Jon's Blog

The word church literally means a called out group or assembly.  It has a universal meaning which refers to all those people who have put their faith, trust and hope in Jesus Christ to obtain their salvation.    Salvation is dependent solely on faith in Jesus Christ but is proven by our works.  The universal church is made of all the believers in the past and the present from around the world.  While the universal church is currently united together through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will ultimately be united in heaven one day.  This will be a glorious day when all believers of all tongues, tribes, nations and people will be united to worship Jesus in heaven.

There is also another meaning for the church which is the local body of Christ in a particular, specific place. This meaning of the church is what most people think of when they think of the church.  It is the local church on a particular street corner in a particular town at a specific location.   This is the “smaller” unit of people which we often refer to as the church.   A local church is  group of professing believers in Christ who have been baptized and who have organized themselves for the purpose of doing God’s will.

The local church was founded by Jesus Christ himself.    In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to Peter, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY church; and the gates of hell will not overpower it” (see also I Peter 2:4-8). Contrary to the popular opinion of many people in different churches,  the church belongs to Jesus Christ, not to man.  Jesus Christ is supposed to be the head of the church, He is to direct it,  tell it where to go and what to do.  Unfortunately in many churches in America and around the world man never seek the Lord’s leading for their church.  They go through all the motions of doing church while neglecting the reality of being the church that Jesus Christ wants us to be. I believe that in order to for the church to continually allow Jesus to be head of the church we must seek Jesus through prayer and constantly be looking to Scripture for specific commands that Jesus has given to us!

I pray that AHBC will be lead by Jesus Christ, that we will constantly be seeking the Lord’s direction and vision for our church as we obey His commandments and that we grow in our love of Him.  I pray that each person who regularly attends AHBC would become true disciples of Jesus Christ.  We will continue to look at “what is the church” in future blogs.  Have a wonderful week!

There have been times in ministry when I have been investing time and energy in leading the “sheep” and have looked back and found that no one is really following me.  Talk about humiliating!  I think one of the biggest challenges of leadership in ministry, in my case as Pastor, is knowing those whom you are leading.   Knowing people these days is a tough job and quite honestly most pastors are not willing to really get to know their sheep.  They just have a job to do and go through the motions of it.  There are pastors out there who are uncomfortable to going out where their “sheep” are to get to know them. I am not quite sure why!

I have learned by having animals on our farm so many lessons about life in general but also countless lessons for the ministry as well.   One thing I have learned on my farm is that my animals truly aren’t mine.  I have paid for them.  I have provided money for and a location for the fencing. I have done the work to give them grass to eat. I have gone and physically bought the food and paid for it. I have bought any medicines that they have needed. I have built the shelters to keep them dry and warm if they need it.  But honestly overall my animals are skittish of me.  Quite honestly it bothers me.  But why are they skittish of me?  Well because I am not the one who constantly feeds them or waters them.  My boys (and my wife) do.  Each of my boys has a particular set of animals that they are responsible for. So every day my three boys go out to their animals to feed them and give them fresh water.  Their animals are familiar with them and recognize them. The boys spend time each day with them.  So their animals know them and are not skittish of them.

The same is true in the church.  I usually find so much joy in coming to church on Sunday mornings, on Wednesday evenings and at other times when I can be around those the Lord has entrusted to my care.  I  know many “under-shepherds” (pastors) who do not like being around the sheep any more than they like having a root canal done at the dentist.   It has amazed me over the years how many sheep do not like being around each other and when they are all they do is fight, bicker and complain.

Abundant Hope folks I so enjoy being around you.  There is no other organization in the world that I could be a “member” of that I would get such joy as I do the Bride of Christ.  I want to spend time with you guys so that I can lead you toward a more mature relationship with Jesus Christ.  I can’t lead if no one will follow. No one will follow if I don’t spend time with them.  So I enjoy spending time with you: knowing your hearts, hearing about your joys and pains, knowing what makes you “tick”.   While I wish I could say that everything is perfect at Abundant Hope Baptist Church I know that it is not. We have our ups and downs. We have our mountain top experiences once in a while but more often then not we have our valley experiences.  This is the fallen world in which we live. Leading is tough!

When you lead people like I do you have to know them.  With people comes all sorts of baggage: hurts, pain, suffering, times of rejoicing and times of crying, times of happiness and times of sadness, there are disagreements and times when we agree.  Unfortunately as humans we tend to focus and dwell on the negative times in our lives and this pours over into the church.   Galatians 6:2 says, “bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ”.  These are the excessive burdens we have in our lives – those things that crop up from time to time.

