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On Tuesday, June 19^th, at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, Messengers voted by about 53% to 47% to allow SBC Churches and Entities to use an “Official Descriptor” (Great Commission Baptists) as an alternative to the name, “Southern Baptist.” This decision has been a really “hot” topic among those who care about such things.

The original idea of officially changing the name of our denomination proved to be practically unworkable and terribly expensive, so the idea of having an alternate descriptor became the change of choice. SBC Churches are (of course) autonomous and we can call our church whatever we please, but this gives us the option of how we refer to the denomination.

Let me be clear… I would be very much in favor of changing the regional “Southern” in our denominational name. While I believe it is a good name in the Southeastern US where most of our present churches exist, it is a problem outside of that geographical area. It also carries a lot of cultural baggage that makes our witness more difficult in many places.

BUT, we all need to recognize that just changing a name does not change us! My one great issue with being called “Great Commission Baptists” is this: is that statement true? Are we really devoted to, and participating in, the Great Commission?

Most SBC or GCB (if you prefer) churches are somewhat involved in the Great Commission through our support of our Local and State Associations and the Cooperative Program. But the vast majority of our churches are not very much involved in the Great Commission within our own local area.

So, if all that “Great Commission Baptists” amounts to is a more user-friendly name, it will be (as Will Shakespeare says in “Romeo and Juliet) just “a rose by any other name.” If we, the members of SBC churches, do not get personally and sacrificially involved in reaching the lost around us; whatever name by which we are known will be just that: a name.

I don’t care if we, (or anyone else) calls us “Southern Baptists” or “Great Commission Baptists.” What we must care about is obeying the command of Jesus Christ to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

As we worship this coming Lord’s Day, we ought to be thankful to God for gracing us with this free Nation in which we live, work, and minister! This is not now, and has never been, a truly “Christian” Nation; but, it has been and still is one of the freest Nations on earth. That freedom has allowed people to love, worship, and serve God – and He has blessed us because of it!

The great fear of my life is that by the time my Grandkids are my age that this may no longer be true. In fact, I believe it is quite possible that this Nation will no longer exist in any form that we would recognize.

Here are the facts:

Following the Reformation, (which began in 1517) true believers in Western Europe began to experience fierce persecution. Our Baptist Forefathers and Foremothers suffered greatly during this time. So, many of them fled for the new world.

After arriving here in 1620, Christians determined that this Nation would be a land of religious freedom and tolerance and that it would be governed by biblical principles.

That was our history for about 300 years! Sadly, after World War 1, things began to radically change in our Nation. Soon we became a Nation that repressed biblical Christianity and celebrated sin. Over these past ninety or so years, things have gotten steadily worse.

Today, we are a Nation awash in sin! Practically everything that God condemns is not merely tolerated, it is celebrated. Of all of the different religious groups in the world, bible-believing Christ-followers are among the most hated and marginalized.

And, YES, much of this is self-inflicted. When religious and philosophical liberalism began to become mainstream in the 1880’s and into the 1920’s, American “Christians” were very happy to welcome this godless garbage into our churches, schools, and our governments.

The results are as clear as they are tragic! We live in a Nation that has legally aborted nearly 50,000,000 babies; re-defined almost every form of deviancy as an, “alternative lifestyle” legitimized the illegitimate, spent our Nation to the brink of financial oblivion, and dumbed down an entire generation of our children.

Other than that, we seem to be doing well.

As you get ready to listen to God’s Word on Sunday morning, read over, think over, and pray over these verses: Psalm 9:17; Romans 1:21-27; Proverbs 14:34; and, 2^nd Chronicles 7:14.

Ask God what we must do to see revival in our land!

I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!

T.N.T. stands for, “Thursday Night Theology”

If anyone would like to spend some time reading and talking about Theology with me on Thursday Nights, I would be willing to lead such a group.

We will work through some great books on Theology, (one at a time) which you will have to purchase at cost…

We will read and think through one Chapter per week and spend one hour on Thursday nights talking about it and doing Q&A!

No theological pabulum or happy talk here… just real “meat” for those who hunger to know God and His Word more deeply than ever before.

If you want to be part of this, let me know and as soon as we have enough people committed to have a group, we’ll get started!

As we return to our series, “Understanding Acts: Body #2 Takes Over!” we find Paul in the early part of the final stage of his life and ministry as he gets to Jerusalem and immediately begins to be attacked and falsely accused.

He had been warned several times and heard the prophecy of Agabus about what awaited him there. He would face five very serious difficulties in Jerusalem:

(1) false accusations; (2) people ganging up on him; (3) physical violence; (4) public humiliation; and, (5) rejection

While many of us face these specific difficulties from time to time, very few of us have or ever will face them as intensely as did Paul. God allowed these difficulties to come into Paul’s life for many reasons including teaching us – through the preserved biblical record – how to deal with our difficulties as well.

