Restoring the Church: Part 3 (Hell, Fire, and Brimstone Preaching)

In 1741, a man by the name of Jonathan Edwards delivered, what some consider, the best sermon ever preached.  You may already know it, but the sermon’s name was “Sinners in the hand of an angry God.”  As you can probably guess, this was not a ‘feel-good’ sermon.  In this sermon, Edwards made the point that God’s judgment could fall at any time, and would fall on any unbelievers, even though they had numerous opportunities to hear the truth and repent.  This was designed to get people to start doing something, instead of waiting around.

Sadly, when you look forward into the 21^st century, this preaching intended to bring changes in people’s mindsets and to show God’s wrath has changed.  Books like “Love Wins” from Rob Bell are becoming prominent in our culture, and even some in the church are buying into this belief that God is too nice to condemn someone.  Preaching topical sermons and delivering basic lessons focusing on God’s love all the time is causing the church to become stagnate.  We’re not moving forward in our Christianity because we’ve forgotten the seriousness of obeying all of God’s commands.  In our culture, people mainly do what feels good.  They join the church with the rock band and couches for pews because it’s what pleases them.  Although Christians don’t do that today, how many of us have this mindset of coming to church to punch our cards and say we did something spiritual for the week?  We come to church to look good, but we don’t live it.  To me, this is a result from weak preaching.  People don’t feel compelled to obey God because we never talk about the consequences of not obeying Him.  We try to do the least amount possible in church because we don’t understand the idea of God wanting our best all the time.  Preaching about God’s love is a great thing, but when you only get that side of the story, then we forget that we are to fear God.  This fear is not respect, but a genuine terror and fright.  Many verses speak of fearing God (Leviticus 25:17; 2 Kings 17:39; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Psalm 67:7; 96:4; Ecclesiastes 5:7; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 2:17).  The meaning of life found in Ecclesiastes 12:13 is to fear God and keep His commandments.  The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God (Proverbs 1:7).  I know God wants us to know of His love and He wants us to love Him as well, but we must remember the important aspect of truly being afraid of God’s power.

Apathy in the church is a scary thing.  It is a consequence of preaching that does not motivate people to do what must be done in the church.  Christians love hearing about going to heaven, and there is no problem with that.  I like to hear about God’s promise to me and the mansion He has built for me in glory, but I also need to hear about the possibility of that mansion being taken by someone else, and me losing my salvation.    People talk about how God changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament in that He became more compassionate and loving.  God certainly is loving and compassionate, but do you think He completely did away with His anger?  That would be ridiculous, yet we live like that so much of the time.

When people think of hell, fire, and brimstone preaching, they often think of loud preaching with pounding on the podium.  That is simply not the case.  Jonathan Edwards is said to have preached “Sinners in the hand of an angry God” in a monotone voice.  This preaching can be done in any voice or style, as long as it’s done in love.  It is simply getting people to realize the seriousness and consequences of not obeying God.  If you want the church’s apathy to go away, preachers must be willing to do the hard thing and tell people how it is.

At this point in time, we need to be focusing more on what the church could be doing better instead of focusing so much on what the church does right.  When we only focus on the things the church does right, we get complacent and stop worrying about being the best Christians we can be.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not praise the crowds for what they did right.  He kept saying, “You have heard…But I say to you.”  In Acts 2, Peter preached the famous sermon on Pentecost.  In it, he accused the people of nailing Christ to the cross.  He told them what they did wrong and the people repented.  In Acts 7, Steven called the council stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart.  He did not praise them for being spiritual.  My point is this: our preaching needs to be pricking people’s hearts and keeping them on their toes so they will constantly strive to be better Christians.  The only stipulation that comes along with preaching about the issues in the church is that you better have a solution to the problems you raise.

Restoring the Church: Part 2 (Youth Ministry)

I left my last blog post saying I will next examine the Scripturalness of groups in the church.  Really, I’m going to deal with one group: youth groups.  I want to examine everything about youth groups, including the positives, negatives, and the Scriptural evidence for them.

