More Churched, Yet More Carnal Than Ever

As a hammer is to a carpenter, as a paint brush is to a painter, as a pen is to a writer, and as an instrument is to a musician, so is the Bible to the Christian. In every service, I will say, “Please take your Bibles and turn to…” During this simple instruction, I find that many are read to be engaged, some are embarrassed that they’ve forgotten their roadmap, and some are lost at the order of what we do in church. May I encourage you to bring your Bible, use your Bible, and grow in the Bible as you come to church. Yes, this may seem rather elementary, but I would argue that if less and less are even bringing their Bible to church, then surely less and less are using their Bible at home. Here are some basic thoughts on why it can be important and how you can make church more meaningful to you by simply bringing your Bible with you: Buy a nice Bible that you can be proud of – This could make you excited to use something you’ve invested into. Carry your Bible with you – Feel the physical presence of the Bible in your hands. You should feel lost without it, just like if you did not have your phone on you. Treat your Bible with care – This is one of the most important things in your life. Treat it like the prized possession it is. Turn in your Bible every time the preacher instructs – Be active in church and ready to learn. Mark in your Bible as you learn and grow – Mark it in church with outlines, notes, definitions, sayings. Underline, circle, highlight, and emphasize with whatever system you choose. Talk about the Bible at church – Conversations are more often about carnal things than spiritual things. You just heard the same message, so why not talk about it with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They may have gleaned something that you didn’t, and you may have some insight that could help them. Study your Bible at home with what you learned in church – Don’t let the study end at church. If you want to learn more, or if you’re maybe confused about a topic, then take it upon yourself to learn more. You won’t be deceived by false teaching this way and you’ll grow more this way. Let us not underestimate the power of having the Bible with us in the house of God. After all, the hymn book, the potluck spread, the bulletins, and the offering envelopes are not the primary reason for our worship. The Bible is!

Last week, I pointed out that the various service times have a distinct purpose in a church. One is not necessarily more important than the others, but each have their distinction. Rather than view the service times as slots that we can choose that best fit our schedule, I encourage you to adopt the “ Four to Flourish ” mentality and commit yourself to being faithful to God’s house at every opportunity available. Here are the purposes for our four regular services at our church: Sunday School – educating (discussed in last post ) Sunday Morning – evangelizing (discussed in last post ) Sunday Evening – edifying  My pastor taught me early on to love and to be very purposeful with Sunday evening services. Though I am big on having classes for different age groups (especially children), I am also big on having everyone in the main auditorium once a week. Aside from our nursery workers, this is the one time a week that I have with our teachers, volunteers, and young people. If I could describe it this way, I would call this service our Church Family Time. If we have business to discuss, this is the time to do it. If we have new members joining the family, this is the time we recognize them. If there are problems to address, whether by preaching or by a separate discussion, this is the time I’ll do it. I am the least concerned with the clock in this service because there are no other classes to coordinate our exit with. The focus is the building up of God’s people. This is where preaching hits more of the “rubber meets the road” kind of mark. If I could describe if more from my perspective, this is the time that I look to be a shepherd and to sense the need and to address the needs of the flock that God has placed me over. I’m here to tell you this – if you’re missing Sunday nights, then you’re missing out. While we have seen our biggest days on Sunday mornings, we have had our most special, soul-stirring services on Sunday nights. Midweek – educating, edifying & exhorting Too much can happen in a week’s time. Monday comes and the Monday blues drown out quickly what God did in your heart the day before. This may be a negative approach, but I know that the vast majority of our people work with lost, carnal, and wicked people. There is a great need for us to reconnect during the week. We moved our service times to Thursday a few years ago, but many hold to the Wednesday service time. Whatever day it is, there is a day to reconnect. I put three traits here, because all three can apply. A seasoned preacher that I respect greatly, Pastor Jerry Ross, encouraged me before my first year of pastoring to preach through Bible books. While I was hesitant, I have spent the greater part of my time during our midweek service to preach through Bible books. Sometimes, it’s more teachy. Other times, it’s very practical. Whatever I’m going through, he