Some Basic Disciplines

So, it seemed smart and wise and good to go ahead and put this out there for our students...practical guidelines for a few spiritual disciplines so that we can replace the distractions with discipline. Bible Intake: how do we expect to hear and know the voice of God if we never go to the place where we find His Word? o Key verses: John 17:17; Ps. 119:11, 105 o Application: if you are going to be a Jesus follower, you need to know what He desires. Practical tips: • Read the passage with a different emphasis each time:  “I am the resurrection and the life.”  “I am the resurrection and the life.”  “I am the resurrection and the life.” • Re-write a passage in your own words. • Look for necessary actions in a verse.  What are you commanded to do?  What is a good response to the truth?  Ask application-oriented questions of the text: • Does this text reveal something I should believe about God? • Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank or trust God for? • Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others? • Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about? • Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about? • Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself? • Pray through the text Prayer: prayer is the means by which I exchange my wishes for God’s will. o Key passages: Matthew 6:9-13 o Application: prayer is not as much about your wish list as it is about submission to His will. Prayer, as taught and exemplified by Jesus, is about death to self. What does your prayer life look like? Is it mostly about what you want? Here’s my challenge: learn to pray by starting out praying for 8 minutes. Using the following model (ACTS), give equal amounts of time to each section. Worship: the real duty of worship is not the outward duty to say or do the liturgy. It is the inward duty, the command – “Delight yourself in the Lord!” (Psalm 37:4) o Key passages: John 4:21-26; Rom. 12:1 o Application: the worshiping nature of our hearts. Jesus tells the story of a man that found a great treasure in a field… Giving (Time/Talent/Treasure): “He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot loose.” – Jim Elliot o Key passages: Rom. 12:1; Mark 12:17; Acts 4:32 o Application: • Consider how you’ve spent the last 24 hours. Subtract how much of that time was spent sleeping and eating. Now, how much time is left? Now, of that time left, how much did you spend on your relationship with God and serving others? • Consider how God has made you…what are you good at? How can you use those gifts for God? Are you using them for God? Can you sing? Teach? Play a sport? Clean a toilet? • Consider the last 10 times you spent money. How many of them were on your faith? Or how many were giving to the church? Or missions? The last 20 times? The last 30? Well, there it is...the format is a little crazy because I copied and pasted. But, the info is the same. Just takes a little weeding through. Hey, crazy thought: take notes on this stuff so you have to read it, make sense of it, and then make notes in your own words so that you'll remember it. Just saying...

Get the "Head" Start

The way you live your life matters. And the way you think about life directly affects the way you live. Paul instructed the Philippian church to "dwell" on the excellent things in life, the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and of good repute. Interestingly enough, these aren't uniquely Christian virtues. You could've found the exhortation to have these virtues from a number of 1st century philosophers. However, it is worth noting that Paul stresses the breadth of these virtues. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, etc. Paul says when you find the excellent things, think on them. Can I just say for a moment that it is okay for Christians to be educated? And that doesn't mean you need to be a walking commentary. You can be educated on things that are true, honorable, right and lovely. You can be read up on secular philosophy. You can understand the workings of the human body and how the solar system functions. It's okay. It doesn't mean you are anti-Bible or that you're well on your way to leaving the faith. As a matter of fact, we need to, as Christians, be better informed about the world around us. We (and I know, I'm painting with a broad stroke, which can be dangerous) have a tendency to speak long before we think and many times before we've even thoroughly educated ourselves on a topic. BUT, and here is my huge cautionary tale: Weigh it all according to the Word of God. Scripture is ultimately our foundation for all life and knowledge. If there seems to be Scripture and an opposing view, don't warp Scripture, lean on it. But filling our minds with the excellent things in life is a practice Paul calls us to constantly take up.

