Americans Devout but not Dogmatic?

"The United States is a nation of believers...."  This was the opening line of an article in the June 23 edition of The Boston Globe.  The statement was premised on "a massive new study of religion in America conducted by the Pew Forum and Religion & Public Life," which was released earlier the same day as the Globe article.

You can read the statistical details of the study by reading the article for yourself.  In fact, it even shows some interesting correlations between New England and the nation as a whole.  In short, New Englanders are the least likely to say they are religious.  (Surprising . . . not!)  But the one statistic that grabbed my attention more than any other is that fifty-seven percent of Evangelical Protestants believed that "many religions can lead to eternal life."  

Of course such a belief flies in the face of Scripture's teaching, as a few quick references will reveal:

John 14:6: "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes unto the Father, except by Me."

Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved."

John 3:36: "He who believes on the Son has life; he who believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Galatians 1:8, 9:  "But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed."

Do you understand the implications of these verses in light of the above statistic?  What needs evangelizing is not only the unbelieving world but the "believing" church - because what the majority of professing Evangelical Protestants believe concerning the way of eternal life is wrong!  

My guess is that most if not all of the TruthWalk readership do not need to be convinced of this.  We believe in the true gospel.  We affirm the exclusivity of Christ.  We believe that Jesus really is the only way to salvation.  Solus Christus!

But we are faced with a real challenge, and that is proclaiming the true gospel to this post-modern generation.  In a culture where the most fundamental truths are questioned, a world in which there are no absolutes, this may seem virtually impossible.  Yet we must remember that in all cultures of every age, the challenge has been the same, as has the solution.  The challenge is to get sinners with blind eyes and stony hearts to see and receive the message of the gospel.  Yet the solution is, and always has been, the power of the preached Word.  

Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

1 Corinthians 1:21: "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

Jeremiah 23:29:  "'Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?'"  (This verse is posted in the right-hand margin of TruthWalk.)

We are incapable of convincing people of God's truth through persuasive words of human wisdom or fancy rhetoric or savvy marketing.  Stone hearts are made flesh by the transforming power of the Gospel itself.  As Paul the apostle stated and knew so well, "It is the power of God to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek [Gentile]" (Romans 1:16).

I think the greatest challenge I face as a preacher is cultivating true love and understanding for people stuck in a postmodern mindset.  I tend to view them with disdain and frustration rather than pity and compassion.  In his book, Preaching to a Post-Everything World, Zack Eswine writes:

I am convinced that biblical preaching will meet this challenge [of reaching people with the gospel in today's world] only when a generation of preachers remembers where they have been.  Until we remember that God drew us to himself and nourished us before we even knew where to find the book of Exodus in the Bible or that such things as Arminianism and Calvinism even existed, we will withhold from others the same mercy that was required for us to learn what we now know.

In this light, the prayer of many of us is that God would raise up a generation of expository evangelists; preachers who understand biblical exposition in missional terms; preachers whose hearts burst with love for sinners; preachers who no longer dismiss biblical exposition when they think of engaging culture; preachers who no longer expound the Bible with disregard for the unchurched people around them.

Read those last two clauses again.  That's where I'm at, seeking a balance between biblical fidelity and cultural relevance.  And while it is true that God's Word is relevant to every culture of every age, it is incumbent upon us as proclaimers of God's Truth to show that the Holy Scriptures are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.  That takes hard work and the Holy Spirit.  Careful preparation and constant prayer.  

"And who is equal to such a task? ... Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God" (2 Cor. 2:16b; 3:5).

Concerned about Corporate Worship

A couple of days ago, a church member expressed to me in an e-mail message her sadness over the spirit of corporate worship during our Sunday morning services.  I asked if I could share her thoughts on TruthWalk in the hopes of generating some discussion.  She agreed if I did so anonymously, so that the readership could focus on the content of what was said rather than the personality behind it.  I can say as pastor that this person is growing in her faith, has been honest about her own struggles, and loves First Baptist Church.  So don't think of this Christian sister as looking down her long, self-righteous nose at the rest of the congregation.  She is simply sharing a concern in the hopes of correcting the problem as she perceives it.

