Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Financial Authenticity



Our theme for the year has been, “A Journey of Authenticity.” We have been examining what it means to journey authentically with our Lord. This authenticity relates to our faith and trust of God, our interaction with others, and our willingness to step out in faith to do things that we might not think we are capable of. As we consider this journey of authenticity, we must ask, “Does it relate to our finances as well?” Do we trust God to provide for our needs? Do we trust God enough to step out in faith as it relates to our giving?

If you are paying attention to our tithes and offerings you will notice that we are lagging behind. Of course, as the leader of this church I do not like to see that. However, that is not my greatest concern. My greatest desire is for you to discover the joy and freedom of giving. If I may, let me share a bit of my story with you.

As a young adult, in spite of the fact I grew up in a Christian home and was taught about tithing, I was not faithful to the tithe. I served the first six years of my adult life in various ministry capacities that included youth ministering, missions work, and serving as a Baptist Student Ministries director (BSU back then). While God was incredibly faithful to me, I was not so faithful as it came to finances. For some reason, I was never able to establish a habit of tithing. I was well aware that scripture said, “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (Malachi 3:10). And, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Yet, I did not give.

When Kimberly and I got engaged, we had long discussions about how we would handle our money as a married couple. One of the things we agreed to was being faithful in the tithe. Early on, it was difficult. There were many times we paid bills and were tempted to skip the tithe because it would cut us short on grocery money or leave little fun money. However, we had made a commitment and when one of us was weak, the other would provide the accountability (the weak one was usually me).

As time went on, we began to notice how God protected and blessed our finances. Not is some “name it claim it, give and you’ll get rich,” sort of a way, but in subtle ways that we could recognize, God was taking care of us. This summer we will celebrate 20 years of marriage. All these years later we still faithfully and joyfully give our tithe. I cannot tell you that there have not been financial struggles, but I can tell you that God has seen us through every single time.

The joy and happiness that we have received from giving has far surpassed any amount of money that has been given up. Tithing frees you up to give to other worthy causes and ministries, only multiplying blessing upon blessing. Let me encourage you, if you are not tithing currently, begin developing a plan to get there. I promise, you will not out give God.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Unpreached Point



When preparing a sermon, you try to think through a number of things. You ask questions like…What is the main point of this text? What it the most effective way to communicate this text? How do I break this text down into points that make sense and have flow? And, do I have time to preach all of this? However, in spite of the best efforts to think through flow, timing, and application, God will interrupt your plans. Sometimes you stand in the pulpit and realize that something doesn’t fit, or it doesn’t seem in step with what the Spirit is doing at this moment. 

This was the case on Sunday (Jan. 15, 2017). As we considered the second Beatitude, blessed are they that mourn, for they will be comforted (Matt. 5:4), I had a point of corporate application in my notes, but I did not sense that this was where the Spirit was leading, so I skipped it. However, I would like to share that with you now. 

You will remember that the focus of our conversation was on genuine repentance. We spoke about the fact there is such a thing as natural mourning and then there is spiritual mourning. The goal, when dealing with our sin, is to experience spiritual mourning. While there is nothing wrong with natural mourning, mourning the loss of a loved one or a relationship, it does not lead to repentance. Second Corinthians 7:10 reminds us that only godly sorrow leads to repentance. By way of application, we spoke of acknowledging our sin, mourning properly, and embracing grace.

In applying this principle corporately, I wanted to look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” We always hear this verse applied to the United States of America and the desire to see a revival in our country.  However, I think this is a misapplication. The verse is directed at God’s covenant people, “my people who are called by my name.” In the Old Testament God’s covenant people was the nations on Israel. In the New Testament, the church; not the USA. 

If we want to consider this verse in a New Testament context, then we must look at it from the context of the church. It is the church that needs to humble herself. It is the church that needs to pray, seek, and repent. And when the church does these things, God will hear and bring healing (revival). When the church experiences revival, then our land (the USA) can be impacted, but not before. 

When applying “Blessed are those who mourn” corporately, let us recognize that the church as well as the individual, must take repentance seriously. If we want to see God do exciting things in our midst, we must walk according to His ways. Remember the promise attached to this Beatitude, they will be comforted. Anytime we come to the Lord, broken and contrite, He is sure to lift us up.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

The Year of Authenticity



au·then·tic – of undisputed origin; genuine

              We have dubbed 2017 as “The Year of Authenticity” at Northside Baptist Church. Of course, we always want to be authentic in our faith, but we want to give special attention to it in this upcoming year. The main complaint you will hear from the world is that Christians are not real, they are not genuine, or in other words, they are not authentic. Some of these complaints are warranted and others or not, but we must make it our effort to be as true to Christ as we possibly can be.
              In Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells us, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” It is here that I believe we have Jesus’ definition of authenticity. We are to deny ourselves. Self-denial means that we do not respond to others as we naturally would, but that we display the love and grace of God in an extraordinary way. It means that we do not respond to unsettling times as others would, but that we respond in faith. It means that we show discipline in prayer, Bible study, and give careful consideration to who God is and His ways. Self-denial means that we move from the place of comfort to a place of discipline and focus.
              Jesus’ next challenge is for us to take up our cross. Ultimately, Jesus is telling us what the road to self-denial looks like. The cross was an instrument of death. Jesus is say, if you want to follow me, you must die to self. Your personal agendas, rights, and ideas must die – only to be replaced by the agenda of Christ. Can you imagine how our relationships, marriages, and interactions with others would change if we simply died to self? This is the call of the believer.
              Finally, we are called to follow Him. Jesus is saying that the call of Christianity is not really that hard. It is not a set of rules to follow. It is not a list to check off. To truly be a follower of Christ, to be authentic, we must simply follow him day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment. If we will allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, truly dying to self, then we will be all that Christ has called us to be.
              So, let us make it our aim to be authentic believers in the year ahead. Give daily attention to the ways and attitudes of Jesus Christ. Strive to respond to others as He would. Strive to respond to situations as He would. As the definition for authentic says, let us be of “undisputed origin; genuine.” I look forward to seeing what the year ahead holds as we seek to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

Honored to be your pastor,
Darrell