Until this past year, I have been called to well established parishes to serve as a pastor. So I have been the latest in a long line of preachers to serve a particular church. In more than one pulpit, some caring priest typed a portion of John 12:21 on a piece of paper, cut it down to size and taped it to the top of the pulpit. It reads, "Sir, we wish to Jesus." This statement was said by gentile God-fearers who desired a firsthand knowledge of the Messiah. The priest who placed it on the pulpit desired a reminder for himself and those who would follow, that in our preaching, we must show Jesus to the crowd! When people walk into a church, they should be looking for Jesus.
This month, June 2011, churches are being encouraged to share their pulpit with Muslims and Jews to help increase our understanding of the three abrahamic faiths. Unfortunately, too many Christians do not understand Jesus let alone another religion! The website, Faithshared.org has recommended passages from the Koran to be read from a Christian pulpit. This one from Surah 5 is not on the list:
5:72-75 “They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is Christ the son of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help. They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except one Allah. If they desist not from their word of blasphemy, verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.”
Yes, Islam denies the divinity of Jesus and the Trinity. Islam considers Christians blasphemers. So I have taken it upon myself to show Jesus. What I want to do is talk about who Jesus is! I want Muslims, and everyone else for that matter, to know who Jesus is, to see HIM! There are many Christians who worship the institution, not the Christ. I have posted a video love letter. What love is it to allow someone to drive off a cliff without any warnings of the danger? The pulpit is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. That is what the pulpit is for!
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word.They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." (John 4:39-42, see John 4:1-45 for the entire context
PONDERING WITH THE PADRE: This is a place where I, when inspired by the Holy Spirit, can sow seeds to help each and everyone of us grow as true Christians. I believe God is Lord of all of His creation. All we can do is seek His will for our lives. We cannot please God by our own good works. The fruits of our faith are fruits of repentance, of a new heart!
Showing posts with label preaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preaching. Show all posts
Friday, June 3, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Mother's Day: A View from the Pulpit
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37ESV)
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:29-31ESV)
This time last year I took a plane from upstate New York to fly south to visit my mother for Mother's Day. I did so knowing that in all likelihood, it would be Mom's last Mother's Day here on earth. She died three months later from cancer. I always looked forward to calling Mom on Mother's Day, buying her a gift and such. Dealing with Mother's Day as a Sunday celebration was not always as easy.
Mother's Day was the idea of Anna Jarvis, a Sunday school teacher in West Virginia. President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national day of recognition for Mothers. And since then, not only have greeting cards and florists benefited from this day, but churches often devote a worship service honoring our mothers. There may be Scripture readings appropriate for the occasion and prayers said. Coming from a liturgical tradition with a lectionary, usually I would preach on the readings appointed and then allow a child to read a poem or something and add a specific prayer during the intercessions. Occasionally, I have referred to a saint who exemplifies Christian character like St. Monica, the mother of Augustine of Hippo. Mother's day is not always easy for many people. It's hard for women who have had abortions. It's hard for adult children who suffered abuse from their mothers. It's hard for women who have difficulty concieving a child or have not found that special man to spend their life with in the sacrament of marriage. I was fortunate. My mother was a stay at home mom and was always there when I came home from school. She along with my father were responsible for me not missing a Sunday in church and making sure I was raised in the Christian faith. But for me and for those whose childhood and motherhood are less than idealic, there is a hope that the Gospel provides.
Jesus died for each and everyone us. When we are born again we are a new creation, the old has passed away. We cannot go back and undo the past. We can accept God's forgiveness because Jesus met God's judgment on the cross. When we make Mother's Day the soul focus of worship without the preaching of the Gospel, we become guilty of idolatry. God created mothers. Let us not worship creation. (Romans 1:24-25) There are no perfect mothers and there is no perfect childhood. Our attention must always be toward Jesus and His perfect love for us! The woman who cannot be the image of her ideal needs to turn away from that ideal and accept the woman God is creating. He is Lord and is sovereign over creation. The person who cannot forgive how he or she was treated needs to see themselves in the light of Christ's cross and why Jesus died for them reflecting on how they treat God the Father, the giver of their life. (Job 1:21) Knowing God's personal forgiveness makes it possible to forgive the unforgivable people in our lives! Everyone of us needs to put Jesus first and ourselves last. We should be thankful for the life we have as it is God who gives us breath and meets our needs, not our wants. We are commanded to honor our mothers and fathers. We are not called to worship them. No one is perfect. The only one who is good and perfect is our Father in Heaven. (Mark 10:18) So let us keep a proper perspective on Mother's Day by ackowledging our need for repentance and our need for a Savior!
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Mark 10:29-31ESV)
This time last year I took a plane from upstate New York to fly south to visit my mother for Mother's Day. I did so knowing that in all likelihood, it would be Mom's last Mother's Day here on earth. She died three months later from cancer. I always looked forward to calling Mom on Mother's Day, buying her a gift and such. Dealing with Mother's Day as a Sunday celebration was not always as easy.
