Jesus Made the First Mission Trip

September 13, 2015     |     Text: Luke 19:1-10

Missions, whether a short term trip or a career on the mission field, is all about taking the Gospel message to people that need to hear it. As with pretty much everything having to do with the Christian walk, Jesus gave us an example to follow. It may sound a little corny, but bear with me here: Jesus made the first mission trip.

Jesus was in heaven with God the Father. In Genesis 1, God said “Let us make man in our own image.” The Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist as the godhead in three persons from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus is not a created being like men or angels. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus reiterates that the message he preaches was not his own but every word the Father gave him to say. No one has seen God (John 1:18) but the only begotten Son has made him known. The will of God was done perfectly in heaven, as referenced in the Lord’s prayer. God sat on his throne and was worshiped continuously (Isaiah 6, Revelation 19).

Mankind was affected first by sin then by the curse. Adam and Eve were made in the likeness and image of God and live together peacefully in the garden paradise which was Eden. They had fellowship with God daily and everything was literally right with the world. Sin made them ashamed (Genesis 3) and changed their relationship with God. The curse changed their relationship with each other and even affected the animal kingdom and the earth itself. What had been Adam’s vocation, gardening and farming, became work for the first time. Eve would bear children in sorrow and they would eventually grow old and die. God’s judgement at the time of the Great Flood had a further environmental impact and the world we live in today is very different from the one God looked at on the day of creation and saw that it was good. The Law given to Moses and the Children of Israel had a limited effect of restraining evil and the sacrificial system of offering the blood of rams and turtle doves was insufficient. Man’s natural state is enmity with God. His thoughts are set continually on evil and his heart devises new ways of doing evil.

Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2) and took the form of a servant, obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He left his throne on high and entered the fray of this present wilderness. The creator condescended to the level of his fallen creation in order to bring us back into right relationship. He spent a lifetime on a very foreign mission field, putting himself in harm’s way and eventually giving his life as a ransom for many. We may see firefighters go into burning buildings to bring people out, or perhaps police officers or soldiers brave enemy fire. They risk all for their fellow man. Jesus came from heaven into the world that hated God, did not acknowledge his Laws and sometimes doubted his existence. He came to the very people that had killed the prophets. “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8  

Jesus taught his followers how to keep the Law but also do even greater; to love one another. He taught his followers how to pray but we also see him lead be example, reading the Word and spending time in prayer daily. His whole life was a mission trip. When we could not go to God, Jesus came to us. He came to his own and his own received him not (John 1:11). But verse 12 says “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” And his final words to his followers were to go to all nations and make disciples. Preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Jesus was literally a man on a mission and his people are to be on mission. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and we must have no lesser ambition. Grow a successful business, buy a house and a car, leave something behind for your children, that’s the American dream. Many of us here have done or are doing those things, and if we use what we have been blessed with to honor God there is nothing wrong with that. But the fields are white unto harvest, and the laborers are few.

Our call this month (Missions Georgia, all September long) is to study together, pray together, and give together. Missions does indeed begin at home but the end goal is the whole earth.

Peace and God bless!

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If Not Us Then Who?

In the spirit of Mission Georgia emphasis this month, enjoy this video by Matthew West.

If not us then who, if not me and you, right now it’s time for us to do something.
If not now then when, will we see an end to all this pain.
It’s not enough to do nothing, it’s time for us to do something.

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Famous Last Words: Mission Georgia week 1

September 6th     |     text: Matthew 28:16-20, Acts 1:8 

“Win one for the Gipper,” Ronald Reagan famously said in his on-screen portrayal of football legend George Gipp. Johnny Ace was an R&B singer that died tragically in 1954 while playing with a pistol. His last words were “I’ll show you that it won’t shoot.” Others chose their last words more carefully. Perhaps the most famous last words, at least in our culture, are Nathan Hale’s from the American Revolution: I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country. Sometimes we ascribe special meaning to the final thoughts a person shares before leaving this world, and the final words Jesus had for his disciples is no different.

The Great Commission, recorded by Matthew and Mark, is a call to carry the Gospel to entire world. Jesus had spent his earthly ministry preaching to multitudes and healing the sick, but all the while he was training a group of hand-picked Apostles to carry on the work of ministry. The Jesus Movement did not end with the crucifixion of Jesus, it was just getting starting.