First, what are some positives of the youth group?  It brings the young Christians together and builds a certain camaraderie among them.  It also brings their families closer together.  Youth groups are an ideal setting for the future of the church to be trained.  By that I mean that everyone who will be leading the church when they are older are all together in the same classroom waiting to be taught.  Last, it should get all the young people excited about the Scriptures and about church.  I know these are not all the positives, so if you know any more, then I ask you to please comment on this and let me know some additional positives.

Second, what are some negatives of the youth group?  It takes them away from learning from the elderly in the church.  You might say that’s not right because they can talk to the older and wiser in the congregation and still have their youth group.  When is the last time you saw one from your youth group talk to an older person for longer than, “Hi, how are you?  Good?  Cool, alright bye!”  When do they take the time to learn from the elderly?  Another negative is actually one of the positives.  It brings the families of the youth together.  One word: clique.  You may not believe me, but the ‘young families’ often stick to themselves and do not reach out to the ‘fringe’ members.   Not everyone in the ‘young family’ group is this way, but watch to see who interacts with whom more.  The third negative is that a youth minister often plays the role of the parent.  The youth minister often is the only Biblical teacher the teen will get.  The youth will go to school, come home and do homework, and often times never get Biblical teaching from their parents.  If the parents did their job, the role of the youth minister would be pointless.  A fourth negative is that a youth group does not teach them to be a functioning part of the church.  When these youth group kids have to move away to college in another state and they are no longer surrounded by their friends from the youth group, they struggle in getting involved in the church.  Why do they struggle?  Because they were never taught to be a functioning part of the church, but only a part of the youth group.  They never had to talk to the adults and the elderly people, but once they are out on their own, they are suddenly faced with these things.  We are not preparing them to be strong leaders in the church, but to be part of a certain clique in the church.  The last negative is the youth group doing the work of the church.  How many times have you heard about a youth ‘devo’ that is going to be spiritually uplifting where they sing songs, here a lesson with application for the week, and get together to eat?  Why is that for the youth exclusively when it should be something the church should do?  It just creates more separation from the rest of the church.  When was the last time an older person was invited to the devotional?  They could use a spiritually uplifting time as well, but it is a ‘youth exclusive’ activity.  Why is it just youth though?  Do they need more spiritual activities than the elderly?

So what does the Bible say about the subject of youth ministry?  That’s the problem though; it never addresses someone working with the youth exclusively.  There are no qualifications for youth ministers.  Ephesians 6:4 talks about a father bringing his child up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.  In Matthew 18, Jesus was teaching the children.  They didn’t have a youth minister teaching them.  They learned from the Rabbis.  Likewise, when Jesus was left in the temple in Luke 2, He was learning from the teachers in the temple, not youth ministers.  So you might want to bring culture into the equation by saying that was back then but we need to use a different method.  Why?  If Jesus Himself learned one way, why do we need a different method today?  Often times youth ministers dumb down the curriculum, so the teens don’t get really deep teaching.  Why?  Jesus was twelve when He was learning from those in the temple, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t dumb things down so He could understand.  He was expected to reach the bar, not have it lowered for Him.

You might be highly offended by this article and think this is a broad generalization.   I write this from experience though.  The things that I have written are things I have observed from various youth groups.  Take a look at your youth group and see if you can observe any of these things.  I know this post is incredibly long, but this is a subject that I am passionate about, and one that has been glossed over.  I pray that you consider these words and that you don’t just let this issue become a sacred cow where anything said against it is not even considered.  I encourage you to do some research on your own and to not just take my word.  If you want to learn some more about this subject, listen to this link.

Restoring the Church: Part 1

If you have been paying attention at all to modern day religion, you will have noticed how much every religion and denomination has changed to appeal to the culture.  Churches are adding coffee bars, plasma screen TVs, and rock bands so they can bring their attendance up.  I was riding in my dad’s truck the other day when we drove by a huge church sign that read, “See Church In 3D!”  Whether they meant actual 3D or just a play on words because humans are naturally 3D, I’m not really sure.  What I do know is that this was designed for piquing people’s interest because of the technology buzz, and it obviously worked, because I was very curious.  Any way to get people in the building via technology, coffee bars, hip rock bands, million dollar buildings, etc. is acceptable in today’s modern church.

