Category: Practical

Man Up, Fathers!

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Family, PracticalLeave a comment

Father’s Day is not only a day to honor our fathers’ but it’s also a day, as President Calvin Coolidge said,

“To impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations [and to encourage fathers] to establish a closer relationship [with] their children”[1].

President Coolidge’s point — Fathers have an obligation to their families — was not only timely in his day, but also in ours because many fathers simple aren’t manning up.

A Father’s Impact by the Statistics

According to the 2014 census Bureau 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 are living without a father. That’s roughly 17.4 million children.

While that statistic alone is astounding, it holds even greater weight when you consider the impact fathers have in the home. Nearly half — 45% — of fatherless homes live in poverty. The median income for families led by a single mother is 26k, while the median income for married families is 84k. Around 45.8% of single mothers receive food stamps[2].

Fathers, however, don’t just play a financial role in families, they also play a developmental role. In those households where fathers are present children tend to fair better cognitively, be better behaved, have a greater psychological well-being, are less likely to be delinquents and find themselves incarcerated, are less likely to abuse substances, and are less likely to be poor when they get older.

Also children who grow up with fathers in the home typically delay sexual activity, attend college, get a higher paying job, and have a stable family life when they get married[3].

There is more, but I think you get the idea: Father’s have a huge impact on their homes.

A Father’s Job Requires More than Just Being Home

A father’s job, however, is not done, just by being home. Fathers also have to be involved. One major way fathers are to be involved is by training their children in God’s Word.

In Ephesians 6:4, Paul says,

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)

We learn in this verse that Father’s are to lead their families by bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Word of God.

In order for fathers to do that, they have to see themselves as the primary spiritual leader. They can’t pawn it off on mom or the church. They have to be the spiritual leader themselves. Now that doesn’t mean mom or the church can’t instruct our children — that is not what I am saying. Instead what I am getting at is that fathers have to realize and take responsibility for being the primary spiritual leader in their household.

As the leader, as our child’s instructor, we are not only to instruct them in everyday things, but we are also to instruct them in the Word of God.

This goes for those who have children at home, and for those whose children have left the home. We are always our kids father, so we should always be teaching them. That will certainly look different when they are in the home, than when they are out, but we should always be playing a teaching role in their lives.

I can’t stress how important that is. I can’t stress how important it is for fathers to lead their families in a biblical way. I can’t stress how important it is for our society and our church for fathers to be involved in the spiritual development of their children.

A Father’s Job Requires the Power of the Gospel

But here’s the thing. We often fail at our job. I know I do. As I thought about why I fail, I realized its because I am selfish. I am selfish with my time, with my wants, and my desires. You see, instead of using my time in preparation or training, I shirk my responsibility to do what I want. You know what, I’ll continue to do that until Jesus changes my heart from one of selfishness to one of selflessness. Thankfully, Jesus will change our hearts and will continue to change our hearts.

Jesus is able to change our hearts because, unlike us, he didn’t shirk His responsibility. Instead He did exactly what the Father asked. He went to the cross as our Savior.

Those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are made into a new creation whose hearts are changed, and are consistently being changed through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Then, and only then, are we able to fulfill God’s command — to instruct our children in His Word. That tells us:

Fathers can only lead their families by the power of the gospel.

That is an important idea to grasp because it means we can’t accomplish the task God has asked of fathers apart from Him. We can’t do it by trying harder. We can’t do it by pulling up our bootstraps. We can only do it through the power of the gospel.

Instructing our children in God’s Word requires more than self-determination, it requires a changed heart and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As fathers, we have to recognize our own inadequacy. We have to recognize we can’t be the father God has called us to be in our own power. We have to recognize that because its only then that will we turn to God. It is only then that we will rely on Him and seek His power.

So we see there is not only a need for fathers to be at home and to be involved, but there is also a need to be renewed and empowered by the gospel. It is only then that fathers will lead their families as God desires.

So fathers, let’s lean into the gospel. Let’s take God’s Word seriously. Let’s be involved in our kids lives. Let’s train them, let’s instruct them in the Word of God. Let’s man up this Father’s Day.

