Who has more influence: Christians or Culture?

As a little boy, I remember sitting next to my parents as we listened to what the preacher had to say.  There was no sleeping.  Writing notes.  Coloring.  Playing video games, or eating.  My parents felt that “church” was to sit and listen.  No movement. 

We also dressed the part.  It was the days of leisure suits and dippity-do.  My suit was powder blue and my hair had enough dippity-do that it wasn’t about to move no matter what I did. 

I still remember the preachers I was “forced” to listen to.  They would pound the pulpit and proclaim their sermons with a fiery passion and delivered a message that made you afraid if you didn’t obey every word of it. 

Looking back after living 40+ years, I see the value in attending a church gathering that focused its attention of right living.  I may disagree with the preaching method, but who is to say that my method or anyone else’s is any better today. 

I teach that the culture should not change the church, but the church influences the culture.  When a church is focused on living out Values.  Morals.  Ethics.  Honesty.  Love.  Going the extra mile or two.  Generosity.  Unity.  God. Spirit.  It will transform a culture modeling the very ideas of Scripture. 

Could it be possible that our churches have focused on the wrong messages?  Is it possible that our churches are more in competition with each other than it is to weed out the satanic corruption that is permeating our culture?  Could it be possible that we’ve allowed the cultural changes to take a backseat and ignore the decay of values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit because we have become self-absorbed, selfish, and less caring what our children are being taught through television, music and other social media?

It is a fact that our culture has changed over the last 40 years. It is also a fact that our churches have changed, too?  The simplicity of seeking, serving and sharing seem to have faded away into a more complex way of doing “church.”  We say that we have to keep up with the changes in our culture and generations.  I agree!  We do need to know what is happening and ensure we are engaged and connected with our culture in a very positive way.  However, if we are living out the principles of Scripture and seeking, serving, and sharing, then our culture doesn’t change so badly that it is hard to recognize. 

Jesus got into the mix of his culture.  He didn’t keep office hours, nor did he tell the people to check with his secretary to see if he has an opening.  He was in the trenches with the people.  Scriptures says, “ He came into the world to seek and to save the lost.”

 Luke 19:10.  Some churches have the tendency of using their facilities as the go to place for spiritual security only.  Jesus had the philosophy to go to the people to model what right living looks like.  He also came to minister to the needs of the people, according to Matthew 20:28. We will not know the needs of our community unless we are engaged and connected the way Jesus was. 

Jesus dealt with the sins of the people straight up.  He didn’t sugar coat his message, but he always said it with a loving and grace heart.  Jesus said to the people, in Mark 2:17, “…Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” (MSG)

In order to make a lasting impact in our culture, every aspect of the Christian life must be seasoned with the flavor of Jesus.  Jesus talks to the large crowd that gathered to hear him speak at the base of the mountain about being salt and light in Matthew 5:13-16. A Salt life means: “a tasty flavored life” If something doesn’t taste good; it generally isn’t eaten and thrown away.  Christians have the responsibility of ensuring our life is tasteful so that it will cause someone to want to come back for seconds and thirds and fourths!

Jesus also said that we are the light of the world.  Light helps others see what Christian values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit looks like.  In order to help others see the importance of having a relationship with Jesus, we must be lit up with love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness.  We must demonstrate a life style that others are willing to change and be like.    

It is the responsibility of Christians to help shape a culture to look like Jesus, act like Jesus and live like Jesus.  The corruption of a community isn’t just the fault of those who have always lived in corruption; they don’t know any other life.  The fault of a corrupted culture partly lies with Christians who idly sit by and live a self-absorbed life and churches who are more concerned about their offerings, programs, and the only one’s right slogans than they are about the spiritual well being of every citizen in the town.

It is time each Christian stands up for the values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit to change a culture for Jesus

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

God Offers Hope

"Timmy had been misbehaving and was sent to his room.  After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer.   "Fine", said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you."   "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Timmy. "I asked Him to help you put up with me."

God puts up with a lot of our bad stuff.  Our behavior can and does irritate him and causes him to get angry.  However, God is no different than most parents when it comes to loving their children no matter what they’ve done wrong.

