I Am a Church Member - Thom Rainer

(Thom is the president of Lifeway, which is the Southern Baptist publishing agency. He is also a Christian strategist and author of the book Simple Church.)

I am a church member.

I will seek to be a source of unity in the church. I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But neither am I. I will not be a source of gossip or dissension. One the greatest contributions I can make is to do all I can in God’s power to help keep the church in unity for the sake of the gospel.

I am a church member.

I will not let my church be about my preferences and desires. That is self-serving. I am in this church to serve others and to serve Christ. My Savior went to a cross for me. I can deal with any inconveniences and matters that are just not my preference or style.

I am a church member.

I will pray for my pastor every day. His work is never-ending. His days are filled with constant demands for his time; with the need to prepare sermons; with those who are rejoicing in births; with those who are traveling through the valley of the shadow of death; with critics; with the hurts and hopes of others; and with the need to be a husband and a father. My pastor cannot serve our church in his own power. I will pray for God’s strength for him and his family every day.

I am a church member.

I like the metaphor of membership. It’s not membership as in a civic organization or a country club. It’s the kind of membership given to us in 1 Corinthians 12: “Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it” (I Corinthians 12:27). Because I am a member of the body of Christ, I must be a functioning member, whether I am an “eye,” an “ear,” or a “hand.” As a functioning member, I will give. I will serve. I will minister. I will evangelize. I will study. I will seek to be a blessing to others. I will remember that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

I am a church member.

I will lead my family to be good members of this church as well. We will pray together for our church. We will worship together in our church. We will serve together in our church. And we will ask Christ to help us fall deeper in love with this church, because He gave His life for her.

I am a church member.

This membership is a gift. When I received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I became a part of the body of Christ. I soon thereafter identified with a local body and was baptized. And now I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church. I pray that I will never take my membership for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to serve others, and to be a part of something so much greater than any one person or member.

I am a church member.

And I thank God that I am.

Is your home a "refuge"?

I opened up Facebook this morning to find this post from a friend.

This morning I woke up at 2:00am. I couldn't stop thinking of my kids and the influence they have on other teens. Jade had her two friends over and they were still up. I got up at 3:00 because I could hear them talking and the Lord impressed on me check on them. God was speaking in his still small voice to pray with them.

These girls told me how much they appreciated Jade. They said they didn't know what they do without her. My home is a refuge for teens. I thank the Lord for them to come and prayed with them.

How do you use your home to impact your friends and neighbors for Christ? Is is seen by your kids' friends or by your friends as a "refuge" from the world - a place where there is love, guidance, acceptance and safety?

There are so many ways to be a witness in your world!

Worship: Getting Back to the Basics

“I love the music at NHC!”

As your worship leader, I hear this statement all the time. To be honest, I really enjoy knowing that people love the music and the musicians who play and sing each week. I love that people invite others to church by telling them how great the music is. Part of my responsibility to our church is to lead a team of musicians and technicians who can consistently produce quality music on Sunday mornings, and a good thermometer for success in this area is hearing our partners at NHC talking about their love for our music.

But, producing quality music is not the highest calling for my life or for my church. My personal mission statement is, as it has been for several years, “To help people experience genuine encounters with Christ by leading, teaching, facilitating and exemplifying authentic, Biblical worship.” Our church mission statement is “To reach people to discover life in Christ.” Music is a great tool to use to accomplish these things, but ultimately, music is only a means to an end, not the end itself. Bottom line, if our church is not collectively moving closer to becoming a church that is passionate about worshipping God (understanding that “worship” is so much more than “music”), as a worship leader, I am falling short. As a church, we are falling short.

People are creatures of habit. We feel the most comfortable and safe when we know what to expect, when we are presented with things that are familiar to us. And, to some degree, church should be a place where we feel comfortable and know what to expect. But, when tradition and ritual take over, going through the motions takes priority, true worship of God cannot thrive.

So, beginning this Sunday and continuing through the end of November, you will be experiencing some different things on Sunday mornings at NHC. The first thing you’ll notice this Sunday is that the stage will be nearly empty of all musical instruments, equipment and people. Normally I wouldn’t give you advanced warning, but I want to make sure that nobody misinterprets what is going on. Nobody from the band has been “fired” or asked to step down…the band has been offered the opportunity to take a short, collective break so that they can experience the next month with you from off stage, and they have been more than happy to accept.

