Tag: christianity

Is Your Worship Acceptable To God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical2 Comments

Do you worship God with a pure heart, or do you just go through the motions of the Christian life? Attending church because your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, or child wants you to. Reading your Bible because you feel it is what you are supposed to do. You may even sing in the choir, or serve the church as a deacon, but if your service and actions are not the result of a heart broken and contrite before the Lord, one whose affections have changed from the world and self, to God, then you are no better than the Israelites in the time of Amos.

Amos

God called Amos from his shepherding duties in the field to prophesy against Israel. At this time, Israel had no desire to obey God’s commandments, nor worship Him from a pure heart. Instead of providing for the poor and widowed, they exploited them. Instead of honest and fair business practices, they rigged their scales in their favor, so they could make an extra few dollars with each purchase. Instead of processing their wheat like they should have, they sold the chaff, in order to make more money. Instead of worshipping God alone, they also sacrificed to other gods. It is no wonder God said to them:

“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. ” (Am 5:21–24)

Isaiah

Amos’ prophesy was nothing new. Isaiah had prophesied the same before him:

“When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. ” (Is 1:12–17)

Conclusion

We find out in Psalm 51:16-17 that God’s desire is not for us to simple go through the motions. He wants us to worship Him with a heart that is broken and contrite. Our motives for worship must be pure and our heart must be truly repentant. God does not desire actions that look righteous to others; rather, He desires that our actions stem from a heart that is truly affectionate toward Him, one desiring to worship Him and Him alone. If we do otherwise, we are no better than the Israelites and we will be rejected by the Lord. Outward actions may fool the men around you, but they will not fool an all-knowing God.

Further Reading

After considering your life and actions you may be wondering if you are a Christian. If so, you might consider reading one of my earlier posts entitled: How Do You Know You are a Christian? You can do so by clicking here.

Interestingness

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Interestingness2 Comments

It is time for another dose of Interestingness. What follows are a few articles and videos from around the web I found interesting this week. Check them out.

Is Jesus the Only Way?

Jonathan Dodson from The Resurgence answers the question: Is Jesus the Only Way? You can read it by clicking here.

Reparative Therapy

Homosexuality and Reparative Therapy. Al Mohler weighs in. Here is a snippet from the article:

Known as reparative therapy or sexual orientation conversion therapy, these approaches seek to assist individuals in changing their sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. The cultural and political debate over reparative therapy emerged when a clinic run by Marcus Bachmann, husband of Republican candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann, was accused of offering treatment and counseling intended to change sexual orientation.

You can read the rest of what he has to say by clicking here.

Adoption

Russell Moore recently wrote: An Open Letter to an Unborn Baby, by doing so he is advocating adoption. It is a good read. You can check it out by clicking here.

Biblical Authority and Interpretation

John Piper, Don Carson, and Tim Keller had a round table discussion this last week, which the guys over at The Gospel Coalition filmed and made available on their website. The discussion centers on biblical authority and interpretation. It is a great video series. You can watch it by clicking here.

Impressionist Jim Meskimen

This is a must watch video. Very impressive!!!

Community: Why is it important?

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

Biblical Mandate for Community

Members of the church have a biblical mandate to assemble in community with one another. The writer of Hebrews says,

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ” (Heb 10:24–25)

According to Hebrews, church members need to be consistently meeting together, in order to encourage one another, and to stir each other up to love and good works. If this is the case, why do people often not assimilate into communities?

Assimilation Problems

Several problems exist as to why members do not actively participate in the church’s community:

1) Individualism – A lot of church members are individualistic believing they can change by themselves.

2) Compartmentalism – Most people tend to compartmentalize their lives having a church life, work life, and family life. These are all kept separate and one compartment is not to interfere with the other.

3) Busyness – Almost all Americans are busy some families may want to participate, but they are too busy to do so. The “I am too busy” excuse means living in community with other Christians is not important.[1]

4) Consumerism – Most Americans are consumerists they come to church in order to get, but are not willing to give. They are content sitting in the pew week after week because they have been conditioned by society to consume and shop around instead of plugging in and getting involved.

All of these problems tell us many church members do not see the value of living in community with one another or being involved in the church. They do not understand why it is necessary for their Christian growth and their ability to reach the community for Christ.