So the question is: What about the true church?  Is the church falling prey to the culture today?  You may be saying, “We don’t have instrumental worship, or coffee bars, or have church in 3D, so the church is still doing the right thing.”  As I’m sure you’ve discovered by now (since I’m writing on this subject), I’m inclined to disagree.

The church is in the worse state it has been in years.  The average church of Christ member used to be seen as a walking-talking Bible.  What about now?  See if you can quote more than a 5-verse passage off the top of your head.  Another problem we have is that we are losing our youth at an alarming rate.  One of my friends that I attend BVBID with grew up with thirteen young Christian men in his church.  Among those thirteen, three are faithful today including him.  That is less than twenty-five percent.  Personally, I’ve seen those in the youth group who were supposedly faithful, but went away to college to become very weak Christians, or fall away completely.  Other problems include today’s mindset of the church.  It is no longer a group of Christians meeting together to worship God Almighty, but a place to go to hang out with friends.  This social club attitude is what leads to coffee bars and million dollar churches.  It also breeds selfishness because church becomes more about me than it does about the Lord.  Being selfish gives way to rock bands because it is all about you.  Also, the elderly in the church are not looked at as a wealth of wisdom.  They are not respected as leaders in the congregation, but as old people who say long prayers and take the best spots in the parking lot.  We don’t consider Proverbs 20:29, which says, “The honor of old men is their gray hair.”

Many more problems plague the church, and those will be brought to light in this series on restoring the church.  All I know is this: the path the church has taken looks innocent to the pew warmers who are not striving to be a better Christian; but if we don’t make changes now, we are going to end up like every other denomination, a place to go to find friends and have fun.  Next week’s post is going to be on the Scripturalness of groups in the church.

As Seen On TV: Part 2

Last week, I started a series called ‘As Seen On TV.’  In the first post, I talked about the popular TV show “CSI.”  In this second of the two-part series on television shows, I want to discuss two different shows.  First, I want to take a critical look at the hit NBC show “The Office.”  Second, I want to see how ABC’s “The Bachelor” holds up in light of God’s Word.

The first show I want to discuss is The Office.  I used to watch this show on Clearplay, and there is no denying it – this show is hilarious.  Sadly though, this program must be watched with Clearplay.  I’m writing to those who do not use this great device.  As I pointed out in the last post, Facebook has given me all the proof I need of Christians who watch this show on normal TV.  It makes me sad when I see a strong Christian post about how funny the new episode of the Office is.  We watch it on Clearplay for a reason.  This show is very inappropriate for anyone watching it live.  There is cussing, sexual innuendos, and overall bad plots to some of the shows.  Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, is constantly trying to hook up with women and sleeps with some of them.  Fornication is a major problem in this show.  Homosexuality is also seen as normal and the agenda is pushed quite heavily.  Maybe every episode isn’t bad, but from what I’ve heard and seen Clearplay cut out, this is generally a show that should not be watched by Christians.

The next show I want to discuss is The Bachelor.  If you don’t know the plot of the show, it’s about one bachelor with typically 25 or so bachelorettes who live together and the bachelor has dates with several women at a time and gives a rose to the ones he wishes to keep.  It is all meant to try to find the bachelor a perfect bachelorette for him.  At first look this show doesn’t seem that bad, but when critically examined, problems become clear.  First, this is obviously ‘sexually appealing.’  Although they claim to never go “all the way”, the last three Bachelorettes go on overnight dates with the bachelor in some exotic location.  What do you think is happening overnight?  My guess is that they are not sleeping in separate rooms.  So fornication seems to be a problem with this show.  The next problem is the immodesty.  I’ve seen about two commercials for this show, and both had very immodest women in it.  If you are a woman who watches this, you might think it is all right to watch other women in bad clothing.  After all, it doesn’t stimulate you the way it does men, but think of your husband or brother.  If he walks through and sees that, what would he think?  You might cause him to stumble.  You might be thinking this is ridiculous, but from what I can tell, the man also has his shirt off in some scenes and is not the most modest guy either.