So give this a read, and let us know your thoughts on the issue.  Worship is our highest priority as Christians, for whatever we do is to be for the glory of God.  How that is expressed may vary, but Scripture says a lot about even our expressions in worship.  So read these comments in light of Scripture, and share your own thoughts by leaving your personal comments.

Hi Pastor Matt,

I have been very sad about something that I have noticed in our church, Praise and Worship time.  It makes me so sad that I am, one of but so few that even move, never mind sing during this time.  I tried to tell myself that well, maybe that is just how Conservative Baptists churches are or maybe the Northeast is just a little different but I no longer think this is so.  I think it may be something else.  

This is from Mike Cleveland's study today in The Lord's Table:

This verse tells us that our God is a consuming fire. Fire in Scripture often speaks of judgment, but may also refer to fervency. Fervency may be defined as an ignited spirit aflame with passion for the living God. It is truly amazing to note that God desires this passion for Him in you and in me. In fact, God is nauseated at the "Laodicean" spirit that is unenthusiastic, indifferent and half-hearted in its love for Him.

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth." Revelation 3:14-16

This scares me when I read it and I think of so many who merely stand during the songs and not even whisper the songs. 

The definition of Praise  and Worship from Dictionary.com:

Praise:

to express approval or admiration of; commend; extol.

to offer grateful homage to (God or a deity), as in words or song.

Worship:

1.	reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred.

2.	formal or ceremonious rendering of such honor and homage: They attended worship this morning.

3.	adoring reverence or regard: excessive worship of business success.

4.	the object of adoring reverence or regard.

This verse also clearly captures worship to me:

Revelations 5:8-14

I am just so sad that I don't see this.  I get upset with myself when I am uncomfortable being the only one who is clapping and I stop because I feel 'silly'.  

It isn't just that.  I have also been burdened by the shortage of giving.  I wondered how come this is so despite the letters pleading, the powerpoint presentations of the damage to the building and the explanation of taking care of the property, etc.   Then I went to my old church a couple of weekends ago. Their praise and worship is much different than ours. The songs are about the same except the praise and worship team moves, smiles, claps and so forth.  The church sings, claps and moves.  Some sway their hands in the air. It seems like a celebration at times and then when the song gets slow and more serious, people seem to honestly feel the words.  Why do I mention this?  It's their giving. They give more than they have a budget for every week. The church is over its yearly goal and it is July.  Is there a correlation between the praise  and worship of the church and the giving? I submit that there is. I don't mean a good show put on by the team is what we need to do but an honest and heartful praise and worship of our Lord during this time may bring about change. How do we do this? I really don't know but I will pray, pray, pray. 

Pastor Yusef on WEZE said something astonishing today. He wanted to know why the people who will scream themselves hoarse during an athletic event, stand, shout, clap and have no care in the world what a fool they make of themselves can't seem to even open their mouths or move a finger during praise and worship.  I know it struck me pretty hard.  I immediately thought of our praise and worship and it made me sad.   

Maybe some senseless rambling of a tired person who should be in bed right now but it was on my heart to bring it up today.  I probably should have just emailed this to Pastor Nick but I don't have his email address so you are the lucky recipient.

Okay, folks, what are YOUR thoughts on all this?

Stand Firm in Your Faith

Tuesday's blog posting featured Peter Hadden's valedictory address, which he delivered a couple of weeks ago at The Master's Academy's graduation ceremony.  Today's article is a reprint of the salutatory address given by Rachel Burke at South Shore Christian Academy's graduation ceremony last Saturday.  Rachel and her family have been part of our church family for about five years.  Her father, Tony Burke, is an elder, and both Tony and his wife Anne serve as leaders in Student Ministries.  Rachel has ministered in a variety of ways, one of the most notable being her active involvement in children's ministries.  Rachel has served as a summer missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship and has also served as assistant teacher in children's Bible School class on Sunday mornings.

Rachel has been gifted with a great mind.  Part of the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our mind (Matthew 22:37).  Rachel's speech conveys the importance of doing this not only by knowing the Scriptures, but by obeying them (see John 13:17). How great it is to see one of our own graduates challenging her peers to live for God's glory.  God bless you, Rachel, and all our other graduates, that you might serve the purposes of God in your generation.  

