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November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW AT WEST PLAINS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH?

“Ships and Shifts: Hearers and Doers”

Our new man DAN was just saying recently that a church can either resemble an ocean liner or a ship of war. An ocean liner is going nowhere, and the deck is covered with sunning chairs and drink bars. However, a ship of war is always patrolling or going toward an encounter, and all persons aboard drill constantly for war. May God help us resemble that ship of war!

I talked the other day of the need for a church first to see itself as a family, then as a hospital, then as a school, then as a business, and also as a social revolution. Each of these metaphors is a paradigm. Shifting our self-image from one to the other is always difficult. Bro. Jim and I have worked hard at helping the shift move from school to business. FBC is truly busy as a beehive! J Bro. Dan and I will be working on moving from to business to social revolution. J J J

You are truly the Lord’s army. Our weapons are grace and truth. Our manner is persistent prayer and witness. Our motive is love. The Lord’s army marches as Christ did, mingling and looking into the eyes of others, seeking to “buttonhole” as many as will hear us tell our own version of how Jesus saves; to save those who are lost.

Hearing the Holy Scriptures is how two most important things happen: first—receiving the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:2); second—having miracles done to us, through us, and for us (Galatians 3:5). As a preacher, I serve a very important purpose in your life.

Yet, if all you do is hear the word of God and do not do the word of God, you will mistakenly call yourself a child of God (James 1:22-25). For example: you will call yourself a Christian, but your life will not be “blessed.” Can you relate to this? The glory of the Lord in your life will not be evident to those around you.

That is where our man DAN CARGILL enters the picture of our lives. He is just as much consumed with how we are doing the word of God as I am with how we are hearing the word of God. We need to listen to him. We need to get behind him.

I love to listen to him discussing the organizational elements of our ministry. He will help us activate as the body of Christ. He will also help each one to keep his eyes on the mission given to us by the Lord. Take a look at four main things he has been discussing:

1) Each one reach one - asking each Sunday School class to see who is in their sphere of influence and intentionally invite them to Sunday school and church, and to share their faith.

2) Intentional outreach - we will build a program that will touch every door in the West Plains area with information about our church and to invite them to come.

3) Reorganization of the Sunday school so that the facilities do not cause a hindrance to guests from attending or feeling welcome.

4) Intentional, follow-up outreach for the programs already established. We will initiate Sunday school and the mens/women's ministries to do visitation to those families that use our benevolence ministries (e.g. Food Pantry, Little Angels Day Care, etc.).

NEXT WEEK: Look for a report on my recent experience at the Missouri Baptist Convention.

Praising the Lord that Life is Hard

2011-06-01T05:08:00.000-07:00

Several of us were discussing how our lives would be changed if the Joplin tornado had come to West Plains in the same degree of destruction. One in our group once lost his house and cars due to a tornado at a time that his four children were young. His experience added to our understanding of what happens to a city and to individuals.

As a believer I feel a need to find how to think about the hardness of life as something for which I can thank the Lord. Last night in family devotionals, we read Deuteronomy 8:11-18. In verses 15-16 God speaks of the troubles that He allowed His people to suffer and He ends with this phrase: “…to do you good in the end.” I was struck with the impression that we lose sight of the intended end when we are losing those whom we love.

The troubles being mentioned in Deuteronomy cost the lives of thousands! In such cases of tragedy, we become blind with grief. And all God says about why they suffered is: “…to do you good in the end.” So, this brings me to where I started in the previous paragraph. As a believer I feel a need to find how to think about the hardness of life as something for which I can thank the Lord.

As my group prayed, I heard spiritual insights flow from their mouths. A list began to form. I realized that the entire human way of life is a story written in blood. As mountains determine the flow of a river, the hardness of life determines our way of life. I am now sharing that list so that sight might be restored to those who may be feeling numb and blind with grief and shock.

GOOD THINGS WHICH COME AS A RESULT OF DISASTER—Gratitude increases for what was not lost. Many acts of goodness emerge. Unity is formed, and the customary fragmentation of the community disappears. Good aspirations are fostered. Cries of faith honoring God pour out of our mouths. Compassion increases, and hearts soften. Hedonism loses its luster. Materialism loses its luster. Persons learn how to give and receive grace. Independents who are proud and isolated become humble, relational dependents. I hope that in reading this, your “pump is primed” and you will think of more good things that come about through disaster. God bless you!

Vendettas and Crusades

2011-03-31T08:22:00.001-07:00

A vendetta is driven by rage, hate, and resentment. Bitterness may drive a person to destroy something; or someone. A crusade is different. It is driven by pity. However, it appears to make the same noise and heat.

These are common enough among church people. We see crusaders to save the children, to save the youth, to save the unborn, to save the poor, to save the lost, to save the prisoner, to save the environment, to save the economy, to save jobs, to save the nation, to save the government, to save the unwed mothers, to save the neighborhoods, to save our traditions, to save marriage, etc. Are you on any crusades? Am I?

I have a friend who has a crusade. He gets up on a soapbox at every public gathering. Without warning, he launches into a monologue. He throws out obscure stats and quotes. He holds the floor while he rampages in such a way that his audience has no idea how long they will be held captive. His manner is rude and unwelcome. He is the worst enemy of his own crusade. He is truth (maybe) without grace, and his lack of grace casts his message into doubt.

His manner provokes me to introspection. Do I have any crusades? I do know that recently our church experienced a very slight “earthquake” of discord when I made the impression that I was a crusader for a particularly unwelcome campaign. I had to prove that I was not crusading. Still, the damage was done.

Do I have any crusades? I get a pleasure from posing that question to myself. I think it may be worthy to have a crusade, especially if it is beautiful and constructive. If it rallies resources and persons, it may feel very worthy. A crusade can make you feel good about yourself.

I have another friend who has a crusade to save souls of children living in the violent, gang-controlled neighborhoods of his city. You can learn more about it at www.onehopeministry.org. He is the one who discipled my wife when she was in high school.

This brings me now to the identity of my crusade. I would have to say that my crusade is to save the babes in Christ. I refer not to pretty women when I say “babes.” Ha! I refer to new believers.

Ever since I was 18 years old, I have believed that new believers (or “novices,” 1 Timothy 3:6; “little children,” 1 John 2:12-14) require personal attention so that they may become strong in the Word and able to overcome the Devil. What sheer pleasure and sublime experiences have been mine when helping a little one to get his legs in Christ! The crusade has expanded in recent years to include multiplication of mentors helping novices.

It has been a crusade that has paid off. It has been blessed. It has been satisfying. It is one that I imagine continuing until I die. Do you have a crusade that satisfies you?

The Great Commission Resurgence (GCR): “Things You Should Know”

2010-06-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

This past week, Michelle and I were away at the Southern Baptist Convention. As many of you know, the GCR presentation was made on Tuesday at 2:45 p.m., and the messengers had an opportunity to discuss and determine the destination of the seven recommendations of the GCR Task Force. The report was passed by an overwhelming majority. As a messenger of the First Baptist Church (West Plains) and as your pastor, I would like to help you understand a little more about GCR:

1. First Baptist Church (West Plains) is affiliated with over 40,000 churches in the USA as well as the millions around the world who have been baptized by our missionaries in past years. Our family has a name: the Southern Baptist Convention.

2. This affiliation involves several kinds of ties that bind us together in cooperation. We have an opportunity to move as one to penetrate the lostness of our world.

3. This month (June 2010) at our national meeting our churches voted to adopt a plan called “Great Commission Resurgence” (GCR).

4. This is a plan intended to make LESS money stay in “the Bible Belt” and to make MORE money reach unreached peoples and underserved regions of America.

5. There are nearly 500 international missionaries being recalled to America this year due to lack of money. This is a “retreat” at a time when we should be “charging” the gates of Hell.

6. This is also a campaign to confront INDIFFERENCE and MATERIALISM among Southern Baptists. Three stats in decline that correlate to obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission are: baptisms, money given to churches, and money that reaches global missions.

7. Let’s compare 1950 and 2008. There were 17,000 less churches in 1950 but they baptized 33,000 MORE people in 1950 than we did in 2008.

8. The GCR is a plan to confront a growing indifference to the sad problem of spiritual lostness. Each person in the world is lost until he/she personally receives Christ for salvation. Each person will either spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell.

9. The GCR is a plan to challenge each Baptist to consider: how much do you care about the lostness of billions living in places which have no churches, Bibles, nor gospel witnesses?

10. The GCR is a plan to confront the materialism of Baptists. According to surveys the average Baptist gives 2.5% of his income to his church.

11. The Great Commission is found in the Bible at Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8.

12. You will be hearing and seeing much more about the GCR in the months to come.

Father's Delight

2010-05-23T04:26:00.001-07:00

When I was a little boy, my daddy used to say when it was time to apply the board of knowledge to the seat of education, “This is gonna hurt me worse than it will hurt you.” For eighteen years now I have been correcting my first child, Abigail. My coaching drills have come at her on a daily basis. Suddenly, this week, her graduation from high school is upon us, and I am not happy to see her childhood passed.

I care very little for all the predictions of further responsibilities to be borne. Let me explain. I was the eldest of four children who were often left under my care. My whole childhood was spent being solely responsible for fifteen dogs. I entered vocational ministry when I was 20 years old. My first child was born when I was 24 years old. Never in my life have I known the feeling of being responsible for none but myself. Being told that my obligations to Abigail are not over makes little difference with me. Supporting others will be my lifelong purpose.

Here’s what makes me sad: this IS the end of Abigail’s childhood. What does that mean to me? It simply means: this is the end of having her under my roof and in my arms every day.

We named her Abigail, an old Hebrew word that means “father’s delight.” There’s a story behind that. After an engagement in which Michelle and I were separated by hundreds of miles for a year, we married, and within six weeks I was unemployed. Within ten weeks she was pregnant. Later that year, in the month that my wife was due to give birth, turmoil split the church where I served on staff as the children’s minister.

In addition to all of these struggles, I was a full-time seminary student and money was scarce. Good times were nearly non-existent. But there was a bright spot. We had a baby, and as a word of faith in contradiction to everyone saying that children are a burden, we named her “father’s delight.”

My memories of those first four years of married life are mostly sad. Not that our marriage was bad-- far from it. But our circumstances seemed unusually hard for a young couple to bear. Usually when a person looks back, they view the past with rose-colored glasses, meaning that the past tends to appear more golden than it was. But this is not the case for us. When we look back on those first four years-- it sometimes felt as if God hated us.

Yet, in those years we believed that all the things that were happening to us were designed by God to make us strong, to make our marriage strong, and to add rich textures to our ministries. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

And you know what? Do you know what stands out in my heart and mind as the BEST thing going on in that four-year period? The answer is: Abigail. She was our daily delight. She made us giggle. She gave us hugs (so much better than having a puppy!) Nearly every Sunday after church, as Michelle made lunch, I would dance along to my Andrae Crouch records with Abigail in my arms as my dance partner.

When people are eighteen years old, we are so over-inflated with the desire to prove ourselves. We are full of the desire to be free. We are full of the desire to distinguish ourselves from our parents. And we are full of determination not to repeat whatever we perceive to be the mistakes of our parents. Typically this period of young adulthood is dominated by these false, exaggerated, unhealthy paradigms. Sadly, it can be such a prime time for shipwreck. Abbey, in your case though, daddy is NOT worried!

Lately deep subterranean caverns of feeling and memory have been tapped. Primeval paternal ambitions and dreams and fears have been recalled. And so, despite eighteen years of correcting her, I still have the feelings of that new daddy who first adored her (captured in the photo which hangs above my bedside table).

It is the fear that she cannot possibly know how much I cherish her and cannot possibly know how hard my heart aches for her happiness because all she has known is the life-coach who has corrected her all these years. Indeed, Dad was right when he said that disciplining a child hurts the parents more than the child. The fear that she might not know how much she is cherished is what hurts the most. O dear darling—you really have been and you really are your father’s delight!

Congratulations on graduating with honors, baby. And thanks for the memories!

~Dad

Haiti: Is God Merciful?

2010-01-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

I. The Constant Danger of Death

Tragedies against good persons, against babies, and against a large group of all kinds always triggers the question to be asked: “Where was God?” Is God good?” Is God in control?” In such cases it seems right to accuse God of wrongdoing (Job 2:9-10).

A Christian disciple's first desire is to ask this of Jesus. Go to Luke 13:1-5. Jesus makes us see that no matter who you are, you are in constant danger of sudden death. His answer is practical. Instead of entertaining the problem of how to explain tragedies, He simply and practically issues a warning. Be ready to meet God.

II. The Arrival of Death

The door of opportunity for virus, cancer, genetic mutation, earthquakes, famine, and pestilence was opened on that day in the Garden of Eden when God found Adam’s guilt. By one man's sin, death entered (Romans 5:12). The sin only involved biting a piece of fruit. It was forbidden fruit. Genesis 3 tells the story of how God dealt out judgments of curses; not just one curse, but several. Man’s dominion was lost and demons took over. Demons have been killing us ever since. Disease keeps multiplying. Even the earth is cursed and miserable. See Romans 8:19-23.

III. Is God Merciful?

Before the Bible presents the mercy of God, it presents the judgment of God. It’s a fact! God is judgmental. I hate to say it, but it is true. He has cursed this world with many natural laws that are dangerous. But beginning with His treatment of the first murderer (Cain), God has been showing another side to His personality. God is also merciful!

The Old Testament is a long history of suffering. Inserted throughout that story are many glimpses of God’s mercy. See Isaiah chapters 1-3, and notice the glimpse of His mercy at 1:18-20! Also, go on and read Isaiah 53. The gospel of Christ and Him crucified, resurrected, and ascended is the brightest evidence of God’s mercy! It shines against the backdrop of human tragedy. Jesus made forgiveness for sinners. So, when He was asked to explain the meaning of tragedies, He answered that it means that we better repent today and be ready. There’s the mercy of God!

All Humanity is lost and separated from God by sin, but as many as hear and receive the gospel will be saved. The Lord becomes their shepherd and He often protects His people (see Psalm 23). He also often disciplines His people (see Hebrews 12:5-11). He also permits suffering to accomplish something good from it. See 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and Romans 8:28.

A great word picture of the relation of Christian believers to the dangers of this life is the picture of Daniel in the lion's den. We are surrounded by dangers. As long as God chooses, He protects us as He protected Daniel with the angel in the den. See Lamentations 3:22-23. In conclusion, let us not be surprised by tragedy. Rather, let us be surprised by glimpses of God's mercy for they are exceptional for this world, not the normal thing.

(Scripture resources: Job 2:9-10; Luke 13:1-5; John 9:1-3; Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 8:19-23; Matthew 5:44-45; Genesis 4:9-15; Isaiah 1:18-20; Isaiah 53; Psalm 23; Hebrews 12:5-11; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Romans 8:28; Daniel 6:16-23; Lamentations 3:22-23)

Passion and Parenting

2010-01-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

Christian parents are faced with a challenge of living in a new America that is only an uglier form of what she always was: a secular nation. The ACLU and other groups have found ways to take advantage of our nation’s foundational and constitutional separation of church and state to widen the gap between church and state to the point that the church is neither the center nor the conscience of the community. The church is nearly as marginalized from the American way of life as residents in a nursing home. I think there is a trend among Christian parents to respond to the challenge of Secularism by means of a short-cut that fails.

What mistake have religious people made from the foundation of the world? Their mistake has been to rely upon straightjackets to themselves and others, particularly their children. Keeping this short and sweet, let me jump to the bottom line. Here it is: Christian parents need to seek passion even more than rules as they lead their children through this world to adulthood.

Rules have their place and are a nice expression of one’s passion for God. I’m not against rules. Ask my children. I am in favor of as much of “touch not, taste not” as is necessary to avoid developing a taste for unhealthy worldliness. Abstinence and separation are absolutely matters of Christian duty, and I am not against rules.

I am against the thinking that says “we’re done. We’ve got all the right rules in place!” Rule-based religion is a house made of sticks, and that bad old wolf can huff and puff and blow that house down. Rules with passion is like putting salt and pepper on the table.

