Help Wanted

No, I am not hiring anyone. But I do want your help. Pastor's Training Institute Round 3 happens in less than three weeks and, so far, only about 35 of the 75 pastor-trainees have been financially sponsored.

That leaves 40 Ethiopian men in need of room and board at $40.00 apiece. Can you help? Please send your gift as soon as possible, earmarked "PTI-3" to:

Christ Community Church
P. O. Box 795

New Albany, MS 38652

"Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth." 3 John 5-8 (emphases mine)

Silly Birds

A couple of weekends ago, some neighbors invited our family to a pig roast (yeah, we have those in the city!). While the children played and the pig did his version of The Twist over an open flame, I struck up a conversation with one of the guests. From Switzerland, my new friend was quite a pleasure to talk to. We spoke of geography, language, culture…and religion. And, during what was a really constructive discussion of Christ and the Bible, he volunteered the following observation:

I wouldn’t so much consider myself religious. My wife and I go to
church a few times a year. But, quite honestly, the church we go to seems
phony. People come in, and then they go out just the same as they
were. There is no challenge. They are giving me the word of God
through all sorts of video presentations; there is a rock band playing music;
everything seems to happen on stage…like a show. I don’t need that.
I can go to the symphony orchestra if I want to see a performance.

Wow! What an indictment. Plastic religion. All the things that church leaders think will attract crowds of lost people have actually turned off this very successful and well-put-together 30-something. He went on to describe his attendance at a little Protestant church as he grew up in Switzerland. I’m not sure what that church believed. But the people all knew one another. The preacher was a normal guy just trying to teach the Bible, not come across as slick and innovative. The songs were actually sung by the congregation. It was probably the opposite of cool. But it held (and still holds) a strange attraction for this young secular professional.

I invited him to Pleasant Ridge. I think he might just find what he needs right here in this simple group of people. I don’t know if he will come, but I do know his comments helped me tremendously. They reminded me that substance always wins over style. And they got me thinking about Hosea 7.11: “So Ephraim has become like a silly bird, without sense; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.”

Ephraim (Israel) had become silly! Instead of being the wise nation that pagans came to when they needed help or guidance (as they had been in the days of David), now the people of God were copying their unbelieving neighbors. ‘What can we find among the Gentiles that will make us successful? What can we do to get them to like us?’ Doesn’t that sound like contemporary American churches? Always seeking to become like the world—so they will like us. Polling the world about what would make church more interesting. Taking the marketing tactics of the business world and Hollywood and dressing them up in Christian clothes…and, in many cases, coming off quite ‘successfully.’ But—to those who are actually looking for substance (like my Swiss friend)…and especially to God, who sees the end from the beginning…we look like so many silly birds, flitting excitedly from one branch to another, but never actually building a nest.

Remember that the next time you’re trying to build a gospel friendship. Unbelievers don’t need (nor do they really want) a church friends who are trying to be happening and likeable. They need a church family that will be strangely, but lovingly and wonderfully, different…and challenging!

7th Commandment Links

Here are some of the resources I am pointing our folks to in regards to the command: "You shall not commit adultery":

• Covenant Eyes - An internet accountability tool
• Matthew 5.27-32 - And my sermon on it
• Girl Talk blog, Modesty Tag - Particularly the Modesty Heart Check
• Josh Harris's books - I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boy Meets Girl, Not Even a Hint (recently retitled Sex is not the Problem, Lust is)
• Southwest Airlines - One encouraging trend in a 'sex-sells' culture
• 1 Corinthians 7 - Especially verses 3-5 and verse 9
• CCEF's booklets on various sexual sins (and how the gospel overcomes them!)

Preaching as Duet, Part 2

Last week we considered preaching as a duet. True preaching, we said, is not simply God speaking to man; it is also God speaking through a man. And, by the same token, true preaching is not merely a man speaking about God; it is also a man speaking from God. In preaching, there are parts that only God can sing. But there are also parts that only the preacher can sing. And if either part is missing, it will be poor preaching. Having considered the part of the preacher a week ago, let’s now think (from 1 Thessalonians 1.5) about the part that God, the lead vocalist in the preaching duet, must sing. Again, here is the text of 1 Thessalonians 1.5:

Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to
be among you for your sake.

