What Jesus Says About You

Believe what Jesus says about you. This has been a theme that has been running through my head for a couple of weeks now. God has been using this phrase recently to encourage me and to use me to encourage others. 

Satan wants nothing more than for us to feel defeated. He wants nothing more than for us to throw in the towel. Just give up. Our adversary says we are not good enough. Not smart enough. Not strong enough. He tells us to quit trying because we will never succeed. He reminds us of our failures and assures us that we will indeed fail again. 

Jesus tells us that He is enough. He is good enough, smart enough, and strong enough. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Jesus told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." When we become his disciples, we are promised that he will never give up on us. When we fall, he is strong enough to pick us up, dust us off, and lift our heads.

We are called his children, his beloved. The Word of God assures us that before Christ, all we had to offer were filthy rags but when we embrace a relationship with him, we are co-heirs with Jesus. If Jesus is the King of Kings and we are his children, then we must be princes and princesses in the most glorious kingdom of all eternity. When the Bible speaks of our heavenly inheritance, it speaks of being in the court of the most high God. We stand to inherit the earth and the fullness thereof because it all belongs to our Father. Not only does our Father own cattle on a thousand hills, he owns the thousand hills too.

He says that those who follow him are new, transformed, justified, redeemed, accepted, righteous, free, chosen, holy, blameless, sealed, alive, complete, and Jesus even calls us his friends. We can stand up to our adversary and remind him of all of these things. Tell our enemy who you are in Christ. Never ever give up. Remind Satan of his destiny and yours! Thomas Edison once said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." When you think you don't have the strength to defeat the enemy, you are absolutely correct. But when you trust in the power of our Creator God, you have more than enough weapons to slay the father of lies. Get back in the fight and try again, dear friend, for Jesus has already said that you are victorious!

Running The Ultramarathon

All of us are running toward something. We are traveling down one path or another. As the old hymn says "This world is not my home, I'm just a'passin' through," One thing is for sure, God never promised that the road would not be long and hard. He just promised that there would be eternal rest for those who love him waiting on the other side.

I want to be able to say, like Paul, that I have ran the race and finished it well. I want Jesus to look at me and say "Well done, good and faithful servant." That is what I want for all of us at Sardis Baptist Church.

I have a friend who was a cohort peer with me in my doctoral studies. He runs 100 mile ultramarathons. I have heard him talk about the grueling process of training that running these races requires. He has explained to me the fatigue that comes with running this extreme race. He describes the desire to give up and quit before he is finished. But then he gets excited when he speaks of the second wind that he gets that takes him to the finish line. Oh the sight of that finish line!

As a follower of Christ, life is not a sprint. It is an ultramarathon. It takes significant training that only the church can provide. Only Jesus can be our trainer. He keeps pushing us to get better, run harder, be stronger. One beautiful thing about that is that Jesus runs the race with us. Jesus never gets winded. He never gets tired. His strength is made manifest in our weakness. When we want to give up, he is there to give us a second wind. When the road is too long, too tough...he is right there. He knows what it takes to finish the race and he knows the course because he created it.

There have been times when I have gotten too weak. Times when I have gotten lost on the course. I have wanted to take shortcuts. He keeps guiding the way. The road to destruction is wide and easy. There aren't too many hurdles on that road. I have found myself trying to get out of the marathon and just take a casual stroll on the wide and easy path. I know that is not who I am. I know that is not what I trained for...but it's easier.

Recently I made the difficult decision to leave my position at Sardis Baptist Church and begin a new ministry at Powell Baptist Church. This was not an easy decision. I have been the pastor at Sardis for over five years. I know that is not a tremendously long time but it is long enough to establish life-long relationships.  It is long enough to become a part of a community. And, dangerously, it was long enough for me to have become comfortable in my position. Jesus said it was long enough. In my time here, I ran the best way that I knew how. I wanted to stay on this course but Jesus wanted to challenge me.

