climb the Mt. Everest of morality, doing the right thing is always the right thing, but not because it will make God accept you, do it because you wish to honor the sacrifice of Jesus and be as much like him in this life as possible.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Out of Control: The unspoken cost of over-scheduled children

The most recent issue of Time magazine featured a cover story, "How Kid Sports Turned Pro" which highlights many of the financial dangers to families of the traveling sports teams for children, some younger than ten, which can cost a family tens of thousands of dollars a year in the pursuit of the dream of raising a professional athlete or simply netting a college scholarship.  In addition to this financial burden, the article emphasizes the serious potential for emotional and physical injury to these children (from the frantic schedules, high pressure performances, and too specialized exercise).

All of these things, and more, should be warning signs to parents of the danger of over-scheduling the lives of their children, and of raising a narcissist by teaching that child that the world revolves around him/her, and yet there was one area of danger that the article failed to address: the elevation of these athletic pursuits above devotion to God.   It should come as no surprise that the weekend tournaments that families travel, often half-way across the country to attend, necessitate that the family will not be attending church on Sunday.  As a pastor, I've seen this trend increase over the years, as families feel pressured to choose the hobby/sport that their child loves (or at least the parent thinks they love it) over spending time as a family in the house of God at worship.

Going to church isn't the priority it once was and our society (and countless individuals and families) have lost an intangible asset as a result.  In a world where human connections are more tenuous and rare, our spiritual connection to God and each other looms ever more crucial.  Will my child someday participate in a sport that holds games/tournaments on Sunday morning?  No, she will not, and not just because I'm a pastor and my absence would be noticed; because my wife and I recognize that our time spent as a family in the house of the Lord is an invest in our family and an example to our daughter of how highly we value God.



** This is not an indictment of parents who must work on Sunday to provide for their family, such things are unavoidable for some, nor does it concern those who miss church to take a family vacation or attend a family event.  My concern is with those for whom church is such a low priority that attendance a "we're not doing anything else" option instead of being the high priority that our devotion to God ought to demand of us.**

Sermon Video: The Lord's Will Be Done - Acts 21:1-14

As Paul finally approaches his destination of Jerusalem, both those traveling with him and those fellow disciples of Christ whom he meets at each stop, urge Paul to abort his trip and not go to Jerusalem.  Despite these significant warnings, one from a known prophet of the Lord, Paul insists that he must continue onward.  Paul had already accepted that his life was in danger, and that the cost of his discipleship might be imprisonment, or even death.  It was not that Paul didn't care about the risks, he simply considered his mission for the Kingdom of God to be of surpassing importance, even surpassing his own life.  And what was that mission?  To meld together the Jewish and Gentile Christians into one Church by bringing the famine relief offering from the Gentile churches to Jerusalem in person.  In the end, Paul's hope was a forlorn one, the Jewish revolt was only a few years away and Jerusalem itself would soon be destroyed by the Romans, but to Paul it was a cause worth dying for, if need be, for like his Savior, Paul lived by the rule, "the Lord's will be done."

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Sermon Video: Help the Weak - Acts 20:32-38

In the conclusion to his farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus, Paul speaks of his own hard work and diligence on behalf of the Gospel, using it as inspiration for his call to "help the weak".  In support of this charge, Paul utilizes a quote of Jesus that is reminiscent of the Beatitudes, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Helping those in need: the poor, the disabled, the addicts and prisoners, the persecuted and lost, is a Christian imperative for it is in this that we truly show the love of Christ to a world in need of the Gospel.  As individual Christians, and as a Church, we cannot solve every ill, but we can certainly make a difference somewhere, somehow, and we must, for our Savior, the Suffering Servant, demands it of us.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Do all religions worship the same God?

Do the religions of the world worship the same God?  This fundamental question begs an answer to this question: What is Truth?
Christianity is built upon several presuppositions about knowledge and Truth which must be understood which will then answer the first question.

