It seems like things continue to get worse in our world. Maybe you have wondered how things got in such bad shape. Perhaps you wonder if you or your children can face a world filled with such sin and evil. In this message from 1 John 4:1-4, we take a look at how the Bible speaks to these issues and more…
“Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?” (Psalm 85:4–6, NKJV)
Many Bible scholars believe that Psalm 85 was written after the people of God had returned from exile in Babylon. They were back home in their land, but things were but a shell of what they had been before the Babylonian captivity. This is a great Bible prayer for revival among the people of God. While many readers of this blog will be familiar with old fashioned “revival meetings” where evangelists preach and call on people to be saved, I think it is important to point out that revival is first and foremost for the church. The people of God need to get back to a white hot devotion to their Lord and let His power work mightily among them. Certainly, during every revival in history, many lost people have come to faith, but revival begins among the people of God.
I cannot stress enough how much we need a great revival today in America. In recent months, I have been burdened to pray for revival more than ever before in my life and ministry. As I look around at our country, I am personally convinced that America is headed for one of two outcomes: revival or ruin. I truly believe that the only thing that can save our country is a mighty movement of God – a revival.
This week, I had the privilege of attending a conference where Dr. Ted Rendall spoke. It was a great delight and blessing to hear and get to know this choice servant of Christ. He has served as a missionary, senior pastor of a large church, and president of a Bible Institute. He has preached all over the world and served in full time ministry in England, Canada, and the United States. He is also one of the foremost experts in the world on revival and spiritual awakening. During a break, I had a conversation with Dr. Rendall and asked him about revival in America.
“Dr. Rendall,” I asked, “From all that you know about revivals and spiritual awakening, is there hope for revival to come to America?” Without even a pause, Dr. Rendall quickly said, “Of course, there is great hope for revival in America!” I followed up with the logical question, “Why?” His answer encouraged me. “Remember that as bad as things are in America, there are thousands upon thousands of preachers preaching the gospel and the Word of God, ” Dr. Rendall replied, “Think about how many Christians in America are praying for revival. As long as those things are true, there is hope for God to send revival.”
Then, Dr. Rendall looked me in the eye and offered a challenge. “The church has to get burdened and earnestly pray for revival,” he said. A few moments later the conference resumed and our conversation ended. However, it has echoed in my mind ever since. Count me encouraged by the hope this man of God has for revival. Count me convicted by his challenge to have a greater burden for revival. Will you be counted too?
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a conference with pastors from a variety of backgrounds. As we sang the universal hymn, Amazing Grace, I was touched as I looked around the room. There were men of all ages in the room, but the most striking detail was the ethnic and national diversity in the room. I was singing Amazing Grace with pastors from all over the United States, as well as South Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique, Philippines, Singapore, and a seminary president from India. All of this diversity in a room with no more than fifty people.
As we sang together, I couldn’t help but think of Ephesians 2:14-15 that speaks of how the work of Christ has torn down the walls between people and created one new people in Christ Jesus. This roomful of men from the far corners of the world who had never met immediately came together around the amazing grace of God. THAT is what we all have in common. We prayed together, studied together, and ate together. The love of Christ was evident throughout. Encouragement was everywhere! All of us were reminded in a tangible way that our great God is at work all over the world.
The body of Christ is a beautiful thing.
On Wednesday, I had the privilege of preaching the funeral service for Florene Wheeler, a faithful prayer warrior and friend who passed away at the age of 97. It was a very sad occasion, but it was also a joy to spend the day with people I love deeply. You see, Florene was a near lifetime member of Pisgah Baptist Church in Pisgah, Alabama. In February, 1994 Becky and I moved to Pisgah as 23 year old newlyweds, and I began serving as the pastor of Pisgah Baptist Church.
I have often said that I do not know much now, but I did not know anything then! Becky and I moved into the pastorium just behind the church building here and began our life and ministry together. In the afternoons we would take walks around this beautiful community, and very often would come home to a sack of fresh garden vegetables on our front porch. Pisgah High School is only two blocks away and we spent many evenings at various Eagle sporting events. I can remember Vacation Bible School with kids running all over the church grounds. I remember Andrea Wheeler, the first person who was saved and baptized under my ministry as a pastor.
This is the pulpit from which I preached my first sermon as a pastor and many sermons thereafter. However, it is the people who were in those pews that I treasure most. Whenever I look at this picture, I can see friends for life in those pews. I see Derrick & Florene Wheeler, Ollie & Betty Turner, Delton & Jean Traylor, “Coach” & Elizabeth Cooley, Jerry & Carolyn Jeffrey, Bill & June Corbin, Jack & Jewel Brewster, and a host of others. I can see the “Wheeler girls” up on that stage singing. I can see people being saved and baptized in that very room.