I have made so many friendships. I have learned so many things. Seminary prepares you doctrinally for the marathon but it cannot prepare you the way that actually running the race will. I remember my first week here. I was new at this thing. I was clueless. There were many times in the first weeks and months that I didn't even know what I was supposed to be doing...how to even get started running. After a while, though, I began to figure things out little by little. I have not, by any means, arrived. I've just figured out how to start running. I pray that most of the marathon is still ahead of me and that I can use my experience here as a springboard to propel me into many fruitful years of ministry. Sardis Baptist, though, was never considered a stepping stone for me. I never had intention of leaving until I knew for certain that God was calling me away. I believe with all of my heart that God called me here just as strongly as I believe that he is leading me away now.

I will always remember my time here. I will remember that this was where God chose to use me for the first leg of my race. I will remember that through the ministries of Sardis Baptist, my son came to know Jesus. I will remember the good times. Were there bumps in the road? Sure. But God used those bumps to make me stronger...to give me a second wind. I pray that our Lord will do the same for Sardis Baptist. I pray that the best years of ministry in this place are still to come. Run the race, church, and finish well.

Sardis Baptist will always hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to crossing the ultimate finish line and standing before Jesus together will all of the saints. One day we will fellowship again together. Until then, let's keep running.

Pastor Nick

Unity Matters

I am back in the Peach State after being away for a few days in the Lone Star State for the Southern Baptist Convention. I must say that I thoroughly enjoy fellowshipping with the believers for these unforgettable events every year. Each time I go, my batteries are recharged and I return home with a fresh zeal for ministry. This year is no different in spite of many events and challenges that were presented to our beloved convention.

When I arrived in Dallas, I was nervous for what was going to be in store for the two-day convention and for our denomination in the days to come. Scandals and bad press unfortunately ran rampant in the days, weeks, and months leading up to our meeting. In the midst of our meetings, the Vice-President of the United States of America, Mike Pence, asked if he could address us. While this may seem to most like a good thing, it was not without controversy. Many people questioned whether politics should be allowed in the pulpit. Others believed that embracing Pence would be tone-deaf and would isolate ourselves from other faithful believers who either hold differing political views or who harbor distrust in the current White House Administration. In reality this convention was a watershed moment for our denomination. We had so many things on the table that would shape who we are as Southern Baptists that I am not going to mention them in detail here. Suffice it to say that we had major decisions to make and the world was watching.

There were several things that took place that I did not whole-heartedly agree with. That will always be the case when sinful people like myself are involved. One moment that was particularly sobering to me personally was when Ravi Zacharias stood before us and reminded us that opinions are things that we have but convictions are things that have us. In other words, we must humbly remember that we will not always agree on secondary and tertiary issues but that we must completely agree on the primary issues. If we can agree that Jesus is primary, we still have a basis for unity. Our convictions about the Gospel and the exclusive path to salvation in Jesus must align!

I have written before that infighting weakens any group. We can say terrible things about each other and believe that no one outside of our circles of influence will ever hear our voices but we would be terribly wrong. I believe with all my heart that we must stand boldly for our beliefs and convictions and that we must hold high the doctrines that our faith and denomination were built upon. We must not, however, tear down our brothers and sisters just because they have differing mindsets on secondary or tertiary issues.

When we attack each other it hurts. It hurts individuals. It hurts churches, it hurts the heart of God. When the world looks at us (be assured that the world most definitely looks at us) and sees us biting each other, they are understandably turned off. Why preach grace, mercy, and forgiveness if we go out of our way to defame and slander Godly people with whom we might disagree with on issues that are probably not as important as we think they are. My advice, for what it is worth, is that we all have a slice of humble pie. I am not saying that we shouldn't disagree. I am saying that we should be soaked in the humility of Christ and that when we come to the table with our ideas, we do so with love for our brothers and sisters. It is okay to disagree. I disagree with my wife on even some seemingly important issues...most of which I realize later that I was wrong about in the first place (except for how to squeeze toothpaste out of the tube). I can disagree with her while still upholding her integrity.

