Sunday's Sermon March 29, 2009

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday, March 29, 2009 10:15 "Contrasting the Mind of the Flesh vs the Mind of the Spirit" Romans 8: 5-8 Click here.

Letter from Citizens for Better Alabama

Dear Fellow Alabamian,

I'm Eric Johnston, director of Citizens for a Better Alabama. The people of our state are being inundated with a deceptive public relations campaign targeted to confuse citizens about a bill concerning illegal gambling in Alabama. The ads, which you may have seen or heard, feature country music singers promoting the "Sweet Home Alabama Plan" and saying "let the people vote" The ads may look and sound good on TV, but it's a scheme meant only to trick people.

They say their plan will to stop illegal gambling. That's just not true. The truth is, their plan will authorize the development of mega-casinos throughout the state and ultimately invite more crime and corruption into our communities. They say their plan is to tax "legal bingo" to pay for better schools. That's just not true. In fact, it's not bingo at all. Their plan authorizes Las Vegas style slot machines and would result in less than one half of one percent of education spending.

The people of this state deserve to know the truth. We have produced a short video titled "The Truth About Illegal Gambling" to make sure people have the facts about this plan.

The Citizens for a Better Alabama may not have the millions of dollars it would take to combat these deceptive ads on the airwaves, but we do have the truth on our side. I believe we also have enough people like you throughout this Alabama who don't want to see our state become the haven for casino corruption as others have. I believe we have enough support to start a grassroots movement that can stop this bill in its tracks and protect our communities by finally putting an end to the spread of illegal casino gambling.

I hope you'll join our cause and lend your voice to tell the Legislature to vote NO on casinos, NO on corruption and NO to the spread of gambling in our state. Call your State Senator and State Representative today, and ask your family, friends, and church members to do the same. You can click on the following links to find direct numbers for each legislator, or you can just call the House and Senate switchboard numbers listed below and ask for your legislators.

State Senate
Website
Phone: 334-242-7800

State House of Representatives
Website
Phone: 334-242-7600

Remember, the gambling bosses will make sure their voices are heard in the halls of the Legislature. If we don't pick up the phone and call our legislators, the crime, corruption, and broken homes that gambling brings could be on our doorsteps.

Sincerely,

Eric Johnston
Citizens for Better Alabama

PS - Please take a moment to view our YouTube video. Or paste this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpRoJQ3NQT0

Red Envelope Day - March 31

If you don't know about Red Envelope Day, click here.  It's not too late.

"Who is the Holy Spirit"

I have been having problems with uploading my Energizing Word web site for several months now, so I've decided to put my sermon notes here and on the church's web site for the time being.  I am preaching through the Book of Romans.  I have recently started chapter 8 with the sereis called "The Life of the Spirit." Since the Spirit is so prominent in chapter 8, I thought it would be beneficial to actually do a message on "Who is the Holy Spirit?"  This is where you can find Sunday's sermon.  

Update picture of our church building

I have not posted much about our church building recently because simply we are not in it for use and things on the outside have not changed must since early fall.  However, the outside is now cleaned up and gravel is down for the upcoming parking lot. So, take a look.

We have not announced a date to move in simply because we still have a parking lot that has to be paved, carpet laid and sound installed.  Stay tuned....

12 Ways to Love Your Wayward Child

God has used John Piper in so many ways across the Kingdom of God. But here is one surprising way is with a wayward son who came back to God. His son, Abraham, writes about in this article. This first paragraph is John Piper's introduction and then I'm giving you the first part of the article here and then will link to the rest of it.


My son Abraham, who speaks from the wisdom of experience and Scripture, has written the article that follows. I read it with tears and laughter. It is so compelling that I asked him immediately if I could share it with the church and the wider Christian community. There is no greater joy than to see your children walking in the truth—and expressing it so well. The rest is Abraham’s untouched. -John Piper

Many parents are brokenhearted and completely baffled by their unbelieving son or daughter. They have no clue why the child they raised well is making such awful, destructive decisions. I’ve never been one of these parents, but I have been one of these sons. Reflecting back on that experience, I offer these suggestions to help you reach out to your wayward child.

1. Point them to Christ.

Your rebellious child’s real problem is not drugs or sex or cigarettes or pornography or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk rock band. The real problem is that they don’t see Jesus clearly. The best thing you can do for them—and the only reason to do any of the following suggestions—is to show them Christ. It is not a simple or immediate process, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will only begin to fade away when they see Jesus more like he actually is.

Read the rest of the article here.

Gambling Fight again in Alabama

I am sure by now, for those of you who live in Alabama, you are aware of the Bingo Bill passing through the Statehouse. In one summary sentence, the bill sets up a gambling commission to regulate and enforce gambling laws in the state.

