Why a Christ-Follower Should Surrender His or Her Permission to Drink Alcohol

Things are changing.  Surely we see the changes in our American culture but things are changing here in the church of Jesus as well.  Some of those changes are good and needed.  The denominational divide that once sliced us into different pieces is slowly giving way to a greater sense of Christian unity across those once firm demarcations.  Yes, we still have a long way to go in that division by ethnicity and race still prevail, but even that is being challenged by many Christ followers.

But not all change is leading us to good places, so let me speak to one area that I see especially prevalent among Christ's youngest followers, though not limited to them.  I'm referring to the new found freedom to bring alcohol into our lives.

First, let me acknowledge some things that are absolutely Biblically true.  God doesn't forbid the drinking of alcohol.   Many have tried to make that case, but they can't do it using the Bible.  In fact, wine was most likely the choice drink in Old and New Testament times.  Wine is often portrayed as an example of some really good things.  For example, the Song of Solomon often compares the sweetest of loves to choice wine.   In fact, he says that love is better than wine!   Our Lord Himself even turned water into wine so that the festivities at a wedding might continue.

Now with that foundation, let me agree that drinking alcohol is not in itself morally wrong or a sin.   I'll even acknowledge that drinking wine with a meal would have been the norm in Jesus' day, but nonetheless I'd like to argue against the growing use of alcohol among the body of Christ.

Most followers of Jesus are familiar with Paul's admonition to us: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12).  Actually, twice in this same letter Paul says the same thing and both times it has to do with eating and drinking in context.  Side note here, but it's amazing how often we quote this verse as saying 'All sinful things are lawful for me but all are not profitable.'  It doesn't say that at all.  Sin is still sin and holiness is God's expectation of us.  Sin is never permissible.  There is nothing that fits the context of these verses, for us 21st century followers of Jesus, more than this issue of alcohol.  So let me give you three reasons why drinking alcohol, though it may be permissible, it is not profitable.

First would be the constant warnings against the over use of alcohol.  I've never met a Christian who doesn't agree with the Bible that drunkenness is wrong.  "Do not get drunk with wine," Paul told us, "but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).  Proverbs 20:1 says, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise."  And one more; Proverbs 21:17 says, "He who loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not become rich."

One of the reasons for these warnings, I believe, and something that I think is lost to so many young Christians, is the power of alcohol to addict the soul.  In Proverbs 23 the author writes, "Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.  Buy truth, and do not sell it, get wisdom and instruction and understanding... Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause?  Who has redness of eyes?  Those who linger long over wine, those who go to taste mixed wine.  Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper.  Your eyes will see strange things and your mind will utter perverse things.  And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.  They struck me, but I did not become ill; they beat me, but I did not know it.  When shall I awake?  I will seek another drink” (Proverbs 23:22-23, 29-35).  The author is clearly warning against the power of alcohol to control and overpower our lives.

I've watched many a man and woman who starts out seeking to drink in moderation only to find that it's addictive powers overtake them.  Everyone thinks that it won't happen to them, but when alcohol overtakes you it's a battle to overcome, and the effects can be devastating.  Who hasn't heard of the recent dismissal of Perry Noble from New Spring Church in South Carolina?  Perry is obviously a brother who loves the Lord Jesus, who had freedom to drink, but in time the alcohol overtook him.  He was removed from his ministry and even his family was under intense pressure from his addiction to alcohol.  Another pastor friend of mine found himself more and more controlled by alcohol and more and more given to drink in excess.  Finally, able to admit that to himself, he gave it up.

Yes, it's permissible to drink, but as powerful as alcohol is to master us, is it profitable?

A second reason why alcohol, though permissible isn't profitable, is because we don't need it.  We don't need it on two fronts.  First, we don't need it as a drink to sustain life.  Whenever I travel to the third world, I'm often given Coca-cola products to drink by my host.  Do you know why?  It's because the water isn't potable. and the soft drink products are far less dangerous.  There was a day when wine was much safer to drink than water.  That's not true in our day.  We have more choices and more varieties of drinks available to us than in any generation of the past--we don't need to drink wine or alcohol because it's "safe."  And on a second front, we don't need to drink alcohol for an emotional reason either.  Proverbs 31:6 says, "Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is bitter."  Fellow believers, we have been given joy--great joy!  Jesus said I came that you might have abundant life.  He spoke often of the joy of life that is ours in Him.  It's not a circumstantially caused joy, but a joy that flows from us like rivers of living water--if we let it.  It's a joy that we can choose.   Have you noticed that more and more celebratory events in the lives of Christ-followers must be punctuated with alcohol?  Rarely do I go to a wedding that there isn't alcohol for the Christians.  I'm sure the goal is merriment and joy, but isn't joy ours without substance help?  I suggest it is--we merely must choose it.