What is a disciple? Simply put, a disciple is a student. A rabbi was a Jewish teacher and their pupils were disciples of their teaching. It was more of a master/apprentice relationship than a teacher with a classroom full of students. Recall that Jesus called the 12 Apostles from a much larger group of disciples. A multitude of people followed Jesus around everywhere he went. Some of that crowd were merely curious, and others were the critics or even enemies of Jesus. But there were many that loved his message and desired to learn more about the coming Kingdom of God. The Apostles were given authority, not only to heal the sick and cast out demons, but to preach the Gospel, teach and give instructions. Jesus final words to the Apostles was to make disciples out of all the nations. All Jewish rabbis had disciples, even John the Baptist had disciples. But Jesus wasn’t telling the Apostles to make disciples of their own; they were calling people to also be disciples of Jesus. Their commission was to share the gospel message and turn people into students – not of their words and teaching, but of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s Gospel does not have a Great Commission passage as such but he was also the author of Acts. Acts 1:8 is the final words Jesus spoke before his ascension and is often our basis for sending missionaries into the world: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Notice the natural progression of the list of instructions Jesus is giving. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem.” They were already in Jerusalem. The Christian church began in Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts 2, and very quickly spread to Asia, Africa and Europe. Judea was the larger territory, the region they were in, and Samaria was a similar region beyond that. Bearing witness to Jesus – to his life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection – was to begin right where they were and then spread. Some of us are called to be teachers, pastors, etc, each gifted with different spiritual gifts, but all Christians are called to do the work of evangelism. Any born again believer should be able to tell another person, even if it’s one a time over a cup of coffee or at the end of the driveway by your mailbox, what God has done. In our zeal to share the Gospel with nations we cannot overlook beginning where we are.

This is the first Sunday in September and we are beginning a month-long focus on missions in general and on the state of Georgia in particular. Missionaries are not just people that sell their house and move to some far away land. We must not neglect Jesus instructions to begin at home and then branch out. Christianity begun long before any of us were born and, if Christ tarries his coming, will continue after our particular work is done. There are missionaries in hundreds of nations and support networks in place to provide for them. We don’t have to start anything new in order to join in the work that God is already doing. But missions always starts with your neighbor. There are Bibles being smuggled into China and wells being dug in African villages that have no electricity. But don’t neglect the family next door with the yard full of children’s toys nor the senior citizen that needs a ride to the grocery store. Recall Jesus’ words to the Pharisees about how they kept commandments and neglected the love of God; “These things you ought to have done without leaving the other undone.” Missions begins at home.

Peace and God bless.

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Missions Georgia Focus in September

15-mission-GA-logoAll Southern Baptists have two mission focuses each year, one on North American Missions during the spring and another on International Missions in December. These culminate in the Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon offerings respectively. In the State of Georgia we have an annual focus on statewide missions during the month of September.

We will be studying Georgia Missions during our Wednesday night Bible Study & Prayer Meeting beginning Wednesday, September 2nd. I will begin a sermon series on the importance of missions in general and why Georgia Missions matter beginning September 6th. The ladies of WMU met just this morning and will have set a goal for our Missions Georgia offering. We will announce this goal and hand out prayer guides on Sunday morning. UPDATE: The state goal is $1.7 million and our goal at UBC is $250. UPDATE: We exceeded our goal with an offering of $280! 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

Missions has been at the forefront of Christianity since the beginning of the New Testament Church. I hope it doesn’t sound too corny but in a very real sense Jesus made the first mission trip! Join us this month as we study together, pray together and give together to support Georgia Missions.

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Living Bread that Comes Down from Heaven

bread of lifeAugust 30th     |     text: John 6:41-59

There are many examples of food in the Bible being used as illustration, from meal preparation to the offer of food as hospitality. Eating and drinking are basic to all human life. Animals were not just sacrificed in the Old Testament by taken their life; they were cut up in very specific ways and cooked on the altar as a meal offered to God. The sacrifice system included grain and drink offerings. From the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3 to the marriage feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19, God’s people are found eating and drinking throughout the Bible. And if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times: The Bible is about Jesus.

