Let’s Not Be Average

I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works,” Ps. 9:1.

Don’t be another average Christian. Sometimes, I feel like ninety percent of most Christians currently warming a pew on Sunday mornings should probably just stay home (some of them I would just like to shoot). Most people would be shocked if you knew what I know, as a pastor, goes on in many Christian’s homes. Not that all of it is ungodly or wicked, but many of them do absolutely nothing when it come to the things of God. Many of these people are in leadership positions. They have no true burden for the lost. They may say they do, but the next time you see them out in public, ask them if they have any gospel tracts on them. Nine out of ten won’t. That is why the churches don’t have an impact in the community. They may try to blame the church, the pastor, or the other members, but the truth is that THEY are just lazy and cold.

Their lack of passion and lack of desire is a result of their carnal lifestyle. Many of them do not walk daily with God, much less for God. Be different! Stay on fire! Get excited and do more than others are willing to do. You must work harder then everyone else. I issued a challenge a few years back to several churches in the Southeast, in GA, NC, TN, FL, LA, SC, and KY. I told them they should never leave home without tracts. We don’t go to the grocery store to get groceries, we go to witness for Christ and we pick up some groceries while we are there. I told these churches that if they caught me out in public without tracts on my person, I would give them $25.oo. That offer still stands.

The truth is, it is not that hard to be better than average!

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself,” Luke 10:27.

Accomplishment, Ours or His?

Have you ever stopped to think about all that Jesus accomplished in the few short years of His ministry. With limited time, limited resources, and limited workers (from and earthly standpoint), in 3 1/2 years, He completed the entire plan of redemption. At the end of His earthly ministry He was able to say, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (John 17:4)

Think about that statement. He said He had finished the work that God had given Him to do. How could He say that He was finished. I mean, there were still people to be healed, the disciple still wanted Him to overthrow the Roman government and set up His kingdom. But, you see, He had finished what God had sent Him to do.

Now for the application. How much of what we plan to accomplish each day is what God would have us to do?

We need to realize that we can’t do it all, but we can do something. What has God set before you to accomplish? Are your dreams and goals interfering with His? When we make plans for our great accomplishments, are they ours or His?

Tithing, Law, and Grace

Tithing by A.W. Pink (1886-1952)

Tithing is even more obligatory on the saints of the New Testament than it was upon God’s people in Old Testament days—not equally binding, but more binding, and that for two reasons: first, on the principle of “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48). The obligations of God’s saints today are much greater than the obligations of the saints in Old Testament times, because our privileges and our blessings are greater. As grace is more potent than law, as love is more constraining than fear, as the Holy Spirit is more powerful than the flesh, so our obligations to tithe are greater, for we have a deeper incentive to do that which is pleasing to God.

Many people believe that because we are under grace that we have a free pass to live and do anything we want. They say we are not under the law anymore. What they fail to realize is that grace requires more than the law.

The law says don’t commit adultery, grace says that if we look with lust we are guilty. The law says don’t kill, grace says that if we hate we are guilty of murder.

How true it is, to whom much is given much is required.

What have you been given? What are you giving back?

Are You Guilty of Omission of the Commission?

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mar 16:15)

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. – Charles H. Spurgeon

Young men and old men, and sisters of all ages, if you love the Lord, get a passion for souls. Do you not see them? They are going down to hell by the thousands. – Charles H. Spurgeon

If you do not make it a matter of study, how you may successfully act in building up the kingdom of Christ, you are acting a very wicked and absurd part as a Christian. – Charles Finney

Oh my friend, we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the church, that of evangelizing the world and winning the lost, is almost entirely neglected! – Oswald J. Smith

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luk 6:46)

Let’s get back to the task at hand, the task of sharing the saving gospel with a lost and dying world. If you don’t have a burden for lost souls, then pray that God would give you a burden. If you do have a burden, pray that God would give you a greater burden. That we would not let any opportunity to share the gospel pass us by.

Not Called?

”’Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face – whose mercy you have professed to obey – and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”

William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army)

Quote to Think About

“As long as there are millions destitute of the Word of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, it will be impossible for me to devote my time and energy to those who have both.”

J. L. Ewen

Some Ideas on Becoming a World Vision Christian

Start With a World Vision:

Memorize Great Commission verses like: Gen 12:1-3; Psa 67; Matt 24:14; Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:8, Rev 5:9-10 and Rev 7:9-10.
Read a good introduction to missions such as:
Let the Nations Be Glad
2020 Vision
The Church is Bigger Than You Think
Don’t Waste Your Life
Finishing the Task
Read missionary biographies such as:
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets
Green Leaf in Drought Time
The Heavenly Man
Shadow of the Almighty
Eternity in Their Hearts

Strengthen Your Involvement:

Form or join a local prayer group focusing on missions.
Commit to pray for a Bible-less language group.
Attend Missions Conferences

Share Your Vision for World Missions:

Distribute unreached peoples materials to others in your church
Become part of the mission committee in your church
Write to missionaries to encourage them, and pray for them specifically
(If you need help in finding a missionary to write to, send me an email)

Serve:

Befriend foreign nationals in your local school and/or neighborhood.
Do evangelistic mailings into least-reached countries and peoples.
Go on a short term mission project to an unreached people group.
Join a work team serving needy people groups and regions.
Obtain counsel from mature believers and experienced missionaries.
Prepare yourself to go as a long-term missionary

This is just a few ideas to get you started. I would love to hear from you with some ideas of your own.

The Lost Art of Gratitude

I think we live in a day and a time when many people have forgotten what is means to be grateful. We spend so much time focused on what we don’t have or obstacles that we face, we forget how many things we have in our lives to be thankful for. I came across this video on YouTube.com and I thought it was great and I wanted to share it with you. I hope if I meet you on the street somewhere, I will see you doing the “Gratitude Dance.”

You Can Be a Difference Maker!!!

Have you ever overheard someone blame a single raindrop for causing a flood, or a single snowflake for causing a blizzard. You probably never will, but each raindrop and snowflake had a vital part in the flood and blizzard. Most people have a “What can I do?” attitude about making a difference in the world. You can give a helping hand to people in need. You can be an encouragement to those that are around you, and by doing so, through them be an encouragement and influence to countless others. The life you live before others, a life above mediocrity, makes quite a statement.

Attempting and Expecting

The father of modern missions, William Carey, said,”Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.” It is my prayer for us to do a lot of attempting and expecting in 2008.