How Did We Get So Far?

     Does it baffle you the way that it does me that the milieu of our culture is one of seemingly endless insanity? The zeitgeist of today is much different than it was even ten years ago. A sin that was once considered one of the seven deadly sins (pride) is now not only acceptable but is imposed into every nearly every corner of society. So many products and companies pander to the vast minority while pushing agendas that are offputting (or at least should be) to the majority. Recently Anheuser-Busch, Target, Ford, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, among many many others, have told us that they do not respect the traditional family values that were once the very fabric and foundation of our world. I suppose it is heartening that these companies have faced backlash and, in some cases, lost billions of dollars. The voice of the conservative traditional family has spoken with their wallets.

    Unfortunately, as pervasive as this new cancer is on us, it inevitably finds its way into places that we would have never imagined. The malignancy that is wokeism, without careful precaution, infiltrates even the most sacred arenas ... even the church. You may think that what I am about to say is a stretch and perhaps even a gross over-exaggeration, but please follow me with an open mind. If you are not convinced at the end of my argument, perhaps it might be wise to seek the counsel of a conservative methodist or presbyterian and ask them about the slippery slopes their denominations have found themselves sledding down. 

    For centuries ... no millennia, the Church has stood on the foundations of Scripture and on the shoulders of the early Church fathers and the Apostles. In the Word of God, we find the basis for complementarianism. God created man male and female. In His sovereignty and wisdom, God gave us specific gender roles and those extend to the responsibilities within His Church. To say that the office of Pastor is only for men does not disenfranchise the women who are called serve the Lord in their own capacities. To say that it does is dishonest and disingenuous. 

    Yet that is exactly what mega-church pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren is doing. His church, Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, California, has begun to ordain female "pastors". As a result of this, the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has deemed Warren and Saddleback to no longer be "in friendly cooperation" with the Convention. Warren has appealed the removal of his church after initially accepting the removal at the 2022 SBC annual meeting in Anaheim, California. When Warren addressed the convention in 2022, essentially, he paraded his achievements and importance through boasting of his church size and financial giving to SBC causes in front of the masses assembled there. He wanted the churches of the SBC to consider what they would be losing if they lost him. In his appeal, he has tweeted daily and in one of his tweets he said, "I listen to pastors. 16,000 respond to my letter to them. They're tired of angry fighters & scared by the climate of fear & exclusion created by powerbrokers. Why can't we return to the original Baptist Vision of unity through a mission, not a confession. That would heal the SBC." The only problem with this is that the mission is dependent on doctrine. The SBC is a friendly cooperation of churches who are on mission together as defined by doctrinal statements such as the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 which was prayerfully considered and written to underline the beliefs of the Bible within the associated churches. These statements were founded upon Scripture, and it is Scripture that must unite us. A vision of unity is fine so long as we are unified in Christ and the Word of God. The Church cannot, must not, be unequally yoked or united with the paradigms of wrong thinking that our enemy is promulgating upon us in this day. How Warren is able to twist Scripture and patristics to his way of thinking is beyond me, but it doesn't surprise me.

    Matt Walsh, of the Daily Wire, released a documentary entitled "What is a Woman?" It saddened me as I watched it to realize that something so simple that my boys aged 10 and 12 were able to answer correctly, stumped so many. Our culture fights about which restrooms to use. The 2% of the population that identifies as transgender, have so infiltrated the minds and hearts of the culture that their perversion is celebrated and often shoved down the throats of our children. I weep at what our enemy Satan is being able to do to the people of this world. To deny the roles of complementarianism that our good God, in his infinite wisdom, gave us in His Word, is a slippery slope indeed. Warren has capitulated to the pressure of a culture that sees no boundaries in gender and sex. He thinks himself a champion of women, yet he pushes them to the precipice of destruction in disobedience. The 2023 SBC Annual Meeting will be one of much consequence and, if he succeeds in his appeal, Warren will be leading the SBC to its eventual and swift demise. Again, if you don't believe me, look at other denominations and institutions that have followed this same shift away from God's design. It may seem a large stretch, but these issues were the exact ones that eventually led to the events that caused the great divide of the methodist and presbyterian denominations. I, for one, will be at the 2023 meeting in New Orleans personally to vote against his appeal.

    

Blue Bell And The Good Ol' Days

 I recently heard an advertisement for Blue Bell Ice Cream on the radio. In it a jingle plays that says, "The good ol' days are being made right now." That got me thinking ... man I could seriously go for some Blue Bell Ice Cream ... I mean have you tried their banana pudding flavor?!?! In my humble opinion, that stuff is the pinnacle of ice cream! If you haven't tried it yet, stop what you are doing and go get yourself some! It is that good! It also got me thinking about something a little more profound.

 I may be the only one who feels this way, but it seems that I am always wishing my life away. Let me explain. Every stage of life has been fraught with some level of difficulty that has led me to look forward to the next stage. When I was in high school, all I wanted was to get to college. When in college, I wanted to graduate and get to seminary. While in seminary, I could not wait to get to pastor a church. Along the way, I've thought that this certainly must be the most difficult life will be. Inevitably, when I reminisce, I somehow think that the previous stage had to have been easier than whatever I am going through right now. Even today I think about how things have to be easier when our children are adults, and we don't have the hectic schedules and the duties of parenthood. Retirement is a long way off, but it has got to be easier, right?

