Uganda Mission Trip
Dear CCC Family,
On Friday morning, I am scheduled to fly out of Charlotte, NC to Uganda, Africa. This will be the second time in two years that I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel with Samaritan’s Purse International and Operation Christian Child. Like last year’s trip to Honduras, I have been asked to serve as the trip’s pastor for the week. As you can imagine, I am very excited about this opportunity to serve alongside some extraordinary leaders and volunteers, as well as distribute thousands of shoe boxes to precious Ugandan children.
As I prepare to travel halfway around the world, I would like to ask you, my church family, to support my trip thru prayer. Here are some specific ways you can pray…
- First and foremost, pray that Jesus Christ would be supremely exalted thru the distribution of shoe boxes.
- Pray for the Ugandan pastors that will host distributions in their respective churches. These men are spiritual heroes, faithfully serving in anonymity and harsh conditions. Pray specifically that these faithful pastors will be encouraged and blessed.
- Pray for the Ugandan children who will receive shoe boxes. Specifically, pray that they would receive their shoe boxes as a Gospel display of the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and surrender to Him as Savior and Lord.
- Pray for the 100 OCC staff and volunteers who will distribute these shoe boxes. Pray that God would expand their vision for His glory among the nations. Pray that God would anoint their touch and words as they interact with kids.
- Pray for my best friend Randy Riddle, Domestic Director of Operation Christmas Child, and his amazing staff. Specifically, that they would see and rejoice in the fruit of their diligent labor.
- Pray for safe travel and good health for the entire team.
As for me, would you pray…
- For sweet communion with the triune God.
- Holy Spirit anointing as I teach from Ephesians 1:15-23.
- An expanded vision for God’s glory and the gospel of salvation among the nations.
- For renewed hope and deepened faith in the sovereign goodness, timing, and faithfulness of God the Father.
- And, most of all, for protection and blessing over Cathy and my four children while I’m away.
I will be praying for you while in Africa and will look forward to seeing you on Sunday, June 3rd.
Until then…
“May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
A Rope Maze & A Slice of Humble Pie
Dear CCC Family,
Last weekend, my 13-year-old daughter and I participated in the father/daughter retreat at Tracy’s Camp. What a fabulous weekend! Thanks to Jason Browder for his hard work, clear vision, and passion for fathers to be godly men. My only disappointment in the weekend was that so few fathers from Christ Community Church took advantage of this special opportunity.
During our weekend together, Caroline and I enjoyed many cool experiences. We caught fish. We had a wonderful picnic under a majestic old oak tree. We discussed her wedding dreams, including the man of her dreams. We diffused a bomb. We shot rifles. And, best of all, we talked, laughed, and prayed together.
Overall, the weekend was an overwhelming success. However, there was one colossal failure – a personal failure on my part.
Friday night, as darkness set in, Jason led our small group of fathers and daughters to a rope maze in the woods. His instructions were simple. First, we had to enter the maze as a group. Second, we couldn’t go under the ropes or over the ropes, but we could go wherever the ropes allowed us to. That’s it! Those were the only two guidelines given to us.
With those instructions in place, our group entered the maze in the darkness of night. Although there were tiki torches lining the circumference of the maze, they remained unlit. Now, as we all know, it doesn’t take long for the human eye to adjust to darkness. And so, as as our eyes made the necessary adjustment, our group became more and more adventurous.
Unfortunately, the adjustment helped little. Our group was like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Aimless, unsuccessful, and increasingly frustrated.
Like the other father/daughter tandems, Caroline and I entered the maze together. But, human nature quickly took over and before long, Caroline and I had branched out on our own, seeking to be the first to conquer the maze. We weren’t the only father/daughter tandem to separate.
Well, after about thirty minutes of dead-end after dead-end, Jason extended our group grace and began lighting the tiki torches. With the lighting of each torch, the intricacy of the maze became clearer and clearer.
