The Thoughts of a Young Preacher

I am not sure if it is true with all preachers but I love to hear a powerful sermon preached from God's word. I am moved during heartfelt times of worship and prayer but for me there is something very special about hearing the word of God preached. It might have something to do with me being the speaker most of the time but I really do love to hear the word of God preached. Sometimes it moves me into new directions and causes the walls that I tend to build up from time to time around my heart to come down. This past week I had the privilege of attending the Tulsa International Soul winning workshop. It is something that was much needed for this preacher. Just to sit and listen and feel like I have been trying to say something like that but I did not have the wisdom or skill to say it that well.



Now at this workshop there was a sermon preacher by two men that really moved my heart. One I know well, Randy Harris. Some call him the monk of the churches of Christ. Others call him Johnny Cash because he tends to wear black allot. I knew him first as my professor. In fact he was the professor for my preaching/ speaking classes and it is really great when the one that taught you can do it so well. The other man that preached this sermon is Jerry Taylor. I had never heard him before but I better understand know why he is becoming a well known preacher of God's Word.

I thought that the best way for me to explain the sermon and the impact that it has had on my heart was to share the sermon with you. So I am providing the link to the mp3 version of this sermon. It is large so it will take a few minutes to download but I promise you that it is well worth your time. Just so you know the first minute or so is a prayer so if you skip ahead to about 1:54 in the file you will get to the first part of the sermon. To download it more quickly simply right click the link below and chose save as or save file as. The sermon is started by Randy Harris and finished by Jerry Taylor. Please take the time to listen to the whole thing. I promise that it will be worth your time.

Right click here to download the sermon

P.S. I would love to hear your comments after you listen to the message.

Labels: jerry taylor, randy harris, sermon, tulsa, tulsa workshop

These days I am helping out a little league team by acting as an assistant coach to a 9 and 10 year old softball team. I was asked to help out by one of the members of our church family and I gladly accepted the offer.I have always been involved in some way in sports so this is a great way for me to be able to do that and give back to the community at the same time.

I must admit that I am having to make sure serious adjustments. I have never really coached girls in anything. Sometimes they get hit with the ball and they start crying and I feel horrible. As a boy our coaches always told us to toughen up, or walk it off and we will be ok. Most of the time it was true and not a serious injury at all. Unless they are hit by a ball that is coming off a bat their is not much chance of the girls getting seriously hurt. So when the girls come up to me crying I have this serious urge to say hey toughen up or walk it off. But I am learning with girls that just upsets them more. (I am reminded of that line in the movie A League of their Own, when Tom Hanks says, Hey there is no crying in baseball!")

Now if you have even been involved in baseball or softball you know that there is a position that none of the kids will volunteer to play. Kids hate the outfield and with good reason at the younger ages. Most balls that are hit never make it out in the outfield and so they rarely see allot of action during the game. In our practices we are completing with the girls trying to show each other the latest dance moves, or who can make the best mud pie.
The problem is that in batting practice because the balls are thrown very softly some of our better hitter will regularly hit the balls in the outfield. Yet if our outfielders are making mud pies they can endanger themselves to get hit by the ball and that could be very bad. We are trying to teach them the importance of being aware, 1 for their safety and 2 so that they can help out the team in a game.

A few days ago I was struck by the comparison of this with the Christian walk.
1. We must be aware. We must be aware of our spiritual life, our priorities, our goals. If not we can forgot about what really matters to God. If we get to sucked into the ways of the world Satan will have a field day with our lives.
Peter says it really well: 1 Peter 5:8 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. NIV

2. We must be aware to help out the "team." We must be ready to assist other members of the body of Christ in their times of trouble. It is so easier to not pay attention and find yourself doing things that have nothing to do with God. The truth is that we need each other.


My hope is that together we will not only help each other as the body of Christ but that we will help bring others to Christ, who is the only one that can defeat the Lion when it comes.

I have been thinking about blogging about the Anna Nicole Smith tragety for a while now. The other day one of my elders wrote an article that I thought that I would share with you. Before I do there is something that I want to add. My first thought in this case is I wonder if anyone ever shared Jesus with her. I wonder if anyone bothered to share the Gospel with her. Who shares the Gospel with the celebs. I also find it very sad to see the way that allot of the media is mocking her. I was not one of her fans and yet I am never happy to see someone throw their life away. Now for the article:

A Poor Little Rich Girl

What is it about this tragedy that compels our attention? Even so, most of us have probably had our fill to the sad end of Anna Nichole Smith’s life. This bizarre episode, along with it’s consequences for the relatives, lovers, and children, has been minutely publicized, analyzed, and scrutinized in infinite detail. Whatever our feelings about this matter, on thing from this mess stands out abuntaly clear. Happiness and contentment does not come from fame or fortune. A long time ago a man far greater, wiser, richer and more powerful then Anna ( King Soloman) tried to find happiness in it all. His conclusion, “ Vanity of Vanities, All is Vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) His summed up life as follows: “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

When I hear the word Allure my mind jump to something that is sexual. Not sure why but this the case. So the last thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word allure is God. I have stumbled upon this during my studies of the Old Testament as I have been preaching through Hosea. (Which by the way is one of my favorite of the minor prophets.) Take a look at this scripture found in the book of Hosea. (This is the NIV translation.)