That sounds reasonable, on the front end, doesn’t it? Yet in actuality it is a constitutional amendment establishing a “bingo monopoly” in eight counties and one town around the state. If passed, the bill would open the floodgate to gambling across Alabama. Worse, the people of Alabama would lose their state to the high-stakes gambling interests and lobbyists.

Thankfully Alabama’s governor, Bob Riley, is against the amendment. As a result, the governor has formed a task force on illegal gambling. Thank God for Governor Riley.

As you might expect, an Alabama Baptist Convention organization, the Alabama Citizens Action Program, led by Executive Director, Joe Godfrey, is also leading the charge in the battle.

The television commercials supporting the bill are convincing. Just this week several familiar Country and Western entertainers in one advertisement encouraged Alabamians to support the bill. In another advertisement the announcer suggests people vote “yes” to a Bingo Gambling Commission.

The ads promise stricter control of bingo gambling. Additional revenue would go toward our school systems. Alabama will prosper. It is time for the people of Alabama to decide. Again, the commercials are persuasive.

The words sound credible, but there is an underlying message of deceit. The groups promoting these bills do not want to restrict gambling in Alabama; they want to unleash it.

In years past the people of Alabama have voted down lottery. And for that I AM PROUD. I am opposed to any form of gambling - casino, bingo, or lottery – you name it.

Opposition to gambling can be fought on many levels: morality, social, family, caring for the poor, and Biblical.

If we believe legalizing this will help us, then go west across the state line and ask the dear people of Mississippi.

If you want to see the ad that "tells the truth" about this gambling, click here.

The following statement came today from ALCAP:

The “Sweet Home Alabama” ads are paid for by the gambling bosses that want you to believe that the only way to get rid of illegal gambling in Alabama is to legalize it! That’s ridiculous! The way to get rid of illegal gambling in Alabama is to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who are bringing addictive slot machines into our state. The Governor’s Anti-Gambling Task Force, under the leadership of former Jefferson County District Attorney, David Barber, is actively raiding illegal bingo/slot facilities throughout the state. The goal is to get a case to the Alabama Supreme Court where we hope these bingo/slots will be ruled illegal, settling the debate once-for-all. Let’s give the Governor’s Task Force time to get rid of these machines! Call your legislators (representative and senator) and tell him/her to vote NO to all gambling bills that would define bingo as a game played on electronic machines!—HB676 (and the corresponding SB471) and HB363 (and the corresponding SB135).

The Doctrine of Justification Helps Us Understand God in our Life

There are few, if any, Christians that have not experienced the feeling that God has betrayed them or let them down.  At one point, God may seem more like an enemy than a friend.  Questions of "Why?" abound and feelings of "God is unfair" resound. 

One even said, "God it is a wonder you have as many followers as you do by the way you treat some of them."  

As I am slowly going through Romans in my preaching with my church, - I am seeing that the doctrine of justification properly understood resolves ALL - that's right - ALL of those issues.

A person who is genuinely saved, converted, born again MUST FIRST see himself as a rotten, no-good, hell-bound, hell-deserving sinner who can do not one thing to even merit the attention of God, let alone the salvation of God.  

As I tell my church many, many times:  "The gospel is the good news.  But unless you have bad news first then you only have news."

Yes, there is bad news - and oh it is bad.  But far too many people sitting in our pews have never seen themselves like this.  

Almost two years ago I was preaching through the Beatitudes and was on "Blessed are the poor in spirit."  God revealed to me that a person not only sees themselves as poor - destitute - unable to offer anything to God, but also would understand and not be upset at God if He did not save them.  In other words, they see themselves so deserving of hell that there is no argument left in them if God sent them there.

(You do know that EVERY person in Hell will be a believer in the justice, holiness and goodness of God - only too late.)

Oh my....then in such desperation you call on the name of the Lord and true to His promise, "He saves you!!"  He does it, not because of you; but your faith in Jesus. He does for you what not only you could not do for yourself, but was totally understanding of the justice and holiness of God that you were reconciled to the fact that God might not do it at all.

When that happens to a person and God saves them, you have just understood experientially what God is like.  He is a holy and just God; but also a merciful, loving, compassionate and saving God.

Then when life gets tough - kids on drugs, spouse commits adultery, cancer enters the body, .... you name it;  who God is will never be an issue for you.  NONE of these things will send you to hell, but your sin would have.  NONE of these things will last past death, but the consequences of not believing in Jesus would have.

I'm not saying that in those times you don't ask God to help your child get off drugs, or that you don't pray for healing from cancer.  Oh, no.  In fact, God can do those things as well.  But if He doesn't, it NEVER affects who He is in your life.  He is still a just, gracious, holy, compassionate, merciful, loving God because He did the greater thing.  ALL of these others are the lesser things.