The Value of Community

Even though many church members do not see the value of living in community with one another, I am convinced community is necessary for growth to occur in our spiritual lives. These communities are much more than fellowship clubs, even though fellowship is important and necessary for the spiritual growth of the community. These groups (read also ministries) are to be Authentic Gospel-Centered Missional Communities, which have a dual purpose of both speaking into the lives of its participants and reaching the community for Christ. As these communities study Scripture together and begin to increase in their affections for their Savior (upreach), they will want to serve others in the group, as well as seek to rid sin out of their own lives, while helping others in the group do the same (inreach). When upreach and inreach are taking place, the desire to take up God’s mission of reaching neighborhoods and the world with the gospel will begin to increase and take shape (outreach).

In order for these communities to grow in their affections for their Savior, the gospel needs to be proclaimed and studied in-depth, understanding its content and how it comes to bear on the individual’s life. When one understands what Christ has done for them and how they fit into God’s plan, their affections for their Savior will grow.

As their affections grow, they will desire to rid their lives of sin, because they realize that their desires do not match Christ’s desires. I focus on desires here because they stem from the heart, which is the real cause of man’s sin. Pumping different information into man’s mind does not necessarily cause change in one’s life. Rather, the desires of man need to be changed. The only way that will occur is through the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. Before one can seek change, they need to first recognize their wrong desires, which happens through the teaching of the Word in their community. Second, false desires are rid from ones life through prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

As man seeks to align himself with Christ’s desires, he will then take up God’s mission, which is to reach the world with the gospel.

Here is where community comes in. In order for men to understand that their desires are different than their Saviors, they need a group of people who are allowed to probe their heart, dig deep, understand their sins, and surface the desires that lie behind those sins. This can only happen if members are committed to regularly attending a group where they allow its members to probe their hearts, challenge them, speak into their lives with the gospel, and pray for them.

Conclusion

I am convinced it is important that we live in community with one another. The Bible, in more than one place, talks about us as a family, and in Hebrews we are commanded to gather together with the purpose of stirring one another up in love and good works. If we do not come together, then we are living as an estranged brothers and sisters, as a dysfunctional family who only sees each other on major holidays. This type of living is one thing the church simply cannot afford. We cannot afford it because authentic community is necessary to reveal our own sinful desires and root those desires out, which happens through Bible study, prayer, and walking alongside one another. If we never get together, these things will not happen. As well as God’s mission will not be advanced through our church, which is to reach the world for Christ. So my challenge to you is to make time for your church family, get off the sidelines and get involved in one another’s lives and God’s mission.

[1]Brian Hedges, Christ Formed in You: The Power of the Gospel For Personal Change, 239-42.

How do you know you are a Christian?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical3 Comments

I want to ask you a question, an important question. One I would like you to give some thought. Here it is: How do you know you are a Christian? Do you say you are Christian because you walked the isle one day and prayed with the pastor at the front of the church? Maybe you say you are a Christian because you confessed Christ as your Savior at a youth retreat while you were “high” on the Christian life. Or just maybe you walked down to the front at a Crusade along with 7,000 other people. Before I go on, I am not saying that you are not a Christian because you were saved at the front of the church, on a youth retreat, or at a crusade. What I am trying to get across is that these experiences alone do not make you a Christian.

There are many people who claim to be something because they participate in an activity with those who are in reality genuine. For instance, if I told you I am a minor league baseball player, you might believe me, that is until you ask me when I am playing next. That is where my logic would break down because I would explain to you that I am a minor league baseball player because I trained with the local minor league team once at a kids baseball camp. As you heard me explain how I wore their uniforms and played in a game and how that made me a minor league baseball player, you would soon realize I was not what I claim to be, and you would begin thinking my logic was a little off.

Just as it is logically incoherent for me to think I am a minor league baseball player because I once hung out with the players and trained with them at a kids camp, it is equally as illogical that we think we are Christians because we once, or currently, hung around those who are Christians, attended church, or even walked the isle.

We learn in Matthew’s Gospel that one day Jesus will tell those who think they were His followers “Depart from me for I never knew you.”

He says, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” But Jesus will turn to those and say, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:21-23).

If we can think we are a Christian, and not be a Christian, how do we know that we are a Christian?

First, we need to have confessed Christ as our Savior, which is what you could have been doing when you walked the isle, prayed the sinners prayer at youth camp, or went forward at a Crusade. But you see, to confess Christ once is not the mark of a Christian. Mike McKinley, in his book, Am I Really a Christian, says,

“It is true that we need to make a onetime decision to follow Jesus. But a true onetime decision is followed by the everyday decision to follow Jesus” (23).

With that in mind, I want to provide you with five additional ways McKinley gives that show we are true followers of Jesus (39).

