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9/15/02
- Looking to the Future
It
is said that time and chance overtake everyone. Sure seems to be true. In
order to forestall the effects of time and chance on a congregation of God’s
people, there must be a vision for the future. If the future is left up to
time and chance, the likely outcome is the gradual demise of the congregation,
in other words, a slow death. Where there is a good vision for the future, the
negative effects of time and chance can be minimized. While the vision for the
future of a congregation of God’s people can encompass many different
aspects, let’s focus on just one at this time – leadership.
When Paul left
Titus on Crete, one of the tasks assigned to him was to set
in order what remains and appoint elders (Tit. 1:5). A congregation must
have godly mature men who exercise the oversight and watch over the souls of
the flock. We are blessed with several good men serving as elders over our
congregation, as well as deacons. We commend the good work they have been
doing over the years.
Part of
the vision our elders have for Columbus Avenue was shared with the deacons and
preacher at their meeting last Sunday afternoon. Their vision includes looking
to the Columbus Avenue church family for additional shepherds, and also
looking at the works which need a deacon over them. We should commend our
shepherds for looking to the current and future needs of our congregation.
In the weeks to
come, there will be roles for each of us in the Columbus Avenue family to
fulfill as we work with our shepherds. They will be asking for our input on a
number of different issues. When they ask us, it is not a rhetorical question.
They are looking for input from our church family. Help them in every way that
you can. Consider carefully their questions, and provide them with honest,
thoughtful insight where you can. If you are asked to help in some specific
way, lend your time and talents to them as they need them. If asked to serve
as elder or deacon a result of this process, give it your prayerful
consideration. Don’t immediately dismiss it. Remember that to whom much is
given, much is required (Lk 12:48).
Until next
time…
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9/22/02
- Building on Truth
When Jesus stood before Pilate, He said that He came to testify
to the truth (Jn 18:37). Pilates’ response was, What is truth? (Jn 18:38). Many today seem to hold to that same
attitude concerning truth – it is subjective; it is like a vapor; it is not
attainable; it does not belong to any one source or people. In contrast to
those attitudes towards truth, we have the word of Jesus: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (Jn 17:17). There is
an objective religious truth and God has given it to us in His Word, the
Bible.
Jesus’ charge
to His apostles, and to us, is to Go …
into all the world and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you (Mt 28:19). His reason for telling them
(and us) is found in verse 18: All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. As the gospel was
proclaimed in the first century, it was proclaimed as truth, God’s truth.
The result was a great turning to God by many of those who heard and believed
the gospel truth. This happened over and over among the many cultures in that
day. Sadly, the one people that should have heard, the Jewish people, refused
to listen because they had all the truth they thought they needed.
Jesus’ death
on the cross opened the gates of heaven to all mankind. But it is only in a
valid response to the truth that one can go through those open gates. To
listen to some – even in the church today – there are many equally valid
paths of truth. Has God changed? Has His word – the source of religious
truth today – changed? There are not many paths each of which are as valid
as the others in regards to truth. If people responded to the truth of the
gospel in the first century and if people have responded to God’s truth
since then (when it has been preached in truth as truth) should we conclude
that the church can’t grow today if God’s truth is proclaimed in truth?
The church
multiplied in the first century because people were hungry for truth, God’s
truth. Have people today lost that hunger for truth? Are all those whom we
know today content with something less than truth? Certainly many are content
with some perversion of the truth, even as the Jews were content with what
they had. But many sought truth then, and there are still those who look for
God’s truth today. Let’s preach God’s truth as God has given it. Until
next time…
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9/29/02
- Building on Faith
The
eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a tremendous discourse on the role of faith in
our walk with God. Verse 6 nearly serves as a theme statement for the chapter:
And without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes
to God must believe that He is and that
He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. In his second letter to the
Corinthians, Paul states simply: for we
walk by faith, not by sight (5:7). To the Ephesians, he wrote: For
by grace we are saved through faith, (2:8). The role of faith – that
living, active, life-directing trust in God – cannot be underemphasized in
our daily walk with God.