What I have needed to learn is that I may be looking at those previous stages through rose colored glasses. Sure, life gets tough sometimes, but you may well need to stop and smell the proverbial roses instead of gazing through the rose tint on the lenses. Not to be unnecessarily nihilistic but, as we all know quite well, we only have so many days in this life. We can be miserable in the here and now and constantly look forward to the future while longfully looking at the past. Or perhaps, we could live in the peace, joy, and contentment of Christ in our present. So many people, and therefore, the churches that they compose live in the glory of "The Good Ol' Days." Well, those days are gone. They're history. We cannot go back to them no matter how much we wish we could. In ten, twenty, one-hundred years from now, today might look like the good ol' days and we missed it! We were too busy lamenting our current situation to recognize the beauty of God's blessings right here and right now. 

The Word of God tells us in James 4:13-15, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'" Today is all you have. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised. Look at everything that God has done for you. Bask in the Glory of the Lord. Stand in His consuming presence. You might be going through something unspeakably difficult right now. I fully understand and I do not wish to downplay that in any way. I do believe that it can be healthy to look forward to and pursue a brighter future. I am still pursuing that for myself and my family every single day. I guess what I am trying to say to you, and in a large way to myself, is that we must not be absent from the good ol' days that are being made right now! So hug your family tight, go on that vacation, take that risk, pursue God, serve the church, and eat that ice cream. Tomorrow, you might wish you could!

Letter To Powell Baptist Church In Response To SATF Report

 

Dear Powell Baptist Church Family,

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with many of you that a report was imminent on a serious trouble facing the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The report I was alluding deals with allegations of sexual abuse and subsequent cover up within the leadership of our convention. Last June, the convention met in Nashville Tennessee. Thousands of messengers (delegates from individual churches), myself included, heard of the potential scandal and voted overwhelmingly to form a task force to uncover the evil that lurked within our ranks. In response to that, the Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) was formed. The SATF then hired Guidepost Solutions, a third-party investigative firm to inquire into the egregious sin.

Guideposts took on the enormous task of investigating twenty years of allegations and compiled a 288 page report summarized here: SATF report shows EC pattern of resistance to addressing abuse claims | Baptist Press. This report angers, saddens, and embarrasses me. Although the report was released this past Sunday, May 22, 2022, I decided to take a few days before writing because, quite honestly, I have been so sickened by it that it took several days to even process. Men whom I have grown to love, trust, and look up to find their names on the pages. Some were complicit in the cover ups and one in particular has been named as an abuser. Even now it seems that words are failing me. Years and years of not only sexual misconduct by those who lead churches and our conventions, but lies, manipulations, gaslighting, and corruption have invaded the SBC. Many survivors of the abuse were maligned and intimidated. Their stories swept under the rug. However, Scripture tells us in Luke 8:17 that, “Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” It is imperative for us to understand that our sin is known to God even if it may be concealed by us.

Now it is upon us to respond to this report. Far too long the survivors have been silenced and justice has not been served. Next month, the SBC will meet again in Anaheim Calif., where Stephanie and I will attend as messengers representing our congregation. Surely much of our time there will be spent on discussing these matters and resolving to bring justice to survivors as well as make progress in ensuring that something like this will never take place again. Rest assured, if any sexual abuse allegations ever come to my desk, I will take immediate and proper action. Such wickedness has no place within the church or within any arena for that matter. Powell Baptist Church will respond swiftly to any such accusations and the appropriate authorities will be notified. Likewise, the 47000 churches that comprise the SBC have spoken and will hold our leadership accountable and place new standards of training, reporting, and response actions into our collective toolbox.

I am still grateful for the SBC and will still cooperate with the institution to further advance the Kingdom of God. What gives me hope is that it was indeed the rank-and-file pastors and laypeople who instigated the investigation to begin with. Our convention does not mandate anything to the local church. Contrarily, the local church, through its messengers direct the convention. In fact, the convention exists only for the collaborative efforts of the local church and, further, the local church is completely autonomous. While the SBC is receiving notable and global backlash for the damning report, it was the efforts of the messengers from the local church that brought this wickedness to light. We were grievously misrepresented by certain members of our leadership and we took action to demonstrate who we really are. Together as individual churches, as well as the Church as a whole, we will stand for the broken. Together we will stand for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is a time of lamenting. Not only does this damage our beloved convention, it damages the Kingdom. I am, however, confident in one thing … the Church will not be defeated. I have written this to you because I know that by this point it has been headline news and as your pastor, I felt it necessary to respond to it with you. Being a part of Powell means that you are a part of the SBC. I want you to be equipped with the truth. Your relationship with the SBC need not be represented solely by this. God has used our convention to be one of the largest missional organizations the world has ever known. I have great confidence that the Lord will preserve this institution for His purposes, but even if He chooses not to, we can rest that His Church will remain. It is a distinct honor and privilege to be your pastor and with my efforts, I hope to represent you well to the SBC.

Because He Bled,

Dr. M. Nick Bates

Senior Pastor

The More You Miss Church, The Less You Miss Church

Name something that Covid-19 hasn't affected...go ahead...I'll wait. 

