But it is not our pain that will bring us victory. Instead, it was the pain Jesus suffered for us and His bodily resurrection that makes this victory possible in our lives.
Join us this Lord's Day and Resurrection Sunday for worship at Rainsville First Baptist Church at 10:15 or you can view online at https://rfbc.sermon.net/.
Fantasy sports are now a multibillion-dollar gambling industry in the United States thanks to apps like DraftKings and FanDuel, leading a young man to email and ask if a “rather modest” bet of twenty to fifty dollars per week is sinful.
“It is,” Pastor John replied, “but my words don’t make something sinful. God’s words make something sinful.” Six considerations.
“Then comes eternity.” We get no do-overs. “Every day is either invested well or lost forever. Every breath you take, every minute of life you have, is a free gift of God and a trust, a stewardship, which God says should be lived for his glory, for the magnifying of his Son.” Innocent games may be a helpful refreshment for the mind and to commune with others, “but in themselves—in a fallen, needy, miserable, tragic, dying, hell-bent world like ours—they have very little significance.”
To the degree we get sucked into unreal worlds like fantasy football, we must account for how “living in an unreal world” makes our “real-world impact greater for the good of people and the glory of God.” Sin is fundamentally deceit—a trick to get us to desire what is unreal over what is real (Heb. 3:13). So a nickel bet may be modest, but fifty dollars a week isn’t—because “half the world’s population lives on $2.50 a day, which is $17.50 a week, which is below what he’s gambling. Our friend is throwing to the wind up to fifty dollars a week, calling it modest gambling. So there’s good evidence he has lost touch with reality, and I would plead with him, ‘Wake up, friend. Wake up!’”
Gambling may enhance the “emotional buzz” of the Sunday game, but it’s more likely driven by the desire “to get more money by putting other people’s money at risk.” An income made apart from virtuous labor is symptomatic of a love of money that the Bible calls suicidal (1 Tim. 6:9–10).
“I would say quite bluntly, forthrightly, and confidently that you have no right to risk God’s money this way. Managers don’t gamble with their master’s money—period.” Faithful trustees don’t gamble with the trust fund. We all give account for our stewardship (Matt. 25:14–30). “To gamble with God’s money on trivialities like this is a kind of embezzlement.”
It preys on the poor more than anyone else. “The people who can least afford it take the biggest hit. Christians should not participate in lotteries, casinos, or online gambling—an entire structure of devastation for millions of people.”
Better, “find gloriously happy, helpful good deeds to do in people’s lives. Creatively seek out how to use all that money in an excellent way. Imagine investing fifty dollars a week, two hundred dollars a month, in the causes of justice and gospel-spreading and the relief of the suffering. Oh, my, how much fun that would be. Believe me, friend, it is more blessed to give than to receive—or to risk. It is more blessed to invest creatively in the eternal joys of other people than to play with God’s money in the dream world of fantasy football.”1
Speaking of money love, we must free our lives from money fear to live a life of worship. We kill this anxiety by preaching to ourselves regularly. “It ain’t automatic for John Piper to be fearless about money, though I get paid plenty, way plenty. It isn’t automatic for me. It isn’t automatic for you. We are battling fear and anxiety every day, not to mention greed.” We do it by affirming regularly: “He’s shepherd to me. He’s Father to me. He’s King to me” (Luke 12:32–34). And he’s not stingy in his care for us. “Preach these things to yourself and attack fear and anxiety in your life with these truths so that when you overcome fear about money, God gets the glory.”2
Later, I asked Piper to elaborate on the effects of gambling on the poor.
Lotteries prey on the poor—especially pull-tabs and scratch tickets whose smaller and more frequent payouts ($10, $100, or $500) “draw in disproportionately more poor people than, say, the $200 million Powerball.” As the poor gamble, they redirect their money to local governments. Gambling is a “regressive tax” on the poor, a way of “luring the poor, who pay almost no taxes for social services, to pay a kind of tax in a way that worsens their situation rather than making it better, which is what taxes are supposed to do.” And gambling preys on the poor because the poor are more financially hopeless,” a feeling that “drives most of the purchases.” Buying a scratch ticket won’t make a bad situation much worse. When you feel financially hopeless already, “arguments against gambling lose most of their force.”