Finally, I suggest a third reason why alcohol isn't profitable and it's because it blunts our testimony.  What I mean by that is it blurs the lines and erases the distinctions between those of us who have the joy of the Lord, and those who do not.  One of the marks of the believer should be our joy and our peace, but if we can't have either without the help of a wine cooler, how is our faith transforming our lives?  Why do we need to pitch the corn hole bag with one hand while we hang on to our second or third beer, wine cooler or hard cider in the other?  Please don't misunderstand.  I'm not saying that not drinking makes us joy-filled or peace-filled--I'm saying that if we are joy-filled and peace-filled, why would we want to hide that behind a bottle?  What if people saw our joy and happiness, our peace and contentment, and they saw it not as a result of alcohol but our relationship with Jesus?  Wouldn't that sharpen our witness?

It's funny, but in this day when the call for a Christian's freedom to drink alcohol is so strong, I feel like I'm stepping out in traffic as I call for the opposite, but nonetheless I do.  Follower of Jesus, I'd like to encourage you to consider that maybe drinking alcohol isn't the most profitable path to take.  Would you consider giving up what is permissible, for something that may be much more profitable for you and for the Kingdom of God?

America is Changing and Here's Three Things You Should Do

It's amazing how fast things are changing in our culture.   I listen to Dr. Mohler's Briefing every morning and the speed at which moral change is happening in just about every corner of our society is truly staggering.  In just one year we've gone from the Obergefell decision legalizing same sex marriage to now the Obama Administration threatening all school districts that they will lose federal money if they don't open up all bathrooms and locker rooms to transgendered students.  Loretta Lynch, Attorney General for the Obama Administration, recently said concerning the North Carolina bathroom law which requires people to use public bathrooms in keeping with their biological anatomy:  "This is why none of us can stand by when a state (NC) enters the business of legislating identity and insist that a person pretend to be something they are not..." The absolute nonsense of that statement makes me shake my head every time I read it.  In Ms. Lynch's thinking, the person who is born male but says he is female is operating in reality, while the person who says that someone  born male needs to go to a male bathroom is forcing them to pretend.

But, as ludicrous as that sounds to me, I'm aware that things are changing in our country and countless thousands of Americans agree with Ms. Lynch and not with me.  In fact, I'll even go on record as saying that I doubt this trend is going to reverse itself.  Like the western world across the ocean, America will go the way of Europe.  We are rapidly heading there now.

So, how should I respond to this moral change?  What should I do about the cultural revolution?  I am first and foremost a follower of Jesus, so I'd like to address my thoughts to those of you who consider yourselves the same.  Everywhere I turn, I hear and read things that I believe bring dishonor to Jesus from those of us who claim the name of Jesus.  I hear responses that just simply shouldn't come from us who follow Jesus the Christ.   I realize some of you will push back and say, "We're also Americans."  Yes we are, but that in no way subjugates or diminishes our responsibility to follow Jesus and respond as He would want us to.  Let me admonish you to respond in three ways.

First, don't despair.  Maybe I should say, stop despairing.  I hear often how we have departed from the good old days and there is no hope for America.  Lest you think I’m unpatriotic, let me say I love our country. God has greatly used America for the evangelization of the world, but in God's plan it has never been about America.   However you feel about the nation of Israel and God's eternal plan, America was never like Israel.  Most of us believe that however God brings about the return of His Son, at the end of time the whole world will have turned against Christ and His people.  I hate to say it, but that includes even America.  Here's my point--God's got this!  Wherever our nation ultimately lands, God is still directing this world to the conclusion that He desires.  We may wring our hands in despair, but we don't need to.  God isn't.  Even if the worst case scenario were to unfold in America--Bernie Sanders were to win the Presidency, and we become a socialist or communist nation where religious expression is at first ridiculed then marginalized and ultimately suppressed--we don't need to despair.  Have you not heard?  Don't you know?  "God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne" (Psalm 47:8).