Listen, I know that our lives have been changed significantly in the last twelve months. I get it. To say it's been hard would be the understatement of a lifetime. As a pastor, I, and my fellow ministers have had to make some really difficult decisions over the last year. Decisions that they didn't teach us to make in seminary. Our church closed for a significant time last year...we weren't able to gather for Easter! During our closure, we transitioned to online services. Then we had a brief time of parking-lot meetings (What in the world?! What even is that?!) We were finally able to reopen but did so in a slow, methodical way. Many of our annual events were either cancelled or radically changed. The pandemic is still effecting us as, even as I write this, we have people from our congregation who are sick with the virus. It still wreaks havoc on much of our lives. It seems that literally everything has changed. Flashback to 2019 and this would seem like an overdramatic dystopian novel. Our lives are not the same. 

But one thing that has not changed is the sovereignty of our God. Yahweh is still on the throne and Jesus is still at His right hand and the Holy Spirit is still active in our hearts and lives. And He is still worthy of our worship. Church, I am convinced that it is time to come back to corporate worship. I do not write this in a cavalier, nonchalant, laissez faire way. I am still wrestling with making sure that we do everything that we can do to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone who enters the doors of our sanctuary. But I believe we must be intentional about worshiping our God. There are certainly still many who have legitimate health concerns that may forestall their return but for others, it is time to come back home.

Why?

Because as I mentioned, God is worthy of our worship and that is enough, but we will return to that in just a moment. There are other reasons as well. I recently read an article from the magazine, Christianity Today. In it, Tyler VanderWeele, Director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University's T. H. Chan School of Public Health, was cited as saying, "Bible reading - along with other forms of community and discipleship, such as going to church or participating in a small group - appear to contribute to people's sense of well-being and happiness. The churches have an important and profound role in contributing to people's well-being in general - and especially so during this time."*  God has designed us to be in communion with Him and with other like-minded believers. We find our strength together. When you don't return to worship, there is a lack that the whole body feels in your absence. You are loved and missed by your family.

Back to the importance of the sovereignty of God. Worshiping God is intrinsic to the Christian life. Yes, of course, it is possible for us to worship God alone, and it is highly recommended. After all, our faith is a deeply personal one. But, God, through Christ, established the church as the avenue that we might come together as a body to proclaim His greatness. In His power, God gave us the church as a beautiful display of grace for our good and His glory. There is no other institution in the world more powerful. No other organization that can bring hope to a pandemic stricken world like the church. All because the church has been infused with the power of the Almighty Sovereign God. 

But the church consists of people. Without people who are committed to being the church, the church flounders. God will always preserve His church but do not take it for granted that He will preserve your church. That, in fact, is never promised. Many of you who will read this have come home and for that I am eternally grateful. For those who haven't, please see this as only a compassionate plea from someone who loves you and misses you. As Smokey Bear so eloquently said, "Only you can prevent forest fires." And only you can prevent your church from closing its doors and losing its impact for the Kingdom by your presence and active participation. So come home. Be cautious and responsible, but come home nevertheless. 

* Macinnis, Adam. "COVID-19 Hurts. But the Bible Brings Hope." Christianity Today, December 21,2020. Accessed February 25, 2021. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-february/bible-hope-covid19-flourishing-study.html

Life Can Change In An Instant

 As I am writing this, I am nearly two weeks post a serious automobile accident. Two weeks ago, I was enjoying Thanksgiving with my family without a second thought of something life changing happening. The next day I was involved in a wreck that could've taken my life. I am grateful and blessed to be here writing this. I have wounds that may end up being life-long scars. I am dealing with anxiety due to insurance issues that are proving to be a real headache but I am here. I am still here. I don't have a car anymore and not sure when I will be able to get another one...but I am here. I still have my family and perhaps we are closer than we have been in a long time. I have been told countless times how lucky I am to be alive...but I simply do not and cannot believe in luck. My God sustained me. 

I am a pastor who preaches to the people God has entrusted me with a message of hope and reliance on Him who can do much more than we could ever ask or think. I am finding out that it is easier to preach that when things are going well or during times that I am not facing a personal crisis. I confess that, although I am certainly grateful that He spared my life, I have had dark moments of the soul in recent days where I have had doubt in my heart. I suppose I am writing this as much for me as for anyone else who may ever read it. I want to know why. I want to have answers for my future that just aren't available to me right now. 

My family and my church have been entirely too gracious to me. My wife is an absolute superstar and I shutter to think what I would've done without her. My church and other friends have done everything within their power to make sure that we have been provided for and have brought delicious meals for my family to enjoy every single night since the accident. Much love has been demonstrated to me and to us. I am grateful but I am also human. I am striving to remember and place my faith in those words that God gave to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10: "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Family, Church, Friends, this is hard and I am really asking for prayer on my behalf that I will rest in the strength of an almighty God. 

Over the years in ministry, I have learned and have been told that as a pastor, I must guard against showing vulnerability. That I must always practice what I preach. That I simply cannot demonstrate weakness. I understand and even agree with this concept to a certain degree. However, I also have come to realize, perhaps the hard way, that I must not rely on myself entirely. I must show that where I am weak, He is strong. So prayer warriors, I am pleading with you to lift me up to the throne room if and when you think of me. It appears that I may have a long road ahead and will need prayer and faith to sustain me. 