So what’s to be done? (1) Consider the poor. We don’t dismiss the poor or “stand aloof and roll our eyes at the stupidity of millions of dollars that roll into the state coffers from people who can barely pay their bills.” Instead, the Bible calls our minds and hearts to consider them (Pss. 41:1; 113:7; Prov. 14:31; 17:5; 31:9). (2) Refuse to financially feed any institution that preys on the poor. (3) Advocate for the poor. “We should give our thinking, praying, advocating, investing, and planning toward the removal of unnecessary barriers to productive work and gainful employment among the poor, the removal of incentives and allurements toward waste and squandering and irresponsibility, and instead seek to put in place encouragements toward deferred gratification, and, finally, the creation of responsibility and hope in people’s lives, through the gospel.”3
In truth, money is always risky. “You bury it, and it’ll maybe rot. You can hide it in the house, but the house may burn down. You can put it in the bank, and the banks may fail, and the government that insures it may fail. Put it in stocks with differing philosophies of principal protection, and they all may go bankrupt. Yes, there is no escaping risk when it comes to money in this world—or for that matter, doing anything in this world.”
So isn’t stock market investing as risky as gambling? No, for three reasons. (1) “Investing means letting another person use your money for enterprises that you believe contribute to the common good, while gambling means supporting a system that is counterproductive to the common good, and especially destructive for the poor.” (2) Gambling is all or nothing. Stock market investing is rarely a total loss. (3) Gambling rides on high loss-possibility, but the market lets you choose degrees of lesser risk.
The Dow is wiser than gambling, but there’s an investment of greater value than both, although it’s far riskier because “you might have to lose your life in the process.” But this investment is also “foolproof ” with guaranteed dividends “greater than any dividends in the universe.” It’s an investment that cannot be destroyed by bankruptcy, bear markets, rust, age, inflation, robbery, or hackers (Matt. 6:19–21; Luke 2:33; 1 Tim. 6:17–19). In the end, “the main emphasis in the financial life of a Christian should not be how to minimize risk and maximize gain in the stock market, but rather how to maximize eternal gain by maximizing generosity for the sake of causes that glorify God and rescue sinners from suffering, especially eternal suffering.”
As for corporate corruption, how can we be certain we’re not investing in exploitative and evil companies? “As far as I know, you can’t. You can’t know that. But that’s true of every dollar you spend in the marketplace.” A local store may be a front for evil. “Any clothing chain where you get your shirt may exploit foreign workers.” Do your homework. Never invest in evil. But also know that “you’re not responsible for all that somebody might do to misuse your money any more than a salt manufacturer is responsible for high blood pressure.”4
No, often not. Jesus uses the parable of the dishonest manager to spotlight how shrewd the world is with money. In this case a manager, about to be fired, barters with others to score points and store favors and win personal influence that he will cash out later (Luke 16:1–13). It’s a cunning move. In comparison, Christians are often a lot less shrewd in the world of investing. But Jesus says fiscal cleverness is ultimately insignificant.
Christians eye eternal gains, not quick monetary wins. So “maybe you aren’t that shrewd when it comes to the stock market, but guess what? Who cares? You’ve got a billion years to enjoy your investment.” Use your money for eternal gain, because as Jesus says, worldly wealth is destined to “fail” you (Luke 16:9). “Fail” (ἀνέκλειπτος) is a trigger word to remind us that money is temporal and fleeting (Luke 12:33). But “making friends” in the parable translates to using money to meet people’s needs. “That’s the way to lay up treasure in heaven that does not fail.” That’s the shrewdest investment. “Here’s the basic point: don’t worry about being a shrewd investor in this age, where you can provide a future that will only fail.” Instead, “use your resources to do as much good as you can for the glory of God and the eternal good of others.” This is true financial expertise.5
Notes:
This article is adapted from Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life's Most Important Questions by Tony Reinke.