Rules without passion is like an athletic contest where your team only has a plan for defense and no plan for offense. Christian parents are losing their kids to demons and to the world so often because they do not give their kids a heart for God. So many are only giving their kids isolation, and so many more parents overreact to this kind of parent and give their children too much indulgence of freedom to enjoy worldliness.

What is passion? “Passion” is my shorthand way of referring to the good work of doing the spiritual disciplines in a life on fire for God and being spent to exhaustion in prayer, witness, stewardship, and ministry. Passion is my way of referring to the way we go above and beyond the call of duty by way of extra time spent playing worship music at home, singing, dancing and praising the Lord. I’m referring to extra time spent attending church and doing the Lord’s work. (How thankful I am for parents who loved the preaching of the Word so much that they had us kids in church even for the Sunday night service! I'm glad so glad that our "family time" was spent "under the Word time!") Passion is contagious!

The life I’m describing has been described in various ways as: building your free time around the church, the disciples’ life, the crucified life, and the abundant life. The issue is not getting your body on location at church all the time. The issue is making the Lord the focus of your daily life and mentoring your child in that way of life.

Make the Lord the reason for everything. Make the Lord the focus at family meals. Make the Lord the focus when you and family are about to hit the road traveling. Make the Lord the focus in every discussion with your child about matters of right and wrong. Let your children confront you when your walk does not match your talk so that their pressure of expecting integrity forces you to walk the tightrope of a life of integrity.

Passion means sacrifices and suffering. How much misery are you bearing because of choices you have made for the Lord? Your children need to see you willingly and voluntarily suffering for the Lord if they are going to suffer for the Lord also.

How long does it take for you to show heartbreak over sin? Do you merely expect godly actions or do you also expect godly attitudes? Do you show heartbreak over ungodly actions only or do your children see heartbreak over ungodly attitudes?

Let’s go one step deeper and wider. You show heartbreak over both ungodly actions and ungodly attitudes, but what about ungodly appetites? Have you noticed what your child loves? Do you pay attention to their dreams and goals? Do you pay attention to their friends, their music, and their other forms of amusement?

Showing heartbreak over ungodliness at the very heart of all things is the place where you must fight the battle. See 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. They will see your passion for God when you show heartbreak and the heart is what the demons want to control. So, parent, you’ve got to focus on the heart.

What are your child’s heart’s appetites? Your goal is to see evidence of a heart that hates sin (repentance) and loves God (submission, honesty, transparency, sweetness toward authority, loyalty toward authority, good work ethic, discipleship, holiness, worship, separation, suffering persecution).

In closing, passion is working exhaustively, praising unashamedly and unreservedly, and suffering painfully for the Lord. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). He says: “having a form.” Let us not be formalists. Let us choose to be powerful.

Playing the Beggar

2009-09-03T21:01:00.000-07:00

Consider this recent comment by Dr. Jimmy Draper on what he has observed in the fifty churches he has preached in this year: “There are so many concerns: lack of baptisms, lack of real discipleship, still losing 80 percent of our kids when they graduate from high school before they get out of college, and the same thing with kids coming into the teen years. We need to refocus on things.”

What would we do if we knew that 80% of our children were sick with a deadly virus? Would we pray any differently than we do now? I imagine that we would. I imagine there would be prayer vigils until there was a break in the epidemic and health returned.

I declare that we are suffering a spiritual epidemic that can be stopped anywhere locally where God's people have the faith to cry out until healing comes. Teens are not less likely to be single-minded for the Lord because they are young. Instead, they are more likely to be single-minded for the Lord... because they are young. History.. not recent history, but distant history illustrates what happens when God hears the prayer of His people and gives a fresh visitation of spiritual awakening. Today's church is walking in the rewards of past victories of God. But we are losing ground. There is a new generation to be won from Satan through the power of God.

He will not come until we become like the biblical character, Jacob, who insisted that he would not let go of the Lord until he was blessed. The Holy Spirit will not return to town if we do not even believe that we are needy. Needy people are beggars. Rich people are resting in recliners. We are needy, and it is time that we play the beggar. There was a church that Jesus rebuked for saying "I am rich and have need of nothing." He said, "You do not know that you are blind and naked" (see Revelation 3:14-17).

Close your eyes. Forget the perfume, cosmetics, grooming, jewelry, straight teeth, nice cars with power windows, stained-glassed windows, wall-to-wall carpet, central heat/air... Think: burgeoning prisons, epidemic of teen STDs, broken homes, young adults who grew up in church and went to college and now talk hateful of preachers, chemical abuse epidemic, galloping credit card abuse, shrinking/aging congregations, declining missions offerings, declining baptisms.... This is our current trend.

What is the one thing that you and I can do to make a dramatic reversal of this trend? That is simple to answer. We need to stop grinning like we just won the lottery. We need to start playing the beggar. We need to cover ourselves with sackcloth and ashes. We need to do just exactly what we would do as a church if we had 80% of our high schoolers sweating deliriously in a sickbed with a deadly virus. We need to start wailing and howling and weeping for God's blessing upon our sick kids. He will hear our cry and heal our kids. He will.

On the Humiliation of the Dying Process

2009-09-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

These thoughts have come to me in response to viewing the excellent presentation of Pap's Place. It was presented on August 22 and 23 by the drama team of West Plains' First Baptist Church. It is an excellent parable on how dying with faith affects a family. It undertakes the heavy question, "Why does God allow His people to deteriorate in such pitiful ways while dying?"

Christian theology really helps me a lot here. Ephesians 1:14 teaches that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. This means that our current salvation status is merely a preview or a foretaste. It is only the tip of the iceberg. This Christian life is a transition of the kind where the former phase slowly fades out while the new phase slowly fades in. We are earthly and also heavenly. The outer man is perishing and the inner man is growing (2 Co 4:16). Here's the result: we live a paradoxical life of divine honor as the children of God mixed with a humiliation as dying sinners. The Christian life has splendor and radiance in Christ, and it has humiliation in Adam. Dying is dirty business; like taking care of newborns, except much nastier. Dying is human, and we are still human. If we will look closely, at least in the case with believers, we will see glimpses of God in them as they look past their suffering and see the glory which awaits them. "I suppose the sufferings of this present life cannot be compared to the glory which will be revealed in us" (Rom 8:18). In the last stages of dying, we return to Calvary and ponder the ugliness of human sin as seen in the death of God's Son and as seen in the death of ourselves. Dying is like the gospel: it is a mistake to dwell only on the cross and forget the empty tomb. Believers must remember that in addition to having an ugly death bed awaiting, they also have their own empty tomb to anticipate.

The Damage of the Neo-Orthodox Pulpit

2009-09-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

for men will be lovers of themselves....having a form of

godliness, but denying its power." -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

We are living in the last days as indicated by current trends: global communications, global transportation, global politics, global economics, multiplied diseases, global wars, and Mystery Babylon's "all faiths lead to God."

So, we should expect to be seeing the things listed in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. One of the things listed there is printed above. What is the meaning of having a form of godliness but denying its power? I think a helpful way to explain it is to compare such Christians to painted fire and plastic flowers. A painted fire looks warm, but there is no heat there. Plastic flowers look pretty at a distance but upon CLOSE inspection one discovers no sweet aroma there.

Perhaps the twentieth century will be remembered in eternity as the era when preachers became scientific crowd-builders. The use of ear-tickling, "chicken soup for the soul" preaching combined with superior programming that sucked members out of area churches having rinky-dink programs combined also with having pastors who knew more about business administration than sound doctrine has shaped modern Christianity into a form that looks good from a distance. But listen to insiders who belong to such modern mega-churches, and one hears too many tales of adultery, hatefulness, half-truths, and power politics. The small churches are no better off.

Within the Southern Baptist Convention the trend down the tubes began in the 1940s. A new way of being conservative was invented in Europe (Karl Barth etal), and it was called "neo-orthodoxy." It was based on the belief that science was right and the Bible was wrong in scientific things. But the scholars who fathered neo-orthodoxy believed that the Bible was the good book, the best source of stories that inspire the faith that inspires love. Neo-orthodoxy therefore taught a form of Christianity that looked and sounded conservative. The differences between neo-orthodoxy and real orthodoxy could only be found upon close inspection.

In Southern Baptist life there was a shift in the pulpits. Some pulpits became calm, sentimental, and sweet. Sermons grew shorter and more topical. Sermons became "talks." Preachers started saying more often "I just want to share a few things with you today" and less of "thus saith the Lord!" Sermons had less Bible and more stories. The goal was to inspire people with "faith" and their kind of faith was optimistic and sentimental, meaning that faith was a feeling; a good feeling about yourself, your life, your neighbor, your God, and your world.

Other pulpits became extremely narrow. Their only goal every week was to deliver salvation sermons. "Get saved" was all some people were hearing from so many pulpits. Pastors were afraid to tackle the heavy-duty intellectual questions of the day. So many grew up as my mom and dad in Southern Baptist churches that did not try to tackle heavy-weight subjects. Still today, many prefer that a preacher be a soft romantic glow rather than be a light as bright as surgical lamps. Churches need preachers who shine like headlights for nighttime driving.

I know I've heard my dad tell of how he grew up believing that Darwin's Theory of Evolution was true even though he grew up in a Southern Baptist church that always had seminary-trained pastors. When he was a young adult, fresh out of the US Navy and practicing law, his church, First Baptist Church of Springdale, Arkansas, called Rev. Cliff Palmer as pastor. When bro. Palmer preached Creationism, my dad decided to schedule a visit with him, "To find out how such a smart man as he could honestly believe in a literal six-day creation of the world." When dad left Palmer's office, dad was a changed man and a convinced Creationist.

Here's a sample of the damage done when people spend a lifetime under a neo-orthodox pulpit:
1. "When a Christian dies, he becomes an angel." (ignorant of biblical angelology and biblical anthropology)
2. "Demon spirits are not real. A demon is really just a psychological disorder." (ignorant of biblical demonology and biblical anthropology)
3. "We don't ever do church discipline because it's judgmental." (ignorant of biblical ecclesiology)
4. "We don't require wives to be submissive because that comes from primitive cultures and is neither modern nor democratic." (ignorant of biblical theology proper, biblical cosmology, and biblical pneumatology)
5. "Eldership (meaning pastoral management) is not the Baptist way." (ignorant of biblical ecclesiology)
6. "To be saved, one should just ask Jesus to come into his heart." (ignores biblical soteriology)
7. "To be spiritual means to be spontaneous, to go with gut feelings after praying about it." (ignorant of biblical pneumatology)

This ignorance of biblical theology is the result of the new view of the Bible. Because of neo-orthodoxy, the Bible was no longer viewed as a fact book, a resource of facts and truth. The new view was that the Bible is a book of inspiration of feelings of devotion to God and charity toward neighbors.

This is how repentance fell out of gospel preaching. This is how the new definition of salvation became just positive. Did you know that just accepting Jesus does not circumcise the heart? Where there is no death to sin and the world, there is no new beginning in Christ. We should call sinners to the Cross to hear them say "O God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" not merely to hear them say "Yes, the gospel is true and I believe it."

So, in conclusion, my brethren, I am begging, again, that no matter how much you dislike reading books, please, please, please read the Bible and read good books on doctrine. ----Bro. Spencer

Quotable

2009-09-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

"The gospel is light, but light is not the gospel.

Christ is the gospel. Christ is not a positive influence. Christ is THE LORD."

The Mission

2009-06-17T04:13:00.000-07:00

To give the Ozarks community a preview of the kingdom of God by building a church of Christians who are God-centered and Bible-based.

To give—it is better to give than to receive. Christ asked the Father to leave us in the world that He might send us as He was sent. We are here to bless.

The Ozarks Community—Our relationships go far beyond the city limits of West Plains.

A Preview—God has called us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. If we are not living in submission to the authority of God’s Word, then we are not spiritual; rather we are hypocrites, and Jesus has pronounced woes upon the hypocrites, and believe me, they are full of woes.

The kingdom of God—the kingdoms of this world will be replaced by the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things that you need shall be added unto you. God’s kingdom is not of this world. The kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom of God consists of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and is the most beautiful thing on earth. Jesus is Lord now. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. All things in heaven and on earth cannot resist being manipulated by Him as needed for the furtherance of the gospel and for the fulfillment of prophecy. So, let us be bold and confident and ambitious. Let us give. Let us pray. Let us go. Let us be different from the world. Let us be persecuted without shame. Let us be full of good works. Let us be loyal to the household of faith. Let us be colonies of heaven on earth. Let the world see the redemption that is in Christ. Let the world see the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Building a Church—Jesus used this word. He said, “I will build My church.” Paul said, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it” (1 Co 3:9-10). So, we are directed to partner with God in building His church. We should build it as a wise master builder. We must build with gold, silver, and precious stones. Sound doctrine is required. Sloppy words, cute sound bites, and shared ignorance will not build a solid work. Sound construction requires a careful plan to build the Word into the lives of church members so that when the storms of life blow, their house will not fall (Mt 7:24-27).

A church of Christians—a people who are only concerned with what Christ and His apostles say on matters; a simple people who are not ashamed to say “I know nothing but Christ and Him crucified;” a people more concerned about what God says than what the public says; a people who recognize the fact that the greatest genius on earth is found in the precious promises of the living God which are sufficient for all things pertaining to life and godliness; a people ignorant of many cosmopolitan things and whose only excuse is: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Let them be a people who choose to live in the real world rather than the modern world, meaning that they walk by faith, not by sight.

God-centered—Humanism says that the highest good we can do is whatever promotes the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of another person. Being good Samaritans is not the highest good or the best compliment. Foundational to our lives must be our practice of the private devotions of prayer and meditation upon Scripture. It is not enough to do many good works. To do good we must be good. So, we must be godly. Without godliness, in due time a do-gooder will be proud, he will be hateful, he will be carnal, and he will be led astray by the Devil’s lies. A man may be full of the spirit of this age and still be a do-gooder. Entering the presence of God is a man's greatest need. "In YOUR presence is fullness of joy, at YOUR right hand are pleasures forevermore!" (Ps 16:11).

Bible-based—Holiness is beautiful. Eternal life is given to those who pursue holiness. Lives built on God’s word withstand the storms of life. Being Conservative, Moderate, Emergent, Fundamental, Baptist, Traditional or Mainstream are not adequate stars by which to navigate. Those definitions change from generation to generation. What’s conservative to one generation may appear loose to the previous generation and silly to the next generation. We need a fixed reference point for life. Obedience to the words that were given by the Holy Spirit will be adequate for each generation in every nation on earth. A Bible-based man is a wise man. The other is what the Bible calls “a fool.” Let us not be fools. Let us have a Bible-based (BB) prayer life, (BB) gender identity, (BB) family role, (BB) form of spirituality, (BB) church role, (BB) vocational form, and a (BB) citizenship.

On the Killing of George Tiller

2009-06-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

It reminds me of the words of Christ to Simon Peter: "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). Tiller never put away his sword and it finally caught up with him. The murderer was murdered. The abortionist was aborted. As Jesus also said, "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!" (Mt 18:7) The abortionist and the vigilante killer are a matched pair. Let us find in this no pattern for the saints to applaud. Let us rather mourn for both persons.

The Prosperity Gospel and the Persecuted Church

2009-04-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? ~Mark 8:34-36

(Snagged from John Piper.)

Quotable

2009-03-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Sir, God is responsible for the fact that you desire to be a breadwinner. So, pray hard, and have faith in God."

Not Mainstream

2009-03-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

In John 12:35-36 Jesus warned His Jewish audience that good times were coming to a close. He was referring to Himself as the light. He was referring to His death, return to Heaven, and the scattering of the church beyond the holy land, and the destruction of the Temple in forty years as the fall of darkness. The crucifixion of their Messiah would be for their nation like the setting of the sun, and the ongoing work of the church in the years afterward was not glorious by national terms; more like an "afterglow." The nation sank into the darkness of spiritual blindness and the apostle Paul explains it in Romans 9-11.