Question for Reflection

  1. Are you your child’s primary spiritual leader?

Resources

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[1] http://www.livescience.com/10697-father-day-turns-100.html
[2] https://singlemotherguide.com/single-mother-statistics/
[3] http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/25-facts-on-the-importance-of-fathers

To Indulge or Not?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, PracticalLeave a comment

Indulge, Roses, Chocolate

Should we deny our natural desires? Should we not indulge in everything and anything? After all “food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”, isn’t it? (1 Cor. 6:13a)

The Corinthian Hedonists

The Corinthians sure thought they could and should indulge in everything and anything, whether that be sex, drugs, food, or the like. They believed if you want to have sex with someone, you shouldn’t hold yourself back because after all your body was made for sex and sex for your body. If you want to go out and have a good time, why not use some drugs because your body was made for drugs and drugs for your body. If you want to indulge in food, then indulge because after all your body was made for food and food for your body.

Many in our day believe the same as the Corinthians. We refer to them as Hedonists. Hedonism is defined as

The ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.

The Bible’s Answer

Paul, writing to the Corinthians, takes their slogan “food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food” and turns it on its head when he says,

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (1 Cor. 6:13b)

In other words, we weren’t created to indulge in whatever pleasures we want, we were instead created to glorify God in our bodies.

Why We Shouldn’t Indulge

Knowing we would quickly disregard Paul’s idea as an antiquated and uptight position moderns have moved past, Paul gives a couple of reasons why we shouldn’t indulge in every pleasure that comes our way.

(1) Our bodies are members of Christ

As members of Christ we must be careful what we participate in because we actually connect Christ to it. Paul says,

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” (1 Cor. 6:15)

It is a scary thought to think, especially when we think of what we have done, that Christ goes with us where we go. He participates in what we participate. He is connected to what we are connected. For that reason, we must be careful what we indulge in.

(2) Our bodies are the Temple of God

Paul reminds us of this idea by saying,

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor. 6:19a)

In the same way that the Temple in Jerusalem housed the Spirit of God, our bodies now house the Spirit of God. Just like the Temple was honored, our bodies should be honored. Just like immoral acts were forbidden to take place in the Temple, immoral acts should be forbidden to take place in our body. Just like the Temple was used to glorify God, our bodies should be used to glorify God.

(3) Our bodies were bought with a price

Look at what Paul says in the rest of verse 19 and on into 20,

“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19b-20)

In these verses Paul is hitting on the idea of redemption. Redemption is a marketplace term. In the marketplace slaves were bought and sold. When a slave was purchased, his ownership changed hands, and his former master was no longer his master.

That is the same thing that takes place in salvation. We are redeemed from sin, satan, and death. It is no longer our master. Instead God is our master, which tells us Christians aren’t redeemed to live how they want. Instead we are redeemed so we can live how God wants.

So instead of indulging in anything and everything, we should indulge in God. We should find our pleasure in Him and Him alone. He is the only One who will ultimately satisfy and fulfill our longings.

Question for Reflection

  1. What do you think, should we indulge in whatever we desire? Why or why not?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: What is Christian Freedom? You can listen by clicking here.

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Do We Attract Like Jesus?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical, Quotes3 Comments

Jesus’ teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day.

The Church Today

However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to the contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church.

What Does This Mean?

That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.

Question for Reflection

  1. Have you known this to be true in your own life – our message differing from Jesus’ in either word or deed?

Resources

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Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God: Recovering the heart of the Christian faith, 15-16 via A Meal with Jesus by Tim Chester, 84.

6 Qualities a Congregation Should Expect of Their Pastor

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Pastoral, Practical8 Comments

Country Church

It is not too much to say a congregation places a lot of expectations on their pastor. To give you an idea of some of the expectations churches have, I recently googled: congregations expectation of a pastor. I found that most congregations expect their pastor to be:

  • A great preacher who accurately and dynamically proclaims God’s Word, while meeting their needs and inspiring them to live for Christ.
  • A wise leader who studies God’s Word diligently, spends hours each week in prayer, is involved in the community and denomination, while at the same time they are a faithful family man, someone who is always available for counseling, and home and hospital visits.
  • A man who knows how to best meet the needs of every age group; is biblically faithful, yet never offends anyone by calling them to repent; and can rescue and revive a dying church without changing anything.