I have always told those who ask, that the most promising thing a worship leader can experience is to witness those he’s leading lay down their lives in an act of worship to God. The most encouraging words I can hear are, “I love the worship of Nags Head Church.” The greatest compliment I could receive is to have somebody say to me, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to worship God today.”

Nags Head Church is an amazing group of people, and I am proud to be a partner with each of you. But even for a church that loves God and is serving her community well, there are times and seasons when we need to slow down, refocus and return to the basics of what God has called us to do and who He has called us to be.

I hope that you’ll join your pastors, your band and I in spending this next month seeking after the heart of worship.

Nathan Lawrenson

This is for all the single people...

Written to single women, but the principles apply to single men as well.

Should I pray for a Husband? (Click the link.)

In My Seat - The Pilot Who Got Bumped from Flight 11

So what's your life objective? This 15.5 minute video is a powerful and gripping testimony.

Teaching Christian Stewardship to Your Kids

Recently two different young men, both fathers of young children, commented to me about my children. My kids are now all adults, married, and doing well, for which I thank God and their mother! These two men were noticing things about my children and the people they’ve become.

No family is perfect. All of us have our flaws. But as I reflected on their observations about my children and how they were reared, I thought about some of the values that we instilled in them. With so much emphasis today in the news being on debt, both personal and national, it behooves us as parents to do all we can by word and example to help our children not only appreciate money, but how to handle it.

When Nathan was twelve or so he was taken to the bank to open a savings account. He had begun to cut grass, and we knew that if he was going to keep from going through his earnings buying baseball cards, he needed some guidance. So, first he was taught that ten percent of his earnings were to be given back to God. That would leave him with 90%, and of that one half needed to be put into his savings account.

A couple of years later when his account had a balance of $1000, I took him to the bank to withdraw it. By now, he had purchased his own lawn mower and with a donated and rebuilt trailer and help from his parents with transportation, his business had branched out significantly. But, the miniscule interest rate he was earning in a passbook savings account wasn’t enough.

We set out to teach him something about being a good steward, sort of like Jesus parable on the talents in Matthew 25. Two of the servants wisely invested what their master had given them, saw their investments reap dividends and were rewarded. One, however, afraid to take a risk with his master’s money, foolishly buried it in the ground. As a result, what he had was taken away and given to the other servants. On top of that he was punished. Investing is for the future and Jesus gave it His implicit approval.

On his behalf I had done some shopping for CD rates at the local banks and found that a different bank than where he had his savings account offered the best rate. So, one day we drove to the bank and he withdrew $1000…cash money. I wanted him to hold $1000 of his own money in his hands for the 5 minutes it took to drive to the other bank. His eyes got big; especially when he began to think what he could do with that thousand. But he didn’t spend a penny of it. He invested it in certificates of deposit, with a substantially higher interest rate.

A year later, when it came time for the CDs to mature, we went back to the bank and once again he withdrew the $1000 plus interest, and after talking to the financial advisor at the bank, put his money into mutual funds. Fortunately for him, this was in the late 90’s and some of his funds were earning 20% interest and better!

He continued to put earnings into these accounts with the discipline he had been taught. And by the time he graduated from high school and set out to college his funds totaled more than $20,000! That’s a lot of dinero from cutting grass for an 18 year old. By the way, along the way he had purchased his own truck, a new, larger trailer, a riding mower, weed eater, blower…all the tools needed to grow his business…a business he continued through college.

The money he had earned, saved and invested, along with scholarships paid for his college expenses.

Our girls followed suit. They didn’t go into business for themselves, but both found summer employment early on in high school, and with their savings bought their own cars when they were ready to drive. Gail and I did not buy them. In fact, I remember teaching Rachel how to change the oil in her first car so she could save money.

What were some of the lessons they learned?
• If I want it I need to work for it. We believe a good, honest work ethic is both Christian and American. There were no entitlements in our house.
• When I purchase something with my hard earned money I’ll take better care of it. Ask Nathan sometime about learning the importance of having oil in your lawn mower engine.
• Do a little bit more than I’m expected to do by my boss or customers. Good service might result in greater reward. Bad service will result in loss.
• Everything I have is God’s. But I honor Him with a tithe.
• If I save and wisely invest, God’s money in my hands can grow and be useful in my future. You work hard for your money. Let some of it work for you.
• The more I have, the more I can give to God. That’s not hard to figure out, and should be motivation enough for the Christian to be a good steward.