Never Quit! Never, Never, Never Quit!

     If you were to Google my title, you would find that it is a quote attributed to the "British Bulldog", Winston Churchill. Some report that after a long and eloquent introduction, Churchill stood and said only those words and then promptly sat back down. It is perhaps one of his most famous speeches ever. Churchill was delivering a commencement address to a group of college graduates when he delivered this infamous address … or did he??? 

    Actually, in the midst of a twenty minute speech, he said, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense." Churchill was known as a tenacious, courageous, cigar-smoking, bulldog of a man who would stare down the likes of Hitler to assure the defeat of the Nazis and their world-dominating aspirations. His advice to these college graduates was to fight and fight hard … but know when to give up. 

    If something is right, we should fight for it! We know that our faith requires tenacity and strength. Paul told the Corinthians to "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (1 Cor. 16:13) Our enemy is pressing down on us with a fervor like I personally have never witnessed before. It is easy to see on the grand scale but I believe we are experiencing it on the personal level as well. So many have grown weary with the daily onslaught. We've got to fight … that's for certain! But church, we've got to fight smarter! Even the indomitable British Bulldog knew when to give in! I am persuaded that there are some really important areas that we need to throw in the towel. 

    So here's my formal resignation to the status quo. I quit! I give up! I give in! I quit being fearful! I quit being nominal! I quit being mediocre! I quit letting the enemy have the upper-hand! Too much is at stake for us to continue ho-hum, monotonous, tame ministry! The only time we should give in is when what we are fighting for stands in contradiction with honour or good (common) sense. It is not honorable for us to continue fighting for something less than excellence for the sake of Christ. Common sense has left us when we fight for outdated traditions that are irrelevant to our current context. Jesus expects us to be in the world and not of it. To be in the world is to be sensitive to the world. Jesus is never irrelevant! 

    It is not time to throw in the towel and concede defeat to our adversary! No, on the contrary, we must fight like we have never fought before. I use these broad terms like "we" because every believer should be on the battlefield against the common enemy … that old sly serpent Satan! But as the Pastor of Powell Baptist Church, it is my responsibility to lead my regiment into battle! So I quit anything that hinders me from being the tenacious, courageous, non cigar-smoking, bulldog of a man that will stare down our adversary to assure the defeat of evil and it's soul dominating aspirations! 2 Chronicles exhorts, "But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded." Come on troops! Who's with me?!?! LET'S GO!!! 

Ministering In a Pandemic

I never imagined that I would pastor a church through a pandemic. It has been challenging to say the least. I have read so many articles, spent countless evenings watching the news broadcasts, and been on more zoom chats than I care to ever repeat. And, unfortunately, its far from over. Navigating this has been one of the toughest things that I think I have ever had to do. It has been physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining. I miss lots of things but none compares to the longing that I have for the fellowship of the church body. If this coronavirus pandemic has done anything, it has renewed my love for the church.

I can honestly say that I was taking our ability to meet together for granted. It's not that I didn't love to be here with the people or to be able to worship corporately. It's more that I just assumed I would always have the freedom to do so. Although I know that the persecuted church exists all around the world and there are people who risk their lives every week to worship together, I never imagined that what I considered a basic human freedom and right would ever be taken from me. We are approaching a time where we will be back together finally but in the beginning it's going to be tough. It just won't be the same. We will be socially distancing. We will wear masks. We will not be able to extend the right hand of Christian fellowship or enjoy a warm embrace from our brothers and sisters. I am tired...exhausted even. I have actually stopped watching so much news but I did watch yesterday and saw the horrific pictures of Brazilians digging mass graves as their death toll continues to rise dramatically. My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones. My heart breaks for those who have lost their livelihoods. The effects of this pandemic are far-reaching and may be felt for a number of years. I have such a sense of loss that words actually fail me to say or to write in an appropriate manner how this hurts.

But, nevertheless, here we are. One thing is for certain, and that is we can rest in the loving arms of Yahweh. In his embrace, we have nothing to fear. We can trust that, even through such tragedy, we are still loved and cared for in a radical way. This is the same God who rescued Israel from slavery and torment. He is the same God who rescued Daniel from the ravenous mouths of lions. The same God who rescued Noah, Jonah, David, Peter, James, John, and Paul. He is the same God who has rescued me over and over and over again. My God will never fail. Whether He rescues me on Earth or He chooses to rescue us who believe in the name of Jesus through our deaths or His second coming, I can know that my God is in complete sovereign control...and I can rest.

As I said earlier, the one thing that I miss the most is the fellowship and corporate worship with the saints. I sincerely believe that one of the greatest blessings, one of the finer things in life, is the ability to gather together with the body of Christ. It has done my heart such good to have been able to speak with and even sometimes see some of the members of my church. We've shared laughs, tears, happiness, heartache, excitement, and frustration over the last couple of months. I do not know what I would have done without the people of God. We were never meant to do this life alone. We were always meant to be together...to have each other. God has always intended us to have meaningful relationships with each other. We build each other up. At the end of the day, it is we who have the responsibility to love each other. I first want to say thank you to everyone who has demonstrated love and care for me and my family. But I also want to exhort you to reach out to someone and let them know just how much you care. You may never know the impact that a phone call or a note might have. In a time when people are feeling isolated, lonely, and depressed, it means more now than ever. 

