Be Offensive In Love (Part 1)

Posted on January 31, 2015 by ccpastormike

Thus says the Lord of hosts,“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the Lord. “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace”’; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’ Jeremiah 23:16-17

Are you a watcher? I mean do you pay attention to the times we live in? Are you aware of the shift in what is considered to be polite and impolite conversation culturally speaking? Let me zero in specifically on evangelism. Have you noticed the huge shift in the methods of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

I believe that many of the new approaches to evangelism are not well thought out and lack clear biblical support. The reason so many of these new emergent and hipster strategies are gaining a foothold in churches is because too many Christians have succumbed to new definitions of old words. Our society has determined that new definitions are needed in order to rationalize ungodly behavior. A case in point is the word tolerance.

In America tolerance once meant that everyone had a right to express their viewpoint and everyone had a right to disagree with a viewpoint. Today tolerance means that everyone has a right to express a viewpoint as long as it is a socially acceptable viewpoint. In other words, if you hold a viewpoint that is contrary to what the society at large believes, you are not free to express yourself. If you are brave enough to try then you will be met with a very hostile “shout down” by the more enlightened people in our midst.

This has clear implications for telling other people about Jesus Christ. It has become increasingly impolite and in fact culturally incorrect to speak about anyone “needing” Jesus. The Christian faith is being systematically muted by self-appointed “elites” and apparently many Christians are ok with this development.

I will be addressing this development in a five-part series of thoughts entitled, “Be Offensive In Love.” Stay tuned for Part 2.

God bless you today friends.

Gourmet Meal or Crumbs?

Posted on January 25, 2015 by ccpastormike

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Ephesians 5:22, 25

“Love makes the world go round” is a cute adage that is simple in its message but deficient in explaining exactly how that works. Love is as the poet says a “mysterious thing” and something that is both fleeting and enduring. Love has the capacity to satisfy the soul like a gourmet meal or it can starve the one who receives only crumbs.

Let me cut to the chase here folks. How would you describe your relationship with your spouse? Would you give it a thumb up or a thumb down? I don’t mean is everything going great right now because truth is, almost every marriage has a few pot holes every now and then. What I am asking is this – is your marriage on solid footing? Is the foundation of your spousal relationship solid?

If you cannot say “yes it is,” then let me encourage you today to begin the process of evaluating why. The decision to begin to build a solid foundation for your marriage may be an individual one, but to make it happen takes team work.

Taking the necessary steps to construct, restore, or repair a damaged marriage must begin with determining to love your spouse even though they may be behaving in an unloving way. Let me issue a caveat here – I am not suggesting that you should accept abusive behavior in the name of love, and that includes physical, verbal, or emotional abuse. But I am suggesting that you live the truth that love is not primarily an emotion. It is a decision in the biblical sense. So determine to honor your covenant vows to love your spouse through the thick and thin of life.

Next, determine to be honest and transparent with your spouse. This will require a generous amount of trust. Some information will be hard to share and the fear of being judged can be a tremendous weight. Press on anyway. If not initially, your spouse will in time see that your love for him/her outweighs the hurt, because the goal in being honest with one another is to begin to build accountability, which ultimately leads to trust.

When trust is an integral part of the marriage relationship then you are able to overcome those things that previously were stumbling blocks. In effect you are being equipped to demonstrate love in the biblical sense. Friends, your spouse deserves the best you can give not the left over crumbs.

That is a transforming truth.

Throw A Matthew Party

Posted on January 10, 2015 by ccpastormike

“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples.”

Matthew 9:9-10

Most of us enjoy parties. We love the friends, food, and interaction between people who are gathered together at the invitation of their host. Parties are a great American tradition where the stressors of life are momentarily set aside and a healthy dose of laughter, conversation, and encouragement is bountifully supplied.

Did you know Jesus enjoyed parties too? Our focus passage highlights one such event held at Matthew’s house. Apparently after Matthew was called by Jesus to follow Him, the first thing he did as a new disciple of Christ was to throw a party. But this wasn’t just a party with no purpose. Matthew’s party had a clear intention.

Note the invitation list for Matthew’s party consisted entirely of Matthew’s former co-workers and peers who are described simply as “tax collectors and sinners,” as well as Jesus and the few disciples who were following Him at that time.

