God’s Global End-Game

Revelation 7:9-10 reveals a future scene in heaven.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Did you catch that?  Heaven will be inhabited by people from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.

Question: How will people from every nation, tribe, people & language get there?

It won’t be by accident.  God has been planning worldwide worship from the beginning.  In the very first book of the Bible, God instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply… (Genesis 1:28). Why? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14)

After the flood, God repeated the command to Noah: Be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 9:7)  Later, God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him.  (Genesis 12:1-2).  God repeated that promise to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and grandson, Jacob. (Genesis 26:4, 28:14)

Multiplication holds incredible potential for growth. Think about how a person’s descendants multiply as each generation passes. For example, Joe and Pam have two children who have 2 children each who have 2 children each. After three generations, Joe and Pam’s descendants have increased from two to fourteen! They have been fruitful and multiplied their physical legacy.

Spiritually speaking, the concept is the same.  God has chosen to make worshippers of all nations by multiplying worshippers through their spiritual legacies.

It is called discipleship. Examples fill the pages of scripture: Moses discipled Joshua. Elijah discipled Elisha, Eli discipled Samuel. John the Baptist discipled many, and Paul discipled Timothy.

Jesus compared the power of multiplication to the growth of a mustard seed (the smallest of all seeds) into a strong tree full of branches and leaves (Luke 13:18-19). Maybe you feel as spiritually significant as a mustard seed right now. But that is the beauty of God’s design.  He chooses the small, seemingly insignificant people in this world and does mighty things through them.

Consider the power of multiplication in the book of Acts. Chapter six tells us, “the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly” (Acts 6:7). The momentum of multiplication powered a mighty mission movement in the Church. And the mission movement empowered multiplication. Even in the midst of great persecution, “the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). After just three decades, the early church had experienced 400% growth!  Do you feel the power of multiplication?

The task of discipleship is not busy-work; it is the work. Jesus issued only one plan to achieve worldwide worship: making disciples. He banked his entire ministry on it. And He will not return until people from all nations respond to the gospel. (Matthew 24:14)

Don’t Keep the Change

My son has recently taken an interest in spending money from his piggy bank. In an effort to teach him about the responsible use of money, I have started allowing him to withdraw a small amount of money from his piggy bank each month in order to purchase a toy.

Not long ago, we made a trip to the store where he found a toy in his price range. I was proud of his new found skill of shopping for the lowest price and living within his means (hopefully that will last).

When we arrived at the check out counter, Bryce wanted to do everything himself. So, I stood back and watched as he handed his toy to the cashier and pulled out his money. But there was a problem.

Apparently, someone else had looked at that toy earlier and then placed it back on the shelf. Unfortunately, they placed it in the wrong spot where the price tag on the shelf was lower than the actual price of the toy.

When the cashier asked for $12.72, Bryce’s face suddenly fell sad. He only had $5 in hand.

I stepped in at this point and handed the cashier a 10-dollar bill to combine with Bryce’s $5. Bryce had been such a good shopper and I wanted to reward him for his good work.

Then, it happened –the teaching moment I never anticipated.

As the cashier reached out with $2.28, Bryce stuck out his hand to receive the change.

“Bryce, that’s my money.”

He replied, “But I bought the toy!”

The cashier and I had a good laugh. And, walking back to the car, I explained to Bryce why the change was mine. Bottom line, because I paid!

In all of his excitement, he had forgotten that the transaction would have been impossible without my intervention. Come to think of it, the money in the piggy bank came from me too. Bryce certainly didn’t work for it!

My whole point in giving him money and allowing him to shop was to help him grow as a responsible young man.

Sound familiar?

Everything you have –even the things you “give” to God- were supplied by God to begin with. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). God just allows us to make transactions with His blessings in order to help us grow while furthering His kingdom.

But it’s not just the material blessings that God provides. Most importantly, God gave His only Son, Jesus (John 3:16) to bring new life, spiritual life, to those who would believe in Him.

As the hymn writer stated, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.”

That includes the leftover “change” of our lives:

  • Serving the needs of others all of the time, not just during “scheduled” ministry time.
  • Opening your home to a disciple in need of guidance, even after the small-group Bible study is over.
  • Supporting ministry needs financially on top of your planned giving to your church.

For the believer, there are no categories of “mine” vs. “God’s.” Jesus must be Lord of all. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Multiple Hats: 5 Advantages of Bi-Vocational Pastors

Jeff wears multiple hats. He pastors a church and works full-time in the medical field. After a long night shift, Jeff and I met at a local coffee shop. Although I knew he must have been exhausted, the topic of local church ministry brought about an energy and passion to his voice.

