The Storm is over and much of the clean-up is complete. Life is beginning to return to normal again. Normal? What does a normal life look like? I really hate to see our lives returning to the way they were before the storm. On Sunday September 14, 2008 when hurricane-force winds hit our area for over three hours, life changed. Much of our city was without power for a week. Our once quiet neighborhoods looked like a war zone. There were trees strewn all over the streets, on top of houses, across cars, and literally ripping powerlines from their poles. There was an incredible amount of damage and many people lost everything in their refrigerators and freezers. It was a difficult week.
However, it was also an incredibly good week. In the aftermath of the storm, we saw our community arise out of the ashes like the Phoenix. As my wife and I walked through the city the afternoon of the storm we saw the incredible damage, but we also saw an uplifting sight. We saw people standing in their yards talking to one another. We saw neighbors helping neighbors, cutting up trees with one another, moving tree limbs, and making plans to share meals together by cooking out to use their meat before it spoiled. As the week progressed we saw the city officials reach out to the residents and take an active approach to provide for the needs of the people. We saw crews of volunteers cutting down trees for neighbors, meals provided for the hungry, and a massive food distribution for those who had lost food.
While the storm packed an incredible destructive punch, it brought with it the whisper of God. For in the aftermath of the storm our community discovered what it meant to love your neighbor; and, for the first time in a long time people saw Jesus in the lives of God's people. We made a difference. We reached out to our neighbors. We talked to them. I don't want to return to normal. I want to continue to experience the supernatural touch of God upon our lives. I want to continue hearing His whisper in the wind. May we never get too busy again to hear God's Whisper in the Wind.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Satisfied?
As we look at the church in the 21st century, one can't help but see a group of people who are satisfied with where we are in our spiritual development. Now, don't get me wrong; I beleive in the church. I believe that we are the bride of Christ and that one day we are to appear before Him pure and holy and without blemish. My complaint is not with Christ's establishment of the church; but with what we have become. I know that Jesus Christ loves the Church and gave His life for the church. As a pastor, I also love the church and desire to help her mature so that one day she may be presented before the Lord, pure and holy.
However, I see a heatbreaking tendency within the church of America. Throughout the churches there is a spirit of complacency. This shocking sense of complacency runs from the pastor to the people. We are satisfied with what we are doing (not doing) as a church. Too often, as pastors we are satisfied with picking a topic to preach on and then waxing eloquently on that topic with little unpacking of the biblical text. Other pastors are content to attempt to feed the flock on leftovers from years gone by. If we are going to stir a fire in the hearts of God's people, then pastors need to start preaching the whole counsel of God. Its time for preachers to stop giving their opinions and preaching on felt needs, and start walking their congregations through the pages of God's Word, exposing the Truth of God so that the church can hear the Word of God and walk in it. In Revelation 3:14ff we read the Lord's letter to the church at Laodicea. Jesus tells them, "...I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." There are very few churches in America that Jesus Christ would designate as hot after God. If we are honest, most of our churches are lukewarm. We are content with the fact that more times than not we show up on Sunday. We are satisfied as long as the bills get paid and there is money in the account. We enjoy meeting, enjoy singing, go through the motions of worship, yet our lives do not change. No one in our communities accuses us of being a "fanatic" for the Lord. Truth be told, we are more passionate about our favorite football team, televison show, or other worldly pleasure than we are about our God. My friends, we may be satisfied with where we are in our walk with the Lord, but the Lord is not. In fact, the letter to Laodicea tells us that when harbor a spirit of complacency and self-satisfaction we make the Lord sick (I am about to spew you out of my mouth). This week, may we seek the heart of God and repent of our complacency and become a people after God's own heart.