Second, love the lost.  Actually Jesus goes further.  He even says love your enemies.  If there is one characteristic of God that God Himself seems to accentuate, it's His love.  God is love, He tells us.  It amazes me that so many of us who claim to be His followers believe we have a right to be extremely unloving.   I think we believe the nature of the issue gives us that right; or maybe it's the unloving hearts of those we oppose, but whatever it is, it's wrong.  We follow the One who told us not to take up personal offense against others.  We follow the One who willingly gave His life and then prayed, "Father forgive them because they don't know what they are doing."  If there is anyone who should love those who oppose the truth or who oppose us, it is us, the followers of Jesus.  Our language and our tone should be one of civility and respect.   Instead, social media is filled with Christ followers whose tone and language, most likely driven by fear and despair, is discourteous, angry and hostile.  At times I dare say most covered by the media seem almost dripping with hatred.  Such things should not be known among us who follow the Lord Jesus.

Third, speak the truth.  I was thinking, as I was writing, that some might not even get to this third point because they will disagree with the first two and stop reading.  One thing we must continue to do as those who follow Jesus is speak the truth.  We need to speak it in love, as we are admonished by the Apostle Paul, but speak it we must.  Everywhere around me I see those who claim to follow Jesus embracing the errors and immorality of this modern, moral revolution.  Main line churches are embracing homosexuality and transgenderism as normative or neutral behaviors, when God clearly says they are not.  We see Christians everywhere embracing no fault divorce, abortion, and sexual expression with no boundaries as perfectly acceptable when God unequivocally says that is not. As western Christians, privileged with so much materially, we are prone to call our greed, materialism and indifference to injustice as "blessings from God," when God expressly says such things are contrary to His heart.  In an increasingly befuddled society, it is more important than ever that we speak with moral clarity.  Take every opportunity to speak truth.  Challenge those who are leading in this revolution.  Let it be known that even if all your friends believe that living together is the smart and right thing to do, it is not what God designed or created.   Say clearly that even if the State says two men can marry, it is not marriage as God designed and created.  Do not cower away from speaking truth, but also make sure people walk away from you having experienced the kind of love and respect they may have never encountered before.

So, no matter where this cultural and moral revolution leads, let's do these three things.  Let’s not despair, let’s love the lost and let’s speak the truth.


 

How to kiss sleeping through preaching goodbye!

I confess, I've never liked to be called "Preacher."  I'm a pastor--preaching is just one of the things I do; but I will acknowledge that the importance of preaching can't really be overstated.  The Bible claims to be God's message to us, and Paul, one of the early Christian leaders, would say that by preaching it people come to believe and know God (1 Corinthians 1:21-24, Romans 10:17).  For this reason, followers of Jesus have always embraced the priority of preaching in their times of worship.  To hear, learn and apply God's Word to our lives is a supreme act of worship.  In fact Jesus said that to love Him can be equated with nothing less than obeying Him--"If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).  So to love God it's essential that we know His Word.

Consequently, preaching is a priority in our worship, but just as important to us personally should be getting the most from the sermon.  I'd like to share with you four commitments you can make that will help you profit greatly from the preacher's talk.

First, come to the preaching time with an expectant heart.  Come believing that God wants to communicate to you.  One thing God promises is that He sends His Word out with a purpose--He says it won't return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).  I'm not exactly sure all He might mean by that, but I believe when we listen to God's Word it will convict us or it will merely harden us.  I remember a farmer friend telling me that the same rain that softens the ground, also hardens it--it all depends on what you do with it at the time.  If you act on the soil while it’s wet, it’s softer.  However, if you let it sit and it dries, the water will leave a harder ground behind.  As you prepare to listen, believe God has something for you to hear.  Let it soften your heart.

Second, bring your Bible and follow along.  I know preachers these days often put the Bible text on the screens used in worship, but whenever possible, follow along in your own Bible.  For two reasons I suggest this.  One, it will help you familiarize yourself with your Bible.  Nothing increases our skills more than practice so following along will acquaint you with how your Bible is designed and laid out.  If you are using a book Bible, you can take notes in the margins that will be great reference markers in the future.  Two, it will enable you to reread the text or read in a greater context if you don't really understand.  Often I've read a few verses before or after what the preacher reads just to make sure I understand what's happening.  Context is so important for understanding what the Bible teaches.

