Backward, Christian Soldiers

Some of you may know the hymn, “Onward, Christian Soldiers.”  It’s a great Christian battle hymn.  Well, someone took that hymn and turned it inside out to depict churches who are moving backward instead of onward.  May this serve as a deterrent—may this not be said of any of us Christians!

Backward, Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.
Christ, our rightful master, Stands against the foe
Onward into battle, we seem afraid to go.

Chorus
Backward, Christian soldiers, Fleeing from the fight,
With the cross of Jesus, Nearly out of sight.

Like a might tortoise Moves the church of God.
Brothers we are treading, Where we've often trod.
We are much divided, Many bodies we,
Having different doctrines, but Not much charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the cross of Jesus Hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never 'gainst the Church prevail,
We have Christ's own promise, but we think it might fail.

Sit here then ye people, Join our sleeping throng.
Blend with ours, your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort Ask from Christ the King,
But with our modern thinking, We won't do a thing.

Source Unknown.

The Main Issue Between Evangelical Christianity and Mormonism

Andy Naselli gave an interview to Christianity.com about whether Mormons are Christians.  This three-minute video crystallizes what the main contention is between evangelical Christianity and Mormonism—the issue of what is authoritative. 



Andrew David Naselli is Research Manager for D. A. Carson and Administrator of Themelios. He earned two PhDs before he turned thirty: a PhD in theology from Bob Jones University and a PhD in New Testament Exegesis and Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School under D. A. Carson. He has taught New Testament Greek at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and he currently teaches Bible and theology as adjunct faculty at several colleges and seminaries. He has published nearly twenty articles, forty book reviews, and a few books.

Follow-Up Links from Sunday’s Sermon (12.4.2011)

Hello, ARBC Family:

Praise God for a wonderful Sunday morning!  The Spirit moved through His Word and two joined our family of faith!  A great start to a new chapter of ministry.

Here are some articles and messages from other men who can help us understand more about the gospel as rescue as well as the doctrine of the Virgin Birth.  I hope they are of benefit to you!

• The Gospel Saved My Life (Tullian Tchividijian)
• Must We Believe the Virgin Birth? (Albert Mohler)
• The Virgin Birth (John Piper)
• The Virgin Birth (John MacArthur)
• The Life of Jesus: The Birth (R.C. Sproul)
• The Virgin Birth of Christ (Steve Weaver)

Lottie Moon International Missions Emphasis 2011: His Heart, His Hands, His Voice

Tomorrow begins the Week of Prayer for International Missions as called for by the SBC’s International Mission Board (IMB).  Many churches are being very creative in how they raise funds for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  This past Friday night, Arapahoe Road Baptist Church’s senior adults held an auction of homemade donated items that did really well and was for a great cause.  (What have some of your churches done to raise money for missions?)

Below are some statistics given by IMB to give us an idea of what Southern Baptists are doing—but also the work that’s ahead to reach all the unreached people groups for Christ.  (For more Fast Facts, click here.)

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Field personnel under appointment (11/16/11): 4,887

   Career/apprentices:  4,254

   2-yr. ISC/Journeymen/Masters: 633

Field personnel appointed 2010: 381

   Career/associates/apprentices: 215

   2-yr. ISC/Journeymen/Masters: 166

Student volunteers 2010: 4,100

Overseas baptisms 2010*: 360,879

Overseas churches 2010*: 163,756

Overseas church membership 2010*: 3.1 million

New churches 2010*: 29,237

People groups engaged**: 763

Unreached People Groups not Engaged**: 3,629

World population 2010**: 6.8 billion

 

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) goal for Christmas 2010 is $175 million.

LMCO receipts for Christmas 2010 was $145.6 million.

*data from 2010 Annual Statistical Report, reflecting status end of 2009
**data from Global Status of Evangelical Christianity August 2011

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These statistics bring home the fact that much work needs to be done in reaching the unreached people groups of the world.  It’s more than simply making a one-week trip, but it’s about making an investment.

I’m grateful to the International Missions Board for their dedication to promoting, rallying, equipping, and sending missionaries to the nations.  But the main weapon God uses and will use in reaching the unreached is our local churches.  No longer can American Christians simply throw money at the issue (as much as that is needed to fund those who are called), but we need to rally and rise up to reach the nations.