As you prepare to hear this sermon next Lord’s Day, read over these verses and think about how these truths enabled Paul to deal with his difficulties and how they can enable us to better deal with ours…

Romans 8:28; Philippians 1:12-14; 1st Kings 8:54-57; 2nd Timothy 1:8-12; Romans 8:18; 2nd Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:7-10; Acts 22:24-29; and 25:9-12

As the Lord allows, I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side…

Recently, I have been thinking over a question that has come to my mind from time to time and about which I have been asked on more than one occasion. The question is about the room in which our Church gathers on Sunday mornings to worship God… is that place a “Sanctuary” or is it an “Auditorium?”

While this may strike most people as being of little or no consequence, to some people it is a very important issue. It can, in fact, be a very emotional issue for some! I certainly feel it deserves my time and attention to think it through and come to what I believe to be a biblical conclusion.

I have researched the Scriptures, I have thought it through, and I have come to a biblical conclusion. Let me share my thinking with you…

According to Dictionary.com, the word, “sanctuary” means, sanc·tu·ar·y (sangk-choo-er-ee) noun, plural sanc·tu·ar·ies.

1. a sacred or holy place.

2. Judaism:

     a. the Biblical tabernacle or the Temple in Jerusalem.

     b. the holy of holies of these places of worship.

3. an especially holy place in a temple or church.

4. the part of a church around the altar; the chancel.

5. a church or other sacred place where fugitives were formerly entitled to immunity from arrest.  

I think most Christians today think of a “Sanctuary” as the main room in a Church facility where the members meet to worship God.

This was much easier to discern in the Old Testament when God met with His people first in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple! Seems easy at first – but, not so fast! What made the Tabernacle and the Temple a “Sanctuary” was not the presence of God’s people there, it was the very presence of God! In both the Tabernacle and the Temple, God had chosen to dwell uniquely within the Ark of the Covenant, which was physically located within these structures.

So the “Sanctuary” where God is worshiped is that place where God (Who is, of course, omnipresent) chooses to dwell and to manifest Himself and His glory in a unique way to enable and facilitate worship.

With that being said, let’s look at the key New Testament Scriptures:

First, it is perfectly clear that God through His Spirit indwells the body of the individual believer!

1^st Corinthians 3:16-17 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

Second, it is perfectly clear that God through His Spirit is manifestly present when His people are gathered together!

Matthew 18:20  “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”        

2^nd Corinthians 6:14-18 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the  apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

So, here is what the Bible teaches about “God’s Sanctuary”:

The physical body of the believer is “God’s Sanctuary” where He dwells in order to enable us to worship Him!

The Body of Believers who are gathered together is also “God’s Sanctuary” where He dwells among us to enable us to worship Him!

Therefore, the beautiful room in which we gather together on Sunday mornings is not a “Sanctuary” but it is rather an “Auditorium!”

According to Dictionary.Com, an auditorium is:  au·di·to·ri·um: aw-di-tawr-ee-uhm, noun, plural au·di·to·ri·ums

1. the space set apart for the audience in a theater, school, or other public building.

2. a building for public gatherings; hall.

The root of this word is, of course, “to hear”. It is a room where people gather to hear someone or something.

Beloved Ones, I – like you – thank God continually for the beautiful facilities He has allowed us to have and to use for His glory and the good of His people. But, all of us desperately need to know that YOU AND I (both individually and corporately) are the “Sanctuary of God” and that He uniquely dwells in and among us!

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

Romans 3:10-19 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.”

God owes salvation to no one!

The first grace of regeneration is to see ourselves as a sinner who rightly deserves the wrath of God. It is God’s gracious revelation of our true condition that leads us to repent of our sin and call upon the Name of the Lord for forgiveness. The lack of this simple revelation of our true nature reveals the reality of an unregenerate heart.

Do you think you “deserve” to go to heaven? Repent! Do you think you deserve to go to hell? Rejoice in the grace of God that has revealed this to you! If you have not yet done so, ask God to forgive you right now and commit your life to obey and follow Jesus right now!

If you do, please let me know.

Marriage and Divorce experts continually tell us that financial problems are among the primary issues that lead to divorce! A recent article at Divorce.Com brings several questions to mind:

How are people impacted by the typical roller-coaster ride of financial issues they face in life and how does that impact their marriage?

What happens when two people with two very different philosophies about money try to build a life together?

How does controlling the finances in a family impact the marriage?

How do differing values about money impact the efforts of a married couple to successfully manage their money?

What role does gambling play in the breakup of many marriages?

As we look at several different passages of Scripture, I want us to focus on five key things that the Lord does to help us manage our money in a way that glorifies Him and blesses us!

First, what do Deuteronomy 8, Malachi 3, and 2^nd Thessalonians 3 teach us about God?

Second, What does Proverbs 6:1-11 teach us about our part in managing our family finances?

Third, what does Luke 15:11-17 teach us about taking care of our finances after we acquire them?