Third, take notes.  I don't mean you have to make copious notations but use a pencil and paper to help you listen.  We remember so much more if we listen and write it down.   My wife makes it a practice to bring her sermon notebook to worship where each week she takes notes of the message.  Maybe you should consider getting a notebook to keep with your Bible and use each week.   Before I became a pastor, I also kept a sermon notebook; and though I don’t have such a notebook anymore, I never listen to a sermon without keeping notes.  I might not even keep the notes later on but I know that by doing so I am listening better and much more likely to retain what I learn.

Finally, leave the sermon with at least one specific, concrete action point.  All good preachers preach for this one goal--they want the people who are listening to them to hear God and apply what He says.  Here's an exciting thing about preaching God's Word: there is only one meaning to the text we are studying, but there are many applications.  Say, for instance, the text for the sermon is on one of Jesus' many calls for us to forgive others--who I need to forgive and who you might need to forgive most certainly will be different.  So, whatever the application God prompts to your heart, leave with a concrete thing you hope to do in response to what God showed you.  Recently, I heard Greg Stier from Dare2Share preach, and I don't think this was even one of his main points; but as I listened to him my action point was that for the next week I would get up earlier and practice prayer-walking my morning quiet time with God.  So all last week I did just that--I got up early and went walking for thirty minutes the whole time praying out loud and talking to God.  Yes, I'm sure I would have appeared strange to anyone watching me!  But it was good and I'm repeating it this week.  Your responses will always vary in nature and difficulty.  Maybe at the conclusion of a sermon God might call you to believe something, confess something, or do something but whatever it might be, commit to an action point and then do what God says.

I hope this will help you listen to preaching with greater attentiveness than ever before.  Practice these things and chances are you will never sleep through another sermon.  And by the way, I still don't like to be called "Preacher."

It's time to do away with the church offering plate!

It was Sunday morning and our church family was having “Friend Day.”  It was a Sunday that we had encouraged everyone to invite their friends, who didn’t participate with a church, to come and join them.   We planned everything that day to make our special guests feel welcome.  We decided that we wouldn’t pass an offering plate that morning because we didn’t want our guests to feel compelled to give—we simply wanted them to feel welcome.   Instead, we set a box out for the church family to give.  I remember making a passing comment to a fellow church leader later that day, after the service was over, that I wished we never had to pass the offering plate and he replied, “Why do we?”   I don’t remember clearly how it went from there but that was the last time we took up our general, weekly offering using offering plates.  Today we have secure offering boxes mounted in our facility and people give using them.

Over the years I’ve reflected often on that Sunday morning and how it changed our church family.  I don’t think it’s necessarily wrong to pass an offering plate, we still do for special offerings on special occasions.

I’d like to offer four reasons to encourage church leaders everywhere to make the same decision we did twenty-five plus years ago, that is, do away with the weekly offering plate.

Giving was never meant to be an act of corporate worship.  In Jesus’ day, religious people loved to tout their benevolent giving.  They wanted people to see them give and to know how much they were giving.   So in His sermon on the mount, Jesus taught his followers, “When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:3-4).  Now I don’t think that Jesus was saying it’s wrong if someone sees you giving.  His issue is obviously with the motive behind their giving.  At the very least Jesus is telling us that giving isn’t meant to be an act of corporate worship, but rather an act of personal worship.  It’s between us and God.

Giving should never be something we compel people to do, and I suggest that the only reason we pass an offering plate is to make sure people do.  To the church at Corinth Paul writes, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).  Paul even asked that they take up the offering he is calling for before he even gets there!  I have been to some churches where all the believers parade down to the front of the church, row by row, where offering baskets are placed on a table and they are expected to give.  From personal experience, I tell you the compulsion to give was intense--I didn’t want to be the only one not putting something in the basket.  On one occasion the pastor didn’t feel like we gave enough so he made us go around a second time.  Granted the compulsion to give as the offering plate comes around is not nearly that great, but nonetheless I have often felt the urge to give simply because I didn’t want people seeing me not giving and think I didn’t care.