Second, we are to receive and learn sound teaching and lifestyle habits. Paul wanted the Philippians to receive, to hear his body of teaching, and he wanted them to observe and mimmic the manner in which he lived his life. Are you invested in earnest Bible study? Are you placing yourself under the sound teaching and exposition of the Word? You know, there's a big difference in mining the truths of Scripture and then relating them to our daily life and taking our daily life and finding Scripture to say what we want to hear. And then, find a godly person to show you what living the Christian life looks like. Spend time with them. Watch their walk and interactions with others. Ideally, this person is the same person. So, pastors and ministers, give me a brief moment to exhort you (as I exhort myself): love the Word and love spending time with people. I get the feeling sometimes that the love for studying Scripture is dwindling in the ministry. Maybe it's just me...I hope that's just something I'm perceiving. But cherish the times when you get to be alone in your study with Scripture and study tools spread across your desk. Guard your deep feasting on the Word. And (as I again speak to myself) learn to spend time with people...with church members! Aren't we called make disciples?! If so, we can't dunk 'em and dismiss 'em. We've got to invest our lives in our church members. Alright, I'm done preaching to myself. You can tune back in now. Find a solid Bible teacher that models what following Christ looks like. And learn from them fundamental doctrines of the faith and how to live the Christian life.

Progressing in the Gospel

So here is a little excerpt from last night's Refuge message. The teaching comes from Paul's encouragement to the Philippian church and I know that at any given time in my walk with Christ, I can pick one of these things to work on. So, here they are. And, side note, all of the verbs start with "P". What is it with sermons and the letter "P"?

Put the past behind you. Paul says, "forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead..." Sometimes we become so focused on the past that we completely miss what God is wanting to do in the here and now. God instructed the Israelites "Remember not the old things" but instead says, "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, will you not perceive it?" Our past can cripple us, both the good things and the bad. If we are stuck trying to recapture some past magic, whether it be programmatic or persons, we will miss what God wants to do now. Likewise, if we dwell on who hurt us or held us down, we become subservient to our pasts and essentially say that God is not big enough to overcome our past heartaches.

Pursue the goal. Paul says, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The book of Hebrews puts it this way: "looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith." Where is our focus at, church? Is it on the rudimentary things of this world? The things that rust and moth will destroy? The things that caused the rich young ruler to walk away sad? Crazy things happen when we start focusing on Jesus...we begin to be more like Him. We begin living with compassion for the weak. We begin delighting in people instead of things. We begin rejoicing in all circumstances.

Protect your relationships. This time, Paul instructs, "Join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk...that they are enemies of the cross of Christ..." Surround yourself with people who encourage you to grow in your relationship with Christ, and be very guarded about people who do not. This seems like such a youth thing, but adults can be just as guilty. When is the last time, adult, that you considered the company you keep? Are they spurring you to love and good deeds? Tod Tanner, a professor of mine at BCF, said that finding these people and locking arms with them is a necessity in the Christian life. And you know what, he's deadly accurate. Our relationships have this odd ability to push us closer or draw us away from the cross, so protect them.

Prepare for kingdom life. Lastly, Paul says, "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." As a citizen of the United States, we hold some things dear, have a sense of national pride, and live according to the regulations set forth by our leadership. We typically do these things joyfully and willingly. But, we have such a tendency to reject the things of God all the while claiming to "love Him." Last I checked, John 14:15 still said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." This isn't just a cursory or convenient obedience, it's a life laid down and in self-sacrifice to the Savior. Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.

Stop pushing...start doing!

One thing that I desperately want to see: revival. I'm talking about genuine, the Spirit moved and we couldn't explain it, lives are forevermore changed from a glimpse of His glory, revival. I don't think I'm alone in this. Am I? Maybe I am. But I doubt it. I believe we (ministers) genuinely want to see the Spirit fall. And so we teach and preach and talk about revival. We even put it on our calendar and say, "Here it is, God, the allotted time for You to show up." We say things like, "If you want to see a revival, draw a three foot circle around yourself and beg for revival to start there." But here is my confession: I'm so busy telling people about how they can experience revival in their own lives that I neglect the need for revival in my own heart. I miss the drawing the circle around myself part. And it's to this I must say, "Stop pushing...start doing!"

