Tag: christianity

10 Reason We Should Regularly Gather with the Church

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Pastoral5 Comments

Yesterday was the Lord’s Day, the day we gather as a church in worship. As a pastor, I always look forward to Sundays. Not only do I get to preach, but I also have the opportunity to praise God alongside others, and watch how the Lord will use our fellowship for His glory.

As Christians, we should all desire to gather together with one another as often as possible. To motivate you to regularly gather, here are 10 reasons gathering with the church is important.

10 Reason We Should Regularly Gather with the Church

(1) To be obedient to God’s command (Heb. 10:23-25).

(2) To be equipped for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-14).

(3) To have our minds renewed through the preaching of the Word (Rom. 12:1-2).

(4) To employ our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church (1 Cor. 12).

(5) To evangelize the watching world through our love for one another (John 13:35).

(6) To be held accountable by other mature brothers and sisters in the Lord (Acts 18:24-26).

(7) To be discipled by older, godly men and women (Titus 2:2-6),

(8) To ease the mind of your shepherd, so he is not worrying about your soul (Heb. 13:17).

(9) To grow in our faith of the Lord Jesus Christ as we are taught His Word (1 Pet. 2:2).

(10) To be encouraged to persevere in the faith by other believers (Heb. 3:12-14).

Question for Reflection

  1. Can you think of other reasons we should regularly gather as a church?

Resources

Image

For more information see A Sample Statement on Regular Church Attendance from 9 Marks

Are You Prepared for Persecution?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical2 Comments

Christian persecution is not something new to us in the 21st Century. Throughout church history, believers have suffered persecution. “They have been beaten, ridiculed, defrocked, and defamed. They have suffered poverty, isolation, betrayal, and disgrace. They have been hounded, harassed, and murdered” [1].

Persecution Should Not Surprise Us

Persecution should come as no surprise to Christians. In John 15:19, we learn that we will be hated by the world.

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (Jn 15:19)

Also, in 2 Timothy 3:12 and 1 Peter 4:13, we learn that we “will”, not “might”, face persecution. So if we are following the Lord, we will face persecution in some way, shape, or form; it is inevitable because we are rubbing against the world’s ideas. We are telling them what they want, what they believe, and what they do is not ok, even if we are not explicitly stating it. By the simple fact that we aren’t doing, wanting, or believing, what they believe is enough to cause the world to hate us. People love their sin (Jer. 14:10). They want it to be approved of, even celebrated. When someone, or a group of people, is not willing to do that, persecution arises.

What is Persecution?

Persecution occurs anytime we are attacked for our beliefs. Attacks may include anything from a smirk, to a laugh, to the loss of a job, to a verbal or physical assault, to being driven from our home, or even killed for what we believe. Persecution takes many forms. But it is nothing new. It has been happening from the beginning – Cain killed Abel because God looked on him in favor – and it will continue until Jesus returns.

The Advantage of Knowing

Knowing persecution is coming, actually works to our advantage because it allows us to prepare for it now. Prepare is something we must do. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be blindsided or sucker-punched by persecution. Instead, we should be prepared.

How Should We Prepare For Persecution?

(1) Meditate on the Promises of God

Reading and meditating on God’s promises, particularly those that deal with His return (Matt. 16:27; 24:4-5; 11; 23-27; 24:30-31; 24:37-39; Mark 8:38; Luke 17:28-30; 21:34-36; Jn, 14:1-3; 1 Jn 1:7-9; 1 Jn, 3:2), should help us see that persecution is not the end. Jesus will return. He will be victorious (Ps. 2; Dan. 2:44; 7; Phil. 2:9-11; Rev 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16). We will be vindicated for our beliefs (Rev. 6:9-11). We will live in a perfect world free of persecution (Rev. 19; 21). Knowing and understanding these things are huge, if we are to face persecution with hope.

(2) Learn More About God and His Plan

We need to know that our God is not oblivious to persecution, as if He is sleeping in the heavens, while Christians are getting their heads cut off on earth. He knows what happens in this world, because He is intimately involved (Matt. 6:25-34).

We also need to know that our God is not powerless to defeat our enemies. Nor does persecution happen outside of God’s plan. He has a plan and purpose for everything that happens in this world (Ps. 139; 15-16; Dan. 7; Jn. 17:1-8). As such, He is able to work all things together for good, according to His will (Rom. 8:28). We may not understand or even know the purpose of our suffering, but God does.