God loves us for who we are, not what we do.  God wants our faithfulness, commitment, and our spiritual loyalty.  He wants us to grow in spiritual maturity.  He desires for us to read the book he spent over 1500 years writing we call the bible. 

God loves for us to chat with him.  He loves morning conversations with his kids as they drink their coffee or sit in a quiet place to chat.  God loves it when his kids love each other despite biblical differences.    God also loves it when each of his kids lives a life of integrity, ethics, and morals based on Scripture.

A God trait is not holding grudges and not forgiving those who do wrong.  1^st John 1:9, says, “if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.” (MSG) Also, God says in Isaiah 43:25, “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.”   (NLT)

Sin is a problem and it robs our relationship with God.  Romans 1:18 says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful….” (NLT)  Also, a lifestyle that is not honorable before God will cause eternal difficulties.  1^st Corinthians 6:9 says, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (NIV) 

No one is perfect.  No one is sinless.  No one has the market of complete rightness.  However, this isn’t the end of us.  We are not a stuck people, rather a loved people.  God said in

2 Corinthians 12:9, “…my grace is sufficient for you….” John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son….” (NLT)

There are many who just focus on the sin and how horrible a person is when they do wrong.  Many are made to feel worthless, ashamed, and condemned.  Being a Godchild means there is much more to the relationship with God than just dealing with sin.  God provides so much for each of us.  His hope for us is that we accept what he has to offer.  No cost.  No gimmick.  No strings attached.  No lies.  He just wants to show you something incredible! (more to come!)

Remember, Be God Controlled,

Brian 

The Jesus Story of Hope

“The stone!  Look, the stone!  It’s been moved!  Look! Mary, look!”

Slowly.  Quietly.  Heart pounding.  The ladies enter the tomb of Jesus.

“He’s gone!”

“Not only did they beat him and made a spectacle out of him by parading him through the streets, they now have stolen his body! 

When will it ever end?  Enough!”

A man appears to the ladies in the tomb to explain what happen to Jesus.

“Wait!  It’s not what you think.  Jesus hasn’t been stolen, He is alive!”

“Alive?”  “YES!  Alive!”

“Go tell the others that Jesus will meet up with them in Galilee.”

“Go, quickly!”

“Peter!  James!  John!  Jesus is alive!  Jesus is alive!” Shouted Mary!

“Come on Mary, quit joking around.”  “We’re serious, he is alive!”  “We’ve been to the tomb.  “We spoke to a man who said that Jesus would meet up with you in Galilee.  You’ve got to believe us!”

While ten of the disciples were scolding the ladies for speaking nonsense, Peter takes off running to the tomb.  He enters the tomb and to his surprise, Jesus is gone.

“Gone?  No, it couldn’t be!  Jesus alive?  No way!”

Finally, it happens.  Jesus and the disciples meet up!  It took Jesus showing his hands and feet before they broke out in a full celebration. Oh, it was a celebration!  Worshipful celebration!

Yes, Jesus is alive! 

Doubt cripples us.  For many people, seeing is believing. The disciples were no exception to the rule when it came to doubting and lacking faith.  Although Jesus tried to prepare the disciples by giving them subtleties or straight up instruction, they either didn’t listened to the words of Jesus or comprehend what he was trying to tell them. 

Friday had a death grip on Jesus.  All seemed lost and without hope.  The words Jesus proclaimed while on the cross appeared to make no impact.  He’s gone!  However, the thugs that murdered Jesus, the disciples, and all those who either like or disliked Jesus underestimated the power of God. 

Friday was a day of hatred.  Sunday became a day of grace.

Friday was a merciless day.  Sunday became a merciful day.

Friday was a day of hopelessness.  Sunday became a day of hope 

Friday demonstrated cruelty.  Sunday demonstrated unconditional love. 

Friday was a day of suffering.  Sunday became a day of healing.

Friday Jesus died!

Sunday, Jesus resurrected!  He is alive!  Now there is hope!

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian 

Sermon: Living Out the Spiritual Life

Living Out the Spiriutal Life

Throwing Stones

 It was a morning setting.  The people gathered around to here what Jesus had to say.  Out of nowhere come professors of the law and Pharisees.  With them is a woman.  Not just any woman, but one who was caught having a sexual affair with someone who wasn’t her husband. 