I will be the first to admit that I do not affirm Calvinism. Many of my peers disagree with me on this issue. This is the basis of one of the many disagreements that we have had over the past years as Southern Baptists and it was a major issue in the presidential race of the Southern Baptist Convention this year. So we have a choice. Do we split over this issue, or do we commit to unity in Christ? Make no mistake, if we continue heading down this path, we will have to address this question at some point. In fact, some have already hinted that those who affirm Calvinism should leave the Baptist Church for the Presbyterian Church. When we do reach this moment, my prayer is that we will ask ourselves one question: what will honor King Jesus? So much rides on this one pivotal question. Yes, I isolated the one issue of Calvinism but there are other issues that will beg the same question. The conviction that has me is that we should do everything that we can in the power of the Holy Spirit to look as much like heaven as we can. We do not know much about heaven because it is entirely too glorious for our feeble hearts to imagine but one thing we do know is that every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language will stand before the Lamb. That includes a vast array of people with as many different perspectives, ideas, and opinions. It might be time for us to start getting used to unifying with people different with us because one day those of us who call Jesus Lord will see fully, we will all agree, and we will all be in unity...because in the Kingdom of God...unity matters.

How The Mighty Have Fallen In The Midst Of The Battle

In 1 Samuel 31, the Bible tells us that a great battle occurred between Israel and the Philistines on Mount Gilboa. This battle led to the death of King Saul and the utter defeat of his son Jonathan. As Jonathan lay on the battle ground defeated, he asked an Amalekite sojourner to end his life. In what the Amalekite considered an act of mercy, he killed Jonathan and brought his crown to David to tell what he had done and why.

David was greatly distressed. He tore his clothes and mourned and wept for Jonathan. In 2 Samuel, David wails three times that now infamous phrase "How the mighty have fallen!" He exclaims in verse 27, "the weapons of war perished!"

Recently many mighty men have been slain by the enemy. My heart aches within me as I exclaim "How the mighty have fallen!". The president and CEO of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, Frank Page, resigned recently amid reports of his moral failings involving an inappropriate relationship in his not-so-distant past.

Paige Patterson, the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been forced to resign amid allegations that he demonstrated a lack of discretion with the reporting of a rape that occurred on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary between a female student and her assailant. Patterson encouraged her not to report the rape to the authorities and brought her before a board of his proteges to describe the assault in full detail, which, by her own testimony, essentially shamed her.

Yet another well respected seminary professor that I personally looked up to and who helped me with my doctoral work has recently resigned from the seminary and from his ministry in the local church with no details as to why he promptly exited ministry. The lack of details in this case is disturbing. He has made a short public statement saying that he has resigned but as for now and the foreseeable future, he will be saying nothing more out of respect for his family. Unfortunately, this lack of forthcoming information would lead me to believe he has done something that would bring shame to himself, his family, and ultimately the Kingdom. I have to confess that I do not know for sure that this is the case but the circumstances certainly point in that direction.

In times like these, God reminds me to take inventory of my own life. I realize that I am susceptible to falling because I am human. My humanity means that I am sinful. When we fall, the enemy gains a little more ground. We have given him more than enough to work with to bring destruction to us. We have got to take this battle seriously. Eternity hangs in the balance.

Men perish. We are fallen. The enemy loves nothing more than to bring the crowns of our mighty men to us to remind us just how easily we can be defeated. No matter how mighty the man, we must realize that the enemy is mightier. No man-made defenses will stand against the onslaught of our adversary. That is why we have been given weapons of war.

The prevailing weapons of war are Godly weapons. God's might is incomparable. Ephesians 6 describes these weapons. We have the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, Boots of Readiness that come from the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. These weapons of war WILL NOT PERISH! It is imperative that we all take advantage of this combat gear afforded to us before we, like many other mighty men, fall. El-Gibhor will not be defeated and if we take on His strength, power, and might, neither will we.

Our Common Enemy

In John 17 Jesus exclaims no less than five times that He desires for His church to be united as one. He is praying to the Father and in verses 22-23 Jesus proclaims, "The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." These are remarkable words. Jesus prays that we can experience the same holy fellowship with each other that He enjoys with the Father. He then explains that this unity would show the world that the Father loves people as much as He loves the Son. Can you imagine that love? Do you realize that our Father God loves us as much as He loves Jesus.

War is an atrocious thing. Some have even said that war is good for absolutely nothing. Sure there are just wars. Certainly we must fight against tyranny and terrorism. Our exceptional nation has been formed and reformed through war. No war has ever had an effect on our nation like our own Civil war. Many factors play into why the South lost the Civil war but one important factor in why they lost the war was division amid the Confederacy. It has been noted that both Governor Joseph E. Brown of Georgia and Governor Zebulon Vance of North Carolina appeared to be more concerned with their own power than the Confederacy. They withheld arms and men from the army so they could strengthen their own State Militias.