Many people in
this world believe in God to one degree or another. Many religious people have
forged their lives on their belief in God and Jesus as His Son. But it seems
that for many, their belief in God is shaped on a god of their choice and
design. How many good religious people today do not believe hell – that
place of weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, separated from God – is a
reality? This may sound too strong, but the god in whom they have placed their
faith is a wimp. They have created him (or her) as a god who does not really
punish, and will eventually bring almost all of mankind into his/her eternal
dwellings. Such a god would be easy to please – do whatever “I” want to
do!
Others have a
dread of the god they have created in their own mind. This creation of god is
that of an impossible to please god. Their lives are lived in fear that they
will do the best they can and still be found guilty of some even insignificant
or trivial violation that will separate them from their god for all eternity.
It is not uncommon for them to talk of hoping they get to heaven when they
die.
As with so many
things, truth in this matter lies between these two extremes. God is filled
with love – look at the cross and see how much God loves you (1 Pet 2:24).
And yet God will not leave the guilty unpunished – listen to Jesus talk
about those who are cast out (even some of the “good religious folk,”
e.g., Mt 7:21-23). Yet when we walk by faith – like those spoken of in
Hebrews 11 – we can rest assured that God will forgive our sins (1 Jn 1:7,9)
and we have that home eternal in the heavens with Him.
Let us ensure
that we build our lives on a valid faith in the true God. Until next time…
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10/6/02
- A Special Day
Welcome
to the Columbus Avenue church family! We are especially pleased that you are
here with us today. Whether you are a member of the Columbus Avenue family,
are one of our friends who meet with us regularly, are visiting from one of
our sister congregations, or are visiting with us for the first time today,
thank you for taking time to focus on the things of God.
This is a
special day for our church family. Dmitri McFadden, who serves as the
preaching minister with the church meeting on West 14th Street here
in Anderson, is beginning a series of insightful and challenging lessons that
will run through Thursday evening of this week. The following is a listing of
his lesson topics for this series:
Sunday, 9:30 a.m....................................................
God’s Challenge to Grow
Sunday, 10:30 a.m...........................................................
Is Christ Worth It?
Sunday, 6:00 p.m.......................................................
Is God Good Enough?
Monday, 7:00 p.m.............................
Seeing the Good in the Midst of the Bad
Tuesday, 7:00 p.m....................................................
Learning by Experience
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.............................
Coming Face to Face With Yourself
Thursday, 7:00 p.m.................................
When the Lord’s Patience Runs Out
I
am personally looking forward to sitting at Dmitri’s feet this week. We hope
that you will work your schedule so that you can be present for each one of
his lessons. Your presence will not only be of benefit to you, but will
encourage Dmitri and those who are seeking to draw closer to God through
Jesus.
Until next
time…
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10/13/02
- Building Through Preaching
Back in the 70’s there was a television program called “That
Was The Week That Was” known popularly as “TW3.” Well, we can use
that phrase today about our great meeting with Dmitri McFadden this past
week. It was a great week filled with great preaching. God used Dmitri
as His tool to challenge us, to encourage us, and even to chide us in
our walk with God. I trust that Dmitri’s lessons will not be forgotten
this week.
It is through the preaching of the word
of God that people’s lives are changed. There is no salvation in any
other name under heaven, no name other than Jesus (Acts 4:12). It is the
proclamation of that name – and all it stands for – that alone can
move people from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of light (Col
1:13). It is the preaching of the good news of redemption through Jesus
that enables the lost to be found, the dead to live, the straying to
return. The gospel is God’s power unto salvation to everyone who
believes (Rom 1:16).
The apostle Paul had a unique
perspective in his preaching: For
I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified (1 Cor 2:2). The foundation upon which he built his
ministry, his work with God, was Jesus. There was no other foundation
for him (1 Cor 3:11). Likewise, there must be no other foundation for
us. The kingdom of God will not truly grow where Christ is not preached.
However, preaching Christ did not mean
that every preaching opportunity spoke only of Jesus. That is evident
from reading any of Paul’s sermons recorded in “Acts.” It is also
evident that preaching Jesus includes our response to that name. Philip
preached Jesus (Acts 8:35) to the Ethiopian, but it included what one
must do to be saved (Acts 8:36).
Sadly, there are too many who want to
build the church on preaching on things about Jesus and not those things
which make the church Christ’s church, that make the people Christ’s
people, that make people part of the family of God. If we are going to
build up God’s church, we must do it by preaching the whole counsel of
God, building on the foundation which is Jesus.