I believe that since 1962 when the government changed its position regarding the unique importance, privilege, and supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ, our nation has been in a gradual decline. It has been as gradual as the decline of Israel in the days of the prophet Jeremiah. It has been as gradual as the decline of Israel in the days of Jesus and Paul. This American presidential election is the most important election in the western world since the election of Adolph Hitler in 1933.

The American church has not done well in adjusting to the changing times. Churchgoing people have been too wistful for yesteryear when the church was an equal partner with the government in the formation and guidance of this great nation. On the personal level and on the local level too many Christians continue to be loyal to public opinion. IT IS TIME AND PAST THE TIME THAT WE ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT MAINSTREAM AMERICANS. The Christian in America is a counter-cultural sub-culture. We are different, and we should act different. We must be holy instead of popular. We must be holy so that we can get back to the business of winning the lost.

Problematic Factors
I see five things hurting soul-winning today. First, we have an unseeded generation of neighbors. Second, we have an embarrassed self-image because society has pushed the church to the margins. Third, because of the second factor, we still crave public acceptance and we waste too much time trying to be successful in worldly things. Fourth, our churches are professional instead of missional; meaning that churchgoers for the most part assume that soulwinning is work only for seminary-trained, paid professional ministers. Fifth, our churches are usually organized for survival rather than for soul-winning. Most Baptists do not live their lives scheduled around the leadership of an "Outreach Director."

I am praying daily and preaching weekly with one aim in view. It is my hope that I will live to see the coming of the Holy Spirit at least one more time. Only the Holy Spirit is able to wake us up to the need for change. Only the Holy Spirit is able to wake us up to the need to practice purity in our daily dealings. Only the Holy Spirit can wake us up to the fact that holiness only comes by hearing Bible preaching. Only the Holy Spirit can wake us up to the need to return to Sunday night Bible preaching and midweek Bible study. Only the Holy Spirit can wake us up to the need to be obedient and submissive to the leadership that knocks on doors. Join me in praying for a fresh coming of the Holy Spirit.

Quotable

2009-03-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

"Sin is like sickness. Though it's a fact of life it should never be a way of life."

Righteousness or Self Righteousness?

2009-03-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

The rigid, strict conservative religious people among the Jews were called "Pharisees." They generally disliked Jesus and called Him "demonic" and "friend of sinners." Yet, His righteousness exceeded the righteousness of the Pharisees (Mt. 5:20). Jesus fulfilled the law (Mt. 5:17) and labeled as "least in the kingdom" those people who teach others to ignore God's laws (Mt. 5:19). Jesus was entirely without sin (2 Cor 5:21), yet the Pharisees were more strict, more conservative than Jesus because they added human rules to God's rules (Mt. 15:3, 9; 23:4). What they were doing was making up new rules to help others keep God's rules. They specified the will of God further than God did!

THE MODERN PROBLEM

Setting high standards is still practiced. God's Word is not the only basis on which high standards are based. You can be despised (Mt 18:10) for having the wrong skin color and the wrong ethnicity, for voting wrong in politics, for your clothing fashion sense, for your grooming sense, for how you take care of your kids, for your table manners, for your age and amount of life experience, for the size of your family, for your schooling method, for your manner of home interior decoration, for your holiday decor excesses, or whether you grew up on a farm with common sense, are a hick without culture and class, or grew up as a city slicker with no practical sense of how to save a dime. People are despised today just for failing others' definition of "the good people."

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS?

Open your Bible and read Matthew 9:10-17. See how they called some people "sinners" (9:11)? See how they investigate Jesus' disciples (Mt 9:14)? Here's the difference: Pharisees focused on being better than others. They compared themselves to others (2 Cor 10:12). The Apostle Paul says this is not wise. Their righteousness is really just a nit-picking self-righteousness. Their religious focus is HORIZONTAL (me< >you).

Righteousness is different. Look at Matthew 9:11, 14, and notice "His disciples...your teacher...Your disciples." True righteousness is not about being better than others. Instead, it is about pleasing God by living under His authority; being His disciples. The religious focus is VERTICAL. This kind of standard of righteousness has two positive benefits. First, the standard of comparison is so high that the motivation to pursue perfection never ends (Phil 3:12-15). Second, this standard is so high that it is easier to have a humble self-image. You're always aware that you deserve nothing but Hell; that you're just a sinner saved by grace.

CURRENT ISSUES

How should Christmas be observed? How many gifts is wrong? Is a Christmas tree wrong? Are Christmas lights wrong? Is December 25th observance wrong? Should you let Santa come to your house? How much money spent on vacation and recreation is too much? May money be risked on small-time recreational gambling? Is it possible to be too concerned for one's appearances: nice clothes, jewelry, make-up? Should Christians buy expensive cars? May mothers take employment outside of the home? Should babies be kept in day-cares instead of kept by their mothers? Is it unpatriotic to do home-schooling? Is it a forfeit of a parental calling to put your child in a government school? Who understands more correctly the biblical presentation of the role of the pastor in the church? Adrian Rogers (Kingdom Authority, chapter 12) or Henry Blackaby (Experiencing God, chapter 10)? How should Halloween (parties, witch costumes, alternative festivities) be treated by Christians? Should preachers go to cemetery (uh, excuse me) seminary and get their heads crammed with all that professional knowledge? Is education helpful or harmful to the Christian life? Is it better to be ignorant, simple, like a little child? Is faith a feeling in your gut or a set of reasons that you think? Is the King James Version the only translation which God blesses?

On and on it goes as Christians put each other down and measure themselves by comparing themselves against others. Getting under the authority of God is the true character of the Christian life. Aim simply to love Jesus (Rom 14:1-19; 2 Cor 5:9) and do His Word (Jms 1:22).

My Tribute To Michelle- On Our 18th Anniversary!

2008-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

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When I first knew Michelle

She was serious and intense

In holiness and ministry

She was all-business.

But as I knew her more,

I saw an abiding joy.

It is her smile that I adore

It makes a happy boy.

I go home at night,

Minding questions as I go.

Then entering house I see her smile,

And peace is all I know.

Many are the tasks, goals, and projects,

My dear wife undertakes.

And though she is often weary,

Her smile is hard to break.

My wife has a smile,

Worried not with guilt.

Her smile is full of life

In a house that God has built.

My wife has a way with me

That is sunshine to my soul.

That's why the days are gray,

When she needs to go away.

I pray to God to keep her safe,

To guard her shining face.

He's the reason for the smile,

That sets a sweeter pace.

Rejoice Always-- Voter Sorrows

2008-11-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

At our gloomy breakfast table on the morning after Obama's victory, my 15 year old son kind of randomly blurted: "Guess what I read in my Bible this morning? 'Rejoice always, and again I say rejoice.'" He was quoting Philippians 4:4.

So, here I go: I rejoice today for all my African-American brothers and sisters who have sent a lifetime being led by a man of another color. For the first time in my life, I am beginning to learn how that feels. I suppose none of my ancestors nor I have ever been ruled by any other than a white man. However, I feel sure that many of my Scottish forefathers resented the rule of those English monarchs as much as I resent the platform of this new president!

Anyway, I have been an ardent opponent of racism and critic of prejudice in the church based on Ephesians 2. Although I am severely opposed to the political platform of President-elect Obama (and painfully hurting over his election), I really can rejoice to think that our nation has finally come to the point that a member of a minority can be elected. In the interest of the healing of the race relations in America, I rejoice in this historic event. Jesus is still Lord!

Christians Bitten by the Spider

2008-10-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Leadership is the business and purpose of a pastor. What this attempts to accomplish involves things that are obvious and other things less obvious. Baptist leaders usually seem to agree that we need the pastors to lead the churches into working the local field for a gospel harvest. It seems obvious that we need to lead the church away from the world and into the Word in searches for life's answers. It seems obvious that we need to lead the church to wean itself off the narcotic of worldliness and into the healthy addiction of loving and worshiping God.

There are some other leadership priorities that are not so obvious. If the people will become gospel workers who will contradict the false beliefs of co-workers and family and who will go door-to-door with the good news, pastors must lead the church to embrace the call to be
"fools for Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:10). Each generation of believers has to learn how to get over the feeling of being embarrassed of the "offense of the cross" (Galatians 5:11; Luke 9:23). Our culture has been drilling into our heads for decades the belief that one of the best things that can be said about a person is that he is "cool" or "groovy" or "hip" or "bad" or "stylish," etc. All these terms mean the same thing: that a person does a great job of walking according to the course of this world.

Marketing is the Devil's method (Genesis 3:4-6) for attacking the kingdom of God. The Devil does not simply argue. He appeals to our senses. He appeals to our need for survival, advantage, and pleasure. He lures. He entices. He dangles trinkets and rewards before us. He makes idolatry a necessity in life. This is the narcotic of worldliness with which the Devil tranquilizes and paralyzes believers. Like a spider, he makes you "neutral" in the early years of your Christianity, and it is only later in life that he finally eats you for lunch. Christ and Paul were not always "moderate" (Jn 2:13-17; 2 Co 5:13). They knew how and when to act crazy for the priority of God.

One of the ways that we act crazy in this life is by serving God instead of Mammon. Jews in Jesus' day knew that God and Temple were important. They knew that religion has its place. But Jesus did not think God and Temple should come last, getting the leftovers or getting allegiance and attention only whenever serving God costs nothing. Pastors must lead the church to throw caution to the wind by throwing away a tenth of their income to the collection plate. This requires pastors leading the church [and the church willingly following their trusty pastor] into a posture of "standing on the promises of God," as we like to sing.

A church's financial well-being is never a reflection on the correctness of the promises of the Bible. It is also not determined by the economy. Since God is always able to provide and does provide (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20-21), there is only one conclusion we may draw when giving does not exceed the vision to spend. This conclusion is that there are too many households walking in fear and withholding their giving. We cannot be resentful about this because that would be an unethical form of judgmentalism, but we must pray for one another to be strong and courageous as God challenged Joshua to be (Joshua 1). Joshua took courage from the promises of the Lord, risked the giants in the land, won the victory and built a great work. I am praying that more of us trust God and start giving. I hope others will join me in that prayer.

Ray Fam Photos '08

2008-10-13T11:02:00.001-07:00

The Ray Five

Stealing a Kiss

Baby Jane- age 3.5

Anna- age 10

Titus- age 12.5

Truett- age 15

Abigail- age 17

Spencer and Michelle

The Whole Fam

D. Sermons on Podcast

2008-09-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

D. Sermons on Podcast

Camp Braveheart

2008-08-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Holy Spirit met our youth last week at Camp Braveheart. We had 3 kids commit their lives to Jesus Christ and another who was saved last fall request baptism. Glorious.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A SLIDESHOW OF THE WEEK.

You Need to Read

2008-08-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
for men will be lovers of themselves....having a form of
godliness, but denying its power." -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5

"Why Does the Bible Exist?"

2008-04-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Should the Bible only be read devotionally, or should it also be read scientifically? Should the Bible be preached with short, sweet sermonettes that make us feel good? Or, should it be preached with explanations that open the understanding of our hearts and minds? Should Christians merely sit around discussing how the Bible makes them feel, or should we also discuss how its truths differ from the lies which the world has told us?

In other words: Does the Bible exist to inspire faith, hope and love? Or, does the Bible exist to tell us the truth? Probably, you will say "both."

The historic position of church leaders has been to treat the Bible as the word of God, truth that should be shared. For example, in ancient times the Bible delivered the truth to a world that had a pagan, superstitious belief in myths involving a multitude of higher powers. The truth was: there is only one Higher Power, Jehovah. He is holy, and He is love. He created Man in His own image. He is the only savior. He is the final judge.

Our Christian faith is the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19), not because it is sweet and makes us solid, but because it is true, trustworthy, dependable. The Bible is solid and true. It is a rock. It is real. God is real. The accounts presented in the Bible are real! The Bible is the truth.

The Bible tells the truth, and the truth produces every kind of attitude and emotion. The truth inspires faith, hope, and love. The truth also inspires sorrow, tears, repentance, and fear.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Because, if you only see the Bible as a book of stories to make you feel good, the only thing you will get out of Bible study is a warm, fuzzy feeling. If, however, you see the Bible as an instruction manual, then you will obey it. If you see it as truth, then you will recognize the Devil's lies. If you see the Bible as a warning label, then you will change your ways. Friends, we need to see more obedience, spiritual discernment, and change in the pews of America!

Do you really know the truth? I don't think a person is truly educated if he doesn’t even know the truth, do you? What I am really asking you is, "Do you know the Bible?" Do you know its facts, its promises, its warnings, its commands, and its themes? How many details does it reveal concerning the personality of God, the beginning and the end, the human personality, and human society? Do you base your opinions on feelings, memories, traditions, common sense, and public opinion? Or do you let the truth shape your thoughts, words, and decisions?

An Observation

2008-04-09T09:24:00.001-07:00

"Usually, the slower a man is about stepping up
to be a mover and a shaker in the community
and in the church, the slower his sons will be to
shoulder the burdens of leadership."

How the World Thinks

2008-04-09T09:20:00.000-07:00

The worldly man is surprised that our good and loving, almighty God does not eliminate evil.
But he does not include himself in that category.

The world is surprised that God does not save everybody.
The Church is surprised that God does not judge everybody, and praises God for it everyday.

The world looks at tragedy and says, “Where’s God?”
The Church looks at tragedy and says, “There’s God.”

The world has found fault with the Bible for many years.
Perhaps this is because the Bible shows the faults of the world and The Way to a better world.

The world admires Jesus for dying for His faith.
The Church admires Jesus for dying for her sins.

The world quotes Jesus’ message of love.
And ignores His message of Hell.

The world wants the Church to correct the Bible.
God wants the Bible to correct the Church.

Ray Family Christmas 2007

2007-12-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

The “Novacaine” of a False Childhood Conversion

2007-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

A false childhood conversion is the suspected culprit when a grown man is lazy in his treatment of personal sin and lazy in his service to God. But when that man drifts from church into a lifestyle of substance abuse, fornication, and partying the ongoing lawlessness of his experimentation more than confirms the suspicion. He had a false childhood conversion.

Bringing such a man back from the brink of self-destruction and into the church and into a righteous walk is hampered by his lack of proper feelings. Such a man should be loaded down with feelings of guilt. He should be pierced with the fear of God. God disciplines His children. God punishes the wicked.

But too often I see men who are numb. They are sluggish. They only exhibit despair, apathy, and complacency. They are lazy. They are helpless. They are hopeless. I want to say, “Run! Your house is on fire and is about to fall down around you!”

They are numb like a person with a toothache that has been numbed by novacaine. The “novacaine” in their soul is the thought that no matter how bad they become, they will still go to Heaven because they were saved as a child. Only the truth will take this tranquilizer out of their system (their soul).

There are several truths that such a man needs to see. FIRST, he must see that Jesus saves. Praise the Lord, Jesus saves. Salvation is a marvelous thing. A saved person hates sin and loves the Cross and loves the Savior who bled and died and loves the Bible that shows the better way. This condition of loving God above all things makes a person new. To lose one’s love for the world and replace it with a love of the Father makes a man new.

SECOND, he needs to see that Jesus predicted the problem of false conversions.

THIRD, he needs to see the typical flaw in a false childhood conversion. Modern evangelism has abandoned “the bad news.” Furthermore, child evangelism has developed a code of ethics that prohibits the act of scaring children into a decision. Approaching a child with a harsh message of condemnation for all the ways he has broken the law of God plus emphasizing the prospect of going to Hell is usually absent and replaced with soft messages about the love of God.

Our sinful imperfection is usually presented softly like a G-rated Disney film. An illustration of this is found in the Veggie Tale films. The story of David and Bathsheba’s adultery is retold as a story of King George taking baths all the time instead of fighting the war. One day, he observes Junior Asparagus taking a bath with a rubber duck and he plots to steal the rubber duck.

Honestly-- children have not encountered the fullness of sin prior to puberty. There are a couple of the Ten Commandments that address sexual sins that children would hardly comprehend. I do not mean to suggest that it is impossible for a child to be saved. Frankly, I admit that a child is capable of hearing the truth about Hell, eternal damnation, and the Great White Throne judgment. I just mean to suggest that there are too many children that were not methodically brought to the Cross by the way of Hell. My parents spent several months counseling me while I slipped increasing more under conviction. We fully explored the fact that I was on my way to Hell.