The precious people at Pisgah Baptist Church loved me and were patient with me. They loved the Word of God and came hungry for it every service. They didn’t just see themselves as my ministry, but rather they saw me as their ministry. They urged me to stay in seminary classes and even helped to pay for my ministry training knowing that I likely would not stay there very many years. They prayed for me. On a handful of occasions, they cried with me. They loved my wife, and let her settle into the role of a pastor’s wife with no pressure to do everything in the church. I absolutely could not have asked for a better first church to pastor.
On Wednesday as I drove up to Pisgah, all of these memories came flooding back. As a walked into the building, it was like home as always. After a few hours of countless tears, hugs, and a funeral, I pulled out of the parking lot to head back to Huntsville. With tears streaming down my cheeks, I thanked the Lord for this precious church and all that it has meant to me. Everything I do for the Lord today is very much because of their influence in my life. They have truly meant more to me than I could ever mean to them. This is why, no matter where I go or what I do for the Lord the rest of my life, part of my heart will always be at Pisgah.
1 Corinthians 15 is one of the most famous chapters in the Bible. It is commonly referred to as the “Resurrection Chapter” not because it tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection but because it speaks of the necessity of it and how it applies to our lives today. As we approach Easter Sunday, I encourage all of my readers to take some time and read through this great chapter. I intend to do so with my own family during our family devotional times. Let’s look at some key points of this chapter…
“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:12–19, NASB95)
Here we see the absolute necessity of the resurrection to our faith. If He is not victorious then there is no victory for us. However, Christ has risen from the dead, so there is victory for us. In fact, Paul goes on to explain that Christ’s resurrection restores spiritual life to sinful humanity who had lost their spiritual life through Adam’s fall in the garden of Eden…
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–22, NASB95)
Because Jesus is victorious over sin, death, and the grave we can have that same victory through faith in Him! Furthermore, Paul explains that Christ’s resurrection ensures our resurrection – comparing Christ’s resurrection as the first one of many to come…
“But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:23–28, NASB95)
I hope that’s enough to get your Bible study juices flowing and encourage you to dig into 1 Corinthians 15 this week as we count down to Easter Sunday – resurrection Sunday! A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel for the first time to visit the Biblical sites. Of course, one of the great highlights of any trip there is a visit to the Garden Tomb…
We do not know for sure exactly where Jesus was buried. The Garden Tomb is one of two locations that many Christians believe to be the place. The other is found just a short distance away in Jerusalem inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Garden Tomb has a number of characteristics that coincide with what we know from the Bible, making it the location that is preferred by most evangelical scholars today, although we cannot be certain.
This is the burial chamber inside the Garden Tomb. If Jesus was actually buried here, this is very likely the spot. Take a moment and think about that. Every group that enters the Garden Tomb grows silent as this awesome thought sinks in. For me, it is a spiritually moving experience to be reminded in such a concrete way that I serve a risen Savior! You see, the most important issue is not WHERE Jesus was buried, but rather THAT Jesus has risen! Here is what you see above you as you exit the Garden Tomb…
Yes! That is what really matters! As the old hymn says, “I serve I risen Savior, He’s in the world today. I know that He is living whatever men may say…” That is the message and the hope of Easter. In fact, Easter Sunday is not the only Sunday that the Christian church celebrates the resurrection. Have you ever wondered why we worship on Sunday? Because Jesus rose on Sunday. The early Christians did not gather to worship on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) but gathered to worship on Sunday because that was the day their Savior rose. So, every single time we gather for worship on Sunday, we are celebrating the resurrection of Christ. Yes, Easter Sunday and every Sunday is resurrection Sunday!
Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus only said that He was personally building one thing: the church?
““I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.” (Matthew 16:18–20, NASB95)
Here Jesus speaks of the “universal” church, that is the ekklesia made up of all believers the world over who have ever lived, are living, and will ever live. The Bible also speaks of what we call a “local” church, that is a gathering of Christians from a particular location. For instance, many of Paul’s epistles begin with a reference to the saints in a particular city. That is they are addressed to particular churches. Revelation 2-3 famously refer to the seven churches in Asia and there God speaks to specific local churches. You really can’t separate those two ideas out. I like to say that the local church is simply an expression of the universal church.
As Christians, we are to love BOTH the local church and the universal church. It’s easy to love the universal church. Just the thought of millions upon millions of fellow believers from almost all nations, races, and languages is an encouragement to us. There is nothing quite like traveling to another country and worshiping with other believers that you do not know and yet immediately sensing the Spirit of God in your midst. While the church is struggling in North America right now, it is advancing strongly on every other continent. Jesus is truly building His church every single day. More people are coming to Christ the world over right now than at any time in world history. It just doesn’t appear that way if you are sitting in a church in America. I love the universal church. It is a great encouragement to me.