Truth exists and is knowable by mankind.  Not simply truth from my perspective, but Truth that exists apart from my belief or disbelief in it.  If Truth doesn’t exist, or if it is unknowable, humanity’s quest for it has been doomed from the start and the meaning of life cannot be determined.

Truth claims that are mutually exclusive cannot both be true.  In other words, either God exists or God doesn’t exist, both can’t be true; either humanity is fallen/corrupt or humanity is inherently good, both can’t be true, etc.

The religions of the world make mutually exclusive Truth claims, not complimentary ones.  If reincarnation is real, then the Eastern religions are correct and the Western ones are wrong.  If there is only one God, then the monotheists are right and the polytheists are incorrect, etc.

The Truth claims of Christianity are exclusive.  Christianity requires the belief in the divine/human nature of Jesus Christ, in his virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death and resurrection.  If this is True, it negates the Truth claims of all the other world religions, for none of them afford Jesus Christ his exclusive role as Savior and Lord.

          The basis of Christian Truth claims is the revealed Word of God.  Christians don’t claim to have discovered the Truth, they are only recipients of Truth that has been given by God.  The Word of God forms the basis for all Christian theology and morality.


Do the religions of the world worship the same God?  No, no they don’t, for their claims regarding who that God is, what that God has done, and what that God requires of humanity are mutually exclusive.  It is on this basis that Christians have, since the founding of the Church, sought to share the Gospel with those who do not believe, it is not an act of arrogance, nor does it derive from a sense of superiority; Christian evangelism is driven by compassion, for just as God desires that none should perish by failing to believe in his Son, so too do his people want their fellow man to find God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

There are no racists at the Cross

As recent events in Charlottesville, Virginia remind us, there is a segment of the white supremacist movement that insists upon following in Hitler's footsteps by appropriating Christian symbols and claiming to defend Christendom.  As it has always been, racism in no way defends Christianity or Christendom, it is an abject mockery of it.  There is no common ground between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and any theology/philosophy/political movement that seeks to divide the world into groups of "us" vs. "them" and thus foment bigotry, hatred, and violence.

At its very founding, the Church was given the mission of taking the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.  Jesus said to his disciples, "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) echoing the promise of God to Abraham, "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3).  Paul would later clarify the import of Jesus' words by declaring that, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).  This list of Biblical references to equality in Christ could continue, for it is absolutely clear, without a doubt, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God's message of salvation for ALL people, and that race, nationality, class status, and gender are in no way at all a barrier to God's grace, so much so that the Gospel destroys all such distinctions within the Church.  We, the people redeemed by God's grace, CANNOT allow discrimination and stratification to continue, as it does in society, within the Church.
The racists are not working for the Church and Christianity, they are working against it.

Can the Gospel save a racist?  Absolutely, by destroying in him/her that same sin nature that all mankind shares, that same sin nature shared by murders, rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, lovers of money, the prideful, hateful, and narcissistic.  Racists are no worse sinners than anybody else when compared to the holiness and perfection of God, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." (Romans 3:23-24).  The Gospel, that is the power of God, can save anyone, even the must vile among us, but that person won't remain the hate-filled sinner they were before the grace of God, they cannot.  If they remain enthralled to sin, of any kind, racism included, they cannot be a true child of God, born again in Christ.  John makes this point repeatedly in his first letter, "If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (I John 1:6-7)  John goes on to speak of the absolute necessity of love among Christian, ALL Christians, "Dear friends, let us love on another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (I John 4:7-8)  If you don't love your fellow sinners saved by grace, if you hate the people who don't look and act like you who are a part of the Church, then you are not a Christian, period.

If you are a racist, right now, it is an ongoing part of who you are, then you cannot be a Christ-follower anymore than a person who right now continues to walk in the darkness of lust, greed, or pride.  The people of God are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, here and now, they cannot continue to walk in the darkness.  The people of God are not perfect, they will fail and need to repent, but they are not, nor can they be, people who walk in darkness, they cannot be racists.  The White supremacists are not defending Christendom, they are anti-Christs.


