Mixed Emotions
The last several weeks at Bay Area Baptist have been spent in large part preparing for the beginning of a sermon series on spiritual growth from the book of Romans. We have invited our community by handing out over 10,000 personal invitations, made announcements at every church event for the last month, and done our best to invite friends and family that do not attend church. As the pastor, I have done my best to explain the purpose of this series as well as why I think the subject matter applies to every individual at every stage of spiritual development. I believe that both the Bible and simple observation would bear out that most people do not live the lives that God intends for them because they have either never entered into a relationship with Him or because they have not grown in that relationship beyond salvation.It has been of great interest to me to see the mixed response of those that have learned of this series and to understand the emotional difficulty that many have had with my premise. The title that I chose for this series was simply, “God is Dead.” I have been careful to explain that I do not believe or advocate the false teaching that God is physically dead and both believe and teach that He is alive, powerful, and relevant; that He loves us and wants to have a personal relationship with us. The premise of this series, though, and the purpose of the title is to say that even though God is alive; in the lives of most people, Christians and non-Christians, He has no more influence than if He were dead. And that even Christians go through life without the direction and power of the Holy Spirit because they choose to live without Him.
I have come to the conclusion over the last several weeks that no one, NO ONE, wants to believe that they live as though God is dead. We like to defend the reality of God and defend our relationship with Him, but none of us likes to admit that our relationship with Him is not all that it could or should be. Emotionally, it seems, we just cannot handle the truth that we may not treat the God of creation like a vital and necessary part of our lives.
And so, I am all the more thankful that in the Word of God we have the truth, however difficult it may be for us to handle, that we need to die to self and walk as alive unto God. I look forward to continuing to learn how we can grow in this relationship with our Savior and pray that we can get past the emotion and become the Christians we were saved to be.
“God is Dead”
We live in a world where so often it is the unimportant things that become all important, the unnecessary that become vital and the relevant that become irrelevant. Our society is consumed with things that absolutely do not matter and have a complete disregard for things that do. While most Americans could name their favorite sports or movie celebrity and would be quick to passionately defend these choices, if you were to ask them about God, His reality and His importance to their lives, they would struggle to give any kind of a real opinion. For most of the people that we spend our days with and pass on the street the idea of a real, living and relevant God is one that they have either never considered or choose not to. Even to many that would profess faith in Christ God has no relevance to their daily lives and might as well, practically, be dead.
In his book, “The Pursuit of God” A.W. Tozer said this: Christians, to be sure, go further than this (In their understanding of God). Their creed requires them to believe in the personality of God, and they have been taught to pray, “Our Father, which art in heaven.” Now personality and fatherhood carry with them the idea of the possibility of personal acquaintance. This is admitted, I say, in theory, but for millions of Christians, nevertheless, God is no more real than He is to the non-Christian. They go through life trying to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle.
It is with this realization in mind that next week, February 21, we will begin a new series of messages here at Bay Area Baptist Church entitled, “God is dead.” While it is clear to anyone that has truly experienced Him that God is very real and very alive and powerfully relevant, the sad fact is that most people live as though none of these facts were true.
Please pray as we study from the Bible how we can enjoy a life of living with and for the God that loves us so much He provided forgiveness of sins and newness of life through the death of His Son on the cross. My prayer is that these messages would be used to strengthen the walk of every Christian and bring to light the reality of God to those that have yet to place their faith in Him.
“God is Dead”
What do you believe about God? Does He really exist? Can He be known in a personal way? Why do those that say they follow Him seem to be as lost as everyone else? Does any of it really matter?
Although the Bible teaches about a real, powerful, and relevant God most of the world, whether they say they believe in Him or not, live as though He were dead. Whether a person attends church every Sunday or believes that God is a myth and religion is for the simple minded, if God is not a daily part of life then, practically speaking, He is not alive.
On February 21st, we will be starting a new series of messages that will examine how a God that we cannot see and cannot touch can impact our lives in a real, powerful, and relevant way. Whether you believe in God, don’t believe in God, or just don’t care this series is designed for you. If you have ever come to the conclusion that God must be dead because you cannot see Him working in your life, come and learn from the Bible just how alive He is and the wonderful plan He has for your life!
Our Purpose
I wonder how many people there are in our world that go through life without any real purpose? Days are consumed with work and family and other things necessary to live and function in society, but there is not an underlying purpose that guides the life. I wonder how many churches are that way? Busy filling time with an endless list of good things and ministry responsibilities with no strong underlying purpose determining what things on that list will get done or the ministry items that will get attention. I wonder how many churches, seeking the kind of purpose that will provide meaning and direction have spent endless hours determining what they want their purpose to be?
Yesterday, we had the privileged to once again examine our purpose both as individuals and as a church in light of the Bible. While there is no end to the good things that we could invest our lives and the life of our church in, the Bible is very clear regarding the purpose that God wants us to fulfill.