What is it going to take for me to experience God in my life? Can someone give me the hyper-spiritual formula that is necessary to experience a genuine move of the Spirit in my life? Wait, there's not a fancy formula? You've got to be kidding me?! I think it's actually a lot easier than we believe it to be.

First: thirst for God and settle for nothing less.

Second: do not quench the Holy Spirit. Allow Him free reign in life.

Third: do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Deal with the areas of disobedience He brings to light.

Could this be the simple path to revival? Could it be that the reason we don't know and experience the reality of the Spirit in our daily lives be because we're unwilling to lay the ground work for it in our own lives? I need to labor after God in prayer. Can I step away from the TV remote long enough for this to happen? Please?! I need to quit my self-serving idolatry. That's right, I struggle with self-worship. Anyone else? I mean, if I could do away with the evil that makes me feel good, I might just have this whole sin thing beat altogether. The Spirit has to have more control. And then, why in the world am I so reluctant to deal with repentance? Can I get a witness? Can I just be honest? Upfront with anyone reading this? I am a sinner. There. I said it. Can you expect me to be a sinner? I will promise to strive to live above reproach if you will give me the permission to not be perfect. If we learn to live honestly and transparently with one another, this whole repentance thing would flow naturally, instead of being something that we're ashamed of. Rant time: WHY DO WE MAKE EACH OTHER FEEL ASHAMED OF OUR SIN AND REPENTANCE? HELLO!!! It's commanded of us. Listen, if you're truly living perfectly and make no mistakes in life, then by all means, ridicule me for my sin and need for repentance. I give you permission. But if not, can we just live in genuine fellowship with one another and spur each other to love and good deeds?

I want revival. Not for you. For me. I think I'm going to stop pushing it on you, and start doing it myself.

An Eye-Opener

"The only thing I've ever wanted from my dad is for him to tell me that I'm worth something. "You were never ordinary." "

I copied and pasted this quote from the comments section of a Youtube video by The Skit Guys called "I Had Sex." The video is intended to expose the realities of the fact that young people are more and more willing to give themselves in sexual relationships. I'll put a link to the video, and you can check it out yourself. I don't really even believe I have words to comment on this person's honest share. Just...let the words sink in. "The only thing I've ever wanted from my dad is for him to tell me that I'm worth something. "You were never ordinary." "

To all of the students out there, parents of students, adults who were students at one time...there is Father that has declared your worth from the beginning. There is a Father that has seen your hurts, your fears, your pain, your insecurity. There is a Father that has loved you with a love greater than any fairy tale romance has ever told. How do I know? Because He's loves me, too. Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were sinners (i.e., running from God), Christ died for us. "You were never ordinary!"

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p65zt8cDwv0

Our Mindset, His Model

Last night I spoke on Philippians 2:5-11. It's a passage most are familiar with, and have probably heard preached or taught umpteen dozen times. I've preached the passage numerous times as well, twice in the past three or four months! BUT...I believe I was more faithful to the author's intent last night than I have ever been before. The exhortation in this passage of Scripture is found in verse 5 where Paul says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is your in Christ Jesus." Then, Paul either quotes or composes one of the earliest Christological hymns. Now, the tendency is to preach the Christology of this passage, which is beautiful. Study it, it will do you some good! Bear in mind that this is the God of the Universe that is being made in the likeness of a man! But Paul's point is to find our mindset in the model Jesus has set forth. So, here are the three things I believe we can develop within ourselves in order for our wills to be molded into the model Jesus has set forth.

First, don't think too highly of yourself. Need we be reminded that the God of the universe, who had every right to refuse emptying Himself...every right to refuse taking the form of a servant...yet didn't. Instead, Jesus considered the will of the Father. He considered the lowly state of mankind. He didn't consider Himself. If Jesus, who is God, didn't think too highly of being God but instead emptied Himself (suspended His status) (and while we're at it, bear in mind that God is the only person that cannot think too highly of Himself for there is none higher and His glory exceeds our imagination), then we should follow suit. As Paul stated in Philippians 2:3, "in humility, count others more significant than yourselves."