This fact brings me to the local church. Probably, most readers of this blog are faithful members of a local church in the United States. The local church is a little more difficult to love because we have seen it up close. We have seen churches grow, and we have seen churches implode. We have seen churches reach people and we have seen churches go for years without a single baptism. We have seen churches move ahead with great faith and unity, and we have seen way too many churches fall into severe conflict with collateral damage in the lives of countless people. We have seen churches change and we have seen churches die. If we stop and think about it, we could all likely name a number of scandals involving a local church. Depending on our particular experiences and perspective, the local church may or may not be a source of encouragement when you think about it.
Please let me share a word of exhortation here. I am one who has given my entire adult life to serving local churches – that’s over twenty years of full time ministry as a pastor. Certainly, I have seen the great, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in the local church. I have seen the local church at its best and I have seen it at its worst, and I would absolutely do it all over again! How do I say that? Because I believe with all of my heart that the local church is the most important organization on the planet. Remember, the church is the only thing that Jesus said He is personally building. I want to invest my life in what is most important to Jesus!
The truth is that I love all Bible believing, gospel preaching, Jesus worshiping churches. I have preached in churches of all sizes and in all types of communities. I love churches. It fascinates me to see how God is working in each place. Certainly, I have seen many churches that could be more effective due to many factors, but I have yet to see a church that could not reach someone. I have yet to see a church that did not have at least a handful of Godly, faithful people who longed for revival and to see their church reach others. I have yet to see a church that did not advance the kingdom and bring honor to Christ in some way. I love churches. Country churches, city churches, suburban churches, small churches, large churches, traditional churches, contemporary churches, you name them, I love them all. Jesus is building His church, and that is evident through His work in local churches all over the world.
Now, let’s think for a moment about “my church” that is the church I presently serve, Whitesburg Baptist Church. You know the church that you go to is like your family. Deficiencies and shortcomings quickly come to mind! Why is that? Because we see the blemishes of those we are closest to. All of us who attend church faithfully could list numerous ways that our church could be better. It is at our home church that we see up close and personal that the church is people and therefore imperfect. Nevertheless, I love my church. There is far more right with Whitesburg than wrong with Whitesburg. Some of the finest Christians I have ever known are part of the Whitesburg family. Each year, hundreds of people give their life to Christ through my church’s influence. Some of the closest friends I have in this world are at Whitesburg. The Bible is preached and Christ is exalted at Whitesburg. I love my church.
So there you have it. I love the church universal, the church local, and I love my church. Jesus is at work building His church, and it is a great joy of my life to be a small part of what He is doing in the church. No matter what may be going on in your particular church, don’t give up. God is not out of business. Love the church, churches, and love your church!
“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32, NASB95)
Recently, I saw a “tweet” from a Christian leader who pointed out that we really don’t hold grudges, but rather grudges hold us. That is so very true. Bitterness and grudges have been around since the very beginning of time. Remember Cain and Abel? However, from where I sit, it appears to me that anger and bitterness is running rampant in our culture in a way that I have never seen before. So many live in the bondage of unforgiveness. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Christian believers live in that bondage too.
Like many Christians, I sometimes struggle with forgiveness. It certainly doesn’t come naturally, does it? However, forgiveness is not an option if we are to live faithfully for Christ. We cannot bear spiritual fruit and know the joy of the Lord if our hearts are filled with bitterness and anger. On the surface, this appears irreconcilable, doesn’t it? On the one hand, forgiveness is absolutely necessary, but on the other hand forgiveness goes against everything that we naturally feel. It is certainly no surprise that the overwhelming majority of people live their lives in the bondage of unforgiveness. It is what comes most naturally.
Ephesians 4:32 reminds us as Christians that forgiveness is a SUPERNATURAL part of our lives. Notice that we are not encouraged to forgive because we are so good and kind. The basis of our being able to forgive others is the powerful forgiveness of Christ that we have experienced for our own sin. We can forgive because we have experienced such incredible forgiveness ourselves. Christ forgave us of our sins and we certainly do not deserve it. Therefore, because we have experienced love, grace, and forgiveness in our own lives, we can extend them to others who have hurt us.
Ephesians 4:32 is one of my life verses because each year I find myself coming back to it on multiple occasions. Life hurts. Family hurts sometimes. Ministry and church hurts sometimes. I have learned to run back to this verse when I sense that I am struggling to forgive. This serves two purposes. First, it reminds me that I can forgive and the ability to forgive is not based on my goodness, but on the goodness of Christ. Finally, it also reminds me of the greatness of my salvation. Christ has forgiven me of all of my sins; he came into this world to save sinners – of whom I am chief! Once I am reminded of those two great truths, then I tend to be in a more ready mindset to forgive and move on.
Do you need to forgive someone today? Make Ephesians 4:32 one of your life verses.
