Pride is Common to All

Recently there have been a couple of high profile incidents involving two different celebrities from two dramatically different public arenas which continue to attract the attention of most major news agencies. At first glance the two incidents may not seem even remotely connected. However, I believe they demonstrate a problem which links them together at their most basic origin.

The first incident occurred during the U.S. Open Tennis match between Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters. Even if you’ve never watched a single tennis match in your life I am almost certain you have heard of Ms. William’s conduct toward one of the line judges during the championship match. Williams lost her temper after the lineswoman called a foot fault, resulting in a double-fault and loss of a critical point. But it was more than just losing her temper and a point in the game. One newspaper described her conduct as a “profanity laced finger-pointing tirade.” The “tirade” against the lines judge ultimately cost Serena Williams the championship match and she was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The other incident happened during the MTV Video Music Award show. Kanye West, a famous rapper musician (do those two words go together?), became upset when teenage country music star Taylor Swift won the award for best female video. Seemingly unable to keep his temper, Kanye took the stage, interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech, grabbed the microphone and began to denounce the decision of the voters. He then proceeded to assert that Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" was more deserving of the award, much to the dismay of the audience.

To their credit Serena Williams and Kanye West have both offered public apologies for their behavior. But I believe there is a commonality in these two celebrities behavior that not only connects them to each other – but is common to all of us. It is called simply - pride.

Ultimately Serena Williams believed that she could not possibly have double-faulted or that someone had the nerve to call her on it and took her anger out on the one in authority who dared to make the call. That’s pride!

Ultimately Kanye West thought that his personal opinion concerning the best female video was above that of those in authority who presented the award to Taylor Swift. He also thought that he had the right to voice his opinion to a national television audience and to the embarrassment of both Taylor Swift and Beyonce’. That’s pride!

Now, before anyone reading this article (even more so this article’s author) begins to think we are not capable of such acts, let me provide you a simple definition of pride. Pride is improper and excessive self-esteem known as conceit or arrogance and is ultimately a statement against God-given authority in our lives. We demonstrate pride every time we think that we are better than anyone. We demonstrate pride when we get impatient and think that we shouldn’t have to wait in a line – like everyone else. We demonstrate pride when we think that the speed limit is for everyone else – but me. We demonstrate pride when we compare ourselves to others and think less of them for any reason including financial status, athletic ability, musical talent, academic skill, ethnicity or even religion.

God’s Word speaks to this issue clearly. Here are a few examples. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23) But the “clincher” is found in the book of James: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6b, 10)
So the next time you see a famous celebrity behaving in manner which demonstrates pride, don’t proudly say:”I would never act that way.” Rather admit that it is only the grace of God that keeps you and me from behaving far worse. I know this author needs all of God’s grace and that I am doing far better than I deserve.

It's About the Baton - Not the Runners!

In early August, I had the wonderful privilege of attending the WorshipGod09 Conference organized by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries. I attended with David Leu, our church’s Minister of Music.

Bob Kauflin closed out the conference by sharing a message from the exact same text that God had given me late last year as the theme for our church in 2009. (As much as I love to hear Bob lead in worship and appreciate his musical skills, he is one worship leader that I could listen to preach anytime!)The text, Psalm 78: 1-8 has since become the theme of our Long Range Planning Team and the Generation to Generations emphasis that began last Sunday.

Since I believe in an absolute sovereign God who orchestrates all things for His glory, I do not believe this to be a coincidence. God knew before Bob began preparing for WorshipGod09 that I would be in attendance. God knew before I planned to attend what Bob would be presenting. God knew that I would need to hear Him through Bob’s message to remind me of the great responsibility and opportunity I have as the pastor of this great church to lead us to be a good steward of the Gospel. AND God knew that I would need to be reminded of all that today, September 2, when Bob posted the following on his blog.

