New Sermon Series
This past Sunday, I began a new sermon series entitled, "Purpose." We'll be taking four weeks to unravel a mission statement developed by ABC several months before Whit and I arrived here. Here's what they adopted:
We exist to
PROCLAIM the Truth of the Gospel;
MAKE DISCIPLES in our Community, Nation, and World;
BRING RENEWAL and
CHANGE in People;
WORSHIP a Glorified God through Christ!
Upon hearing this myself, I immediately had the sense that it was "right" for us! So now, it forms my own aim and goal here, as God has granted us these tasks to accomplish . . .
These essentially were the points in yesterdays message:- We will PROCLAIM the Gospel both as individuals (via work, community functions, leisure, etc.) and as a church (preaching, worship, bible studies, fellowships, etc.)
- We will PROCLAIM the TRUTH of the Gospel, and nothing short of it. There are many "gospels," and/or variations of the gospel, but we will proclaim the biblical gospel.
- We will PROCLAIM the Gospel as Scripture teaches it: "while we were yet SINNERS, CHRIST died for us." We won't leave out the fact that without Christ we'd all suffer death and damnation. We won't leave out the bloodiness of the Cross, or the reality that by birth we're all inherently wicked, not inherently good. . . We will proclaim, instead, that with Christ, we'll endure this life and enjoy fellowship with a loving, faithful, just, holy creator.
If you'd like to, you can hear this message by clicking
here or you can search "Ames Baptist Church" on iTunes . . .
Grace for the Day
How Is Ames Baptist Helping Haiti?
Yesterday, the family of Ames Baptist Church decided to step out in faith and seek the Lord as to how we will be helping Haitian churches who were wrecked as a result of the January 12 earthquake. This coming Sunday, January 31st, we'll make a decision as a church body to do two things to directly help the rebuilding process of Christian churches in Haiti:
First, we'll take a special
offering which will be above and beyond our normal tithes (
Ps 24:1;
Matt 25:14-30;
Deut 14:22-23;
2 Chron 31:4-18;
2 Cor 8:3,
9:8). This will be an opportunity for individual members to dig deep and sacrifice for the Lord for the purpose of rebuilding His kingdom work in Haiti.
Second, as a church body, we'll dig deep and take 50% of our regular
tithes and sacrifice for the Lord to help the kingdom rebuilding in Haiti.
Why are we doing this? It behooves me as a pastor at least
to consider what it would be like to stand in the shoes of a pastor in Haiti who has lost everything from family, church leaders, church members, ministry efforts, ministry facilities, etc., and still know that my calling is to reach the lost and teach the Word. This concern spilled over into our Deacon leadership and from there I believe God is moving our hearts as a church body to support this effort, for His glory and His renown.
How Are We Doing This?First, with open hearts and by faith in the power of Christ. Second, by sending our offering through
Churches Helping Churches. This organization has been brought together by nationally respected pastors Mark Driscoll, Preaching Pastor of
Mars Hill Church, and James MacDonald, Senior Pastor of
Harvest Bible Chapel,
"Churches Helping Churches was created to address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people in the spirit of Galatians 6:10—“…let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
It is my desire to lead the ABC family to sacrificially give towards God's work in Haiti in the wake of this devastating disaster. Beloved, take this week to prayerfully consider how the Lord is leading you. This is not about making a statement for ABC, this is about standing before our Great and Glorious God passionately proclaiming, "Lord we will gladly spend and be spent for their souls" (
2 Cor 12:15).
Will you help the churches of Haiti?
Forgotten God
Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit. By Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2009. 166 Pages. $14.99. Francis Chan is Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. He is founder and chancellor of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley, California and also sits on the board of Children’s Hunger Fund. Chan is actively pursuing truth with a Christ-centered, God-glorifying, and Spirit-led passion.
Forgotten God is a balanced approach to the über-controversial subject of The Holy Spirit. Chan, a conservative, albeit in moderation, seemingly loosens his conservative ties while also reigning in any open, charismatic ties as he seeks to explore the Holy Spirit from a truly, biblical position. It is this writer’s opinion that Chan presents a balanced look at the Holy Spirit, giving supremacy to Scripture and glory to Christ.
Strengths of this book include: (1) readable and clear writing style. Chan puts his information before the reader in such a way that the need for clarification on the reader’s end is minimal if needed at all. (2) Chan provides helpful testimonies at the conclusion of each chapter regarding various Spirit-filled believers and the work to which God has called them. This seems to put forth “proof,” for lack of a better term, for the Spirit’s work in the lives of those presented. (3) At a point in Christendom when there is great struggle between “old” and “new” approaches, Chan presents culturally relevant, biblically based, and accurate claims regarding Christianity’s varied approaches to and understandings of the Holy Spirit.
Several areas of this book that warrant highlighting are as follows: (1) Chan exposes the truth that the Holy Spirit resides in all follower’s of Christ, regardless of whether or not they accept Him, follow Him, trust Him, or even understand Him. The issue, as the author points out, is whether or not believers are actively and daily seeking the Spirit’s supernatural filling and dwelling in their lives. Chan writes, “Living by the Spirit implies a habitual, continual, and active interaction with the Holy Spirit. (pp. 130-131). (2) Chan concludes with what could be considered as the most important application of his book: Supernatural Church. It becomes clear that his desire is for the Bride of Christ to live up to her Christ-commanded expectation. Namely, that they accept, follow, and live by the Holy Spirit’s leading, and not rely solely on a charismatic, good-looking, intelligent, visioneering, exuberant, or even controversial lead pastor or pastoral team (pp. 141-157). (3) Chan offers a difficult realization for any pastor or believer to stomach. He poses the question, essentially, “Is my theological, associational, and social appearance and reputation in the way of wholly leaning on the Holy Spirit?” (pp. 51-54). Chan seeks to cut out any intellectual jargon or theological hubbub and get right down to it, he writes, “One question I’ve had to ask myself repeatedly is am I even open to the possibility that I could be wrong in my beliefs?” (p. 52).
Chan’s intention is not to call into question historically orthodox belief. Neither is it his desire to cause a ecclesial conundrum. Rather, it is apparent that his yearning is to present before all of Christianity, whether it be Charismatics, Fundamentalists, Moderates, Liberals, Lay-folk, those who care or those who don’t, etc., the realization that a vibrant walk with Jesus Christ must fully rely on the Holy Spirit. After all, is this not what Christ intended when he said the Holy Spirit would be with us, guiding us, teaching us, reminding us, in the Lord’s physical absence (John 14:15-30)?