That list is just the tip of the iceberg of what congregations all across America expect of their pastor. But are these expectations realistic? Can a pastor really be all these things? Should he be all these things? More importantly: What does God’s Word tell a congregation they should expect of their pastor?

Paul in 1 Corinthians 4 lays out six qualities a congregation should expect of their pastor.

6 Qualities a Congregation Should Expect of Their Pastor

(1) A Pastor should be a servant of Christ 

Paul begins chapter 4 by saying,

“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ.” (1 Cor. 4:1a)

By using the word “servant” Paul tells us pastors are subordinates who are cater to the needs of their boss; they are helpers, assistants, servants.

Who are pastors to primarily serve?

Paul tells us pastors are first and foremost to serve Christ. I think that is an important point because it means the pastor’s primary job is to carry out the will of Jesus and not the will of the church. That’s not to say a pastor shouldn’t serve his church. That is not it at all. Pastors should certainly serve their church. But as one commentator puts it,

“When I serve Christ, I will best serve His people. When I serve His people, I may not serve Him.” — John MacArthur

What MacArthur means is that when we focus first on serving the needs of the church, we may give them what they want instead of what Jesus wants for them. While it might be easier for the pastor to give the church what they want, that is not always the biblical thing to do, nor is it always what’s best for the church.

(2) A Pastor should be a steward of God’s Word 

Look at verse 1 again. Paul starts by saying,

“This is how one should regard us, [first] as servants of Christ [to that he adds] and stewards of the mysteries of God.” (1 Cor. 4:1)

The second image Paul paints for us is that of a household steward. A household steward is someone who manages and dispenses goods to the household at the request of the owner.

Pastors are household stewards because they have specifically been tasked to manage and dispense to the congregation “the mysteries of God” or God’s gospel.

Pastors are to steward God’s gospel by making sure it is faithful taught in their church. As well as they are to dispense God’s gospel, His Word to His people.

Pastors are not to stand in the pulpit and dispense: Public opinion, or philosophical teachings; they aren’t there to give a political speech, an inspirational feel good message, or even their own opinions about how this world should operate. Pastors are not to do any of those things. Instead they are to dispense God’s Word to God’s people.

It is for this reason that I primarily preach through books of the Bible. I believe that a diet of consistent consecutive exposition is what is best for the church because it best exposes them to God’s Word, instead of my opinions or my soap boxes.

Preaching then isn’t me telling you what I know, or what you want to hear. It is instead me exposing you to what God wants you to hear – His Word.

(3) A Pastor should be a faithful worker for God

Looking again at 1 Corinthians 4, in verse 2 Paul says,

“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” (1 Cor. 4:2)

Someone who is faithful is someone who can be trusted to do what is asked of them. That’s what God wants and what a congregation should expect – pastors who are faithful to proclaim God’s Word to His people week in and week out.

In order for a pastor to be a faithful steward of God’s Word, his greater allegiance has to be to God, not to the church. That’s because there will be times when God’s message is needed but is not popular.

(4) A Pastor should be content with what God has given him.

Pastors, and all Christians for that matter, should not allow what they don’t have or what they are experiencing to get them down.

While it is easy to say we should be content, it is not always easy to practice, especially given that Paul tells us we will:

“hunger and thirst..[be] poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless…[we will be] reviled…persecuted…slandered” (1 Cor. 4:11-13).

Even though we will experience those things, we can be content knowing God is sovereign and that He has a plan for each and everyone of our lives.

As well as contentment in the worst of situations comes by looking forward to Jesus’ return, knowing He will defeat our enemies one day. When that times comes, we will not only be vindicated for our beliefs, but we will also live in a perfect world with our Savior for all eternity.