1. Bread is ancient. The first mention of bread in the Bible is Genesis 3:19. As God cursed the ground because of man’s sin he said “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread.” There is no historical account of the discovery of making bread; the process predates civilization. Loaves of bread were preserved in the ruins of Pompeii and archaeological digs have uncovered not only the ovens they used but also full color frescoes on the walls of daily activity including bread making. The way we make bread has not changed much in thousands of years. Before the days of refrigeration, freeze drying, preservatives and cellophane packaging, baking bread was a daily activity. The children of Israel in Moses’ time celebrating Passover by eating unleavened bread and earlier in John 6 Jesus miraculously fed a multitude with 5 loaves and 2 small fish. When Jesus talked about eating bread everyone knew what he was talking about because people have always eaten bread.

2. Eating bread is universal. Bread was ancient by the time of Jesus but it certainly has not disappeared since. Sliced bread was first marketed in 1928 and has since became a staple in the American marketplace; so simple an idea and universal in appeal we now refer to things as “the greatest since sliced bread.” From French baguettes to Mom’s buttermilk biscuits, if anything we have too much bread in our modern diet. Every morning Hardee’s is cooking biscuits fresh in their store and Subway is doing the same with their sub rolls. Olive Garden offers never ending bread sticks. Sit down at Longhorn’s and they bring you a loaf of bread on a cutting board and a big knife. McDonald’s have served over 250 billion hamburgers and every single one of those was on a… hamburger bun. Beef may be what’s for dinner but we will find some kind of bread to eat it with. From Marie Antoinette’s proclamation “Let them eat cake” to the Roman Empire’s bread and circuses, it a universal fact that people have always eaten bread and still do. Other examples Jesus used in his sermons and teachings – planting crops, gathering fish, pressing grapes, trimming lamps – may find an audience depending on who you’re talking to but eating bread is something every single one of us can relate to. So when it came time to explain his role in salvation, Jesus used his best analogy he had that would be understood by the most number of people, in the first as well as twenty-first century.

3. Jesus is life.  God used manna to teach the Israelites in the wilderness that he provides for their needs daily, just as Jesus taught his disciples to pray “give us this day our daily bread.” Moses spoke to the stone in the desert that gave water and the Apostle Paul explains that rock was Jesus. His words are the very words of life. He had the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up again. The sacrifice of his life – the death of his body on the cross – brought salvation. The breaking of bread and drinking from the cup remind us that his body was broken and his blood spilled out. The language seems a little disturbing and somewhat graphic in verses 52 – 59 but he is extending the metaphor. At the beginning of John 6, Jesus blessed the loaves and fish and handed them out to multitude. Every person was filled. Jesus body was broken on the cross, his blood poured out, and his death brings life. We partake of Jesus when we receive salvation. The loaves and fish were blessed and broken the day the multitude was fed, the bread and the wine were blessed and passed around at the last supper, and Jesus was broken and offered up as the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sin of the world. We partake of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we partake of life which Jesus freely offers to all who will receive.

Volumes of books have been written on Christian theology and some study it for a lifetime. But Jesus put everlasting life in terms that even a child can understand. Let us

Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8)

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The Weightier Matters of the Law

August 23, 2015     |     text: Matthew 23:1-12, 23-24

All of Matthew 23 prescribes woe to the scribes and Pharisees but I would like to focus on two particular paragraphs. Jesus speaks of the Pharisees sitting on the seat of Moses. Moses had led Israel a little over 40 years, from the time of the plagues in Egypt to their entrance into the Promised Land. The 10 Commandments had been given by the hand of Moses at Sinai as well as the body of the whole Law (the Commandments being merely a summary). During their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses had listened to cases and settled disputes, after conferring with God and then establishing what we could call case law. Jesus says the Pharisees sit in judgement over the people the way Moses did but issued this warning: Listen to what they say but do not do what they do. The Pharisees did not practice what they preached. We are commanded, however, to do the things Jesus did as we are conformed to his image.

Then in verse 23:  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” Matt 23:23

The Pharisees became managers of the minutia but totally missed the bigger picture. They were splitting hairs, tithing even out of their spice racks, but would let widows starve in the street. In Luke’s account of the same sermon (Luke 11) Jesus says they have “neglected the love of God.” Jesus chastised the Pharisees rulers for neglecting love, mercy and justice but he also told them the other commandments they were keeping should not be neglected either. Jesus did not abolish the Law and the Prophets but was rather the fulfillment of them.

Consider the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus reminded the people what they heard the scribes and Pharisees teach but told them they should do even more. If compelled to walk one mile, walk two. If sued for your coat, give them your cloak also. Hating your brother makes you just as guilty as murder. Looking at a women with lust is committing adultery already in your heart! Jesus complaint against the Pharisees was not that they were teaching others to keep the Law. His gripe was about the weightier matters of the Law they overlooked and the fact they burden others to keep the Law while doing nothing themselves.