One last word, when you do ask for the lesser things and God says "No," or "Later," He still supplies you with "sufficient grace" to get through.  WHAT A GOD.  You can't lose with God - you only lose without Him.

During the Civil War, someone came up to President Lincoln and asked, "Is God on our side or their side?"  Lincoln replied, "All I want to know is whether we are on God's side."  

And "If God be for us, who can be against us?"  "Nothing can separate us from the love of  God."

This is a Memphis TV report of a true story. Thank God for Christ being real to this lady.

I love a Cajun joke - this is a GREAT ONE

The readers of this blog know that I have never posted a joke on here. But this morning, "The Good, Funny, Clean List" had this joke in their daily email. I immediately was captured by it because it involved cajuns. After you have lived in New Orleans, attended Dr. Simmons classes at NOBTS - you appreciate good Cajun jokes.

This is one of the best I have ever read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have:

Three Cajuns, One Ticket

One morning, three Cajuns and three Yankees were in a ticket
line at a train station. The three Northerners each bought a
ticket and watched as the three Cajuns bought just one
ticket.

"How are the three of you going to travel on only one
ticket?" asked one of the Yankees.

"Watch and learn," answered one of the boys from Louisiana.

All six boarded the train where the three Yankees sat down,
but the three Cajuns crammed into a restroom together and
closed the door.

Shortly after the train departed, the conductor came around
to collect tickets.

He knocked on the restroom door and said, "Ticket, please."
The door opened just a crack and a single arm emerged with a
ticket in hand. The conductor took it and moved on.

The Yankees saw this happen and agreed it was quite a clever
idea. Indeed, it was so clever that they decided to do the
same thing on the return trip and save some money.

That afternoon when they got back to the station, they
bought a single ticket for the return trip and watched while
to their astonishment, the three Cajuns didn't buy even one
ticket.

"How are you going to travel without a ticket?" asked one of
the perplexed Yankees.

"Watch and learn," answered the three Cajun boys in unison.

When they boarded the train, the three Northerners crammed
themselves into one restroom and the three Cajuns crammed
into another one just down the way. Shortly after the train
began to move, one of the Cajuns left their restroom and
walked over to the one in which the Yankees were hiding.

The Cajun knocked on the door and said, "Ticket, please."

There's just no way on God's green earth to explain how the
Yankees won that war.

Received from DL Wyche.

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Heard any jokes about your church recently?

This morning as I was preaching and partially using the Pharisee of the elder son in Luke 15, I reminded our church that what the father did in welcoming and providing acceptance for his younger son was a disgrace and shame to all the Jews who heard it. I asked our church, "When was the last time you experienced shame because of the church you attended? The gospel you represent?"

Then this afternoon I finished hearing Dr. Chuck Kelley's message that I mentioned a few days ago in my blog. These are some of Dr. Kelley's comments:

"In the New Testament world, they lived differently than their neighbors. That's why there were called Christians. It was a term of derision."

"The problem with our churches is that we don't witness to our neighbors, its that more of us do not look and live like Jesus."

"When was the last time you heard a joke about Baptists? It's not a good thing."

"We are blending in more than we are standing out."

Then he concluded where members at CrossRoads will recognize for the amount of time we spent on this verse in the fall; II Chronicles 7:14.

In Rainy, Cold Nashville

Roxanne and I are in Nashville where it is rainy and cold.  In fact, as I drove in yesterday it was sleeting "pretty good (a good Sand Mountain term)."  

We are here for Roxanne to attend the second Minister's Wives Conference with Beth Moore.  She attended the first one in Chattanooga two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I only wish I could attend (I think Roxanne told me that there were a few men at the previous ones - may be they are spouses of their female ministers?).  I threatened last time to dress up like a lady but that might not be good (haha).

"We are not anointed."

As most of the readers of this blog know, I am a graduate and current director for a local center of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  I love NOBTS and even the city of New Orleans (ouch to some of you).

Dr. Chuck Kelley was my teacher of Evangelism as a student.  He is now the President of NOBTS. March 3 he preached in chapel "Are Southern Baptists Becoming the New Methodists?"  You may hear the full message here.  If you prefer video, here

He says the crucial issue is discipleship.  While I disagree with that initially (because of what I sensed he meant by discipleship), what he said after that I totally agree.  He said, "We are not anointed.   The conversions of a soul to Christ is the work of the HS.  The stirring of a church and community in revival and awakening is a work of the Holy Spirit.  Neither of these works of the Spirit are typical in Southern Baptist churches today. We are not anointed. That we...that would be you and that would be me.  That would be all of us in places where there is little evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit.  We are so not anointed, we have come to accept as not being anointed, as normal."