encouraged me to always focus on at least “one great truth” (the inspiration for the title for the devotionals that I’ve written). The midweek service is not a marathon for us. We have other classes. We don’t have choir. We have a special and an offering still. Less dress up for this service than any other (that doesn’t bother me, but rather encourages me because many are hurrying in from work). The week is just too long to leave the church on the sidelines from Sunday to the next Sunday. Does church deserve our best? Do we really think that giving God one hour per week only to rush out to lunch and a ball game afterwards is the kind of Christianity that will change lives and change the world? If you’re not used to the “ Four to Flourish ” schedule, let me encourage you to add ONE MORE service per week. Sunday School is easy because you just have to come one hour earlier in most churches. I want to encourage you to attend Sunday evening, or the Midweek service if you already attend all day Sunday . What you get out of church will be determined by what you put in to the church.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Everything we do in life should be on purpose and have a purpose. This is why I feel so strongly about the video game epidemic with the men in our society. Video games are ripping men of their purpose causing them to waste hours upon hours in front of screen that serves a false reality to their sense of accomplishment because they beat a game. While I can’t speak for every church in how they structure and implement their services, I will give you the purposes for our services that we offer. On the back of our church tract that we use to invite people to our church and on our website, you will find four service times each week. Most people are conditioned (because of the one and done mentality with church) to view this as an option of choosing the best time slot to get your “church time” in. Let me be gentle, but clear – your attendance is not a one hour slot to fill out every week that fits your plans and schedule. God’s house should have a greater priority in your life than watching a ball game on the TV or sleeping in. My purpose in these next two blog posts are found in the title, Four to Flourish. You get out of church what you put in to the church. The more you go, the better off you’ll be. I’m here to gently, yet strongly push you to attend all four services and to flourish in your Christian walk. The service times are not menu items to choose what you’ll take and leave, but rather they are opportunities for you to become more edified, more engaged, and more stirred in your heart for the Lord. Here are the purposes for our four regular services at our church: Sunday School – educating Sunday School has been around for a long time. Mature, faithful Christians are chosen in the church to study the Bible each week and teach the Word of God to a specific age group. I love this format for several reasons, but there are 2-3 very important reasons for this. One of those is that you get several people in the church studying the Bible to teach it to others. If you’ve done this, then you know that you learn more by doing this than you probably have just studying for your own benefit. Another great reason is that it provides teaching to people at their stage of life. I led a young adult class in our church. This is a stage of life that we are very weak at in most of our churches. We have classes for children according to their age group so that they can understand God’s Word at their level. Our teachers are instructed to focus heavily on Bible stories for kids. This educates children on God’s Word. They have to learn it before they can believe it, and children are hungry for knowledge. If you’ve ever tried teaching a teenager and a kindergartener at the same time, then you can understand the challenge of combining various age groups. Another great reason for this is that it creates smaller groups of people so that people feel less “lost” and more connected when they come to church. Being a part of a class makes them feel like they’re a part of something. Sunday Morning – evangelizing Without a doubt, this is the largest service in any church in America with few exceptions. The old way told us to count our church attendance by counting the Sunday School crowd. Those days are long gone. The time that people come is for the late morning service. Don’t get me wrong, I love this service! We are prepared for newcomers, young Christians, regulars that are still trying to fit in at our church, and faithful servants that provide music and serve in a variety of capacities to reach others with the gospel. My preaching is always gospel-centered in this service. Not every message is a gospel message, but every message I preach here, I include the gospel. This is also the time that we emphasize a plea for salvation more than any other service. This is the BIG DAY service time, and the time that I am more concerned than ever to shake new hands, be available, make conversations, and win people to Christ. For the sake of keeping this blog to the readable size that I strive for, we will discuss the other two service times in the church and their purposes. See you in Sunday School this Sunday!