I also want to thank everyone who has been so faithful in continuing to give generously and sacrificially to the church. That also means more now than perhaps ever before. We have been given the awesome privilege and responsibility to be the church here in our local area. We are an outpost of heaven...a lighthouse of grace here on Earth. We must continue our work here. The Gospel has always needed to be shared but I believe we are living in an unprecedented time when people may be more open to have Gospel conversations than they ever have been in our lifetime. That happens through the ministries of the local church. I understand that it is the responsibility of every believer to share the Gospel but the discipleship is caught at church. The training happens at church. The teaching and modeling happens at church. To think of thousands dying as a result of a pandemic is horrific enough...but to know that many of those who die are doing so without the hope of Jesus is too much. This sobering thought should give us all pause. I ask you...no I plead with you to give generously and sacrificially so that we are able to remain viable in these precarious times. Until the Lord of the harvest comes again, we have work to do in His vineyard. God orchestrated all of this before the foundation of the world. He is, was, and ever will be faithful...but He has always used people to accomplish His purposes. He made you and me for such a time as this. Let us leverage our time, money, and resources...yes even our own lives to be the hands and feet of Jesus when the world needs us most. 

King Of The Mountain

I remember when I was a kid, there was a heavily wooded area at the back of our neighborhood. I and a friend of mine played in those woods like it was our own personal forest. We made forts, we played Cops & Robbers, we climbed trees, and skinned plenty of knees.

Then we found it.

For some unknown reason, someone had cleared out a section of trees in the middle of the forest, totally cleared the land, and made a gigantic hill in the process. Oh the fun that he had on that hill! We would carry our bikes to the top and recklessly ride them back down. We rolled down the hill more times than I can even remember. Our favorite game was playing king of the mountain on that old dirt laden hill. I came home filthy nearly every time...much to my mother's dismay. If you've ever played king of the mountain, you know that it is a simple game where the object is to knock everyone else down and be the last man standing. We thought we were gladiators and there was no one who could conquer us if we happened to win the conquest of the day.

As I've grown older, I reminisce about those days...those simpler times. I remember that regardless of who won the game, my friend and I were still just that...friends. While we may bask in the glory of winning one day, it was nearly inevitable that we would lose the next and we would still be friends and enjoy each other's company...that is until we climbed that hill again and the battle raged on. Unfortunately, that isn't how it works often times in the real world.

You see, in the real world, people build the hills for themselves and will fight to sit on their own thrones. People love to build this sort of kingdom and bask in the glory of it all. But the reality is that every kingdom ever known to man has had enemies. The problem with the kingdom of self is that when you become so self-important, you've set yourself up to have somewhere around 7.5 billion enemies. Enemies that are put off by your ego. Enemies that desire nothing but to see you fail. Enemies that would celebrate the opportunity to see you getting knocked off the mountain.

Sometimes people build this kingdom and it overshadows the Kingdom of God. This can look like that person who is so committed to making sure that everything goes their way in church. They cannot stand the thought of their personal preferences not being met. This can also look like someone who is so wrapped up in tradition because in their mind, that is the only way a kingdom can operate. Pastors can get ensnared in this too. For pastors, this can look like boasting about numbers, programs, buildings, and degrees. Often times, people may feel like they are building the Kingdom of God while only building a tall, yet fragile mountain for themselves. I recently read an article which was nothing but a pastor boasting on his own kingdom. He smiled for the camera as the words on the page spoke of his accomplishments. Nowhere in the article was God glorified. Only the man and his mountain.

This is a little side note but I think that it serves as an apt illustration. I have two boys who are two years apart. They absolutely love to get on each other's nerves. One of our favorite vacation spots is the beach and just like most kids, they love to build sandcastles. Another favorite pastime for both of them is to destroy the other's sandcastle. It infuriates both of them, yet they continue to still do it. They watch each other build mountains just to tear them down.

In what is known as the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father and emphasized his unity with the father. As a perfect model of unity, Jesus prayed that his church would be unified. He prayed, "that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (21). You see here a clear purpose for unity...that the watching world will know that we represent a united Triune God. The Kingdom of God says stuff like, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." It says things like, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." So I feel just in supposing that we turn our eyes on Jesus and fervently strive to build His Kingdom instead of our own. 

Once in the Bible, Solomon turned his attention away from God's Kingdom and began to focus on his own. As a King, Solomon had much power and that power began, as it so often does, to go to his head. He began to focus on his own desires and pleasures. He felt like he had earned the right to do whatever he pleases with whomever he pleases. He began to build what the Bible refers to as "high places" on mountains in honor of his many wives and their false gods. This displeased God, therefore God said to Solomon in 1 Kings 11:11, "Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant." You may have built a kingdom for yourself that no man can conquer. You may be ontop of a mountain that noone else can overcome. You may be the gladiator today...but rest assured, if your kingdom stands in the way of the glory of the King of Kings...you will get knocked down. 

