A few issues within the modern day church in a post-everything America

I've spent the last few days working through a book that is causing me to reconsider some of my positions style-wise when it comes to how I plan and lead worship gatherings week in and week out.

The book is called "The Emerging Church" by Dan Kimball. I know, I know... the words "Emerging" and "Church" in the same sentence tends to give people the heebie-jeebies! Let me calm your fears and concerns when it comes to that, and understand that this isn't about a theological stance. It is, however, a thoughtful look at the upcoming generations that are very much a different breed. The following discourse is a set of three issues the modern church in America is facing as it comes to the problem of how to reach a generation that seems to not be interested in being reached.

In reading through The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball, there are many issues facing today’s modern church. One of these issues facing the church today is what appears to be the final loss of America as a “Christian” nation. Our society is no longer strongly tied to Judeo-Christian values, and therefore, our claim as “One Nation under God” would seem to be invalid. In fact, it might read better as “One Nation under A God… or No God, which ever you prefer.”

So many pastors cling heavily to the idea of the upcoming generations returning to their roots, which for them, are the Christian backgrounds of the founding fathers. Kimball articulates the problem with this stance very well when he questions such a pastor about children who grow up in a family system that doesn’t have roots in a Christian background. What roots will they return to? As a pastor, this is a frightening thought! How am I supposed to bring people to Christ who have no inclination as to who Christ is?

Another issue facing the church is exactly how to reach these upcoming generations with the message of Christ. Here in the Midwest, many churches are just now getting on board with the “seeker sensitive” movement. This has been driven by the examples of mega-churches like Saddleback, Willow Creek, and Northpointe. Each of these church bodies have grown almost exponentially in size due to following the seeker sensitive approach. They have all built large state-of-the-art auditoriums with the latest in technology, and removed many (if not all) of the religious icons in worship so as not to offend the non-believer. This type of worship style has found a home in many mid-America churches of all sizes, and is working well in many areas to bring young families into worship each week. However, Kimball speaks to a growing rejection of this type of worship simply because of its “chain store” feel. Many non-Christians are seeking to have a “spiritual” experience with Christ, but feel they can’t get there in the modern day American church setting. He states that some even feel like we are hiding what we are doing and what we are all about by removing the symbolic images from our worship settings!

This is a new concept for me, as I’ve been part of the push in ministry to become more seeker friendly. Apparently, I’ve missed the boat on what seekers are actually seeking. As I read through this, I actually found myself tearing up and having to repent for keeping people from experiencing God in a real and tangible way because of my own agenda. It’s no wonder people look past Christianity to other religions! While Buddhists, Hindus, and other ancient and New Age religions gladly embrace their icons and practices, we’ve turned worship to God into a trip to Wal-Mart.

The final issue I will address here is one that I find to be the most prominent one among the modern day church. Christians are getting in the way of people experiencing Christ. We who claim to follow Christ have literally shot Christianity in the foot by living lives that are contradictory to His teachings. We have given people reason to walk away from the saving message of Jesus because of our condescending delivery. Too many Christians continue to assume that we live in a time where everyone in America has roots in Judeo-Christian values, when this is simply not true. That assumption leads to evangelism that looks more and more like the Bible-thumping hypocrite rather than the hands and feet of Jesus. Kimball spoke of a non-Christian student at a Christian retreat who had been completely turned off to the message of Christ due to a guest speaker’s portrayal of homosexuality. Later in that section of the book, he recounts meeting up with that student as they were about to graduate college. That one experience soured their entire countenance toward anything Christianity had to offer, and they were still completely uninterested in anything remotely connected with Jesus. Christians are the vessel God uses to tell the world about Him in word and deed. Sadly, many of us (me included!) are missing the mark more often than not.

Are these issues we can't overcome? Absolutely not. Remember, with God all things are possible! Let us rely on God to give us the ability to work through and give the upcoming generations an opportunity to learn the solid truth of Christ in the midst of a world that continually tells them that truth is what they make it.