Many children come to Christ through church programs. It is common for church programs to be governed by a policy of avoiding controversial extremes. As a children’s minister I encountered controversy with parents when they thought that my treatment of sin was too vulgar and mature. I have also encountered controversy when we talk about Hell in our Vacation Bible School (VBS), usually coming from non-Baptist parents who sent their child to our VBS.

Modern parents tend to be strongly opposed to teaching children the ugliness of human depravity, the violence of the Cross, and the peril of God’s judgment. They want the love of God magnified to the point that His justice and judgment is unnoticed. The pressure of parents wins out because most program-driven churches are “consumer-driven” and operate with that business mantra, “the customer is always right.” Such churches need to be reminded to whom they are really accountable (Hb 13:17).

What follows are years of youth ministry meetings with a young man in which hours upon hours are spent talking with the young man about his growing fascination with many forms of sin. When gets his drivers’s license, takes a job to pay for car, gas, and insurance, the drift from church begins. With high school graduation the apostasy is complete. It remains for the adult ministries to pick up the pieces so many years later.

FOURTH, the young man needs to go to Hell. He needs to be taken to the Judgment Day. He needs to see himself thrown into the Lake of Fire. He needs to see himself screaming for mercy. He needs to hear Jesus say: “Too late.” It’s too late.

An unconverted person is unsaved. If he died tonight he would split Hell wide open. The law of God is condemning him. He needs to be saved.

To love God a person must hate sin. Why would a sinner ever hate sin? He will hate it when he learns that he is condemned. The Bible says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Galatians 3:10). God’s law condemns sinners.

Eternal condemnation in the lake of fire is ample motivation to hate sin. Jesus said, “And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire– ‘where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched’” (Mark 9:47-48). Someone who is lazy about sin has clearly never been to the shores of the Lake of Fire. That is where all new Christians get their fire.

Hell is hot, but Jesus saves. Are you saved?

The Three-fold Cord of a Healthy Man

2007-10-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 5:9-12

Occasionally, I will hear it said that every man needs three essential relationships in the course of his life. Usually, all three are required at all times. It is said that each man needs a “Paul,” a “Barnabas,” and a “Timothy.” In a world that values material status symbols, we should be men who value spiritual status symbols. These three names represent relationships that every man needs, relationships that will make a huge difference in his spiritual status.

In case these names are unfamiliar, let me introduce these guys. Paul is a man who authored many of the writings of the Bible. He was one of the first officers of the church nearly two thousand years ago, an Apostle. Timothy was a young man whom Paul discovered along the way in one of his missionary journeys. Timothy was special, so Paul let him join his rather large missionary team. Eventually Timothy became a church leader, a pastor in the church at Ephesus. Two of Paul’s writings are now called First Timothy and Second Timothy, and they were written to him to assist him further in church leadership. Before Paul was a Christian, he was employed by the government of Israel to hunt down and torture Christians. After Paul converted to the Christian faith, he was lonely and neglected by most Christians until a man named Barnabas found him and took him under his wing.

Let me teach this through testimony:

The Paul Effect

This is the effect of having a near friend to whom you submit with ears to hear and a teachable heart. It must be someone who has been growing longer than you. I have had many Pauls. My first Pauls were my Mom and Dad. They led me to the Law of God where I found that I was a sinner in danger of Hell. They led me to the Cross of Christ where I found peace for my soul. They were models of faith, marriage, family, and ministry. They had a Paul in their life. We had a pastor in Springdale, Arkansas name Cliff Palmer. From 1969 until 1985, there was not a week that my dad failed to listen to bro. Palmer’s sermons by cassette at home in order that he might be able to mark his Bible and absorb a better understanding of God’s Word.

When I was eighteen, I met a guy in college named Eric Allen. He was part of a discipleship program called The Navigators. He explained to me an arrangement called “discipleship.” In this arrangement I would agree to submit to his training. He required that I memorize Bible verses, do dormitory evangelism, read my Bible daily, do pool hall evangelism, do street evangelism, keep a spiritual journal, and perform spontaneous service exercises. We prayed much together. This discipleship lasted eighteen months. The result was that I began to know the presence of God like I never imagined was possible. God became more real to me than I can possibly describe. I was learning to walk in the Spirit.

Out of that period of my life came a sense of calling to preach that I have never lost. I have had the privilege of sitting at the feet of men at Southwest Baptist University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a whole host of Bible conference speakers.

God gives grace to the humble, and being teachable is one of the best ways to humble yourself.

The Paul Effect is also illustrated in my wife’s life. Michelle had a pastor, Dr. Ruffin Snow, whom she loved and listened to attentively as a youth. Even more to the point though, she had a Youth Pastor, Joe Blankenship who practiced an extraordinary ministry of discipleship with his summer ministry intern program. By the time I met her in her college freshman year, she was not the usual boy-crazy product of so many youth ministries. She was extensively experienced in urban mission, personal Bible study, and practice in personal spiritual disciplines.

There is no substitute for being for, at least some period in your life, a Timothy in which you cultivate a sweet spirit of humility and submission. I just love Paul’s words to Timothy: “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions…you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them…” (2 Timothy 3:10, 11, 14)

To be saved, a man must humble himself and become as a child (Matthew 18:3). To become great in the kingdom of Heaven a man must complete the work of becoming a child at heart (Matthew 18:4). Otherwise he stands in grave peril of becoming like the priests in Jesus day: “stiffnecked…always resisting the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51).

The Timothy Effect

This stands for the result of having others for whom you are “the Paul.” It makes you a better person to pour yourself into making others strong. One of the best ways to learn something more completely is to try to explain it to another person. It is not unusual to be explaining something to another person and to realize in the middle of your talk that your words are the answer to a question you have been struggling to solve. Also, leading others is a good motivator to keeping your integrity intact.

Group ministries are one way to get this effect. The best way to get the effect is by adopting a new Christian or a new volunteer for a ministry to mentor him. There is tremendous encouragement to be gained by reproducing yourself in others. Churches should be as busy as beehives with the business of man-to-man discipleship. I attribute age-old problems to the lack of it. Elders who don’t shepherd. Deacons who don’t “deac.” Christians who don’t witness. Sunday School teachers who don’t devour their Bibles and know them from cover to cover.

My first practices with this was in group ministries as a Sunday School teacher, then Director of Youth Ministry, and then Director of Children Ministry. It was a growing experience for me. My favorite first experience with man-to-man discipleship was with a man named Dave. We met weekly for two years so that I could provide Sunday School preparation, but the amazing thing about it was the way he transformed before my very eyes. Watching ordinary men transform into men of God within two years is like having front row seats to watching a miracle happen.

The Barnabas Effect

Barnabas is first mentioned in Acts 4:36 where we are told that his name means “son of encouragement.” His parents had named him Joses, but eventually as a Christian he was given the name, Barnabas, by the church leaders. Perhaps he was an encourager.

Barnabas is featured again beginning in Acts 9:27 where he adopted Paul as his new buddy. Paul was a new Christian who was unwelcome in the churches. But Barnabas was a giant of popularity who took a risk with Paul. For many years he assisted Paul in missionary work. They parted ways when Barnabas saw an opportunity to adopt a new friend needing encouragement, a man named John Mark (Acts 15:36-40).

I remember a time when I was in high school that my parents were crawling low beneath a heavy burden related to a business that was killed by Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker when interest rates went up to 21% in 1979. I remember several times that my family piled into the car to run out to the country to sit on the porch of Aubrey McGhin. He was a friend of my dad who had the ability to make my dad feel that God is in control, that God is good, and that our trials come to pass, not to stay. Aubrey was a Barnabas to many in my community.

My parents would sit with Aubrey and Judy on the front porch and talk. Aubrey was a man who had seen his own share of troubles. After a while, they would go into the house for pie and Aubrey would put on one of his favorite gospel albums and we would have a good time singing along with some group such as the Florida Boys. Other times my parents and the McGhins would go out to dinner. It always gets me teared up just remembering how much stress we felt in those years and how much joy and encouragement Aubrey and Judy were. When I was 20 years old and Aubrey was 47 years old, he died suddenly of a heart attack. Only God knows what a huge difference Aubrey made for my dad for a five-year period that was so tough.

The greatest Barnabas of my life has been my wife, Michelle. Nobody has ever believe in me the way that she has. She gives me the word. She rebukes me when I need it. She questions me when I need it. She holds no punches. Yet, she is a submissive wife who really believes in me. Countless are the times that she has spoken a word of faith that was food to my soul. I am thankful that she has traveled my road with me and has seen the many “God-things” that have happened. She is able to remind me of what God has done before.

I have had three friends in the course of my life who have taken me under their wing in periods of my life when I needed support. These are men who helped me the way Aaron and Hur held up the arms of Moses (Exodus 17:11-13). Only my wife and the Lord presently know how much these men are responsible for the stability of my ministry. But, they will be greatly rewarded in due time.

I believe a Barnabas is not exclusive in whom he supports. They are encouragers to many. I know these men have been this to many. Such guys are behind-the-scenes guys who do not get enough credit in this life, but they will eventually.

A final word about a Barnabas: do not wait for them to find out that you are struggling. Jesus often said, “Come to me.” Often the heaviest burdens are such secrets that few know about them. There is no shame in seeking refuge in a Barnabas. If you know someone who is an encourager, go to him and tell him your story. He is full of the Holy Spirit for his ministry and God will give him what he needs to be that refuge for you (Psalm 46:1. Nahum 1:7).

The Most Elusive Sin

2007-10-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Some people today think that pride is a good thing. However, in the Bible this word is handled as a bad thing. Consider:

Jesus mentioned pride in His list of sins in Mark 7:22. Proverbs 6:16-17 includes pride as one of the seven deadly sins which "the Lord hates." "The pride of life" is one of the marks of loving the world, according to 1 John 2:16. And when it comes to ordaining a person, the church is warned not to ordain a "novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil" (1 Timothy 3:6). Clearly, the devil's failure was due to pride.

Pride is the most elusive sin of all. When a person struggles with conviction and doubts of salvation and they cannot put a finger on the problem, their problem may very well be that problem which hides best from the searching eyes of the soul. Pride is like a hat sitting on the head of a man who has been seeking all over the whole house to find his hat. Finally he says, *I cannot find my hat,* and his wife says, *Well, honey*its on your head!*

Why is pride so elusive? Pridefulness is a secretive sin*(meaning that its place of practice is in the soul and not in the public), an introverted sin*(meaning that its focus is not toward something or someone on the outside. It is a sin against self), a subtle sin*(meaning that it often hides in the form of *Poor, poor pitiful me: I deserve better than I get), and the supreme sin*(referring to the fact that it is the first sin and the one sin that Satan performed in the presence of God).

What are the best clues of pridefulness?

1. Unbiblical beliefs-- when someone disagrees with the Bible and they admit it and still cling to their own beliefs.
2. Resistant to spiritual authorities-- when someone resists or bristles to male headship, parental authority, or pastoral authority. As pride wanes and humility grows, so grows one*s passion to obey scripture, to follow leaders, and to serve God.
3. Jealous of others being honored-- when you admit to yourself often that you strongly dislike how often certain people receive public praise for their works.
4. Ongoing Disappointment-- the proud will often think on how much they deserve better than what they get. In contrast, the humble will rarely see any reason to deserve better and will often see many reasons why they deserve worse than what they get. As a Christian grows in humility he loses sight of his fleshly glory. His vision of God*s glory grows and this increases both his sense of unworthiness and his sense of joy in the salvation of the Lord.
5. Suspicion of other's motives-- when you have a frequent tendency of thinking that others in the church do things just for attention or public honor or for some other earthly reward.
6. Self-pity-- not the occasional disappointment; this is that permanent brand of personality that never stops thinking that his/her life has somehow been chosen by God to suffer more than its fair share of tragedies, disappointments, struggles, etc. Such persons are particularly impatient with optimistic, hopeful persons and consider them to be childish.
7. Manipulative-- uses charm to control some and uses intimidation to control others.

Pride's a tricky thing. We ought to examine ourselves often for this elusive hinderance to salvation and spiritual growth.

written for the FBC Gallatin Newsletter, October 2007

Banning Demons from Your Household part 1

2007-08-25T20:35:00.002-07:00

I feel such a great joy in the power of the Lord as I consider the business of child rearing. In a day when so many kids are raising themselves-- in a day when so many kids are not being raised, I rejoice in all that the Lord has done to empower us for raising "a godly generation." (Malachi 2:15)

No doubt about it: one of the best ways to "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven" is to maintain a godly home. The Bible has a few specific things and many general things to say that apply to homelife.

I feel that one of the most overlooked issues is one of those general ideas; overlooked because its relevance to the home is not usually noted. I am talking about the matter of "spiritual authority." I am talking about banning demons from the household.

Too many Americans pass the days of their lives without understanding the degree to which their lives are dominated by demons. Even Christians, who cannot be touched by the evil One (I John 5:18), do not usually recognize when they are fellowshiping with demons (I Corinthians 10:20).

Fellowshiping with demons antagonizes our carnal attitudes, and it can steal our joy in the Lord, steal our moral integrity, steal our spiritual understanding, confuse our priorities, and steal our confidence in the Lord. Jesus said, "the thief has come to steal, kill and destroy..." (John 10:10)

Revelation describes the Devil saying, "...Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." (Rev 12:12) Charles Spurgeon wrote concerning this verse:

"The great battle in the heavenlies has been fought. In the highest regions, the great principle of evil has received a total defeat through the life and death of our Lord Jesus... The conflict henceforth rages here below... We may put together a general rule from this one statement: in proportion as the Devil's time is shortened, so his energy is increased...we must not think that things are going altogether wrong when the powers of evil become strong...often, the development of evil is an indication that there is an equal or a greater development of good. The high point of ill is frequently its end...when no straw was given to Israel to make bricks, Moses was used by God to deliver the oppressed...when Goliath stalks abroad and defies the armies of Israel, the stone is already in the sling, and David is nearby to lay the giant low...when Belshazzar profanes the holy vessels, the handwriting blazes on the wall. When Haman is at the king's banquet seeking the blood of the whole race of the Jews, the gallows are prepared for him upon his own roof...In any village or town in England or in any other country, when the opposition to the Gospel reaches its most outrageous pitch and men seem as if they would murder the preacher of the Word, you may reckon that the power of the opposition is almost over." --Charles Spurgeon, "Power Over Satan," Whitaker House, 1997, 44-53.

Dear parent, in next month's issue I will address what I understand (which I fear is not enough) about protecting your household from demons. Until then, let's make this a matter of prayer and see what God will teach our church.

Banning Demons from the Household part 2

2007-08-25T20:35:00.001-07:00

Last month I broached the subject of spiritual authority and how it relates to the influence of demons. We considered the biblical evidence for demonic activity. This month we will consider what can be done about demonic invasion of a home.

You need to understand that demons recognize authority and laws just like you and me. When they come face to face with the power of God, they tremble and retreat (e.g. Luke 8:28-33). When God Himself designates an authority, they acknowledge it. They know the difference between pretenders of authority and possessors of authority (e.g. Acts 19:13-16), and it makes a difference as to HOW they respond.

For example, God has chosen Christ to be Lord of lords and King of kings, and they recognize that. Well, God has designated the husband as the one who bears the title "Head" of the household. This subject receives much debate today. But make no mistake about it, Heaven is having no debate on this matter! Spirits are much aware who is the head of each family.

The greatest strategy of the Devil's plan to destroy the family is to attack the family at the Head. "Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will be make to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." (Matthew 26:31) This was Satan's purpose in killing Jesus; to kill the church scatter the disciples. Jesus was starting something awesome and Satan wanted to nip it in the bud, so to speak.

How well the husband walks with God is the foremost factor that makes or breaks Satan's freedom in the house. ONLY A GODLY MAN HAS THE ABILITY TO LOCK THE DOORS AGAINST SATAN. Just as any man living in a dangerous neighborhood will lock the doors before he goes to bed, a godly man will lock the spiritual doors of his house DAILY.

