Interactive Sermon

Preparing Our Hearts

Sunday is going to be a great morning.  We have our friend Tara Leigh Cobble coming for a visit.  She will be in concert tomorrow night at 7pm.  But, she will also be joining us for a song in each of the morning services at 9am and 11am.

Peter and the worship band are going acoustic tomorrow, preparing a great set with some favorite hymns, praise choruses and worship songs from Watermark, Crowder and others.

If you want an advance read thru the text we will consider together, give Acts 1:1-11 a read.  You may enjoy reading all of chapters 1 and 2, actually.  We'll be wrapping our mini-series on the mission of God up tomorrow.

Whether you choose the 9am or 11am service tomorrow, I hope that you will plan to come back for the concert at 7pm.  Tara Leigh is always a tremendous blessing to us!  I look forward to worshiping the Lord together tomorrow.

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Matthew Chapter Three - The Big But

Matthew Chapter Three

In chapter three, Matthew introduces us to John the Baptist, who in turn introduces Jesus.  John’s ministry was to be the forerunner to Jesus.  Now, note, John was called ‘the Baptist’ because baptizing folks was central to his message – not because he had slicked back hair, always wore khaki slacks and collared shirts, refrained from drinking and playing poker.

John was very clear on his role.

The Big ‘But’~

Matthew 3:11

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

With this big ‘but’ John acknowledged that his ministry pointed forward to, or anticipated, the ministry of Jesus.  Matthew tells us that John’s ministry fulfilled a role that was prophesied many years earlier by Isaiah, that one would come to prepare the way for the Lord and make straight paths for Him.  John’s work of calling people to repentance and baptizing them did this – it was preparatory for the work Jesus would accomplish.

We get a sense from Matthew that John’s ministry was quite a spectacle.  First, John himself must have been a sight.  His clothing and his diet are mentioned.  There were parallels between John’s wardrobe and that of prophets of old, like Elijah (see 2 Kings 1:8).  His diet suggested a simple and modest lifestyle, and may well have spoken against the self-indulgence of religious leaders in that time.

Matthew seems to assume that his readers are familiar with John.  He simply introduces John onto the scene by saying, “in those days, John the Baptist came”.  But who is this man?  Where did he come from?  Luke, in his gospel, uses a big ‘but’ to introduce John.  We’re told that John’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth, were upright in the sight of the Lord and very devout.  Luke continues: But, they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren and they were both well along in years. With that ‘but’ Luke makes it clear that God’s hand was involved in specially blessing this couple to conceive and give birth to their son.  An angel told his parents that God had prepared a very special role for their son: to serve as the messenger God had promised long ago through the prophet Malachi, one who would come in the spirit of Elijah and prepare the way.  Later, in Matthew chapter 11, Jesus is recorded to have said that John was great among men, and that he indeed fulfilled the roles the prophets of old had prophesied.

Next time: John's message.

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Big Buts of the Bible, Online Bible Study, Matthew 3

Crowder Offers A Remedy

The David Crowder Band's new release is in stores now - Remedy.  My preliminary review is that Crowder has done it again - amazed me with the way he puts an album project together.  His last album, you may recall, was centered around death.  The album began by touching on the uncertainty of, anxiety concerning and mystery surrounding death.  It moved to Jesus' victory over death by about two-thirds of the way thru (the whole alarm clock thing was genius in my book), and then ended in celebrating new life and our assurances in Christ.  This album is arranged very similarly.

This time the theme is Christ as Remedy.  The album begins with recognition of our needs, and Jesus moving to meet us in those needs.  Crowder takes us thru the topic to where Jesus is clearly recognized as Remedy, and then out the other side he reflects on our calling to be vessels of that Remedy to others.

I'd tell you what my favorite tracks are, but at this point that changes each time I listen.  Pay close attention to #'s 9 and 10 (Remedy and Surely We Can Change).  Also, I enjoy greatly Crowder's new version of the Charles Wesley hymn O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing.