As Christians, we must trust that God knows best and His will is perfect (Is, 43:3). We can trust God because of who He is. Scripture tells us our God is All-Powerful (Jer. 10:10), All-Sovereign (Is, 64:8; Acts 1:7), Omniscient (Matt. 6:25-34), Holy (Lev. 22:2; Is. 43:15; Matt. 6:9), Righteous (1 Pet. 1:17), Just (1 Pet. 1:17), Compassionate (Matt. 7:11), Loving (Ex. 34:6), and much more. Since our God possesses these attributes, we can trust His will, even if we can’t understand it.

(3) Seek Support 

Christians are born again into community. At the moment of salvation, we become apart of a body – the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12). As members of the body of Christ, we are called to seek and give support and comfort to one another in times of persecution (2 Cor. 1:4), bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), and encourage and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11), as we face trials of various kinds (James 1:2).

Don’t let persecution sucker-punch you, instead prepare for it now, because it is coming.

Question for Reflection

  1. How are you preparing for persecution?

Resources

Image

[1] George Grant, A History of Persecution, Table Talk Magazine August 2015, 11.

3 Practices to Help Deacons Fulfill Their Role

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, PracticalLeave a comment

This past Sunday, my church ordained three additional men to the office of Deacon. The service, and time afterward, was filled with an air of celebration for what the Lord is doing in our church. The sanctuary was packed and fellowship hall was full of home cooked meals and dessert (we’re Baptist).

While last Sunday was significant, the work of the church doesn’t stop after the ordination service. There are still things the church should do to make sure their Deacons are successful in fulfilling their role.

3 Practices to Help Deacons Fulfill Their Role

(1) Pray for Them

I know you have heard the phrase: “prayer changes things”. While that is an extra-biblical slogan, it is true. Prayer does change things. We have witnessed this time and time again in the life of our church, especially on Wednesday nights. Every Wednesday, we hold a prayer meeting and Bible study. When we start our prayer time, we begin by praising God for the work He has done in our lives, the church, and community, as well as we praise Him for the prayers He has answered. Through this practice, we have come to see that prayer does change things, and it is powerful.

Since prayer is powerful, we should consistently pray for the Deacon’s serving in our churches. We should pray for them to increase in wisdom, guidance, patience, compassion, and love. As well as we should pray for their strength and endurance, as they serve the church and the mission of God.

Might I make a suggestion on how to pray? Divide your Deacons up so that you are praying for one, or several, depending on how many you have, each day of the week. So for instance, at my church, we now have five Deacons, which means the church should pray for one Deacon on Monday, another on Tuesday, another on Wednesday, and so on and so forth.

I am convinced if you commit to regularly praying for your Deacons, God will do a mighty work in your church.

(2) Encourage Them

Speaking from experience, one word of encouragement can really spur someone to keep pressing on, to keep fighting the good fight, to keep battling in the trenches of ministry.

If you want your Deacons to be all they can be, to serve your church, and Christ’s mission well, you should not only pray for them, but you should also encourage them in the work they are doing. Tell them how they are making a difference in your life, the life of your church, and the life of your community.

I am not saying you need to toot their horn, or even make a big announcement, just a simple thanks every now and again, or a quick testimony about how their ministry has impacted your life, or even the life of someone you know. Doing that is all it takes to refuel them for the difficult task at hand, which is something they will need often because ministry and serving others is hard work.

(3) Serve Alongside Them

Yes, Deacons are called to serve, but they aren’t call to serve alone. Think about the first Deacons in the Jerusalem church. There were seven, but there were also over five thousand members. There is no way seven men served all five thousand members of that first church. They certainly had others helping and serving alongside them.

Now, I understand most churches don’t have a membership base of five thousand. Nevertheless, the principle still applies – we are to serve alongside those who have been set apart for service in God’s church. We aren’t to call, and then leave them to do everything for us. Doing so not only means we are neglecting the use of our own spiritual gifts, but it is also the surest way to burn them out.

Conclusion

Those are several ways the church can help their Deacons fulfill their role. I encourage and challenge you to do each and every one of them. To pray for, encourage, and serve alongside your Deacons. If you do those three things, I know they will have a successful ministry in your church, and your church will have a successful ministry to your people and the community.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you serve alongside your Deacons?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon A Charge for Our Deacons and the Church, which you can listen to here.