A Special Place Church. I love that word. I love what it represents. I love what my mind thinks of when I hear the word. I believe the church is a special place. I grew up in church, so I’m a “church kid” if you’re in to labeling it. I’m not bitter about it. I’m don’t need therapy because of it. I’m not in need of deconstruction as a result of it. I’m blessed to have had the privilege to be raised in church. The church is a beautiful, exciting, and edifying place to us as believers! We’re Not All the Same If you invited me to your family’s Christmas party with all of your relatives, I would feel a little out of place. You may go to grandma and grandpa’s house every year with the whole clan, but as a newcomer, I would be uneasy. I wouldn’t know if I should keep my shoes on or take them off. I’d ask before opening the fridge to get a drink. If I had a ball cap, I’d take it off just in case. I think this is a similar feeling that newcomers have when they come to church. People are comfortable in what we are familiar with. Regulars may know when to sit, when to stand, where the classes are, and when to say “amen”. Newcomers will often just sit back and watch. Where there is unfamiliarity, there is an uneasiness that we all feel. A Clear Challenge I believe that the church is clearly described and modeled in the New Testament as a physical, local place, not just an idea or symbolic term. Paul admonishes Timothy this way, “These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long , that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God , which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (I Timothy 3:14-15) We need to know how to behave ourselves when we come to church. If you are familiar with golf, there are all kinds of rules, but many of them are what we would call unwritten rules. You don’t walk in the line of someone else that is putting. You take your glove off when you putt. You stop moving and stay quiet when one is hitting. You use a tool to repair divots on the green. Generally, you fix one or two extra as a courtesy on the green. You are expected to keep a steady pace of play or you should let the groups behind you move forward. These may seem odd to you if you’ve never golfed before, but if you’re a golfer, you know that these are very standard. I want to use these next few blogs to familiarize all of us with some thoughts, tips, and even some personal opinions on how we are to behave and how our behavior can make church more beneficial to every person. Church is a special and sacred place. America has lost her way with how we represent God in the church. I pray that this will stir some thoughts and challenge your approach with your church.

Before the great celebration on Sunday (Easter) comes the great debate throughout the week. This is the debate on the day of Jesus’ death. Maybe you believe it was Wednesday because there were two Sabbaths, and it best explains the account of the women purchasing and preparing the spices. Maybe you believe it was Thursday because the men on the road to Emmaus said that they spoke with Jesus on the third day, and this was after He arose. Maybe you believe it was on Friday because you can’t count. While I am not completely opposed to edifying debate and study, there is a greater question this week that must be asked – “What does Calvary mean for me?” 1. Calvary is a day to remember. The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is for remembrance. We do not believe the Bible supports the false doctrine of transubstantiation (where Jesus’ body becomes a part of your body). 1 Corinthians 11:24-27 clearly states the purpose of this ordinance. It is a time of remembrance. People are forgetful creatures. Remembering takes effort. You set reminders, alarms, and put things in place so that you will not forget. We can easily get so consumed with life that we do not go back to Calvary in our minds on a regular basis. How can you remember Calvary more? -Thank God every day for saving you. -Be a faithful witness. -Sing gospel songs. 2. Calvary is a day to receive. Romans 5:6-8 says, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Are you a sinner? Are you ungodly? Do you fall short of righteousness? Then you have great news coming your way! You qualify as being one of those that Jesus died for. What a precious thought! Sin demands a payment, and the payment is a spiritual death in the lake of fire ( Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14-15 ). You cannot get away from the consequence, unless you receive the gift that Jesus gave you when He died for you. How can you receive the gift given from Calvary? It’s as simple as A – B – C! -Admit that you are a sinner. ( Romans 3:10, 23 ) -Believe that Jesus died and rose again for you. ( Romans 5:8; John 3:16 ) -Call on Jesus to save you. ( Romans 10:9-13 ) 3. Calvary is a day to reciprocate. May I remind you that the scenes of Calvary really happened? I tend to read slowly through those verses when I come to those ones that speak about Jesus’ death and the agony that He suffered on my behalf. If you realize it for what it is, it should bring you to tears. It is a bitter-sweet story. It is bitter because of what He endured, but it is sweet because of why He did it. Here's the question then – “ After all that Jesus did for you, what have you done for Him? ” Calvary isn’t just a feel good story that we think of to shed a tear or sing a song. It is an event that changes lives! It is the reason that I attend church, read Scripture, pray, tithe, seek to live a holy life, go soul winning, and much more. What we do as Christians is not a means to earn salvation, it is a response of salvation. How can you reciprocate Calvary? -give Jesus your all because He gave you His all. Charles Spurgeon said it well when he said: “My entire theology can be condensed into 4 words: JESUS DIED FOR ME.”

