Observations from a Sunday away

I'll never forget the weekend Jesus changed my heart and gave me a love for being with God's people on Sundays.  I had already been challenged by a Sunday school teacher for my inconsistent participation on Sundays but that wasn't what did it.  On this one particular weekend I was supposed to meet my friend Jeff Denlinger at the college cafeteria; but as a Resident Advisor in the dorm, I'd been up until the wee hours of the morning.  So when I finally crawled in the bed I decided I wasn't going--- Jeff would understand when I wasn't there.  But Jeff didn't understand and before I knew it, I was awakened to a knock on my door.  There stood my friend questioning me as to why I wasn't at the cafeteria.  I told him I wasn't going, talked about how late I'd been up, and watched him leave a bit dejected.  As I laid in bed, wide awake, God did a work in my heart; before I knew it I was up getting ready and soon on my way.  I never looked back.  That day God filled my heart with love for God's people and a desire to encourage my brothers and sisters with my presence.  And I can say I never again missed gathering with God's people on a Lord's Day for an inconsequential reason.

As a pastor I don't get too many Sundays to visit with other church families but whenever I'm away for vacation, or any other reason, being a part of a new church family is a great privilege and quite often a great joy.   Earlier this year, while on vacation at the Outerbanks, I was able to worship with two different churches--- at 9:30 a.m. a small Methodist church right next to the home where we were staying and at 11:00 a.m. a small church that appeared to be a part of the Assembly of God fellowship.  I'd like to share with you a few observations I made from these two worship gatherings and a "take-away" from each observation.

First I noticed how different were the two worship expressions.   One was traditional, including three hymns sung from a hymn book and accompanied by a lone pianist.  There were liturgical readings and singing the doxology after the offering was collected.  The other was very contemporary and we sang to digital music projected on a screen with the lights dimmed.  The songs were so new that I was unfamiliar with two of them.  One church had a traditional building, traditional stage and traditional pews.  The other one was very different with a stage decorated with nautical paraphernalia.  But the truth is, worship isn't dependent on the music, the lighting or the building but on our hearts and I observed brothers and sisters worshipping in both places, as diverse as they were.   My "take-away" was this:  King Jesus is worshipped with great diversity as His people gather on Sundays and that's ok.  Having worshipped with believers in Congo and Mozambique I already knew this but I observed it again on the Outer Banks.  And an equally important truth is that however a church chooses to express their worship, I can join in with them and worship Jesus my Savior.

Second, I observed how different both pastors were yet they shared a few things in common.  One dressed in a suit while the other in jeans and a casual shirt.  One preached for twelve minutes and the other about forty.  One preached simply talking to us while the second pastor used every voice intonation and every tempo available, even crying at one point.  I doubt they could have been much more different yet they were also similar.  It was obvious to me that both men loved Jesus.  Their passion and heart for Him was clear.  They both believed in the authority of the Bible and wanted their preaching to impact their listeners.   As I watched them, I was convinced that both men truly loved the people.  My "take-away" was this: God can use a pastor no matter what he looks like if he loves God's people, loves God's Word, and loves the Lord Jesus.  I want to be such a pastor.

Third, I observed that neither church family seemed all that interested in me as a person.  No one greeted me outside the allotted "greeting time" and even then it was only with a handshake.  It was funny because with the Methodist church they loved the greeting time and were very intent on greeting each other but I sort of just stood there.   My "take-away" was this: How hard it is for us to make guest feel welcome.  We must be intentional.   Obviously we can't control what anyone else does, just ourselves, so this truly applies to each of us individually.  Paul spoke often of hospitality; we need to apply that to our church family gatherings on Sunday mornings.

Finally, I observed that at neither of the churches I visited on Sunday was the gospel clearly presented.  They spoke of loving Jesus and giving Him our all, obviously two very important truths, but the gospel is not what we can do for Christ, but what He has done for us in the cross.  We should definitely call one another to greater consecration but only upon the foundation of the grace of God in Christ.  The gospel is not that I try harder to live for God but that I recognize my sin and my inability to obtain God's forgiveness by my own effort and merit, and instead trust in the life and death of Jesus for the forgiveness of my sin.  The good news is that when I cannot be holy by my efforts, I can be holy by receiving Jesus' holiness as a gift from God-- freely given to all who will believe.    My "take-away" was this: There is so much we as followers of Jesus need to know and learn, but it clearly needs to be built on the bedrock of the gospel.

Has God given you a love for the local church?  Many of you who might read this will be members of the Castle family.  Has God given you a love for our church family?  Are you committed to being a part, to give of yourself, to be an encouragement to others?  Over the years God has grown my love for God's people and for the weekly gathering of believers.  I'm devoted to it.  It began one Sunday morning with a decision to be a part.  If you haven't made such a decision, such a commitment, will you choose this day to love God's church and give of yourself?  I hope so.  No telling what you may observe

Happy birthday Dad!