Galatians 6:2 flows out of the command Jesus gives us in John 14:34 and 35, which says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all men will know that you are MY disciples if you have love one for another.” Leading is tough because there are times when humanly I do not love those God has entrusted to my care and they most likely love me because I am not always lovely.  I do not love others because I take my eyes and focus off of Jesus Christ. I become prideful and self-centered.  It becomes all about me.  This is the greatest tool of the enemy in the church today.

I believe that the greatest way I can prove my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ is as I spend time with them, carrying their burdens, loving on them.  This is done with in the church. Again, unfortunately the people in the average church today do not love each other like Christ has commanded us.  Yet as the leader of this church I am called to love the sheep and lead them.  And why do I do lead the sheep and love them?  For me it is directly relational to my relationship with Jesus.  In Matthew 22:37 Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.” I believe that if I am truly loving God as He tells me in this passage with “ALL” that it will be easy (easier) to love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and to spend time with them.  My focus is not on me but on God!  If my focus is on God then I will do what He commands.

In I Peter 5:2 it says, “shepherd the flock…”. A shepherd leads the sheep out in front. I pray that I am the kind of leader that has the right to say like Paul did, “Follow me as I follow Christ”. I pray everyday that the sheep God has entrusted to my care see in me the characteristics of a Godly man.  I pray that even when leading is tough, I mean really tough, that I would do what a pastor should do and be what a pastor should be.  And when I am not, that the sheep would extend the same grace, mercy and love to me that they expect from me and others when they are not all that God wants them to be!

I started out this “series” of blogs with the desire to answer what a pastor does.  I hope that  I have fulfilled this desire and that these last two weeks have adequately given you some insight into what a pastor does. I pray that as we look at next weeks blog of what is the church to be doing that you ask God to reveal His will for your life. Have a great weekend.  Talk to you next week!

I wonder sometimes if all the things that a pastor does or should be doing is worth it in making an impact on the Kingdom of God.  Does the three or for counseling sessions a week make a difference in the Kingdom?  Does the hours it takes working out the schedule and groups for Life Groups really make a difference?  Does overseeing all the ministry leaders (or at least attempting to!)  and ministry teams really make a difference in the Kingdom of God?  Does all the countless hours in planning, organizing and administrating really make a difference in the Kingdom of God.  Is all the “fire fighting” a pastor does or attempts to do make a difference? Are all the phone calls, texts, emails, meetings, calendering issues, etc… really worth the investment?  Unfortunately the full extent of the labors of a pastor’s life or lack thereof will not be fully, completely known this side of eternity.

One of my favorite guiding passages as a pastor is found in I Peter 5:1-10.  In particular vs. 2-4 says this, “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God and not for sordid gain but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

There are several key aspects found in these verses, but the one that instantly sticks out to me is, “shepherd the flock of God…”. As the pastor of our church one of the main tasks I have is to lead the flock that God has given to me.  This flock does not belong to me but to God.  I have learned a lot over the years about being a shepherd and I had some help by having real sheep on our farm.  One of the things I learned over time with the real sheep was that it was impossible to drive them but very easy to lead them, especially if I had a bucket full of good old sweet feed!  There were many times when we would try to drive our sheep from one pasture to another or into a particular area to corral them.   These feeble attempts to get them to go where I wanted them always ended in exhaustion and frustration – in me as well as the sheep!

The same thing is true with the flock that God has given to me at AHBC.  It is easier to lead them than to drive them.  There have been many people who have given me advice over the years and told me to do this or do that with the sheep (people) in general or a particular sheep (person).  Had I followed this advice I would have driven the sheep and even “beaten” the sheep.   Had I followed this advice it would have been driving the sheep instead of leading the sheep. I try to remember that the flock belongs to God and I am only the under-shepherd.   I am to lead God’s flock by being a living example of what a disciple of Jesus Christ should be and teaching them (preaching) the Word of God to them. I realize that I have long way to go in being a great example!

I have learned many lessons over the years, but one of the things that I have constantly keep in mind is that sheep are sensitive animals, prone to all sorts of attacks and “diseases” that cause them great harm.  I have learned to look at the health of the flock overall as well as the health of the individual.   There are times when I must look at the whole flock and times when I must look at the individual sheep.  Sometimes I must act for the best of the flock as I “reprove, rebuke, and exhort with great patience and instruction” (II Timothy 4:2). Wow this is difficult to do but no one individual sheep is more important than the flock as a whole. Many people only see the small scale of the issue, that is one aspect of the situation, while a good shepherd sees all the nuances and details in order that he can make a wise decision for the best of the overall body of Christ.

