You probably hat me for writing that, but it's true. I really don't like Christmas music. I don't have a strong reason why except that it's a little too mushy and sentimental for me. I don't have any deep theological reasons for it other than that.
I do have one exception though. I absolutely love Michael W. Smith's first Christmas CD. That peice of work is awesome! It's the only one for me that captures the majesty of the moment without being so sentimental. It rests on the glory of the incarnation and not that "look at the cute little baby Jesus" syndrome like you see in the movie Talledaga Nights.
I guess writing this out I stumbled on something meaningful though. I think Christians miss the glory of the moment that we call incarnation. We fail to see the majesty of babe. Many of us celebrate it but few of us are like the wise men and bend our knee to him.
That would be my Christmas present to you. May you see the majesty of Jesus in the manger this Christmas.
If Christmas music helps you do that, more power to ya!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Items You Will Not Find in the Bible, Part 1
Item #1: The Sinners Prayer
Nowhere in the Bible will you find the prayer that many people are taught to say to intiate their faith in Jesus Christ. Peter didn't do it in Acts 2 when the people asked how to place their faith in Jesus. He didn't ask the crowd to bow their head and raise their hand and say a prayer stating that "I'm a sinner, that I need God, and I invite him into my heart." Instead he said, "Repent and be baptized." In Acts 22 when Paul shares what Annaias said to him to initiate his faith in Christ. Ananais didn't have Paul repeat the sinners prayer after him. Instead, Annais said to Paul, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." For that matter, no one was asked to come down to the front of the church either and announce their faith to all. That's an invention of early American revivalism.
How did, the "Sinners Prayer" come about then? It really is an American invention. Somehow, it came to replace the role of baptism in the New Testament. D.L. Moody was the first to employ it back in the 1800's. It was not popularized though until the 1950's with Billiy Graham and the Campus Crusade for Christ. The phrase personal Savior is a late invention as well. It's not in the Bible either. This phrase was made popular by Charles Fuller during the 19th century revivalism. This phrase has led to a intensely individualized expression of faith. The New Testament doesn't teach just a me and Jesus routine. Christianity is a life lived out among believers who know Christ together as Lord and Savior.
In the early church baptism was part of the initiation of faith. Certainly, God responds to prayers of faith, but just as circumcision initaited Abrahams faith in God so does baptism initiate our faith in God (Colossians 2:11-12). In the New Testament, as soon as someone said they believed in Jesus they were baptized.
Is their something wrong with the sinners prayer? No, not of itself. It is a prayer of faith, but it certainly does not replace the role baptism was intended to have in the New Testament. Baptism and faith belong together. Those who believed and repented were baptized. This is the pattern of scripture. It is how someone came to faith.
You may ask, isn't baptism a work? How can it initate faith? Doesn't Paul say we are saved by faith and not by works? Yes, he does, and rightly so. The New Testament though doesn't see baptism as a work. That came later. In the early second century influential teachers said that before someone could get baptized the person had to go through a period of instruction, prayer, and fasting. In the 3rd century converts had to wait three years before they were baptized! Suddenly, baptism became something you had to work in order to experience. It was no longer perceived as part of grace, but as a work.
Okay, are we not saved by the blood of Jesus, and not baptism? Emphatically yes! This doesn't negate the role of baptism though. The two are actually linked together. Romans 6:3-4 shows how. Listen, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized ino Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we to omay live a new life." (NIV)
What about the thief on the cross? He wasn't baptized and Jesus said he would see him in paradise. The thief wasn't baptized. Well, did the thief say a sinners prayer? Did he repent even? Did he say he was sorry for his sins? Understand, Jesus often forgave sins in his ministry on earth. He did it to the man who came through the ceiling too. He didn't come to ask Jesus to forgive his sins. He wanted to walk again, but Jesus forgave him anyway. Jesus can forgive anyone he wants to any way he wants too. He's God. He is the perfect judge over all.
It doesn't negate the pattern that was set down by Jesus to the apostles before he ascended into heaven. He told them to go into all the nations and to baptize people in the name of the Trinity. He didn't tell them to say a sinners prayer. That's why Peter said what he said in Acts 2, repent and be baptized. Jesus instituted it, and the early church practiced it as the intitiation of faith.
Can we do the same?
So if you are person that has said the sinners prayer but have not been baptized then you need to complete the initiation of your conversion (and be baptized)!