Mother's Day was the idea of Anna Jarvis, a Sunday school teacher in West Virginia. President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May a national day of recognition for Mothers. And since then, not only have greeting cards and florists benefited from this day, but churches often devote a worship service honoring our mothers. There may be Scripture readings appropriate for the occasion and prayers said. Coming from a liturgical tradition with a lectionary, usually I would preach on the readings appointed and then allow a child to read a poem or something and add a specific prayer during the intercessions. Occasionally, I have referred to a saint who exemplifies Christian character like St. Monica, the mother of Augustine of Hippo. Mother's day is not always easy for many people. It's hard for women who have had abortions. It's hard for adult children who suffered abuse from their mothers. It's hard for women who have difficulty concieving a child or have not found that special man to spend their life with in the sacrament of marriage. I was fortunate. My mother was a stay at home mom and was always there when I came home from school. She along with my father were responsible for me not missing a Sunday in church and making sure I was raised in the Christian faith. But for me and for those whose childhood and motherhood are less than idealic, there is a hope that the Gospel provides.
Jesus died for each and everyone us. When we are born again we are a new creation, the old has passed away. We cannot go back and undo the past. We can accept God's forgiveness because Jesus met God's judgment on the cross. When we make Mother's Day the soul focus of worship without the preaching of the Gospel, we become guilty of idolatry. God created mothers. Let us not worship creation. (Romans 1:24-25) There are no perfect mothers and there is no perfect childhood. Our attention must always be toward Jesus and His perfect love for us! The woman who cannot be the image of her ideal needs to turn away from that ideal and accept the woman God is creating. He is Lord and is sovereign over creation. The person who cannot forgive how he or she was treated needs to see themselves in the light of Christ's cross and why Jesus died for them reflecting on how they treat God the Father, the giver of their life. (Job 1:21) Knowing God's personal forgiveness makes it possible to forgive the unforgivable people in our lives! Everyone of us needs to put Jesus first and ourselves last. We should be thankful for the life we have as it is God who gives us breath and meets our needs, not our wants. We are commanded to honor our mothers and fathers. We are not called to worship them. No one is perfect. The only one who is good and perfect is our Father in Heaven. (Mark 10:18) So let us keep a proper perspective on Mother's Day by ackowledging our need for repentance and our need for a Savior!
Monday, February 28, 2011
What Does the Church Look Like?
The answer to the above question may elicit many different responses. One person may say that the Church is a building where people gather every week to worship God according to their traditions. Someone else may reply that the Church is not a building at all but just the people gathering and worshipping God. The point is that every individual may have their own opinion as to the definition of a church. Which one is correct? I suppose one could say that each opinion is an aspect of what the Church looks like and should look like. But there is one opinion that has to be considered above all other opinions. And that opinion is not even an opinion at all but rather God's will for how He has designed the Church. To go against God's will at any time is to go against God!
So let us ask ourselves, what is God's vision for the Church? The answer to this question can be found in Scripture. The Acts of the Apostles provides a picture, a vision, for the Church. One will notice that buildings are not mentioned as being necessary for being the Church. Unless, of course, you include the prisons where the apostles found themselves in. And even there they sang songs of praise, miracles occurred and people came to believe Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! St. Luke, the author of Acts describes in detail the early church. It is our manual for how our church should look today. Today we can make the mistake of looking to churches on television as examples of what the church should look like. Such popular churches are indeed successful. Successful in the eyes of the world that is! And that is a problem. God will never use worldly standards to judge the success of the Church. In fact, each individual is called to renounce all aspects of the world when becoming a Christian. St. John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) St. Paul also states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom. 12:2)
Is it wrong, then, not to desire a large Church? No, as long as the true Gospel is preached whereby we hear the Word of Faith, repenting of our sins and our worldly self and becoming a new creation in Jesus . A godly Church is a place where Jesus is the Good Shepherd calling the lost back to Himself, regenerating our hearts. The problem with many large American churches is that people attend for the celebrity status of the preacher, the feel of the sports stadium or it is like a rock concert. In other words, they are attending for their feelings. They are not really leaving the world. The success of the Church will always be judged not by the world, but by God our Father who is looking not at numbers but at our hearts! A successful church is a church where hearts are changed and souls are saved!
So let us ask ourselves, what is God's vision for the Church? The answer to this question can be found in Scripture. The Acts of the Apostles provides a picture, a vision, for the Church. One will notice that buildings are not mentioned as being necessary for being the Church. Unless, of course, you include the prisons where the apostles found themselves in. And even there they sang songs of praise, miracles occurred and people came to believe Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! St. Luke, the author of Acts describes in detail the early church. It is our manual for how our church should look today. Today we can make the mistake of looking to churches on television as examples of what the church should look like. Such popular churches are indeed successful. Successful in the eyes of the world that is! And that is a problem. God will never use worldly standards to judge the success of the Church. In fact, each individual is called to renounce all aspects of the world when becoming a Christian. St. John writes, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) St. Paul also states, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom. 12:2)
Is it wrong, then, not to desire a large Church? No, as long as the true Gospel is preached whereby we hear the Word of Faith, repenting of our sins and our worldly self and becoming a new creation in Jesus . A godly Church is a place where Jesus is the Good Shepherd calling the lost back to Himself, regenerating our hearts. The problem with many large American churches is that people attend for the celebrity status of the preacher, the feel of the sports stadium or it is like a rock concert. In other words, they are attending for their feelings. They are not really leaving the world. The success of the Church will always be judged not by the world, but by God our Father who is looking not at numbers but at our hearts! A successful church is a church where hearts are changed and souls are saved!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Is Your Church Appetizing?
Q: How do we judge A church to be doing God's will?
A: Signs and Wonders will be present!
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, (Acts 2:42-44, New King James Version)
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. (2 Corinthians 12:12, New King James Version)
A: Signs and Wonders will be present!
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, (Acts 2:42-44, New King James Version)
12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. (2 Corinthians 12:12, New King James Version)
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