(5) A Pastor should be one others can Imitate 

Paul tells the Corinthians they are to imitate him, to mimic him (1 Cor. 4:16). He doesn’t tell them that because he wants them to get on his nerves by playing an indefinite game of copy cat. He tells them to imitate him because he knows by them imitating his speech and actions, as well as his heart for God and others, they will better follow Christ. Just like Paul, pastors should be those others can imitate.

In order to be imitatable, we have to take following Jesus seriously. When Jesus called us to be His disciples, He didn’t just call us to believe in Him. He also called us to follow Him, to live as He lives, to allow Him to direct and guide our lives. So if we want others to imitate us, we must allow the One we are to imitate to guide and direct our lives.

(6) A Pastor should provide guidance and discipline, if necessary

Pastors are given as gifts of God to teach and lovingly guide their congregations in the truth of God’s Word with patience and long-suffering (Eph. 4:11-12). They are also given to rebuke and discipline those who are unwilling to repent (1 Cor. 4:18-21).

When I say pastors are to rebuke and discipline, I do not mean pastors have the right to be heavy handed or domineering. Pastors, even when they must rebuke or discipline, must do so with love, care, patient, and compassion, just as Christ does.

Conclusion

So these are the qualities the Bible tells congregations they should expect from their pastors. They should expect them to be men who are faithful servants and stewards of the Word of God, who are content, imitatable, and ready to guide and discipline with love and patience, if necessary.

Question for Reflection

  1. Are these the qualities you expect of your pastor?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: What should a congregation expect of their pastor?

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What to Do About Divisions in the Church

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical4 Comments

Divisions

I am currently preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians. One thing I have noticed thus far is that the Corinthians were a messed up, unhealthy church. Idolatry, sexual immorality, worldly wisdom, and divisions are just a few of the things you find consuming them.

A Church Divided

One of the first topics Paul deals with is divisions. The church had divided into personality factions.

“What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” (1 Cor. 1:12)

Some in the church attached themselves to Paul, some to Apollos, others to Cephas (Peter), and still others to Christ. They each championed and bragged about their leader, even quarreling with one another at times over whose faction was superior.

As you could imagine, these factions killed church unity and damaged their ability to accomplish their mission — to make disciples.

Divisions Today

The Corinthians aren’t the only church to divide. Churches divide today and for a number of reasons.

(1) Personality Factions

One story I heard started with the deacons deciding they didn’t like the Pastor. They thought he was trying to change the church too much. Instead of seeing the value in what he was doing, they sought to get rid of him.

When they told the pastor their desire, he decided it would be better to resign instead of fighting with the deacons and causing the church to divide over whether he should stay or not. In his mind, he thought it would lessen the controversy, but it didn’t. Instead it sparked one.

The next Sunday at church husband and wives, friends and relatives were divided against each other. Instead of having service, they had a church wide “discussion” that ended with two of the Deacon’s wives fighting each other at the front of the church.

(2) Politics

Republicans don’t associate with Democrats and Democrats don’t associate with Republicans. As well as people divide over other individual political issues. Some like abortion and the sanctity of marriage are legitimate, but there are other smaller issues people divide over that they probably shouldn’t.

(3) How church should be done

What I have in mind are “worship wars”. Let’s face it everyone has their musical preference. Some prefer a more traditional approach, others a contemporary one. Still others like a blend of each. Instead of seeing the value of all, a lot of folks will take a hard and fast line and divide.

(4) The Decorations in the Church

You would be amazed as to how many fights start over something as simple as the color of the carpet or the paint on the wall, or even the placement of a flower arrangement.

The Root Cause of Divisions

The above are just a few reasons churches divide, there are many more, but if we are going to find a solution, we need to know what is at the root of these divisions, so we can attack and kill it.

I believe our sinful desire for power, control, and praise are at the root of most church divisions. Think about it. Does the color of the carpet or walls really matter? As long as it’s not something that blinds you when you walk it, is it really something worth dividing over? Likewise, does it really matter where the flower arrangement is placed?