Leading sheep is difficult and many days is tiring and unrewarding.  But when God calls you to this great role, what else is one to do?  I could disobey God’s calling but that really is no fun.  So for me, I will choose to obey God’s calling, God’s leading on my life as I lead His flock, His people.  May we all grow in the love, grace and unity found in our Lord.  May we become more like Him!

Well it is a new week – actually Monday so I am running late.  I wanted to continue on the discussion on what a pastor does from last week.   I often times wonder myself if what I do as a pastor is really what God’s word says I am to be doing.  There are days when I look back over the day and wonder what I really have accomplished and was it worth while.

In Matthew 6:19 it says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”.  Now please understand that I realize that this passage is talking specifically about money but I believe that the lesson for me as a pastor is that whatever I do it must have lasting, eternal, biblical consequences.  This is how I evaluate what I do. See also  I Corinthians 3:10- 4:5 for the testing of our “fruit” or works as believers and the potential for our rewards to be lost.  So with my main concern being about doing Kingdom work I want to look at what a Pastor should be doing according to God’s word.

1. Pastors / Elders should be preaching and teaching the Word of God (Acts 6:4; I Timothy 5:17, II Timothy 1:13; II Timothy 4:2).  The main duty of a pastor/elder is to preach the word of God and provide for the sound doctrine of the church.  As a pastor the bulk of our responsibilities should be to study God’s word in order to accurately, wisely and  Biblically teach the Word of God to the sheep God has entrusted to our care.  Unfortunately many pastors today no longer rightly divide the word of God for fear of retribution from their congregations.   I believe that if we are to be the church God wants us to be that the sheep need to expect and encourage the pastor to spend the bulk of his time during a week in studying the word of God.
2. Pastors / Elders should be spending a great deal of time in prayer, seeking the face of God (Mark 11:24;  Acts  1:14; 6:4; 14:23; I Thessalonians 5:17; James 5:16; Jude 20; Matthew 21:22; Philippians 4:6).    As I grow in my walk with Jesus Christ and as Pastor/ Elder (Boy do I have a long way to go!) I realize that the reason I am powerless to be all that God wants me to be is that I spend too little time in prayer.  I believe that along with spending time studying God’s word I need to be spending quality time with God in prayer in order to receive His power and wisdom to lead this church.

   Unfortunately I believe that most times pastors become so consumed with doing all the other stuff that ministry demands that we neglect the two most important things in ministry: #1 and #2 mentioned above.  I know that there are days when I get engrossed in all the administrative things that a church requires that I neglect these two most important things as well.    Many church people have a hard time accepting the fact that they should desire that the paid preacher spend a lot of time in private study of God’s word and prayer.   Many sheep out there believe that these two tasks are not really important.  I try and carve out of my work week about 20-25 hours a week to pray, study God’s word and read books that compliment God’s word to make me a better pastor/elder and Christian in general.

3. Pastors / Elders should be prepared to administer church discipline AND deal with false prophets or false teachers (II Timothy 1:13-15;  4:2-5; 3:1-9;  Titus 1:10-16; 3:9-11 and a whole host of other verses).    In this responsibility there are those who are saved who are caught in a sin.  According to Matthew 18:15-20 we are given specific steps for dealing with issues of HABITUAL unrepentant Sin that requires that church  practice discipline.  This process is a troubling one and should not be done quickly or taken lightly but needs to be bathed in prayer.

   A second like issue is that in regards to dealing with false prophets or false teachers.  The enemy desires to get into the inner circle of the church and cause great confusion and havoc by bringing in false doctrine through teaching our children, youth or adult classes. It is the responsibility of the pastor/elders to ensure that those who are teaching are teaching proper Biblical doctrine in order to deal with heresy that will arise with in the church body

   In our church we try to combat this by having steps which help combat the potential for false teaching to arise with in our church.  First, no one is allowed to teach any class that deals with Scripture for at least six months after becoming a member of AHBC.  There is an exception to this for someone who comes from another evangelical church who is a member in  good standing and has a recommendation from their pastor.  A second step that we take is that we require our teachers to teach under an elder or deacon for at least three to six months before we turn them loose.    A third step we take to protect biblical teaching is that we have an elder, deacon or a representative sit in periodically (unannounced) with every Bible teacher.