Not passing offering plates teaches God’s people their responsibility to give systematically and sacrificially.  Some folks may read this and think I’m suggesting that we shouldn’t teach stewardship.  Please don’t misunderstand—nothing could be further from the truth.   I believe that as God’s people, we should be instructed to use every bit of money and resource God entrust to us as He instructs.  I believe our stewardship should begin with a tithe to our local church.  I believe as Paul says to the church at Corinth, my surplus is that I might help those in need, and vice versa.   When a church makes giving an act of personal obedience and worship, we strengthen that call and responsibility in the life of a believer.  As a church, we’ve made giving an act of personal worship for over two decades now, and consequently God’s people have learned their personal responsibility in stewardship.  Over the years our church family has always been amply supplied by the faithfulness of God’s people.  We’ve built several buildings debt free; and though we haven’t always made our budget, we’ve always given more than we’ve spent.  We allocate fifteen percent of our undesignated giving to missions and support several other mission endeavors beyond that.   On Sundays that we don’t meet our giving is not affected,  because people give systematically.  I say all that to show that when people understand God’s expectation of stewardship, they give as God directs whether you pass the offering plate or not.

A most compelling reason to not pass the offering plate is the affect it has on people who have yet to come to know Jesus.  I guess it’s due to TV preachers and evangelists, but most people outside the church think that all the church wants is their money.   I’ve heard that all my life as a ministry leader, and it was that sentiment exactly that led me to not want to pass the offering plate that first “Friend Day.”  I can’t tell you how many times in the last two decades people who are not involved with a church family have come to visit us, and have been impacted by our commitment to giving as an act of personal worship.  I’ve told many seekers over the years that God is not interested in their money but in them; yet at the same time, if they ever came to know Him they would gladly give Him their all.  So many churches have resorted to telling their guests, “As the offering plate passes, please don’t feel compelled to give.”  I understand that statement.  They are seeking to say to their guests,  “This isn’t about your money.”  However, as much as we want to communicate that reality, I believe guests often feel awkward and compelled otherwise.  So why not take that stumbling block away from someone who may be far from God?

So follower of Jesus, I urge you to give.  I encourage you to give graciously and willingly.  I challenge you to give systematically and sacrificially.   I exhort you to give because you love the Lord Jesus, as an act of personal worship.  And church leader, I urge you to give believers a chance to do all that without passing the offering plate!

Can a person change? Can I change?

Do you ever wonder if people can really change?  Do you ever wonder if you can change?  In the Bible God sarcastically asks some consistently sinful people, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin color?  Can the leopard change his spots?  Then you can also change and do good, you who are accustomed to doing evil"(Jeremiah 13:23).  Let's be honest, change is really hard.  It took Ebenezer Scrooge three ghosts and the fear of judgment and death to help him change.  We've probably all known someone who needed to change but no amount of confrontation and no amount of help has ever managed to bring about transformation.  What’s more, probably many of us, if not all of us, have struggled with wanting to change something in us or about us but have never really been successful in doing so. 

But as hard as change might be, I believe with all my heart that you and I can change--that people can change.  I’ve seen it.  I’ve seen people make radical transformations in their lives in many different areas.  Angry people have become gentle.  Selfish people have begun to live for others.  Immoral people have become moral.  Now I don’t mean to imply that people can become perfect.  Only God is perfect but we are continually challenged to be changed into His image—to be like Him—and I’ve seen many people make dramatic adjustments toward His likeness.

I really don’t want you to worry about changing anyone else—you can’t.  The only person--and I mean the only person--you can change is yourself.  That won’t be easy, but it is possible.  Here are three things that are absolutely necessary for you to change.

First, you have to see your need to change.  No one will change if they don’t see any reason why they should.  Please don’t minimize this first point.  We are masters at self-deception and being able to see something in our lives that is wrong, bad, or even hurtful, is not all that easy.  I tend to compare myself to others and say, “I’m not as bad as them so I don’t need to change.”  The reasons we might not see our need to act or behave differently are so many that I think it would be pointless to make a list.  If you want to see your needy areas, give someone freedom to speak into your life and help you see where your attitudes, your actions, or maybe your reactions need to be altered. 

But there is a step deeper you must take if you are going to change—you have to want to change!  It’s not enough to just see where you need to be different; you have to have this gut level want to change.  I’m not sure exactly where the inner motivation comes from that leads to change, but in some ways, it begins with a decision.  Let’s be honest--all change begins with a choice I make to take a step forward and do things differently.

Each of us was made in the image of God, and though men argue over what that means in its entirety, almost all of us agree that it means we were made moral creatures with intellect, emotions and will.  My will is damaged by my sinful nature, it is affected by my emotions, and often misled by my imperfect reasoning; but as flawed as it might be, if I am to change I must be willing.