Just Some Turkey And Stuff-ing

Today is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving 2019. Yesterday and the day before, my family spent celebrating birthdays for our two little boys...Great Wolf Lodge is a really fun place and features a water slide that will seriously be a thrill to even the grizzliest of men...think of being sucked up in a tornado in utter darkness and you'll get the picture. I honestly don't know who had more fun...me or the kids? As I sit behind this desk today though, I must confess that for some reason, I am a tad melancholy.

I have more than enough to consider myself a blessed man. For a good portion of the world's standards, I am incredibly wealthy. I have a relatively healthy family, though I wouldn't mind a prayer or two for a particular health concern. I have a new home, two relatively new cars, two rambunctious little boys that love playing outside with me. A wonderful wife that works hard and sacrifices much for our family. A church that really loves me and my little family and does things all of the time to affirm me and my ministry. JUST SO MUCH!

Yet I am drained a little. No worries...I've been here before...and much farther than here. I have learned from the great teacher of experience that things can get much, much worse.

There are things that I want to see God do in my life. Things I want to witness him do in my family. Things I want to experience him accomplish in the church that he has been so gracious to let me lead. Things that he just doesn't seem to be doing right now. I have been a Christ follower for most of my life which means that I have seen God come through in literally every single situation for years now. As a pastor, sometimes I feel like showing any sign of weakness would be to the detriment of those who are under my care. I feel like I have to hide behind a mask of unshakeable faith. But the truth is...I don't. I am a human being with real and sometimes raw emotions. I know that God is there. I know he will accomplish his purpose in his timing...I know these things just as much as I know that I am sitting here typing this right now. I suppose the struggle is the waiting.

I have been in ministry now for more than ten years. I have had the privilege of ministering in wonderful settings and in some not so wonderful ones. I have experienced abundance...and drought. Right now, I am in the best place in my life, ministry-wise. Again, the church I pastor is exceptionally gracious to me and my family. The people here are absolutely amazing and I love them with my whole heart. I find though, that I want more for them. I want God to open up doors of bountiful blessing to them. I want them to experience God in a way like they never have before. I want God to use this church as a light in a dark world. Make no mistake, God IS at work here and he will accomplish these things. Sometimes, I guess in my fragile human state, I wonder if he will have to do these things in spite of me. And then I realize that YES, YES he will have to do these things entirely in spite of me. My righteousness is equivalent to the rag that you used to clean the toilet because everyone is coming over tomorrow to eat Turkey and you don't want to be embarrassed by a nasty bathroom...yep that's me!

When I look in the mirror, I sometimes do not like what I see. You are a pastor dude, get it together...you know better! I don't like that I see someone who struggles. I don't always like the father I see in that mirror. More often than not, I certainly do not like the husband I see. I really don't even care for my physical appearance a whole lot. Being overweight and bald in your thirties will do that for ya. The mirror shows me a man who has been broken because of his own sin...a man made inadequate for all of the many tasks set before him.

But GOD...!!!

The terrible truth is that I am not a great husband, father, son, brother, or pastor. I AM NOT. But my identity is in Christ. Where I have inadequacies, Christ is wholly adequate. Where I fail, Christ succeeds. Where I lose, Jesus gets the W. All of the things that I wish were true...about me, about my family, about my ministry...are things that I have set my mind on as measures of success. I have been lost in my subjectivity. I have looked for success outside of my standing in Christ. He is the absolute truth. He is the objective standard for success. Look, I know that this may be a dangerous post to write...it may cause me some difficulty...but that's okay because Jesus proclaimed that I am more than a conqueror. Writing this has already made me search introspectively and find the peace that God promised would pass all of my understanding. My aim here is not to throw some sort of juvenile, attention-seeking, pity party. My aim is to be transparent. To be real. And to lead others to a REAL God who gives abundant joy even in the darkest nights of the soul.

After trekking all over Great Wolf Lodge, Bass Pro Shops, and a couple of race team headquarters (NASCAR is the best sport outside of college football...fight me!), I was exhausted yesterday. I wanted to kick my feet up and relax a little. I probably kick back and relax a little too much on a regular basis...truth be told and it makes me unhealthy. I have to intentionally work on my posture. Sometimes you just have to stand up straight and stretch out a little. Gratitude is a little like that. It is a posture that sometimes isn't the most natural or even comfortable. Sometimes we just kinda wanna kick back, relax, and wallow in our own mire.

So tomorrow, I will sit at two different tables. I will eat two different Thanksgiving meals with two different sides of my family. And I will be thankful. I will remember that God has me exactly where he wants me to be right now. That doesn't mean that he doesn't want to grow me and stretch me. It certainly doesn't mean that he is done with me or that I have "arrived"...far from it. But God knows who I am and he intimately knows my future. And just like my past, he has never failed me and he won't fail me in my future. So I will rest. I'll enjoy my family. I'll enjoy the food. I'll enjoy the parades. I'll enjoy the football. I'll enjoy knowing that my identity is in Christ alone. I'll enjoy knowing that HE was, is, and ever will be ENOUGH. .

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Get Real!

Authenticity. So much hinges on that one word. Much of our world is looking for authenticity in something. Authenticity in advertisement. Authenticity in government. Authenticity in leadership. And yes, authenticity in church. A lie can be found in so many places but the truth is rare. If there is one place truth, genuineness, and authenticity should be found, of course, it is in the church. Unfortunately, however, that is simply not always the case.