Nowhere in the Bible will you find the prayer that many people are taught to say to intiate their faith in Jesus Christ. Peter didn't do it in Acts 2 when the people asked how to place their faith in Jesus. He didn't ask the crowd to bow their head and raise their hand and say a prayer stating that "I'm a sinner, that I need God, and I invite him into my heart." Instead he said, "Repent and be baptized." In Acts 22 when Paul shares what Annaias said to him to initiate his faith in Christ. Ananais didn't have Paul repeat the sinners prayer after him. Instead, Annais said to Paul, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name." For that matter, no one was asked to come down to the front of the church either and announce their faith to all. That's an invention of early American revivalism.
How did, the "Sinners Prayer" come about then? It really is an American invention. Somehow, it came to replace the role of baptism in the New Testament. D.L. Moody was the first to employ it back in the 1800's. It was not popularized though until the 1950's with Billiy Graham and the Campus Crusade for Christ. The phrase personal Savior is a late invention as well. It's not in the Bible either. This phrase was made popular by Charles Fuller during the 19th century revivalism. This phrase has led to a intensely individualized expression of faith. The New Testament doesn't teach just a me and Jesus routine. Christianity is a life lived out among believers who know Christ together as Lord and Savior.
In the early church baptism was part of the initiation of faith. Certainly, God responds to prayers of faith, but just as circumcision initaited Abrahams faith in God so does baptism initiate our faith in God (Colossians 2:11-12). In the New Testament, as soon as someone said they believed in Jesus they were baptized.
Is their something wrong with the sinners prayer? No, not of itself. It is a prayer of faith, but it certainly does not replace the role baptism was intended to have in the New Testament. Baptism and faith belong together. Those who believed and repented were baptized. This is the pattern of scripture. It is how someone came to faith.
You may ask, isn't baptism a work? How can it initate faith? Doesn't Paul say we are saved by faith and not by works? Yes, he does, and rightly so. The New Testament though doesn't see baptism as a work. That came later. In the early second century influential teachers said that before someone could get baptized the person had to go through a period of instruction, prayer, and fasting. In the 3rd century converts had to wait three years before they were baptized! Suddenly, baptism became something you had to work in order to experience. It was no longer perceived as part of grace, but as a work.
Okay, are we not saved by the blood of Jesus, and not baptism? Emphatically yes! This doesn't negate the role of baptism though. The two are actually linked together. Romans 6:3-4 shows how. Listen, "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized ino Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we to omay live a new life." (NIV)
What about the thief on the cross? He wasn't baptized and Jesus said he would see him in paradise. The thief wasn't baptized. Well, did the thief say a sinners prayer? Did he repent even? Did he say he was sorry for his sins? Understand, Jesus often forgave sins in his ministry on earth. He did it to the man who came through the ceiling too. He didn't come to ask Jesus to forgive his sins. He wanted to walk again, but Jesus forgave him anyway. Jesus can forgive anyone he wants to any way he wants too. He's God. He is the perfect judge over all.
It doesn't negate the pattern that was set down by Jesus to the apostles before he ascended into heaven. He told them to go into all the nations and to baptize people in the name of the Trinity. He didn't tell them to say a sinners prayer. That's why Peter said what he said in Acts 2, repent and be baptized. Jesus instituted it, and the early church practiced it as the intitiation of faith.
Can we do the same?
So if you are person that has said the sinners prayer but have not been baptized then you need to complete the initiation of your conversion (and be baptized)!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Stuck in Growth
Can I share something with you? I feel stuck!
Our church is really maxing out the Y facility, so it would be good to go to a bigger facility with better classrooms for our children. The problem the building in Suffolk are so limited and the price range to build on some land is way out there.
We need room to grow but we do not have the resources to take the next step.
I hear a big word calling... FAITH! I think our congregation this next year is going to have to take a huge step of faith to go to the next level. The question I have is this, Am I willing to do it? Is the church I serve willing to do it?
We have some options before us though. All require faith...
1. The downtown jazz building, $539,000. Will it fit our church? Will it be good for growth? Can we afford the payments? What about the heat bill and the renovations that will have to be made?
2.Buy land and build... but land prices are steep with new businesses coming into town.
3. Go to two services at the Y. This looks like the suicide option to me. It would require coming in at 6:30 AM and not getting done until 12:30 PM. Plus I've never heard a church of about 125 going to two services. That seems a little CRAZY to me!
Whatever the case... we're going to have FAITH this year. I think when i came here we started out on hope, and we developed a community of love, and now for the final piece- FAITH.
God, help me see what I don't see!
Kirk
Our church is really maxing out the Y facility, so it would be good to go to a bigger facility with better classrooms for our children. The problem the building in Suffolk are so limited and the price range to build on some land is way out there.
We need room to grow but we do not have the resources to take the next step.
I hear a big word calling... FAITH! I think our congregation this next year is going to have to take a huge step of faith to go to the next level. The question I have is this, Am I willing to do it? Is the church I serve willing to do it?
