For Your Edification

Here is a song that I hope will minister to you as it did me.

I am thankful for the deliverance, redemption, and forgiveness that the blood of Jesus has brought me. It is His blood that qualifies me to share in an inheritance I am completely unqualified to possess.

I've Decided I'm Not Going to Church Any More

It has been far too long since my last entry. My apologies to those few who wait with baited breath to read this blog (Yeah, right.)

Yes, you heard me right: I am not going to church any more.


After finishing the gospel of Mark, I decided that it would be best for my own personal study and for the sanctification of the people of ABC to know "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say.


I am not sure about you, but I cannot stand it when you watch a movie and it ends with unresolved conflict or storyline, only to have to wait for a sequel which almost NEVER is a good as the original. Such is not the case in this situation. To leave the disciples gazing into heaven as Jesus ascends to the Father would be obscenely. I wanted to see what happened next. What happened next is called the book of Acts.


The study of the book of Acts has truly been one of the most satisfying of my walk with Jesus. It has also been one of a sobering reality check on how far the church of God has deviated from its original nature and purpose. The early church was defined by the apostle's doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers; and now, the church is more about social agendas, personal ambition, self-reliance, and seperation from anyone who isn't JUST like "us." The church used to be of "one accord" and strive to meet the needs of all who were found within the household of faith; now, we are more interested in finding fault with one another and making excuses we CAN'T fellowship with this or that church.


It used to be that hypocrisy was condemned and treated as an infection to God's people as in the case of Ananias and Saphira; now, we don't want to step on anyone's toes and discipline sin amongst us in fear of losing numbers or being labeled intolerant.


Heaven forbid that we be told that becoming a member of a local church is a necessity and not a nicety; or that it's not enough to just fill a seat or pew, but that God ACTUALLY has something for you to do. All of us have made similar statements to these:


          "I go to... Church."
          " My church is located at...."
          " When is the last time you went to church?"
        
Probably the one thing that has resonated with me the most so far in my study of Acts is that I need to change my perspective on "church". Someone recently asked me, "Ryan, what church do you go to?" My simple reply was, "Well, I actually don't go to church." My unorthodox answer received the desired response I was looking for. They quickly replied, "But don't you pastor a church?" "Yes", I said, "but I don't go to church; I am the church. The church isn't a building; it's people."


Some of you might be thinking that I am overstating my point or that I am being nit-picky; just hear me out. Have you ever thought about when church became something we did and somewhere we go instead of something we are? It's almost as if our identity is defined by a building and not our relationship with Jesus Christ. Are we only the church within the walls of the church's building? Instead of the sign reading First Baptist Church or First Presbyterian Church, shouldn't the sign read Home of First Baptist Church or Meeting Place of First Presbyterian Church?

 I remind myself and the church with whom I have the privilege of shepherding, "It doesn't matter where or when- you ARE the body of Christ in all places, at all times." We have the glorious privilege to come together as the church on Sunday to do that which we have been (or should be) doing personally the rest of the week. We have lost our identity; we have lost sight of our purpose.


I challenge you to reevaluate how you look at the church. Instead of it being an exercise in religion, let it be an exercise of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Church isn't something we do; it is something we are.

Stop going to church; be the church every single day to the glory of God.

RV

What is TRUE success?

There is something that has been on my mind for quite some time that I would like share with you.

Just recently I was reading a list of the most influential and successful people in America today. A list that included such names as Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Phil Knight, Mark Zuckerburg, Warren Buffett, and Tiger Woods. Webster's Dictionary defines success as this:

 The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted; The gaining of fame or prosperity; Having a favorable outcome.

Let me ask you this simple question,  Who is more successful: A person who works at McDonalds and loves God and His people, or a person who is living the American Dream and has nothing to do with God? Your answer to this hypothetical reveals your idea of success.
I am not going to mince words or sugar coat it; I have to be honest with you: I am sick and tired of hearing Christian parents boast of the successes of their children who display a hatred for God. I recently heard a certain Christian parent shower their child with praise for achieving their goals and aspirations in life. Pushed under the rug are the facts that they have nothing to do with God's people, they do and listen to anything they want, they associate with others that openly reject Christ, and they mock those who love the gospel. And yet, they are a success? I would humbly submit to you that this one is nothing more than a collosal failure in God's eyes.

