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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Ezra 7:1–8:20 
1 Corinthians 4:1-21 
Psalm 30:1-12 
Proverbs 20:28-30

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Proverbs 20:29 (CSB) "The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is gray hair."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Verse for Today, we see that Solomon is revealing what is most celebrated in the young and the old. The young are celebrated for their strength and the old are celebrated for their gray hair.

Yet, while we can understand the value of strength, we might struggle to understand what value gray hair has. As I reflected on this verse, I read one commentary that said:

"In Hebrew culture the young and the old each had a particular excellence not possessed by the other. The young took pride in their physical strength, the older in their wisdom, revealed by their gray hair." (J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures.)

So, it's not so much the gray hair that is celebrate. It's what the gray hair symbolizes - experience and wisdom.

In our American church culture, we often separate people by age groups. This happens in Sunday School classes where people of similar ages spend time together getting into God's Word. Then, when we make our way to the worship center for the large group worship, folks tend to stay together - the older with the older and the younger with the younger.

But, the truth implied in our Verse for Today is that there is value in the old and in the young and we need both. We need folks with strength and energy to get things done and we need folks with experience and wisdom to inform which things are the right things to do.

In God's Kingdom, there is no one who is more valuable than anyone else. We all have qualities that we can bring to the table to help the church as a whole. We need everyone!

And this means YOU, my friend! If you are a child of God and are a member of a church, YOU are needed. Don't sit back and assume that you have nothing to offer. YOU are a very important part of what God is doing at your church.

So, pray about what part you can play in the grand scheme of what God is up to in the congregation you are part of. Meet with your pastor or someone else in leadership to discover how you can bless your church with what you have to offer.

Then, as the young and old contribute and work together, you just might see God do even bigger and better things in your church.

Where churches should focus their ministry efforts

When it comes to doing ministry in church life, folks don't usually disagree that we should be reaching the lost and being 'Jesus' to our culture. No, the disagreement typically happens when we talk about the 'where.'

Some well-intentioned folks think we should focus on our own communities. They say we aren't doing enough in our own neighborhoods. So, they want to focus on the home-front and let the folks 'out there' wait ... indefinitely.

Some well-intentioned folks think we should focus on people outside our communities. Their mantra might be: "Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" In doing so, they may fail to adequately love and serve the communities in which they live.

The beauty of approaching ministry the way Jesus instructed us is that it's not an "either/or" scenario. It's a "both/and."

It is my conviction that Acts 1:8 gives us the four concentric circles of ministry that each church should engage. There are four areas where we should focus ... ministering in each area simultaneously.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

So, for Westside Baptist Church, if Jesus spoke these words to us in our culture today, He might say:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (He already has! Read Acts 2.), and you will be my witnesses in Murray/Calloway County and in all Kentucky and in the other 49 states, and in countries outside the U.S."

So, we are working on a strategy that helps us minister in those four areas at the same time:

- Loving, serving and reaching Murray/Calloway County

- Loving, serving and reaching other parts of Kentucky

- Loving, serving and reaching other states

- Loving, serving and reaching other countries

What is the answer to the 'where' question at Westside? Simply put, our aim is that at any given point in the life of Westside Baptist, we will be doing ministry in everyone of the four areas mentioned.

Is this a large, overwhelming undertaking? Yes. But so was taking the Promised Land! It was ambitious. It required God's involvement. And it was an exciting adventure as the Israelites came to realize just how awesome their God was.

It is my conviction that too often, churches are under-challenged. When a church is willing to embrace a God-sized vision and prayerfully takes that 'Promised Land,' things get very, very exciting and God gets incredible glory (folks see Him to be even more wonderful than they imagined).

Sermon (video): New-Life Relationships 101 (Ephesians 4:25-32)

The Bible is filled with instruction regarding how we are to live. Yet, as I illustrated in the Introduction to this sermon, a true follower of Jesus desires to follow these instructions. God's Word is not perceived as a boring book filled with senseless rules intended to make our lives miserable. No! It is seen as a manual to help us live the way that God desires and that we can enjoy.

In Ephesians 4:25-32, it specifically tells us how we are to behave if we are to enjoy wonderful relationships within the life of a church. And even more specifically, it tells us what habits we need to get rid of and what habits we need to develop in order to replace the old ones.