Like most everyone else, I am naturally concerned about the direction of our economic system. Unless our society as a whole, not just our government, but our citizenry learns those same lessons, we’re sunk. We have recently witnessed in the UK what happens when a generation has not learned to work, save and invest, but instead depends on the government to meet its needs. A culture believing they are entitled to be cared for by others is in so many ways contrary to a Christian work ethic.

I believe that for the most part, how to handle money is passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, as parents we need to take the time to teach our children that money is not evil. Living for money is the cause of all kinds of evil. But at the same time, living without money because of wasteful spending or no plan for saving for emergencies or the future is being a poor manager of the master’s resources. Teach them to give generously to God. And let them see you practicing what you preach.

Adressing Rumors and False Accusations Directly

Because we have seen sincere people listen to and believe false accusations and rumors directed toward Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church (author of "40 Days of Purpose", etc.), I thought this article would be especially helpful. Maybe you, too, have heard the nonsense that he has embraced something called "Chrislam".

Note the biblical references in the article about what to do if you hear something about someone that causes you to wonder. Believe it or not, God's people have a tendency to be cannibalistic - attacking and devouring one another. It apparently happened in the first century, so we shouldn't be surprised today. And the Scripture also teaches we need to be careful that we aren't taken in by deceivers.

So, as the Sunday school song many of us remember said, "Be careful little ears what you hear". Just as important, "Be careful little mouth what you say."

Want to know just what Warren believes? Click here for his church's statement of faith. Get it straight from the horse's mouth; not from some small minded preacher who has never met him but has an axe to grind.

Guest blogger: Dawn Wilson

A Plea for Modest Dress in the Church

(Dawn is a Christian speaker and writer from San Diego, CA.)

Maintaining Unity

This devotion from Turning Point has been making the rounds today via email. I found it right on target. - Rick

Pastor Larry Osborne, in a book about church unity, wrote, "I don't think it's an accident that Jesus predicted church growth but prayed for unity. If left unattended, or taken for granted, unity can disappear. All it takes is a few wrong people on the board, or even a series of minor annoyances left to fester… That's why I've taken to heart Paul's advice in Ephesians 4:3." ¹

While we need to remain true to our core beliefs, we shouldn't be difficult and opinionated. Some people have a personality that adds to the chemistry of the group; others are so headstrong in their ideas they unwittingly harm church unity.

A church that is composed of encouragers is a unified church. On the other hand, it's hard to stay united in a church where a handful of members are easily offended, get their feelings hurt, air their grievances, want their own way, and criticize the leadership.

Are you endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?

In essentials, unity; in differences, liberty; in all things charity.
Philipp Melanchthon

Forgiveness and Worship

How are forgiveness and worship connected? The Psalmist explains:

If you kept record of our sins, no one could last long.
But you forgive us, and so we will worship you.
- Psalm 130: 3-4 (CEV)

That's why only those who truly know God's forgiveness can truly worship Him.
That's why some can be in attendance at a worship gathering and go through the motions.
That's why gathering together at the Lord's table, where we have such a deep and visual reminder of forgiveness and our need to both confess and forgive and where we are challenged to look within at our own hearts is indispensable to maintaining a life of worship.

Worship is the supernatural, normal outcome of a forgiven life. It is the connection between our hearts - which must be devoid of sin - and the holy heart of God. If we have not applied 1 Jn. 1:9-10 regularly and often in our lives there is a disconnect that cuts off worship.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Camping's New Spin: Saturday was a "Spiritual Judgment"

Deluded Harold Camping, a man who thinks He's out-smarted Jesus by determining the date of the "rapture", has come up with the reason why he miscalculated. Again.

Don't forget that this same man predicted a rapture to happen in 1994. When it didn't happen, he used the same excuse..."I miscalculated".

Now, he claims that the May 21 apparent "non-event" was actually God's day of "spiritual judgment" on the earth. "Spiritual", of course, meaning, "something we could not see". The rapture, he tells us, will come on October 21, the day he earlier predicted as the day the earth would be consumed by a fire ball.