Second, death to self is a necessity. Jesus' humility culminated in the cross, where He spent not only His life, but the last of His dignity as well. Make no mistake about it, death on a cross was a complete annihilation of a person. Not only was it an agonizingly painful and slow death, but one hung there to be mocked and ridiculed by the world, stripping every ounce of dignity a person had left. Jesus died. Literally. And this is the attitude we are to have...death to self. Remember, this is one of the "commands" of the gospel. Luke 9:23 says that we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him. Dying to self for the sake of following Christ and, by extension serving others, is necessary for the believer.

Third, leave the exalting thing to God. Jesus was "highly exalted" or super exalted or exalted beyond measure when, after following the Father's will and dying on the cross, He was resurrected and given the name that is above all names. Jesus' life wasn't about living for the adoration of men. As a matter of fact, He eventually ran nearly everyone in His ministry off. But He lived for something greater, the "well done" affirmation of His Father. Life for me is usually about learning how to not serve the idol of self. It's about learning to serve the Lord more completely. Am I the only one? I doubt it. I greatly desire to know at the end of every day that I pleased my Father. And I long to hear one day, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

What would your life look like if you lived this out? How would your job, your school, your relationships look if this moved from the realm of concept to a life lived out? How would His church be different? Better? Let us make our mindset match His model.

One Generation Away

Sometimes you say things as a minister that have shock value, but at the same time, are completely true. Last night, I informed the students that our church was exactly one generation away from closing the doors. This is a true statement for every local, autonomous church. And Long Avenue Baptist Church is no exception. So what's the cure to this grave predicament? Being partners in the gospel ministry. Paul prayed and thanked God for the Philippian church's partnership (fellowship) with him in the gospel. Our challenge, the challenge that stands for every generation in our church, is to partner in the gospel. If not, the doors will close. The only thing that will keep the doors open for future generations is reaching the future generations.

So what does this reaching entail? Glad you asked. For some, this isn't going to be anything new...feel free to check out now if you'd like. Or not. It's always good to remind ourselves of fundamental truths.

Let's be clear...honest...upfront about reaching people. It doesn't entail making converts. Does NOT mean making converts. We're not after converts. Did you catch that? If not, here it is: We are not in the convert-making business. So what do we do? We make disciples. Is there a difference? Oh, phrases like "Is the sky blue?" or "Does a bear poop...?" come to mind. Yes! Unequivocally yes! For starters, consider the command in Matthew's Great Commission statement: "Make disciples." There it is. Simple. Plain. Make disciples...as you are going, baptizing them in the name of the Trinitarian God, teaching them to OBEY all that Christ has commanded us. Now if you're thinking, "Obedience to every command of Christ does not sound like a convert" then you are catching on. It's not. It's a disciple.

Further, if Jesus was after converts, I'm sure he would have been more than happy to let the rich young ruler inherit eternal life. I mean, if we're just after converts, it's okay to still hang on to things that are more important to you than Jesus, right? Surely it would have been okay if he was disobedient at just this one point, right? (P.S...side note...hypothetically speaking for real and all...how many things do we treat that way in our lives? How often do we say, "I'm hanging on to this sin, Jesus. That's cool, right? If You have everything except this one thing?") But instead, Mark says the ruler walked away sorrowful and disheartened because he had many possessions. From best we can tell, he wasn't willing to part with his stuff, and Jesus wasn't willing to chase after him and lower the standard so that he could become a disciple.

And just to throw out a tad bit more, what about the self-denying sacrifice we are REQUIRED to make (Luke 9:23)? What about the NEED to "hate" (love much less) our father and mother, sister, brother, even our own life (Luke 14:26)? What about the fact that the fundamental CRY of salvation is Jesus is Lord (Rom. 10:9-10)? Do we get that...the fact that He must get it all or nothing?

Here's the point to all of this rambling. If we are going to be partners in the gospel ministry and not see the doors of our church close in one generation, we must make disciples. We cannot peddle the gospel as we look for converts. We cannot divorce reaching and teaching. We must be obedient to Christ!