It is appalling the level of parental apathy when it comes to the spiritual condition of their children. Either excuses are made to rationalize their child's rebellion away, or the parents refuse to acknowedge its existence. I believe it has more to do with excuse making than anything else. I also find it troubling that some Christian parents have come to equate their child's attained personal ambitions with true success. These are not the same, at least, not in God's eyes. I have no quarrels with Webster's definition; my concern is that this definition has been contextualized by our culture. Context aside, the ideas of success, value, worth, and prosperity are not human in origin.
So then, what is TRUE success?

I am thinking of that great statement by God's servant Joshua in Joshua 1:8,

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so  
that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and  then you will have good success.

Consider Psalm 19:7-10 and Proverbs 3:1-6:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success (reputation) in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

If I am understanding these passages correctly, prosperity and success are determined by how saturated one's life is by the Word of God. Success and value is found in a Christ-initiated relationship. Sadly, our definition of success is not shaped by the sufficient Word of God, but by our media-driven culture. It is God who declares someone or something to be a success. Our value is found in the imputed righteousness of Christ. If not for God and His Word, we cannot be successful. We as parents must teach our kids that their success is determined by God and not by this world.

So let's take Webster's definition and contextualize it by the truths of Scripture: The achievement of something (relationship with God thru His Son) desired, planned, or attempted; The gaining of fame (with God) or prosperity (in Christ); Having a favorable outcome (restoration and eternal fellowship with God).

Now that's TRUE success. 

Has the Gospel become too familiar?

Greetings from Chicago: A place that has LESS snow than Greenville, SC.

These past few weeks have been a time of great examination in my own life. It has been a tremendous privilege and blessing to have spent these past 15 months or so studying the Gospel of Mark. I have been consumed in chapters 14-15 for the better part of two months now and  cannot escape the reality that I have allowed watercooler theology to cloud my purpose.

Let's be honest: The more familiar something becomes to you the less appreciative you are of it. I grew up in Vermont, one of the most beautiful states in all of the U.S. Thousands of people come every year to experience the beauty of that which I had at my disposal my entire childhood. And yet, because I saw the mountains every day and experienced the autumn foliage every year, its beauty and majesty was lost in my familiarity of it. I had taken for granted that which others greatly desired.

I think this is what happens to the gospel in our lives. We become so familiar with the gospel that it becomes unfamiliar. We know it; we can even preach it; but do we really love it? Do we stand back in amazement and say, "How can this be? I have never seen something so beautiful."

I found this animation a couple days ago and was reminded of how complacent I had become with Jesus. I'm usually not one for theatrics, but this song and visual helped renew my understanding of Christ's substitutionary atonement for me. I trust it will do the same for you .

O Church, Arise

 What a song to help remind us of our purpose as the body of Christ. Have we not as a whole lost our focus and identity as the Church? There is a call: A call not to cultural relevance, political correctness, or religious tradition, but to obedience, faithfulness, and proclamation of the good news of Christ Jesus. May you and I prepare each day by putting on the armor of God to boldly wage war with out enemy.

The Transforming Power of the Gospel

Romans 1:1-16

A few years ago my grandmother, Marion Parrish, went home to be with the Lord. While not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, my grandmother was an amazing woman. Because of her age and health, the choice was made to have her live with my family in South Carolina. After complications arose from a knee surgery, her health rapidly began to deteriorate. I spoke with her one night not long after the surgery and within a few hours she was unable to verbally communicate or open her eyes. I drove all night from Chicago to my folk’s home in order to see her before she passed. She endured for a few more days and then quietly went into eternity. I was there when she drew her last breath; I will never forget it. All my life I had prayed for her to be reconciled to her God. What unspeakable joy came over me the moment I found out that, before she had lost her ability to communicate, she professed her faith in Christ alone for her salvation. I was later given the great honor of presenting the eulogy at her funeral.