The whole idea of the show is not something that should be supported.  That is not the way God meant for a man to find a spouse.  Finding a wife should not be some kind of auction or process of elimination.  I looked up many reviews for this show and couldn’t find anything about the cussing or any other possible problems with the show, so I can’t tell you what the rest of the program is like.  I only ask you to be careful with this popular television show.

This two part series was only to help us understand the dangers presented to Christians by way of the television.  As Christians, we must be careful about what we put in our minds.  Remember David’s words in Psalm 101:3, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes.”  Beware of how tempting the TV is.   I hope you reflect on what I’ve said and be more careful with the TV shows you choose to watch.  If you don’t watch these shows, please help me in spreading awareness to other Christians you might know who watch these programs.

As Seen On TV: Part 1

During football season when the games were on major channels, I couldn’t help but notice the filth of the commercials advertising prime time TV shows.  They are meant to be sexually appealing.  They also use curse words frequently, and the violence can’t be overlooked either.  You might be agreeing with me as you read this or possibly defending prime time TV because some of your favorite shows fall under that category.  Well, just know that what I say isn’t meant to offend, but only to make you think.

The first show I would like to deal with is CSI.  Regardless of what most people say, I don’t see a difference between the CSIs.  Whether it is Miami, New York, or whatever else there has been in the past or is right now, this must be examined closely.  A few weeks back, my brother and I saw a post on Facebook describing a certain episode of CSI, so we were curious what was being talked about and looked it up on YouTube to see what it was all about.  In just one short scene, we heard three curse words, realized a less than pleasant plot to the show, and saw some violence that was actually pretty disgusting.  I was appalled at the plot of the show, but I was more appalled that the post on Facebook came from a strong Christian.  What is a Christian doing watching a whole show of that garbage?  One scene turned me off from it, so how is one to justify viewing a whole show like that?  I often hear the excuse that TV is just a show and is meant to take your mind off of things, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.  To those people, I want to ask what they do with verses like Romans 8:5-8. When you are seeing people getting shot by guns and watching their blood spill, are you thinking on spiritual things?

Remember, what goes in your mind does not come out, ever.   It is stuck there, so what are you going to fill your mind with?  Are you going to watch a show that depicts evil as good, is fine with cussing, and subjects you to violence that no one should be watching?  So, what should a Christian do with CSI?  Turn it off!  No one should be putting those things in their mind.

This is the first post in a series on prime time TV, but before I’m done, I wanted to mention one more.  I didn’t want to write a whole post on the hit show Glee because my brother’s post on it was excellent.  Please take a little extra time to read this post as well.  You will not be disappointed.

Tiger Woods

If you have recently watched ESPNNews or have gotten on Yahoo.com, you may have noticed the headlines about Tiger Woods spitting on the putting green this last Sunday during the Dubai Desert Classic.  In the well-mannered game of golf, it is considered highly disrespectful to spit on the green where others will be putting after you.  The European Tour of Golf will fine Tiger Woods for this action.  He has been run down with words from golf experts and golf watchers alike.  One commentator for UK’s Sky Sports called his spitting, “one of the ugliest things you will ever see on a golf course.”  There are two points I want to make from Tiger’s recent mistake.

The first point to make is showing the world’s warped view towards Tiger Woods and his actions.  He has recently been ridiculed for disrespecting the game of golf, which I have no problem with, but why was he not ridiculed for disrespecting the holy Word of God?  It has been a little over a year since the world learned about Tiger Woods’ affair.  Though it was shocking at the time, everyone seemed fairly quick to forgive him and to defend him by saying it was his own personal life.  What I don’t get is how we could forgive a guy so quickly for cheating on his wife with countless women but scold him for spitting on the green.

Sadly, in the mind of the non-believer, the Word of God has become nothing more than a dusty, old book.  Some get upset when Tiger disrespects the game of golf, but why don’t they get even more upset when he blatantly disrespects the Bible?  Satan’s goal is to get people comfortable with sin.  He’s done a fabulous job so far, so we Christians need to slow his progress by turning people from their sinful ways and by helping them discern what is sin and what is not.