I have been on a journey of seeking authentic discipleship for myself and for those that I lead for quite some time now. It seems now more than ever that I have found my thoughts echoed by many other church leaders. Whether it be in books that I or my wife are reading or in blogs or statistics, the drive for authentic Christianity and discipleship is a plea coming from every direction. For example, my wife is reading a book on the history of the Baptist denomination. In it, she discovered that a church local to us is the oldest Baptist church in the state of Georgia, the historic Kiokee Baptist Church. In its beginnings, Kiokee was so determined to be an authentic outpost of the Kingdom of Heaven that they practiced and enforced the strictest variation of church-discipline. One could not simply be a nominal Christian and be a part of Kiokee. An individual had to represent Christ, His Kingdom, and Kiokee well in order to maintain membership. Kiokee Baptist Church is still a wonderful church that is genuinely making a Kingdom difference and I thank God for the work they are doing in our community.

Things in general have changed however.

The Word tells us that we should be in the world but not of it. In attempts to be relevant, we have capitulated to the world's standards. We are too afraid of being called judgmental to hold our brothers and sisters in the church to a heavenly standard, and heaven forbid we speak out against any injustice or immorality in our culture for we are sore afraid of being called bigoted or worse. It may be that we have spent to much time trying to look like the world for the purposes of attracting the world. The aforementioned books, blogs, and statistics tell us that what will actually attract the world is quite the opposite. People are looking for truth and we possess the ultimate source. Now we must understand that we will not advance the Kingdom by being Bible-thumpers or those who would seek only to win arguments with what we perceive as our social enemies. When the Bible tells us to disseminate truth, it tell us to do so with love. We must lovingly speak out against issues in our world such as abortion, sexual abuse, anything that stands against biblical marriage, racism, and the like. Believe it or not, those who are coming to our churches want to know how to think about these things in a different perspective. High schools, universities, and mainstream media tell them how to think about these issues rather unashamedly. Their minds are flooded with progressive ideologies that are being promulgated by a liberal socialism that many are recognizing, in unprecedented numbers, as yet another inauthentic vie for their minds, hearts, and their very souls.

In the Word of God, we are told to not only be hearers of the Word but also be doers. This, unfortunately, is another place where the church fails to be as authentic as we should be. A. W. Tozer once said, "If you are not worshiping God on Monday the way you did the day before, perhaps you're not worshiping Him at all." People know when you go to church. They see you leave every Sunday and they know where you are going. They hear you talk about your church. And I have been in church settings where no one ever said anything good about the church...trust me, people pay special attention to the negative things you say. Praise God, Powell (the church I am serving now) does not disparage herself in this way. Whether they see you going to church once or twice a month or they see you going every time the doors are open, what your friends, family, and neighbors are actually looking at is how your church attendance and your devotion to Christ affects your life and behavior. If there is no discernable difference between you and Joe Atheist across the street, what would lend anyone to believe that you or your religion is authentic. How can we be world changers when we look, smell, talk, and walk like the world? Simply put, we will not. I pray for Kingdom advancement but that requires work on my part. It does on your part as well. In the book that my wife is reading, The Baptist Story, Caleb Evans said, "When we pray for the advancement of this kingdom, if we are not willing to do all we can to advance it, our prayers cannot be genuine, they are hypocritical." The last thing this world needs is another hypocrite. I realize that we cannot provide perfection to the Kingdom because we are human and by nature we are sinners. I don't think that the saved have to live in the bondage of the old life to sin but, alas, we still sin everyday. What I do think is that we can and should live in authentic relationship with Christ and repent everyday. Authentic discipleship to King Jesus is radical and will be noticed. Live in a way that makes you a bright shining city on a hill, an outpost of grace, an ambassador of justice, a beacon of hope, and a lighthouse of love. You will be amazed at the impact that you can and will have on this world. People need authenticity and genuineness in a world nearly devoid of it. Where else will they find it if they cannot find it in the body of Christ?

Fight The Right Enemy

I spent some time this morning thinking about heaven. I thought about what it would be like to see the face of Jesus. I pondered on the overwhelming joy that would flood my soul as He embraces me and welcomes me into everlasting perfect communion with Him.

And then it happened...our adversary distracted me. The enemy reminded me of the struggles of this life. Satan told me to quit daydreaming of fairy-tales. That is what spiritual war is all about. When you begin to think on the beauty and wonder of God, Satan quickly tells whatever lies he can tell to rob you. He is a roaring lion whose only desire is to devour you. He wants to kill you, steal from you, and destroy you. We must be vigilant because he will use whatever means necessary to distract you from the wonder of God and the purpose of life.

One of the main things that our adversary uses is people. We know that the Word of God tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12) but often times Satan will use people as human shields. The enemy will hide behind people and make you think that they are your enemies. They are not. 

I have not been in ministry for a very long time comparable to some pastors but I have been for ten years. In my time in ministry, I have found that when God wants to do big things, Satan feels threatened. Our adversary will pull out every weapon in his arsenal to stop us from being used of God. One of his most devastating weapons against us is divisiveness and dissension. He will use mundane things to drive wedges between people. He will destroy relationships over trivial nitpickings that should not, and in fact, do not really matter. The adversary does not have to create major rifts between people to create chaos. All he really needs is a toe-hold. All that is really needed is for us to open the door for him by allowing differences of opinion to matter more than they really should. When we think of spiritual warfare, it seems that we often think of doing battle with strong demons. It is a lot more subtle than that. 