In the midst of talking about current trends in ministry and the needs of churches, Jeff made an interesting comment that caught my attention. He said that he preferred bi-vocational ministry because of all of its advantages. 

Advantages? That caused my ears to perk up.

He went on to explain that even though many full-time pastors have given him the “bi-vocational pastoring is second-rate vibe,” he sees things differently.

The advantages to bi-vocational pastoring that he shared with me excited my heart and caused me to wonder if God might be preparing to raise up a new generation of pastors from men who already have secular careers in progress.

For years, older pastors have worried that there may be a shortage of new pastors to carry on the ministry. However, taking bi-vocational pastoring into consideration immediately multiplies the pool of candidates. And, once you read about these advantages, I think you’ll see them as “first class” candidates too! Here are some advantages of bi-vocational pastoring to consider:

1) Trust: Congregations naturally trust the motivation of men who are willing to work another job for the privilege of pastoring.

2) Stewardship: Smaller churches with bi-vocatiobal pastors do not have to bear the financial burden of a full-time salary. For this reason, many church planting efforts begin with bi-vocational pastors stepping out on faith.

3) Teamwork: Church members are more apt to pitch in and volunteer when they know the pastor works a full time job outside of the church just like they do and still finds time to minister.

4) Relevance: A pastor who works outside of the church is less likely to lose touch with what happens outside of the “ministry bubble.” Even more, a secular vocation can aid in relating better to lost people as well as his congregation.

5) Sanity: Jeff said his full-time job actually helps him keep his sanity. In fact, he said, “I don’t know how full time pastors deal with all of the pressures of the ministry without some sort of escape.” I’m sure there are plenty of full-time pastors who can’t imagine how a bi-vocational pastor deals with his busy schedule. It just goes to show that God creates different men for different kinds of ministry.

My heart was touched by Jeff’s passion for bi-vocational ministry. It caused me to think that God might be raising up a new wave of these “tent-making” pastors to lead a revival in small churches across our nation. Wouldn’t that be glorious!

So no, these men are not “second rate” pastors. They are brave, courageous, hardworking, giants of the faith. My hat (singular) goes off to them.

Are You Giving Satan Too Much Credit?

We’ve all said something like, “Satan is really working on me right now.” And while this may be a true statement, I’m not sure its always helpful.

James 1:14 teaches that “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

Because we are born sinners (Psalm 51:5, Romans 3:10-18), our flesh already has sinful desires. When Satan tempts us, he is appealing to the sinful desires we already have. But I’m not so sure that temptation requires Satan’s prompting. Instead, it sounds as though our own desires can lead us astray without any help.

I think it is dangerous to blame every temptation on Satan for three reasons:

1) Our flesh may have been acting alone.

2) Even if Satan or his angels did tempt us, our flesh was still involved.

3) Therefore, blaming Satan alone can cause us to lie to ourselves about our own flesh. It can be a way to avoid blaming ourselves and excuse any responsibility we might have for sin.

Don’t misunderstand, Satan is responsible for his own rebellion and sin. But that in no way diminishes our own guilt.

Its helpful to remember that this is also how God sees our sin. While He certainly holds Satan accountable for his sin, God simultaneously holds us accountable for ours. None of us can stand before God’s judgement and blame our sin on Satan. We are responsible for our own sin. (Incidentally; only Christ, and Christ alone can pay for our sin.)

In the end, as strange as it sounds, I think Satan likes it when we give him all of the blame for our temptation. So, let’s stop giving him too much credit!