Sermon Video: The Whole Will of God - Acts 20:25-31

Continuing his farewell address to the church elders from Ephesus, Paul declares to them that he is "innocent of the blood of all men" because he knows that he has declared the "whole will of God" throughout his journeys.  What is this "whole will of God"?  Paul made that clear back in vs. 21 when he affirmed that his message had always been to both Jews and Greeks that they must "turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus."  In other words, Paul declared the Gospel, the whole Gospel, no more and no less.  All men have sinned, none can please a holy and righteous God on their own, and therefore all must repent and trust in the righteousness of Jesus.
Beginning with the Early Church, and continuing to this day, there have been attempts to distort this straightforward declaration of the Gospel by adding to it or subtracting from it.  The most common additions have been attempts to add an element of works to faith (thereby diminishing the sufficiency of the work of Christ).  The most common attempted subtractions have been denials of the full human/divine nature of Jesus (thereby diminishing the person of Jesus).
As the Church, we are tasked with protecting against attack from within or without, whatever they might be, and maintaining the true and full Gospel, for we know that it alone is the power of God unto salvation.

To watch the video, click on the link below:


Thursday, August 10, 2017

Assassinations, Pastor Jeffress, and Romans 13

I've written often enough about the danger to the Church in America of an unequal marriage with politics and politicians, especially when that marriage envisions an American triumphalism and nationalism that seeks to equate being a good Christian with being a patriotic American.  The truth of the matter is that no nation has the right to claim God's special favor, apart from ancient Israel, and those who have claimed such a right have done so with disastrous results; one need only examine the WWI era rhetoric of nations comprised primarily of Christians fighting against each other to conclude that God was not in favor of the war aims of any of the combatants.  Can any Christian theologian really defend the notion that German territorial expansion or British colonial interests were the will of God and thus worthy of the countless lives shed in pursuit of them?
And yet, that same temptation to mix Christianity with political nationalism remains, and was given a boost recently by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, a mega-church with 3,700 weekly attendees.  Pastor Jeffress is no stranger to politics, having been an outspoken advocate for one candidate during the last presidential election.  Now, given the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Pastor Jeffress felt it necessary to express that God has given the moral authority, according to Romans 13:1-5, for the President to "do whatever, whether it's assassination, capital punishment, or evil punishment to quell the actions of evildoers like Kim Jung Un."  So, if the President of the United States determines that a person is an evildoer, he has the moral right to assassinate him/her without due process, without a trial, and without the consent of Congress?  When Paul wrote Romans 13, was he really advocating that governmental leaders, most of whom in the years since have not been Christians, or have been nominal Christians at best, have God's blessing to take pre-emptive action, including starting wars, against those who do threaten evil?
What is the response of Jeffress to those who caution that advocating war, and assassinating the leader of North Korea would surely lead to war, maybe even nuclear war, is not the will of God?  "Some Christians, perhaps younger Christians, have to think this through.  It's antithetical to some of the mushy rhetoric you hear from some circles today.  Frankly, it's because they're not well taught in the scriptures."  Well, ignoring the insult that those who advocate for peace are just "mushy", it is certainly not the only interpretation of Romans 13 to encourage the government to utilize assassinations and pre-emptive wars, for such a stance doesn't even meet the level of the traditional Just War Theory of Thomas Aquinas.  (Primarily because it is far from the last resort, and would lead to far greater evil in terms of civilians deaths than it could possibly prevent.)

For an opposing view of the responsibility of the Christian and Church regarding war and peace, note the words of the martyr Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer who died at the hands of the Nazis:
There is no way to peace along the way of safety.  For peace must be dared.  It is the great venture.  It can never be safe.  Peace is the opposite of security.  To demand guarantees is to mistrust, and this mistrust in turns brings forth war.  To look for guarantees is to want to protect oneself.  Peace means to give oneself altogether to the law of God, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes.  Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God.  They are won where the way leads to the cross.  Which of us can say he or she knows what it might mean for the world if one nation should meet the aggressor, not with weapons in hand, but praying, defenseless, and for that very reason protected by 'a bulwark never failing'? - The Church and the People of the World, from the Ecumenical Conference at Fano, 1934.

