Division Hinders Our Commission

The greatest challenge for a pastor is, people. It is amazing to me how people can so quickly turn on one another. People who gossip and complain often times do not realize that they are being used by the enemy to bring division to the fellowship of believers. Often times, this kind of destructive behavior starts with people who lose their connection with the fellowship for whatever reason. Unity is broken when we yield to our carnal nature and let our emotions get the best of us.

My prayer is that people will learn the power of unity. Unity is necessary for any group of people trying to accomplish a particular task.

The power of unity can be seen in Eccl 4:12 which says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

No matter how much a local church has going for it, division can negate it’s vision.

The word division is constructed of the word vision with the prefix "di", which means, "double".

Double vision can be dangerous. If you are seeing two of everything you need to make a trip to the eye doctor. If there is disharmony in the local church you need some spiritual doctoring.

One of the conditions for unity: "Speak the same thing." (1 Corinthians 1:10)

There must be unity in speech if a local church is to make an effective impact for God.

The Bible is not saying there isn’t room for disagreement among good Christians. Rather, we are encouraged, even when we do disagree, and we will, to speak in such a way as to promote harmony.

Your motive for speaking and how you deliver your words are just as important as what you say. Be careful of a critical spirit. If you find your self hyper-critical of everything done in your church and others in your church, there are two options:

1.) The church may need your positive contributions to turn in the right direction, or,

2.) You may need to change your attitude. Ask yourself, "Is there something else going on in my life right now that has me angry or discouraged? Am I taking my frustration out on others in my church?

There must be unity of thought if a local church is to have an effective impact for God.

Once again, unity and uniformity are not the same thing. God has given all of us different perspectives to bring to the table.

Proverbs 11:14 "Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors [there is] safety."

A church may look beautiful and have the latest technology, latest innovative programs and sharpest presentations, but without unity it will come apart at the seams.

How can we accomplish this objective? How can we be "perfectly joined together in the same mind?"

We can all spend a lot of time in the Bible and by reading the same thing we will have a greater chance of unity.

We can worship together consistently, serve together regularly, pray together faithfully, and fellowship together constantly.

God’s purposes are greater than our minor differences in the local church. What will really matter in the end is whether or not we accomplished God’s purpose for the church.

God Could Not Be Glorified If We Chose Him

The Bible teaches that we are dead in trespasses and sins since the Fall (Ephesians 2:5). It says that the mind of the flesh does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot—and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:7-9).

Paul divides the world into two groups: those who are in the flesh and those who have the Spirit. He says that those who are in the flesh (that is, everybody apart from the new birth) cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8). And in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 he says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him.

The only question left after a group of scriptures like that is whether or not that inability, that "cannot," is blameworthy or not, In other words, does it release us from the penalty of sin, or does it insure that we cannot escape it by our choice.

The Bible is pretty clear that the corruption of our own hearts is so profound, that it renders us incapable of doing or desiring anything good. It indeed intensifies our guilt rather than relieves us of it.

My inability to do good apart from the Holy Spirit does not free me from the penalty of my sin. It is an inability that is rooted in my rebellion. My rebellion is so great and so strong that I cannot see Christ or hear the gospel as beautiful. Rather, it is a stumbling block or foolishness; and until I'm called, awakened, born again, I cannot see it as beautiful.

So what I believe about free will is that I am free to do whatever I please, and what I please is to sin. Therefore I'm going to be damned by my free will. I must be rescued from the bondage of my free will in order to see and hear God for who he is.

Paul says in Galatians 5:1, "For freedom Christ has set you free. Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." True freedom is being set free from a bondage which only results in death. This is why we must be born again.

The evidence of a born again person is that, after the new birth, we want to do God's will. It is that freedom we act rationally according to what really exists. Thus, God gets all the glory for the liberation that he performed on our behalf and for the praises that we now bring him, not as people who are enslaved to sin, but as free people who are seeing the world for what it really is.

So I don't believe in free will if you define it as man's ultimate self-determination. I believe free will as, "you can do whatever you please." Before you're born again what you please, is self destructive and sinful. After you're born again, what you please is the will of God. So in both cases you have free will in that definition.

I realize that many others do not see free will as I do. They believe in a freewill defined as "man's ultimate self-determination." I don't think there is any such thing, especially since the fall of Adam when his self-determination forever bound mankind to sin and death.
Thank God, He chose us.