Image

The Gospel Cycle that Kills Sin

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, PracticalLeave a comment

As a child, and even as a young adult, I spent most of my time in the city. The city has its advantages, but stargazing is not one of them. The city lights obscure your view of the heavens, so that only the brightest stars are visible. But that all changed for me a little over three years ago, when I moved to a rural community in Texas. As we settled in, there were two things I noticed: It is quiet, and it is dark. When I go outside at night and look up, I now see a star filled sky. On clear, cool nights, that is one of thing I like to do – gaze at the heavens above.

In Colossians 3, Paul calls us to do just that, although not physically. He says,

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Col. 3:1-2)

Called to An Upward Gaze

In these verses, Paul calls Christians to set their minds on the things above. In calling us to an upward gaze, Paul doesn’t mean for us to neglect our earthly responsibilities; instead, he calls us to gaze upward as a means to fight against our fleshly desire for sin. In this way, setting our minds on the things above becomes a gospel-motivation for sanctification.

The Benefits of Union with Christ

As believers, we are united to Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. Although our union hasn’t yet resulted in an experiential resurrection, it has resulted in a positional resurrection (Rom. 6:2-11). United with Christ in faith, we are already raised from the dead and seated with Him in the heavenly places. Our current position in Christ allows us, in this life, to enjoy some of the privileges and blessings of the life to come, including a repaired relationship with and access to the Father; true peace, joy, and love; a change in Masters and kingdoms; freedom from the sting of death; and power over sin (Heb. 4:14-16; Col. 1:11-14, 20; 1 Cor. 15:55; Ps 110:1; Eph. 1:15-22; 2:4-7).

A Cycle of Sanctification

As we set our minds on the things above, we are reminded of our freedom from and power over sin, as well as of our future sinless reality. That reminder should motivate us to kill sin in our lives. Killing sin in our lives allows us to experience the blessings and joy of the life to come. As we are experiencing a taste of our life to come, we should be motivated once again to set our minds on the things above, which will start the cycle over again. In this way, we enter into a cycle of sanctification, which is driven by our understanding of the gospel, instead of shame, guilt, or legalism.

The Cycle Illustrated

Gospel Cycle of Sanctification Graphic

Questions for Reflection

  1. Is your sanctification fueled by the truths of the gospel?
  2. Or are you more motivated by shame, guilt, and legalism?
  3. Which motivation do you think will sustain your fight against sin for the long-term?

Resources

For additional information see Article Table Talk Magazine, Where to Set Our Minds, March 2nd, 2011,

Separation of Church and State

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Pastoral, Quotes7 Comments

The Lord has appointed two kingdoms to govern the affairs of men.

What Are the Two Kingdoms? What Do They Do?

The church administers the sacraments and the Word of God to direct our Father’s children in godliness, while the state bears the sword against injustice and makes laws for the good of all people, regenerate and unregenerate alike (Rom. 13:1-7). Each authority must do its delegated tasks and not try to usurp the authority of the other. The church does not bear the sword, and the state does not administer church discipline.

How Should the Church Interact With and Think of the State?

Nevertheless, on account of the covenant of creation, it is right for the church to expect the state to honor life and bear the sword justly, and it is the responsibility of the church to be a prophetic witness against the state when it fails in these duties.

In this day and age, there is a great temptation for the church in the United States to think that its mission is coextensive with the platform of one or more of the political parties in this country. Yet while we must never be guilty of this error, it does not follow that the church is to be silent on current policies that violate God’s natural law. The state must ever be reminded that it is under the authority of God and the laws He has established in nature.

Question for Reflection

  1. How do you think of and apply the separation of church and state?

Resources

Table Talk Magazine, Creation Ordinances, February 28, 2011 (headings mine)

Image

Authority Isn’t A Bad Thing

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Family, Leadership, PracticalLeave a comment

Authority. The first thing most people do when they hear the word is cringe or prepare to reject it at all costs.

Rejecting authority is our natural reaction. It has been ingrained in us since the beginning. Our first parent’s Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority for their own, leading us to do the same ever since. So it is only natural we buck at the idea of authority.

Everyone is Under Authority

While that is our natural reaction, God tells us everyone is under authority.

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God (1 Cor. 11:3).

God’s authority structure is arranged so that:

  • The head of every man is Jesus Christ.
  • The head of every wife is her husband.
  • The head of Jesus Christ is God.

An Objection

Immediately, upon reflecting on this list, some, especially those in the feminist movement, look at this structure and say, “God thinks woman are less valuable than men because they are subjected to them.” But that is not true. God’s structure isn’t based on worth, it’s based on roles.

Tax season ended several months ago. I don’t know about you but that is one of two seasons I don’t look forward to — summer in Texas being the other. But, as we all know, those are two seasons you can’t avoid, because they come back year after year.

