Tanner's first time to play for the Lord

What Does the Church Stand On?

I had to be in Knoxville this morning to officiate the graveside service of a deceased loved one.  On the way back to Morristown, I decided to take a short trip down a country road just to take in some of the fall foliage that graces this season.  In doing so, I drove by a church sign.  I love church signs because they often have some pretty creative messages.  I know that many churches use their signs as a means of expressing their identity to the community.

The sign I passed this afternoon bore the following message:  "We Stand on the KJV Bible."   I thought about that for a minute.  If the church sign is typically used to express an identity to the community, then what was this church trying to say about itself?  Let me be quick to say that I'm not interested in getting into a debate about what translation someone uses.  I'm certainly not interested in getting into the KJV-only debate.  Personally, I study and preach from the NKJV, but I also use the KJV, NIV, NASB, and a number of other translations in sermon preparation.  I also attempt to study the original language of the Scriptures - Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Here's the question I want to ask:  What does the church stand on?  Does the church stand on a commitment to a Bible translation?  Does it stand on a commitment to a particular denomination or convention?  Does the church stand on what might be its long-standing traditions?  While all those things might influence the ministry and operation of a church, I would think that the church might want to make an even greater public declaration of its identity.  How about this - "We Stand on the Rock of Ages.  His Name is Jesus Christ."

If you want people to know what translation of God's Word you prefer, that's fine - tell 'em.  If you want people to know your denomination, traditions, etc., then tell them all that as well.  But before all those, why not tell them about Jesus.  After all, He alone is the Cornerstone of the church (1 Pet. 2:7).

The Encouraging Word - 10/24/10

I hope you'll take the time to consider this week's Encouraging Word.  This week's Word has to do with what happens When God Ceases to Be Your Greatest Love.  You can listen to it here.  God bless you as you seek to serve Him this week.

The Encouraging Word - 10/17/10

This week's Encouraging Word comes from 1 Kings 9-10.  Upon hearing the message, I hope you'll be persuaded that the world can't help but take notice when God decides to bless someone or something.  Just click here to hear the sermon.  I pray you'll be encouraged and challenged in your faith.

Get Out and Vote!

As I understand it, early voting has already begun in several of the counties throughout Tennessee.  I intend to get out and vote very soon.  Why?  Well, there are several reasons.  One good reason to vote is that many men and women have died defending our right to do so.  When we fail to vote, I think it's a slap in the face to those who have paid the ultimate price to insure that we will continue to be a nation governed of the people, by the people, and for the people.  Furthermore, voting is the way of democracy - it is what ultimately separates us from being like the socialists, Marxists, and communists of the world.

But of course the most important reason we should vote is because it is good stewardship in the eyes of our God.  He has given us this privilege of voting, and with it we can put in office those individuals who will stand up and support biblical values.  In these hard economic times, some would have us to believe that the most important issues of the day are job creation, the economy, and so forth.  While those are certainly issues of vital importance, the moral issues of the day will always be #1 in the sight of our God.

Not convinced?  Consider what the Bible says about evil King Ahaz and his reign over Judah:  "The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord" (2 Chron. 28:19).  Jobs come and go.  The economy is prone to periods of fluctuation.  But evil and moral decline in the land is something that our holy God will not tolerate.

When we vote, we have the opportunity to put in office those folks who will stand up for God and the truth of His Word.  I sincerely hope you'll take the time to consider where each of the political candidates stands on the moral issues of the day.  Pray that God will show you who to vote for.  Then go and cast your vote for those men and women who will unashamedly stand with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The future of our wonderful republic depends upon your prayers, your witness, and your votes.

Why Do You Do the Right Thing?

Have you ever thought about that question?  Do you do the right thing because "it's just the right thing to do?"  Perhaps you do the right thing because that's the way you were raised.  Maybe your tendency to do good things is motivated by your desire to be liked.  Consider this verse written about King Amaziah in 2 Chron. 25:2 - "He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart."

It's commendable that Amaziah did a multitude of things that pleased the Lord.  After all, there were a good number of the kings of Judah who came before him that did great evil in the sight of the Lord.  For that reason, Amaziah was certainly an "upgrade" from some of what Judah had known in her past.  But was it enough for Amaziah to "do what was right in the sight of the Lord?"  Apparently not, because the writer was sure to add the final clause of the verse:  "but not with a loyal heart."

