Fighting the Current
If you are anything like me, you cannot believe that summer is already practically over! In just about one week (or even less for some), kids will be headed back to school! As for here at the church, we are closing the books on our busy summer and are looking ahead to the fall and if you can believe it, even 2016! That’s right, our budget and committee processes are in full swing, all in an effort to get us prepared for things on the horizon in the coming year. It is an unquestionably exciting time, and I am profoundly grateful for the faithful men and women here at UBC that are stepping up and putting our Great Commission Strategy in high gear. But….
Not a big but, but a but nonetheless. Allow me to be transparent and confess something only to you….I feel like I’m barely holding on. I’ve no more caught my breath from the frantic pace of the summer only to jump right back in as we look ahead. Please don’t take this as complaining, because I’m not. I absolutely love what I do, and there is absolutely no other group I’d rather do it with than all of you. I think the Lord is just reminding me of the inevitability of change, so I figured I would just share the lesson with all of you as well, just in case you might need it too.
Change can be a frightening thing, can’t it? I know that the vast majority of folks don’t really like change. I mean, really, think about it. We have the same routine every day. We get up at the same time, go to the same job, you get the idea. It can sometimes be the same thing in our spiritual lives. We sit in the same spot in church. We wear the same clothes to church, talk to the same people at church, and eat at the same place after church. Now am I right or am I right? The thing is that sometimes something will pull us from that all-important routine, then it becomes a frightening scenario to us, almost like going down Niagara Falls in a barrel!
The fact of the matter is that change is a constant in our lives. It’s going to come, whether we want it to or not. But here’s the silver lining, friends. For the Christian believer, there is another constant, and that constant is found in the person of Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews said it best when he said:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8, NIV)
I just love it when the Lord points me to Scripture that serves as a simple reminder of what I’ve known all along, but perhaps just needed a little reinforcement. Despite all the change going on in my life, whether it’s family schedules or hectic church life, Jesus Christ is the one true constant in my life. He is unchanging…and unmoving. That means that I can rest on Him and let Him lead me as opposed to trying to fight the current of change. I don’t have to be afraid because I know who it is that is leading me.
I remember as a young boy swimming in a lake at a camp I was attending. Like most young boys, I wanted to impress the girls there with how good of a swimmer I was. However, unlike most young boys, I wasn’t a good swimmer. As I swam about halfway out, I quickly realized the mistake I made. My arms and legs began to tire, and I felt myself going under quickly. The more I tried to flap around and cry out, the more fatigued I became. Just as my head went under the surface of the water, I felt the strong arms of a teenage girl (totally embarrassing) pull me back up and began to swim me back to shore. As I continued to fight to keep myself up, I vividly remember her telling me “Stop fighting. Just be still. Your fighting is bringing you down.”
Wow. My own efforts to fight were actually my downfall. I wonder if it’s not the same thing in our spiritual lives. We fight so hard to resist the change and try to do everything on our own instead of resting in the Lord’s arms and letting Him take us where we need to get to.
So consider this your friendly reminder as you do back to school shopping or as you get ready for the last few months of 2015. In some aspect of your life, change is either already here or it’s coming fast. But if you know Christ in an intimate and personal way, you don’t have to be afraid of it. Instead of going down Niagara Falls in a barrel, it can be more like tubing down the Bogue Chitto (if you’ve never done that, I highly recommend it J). Is your fighting bringing you down? If it is, remember the constant in your life. I am praying for you on your journey down the river.
Until Next Week,
Pastor JP
Riding the Wave
I’m back!!!!! What an absolutely crazy three weeks it’s been!!!! I know several of you have been wondering where the blog has been. No excuses, but simply put, it has been quite a challenge to keep my head above water. There has been something going on almost every day for the past three weeks. Some good, some bad, most unexpected. Have you ever had your days completely planned out to where you knew exactly what you were going to accomplish on that particular day only to get thrown a major curveball that manages to radically shift the trajectory of the remainder of not only your day but your week as well? Well that is exactly what I feel like right now, but that’s life, so I digress….
I will tell you that among the craziness and hectic nature of the past few weeks, I have also felt an undeniable sense of energy and excitement. You have likely felt it as well. Our attendance in worship services on Sunday mornings and evenings as well as on Wednesday evenings have been up significantly since the beginning of the summer, new people are desiring membership in our fellowship, and most importantly, people are coming to faith in Jesus Christ and seeking to make that decision public through baptism. In short, we are growing! There is no question that it’s an exciting time to be a part of what the Lord is doing here at University Baptist Church!