Without further ado, here is Rachel's address:

Both Emily and I had difficult times writing speeches for today. From this time last year, as we watched the Class of 2007 receive their diplomas, we dreaded our own graduation, for we had no idea what we should say at it. We wanted to speak about something meaningful but not cheesy, applicable but not overdone. For weeks we pondered the infinite realm of topics but could not find anything that felt right. Finally, Emily thought of something very simple, but very suitable- what could be better to discuss than the foundation of this school, the Lord Jesus Christ.

SSCA is grounded in and centered upon the Lord. Throughout my time here, each teacher and staff member has displayed a life devoted to Christ. They ensured that each student firmly understands the truth of Scripture, and more importantly, they taught us through both their counsel and their example how we can live to serve God. Everyone graduating today has been privileged and blessed to have this opportunity for encouragement and instruction, so that we may better follow the Lord in our own lives.

However, merely learning how to follow the Lord has little lasting benefit. What we do with that knowledge is far more important. Many of us know a parable that Jesus told about a wise man who built his house on a rock. Throughout storms and floods and winds, his house remained secure, for it was built on a firm foundation. Another man built his house on sandy ground, without a foundation. At the first sign of water, his house collapsed and crashed to the ground, for it had nothing to stand upon. I have known this story for years, but until recently I did not notice whom Jesus was really talking about through it.

When Christ describes the man who built his house on a firm foundation, he is not speaking of those who are “good people;” he is not even speaking of Christians, those who claim to know him as Lord. The man who remains secure is he who hears the word of Christ and follows it. Likewise, the man whose house crumbles does not represent those whom we view as horrible sinners, but those who hear Christ’s word, and know it, but do not follow it. Not only will these people lose what they build; Christ says that “the ruin of that house is great.”

Everyone graduating today knows how to act like a perfect Christian. We can do all the right things and give all the right answers. But does that really matter? We are leaving this school, our parents, and our churches. As we go on to college, few people will care that we know how to behave like proper Christians. What others will notice is if we have taken all that we have learned and made it a part of who we are.

God is asking each of us to serve him with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul, and all of our strength. He has given each of us different abilities and desires, that we may use them to glorify him. The years that we will spend in college are not meant to be used as playtime while we wait for real life to start. If we are willing to allow God to use us, the next four years can be a time of radical, life-changing experiences. In Jeremiah 1:7, the Lord says, “Do not say I am only a youth, for to all whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” God wants to use these years to do mighty things in us and through us.

As we leave this school, and travel from the watchful eyes of our parents and teachers, I encourage my classmates to devote their lives to God, and to use all they have for his glory. For as it says in Isaiah 7:9, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”

Called to Be Different

Today's blog posting is a reprint of a Valedictorian Speech that one of our students at First Baptist Church delivered during his graduation ceremony at The Master's Academy.  Peter has become a real spiritual leader among his peers.  He is kind, generous, helpful, and wanting to become more like Christ.  To Peter and our other graduating seniors, we say:  "Congratulations on reaching this significant milestone, and may our Lord richly bless you!"  Here's what Peter had to say:

Conformity is defined as the action or behavior in association with socially accepted standards. As we have been growing up we have been living according to the standards that our parents and our schools have set up, but as we leave this place and our families, what are we going to conform to? Is it going to be what society says is acceptable and do what everyone else is doing or are we going to strive to be different, to be a light in this already darkening world?

We live in a time where it is no longer the individual but the group. People are classified by what group they follow not by what they; themselves, have done. We have to break the cultural norms and not be just another group, but individuals that have a love for what they do and a desire to serve God with the gifts He has given us. If the cultural norms cannot be broken, then we have to be a group that is different from the rest. A group that isn’t here in world with all its desires but one that is laden with the truth of scriptures. As Christians, we are called to be different. To live a life apart from the world. A life that is full of sacrifice and enrooted in Christ.  Luke 9 says that we are to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Christ. At times that might seem hard to do but we have to remember that this life is temporary along with its pleasures, but living for God brings rewards that are eternal, beyond the here and now.