A Psalm of Praise

Part of what we were asked to do in this current class module was to read through and identify several types of Psalms. They generally lay out in one of 5 different categories:

Psalms of Praise - Celebrate who God is, putting primary emphasis on God's moral character and attributes.

a. Introduction: a call to praise

b. Body: the reason(s) for praising God

c. Conclusion: renewed call to praise

Sub-types of this would be about Creation, focusing on God as creator / Diving Kingship & Enthronement, focusing on God as King / Confidence & Trust, focusing on God as an ongoing provider.

Psalms of Thanksgiving - Thank God for deliverance from a bad situation.

a. Introduction: the intent to give thanks and praise

b. The Narrative: the story of crisis - 1. distress, 2. prayer, 3. deliverance

c. Conclusion: renewed vow of praise or testimony

Psalms of Lament - Appeal to God for help in an ongoing bad situation.

a. Invocation: prayer addressed to God

b. Complaint: the crisis described

c. Petition: the plea for help

d. Conclusion: expression of trust, confidence, or promise

NOTE: Laments sometimes include a confession of sin, an assertion of innocence, or a curse of an enemy.

A subtype of this Psalm would be an Imprecatory Psalm, which specifically requests violence upon human enemies.

Human Kingship/Royal Psalms - A poem which concerns the human king in Israel.

a. This is not strictly a literary type, but a classification based on the subject involved.

b. These Psalms generally involve various settings in the life of the king.

A subtype of this Psalm is the Zion Psalm, which celebrates Jerusalem (the royal city).

Wisdom Psalm - A poem which serves primarily to teach. It is not strictly a literary type, but a classification based on the following items:

a. Subject Matter: these include fear of Yahweh (God), love of the Torah (the "Law" found in the Old Testament), the contrast between the righteous and the wicked, and instruction for daily living.

b. Typical Wisdom Forms: these include "better" and "blessed" sayings, warnings, and formal addressing of those who are reading.

The subtypes of this Psalm are:

1. Torah Psalm - Exhorting the reader to follow the Torah for success.

2. Existential Psalm - Wrestling with and solving theological issues.

As I read through these, I thought I might try my hand at writing a Psalm, using one of these forms. To that end, I believe I've come up with what appears to be a Psalm of Praise according to the major category types. Take a read through it, and let me know what you think!

A Psalm of Praise

1 Praise be the Lord Almighty,

for he is worthy to be praised!

2 Give him the glory due his name

for the wonderful things He has done.

3 Let the streets resound with music and singing;

let the deeds of the LORD ring from the heights!

4 He brought me out of my despair

and set me in the palm of his hand.

5 He covered me when others were aiming to take my life;

he protected me from their wicked intent.

6 His glory thwarted the plans of the evil one that were against me,

for his light shone like the sun, revealing the truth.

7 Those who were against me had no choice but to flee

as the light proved me blameless in the public eye.

8 Oh, let us come and give glory to God forever

and sing his praises from the mountains to the sea!

9 Let us not remain silent in his presence,

but instead, break forth into joyous praise!

10 May the LORD shine upon us for all time

as we give him thanks and praise! Amen.

Wow...

Thanks to my friend Wyatt Johnston and his photo blog (which you should follow!), I realized that I haven't posted anything here since LAST AUGUST!!! That's kind of when the junk hit the fan for a while here in south central Kansas... In that time, I've launched a new website for Glenn Park Christian Church where I work, assisted in implementing a new family focused ministry strategy, completed another 5 modules toward my degree through Tabor College, and am still in the process of breaking in my new favorite youth minister, Seth Taylor.

As I was thinking (sheepishly I might add...) that I really should put something out here, I took a look back at some of the work put into the classes I've been taking. One of the assignments we were given was to write out our faith story. Call it a testimony if you wish, but I think the idea of a faith story is much more appropriate. Below you will find just a small glimpse into the road that led me to become a pastor.

While attending my "home church" at the age of 7, the pastor brought in a puppet ministry that really brought the saving message of Christ down to a level that I could understand. When the invitation was given, I went forward to receive Christ in my heart. I knew He was with me, and wanted to serve Him in whatever capacity He needed me to. This led to my mom, seeing that I had a knack for music, giving me a shot at directing the choir when I was 14. God and I were at odds during my adolescent years. I had the "Sunday Christian" thing down pat. On Sunday morning, I was the model picture of saintly goodness in my burgundy satin choir robe, but the rest of the week was filled with worldly things.