Writing My Personal Meditations

To this point in my blog writing experience, I have merely added portions of messages that I have preached or taught or articles from other sources that I have found insightful. I have decided to begin the practice of writing my thoughts as I am working through the process of knowing God and making Him known.

Tonight will be a nice beginning. I have been reading a book by John Piper titled "The Pleasures of God." A wonderfully deep and life changing read. In my reading time, my mind began to wonder why people don't or can't see God the way he really is. Most people have a view of God that comes from their heritage and tradition rather than from true revelation of the scripture. For example, I have met many people who do not give God credit for their "salvation" which is really no salvation at all. How can anyone, with half spiritual eyesight not understand that they had nothing to do with God calling them to be saved.

I think its very important that we begin realizing that God is God, and that he is perfect and complete in himself, and that he is exceedingly happy in the fellowship of the Godhead. He does not need us to complete his fullness and is not deficient without us.

I know that this thinking goes against the grain of much of the church, but never the less, if we can see it as true, then we would better understand his sovereign grace and love. Unless we see God in this way, when we hear the gospel, we will fall for the trick of thinking that we are the center of the gospel. We will feel that our value is the driving force of the gospel, rather than God's value being the driving force for the gospel. In other words, we will see the gospel as God's need for us, rather than the gospel and God's sovereign grace being exactly what we sinners need in order to be rescued from death.

What makes the gospel good news for us is that God is all that we need. He does not need us, and as a matter of fact, he is estranged from us because of our sin. But as Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, "but God, because of His great love," made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him. This is done by the Spirit, to whom he chooses, it is a gift of God.

God is the center of the gospel, he was not motivated by our value, he was not coerced or obliged to offer this powerful gift. The gospel is truly a gospel of grace!

The Word of God Pierces!

Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The term "word of God" may mean a word spoken by God without a human mouthpiece. But in the New Testament it regularly means a word or a message that a human speaks on God's behalf.

Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith." So the "word of God" in Hebrews 4:12 most likely refers to the truth of God revealed in Scripture that people speak to each other with reliance on God's help to understand it and apply it.

The word of God is not a dead word but a powerful word. It has life in it. And because it has life in it, it produces effects. There is something about the Truth, as God has revealed it that connects it to God as a source of all life and power. He upholds this universe with His mighty word of power. God loves his word. He is partial to his word. He honors his word with his presence and power. If you want your teaching or witness to have power and produce effects, stay close to the revealed word of God.

What does this living and effective word accomplish? It pierces for what purpose? The answer is, to divide soul and spirit.

The writer gives an analogy: it's like dividing joints and marrow. Joints are the thick, hard, outer part of the bone. Marrow is the soft, tender, living, inner part of the bone. That is an analogy of "soul and spirit." The word of God is like a sword that is sharp enough to cut right through the outer, hard, tough part of a bone to the inner, soft, living part of the bone. Some swords, less sharp, may strike a bone and glance off and not penetrate. Some swords may penetrate part way through the tough, thick joint of a bone. But a very sharp, powerful double-edged sword will penetrate the joint all the way to the marrow.

"Soul and spirit" are like "bone joint and bone marrow." "Soul" is that unseen dimension of our life that we are by nature. "Spirit" is what we are by supernatural rebirth. Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). Without the awakening, regenerating work of the Spirit of God in us we are merely "natural" rather than "spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). So the "spirit" is that unseen dimension of our life that we are by the regenerating work of the Spirit.

What is the point in saying that the "word of God" pierces to the "division of soul and spirit"? The point is that it's the word of God that reveals to us our true selves. Are we spiritual or are we natural? Are we born of God and spiritually alive, or are we deceiving ourselves and spiritually dead? Are the "thoughts and intentions of our heart" spiritual thoughts and intentions or only natural thoughts and intentions. Only the "word of God" can "judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" as Hebrews 4:12 says.

The word of God pierces deep enough to show us the truth of our thoughts and our motives. Give yourselves to the word of God in the scriptures. It is through God’s word that we confirm not only our regeneration, but also our justification and glorification.

"Yes" Prayer

I am thankful that God sees the end from the beginning, and that he knows all things. I am thankful that he is the author and finisher of our faith. If our Christian walk was left up to our own doing, we would certainly make a mess of it. I am thankful that God knows our needs even before we ask. I am also thankful that he doesn’t give us everything we ask for.