6 Vital Questions Before Preaching Your Next Sermon

  • Will this sermon help my hearers understand this passage better? This assumes you preached a passage, which I would argue, is a prerequisite for biblical preaching. Explaining a passage means more than reading verses and their meaning. The passage must be explained within its context. This helps avoid misinterpretation and misrepresentation of Scripture. Taking a verse out of context (even when making a good point) is just as manipulative as a newsroom reporter broadcasting a short sound byte apart from an entire speech. In both cases, meaning can be easily manipulated.
  • Will my hearers know more about what the Bible says or what I think? In other words, what was the source of ultimate truth and authority for my sermon: God’s word or my ideas? Your ideas are important. However, use them to communicate Scripture rather than using Scripture to prop up your ideas. At the end of the sermon, will your audience be compelled to obey you or to obey God?
  • Does my message point to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment and hope for the passage? Every portion of Scripture directly or indirectly presents a sin problem that can only be solved in the redeeming work of Christ. Jesus said all of the Old Testament Scripture testifies of Him (Luke 24:27). The same is true of the New Testament. Since Christ is pinnacle and focus of all Scripture, it stands to reason that He should be presented as the pinnacle and focus of every sermon. That does not mean that a short evangelistic “add on” must be tagged on the end of each sermon. Rather, Jesus should saturate the entire message.
  • Will this sermon lead my audience to act in their own power or by faith? This question should help avoid moralistic preaching. Moralism is basically a “do right” message. There is nothing to differentiate a moralistic message from a secular motivational speech. Both urge the hearer to muster up their strength and do the right thing. However, the heart of the gospel lies in the fact that we cannot please God apart from faith (Hebrews 11:6). He must transform us and work within us. That is not to advocate a lazy or passive faith (which is not biblical faith). Instead, like Paul, our message must encourage listeners to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” (Philippians 2:12).
  • Have I removed everything that might distract from the message? Sermon preparation requires great amounts of editing and reediting. Much great information will be left on the cutting room floor each week. Remember, the point of your message is to present God’s Word. Anything that may distract from the message should be removed –even if it is interesting, intriguing, and appealing. Whether it is a really interesting story, a cool fact learned in Seminary, or a genius analogy –if it is likely to take away from the central message, let it go. Better to be simple and clear than fancy and ineffective.
  • Has this message moved my heart? As much as possible, preachers should resolve to not preach a message until it has moved their heart. We need what Jeremiah referred to as “fire” in his bones (Jeremiah 20:9). What comes from the heart goes to the heart. You should preach the message to yourself so many times that you can communicate the message in one simple, but powerful sentence from your heart.

Heaven

What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, reader-friendly style. His conclusions will surprise readers and stretch their thinking about this important subject. Heaven will inspire readers to long for heaven while they’re living on earth.

My experience with the book, Heaven, was timely.  I took the book with me on vacation in 2007.  The though-provoking chapters set my imagination ablaze and sparked great conversation with my wife, Jill.  Even before I finished the last chapter, my view of Heaven had changed dramatically.

A little over a year later, when the Doctor told me Jill had passed away, my mind immediately raced to Heaven.  Randy Alcorn’s book had prepared me for this moment by providing Scriptural teaching about our eternal home.

 

5 Ideas For Blessing Your Pastor

Hebrews 13:17 declares, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.“ In other words, don’t take your church leaders for granted. Instead, bring joy to their life by the way you treat them.

In light of this, here are five quick ideas to bless your pastor(s) this week:

  • Send him a handwritten note of appreciation. Be sure to mention specific ways he has influenced your life for Christ. Most pastors have no idea if they are making a difference and would be thrilled to receive such a note.
  • Gather a small group of people to pray over him before a Sunday service. There is nothing more reassuring prior to preaching than to know that your congregation is praying for you. It reminds him that he is not preaching to adversaries, but rather to fellow believers wanting to join him in hearing the Word of the Lord.
  • Talk positively behind his back. The temptation to gossip about church leadership is strong. One way to defeat it is to be proactive in speaking positively about the pastor. This can preclude gossip and encourage others to appreciate the leadership God has provided.
  • Ask him questions about the sermon. Most pastors spend hours preparing a sermon. After they deliver it, they wonder whether people understood, learned, and responded. When people ask questions about the sermon (in love, of course) it lets the pastor know that his labor was not in vain and that he made a connection. To know that a sermon sparked conversation is high praise.
  • Be active in your role. Pastors often feel alone. Many times, they are overworked because everything is left to them. However, when members use their gifts and skills to participate in the ministry of the church the pastor receives needed help and an emotional boost.

Pastors are constantly blessing the lives of their congregation. Don’t forget that the Bible expects the congregation to also be a blessing to the life of the pastor!

Loving My Roots

I have friends from many different evangelical denominations. We love, support, and encourage one another in kingdom work.

My roots happen to be planted in the Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMA).

While there is plenty to say about the dangers of denominational pride and competition, there is also plenty to say about appreciating and loving the place God has planted you.

From a human standpoint, if someone asks why the BMA, SBC, ABA, PCA, or IFBC exists; certainly we could point to a multitude of historical events -some noble, some not so noble. (We could also point to the fact that evangelicals love acronyms!)

But the most important justification for the existence of any denomination is that God has providentially (through those human events) placed a group of Churches in a certain time and place to fulfill a role in the work of the Great Commission.

There are several benefits of focusing on God’s providential establishment of a denomination:

1) It helps us avoid denominational pride and competition.

2) It gives us a kingdom mind-set.

3) It emphasizes that God has a kingdom role for our group -no matter the size.

When I look at God’s providence in the founding of my own association, it opens my eyes up to the treasure I have been given. Every relationship within my denomination is not by accident -its by divine design. That means by loving my BMA roots, I am loving God’s provision for me and for His kingdom.