In 1998 at the age of 20, I had hit rock bottom. Luckily for me (and all of us!) God never gives up. He moved me to Manhattan KS, where I attended Manhattan Christian College. It was there that I met my wife, Lora, and was asked to help start a church in Salina KS. Through starting that church, God began a transformation in my life that is still affecting me today. I had formed a band during this time, and we were 6 months from getting a record deal when God tore the rug out from underneath me. The "Rock Star" image was one that had been a dream of mine for many years, but it wasn't what He wanted from me. The facade of selflessness was covering the true selfish nature within, and I still had to learn that.

In 2000, I moved back home, and began working with a band in Topeka. This band was full of young guys that were seemingly on fire for Christ, and it was a great place to heal from the wounds left over from the Manhattan band. We had record labels sniffing at us as well, and God once again tore it apart. The facade had some cracks, but was still intact for the most part.

As I mentioned earlier, God never gives up. He has helped me realize that, if I don't allow the facade to crumble, then I don't allow His work to fully continue. If I don't pull the walls between myself and others down, then there's no connection... no way to lead, or be followed. I had always used music as a way to hide my faults, instead of as a way to glorify the One who makes me strong where I am weakest. It turned me into a fraud, and was a detriment to everyone around me. He put people and events in my life to bring me to a place of complete surrender and brokenness. He is my very breath now, and my soul goal in life is to help lead others to that point of total surrender to Him, so that His grace, mercy, and peace can flow through those cracks in our lives, and make us whole again.

I hope you are encouraged by this look into what God has done in my life. I hope you see that God never gives up on us, no matter what we do or where we go. I hope you'll take one more step toward Him today, and if you fall, you'll remember that God is your safety net.

A Look at Luke 14:15-24

The Parable of the Great Banquet offers us a look into the type of teaching that Jesus typically did for those he came into contact with. It also gives us a glimpse into our own lives as we sift through the parable characters and see shadows that may echo our own. This passage begins with the statement of a person being blessed by eating at the feast of the kingdom of God, and then Jesus shares the banquet parable.

There are two Promises to claim in this parable which have to do with being in invited to the banquet. The first is a promise of acceptance. Jesus speaks of a man who invites important people to a banquet, but they create self-important excuses and decline to claim the promise of a seat at the table when they choose not to come. Instead, the man has his servant go into the streets and offer that same invitation to ordinary people. Those people gladly accept the invitation and claimed their seats at the master’s table. In the same way, we are invited to accept Jesus’ invitation to claim the promise of eternal life and sit at the Master’s table in heaven. The second promise is one of rejection. Many times, those who are invited to claim that very promise believe that they have more important things to do. They believe that there is “more life to live”, and therefore, choose to do just that, all the while leaving their eternal reward of heaven behind. God offers His invitation through Christ Jesus to all who will come. Those who accept it will filled with the hope and joy of knowing they will see God. Those who choose not to accept it will never get a taste of heaven, for they will be shut out and cast into eternal darkness.

The master in the parable Expresses the emotions of anger, frustration, and sadness as his invitations are turned down one by one for reason that are not important and are very self serving. His emotions express the intense desire that he had for all those invited to come and share a meal at his table. When they refuse to do so for one reason or another, his anger, frustration, and sadness expose themselves to the point that he decides to have nothing to do with them whatsoever. This is an important lesson to learn, for I believe it is an example of how God reacts when those He invites to be reconciled to Him choose not to accept that invitation for worldly reasons. Although we do not currently see His anger, frustration, and sadness, I am certain that they are authentic. We will see those emotions one day when we are before the throne of judgment. Those who have not accepted His invitation will feel God’s emotions first hand as He sends them into eternal darkness.