        As we go into the university world, I hope that we don’t believe in the false teachings of some of the teachers and their ideologies, but rather we believe in what Christ teaches. As we listen in class we have to ask ourselves; “Is what the professor saying based in Scripture or is it a part of his worldview?” There are going to be those who go against the Bible, teaching what they see is right, but we must remain in the Word. Colossians 2:8-10 says: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”

As we are in the work place we are going to be bombarded with ridicule because of what we believe, I pray that we won’t lose faith because of it but rather we would be a testimony to those around us. Not being like everyone else but different. Different because we all possess different gifts, that make us unique. We aren’t to squander these gifts but use them to the full extent possible.

 So what are we going to do? Are we going to be like everyone else in the world or are we going to be different? Taking what we know and our gifts and using them to bring glory not to ourselves but to God.

I want to thank the parents for the upbringing that they have given us and the influence they have been. I also want to thank the teachers for making sure that we were provided with and education that’s foundation was the Bible.

... Guys, we made it!!

From Larry Bird to the Big Three

Last night, the pre-game show for Game One of this year's NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers included footage from the 1980s' rivalry between these teams.  The Lakers had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and other notable players.  The Celtics had Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge as some of their most dangerous weapons.

This brought back many memories of my childhood.  We lived on a cul-de-sac (just like we do now, only it was at the end of a longer street).  There in front of our driveway, on the edge of the circle of grass in the cul-de-sac, my dad had set up a really nice basketball board.  My brothers and I would play there for hours on end.  We would identify ourselves as famous players.  I was always Larry Bird.

Of course, when Michael Jordan joined the Bulls, I had to be him. After all, we did live in Chicago!  I was a basketball fanatic (sort of like my son Elijah is now!).  Just as the eighties belonged to the Celtics and Lakers, the nineties belonged to the Bulls. 

I remember getting ready to watch Game One of the 1991 NBA finals. It was the first time the Bulls had made it to the championship series with Michael Jordan.  (They would end up winning the championship that year as well as 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998!  Phil Jackson was the coach that whole time, by the way.)  Well, getting back to my story, we had just moved to Richmond, Virginia, a month earlier and here I was in our little town-home, getting ready to watch my beloved Bulls in their first NBA championship series.  The tip-off was minutes away, when all of a sudden - BLIP! - the screen went blank. The picture tube on our old floor-model, the only TV we had - was toast!  I jumped in the car and ran to the nearest appliance store and bought a $300 TV.  I was back home in minutes, ready to watch the game.  That move went totally against my frugal nature.  After all, that was about all the money we had in reserve, and I just went out and spent it on a television set - in a matter of minutes!  But that's how badly I wanted to watch the Bulls.

Fast forward to seventeen years later: June 5, 2008.  The Celtics and Lakers are matched up for the first time in two decades!  The Big Three are going up against Kobe and crew!  What do I do?  Turn off the TV after the first quarter and go to bed!  Why?  Not because I wasn't thoroughly enjoying the game, but because I knew I had to get up early the next morning, and there's no way I'd end up watching the whole thing anyway, so why not go to bed now?  (It was shortly after 9:30 p.m.)

Knowing myself and what I used to be like, it's hard to believe that I went to bed like I did last night.  Of course I woke up and was anxious to see if the Celtics won or not, but the fact was, I had reached a point in my life when I valued sleep over sports.  The choice was entirely mine.  I had no parents telling me to go to bed.  I was simply tired and chose to go to bed instead of staying up to watch the game.

The funny thing is, I have no regrets.  I'm glad the Celtics won, and I'm glad I got my shut-eye.  I'm not sure what the lesson is in this!  I'd like to think that I've simply matured and come to the realization that sports, while fun, are not the primary substance of life.  If our lives revolve around sports, then we have lost the Center and our sense of what is really important.  Yes, I'd like to think that this whole matter of my going to bed after the first quarter is an indication of the fact that "when I became a man, I put away childish things."

But part of me knows better than that.  That's what I'd like to think. But it's probably only partially true at best.  The fact is, I'm getting older, and I'm feeling a bit more tired at the end of each day.  This is pretty sorry to say, considering that I haven't turned forty yet!  Still, I don't rebound as quickly as I did at age twenty, or even thirty.

Regardless of how late we stay up, or whether we watch the game or read God's Word, the bottom-line is: "To everything there is a season, a time for ever purpose under heaven" - and certainly that includes a time to watch the game and a time to read God's Word, a time to play and a time to pray.  And in the freeness of His grace, God "has made everything beautiful in its time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  Our response to this reality ought to be the prayer of Moses, recorded in Psalm 90:  "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."  