However, in the midst of all of the excitement, let me issue a word of caution. Let’s not get caught up in all of the emotions and excitement and good feelings. It’s kind of like a surfer who senses that “the big one” is coming. He knows that this is the wave that he has been waiting for, so he makes sure to get his posture ready so that he is ready to ride the wave as opposed to wiping out. It is a similar concept regarding our church. We need to make sure that our posture is ready. The apostle Paul makes it very clear what we need to be doing in his letter to the church in Ephesus:
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
-Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)
Paul is simply saying that if we really have a sense of joy and excitement, then let’s see it through to completion by not getting caught up in it but rather continuing to moving forward as one body. One mind, one heart, one purpose, united in love. We need all the pistons firing together, and we do that by not focusing on ourselves but by continuing to focus on the mission. It would be very easy to get caught up in all of the excitement that is happening right now, and I am not saying not to enjoy it. I am simply saying that as a church body, we are not going to let it overwhelm us. We will not look to the right or to the left. Instead, we are going to continue to look to the Lord for guidance direction, and wisdom. Let us never for one minute think that everything that is happening is a result of something that we have done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Everything that is happening is a result of God’s people being of one accord and submitting to His direction. Well, as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We are going to continue to stay grounded and humble, because if we don’t, we will surely wipeout.
So, here’s the thing. We’re going to ride this wave with everything we’ve got. But we’re going to make sure that our posture is right so that we glorify the Lord in the midst of the excitement. So, jump on board, stay humble, and ride the wave that is the incredible work of God in the life of University Baptist Church. I for one can’t wait to see what He does next!!!
Until Next Week,
Pastor JP
After God’s Own Heart…
It is no secret that pastors and ministers are held to high standards. After all, God has appointed us to oversee and shepherd His flock, so it seems completely appropriate that we are expected to live virtuous lives, making decisions that honor Jesus Christ and being positive examples of His grace and love for others. So what happens when we fail? If you are anything like me, your heart has been completely broken over the past few months by the seemingly endless news stories of moral failures on the part of pastors and staff ministers. From youth ministers having inappropriate relationships with their own underage students to senior pastors resigning their positions over extramarital conduct, the stories have been rampant—too rampant—and all too painful. Unfortunately, these stories are not new. Throughout the course of our daily lives, we hear stories of moral failings and inappropriate conduct, and we likely shrug them off and go about our daily business. But when it is a minister, one of God’s chosen, we tend to sit up and really take notice. Why?
Because they ARE God’s chosen. They are the ones that God has chosen to carry out a special calling, and because they have been specially called by God, the temptation sometimes exists to put these men on pedestals, forgetting that they are men that are filled with temptations, desires, and unfortunately, sin—just like all of the “regular people”. That certainly does not excuse their sin, nor am I attempting to provide any kind of justification for it. I am simply saying that while yes, I agree that pastors and ministers should indeed be held to a higher standard, let’s not make the mistake of idolizing them. While wonderful men, they are still men, and eventually these men, myself included, will inevitably let you down and disappoint you.
While it is important to not put these men on pedestals, it is equally important that we as ministers, and even all Christians for that matter, stay grounded. Let’s stay humble and never forget who it is that we really serve. This is often easier said than done, particularly when you are in positions of authority. The story of David from 2 Samuel 11-12 comes to mind as a good example of someone who forgot whom he truly served, resulting in dire consequences for both himself and his family. David seemingly had it all, didn’t he? He went from being a lowly shepherd boy to the boy hero and then to the boy king. He was revered and adored by practically everyone. Scripture even referred to him as “a man after God’s own heart”. But alas, David lost his humility. He bought into the hype that EVERYTHING WAS MORE ABOUT HIM AND LESS ABOUT GOD. He forgot the fact that any authority he had was only authority that had been given to him from God Himself. Once he forgot who he really was and whom he really served, he fell into sin, first by having an adulterous affair, then by murdering his mistress’ husband. David went so far off-course that when the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David, David became enraged at the person who did these things, failing to realize that he himself was that person. How blind David had become! How quickly pride brings a downfall.
Friends, I have come to realize that sin is an equal opportunity offender. It knows no bounds. If we don’t guard our hearts and submit every aspect of our lives to King Jesus, even the small parts, then we are setting ourselves up for a fall. And yes, the small things matter to God because it is often the small things that end up becoming the big things.
So join me in praying for all of those that have been so hurt in these recent situations. Remember that there is no victimless sin. Our sin affects others. Pray for God’s comfort and peace upon those who have been hurt by the actions of others, and also pray for those who have done the hurting. Pray on their behalf for reconciliation with God and with their families and friends. Most importantly, let us prepare ourselves now in order to avoid similar situations. If we really want to be men and women after God’s own heart, let us guard our own. Keep your feet-and your knees for that matter-on the ground.
Until Next Week,
Pastor JP