Until next time…
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10/20/02
- God is in the Details
Perhaps
you have heard it said that God is in the details. I’m not sure where that
saying originated, but there is a great deal of truth in it. Consider the
following areas.
When it comes
to salvation, God is in the details. Many people go through life believing
they are “right with God” even though they are not part of a church
family, nor do they read the Bible, nor do they pray – except in
emergencies. God has shown us how one becomes “right” with Him in the
Bible. The book of Acts records graphically what those did who were lost and
then became saved (e.g., Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, 16). More often that not, people
today will read those accounts (if they have read them) and discount what it
says. If God required it of people in the first century to be saved, He
requires it today. He has not changed His Word.
When it comes
to living as a child of God, God is in the details. There are those who come
into Christ as the Bible states (e.g., belief in Jesus as God’s Christ, Acts
16:31; baptism to wash away their sins, Acts 22:16), but balk when it comes to
living as God has stipulated. God says we are to forgive others if we expect
Him to forgive us (Mt 6:14-15; Eph 4:32), but we don’t want to forgive some.
God tells us to preach the good news (Mt 28:18-20), but we have 1001 excuses
why it doesn’t apply to “me”. Has God made some of us to be exceptions
to His will? God is not mocked; we shall reap what we have sown (Gal 6:7).
When it comes
to our walk with God, God is certainly in the details. It matters very much
how we live Monday through Saturday, not just where we go on Sunday morning
(Eph 5:15-16). It matters very much how we treat others, not just how we treat
some (Mt 7:12; Gal 6:1-10). It matters very much how we use God’s word, not
just that we possess a time-worn copy of it (Jn 5:39; 2 Tim 2:15). It matters
very much how we walk before God (Mt 7:21-23).
Yes, God is
certainly in the details. He is in the details of our salvation if we are to
be His people. He is in the details of how we live when we are His people. He
is in the details because He is God, and we are His servants. How do you view
the details?
Until next
time…
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10/27/02
- Elders: Expanding the Workers
When Paul was on his
way to Jerusalem, he stopped briefly in Miletus and called the elders of
the Ephesian church to meet with him. He had a number of things to
discuss with them. In that discussion, he said, “Be on guard for
yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His
own blood” (Acts 20:28). Shepherding a flock of God’s people is a
great work indeed. We are fortunate to have four men who take that work
very seriously.
Beginning
today, and going for several weeks, the Sunday morning sermon will focus
on potential changes among our elders and deacons. As was noted a few
weeks ago, our elders want to add to their number. They are also looking
at the responsibilities of our deacons. There may be some shifting
around of work areas and also changes in the areas themselves, including
changes in the number of deacons serving Columbus Avenue.
The Bible
does not lay out an explicit process for this change in servants. In
some places, the elders add to their own number without input from the
congregation. Our shepherds want our input on this very important task.
We will be asked to consider the qualities an elder is to exhibit in his
life and to suggest names of those whom we believe to the qualified and
capable of shepherding this flock. Our task must not be taken lightly. I
have seen supposedly “good members” of the church submit names of
men who are clearly not qualified, such as never having been married or
having no children. When names are submitted that are so obviously not
qualified, it reflects of the seriousness we place on the necessity of
having capable and qualified men lead the flock.
When
you are asked to suggest names, don’t simply pick names of those you
like, or of those who are generally good men. Rather spend time in
prayer, in study, and in reflection on the work to be done, on the kind
of men God says are to serve, and on the men who in your understanding
display those qualities in their lives already. Given the seriousness of
the work these men will do, let us not be rash in our suggestions.
Until next time…
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11/3/02
- Qualified to Serve as Shepherd
There are times in a person’s life when
they want to make a change in their life’s work. Perhaps their vocational
field has become obsolete. Or maybe they are just tired of doing the same old
thing. To change their vocational field, they need to take stock of who they
are and what they can do. One does not become a pharmacist just because they
want to work in a drugstore. One must become qualified to serve in that
capacity. This is true in many fields of endeavor.
The men who
have the oversight of God’s people fall into that same situation. Being
considered as a shepherd, or elder, of God’s flock is like a change in
vocation in that it requires one become qualified to serve in that capacity.
When Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus about those men who are to shepherd
God’s people, he set forth some characteristics that must be present in
their lives (1 Tim 3; Tit 1). These men are not just “one of the boys,”
but are the more mature among a congregation.
Those
characteristics, or qualities, fall into several areas. Some of them deal with
his maturity in life. He is to be a married man with children. But it is not
simply being married with children that qualify a man. His relationship with
his wife matters. He is to be a “one woman man,” and his children are to
be under his control. One’s ability to manage his own family situation
reflects on his ability to manage God’s family (1 Tim 3:4,5).
Some of the
qualities deal with his maturity level in the faith. He cannot be a new
convert. His life will reflect the highest standards of Christianity. Even his
reputation outside of the church proper has a bearing on his qualification –
is his life apart from church activities consistent with his profession of
faith?
Some of the
qualities deal with his ability to lead the church faithfully. For instance,
he must hold to God’s word, be able to teach and to refute those in error
(Tit 1:9). If the leaders of God’s people don’t hold to God’s truth, the
congregation can quickly slip into apostasy.
As we consider
adding to the number of our shepherds, let’s not overlook the kind of men
these must be according to God’s word. Until next time…
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11/10/02
- The Work of Elders
The
answer to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” has a
straightforward answer in the Scriptures. Not only is there specific
instruction to answer the question, there are a number of examples that
illustrate the answer. However, not all questions that pertain to our walk
with God are as straightforward. Consider the work of elders, or pastors,
those who watch over a congregation.
There are only
a couple of passages that tell us much about their work, and they are not real
detailed in what they say. In Acts 20:17-33 and in 1 Pet 5:1-3, their work is
described as that of shepherds: they are to shepherd the flock of God. Peter
also adds that they are to exercise the oversight and that they are to be
examples to the flock. They are spoken of as those who are watching over souls
in Heb 13:17.
When we look at
these passages, we find that their work is not that of a board of directors
making decisions behind closed doors. Nor do we find them the financial
directors of a corporation ensuring that the budget is set, made, and altered
as needs arise.
What we do find
is that their work is primarily spiritual oversight. We, God’s people, have
been put into their care to help us remain faithful to God’s will. Their
work will include teaching (1 Tim 3:2; 5:17), exhorting (Tit 1:9), correcting
(Tit 1:10,11), and admonishing (1 Thes 5:14) the flock of God under their
oversight. In general, they are the ones who take care of the church, the
people, of God (1 Tim 3:5).
It is
oftentimes said that the preacher does the work of the elders, the elders the
work of the deacons, and the deacons run around not knowing what they are
supposed to do. It is true that there are times when the elders’ work takes
on more of the flavor of a deacon – being concerned with some of the
material things of a church’s life – as a part of their spiritual
oversight of the congregation. It is a great congregation whose elders are
shepherds and not a board of fiscal or physical managers. May God grant all of
His shepherds in all of His congregations the courage and wisdom to be
shepherds.
As we consider
increasing the number of pastors here at Columbus Avenue, don’t let your
focus be on those who are successful in the business world, but rather on the
closeness of their walk with God. Until next time…
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11/17/02
- Deacons: Servants of the Church
For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence
in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 3:13)
Though only
mentioned a few times in the New Testament, it should be apparent that deacons
fulfill a valuable and honorable role within a congregation of God’s people.
The passage above comes at the conclusion of Paul’s instruction to Timothy
about the kind of people who are eligible to fulfill this role. Who are these
people?
When Paul wrote
to the church at Philippi, he specifically included the overseers
and the deacons in his salutation (Phil 1:1). He does not address them
specifically in the rest of the letter, but their inclusion in the salutation
suggests their role was significant in the Philippian church. The fact that
God stipulated the qualities that one must have in their life prior to serving
in the role of deacon also indicates the importance of their work.
However,
because of the relatively few times they are mentioned by the term
“deacon,” their role within a congregation may be cloudy. The work of the
elders is fairly clear – oversee or shepherd the congregation (1 Pet 5:1-3).
The role of preachers is likewise clear – preach the word (2 Tim 4:1-4). But
when it comes to deacons, it is a different matter.
