Did You Know?

Today, we continue our journey through the mission of our church (Make disciples of Jesus that worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly) as we think about passionate worship.  There is one verse that comes to mind today as I think about worship.  In the context of Isaiah's (43:19-21) praise, he says ... "I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they might proclaim my praise."  Did you know those last few words ...  "the people I formed for myself, that they might proclaim my praise."  You and I were made to worship God ... and we were made FOR God.  What does this mean?

As a pastor, I hear people say things like, "I worship best when it is quiet and peaceful."  Others say, "I worship best when we are singing a peppy song with a good beat."  I have heard many of these statements over the years.  Do you see a pattern here with these two statements?  They both begin with the word "I."  They both reflect feelings about the setting or the context.  And while setting and context do make a difference, I wonder if we are all focused on our preferences, and we forget that Isaiah said ... worship should flow from our very being, our very soul, because it is totally about what God is doing (and what God has done).  So ... here is my question for today.  Do you consume worship, or does worship consume you?

C. S. Lewis, in the book Screwtape Letters, speaks about how demons distract, divert, and destroy.  In a nutshell, he says that the demon's goal is to get those in church to focus on flaws.  The shoes or dress of the person next to me.  The little noises that might distract me.  The things I imagine about the pastor, worship leaders, musicians, and other worshippers.  These things take us away from the point ... God's presence in His Spirit and the truth of His word.

We will sing a song in the 1st service this week.  It is an old Matthew Ward song.  The words go like this ... "My God is faithful, my God is truthful, my God is boundless, in all He is.  My God is wisdom, my God is righteous, my God is vision, for all who seek.  So I will worship You, in the beauty of holiness, and I will worship You, for the things You've done in me, and when my life's complete, I'll place my crown at Your feet, and I will worship You on bended knee."  That last line is truly Biblical, because most of the Revelation (that last Bible book we confuse and obfuscate) happens in the context of a worship service, all focused on the Lamb that was slain ... who He is, what He is doing, and how He will bring all things round right.

On Sunday, come to service allowing God to set your attitude, lead you to a greater altitude, and teach you the new things of Isaiah 43 (helping your aptitude).  Come to a holy God ... the one who made you, and the one who created you for worship.  For, as is also stated in the Revelation, He is worthy!  AMEN

Of Jesus

Last week we talked about disciples and our call to make disciples.  But there is one little phrase in the Abbeville Methodist mission statement that bears highlighting.  It is 2 little words ... "of Jesus."

I served a church back "in the day" that wanted new members.  It was their focus to grow the church.  So I spent considerable time and effort to bring in community members living near the church.  The community had a diverse population (I know 'diverse' is a bad word these days, but bear with me), so at one of my events, people came who didn't meet the criteria that the church leadership was seeking.  It seems that the church wanted people like them.  They weren't comfortable with the poor, the people of color, or the people who came in bringing their needs.  While I could be critical of them using many statements of Jesus, today I remember Jesus speaking with the Pharisees in Matthew 23.  Here's what He said ... "What sorrow awaits you, you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees!  Hypocrites!  For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are (Matthew 23:15)!"  There is no doubt Jesus is passionate about this issue.  And we should be too!

Let's break this down.  First, Jesus directs His ire at the church of His time ... the Jews (specifically their leadership).  There is no doubt that these leaders have forgotten a very important issue.  The law, the church, the gathering of people, the fellowship, the worship, and the liturgy should be ... 

1. About God - Focused on God, founded by God, ordained by God.

2. For the good of the people - The church is about leading us into practices (internal and external) that are beneficial to us and to the people we encounter.  Remember the Great Calling from last week ... "be a blessing (Genesis 12)."

Jesus looks out at His Church and says, "it is good" much like God did as He created the heavens and the earth.

Second, Jesus correctly calls the Pharisees "Hypocrites."  The Greek term means "wearers of masks."  The leaders of the church are not what or who they seem.  And their motives are counter to God's intended purpose.  Jesus, the Son of the Living God, stands before them, and they view Him as a threat, even when they see irrefutable evidence of His anointing.  

Third, Jesus sees the activity of the leaders as "self-serving."  They point to themselves, the law, the structures, and the institution of the church.  They are not bringing people to the one who "gives them rest, for His burden is easy, and His yoke is light (Matthew 11:28-30)."  They are purveyors of emptiness ... not abundance.

Finally, the path they offer brings people closer to hell, not heaven.  Like my little church I served long ago, their desire was to replicate more of themselves ... not "disciples OF JESUS."