Here's my take on Amaziah.  As you read the rest of chapter 25, you'll find that Amaziah did seek the face of the Lord and that he did heed the advice of God's man for a while.  But just as soon as he defeated the Edomites, he must've felt that he didn't need God's help anymore.  For that reason, he brought the idols of the Edomites back home to Judah and started worshiping them.  Consequently, God's prophet came to him and asked, "Why have you sought the gods of the people, which could not rescue their own people from your hand?"  (v. 15)  Good question.

Here's the bottom line:  Amaziah did what was right in the sight of the Lord until he got what he wanted.  After that, he sensed no loyalty to God, but instead he turned aside to idols.  So then, he did what was right not because he loved God, but because he loved what God could do for him.  That sounds like much of what we hear in the "prosperity preaching" that floods the airwaves these days.  For that matter, it sounds like the way we too often approach our relationship with God.

Is that the reason you pray?  Is that the reason you read God's Word?  Is that the reason you show kindness to others?  Do you do those things because you desire Him above all others, or do you do them because you desire what He might do for you?  I think the words of the Apostle Paul would be appropriate here:  "Whether you eat or whether you drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).  Let's live each moment for the glory of God, not because we're looking for something in return, but because we're in love with Him and we want to see His Name lifted far above all others.

Does It Really Matter How Old the Universe Is?

Throughout the annals of human history, our forefathers overwhelming accepted the idea that the universe is only thousands of years old.  That all began to change about 150 years ago when Charles Darwin released his On the Origin of Species.  Since then, multitudes of well-meaning Christians have attempted to defend the Scriptures against the attacks of the scientific community.  In doing so, a number of creation theories have emerged within the Christian community.  The most popular among them is the day-age theory - the idea that the "days" of the creation account were not 24-hour periods, but that they were much longer, overlapping epochs of time.  Such theories have made the acceptance of evolutionary worldviews not only permissible but even expected within many Christian communities.  In other words, Christians no longer have to be bound to the archaic notion that the earth is only thousands of years old.

Does the age of the universe really matter?  Clearly a multitude of Christians have answered that question with a resounding "no."  What do you think?  More importantly, how does the Bible answer that question?  I challenge you to spend a few minutes reading this article.  If, after reading the article, you think the age of the universe doesn't matter, I'd be shocked.  As the author clearly demonstrates, there are certain "theological costs" associated with evolutionary old-earth thinking.  Feel free to share your thoughts.

The Encouraging Word - 10/10/10

Happy Columbus Day everyone!  Hope you'll take the time to consider this week's Encouraging Word.  You can check it out here.  I wonder if you and I are attempting to give God "gifts UNfit for a king."

How Will Everyone Feel When You're Gone?

Have you ever thought about that question?  I was reminded of it again this morning as I read through a portion of God's Word.  There was a young man named Jehoram who just happened to be the oldest son of good King Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 21).  Jehoshaphat wasn't a perfect man, but clearly he loved the Lord and did a great deal to turn the hearts of Judah back toward the Lord.  When Jehoshaphat died, Jehoram became king in his place.  Not only did he fail to share his father's passion for God, but he did all he could to direct Judah's worship away from the Lord and toward the gods of the nations.

After several years of King Jeroham's ungodliness, the Lord's prophet (Elijah) sent a letter to his palace.  It basically told the king that his wife, children, and possessions would all be carried away and that he himself would die a miserable death.  Literally, that his intestines would "come out by reason of the sickness, day by day" (2 Chron. 21:15).  Awful to say the least.

Here's the point I really want to make.  When Jeroham died, the Bible says that "his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his father" (v. 19).  In other words, nobody mourned or grieved over his death.  In fact, the Bible plainly says that "he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed" (v. 20).  They didn't even bury him in the tombs of the kings.  He was forty years old, he was dead, and no one cared.  Frankly, they were glad he was gone.