In John 8, a woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus. We all know his response; “Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.” When the woman saw there no accuser, Jesus said that he would not condemn her either. BUT he told to go and sin no more. Jesus did not put an end to the commandments. He told his followers that those who love him will keep his commandments. He identified the greatest commandments as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength” and also “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Those were not new commands, he was quoting Leviticus and Deuteronomy!

You cannot break any one of the 10 Commandments if you set out to keep those two greatest commands from the start. If you love God with all your heart/soul/mind/strength then you will not use his name in vein, put another God before him, etc. If you love your neighbor as yourself you will not lie to him, steal from him or kill him. All of our attempts to live righteously will fall short of perfection. But that’s what the Gospel message is about. Jesus took within himself on the cross the due penalty for our transgressions, and in the great exchange which is salvation we receive the credit for his righteousness.

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Free Summer Concerts at UBC

Unity Baptist is hosting free Christian music concerts this summer in Plainville. Sean Blockley will lead Praise & Worship on the evening of August 15th (see poster below). Howard Withrow from Adairsville, with his friends from several area churches, will be pickin’ and grinnin’ Bluegrass Gospel on September 5th. Both events are free and open to the public. Tell a friend!

UPDATE: The Bluegrass Gospel event will start at 6 pm, food and fellowship to follow. The new poster is below.

Screenshot 2015-08-18 at 3.04.59 PM

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Made in God’s Image

August 2nd     |     Text: Genesis 1:26-27

I have been the pastor of Unity Baptist Church for less than a year but I have been preaching for over 20. All of the notes, video tapes etc. of those early sermons are (thankfully) long gone but I have been blogging since 2008. My blog on religion and theology, The Master’s Table, is linked in the side bar to the right. Lately all I’ve done is a weekly post called Happy Monday, but there are many sermons, discussions, debates and scripture lessons buried in the archives.

Today at Unity I am bringing a sermon written in 2013 and posted in 3 parts at The Master’s Table. Rather than write up a compilation I am simply going to link each part in order. Read the scriptures referenced, consider what it means to be made in God’s image and conformed to the image of Christ… then go out and be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Peace and God bless!

God’s Image – Part 1

God’s Image – Part 2 

God’s Image – Part 3 

Each link will open in a new window or tab; when you finish part 1 simply close that window to return to this screen and select part 2. 

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Why Do We Pray?

July 26th     |     Sermon text: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-21 

A little girl was hurrying to church one Sunday morning and praying as she ran down the sidewalk. “Lord, don’t let me be late to Sunday School,” she petitioned. “Please God, I don’t want to miss it.” Just then she fell, scraping little hands and the knees, but was otherwise undaunted as she brushed off her dress and continued to run and pray. “Jesus, I don’t want to be late for Sunday School… but please don’t push me either!”

Why do pray? The Bible tells us to is not a sufficient answer in this case; there must be real reasons we can identify for it come up so many times throughout scripture. Before giving his disciples the Model Prayer, Jesus reminded them the Father knows our needs even before we ask. He has ordained the events of history so the very thing we are praying about may be something God is doing. So if God knows what we need and knows what he’s doing, why does he need to listen to us? He doesn’t. (Long pause to make sure everyone’s awake) God doesn’t need our advice, opinions, or to be told things he already knows. He doesn’t need to listen to us.. but he wants to. His desire and his instructions are for us to pray. So let’s talk about why.

Prayer is a demonstration of faith. Think about the earthly ministry of Jesus. After beginning his travels and calling the Apostles, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth. (Mark 6) He had already taught and preached to multitudes, cast out demons and calmed a storm. (Mark 3, 4, 5) But in Nazareth no one would listen to his teachings; they mumbled about him being the carpenter’s son and about who his mother and siblings were. Even he marveled at their lack of faith and as a result could do no great work there. How many times did Jesus ask someone if they believed, or say to the those being healed it is faith that made them well? Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

Prayer declares that God can and also that we cannot. Praying to God not only demonstrates our faith in his strength but also admits our weakness. We acknowledge his ability and our inability. God doesn’t need to listen to our prayers but we need to offer them. Prayer is good for us because it brings us to the right place of not leaning on our understanding or trusting in our own strength. We bow our heads, we bend the knee, we close our eyes when we pray to give reverence and show humility as we come before the throne of grace. We offer thanks for the things we have received before asking for more; and for that matter prayer doesn’t always ask for things. Jesus warned his followers not to pray like the Pharisees or like the Gentiles and he and others in the New Testament warned against false teachers. Prayer is not a means for manipulating God into giving us stuff. Read the parable in Luke 18:9-14 and consider what it teaches about prayer. Prayer should put in our place.