The second point to make is the lasting effects of sin.  Tiger may have to pay a lot for this recent slip up on the course, but I guarantee you he pays a steeper price for his sin.  Ever since his return to golf after his affair, his performance has plummeted through the floor.  He’s struggling to make the top five in the tournaments he’s entered.  Another part of Tiger’s life that has suffered is his reputation.  Like I said, he was forgiven by people for what he did to his wife and family, but the name no longer holds the power it once held.  When I hear the name of Tiger Woods, I immediately think of his affair.  Sin is no joke.  The world may be more upset about his spitting than his cheating on his wife, but God is not.  His sins have had a lasting effect on his life, whereas this business concerning his spit will probably be forgotten by next month.  My point is this: regardless of the world’s thoughts, sin has lifelong consequences that will ultimately lead to death if taken too lightly (Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death”).   The good news is found in the rest of Romans 6:23.  It says, “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Sins can be forgiven and forgotten by God.  Let us realize the affects of sin on our lives and strive for greatness in our walk with the Almighty.

The Name On The Front

Last night my siblings and I were watching the movie Miracle (TV Guardian/Clearplay required), which is about the 1980 USA vs. Russia Olympic hockey game.  Although I could probably quote most of the movie, one particular line stated by Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) always sticks in my mind.  When they tie the Norwegian National team a few months before the Olympics, Herb gets really angry.  As he criticizes them for their poor performance on the ice, he says, “When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates.  And the name on the front is a whole lot more important than the one on the back!”

You might be asking why this simple phrase gets stuck in my head every time I watch the movie.  I believe it’s because there is a spiritual application in that quote.  When you were baptized, you put on Christ.  When you made that decision, you chose to represent your fellow Christians and our Lord Jesus Christ.  Your personal name (smaller name on the back) means nothing anymore.  Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”  The name of Christ (bigger name on the front) is everything now.  Just like the players on that 1980 team were representing America, you are representing Christ.

So how are you representing Christ?  Are you living each day for him?  Again, to quote the apostle Paul, “Though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day,” 2 Corinthians 4:16.  Is your inner man, or you spiritual man being renewed day by day?  People see when your body decays and when you get old, but they also can see your inner man.  That is the part that they judge Christ off of.  If people know you are a Christian and you cheat them, or you are using foul language in front of them, your name on the back doesn’t get hurt as much as the name on the front does.

People are watching you.  They want any excuse they can get so they don’t have to obey Christ.  Do not let them stumble because of your example.  Live for Christ each day by doing good deeds, by helping those in need, and by letting your light shine.  Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”  Let us not forget that.  And if you have not pulled on that jersey for Christ’s team, email me about it or private message me on Facebook if you want to know more about it.  So, are you wearing your jersey backwards?  Let people see Christ first and you last.

The Scalpel Of The Spirit

In Ephesians 6:11-17, the apostle Paul describes for us the full armor of God.  Verse seventeen mentions the only weapon in the list, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  This sword is sharp and must be used wisely.  Despite this caution, many people think they can play around with God’s Word.  This is how I came to the name of my post.  We must think of this sword as more of a scalpel.  Why?  Good question, let me explain.

First, you must be a surgeon in order to use the scalpel to its fullest.  When it comes to the Word of God, you don’t have to be the best biblical scholar ever, but you must know how to use it.  In today’s society, people think reading their Bible twenty minutes a week is enough to get by.  If you were a surgeon about to perform surgery on your patient, how would you feel if you had no idea how to use a scalpel, which is possibly your most important tool?  I’ll tell you now, neither you nor I would be comfortable performing surgery on someone without knowing how to use the proper instruments.  This is why we never get comfortable about doing a Bible study with someone.  Deep down we know twenty minutes a week does not get us acquainted with our most precious tool.