The word eulogy comes from the Greek word eulogia (eu, good; logia, words). It is a time of remembrance and tribute; paying homage to one of who displays greats  character.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. Have you ever been placed outside of your element? My grandmother was a devout Catholic for most of her life. So here I was giving this eulogy in front of a mainly Catholic audience, with a priest sitting behind me, an idol of the Virgin Mary directly behind me, and one of Jesus to my left. It sincerely was one of the most difficult moments of my life. I usually have no reservations with public speaking. I have preached in front of hundreds; I even spoke to twelve hundred college students while attending Bob Jones University, but I had never been as apprehensive to speak as I was that day. This was my grandmother; someone who had devoted her life to her family and to her grandchildren. This was a woman who for her entire life found her salvation in her church and yet had placed her faith and trust in her Savior hours before she breathed her last breath.

It was an honor and privilege to speak those good words concerning my grandmother. But do you know what was even more glorious than the joy of eulogizing my grandmother? It was the honor and pleasure of proclaiming the good news of her Redeemer. I cannot imagine the difficulty with which it would have been to stand there realizing that she was now in a Christ-less eternity. It was then no longer an opportunity to speak good words of my grandmother, but an opportunity to speak of the good news of Jesus Christ. I did just that while standing under an idol to Mary. What victory.

 It is unbelievable that 2010 is already over. It is astonishing that I have been shepherding God’s people for almost 18 months. He certainly has been good to us this past year. As we look forward to the New Year, I want to share with you what I believe God would have our theme to be here for the coming year.  This past year the emphasis of our ministry was on Christ, our Foundation ( I Cor. 3:9-11). I have entitled the theme in 2011 for our church simply, The Gospel Changes Everything. This idea involves our intimate understanding of what the Gospel is, and what purpose it has in our lives.

What is the Gospel?

There are many views within Christendom today as to what the Gospel entails. What I want to do is to make known what the Gospel is precisely. The importance and significance of the Gospel is lost without the proper understanding of what it is. The word gospel is derived from the Greek word euangelion:  The prefix eu, meaning “good” and the word angelion, meaning “message or news.” The verb form of this word (euangelizo) is where we get our idea of evangelism.  The Gospel is simply the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is all-encompassing: It is the good news of His miraculous incarnation; it is the good news of His earthly ministry; it is the good news of His atoning death; it is the good news of His victorious resurrection; it is the good news of His interceding work on our behalf; it is the good news of His unchanging character.  

Not only is it important to understand what the Gospel is, but it is as vitally important for us to comprehend the value of the Gospel in our lives. As I was contemplating these things I came across two quotes that aptly capture the value of the Gospel:

The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine… Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually. – Martin Luther

The default mode of the human heart is to work on our behavior and outer appearance, but the gospel changes us at the heart level. To grow, we must understand the difference between religion and the gospel, and apply the gospel to our hearts to confront the idols at the root of our sin. - Tim Keller, The Prodigal God

The Gospel is that which brings real change in our lives. It is the only message that brings true, genuine hope.

It’s popular at this time of year to make resolutions to change aspects of our lives that we think will bring us satisfaction. The simple fact is, is that those changes are NEVER permanent, nor do they ever bring REAL happiness. They are purely idols that we fashion to bring fulfillment in our lives. And let’s be completely honest: What priority does your relationship and fellowship with Jesus have in your 2011 list of goals and resolutions? I fear that for most of us, He has either not made our list, or He has been placed somewhere between losing weight and spending more time with your family. The good news of Jesus Christ MUST have priority in our lives. Do you want change in your life? Do you want permanent transformation in your life? Then is you must make the Gospel a priority in your life.

What exactly does the Gospel transform?

The Gospel transforms our perspective.