What is the purpose of a pastor of the Church of Jesus Christ?  If you answered: To encourage a governmental leader to start a war that will kills thousands, perhaps millions of innocents, you're evidently not alone, but just the same, I'm frightened of what that says about the priorities and perspective of some Christians.  As always, the marriage of Politics and Church is an abusive relationship, what may be gained by it is a paltry excuse for what is lost, that observation just got a lot more serious.

To read the Washington Post article which contains the quotes of Pastor Jeffress, click on the following link: ‘God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong Un,’ evangelical adviser says


Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Sermon Video: Finish the Race - Acts 20:13-24

Of all of Paul's metaphors to describe what it is like to be a Christian, running a race is of course my favorite.  In his farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus, Paul speaks of his efforts as a missionary in Asia minor and Greece, recounting how he conducted himself with integrity, and carrying out his God-given mission of sharing the truth of the Gospel proclamation of the need of all mankind of repentance and faith.  Paul contends that he has finished his "race", and offers up to us the encouragement that we can likewise fulfill our role in the kingdom of God and finish our own race.
Throughout the message are sprinkled references to my running of the Oil Creek Trails 100's 50k race in October of 2015, a difficult 31 mile race that became brutal for me due to dehydration.

To watch the video, click on the link below:


Thursday, August 3, 2017

Is mankind wicked? Is there any doubt? Jeremiah 17:9

The prophet Jeremiah, a man called of God to warn a people gone astray who did not listen to him, wrote this chilling thought, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)  While it would be easy to speak of the wicked/fallen nature of humanity based upon historical events like the many genocides exemplified by the Holocaust, reading my local paper this past week provided, unfortunately, ample evidence.  In just one week, our local paper (which is excellent by the way) reported on two ongoing cases involving the trials of local teachers accused of a sexual relationship with a student, of two men accused of raping children, one of whom was also his own child, and to top it off, a two year old child found naked in the middle of a busy road while his parent was passed out drunk on the couch with a second one year old child being neglected in the crib.  Are you kidding me?  This isn't the big city, our county only has 53,000 people living in it, and yet these five incidents represent evil that was both reported and prosecuted, in other words, there is more than this going on, these are just the people who were caught.
The old saying, "ignorance is bliss" isn't true.  Would I rather not know about child rape and endangerment going on in my community, of course, but only if it wasn't happening.  How can we combat evil if we don't recognize it?  Still trying to cling to the notion that people are essentially "good" and in no need of help from God?  Good luck with that, me, I'll continue to trust in the saving power of Jesus Christ to rescue us from our woeful state transforming those who trust in him through the power of the Holy Spirit, and I'll continue to share that message of hope to a world sorely in need of it.

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Paul: A truly Christian evangelical preacher

While preparing for this week's sermon on Acts 20:13-24, I came across this quote from Matthew Henry's commentary regarding the preaching of the Apostle Paul, although it was written centuries ago, the wisdom of Henry's words remains.

"Ministers must preach the gospel with impartiality; for they are ministers of Christ for the universal church.  He was a truly Christian evangelical preacher.  He did not preach philosophical notions, or matters of doubtful disputation, nor did he preach politics, or intermeddle at all with affairs of state or the civil government; but he preached faith and repentance, the two great gospel graces, the nature and necessity of them; these he urged upon all occasions."

How much more effective would the Church in the world today be if 100% of its ministers followed this advice?  Focus on the Gospel, return to the themes of faith and repentance again and again, let others worry about the affairs of this world, you have been called by God to shepherd his flock, your priority is the sheep.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Sermon Video: Paul's extra-long sermon - Acts 20:1-12

Of what value is knowledge of God to you?  What are you willing to do to obtain it?  While Paul was teaching at Troas, a young man named Eutychus nearly paid for such knowledge with his life.  If not for the mercy and power of God, which enabled Paul to bring Eutychus back from the dead, that quest for knowledge would have ended in tragedy.  And yet, such knowledge for Christians today, at least in the West, is readily available, even free.  Do those who claim to be disciples of Christ thirst after knowledge of God, do they seek it diligently and guard themselves against error and falsehood?  As God's people, his holy Church, we need to make every effort to educate ourselves and to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Church and its ministers to learn more and more about our Savior and our God.