There are two Examples in this parable. One to follow and one to avoid. The one to follow is that of the master. He desires to fill his table at the banquet with people who will share in his celebration and happiness. When those he initially invited made the decision not to come for one reason or another, the master chose to fill his table with whomever would come. Instead of cancelling his banquet, he filled the table with the less fortunate and those off the street that gladly accepted the invitation. This is much the same for us when it comes to the invitation that God offers us through Christ. He invites us to come willingly and sit at His table, and we should willingly accept so that we might share in God’s celebration and happiness. The example to avoid is that of those who chose not to come. Rather than accepting the master’s invitation to the banquet, they chose to make excuses about why they could not attend. This incited the anger and frustration of the master to the point that, even if they had changed their mind and come to the banquet, they would not have been allowed to share in the celebration after it had begun. So it is with God, that those whosoever chooses not to accept His invitation of reconciliation through Christ, because they want to do their own thing, will be completely shut out of the celebration in heaven once it begins after the rapture even if they change their mind.

In all of this, I must give Adoration to God for His faithful promise of accepting me when I accept Him. The master in the parable told his servant to go and get the dregs of society and bring them in for the banquet hall to be full. He commanded the servant to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. When that wasn’t enough to fill the banquet hall, he had the servant travel the roads and lanes of the area so that he might bring in more people to fill the place for the feast. The master didn’t show preferential treatment. He simply wanted people to come and eat with him. He wanted people to accept him by accepting his invitation, and when they did, he accepted them without a second thought. God does the same with us. He invites us to come and accept Him by accepting His invitation of reconciliation through Jesus. When we accept that invitation to believe in God through Christ, He accepts us completely and unconditionally into His family. This acceptance is absolutely priceless, and yet, God gave everything in the person of His Son to give us the opportunity to accept Him and be accepted by Him. For that, I give God praise and adoration for his invitation!

However, in order for me to accept that invitation, there must be a Confession on my behalf. I must confess that I am indeed a sinner that is in need of the power of Jesus in my life to cleanse me of that sin. I must confess that I can’t do life on my own, and am in need of Christ as my Savior. This is a time of confessing wrong thoughts, attitudes, and actions to the Lord, and allowing His grace and mercy to help make restitution for our wrongs. Through the work of God’s servant, the Holy Spirit, I am invited to share in the Master’s happiness at His table. In accepting that invitation, I complete the confession of my sinful nature, and have a place at the table with God to sit and be with Him. One of the great rewards of this confession is the knowledge that, just as I have confessed my sins before God and Jesus has accepted me, Jesus will confess me before God and He will accept me when the time for judgment comes.

I give Thanks to God for his invitation of reconciliation through Christ. I have a feeling that those who accepted the invitation to the banquet gave thanks to the master for opening his home and preparing such an extravagant meal for them. In a similar way, I give thanks to God for opening heaven’s gates to me through the sacrifice of Christ, and for preparing such an extravagant home for me when my days on earth are finished and Christ comes again to establish the new heaven and new earth. This is a task that we must perform more often than not, as giving thanks to God for loving us enough to send Christ to die and rise is an important part of keeping perspective as a Christ follower.

In Supplication for myself, I choose to ask for the Father to keep me mindful of this parable, as I do not wish to treat the invitation God has placed before me with contempt or indifference. I wish to treat it as the beautiful and priceless gift that it is; the opportunity to spend eternity dining at the true Master’s table. In supplication for others, I pray very fervently for those who are lost, hurting and confused. I pray for those who have heard of the saving knowledge of Christ but have chosen to walk away from it. I pray for those who may have been hurt by other Christians at some point, and that has caused them to step away from the Master’s table invitation. It is my prayer for these that they will look again at what exactly it is that God offers them through the sacrifice of Jesus, and that they will see that it far outweighs anything that the world could offer them. I hope and pray that they will accept freely the invitation from God to be with Him for eternity, so that they will not be left out once the heavenly feast has begun. I also pray for those who have accepted the invitation of reconciliation. It is my prayer for these that they will continually remember just how much God paid to be able to deliver that invitation to us, and that we must continually accept that invitation in our lives, sometimes on a moment by moment basis.

A Look at Matthew 8:23-27

The passage in Matthew that I chose for this study is the point when Matthew speaks of Jesus calming the storm that had come up and frightened the disciples. Some might argue that this isn’t necessarily a miracle as we perceive them in the Bible, because it didn’t have anything to do with someone getting healed. However, the simple fact that Jesus could calm the waves with his hand and voice certainly qualifies as a miracle in my book.

Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)
²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
²⁴ Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
²⁶ He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

As we look at this passage of Scripture, we see several Emotions expressed from the disciples. The first of these emotions was fear. Some of these men were fishermen, and had most likely been out on the sea when fierce and furious storms barreled across the water toward their ships. They may have seen men get tossed overboard. They may have seen ships broken apart by the buffeting waves that were considerably larger in a storm than normal, or ships sink due to taking on so much water that they could no longer stay afloat. These memories could have been the likely trigger for their fear and trepidation of sailing through a storm.

Some of these men were not fishermen, but were of what we might call a “white collar” profession, if there were such a thing back then. They may never have been on a boat in the midst of a storm, and there is a very likely chance that their fear at that moment was caused by the lack of experience on the sea during times like these. With these things in mind, we can clearly see the possibility of fear to set in during this storm.

There also seems to be an emotion of anger or frustration with them, because even as the storm is raging overhead, Jesus is sound asleep in the bowels of the ship. The storm has awakened everyone else on board the ship, with the exception of Jesus. This angers and frustrates them quite thoroughly, which we see in their tense demand for Jesus to save them from what they felt was certain death by drowning.

The first emotion that the text brings out to me from Jesus is one of calm. Everyone else is running scared and getting all worked up about the storm outside, and yet, Jesus is sleeping peacefully inside the ship. Did Jesus know that the storm was going to come up while they were on the sea? The text doesn’t give us a clear answer, but it seems to me that He might have had a clue, as He was the only one on the ship that was apparently unconcerned with the copious amounts of water coming from the sky.

The next emotion that I see in Jesus is one of anger and frustration with the disciples for their lack of faith. Instead of following His example of being calm, cool, and collected in the midst of the rolling waves, they choose to cower in fear and demand that Jesus do something to fix the situation. Jesus first rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith and fear of the situation, and then He rebukes the wind and waves into submission as well. It would seem that Jesus was angry at the entire situation, and not just the disciples or just the weather.

The disciples express yet another emotion in the process, which is fear combined with trepidation and wonder after Jesus rebukes the wind and waves. They stand there in complete and utter amazement at the fact that nature itself follows the commands of their rabbi, and wonder who He really is. It is this particular expressed emotion that intrigues me the most in this passage, because these men have been walking with Jesus for some time, and have seen Him perform all kinds of miracles. One would think that they’d have a sense of safety and satisfaction when Jesus calms the storm, but in fact, their emotional state is quite the opposite!

We see that, in spite of the lack of faith and abundance of fear that the disciples display in this situation, Jesus still chooses to give Assistance by calming the storm. This is not unlike our own lives, when we come to the Lord in the midst of crisis. We might be completely afraid or scared of the situation, and might feel as though the waves of life are about to come crashing down around us. For many of us, this is the only time we come to Jesus for assistance with the problems of life. Even with our lack of faith and fear, He is faithful and answers our cries with help and assistance.

There is also a Command to obey within this passage of Scripture. Jesus rebukes the wind and waves, and they calm down. Much in the same way, when we are in the midst of trial and tribulation, Jesus commands us to be calm and trust in Him. When we choose to do this in a real and authentic way, then we find that He calms the storm within us, which allows us to see the path to get through the issue we are dealing with. It is important that, when that command to calm comes, we obey it so that He might show us the way that He would have us go to work through whatever situation is causing our storm.

There is an Example here to avoid, and that is the example that the disciples portray during and after the storm. They were fearful, scared, unsure of what to do, unsure of who Jesus actually was, and lacked faith. The world tells us that there is no God. Satan desires for us to believe that lie just a little, so that he might infiltrate our faith and make it counterfeit. He wants us to run scared every time some new and possibly detrimental plot twist rises up within our lives. This is not what God desires for us, and we must be careful to remember that. God desires that we know who Jesus is in our lives, and that we trust in His character of grace, mercy, and faithfulness, so that we will not live in fear.