Throughout this series on Bible study, we have discussed a number of rules to consider as you read and study your Bible. This does not have to be a complex subject though. It doesn’t take a Bible college graduate to know how to read the Bible. Like anything else in life and more important than anything else in life, there are right ways and wrong ways to approach, interpret, and seek to understand the Bible. For this, we are going to discuss general Bible principles for my last post on this topic of Bible study. 1. The Bible is a Miraculous Book. The mere fact that we have a portion of the Bible at all, in itself, is a miracle if you study the history of the devil’s attacks against it. To look back and see how God gave us His Word is nothing short of miraculous. The books of the Bible were written over the span of approximately 1,500 years by about 40 different people in 3 different languages and on 3 continents. It is staggering to think of how that process came to give us a great story of unity, beauty, and transformative power. Nobody could do that, but God! 2. The Bible is a Heavenly Book. The Bible is not just another book. It’s not like your college textbook or your novel you enjoy. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life .” Most will approach the Bible with the same mindset that they use to approach the encyclopedia. Psalm 119:89 adds, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” There is something special about this heavenly Book that you get to read, and it is nothing short of lifechanging. 3. The Bible is a Perfect Book. I don’t believe that the King James Version is just “the best we can have”. I believe that it’s perfect. How can I make such a bold statement? Because God told me so. II Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” You don’t have to be a Greek and Hebrew enthusiast to know that all means all. Jesus quoted the O.T. when He doubled down on the perfection of Scripture and our need for it when He said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” How can Jesus tell us to live by every word if we don’t even know if we have every word? It is perfect because Jesus told you so. 4. The Bible is a Unifying Book. The Bible is like a car manual…but much more exciting. One section may be about the engine components. Another section may be on the interior buttons and gadgets. Then you have the dash lights, the maintenance, the features, and on and on the list goes. The sections of a car manual may vary, but they’re all about the same car. Likewise, the Word of God is all about the story of Jesus! 5. The Bible is a Powerful Book. The devil cannot stop the power of God’s Word. The Bible is easily the best selling, most distributed, most sought after, and most used book in the history of the world! And there is no close second. The Bible has been distributed into 5-7 billion copies, translated into nearly 700 languages, and the New Testament having been translated into around 1,500 languages. Books come and go based on popularity, culture, readability, and a number of other different reasons. There is no comparison to God’s Word that has changed lives in so many different centuries, cultures, and groups of people. The power of the Bible is simply undeniable! Closing Challenge- How do you view the Bible? Is it just a part of the religious way or is it a part of your heart? Don’t miss one of the greatest gifts that God has given to humanity, and don’t let any false teacher tell you otherwise. Open your Bible and determine to spend a lifetime getting to know God on a deeper level as you get to know Him through His Word.