You know, he could be right. October 21 might be the day the trumpet sounds and those in Christ are called up to meet Him in the air. Or, it could be today, or tomorrow or any day, for that matter. We don't (and can't) know, said Jesus.

But Camping's reason for Saturday's confusion - a "spiritual judgment" - belies his poor grasp at best of what is called in theological terms "soteriology": the doctrine of salvation. Orthodox Christianity teaches that the sins of mankind were judged in Christ as He hung on the cross. That judgment ushered in a period of God's grace wherein any man or woman can by faith accept Christ's salvation and have his or her sin forgiven. And that time of grace will continue until Christ appears in His second advent.

Now, if Jesus didn't return Saturday, that means we still live in this gracious time when "whosoever will" may receive God's forgiveness and know that their sins were judged in Him and paid for by His death. If, as Camping would have us believe, God spiritually judged all on earth who have not received Christ, then there is no more option of salvation for anyone.

So, not only has Camping stepped out on a limb, he has cut it off behind him. No one who believes in historic Christianity will accept his view. He has ventured further off the straight path and has moved into the cultic arena of heresy.

Sadly, people will choose to believe him. But happily, there still remains God's grace for the Gospel of Jesus to give new and everlasting life to all who will by faith trust in Him.

That's the message we need to share.

Wonder Why the Rapture Didn't Happen?

When His disciples asked Him about the signs that would accompany His return to earth, Jesus gave them answers. Much of this conversation is found in Matthew 24. Interesting, He began with these words: "Watch out that no one deceives you”. He knew that the ignorant and the charlatan would use and abuse the curiosity of the faithful and the insecure alike until the appointed time of His 2nd coming.

Appointed time? Well, it wasn’t May 21, 2011, was it? Yet, thousands…who knows how many bought into “guarantee” of a radio teacher that he had somehow figured out the schedule of Christ’s coming and the ensuing “end of the world”. Duped they were by what I believe to be a genuinely sincere but dead-wrong man.

What’s almost funny about it is that this was Harold Camping’s second such prediction. The first time, he had Jesus descending from the clouds in 1994. When that date came and went he was quick to explain that he had miscalculated…forgot to carry the 2 (or some such ciphering error). But with his 5-21-11 doomsday prophecy, Camping declared his “absolute certainty” that this was it.

So now what do we think? Is all this talk of apocalyptic earthquakes and the eve of destruction simply the imaginations of delusional cultists, or is there some truth behind such a notion? I always find the simplest answers to those kinds of questions to be to take a look at the obvious in the Scriptures.

Briefly (because there is quite a bit of coverage in the Bible of the subject of the 2nd Coming and ensuing end-times) here’s where Camping and his crowd went wrong, according to Jesus. You can read His words in Matthew 24 as He addressed this very issue.

Things are going to get worse before they get better. Jesus said to not be alarmed when everything on the news gets worse instead of better. Earthquakes, famines, political uprisings, and persecution of Christians, He said, would precede the days before the end. Gentiles (non-Jews) would gain control again of Jerusalem. (Does any of this sound a bit like current events?) Those things, Jesus said, would be early warning signs that Christ is coming back, but they don’t necessarily mean the time is “at hand”.

Imposters would both proclaim, as Camping did, that they know the date or that they themselves are the returned Messiah. Ultimately Christ’s return will be visible to all on earth.

Camping’s error started with a faulty pre-supposition that the Bible is somehow codified and the only way to understand it is to break the code. Of course, he happened to be the one guy in thousands of years able to figure this out. But the Bible isn’t a mystery code. It is God’s gift to us intended to help us. “God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 NLT)

Some can’t see the forest for the trees. At the very end of Jesus’ discourse on His 2nd coming are these words: "Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only”. (Matthew 24:36 HCSB)

That seems about as plain as the nose on my face. So when someone says, “Yeah, I know that’s what it says, but I’ve bypassed God and figured it out on my own”, guess what? He’s wrong. And shouldn’t be given the time of day. Not even 6PM.

Does Our Mission Include the Poor?