Today my father turns eighty (80) years old. I thought it would be fitting for me to write a bit about him for those of you who have never met him.  Dad grew up in Bull-Island, as it was known to the locals-- Poquoson to the rest of us.  I can only assume that ‘Bull-Island’ got its name because at some point in the past, there used to be a bunch of bulls kept down there.  Much like how we call the wildlife reserve down by the nuclear plant, “Hog-Island.”  My dad’s father was a shipyard worker, my grandmother a teacher early on but lived most of her life as a domestic engineer, raising dad and his siblings.  Dad was the oldest followed by a brother five years later and then a sister five years after that.  He was raised in what I assume was a typical post-WWII home, loving, caring, nurturing.  He married a lady from his high school— Annette Moore.  They had grown up in the same church family though I don’t really think they were high school sweethearts.  As the old saying goes, he definitely married above himself!  At some point early in life dad became a Christ follower and into his late teens and early twenties he felt led to pursue vocational ministry— dad would go on to serve as a pastor/missionary his entire life.

Dad and me

While in seminary and soon after, he would give leadership to three churches, Beech Grove, Coinjock and Sawyer’s Creek--a few years at each.  I remember him sharing with me how hard it was to lead churches where people had no desire to change.  He almost left vocational ministry while at one of those churches because he felt like he would not survive the emotional discouragement.  While serving at Sawyer’s Creek dad and mom both felt leadership from the Lord to serve as missionaries and with their three very young sons in tow, they headed for Montevideo, Uruguay.  They would spend the next twenty years serving there.

I know my parents didn’t go south for their children, but I’ll always be grateful for the upbringing I received, having been raised on foreign soil.  There are so many lessons I learned, so many skills I developed, so many friends I received.  Having been raised in Latin America, I believe I received a view of the world that I might not have had I lived in North Carolina all my life, but truly those are just speculative thoughts.

Dad and mom went to Uruguay to do youth work but that never really materialized.  Dad would end up being a theology teacher, pastor and counselor for most of his time there.  We returned to Uruguay two years ago, my parents and my brothers and I, and it was extremely encouraging as we gathered with this great crowd of witnesses who came to tell my father how much his life had impacted them. I saw tears on my father’s face as people shared with him how his life and words had added so much value to theirs.  He had led some of them to follow Jesus but all of them talked about how he had loved them and helped them.

They returned to the United States in the late 1980’s and dad finished his ministry career by serving as the pastor of several churches before his retirement.   None of those experiences would ever top the blessing he received serving in that small Latin American country.  Today he turns eighty and I want to say how much I love and appreciate him.  My dad taught me many things over the last five decades of my life— let me share three with you.

My father taught me that we were all sinners and not to judge others by their sin.  Nothing people told him shocked him and his goal was always to help them leave their sin behind.  He showed me what love without condemnation looks like; what it means not to judge others.  He helped nationals, missionaries, and even sought to help people who didn’t know Christ.

He taught me how to love in marriage and be committed to its permanence.  Now don’t misunderstand--Dad could have and should have helped my mother much more.  I always joke that dad never changed a diaper— and unfortunately that may not be a joke!  But growing up it was obvious my father loved my mother, and she him.  They were playfully affectionate around us.  They were kind.  I never heard them raise their voices or even argue.  (Of course that may be because my mom is a saint!) They locked their bedroom door at night.  I didn’t know what that meant then but I know today they had a healthy marriage in every way.  I’ll never be able to thank my dad and mom for giving us the healthy family we had to grow up in.  And my parents stayed together.  Through thick and thin.  They showed me that marriage is what maintains the love, not the other way around.

Dad at 75

My dad taught me what it means to be a man.  He invested in me.  He instructed me verbally and modeled many good things.  I’ll never forget dad writing me a letter when I first went to college.  He emancipated me with his words.  He declared me a man and said from that point on I needed to act like a man.  He was there to be my friend, to advise me, to help me, but I needed to take responsibility for my life.  Honestly, it was a bit scary but I guess it’s not unlike a parent bird throwing the baby bird out of the nest saying, “Fly or die!”  But dad knew I was ready to fly.  He had taught me over the years responsibility, work ethic, family values, and what really ultimately matters in life.

It might be easy to think, because of what I’ve written, that dad was perfect, that he made no mistakes.  Like all of us who have parented, dad made plenty.  But the mistakes don’t often overpower or erase the good we managed to do.   So dad, if you read this, I just want you to know I’ll always be grateful to you.  I owe you so much.  I am not solely the man I am due to your influence, but yet I recognize that much of who I am came from what I learned from you while under your care.  Happy birthday dad!

Discipleship Imbalance

I was listening to the Outsiders Podcast this week and they made me think.  They call themselves "Outsiders" because they used to belong to the evangelical church but having rejected Biblical authority, they now find themselves 'outside' the boundaries that most evangelicals will embrace.  This particular podcast was on discipleship and one of the speakers' main contention was that discipleship wasn't about knowing propositional truth but rather the development of the character of Jesus in our lives.  Discipleship he contended, wasn't about being able to recite doctrine, (they seemed to have a pretty strong disdain for doctrine and anyone who believes God actually inspired the Scriptures), but rather about us being changed and transformed by Jesus as we walk through life with Him.