Husbands, as long as you think of the Christian disciplines as DUTIES of a good man, you might struggle to be faithful. You need to realize that nothing that is important is "easy come/easy go." Among the many results that I could name of neglecting the prosperity of your soul, one is the damage that Satan will do to your family because of your spiritual weakness.

Second, a godly husband monitors what goes on in every square inch of his house. If he allows a child's bedroom to become a shrine to the gods of America, namely the teen idols of music, movies, television and sports, he is a sponsor to false religion. False religion involves "fellowship with demons." (I Corinthians 10:19-22)

Third, a godly husband monitors the attitudes of each person in the family. He keeps his finger on the pulse of each person's walk with God and their treatment of others. When he sees bad attitudes, he deals with it; sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. Overall, the godly husband is on the prowl, like a hunter.

Men, be encouraged. As long as you act like a good soldier who keeps his post-- and as long as you act like a faithful hunter, watching for bad attitudes, the Devil will struggle to get his grip on your family. As Jesus prayed for the protection of His disciples, so should we: "I have given Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of this world, just as I am not of this world. I do not pray that You should take them out of this world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:14-17; emphasis mine)

How to Keep an Open Home

2007-08-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

by my wife, Michelle Ray

I just finished Andi Ashworth's book Real Life for Real Love. A Christmas gift from my sister, it was an excellent book and I've already passed it on to my soon to be sister-in-law. The book absolutely affirmed many of the things that I believe about homemaking and hospitality. She doesn't give "Martha Stewart" hospitality (i.e. entertainment) tips, but rather, real advice about having an open home that ministers to others. I once heard a woman state that hospitality was her "gift." Well, hospitality isn't a spiritual gift-- it's a biblical command. The early church "...devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer..." (Acts 2) God knows that His Kingdom is spread through the building of relationships and he told us to be hospitable.

Spencer and I love having people over! In fact, we probably have some young family in our home for supper at least every other week in addition to the couples/singles we disciple on a weekly basis. I love drop in company too (usually) and we get plenty of that as well. Many of my friends have asked me, "How do you DO that?" So... a few words of advice for those of you wishing you were more hospitable:

1. Make a commitment. Get our your calendar, your phonebook and a pen. Then just do it. Call someone and make a date. Wishing you had people over isn't enough, you have to actually call them.

2. Plan a simple menu. If you haven't often had people over in the past, don't overwhelm yourself with an elaborate menu. I'm a pretty good cook and frequently have company, but sometimes it's nice to just have people over for a pot of chili. My youth pastor and his wife used to often have large crowds of people over for burgers. The rest of us would bring the sides. I know one lady who often has people over for "just dessert." Good idea!

3. Take some time to think of your guest's special needs. Do they have any allergies? Ask them! Do they have a baby? Do you own a high chair? Even during the years when we didn't have a baby, I always kept a highchair in the garage for our friends with little ones. Keep a playpen handy too-- if your friends want to stay late, they'll appreciate being able to put their baby down for a nap.

4. Direct the flow of the conversation toward them. Many times, I've had people over and regretted that we didn't find out about any of our company's struggles. (Because we never asked.) Ask them how they're doing spiritually. Pray with them. Redeem the time. Ask the Holy Spirit to control the evening's talks.

5. Don't stress about your house. (Easier said than done, I know.) As long as your kitchen and bathrooms are reasonably clean and you've cleared a path for your guests to get through your house without tripping on toys, you're good to go. You'll never have people over if you're trying to pass the white glove test every time.

Well, this little list certainly isn't exhaustive. Just a few tidbits of advice. The best piece of advice from the Ashworth book was when she said that "caregiving can be tedious and exhausting, and only those who set firm boundaries and rely on God's help are likely to persist..." We've learned this to be true. Too much a good thing isn't a good thing. :)

Be hospitable!

To Date or Not to Date

2007-08-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

by my wife, Michelle Ray

Truett and I have been having so much fun putting together a little slide show for my parent's wedding anniversary party next week. Looking at all of my parent's old wedding photographs (note the photo above) as well as pictures of my own marriage spanning the past fifteen years, has made me think about how our family has been very much blessed with strong, stable marriages. I so desire these same blessings for our children and for all of the little ones in our church.

When it comes to dating, our children have been hearing since they were toddling around in children's church how the dating years are going to play out around here. My husband and I decided long ago that we didn't want to be a part of the normal American dating game, and so we looked for opportunites early on to ~~indoctrinate~~ tell them how it was going to be. Simply put, Ray kids aren't allowed to "date" until they're old enough to start seriously contemplating marriage. Read: Until you're in college, don't even think about it.

Worse than "young dating," is the problem of dating outside of the faith. The problem of intermarriage is as old as the Bible and it usually resulted in disaster. Sampson, David, Solomon--just to name a few... You shall not intermarry with [the nations]; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you. Deuteronomy 5:2-7
I'm always floored when parents play fast and loose on this issue.

Many an older mom has said to me, and most condescendingly I might add--"Once they get to be 16, you just can't tell them what to do anymore." Excuse me? Why didn't somebody tell our parents that when we were growing up? Why did my husband and I stay under authority? The answer to these questions is that our parents never believed that you can't tell a sixteen year old what to do.

My husband's parents were often told "You can't tell a sixteen year what he can and cannot do." They would ALWAYS reply, "We can, and we do." My husband and I learned from this, that parents lose their authority only as soon as they believe they have lost the right to expect respect from their teenage children. When the children are little, this concept is easy to grasp. We put child safety locks on our cabinets and teach them that the stove is hot. "No touch," we say. When they turn sixteen, their need for protection is still there--it just looks and plays out differently.

We need to teach them to guard their hearts. And when it comes to people to whom they're not married, "No touch!" can and should serve as a handy motto. My personal testimony includes tremendous spiritual growth and focus on Christ during the last two years of high-school. Not incidentally, this spiritual growth took place AFTER I "broke off" a dating relationship that I had no business being in and then made a commitment to "not date" until I was old enough to seriously think about marriage. I don't think this would have been the case had my heart been distracted with romance.

I know the whole idea of skipping the high-school dating scene might seem bizarre to many of the people who read this. In light of I Peter 2:9, I'm OK with seeming a bit peculiar. I'm also not laying down the proverbial law here and saying that our family's views on dating are Biblical mandates. What I am saying is that Christians need to THINK THEIR VIEWS THROUGH and pray before automatically falling in with the American line.

My husband and I feel that our marriage has been the best fifteen years of our lives. Right honey? :) Our prayer for our own children is that they will find the same happiness that their father and I share.

Resume'

2007-08-25T14:14:00.001-07:00

Dr. Spencer C. Ray

Date of Birth: 06/27/67
My family: Married to Michelle King of Tulsa, Ok, 12/15/90
Children:
Abigail Anne 18 yrs
Truett Colay 16 yrs
Titus Michael 14 yrs
Anna Spencer 11 yrs
Jane Bradford 5 yrs

Surrendered to the Ministry at First Baptist Church, Ferguson, Missouri, 1986
Licensed for the Ministry by First Baptist Church, Harrisburg, Arkansas, 1987
Ordained for the Ministry by Immanuel Southern Baptist Church, Salem, Arkansas, 1992

Ministries

Senior Pastor -- First Baptist Church, West Plains, MO -- www.wpfbc.org

May 2009 -- Current

Senior Pastor -- First Baptist Church, Gallatin, MO

June 2002 -- May 2009

Pastor -- Elliott Baptist Church, Camden, AR

August 1999 -- June 2002

Pastor-- Immanuel Southern Baptist Church, Salem, AR

July 1995 -- September 1998

Seminary and College Ministries -- 1988 - 1995

*Powell Baptist Church, Powell, TX -- Pastor

*First Baptist Church, Prosper, TX -- Children's Pastor/Bus Evangelism Director

*First Baptist Church, Harrisburg, AR -- Youth Pastor

Ministry Emphases
Man-to-Man Discipleship, Door-to-Door Evangelism, Leadership Development
Intercessory Prayer, Verse-by-Verse Expository Preaching,

Education
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY, Emphasis- “Leadership”
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO, 2008
MASTER OF DIVINITY with BIBLICAL LANGUAGES
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX, 1994
B.A., THEOLOGY and BIBLICAL LANGUAGES
Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, MO, 1989
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 1985-1986

Vitae’ – Personal Writings

The Unity of the Faith
Beliefs and Distinctives
Why Despise Memorials
Concerning Mormonism
How Can I Become a Victorious Christian?
Doctoral Dissertation

Associational, Denominational and Mission Service
• Mission trip to Nepal-- taught seminary course Pastoral Leadership to a group of indigenous Nepalese pastors.
• Currently serving as a trustee to the Missouri Baptist Home
• Currently serving as the Associational Director of Discipleship Training
• Currently serving as the Associational Sunday School Director
• Associational Youth Camp Pastor (19 surrendered to missions/ministry)
• Associational Director of Missions Search Committee
• Preached the Annual Associational Sermon
• Preached several revival meetings in surrounding churches

Testimony
My earliest impression of being a sinner and needing to receive Jesus as my Savior was at six years old. At home, I repented in prayer and received Christ as my “boss” and one year later I was baptized. I grew up in a non-discipling church with a pastor who only preached salvation sermons. Consequently, I was a stumbling, weak Christian when I started at the University of Arkansas in 1985. Immediately I was recruited by the Navigators where I received personal discipleship. Soon thereafter I answered a call to preach that was both internal and verified by those who knew me. I served the Lord in various ministries until I was called to pastor in 1992.

Most Influential People and Writings
John Piper- Desiring God, Future Grace
Francis Schaeffer- The God Who is There
John MacArthur- The Gospel According to Jesus, Shepherdology, Ashamed of the Gospel
Charles Stanley- Confronting Casual Christianity
R.C. Sproul- The Holiness of God
Charles Spurgeon- The Metropolitan Tabernacle
Manley Beasley- Laws for Liberated Living
Cliff Palmer- his leadership example at First Baptist Church Springdale, Arkansas, 1969-1986

spencerayzerback@hotmail.com

2007-08-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Feel free to contact me via email.

Church Leadership Values

2007-07-31T06:41:00.001-07:00

FIRST: A free and biblical pulpit.

Because the church rises no further than the extent to which the pulpit is free to honor the primacy and preeminence of the Lord.
Therefore the whole word of God, every verse of it, may be preached without restraint.

SECOND: A church that knocks on doors.

Because soulwinning is the foremost reason why believers remain on earth after being saved. None of the other purposes of God for a saint's life is best suited by remaining on earth. So, although we should not allow ourselves to be of the world, yet for soulwinning it is necessary that we continue to exist in the world.
Because as soulwinning is the purpose why the believer remains in this world, it is also the ultimate purpose for why God organizes believers into local churches. We glorify God by making disciples (Jn 15:8). We glorify God by making neighbors glorify God when they see our good works (Mt 5:16).
Because this method was modeled in the New Testament. It was practiced by our American ancestors. It is practiced today by our missionaries across the world. It is the gesture that takes good intentions to the point of becoming obedience to the Great Commission.

THIRD: An evangelism-based student ministry.

Because over 80% of church-goers today were saved before they reached their eighteenth birthday.
Because the kingdom of God is made of persons with child-like faith and children are the most likely to exhibit child-like faith.
Because saved parents should bring their children up to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. This means that the children are brought up to value soulwinning more than touchdowns, slam dunks, homeruns, straight As and college scholarships.
Because childhood is the most formative stage of life. If children solve the problem of how to be in the world without being of the world and how to navigate socially all the while being a gospel light, then they will truly be prepared for adulthood.
Because there is a drop-out epidemic among Southern Baptist young adults who are still children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Eph. 4:14).
Meaning....

INSTEAD of a youth ministry that is satisfied with simply catering to the churched youth by offering Sunday School, Sunday night bible study, Wednesday night bible study, and the occasional Friday night Fifth Quarter social events and the occasional mission trip in which they perform in a park with puppets,
BUILD a youth ministry that is only satisfied when it is baptizing teens from unchurched families and therefore it is designed and devoted to empowering the churched youth to be holy and bold in the school among their peers so that they are burdened for others and bringing them to church and to the Lord.

This is accomplished by bringing the teens under the lordship of Christ.

This is accomplished by bringing them into personal discipleship with a view of assigning them to ministry positions of responsibilities that take up their free time and which makes it difficult for them to be spending all their free time in worldly pursuits such as ball teams, dance teams, etc.

It is a controversial form of youth ministry because it demands more of the kids and it expects more of them and it especially appeals to kids who are not starring on a ball team and when such ordinary kids begin to shine in the church, even outshining the stellar offspring of popular church leaders whose kids are more invested in worldly extracurricular things, jealousy and competition are aroused in the church leaders.

It is also controversial because this ministry frowns on the biggest waste of the teen's time, energy, and integrity: DATING. So, it gets opposition from parents because their lustful kids have been whining, avoiding youth ministry meetings and leaders, and gossiping among their peers in order to stir up dissension this opposition from parents is driven by the parents sense of hope that the church and the youth ministry is going to keep their kid from getting into trouble. The last thing such parents want to see is their kid being unhappy with the turn the youth ministry has taken.

FOURTH: A church budget process that inspires biblical stewardship.

Believing that we must walk by faith not by sight if we will please God (Hb 11:6)
Believing that everyone has a personal need to be involved in financially supporting the ministry and vision of the church (2 Cor. 8:1-5)
Believing that people only start giving to a vision or to a crisis that they value
Believing that this aspect of church life should seek to honor God
Therefore the annual church budget proposals should be courageous and contingent on the assumption that our God is big and is able to provide for His people (Mt 6:33. 2 Cor 9:8)

FIFTH: A congregation of disciples who are well-grounded.

Convinced that discipleship efforts have been haphazard at best and absent too often
Convinced that too many new believers fall through the cracks because they were not assimilated into the Body soon enough nor were they grounded in the Word soon enough,
Convinced that group bible studies are occasionally and randomly life-changing but are not strategically life-changing,
Convinced by twenty years of repeated experience and observation that so-called man-to-man discipleship is far more effective than group-study discipleship,
I am resolved to sustain an ever-growing team of persons who are able to take new believers and struggling believers through a year-long set of basic studies that will make the believer grounded in faith.

My Family

2007-07-31T06:32:00.001-07:00

MICHELLE, my wife, was born-again at the age of thirteen and upon entering college felt called to a life of Christian ministry as a missionary or a ministry wife. When I met her, she has already been working in the inner-city of Tulsa with troubled children and youth as well as serving as a youth ministry intern at her church, Eastwood Baptist Church in Tulsa, OK. Michelle was an Oklahoma All-State vocalist and in fact, I fell in love with her the first time I heard her sing. (It's true!) She has enjoyed teaching small group Bible studies, having recently taught Excellent Wife by Martha Peace and Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. Currently, she teaches Kindergarten Sunday School, the preschool class in our church's AWANA ministry, an elementary children's choir and meets with two women in our church on a weekly basis for one-on-one discipleship. She homeschooled all of our children in their early elementary years. She enjoys writing in her spare time. Her greatest desire, however, is to be a committed help-meet, mother and homemaker.

ABIGAIL (Abbey), my first born was named this which means "father's delight," as a celebration that babies are blessings from God even if they come in times of unemployment! She professed Christ as her Savior and was baptized when she was nine years old. Abbey is becoming a proficient in piano, flute and vocal performance-- having earned I ratings in all of these areas at district and state competitions. She serves as President of our school's FCCLA Parliamentary Procedure team, is the drum major for our high school's marching band and was recently chosen to represent her school as a delegate at Missouri Girls State. Currently, she is in the eleventh grade. She is a prolific and eclectic reader. Abbey is an indispensable help in our household and loves babysitting her baby sister.