“What do we need to keep in mind as we seek to transfer these and other biblical
values of worship to the next generation?
In preparing for the message I came across some comments from Nigel Hetherington, the Scottish National Sprints and Hurdles coach. He described what is most important for runners in a relay race to remember. A number of his recommendations relate directly to how we pass on the biblical values of worship from one generation to the next.
The race is about the baton, not the runners.
If you run without the baton, no matter how fast you’re running, your race is in vain. For worship leaders, the baton is the gospel. The gospel - Jesus’ substitutionary death for sinners that reconciled us to God - must always inform everything we pass on. It is the gospel that transforms our dead works into acceptable offerings (1 Pet. 2:5) and draws our attention to the glory of the Lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:6-10).
The relay brings out the best in every runner.
Oddly enough, a properly-trained 400 meter relay team will post a time that is faster than the four runners’ combined 100 meter times. We will serve our churches better and pass on biblical values more effectively if we’re more conscious of those running before and after us. Bryan Chappell, in his excellent book Christ-Centered Worship, says:
We should not ignore the wisdom of church forebears just because it’s old, or automatically reject it just because we didn’t’ think of it. We consider the history because God does not give all of his wisdom to any one time or people (16).
Practice until the handover becomes instinctual.
Athletes must learn to trust one another. Rather than looking back, the outgoing runner should be trained to respond to a ‘hand’ command. Both runners are looking ahead, but it’s the responsibility of the previous runner to make sure the baton is passed. If I’m part of the “passing” generation, I want to be sure that I’m not always looking back to what’s worked for me or the practices that I’m most comfortable with. I want my eyes on what God might be doing in the future, and make sure the next generation really catches what’s most important.
The baton exchange should occur at very close to maximum speed.
The incoming athlete should not be overstretched, or he will be off-balance when making the exchange. The outgoing runner must focus on reaching full speed and only put his hand back when he receives the ‘hand’ command. This means that we must intentionally stay close to and learn from
generations before and after us.”

Dear Ones, the race is about the baton (the Gospel), not the runners! I pray that we will hit full stride on Sunday, September 13 as we vote to move forward with our Generation to Generations Long Range Plan.

Generation to Generations

This Sunday, August 30, 2009 our church will gather to hear the report of our Long Range Planning Team. This team has been working together for nearly a year to present to our church a plan to significantly remodel our current facilities and to project what future facilities we may need to fulfill our misison of presenting the gospel of God's grace to our community and beyond.

However, the Long Range Plan is not an end in and of itself. It is only a part of the means to an end. The vision is to fulfill this verse:

Psalm 78:4 "We will not hide them from their children but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might and the wonders that he has done."

The most glorious deed of our LORD is this: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would even dare to die -- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8

This is the message that we must proclaim to this generation, so "that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments." Psalm 78:6-7

If you are a member of FBC, Duncan - I am earnestly praying that you will make this Sunday, August 30, a priority for you and your family to be in attendance. We are asking for all the middle school students, high school students and adult bible study classes to gather in the sanctuary to hear the LRP report at 9:00 a.m.

Our Generation to Generations Worship Celebration will be held at 10:15 a.m. in the sanctuary.

Sunday evening we will be having a special Generation to Generations Fellowship Celebration at the homes of Bruce & Marilyn Cox and Paul and Susan Scott. They live next door to each other at 4515 and 4505 Copperwood.

Please join me in praying for God to manifest his presence among us in a very special way on this day simply so that HE may receive all the glory!

Tears of the Saints

Pray for a missionary you know and for a people group you probably don't know.
What? You don't know a missionary... if you are a Christ-follower, you are one!

Are You Pale?

ARE YOU A “PALE” CHRISTIAN?

Due to my recent health issues with recurring and seriously severe nose bleeds, I recently spent 23 hours in the hospital to receive two units of whole blood. Apparently God created our bodies to run best on a full 14 units of blood. My blood count had fallen to less than 8!
After receiving the two units of blood I not only felt better, but my precious wife commented on how much better I looked. Then upon my returning to work this past couple of days, others have commented on how much “color” had returned to my face and again that I looked much better. Apparently my low blood level had caused me to look very pale to others. The odd part of this scenario is that when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t think I looked that bad! I knew I felt a little weak and would experience shortness of breath and exhaustion quicker than I should, but I couldn’t tell by looking in a mirror that I looked bad. At least I didn’t think so!
Unfortunately, I believe the same is true for the majority of us, not only physically but even more so spiritually. When we try to asses our own spiritual condition, we think to ourselves: “I don’t look so bad”! I believe we fall into this trap because we like measuring ourselves against others. You see we can always find someone to compare ourselves to who isn’t doing quite as well as we are spiritually. In our minds we think: “Hey, they don’t attend church as much as I do. They don’t read the Bible as much as I do. They don’t talk about Jesus as much as I do. They don’t volunteer as much as I do. And if the truth be known, I bet they don’t even give as much as I do.”
According to God’s Word, “others” aren’t to be the mirror: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 (ESV)

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:7-10 (ESV)

As I have recently discovered, others can look upon us and see that we are “pale and weak” even when we can’t see it for ourselves. I believe a watching world looks upon us who call ourselves Christ-followers and they can see that we are “pale and weak”. We are pale because we do not let gospel of the blood of the crucified Christ flow through the veins of our daily lives. (Romans 5:7-10) We are weak because we know so much more of the Word of God than we are willing to practice. (James 1:22-25).
Perhaps you are like I found myself, pale and weak. Perhaps you need a couple of units of the Gospel! Praise God, we can shine because of the light of Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:16) and be strong in Him because of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:10)!