Can you imagine the mess we would be in if we were given everything we ask for? How many times have you asked for something out of frustration? For example, have you ever been so hurt or mad at someone that you prayed silently or out loud that God would just wipe them from the face of the earth? I have. Then some time later I would find myself repenting for such a foolish prayer. I have been like James and John and wanted to call fire down from heaven, only later to realize that I was not walking in the spirit. I know we have all been there.

God does not always say “yes”, thankfully. However, there is one prayer I believe that will always get a “yes” answer. That is the prayer of forgiveness. The bible says in 1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Life is full of things that are not easy. For many, asking for forgiveness is not easy. We have the hardest time admitting fault. However, forgiveness will always be there if we recognize our need for it. When we recognize our need for forgiveness, the answer to the request for it, will always be “yes”.

Fellowship

Why did God create us? I wonder how many times has this question been asked. This is a deep question and theologians have been discussing decades. I guess I will put in my two cents' worth.

I believe a single answer covers the entire spectrum of why we were created. His glory. But, there is another one that I want to focus on: Fellowship.

1 Cor. 1:9, "God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (NASB). In Greek, the word "fellowship," is "koinonia." It is also translated as "communion." God wants to have an intimate communion, a close fellowship with us.

Do you remember in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned? Who hid themselves? That’s right Adam and Eve. Who went looking for who? Right again! It was God looking for them. After the expulsion from the garden, after the flood, and at the time of the Exodus, God says to the people, "And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them." Again, who is seeking to dwell with who? It is God seeking man.

Take a look at John 1:1,14 which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." The word "dwelt" is the Greek "skano-o" and it also means to tabernacle, to tent, to dwell among. Again, it is the Lord who is seeking us, who is dwelling among us. Of course, we see that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16), and this signifies that the Lord is in us and with us.

This simply tells us that God is a God of fellowship, and that He desires to have people to be with and to love. God is love (1 John 4:8), and the nature of love is to give (John 3:16). God desires that we have an intimate relationship with us through His Son, Jesus.

Do you have that intimacy with Jesus? Do you seek the relationship and fellowship with God that He desires and has manifested throughout history -- especially in the cross?

Ask. Seek. Knock.

Relevant Preaching and Teaching

Many churches make it a point to advertise the fact that they preach and teach a gospel this is relevant. I know that what many are trying to say is that they are not boring like many believe that church can be. As a preacher, I think a lot about relevance. In other words, why should anyone listen to what I have to say? Why should anybody care? Relevance is an interesting word. It could mean more than one thing. It might mean that a sermon is relevant if it feels to the listeners that it will make a significant difference in their lives. Or it might mean that a sermon is relevant if it will make a significant difference in their lives whether they feel it or not.

That second kind of relevance is my goal in preaching the sermons that I share. In other words, I want to say things that are really significant for your life whether you know they are or not. I want to share the words of God that paint a true picture of His glory, character, and sovereignty. My way of doing that is to share the truth of the gospel that has as little of the traditional and religious ways of thinking as possible. In other words, speak a truth that can withstand the scrutiny of those that are traditional or religious in their view of the Gospel.

On any given Sunday you may have people who believe that racism, global warming, abortion, limited health care for children, homelessness, poverty, the war in Iraq, white-collar crime, the global AIDS crisis, rampant teenage pregnancy, the subprime mortgage crisis, and so on and so on, is relevant. These things have nothing to do with the real problem that this world is facing.

I believe that there the most relevant issue in one’s life is whether or not they are “born again”. Jesus says in John 3:3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Not to see the kingdom of God is to be excluded from the kingdom of God. Jesus said in Matthew 8:11-12 that outside the kingdom is “outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” He called it “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46). The alternative to that is to be in the kingdom of God and spend eternity in everlasting joy with the greatest person in the universe (John 18:24).

It would be wrong to think that these other issues are the most important issues in life. They aren’t. They are life-and-death issues. But they are not the most important, because they deal with the relief of suffering during this brief earthly life, not the relief of suffering during the eternity that follows. They only deal with how to maximize well-being now for eighty years or so, but not with how to maximize well-being in the presence of God for eternity. Eternity is much longer than eighty years.

My job as a spokesman for God week after week is to deal in what matters most, and to stay close to the revealed will of God in the Bible (so you can see it for yourselves), and to pray that, by God’s grace, all people will see and feel the magnitude that what God says, is important.