I was born and raised in the south and I love many of our traditions, but before I go on in this, I must say that I believe God finds slavery and racism abominable. I do not write from the position of a pro-Confederate. I believe God, in His unique sovereignty and providence, led us through that terrible time to make us the great nation that we are today. What I am stating, however, is that the war may have ended differently if the south was united in its efforts to fight the north.

The same is true in the church. We must realize that we have a common enemy. We are not at odds with each other. Throughout the centuries from the very beginning of the church there have been divisions. Such divisions have led to denominationalism, the Reformation, and even worship-wars. People have been divided over the color of carpet in the sanctuary to what kind of music should be played in the worship service. We must come to terms with the fact that when we are in-fighting, our adversary is gaining ground. As long as there are people in the church, there will be disagreements and differences in opinion. It is the task of the body of Christ to work through these differences in order to benefit the Kingdom. Each individual in the Family of God has been given unique talents and perspectives that when combined with the talents and perspectives of the rest of the body, create a beautiful mosaic of unity in Christ.

In Ephesians, Paul writes, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." We must go into battle! We have to fight valiantly and bravely! We most certainly have a war on our hands...but it is not with each other. We have a common enemy and his name is Satan.

The Reason We Live

I grew up in the church. Although I am a young man, I have a deep appreciation for classic hymns. Honestly, I really like many types of music and I love modern worship music but my childhood was marked by the singing of the hymns. One of my favorite hymns was "Because He Lives."

Just read the words of this great expression of our faith:

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

The words of this song are so soothing to my soul. I went to that empty grave in Jerusalem. I saw it with my own two eyes. I testify that it is indeed empty. It stands empty to prove that my Savior LIVES!!!

People are in a war with pain. Way too many of our neighbors struggle with facing today; much less tomorrow. So many people that you interact with on a daily basis are filled with fear. The person next door may not have a clue what the future holds and are so full of dread that they just can't seem to get out of bed in the morning. So many people are choosing ways out of this life because they have discovered that it is not worth living.

As Christians, this is our song! Sing it! Sing it loudly! Sing it at the top of your lungs! Sing it from the rooftops! Tell this lost, dying, desperate world that there is a LIVING Savior. Tell them that life is worth the living, Just Because He Lives!

Sunday Sermon March 11, 2018

Sermon Sunday February 25, 2018

Sin Is Serious But So Is Redemption

Today is a significant day. Today the world lost a one-of-a-kind man of God. Billy Graham has gone on to be with the Lord Jesus. This is a day of mourning and a day of rejoicing.

One thing that will live on for all of eternity is the legacy of Billy Graham. His name is a household name. He has built a powerful organization. Thousands of people have been touched by his life. What matters most, however, is that Billy Graham loved Jesus.

His daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, said that around sixty percent of her childhood, her father was not present. She felt as though she had been raised in a single-parent household. Way too many of our children can relate all too closely. For Anne, though, her father was out spreading a message of hope for the world. He was leveraging his life for something that was far more important than himself. Anne understood why her father was not there and it inspired her. She has become an outstanding evangelist herself and is rejoicing that her father is at home with the heavenly Father. His passing spurred her on to rededicate her life to sharing the good news of the Gospel just as he did.

One of the prevailing truths that Billy Graham consistently shared throughout his ministry was that of John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through me.'" Graham believed with all of his heart that Jesus was the only way and he stopped at nothing to tell everyone he came in contact with this simple truth. In that message, Graham told of a Jesus who is passionate about his people. A Jesus who loves mightily. A Jesus who forgives a repentant heart unconditionally. A Jesus whose death paid for the redemption of sin for the whole world. A Jesus whose resurrection was the final death blow to death.

Our world is a dark place. Within the last week, we have heard the news of another unspeakable tragedy at a high school in Parkland, FL. It is easy to get entangled in the evil of the world and become despondent. Billy Graham spoke of a Jesus that was ready, willing, and able to redeem the world. One of the most publicized presidential scandals of my lifetime was that of the Clinton/Lewinsky affair. While most people that I knew then were ready to condemn Bill Clinton for what he had done in office, Billy Graham contacted him and told him of the hope found in Christ. Bill Clinton said that Billy Graham took sin seriously but that he took redemption even more seriously.