Before you click that “unsubscribe” button, let me assure you that this blog will not entail serenading yourself with candles, instrumental music, all while sitting on the ground with your legs crossed. Meditation is another word for the word ponder. It is to give your mind to something. Bible meditation is, in my opinion, the long-lost art of Bible study. I would argue that meditating on God’s Word is one of the great ways that God teaches us truths by His Spirit that make a lasting and real impact on our lives. Psalm 1:2 – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” A Question What do you think about? Throughout your day, what are the things that come to your mind? There are two ways of thinking. There is passive thinking, and there is proactive thinking. Passive thinking is allowing thoughts to permeate your mind and mulling on anything and everything that you come across. This is dangerous for many reasons and would need another blog post, or series, to address. Then, there is proactive thinking. This is thinking with purpose. Read Philippians 4:6-9 carefully. God gives us a formula for what we do with the stresses and anxieties of life. You come to God burdened and you leave with a life that pleases God. A Quandary Every Bible student will find themselves in a pickle. They’ll read a passage and think, “Does that say what I think it’s saying?”, “Am I understanding this correctly? Because that’s sounds opposite to what I’ve heard to be true.” , or “I have no idea what God means by that”. Let me give you a personal example – when my wife and I were teenagers that had a liking for each other, I learned what her life verse was. Not everyone has a life verse, or a favorite verse, but hers was Psalm 37:4 . It says, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” My honest thought was, “That seems like a selfish verse”. I knew I was wrong, but that was my initial response. So, I meditated on that verse for a long time. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I saw the divine order to the verse. When we delight in God first, it is then that He will give us our desires. Why? Because your desires change when you delight in God. You learn to love what He loves. I guess that means that God probably isn’t answering my prayer for a strawberry red Ferrari…or a private jet. A Quest There are two great examples I’ve heard on meditation that illustration this truth. The first is the cow chewing on its cud. Cows have four stomachs, and food is processed differently through each stomach. However, the food returns to the cow’s mouth in between each stomach, the cow chews on it some more, and then it passes to the stomach. Gross, I know. But something amazing happens in that process. The cow is extracting and breaking down everything that food has to offer. This is what Bible meditation should look like. The other example is that of a tea bag. If you just dip a tea bag in water, that water doesn’t taste very different. However, if you leave that tea bag in the water for a length of time, that water will continue to change and absorb the contents of the tea bag. Too many Christians take a “dip” into God’s Word in the morning and then don’t take time to think on God’s Word throughout the day. Is there any wonder as to why we don’t understand and learn God’s Word. A Quorum Ok, Pastor Becker, so if I just think long enough and hard enough, I’m going to understand the Bible more? Well, not exactly. Meditation is not just about thinking hard and long. It is about giving it to God in prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to teach you God’s truths as you chew on them. John 16:13 says of the Holy Spirit – “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:” How do these preachers get these truths out of the Bible when you hear them? This is the secret. It isn’t the commentaries they read, the sermons they steal (I mean, study), or the books they study. Real Bible students allow God to teach them His Word through the mind and into the heart. Closing thoughts… It has been said, “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.” Think about that. What do you think about? When did you give a truth to God and ask Him to teach it to you as you prayed and contemplated that thought? It seems that every year God teaches me some truth. I learn a lot during this time, but there is usually a big truth that I keep thinking back to that I’m praying that God will teach me. Bible meditation is what makes God’s Word real to you. You’ll see God teach you throughout your day and in situations you’ll face.

RULES …we don’t particularly like that word do we? The rebel inside of all of us wants to find another way, even if the way that it’s supposed to be is best. Rules are not to constrain us, but to direct us. In school, you had rules. Your parents had rules for your home. There are rules in every business and corporation. Bible study is no different. There are rules to apply to how we interpret Scripture. False doctrine is everywhere. The transgender movement distorts Scripture so terribly that they use the ministry and teachings of Jesus to promote LGBTQ indoctrination. “How do they use the Bible to do this”, you may ask. They ignore the rules and they create their own. Every false teacher has a master’s degree in twisting Scripture. They say, “Jesus turned the water to wine so we can drink too”. They say, “James tells us that works are needed for salvation”. They say, “Peter preached that you have to be baptized to be saved”. I oppose all of these beliefs. But how do we respond? We respond by applying the number one rule for Bible study. What is the #1 rule of Bible study? Context . What is the context? The context is the setting of the passage. It answers questions like, “Who is speaking?” “Who is being spoken to?” “What was this message all about?” “What was going on at this time that was so important?” Finding the context is unlocking the door to understanding Scriptural truth. It has been said, “A text without a context is only a pretext”. Exhibit A : Did you know that the Bible says, “There is no God”? It’s true. The Bible says this. However, if I don’t just read that phrase in isolation, but take the time to read the whole verse, I can see the context. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God…” One of the easiest ways to find the context is to read the surrounding verses . Don’t just build a doctrine from one verse. Read the whole chapter. Better yet, read the whole book, or at least know the purpose of the book. Exhibit B: Those that support the belief that Christians can drink alcohol in moderation might say, “Jesus turned the water to wine”, or they may quote the verse that says, “be not drunk with wine wherein is excess”. So, we just can’t get drunk, right? Another way to find the context is to understand the theme of the passage . Ephesians 5 is not a chapter about alcohol. This part of the book is about the Holy Spirit. Alcohol is the analogy. Just as alcohol can overtake a body completely, so should we allow the Holy Spirit to overtake our lives. Using this verse to support drinking in moderation is sloppy and lazy at best. Exhibit C: Every false religion in the world teaches the same thing. Don’t believe me? What other religion in the world teaches that you don’t have to do anything to have eternal life except receive the Saviour by faith? They all teach a works-based salvation. Some will use James’ epistle to defend this. James 2 talks about our faith being dead if it has no works. Sounds like works are required for salvation, right? I don’t think so… A very important collection of questions you have to ask yourself is, “Who is speaking, and to whom are they speaking”? When you learn who the writer is and who the audience is , you gain clarity to the context. James 1 begins by addressing Jewish believers. The audience isn’t the lost, but the saved. James isn’t telling lost people how to be saved. He is probing believers to live out their faith with action. Closing thought… People are drinking the Kool-Aid poured out by these false prophets too often. The problem isn’t that we can’t know the truth. The problem is that we aren’t rightly dividing the Word of God by the rules of study that should be applied. Don’t fall prey to these wolves. What is the #1 to Bible study? Find the context first and then decide what the Word of God is truly teaching you.

1. No Faith Do you begin your Bible time with a defeated spirit? Imagine if you went into your job that way. “Well, I know I’m not going to accomplish much today, but I guess I’m here”. Guess what? You’re not going to accomplish much, and you’re not going to get anything from God with that spirit. God can and God will help you understand His Word if you approach it by faith. 2. Unconfessed Sin Sin is a separator. If you have problems with your spouse or your parents, you find that those problems make it difficult to communicate with each other. It may even make it hard to be in the same room together. It’s been said, “Keep the account short”. You shouldn’t have to go through a laundry list with God because it’s been days, weeks, months, or years since you’ve confessed your sins and asked for forgiveness. Confess your sins daily. 3. Stubbornness We live in a debate culture. Social media has heightened that for the sake of clicks and views. How many debates have you seen where someone changed their mind? They may have even been humiliated because their point was lacking evidence or the skill set to back it up. Still, they remain convinced that they are right. You have to go to God with an open mind and heart. 4. Only reading passages you enjoy and understand. What books intimidate you? What books are less exciting for you? Genesis is a great beginning book of the Bible because it covers so much history in one book. By the time you begin Leviticus, you may be discouraged because it doesn’t have the stories and drama that Genesis has. I encourage new converts to read the Gospels, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. However, God gave us the whole Bible. Your lack of understanding a book should whet your appetite to know that book more. I have never studied a book to know it more and regretted it. Books that I use to think less exciting I see different now because I determined to know them more. Make it your mission to know the Bible completely. Take it one book at a time with books you don’t understand. 5. Reading books about the Bible in place of the Bible. This one is personal to me because I’ve written three devotional books. Devotionals, commentaries, and other Bible aids are not meant to replace your Bible. Those are all men telling you what the Bible says. When you read the Bible, you are listening to God tell you what His Word says. I made a decision a long time ago as a preacher when studying for sermons to first read through a passage and allow the Lord to work on my heart and make my notes before I open a book. Books about the Bible can be a help, but you can live without those. You can’t live without the Bible. 6. Failing to see the big picture. The sixty-six books of the Bible have different stories, themes, and were written in different timeframes. Amazingly, they are all connected by a common cord that unites their stories. The big picture is Jesus! The Old Testament is leading up to Jesus’ coming, and the New Testament is looking back and forward at Jesus’ 1 st & 2 nd coming. It’s all about Jesus. The Old Testament sacrifices were about Jesus and the New Testament church is about Jesus. Jesus is the common theme of all books of the Bible. Keep this in mind and look for pictures and truths that mirror the Saviour as you read.