To access the sermon video, click here. To access online notes for this sermon, click here.

This sermon was preached at Westside Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky on August 10, 2014.

A reason to be excited about the American church

In one of the conversations I enjoyed with my church family yesterday, someone asked me: “Pastor, where do you see the American church in 10 years?”

My answer came fairly quickly because I think about the American church a lot. I am excited about Westside Baptist Church and believe that God is growing us and providing opportunities to serve Him in ways that are going to be exciting.

Yet, when I think of the American church, I am gravely concerned. Why? Because I believe that the American church is in desperate trouble. I believe that it is much like two of the churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3.

Of the church at Ephesus it was said:

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” (Revelation 2:4)

This was a church that was busy doing a lot of commendable, incredible stuff. But they weren’t motivated by love. So, it didn’t matter.

Of the church at Laodicea it was said:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15-16)

This was a church that enjoyed prosperity. So, they didn’t sense a deep-seated need for Jesus. Thus, they just went through the motions of ‘religion.’ They weren’t hot (on fire for the Lord) or cold (in obvious sin). If they were on fire for Jesus, He could fan the flame. If they were in sin, He could discipline them and bring them back. Yet, they were apathetic about the things of God thinking that things were ok and satisfied with it.

But, there’s hope! There’s always hope. The word “repent” is used 8 times in Revelation 2-3 as the Lord is addressing His congregations. When God's people repent (turn from sin and turn to Him), they are renewed.

I am encouraged that there is a rising tide of local and national leaders who are calling God’s people to repentance and praying for God to move in revival again. Just two of the many who are doing so are Anne Graham Lotz and Ronnie Floyd. Ministries like OneCry are doing the same. God is also rising up a new generation of young men and women who are ready to charge Hell with a water gun. They are tired of apathetic Christianity and want something worth living and dying for.

Yes, as I think of the American church, I am gravely concerned. But, there is also reason for unfettered excitement. The determining factor is whether or not God’s people will respond favorably. Jesus is waiting on us…

Revelation 3:19-20 (New Living Translation)

Jesus said: “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

A pastor's heart

If a pastor takes his job as seriously as God's Word instructs, he realizes that he has a massive weight resting firmly upon His shoulders. Not only is he responsible to pursue personal holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16), he is also responsible for his family's spiritual well-being (1 Timothy 3:4-5) as well as his congregation's (as is noted by Hebrews 13:17 cited below).

To add to this weight, we are told in James 3:1 (in regard to the teaching aspect of pastoring): "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." In other words, "You'd better be sure that you have studied God's Word, know what it says and accurately convey what it says to God's people as you show them how it works in your own life."

To further add to this weight, every pastor who leads a congregation finds that the folks he leads struggle with temptation and sin just as he does. Often, they (like he) go through times when they are apathetic to the things of God. Often, they (like he) resist being corrected when in a condition of sinfulness. Etc., etc., etc.

Yet, all of this and more being true, a godly pastor's heart craves to see folks become more like Jesus. He wants to see men and women, boys and girls live in such a way that God is free to bless them and use them for His divine purposes. He wants the folks he leads to stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and know that he played a small part in getting that person fit for Heaven.

And so He speaks God's Word to them. He preaches from God's Word. He instructs from God's Word. He counsels from God's Word. His job is to get people fit for here and Heaven.

As long as He is appealing to the authority found in God's Word, the following instruction is a must for things to go well with a church family...

"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit." (Hebrews 13:17 - New Living Translation)

What helped the first century church "turn the world upside down"?

If you've ever thoughtfully read through the book of Acts, you cannot help but realize that while many contemporary churches are plateaued or dying, the church in Acts was characterized by phenomenal growth and influence.

They began with a group of about 120 believers (Acts 1:15).
By Acts 2, they swelled in growth to over 3,000 (Acts 2:41).
By Acts 17, we read that they were credited with literally "turning the world upside down" (Acts 17:6).

So, what did they have that we don't? Not a thing.
What did they do that we don't do? Better question! They prayed!