In order to do this, there needs to be a Confession to God of the fear and lack of faith that plagues us as sinful human beings. We need to acknowledge that there is indeed a sin issue within us that causes us to doubt the character of Jesus, and in turn, whether or not He will be faithful to calm the storms in our lives if we call upon Him. If we don’t confess this, we cannot get to the heart of the matter of our lack of faith, which causes us more distress and heartache in the long run. It is of utmost importance that we choose to face this head on and give our lack of faith to God, so that He might build faith within us.

This brings us to the point of Supplication, or asking God for something that we desire of His nature within ourselves. It is in asking God to heal us and protect us from our natural tendency to be fearful and lack faith that we find the answers to be confident in who Christ is and what He has and will continue to do in our lives. The act of supplication forces us to break down the walls of self and let God in. This can be a very hard thing to do, but once it happens, it gets easier to do it each time. Notice that we don’t do it just once! This is an ongoing process of continually asking God to break down the barriers of fear so that we might gain more of the strength in Christ that we need. The process is different for each of us. It might be a once per week thing for some, and a moment by moment event for others. The frequency with which you go to God in this manner isn’t necessarily the issue, but rather, the actual act of going to God on a regular basis. It is through this process that we can be less like the disciples on the boat, and more like the disciples after the day of Pentacost.

Taking A Look At Mark 1:1-3

In reading through Mark 1:1-3, we see Mark speaking of the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth. In doing so, he opens with who he believes Jesus is. In this we find a Promise to Claim. This promise is in Mark’s firm assertion that Jesus is, in fact, Christ, the Son of the living God. Mark makes no bones about his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, although he does not come out and state that publicly. It is, however, very apparent by his use of both “Christ” and “Son of God” in the first verse of his Gospel.

He then goes on to tell the story of John the Baptist. This story begins with a restating of the words of the prophet Isaiah from chapter forty and verse three in his book from the Old Testament. As these words are brought to light for a new generation of believers, we find another Promise to Claim. Isaiah prophesied in the Old Testament that one would come and prepare the way for the Lord. Mark believes that John the Baptist is the one of whom Isaiah spoke about so long ago, and that John indeed does fulfill that prophecy. We see this come to fruition through Mark’s telling of the story of John the Baptist.

These promises are ones that we can claim for ourselves in a couple of ways. First off, with Mark’s belief that Jesus is the Messiah, we are able to claim Jesus as our Messiah and our Lord and Savior. We can claim that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Being able to claim that proclamation brings us to the second promise. That promise, spoken of by Isaiah and again by Mark, is that of a messenger being sent to us to prepare the way and make the paths straight. Just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus to do ministry, Jesus prepares the way for us to be reconciled to the Father. John baptized with water, but Jesus baptizes with His own blood shed for our sins. This washes us clean so that we might be pure and righteous in the sight of God.

In reading through this text, I believe that Mark has some Emotions that are expressed. I believe that he expresses excitement through stating that Jesus is the Son of God, and also through the restating of Isaiah’s words as a confirmed prophecy of both John the Baptist and Jesus. We, too, can experience this excitement through these words as we believe that Jesus is who Mark claims He is, and through the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah as a confirmation to the modern reader that God does what He says He will do.

The words of Isaiah that Mark quotes have an Example for those of us who are Christ followers today. When Mark speaks the words “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”, it is important that we realize our role in that process. When we became Christians, someone made the path to the Lord straight for us. We came to a point through the help of friends, family members, pastors, teachers, etc… that our path choice was a blatantly obvious one. We needed to choose the path of righteousness, which was paved with the blood and by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, without those around us making straight paths to the Lord, we may not have ever found our way to salvation. As we interact with those around us, it is of utmost importance that we are an example of Christ’s work in our lives at all times. When we do not exhibit those characteristics, the path we create becomes winding and twisted, which is hardly a straight path for others to follow to the cross. The example of Mark’s straight forward approach to telling exactly who he believed Jesus to be, and the confirmed words of Isaiah’s prophecy show us that we need to make it easy for others to find Christ.