What we see in this narrative is a heart overflowing with love for Jesus. Matthew’s life had been fundamentally changed by Christ’s love for him and so one of Matthew’s first actions was to extend an invitation to his former colleagues and acquaintances to come and experience the same life change in Christ.

How do I know this was a purposeful strategy of Matthew? By the words Jesus spoke at the party to some who criticized His presence there with sinners. Here is what Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:12-13). Jesus understood clearly what Matthew wanted for his friends.

Friends, the next time you throw a party be sure to invite some of your unbelieving friends along with some friends who are able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a conversational fashion. Be intentional with your guest list. That is how you throw a “Matthew Party.”

Mike’s Mix For Your Weekend Reading

Posted on January 4, 2015 by ccpastormike

Studying to grow in your knowledge of the Lord is important. In the age we live in it is easy to find many more resources than you will have time to read. I want to encourage you to read intentionally in 2015 and to give time to meditate upon what you are reading so that Christ might be magnified in your life and in the lives of all those you have contact with.

This list is a small sampling of what I found interesting and/or thought-provoking this week.

Mike Leake is inviting folks to read through a book about John Newton written by John Piper throughout 2015. Sign up at Borrowed Light.

Steve Brown’s Key Life ministry blog features an article by Justin Holcomb entitled Why New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work.

Tim Burns continues to provide great biblical content on his blog Preach The Word.

Greg West manages one of the best apologetics blogs aptly called The Poached Egg, a play on CS Lewis’ famous quip concerning the moral character of Jesus Christ in light of His claims to be God. You will be hearing much more about The Poached Egg from me this year as we coordinate our efforts to reach more people and provide them with the tools to make Jesus known in every place God grants us favor.

I pray that your 2015 will be blessed of the Lord friends. Let’s strive together for the King this year.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Continue reading →

Pastor You Must Be A Theologian (Part 1)

Posted on December 29, 2014 by ccpastormike

Of interest to many pastors, ministry leaders, and church support organizations is the rise in the number of people who consider themselves to be “nones” and/or “dones.” The “nones” group is comprised of people who respond to questions related to religious affiliation with “none.” The second group is comprised of people who are “done” with the Church as an institution. It is not my intention here to detail and discuss the myriad reasons for these responses. I mention them because I think they share a common root cause.

A large percentage of the nones have never darkened the door of a church. Their knowledge of Christianity is based solely on what they happen to observe on television or hear their friends or family discuss. The dones are on the other end of the spectrum. They have for the most part been raised in the Church, have been active in various roles, and still profess faith in God even though they no longer attend any Church services. Many opt instead for home fellowships or other gatherings of believers in an informal setting.

What do these groups have in common? Simply they both want a message that matters and neither group is hearing one. The nones among us are not necessarily anti-Christian. Indeed spirituality is at an all-time high in America so there is a large percentage of seekers among the nones. Unfortunately the modern Church is more concerned with feeding God’s people the latest self-help pop psychology wrapped in Christian garb than it is teaching God’s Word faithfully book by book and chapter by chapter in a systematic and comprehensive fashion. The competition is fierce in the self-help category with the likes of Oprah, Chopra, and Osteen carrying the day. No wonder nones aren’t listening to the religious equivalent of this group of new age icons.

The dones likewise long for a clear declaration of God’s truth through a matter-of-fact exposition of the text. A large number of pastors have rejected a deep dive into the Scriptures and an equally challenging presentation of the biblical texts. Their weekly offering of the Word falls well short of being spiritual food and nourishment for God’s people. This is so because God must be the focus of our exposition and Christ the answer to the issues we face. When the focus becomes people, their problems, and the steps they must take to regain their happy life, a concoction of spiritual poison has been brewed and dispensing that week after week will guarantee a Laodicean church.

King David declared in Psalm 19:7 that “the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” This entire chapter is devoted to general (v. 1-6) and special (v. 7-13) revelation. The point in verse eight is that God’s Word is sure because it is trustworthy. It is trustworthy because it corresponds to reality. In other words, God’s Word speaks with razor sharpness concerning our common human condition and provides the same clarity when it comes to what remedy He has provided for us.

Pastors, it is time to scale again the mountaintop of biblical exposition and declaration. God has called you to that task, He has supplied you with all you need to perform it, and the people He has entrusted to your care must have it. We are called to be theologians and shepherds not a self-esteem masseuse or motivational coaches.

This is the first installment in a five-part series entitled “Pastor You Must Be A Theologian.” Stay tuned for more.