And that brings me to the third thing I need if I am to change.  I need help; I can’t change on my own.  Let me state clearly what is true for all of us.  Some things that need to change in my life, when I see them, I immediately want to change them and the pull against that change is very light.  It’s like me moving a light magnet with only a five-pound pull--it's easy and effortless.  But there are other things in my life that I see need to change, and I want them to be different, but the pull against that change is like a magnet with a 100 pound pull. I cannot move that magnet without the help of someone else and I cannot make that change in my life without assistance.


The Bible is pretty clear that my will is damaged by my sinfulness and if I'm going to make changes in those areas where the pull is 100 pounds, I need God's help.  I can't do it on my own.  I make no apology in telling you that apart from God's grace in setting us free, we'll not change.  Paul, one of the greatest followers of Jesus, spoke of his absolute inability to overcome sin and change on his own.  He stated, "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate...For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want" (Romans 7:15, 20).  So if you want to change, you are going to need to ask God to help you.




But you are also going to need the help of a friend, someone to stand with you, to speak into your life.  I know the context is slightly different, but in Ecclesiastes 4:11-12 it says, "Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."  The author's point is that there is strength in someone fighting with us and for us.  James, the brother of Jesus, told us to confess our sins to one another that we might be healed.  I need to own up to my places of failure--the places I need to change--and I need to specifically and transparently let others in so they can help me change.


So let me ask you, do you know areas where you need to change?  I'll bet you do.  Are you truly willing to change?  The answer to that might not be as clear. Are you willing to admit that you need help?  If you are then seek Jesus' help and bring a friend in to walk with you.   You can change what needs to be changed--so can I. 

Be Devoted!

I remember as a newly minted Christian, one who was just beginning to follow Jesus, the Bible was such a cool book.  The more I read the more I learned and the more excited I became.  Today I know the Bible, though consisting of sixty-six different books, has a unified, consistent theme running all the way through it.  But back then, when I was seeing all that for the first time, my heart was enthralled in what I was learning.   Another thing I remember was how certain Bible verses just riveted themselves to my heart.  One such section of the Bible was the last verses of Acts chapter two.   The earliest of Christians had only recently experienced the coming of God's Spirit and He was changing everything in their lives!  They had gone from concealing themselves in a cowardly manner to bolding broadcasting their faith in Jesus, even at the peril of arrest and death.  But as a young Christ follower, the verse that impacted me so very much was forty-two where is says, "They were continually devoting themselves..."  Here's what God said to me way back then, "When you follow Jesus and the Holy Spirit is in your life, you can't help but passionately give yourself to follow Him."  You prioritize Jesus, His will, His Kingdom.  Those early Christians gave themselves with high energy and with all their hearts to what was important to Jesus.  

But just as impactful to me was what they were devoted to--what they were passionate about.  The Bible records several commitments to which they were devoted, the first being their weekly gathering where they were taught God's Word, worshipped with praise and prayer, and encouraged each other.   They were highly committed to this!  Unfortunately many who claim to follow Christ are not.  Did you know that one of the trends in the church today in 2016 is that people will be less and less committed to this weekly gathering?  Yet, God clearly says in His Bible, "Don't forsake gathering yourselves together as is the habit of some, but encourage one another; and all the more do so as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24).  I was just beginning to follow Jesus when on the night before a Sunday I had to work really late and decided I'd just skip the next day's weekly gathering of believers.  I'll never forget a friend of mine knocking on my door when I didn't show up to carpool with him.  After I explained that I'd been up late and wasn't going, he left a bit dejected but as I lay back in bed God spoke to my heart and said, "I could devotedly lay down my life for you but you won't even prioritize my will for you?"  I got back up, got dressed and from that day I've devoted myself to the weekly gathering of Christ followers.

Another thing to which the early Christians passionately committed themselves was to love others, and that meant using their resources for the Kingdom of God and caring for others.   “All those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”  All my teen years were spent with visions of wealth and prosperity—I was going to make it big in the realm of money.  But just as their devotion changed, so did mine.  Money was no longer the focus of my life and even more happened to me—I began to see my money not as mine, but as His.  I began to see myself as a steward, not an owner.  Like these early Christians, I devoted myself to use my resources as God wanted me to and that meant helping others as I could.  I began to give a tenth of my resources directly to my immediate church family, but more than that, I saw the other ninety percent as His--I needed to use it as He directed.   This continues to be my devotion.

