June 19, 2012

^"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  Acts 2:42-47

I met with my Leadership Team earlier this evening and I shared this thought with them: "We often feel that something in our church needs to change but we can't always identify what it is that needs to change."

Usually, what needs to change is me.

That has been the case from the very beginning of the Church. Jesus had told them to launch out into the world to win converts and make disciples, but He told them to wait and pray until they received the Holy Spirit. So, they did. And they did!

Now, remember for a moment that these people had seen the Risen Savior following His resurrection! And they had been there to watch when He ascended into Heaven. Both of those had to be extremely exciting events. And while they were memorable, they weren't life-altering experiences.

What you or I might have thought would be life-defining was inspiring but not transformational. Similarly, it is easy to buy into the idea that a different worship-style, or a new worship leader, or an adjustment to the church building, or moving the starting times or SOMETHING different to jump-start the morale of the church.

Sometimes those adjustments do work. Sometimes they don't.

But the biggest adjustment needs to happen in your heart and in my heart. What we need most is the Holy Spirit. His power and His presence in our lives. What needs to change is our heart and mind. What needs to change is our attempts at religiously tyring to earn God's favor and simply enter into a fresh spiritual relationship with Him.

It is interesting that those who offer the most opposition to fundamental spiritual change in a church are those who fancy themsleves the most religious among us. That was the case with the First Church in Acts and that generally is the case today.

What needs to happen in most churches is not a drastic change in programs or a pastoral change or a different style of music, what they need is a series of personal pentescosts in the hearts of the people!

Does your church need a pentecost experience?

Will you allow it to begin with you?

When was the last time you really sincerely sought the infilling of the Holy Spirit?

If it has been a long time - that is the first thing to change!

June 18, 2012

'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers" Psalm 1:1

If you want to be blessed by God you must find a place in God's will. This verse gives some insights on how to do that.

First, be careful who you believe - "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked ...."

It is hard to get good advice from bad people. You are not likely to get godly advice from and ungodly person. How can you get trustworthy counsel from a person you can't trust?

Before you believe something ask yourself, "What does the Bible say?"

Be careful who you listen to. Ask yourself, "What is their life like?"

What are you filling your mind with? Always ask, "Can God honor this?"

Second, be careful how you behave - "....or stand in the way that sinners take...."

The old saying is, "Birds of a feather flock together." You will be judged by the company you keep.

If you are committed to doing the right thing you will not want to spend time with the wrong people.

Are the people you spend the most time with lifting you up or are they pulling you down? Do they draw you closer to God or do they pull you away?

Sow a thought and you reap and act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

If the friends you spend the most time with can impact your destiny, what sort of friends should you choose? Are they exhibiting the sort of behavior God can bless? Are they helping or hindering your behavior?

Third, be careful who you have for buddys - "or sit in the company of mockers"

If you want God's blessing, why would you develop close friendships with people who God is not able to bless? Wouldn't you be better off finding friends who share your faith and your values?

The easiest thing in the world is to be negative, and cynical, and sarcastic. It doesn't take a spiritual giant to recognize problems, but it does take a person of faith and conviction to come with ideas to solve it. If you want to have a positive attitude and a positive perspective on life, why would you spend your time around cynical and negative people?

If you want to be blessed and delivered from the struggles with sin in your life, some things need to be done to help you live in God's will, and learn in God's Word, and love in God's way.

Get wise godly counsel so you will believe right. Get grounded in God's Word so you will behave right. Get godly friends who can encourage and edify you in your faith.

Who are you listening to?

What are you learning from?

Who are you hanging around with?

June 17, 2012

You've probably seen this Subaru commercial. In 33 seconds it senses the heartbeat of a father. The most instinctive thing a dad wants to do is protect his family.

Watch and enjoy:

http://youtu.be/2qf8OGLqE1s

Modern fathers do a good job of protecting their kids in just about everyway possible - except spiritually. Considering it is the spiritual part that is going to live forever, shouldn't that be the highest priority for protecting?

In case you are wondering how to do that, Paul gives some good instructions in Ephesians 5:22-6:18:

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to  make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,  because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.    Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

That is a lot of Scripture and it is certainly worthy of serious study. But in the interest of time on this Father's Day 2012, allow me to summarize the truths of it for you.