Second, a scalpel is used to be precise.  Many people think we will evangelize the world by using the sword of the Spirit.  This is good, but we take the analogy of a sword a bit too seriously.  Instead of viewing it as a tool by which God cleanly cuts out someone’s sin, we go chopping their arms off with the sword.  We have to present the word as something they desperately need.  Imagine if a doctor told you that you had to lose your left leg in order to get better, when in reality all you had to do was take a few shots and take better care of yourself.  This is what we do when we tell a new convert they must give up every sin they have before they can be baptized.  If they are committing adultery or some ongoing sin, they will obviously have to change before baptism, but they don’t have to give up getting angry right then.  That is something that comes with practice and time.  We must be gentle with our ‘patients,’ who are the world.

Please do not misunderstand me and think I am changing the words of the inspired apostle Paul.  Clearly Paul’s writings were inspired and he was a very accomplished writer – I am simply attempting to take this concept into the twenty-first century with things we have seen and heard about.  The word of God is a powerful tool.  Let us work to use it to its fullest.

Developing A Desire For Worship

The Tennessee Titan’s former head coach, Jeff Fisher, has very recently left the team after a seventeen-season career with them.  When my brother and I were discussing Fisher’s career and decision to leave, he brought up an interesting point.  He said, “Last season Fisher was just going through the motions.  He just wasn’t happy there.”  The team had lost its appeal to Fisher.

What my brother said made me think about going through the motions in church.  Sadly, you can normally look across your pew on Sunday morning and see someone who is just going through the motions.  I believe everyone, including myself, goes through the motions at some point in their Christian life.  It is easy to get discouraged or distracted in life to the point of your Sundays and Wednesdays meaning nothing more than Mondays or Tuesdays.

On some Sundays, my mind is there with the saints worshiping God.  I can tell you that our style of singing was Biblical, the sermon was just as Biblical, our Lord Supper talk was great, we gave a lot in the collection, and our prayers were honoring to God.  Amazingly, despite all of my participation in worship, my heart was not in it.  I didn’t enjoy singing praises to God, and I’m not going home to work on the latest application given by the preacher.  When I get home on those days, I take a nap before I very grudgingly get ready to go back at six p.m. to ‘worship’ God again.

John 4:24 reads, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The verse before, verse twenty-three, says our Father seeks for worshipers like that.  Losing our zeal in worship is not what Christ would call worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

It is easy to worship God in truth, but sometimes the proper spirit doesn’t come easily.  What can be done to develop the truth and spirit in your worship?  Well, tomorrow is Saturday, the day before the Lord’s day.  In order to get prepared for Sunday, I want you to get in bed earlier than you normally would.  As you prepare for bed, if you know the song ‘As The Deer Pants For The Water,’ sing it.  While you hum it or sing it to yourself, think of the words to the first verse.  I believe you will find it encouraging and helpful to get your mind focused on God and ready for the next day.

I hope worshiping God does not lose its appeal to you, and I pray this up-coming Sunday will not be just another Monday for you.

What Does Your iPod Say About You?

If you like music, chances are you are familiar with Apple’s online music store, iTunes.  Recently I logged into the store looking for something to buy with my gift card that I got for Christmas when I checked the top ten songs as I usually do.  What I saw interested me, so I decided I would do some research on these songs.  What I found was not pleasant.  I looked up the lyrics to every one of the top ten singles, and my research indicated that nine out of the ten tunes either cursed or had sexually suggestive lyrics.  My question was: how did these become the top ten songs in America?  This is a sad and scary thing.  Our culture has become so desensitized to this immorality, it truly is alarming.  As Christians, we must be above this and not purchase these songs.

In Philippians 4:8, Paul says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  I don’t know about you, but when I listen to a song, often times the lyrics get stuck in my head.  If I am listening to the newest Lil’ Wayne single that uses every curse word known to man, chances are my mind is not going to be thinking pure and lovely and honorable thoughts.

Christians are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world as Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-14.  If we act the same way as the world or listen to the same music, our light will be hidden under a basket and no one will be able to tell us apart.

This weekend, I want you to take some time to go through your iTunes and delete any music that you wouldn’t listen to with another Christian in the car.  Perhaps another way of viewing this would be to ask yourself how people would think of you if they picked up your iPod and started scrolling through your artists.  Would they think it is the iPod of a Christian?  We must not become desensitized like the rest of the world.  Let us make an effort to set ourselves apart from the world in every way and that includes something as trivial as music.