The men marched this woman right up to Jesus to get some answers as to what actions should be taken against her.  Of course, the Law professors already knew the answer.  Stone her would have been the right course of action to take.  (Deuteronomy 22:22)  Interestingly though, the men only brought the woman.  Could it have been a sign they were bigots?  Or, just wanted to catch Jesus in a trap so they could accuse him?  

John 8:6 says, it was a trap.  Is it possible that bigotry was there, too?  Maybe.  Deuteronomy says that both the man and women must be put to death.  If the “Law professors” and Pharisees were totally interested in keeping the law, they would not have needed Jesus to answer their questions.  The Law was clear and simple to understand. 

In an instant, Jesus takes over the entire conversation.  Ok, here is what I say to each of you Law Professors and Pharisees.  You come here with this woman to only question me about my stance on the Law of sexual sin.  It isn’t the woman you are concerned about, if it were, you would have brought the man, too.  If you all understood the Law, you would have brought both lawbreakers, not just one.  You can’t expect one to be stoned and not the other.  Let’s put the woman aside for a moment.  I want to deal with each of you.  If each of you can look into your hearts and honestly say you are not a sinner, then I say stone her right here and right now.  Take your best shot.  Kill her.  Get it over with.  Go on.  Stone her. 

The Law professors and Pharisees knew that Jesus had them left to right.  No movement could be made to accuse Jesus, nor a stone could be thrown at the woman.  In their attempt to catch Jesus in a trap, they found themselves in a trap.  With no way out, they left the scene without the woman.  Without one shred of evidence to accuse Jesus. 

So often, the scene is the same even today.  In attempting to shame others because of their sins, we forget to scrutinize our own lives to ensure we are living the right life.  I get the fact we need to deal with sinful issues, however, it is important that we do it in love, compassion, mercy and grace.  Also, we must ensure our own lives are right before we deal with someone else’s issues. 

Jesus hit home a point when he says, “It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”  Luke 6:41-12 (MSG)

Jesus never overlooked the sinful actions of the woman who had a sexual affair.  He dealt with it head on.  However, he wasn’t going to allow pompous law keepers with their self-righteous mentality to get away with not assessing themselves, too. 

Trying to trap someone into saying or doing something is a godless act.  Defaming someone’s character for the sake of making one-self look better is sinful.  Judging others will receive the same type of judgment that is done to others according Matthew 7. 

God expects more out of his followers.  God desires that we be the pacesetters in right living.  Don’t be one who has set him or her up as one who has it all together and is sinless.  The bible saying that no one is perfect and sinless.  Let’s be people who help one another, encourage, love deeply.  Be grace.  Be a forgiver.  Be Jesus to a community who needs to see what He truly looks like by the lives we live.

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

The Reluctance of a Soldier and a Prophet

I had made a decision to join the U.S. Army when I was 28 years old.  I joined the Army for a variety of reasons, but mostly, I wanted to serve my nation and experience a life other than being a minister.  Before I could become a full-fledged soldier, I had to go through basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. 

In Basic Training, a trainee learns how to become a quality soldier.  The drill sergeants teach each trainee how to how to march, salute, stand at attention, along with many other disciplines that are vital to the survival of a soldier.  One of the skills that were taught was conquering our fear.  One day, we marched to Victory Tower.  As one who is afraid of heights, I was literally shaking in my combat boots!  We had to repel, belly crawl a rope, and climb a ladder that went to the top of the tower.  Each trainee had to take his or her turn.  Before we started out, we had to give our name, rank and ID number.  For the life of me, I could not even remember my name.  I totally went blank due to fear and reluctance of having to climb the tower.

With no way out of it, I began my climb to conquer Victory Tower.  I made it through the first obstacle and now I am facing the belly crawl rope.  My drill sergeant is yelling at me to get moving.   I take my position and start to crawl down the rope.  All I see is a net below in case I fall.  I am so scared.  They tell you once you start crawling down the rope, do not stop.  The rope is moving back and forth as I crawl.  I’m scared.  I want off.  Next thing I know, I have landed in the net below.  I fell!  My drill sergeant yells, “McCutchen, get your…” I can’t actually write what he said, but I had to get back on the rope and do it again.  And, I fell again.  Thankfully, the drill sergeant allowed me to by-pass the crawl rope after the second fall. 