To protect your family:

Live In His Protection - "put on the FULL armor of God"

Every day you are under spiritual attack by the Enemy of your soul. All day every day he comes to kill, steal and destroy. If you are not protected you will be defeated. When you are defeated how can you protect your family?

Lean On His Power Through Prayer -  ^"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Be sure you maintain a continuous conversation with your Father. Pray for strength. Pray for supplies. Pray for His Spirit to fill you. Pray for safety for your wife and children. Pray for success in your efforts for the Lord. Pray for your friends at work and let them know they can count on you for prayer support.

Love Your Wife - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

One of the best things you can do for your family is to love your wife with a sincere sacrificial love. Serve her needs. Shower her with affection and attention so she feels secure in your love. Serve the Lord with all your heart so she can trust you and respect you. Make it easy for her to submit to you because of the way you submit to the Lord!

Lead Your Children Well - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Live a godly life before your children and set a spiritual example. Always be aware that more is "caught" by them than is "taught" by you. Fathers are ALWAYS teaching because kids are always watching. But be particularly alert for those teachable moments when you have an opportunity to share Biblical truths with them.

 

Most of all, make sure your children have received Christ as their personal Savior through faith.

It is nice to buy a safe car for your child and surround them with other safety items and products. But giving them a Subaru will not get them to heaven. Only you, their earthly Father, getting them connected to your Heavenly Father will provide them the everlasting safety they desire and deserve!



June 16, 2012

In our study of Ephesians we are learning what it means for a men of God to "fight right." First, you must stand guard clad in the Armor of God.

Second, you must serve your wife.

And, third, you must shape your Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  "Fathers,do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

 

A.     Demand Their Obedience, V.1

Demand they obey you.

Demand they obey their mother.

Demand they obey God.

Demonstrate obedience to God. 

B.    Demand Their Respect, Vv. 2-3

Clear expectations and boundaries – family mission statement

Clear example – show them what it looks like

Clear execution – show them how to do it

C.    Disciple – Don’t Dictate, V. 4

Discipline according to principles – set up guardrails and teach them to “drive safely”

Discipline positively not negatively – “Say NO in order to say YES to better things”

Demonstrate disciplined living

Guys, your kids need you more than you know. They need you more than they even know! God wired each of us to need a father – earthly father AND Heavenly FATHER.

Much of what is wrong with our American culture can be traced back to the failure of FATHERS. LISTEN TO THIS:

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS – IF POOR FATHERS CREATED THE PROBLEM THEN GOOD FATHERS CAN HELP TURN IT AROUND!

THINK ABOUT THIS:

MEN – IF YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND YOU WIN THEM BOTH TO THE LORD AND BRING THEM UP IN THE FAITH – AND BOTH OF THEM RAISE TWO CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AS WELL AND THAT PATTERN CONTINUES THOSE TEN GENERATIONS ALONE WOULD PRODUCE 1,024 FAITHFUL BELIEVERS.

IF THERE ARE FOUR CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION WHO BELIEVE AND PASS ON THEIR FAITH THAT 1,024 BECOMES 260,000 FROM YOUR FAMILY ALONE!

SAY THERE ARE SIX CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION THAT NUMBER GROWS TO OVER 10,000,000 JUST FROM YOUR DESCENDANTS!

LOCAL CHURCHES LIKE OURS WITH GODLY MEN LIKE YOU WHO COMMIT TO BEING COURAGEOUS HUSBANDS AND DADS ARE THE HOPE OF THE WORLD!

WILL YOU COMMIT TO STAND STRONG IN HIS ARMOR AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

WILL YOU SERVE YOUR WIFE – WINNING HER TRUST AND RESPECT AND LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR HER?

WILL YOU SHAPE YOUR CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AND MAKE SURE THEY COME TO KNOW CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR?

WILL YOU BEGIN THIS MORNING?

June15, 2012

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—  for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:21-33

Here are some very troubling statistics that reflect what is wrong with America

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.

Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households. Teens in single mother households are at a 30% higher risk than those in two-parent households.

70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

I think we have to honestly say that much of what is wrong with our culture today is a failure of fatherhood!

That is sad news. BUT, it also means there is hope for our nation if courageous men of faith will arise and become the husands and fathers God has called them to be!

A courageous men of God stands guard over his family by putting on the full armor of God daily so he can withstand the unrelenting attacks of the enemy!