4. Pastors / Elders should reprove, rebuke, exhort the Body of Christ (I Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 4:11-16).  This simply means that we are to help the individual members of the Body of Christ grow.  We are to reprove and rebuke a wondering heart – that is some one who is growing weary of the spiritual battle.  We are to correct the error that quickly arises in the Body of Christ. We are to give hope to the fainthearted by providing tender encouragement in face of discouraging opposition.   We are to use our spiritual gift of being a pastor/elder in order to help others become spiritually mature believers so that the body of Christ might be built up.

   Here in my ministry I try to do this through discipleship times (men’s groups, one on one, etc…), through counseling, emails, phone calls, cards, etc…  I spend a lot of time talking with people through out the week and sometimes this aspect of the ministry becomes the main focus instead of reading/studying God’s word and praying.

   Many times the majority of my week is spent in dealing with one crises after another, putting out the fires.  There are weeks when I feel more like a fireman than a pastor / elder.   There are many weeks when I really wonder if I am not the problem and should go.   Unfortunately this is Monday and so I am feeling this today.

But God reminds me of HIS calling on my life and that I am to please only HIM and not man.   Being an elder/pastor is not an easy task all the time but is one that has at times great rewards when you see a previously broken marriage restored or a person who was scared to witness share the Gospel with someone and leads them to the Lord.  The positive aspects of ministry far outweigh the negative aspects. I just need to keep my focus in check – ITS ALL ABOUT GOD (JESUS)!

May God be glorified!

The other day it was suggested to me that maybe one day I cover what a pastor does through out the day and week.   Most people wrongly assume that a preacher only works one hour a week when he preaches and then sits around his office doing nothing the other 39 plus hours a week.  So I want to look at what the Bible says are the responsibilities of a preacher, the leadership and then the members (investors).   I will cover these over the next few posts just so everyone gains a Biblical understanding of what it is that scripture says we are to do and be.

First, let me begin with what the qualifications of a preacher (elder, bishop, pastor).  There is a thought that is prevalent with in our society and even  in the church that believes that any person can be a preacher as it is just another vocation like an engineer or teacher.   I do not believe this,  because I believe that for every Christian a vocation is calling from God and in particular I believe one needs to be called by God to be a preacher (I Corinthians 1:26; II Timothy 1:9; and II Peter 1:10).    I have spoken to so many preachers who heard a calling from their mommas or from another human being.  With all the difficulties I encounter in ministry, I find so much comfort and joy in knowing that I am exactly where God has called me to be.  If I was called by an human being then I would have given up many years ago!

Secondly, one must meet the qualifications laid out for us in Scripture.  In I Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5 we find that there about 22 different qualifications that God lays out for us that we must go by in order to decide if we are truly qualified to be a pastor / elder.   While I do not have the time nor the desire to deal with each of these qualifications in this format I do want people to realize that when someone feels led to become a pastor/elder we start with evaluating their life against these qualifications that God has given to us.  We realize that there is no man on earth that is perfect in every area or maybe even in any area but are they striving and growing  in these areas?

Thirdly, Scripture also gives us the responsibilities of a preacher/elder.  These are the things that he is to do in his “job”.  I want to list them simply here and will look at them in greater detail in latter posts.  Here are the responsibilities or duties of pastors / elders:

1. Administrative – “Rule the Church” – I Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:7
2. Pastoral – “Shepherd the Church” – I Peter 5:2; Jude 12
3. Education – “To Teach the Church” – Ephesians 4:12-13; I Timothy 3:2
4. Officiate – “To Lead The Church in the Functions of the Church” – James 5:14
5. Representative of the Church – Acts 20:17; I Timothy 5:17
6. “Exercise oversight” – I Peter 5:2
7. “Be an Example of Godly Living” – I Peter 5:2

I believe that out of these seven duties of an elder/pastor flow what we are to be doing in our ministries today.  Unfortunately in many churches the pastor/elders responsibilities has grown to be something that is un-Biblical.  However, I believe that the Pastors greatest responsibilities are: to preach the word of God (I Timothy 5:17), to teach the word of God (I Timothy 5:17); and to pray (Acts 6:4).

I pray that in our church that we make God’s Word the foundation of all that we believe, think and do.  I pray that we put aside the traditions that we know that are unbiblical and create bondage for our preachers and relieve the true responsibilities of the church at large.   I will expound on “So What Does A Pastor Do?” next week.