TRUETT was named after one of the great expository preachers in Southern Baptist history, George W. Truett, as a tribute to my love for expository preaching. He professed Christ as his Savior and was baptized when he was seven years old. He has become a computer whiz, and can often be found in his bedroom with a computer completely disassembled and lying in parts. He recently placed 1st place at the district FBLA "computer help desk" competition and will soon be competing at the state level! Truett is excelling with his French horn and has recently taken up the drums as well. He enjoys playing drums in our church's youth band. He was voted as student council representative by his class despite the fact that he has taken some very bold stands for Christ as a ninth grader in the public school.

TITUS' full name is Titus Michael which means "giant man of God." He was born prematurely in dire circumstances, but after two weeks in the neonatal unit at Children's Mercy Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, he was released as healthy and suffers no complications today. He professed Christ as his Savior and was baptized when he was seven years old. Titus loves basketball and is a starter for his team. He is the in the 6th grade. He is learning to master the piano and earned a "1" rating playing the French Horn at regional competition last year. Titus enjoys Club Penguin, Playstation and foosball tournaments with his dad and brother. He is also our resident expert brownie and cookie baker.

ANNA'S name means "grace." She was named this because we thought we would never be able to have more children after Titus was born. She professed Christ as her Savior and was baptized when she was seven years old. All of the children were homeschooled during their younger elementary years, and Anna learned at her mother's side until last year when we entered her into the public school as a third grader. She loves knitting, sewing and anything of an arts and crafts nature. Anna is learning to master the piano and loves to sing! She earned the lead role (Captain Andi) last year in the "Third Grade Opera."

JANE is our "gracious gift from God," and her momma affectionately callers her Energizer Baby. She arrived unexpectedly six years after Anna, and although she surprised us, I have rejoiced in the privilege of having another child. I think she's going to look just like her beautiful sister Abbey.

A LITTLE PERSONAL INFO ABOUT ME - I was named after my grandmother Ray's maiden name. If you cut me anywhere, I bleed Arkansas Razorback Red! In school, I excelled musically and academically. I was selected to attend the Arkansas Boy's State and the Arkansas Governor's School for the Gifted and Talented in mathematics. I now enjoy reading history, grilling-out, walking, "Bible-rapping", fishing, hunting, golfing, getting together with my parents and siblings, embarrassing my teenagers on a daily basis and snuggling with my wife while we watch an episode of All Creatures Great and Small. My dad, Herbert Ray, was an attorney during all of my growing up years and surrendered to full time ministry during my senior year in high school. He is now the Minister of Pastoral Care at the First Baptist Church of Bentonville, Arkansas. My sister Ruth is the Women's Ministry Coordinator at the Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugarland, Texas. My other sister JoLynn is a teacher at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, Arkansas. My baby brother John (16 years my younger) recently graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and works on nuclear submarines. The shirts we are wearing in the photo above are from his USNA graduation.

Ministry Emphases

2007-07-31T06:31:00.001-07:00

I. Values Relating to Relationships

Eager openness to new people and the avoidance of cliquishness

The spiritual shepherding by pastors and deaconal care of all our people

A strong attention to bringing up children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord

Student ministry for youth and college, preparing them for courageous Christianity

Honoring and caring for the senior members of our congregation

Being a place where single people can flourish with each other and in families

The beautiful vision of how God designed men and women to complement each other both in and outside of marriage

II. Values Relating to a Spiritual Atmosphere

Making prayer the visible engine of all our efforts in ministry and worship

Personal Bible reading, reflection and memorization among all our people

The persuasion that ideas have consequences and that right thinking fosters right living

The study of sound biblical theology so that we will not be children in our thinking

Being generous, regular, and cheerful in giving to the mission and ministries of the church, encouraging all of us to reach toward the tithe and beyond as God prospers

III. Values Relating to the World Outside and the Larger Christian Movement

Continuous evangelism through our natural web of relationships

Participation in completing the global task of reaching unreached peoples by going

Relentless dreaming of ways to penetrate our area with the beautiful truth of Christ

Careful, clear, fair, biblical thinking about contemporary culture

Bold, balanced, winsome confrontation of our culture's clearly unbiblical elements

A strong commitment to a diverse and balanced prolife engagement with our culture

Sharing personal staff with the wider movement through their writing and speaking

Sustaining our support, fellowship and influence in denominational affilations

IV. Values Relating to Corporate Worship

A public worship form that communicates the supremacy of God in all of life

Fervent, biblical, Spirit-anointed, God-exalted, personal helpful preaching

The importance of old and new music; historic and current; fine and folk

Being a singing people with a growing appreciation for diverse expressions of love of God

Determination to welcome people different from ourselves for the sake of Christ

My Thoughts on Rick Warren

2007-07-31T06:30:00.001-07:00

My Thoughts on (Purpose-Driven) Rick Warren

(This does not constitute as an academic evaluation of his books.)

Rick Warren is the ultimate by-product of the Southern Baptist seminary of the late 20^th Century. He is theologically conservative in his profession of the so-called “fundamentals of the faith.” Yet, as a pragmatist, humanist and innovator, he is setting trends that are theologically flawed.

This characterization of him has sprung in response to his recent and historic best-seller The Purpose-Driven Life. This is the third of his controversial works. The first was the manner in which he established his church, Saddleback Community Church. The second was the impact of his book The Purpose-Driven Church.

The extraordinary growth of Saddleback brought notoriety to Warren and his methods. Most controversial of his methods was the survey and seeker-sensitive guidelines which he followed in organizing the church. Warren advocates finding out what the lost don’t like about conventional churches and then design the church away from what offends and around what pleases the lost. To persons like myself, Warren’s early philosophy reads like pages from the Devil’s handbook for building Babylon.

Nevertheless, reports came to me that by-and-large Warren was committed to sound doctrine and was preaching expository sermons, doing discipleship, and calling sinners to conversion. So, for years, I took Warren with a grain of salt and kept a wary eye on him. Also, I waited for trusted authorities to come forth with indictments against him by name, and for years, none came forth.

The Purpose-Driven Church came out in 1995. It catapulted Warren’s impact on pastors and churches. Suddenly, he was conducting church growth seminars to hundreds via satellite. Churches were attempting to clone themselves after Saddleback. The rumor mill about church discord over innovations started turning. It became a regular experience to hear Convention voices warning pastors not to try to turn their churches into another Saddleback too quickly.

At the time I was mostly aware that the five purposes around which he advocated organizing the church were nothing more than the same five purposes that I had written into the margin of the Bible I was carrying in 1988. That was when I listened to a sermon by Cliff Palmer in which he used Acts 2:41-47 to show the purposes of the original New Testament church. It was an old tape from the 1970s.

So, I concluded that Warren’s outline was not original. He simply took an old well-used interpretation and played it out to the nth degree at his church. As for the use of training classes and covenants, I regarded that as discipleship and accountability with discipline. I thought, “How could that hurt?” So, as late as 1998, I was still ambivalent concerning Rick Warren, and still the trusted authorities were not attacking Warren’s work by name; although, they had begun to refute some of his premises.

In 1998 I was able to witness a church that had gone “purpose-driven.” There, I saw the effect of signing covenants. I saw the fruit of it, and I concluded that it was a “lording” pastoral maneuver. The people acted like they were on a leash. Upon witnessing this, I decided that the signing of covenants was a ministry of “the letter” instead of the Spirit. I became resolved to avoid Warren’s influence on my ministry.

The Purpose-Driven Life was the book that brought out the indictments like nothing had before. Trusted authorities were publishing responses to Warren and his works. My people at Gallatin had read his book and even a discussion group in my church went through it together. Meanwhile, I was simply resolving not to participate in the 40-Days of Purpose hysteria that took the nation by storm.

Initially, I learned a positive impression of the book. It was based on his first assertion in the book that all must learn that life does not revolve around ourselves. He taught that life revolves around God. That’s good, I thought, and I wondered who could condemn that?

I have skimmed through the book, but I have not performed a meticulous analysis of it. So presently there are only two complaints that I can report, but for me these things condemn the book to a category of an unworthy use of paper. My complaints are with the arbitrary use of Bible translations and with his manner of evangelizing his reader. His hermeneutic is so loose that he sets an example to twist scripture to say what you choose. His evangelism does not adequately emphasize repentance, lordship, death to self, humility, and surrender. Warren’s commitment to avoiding the bad news in the gospel is tragic. Like the Trojan horse, the attractive parts are smuggling in the bad influences of Humanism and Pragmatism.

So, Rick Warren and his works continue to be of little value to me.

My Thoughts on Youth Ministry

2007-07-31T06:29:00.002-07:00

Philosophy of Student Ministry

INTRODUCTION

What should be the goal and objective for every church’s student ministry? Without a question, it should be to send high school graduates into the adult world with the following two characteristics:

FIRST, that they are trained in the “spiritual disciplines” of the Christian life.

SECOND, that they “should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine...” (Ephesians 4:14)

Student Ministry is the discipleship strategy of the church for Christians in the years of 7^th grade through 12^th grade. But Student Ministry isn’t just a ministry to teenagers! Student Ministry should also be a ministry for adult Christians who have been discipled and desire to minister to teens. It is a ministry that requires more than teachers. It requires disciplers. It requires servant-gifted members to supply resources for fellowships, plan logistics for large-scale events and retreats, drive vans and buses, etc. It requires members who enjoy sport-oriented fellowship and members who enjoy music-oriented fellowship.

THE ROLE OF RECREATION

America is as recreation-oriented as any society ever. It is nearly the definition of our culture to be playful. It has been a proverb: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” B-a-a-l is how they spelled the name of the Lord’s competitor in Old Testament times. Today we spell it

B-a-l-l. It’s nearly pronounced the same.

The church needs to show its youngsters the true purpose of learning a sport so that they will not foolishly throw their lives away with moving balls around the place. We want boys that grow up into patriarchs, not playboys. So, we show them that sport exists as a servant to fellowship and evangelism. Winning is not the point of sport. The point of sport is forbearance, exercise, and teamwork. It is a great way to enjoy one another. In fact it is a cultural method of communicating affection.

So, I believe Student Ministry should be sensible about employing a moderate amount of recreation.

THE MARKS OF A GOOD STUDENT MINISTRY

FIRST, the graduates are prepared to stand strong in college and at work. They are equipped to recognize worthy mates for marriage. They understand the values that must be in place when they begin reproducing children. Some of the graduates are dedicated to vocational ministry or missions.

SECOND, the younger students are challenged and discipled by the older students. The older students are walking in the spiritual disciplines and bearing fruit from it, including converts.

THIRD, the ministry is well-staffed, and does not rest entirely or nearly entirely on the shoulders of a compensated professional. These adult leaders adopt the kids by going into their homes, hosting them in their homes, remembering their major dates in special ways, supporting them in their sorrows, and praying over their worries. Some of the adults show those who come from bad homes basic things like home repair, baking desserts and breads, hygiene, etc.

FOURTH, it grows relationally. As kids care about kids, the unsaved are brought to Christ, confronted with repentance, lordship, and holiness. Event evangelism where large numbers of lost kids pray a prayer, get baptized, and flood the youth group with their perversions kills a good student ministry. A strong Student Ministry might add large numbers weekly if many lives are being touched individually, evangelized, and discipled, but it will only jeopardize the ministry if kids are being added in packs. Unchurched kids need to have direct evangelistic attention that calls for repentance and discipleship as soon as they become a regular presence.

Worship

2007-07-31T06:29:00.001-07:00

The Expression of True Worship

We were created to worship God! In a day where there are many varying opinions on what makes a “good worship service,” I feel that I need to be upfront on what I desire to see from the people whom I shepherd.

First, let me illustrate. Suppose I were to come home on the day of my wedding anniversary, ring the door bell and present my wife with a beautiful bouquet of roses-- one rose for each year that we’ve been married. As I hold out the rose display, Michelle responds with, “For me? Oh, these are beautiful! But why so much?” To which I reply, “It’s my duty that I buy these for you each year.”

This attitude of duty is exactly what I am trying to avoid as I teach and model true worship to my people. The generous, cheerful, sacrificial financial gift of the Philippians was “a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.”(Phil 4:18) The serious risk one takes with “freeze-dried” worship is that the ritual and routine make the worship easy and rote. False, carnal worship is ANY method that indulges the flesh’s appetite for ease, convenience, and entertainment and encourages absent mindedness, distraction and boredom. History illustrates that worship is ever changing. I believe that the explosion of God-centered Davidic psalms in the praise choruses that have come out in the last 40 years is caused by God and that they have their forerunner in Eph 5:19, Col, 3:16, (“. . .speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”) and in ancient Hebrew worship. Hand-clapping and hand-raising have a biblical precedent and in fact are commanded in Scripture! I know and love the hymns because of their doctrinal richness and recognize their importance in worship of the last 500 years.

I desire that the worship service be an exuberant blend (emphasis on exuberant) of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (choruses.)