And one more area to which they devoted themselves: they zealously gave themselves to investing in each other’s lives.  Not only did they meet for their weekly gathering, it says they were meeting daily, “from house to house taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.”  They understood something that I believe we westerners, born and raised in this individualistic culture, don’t often comprehend.  We weren’t created to do life by ourselves.  God made us for community.  He made us for Himself, He Himself being three persons, but He also made us for each other.  These early followers of Jesus were passionate about living their lives together with others—we have to be too.   It’s a choice that we make.  I’m not suggesting we go from nothing to every day but why not be devoted to a weekly home group gathering?  Why not choose to have folks over for a meal every week?  Why not devote yourself to pouring your life into others and letting them pour into you?

I don’t really think there is such a thing as low devotion and high devotion.  If you have low devotion to something, you simply aren’t devoted.  But assume with me that there is such a difference and let me ask you; does God have a low devotion for you or a high devotion?  The answer is obvious—His devotion for you is such that He died for you!  He will never leave you or forsake you.  He gave His all that you might be forgiven of your sins and set free from them and the hell that our sin deserves.  It puzzles me greatly—if you are a follower of Jesus, and you understand God’s great devotion and love for you, how can you respond to Him with such low devotion?  Why would we not all be like those New Testament Christians who were so filled with Holy Spirit-inspired devotion?

I bring this piece to a close with a call for you to follow Jesus with high devotion—or might I simply say, follow Him with devotion.  It’s a choice you make.  Devotion is not necessarily expressed apart from feelings, but it’s definitely not dependent on them.  What does that mean in specifics?  Be highly devoted to the weekly gathering.   Be highly devoted to caring for others.  Be highly devoted to doing life with other believers.

Getting Better at Ministry

Last week I wrote about the tension that exists between length of tenure and effectiveness.  The tension is that on the one hand, the longer I do something the better I get at it; while on the other, the longer I do something the more opportunity I have to become complacent in what I do.   That tension exists in many areas of life, but I particularly see it manifested in ministry.

When I first became a pastor, my mentor told me not to make any changes in my first year of ministry, and I lived by that advice.  However, I thought there would be no harm in encouraging the existing leaders in their ministry roles.  I remember one meeting in particular where we were talking about a need for more Sunday school space.  The church really only had four rooms that could be used for classes.  I offered several suggestions that we could implement to temporarily give us room to grow, but each suggestion was rejected because "we had tried that in the past and it didn't work" or "that doesn't go with the decor of the church."  That meeting was very discouraging, to say the least, and I remember experiencing firsthand the complacency that can set in when someone does the same ministry for many years.  Instead of using their acquired skills and knowledge to grow God's church, my friends had become bogged down in apathy and negativism.

So how do I turn my length of tenure into something positive rather than a boat anchor of complacency?  Whatever your ministry, let me give you four suggestions that will help.

Recognize the tendency we all have to drift toward ease and continually recommit yourself to invest in your ministry.  Just about everything in life drifts toward the path of least resistance; so unless you decide to apply yourself continually, you too will simply rest on your acquired abilities rather than trusting God for greater things.  Embrace this reality and remind yourself often that unless you decide and re-decide to give it your best, you simply won't.

Make yourself accountable and let someone speak into your life.  One of the best ways to improve at what you do is to invite people to help you evaluate your ministry.  Ask someone you trust, and someone who knows your area of service, if they see you giving it your best.  A word of honesty here--most people will be a bit reticent to tell you the truth.  It's not that they won't want to help you--they will just be leery of whether you really want them to.  Many people say they want the truth, but when someone shares it they become defensive or hurt, and even respond in a negative, wounded manner.  Ask for help and be willing to embrace truth with gratefulness--even if it hurts a bit.

Continue to stretch yourself with continuing education and training.  It's amazing to me how many Christians who are ministry servants and even leaders, don't avail themselves of opportunities to grow and improve in what God has called them to do.    We live in a day when so much help is available to equip ourselves profoundly.  Be a lifelong learner--a continual improver.  A key to taking advantage of tenure is to keep on training yourself to be even better and more proficient at what you do.  Yet so few actually do--don't be one of them!

Consider taking the skills and abilities you've learned in a long term ministry and actually choosing to use them in something different.  After my first year of pastoring, and making no changes, I decided it was time to make some.  I remember I led us to switch up people's ministries, that is, some who had been doing a particular ministry for thirty years were asked to do something different.  Well, as you may have guessed immediately, that didn't go over very well.  But the reason I did that back then was because I understood that change can be helpful in keeping us fresh, diligent, and not simply relying on past accomplishments.  If you find yourself merely going through the motions, not excited about your ministry, consider trying something new in the year ahead.  Doing something new tends to increase our excitement and dependence upon God, so if you can take your acquired skills and abilities into something fresh, think about it.