I once heard someone say that 'balance is that place we find ourselves as the pendulum swings to the other extreme.'  I could not agree more.  If we are not careful we tend merely to react and go to the other side of an issue only to find ourselves in error again, but on the other side.  Robertson McQuilken used to say, "We need to live in the center of Biblical tension," or to quote my friend Dick Lane, "We need to fly with two wings of truth."

To reject discipleship as growth in our understanding of truth, and more specifically in our understanding of God's Word, is to ignore so much of what the Bible says.  When Jesus prays for his disciples on the night before His death He says; (John 17:17) "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."  Peter says something similar in his second letter;  "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;" (2Pet.1:4-6)  Because we have escaped the corruption of this world, in other words we have been saved, Peter tells us to add to our faith goodness and knowledge.  We don't need to reject the idea that discipleship includes our growth in knowledge.

But the 'Outsiders' are right when they say that discipleship isn't just knowing more; its about being transformed into Jesus' likeness.  In fact this is God's intention in salvation; I will be conformed in heart and soul and action to Jesus Himself!  If I am a Christ-follower, if Jesus is indeed my Savior, it is a certainty: I can't help but be more and more like Him with the passing of time.  That means I'll grow in my understanding of truth and doctrine but just as equally important, my character and my life will become more and more like Jesus.  Salvation isn't just about my agreeing that Jesus died for me as the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,'" but its about me entering into a relationship with God Himself.  He comes into my life with power and purpose and I begin to follow and the result is change.  I become like Jesus.

In what way do I become like Jesus?  I begin to take on His character.  I grow in love, patience, kindness and goodness.  I am able to love my enemies and do good to those who despitefully use me. I am able to serve others rather than demanding that others serve me.  I am humble as Jesus was humble.  I am holy, having been declared holy by God through faith, my heart longs to be holy.  Like Jesus I begin to long to spend time with God.  Prayer becomes my heart's desire.  Someone has said, "Jesus loves me just as I am but He loves me too much to leave me that way."  As He by His Spirit 'disciples me,' my heart and character and life are transformed by Him.

Don't make the mistake of discipleship imbalance.  Jesus wants you to grow in truth, in doctrine, and in your character.   Are you a disciple of Jesus?  If so, would you say you are changing, growing in both these regards?  Remember its a life long process.  Some times we take a few steps forward only to find ourselves falling one back.  Don't be discouraged.  Don't give up.  But do examine yourself.  Are you understanding and grasping truth in a growing measure?  Are you loving like Jesus?  Are you patient?  Are you kind?  Are you selfless?  Are you serving others?  Do the poor matter to you?  How about people without Jesus; do you see them as lost sheep without a shepherd? Are you Jesus with 'skin on' to those in your life and in your sphere of influence?

Be a disciple in balance!  Grow in truth.  Grow in godly character.

Greater Condemnation (Luke 20:45-47)

Last week at the end of the service I commented that I felt a bit unsettled about the message I had just shared.  (http://baconscastle.com/podcastgen/?name=but_god_looks_at_the_heart_(luke_20_27_-_21_4).mp3)  Several of you spoke encouraging words to me during the week and I’m thankful for that but I believe I know why I felt the way I did. 

I spoke of how Jesus says that if we live a life of hypocrisy we will reap even greater condemnation.  But what left me unsettled was which one of us doesn’t live in hypocrisy, even often?  We all, all too often, dress up the outside with spirituality but inside we are far different than we present.  We are like the Pharisees who honored God with their lips but their heart was far from God.  Which one of us doesn’t at times find ourselves living as a hypocrite?

What bothered me last week, I believe, was did I speak enough of grace?  Did I speak enough of the grace that God sheds in our hearts that gives us a new heart and regenerates us, makes us new?  The truth is grace changes us and though we may live in a moment of hypocrisy, we don’t live a life of one.  I think what troubled me was maybe I didn’t root Jesus’ words well enough in the context of His grace.  We are recipients of grace that leads us tear down our hypocrisy and live authentic Christian lives, owning our sins and failures and relying daily on that grace of God.

Jesus doesn’t promise greater condemnation for moments of hypocrisy; He promises greater condemnation for pretending we know the grace of God in our lives when in reality we don’t.  And how do I know if I’ve experienced the grace of God in my life?  My heart is changed and I depend on Jesus, I want to follow Jesus.  Following Him becomes my heart’s desire and my life ambition.  Yes I’ll stumble along the way and even live hypocritically at times but even in those moments I’ll cling to His grace.

The call to examine ourselves still stands; am I clinging to the grace of God?  Is God's grace transforming me or am I merely pretending to know and love God?  Don't pretend.  Be for real.  Own the truth.