Not to long after Jason lit the torches, I discovered the magic bullet and conquered the maze before anyone else. Being the competitor I am, the taste of victory was sweet. As I exited the maze victorious, Jason was there to congratulate me. After a quick victory scream, meant in large part to notify the others that I was the victor, Jason struck up a conversation with me.
As Jason talked, an unsettled feeling began to gradually grow within me. In fact, the more Jason talked the less I listened. Something wasn’t right! Conviction and guilt began to set in. “What was I doing out here?” I thought to myself. My daughter was lost in the maze and I was standing on the outside, knowing the way out, basking in my victory.
After about five minutes, Jason turned to me and asked – “So, how are you feeling?”
I responded, “Honestly? Not very good!”
Jason asked, “How so?”
“Well, my daughter is lost in the maze and I’m standing out here doing nothing about it.” At that moment, I realized something – Jason had set me up.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” asked Jason.
And with that, I re-entered the maze, found my lost daughter, grabbed her by the hand, and successfully led her out. She didn’t want my help at first. She’s like her daddy. Caroline wanted to conquer the maze on her own. But, I insisted, and she inevitably followed.
The rope maze was a big ole slice of humble pie for me. More than that, it was sucker punch to the gut of my soul.
No matter how successful I am as a man, if I’m not faithfully leading my children thru the dark and frustrating maze of life, I’ve missed the mark entirely. I can preach to thousands of people, become a published author, and speak at high-profile Christian conferences – but if my four children are stuck in the dark maze of life, frustrated, lost, and wandering aimlessly, I have failed.
As a father, I re-learned a powerful lesson Friday night.
Outside of living a holy life for the glory of Christ, and loving my wife as Christ loved the Church, I have no greater calling as a man than to faithfully lead my four children thru the maze of this dark and sinful world. If I fail at this strategic calling, no amount of ministry or worldly success will assuage my guilty conscience.
Fathers, our precious and vulnerable children need us to faithfully, diligently, and boldly lead them thru the maze of life. May we refuse to abdicate this calling to our wives, our churches, or the coaches, teachers, and peers of our children. This is our calling. This is our duty. This is our privilege. We will be held accountable.
Thank you Jason for the much-needed piece of humble pie you cleverly served up Friday night. It tasted bitter going down, but in the end it sure nourished my mind, heart, and soul.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
A Unique Perspective on Church-Hopping
I have grown to deeply appreciate Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
To me, Dr. Trueman is a 21st Century “John the Baptist.” A voice crying out in the wilderness. A voice, with a lethal combination of precision, discernment, and humor, willing to critique the unique (and exasperating) challenges facing the evangelical church today.
Dr. Trueman refuses to shy away from the polemical issues, which oftentimes arouse the ire of evangelicals – liberals, moderates, and conservatives alike. But, the wise doctor refuses to back down. Like a highly skilled sniper, he remains undeterred, continuing to fire “critical mass” shots at what he perceives as the enemy within evangelicalism. From my perspective, his salvoes are virtually always on target and lethal in their assessment.
One example of a “critical mass” shot fired from Dr. Trueman’s rifle is the bullet aimed at the vile church-hopping disease plaguing many Christians and most evangelical churches. In addressing this issue, Dr. Trueman writes…
“Church hopping is one of the things weakening Christianity; but that is not simply a function of general human weakness or even consumerism; it is the result of the opportunity provided by the automobile. The thing that allows many of us to attend church is also that which is eroding the power of our membership vows. The car makes them (membership vows) so much more negotiable. We have come to believe that even God can be dodged when we are behind the wheel.”
Dr. Trueman continues…
“Today, I have friends who have left their wives, took up with someone else, fled church discipline and, guess what?, found a church that would take them in as members in good standing. Today, unlike the olden days, they can simply jump into their car and drive and drive and keep driving until they find a church that will accept them. And if they drive far enough, they will always find such a place. Trust me. They always do. There is always some place that either does not know them or simply does not care what they have done.”
Hmmm! Interesting, don’t you think? Think of the stories the cars of many professing evangelical Christians could tell these days.
Two years here. Six months there. Another two years somewhere else. Back to the original church. And then…gone again. Oh, the stories many cars could tell.