Before you throw up a wall and say that you and your congregation pray a lot (there are certainly believers and churches who do even though they are few and far between), we both know that prayer meetings are sparsely attended. Folks will show up to all sorts of other events at their church but when a prayer meeting is called, the crowds are usually very, very small - at least relatively speaking in regard to attendance at other meetings. 

Even in the worship services the folks attend, there is very little time dedicated to prayer. This is in spite of the fact that when Jesus entered the place of worship in Jerusalem, He said, "It is written: 'My house shall be called a house of prayer.'" Now, there are a TON of things that legitimately happen in places of worship. Yet, in mentioning only prayer, Jesus clearly pointed to its priority. It MUST be first and foremost.

The growth of the Kingdom and the power of God surging throw believers and churches is what will happen when we take prayer as seriously as did the first century church. It is yet to be seen in this perilous time in our country and world if churches will take up this activity and once again receive the power to impact our world for Christ.

Here are the references to prayer in the book of Acts:

Acts 1:14 “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Acts 1:24 “And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen’”

Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Acts 3:1 “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:6 “These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.”

Acts 8:15 “who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,”

Acts 8:22 “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.”

Acts 8:24 “And Simon answered, ‘Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.’” 

Acts 9:11 “And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,’”

Acts 9:40 “But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”

Acts 10:1-2 “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.”

Acts 10:4 “And he stared at him in terror and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.’”

Acts 10:9 “The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.”

Acts 10:30-31 “And Cornelius said, ‘Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing and said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.”’”

Acts 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me.”

Acts 12:5 “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”

Acts 12:12 “When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.”

Acts 13:3 “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

Acts 14:23 “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Acts 16:13 “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.”

Acts 16:16 “As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.”

Acts 16:25 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,”

Acts 20:36 “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.”

Acts 21:5 “When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed”

Acts 22:17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance”

Acts 27:29 “And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come.”

Acts 28:8 “It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him.”

Sermon (video): Maintaining our First Love (Revelation 2:1-7)

Did you know that it is quite possible that Jesus could remove His hand of blessing from a church even if it was 1) theologically correct, 2) busy in ministry, and 3) enduring persecution for their faith? It is in Revelation 2:1-7 that we realize just how important it is to maintain our first love for Jesus. If we don't, nothing else really matters. This sermon delves into why it is so important to fan into flame a passion for Jesus.

This sermon was preached at Westside Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky on April 28, 2013. The occasion was "Call Sunday", the day that the pastoral candidate, Matt Ellis, preached for Westside. At the conclusion of the service, the congregation voted to call him as their pastor with a 99.5% vote.

To view the worship service in its entirety, click here.

Sermon (video): Behold, He Prays (Acts 9:11)

In Acts 17:6, it says that the first century church "turned the world upside down." Things have definitely changed, haven't they?


Now, most people in our communities can't even tell us where our church facilities are located if you were to ask for directions.


So, what's the answer? Throw our hands up in despair and say that God is through with our communities and country? Hardly!


We just need to rediscover what the first century church did that freed God to move powerfully through them. Only then can we expect God to once again move powerfully through.


Click here to view the sermon.

Jesus, Satan and church attendance

Mark 1:21-26 (NLT):
²¹ Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²² The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority – quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
²³ Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, ²⁴ “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
²⁵ Jesus cut him short. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. ²⁶ At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.

Go back and read verse 23 again. Does anything strike you as strange?

Here’s what hit me … a demon-possessed man was in the synagogue (or what we would today call “church”)! He didn’t avoid that place. For all we know, he willingly showed up!

Someone consumed by the forces of Satan showing up to a place where Yahweh God is to be worshipped. Don’t you think that’s a little unusual?

Typically, folks that claim to be a Christian pride themselves in church attendance. But Satan himself isn’t against showing up to a church service. This passage makes that point perfectly clear.

But there’s one more very important observation that MUST be a part of this discussion. Here it is: Satan is perfectly OK with showing up to a church service … until Jesus shows up.

Verse 21 says that Jesus went to that same synagogue on the Sabbath (the place of worship on the day of worship) and His presence was obviously not expected by the demon-possessed man. Just read verse 24 where the man reacts with shock and awe.

It is very possible for “church” to take place without Jesus. Revelation 3:20 tells us that there are some churches where Jesus is literally on the outside knocking and asking to come in … while they’re inside having church! Talk about folks not having a clue!