Fourth, what does the famous parable in Matthew 25:20-21 teach us about investing our resources?

Finally, what key principles do you find in Luke 6:38 in relation to how we come to have and how we use our money? What does God promise us in this passage?

I hope you will take the time to read over these verses and think about these questions in preparation for the message this coming Lord’s Day!

Remember! This coming Sunday is Father’s Day and we will have a time of special prayer and recognition and a gift for the Fathers who are present… so, do not forget to invite your Dad to attend church with you on Father’s Day!

As the Lord allows, I hope to see you Sunday with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side…

It has been an interesting and fun week and this coming Lord’s Day ought to be interesting and fun as well! We have been doing Vacation Bible School all this week and it has been a fun time. We have had a smaller than usual number of children, but we have had the most adult helpers ever.

Thanks to everyone who has worked and/or provided resources for this great event!

Our VBS “Family Day” is being held on this coming Sunday instead of Friday. This is the same pattern we followed last year. Doing this on Sunday accomplishes three helpful goals:

1) It gets the kids and their parents here on a Sunday to see our facility and meet the Church!

2) It allows nearly all of our members to see the workers, kids, and their family; which gives them a much better idea of what we do in VBS and how dramatically it can impact our community!

3) It makes for a really fun Sunday…  We will see and “hear” the kids and learn lots about all that they did and learned this week. We will get to meet them and their family. AND, we are going to end the day with a cookout at church to have some time to get to know them even better!

As the Lord allows, I will continue my sermon series entitled, “Marriage Matters” with a message from Ephesians 5:22-6:4 on the subject, “Five Essentials for Successful Parenting.” Hopefully, it will be a blessing to all of you and our guests as well.

People have very different ideas about what a successful parent is, so I want to use these verses to give biblical principles and application to answer that question.

There are, of course, many decisions and actions by the parents that make it either easier or more difficult to succeed as a parent. God has a clear pattern for family life, but, even those who do not achieve God’s standard can make the best of their situation and work together to be the best possible parents.

Single adults can, and often do, accomplish God’s highest standard for raising children. It is much harder to do it alone, but many people do!

Sadly, there are some children who are determined to destroy themselves and any hope of building a good life. This happens in even very good families. We will look at three of God’s choice servants in the Bible whose children brought disaster upon their own life.

In fact, the Bible clearly reveals that there has only been One Perfect Father, and all of His children ultimately rebelled against Him!

Think about these questions from our text:

According to Ephesians 5:32, to whom is this instruction given?

According to 5:25-31, 33 and 6:4, what does successful parenting demand of Dad?

According to 5:22-24 and 33, what does successful parenting demand of Mom?

According to 6:1-3, what does it require of the children?

I hope to see you Sunday Morning with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and family and friends by your side!

Read Colossians 1:9-18

This coming Lord’s Day morning, as the Lord allows, I will continue my series on “Marriage Matters” with a sermon on the subject, “Who’s the BOSS?”

Obviously, Jesus Christ is the BOSS!

What does Genesis 1:1-3 and Colossians 3:15-18 have to do with this claim?

Does God care about each and every minute detail of our life?

What if one or both of the married couple refuse to recognize that Jesus is the BOSS of their life and marriage? Does that matter?

What does Matthew 7:24-27 teach us about building a marriage and a life together?

Who ought every husband and every wife really want to please in their marriage?

What role does forgiveness play in this issue?

Every husband and every wife have one great problem! What is that problem, and what is the absolute never-fail remedy for it?

I hope to see you Sunday morning with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and family and friends by your side!

Read: Colossians 3:16-17

What do you believe is the first and most important step in building a biblical marriage? Of course, it is TO MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Easily said… but, more difficult to do. Does the Word of God indeed have guidelines on this matter? Yes.

What do you think would be two key perspectives about God that would immediately impact this decision?

Someone long ago said, “Ignorance can be easily cured with information; but, you can’t fix stupid!” Well, I am not sure about that… at least I hope you can fix stupid because I have acted stupidly from time to time. But, I do know what they meant by that harsh sounding statement.

Our message for Sunday Morning will be based on a simple exposition of these two verses from Colossians making a direct application to the matter of choosing that person to whom you will be married. I will submit four specific applications for us to consider…

What is the impact of biblical thinking on this all-important decision?

Where and from whom should we seek additional input about this life-changing decision?

Who is the best source of counsel as we think about this make or break decision?

And, finally, does Jesus have the right to tell you who to marry, and if you think He does not; how is it that you consider yourself to be, “a Christian?”

REMINDER: This coming Monday is Memorial Day. It is a time that we remember those who gave their lives in the defense of our Nation and our freedoms. It is a great time to remember and honor our fallen heroes, as well as to take time to pray for the safety of those who protect us and our freedoms today!

I hope to see you Sunday at 9am with a smile on your face, your Bible in your hand, and your family and friends by your side!