Have you ever been asked or even told to do something but you were afraid or reluctant to do it? If yes, why? It might be that we are reluctant for fear that we will fail. Maybe we lack confidence. Or, maybe we don’t want to work with certain people because of past issues. There are a variety of reasons why we are reluctant to take on a new job, begin a new relationship, start a conversation, teach a class, share our faith, say no, say yes, go on a date, ride in an airplane. Whatever the reason, being reluctant is crippling.

Jonah of the Old Testament had to deal with his own reluctant issues. Jonah was given a task by God to go to a city called Nineveh to preach against it because of the wickedness of the people. (Jonah 1:1-2)

Just who are these people God is sending Jonah to talk to about their wicked behavior? They were bad! I mean, bad. It was their policy to never keep their prisoners of war alive. While holding the victim down, they would pull out their tongue. For some, they would skin their victims alive. They would take the human skulls of their prisoners and build pyramids outside of the conquered city.

I can’t say emphatically that I would be jumping for joy to get the assignment to go and preach against the wickedness of the Ninevite regime. I can see why Jonah was so reluctant; his life is in jeopardy. Also, Jonah as a prophet knew the kind of God he serves and if they turn away from their wicked ways, God would demonstrate his grace and mercy for them. At this point, Jonah was struggling with Nineveh getting one ounce of God’s grace and mercy.

Because of Jonah’s reluctance, the Scripture says, “Jonah ran away from the Lord….” (Jonah 1:3) One of the key strategies of a reluctant person is to run away from the problem, issue, relationship, or whatever the circumstances are in order to avoid facing the problem that has a grip on them.

For many believers in Christ, there is a reluctance to teach for fear they do not know enough. There is a fear to share their faith, for fear they will get rejected. There is a fear to speak in a public gathering for fear they will not know what to say or forget what they want to say. There are a variety of reluctant reasons people have for not getting more involved in the different aspects of the church ministries.

I am reluctant to climb a ladder because I am afraid of heights. However, in order for me to over come my fear, I have to face it head on. The more we do, the less reluctant we are about doing it and the more confident we become in our relationships, speaking, teaching, sharing our faith, or whatever we have been reluctant about.

Remember, Be God Controlled!


Brian

God's Phone Number

A Preacher’s Prayer: “Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff, and nudge me when I’ve said enough.”

A little girl’s Prayer: The little girl was being punished by making her eat by herself in the corner of the room, the family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”

A little boy’s Prayer: On a hot summer day they had guest for dinner, the mother asked her four year old son to say the prayer. “But, mom, I don’t know what to say,” he said. Just say to the Lord what you’ve heard me say,” she told him. The little boy bowed his little head and said, “oh, Lord, why did I invite those people here on a hot day like this?”

God is always aware of us. Scripture says that God will never leave us. One day, as I was reading in the book of Jeremiah, I discovered that God has a direct line for everyone who wants to talk to him. I call it God’s phone number. It is JER-333 – Jeremiah 33:3, which says, “Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”(The Message)

Prayer has always been a big resource in my life. However, there are times that for some reason or another, my prayer life would take a hit and I would be self-absorbed and not talk to God as much. Maybe you have heard the phrase: “Seven Prayerless Days Makes One Weak.” It is true! We are the weak and vulnerable when we are not calling God. Someone said, “He who is a stranger to prayer is a stranger to power!”

A Sunday school teacher asked her students, what is prayer? One student replied, “That is a message sent to God at night and on Sundays when the rates are lower.” As funny as this sounds, it is simply not true. God is always available. 24/7. Toll Free. No drop lines. No dead zones. No call waiting. No pressing 1, 2, or 3 to get God…He is always the one to answer. Proverbs 15:29, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.”

One teenager’s view of prayer: “God answers prayer four ways: yes, no, wait awhile, or, you’ve got to be kidding!” I laugh at this, but in every situation, God answers no matter the request. We may not like how He does it, when He does it, or what He decides to do, but He will answer you. God is in the knowing us business and will do what is BEST for us. Trust Him. Talk to Him. Be Faithful to Him. Pray often and then pray some more.

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian