Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Legion

One of the most notorious men in the New Testament can be found in chapter five of the Gospel of Mark. His name is unknown, but his identity is called "Legion." I believe this man has taken a bad wrap due to misunderstanding of his problems.I am going to pull out some quick observations to show that Jesus changes people. We pick this story up right after Jesus had calmed the storm, Mark says "they came to the other side" this is my first observation.

Jesus meets ppl where they are. Where ever you are right now, God is with you. He is there in the good and in the bad. He comes to you right where you are and wraps you up in His arms and restores you to a place of peace.

Mark goes on to tell us this man lived among the tombs, and the people in the town had often tried to chain him down. It was impossible for them to help because they didn't know how, so they simply cast him out of their site. If they don't see him they don't have to deal with him. This brings out my second observation.

Jesus makes the impossible possible.
Man could not fix this spiritual problem, their was no pill to take or program to work, he needed a miracle. This may be where you are, in need of a miracle. God is still doing them just look around. The help you receive from man is short-term, the help from Jesus is eternal.

After Jesus healed this man the people from the town came to see him, Mark claims that "they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind." My third point is...

The change Jesus brings into your life is evident for all to see
When Christ changes your heart it should bring about a change that everyone sees, they see that the old you is gone and now there is a new creation. How do others identify you? A good husband, a successful business man? It should be first and foremost as a follower of Christ, a different person.

Mark ends the story with this new man begging Jesus to take him with Him, Jesus responds to the man and says "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you." My last point is clear,

Use your story to bring others to Jesus
It always, always ends with you going....going home, to work, to the nations and telling your story, this is how Paul did it and how this man did it. But don't make your story about you, always make it about Him!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Follow the Leader

07/10/2011 Sermon notes...

When I was a child one of the games we seemed to play a lot was called “follow the leader.” It was a fun game that I am sure that many of you are familiar with. Not to be confused with the game “Simon Says” in this game the leader actually did first what the followers would mimic. If you did not follow the leader you were out. The purpose of the game was to do exactly like the leader did even if it was something you did not enjoy doing. I was never really good at the game because I lacked the ability to pay attention to detail. When the leader jumped on his right foot I would jump on my left or something like that. This game for children almost exactly represents the call to Christianity. Yes it is a call to admit our sinfulness and to believe in the Lordship of Christ and also to make this known to all those around. But how is it lived out? The answer is easy, the action is difficult.
Here in this text Jesus calls us to “follow the leader” and gives us the rules and consequences of the lifestyle as well as the rewards in eternity. It is often said that a good leader leads by example. I read a story about Alexander the Great leading his men into battle, after fighting for several days without food and water the men begin to grumble and tire out. When water was brought to Alexander the Great he refused it in the presence of his men so that they would know that he was going through the same things that they were. After this display of leadership the men gained a second wind and fought like they were immortal. It is great to know that we follow a leader that has gone before us and experienced the temptations and trials that we also face. A good leader is also truthful with his followers; one thing we can say about Jesus is that he never offered a nice comfortable life in exchange for our following. Listen to this quote by Garibaldi, a great Italian patriot; “Soldiers, all our efforts against superior forces have been unavailing. I have nothing to offer you but hunger and thirst, hardship and death; but I call on all who love their country to join with me” can you imagine the people that responded to this call?
After confessing that Jesus was the Christ Peter makes the mistake of misunderstanding the purpose of Jesus, and what this confession would cost him in the end. So many of us are in the same position, we follow Christ for our need of Heaven only to live out our life the way we want to on earth. But for those that truly want to follow the leader Jesus gives us 3 main prices to pay.

1. Following Christ will cost us our wants and desires. 8:35


In verses 34 and 35 Jesus uses the word “desires” two times. He says that we must have a “desire” follow him 1st and then a “desire” for His plan. The word “desire” here carries the meaning of a strong want of something. When I was 12 years old I wanted a bow more than anything in this world. I wanted a bow mainly because two of my friends at school had one. I talked about it all the time to mom and dad, I looked at pictures of them in the Bass Pro magazines, I dreamed about shooting it and the arrows that I would have with it. I guess you could say that I had a desire for this bow, a constant though about it and how I would get it. When I turned 12 years old I remember thinking this is it, I am going to get that bow for my birthday. My mom handed me a card instead, I though oh boy $10….but when I opened the card a cut out of the bow fell to the ground and a note saying the bow had been ordered. I was the happiest boy in NC.
This is the “desire” that Christ is using here. He wants us to have this same child-like desire to follow after Him. But this desire to follow Him will in turn cost us the “stuff” that may seem more important to us. Now we don’t need to misunderstand what Jesus is saying here. He is not saying that He wants us to be miserable and unhappy; in fact He says quite the opposite in Matthew 7
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?”
A call to follow Christ means that we give up our desires and wants in search for the desires of God. It is a call to pick up a cross, a devise used to execute a criminal and carry it. David Platt says “a man carrying a cross is on his way to death; his plans for his future are over.” Jesus is calling us to pick up our cross, to carry it as we follow Him. The Holy Spirit will supply us strength and encouragement as we walk with our cross. Our desires, our plans, our future now revolves around the global glory of Christ. Our old life is over and our life in Christ has just begun. JC Ryle says “If we will not carry the cross, we shall never wear the crown.” The motivation behind it all is the advancement of the Kingdom, to win as many souls into heaven as we can. That is why Jesus says “for my sake and the gospel.” It is a call to death, for some physical death for others material death but through that death others including ourselves will live. This following will not only cost us what we want but also what we already have.


2. Following Christ will cost us our gains. 8:36-37

This is the part where we usually tune out. This is the part where some of us even turn back, but I urge you in the name of Christ to surrender all to Him. This is not a demand of Christ and His church but a step of obedience and a sign of dependence. We are reminded here of the rich young man who wanted to do all kinds of good deeds, but what he had was his and was not going to give that up even if it cost him his soul. We can look at this story and see the point in it but most of us are no different, what we have is ours we earned it so we will decide how to spend it. Jesus is simply saying you can acquire all the riches this world has but in the end they will not matter at all. Everything that we gain in this world will stay in this world, but what we do with what we have gained will have Kingdom impact if uses under the desires of Christ. The American dream is a call to pursue after happiness and the world around us tells us that happiness is found only in the gains that we have, but is this truth? I mean it’s not the money that makes us evil, it is the desires that we have for our money that makes us evil. With our money we can build an orphanage or plant a church or engage an unreached people group (these are desires of God) or we can use that same money to spend on ourselves building up our kingdom instead of His. This is the cost of following this Leader. He lost it all for us to gain it all. We strive daily to increase our money our stuff so that we can as Dave Ramsey says “impress people that don’t even like us.” We honestly desire to make much of ourselves even if it makes little of Him. We all need to come under the conviction that what we have he has given, this is not a call for you to give more even though I think we all should. It is a call to stop striving to gain more for our glory but gain more for His.
There is still one more price to be paid, it is the price of pride, the and ego.


3. Following Christ will cost us our pride and ego. 8:38


We often misread this verse thinking that if someone comes up to us and ask us if we know Christ then we will not say no. This would mean that we are ashamed of Him. I wish it were that easy, I mean think about how many times you have been in a hostile situation where someone says “Do you know this Jesus?” It is way more than that for us in America, for us and everyone else it means if we are not ashamed of following Christ then our lifestyle should reflect that of a follower. Jesus knows that this world is sinful and if we live by this world we are ultimately ashamed of what He stands for and says. Often times we think people are crazy for giving up too much money or time for the Kingdom, as if there is a greater purpose in this life. When you and I chose to live missionlly and purposefully we will endure crazy looks and questions. When we as a church decide that we are not going to sit back and watch big churches fulfill the Great Commission but we are going to give and pray and go others will think we are crazy. But it is a sacrifice that I am willing to take, if we have to do without pizza parties so that hungry kids hear the gospel and get fed so be it. What is you desire church?
Jesus said that the Kingdom was at hand, and in verse one of chapter nine he claims that some will actually see the Kingdom starting before they die. In Acts 2 the church starts and so does the building of the Kingdom. John caught a glorious view of the Kingdom in Revelation and saw “every tribe tongue and nation represented.” Christ right now is gathering His elect and He is saying to us “ if you want to follow me, deny yourself and depend on me.” These are the followers that will be serious in Kingdom advancement, these are the followers that will not be slowed down by the powers of self want and big egos, these are the followers that will bring global glory to the Righteous King!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Inside the Church

What goes on inside the church can sometimes shock and surprise a new believer. They come into the church looking for a solution only to find pollution. How can this be stopped? How are we supposed to act inside the church towards our fellow brothers and sisters. This is a question that might sound crazy but I am convinced that it is a question that needs to be answered. So for that I looked at the healthiest church we have in the New Testament, the church of the Thessalonians. In his letter to this church Paul, is very encouraged to hear that the church is doing all that it should be, and in chapter 5:11-22 we see how the church is acting towards one another. Here is a quick run down of what you can do inside the church based on this passage.

"11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
12We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,[a] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil."

1. Encourage one another.

2. Build up one another

3. Respect your pastor.

4. Be at peace with one another.

5. Warn those that are negative.

6. Comfort the lonley.

7. Lift up the weak.

8. Rejoice always.

9. Stay in prayer.

10.Search for the good things, not the bad.

These 10 things will change the way your church feels and grows. Paul mentions in verse 14 to "be patient with all" these ten things will test you. It is always easy to do the wrong thing, to have the wrong attitude and just assume the worst. I am amazed at the way we sometimes approach church, as if it's all about us and our needs instead of the needs around us. Jesus sums it up by saying "if you want to be first you have to be last." Put others first, stop complaining about everything and come into the church to build the Kingdom and serve the King. It starts with you and it starts now.

Monday, June 6, 2011

The Church

This Sunday night we started a new study on the church at BBC. During this study it is my goal to help us at BBC rethink what "church" is. Not that things are wrong in our understanding now but I believe it is imperative that the local churches restate and study what it is they are doing. During the summer we will look at what the church is and what the church does. After studying Acts 2 I came up with what I think is a great definition of what the church is.

The Church- A devoted body of believers that gather together in unity to grow in biblical knowledge, encouraging one another, while worshiping the risen Christ under the guidance of appointed leaders.

Lots of things can be stated about the local church, but I think this sums up what the church is.

I want to look at this word devoted. This is where lots of churches struggle, in being devoted to their local church. We know what the word devoted means and we even know how to be devoted to something, ie. facebook, TV, sports, you get the picture. But are we devoted to our local church. In other words are we in love with the church and the church people?

It is a great mystery to me that people can join into the local church and be set on fire with serving the church only to disappear after 6 months of service. Maybe as I grow as a pastor I will learn the answer to this great mystery. I am under the conviction that when you understand the gospel and what Christ has done for you that you will do nothing else but worship. Worship in the form of giving, singing, studying and of course serving. But we toss this Christian term out "burn out" which really means I've lost sight of the gospel and people are not praising my work anymore so I am gonna back out for sometime and I may or may not return. I am forever grateful for those Sunday School teachers and pastors that never "burned out" and continue to serve to this day.

To wrap this post up...a local church based on the New Testament model is a DEVOTED body of believers.....and don't forget because they were devoted "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:47

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Little Jimmy

Bill returns home from Wednesday night church service, goes inside and gets his 6yr old pomeranian Dasiy. They stroll down the block taking in the smell of fresh cut grass and roses blooming in Mrs. Roger's flower garden. The neighborhood is quiet, living room windows are filled with families winding down for the evening. Moms and Dads are busy changing kids into pajamas and helping them brush their teeth. Soon the kids will be asleep and mom and dad will enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee while they watch the latest TV program. Bill returns home, gives Dasiy her chew toy and flops down on the couch. Across town 7 yr old Jimmy is being dropped off by the church van from the same church Bill had just left. But Jimmy is not walking into a neighborhood where the smell is of fresh cut grass, in fact in this neighborhood there is no grass only dirt yards and instead of roses, beer bottles and cigerates fill the flower boxes. The quiet night is broken by cursing and foul language, little Jimmy is made fun of by his two older brothers as he carries his drawing inside the mill house he calls home. Instead of a warm supper and a bath he meets a drunken father who barks out the order for Jimmy to clean the kitchen and go to bed. There is no one to help brush his teeth, no one to say goodnight and instead of pajamas little Jimmy will sleep in the same clothes he wore to school. But Jimmy has a smile in his little heart because just once a week for 1 1/2 hours Jimmy is at church where he is treated like a 7yr old boy, he is loved on, cared for and taught about the God that loves him. Jimmy is not the best child in church and he is loud and disruptive on the church van, but he is loved on anyway. When the other kids lay down in a quiet warm bed the thought of church is far from their minds, but when Jimmy lays down on a matress in the floor above the noise ringing through the house he smiles in his heart thinking back on church this Wednesday night.


It is clear that Christ loves and commands us to love children. This is easy to say but not always easy to do. As I drove the church van tonight and droped off 23 little Jimmys, the thought came into my mind. "We can show them the love of Christ now or wait till they are behind bars and show them then." The church van ministry is one of the most important ministries in the church, to take this ministry lightly is to take the command of Jesus lightly. "Let the little children come to me."

Thursday, April 7, 2011

"Moving on Up"

I approach every Monday the same way, to have a better week than the one before! I often even sit down on Sunday night and think about the things I want to make better in my life, like spend more time with my kids, be a better husband to my wife, exercise more, study harder, and on and on. This past Sunday night as my wife and I were making a "healthy" supper menu for the week and encouraging each other to push hard, I thought to myself "I hope this week is great." Monday morning rolls around and I am hit with past sin in my life, not only me but others around me as well. It was as if Satan had dug in the trash cans of our life and brought back those smelly past mistakes that had been made. I was crippled, hurt and depressed as I fumbled around for the next two days, hiding out in my office I remembered the words of Paul.


"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."


Paul knew about past all too well, and reminded me that sometimes the best shepherds are ex-wolves.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Poison Envy

The wickedness of envy hides itself in so many forms, just like the poison ivy leaf it blends in to its surrounding waiting for you to come into contact with it. Often times when you do come in contact with the poison ivy leaf it causes discomfort and spreads to other parts of your body until treated. What a picture of envy! Envy most of the time disguises itself so that you don't even see it until discomfort comes into your life. So what is envy?

Dictionary.com defines envy as "a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regards to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc."

I have seen envy rip apart marriages, relationship and families. It is important that you guard yourselves against this poison before it spreads to the rest of your life. Once envy creeps into your life it spreads like cancer, the effects are just as deadly spiritually. The reaction you have with envy is often slander and gossip towards those you are envious about. You seek to see them fail anyway you can so that you can get joy over watching them suffer. But this is not how it starts, it always starts by looking at someone else and then looking at yourself. Comparing your life with someones else, your kids to someone else, your spouse to someone else and then wondering why they have it so good and you have it so bad.

So whats the cure? We have to be satisfied where we are with what we have. Make the best of the things God has blessed you with. Be a blessing to someone instead of a curse, deal with those things that cause you to be envious and pray for those who are being spiritually consumed by envy and don't even see it.


Your envy is clear to those around you just like the kid at school painted pink with "calamine lotion" be warned, envy kills!