Have a blessed weekend.  Talk to you soon.

You know I used to really dread Mondays.   As a pastor Mondays are seemingly the worst day of my week for several reasons.  First,  I am tired.  Regardless of what some people think I do work more than one hour a week but the day before Monday is Sunday which is like my toughest day.  Yes, I know that I only preach one sermon for about one hour (maybe an hour and a quarter), but it is tough!

I have found that preaching for one hour equates to a minimum of 8 hours of hard labor.  If you don’t believe me try it some time.  The emotional, physical, spiritual and mental battle and drain that goes on in that one hour is overwhelming.    There are times when I am done preaching that I honestly feel like I have been in the boxing ring with Mike Tyson; minus loosing the ear!    At the end of most of my sermons I feel exhausted.  Then I go home on Sunday nights and try to sleep but regardless I am kept awake by those nasty thoughts of what I should have said that I did not say,  the things that I did say that maybe I should not have said, and everything in between.  So on Mondays I am overwhelmingly tired.

Mondays are also tough because the enemy continually reminds me how great of a failure I am.   He reminds me of what all my short comings are (yes I do have one or two!), like I needed a reminder from him.   Satan continually reminds me of how unlike Jesus I am and because of this I should not be preaching on Sundays nor leading the church that God has led me to.   The enemy continually makes the issue about me and tells me I am unworthy of doing anything for God.  So the spiritual battle that occurs on Mondays is exasperated by the fact that I am physically and spiritually tired.

Third Mondays are tough because I realize all the work I have to accomplish in the week and the amount of time I truly have.  Monday is my planning day for the week where I settle my schedule, prepare for the next weeks worship service, confirm meetings and counseling appointments, and look at the overall calendar for the upcoming week.  So all the tasks that I need to accomplish are all too often overwhelming for me and remember I am all too often exhausted on Mondays which often compounds the problem of an already too busy calendar.

Lastly, Mondays are often the one day that it seems like people “complain” the most and have problems the most too.  It is not always true and quite honestly I have been truly blessed here at Abundant Hope; but in many pastors lives Mondays are the days when the critics come out of the closets to evaluate the sermon from the day before and tell the preacher everything he said wrong on Sunday and everything that he did wrong the week before.   It seems like this all too often happens on Mondays in the life of a preacher.  But like I said the people at Abundant Hope Baptist Church do not do this and actually for the most part they don’t complain, at least not to me!

So what’s the big deal about Monday’s?  Well, while in the past I have dreaded them, even to the point of wanting to regularly pull the covers over my head, ignore the alarm clock at 5:30 AM, and forget about all that needs to be done, as I grow in my walk with Jesus Christ I am actually starting to look forward to Mondays.  No, Mondays are not my favorite days yet and most likely never will be;  I am starting to look at Mondays in a whole more positive light than I have ever before.

See Mondays are the days where God quite honestly shows up in the most unexpected ways in my life.  It is almost like when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan for forty days (see Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13).   Throughout the temptations Jesus continually used scripture Biblically to fight against the enemy’s attacks.   At the end of the temptation the enemy leaves Jesus and in Matthew 4:11 we read “Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” On Mondays it is almost like God send Angels to minister to me in my time of utter weakness and exhaustion.   At the lowest point in my week it is as if God reaches down to me and draws me into His bosom like never before.

While Mondays are most often the worst day of my week, I have come to enjoy Mondays way too much.  I have a friend who from time to time will become my cheer leading squad to just “pump” me up – that is to encourage me.   Every couple of weeks God ministers to me through this individuals words of encouragement and simple emails that come across my desk.   I have another person who from time to time leaves a note on my desk or a card in my box just to give me encouragement for the week. I have others who randomly send me a text message just to edify me.

Mondays have also become the time when God gives me a huge nugget to chew on from His word.  It often seems like when I sit down to have my personal quiet time that God brings something to me that I can hold onto for the entire week.  I stand amazed that it is often on Mondays that God gives me a truth from His word that I can hold onto for the rest of the week and often times this truth is something that I will desperately need for an attack latter on in my week.

I guess my point is two fold.  First, remember to be a cheer leader in other peoples lives.  You may NEVER know how timely and perfect that your quick email, card or phone call is and how much a difference they can make in that persons life.  If God lays someone on your heart or brings them to your remembrance act quickly because that person probably needs it ASAP.   Secondly, we always need to be turning to the Lord no matter how we feel.  My Christianity, my walk with Jesus is NOT dependent on how I feel but on what I choose to do (act – obey His commandments) and choose to live.  It is tough for God to move in my life if I am not seeking Him.