In conclusion, I want to offer Thanks to God through what I read in this passage. I thank Him for being faithful to fulfill His Word. According to Mark, the arrival of John the Baptist on the scene fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy of one who would prepare the way for the Lord. I am inclined to believe that this is true, and I want to thank God for showing Himself faithful to do what He says He will do. This is but one example of God fulfilling the prophecy foretold in the Bible, and it is through the fulfilling of this prophecy that the ministry of Jesus begins. That ministry is what ultimately led to the greatest sacrifice ever seen, which covers my sins and allows me to be reconciled to God. I can’t help but thank Him for being true to His character and Word!

Remember...

Ok, so its time to take a break from posting my college homework, and give you something that might actually be more interesting! Yes, I could have posted my 16 page 3400 word inductive Bible study on Leviticus 19:5-8, but instead, since I am preaching this Sunday, I chose to get some more mileage out of that study and give it some practical application legs. Hopefully, this will stir some good responses:

Memorial Day weekend is here! What are you going to do? BBQ? Go to the lake? Watch baseball? Sleep? Any way you slice it, you're going to make some memories that will last for a very long time. Things you can look back on a few years from now and remember are always happening. Memorial Day is a time set aside for remembrance of those who have and are serving in the Military. To those of you serving, to those of you who have served, and to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the armed forces and civil services, I thank you for the sacrifice of service you have made for our country. We also spend time remembering those in our lives who have passed away. There are many that I crossed paths with who shaped my education, upbringing, hunger for knowledge, and walk with Christ that no longer tread this mortal plane. I remember them, especially on this day.

However, remembrance needs to extend to our spiritual life as well. God called the first century Hebrews to remember, and so should we, for we end up failing more often than not when we forget God and try to do things our own way.

Leviticus 19:5-8 (NIV)
⁵ "'When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.
⁶ It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up.
⁷ If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted.
⁸ Whoever eats it will be held responsible because he has desecrated what is holy to the Lord; that person must be cut off from his people.

Now, you might be asking yourself (and me) "What in the world does the Fellowship Offering in Leviticus 19 have to do with remembering God?" This is a noble and important question! Let's unpack it a bit. In order to understand where I am going, we need to understand why God set rituals like the fellowship offering in place. I believe there are 4 main reasons.

1. He set them in place to visibly set His people apart from the rest of the surrounding cultures in the area.

Many of the surrounding cultures practiced all kinds of pagan rituals such as prostitution, homosexuality, cutting themselves, and human sacrifice. God set forth a completely different set of rituals that would free them from dealing with these dangerous and potentially deadly ones.

2. He set them in place to remind them constantly of who He was and what He had done for them.

From the beginning of God's story with Abraham through this point after the Exodus, God was tangibly active in the life of His people. However, they continually forgot His deeds and commands, and therefore, ended up in bondage. God instituted these rituals in order that His people would continually remember what He had done.

3. He set them in place to remind them of who they were in relationship with Him.

God wanted His people to remember that they were set apart. They were to be a "peculiar people". In observing these rituals, they were reminded of their relationship with God, and their relationship to Him as His people.

4. He set them in place to remind them of their dependence upon Him.

God continually provided all that His people would need after the Exodus. He wanted them to remember that their prosperity and blessing were a gift from Him, and that all they needed to do was depend upon God to supply their needs.

Why choose the fellowship offering as an example? I believe that the fellowship offering shows us 3 major points to being the Church as God intended for us to be.

First we need to look at "fellowship" - its general meaning is of entering into a state of wholeness, unity, and restored relationship. To fellowship with others is to come together in unity for a common purpose. To fellowship with God is to commune with your Creator in unity.

Next we look at the word "offering" - it is a sacrifice. many different sacrifices took place in the Old Testament, but they were all a gift of great price from the giver. You have to remember here that the first century economy was not the great capitalistic machine we have to day in America. It was a farming and ranching society with only so much money and livestock to go around. To give an offering meant to sacrifice a piece of your livelihood in order to atone for sin or spend time in communion with God and others.

Finally, we look at being "cut off" - it means literally to be broken off or ruined. To root out, eliminate, remove, excommunicate, or destroy by a violent act of man or nature. This is NOT a pleasant experience!