There is no
reason to despair over this. “Deacon” has been brought into the English
language sound for sound from the original Greek language. Most of the time
when that original word is used, it is translated with words indicating the
action of serving, or waiting on, or ministering to, others. In Acts 6, the
seven men selected by the congregation were appointed to tend to the daily
serving (KJV – ministration)
to the widows. That word is the same word for deacon. The word “deacon”
was coined many years ago to differentiate among those who are servants.
Deacons are
servants of the church. Yes, all Christians are servants of Christ and of
others, but deacons are those who have been appointed to, set apart for, some
specific service responsibilities within the congregation. What specific
responsibilities are involved can vary from congregation to congregation,
according to each’s needs.
Until next
time…
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11/24/02
- Giving Thanks
The Thanksgiving holiday comes up the fourth Thursday of November each
year. For some of us, it means a four-day weekend. For some, it means sitting
down to a meal that would make a king blush. For others, it’s just another
day, maybe you get a day off from work, maybe not. For some, it is the
harbinger of the busiest shopping day of the year. Thanksgiving was set aside
as a time to reflect on, and give thanks, for the many things we privileged to
enjoy in this life.
It’s nice to
take a day and reflect on the blessings we enjoy in life. The families we
have, the vocations we pursue, the goodies in which we take pleasure. As
children of God, we should be among the first to recognize the privilege it is
to have these blessings. None of the things we enjoy today came with us when
we made our entrance into the world. They have been given to us by someone.
If we enjoy the
blessings of good health, it is because we have been privileged to live in
this land as opposed to some other parts of the world. Most of us did not
choose to live in this country – we were born here, raised here, and ended
up making our homes here. Some of our ancestors decided this would be a better
place to live than where they were. They gave us this land as our home.
If we enjoy the
blessings of family, it is because we were important enough to our parents
that we weren’t killed while still in the womb. When we were brought forth,
we were cradled by loving arms, nourished and reared by those who chose to
love us. When we sit down as a family to a meal, we have been given a
tremendous gift.
If we enjoy the
blessings of being in Christ, it is not because we deserved it. God loves us
and chose to do whatever was necessary to make salvation possible for each one
of us. We didn’t deserve it. We were God’s enemies because of our
sinfulness. We couldn’t work for it. But God made it available to us.
Paul once asked
the Corinthians this question: What do
you have that you did not receive? That question was in a context of
boasting about things they had. Paul reminded them, And
if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1
Cor 4:7) Which of us has anything that we have not received? Let us be
continually thankful for what others have given to us. Until next time…
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12/1/02
- Entreating God
With the cancer that has invaded Linda’s liver, she and I are walking
down some paths we have never been down before. Like so many others, we knew
these paths were ahead of us, and like so many, we considered them many years
away. Each day we hold to God’s hand as Linda seems to be approaching
Eternity’s door all too soon.
This week, we
will be visiting with a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic. They are doing some
groundbreaking work in cancer research, as are a number of other places. We
feel blessed to have an appointment because of the advanced state of her
cancer when it was first discovered. We won’t know if they can offer any
medical help until we have met with them.
We are well
aware that medically there may be nothing else that can be done. We also know
that spiritually there is always something that can be done. One of those
things is prayer. Prayer is a powerful and effective tool in the hands of
God’s faithful (Jms 5:17-18). There have been many, many prayers offered on
Linda’s and my behalf all across this country because of her cancer. Every
one of them is greatly appreciated, and we entreat your continual prayers as
we walk together. But there is another tool available that is often
overlooked. That tool is fasting.
When Paul and
Barnabas were set apart to their work for God, it was attended with prayer and
fasting (Acts 13:1-3). When Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, they
were filled with prayer and fasting (Mt 4:1-2). When David’s son was at the
point of death, he prayed and fasted that perhaps God might spare the child (2
Sam 12:13).
Fasting is the
deliberate abstinence from food for a period of time for the purpose of
drawing near to and entreating the favor of God. It may be from sunrise to
sunset; it may be for one or more days.
We would ask
that those who are able – there are some serious health problems that
preclude fasting – and those who would like to join us, to set aside a
period of time this week for prayer and fasting, not only for Linda and me,
but for all those who have stood at Eternity’s door sooner than anyone
expected. For some, the prayers will be for thanks; for others, they will be
entreating God’s intervention; for all, it will be a faith-flexing endeavor.
Until next time…
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