Have a great week. Talk to you on Thursday! Keep on Keeping On For Christ.

I so often find myself “loving” Jesus by what He can do for me.  Salvation is a great example.   I know that Jesus is the only way for me to get to the Father who is in heaven (John 14:6).  There is no other name in earth by which we should be or can be saved (Acts 4:12).   I so often make salvation about ME!  Quite honestly I do not believe that scripture teaches that salvation is about me but about God.  God saves me in order to reconcile me to Himself so that I can worship Him, glorify Him and honor Him.   But too often I make the main point of salvation about me getting out of hell.

Another quick example of loving Jesus is receiving a blessing from Him.  You know financially we will be blessed if we love Jesus and do what He tells us to do, He promises to to take care of our needs and this is a great blessing.   There are some who teach and preach that if you give to Jesus He will bless you beyond your wildest dreams.    I believe our motivation for our obedience to Jesus is NOT our love for Jesus Christ but what we get from Him – those things He will provide for us.  Scripture teaches us to be free from the love of money (and stuff) and that money should never be our motivation for doing anything (Proverbs 13:11, Matthew 6:24, I Timothy 3:3; 6:10;  Hebrews 13:5).   So often I get the sense that Christians do things not to truly glorify God but from a self-centered motivation of what they can get from it.  That is, how it will benefit them.

I know in my own life I must be careful not to get trapped by the temptations of the World- by things that ultimately destroy my true motivation for loving Jesus Christ.  This world has so much to offer to me that is appealing.  This appeal though is only temporary and in the end will leave you and me hopeless, helpless and empty.   Satan is a crafty being and knows that if he can subtly take a truth of Scripture and twist it in order to distort the truth of Scripture that God has given us that it will ruin or at least greatly hinder our walk with God and our testimony before the world.   I believe this is what he has done with the command for us to love Jesus Christ and our motivation for loving Him.

I find in my own life that there are several constants that I must do in order to maintain a Biblically pure and right motivation for loving Jesus and obeying His commands. I know there are several steps that must be integrated into my own life in order for me to defeat the worlds motivation.  Here are a few of them:

1)  I must pray.  In Matthew 6:5 it says, “when you pray, your are not to be like who the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”   Contrary to some thinking and teachings out there this verse does not tell me that I am to never to pray in public, but that when I do pray that my motivation is not to be seen by men nor is it to have men be pleased by my prayer.  God expects me to have a conversation with Him.   I have found that when I get alone with God that God has an opportunity to line my will up with His will. He removes or at least brings to light those things in my life that truly do not show my love for Him and the areas where my motivation for obedience to Him are wrong.

2.   I read the Word Of God.  Hebrews 4:12 tells me that it is the Word of God which pierces to the deepest parts of who I am and it is the Word of God which is able to judge my thoughts and intentions (motivations) of my heart.  It is as I find myself immersed in reading the Word of God that my true heart is revealed.  So often the conviction I receive when I am reading God’s Word is so overwhelmingly strong that I must align my life with the word of God otherwise I knowingly remain in direct disobedience to God.  This breaks my fellowship with Him.  Why is it that I can watch hours of TV or listen to hours of music yet I struggle so often to spend 30 minutes in the word of God?

3.  I seek wise counsel. Proverbs 19:20 and 12:15 both remind us of the great importance of listening to wise counsel.   I believe that one of the big problems in the church today is that the counsel we seek is so far from wise it is not funny.   If I seek counsel from someone and they do not give me scripture or tell me what scripture says then I do not consider this counsel wise.  Walk into any book store today and there are dozens upon dozens of  self help books (even in the Christian bookstores).  But there are very few books out there, self help or other, that I would truly consider to be wise according to the Word of God.  The same is true of seeking wisdom from an actual person, face to face. Most people you seek wisdom from give you man made, worldly thinking and advice.   They will tell you what they think you want to hear, those things that will make you feel good.  They avoid at all costs the truth of God’s word in order to keep from hurting you or causing you to reevaluate your motivation and actions.    I do not want to feel anything except that I am pleasing the Lord.