Christian, what membership/attendee story would your car tell?
The Evangelical’s “El Dorado” – The Relevant Church
In my sermon preparations this week, I was reminded that in 1541, Spanish Conquistadors set out via the Amazon River in hopes of discovering the mythical city of El Dorado – better known as the ‘City of Gold.’ Throughout the centuries, many explorers, including Sir Walter Raleigh, embarked on expeditions to find this legendary city and secure riches and fame. Not surprisingly, these expeditions ended in failure.
More than five-hundred years have passed us by and El Dorado remains a “pipe dream” for Ben Gates (aka Nicholas Cage) and his treasure hunting cohorts.
To my knowledge, today, expeditions seeking El Dorado only take place in Hollywood. Consistent failure has exposed El Dorado as nothing more than a myth. There is no “City of Gold” preserved deep in the Amazon jungle.
I use this story as a way of illustrating what is happening across the landscape of evangelical American Christianity. Evangelical Christians continue to pursue with relentless passion a different kind of El Dorado – the ‘relevant’ Church. Truth be told, the relevant Church is the 21st Century evangelical’s ‘City of Gold.’
Countless numbers of evangelical Christians have set out to find their personal El Dorado. And, failed expedition after failed expedition, with countless churches left picking up the pieces of their shipwreck, these explorers regroup, reassess, and begin newly doomed ventures every six months to two years. One wonders when these near-sighted and misinformed explorers will surrender to the truth.
El Dorado doesn’t exist!
There is no such thing as the relevant Church. Nor should Christians expect there to be. The relevant Church is a myth of legendary proportions, used by our enemy to ravage the church, stain her purity, and discredit her reputation.
Yet, what is so troubling to the discerning eye is the sheer number of professing Christians who crave and pursue ‘El Dorado’ at all costs. And, if such a church is believed to have been discovered, it inevitably proves (again, usually within six months to two years) to be a counterfeit.
For you see, the Church of Jesus Christ has not been commissioned to be relevant. The Church of Jesus Christ has been commissioned to be a holy hill where the light of her King radiates throughout the land. Holiness, not cultural relevance, is what Christians should be seeking in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Dr. John Payne, Sr. Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, GA puts it this way…
“As far as relevance goes, the Word, sacraments, and prayer are as irrelevant in today’s society as they were in first century Asia Minor. And yet, they are the means by which God has promised to exalt His name, communicate His crucified and risen Son, and save the elect. What more could we ask for?”
Payne’s point should be an especially enlightening and convicting reminder to evangelical Christian explorers seeking the mythical El Dorado – the relevant Church.
It was not cultural relevance that sparked Pentecost revival and birthed the Jerusalem Church. It was not cultural relevance that planted, grew, and sustained Paul’s church plants in Asia Minor. And, it was not cultural relevance that sparked the Protestant Reformation or the 1st Great Awakening.
Rather, in each case, it was the counter-cultural irrelevance of God’s Word, the sacraments of communion and baptism, and Holy Spirit-fueled prayer. If you don’t believe me, read The Acts of the Apostles. Read Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. Furthermore, read Church History.
If you are seeking the relevant church, you are seeking what doesn’t exist. How so, you might wonder?
- Preaching the holiness, judgment, and wrath of God against sin isn’t culturally relevant.
- Preaching the reality of Hell isn’t culturally relevant.
- Preaching the radical depravity of man dead in his sins, hostile toward, alienated from, and at enmity with God isn’t culturally relevant.
- Exposing sin and calling sinners who don’t seek God to repent of sin and unrighteousness isn’t culturally relevant.
- Preaching Jesus Christ crucified, dead, buried, and resurrected isn’t culturally relevant – it’s foolishness to Gentiles.
- Preaching salvation by grace alone, thru faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from good works, for the glory of God alone isn’t culturally relevant.
- Celebrating communion, by which we celebrate the brutal and bloody penal substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, isn’t culturally relevant.
- Summoning fire from heaven thru prayer isn’t culturally relevant.