Philosophy of Ministry

2007-07-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

written by Scott Ardavanis and Rick Carbonneau edited by Spencer Ray PM-1. The Pillars – the presumed, non-negotiable truths upon which we stand. PM-2. The Passions – The heart attitudes of a godly ministry PM-3. The Purposes – The reason for our church and ministry’s existence PM-4. The Product – How the purpose is to be lived out PM-1. The Pillars of a Biblical Ministry For the body to function, it has to have a focus. It has to have a structure. There are non-negotiable truths of a biblical ministry. One must have a propositional understanding of several crucial doctrinal distinctives if one is to end up with a thoroughly biblical ministry. These doctrinal distinctives are the pillars of a biblical ministry in that they support and sustain from week-to-week and year-to-year the ongoing behavior of a thoroughly apostolic Christian ministry. They cannot be compromised in any way. To deny or water down any of these distinctives is to destroy the very foundation upon which one builds a biblical ministry. The pillars are: I. Respecting The Absolute Authority of Scripture It is absolutely imperative that we come to the conviction that God’s Word is the plenary (fully), verbally (every word), infallible (without error) inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This means that we must recognize the total sufficiency of the Bible for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:1-4) This means that God’s Word is authoritative – we must do what it says; it is relevant for every situation. Questions to consider: 1. Do we humbly and willingly submit to the authority of the Word of God, as opposed to regarding the Bible merely as a collection of inspiring and uplifting lessons? 2. Are we developing a passion to know God’s Word and conform our lives to its teaching? 3. Are we preaching in such a way as to model our absolute dependency upon the sufficiency of God’s Word? 4. Do we teach the Bible with authority, as opposed to merely discussing its content in an “equivocal” or “undecided” manner? (Compare to Jesus, Matthew 7:28, 29. Also see Titus 2:15.) 5. Are we aware of the philosophical movements of our day that the Devil has sent to undermine the authority of the Bible? II. Emphasizing God’s glory and the Centrality of Christ The crowning element of all of God’s attributes is the glory of God. God’s character and attributes as revealed in Scripture and confirmed by creation must be at the core of any ministry. We must know and understand who God is and what He is like to bring His name glory and honor. Churches exist in part to bear witness to the identity of the one true and living God. The term “God” is becoming generic in our day and is applied to all deities of all religions. Our ministry must sustain ongoing instruction concerning the unique distinctives of the true God. The second-most vital distinctive of the true God is that He is triune, and the most glorious aspect of His glory is the person and work of His only begotten Son. Setting us apart from every other faith is the personal relationship and the oneness which we share with Christ. We are His Bride. We are His Body. He is our Head. We are temples of His Spirit. Our entire hope of forgiveness and eternal life depends on Christ. However, the church today has become a “user friendly church” catering to the needs of humanity as a gospel-marketing ploy, rather than an organism which presents a high view of God. In the day and age of trying to make the church relevant, fun, politically correct, socially acceptable, or seeker-oriented, observers and participants of church life often fail to be confronted by God’s holiness and their own sinfulness. The church exists to exalt and glorify God and give Jesus the preeminence He deserves (Col. 1:18) Questions to consider: 1. Does our teaching respect and reflect the character of God or does it cater to man’s preferred imaginations of God? 2. Are we developing a reverence for the character of God or is He simply a nice guy who’s glad and relieved that we are a part of His team? 3. By comparing the interests and conversations of our members today with those of previous years, can we observe a growing degree of healthy attitudes toward God, namely fearing God, loving God, and desiring God? III. Taking A Right View of Man Man is created in God’s image (Gen. 1:26), yet sinful, depraved, and corrupt to the core (Eph. 2:1, Rom. 3:10–11, Jer. 17:9). Not every person is as evil as humanly possible, but every person without exception has every aspect of his identity and works stained and damaged by his own sinful nature. (Isaiah 53:6. 64:6) The grace of God is the only source for sinful man’s initial salvation and progress in the Christian life. The church that fails to correctly understand the nature of man may accidentally foster rebellion against religion. It may neglect to do God’s work God’s way because it does not realize that no other way is sufficient to meet man’s spiritual needs. The church that fails to correctly understand the nature of man will likely take a positive view of human wisdom and human ingenuity, particularly those public institutions that exist to cure the ills of human society. This leads to viewing secular charities and government programs through “rose-colored glasses.” This problem explains how our country throws billions of dollars at problems like crime and yet fails to improve our national morals. The church that fails to correctly understand the nature of man creates a ministry focused on man’s needs rather than the glory of God. The church that attempts to directly meet man’s need will fail. However, the church that excels in representing the glory of God will indirectly meet man’s spiritual needs due to the fact that only by experiencing the glory of God in His grace can man’s spiritual needs be met. Ministries that operate with a wrong view of Man allow a shallow view of God, fail to appreciate the necessity of doing God’s work God’s way, foster in others an incorrect view of man, and create congregations that are consumer-oriented rather than God-oriented. These congregations ask not what they can do for their church, but rather ask what else can this church do for me? They whine about climate control settings and music volume levels and ask, “What has this church done for me lately?” Eventually such persons will fall away because their spiritual needs are not being met. Questions to consider: 1. Is the goal of our teaching to confront sin, preach faith in God, and to promote the pursuit of holiness – or, to please people by making them feel good about themselves? 2. What is Man’s real need? IV. Nourished in Sound Doctrine The fourth non-negotiable pillar of a biblical ministry is sound doctrine. Because we believe in the absolute authority of Scripture and are committed to glorify God, then we must teach doctrine. The teachings of God’s Word are sound doctrine, meaning that they are healthy ideas the promote healthy spirituality. Good beliefs produce good behavior. The Apostle Paul exhorted Timothy with this same thought: “...You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of faith and of sound doctrine which you have been following.” (1 Tim. 4:6) God’s Spirit has chosen to use God’s Word to generate and energize godliness in our lives. A shallow understanding of sound doctrine leads to a very shallow life. “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17) If the saints are going to be able to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7), then they must be trained in how to understand the ways of God. Faith-walking and seeking God’s will is entirely dependent upon being sober-minded and intelligently considering the mind of God. For example... For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:4 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him... Those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:5-9 Questions to consider: 1. Do our brethren have a basic understanding of theology? How would you test them? 2. Could our brethren articulate our doctrinal statement? How many of them even know whether we have a doctrinal statement? 3. Do our brethren know what is a catechism? If so, would the church oppose a catechism program? V. The Pursuit of Personal Holiness If we expect God’s work to get done, then we need to know that we cannot live half-committed Christian lives and expect God to bless His church. God desires His people to be “...a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, (then) that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Paul exhorted Titus in a similar manner “...who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purity for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:14) The prerequisite of being a powerful church in the community is being a holy people. God will not build my church or your church. He will only build His church, and His church is a holy Bride. (Eph. 5:27) There is a positional holiness that has been applied to us through the sprinkling of Christ’s blood. There is a progressive holiness that is brought about through instruction, accountability, spiritual growth, and discipline. There is a perfect holiness that will be accomplished at the Resurrection. A. First Contemporary Concern: the Priority in Holiness The type of holiness to which we refer as one of the pillars of a biblical ministry is the one for which each Christian has a personal responsibility, namely the progressive holiness. This holiness would include outward, visible issues like business ethics, moral purity, modesty, good manners, abstinence from addictions, hygiene and sanitation, etc. But most importantly, it refers to spiritual attitudes. A sample list would include: Obedience Humility Love Unity Joy Peace Merciful Thankfulness Self-discipline Accountable Forgiving Willingness to serve Dependence Flexibility Fearing God Desiring God Hope Faithfulness Submissive Desiring growth B. Second Contemporary Concern: a Procedure for Holiness Jesus only mentioned the church two times by the word “church.” The second time was while He gave instructions for church discipline. He intended this procedure to begin with private encounters that exert accountability. This practice is relevant for any bad behavior or attitude that has become a habit. He said that if repeated confrontations fail to persuade them to repent that the matter should come up for review before the church. He said that if the church agrees that the habit is bad, and if the person still refuses to repent, then he should be informed that he is in the bondage of the Devil and he should be put out of the fellowship of the church until he repents. We mention this because it is being neglected by nearly every church in America today. Questions to consider: 1. Do our brethren understand the importance of the power of a holy church? 2. Are we willing to confront open and defiant sin and follow through with its consequences? VI. Deference to Spiritual Authority Every church has a core group of movers and shakers. Sometimes these persons are called “power brokers” because of their ability to use their tongue to sway large numbers of members to a particular way of thinking. Others have been labeled “turf-shepherds.” These persons have a highly developed sense of protection and sense of vision for their local church. Various ungodly factors for the acquisition of influence are: the result of being “territorial” personalities, the result of spiritual pride that presumes to knowing what’s best, the result of a longevity of membership that leads to a sense of ownership in the name and history of the church, being loyal to the previous generation of movers and shakers, being weak and easily manipulated, and the congregation’s appreciation for one’s prestige, education, wealth, popular personality, etc. Such worldly criteria have poisoned and paralyzed many churches that were “up and coming” and had achieved the kind of notoriety that attracts carnal seekers of power. The final pillar of a biblical ministry is an understanding that Christ is the Head of the church (Eph. 1:22, 4:15), and that He mediates His rule (in the church) through a plurality of godly men. Christ has made a distinction between church members who are “shepherds” and those who are “sheep.” In one sense, we are all sheep. Yet in another sense, some of us are accountable in a way that the rest are not for how the church is lead.(Hebrews 13:17) This is why the apostles told the church members to obey the others who “rule” over you. (Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24. 1 Thess. 5:12, 13) One cannot ignore the necessity of having godly leadership and still receive God’s blessing. In New Testament times, these men of the church were designated by several titles. Because of their maturity, they were called “elders.” Because of their authority, they were called “overseers.” Because of their duty, they were called “shepherds.” In civil society such persons are called “governors and kings.” In the home such persons are called “parents.” Questions to consider: 1. Have we noticed the “spirit of lawlessness” that pervades in our society? Have we noticed the gaping absence of respect among children today? 2. Have we noticed the common malady of homes without fathers? Of homes where the father’s example and witness of Christian conviction is weak and passive? 3. Does our church have a group of male leaders who are recognized by the flock because of their example of godliness and tender care for the flock of God? 4. Have we ever studied the difference between the role and function of elders and that of deacons? 5. Are we aware of the philosophical movements of our day that the Devil has sent to undermine the practice of deferring to male leadership? PM-2. The Passions of a Biblical Ministry The biggest difference between Christ and the Pharisees is His emphasis on the internals rather than the externals. This was also a controversy between Paul and the Judaizers. The Devil seems to desire to make the people of God value visible, public expressions of faith more than the inward, private expressions of faith. Jesus taught us to fast secretly by keeping our outward appearance well-groomed. He taught us to pray in the closet. He taught us to keep our charitable donations a matter of secrecy. In the Sermon on the Mount He preached the necessity for our righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees. He said that the law against murder also forbid hatred and verbal abuse. He said that the law against adultery also forbid lust. So, when we think about holiness in any aspect of life, we must begin with the inward attitudes of the heart. Even more important than what we do as Christians is the motivation and attitude with which we do it. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 teaches us that great preaching and martyrdom and large donations to the poor are worthless if we have not love. Even Christ made the point that the two greatest commandments did not pertain to actions. Rather, they pertain to expressions of the heart, soul, and mind. The Church should not be known foremost for its actions, but for its attitudes, its passions. The passions of our hearts will issue forth in the practices we have been instructed to express. A list of bad attitudes and worldly passions for which churches have been known would include: bigotry, snobbery, elitism, prosperity, materialism, angry, unfriendly, superstitious, apathetic, uncaring, contentious, dutiful, cliquish, etc. What are the passions that should be our goal? 1. Loving God This is the most important passion to be kindled. We must do all that we can to stoke the fire of one another’s adoration, admiration, and affection for the person known as God. There should be no doubt who is the center of each person’s little universe. All that we do is aimed to help others move from being self-centered to being God-centered. Jesus called this the First and Greatest commandment. James 1:12 says that the crown of life is promised to “those who love Him.” The apostle Paul even pronounced a curse on anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 16:22) 2. Obedience Jesus taught us that if we love Him, we will obey Him. (John 14:21, 23) He even went so far as to say, “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:14) Sometimes, Paul would speak of obeying the gospel rather than believing the gospel, as if they were synonymous. Of course, James wrote that faith without works is dead. (James 2:17-20) Paul would not disagree. (Romans 2:6-10) Jesus’ invitation to salvation was expressed in terms of surrender when He called us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. (Matthew 11:28-30) The Great Commission commands the church to go, make disciples, and teach them to observe all of Christ’s commandments. (Matthew 28:19) 3. Fearing God This passion was taught throughout the Bible. It was rekindled when God killed Ananias and Sapphira. (Acts 5:1-11) It is one of the great motivators of Christian behavior. It is kindled by knowledge of the doctrine of Hell. Jesus said that we should consider gouging the eye and cutting off the hand to stop habitual sin and to avoid Hell. Galatians 6 warns us about sowing and reaping, stating that God is not mocked. We are told that believers’ works shall be judged. 4. Hating Sin Romans 12:9 bluntly commands us to do this. But seriously, since Jesus died for sin, is it not easy to hate it? Sin has hurt so many lives. There is a productive benefit in being hungry and thirsty for righteousness. There is a danger in becoming complacent about anything that transgresses the will of God. 5. Desiring God This expression is found often in the Psalms. David wanted to experience the power of God in His life. (Psalm 42. 63) Paul wanted to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in his ministry and life. (Philippians 3:10) God is available for more than admiration. He wants to have fellowship with us. He wants to help us. He wants us to pray for His blessings. He wants us to seek Him for revival and for cleansing. God is a person whose presence and power should be sought. This happens as we seek His face as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hannah did. How often are told to wait on the LORD? It should be one of the passions for which we are known, to the extent that we are famously praying without ceasing. 6. Seeking the Kingdom Of all the things we should seek to obtain in desiring God, Jesus gave us which one is first in our search. He said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) He modeled it in “The Lord’s Prayer” when He said, “Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Since His kingdom exists in the hearts of men, this passion is first of all a passion for the salvation of souls. It goes on to include a desire for their training in righteousness. Its ultimate desire is to see one’s entire nation converted and exhibiting the lordship of Christ on earth. This passion was the Puritan’s vision for America. In her early years, America came the closest of any nation in history to experiencing Kingdom conditions. But we should seek it in our own life histories and in our homes as well as in our community. 7. Excellence Much of our lives are spent attending to our responsibilities. As representatives of God and as servants of God who is ruling over everything in our lives, our sense of honor should compel us to put forth the best effort. Let us never settle for “being good enough” or to “get by.” Philippians 2:10 mentions the goal of preferring the “things that are excellent.” It is an important passion for our lives. In fact, it would be one way that we “love God with all our strength.” The church should be known for always aiming to do it right, to do it God’s way. Titus was left on Crete by Paul to spend time with the churches to “set in order the things that are lacking.” (Titus 1:5) Related to this is the passion of diligence to detail and vigilance for error. 8. Compassion for Others The first seven passions refer to our love for God. The second greatest commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself. Caring for others is the antidote for “walking in the flesh.” (Galatians 5:13) Caring for others is the cure for church disunity. (Philippians 2:1-4) Caring for fellow church members is how the world knows we are Christians. (John 13:34, 35) Caring for the lost is a vital motivation for winning the unsaved to Christ. (Romans 9:1-3. 10:1) As important as evangelism, church unity, and personal holiness are, it nearly goes without saying that compassion for others is a passion that must always be cultivated. 9. Confident Hope Paul instructed us in Romans 12:12, “rejoicing in hope.” Death holds no fear in the life of a believer. Because of Christ’s sacrificial death on a cross, he defeated sin and the power of sin enabling the believer to have hope. The church must never lose confidence in the promises of God. We must never lose confidence in the eternal reward. We must never let the world intimidate us to being ashamed of our faith and its instructions. We must never forget that our God reigns! We have a living hope. (1 Peter 1:3) Christ is our hope of righteousness. (Galatians 5:5) Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) 10. Humility The Devil has many tricks. One of them is to make believers proud. If he cannot intimidate us and destroy our confident hope, then he will push us to the opposite of fear. He will seduce us to pride. But God resists the proud. Even the world ignores the proud Christian. God gives grace to the humble. So much of the Lord’s commands pertain to self-denial, meekness, and valuing persecution. We are taught that trials are a blessing. God gives grace to the humble. So, it is important that we be vigilant to the tendency to turn the church into one big memorial to ourselves, a monument to our devotion to God. We must guard against being self-willed. We must guard against being impatient with one another’s weaknesses. Humility is a passion to be practiced with zealous dedication. This means going out of our way to be self-effacing and anonymous. PM-3. The Purposes of a Biblical Ministry “Purpose” refers to reasons for the existence of something. Our understanding of the purpose or purposes of the church is derived from considering the pillars that support it and the passions that energize it. These are indicative, but not entirely defining of the purpose. Ultimately the purpose is discovered by observing the comments of scripture that state clearly the purposes of the church. Some would say that our purpose is to win souls. Others would say that worship is more important and can be defined to include winning souls. Others would use the word “ministry” in a loose way to include worship, soul-winning, along with discipleship, charity, and many other things. So, they would say the church’s purpose is to minister. A close look at church budgets might suggest that the purposes of the church are: a.) to support a pastor who does the ministering, b.) to maintain the utilities and upkeep of the facilities that enable church activities, c.) to provide literature for teachers, d.) to sponsor teen programs, e.) to support denominational programs. Humorously, a pastor described the ministry as “to hatch, match, patch, and dispatch.” Seriously, the casual church observer might presume that the purpose of the church is to provide religious experiences for those feeling a need for God in their lives. Biblical basis for defining our purposes Pastors will be required to give an accounting to the Lord for the souls of the flock. (Hebrews 13:17) Also, the elders of the church at Ephesus were told “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God...” (Acts 20:28) Heed for the flock of God should follow some criteria of evaluation. Similarly, Paul told Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” (Colossians 4:17) In order to “fulfill” one’s ministry, he must have a criteria of evaluation by which he may conclude whether he is doing all that he should do. Benefits of defining our list of purposes It helps us focus. It helps us spread our resources evenly and appropriately. It helps us be balanced. It helps us evaluate the health of the church. It helps us maximize our opportunity to cooperate with God. I like how Rick Warren puts it: “A clear purpose builds morale, reduces frustration, allows concentration, attracts cooperation, and assists evaluation.”1 I. The One Foundational Purpose of the Church The Church is very important. It is called “the Bride of Christ.” This typifies the love relationship between us and Christ. It also typifies the reason for the existence of the Church. The Church exists because of salvation, and salvation has been given “to the praise of His glory.” This is stated three times in Ephesians chapter one. (1:6, 12, 14) This means that all of the grace that God has bestowed upon us serves to bring honor to Him. So, God’s redemptive plan has created the church to the effect that He is glorified. This is the foundational purpose of the Church. Ephesians 3:19, 20 contains a doxology in which the purpose of the church is included. He prays for God that to Him “be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” This is a reasonable choice of words because God is glorified through the Church. Simon Peter put this thought another way. In 1 Peter 2:9, 10 Peter rattles off a list of descriptions of the Church. He said: 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. We exist as a distinct set of people because God bestowed mercy, and He did it so that we might proclaim the praises of Him. We regard this purpose as preeminent because of something which Jesus said. He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37, 38) The preeminence of this life purpose is also indicated in the instructions which the apostle Paul gave to the Corinthian church, where he wrote: “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) Jesus told us to let our light shine before men so that when they see our good works, they will glorify God in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16) The prophet Habakkuk recorded this word of God, namely, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the water covers the sea.” (2:14) We are even told that the election of the church does not include very many glorious individuals so that rather than boasting of human members of the church, all boasting and glory will center upon Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) So, these are the biblical reasons why we conclude that the glory of God is the primary purpose for the Church. The Westminster Confession is one of many doctrinal confessions that has ever been written. It states: “The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Illustration: Should the Church be compared to a beehive or to a football program? When the church is compared to a beehive, we say that the “queen bee” is the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the drones are all church members. There is equality among members and Christ alone is honored. When the church is compared to a football program, we say that the head coach is Christ, the coaching staff are the pastors and deacons, the charter members/veteran members/biggest givers are the “first string,” the newer active attenders are the second string, and the least active members are the benchwarmers. Such a way of thinking celebrates human contributions but it competes with the glory of Christ. It maintains such a series of levels between Christ and the benchwarmers that Christ ceases to be the center of attention. Application: We need to eschew the pagan obsession with hero worship. This world’s obsession with erecting monuments and memorials should not become the purpose of our church property. Let all that we do be credited directly to Christ and His Father for we are merely extensions of His headship and our primary purpose is to do what? To glorify God. II. The Five Functional Purposes of the Church “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit...” – John 15:8 God is glorified by the productivity of the Church. Of course He is glorified with such growth because it is the effect of abiding in Christ. As the Vine, He is the producer of our output.(John 15) Not only are we called the Bride of Christ, but we are also called the Body of Christ. Christ is our Head and we are His Body. He coordinates us. (1 Corinthians 12) Similarly, He is the Vine and we are the branches. In both metaphors, we are seen as appendages through which He grows things. Fruit is the growth produced, and this growth glorifies God. What kind of growth glorifies God? There are many ways to answer this question, but the following list seems to be an acceptable way to organize the witness of scripture. The five kinds of growth are: A. Growing warmer through FELLOWSHIP B. Growing deeper through DISCIPLESHIP C. Growing stronger through WORSHIP D. Growing broader through MINISTRY E. Growing larger through EVANGELISM2 These kinds of growth are illustrated in Acts 2:42-47. Pastors have referred to these five factors as lessons on church growth for many, many years. The outcome of such behavior is recorded in 2:47 with the words, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Imagine a minimum of 365 additions to membership per year! It is also interesting to look at the two sections of scripture which have come to be known as “The Great Commandments” and the “The Great Commission.” They read: Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen. – Matthew 28:18-20 Consider this breakdown of the verses: Fellowship – baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit Worship – You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Discipleship – teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you Ministry – You shall love your neighbor as yourself Evangelism – Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations These seem to be in the most general terms, the five functional purposes of the Church. It is hoped that all that we do as a Church would be classified as fulfilling at least one of these five things. Footnotes 1. Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Church, 86-95. 2. Ibid, 49. PM-4. The Product of Our Biblical Ministry Introduction When church leaders evaluate the programs and strategies of the Church’s ministries, they need to know and remember what a biblical ministry should be trying to produce. Life has a way of teaching organizations the danger of getting away from their main business. As the saying goes, “You need to dance with what brung ya!” Also, remembering the desired product is helpful as a way of evaluating your plans, expense of money, use of manpower, and investment of time. If we were trying to produce a large savings account, then we would manipulate our ministry in favor of financial profit. If we were trying to build and maintain the most spectacular edifice in town so that by having the greatest building in town God would be the most honored, then we would gear everything in favor of currying the favor of the rich and toward acquiring money for savings. If we were trying to establish an everlasting memorial to the saintly citizens of this town, then we would cover every church item with brass plaques commemorating each member of the church. If we thought our only purpose was to win souls, then we would only be interested in baptisms and additions to the church membership roll. We might not worry about prayer meeting attendance. We might not worry about the absence of a Discipleship Training program. We might not care about the absence of a new believer/new members training class. We might not care about Sunday School attendance, and we might not waste money and time on having the Evening Worship service. If we were trying to prove the superiority of the Baptist way, then we might do whatever it took to attract and keep the largest congregation in town. If we viewed the church as a fundraising machine for foreign missions, then we might reduce all local expenditures to “bare bones” and channel as much as possible to mission boards. We need to think about what it is that we exist to produce. If we can agree upon the final authority of the Word of God in matters of faith and practice, then we must consider what end products were stated by New Testament ministers as their goal. If we do not resort to the biblical answers, then the church is doomed to disunity and failure. This is because the Bible is the only thing among us that is timeless and stands above cultural, local, and selfish agendas. Let us consider then the examples of the Apostles. I. Spiritual Maturity The church is not a business, and will never be a business, but through the agency of the Word of God by means of the Spirit of God our ministry should be that of producing spiritual maturity. The apostle Paul stated his purpose for his ministry in his letter to the Colossians: And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man, and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28). Paul’s purpose in ministry was to produce spiritual maturity. Paul uses the word “complete” to speak of spiritual maturity. The Greek word telios means: “Having reached it’s end, finished, mature, complete, perfect” (Abbot-Smith) In contrast to such condition of spiritual maturity, the Apostles evaluated some of us as “babes.” Matthew recorded Jesus’ words concerning the protection of spiritual babes in Matthew 18:6, But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Jesus’ words continue in vv. 7-14 on the danger of stronger brethren causing weaker brethren to stumble. 1 Corinthians 8 addresses an ethical responsibility to weaker brethren. In 1 Corinthians 3:1 the Apostle Paul says, And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it; and even now you are still not able... Also, the Apostle Peter spoke of spiritual growth when he wrote: “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby...” (1 Peter 2:2) Concerning the election of bishops, Paul instructed us to avoid ordination of “novices.” (1 Timothy 3:6) Within the family of God there are those who are children in spirit and those who are mature in spirit. Spiritual children are “tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” (Ephesians 4:14) This refers to our church members who cannot state and explain the doctrines of our faith as pastors and deacons do at their ordaining councils. They cannot detect a false doctrine when they hear it. Perhaps the definitive text on the difference between the babes in Christ and the mature in Christ is Hebrews 5:12-14 which says: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Application: Perhaps we should pause and consider these questions: “Am I growing in maturity? Am I mature in Christ?” II. Christ-likeness Is maturity merely a matter of knowledge and education? In other words, can spiritual maturity be proven by a seminary degree? No. God did not reveal the truth merely to give us doctrine. God gave us truth, which results in doctrine, which produces life. Life – abundant life – is the desired product of the truth. As Hebrews 5:14 mentioned, we need to discern both good and evil. God wants good in our life, not evil. Truth produces good, and error produces evil. To put this another way, the meaning of spiritual maturity is not simply “sound doctrine” but its by-product, namely, Christ-likeness. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:13, Be edified until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Therefore, the Apostle Paul is saying that spiritual maturity is synonymous with Christ-likeness. Or simply put, spiritual maturity is Christ-likeness. Our ministry should exist so that as we seek to glorify God our people will become more and more like Jesus Christ. Of course, this takes place by the sanctifying work of the Word of God through the Spirit of God. And we know that God is the one ultimately responsible to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). God has also promised that He will perfect us until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6) And yet, Paul as a leader, through the manifold ministry of the church sought in his ministry of the Word to bring people to Christ-likeness. To the Galatians he testified: My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you. (4:19-20) A. Christ-likeness in General Terms The big question is this: What is Christ-likeness? What does it look like? What are the tangibles that we might see lived out as people seek to become more like Christ? Is it a man like the character in the movie Jesus of Nazareth, a misty somber character who goes around saying parables and doing good deeds? Since Christ was a man, what is a Christ-like woman? To begin to answer these questions, we need to compare several scriptures. In Romans 8:29-30 we learn that God’s eternal purpose in saving us was that we “be conformed to the image of His Son,” which specifically refers to Christ-likeness. Compare this however to Ephesians 1:4 which teaches us that we were chosen before the foundation of the world “that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” Now, unless there is a difference between Christ-likeness and being holy, we could safely conclude that holiness is a synonym to Christ-likeness. Titus 2:11-14 seems to confirm this conclusion as it says, For the grace of God that bring salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. This passage seems to make holiness, as it is described in fuller detail, the effect and purpose of our salvation. Either holiness and Christ-likeness are the same or scripture is contradicting itself as to God’s purpose in saving us. We believe they are the same. In Philippians 3 Paul spoke of the new and Christian priority of his life since being saved. Rather than ritual perfection being his priority, similarity to Christ was his focus. He said, Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death... Notice that knowing and experiencing Christ was the focus of his mind. Now see how this focus generated a single-minded pursuit of perfection as he writes: Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. Paul did not study many books on holy living. Instead, he studied Christ and by keeping his mind focused on the perfect example of Christ, he became transformed into the likeness of Christ. He even stated as much in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he wrote: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. To summarize these things, Paul is saying that instead of taking his lessons on morality from the traditions of his forefathers and his religious culture, he put all of his hope in Christ. He continually studied Christ alone and as a result his mental focus on Christ was creating a transformation into the likeness of Christ. B. Christ-likeness in Specific Terms The characteristics of holiness and godliness are stated in specific terms in several lists throughout the New Testament. Also, characteristics can be drawn from the specific commands of the New Testament that instruct us how Christ wants us to be and to do. For the sake of helpful instruction, we shall organize these things as follows. First, in their character MEN Generally As Bishops -Sensible -Above Reproach -Example of good deeds -One woman Man -Pure in doctrine -Temperate -Dignified -Prudent -Sound in speech -Respectable -Hospitable As Deacons -Able to Teach -Men of dignity -Not addicted to wine -Not double-tongued -Not one who punches -Not addicted to much wine -Gentle -Not fond of sordid gain -Not Quarrelsome -Holding to the mystery of the -Free from the love of money Faith with a clear conscience -Managing your household -Beyond reproach -Good reputation outside the church -Not a new convert WOMEN Generally Deacon’s Wives -Lovers of husband -Dignified -Lovers of children -Not malicious gossips -Sensible -Temperate -Pure -Faithful in all things -Workers at home -Kind -Submissive to husband Second, in their priorities -Focused on eternity -Left on this earth for Great Commission -Word and prayer are disciplines Third, in their mindset -Excellence in every area of life -Devoted to high standards: choosing the best, not just good or “getting by” -Motivated to grow in godliness -Always teachable, a learner -Humble spirit -Love for God’s Church, Christ’s Bride -Always thankful: counting blessings rather than losses Fourth, in their heart -Seeker of God (attends Church) -Broken and contrite -Soft, tender before God -Manifests humility Fifth, in their finances -Not making it a habit of living on borrowed money -Disciplined with money -Understanding the joy of giving to God and others -Generous to meet needs -Finding ways to save -A lifestyle that is balanced, not materialistic, not controlled by fads and impulse buying -Laying up treasures in Heaven -Cultivating good habits of spending/budgeting Sixth, in their emotions -Stable Christians -Persevering the storms of life -Responding to the Word of God and to truth, not to emotional feelings and pleas. Seventh, in their relationships -Purity in all male/female relationships -Integrity in all business dealings -Putting others as more important than self; seeing service as your life purpose -Committed to keeping peace in the body of Christ -Focusing on other’s needs and not your own -Always trying to understand one another’s perspectives and feelings -A right attitude toward parents Eighth, in Faithfulness -Doing the little things well -Keeping your word -Following through with priorities and disciplines -Reliable -Faithful with things, faithful with people Ninth, in Teachability -Hungry for Truth: to grow, to change, to apply Truth -Realizing that you’ve never arrived at perfection -Seeking out mature role models -Always learning from those who have gone before us