Serving in a ministry long term can be a great blessing because of what you've learned and what you know.  Make it so.  Don't settle for a name and title and lukewarm service.

Getting Better at Marriage

You may not know it, but there is a tension between length of tenure and effectiveness.  It's a tension that can be found in most areas of life, but definitely in marriage and ministry.  The tension is this--the longer you do something the better you may become, the more effective you might be.  However, at the same time there is the possibility that the longer you do something, the more stale and passive you might become, making you even less effective.  Let me talk about that tension in marriage.

The single greatest benefit of a long marriage is the knowledge you acquire of the spouse you are committed to.  Let's face it, when you marry you only think you know the person you are committing to.  Granted, some of you spent years dating before you walked into your marriage, and I recognize that you knew each other better than Anne and I did after just three months of courting, but there isn't a married person I know who won't admit that their knowledge of the one they married was so limited compared to what they discovered in the next decade or two of walking through life together.  In mine and Anne's case, we were extremely different people than we thought we were marrying, and that made for a great deal of misunderstanding and tension in the early years of marriage.  But now, three decades later, we have a much deeper understanding of who each of us is; and that knowledge can be the key to making our marriage better.

On the other hand, length of marriage can also be a detriment.  We tend to fall into ruts of apathy and indifference if we are not careful.  The excitement and newness of marriage wears off, and the passing of time can lead us into passivity, detachment and even unresponsiveness to one another.  With time we will change, and if we are not intentional, we may move away from our spouse.  I think it was Tim Keller who suggested that if you don't like who you are married to now, just wait--you will be married to seven different people in your lifetime!  He was talking about how we all tend to change over time; so as we do, we need to be careful not to drift apart.

So, there is the tension to which I was referring to--with length of marriage we know each other better, which can be a really good thing; but at the same time, the longer we are married the more opportunity we have to drift toward indifference and apathy.  That is not so good.  So, let me give you three suggestions to help your marriage flourish and not whither.

Embrace this truth: marriage is not automatic, it takes work.  I can remember in my pre-married days how easy I thought living in holy matrimony would be.  Our premarital counselor told us we'd have problems, but we literally laughed at him; what did he know!  Thirty years later I can tell you unequivocally that marriage is hard work.  It takes sacrifice and surrender, and you must exchange your vows with that mindset.  To you not-yet-marrieds and newlyweds I'd say, "Remember I've been a newlywed; you've not been married thirty years.  Listen to me!"  Go into your marriage knowing that unless you are willing to invest and to sacrifice, your marriage is probably doomed to failure before you even begin.  It's true that some people may make marriage look easy, and indeed, maybe it has been easier for them, but that is not the case most of the time.  Accept this axiom of marriage: Marriage takes work and both spouses must labor at it to make it good!

Use the knowledge you gain with the passing years to serve one another.   What's the benefit of a long marriage?  You get to know one another better.  With the passing months and years, you know more specifically and more clearly what blesses and what hurts your spouse, but what good is knowledge without application?  So the operative challenge here is to use your growing understanding to serve one another.  The reality is that if you don't use your growing insights to bless each other, you will actually embitter your spouse.    Love always serves, and if we aren't serving, we aren't loving.  A successful marriage is built when two people are willing to prefer one another as more important than themselves and give themselves to one another unconditionally.  I'll make this declaration--every divorce can be traced back to the selfishness of one or both partners in a marriage.


Refuse to give up.   Every marriage stumbles.  As a pastor I've heard the stories of marriage pain, and rarely have I met a couple who never struggles.  But if you want your marriage to flourish, don't give up in the difficult times--fight for your marriage.   The studies are pretty clear that if couples will push through the difficult times, most will bounce back to a relationship that the couple themselves will say is happy or very happy.   Dietrich Bonhoeffer declared so well what I'm trying to say: "It is not your love that sustains your marriage, but your marriage that sustains your love.”

As the years pass under your marriage, may your marriage grow deeper, more fulfilling, and more satisfying.  Accept the challenge of hard work, and use your growing understanding of the one you love to serve each other better.  Do your best to never, ever give up.