I use these three ways (Prayer, scripture reading and wise counsel) to ensure that my love for Jesus Christ is proven through a proper motivation as I obey His commands.  I need these three things to be a constant in my life to make sure that my motivation is not selfish and self-centered.   If these three things are so important as scripture expresses why do we Christians spend so little time really doing them?  Maybe it is that we are content where we are and how we are.  May we become more like Jesus every day. May there be great revival in America!

Today’s Church is not completely nor even marginally showing our love for Jesus Christ,  as we are not obeying the commands that He gave us as found in Scripture.  For instance, Jesus tells us we are to love one another, that is other Christians.  This happens to be one of my biggest complaints toward the church today.   Each of us wants grace, mercy and love when we have screwed up yet when someone else screws up we are ready to “crucify” them even after they have asked for forgiveness.   Why is it that we don’t love each other like Christ commands us?  Is that we forget daily what Christ has done for us – how He has proven His love for and toward us?  Is it that we forget how often Jesus forgives us?  Is that we forget the very imperfections that plague our individual lives daily?

The average church today has become increasingly self centered while the world around us  is dying and going to hell, forever separated from God.  So what is our motivation for loving Jesus?  The Sunday school answer says because He first loved us?  But why are we to prove our love for Jesus Christ when we produce fruit as we keep His commandments?

For some, they  “obey” the commands of Christ only because it what they are supposed to do – that is they grew up doing the commands with out truly ever knowing why! They go to church on a regular basis.  They give some money to the church every year.   They will join in on the quarterly work days at church.   They will give to the special offerings, especially those helping children.  There is a host of other things that some Christians will do because they are supposed to.   But in the end will these things go through the judgment (fire) that God has prepared for a Christians actions (I Corinthians 3:10-22)?

While I can’t and won’t judge the persons motivation because God is ultimately the one who will judge our intentions, thoughts and motivations of our heart, I must ask why!  Why do we do for Jesus Christ? What is my true motivation for obeying Jesus commands?  What is my true motivation for producing fruit.  Just a quick side note, we as Christians are to be fruit inspectors, we are to be concerned about each other proving a Kingdom life (Matthew 7:13-29).  We are to evaluate if other professed Christians are producing Kingdom fruit!

So to my point. What is our motivation?  First, part of my motivation is because I do love Jesus (yes He did first love me!).    Second, because I want to be obedient to Jesus Christs commands because it is the right and best thing for me.   Third, because I do love King Jesus I want to bring all glory and honor to Him.   I want his name to be exalted on this earth above every name.  I want Him to be glorified in all the earth.  Fourthly, as I obey the commands of my Lord I work out my salvation.  Obedience keeps me on the right track; helps keep me from wavering off the narrow path (Philippians 2:12-18).

While there are other things that probably motivate me, there is one last thing that constantly comes to mind in my life to keep me obeying Jesus – this is not my home.  This earth is only a temporary place. I am only an alien here on this earth (I Peter 2:11).  My life here on earth is only a temporary thing, although I often act like I will be here forever.  This life here on earth is as a vapor compared to the eternity I will spend if heaven (only because I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!).  I want my works, my obedience to stand the test of God’s judgment of fire (I Corinthians 3) of my actions and intentions. When all that I have done goes through the fire and the stuff that doesn’t burn up comes out the “other side” I want to be able to receive the blessings God has in store for me.  I realize that this old body of mine is not the ultimate home for me, but one day I will indeed stand before the Lord.   Is this earth what we are working for? Are we being obedient to the commands of the Lord only to be recognized by man on this side of eternity?

I say that there is much more than this earth. Our motivation should be to please Jesus by obeying the Lords commands  because one day we will stand before Jesus for all we have done.  What will Jesus say to you when you get to heaven?  What is your motivation for obeying Christs commands?

In Revelation 2:4 Jesus says, “But I have this against you that you have left your first love” (NASB).   So how do I know if I truly love Jesus Christ?  What is the criteria that will ultimately prove or show that I have not left my first love- Jesus Christ?  I do not want to spend all of my time, energy and resources the rest of my life only to find that I have not truly loved Jesus nor proved my love for Him.

The ONLY place I can turn is back to the love letter God has left to me which is found in His Word.   In John 14:15 it says, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.” (NASB).    John 15: 8-10 it says, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.  Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you: abide in My love.  If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commands and abide in His love” (NASB).