(Rick's teaching from the May 1st Wednesday addresses a criticism of recent missional activities by a departing church partner. You can hear it on our pod cast at nagsheadchurch.org)

In recent years at NHC we’ve made intentional efforts to reach out to the poor and needy in our community. Some of the organized efforts have been:

• giving school supplies away through Operation BackPack;
• giving away winter coats
• Donating to Interfaith Community Outreach, which acts as a clearinghouse for dispensing funds to people with needs in Dare Co.;
• Participating in Ruthie’s Kitchen, which provides a weekly meal in the winter months to the hungry;
• Hosting the homeless for a week at a time through A Room at the Inn;
• Encouraging the church to participate in the Advent Conspiracy.
• Cleaned out the homes and yards of flood victims.
• Food pantry

Maybe you’ve wondered why we do such things. Isn’t our primary task to evangelize the world? Someone asked me this question recently and said that American churches shouldn’t be doing “social” ministries. It was also suggested that we were in danger of preaching a “social gospel” by these outreaches.

The term “social gospel” was something applied to liberal, mainstream churches in the mid 20^th century who reached out to the poor, especially in 3^rd world countries with social projects – building hospitals, providing food and clean water – those kinds of things, and saw those kinds of good deeds as sharing the gospel. The criticism of them was that they were not leading men and women to Christ. They were taking care of physical needs, not spiritual needs.

The reaction of the evangelical and fundamentalist churches in America was to go the other direction. Rather than meet physical needs of food, clothing, shelter and medical needs, churches only preached to the poor. So what you had were two extremes. One giving the necessities of life without giving the Gospel; the other ignoring the hunger and poverty but telling them Jesus loves them. My guess is that both had right motives. But that the right thing to do is to bring them together.

As always, let's get direction from the Scriptures.

God required His people Israel to give to the poor. When they harvested their crops they were to leave the corners of their fields unharvested and allow the poor to come and freely glean from their fields. (Lev. 23:22)

They weren’t to withhold giving to the poor when they had resources to give. Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. ¹¹There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need. (Deut. 15:10-11)

Job’s testimony was that he "rescued the poor man who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him" (29:12) and "I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame." (29:15-16a) It seems Job was saying, “All this is good and what God expects of me, a rich man”. He knew that the very character of God is to care for the poor and the hungry. (Job 31:16-23)

Some might argue, “But that was Old Testament Law and applied to Israel, not us”. OK. My first response might be, “So has that heart of God toward the poor changed? And if so, how do you know that?” My second response would be, “OK. So what then about Jesus’ teaching? Isn’t that for us?” So, what did Jesus say?

When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.

On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." - Lk. 14:12-14.

If you want to be perfect…go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me. - Mt. 19:21

It seems extremely clear (to anyone looking with spiritual eyes) that Jesus was telling us to give to the poor. How can that be hard to see?

With our economy so crippled, the question shouldn't be "Why do we give to the poor", but "How can we not address the needs of the poor?". At NHC we have never preached a “social gospel”. The only Gospel we preach is Christ crucified, buried and risen. But as we give to the poor we do so “in Jesus’ name”, saying to those who receive, “Here’s a church that cares about you.” We give out gospel literature; we invite them to come and see what we believe; we pray with them and offer them hope.

Frankly, I’m hoping we do even more giving and at the same time be even more intentional with evangelizing at the same time. But to close our eyes to the needy and to not see the opportunities to share the gospel and the opportunities that giving opens, or to say it’s not something we should be doing as an American church is missing the heart of Christ. Someone said, “I won’t care how much you know until I know how much you care.”

So, we’ll continue to find ways to show Christ to the poor in our community. And when they wonder why we give things away, the answer is simple: because it’s what Jesus wants us to do. We don’t apologize at all for caring for the poor. It seems that when we do we are closely following His footsteps.

The church's purpose: Not either/or but both/and

Last night while on the road one of my long-time favorite Bible teachers was on the radio. I have multiple copies of his books, in fact his latest, an autographed copy, is right beside my recliner at home. I've been to his church and heard him preach; listened to him share insights at conferences. I've used his Bible studies in small groups. For me, he is one of the best and has my respect.

But on this particular program He made a statement that I believe is wrong. Here's what he said. "The church is not for assembling 'seekers' but for making disciples".

Why, I wonder, does it have to be one or the other? Shouldn't it be both?