No, none of those things matter because none of those things are going to hinder the gospel from being communicated. But people fight over them all the time. They do so because they want to be in control, and they want the power to determine what happens in the church.

As well as people attach themselves to certain personalities because they like the status it affords them. People want to be able to say, “I follow Paul” so I must be better than you.

3 Ways to Fix Divisions

We all know divisions are damaging to the church and must be fixed. Let me offer 3 ways to fix divisions.

(1) Realize we are all on the same team, working toward the same goal.

At the end of verse 10 Paul tells the Corinthians his desire is for them to “be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10b).

When Paul says that, he doesn’t mean we are all to think the same exact way about everything. Instead, what he wants is for us to put aside our competitive spirit, realize we are on the same team, and be in one accord, so we can work toward the same goal — to make disciples. Church then shouldn’t be about our power, control, or praise. Instead it should be about Jesus.

(2) Remember our need for Jesus

In verse 13 Paul says,

“Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:13)

Paul wants all of us to see we are sinners who need a Savior because we all have rebelled against God and deserve to be punished for our rebellion.

Realizing we are all sinners who need Jesus, should help us to see we all are in the same boat. That realization should humble us. It should kill our pride, and destroy anything inside of us that thinks we are better than another person.

(3) Realize we are all apart of the same family

Consistently throughout chapter’s 1-3 Paul uses the term “brothers”. Starting in chapter verse 10 of chapter 1 he says, “I appeal to you, brothers,” (1 Cor. 1:10a). Then later he says, “Chloe’s people [have reported] that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.” (1 Cor. 1:11b). Then in verses 26, 2:1, and 3:1 he also uses the term “brothers”.

Paul uses the term “brothers” over and over to drive home the point that we are all apart of the same family. Families are supposed to work together as one unit, caring for and loving one another, not dividing and devouring one another.

Conclusion

As believers in Christ, we should do everything we can to heal any divisions we may be experiencing. We should do that because we are all One in Christ and we should all be working toward the same goal — to make disciples and glorify Jesus.

So don’t divide against another. Instead work to heal any divisions you may be experiencing so we as a church can more effectively accomplish Jesus’ commission to us — to make disciples.

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon: A Church Divided and What to Do About It

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How Do We Work Sin Out of Our Lives?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

Work Out

Along with eating well, working out is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Recently, there has been an upsurge of both. If not in the culture at large, at least with my social media friends. It is hard to go a day without seeing someone’s cross fit feats plastered across my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feeds. Seeing those got me thinking: How do we work sin out of our lives? The answer I came to is that we do and we don’t.

The Work of God

The main way sin is worked out of our lives is through the Holy Spirit working in our lives. As we are freed from sin’s reigning power in the gospel, we are also given the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in our bodies. He then works to sanctify us by: Convicting us of sin and enabling and empowering us to deal with sin. In addition to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God allows circumstances to occur that help us to grow spiritually (James 1:2-4).

The Work of the Believer

Even though the Holy Spirit is working in our lives and God the Father is working everything out in His sovereign plan, we must remember that we are not removed from the fight. We cannot and must not be passive in our pursuit of holiness (Philippians 2:12-13). We must still preach the gospel to ourselves, memorize Scripture, pray, and seek accountability from other believers.

What We Can’t Forget

While we must fight, we must not forget that we can’t get rid of sin by simply trying harder. We must always come back to the gospel and the work of God in our lives. While we can’t be passive, we also can’t be prideful. We must remember we need God.

A Seven Step Process to Dealing with Sin in our Lives:

In his book, Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges offers 7 steps to dealing with sin that I believe is useful.

  • (1) Apply the gospel
  • (2) Depend on the Holy Spirit
  • (3) Recognize your responsibility
  • (4) Identify specific sins
  • (5) Memorize and apply appropriate Scriptures
  • (6) Cultivate the practice of prayer by planning consistent times and spontaneously praying when dealing with specific sins
  • (7) Involve one or a few other believers with you [2]

If we remember God’s role, and our role, and practice these seven steps, I believe we will be well on our way to working sin out of our lives.

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 51.

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