When you finally sit down to fill out those dreaded tax forms, one question that appears on your form is: Are you the head of the household?

When the IRS asks that question, they don’t mean to imply that your children, or even your spouse, is of lesser value than you. They simple want to know the role you play in your family.

In a similar way, God’s authority structure is also based on the role we play in our family, which means men are not of greater value than women, they just play a different role. A role assigned by God, as the head of the family.

Digging Deeper Into the Structure

As we dig deeper into God’s ordained structure, we learn:

(1) Men must submit to Jesus

Men are not given absolute authority. Instead, men must act under Jesus’ directive because He is our head.

With Jesus as our head, we must allow Him to guide us, to lead us. As well as we must exercise our role of authority as Jesus would.

A good example of how Jesus exercises His authority is found in Ephesians 5:25-30

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.” (Eph 5:25–30)

Ephesians 5 teaches men several things about leadership – how we are supposed to lead and what our role as the head of the family looks like.

According to Ephesians 5, men are to love, sacrifice for, provide for, care for, and protect their families, their wives. We aren’t to dominate them with a heavy hand. Nor are we to abuse, or use them. Instead, we are to love them as Jesus loves the church, giving of ourselves for them. We are to do everything in our power to care for them, protect them, and provide for them. We should also nourish them with the Word of God, leading them spiritually.

We should do all this, while at the same time allowing Jesus to lead us. He should continually be our example of headship, as well as our leader.

(2) Wives must submit to their husbands

I am fully aware that this is a controversial statement, especially in this day and age. But we are going to tackle it anyways.

What does it mean for a wife to submit to her husband?

Let me start with what it doesn’t mean, because I think that will clear up some misunderstanding.

  • It doesn’t mean you are to be dominated by your husband.
  • It doesn’t mean you can’t disagree with or even challenge your husbands ideas.
  • It doesn’t mean your husband can use and abuse you and you must take it willingly.
  • It doesn’t mean you can’t call your husband out on his sin.
  • It can’t mean any of those things because a husband is supposed to lead like Jesus.

Instead, what it means for a wife to submit to her husband is that:

  • She willingly accepts her God give role as her husband’s helper.
  • She willingly allows him to lovingly lead her, as Jesus is leading him.
  • She willingly accepts his decisions, as he seeks to do what is best for his family both physically and spiritually.

We know this is what it means for a wife to submit to her husband because her submission is based on Jesus’ submission to His father.

A wife’s submission is modeled by Jesus 

Even though Jesus is equal with the Father and God Himself, He willingly accepted His position as the Son, submitting to His Father. In doing so:

  • He accepted His role as Christ — the One who died for the sins of mankind.
  • He willingly allowed the Father to lead and guide Him, even to the cross.
  • He willingly accepted the Father’s will, allowing His decisions to be final.

Just as a husband is to be led by Jesus as he leads his family, a wife is to be led by Jesus as she submits to her husband. We are to live in obedience to the roles we are given in God’s authority structure.

Submission As A Reflection of the Gospel & God’s Wisdom

When both husband and wife submit according to God’s good design, two things happen.

(1) We Reflect the Gospel – by sacrificing our will for God’s will, just like Jesus sacrificed His will and His self for us.

(2) We Reflect God’s Wisdom – by showing the world that things go well when we function within our roles.

Before I accepted my first full-time pastorate, I worked for a staffing and recruiting company based out of Atlanta.

Relatively early in my tenure, I had the opportunity to move to Dallas and help open the companies first satellite office. When we moved, the owners did something I would never do. They didn’t appoint a manager for the office. Their thought was that a leader would naturally rise to the top that others in the office would follow. When that happened, they would promote that person to office manager.

In theory, that sounds good. In reality, it didn’t work. The result was an unproductive work environment that kept the office from thriving.

No one knew who “really” was in charge, who they were supposed to take orders from, or even their own role. The result was chaos, conflict, and an office that didn’t run as a well oiled machine.

Likewise, there is chaos and conflict in the family, when individual family members operate outside their God given roles. On the other hand, when we function within our God given roles, things run smoothly.

When we really think hard about it, we realize authority isn’t such a bad thing, it is instead a good thing that shouldn’t be despised, cringed at, or rejected. It’s something that should be embraced as a means of grace by which God provides for His people.

Question for Reflection

  1. Do you think of God’s authority as a means of grace?

Resources

Post adapted from my recent sermon God’s Authority Structure, which can be listened to in its entirety here.

Image