This Sunday we will take the entire service to celebrate this day and the week that followed as we will sing songs of praise, wave palm branches, glean from some of the teachings Jesus gave to His disciples, pray with one another and for one another as Jesus did this week, hear a message about how Jesus spoke so much about truth doing this last week, and then close the service celebrating the Lord's Supper, just as Jesus did with his disciples.
Just a reminder, there are no Wednesday night services March 27 due to spring break in DeKalb County schools.
As a younger pastor, two weeks away seemed to be impractical due to family obligations and, to be frank, my pride. I didn't think the church could survive well without me. And to be further honest, there might have been some I did not trust what they would do with a "leadership vacuum" for two weeks.
But God has granted me a blessed congregation that is led well by a group of Elders whom I trust with all of my heart and a church that respects their ministry.
So I have enjoyed two weeks of rest. Why two weeks? As an older pastor told me years ago, a pastor who carries the load he does daily does not begin to really rest until at least seven days away. So, the last two weeks are where the real rest comes in.
Further, time away for a pastor is always a blessing to the church he serves. A pastor is never really "off." The role of a pastor is a heart occupation. No, pastors do not operate or treat hearts, but instead, every true pastor carries the people and his responsibility to be the preacher constantly in his heart. He may be on the beach, in the mountains, or with the family, but his heart (and mind) is still with God and his ministry.
Because of that, when a pastor gets away and clears his mind (and ears, lol), then he can hear God speak more clearly about the direction of his life, his family, and the church. God can give him insight into the Word that he shares with the people whom he loves the most.
So, why am I writing this blog? To say, never be jealous of the time your pastor is away. I'm grateful no one at Rainsville First ever fuses about this, but that is not true for most churches. Your pastor is best when he is rested and connected with the Spirit and the Word.
The final service of the weekend FCA Youth Led revival will be Sunday night at 6:30. This revival has been hosted at Rainsville First.
Yet, anyone who knows me knows I also believe in plural leaders in the local church called Elders. I will not write of why I believe that today (for I have dealt with that sufficiently in previous blogs), but God told them to "appoint elders in every city as I have commanded you -" (Titus 1:5) and Paul greeted "all the saints who are in Philippi, with the bishops (Pastors, elders, overseers) and deacons." (Philippians 1:1).
A leader who does not have accountability is a dictator. God has never called a pastor to be so full of himself and His God-given authority in his own flesh to rule without accountability. I am too much of a sinner to trust my decisions totally without the wisdom of other spiritual men. These men are Biblically called Elders - those who share the responsibility of leading, protecting, feeding, and caring for the flock with the Pastor.
I Peter 5:3 warned about "being lords over those entrusted to you,..." A person who has a sense of authority can always think more highly of himself than he should, but add that authority comes from God, and without proper boundaries, it can really be dangerous.
It is the Pastor God has called uniquely to a local place to lead that flock but with the guidance of other spiritual men affirming the ways of God. Two heads are a monster, and so it is in the church. Elders respect the role of the Pastor, but the Pastor also respects the role of the Elders.
This is why Alexander Strauch uses this term to describe the relation of the Pastor and Elders. The Pastor is among equals with the Elders, but as unique to his call must also be the one who is more out-front leading. And the Elders should expect that leadership from him.
I believe there should ultimately always be complete unity among the Elders (and I'm including the Pastor in this term). If Jesus is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23), then the Head is never divided. If the Elders will believe that principle, die to their own personal thoughts, plans, and wishes, and pray earnestly - then eventually they should be able to come to unity as revealed by the Spirit and the Word.
Read this carefully....NO CHURCH will ever split if the leadership is in unity.
What if a church does not have Elders? Then they most likely are looking to Deacons to fulfill that role. For every church has those who provide spiritual leadership. But here are the problems with Deacons serving in the role of providing spiritual leadership to the church: 1. They are not called to do; 2. They are called to serve the people; 3. There may be (and most likely will be) men serving as Deacons who are qualified to provide that leadership, but not all Deacons will; 4. If Deacons are doing the role of the Elder then the church is not getting the benefit of the office of a Deacon or deacons are so divided in their roles the church is not benefitting completely from either role; and lastly, 5. The Deacons who are not called to be Elders are frustrated and scared about being asked to do something they are not called and equipped to be.