As Jesus was taking his last breaths on the cross, he cried out “It is finished!” What did he mean by that? What does that have to do with our lives today? I take a look at those questions in this message I shared this past Sunday at Whitesburg…
Like so many around the world, I have been interested this week in the selection of the new pope. Pope Francis is now the leader of over 1 billion Catholics around the world. His selection is understandably big news. His religious leadership and influence on the world stage is evident. I am grateful for his strong stands on the sanctity of all human life and for Biblical marriage between a man and a woman for life. I pray that he will continue to stand firm on these issues and lead courageously.
On the other hand, first of all as a born again Christian and Bible preacher and second of all as a Baptist, I do feel it is important to help people understand some very real distinctions. Catholics believe that Peter was the first pope and reference Matthew 16:17-19. I believe Jesus is actually referring to himself in that passage and affirming that the church is built on the rock of salvation – the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible teaches that no man is the head of the church, but rather the Lord Jesus is the head of the church of the church that he is building…
“but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15–16, NKJV)
In addition, I believe the Bible teaches that we do not have a priesthood today because the Lord Jesus Christ is our great High Priest who provided direct access to God through his death on the cross…
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14–16, NKJV)
While volumes have been written on these theological issues, let me sum up briefly. Because the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the church and the great High Priest of every believer, then every sinner can draw near to God for salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus. There is no priestly mediator that must accept your confession, but rather each person confesses their sin directly to God. Therefore, the Lord is directly involved in a real and personal way in the individual life of every Christian. As a result, we look to the Bible and the leadership of the Holy Spirit for our guidance. Individual Christians may worship, pray, confess, and study the Bible based on their own personal relationship with the Lord. This is a fundamentally different understanding of personal salvation and Christian discipleship than what is taught in the Catholic church. These convictions are held by Baptists and many Christians from other denominations and backgrounds. It is important to understand these distinctions.
As a result, Baptists do not elevate and recognize the pope to anywhere near the degree our Catholic friends do. Our King is Jesus. He is the head of the church. The Bible is our authority. We do not have popes; we have pastors who are called by each individual congregation to teach the people, shepherd the people, and lead the people all under the authority of the Great Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor is not the ruler of the church, and he is certainly not infallible. That is why the pastor is to lead the people in a way that allows the Lord to work in their hearts and bring them to the same conclusions and directions. As a result, when the Baptists vote on a matter we believe this reflects God’s will as He has spoken to the individual members of the church. This is called congregational church government, another Baptist distinctive. Each Baptist congregation is free to call its own pastor and make its own decisions as it feels led by the Holy Spirit.
As a result, there is no Baptist Vatican either. While there is a Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, it has no authority over any church. It exists to carry out the cooperative missions and education efforts of over 40,000 Southern Baptist churches. Participation is completely voluntary. No church is required to give a single dime. No pastor is ever told what he must preach. No church is ever told what they must do. Churches choose to be part of the cooperative Southern Baptist family. They can choose to no longer cooperate at any time. This is why one person described the Cooperative Program as a “rope of sand.”
The same holds true on a state and local level. The church I serve is also a member of the Alabama Baptist State Convention and the Madison Baptist Association. The same principles hold true in those relationships. Whitesburg Baptist Church is not instructed by or bound to either of these organizations. Whitesburg Baptist Church owns our buildings, calls our own leaders, and makes our own decisions as we feel led by the Lord. We are glad and busy participants in the Southern Baptist Convention, Alabama Baptist Convention, and the Madison Baptist Association, but this is because our church chooses to be and we feel the Lord wants us to cooperate with other like minded believers. Neither of these groups has any authority over our church. In fact, the true headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention is the local church!
In light of the new pope being chosen, I thought it appropriate to remind all of my readers about these important distinctives.
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3–5, NKJV)
On this Saturday morning as I was doing my personal devotional time in Deuteronomy, for some reason these verses in Psalm 37 came to my mind. Verse 4 is a favorite of many. However, it’s important to remember that it comes between two verses that speak of our staying faithful and trusting the Lord. Notice what we are told to do while we are waiting on God to give us the desires of our heart: “do good…dwell in the land.” In other words, stay faithful. Do what you know the Lord wants you to do. Be a faithful spouse. Invest in your kids. Be faithful to faithful to your church. Pay your bills. Be a great employee. Do all of these things while you trust in Him and wait on Him.
It’s a mistake to believe that trusting God means we just rest on our laurels or give up on our situation. These verses teach the opposite. Trusting God is staying faithful and doing good – all the while believing that God will move one day and give us the desires of our heart. You see, trusting God IS staying faithful.
Finally, notice the last phrase “…He shall bring it to pass.” When we stay faithful and do what we know the Lord wants us to do to the best of our ability, then He is responsible for the results. Staying faithful demonstrates that we are not depending on ourselves, but on Him. Think about it.
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