I suspect that had this brother been a missionary or a church planter he would have a different perspective. None of us who is now on the path of discipleship (a disciple is a learner) started as a disciple. None of us are Christians from birth, but from re-birth. And before that re-birth took place, like Nicodemus in John 3, the Ethiopian in Acts 8 and Cornelius in Acts 10 we were all "seekers". That's where we all began.

Our church's vision statement says we are to be about the purpose of "evangelism" - which is sharing the Gospel with seekers - and "edification" - which is building up believers, or discipleship. A church that is one-sided will be out of balance. A church all about "seekers" will fail to see them grow into fully-devoted followers of Christ once they become disciples. A church that is all about making disciples will turn inward and will miss out on evangelizing the lost community around them.

Our goal is to accomplish both, along with the purposes of fellowship, worship and ministry. And by being balanced in them - which is a never-ending pursuit - we'll continue to be a healthy, growing congregation. In our view, NHC should be both an assembly of "seekers"- where those who don't yet know Christ can discover Him - and a disciple-making body - where believers can learn and become like Christ.

So, if that's who what we're to be about as a church, here are the questions each of us should be regularly asking ourselves.

1. Am I concerned about non-believers in my life? Do I take opportunities through my words and my actions to point them to my Savior? Do I regularly invite the unchurched to come with me to church?

2. Do I see consistent growth in my relationship with Christ and with His family? How do I measure that growth?

3. If I am a maturing believer, what younger, newer believer am I investing my life in to help him/her grow as well? That is making disciples.

Vote tomorrow! It's our watch.

David Barton of Wall Builders explains scripturally and historically why we need to vote prayerfully and righteously. It's not just about the economy, and he explains why.

Take the time to watch.

(For our men who have been to the Maximum Man conferences, David Barton is no stranger.)

Bewitched Believers

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3 KJV

(First off, this isn't a "Halloween" post. If you want to read something about the evils of trick or treating you'll have to go somewhere else. And there are a gazillion places on the web to do that.)

Often I've shared while teaching a tidbit of my personal background and church heritage. While my childhood pastors proclaimed salvation by grace there was always the sense in those churches that behind every corner lurked an evil temptation. So there was always a level of distrust when the church ventured beyond the walls of "the church". Be careful out there...if they don't dot their "i's" or cross there "t's" just like us, chances are there's something bad in the mix.

So, we couldn't participate in certain things at school or in entertainment. Square dancing in PE class required us to have a letter from our parents exempting us. Walt Disney movies (while Walt was still in charge) that were always innocent and tasteful were taboo because the price of admission went to foster the "Hollywood lifestyle" of people like Liz Taylor, etc. At least that's what I heard.

It's taken me forty-plus years to recover from legalistic leanings. Yet I have to confess, buried somewhere deep in my soul are the tendencies to revert to a self-righteous position of condemning things not really addressed in the Scriptures. I fight it regularly, and only by God's grace do I not go back. Such a thought sends chills up my spiritual spine.

One thing I've learned in my years of pastoral ministry is that certain personalities (mine included) are drawn by Phariseeism. You know - the Pharisees were the religious fundamentalists of Jesus' day who said, "We're right and everyone else (including you, Jesus) are wrong." They claimed to be the anointed keepers of the Law.

Within every church, going back to the 1st Century are personalities who either were saved out of legalism or who because of their upbringing are drawn to the idea that the stricter the rules, the holier the life. And inevitably that belief leads to tightening the turniquet around the life of the Spirit in the hearts of believers.

Paul called those in the Galatian churches who had reverted back to grace plus law "bewitched". It's as though they were under a spell. Following Paul's departure from their region, Judaizers - Jews who taught Gentiles that before you could become a Christian you had to first become a Jew by circumcision (ouch) - came into these fledgling churches, pulling out their credentials as teachers, and brought the confusion that legalism brings, especially to those of us with a bent toward that kind of thing.

Here's where I see the Judaizers today. Sure, they're in local churches. Always will be. They've always had their publications. My mom used to subscribe to one and I read it as a kid every week. But with the free soap box (that I am currently using) of the internet, they are just a Google away from anyone's computer. And from the computer their interpretations go directly where? Into our minds.

Graciously the Holy Spirit has been teaching me for 44 years that Christianity brings liberty, not bondage to standards we create that the Creator never intended. Straining at gnats and fixating on the speck in someone else's eye only breeds a negativism that stifles what matters most: loving men and women into the Kingdom of Christ.