So here are a few things I love about my roots in the BMA that simultaneously exalt God (I’m sure you could probably write a similar list for your denomination):

1) The BMA is a family. When I experienced great loss, they were there for me.

2) The BMA is committed to unity. That doesn’t mean we always agree. Unity is found in how we choose to disagree.

3) The BMA is passionate about reaching the nations. This year we have more American missionaries around the world than in our entire history.

4) The BMA loves discipleship. At this year’s national meeting, I heard the word “disciple” constantly. It’s on our minds and its in our hearts.

5) The BMA does not pretend to take the place of the Church. My denomination understands it role is to support God’s churches -not replace them.

6) The BMA does not pretend to be perfect. This may be my favorite thing about our association. We know how to admit our limitations. But that’s not a bad thing, because admitting our limitations is the first step to acknowledging God’s powerful work through us.

Ultimately, like individuals, denominations are vessels that God chooses to use. And so I choose not to criticize my roots, but instead to embrace them -because in His providence, God has given me this heritage for a purpose! And it is where I have am thrilled to have a role serving in the Kingdom.

Maybe it was cool to criticize your denomination in the past, but no more. If you want to exalt God then you must love the roots that he’s given you.

How about you?

Slippery Rocks

It was a turning point for my son. Up until that day, he had been nervous about jumping in and getting his head under water. Yet, for some reason, things just clicked that afternoon.

We were swimming in a river (of all things) with a group of friends. Several kids found a big rock to jump off of and were visibly having a great time. Bryce watched for a few minutes and decided he wanted to try.

I assumed he would get on the rock and change his mind once his old fears kicked in. Still, it was worth the try.

We were about twenty feet from the rock. Since Bryce cannot swim, and the water was too deep, I had to carry Bryce to the big rock -easier said than done. The river bottom was composed of slippery rocks which were both difficult to traverse and painful on bare feet.

Still, we made it to the rock. And, to my surprise, Bryce actually jumped in! Over and over and over again, Bryce couldn’t get enough of his new found adventure.

Then, it happened. On about the twelfth jump, Bryce landed in my arms -only this time, I lost my footing on the slippery rocks. Both of us went under. I struggled to regain my footing and get Bryce’s head back abover water. What would have ordinarily been a simple task was made much more difficult by the slippery riverbed.

Once we finally became stabilized, Bryce took a big breath and looked at me with his innocent eyes. The look was akin to the victim of betrayal. In my mind, I imagined him thinking, “Dad, I trusted you -I depended upon you. Why did you let me fall?” Ouch -as a parent, that hurts.

I did the only thing I knew to do. I lifted Bryce up and set him on the jumping rock. It was above water and dry. He could get stable footing there and be safe.

It reminded me of Psalm 40:2 where David proclaims, “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.”

As difficult as it is to admit as a parent, I am not the most stable “rock” for my son to stand on. Christ is. That has two implications: 

  • I must do everythinng in my power to continue lifting my son up to the Rock (Jesus). This requires me to humbly admit my insufficiencies and to boldly point out Christ’s faithfulness and power over all things.
  • I must make every effort to stand on the solid Rock (Christ) and avoid the slippery rocks of my own pride and self-reliance. This is the only way that I can be the stable Christian parent that my son desperately needs.

My son is growing up too fast. This break-through day of jumping in the river is a reminder of all the “breakthroughs” coming our way in the near future. As a parent, I want to help my son avoid placing his trust on the slippery rocks in the river of life and come to the faith by which He can stand on the solid Rock of Jesus. 

And, just like in the river that day, my only hope for lifting my son up to the Rock, is finding my stability on the same Rock -Jesus Christ.  

Priceless

Quick… what is the first book printed in the United States?

Not the Gutenberg Bible –it was printed in Germany. But that’s close…

The first book believed to be printed in the United States was printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640. And yes, it was Scripture -specifically, the Psalms. It was published by the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. And no, it wasn’t in the KJV (the Puritans weren’t big fans).

One of the eleven existing copies is going up for auction soon. “How much,” you ask? It is expected to bring as much as $30 million.

While that price is shocking for any book, it is a great reminder, for us as believers, of the infinite value of the “Book of Books.” Men like John Wycliffe and William Tyndale gave their lives for this book. They understood, as should we, that it priceless.

While we might look down upon collectors who would bid such money only to miss the real value of Scripture; is it possible that we do the same thing with our $19.95 copies of Scripture?

How many copies of the Bible do you have anyway? Do you treat God’s Word as a treasure in excess of $30 million? Here’s a good test:
If you only had one Bible -and had no way of obtaining another one- would you trade $30 million for it?