The Gospel transforms our perspective of our circumstances.  Consider Romans 8:24-28.  So much of our life depends on our perspective. We either see our circumstances as an excuse for depression and anxiety or we see them as a means by which God displays His grace and mercy. When we view our lives through the lens of the good news of what Christ has done, we realize that God’s plan for us doesn’t end with our salvation. Our redemption is for a purpose: We are redeemed to live a life that glorifies our Savior. We begin a process of growth at salvation that reveals a genuine change in our perspective. We desire to be like Christ; not just on Sundays, but every single day we have breath.    

                                                                                                                                                                               The Gospel of Jesus Christ transforms our perspective on the seriousness of sin. It has personal implications for each one of us. Are you familiar with the song, How Deep the Father’s Love for Us? Notice the message of the second stanza:

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

When the Gospel takes root in our hearts we begin to appreciate how serious our sin is and the price that Jesus paid on our behalf. That He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our sins (Isa. 53). We are shaken at our very core by the ultimate, unconditional love of God demonstrated toward us, who deserved nothing but His condemnation (Rom 5).                                                        

 The Gospel transforms our perspective of ministry. The good news of Jesus not only provides us with hope of God’s intervention on our behalf but also on the behalf of others. This is what I mean: when we are at work, at home, at church, or at play, we see everyone as a living soul-destined to live for eternity. When you and I grasp the soul-transforming power of the Gospel, we understand that Jesus died not only for us, but He died for them as well. We begin to have a soul-consciousness with those we come in contact. We proclaim the transforming Gospel to others because it has first transformed us from within.

The Gospel transforms our priorities

Consider Philippians 3:7-14. You see, as we grow in our understanding of the Gospel our priorities begin to change. Everything that we counted as valuable before salvation is less of a concern now that our priority is our walk with Him. We desire a more intimate relationship with Christ, to know the power of that relationship, to have fellowship with His sufferings.

I’m not saying that it’s wrong to want to spend more time with your family or to lose weight; what I am saying is   that if those are your priorities above your relationship with Jesus your priorities are misguided.

The Gospel transforms our purpose

Notice II Cor. 5:9, 14-17. The Gospel transforms our motives for life and ministry. The love that Christ displayed for us controls us; it compels us to live a certain way; it drives us to glorify Him in all that we say and do. It is that which changes our hearts and deepest intentions. The depth of our understanding of the Gospel will determine whether or not our purpose is to be religious or Christ like. When you and I understand the ramifications of what Christ has done, we aren’t interested in being religious. Please don’t make the mistake of equating the two; for they are diametrically opposed. Our purpose is to love the Lord our God with ALL of our heart, with ALL of our soul, with ALL of our mind, with ALL of our strength. Why? Not because you have it within yourself to initiate that love, but because He loved you first.

The Gospel transforms our position

Again, see Paul’s admonition in II Cor. 5:17-21. Paul says we have been reconciled to God. We were alienated from our Father by our own sinfulness, choosing the mire of the pigs over the lavishness of His love. And the moment we come running to initiate the restoration of our relationship, we find our Father already waiting for us. We are not restored to indentured servitude; we are adopted back as beneficiaries to all the rights and privileges of the Father.  The Gospel changes our position from condemnation to justification; and from justification to sanctification; and from sanctification to glorification.  

 The good news of Jesus is not just something that we know; it is something that we live; it’s something we proclaim with our words and with our actions. We are, as Paul says, ambassadors of the Gospel of Christ. We are active dispensers of the grace of God that was once shown to us. We display the good news of Christ because the good news resides within us. My grandmother is in heaven today because of my family’s faithfulness to the Gospel of Christ.

 When you and I grasp the weight and magnitude of the Gospel, it affects every aspect of our lives. It changes everything about us. My question to you is what impact has the Gospel made in your life? What priority does Jesus Christ have in your outlook for this coming year?

O Great God by Sovereign Grace Music

Here is another song that I  recommend to those of you who are looking to incorporate Christ-centered, Gospel-proclaiming modern  hymns into your personal worship. We sing this song at Anchor with just a piano accompaniment and it is truly soul-stirring. The great truths of the Gospel proclaimed in a simple, reflective prayer.