To watch the video, click on the link below:


Thursday, July 20, 2017

"In Every Age, O Lord" - Reflections on 150 years from Psalm 90

When First Baptist of Franklin celebrates its 150th year of existence this July 30th, the choir will sing a version of Psalm 90 entitled, "In Every Age, O Lord" by William Monaghan.  Psalm 90 was written by Moses in acknowledgement of the providential care of the LORD for Israel throughout each generation.  After contemplating the briefness of man in comparison to the eternality of God, the psalm ends with this prayer, "May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands."

God is indeed the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher, but in his wisdom, God has chosen to work in and through his chosen people, first Israel, and now the Church.  This willingness of God to work out his will through the efforts of mortal men and women makes the prayer of Moses entirely appropriate.  We plan, strive, and hope, seeking to fulfill God's will and be useful servants for his kingdom, but we need the power of God to establish the work we have undertaken.  Why?  To make it effective, to make it last.  The Church has been able to endure, as a whole, because of the empowerment it has received from the Holy Spirit at work among its individual members.  If we were but a human institution, we would have surely collapsed long ago, like Rome itself, under the weight of our own foibles and follies.  But the Church of Jesus Christ has endured, despite the faults of those who comprise it and their foolishness, for it is an expression of the power of God.

Here at First Baptist we have had ups and downs.  We had a generation where a 1,000 people came to be a part of this church's worship, and we have had a generation where a couple dozen were all we could muster.  And yet, the work of God has endured here among his people.  Those redeemed of the Lord continue to be trained and equipped, worship and prayer still rises up from our gatherings, and ministries of outreach both local and global continue to be undertaken.  God, in his wisdom, has been with us thus far, allowing us today to stand at the end of a line of God's people stretching back at this location to the 19th century.

God has been our refuge, in each generation, and God has established the work of our hands for his kingdom.  May God continue to bless his people, gathered here in Franklin, in his name and for his glory, for many generations to come.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Sermon Video: The Gospel vs. the Love of Money - Acts 19:21-41

Since the beginning, the desire to have more than we already have has led many to greed which often manifests itself as a love of money.  While in Ephesus, the success of Paul's ministry for the Gospel inspired a reaction against the new Christian religion on behalf of those who were making a considerable sum of money from the pilgrims who came to worship at the Temple of Artemis.  Because Paul preached that idols were mere objects made by the hands of men, and no god at all, the growth of Christianity in Ephesus and its surrounding areas threatened their economic prosperity, for only those who believed in the value of idols would spend their money at the Temple.
The hostility toward the new religion led to a near riot in Ephesus, one that was only prevented from leading to violence through the intervention of a local politician who suggested taking any grievance into the courts instead of seeking mob justice.  In the end, the people who came to the Temple, and spent their hard earned money, were being robbed as surely as by any thief, for the idol of Artemis was indeed but a hunk of rock, it could neither hear nor respond to the prayers sent its way, invalidating the commerce of all those who benefited from the pilgrims.  What the Gospel offered was of true value, for Christ offers to the Lost not only forgiveness and reconciliation, but transformation, a purpose, hope, and peace as well.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Once again, rushing to judgment leads to error.

It should be obvious to Christians that being quick to judge another Christian, especially one you don't know personally, especially one who you only have an incomplete picture of, is both foolhardy and dangerous, and an avenue leading to sin.  While the phrase, "Judge not, lest ye be judged" is ingrained in our minds, we are at the same time bombarded with snap judgments and half-truths (if that) from the constant stream of information flowing our way, much of it politically motivated, through both the news media and social media.  The desire to get a story out fast, and the ease of sharing or re-tweeting something, especially something that confirms our own viewpoint or something salacious, can turn a small story into an avalanche that leaves fact-checking and a balanced view in the dust.