However, I see a heatbreaking tendency within the church of America. Throughout the churches there is a spirit of complacency. This shocking sense of complacency runs from the pastor to the people. We are satisfied with what we are doing (not doing) as a church. Too often, as pastors we are satisfied with picking a topic to preach on and then waxing eloquently on that topic with little unpacking of the biblical text. Other pastors are content to attempt to feed the flock on leftovers from years gone by. If we are going to stir a fire in the hearts of God's people, then pastors need to start preaching the whole counsel of God. Its time for preachers to stop giving their opinions and preaching on felt needs, and start walking their congregations through the pages of God's Word, exposing the Truth of God so that the church can hear the Word of God and walk in it. In Revelation 3:14ff we read the Lord's letter to the church at Laodicea. Jesus tells them, "...I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." There are very few churches in America that Jesus Christ would designate as hot after God. If we are honest, most of our churches are lukewarm. We are content with the fact that more times than not we show up on Sunday. We are satisfied as long as the bills get paid and there is money in the account. We enjoy meeting, enjoy singing, go through the motions of worship, yet our lives do not change. No one in our communities accuses us of being a "fanatic" for the Lord. Truth be told, we are more passionate about our favorite football team, televison show, or other worldly pleasure than we are about our God. My friends, we may be satisfied with where we are in our walk with the Lord, but the Lord is not. In fact, the letter to Laodicea tells us that when harbor a spirit of complacency and self-satisfaction we make the Lord sick (I am about to spew you out of my mouth). This week, may we seek the heart of God and repent of our complacency and become a people after God's own heart.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The God Who Will Not Wink
Times have changed dramatically over the past decades. With these changes come changes in morality and expectations. According to George Barna's research, when asked what was their greatest concern about their spiritual condition only two topics resulted in at least 1-10 adults being concerned about it: raising moral children with strong faith (14%)and spending more time in prayer and the reading of the Bible (10%). Only 8% were concerned with modeling faith-driven behavior and only 4% were concerned with a need to deepen their faith. It seems that we are not very spiritually conscious. When we assess how morals have changed, this lack of spiritual concern should not surprise us.
For example, George Barna has found that 67% of young adults (20-30 yrs.) believe that living together outside the bounds of marraige is acceptable and that sexual relations outside of marriage is acceptable. When asked what it meant to be holy 21% of Christian adults did not know. Only 35% believed that God expected them to be holy. As a people, even as Christians we have learend to wink at sin. We have had our conscien so seared that it has become callous to the point that only the most horrifying sin revolts us. Only 30% of adult Americans believe in the concept of absolute truth, instead, ethics and morals are based on what feels right.
We have so watered down the truth and become so tolerant of sin that in our self-righteousness, we think that God will also tolerate our sin. We pacify ourselves by pretending that our sin isn't really all that bad. Stop and consider what would happen if 99% were good enough: no phone service for 15 minutes each day, 1.7 million pieces of first class mail would be lost each day, 35,000 new born babies would be dropped by doctors and nurses each year, and 200,000 people would get the wrong prescription medicine each year.
There is a reason God calls us to holiness. Nothing else is acceptable. He doesn't want us to settle for less than the best becuase we are created to glorify Him. Today, we must understand that when it comes to sin, we serve a God Who Will Not Wink. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6)
For example, George Barna has found that 67% of young adults (20-30 yrs.) believe that living together outside the bounds of marraige is acceptable and that sexual relations outside of marriage is acceptable. When asked what it meant to be holy 21% of Christian adults did not know. Only 35% believed that God expected them to be holy. As a people, even as Christians we have learend to wink at sin. We have had our conscien so seared that it has become callous to the point that only the most horrifying sin revolts us. Only 30% of adult Americans believe in the concept of absolute truth, instead, ethics and morals are based on what feels right.
We have so watered down the truth and become so tolerant of sin that in our self-righteousness, we think that God will also tolerate our sin. We pacify ourselves by pretending that our sin isn't really all that bad. Stop and consider what would happen if 99% were good enough: no phone service for 15 minutes each day, 1.7 million pieces of first class mail would be lost each day, 35,000 new born babies would be dropped by doctors and nurses each year, and 200,000 people would get the wrong prescription medicine each year.
There is a reason God calls us to holiness. Nothing else is acceptable. He doesn't want us to settle for less than the best becuase we are created to glorify Him. Today, we must understand that when it comes to sin, we serve a God Who Will Not Wink. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" (1 John 1:6)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