Elmer Martens, in his book "God's Design" says this about being cut off: "The seriousness of violating these borders is emphasized by the degree of punishment: excommunication from the congregation or permanent severance from it, through either ostracism or death... Such drastic punishment is necessary because Yaweh's name has been defiled."

So, how does this ancient ritual from the first century apply to our church here in post-modern America? We need to take a look at our big 3 again.

Fellowship - Just as in ancient times, God desires fellowship between His people.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

He also desires fellowship WITH His people

Psalms 119:9-16 (MSG)
⁹ How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word.
¹⁰ I'm single-minded in pursuit of you; don't let me miss the road signs you've posted.
¹¹ I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won't sin myself bankrupt.
¹² Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living.
¹³ I'll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
¹⁴ I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches.
¹⁵ I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you've done it.
¹⁶ I relish everything you've told me of life, I won't forget a word of it.

We are required to sacrifice. However, instead of livestock or agriculture, He asks that we sacrifice our very lives.

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
¹ So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
² Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

We must have fellowship with others within the body of Christ so that we might sharpen, encourage, rebuke, pray for, work with, and lift up each other for the benefit of all. We must have fellowship with God both personally and corporately so that we might grow closer to Him and mature spiritually. In addition, we must sacrifice our wants and desires so that we can be used in whatever way God chooses. His Word shows us the prescribed path that we should follow, and the way in which we should go. These are very clear in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
³⁷ Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.
³⁹ And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

These two passages remind us of the attitude and heartbeat for how we are to fellowship and sacrifice so that we can do the work God has set before us. If we choose to forget what God has done for us, and come to worship with any other agenda than those listed in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, we risk being "cut off". That doesn't mean that you're going to be stoned to death or excommunicated from the Church, but it does mean that you may have God's blessing removed from your efforts.

You might be thinking "now what?" How do we honor the memory of what God has done for us, and pass that on to others so that they can make memories of what God is doing for them? There must be action.

Rick Warren, speaking at the Baptist World Centenary Conference in Birmingham, England, said "A non-serving Christian is a contradiction. God didn't save you to sit, soak, and sour. He saved you to serve. Significance (or honoring the memory of what God has done) comes from service."

He also said "What Jesus did in His physical body, he expects us to do in his spiritual body as the church. Why do we do this? Why should I care about the sick and the poor and the uneducated and the spiritually empty? Because of what Jesus has done for us. We do it out of gratitude."

"Do you know what God cares about most?" Warren asked the crowd. "He wants his lost children found. ... God never made a person He didn't love."

These are powerful words, and they cut to the heart of what we need to be doing. Let's remember what God has done for us, and be the Church He has called us to be!

Be the Church INSIDE the walls!

The Church needs nursery workers, Sunday School teachers, Small Group leaders, Ushers, Care Team members, Men's and Women's Ministry workers, Server, Communion preparers, Musicians, Technicians, Prayer Warriors, Sacrificial Givers, and more.

Be the Church OUTSIDE the walls!

The community needs Missions teams, Evangelism teams, Apartment ministries, School mentors, Vacation Bible School workers, Rescue Mission teams, and the list grows, depending on your community and its specific needs.

There is much to be done! However, that cannot get accomplished if we forget that we are to fellowship and sacrifice TOGETHER. Many churches spend way too much time bickoring and infighting amongst themselves that they lose sight of the amazing works God has done for them, and the memory of what it is that God has asked the Church to do fades away. It is of the utmost importance that we put this aside and start a new reformation from within; a reformation that hinges on the remembrance of the promises, command, and commission of God.

Rick Warren says "It's time to stop debating the Bible and start doing it. It's time to stop criticizing and start cooperating. It's time for the church to be the church. This is the new reformation I'm praying for."

Paul speaks of this in Ephesians as well.

Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV)
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Let's stop engaging in backbiting, slander, false witness, gossip, and discontent! Instead, let's remember what God did for us, and focus those energies into what we can do to be the Church in the way God intended: Fellowshipping together and offering ourselves completely for His purposes, so that, rather than being cut off from His blessings, we are receiving a full measure of them as a body and as individuals.