"So, be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear." That was a good lesson from my childhood. At NHC we've determined not to allow Phariseeism in any form to take a foothold among us. And that includes in me as well. Our elders are committed to that. We won't permit ourselves to major on the minors, which is the hallmark of a legalistic spirit.

So, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1 KJV

(You'll note that for this post I've chosen to use the Authorized Version of the Bible.)

Rick

Pray for Your Pastor on Monday

Here's a blog by another pastor that explains why it is so important. He does a great job explaining what is hard to explain.

I don't know about rainy days, but Mondays always are tough.

Playing the Blame Game

In last Sunday's message from Romans 7 one of the points was "Don't play the blame game" when guilty of sin in your life.

Here's a story in today's news that illustrates just how we do that.
"Woman from Easton woman blames gin-soaked raisins for violation"

(I wonder if the raisins were singing "Heard it from the grapevine"?)

Energizing the Church: Don't get swallowed up in gossip

One of the things that has given our church the witness we have in the community and has strengthened us as a body is our commitment to work with partners who are having personal struggles and a refusal to tolerate gossip. If you’ve taken my DNHC class you’ve heard me talk about our attitude toward gossip because it can destroy a church’s unity faster than anything.

Often as pastors we’re called into situations involving partners and their relationships that need our attention. When that’s the case we do our best to protect the confidentiality of those involved and we also do our best to be patient and gracious. Life change doesn't always happen overnight. That means that we choose to be slow in pulling the discipline trigger unless it’s a situation that needs quick action.

I’m not inclined to believe that gossip is a problem here. If it is, I'm always to the last to hear any of it, and there's a reason for that.

Listen to the wisdom of James 3:3-6.
Now when we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide the whole animal. 4 And consider ships: though very large and driven by fierce winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So too, though the tongue is a small part [of the body], it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our [bodies]; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.

Here are some facts we need to remember:
1. When I listen to gossip I’m part of the problem.

2. When I listen to gossip it does nothing to bring me closer to Christ.

3. There are 2 sides to every story and usually somewhere in between is the truth. Perceived truth is not always real truth.

4. People who are having problems at home or at work will quickly make the assumption that people are talking about them when they aren’t. But that’s one of the negative byproducts of being entrapped in sin.

5. If we become known as a church that allows gossip our witness to the community as a body of Christ is damaged. And that kind of damaged reputation is difficult to overcome.

6. If someone who feels wronged by another approaches you with his/her story follow Christ’s instructions: tell him/her to go to the one who has offended him/her and work it out. If they have done that and want you to go with them to that person, then be spiritually ready to do that. But go with great humility and be full of the Spirit.

7. If I feel I'm the subject of gossip I shouldn't spread it by telling someone else that there's gossip going on about me. That's just another form of gossip. But I should follow point 6 above.

Having said all that, being in a church with multiple worship gatherings poses a special challenge. Have you ever missed someone at church and assumed that he/she/they are attending the other gathering? Maybe they are. But don’t assume that. Maybe they’re going through a struggle and could use someone to check in on them.

But again, be prepared. They may want to dump on you. But don’t let them. Rather encourage them to go to whoever they feel has wronged them, whether it’s a spouse or another church partner or a pastor and deal with it properly.

In Christ...

When you are “in Christ”…
1. You will never be condemned again for your sin. (Rom. 8:1)
2. You have no need to ever be alone (Rom. 12:5)
3. You’re a part of a team of committed co-workers (Rom. 16:3)
4. You are set apart for a special purpose (1 Cor. 1:2)
5. You’ll be resurrected from the grave (1 Cor. 15:22)
6. You’re are a winner, not a loser (2 Cor. 2:14)
7. You’ve been made a new creation and your past is gone (2 Cor. 5:17)
8. You’re free from religion’s slavery (Gal. 2:4)
9. You’re on equal ground with other believers (3:28)
10. You have all of God’s blessings (Eph. 1:3)
11. You won’t be left out or left behind (Eph. 1:10)
12. You’re guaranteed a seat in heaven (Eph. 2:6)
13. God directs His kindness to you (Eph. 2:7)
14. You were created for a higher purpose (Eph. 2:10)
15. You get in on His inheritance (Eph.3:6)