He also said that reaping and sowing are inseparable and Southern Baptists are not sowing; thus not reaping.

Then he said, "Southern Baptists are becoming the new Methodists."   Methodists made holy living a core value, but now they are debating the normalcy of homosexuality.  There are experiencing the fastest loss of membership in the history of the United States.

He went on to say (my paraphrasing) "We watch the same movies and TV shows.  It is as likely for drunkenness to appear at a Baptist wedding as any other."

Well, praise God Dr. Kelley for.  Thank God for saying it.

Dear CrossRoads, as you know from my email to you this morning that this Sunday I am preaching in my going through Romans 8 as "Who is the Holy Spirit?"

We must have the Holy Spirit.  

Quote from Dr. Adrian Rogers

In an email received today from Love Worth Finding Ministries, the following was noted. I thought it was worth sharing here:

Though Dr. Rogers said it in 1984, his words are so relevant to what we are facing in America today. In fact, it was even read and posted in the Congressional Record by Congressman Steve King from the state of Iowa on January 14, 2009.

Dr. Rogers is quoted:

“Friend, you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. And what one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government can’t give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody. And when half of the people get the idea they don’t have to work because the other half’s going to take care of them, and when the other half get the idea it does no good to work because somebody’s going to get what I work for. That, dear friend, is about the end of any nation.”

Worship is a lifestyle

David Wilkerson is definitely one of God's choice servants in our generation.

In his daily devotion yesterday, he said this: "A true worshipper is one who has learned to trust God in the storm. This person's worship isn't just in his words, but in his way of life. His world is at rest at all times, because his trust in God's faithfulness is unshakable. He isn't afraid of the future, because he's no longer afraid to die."

Mocking of Sin

"Fools mock at making restitution, but there is goodwill among the upright." Proverbs 14:9

The attitude our society (and even some in the church) has toward sin can be explained in the next few paragraphs of an article by TruthQuest:

We don't like to admit when we sin, because then we have to make amends for it or change our behaviour. So we rationalize that we haven't really sinned at all.

First, we find a better name for it. Sin sounds so old-fashioned. So harsh. Let's call it a "mistake" or a "habit" or a "lapse in judgement." That sounds better.

Next, we build a case to explain why we did it. "Everyone else was doing it." "I didn't think anyone would get hurt." "It wasn't my fault."

Finally, we de-emphasize the fallout. "People are too uptight these days." "They need to stop being so sensitive."

It comes down to a control issue. We don't like being told what to do. We want the freedom to make our own choices. But we fail to understand one thing: We don't control sin. Sin controls us.

Sin is an attitude or behaviour that goes against God's desires. He wants us to be free from the guilt, shame, and consequences of sin. But as long as we refuse to take sin seriously, we'll never experience life the way God desires.

BIG NEWS - ESV STUDY BIBLE FREE ONLINE FOR MARCH

WOW - I have just seen as I've been surfing this morning that Crossway has announced their most popular English Standard Vision Study Bible is being made available free online for the month of March.  Click here to go to it.

I have had the ESV Bible for about three years and have loved its translation.  But for Christmas, my boys gave me the ESV Study Bible.  It is the very best study Bible I have ever seen.  This study Bible is over 2750 pages of small print packed full of some of the best resources you have ever seen.

Let me highly encourage you to spend some time looking at this free online resource while you can.  If you purchase a copy of the Bible, you get access to this online study Bible free.  

Hearing God's Voice

I have had the privilege of hearing (via CD) Henry Blackaby and Richard Owen Roberts as they spoke last Labor Day (2008) for the Texas Baptist Men's annual conference.  Here are some quotes that impacted me greatly as they were teaching all weekend on II Chron. 7:14 and the subject of revival.

"America waits for the church to have revival."  Henry Blackaby

Concerning hearing God's voice:  "If you don't know the difference between hearing God's voice and yours, you are at trouble at the heart of the Christian life." Henry Blackaby

Isaiah 57:15 "For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:  I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  

"Revival comes suddenly."  Henry Blackaby

Bro. Blackaby made one of the most bold statements about revival in churches that I have ever heard.  I will not repeat it here because somebody would accuse me of being anti-mega church.  But let me say, as I heard it, I examined my own life and attitude.  This is what God said to me from what Bro. Blackaby said, "God will not send a genuine revival to your church if you ever take any credit for anything that is going on.  God will not share His glory with any person, church or denomination.  You can't have pride and revival at the same time.  It is impossible."

Snow Day - March 1

Well, welcome to March in the south. This was about 8:00 AM this morning looking out my back door across Blue Water Creek.

This was looking out my front window.