The Nations are our Neighbors

Today, I had the chance to meet with nine others at a church member’s house to hear Wes Tucker who has a passion to reach Muslim college students for Christ.  He goes up and down the range in Colorado, making good inroads at Colorado State University, and hopes to make inroads in area colleges here. 

Over and over, it kept coming up that the nations are our neighbors due to the great influx of international students coming to study here. 

At my previous church (Boone’s Creek Baptist Church in Lexington, KY), J.D. Payne came to speak at our Neighbors to the Nations Sunday on how the nations are our neighbors.  He notes: “The United States is the world’s largest migrant receiving nation–absorbing 20% of the world’s annual international migrants.”  I recommend you going and reading up on his presentations about this issue.  Maybe God will stir your hearts to be neighbors to the nations among us. 

Getting Ready For Sunday Morning

Recently, I put up a Facebook status saying, in essence, how helpful it would be for us to start getting ready for Sunday worship on Saturday evening—and cut down on the TV, Facebook, or other things that distract us from being alert and ready the next morning.  I received a lot of interesting feedback.  Yet, it would be good for us to consider some practical ways to prepare ourselves for our times of corporate worship:

Turn off the television on Saturday evenings!  What is there on network television or cable that lifts up the mind to heavenly heights?  I struggle with this, especially during football season because ABC usually has a great game on with kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EST.  But I must.

Turn off the computer.  So much information, so many helpful (and unhelpful) websites, so many sites that help us network (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter ), means so many ways to distract.  Psalm 119:15-16 is a helpful tonic. 

Lay out your clothes and church materials the night before.  “What will I wear?  What will the kids wear?  How about this?  No, this doesn’t fit anymore?  Where are my/your/their shoes?  Oh no, my shirt isn’t ironed!”  As a father of four, there is no shortage of things that can deter you from making it to church on time.  Take time the night before to lay your clothes and your small children’s clothes out the night before.  You will be amazed at the amount of time this saves for Sunday morning (and how much of our attitude is helped by this).

Take time to pray with your family about the service the next day.  Our children (and ourselves, too) need to realize the mammoth importance of corporate worship before God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Go to bed and get up at a good hour.  If you have to be at morning Bible study at, say, 9:45, and you are married or have children, getting up at 8:30 will not help.  Getting up at 8:00 is better.  It’s good to leave 30-45 minutes on average for each person in your house (women usually take longer than this, men usually take shorter, along with your children’s dress, the brushing of teeth, the meals, etc.).  We have six at our house—so we get up at 6:30-6:45 out of necessity. 

Have some Christian music or some Scripture on.  For me, Isaac Watts hymns, Sovereign Grace Music, or even Elvis Presley singing the hymns (yes, you read correctly) help focus the mind.   Having the daily Scripture from the ESV site read to me is priceless as well.

Take time that morning to read through the morning’s sermon Scripture.  I post this in our monthly newsletter for this reason—so we may prepare our minds and hearts to receive that Word.  Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor of FBC-Grand Cayman, recommends that we spend time each day doing this (Acts 17:10-15—let’s be Bereans!). 

Enter into your morning Bible study expectantly ready to receive the Word.  Same with morning worship.  Allow nothing to distract you from your time of worship (Psalm 100).  Even well-meaning fellowship before the service may distract from our focus and concentration as we ready ourselves to hear God’s revealed Word.

What other ways have been helpful for you in getting ready for Sunday worship?

Pastor Matt

Sermon Series for December 2011 at Arapahoe Road Baptist Church: Christmas is All About. . .

 

 

December 2011 starts my ministry at Arapahoe Road Baptist Church in Centennial, Colorado.  With that comes the question that arises in the minds of all new pastors: what should I preach on when I first arrive?  With ARBC, not only will we celebrate the Incarnation of Christ (Christ taking on human form) but also have our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.  So with this, I am starting a series entitled, “Christmas is All About … .”  Below is the description on the flyer at ARBC.

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Winter wonderlands. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose! And don’t forget about bells jingling, halls being decked, and Santa watching every move you make! This is what Christmas is all about—at least that’s what most of the songs say! We know that Christmas is ultimately not about weather, terrific traffic, or presents under the tree. It’s about Christ coming on a rescue mission to save His people from their sins!