As we focus on the mission of the Church, let's remember several important things.  If we are disciples of Jesus, we are those who lead others to Christ ... not to us.  C. S. Lewis speaks of discipleship in a beautiful way.  His vision of being a disciple of Jesus is to become our new, uniquely gifted, worshipful, loving, and bold follower of Christ.  He says, Satan wants cattle he can herd into the gates of hell.  Jesus wants followers who know and learn love by choosing Jesus, worshiping Jesus, loving like Jesus, and witnessing about Jesus through changed lives.

Remember OUR mission.  We "make disciples of Jesus who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.  Remember those 2 words ... "Of Jesus."

On A Mission From God

In the classic movie The Blues Brothers, Jake and Elwood proudly declared that they were “on a mission from God.” It’s a funny line, but it also sparks a serious question: how do we really know when we are on a mission from God?

Here are a few guiding truths:

1. God’s Mission Statements Are Found in Scripture

The Great Commission – “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded” (Matthew 28:19–20).

The Great Commandment – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).

The Great Requirement – “The Lord has told you what is good … do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

The Great Calling – “You and your descendants will be a blessing to all nations on earth” (Genesis 22:18).

That’s a lot! But together, they define who we are and what we are called to do.

2. We Apply These Statements Personally and Together

It’s not just about believing them—it’s about living them. Each of us can apply these truths in our daily lives, and together as the Church we can embody them in the world.

3. Our Global Methodist Expression

For us as Global Methodists, this means embracing our mission: to make disciples of Jesus who Worship Passionately, Love Extravagantly, and Witness Boldly.

This Sunday, we’ll begin exploring this “mission from God” by focusing on making and being disciples.

A disciple is more than a student—they are a follower, devoted to their master. In Hebrew lore, disciples walked so closely behind their teacher they could taste the dust from their master’s sandals. That closeness requires not only devotion, but also discipline. Hebrews 12 reminds us: “God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).

Think of someone in your own life—maybe a pastor, a coach, or a parent—who shaped you through teaching, example, discipline, and relationship. That’s discipleship. And when we follow Jesus, we are both disciples (followers) and disciple-makers (witnesses).

We are, in every sense of the word, on a mission from God.

Let’s make it happen!

Where You Stay?

When I went to work in Mobile, Alabama in the 1990's, one of my drivers asked me, "Where you stay?"  I thought for a minute, and told him, "out west of town, off Airport road."  In bus driver talk, this was a perfectly adequate answer.  But, in spiritual talk, I think it is a much better, and more complex question and answer.  Where, actually, do I stay?

Last Sunday, we talked about Abram's (later to be Abraham) trip from Ur to Canaan.  In Hebrews 11, Abraham is inducted into the "Faith Hall of Fame," because he obeyed and went.  The writer of Hebrews gives a list of reasons for Abraham's honor, saying:

1. Obedience - He obeyed, even though he didn't know where he was going.

2. He went - Sometimes we speak the words ... Abraham applied the words and took action.

3. He lived in God's plan - Abraham set up shop in the promised land (Canaan) even though the residents of that land opposed him.

4. He lived in hope - God promised Abraham the solid foundation of God's presence, blessing, and protection.

5. He stayed in the Kingdom - Abraham lived, loved, struggled, and thrived in God's Kingdom, where God rules, sends, calls, and nurtures His people.

I love the words of the writer of Hebrews as he calls Abraham (after listing his faithful accomplishments) "as good as dead" before these amazing deeds!  Abraham, in his old age ... in his childless marriage ... in his comfort ... in his wealth ... in his influential position ... didn't stay dead.  Instead, he lived!

When I read all this, I can't help but remember our state as we come to God.  Paul calls us "dead in sin (Ephesians 2)."  Yet, God calls us to see what Hebrews calls "a better country" and a "city with foundations built by God."  So, here are our questions for this week.

Do you see that city?  Are you a proud resident of this culture, or are you willing to live in the land to which God is calling you?  Jesus defines this, and even calls us to pray for it, saying "on earth as it is in heaven."  Jesus talks about it all the time, describing the "Kingdom of God" and its attributes.  Where you stay?

Excitement, Danger, and Blessing

Sunday, Ryan Blalock will be singing a beautiful song written by Andrew Peterson.  It is called, Canaan Bound, and is a musical expression of God's promise to Abraham.  If you remember, God sent Abraham away from the safety, security, and abundance of his land in Ur, to travel to an unknown land God said "flowed with milk and honey."  The land was Canaan, and God gave it to the nation of Israel over 4,000 years ago (bet you won't hear this on the national news).

In the song, the writer speaks about the promise of offspring to "barren Sarah."  The song, correctly, talks of blessing for following and obeying God, including 1) amber crowned hills of Hebron, 2) many sons like the grains of sand, and 3) a vast love that has chosen Abraham.  All of these things come as a result of God's plan, God's design, and God's unstoppable will.  The song, and the subject are beautiful!