We are in a relationship. You have probably heard “Christianity is a relationship not a religion.” There is some truth and wisdom in that statement but it could also be dangerous is misinterpreted or misapplied. It may be useful in apologetics but we must be careful the person we’re talking to understands what we mean. There are six major world religions and Christianity is certainly one of them. Jesus had a problem with the religious leaders of his day and as a religious form Christianity can be just as bad as any other. So let’s put all talk of religion aside and focus on this truth: God desires a relationship with his people. We’ve studied in Galatians how we are adopted into the family of God, brothers and sisters in the faith and heirs with Christ. Consider some Jesus’ final words with his disciples: 

Jesus told his followers “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:13-15) In chapter 13 they called him Master and Lord; Jesus now declares them to be more than servants, he calls them friends. Then in John 16: “In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;  for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.” (John 16:26-27) 

God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven of earth… loves you. He desires to hear the sound of your voice. He is bottling up the prayers of the saints which will become a beautiful incense in front of his throne in heaven.

We pray because God told us to. He told us to because prayer is good for us; it is an expression of our faithfulness and a demonstration of our humility. Prayer is a gift from God that is good for us and good for him. Prayer should be a worshipful and delightful exchange. If it’s not something you look forward to and enjoy doing… maybe we should pray about that.

Peace and God bless.

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Some Things Never Change

July 19th     |     Text: Genesis 1:1, 1:31

God created a world that was good. What happened? The same thing that always happens; things changed. It has been said that the only constant is change. Observation tells us that’s true as we live in an ever changing world. Is there anything that never changes? I can think of one thing.

1. The world changes. 

“Things of this world” in scripture often refers to human activity. Empires rise and fall, governments are established, people groups are annihilated from existence, populations shift and cultures merge and diverge from one another. These things can be seen in scripture and witnessed in our own lifetime.

Our relationship with God changed in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3). The relationship between men and women and between humankind and the animal kingdom also changed.

The physical world itself changes. The ground was affected by the curse in Eden. The world was further affected by the flood (rain fell for the first time; foundation of the deep broken up). Today islands and mountains are created by volcanic activity while subduction is swallowing up the ocean floor.

The world we live in, both human and physical geography, is a constant state of flux. Insisting that things not change is not a course of action. God’s Word never changes, the world constantly changes, and we as Christians must be aware of and responding to those two truth statement.

2. The Word of God never changes.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
-Luke 21:33, Matt. 24:35

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 (KJV)

The days of the physical universe, as well as the rules and laws that govern it, are numbered. Time had a beginning and will have an end and God exists outside of that. There’s an entire spiritual realm that exists just outside of our field of view and our ideas about what is real and what is not are actually backwards. The world considers heaven and hell, the judgement, the afterlife and even God himself to be concepts, more imaginary than reality. When the curtain is pulled back, those things will prove to be more real, of lasting permanence, than the physical world we perceive with our limited senses. The work we have done for the kingdom in preparation for eternity will endure while everything made of brick, wood and straw will burn away in the trial by fire. Those who built on the solid rock of Christ’s promises will not wash away while great tribulation and judgement will fall on those who built on the shifting sands of all this world has to offer.

The world is in constant motion and everything in it constantly changes. It is made of shifting sand and changing tides. A mighty fortress is our God. Consider again the command to “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

3. We the church must remember what we are called to. We must walk circumspectly of the world but not be isolated from it. Building a high wall and closing the gates to the outside while we read, study, pray and worship in our own private Christian community does not fulfill the great commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matt 28:19-20 

You do need time alone to read the Bible and pray. But then we have to go work. We have to go school. We need to attend school board meetings and take our kids to girl scout meetings. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matt 5:16 We have to eat out in restaurants and be friendly and generous with the servers.

Read Matthew 5:13-16. The darker this world gets, the more it needs your light to shine.

Peace and God bless.

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