Quite frankly, if thru your expedition, you discover what appears to be the El Dorado of your dreams, listen very carefully – turn around and flee. Whatever you do, don’t burn your ship like Cortez! What you have found is nothing more than fools gold.
For you see, what you have discovered is a place that has sacrificed, in the name of cultural relevance, the very things God has supernaturally ordained to transform the mind and soul, anoint and infuse the Church with grace, and establish her as the holy, radiant city on a hill she has been redeemed to be in her community and throughout the world.
How many failed expeditions will so many suffer thru before realizing the foolishness of such pursuits?
As the old saying goes, if we fail to learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. When, ole when, will 21st Century evangelical Christians finally learn?
El Dorado does not exist!
But…
There is Good News! A future heavenly City, whose streets are pure gold, will be explored for eternity by every true disciple of Jesus Christ. If evangelical Christians are going to pursue something, let us resist pursuing self-centered cultural relevance. Rather, let us pursue our future dwelling – the New Jerusalem. Praise be to God, this City of Gold is no myth. It’s reality!
The Fuel of Christ-Exalting Generosity
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the Apostle Paul writes…
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”
This single verse is one of the richest, sweetest, staggering, and hope-filled verses in all the Bible. How so? Well, this theologically loaded text reminds us that thru God’s grace-propelled generosity…
- Jesus Christ stooped low that we might be lifted high.
- Jesus Christ was clothed in the limitations of humanity’s flesh so that we might be clothed in the limitless righteousness of God.
- Jesus Christ took on the form of a servant so that we might be eternally served by holy angels.
- Jesus Christ entered the poverty of earth’s darkness so that we might enter the riches of heaven’s radiant glory.
- Jesus Christ made himself nothing that we might have eternal access to God’s everything.
- Jesus was born in the likeness of man so that man might be reborn and resurrected in His likeness.
- And, Jesus Christ gave up eternal riches in heaven’s glory so that we might receive the immeasurable, imperishable, undefiled, unfading riches of God.
What fuels Christ-exalting generosity? The poverty of Christ and the resulting richness every Christian has received thru saving faith.
Christian, make no mistake about it – you are rich in Christ. The question is…
“Do you stand, live, and give in awe of Christ and what it cost Him to make you rich?”
Hope in the Midst of Trials
According to the Apostle Peter, Christians should not be surprised by fiery trials as if something strange were happening. Rather, we are to rejoice in the opportunity to share in Christ’s sufferings. (1 Pet. 4:12-13)
Are you experiencing a fiery trial? Is God testing your faith in His sovereignty? Are you suffering for the name of Christ? If so, I offer the following as a means of hope and encouragement.
“Our Savior dedicated martyrdom in his own person; His death was a ransom for us to God, and a sealing testimony of the Gospel to men. Neither the terror of the Roman tribunal, nor the rage of the Jews, could make Him retract the divine truth which He had so often declared, that He was the Son of God, come from heaven to save the world; and when the cross with its infamy and horror was in His view, he confessed His heavenly kingdom. And all those who suffer with Him, for His truth, in conformity to His pattern, with His meekness and patience, His charity and constancy, shall reign with Him. And what is more powerful for the consolation and establishment of Christians, than that their sufferings for Christ shall end in glory?” (William Bates, The Danger of Prosperity)
And then Bates ends with this…
“Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4)
The Perpetual Furnace of Prosperity
I’ve been thinking much about earthly treasures and temporary prosperity. Interestingly, as someone who abhors the Prosperity Gospel, I find within my heart the lurking temptation to pursue, if not crave, material prosperity.
To combat this ever-present temptation, I have been reading an old Puritan classic titled The Dangers of Prosperity by William Bates.
I found the following warning against the pursuit of earthly prosperity especially convicting. Bates writes…
“Now the sensual are fastened in the mire of their sordid pleasures and can take no heavenly flight, nor relish in any divine comforts. The sensual heart is a perpetual furnace whose smoke darkens the mind so that it cannot discover sublime and heavenly excellencies, and whose impure heat fires the will, that it is earnest in the pursuit of fleshly pleasures. Nothing more heightens sensuality, and increases the averseness of carnal men to the holy law of God, and makes their conversion more difficult, than prosperity.”