Sin must be taken seriously and the serious follower of Christ will stand against evil and darkness. However, what the world needs now more than ever is what Jesus came to give it...redemption. It is easy to cast stones at evil but Jesus challenged only those without sin to cast the stones. I am a sinner saved only by grace and I am thankful for Jesus who redeemed me and I am thankful for men like Billy Graham who spent their life reminding me and everyone else that God is "not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

January 21 2018 Sermon

Story Telling

As many of you know, I recently visited Israel. If only everyone could have the opportunity to visit that place. Walking where Jesus walked, visiting the places where Jesus performed miracles, seeing the place where it is likely that he was crucified, buried, and rose on the third day...I get shivers even typing this. It is surreal! What strikes me today is that all of this came to us in the form of a story. The Bible is the greatest story book ever written. It contains elements that reach every audience group that has ever lived. There is family, romance, mystery, crime, action, redemption, forgiveness. Everything. And it is all true...that's what makes it so remarkable. When you visit Israel, you are walking in the very places that these things actually happened. It's like being transported into the scenery of your favorite movie except its better than that.

As I ponder on this thought, I realize that each of us has a story to tell. A past that is either fondly remembered or ruefully regretted. Each one of us has a story that is unique to us. While in Israel, I visited Magdala. When Jesus departed Nazareth on his way to Galilee, he would have walked through this very town. Magdala is situated in a valley on the base of a very high mountain pass that opens up to the Sea of Galilee so we are quite certain that this was the path that he would have taken. When he got there, he would have met a woman named Mary. Mary was a woman of means. The Gospel of Luke says that she and other women provided for Jesus our of their own resources. Some have argued that Mary was a repentant prostitute. Most scholars deny the validity of that claim and I tend to agree with their assessment. But, nonetheless, some people believe that she was indeed a harlot. One thing we can be sure of is that she was demonically possessed. The Bible states clearly in Luke 8 that seven demons were cast out from her. The number seven is significant in the Bible. Some scholars would argue that the number seven in this passage signifies perfection as it does in other places throughout Scripture. If that is the case, it could be argued that Mary Magdalene had, at one point, been possessed to perfection or entirely. That is some serious business.

Her story doesn't end there though. She followed Jesus. Again she provided for him throughout his ministry. Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, and John 19:25 all tell us that she was there looking on at the Crucifixion. Mark 15:47 and Matthew 27:61 tell us that she knew where the tomb was. Mark 16:1 tells us that she was among the women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. John 20 tells us that as she was there to anoint the body of Jesus, she first discovered the empty tomb. She ran back to tell the disciples that the body of Jesus had been stolen. She and the disciples ran back and saw that indeed the tomb was empty. They were all despondent. The disciples' hopes had already been crushed when Jesus had died and now apparently someone had desecrated his tomb. The disciples returned home with their agony compounded.

But as Mary stood there weeping over this...when it seemed as if her heart had been ripped from her chest, she saw someone. She thought it was a gardener tending to the area around the tomb. She cried out to him in distress, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Jesus called out to her in her time of trouble...he simply called her name and in that moment she knew it was him. He revealed himself to her. What may be more astonishing is that she was first. He revealed himself to her FIRST! Of all of the people who had followed him, of everyone who had committed their lives to being his disciple, he bestowed this privilege on her. She ran back to the disciples and said "I have seen the Lord." Jesus had just revealed his sovereignty over death, his conquering of the grave, his crushing the serpent, his almighty redemptive act to a woman who had been perfectly possessed by demons in her past. What a story!

Everyone you know has done things they are not proud of. We all have things that we regret. Indeed, we all have a past. What is remarkable is that because of what Jesus revealed to that formerly demonic woman, we can all have a future. There is nothing that you have done that Jesus can't heal. Nothing too bad that Jesus can't fix. No past that he can't turn into a future.

We all have a story to tell. Some may think that theirs is a story of ruin and destruction. Turn to Jesus! Cry out to him! He will give you a story of redemption and forgiveness. For those of us who have already been given this story to tell, it's time that we start telling it.