I recommend it.  You can order your copy in the left hand column of my blog.  Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Worship Music, David Crowder Band, Remedy

The World of Blogging

Ran across this article today in C.T.  I've been wondering lately about those who drop in here and are themselves active bloggers.  Here's your opportunity.  Please comment here and leave a link to your blog. 

How often do you blog?  How much time do you put into it?  Do you monitor your counter stats like a crack addict?  Tell me about your inner blog-monster.

Bloggers, do you find the article to be on target?  What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Blog, Blogging, Technorati

We Need More Heroes

We need more heroes.  K.C. Wolf (the mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs football team) assisted security officers in tackling a fan who ran onto the field during Sunday's game between the Vikings and the Chiefs. Interviewed after the game, Wolf is reported to have said, "Drunk guys aren't too hard to tackle."

Television networks cut away their coverage during incidents like this so as not to encourage others to seek their 15 seconds of fame. However, in the day of viral video on the internet - here is the footage for your enjoyment.

Technorati Tags: NFL, K.C. Wolf, Mascot tackles drunk

Believing or Belonging: Which Is First?

Here's a scenario:

There's this young man, who happens to be a relative of a local church's youth pastor.  He doesn't necessarily dress or look like all the other members of the church, but he has been actively participating in everything the church does - literally showing up every time the doors are opened - for many months.  You wouldn't call him a mature Christian, but he demonstrates a developing love for God and an insatiable appetite to take in more.  The youth pastor realizes that his relative has a great ability, and a matching desire, to relate to youth, so he invites him to assist in the youth ministry as a volunteer.  The young man absolutely loves the role, and the youth pastor is convinced that this is a win/win - the church youth are really benefiting, and this young man is really growing in his own faith as a result of his participation.  Then, the church politics hit the fan.

A few of the influential folks in the church talk about the 'unknowns' with this young man.  Questions like, "Has he ever made a creditable profession of faith?" and "Has he ever been a member of an evangelical church?" are batted about.  The senior pastor and a few board members seem to be concerned that these unknowns might bring criticism of their own shepherd care (as active as this young man had become in the gatherings of the church, none of the leaders had taken any care to get to know him).  A series of steps were taken.  First, the youth pastor was reprimanded for having involved this young man in volunteering without their (pastor and board's) approval.  Next, the young man was told that he couldn't be involved with the youth unless and until he joined the membership of the church, and, he shouldn't participate in the Lord's Supper at the church until such a time as he was a church member (because he had not been a member of any evangelical church).

The results: Young man leaves the church.  Youth pastor tries admirably to dialog with the leadership over the issue, but in the end decides to resign.

Is it necessary that someone volunteering in an assistant's role believe (as the church leadership determines) before he or she belongs?  Is it biblical?  Please try to keep your thoughts within the parameters of this scenario or somewhat close, i.e. we're not talking about this young man taking the role of an elder or a Sunday School teacher, etc.  We're talking about him having involvement as an assistant and in close proximity to the youth pastor.  I have some strong feelings on this... I'll wait until some of you chime in, and then I'll bring some of my thoughts.  What do you think?

Technorati Tags: Interactive Sermon, Church, Ecclesiology

Preparing Our Hearts

As we prepare to gather tomorrow as the Body of Christ, give thought to the Sabbath.  The text that we are going to consider together is Luke 6:1-11 - a text where Sabbath observance is at the center of controversy.  You might want to give the passage in Luke an advance look, and perhaps even the passage in 1 Samuel 21:1-6 that is referred to by Jesus.  And, you might consider giving Mark 2:23-28 a look, as he covers the same story.

Shari and the music team have a set of familiar favorites ready to lead us into the Lord's presence.  I saw "You're So Good" on the list, as well as tunes from Tim Hughes, David Crowder and Chris Tomlin.

Whether you choose the 9AM or 11AM service - I look forward to joining together with you to worship the Lord!

I Think He's Right

What do you think?

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