My Thoughts on the Bible

2007-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Teaching of Sound Doctrine

A. The Sufficiency of Scripture
Christians are not supposed to be “Bible Worshipers.” But “How can a young man cleanse His way? By taking heed according to Your Word . . . Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”(Psa 119:9, 11) And how can a person become blessed by God? “Blessed is the man who is Separated from the World(Psa 1:1), Saturated by the Word(Psa 1:2), and Situated by the Waters(Psa 1:3). Every church that is distinguished by an exceptional appetite for Bible Study will be a church exceptionally useful to God. Progress in spiritual maturity is determined by what one is hearing.(Rom 10:17, Gal, 3:2-5). I believe that the diagnoses and therapy of Psychology too often uses human opinions contradicting the Truth while attempting to solve moral and spiritual problems far too complicated for human wisdom. “God’s divine power has given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”(2 Pet 1:16-19) Praise the Lord for this hope! Remember the scripture.(2 Pet 1:12 - 15) Respect the authority of Scripture.(2 Pet 1:16 - 19) Realize the inspiration of Scripture.(2 Pet 1:20 - 21) Recognize the false alternatives to Scripture.(2 Pet 2:1-3) I believe the competitors to the ministry of the Bible today are the nation’s over-enjoyment of sports and TV, and its overly complicated lifestyles.

B. Preaching
Because I believe the sermon ought to be divine, and because our goal is to submit to the apostle’s doctrine (Acts 2:42, Heb 2:2-4), I am unswervingly committed to the delivery of timely, relevant expositions rather than shallow “sermonettes”. (Sermonettes are for Christianettes.) Because Scripture was given verse-by-verse, I prefer this plan over topical preaching. Nevertheless, I do preach on family, doctrinal and various ethical topics as the Lord leads. Preaching should be more worshipful than relational; theological rather than psychological; and God-centered rather than Man-centered. I labor to prepare messages in context with God and the Scriptures, not with Man and the World.

C. Fellowship
Unity is not easy to maintain when sound doctrine is prized. “Only birds of a feather will flock together,” so the old saying goes. New wine cannot remain in old wineskins. (Matt 9:17) Only the Truth will set men free. The pastor’s primary tasks are to proclaim sound doctrine so that the lives of God’s people do not discredit the gospel(Titus 2) and to direct God’s church toward both the unity of the faith(Eph 5:27) and the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus(Phil 3:14). In light of my convictions and priorities, can we walk together?

My Thoughts on Pastoral Counseling

2007-04-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

My Thoughts On Pastoral Counseling

There are many verses of God’s Scripture that inform my approach to counseling. That I approach counseling the way I do is driven by a point of view found in two key verses. These key verses are 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 and 2 Peter 1:2-4.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 say, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” The Spirit of Truth is the genius of Christianity, or in other words, the success of the gospel of Jesus Christ should be attributed only to the active and sanctifying work of divine grace.

2 Peter 1:2-4 say, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” These verses assert boldly that everything a believer needs to escape the corruption of this world is found in the precious promises of the Scriptures of God. The Holy Spirit has imparted to believers the divine nature by which we are able to appropriate the escape.

Therefore, my approach in counseling is to seek out the “stinkin’ thinkin’” that is poisoning the person. I also seek to identify the carnal and worldly attitudes that need to be removed. As these are identified, the put off/put on procedure mentioned in Ephesians 4 is put into effect.

The “put off” portion of the procedure utilizes what some call the principles of “The Crucified Life.” We talk about dying to ourselves: confession, sacrifices, surrender, accountability, serving, God-centeredness, and self-discipline.

In the “put on” portion I draw from what some call the principles of “The Abundant Life.” These have also been called the Spirit-filled life, abiding in the Vine, the spiritual disciplines, and spiritual formations. The focus is to develop the spiritual discipline(s) in the person that will bring freedom from sin. The hope is that there is healing power in walking in the fullness of the Spirit.

I do not believe pastoral counseling can be expected to be effective with those who are being forced to meet with the pastor, namely children.

I seek to discern and respect the difference between spiritual problems (sometimes called “social/personality disorders” or “depression”) and medical problems. I believe spiritual problems are rooted in sinful ideas, attitudes and choices. Also, spiritual problems are present when medication has failed to help. I believe medical kinds of counseling needs are related to hormones, nutrition, bodily health, diseases, physical injuries, and pain. In such cases I will advise my brethren to seek the advice of their family physician.