Sunday, December 4: Christmas is About a Rescue Mission by Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25)

Wednesday, December 7: Christmas is About Exposing Rebellion against Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12)

Sunday, December 11: Christmas is About a Relationship with Jesus (Galatians 3:23-4:7)

Wednesday, December 14: Christmas is About Recognizing Christ’s Work (Luke 1:5-38)

Sunday, December 18: Christmas is About Rejoicing in Christ (Luke 2:1-20)

Sunday, December 18 (PM): Christmas is About Receiving Christ (John 1:1-18)

Invite your FRANs (friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors) so they will know what Christmas is all about—it’s all about Jesus!

You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ²³ "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:21-23, ESV).

Six Tips for Your Leadership Honeymoon (Sam Rainer)

Sam Rainer is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Murray, Kentucky and President of Rainer Research.  He wrote an excellent article about the ‘leadership honeymoon.’  I found that much of what Rainer writes chimed with me regarding this transition to ARBC.  I thought this would be appropriate for my first official day here and will serve as a good framework for me to begin my service to Jesus Christ here at ARBC. 
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A new season of ministry brings no shortage of emotions: Excitement, stress, and a burning desire to accomplish something. Any major transition in life can put people on edge. Leaders, in particular, face the challenge of visibility during these times of transition. The people are learning the new leader’s verbiage, mannerisms, vision, and leadership style. The leader in turn is assessing organizational structure, relationship dynamics, and culture. In many organizations, leaders are more visible during this process than at any other time. This honeymoon stage is a time of high visibility for the leader, but it is also usually one during which people are most forgiving.
Those in church leadership positions are probably familiar with the honeymoon stage. For most, this time is one in which the people are excited to rally around and support a new leader. But it is also a time in which problems are simmering unseen, waiting to surface once the honeymoon fades.
During the honeymoon, leaders have a tendency to revert to default modes. Some leaders default to a more autocratic leadership style; others lean towards a style that is too gracious and laissez faire. One of my leadership defaults is assessment. During the honeymoon stage, I lean towards over-assessing and over-analyzing. While leaders should assess a new ministry during a transition, the pitfall is understanding exactly who and what to assess. In order to prevent cruising in default mode, there are some good practices for the honeymoon stage. I’ve listed a few below.
1. Learn to love the people. Some people in the church are easy to love. For others, it takes a little more time and spiritual commitment. But all the people need to see their leadership as loving. It does not matter what leadership role you play in an organization or ministry, followers like to know who is leading them. Learning the people takes a lot more time on the front end, but this process is invaluable in the long term. Big, transformational changes are much easier if you know people’s stories.
2. Celebrate little victories. In a time of transition, don’t jump into unnecessary major changes. Start your tenure by pointing out small victories. Vocalizing the successes of others not only builds people up, it reinforces expectations in a positive way.
3. Don’t be afraid to point out some of your idiosyncrasies. Everyone has foibles. And people pick up on them quickly. Show levity by admitting them to others in a tactful way. If you tend to ramble, then tell people, “I like to think out loud.” Communication will be easier earlier if leaders recognize their own quirks.
4. Maintain a long-term mindset. A long-term mindset is critical to lead any group of people. Organizations are complex organisms that cannot be digested all at once. A lack of a long-term commitment will squelch any potential for a leader to act in a transformational capacity.
5. Get to know the community. You cannot lead a church without knowing the church. Additionally, you cannot lead a church to reach the community unless you know the community. One of the best windows of opportunity to talk with community leaders is during the honeymoon. And one way to make an immediate impact is to ask them about their biggest needs.
6. Enjoy it. Perhaps the quickest snare to trip is stress. If you maintain a long-term outlook, some of the early stresses (which always seem smaller in hindsight) are moderated. Therefore, enjoy loving the people. Enjoy the lack of complaints. Enjoy your community. And enjoy the privilege to serve the Creator of the universe. 
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I am so thankful to be here at ARBC.  Please pray for my former church at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church as they go through this transition time, seeking God’s will for God’s man at that dear church.
Blessings,
Pastor Matt