So ... 2 questions.  First, are you founded on the wisdom of culture and drawn to a false God that bends the knee to human logic?  Or, are you standing on the solid rock of Christ, who promises excitement, danger, and blessing as we follow him to the land He has promised us?

I guess we have to decide where we are bound.  Are we bound in the chains and throes of culture, that offers nothing eternal?  Or are bound for Canaan, "where the grass, they say, is soft and green, and the trees are tall and honey-filled?"  Are we staying or going?

Scaffolds

In our current series about Moving Mountains I have been encouraging us to reflect upon and change those things that are barriers to God's Supernatural work in/through/around us.  As school begins, there is an educational term that comes to mind.  That term is "scaffolding." The idea of scaffolding is that education is a series of building blocks.  Lower levels of knowledge are foundations for higher levels of knowledge.  You can't do math until you understand numbers and counting. You can't do language till you understand phonetics and the alphabet.  You can't learn music theory till you know notes and terminology.  And here's my eureka moment ... you can't know what you believe or who you believe in till you know the basics of the faith.  Knowledge needs those building blocks in every application ... so why do we think this is different in our faith journey?

Here's my point.  A pastor or teacher builds a structure for a Bible Study lesson or a sermon series.  Part of that structure is a foundation about where he/she is going with the teaching or message.  Yet, our society is fragmented, scattered, and fleeting, like a butterfly moving from flower to flower.  Our cultural condition causes us to be hit-or-miss with our listening availability.  The message or the lesson is diminished and/or diluted because sections of the scaffolding are missing.  The building either doesn't happen, or the building is unstable because sections are missing.

I imagine this problem happens at all levels of education, but it seems (to me) amplified when applied to something our culture fails to prioritize and embrace.  And I think Satan loves when he (or when we) can remove one of those building blocks or sections of scaffold.  So ... that's my venting.  What do we do?  In the Methodist Church, we learn from what John Wesley called "Means of Grace."  Wesley encouraged the people called Methodists to:

1. Engage in 2-way prayer, both sending and receiving from God.

2. Believe God's word/words over the voices of the culture ... that is where truth is found.

3. Study ... always be a student of Scripture, learning as individuals and in community settings.

4. Worship, because corporate worship is one way God builds those foundations and scaffolds.

5. Serve, because in serving we become giving humans, and we learn to interact, compromise, understand, and love others.

6. Participate in worship and the sacramants, because they are sacred by the presence of God ... and what Christian would not want to be in God's presence?

7. Fellowship because part of the learning "scaffold" is learning how to do life with other people.

9. Love God and others as we love ourselves.

10. Witness by being ready to share how God is impacting and changing us for the better.

I truly could go on listing all day, but this is a good start.  Parents ... bring your children/youth every week unless there is calamity that keeps this from happening.  Make sure you find out what was studied, and pass it along to your children.  Adults ... make sure you are part of a Bible Study Fellowship or Disciple Group and stay engaged in that study.  Don't miss a building block!  Christians ... follow the advice of the writer of Hebrews who said, "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His returning is drawing near (Hebrews 10:25)."  Our gifts (according to 1 Corinthians 12) are for the purpose of BUILDING up the Church.  Let's build, so we can realize the fullness of God ... the length, breadth, height, width and power of a supernatural God!  

The Room

Jesus, in His last statement from Matthew 28 (verse 20) says ... "And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Mostly, we interpret this as being a time thing.  But what if this is one of those really big, and really small statements of Jesus?

C.S. Lewis posed that God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, are the only beings in the universe big enough to exceed the size of the universe (and even that 'time' thing) and yet small enough to enter a human heart.  As I was considering this, I thought of a Tasha Cobb song called "In The Room."  Here are the lyrics ...

I'm not forsaken, never alone

The God of Heaven calls me His own

He's not just seated, upon the throne

I know He's right here, inside my home

I've got a treasure here in my heart

And in my weakness, it won't depart

I have a Savior who will abide

He's not just with me, He lives inside

When we sing this on Sunday, we will rejoice in the beauty of this fact ... "He's in the room!"  In the room of our heart.  In the room of the Family Life Center.  In the room of our church building.  In the hearts of those who leave to live out Jesus when they leave worship.  In Belize, where we share love and ministry with Ed and Arita Lemas.  In Costa Rica, our Costa Rica mission team will share a testimony this week] where we shared a little of life with David and Pamela Knapp.  In all the places, locally and internationally, where we become "acolytes" that carry Jesus and the Holy Spirit out into the world.  He's in the room!  I hope I can get an amen!