(1) Belief in True Doctrine

You’re not a Christian just because you like Jesus. You must believe Jesus is your Savior (John 3:16-18, 36; Romans 3:21-25; Hebrews 11:6).

(2) Hatred for Sin in Your Life

You’re not a Christian if you enjoy sin (Romans 6:1-14; 1 Peter 1:13-21; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 John 3:4-10).

(3) Perseverance Over Time

You’re not a Christian if you don’t persist in the faith (Philippians 3:12-16; Hebrews 12:1; Romans 8:38-39).

(4) Love for Other People

You’re not a Christian if you don’t have care and concern for other people (John 13:34-35; 1 John 2:9-11).

(5) Freedom from Love of the World

You’re not a Christian if the things of the world are more valuable to you than God (Luke 18:18-25; 1 John 2:15-17).

Conclusion

This week I would like you to think through your answer for why you are a Christian. Considering these questions: Have you made Christ your Savior, not just your friend? Do you see a willingness to repent of the sins in your life or are you content in your sins, not wanting to repent and rid them out of your life? Have you persevered in the Christian faith for many years, or do you find yourself living for Christ only when it is the cool thing to do? Since you professed Christ as your Savior have you noticed a love for other people? Are you willing to sacrifice your time, energy, and money to help them? Do you love the world? Are you willing to sacrifice your stuff for God, or are you chasing after worldly possessions more than you are seeking God? Do you skip church on Sunday because you need to go into the office to do some work because time is money?

Your answers to these questions will either assure you of your Christian faith, or they will show you that your faith is not real. I pray God will reveal to you the answer because your eternal destiny hangs in the balance.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Interestingness

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn InterestingnessLeave a comment

Here are some articles and videos I found interesting this last week.

OSX Lion Review

OSX Lion was released this week, and the guys over at Engadget.com put out a review. You can read their thoughts on the new operating system by clicking here.

How the Internet is Changing News

If you are curious about the internets affects on the news, then you may want to read this article featured in the Economist. You can read it by clicking here.

Is Church Membership Biblical?

Matt Chandler answers this question in a recent article posted by The Resurgence. You can read it by clicking here.

Book Hoarding

In a recent article by Jim Elliff, he challenges us to think about why we are collecting books and if our fascination with them is worth the time, effort, and money. You can read his post by clicking here.

Civil War Reading List

If you are interested in reading about the American Civil War, then you are in luck. The Gospel Coalition put out a list of five essential books on the Civil War. You can check it out by clicking here.

Chic-Fil-A: I will See You Monday

If you have ever wanted your favorite chicken sandwich on Sunday, but just could not have it, then this video is for you.

Illustrations and Their Benefits

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Pastoral, PreachingLeave a comment

Last time, I wrote about the necessity of using illustrations in our sermons. You can read that post here. Today, I want to talk about the benefits of using illustrations. The first one will be obvious, but the others you may not have thought about.

Benefits

(1) Illustrations help the audience understand the theological point

Through stories, listeners are able to come to a deeper more full understanding of the theological point because we learn best when the abstract is made concrete.

(2) Illustrations connect the preacher to the audience in a way pure exposition cannot

The preacher connects and bonds with the audience because his personal perspectives are revealed through the stories he chooses to use as his illustrations.

(3) Illustrations reveal the character of the preacher

Behind every illustration, the personal story of the preacher lies. Bryan Chapell says, “Your own personal story always shimmers in the background of any story you tell, witnessing to your own character, principles, and priorities.[1] In essence you are saying, “This is what I think this means in my world.” [2]

(4) Illustrations reveal your personal trustworthiness

Depending on the illustration you select your congregation will determine if you are trustworthy. If you select an illustration that holds out ideals or expectations one cannot hope to attain, then your audience will lose trust in your judgment. On the other hand, when you select illustrations that apply directly to the context of your audience and which contain ideals and expectations that are attainable, the audiences’ trust in your judgments grow.

(5) Illustrations have the power to reveal your personal integrity

If you consistently give credit where credit is due, not using others stories as your own, and give proper facts, then your personal integrity will grow. A preacher who consistently and knowingly passes stories off as his own, when they are not, proves he has an integrity issue.

(6) Illustrations help the audience see “themselves in the contexts of Scripture’s realities” [3]

When the audience hears of someone facing the same struggles they are, they realize they are not living in isolation. They also realize there is an answer to their problem that exists in Scripture.

Resource

[1] Bryan Chapell, Using Illustrations to Preach with Power, 133.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.,136

Image: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net