We have some options before us though. All require faith...
1. The downtown jazz building, $539,000. Will it fit our church? Will it be good for growth? Can we afford the payments? What about the heat bill and the renovations that will have to be made?
2.Buy land and build... but land prices are steep with new businesses coming into town.
3. Go to two services at the Y. This looks like the suicide option to me. It would require coming in at 6:30 AM and not getting done until 12:30 PM. Plus I've never heard a church of about 125 going to two services. That seems a little CRAZY to me!
Whatever the case... we're going to have FAITH this year. I think when i came here we started out on hope, and we developed a community of love, and now for the final piece- FAITH.
God, help me see what I don't see!
Kirk
A Thought About Christian Leadership and Tiger Woods
I've heard a lot of talk about how Tiger Woods as a role model has let so many people down, especially the kids that look up to him. What kind of role model is he playing out before them? The whole debate arises again on the idea that role models should be people we emulate. We know Charles Barkley answer to that question.
I also found it interesting about how Tiger wanted to be so private. I can understand that as a mega world star. I think I would be fighting for my privacy as well.
But in the midst of the argument I was hearing on the ESPN radio I had this thought.
Christian leaders do not have the luxury of privacy. As my grandmother said being a christian leader is like living in a fishbowl. Why is that?
Simple. Paul gave us the model of leadership when he said to his followers, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
When someone is following you you kinda lose that privacy virtue. It requires you to be open and authentic not just with your faith, but your life. Jesus said himself a student is not above his teacher.
That's my thought on Tiger Woods, I wish I could argue for his luxury sometimes, but I have a higher calling than a golf pro.
I also found it interesting about how Tiger wanted to be so private. I can understand that as a mega world star. I think I would be fighting for my privacy as well.
But in the midst of the argument I was hearing on the ESPN radio I had this thought.
Christian leaders do not have the luxury of privacy. As my grandmother said being a christian leader is like living in a fishbowl. Why is that?
Simple. Paul gave us the model of leadership when he said to his followers, "Follow me as I follow Christ."
When someone is following you you kinda lose that privacy virtue. It requires you to be open and authentic not just with your faith, but your life. Jesus said himself a student is not above his teacher.
That's my thought on Tiger Woods, I wish I could argue for his luxury sometimes, but I have a higher calling than a golf pro.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Christians forgiving Christians
It has been my experience that many times Chritians have the hardest time forgiving other Christians. We're quick to forgive the sins of non-Christians, but Christians? That's another story.
Wonder why?
You who have been foriven much, forgive much.
Kirk
Wonder why?
You who have been foriven much, forgive much.
Kirk
Erring on the Side of Grace
Celebration has a value that I want to communicate to you.
If we err, and we will, we will seek to err on the side of grace.
I hear all the time of such horror stories of churches who treated people with such rigidity.
Here is my value stustem. If I err I will seek to err on the side of grace, faith, hope, and love.
After all ever hear of church that had too much grace, too much faith, too much love, too much hope.
I'd love being part of a church that makes these kind or errors.
Kirk
If we err, and we will, we will seek to err on the side of grace.
I hear all the time of such horror stories of churches who treated people with such rigidity.
Here is my value stustem. If I err I will seek to err on the side of grace, faith, hope, and love.
After all ever hear of church that had too much grace, too much faith, too much love, too much hope.
I'd love being part of a church that makes these kind or errors.
Kirk
Monday, November 23, 2009
Forgiving the Church
Yesterday I spoke on forgiveness. My hope was to get you to move from your perspective on forgiveness to God's perspective on forgiveness. God's perspective on forgiveness is this: You have been forgiven much, so you forgive much.
Not long ago I was introduced to a great guy. As our conversation progressed he proceeded to tell me that he was not interested in attending church. He said he believed in God, Jesus, and was a faithful follower. The church though, was not part of his faith. He said that he had been been hung out to dry too many times. He and his wife had been deeply wounded by this experience. So he was through with church. He wasn't going to do that again.
He loved Jesus. He just didn't love the church Jesus died for. Well, I take that back. It's not that he didn't love the church as an institution, but the people in it, that's another story.
This conversation, plus preaching about forgiveness Sunday, brought this thought to mind. First, why do church people hurt other church people? Then second, why do Christians have such a hard time forgiving other Christians?
First, why do Christians hurt each other? Well, the answer in front of our nose is we have a mission we are very passionate about and those passions can lead to confrontations. Those confrontations can lead to power plays, turf wars, and personal insults. It just ends up that people hurt each other.
I think another factor the equation is spiritual immaturity. When people have issues of pride, immorality, do not speak the truth in love, and are self-centered problems can easitly arise.
You see this other relational based organizations too, such as sports teams. It seems though for a sports team we will allow coaches and other players to taunt and humiliate in the name of the game. If I treated my church family like a lot of coaches treated their teams I would be fired.
I always wondered about that. I always thought eternity was more critical than a game. You would think we would invite criticism and push each other harder so we can see faith, hope, and love triumph over all. Sorry, gotta little diverted there.
Secondly, why do Christians have such a hard time forgiving each other? I thought to myself, after talking to my new friend, that he will never get over the hurt he had at church unless he learns to forgive those people. He will carry that pain around all his life until he does so. He probably knows that. He just isn't practicing it.
I don't have an answer for that. We are to be the ones that demonstrate Christ's forgiveness to the world by our forgiveness towards each other. We have been forgiven much, so why don't we forgive much?
Here is my conclusion (After I said I don't have an answer, ha!): most Christians are not all that close to Jesus. I heard the wonderful Timothy Keller speak about this in August. He spoke on the parable of the prodigal son. In it he said Jesus gives out two paths to God. The son who left home and the son who stayed home.
Both were rebellious. The youngest son was rebellious outwardly. The older son rebelled at home.
Mr. Keller made the point that most Christians are like the older brother. Why did he rebel? He rebelled because he thought he deserved the big party and not the the younger brother. After all, he earned it. Because of this attitude the older brother never had a relationship with his father at all. Therefore he wasn't able to show grace to his younger brother. He never knew the grace of his father.
That is why I believe Christians have a hard time with forgiveness. They really don't know their heavenly Father, who has forgiven them so much!!!!
Like I said yesterday, if you're going to have the ability to forgive, you gotta know the Forgiver! I just hope churches are the place where people practiced forgiveness in incredibly gracious ways.
Kirk
Not long ago I was introduced to a great guy. As our conversation progressed he proceeded to tell me that he was not interested in attending church. He said he believed in God, Jesus, and was a faithful follower. The church though, was not part of his faith. He said that he had been been hung out to dry too many times. He and his wife had been deeply wounded by this experience. So he was through with church. He wasn't going to do that again.
He loved Jesus. He just didn't love the church Jesus died for. Well, I take that back. It's not that he didn't love the church as an institution, but the people in it, that's another story.
This conversation, plus preaching about forgiveness Sunday, brought this thought to mind. First, why do church people hurt other church people? Then second, why do Christians have such a hard time forgiving other Christians?
First, why do Christians hurt each other? Well, the answer in front of our nose is we have a mission we are very passionate about and those passions can lead to confrontations. Those confrontations can lead to power plays, turf wars, and personal insults. It just ends up that people hurt each other.
I think another factor the equation is spiritual immaturity. When people have issues of pride, immorality, do not speak the truth in love, and are self-centered problems can easitly arise.
You see this other relational based organizations too, such as sports teams. It seems though for a sports team we will allow coaches and other players to taunt and humiliate in the name of the game. If I treated my church family like a lot of coaches treated their teams I would be fired.
I always wondered about that. I always thought eternity was more critical than a game. You would think we would invite criticism and push each other harder so we can see faith, hope, and love triumph over all. Sorry, gotta little diverted there.
Secondly, why do Christians have such a hard time forgiving each other? I thought to myself, after talking to my new friend, that he will never get over the hurt he had at church unless he learns to forgive those people. He will carry that pain around all his life until he does so. He probably knows that. He just isn't practicing it.
I don't have an answer for that. We are to be the ones that demonstrate Christ's forgiveness to the world by our forgiveness towards each other. We have been forgiven much, so why don't we forgive much?
Here is my conclusion (After I said I don't have an answer, ha!): most Christians are not all that close to Jesus. I heard the wonderful Timothy Keller speak about this in August. He spoke on the parable of the prodigal son. In it he said Jesus gives out two paths to God. The son who left home and the son who stayed home.
Both were rebellious. The youngest son was rebellious outwardly. The older son rebelled at home.
Mr. Keller made the point that most Christians are like the older brother. Why did he rebel? He rebelled because he thought he deserved the big party and not the the younger brother. After all, he earned it. Because of this attitude the older brother never had a relationship with his father at all. Therefore he wasn't able to show grace to his younger brother. He never knew the grace of his father.
That is why I believe Christians have a hard time with forgiveness. They really don't know their heavenly Father, who has forgiven them so much!!!!
Like I said yesterday, if you're going to have the ability to forgive, you gotta know the Forgiver! I just hope churches are the place where people practiced forgiveness in incredibly gracious ways.
Kirk
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