Also, a courageous man of God serves his wife (5:21-33). The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother with a godly love.

What does that mean? How does that happen?

Earn Her Trust, Vv. 22-24

A man of God serves God with such passion and integrity that his wife can learn to trust him.

He will walk blamelessly before her and be a man of his word. He will place her need ahead of his own because that is what God calls him to do.

His love for God will humble him before the Lord and help him humble serve his wife.

Earn Her Respect, Vv. 25-30

A man of God will not only serve the needs of his wife but he will stand guard over her spiritually, providing a spiritual cover for her. He will put on the armor of God every day and fight like a man for his family earning the respect of his wife and his children.

When a godly man serves his wife and sacrifices for her, she will grow to respect him. She will love him more deeply since trust and respect are the foundation upon which love is built. And she will trust and respect him because she will feel secure in his demonstrations of love for God and for her.

Eliminate Competing Loyalties, Vv. 31-33

Commitment means being "all in". Commitment means having no "plan B".

Commitment means loving her in the same way you love yourself and care for your own needs.

A man of God is fully committed to God and his marriage. That means he consciously and intentionally chooses to eliminate all competing loyalties. Every thought, every emotion, every temptation that comes against him he defeats with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth and the shield of faith!

There is nothing wrong with our nation that couldn't be cured if men would just fight right!

Men, will you commit to serve your wife today? Will you earn her trust and respect by the way you serve God? Will you love her as you love and care for yourself?

 

June 14, 2012

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18

I'm sure you have noticed how easily things that are significant become familiar to us. The challenge is to always keep the "main thing" the MAIN THING.

For example, this familiar portion of Scripture about the armor of God is so important that every time I study it I come away with something new. But just recently I recognized something that should have been obvious. The context of this treatise on spiritual warfare comes at the end of a teaching on marriage and parenting (Ephesians 5:21-6:4).

Duh! Think about it! Where do most of your spiritual battles come from? Marriage and family relationships, right?

Because I live in the world of preparing 35-40 minute sermons I tend to focus on the micro and often miss the macro. Maybe that is an occupational hazard. But, anyway, recently I saw the context for this spiritual warfare teaching. I am going to challenge our dads with it this Sunday because it shows how to fight like a man - a man of God, that is.

God's plan is for the man of the family to be the warrior for the family and that means putting on the armor to stand guard against the relentless evil assaults against his personal integrity, his marriage, and his children.

When you put this whole teaching together it looks something like this:

Serve Your Wife - Ephesians 5:21-33

Shape Your Children - Ephesians 6:1-4

Stand Guard - Ephesians 6:10-18

Take some time today and read this portion of Scripture in this context and see if it makes sense. Then take the challenge to fight right!

June 13, 2012

^"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:1-18

Did you put on your armor today or did you forget you are in a war?

You face a powerful and relentless enemy who never rests. He constantly attacks on several fronts with the singular goal of defeating you so he can destroy you!

This important portion of Scripture is no doubt familiar to you, as it is with me. It is a reminder that you are in a daily battle for your soul and your eternal destiny. And it identifies the true enemy of your soul and how powerless you are in resisting him in your own strength so that you will understand your need to take up the spiritual weapons that accompany your salvation.

You have:

1) The belt of truth - the soldiers belt held all his armor and weapons in place for the battle

2) The breastplate of righteousness - this piece of armor protected the soldier's heart

3) The shoes of a soldier - light, flexible, nimble assisting him in his mission as a soldier

4) The shield of faith - to knock down the fiery arrows of the enemy

5) The helmet of salvation - this guards the soldier's mind so he can think clearly in battle

6) The sword of the Spirit - the only offensive weapon is the Word of God

Essentially, this portion of Scripture promises that if you will put on your armor every day you can win the spiritual batttles. If you forget or fail to do so will doom you to defeat. It is that simple.

Let me up the ante on this already important Scripture. Not only are you fighting for your own spiritual survival, but if you will back up to the previous section, Ephesians 5:21-6:1-4, you will see that you are also fighting for your marriage and your children!

As often as I have read and studied and taught and preached on Ephesians 6:10-18, I had never noticed it's larger context - the spiritual battle is waged against you AND your marriage AND your family!

With that in mind, let me ask you again, "Did you put on your armor today?"

How about your armor?