In recent months, a handful of people with an online/media presence have hammered away at an apologist that I often listen to (though don't agree with on everything, of course) named James White.  I first came across James White in college when his book, The King James Only Controversy was required reading for my Biblical Criticism class, that book would later form the nucleus of my History of the Bible lectures.

Those critical of James White in relation to a two-part dialogue he participated in with a Muslim Imam, have filled the airwaves/internet with a vast amount of partial truths, innuendo, name calling, and outright lies (easily refutable ones).  Why would they be able to get away with such character assassination?  Because God's people have allowed themselves to become lazy.  They've been spoon fed opinions in the political realm, leaning one way or the other, and have long since grown accustomed to accepting what they hear as the truth without verifying it.  I know that while watching the news, or reading an article online, it isn't possible to verify everything that you see, but when the issue involves accusations of "heresy", "cowardice", and claiming that a Christian is in league with mysterious Islamic forces that are trying to take over the world, one would think that you and I would be willing to at least dig enough to see whether such startling accusations have a basis in the truth.

Throughout this whole ordeal, the video of the dialogue in question has been available online, easily accessible to any willing to watch before reaching a conclusion about it.  Unfortunately, many of those who have been critical have too much invested (politically, emotionally, financially) in an apocalyptic narrative that is threatened by peaceful dialogue with Muslims.  For some, a clash of civilizations, WWIII style, is a desired outcome.  They see this as a pre-cursor to the 2nd Coming of Christ, and/or are looking at this issue through Nationalist eyes and not through Gospel ones.  Do some within Islam want worldwide Jihad and death to all the infidels?  Of course, many of them have joined terrorist groups to further their vision of utopia.  Does their desire make such a global fight to the death inevitable?  Not at all.  The Cold War ended without WWIII erupting, that was a far more grave situation against an enemy far better equipped to wage war, yet it never fully erupted into all out war.  One should then ask, why are so many people in Europe and America so heavily invested in seeing the current level of conflict become a global war?  Why do they want the dream of the terrorists, global war, to come true?

For the sake of the Church, and the sake of the Gospel, we cannot afford, as Christians, to close our hearts and minds to the need of the Muslim people to hear and receive faith in Jesus Christ.  If we choose to write off a billion people as beyond the reach of the Gospel, great will be our shame, and severe our judgment before Almighty God.  If we choose to abandon them, for any reason, we will have failed as the people who have been called by God to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

We won't reach Muslims with the Good News by lumping them all into one group as terrorists.  We won't reach Muslims by shouting from street corners, posting insulting videos, or insisting that any conversation include condemnation of Muhammad.  That avenue offers no hope of success, only the self-righteousness of condemning those who are already lost (as if have been told to do so by God).  How will the Muslims of the world be reached for Christ?  Through patience, understanding, friendships, honesty, and kindness.  If you're not interested in being a part of such a loving approach, your problem isn't with James White or the countless missionaries at work for the Kingdom in Muslim countries today, your problem is with the Gospel.

For the sake of the truth, and to show at least a modicum of interest in it.  Read the article below published by ChristianNews.net  If you still think White is a "dupe" or Judas, dig further, or perhaps look in the mirror and ask yourself why you won't want Muslims to hear about Jesus.

Apologist James White Draws Concerns After Holding, Defending Interfaith ‘Dialogue’ at Church With Muslim Imam

FYI, one of the issues being condemned is the use of a church building for this event.  The Church in the NT is not a building, it is a people.  It is not the place which is sacred, but the people who meet there who make it so by having been saved by God's grace.  To use such a building to further the spread of the Gospel is a use that brings glory to God, not shame.

{Update 11/21  The James White that I used to listen to while working no longer has the same ministry.  In the past 3-4 years he has followed Eric Metaxas down the road of political 'sky is falling' conspiracy theory laden hysteria.  I no longer recommend listening to his messages with the exception of the older material related to textual criticism}