Amen.

Go Celtics!

Pool Slime and Pet Sins

Yesterday after dinner, we began the necessary but dreaded task of taking off the tarp which covers our above-the-ground pool.  It's almost always more complicated that it should be.  Only once has the process gone smoothly.  Something nearly always goes wrong.

Yesterday was no exception.

As six of our seven family members surrounded the pool (our daughter Megan was working), we reminded one another of the cardinal rule:  Do not let any edge of the tarp fall down into the pool!  Because once that happens, all the slime on top of it (decomposed leaves, bird droppings, dirt, algae, and the like) can easily make its way into the nice, clean water underneath it all.  

Well, we no sooner started pulling the cover off, then part of the tarp's edge started going under.  "Quick!  Grab it!" we yelled to the kid who was closest.  Whew!  Catastrophe avoided.  So the process continued.  Slowly but surely we made it from one end of the pool to the other.  Now the final heave to get that last little part OVER the edge of the pool without ANY of the slime slipping into the water.  

Problem was, there was too much water on top of the tarp, and now it was all gathered into one place.   It smelled to high heaven.  It was grotesquely green.  The sickening aroma was sapping our strength as we tried with all our might to get that last little bit over the edge.  

"Somebody needs to get in the pool and help us lift this from underneath the tarp!"  Our son Matthew bravely volunteered.  He got into the pool and got his arms underneath the sagging portion of the tarp filled with 300 pounds worth of sludge, as the rest of us held on to the surrounding edge of the tarp, pulling with all our might.

The smell was getting stronger.  Our arms were getting weaker.  Then, to our horror, we saw some of the slimy, green sludge seeping through an unguarded segment of the tarp.  "Quick!  It's seeping into the pull!  Who's not grabbing the edge?  Pull, everybody, pull!"  And pulled we did - with all our might.

Then it happened.  Somehow, some way, somebody lost their hold.  The tarp caved under the weight, and the whole of the slime rushed into the pool - every single drop of it.  A thick green, algae-infested cloud spread its filth throughout what had been, seconds earlier, a clear and clean pool, until all of the water was contaminated with dirt, leaves, algae, and bird poop.

Who wants to swim in that?

So now we (mainly Ruthie, our pool expert) are left with the challenge of trying to filter all that filth out of our pool.  Later I was kicking myself, knowing that we should have emptied out some of that filthy water bucket by bucket, until the remaining amount was light enough to gather up in the tarp and throw over the edge.

Okay, somewhere in this mess there is a lesson for us.  I think it has to do with the pet sins that are left untouched in our lives.  Our heart, like the pool, can be freed from all other impurities.  We let the Lord deal with those.  But those little pet sins, like an algae-infested puddle, are left alone.  We figure that, when the time is right, we'll get rid of it without a problem.

But there already is a problem.  The sin is bigger than we think it is.  It's not as easy to get rid of as we thought it was.  We think it's no big deal when it's a very big deal.  Because we didn't let the Lord take care of it, we try to root it out ourselves, in our own strength.  And what happens?  Everything falls apart, and that sin spills all over, contaminating our whole heart.  Our whole person becomes polluted because of that one permitted sin.  And, oh, the price we pay.  If only we had gotten rid of it in the right way when we had the opportunity!

Well, getting back to our situation, we called "the pool guy," and he basically said that while our pool is not beyond help, it will take a lot of time and effort to get things back where they should be.  

Unaddressed sin leads to the same result.  The damage it does does not put us in a hopeless or helpless condition.  But it will take a lot of time and effort to get things back the way that they should be.  

Thankfully, we have a long-suffering and gracious Lord who is ready to help us in our time of need.  He is the "expert" at solving the sin issues in our lives.  The best thing we can do when we have made a mess of things is to go to Him, admit our failures, and ask Him for His help.  He will gladly give it.  Oh, it will indeed take a lot of time and effort on our part, but we can be assured that our great Savior will give us the grace to do what we need to do.

So, what slimy sin is sitting there in the recesses of your heart?  Root it out!  Ask God to help you; He will.  Then enjoy a good swim in the cool and refreshing waters of His grace.