So, what parts of the preaching duet can only be sung by God?
If the preacher is singing a solo, the people will go away unmoved. His unaided voice is simply not strong enough to stir the heart. What we need is for the strong voice of God to fill the room…so that the preacher seems almost to be singing only background vocals.

First, we need Him to open our hearts. In 1 Thessalonians 1.4, Paul reminds the Thessalonians of God’s “choice” of them. As was the case with Lydia (Acts 16.14), we need the Lord to open our hearts to the things spoken by the preacher! If He does not do so…the preaching will fall on deaf spiritual ears…and only serve as a witness against us at the judgment seat. But if the word is to benefit us, we need God’s help in hearing! Every Sunday, we need Him, as it were, to place a spiritual hearing aid in our ears that would isolate and magnify His voice amid the din of worldly distractions.

Beyond that, the preacher needs God’s help, too! He needs to preach “in power and in the Holy Spirit”—and only God can make that happen! The preacher cannot control the moving of the Spirit any more than the weather man can control the wind! So God the Spirit must choose to join the duet! And we (preacher and congregation) must plead with Him that He would!

But what does it mean to preach “in power and in the Holy Spirit”? Is all preaching done that way? If so, Paul would have had no need to call attention to the fact that his preaching held these characteristics. So it is possible to preach without the Spirit and without power. So, rather than assuming that because we have a Bible preacher, he must be preaching with power…let’s ask (with an intent to pray): What does Paul really mean when he says he preached “in power and in the Holy Spirit”?

Here is what I believe Paul means. Preaching “in power and in the Holy Spirit” seems to refer to God’s granting of an unusual weight, force, or power in preaching that is not present in even the best merely human oratory. There is preaching where the mind is informed (and that is important!). But then there is preaching where the mind is informed and the soul, the will, the emotions are stirred…and lasting fruits result. That is when God has added His rich baritone to the song! That is when we have heard true preaching. And that is what we need to pray for!

Preaching as a Duet

A few weeks back (from 1 Thessalonians 1.5), I emphasized that preaching is a duet. In other words, true preaching is not simply God speaking to man; it is also God speaking through a man. And, by the same token, true preaching is not merely a man speaking about God; it is also a man speaking from God. So preaching is a duet. There are parts that only God can sing. But there are also parts that only the preacher can sing. And if either part is missing, it will be poor preaching. Over the next two weeks, I want you to think that through with me. Begin with a reading of 1 Thessalonians 1.5:

Our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to
be among you for your sake.

So, how is preaching a duet? What parts must the preacher sing? And what parts can only God sing?

First…what part must the preacher sing?
Yes preaching is mainly about God speaking. But there are parts that the preacher must play. He must, first of all, preach the word. “Paul’s gospel did not come…in word only”; but it did come “in word”! Paul did have to speak (so preaching is still vitally important in this entertainment oriented age). And Paul did have to preach the “word”. This is how God chooses to speak through a man—when that man speaks from the revealed word—the Bible!

The preacher’s part is also to preach “with full conviction.” He must really mean what he says. He must cherish it. He must believe it and be willing to act on it. And He must preach it passionately! Does that mean that every preacher needs to be a screamer? I hope not! But it does mean that preaching is not merely the passing along of information. Preaching includes emotion…passion…concern for souls…love…“full conviction.”

Finally, the preacher must join the duet by preaching through his example. “You know what kind of men we proved to be” says Paul. A preacher who does not preach to himself and live what he preaches may not completely cancel the show…but his off-key living will make the duet sound quite distorted; and sometimes may be so distracting that people don’t hear the lead vocalist!

Next week, we’ll come back to consider God, the lead vocalist in the preaching duet. Until then, would you pray with me that the preaching you hear this Sunday morning will be from the word, with full conviction, and backed with a holy lifestyle?