New Sermon Series: “3 Fuels for Christ-Exalting Generosity”
Dear CCC Family,
If you’re human, which I believe you are, then like me, you have certain life-topics that you would just rather remain under the proverbial bed. Can I be honest with you? Money is just such a topic for me.
As both a husband and Christian pastor, here’s what I know – money wreaks havoc on relationships. Outside of physical intimacy, no issue causes greater strife and division in marriage than matters involving money. In the same vein, few issues stir the cauldron of division within the Church more than finances. Parishioners have been known to flee churches where pastor’s are incessantly pleading for more and more money. (I can’t say I blame them!)
With that said, I want to be forthright and upfront with you. Starting this Sunday, I will do something I’ve never done in ten years of pastoring Christ Community Church. I will preach a three-week sermon series on financial generosity. In this series, we will consider “3 Fuels for Christ-Exalting Generosity.”
In preaching on financial generosity, my goals as your pastor are threefold.
- First, I desire to expand our vision and gratitude for the richness we possess thru Jesus Christ’s poverty.
- Second, I desire to challenge us with the biblical principle of financial and material contentment in this life.
- Third, I desire to remind us all that Kingdom-focused eternal investments are infinitely wiser than earthly-minded temporary investments.
Now, you may be wondering – “Why now? Why a series on financial generosity?”
I’m glad you asked.
In 2007, the members of Christ Community Church agreed, via a 95% affirmative vote, to purchase 73 acres of prime real estate on Loring Mill Rd. This purchase cost $1.3 million dollars. Little did we know that the Great Recession would strike less than a year later, profoundly influencing many of the original commitments that were made in faith.
Today, five years later, Christ Community Church finds herself strapped with an outstanding debt of $750,000 and a bank-note that will come due in May 2013. To say that Christ Community Church finds herself at a critical crossroads is a massive understatement. Our need is great!
Like me, you too desire a permanent presence on our property. Like me, you too desire a permanent church building where we can worship our great Savior and King, Jesus Christ the Lord. Like me, you too desire facilities that allow us to creatively minister to children, youth, and our entire community throughout the week.
Holy visions from God always call on His people to walk in faith and make great personal sacrifices. Think of Old Testament saints like Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Think of New Testament saints like the disciples and the New Testament Church we find in the Book of Acts. Most of all, think of God, who crushed and sacrificed Jesus Christ, His one and only Son, on the Cross of Calvary.
Friends, it is not hyperbole for me to say that the future sustainability of Christ Community Church will largely be determined on whether or not we eliminate this remaining debt in a expeditious manner.
So, I want to ask you to pray for three very specific things over the course of the next three weeks:
- Pray that the soil of your heart, as well as your family, would be soft and fertile for the seed of God’s Word.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal specific sacrifices God would have you and your family make over the next year that would allow you to generously help retire CCC’s land debt.
- And, finally, I ask you to pray for me as your pastor. Preaching on money is humbling and hard. If I’m being truthful, I don’t want to preach on money! Yet, I know I must if I am to be faithful in my duties. Pray that God would bathe me and His proclamation in His Spirit and the power of His grace.
With these things in mind, I offer you the words of God in closing…
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
The Christian’s Sufficient Foundation
“Men are foolishly prone to depend for protection, reputation, and provision of all things upon their estates, as if they were unconsumable, and neglect God their rock, who is the alone sufficient foundation of all our hopes and comforts.” William Bates, The Danger of Prosperity
The Goodness of Good Friday
Today is Good Friday, the day Christians all over the world celebrate the death of Jesus Christ.
For many people in our culture, this seems odd at best and sadistic at worst. Death is something we mourn, not celebrate. Death produces tears and loud cries, not smiles and joyful songs of praise. Death represents finality. And, more times than not, death comes in the form of tragedy, injustice, disease, and suffering. No wonder we grieve when death strikes.