So, if you are a member of a church with the Biblical structure of Elders, then thank God and earnestly pray for your Elders. And then obey them (Hebrews 13:17) unless you can show Biblical reasons why their leadership is out of the standard of the Word of God. If you can, then go to them privately to share your insights with them. Do not take them on publically until you have met privately and even after a longer time of seeking God's will.
If you are in a church without Elders and are being led by Deacons, then pray for God to lead them to this. I believe it would be permissible for you to share with the Deacons your understanding of Elders, but you will never be the person who can force the men to see something. God alone must show them the Biblical understanding of Elders and church structure. Trying to force Elders on a church without God leading them will only lead to confusion in the church and frustration in you.
May the Lord grant wisdom in all His churches and may we wait patiently for Him to carry out His full plans and purposes perfectly in His church. I am still a work in progress, and so is every church I know.
Blessings;
David
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Jesus is the Faithful One, the overcoming One. He perseves. He will always be faithful because He is at the beginning of your trial and at the end of your trial. He will not leave you in the midst of your trial, no matter how hard it may get.
Why? He experienced the worst end of a trial anyone could experience - death. He became dead but came to life. He once was alive, but experienced death, and came back to where he was...alive.
So to the dear church in Smyrna who is going through great tribulation (pressure like a heavy rock sitting on your chest), poverty (extreme poverty having been cut off by the Jews), and persecution (from within as a Jew and without in the Roman Empire).
But Jesus says "I know..." (2:9). Jesus knows our tribulation, poverty, and persecution. He knows about our trials because He has been through them. So he can say in verse 10 - "Do not fear any of these things."
So how do you get through these tough times? Look to Him who overcame (verse 11) and you will be able to overcome. He promises (verse 10) that these trials will not last long - maybe just ten days. He doesn't mean a literal ten days, but He is saying no long. And even if you experience death but are faithful (preserving), like our Lord, you will have eternal life, and "the second death" will not hurt you.
Don't forget to "Spring Forward" this weekend as we lose an hour. Don't be late for Sunday School and worship.
Let's recap these four briefly:
Apostle - the foundation of the church was built on the person of the Apostles and their doctrine (Acts 2:42) and the fourteen (including Matthias in Acts 1:26 and Paul who was "born out of due time" but was an apostle according to I Corinthians 15:8-9).
An apostle is a "sent one on mission." Some believe there are no more apostles, and I will agree there are no more like the original who actually saw the resurrected Lord Jesus. But there are those who are "sent on a mission" to carry the Gospel and plant churches.
A prophet is one who speaks revelation from God and for God. These were people (men and women) who were filled with boldness and often pointly to issues within the church. Most in the Old Testament were so inspired that their messages became Scripture, but not as much in the New Testament. Their messages were still authentic and to the point. That is why I believe this person still exists - one who can address issues within the church and/or culture and bring God's revelation on the issue. They speak with boldness and passion because they have seen an abuse in the church or culture that must be addressed and they go for it. Due to their very nature, most in the church do not like them and cannot tolerate them for long periods of time. But their message is needed to "stir up" the church, and that is exactly what they will do in God's time.
An evangelist is one who preaches and explains the gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved and unconverted so they might come to the knowledge of Christ. There is a special anointing on this person in order to do this with ease and understanding, often resulting in many coming to saving knowledge.
The Pastor/Teacher I believe is one person and one gift. The Pastor here is the word for a shepherd. He is the one who leads, protects, feeds, and cares for the flock as the man of God. The Teacher is his primary function as a Pastor.
As I have shared in previous blogs, I believe the Pastor (Shepherd), Bishop (Overseer), and Elder (Presbuteros) are all the same person. All three are used interchangeably in Acts 20 and he is not speaking of three different persons, but one in three roles. And all of these are linked to the local church, not a denomination or collection of churches.
It is my purpose to share more about the Pastor in the coming weeks.