When Jesus is absent, Satan can be perfectly at home in the service.

The million dollar question is … who is showing up to YOUR church?

If you answer “Jesus,” then you’ll be able to give specific, recent instances of how the darkness is being penetrated and people are being liberated just like in Mark 1:21-26. Maybe demons aren't being cast out (the instance in our text is by no means the norm) but the work of redemption is taking place nonetheless.

Church, State, and Truth-telling

I was recently in a conversation with a well-intentioned Christian. We were talking about a potential moral dilemma that, if a reality, should be addressed by the Christian community at large. However, he informed me that I was forbidden by the U.S. government from talking about the issue from the pulpit. I bristled.

Why? Because I firmly believe that the pulpit is the place where I get to proclaim the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If the government can silence me and I will allow myself to be silenced, then the whole process of truth-telling is undermined.

The reality of the matter is that American preachers are allowed by government to address moral issues, not candidates, if they want to keep their tax exempt status. In the following post (dated September 28, 2008), I share my motivation for "complying" with this law and how I believe my compliance does not even remotely undermine my ability to be a truth-teller.

"Why I won't advocate a presidential candidate today"

Today, September 28, is a day that pastors across our country are being asked to exercise their first amendment rights. At www.alliancedefensefund.org, it states: "Pastors participating in the Alliance Defense Fund’s “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” will preach from their pulpits Sept. 28 about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office. The pastors will exercise their First Amendment right to preach on the subject, despite federal tax regulations that prohibit intervening or participating in a political campaign."

While I believe the men and women of the Alliance Defense Fund are good people and have helped to serve the Christian cause for many years, it is my humble opinion that they are out of step in regard to this issue. The following brief points are the reasons why I won't participate:

1. First, it's not because I'm afraid of losing our tax exempt status - although I'm concerned that many pastors who take on the IRS will more than likely lose their case. Almost certainly, churches and pastors will get hurt as the IRS flexes it arms and exercises the laws on its books. But this isn't the reason why I won't advocate a presidential candidate from the pulpit. In my lifetime, there almost certainly will come a time when pastors will be told not to preach on certain issues (e.g. homosexuality, etc.). At that point, pastors will have to determine to serve God rather than man and take the consequences. But that's not the issue here.

2. I won't because I am convinced by unquestionable data that clearly reveals that no national, American revival has ever originated in the White House. At some point in the past, it seems that the U.S. government looked to the local churches to point the way to truth and righteousness. Now, it seems that many Christians are looking out their church windows to the Capital for the same reason.

3. I won't because the pulpit should be the place where unadulterated truth is spoken. While folks are encouraged to make certain that what they hear from the preacher is true, they should constantly be brought to the conclusion that what he has said is correct. Advocating one candidate over another crosses the line. That changes the conversation. The foundation upon which the message rests moves from the Bible to the candidate. He (or she) is set up as the one who embodies the qualities of a "God-approved" leader ... which brings up all sorts of questions in the listener's minds - and rightfully so. (It is amazing that candidates who are usually no better than nominal Christians [at best] are esteemed so highly when they are candidates for high office. It is also frustrating to hear folks who claim to be Christians talk of "Jesus" less and less and speak generically of "God" more and more the higher the office they aspire to.) Should we really be advocating such folks and behavior from our pulpits?

So what is there to do? Should we have a que sera sera attitude or do we have a responsibility and civic duty?

First, pastors, stick to God's word as your authority. Engage the culture through the paradigm of Scripture. Don't point people to mankind. Point mankind to Jesus. Encourage them on their path to holiness and show them how this plays out in their lives and daily decisions.

Second, encourage your folks to be "salt!" As I understand the purpose of salt to be holding back decay, I believe that in our society, that means among many things that Christians are to exercise their civic duty and vote. We are to strive to put the right people in office and the right laws on the books. But ultimately, we are resting in the fact that our Sovereign Lord, who works all things after the council of His own will (Eph. 1:11) is working out His plan. When November 5 rolls around, we will continue to do whatever it takes to win our communities for Christ no matter who was selected the previous day. Let's never look to Washington D.C. to do what God has delegated to us.