So, how is it then that Christians celebrate the death of Jesus Christ? After all, was not His death tragic? Was not His execution scarred by injustice? Was not His death marked with suffering and pain?
The death of Jesus was tragic because the sin which He bore had heaped tragic consequences upon humanity since the fall of Adam. What were those consequences? The judgment, wrath, and eternal condemnation of the holy God.
The death of Jesus was unjust in the since that innocence took the place of guilt. Jesus Christ was sinless. Humanity was sinful. If anything, it was me, not Jesus, who deserved to hang on the cross and drink the cup of God’s wrath toward my wretched sin.
The death of Jesus is full of horrific suffering and excruciating pain. The back of Jesus was stripped of flesh thru the Roman scourging. The brow of Jesus was pierced by a crown a thorns. The wrists and feet of Jesus were pierced with spikes that anchored His body to a Roman cross. As Jesus Christ hung naked and cursed on the Hill of the Skull, every labored breath sent tortuous shock waves of lightening bolt pain throughout His bruised and battered body.
Yet, the horror of Christ’s suffering extends beyond the physical. The horror of the cross reached its apex when Jesus Christ cried out – “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:33-34) At that moment, Jesus experienced the very horror He begged God the Father to spare him from as He sweated blood in the Garden of Gethsemane – the cup of God’s holy wrath.
Again, with this in mind on this Good Friday, how is it that Christians celebrate such a gruesome death of an innocent Man. Here are seventeen reasons why Christians celebrate with thanksgiving and praise the Cross of Jesus Christ.
- The cross is where God’s justice toward the exceeding sinfulness of sin and His gracious justification of the sinner are accomplished for His glory. (Romans 3:26; 5:9)
- The cross is where the holy fury of God’s wrath toward sin was eternally quenched on behalf of the elect. (Romans 3:25; 5:9)
- The cross is the ultimate display of God’s love and grace towards sinners. (Romans 5:8)
- The cross is where the elect, who were once enemies of God, are eternally reconciled to God. (Romans 5:9)
- The cross is where God’s righteous requirement of His Law – a requirement sinners were helpless and powerless to satisfy – was perfectly satisfied thru the perfection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:3-4)
- The cross is the power of God unto salvation. (1 Cor. 1:18)
- The cross is where Christ became sin so that the elect might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)
- The cross is where the trespasses of the elect are eternally forgiven. (Eph. 1:7)
- The cross eternally killed the hostility and enmity of the elect toward God. (Eph. 2:16)
- The cross provides the elect with eternal reconciliation and peace with God. (Col. 1:20)
- The cross eternally canceled the record of debt on behalf of the elect. (Col. 2:14)
- The cross secured the eternal redemption of the elect. (Heb. 9:12)
- The cross purifies the once dead conscience of the elect. (Heb. 9:14)
- The cross provides the elect with uninterrupted and confident access into the holy presence of God. (Heb. 10:19)
- The cross secures the sanctification of the elect. (Heb. 13:12)
- The cross frees the elect from the tyranny and condemnation of sin. (Rev. 1:5)
- And, the cross ransomed people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. (Rev. 5:9)
This is precisely why Christians celebrate the Cross of Calvary.
It is thru the cross of Christ, and only thru His cross, that man has any hope of being saved from God’s righteous judgment and holy wrath, cleansed of sin and unrighteousness, redeemed, justified, reconciled, adopted, and one day glorified with a resurrection body like Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, Christians across the globe will celebrate the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Praise God for the empty tomb of His beloved Son, our Savior and Lord! But, as Christians, may we never forget that the resurrection is God’s acceptance and approval of Jesus Christ’s penal substitutionary death on the cross. Without the Cross of Christ, the resurrection is irrelevant.
Celebrate the cross, Christian – in all its brutality, horror, bloodiness, and death. For without it, Christians would still be dead in sin and trespasses, hostile and alienated from God, and children of God’s imminent wrath.
Is it any wonder that today is called “Good Friday?”