The story of Jeroham is tragic, but thankfully his is not the only one contained in Scripture.  For a moment longer, consider the story of a lovely woman named Tabitha.  The Bible says "this woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did" (Acts 9:36).  It so happened that she became sick and died in the city of Joppa.  What I really want to emphasize is what happened when she died.  The Bible says that when Peter had come to the upper room where Tabitha's body was that "all the widows stood by him weeping, showing all the tunics and garments which she had made while she was with them" (Acts 9:39).  Consequently, God raised Tabitha from the dead through the ministry of the Apostle Peter.  I'm sure it was quite a party among the saints and widows the day that Tabitha was raised from the dead.

A king dies, and no one cares.  A sweet little lady from Joppa passes away, and scores of widows come to mourn her death.  Everyone was glad when the king died.  Everyone was heartbroken when Tabitha passed away.  I wonder how everyone will feel when I'm gone.  I wonder how they'll feel when you're gone.  I don't know about you, but I want to live my life in such a way that I will be missed when I'm gone.  I genuinely hope it is a day of sadness and mourning, not because of anything I've done, but because I want people to say "I experienced the love of God through the ministry of that man."  Let's live our lives for the glory of God, and just maybe someone will be sad when we're gone.  Let's also thank God that they won't have to "sorrow as others who have no hope" (1 Thess. 4:13).

Don't Tell Them Jesus Loves Them Until You're Ready to Love Them To

Christian artist Steve Camp released a song by that title in the late '80s.  After listening to a story of one of our church's retired pastors, I was reminded of that tune.  The man who shared the story with me is one of my dear friends in this world.  I admire him because he worked tirelessly for a number of years attempting to pastor God's flock and reach others with the Gospel of Christ.  All the while, he held down a full-time job, doing the work of a bi-vocational pastor.  I love bi-vocational pastors.  They're never invited to speak at big conferences or chair large committees, but I'm convinced that some of them are God's most devoted followers in all the earth.

The story goes like this:  My pastor friend was sitting home with his family one Sunday afternoon several years ago when there was a knock at his door.  When he opened the door he saw one of his church members and another man he didn't recognize.  The church member explained that the unknown guest was a young man who owned a local service station in town.  The young service station owner just happened to be Catholic and the church member had been witnessing to him for some time.  He brought the young man to the pastor's house in the hope that the pastor would be able to reach him with the Gospel.

Normally the young man would be working on Sunday afternoon, but he decided to close his service station on account of his friend's persistence.  The pastor welcomed both men inside.  It wasn't long until my pastor friend shared the Gospel with the young man.  It was very clear to the pastor that the young man was under conviction.  When the pastor extended an invitation to the young man to receive Christ as His Savior, he said something like this:  "I believe everything you're saying, but there is something you must know.  If I surrender my life to Christ, my family will disown me and I'll have nowhere to stay."

My pastor friend looked at the young man and asked him this question:  "Is that the only thing keeping you from surrendering your life to Jesus?"  The young man confessed that it was.  The pastor asked the young man to look down the hallway of his home and directed his attention toward one of the bedrooms.  The pastor asked him, "Do you see that bedroom at the end of the hall?"  The young man acknowledged that he could see it.  The pastor then extended this offer to the young man:  "If you'll surrender your life to Christ, you'll never have to worry about a place to stay.  That bedroom will be yours.  Furthermore, you'll always have a chair at my table."

The young man was stunned.  He looked directly into the eyes of the pastor and asked, "Do you really mean that?"  The pastor responded in the affirmative.  Just then, the young man said, "Let's pray."  Then and there, the young man gave his life to Jesus - all because one man was willing to open his home and share his food with a new believer in Christ.

I'm so glad my pastor friend came by this morning and shared that story with me.  It caused me to wonder if I would be willing to go to the same lengths to see someone saved.  Would I open my home to a complete stranger?  Would I offer him/her a place at the table?  We tell people that Jesus loves them all the time, but is it really a good idea for us to do so if we're not willing to love them to?  Those lost apart from Christ will never know that "God is love" (1 John 4:8) until they experience God's love working through us.  That reminds me of another old adage:  "They'll never care how much we know, until they know how much we care."  How much does that lost soul mean to you?  What you're willing to sacrifice to see him/her saved will provide you with the answer to that question.

The Encouraging Word - 10/3/10

Be sure to check out this week's Encouraging Word.  It comes to us from Rev. David Hawkins, Director of Missions for our Nolachucky Baptist Association.  You can access his message here.  Let's be sure to remember the works and wonders of our Almighty God.  He is worthy to be praised!