Mt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Lead others into a relationship with Jesus Christ-Share the Gospel
Love each other and the world through the church-Equip
Live the disciple life-Follow Christ
I know that we will get off track from time to time and that it is easy to get pulled away from doing the most important thing by some really good things. I am thankful, though, that the purpose, the reason that we do it all and the focus of our lives and ministry is not something that we need to figure out. May the Lord give us grace to follow His “Great Commission” and make His purpose ours.
A New Year Brings New Opportunities
While it is hard to believe that we are already two weeks into 2010, it is exciting to think of the possibilities that a new year brings. We know that there is nothing particularly magical about leaving one year and entering into another, but this transition does allow us to turn the page on what was and hit the reset button on what can be. This time of the year presents a unique opportunity to bring our lives back into order and to focus on those things that we may have forgotten in the busyness of life but believe that God would have us to do.
In Isaiah 43:19 God Says: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
It is my prayer that regardless of what you and your family experienced in 2009 that 2010 would be a year where God is able to do a “New thing” in your life.
This is my prayer for our church as well. I am so thankful for the way that God has been blessing our church and for the folks that we have seen saved and baptized and for the families that we have seen added. God’s blessing has been so evident and we rejoice that He is working through us. My prayer for this year though, is that we would see Him do something of such a magnitude that we would only be able to say as the Psalmist did in Psalm 118:23;
This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
Please pray earnestly with me that we will be the people that God can use to accomplish all that He wants to do in this area. I look forward to rejoicing together throughout the year as we see the goals that we have set as a church accomplished and watch God do a great work through us.
“Follow Up”
I am looking forward to meeting the many guests that will be with us tomorrow for “Open House Sunday” and pray that God would use us to make a difference in their lives. My prayer for our guests beyond the salvation of the lost, is that we would do a good job of following up on those that are with us so that they could return, not as guests, but as friends. I am thankful for the opportunity that we will have to minister to the many folks that will be here, but pray that we have many more opportunities to minister to them in the weeks to come. This day is not about one day, but about establishing relationships that would last for years to come.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Lets pray that we would have the opportunity to meet many new folks tomorrow and establish relationships that can be edifying and encouraging for many Sunday’s to come.
“Salvations”
If the question were asked, “What is Open House Sunday really all about?”, I would have to boil it down to one word: Salvation. The reason that we do the things that we do is so that those in our community that are without Christ can have the opportunity to enter into a relationship with Him. I am excited about those Christians that are encouraged and strengthened through the ministry of our church, but ultimately, all of the encouraging, strengthening, and equipping that takes place at church takes place so that we can do a better job of reaching the lost.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Let’s be in prayer that God would use this day to work the miracle of salvation in the lives of the lost who attend. The goal of Christ when He came to earth was to reach the lost. Let this be our goal as well.
“The Invitation”
“Open House Sunday” is a day that we are promoting simply by handing out invitations to those in our community that we have never met as well as friends, relatives and co-workers. We invite folks to join us for church because we believe that if folks will come and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts, that their lives can be changed forever. We invite because we believe that the community of Christians found at BABC can encourage and equip us to better serve the Lord. We invite folks to come to church because we know that it is what the Lord would want us to do.
I believe that the most important invitation that will be extended for this “Open House Sunday” though, is the invitation that will take place following the preaching. As the message concludes an invitation will be given, not to be a part of our church or to come back next week, but to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. This invitation is the time that all of the other invitations were focused on. This is the invitation that can change an eternity.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Please be in prayer that the many who are without Christ would respond to the most important invitation of their lives.
“Preaching”
This Sunday is a special day for our church. We know that each Sunday is special, but a day like “Open House Sunday” serves to help us remember just how special it is and how important it is for other folks to be a part of what is happening here. I look forward to the service that we are going to have. I am excited to meet the first time guests that will be with us, I always enjoy the time of singing and special music that we have, and the fellowship with the “regulars” is great as well. As a pastor though, I understand that we can have many guests, a good time of fellowship, and great music and still go home empty if the Preaching of Gods Word is not used by Him to impact lives. Please pray in the next few days leading up to this “Special” day that the Lord will give me the right message, and the wisdom to know how to deliver that message.
1Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Pray that through the preaching of the eternal truth of the Word of God hearts would be stirred, the unsaved would be convicted of sin, and lives would be changed. I look forward to what God is going to do as we Preach the Word!
“Music”
The Lord has blessed our church with talented musicians and music that is honoring to Him. As the pastor, I pray that the music would prepare hearts for the message, but most of the time, I find that our music prepares my heart to preach the message. There is no better way to get our hearts and minds ready to hear the truth of the Word of God than by singing praises to Him.
Col0ssiana 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
As we approach “Open House Sunday” lets be in prayer that the Lord would use the music to prepare hearts for the preaching of His Word. Pray that those who participate in leading the music and those of us that will sing as a congregation will have hearts of praise and worship thankful for God and who He is.