Blessings;
David
As parents, we are the greatest influences in the lives of our children. We are the ones responsible for forming their views on God, humanity, society, culture, and a host of other things. Now while that is true, there are a couple of caveats we should also embrace as parents.
These words were spoken first by Moses to the people of Israel as he was trying to prepare them for their new lives in the land God had promised to them. In that land, there would be all kinds of competing influences, and the Lord knew the importance of reinforcement of His ways in the midst of those influences. From these verses, we can still glean today – in a culture of competing influences – at least three principles for discipleship in the home:
1. The Principle of Responsibility
Though obvious, it still needs to be said that the first principle is that of responsibility. Moses was addressing parents and future parents, telling them what to do. To put it simply, the spiritual education and formation of our kids is our job as parents.
It’s our job. Not someone else’s. We cannot, as parents, outsource the discipleship of our kids, even to the church. That’s not to say the church doesn’t play a role here, and it’s not to say that the role of the church is important. Imperative even. It does mean, however, that we must first accept the spiritual responsibility of parenting before we do anything else.
2. The Principle of Repetition
There is a regularity to this passage. Everything that happens in this passage – sitting at home, walking on the road, laying down, getting up – these are all things that happen with regularity. So should it be with the way we approach discipleship in the home. There needs to be steady repetition and regularity with that discipleship.
That means we should establish, reinforce, and embrace spiritual routines in the home, and these can and should take a variety of forms. Reading the Bible and praying at breakfast, praying together before bedtime, a consistent conversation after worship on Sundays – these are all routines that we need to establish and then commit ourselves to, to the degree that when the rare occasion happens when we break the routine, our kids notice and call us out for it.
3. The Principle of Normalization
While there is a regularity to the passage that presses the need for consistent routines, there is also a normality to the passage. All of the activities mentioned are things that happen in the course of every day life. The vision, therefore, is one of normalization – that discipleship becomes the norm for how we do life in our homes.
It means there don’t have to be special, isolated occasions when we pray or talk about the Bible. These things should be part of our every day conversations – on the way to school, sitting around in the evenings, going on a walk – we talk about real things. And we apply the Bible to the real stuff of life. When we do that, we are helping normalize spiritual conversations and also building a way of thinking about all parts of life from the biblical standpoint.
These three principles – responsibility, repetition, and normalization – are the foundation for family discipleship. Once we choose to align ourselves with these, we can, as parents, steward the time and influence we have with our children for the sake of Jesus and His gospel.
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By Michael Kelley, Rooted Network Executive Director
I want to take seven Mondays to share a truth about Jesus in each of the seven churches. I want to give credit to Jack Hayford for planting the seed of this in 2001. I will attempt to show you there is a unique part of the revelation of Jesus as seen in chapter one the angel takes to highlight to each church. And I believe what the angel is saying is had you known Jesus (the head of the church) in this way, your problem would not have existed. And the answer to your problem is to know Jesus in this way.
Look at Revelation 2: 1-7 and the church at Ephesus.
Jesus is seen as holding and walking in the midst of the church. This is a present activity. Jesus is not dead or distant. He holds meaning to have power over, to grasp, not with a partial grasp, but he has the whole in His hand. He has complete control over the church.
He walks in the midst of the church. Wherever the church is, there is Jesus. He moves freely among His church without barriers or obstacles.
The church was commended for some great things, but one thing was missing. In verse 4, they had walked away from their first love. Unthinkable. Tragic.
They were still active as a church, just without love. They were still serving, going, and doing, but in their own energy.
So what are we to do? Remember by going back to the place of departure, take personal responsibility for walking away, and start doing again what you once did. Don't treat Jesus as an absent dignity that you have to please, but rather know Him intimately and closely - He is as close as the grip of your hand. He walks among us, He knows us, He loves us....
If we don't, He says in verse 5 "He will remove the lampstand." He will remove His presence from us. He is the lamp, not us. And the only reason we have a light to share with a dark world is Him burning through us. Return to the intimacy with Christ. That closeness with Him. If so, He promises (verse 7) that there will be a day when we will be together forever enjoying His presence with no possibility of any distance between us.