So proving my love for Jesus Christ is as simple as keeping His commandments?  My success in this life, with all that God has given me, is ultimately shown by how I prove my love for Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments and the fruit I bear?  So if I just keep a bunch of rules, regulations and go through a check list of the commands of Jesus Christ then I will be successful in proving my love for Him?  No, not at all.   This is called legalism.   Legalism is when man adds to the commands of God and changes the standard that God has set. Legalism is always concerned with the outside appearance but neglects the real issue – the heart.

In I Samuel 16:7 we read, “… Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as a man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NASB).  See also: Matthew 5:8; 11:29; 15:8; Acts 2:37; Romans 8:27 and Hebrews 4:11-12.    Man’s standard is always the external stuff, those things that can be seen, the tangible stuff.    So often Jesus confronted the “religious” people and tried to show that their actions went above all that God commanded but they neglected the real issue – their hearts (Matthew 23:1-36).  They wanted to be recognized by man but in the end it is not man that matters but God. The Pharisees and other religious leaders were concerned with all that man could see but neglected the heart.  God cares about the heart.

I can “obey” all the commands of the Lord and still not be in a proper relationship with Him – failing to prove my love for Him.  So many Christians go through the motions of being what they call “obedient” but in the end they are just a bunch of “white washed tombs.”   I never want to go through the religious steps to get to Jesus because of all of that will fall short in pleasing Him.  I truly want to prove my love for Him by the outflow of what is in my heart.   Am I willing to truly become His vessel that He has all the rights to, no matter how difficult it becomes for me?   Am I willing to lay down my life for others?  Am I willing to take up my cross daily and follow Him?  Am I willing to be obedient to His commands no matter the cost?   The Bible says that we will prove our love for God by the fruit we produce.  What is your fruit like? What is it that God has commanded you to do that you are not doing?  What are the specific commands that He has given to us that you are not willing to follow or that you follow legalistically (just for the sake of saying you did it or to be seen by man)?  Today is the day to repent and turn back to the Lord.  Will you obey Him?  Will you prove your love for Him?

Last time I asked the question “what is success?”.   Man looks at success as a numbers thing.  Number of people in the organization. How much money you have made?  How many items the company has put out with out error?  How much the company is worth?   Unfortunately we in the church play the same thing – we look at only the numbers.   Number of people on your church role. How many people are attending on a Sunday morning?  How much money is given on a weekly basis. How big the youth  ministry is? How many children you have?  How many buildings one has and how much are they worth?  How many baptisms there were in the previous year?  How many programs we have and how many people are involved in them (the bigger the better the success!)?  There are a whole host of things we look at in the church to determine if we are successful.  While to a certain point the church must be looking at many of these things to evaluate the overall health and growth of a church but do they truly give us the best gauge of what is true success?

In the last year I have really been evaluating if my life is truly successful. Different days determine what gauge I use – the world’s or the Lord’s.  When this old body departs this earth I want to stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done My good and faithful servant”.   Some days I realize how poorly I have led Abundant Hope Baptist Church; other days I feel like we are on top of the world.  No matter what I must always turn back to the Lord’s measure of success and do away with the world’s method for defining success.

Over the weekend I went “camping” with the boys for a night.  I was around a lot of church people who have been actively praying for the success of AHBC.  The very first question that almost every one of them asked was, “How is AHBC doing?”  and the second one is close to it, “How many people do you have attending?”.   While intentions seem genuine these types of questions really cause my gut to tighten up.  Are we reducing our success to the number of people we have attending on a Sunday Morning?

I know that we could do what it takes to fill up our building on a Sunday morning but for me the numbers game does proves my success.   As I read the book of Acts and the rest of Scripture, I find that I am confronted with the fact that every successful man or woman was one that was a radically sold out, obedient disciple of Jesus Christ.    Jesus says in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” I believe that the success in scripture comes down to one word: OBEDIENCE.   Obedience to God’s Word.  Obedience to God’s standard.  The numbers thing is up to God.  If I am going to do what He tells me to do then everything else is up to Him.  Man’s way will not work in reaching the world for Jesus Christ.  Man’s ways will not come through the testing of Fire (I Corinthians 3:10-4:5).

It is my hearts desire that the people God has blessed me with as His steward here at AHBC, that these people would truly, completely, 100% be obedient to all that God has commanded us to be and to do.  My prayer is that we are making disciples of Jesus Christ, not good American Christians who play the numbers game and define their success by the world’s standard.   I pray that when my life is done and God calls me home to be with Him in Heaven that I will not be embarrassed but hear, “Well done My good and faithful Servant.”

What about you?  What makes you feel successful?