Our God is a big God with big plans. Satan is a big adversary with big plans. Satan is not an enemy that should be taken lightly. Although it seems that he may not be waging all out war on us...I can promise you that he is. His battle plan is to wear us out by winning small skirmishes. We may think that these are no big deal until we realize that we have let him have victory on so many small skirmishes that he has won some major battles and is nearly winning the war. As they say, hindsight is 20-20. So wage war on him every day. As an individual and as a part of the corporate body of a church, determine daily that Christ will have the victory. Do not let him win any more skirmishes in your life and in your relationships. Get along with people for the sake of the Kingdom. Again, I have to reiterate that we as believers have more in common with each other than what the enemy would have us believe...because we have Jesus in common. Put aside your differences. Be united with the body of Christ. Realize that the enemy is cowardly and is hiding behind those people that you think are your enemies. Do not allow him the pleasure of hindering the plan of God in your own personal life or in your church because of trivial, nitpicky, non-sensical differences that will not matter in eternity. 

As believers we know that the war has already been won. We know that God is victorious. We know that we are more than conquerors but we have to realize that although Satan has been defeated, he has not given up on taking as many down with him as he can. The Normandy invasion in 1944 has been infamously called D-Day. We know that this took place on June 6, 1944 but do you realize that, although the war was essentially won by the allies on that day on that bloody beach, skirmishes continued to rage on for nearly another year until what is known as V-Day (or Victory Day) in May of 1945? The Axis powers knew they had been defeated but they kept trying to inflict as much harm as they could until the bitter end.

The War has been won for us when Christ stormed the beach of death on Easter and proclaimed victory over the grave but our V-Day is still in the future when Christ leads his battalion to end Satan once and for all in the valley of Megiddo. Until then, keep fighting and realize that the person in the trench (or in the pew) next to you is not the enemy. In fact, they are your battle buddies. Don't weaken the war effort by fighting skirmishes with your allies. Join forces and flank the enemy together with the sweeping death blow of love and unity.

What Did You Just Pray?

Do you believe that God is a God who answers prayers? I am sure as soon as you read that your heart began stirring within you and you gave a resounding yes as if it was as sure as the fact that you are breathing right now. If we indeed believe God answers prayers, then what are we praying for?

All too often we treat God as if He were our cosmic grandfather. We want Him to grant us our desires of fortune and comfort. If God were to answer your prayers today, would your family, friends, and neighbors be saved because you prayed for them to be saved today? Or would you have a clean bill of health, a new car, a new house, and your favorite sports team would be undefeated? There is, of course, nothing wrong with praying for the health of our friends and family. There is nothing wrong with praying for the blessings of God on those we know and love. Why not pray then for the ultimate blessing of the security of salvation in their lives?

In Acts 1:8, Jesus commanded us to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After this, in verse 14 we find that the disciples went back to their gathering place and devoted themselves to prayer. They knew and believed that what they were called to do was to share the Gospel with the entire world around them. Great power had been bestowed upon them and they immediately committed themselves to continuously tapping into that power. They believed in Philippians 4:13. They believed that God would equip them to do anything that He called them to do. Philippians 4:13 does not mean that you will be able to accomplish crazy feats of superhuman strength. It does not mean that you will have access to every outrageous desire of your heart. It means that God will strengthen you to do what you were made to do.

So while we are praying, we should be praying that everyone that we come in contact with will know of the love with which God loves us. When we are praying, we should be considering ourselves an answer to the prayer. The Word of God tells us to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers into His fields...we are the laborers. The Great Commission says to "Go therefore" but when you study the language, what it actually says is "As you are going" which means that as we are living our lives, we are praying, we are being strengthened to live as we are called, and we are going with intention in our lives to tell as many people about what God has done for us and what He desires to do for them as we can.

Do not say that you cannot share your faith. You can say that you are too fearful or that you are not passionate about sharing your faith. But do not ever say that you cannot. You have been given the power from heaven to share this good news and if you are a follower of Jesus it is not only a commandment, it is a privilege. You can and you must. The president of the Southern Baptist Convention, J. D. Greear, has challenged us to find our "one". Who is that one person or perhaps more than one in our lives we know needs to hear the Gospel boldly proclaimed? Find that "one" and share with them. Pray for them. Do not ever give up. 

Prayer is a powerful thing. To pray is to speak to the Creator of the universe. To pray is to have a conversation with the great and mighty omnipotent God. I am challenged today to pray and speak to God and ask Him to do that which only He can. Today, I am asking Him to bring salvation to the lost and dying. Today the average statistic would say that 7 out of every 10 people that live in the U.S. are far from God. Of that seven, there are surely those who would say that they are saved. There are most definitely those who could speak of some time that they walked an aisle or prayed a prayer but their lives do not reflect the transformative power of Christ. I am praying today that I will have the boldness to speak truth into their lives. That God would give me opportunities to share my faith, my testimony, the Gospel. I am praying that we would not go to church but that we would be the church as Christ intended.

Pray and when you are done pray some more and then go and be an answer to prayer.

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