Hosea 2:14-15
14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. 15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.

This is God speaking about the nation of Israel. The Jews have an up and down relationship with God. They would follow Him closely and then fall away usually working other Gods. Yet here just after God talks about the punishment He has in store for them we see His true love for his people shine through. I love the thought that God loves me enough that He would allure me back to Him when I mess up. In fact this scripture really moved my heart. It moved me so much so that it brought me to tears during my sermon this past Sunday. I have often heard lessons and sermon taught about Satan and his ways of leading you astray, yet I never hear about God's methods of brining us back. Never forget how much you are worth to God. In fact that is what Jesus did. He gave His life to win us back to God. He created the bridge that we need to cross over for hopelessness to hope. From sin to purity.

We truly serve an awesome God that love us more then we will ever truly comprehend. I will do my best to love Him back. I hope that you will as well.

In His Awesome Love,
Michael

If you know me then you know that I love NFL football. I can tell you about most teams and the better players on each team. I enjoy NFL football more then any other sport. This year I have been watching the Colts very closely. Not because I like Peyton Manning (not that I dislike him) but because I really enjoy Tony Dungy. The man just does not seem to talk all that much. Unlike many coaches in the NFL I don't seem him going crazy throughtout the game. Then I find out that He is a Christian. Now I am excited to watch Him and the Colts even more. After the AFL championship game I noticed that Tony said all he just wanted to give glory to God. That was it! I was so thrilled to see a man that very much wanted to give Glory to the Lord for what had happened that day. Then I see this picture that you see above. This really impressed me and I will tell you why. Christians usually start out very excited about God but sometime even a small measure of success and they forget who it is that brought them the success that they enjoy. Granted that this picture was taken shorltly after their win and yet I feel as if this speaks volumes about Tony Dungy. Here is a man that was won one of highest honors in American sports and instead of running around saying look what I did he takes the team to gather his team and say lets give thanks to God. Thank you Tony Dungy! Thank you for showing the world that your faith is something that goes with you wherever you go and no matter what happens.

"The question is not, 'Where is the church on Sunday?' but 'Where is the church on Monday?'"

This is a quote that I heard in college. I am not certain of the source yet there is great wisdom in this quote. It forced me to rethink how I viewed what the church really is supposed to be doing.

I had a discussion tonight with a dear brother about the true definition of faithfulness.

Faithfulness is a powerful word.

Dictionary.com defines Faithfulness as:

1. strict or thorough in the performance of duty:
2. true to one's word, promises, vows, etc.
3. steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; constant: faithful friends.
4. reliable, trusted, or believed.
5. adhering or true to fact, a standard, or an original; accurate.

At most of the churches that I have been a part of have defined faithfulness as how steady someone was in there attendance of worship services held at the church building. While I think that coming together as a church family is something that is vitally important I do not believe that it should complete our definition of what is faithful. I have come to know many people in my life that make it a point to be at their church at the appointed times throughout the week and yet seem to forget that they are a Christian unless they are in the church building. The truth is we are the church. The building that we gather at on Sunday and Wednesday nights is simply a place built to hold all of us at the same time. The real work of the church takes place outside of the building in which we meet.

I am reminded of the lyrics of a song written by Casting Crowns:

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in
Trying to fade into the faces
The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat
And quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
Are better out on the road

CHORUS
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the Body of Christ

Chorus
If we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

If we really are the body of Christ then let Sunday be the time in which we come to share how the work of Christ is going in our everyday life. Let us come to worship services worn out from the way that we have allowed ourselves to be used build up the kingdom of God. Let us reach, teach, and serve because we are His body.

Faithfulness, it is so much more then simply attending church services. It is a life transformed by the power of God. It is a soul cleansed by the blood of Christ. It is a live that cannot be lived for anyone or anything other then Christ.

Tonight once again I am reflecting on the preaching of Patrick Mead. His passion for Christ and for reaching out to those who do not know Him and who the church has never bothered to get to know stirs up great passion in my heart. It forces me to admit that I forgotten how much was done for me on the cross. It also makes me realize that I have allowed fear to limit who I reached out to.

I want to share a post from last year that will help explain the picture above.

I remember the moment I first stepped off of the place in Dominica for the first time. I was 17 years old and excited to be in a place to share the faith that was still very new to me. I was excited but deep down inside I was scared as well. Scared that when it came time to share the word of God with someone that I would not have the answers. That when someone asked that difficult question that I would somehow fumble and cause them to struggle with faith in Jesus. This trip and several others taught me so much about myself as well as how we cannot afford to be comfortable as Christians. In Dominica we worked all day meeting people, setting up Bible studies, sometimes working along side people. We didn't stop for lunch, we slept on the floor of the church building. The Rastas cussed at us , threw bottles at us, even threatened us from time to time and yet none of that mattered to me. I was there to serve the Lord. It was on this beautiful island that I learned that I could minister to people. I could help bring the love of Jesus Christ to others. I thank God for those times and I learned that I could help change others lives.

As I read this post I understand that my biggest fear has not been on the outside of the church but on the inside. We create this environment of fear by having this attitude that says if we get one thing wrong in the church then we might some fall slip through the cracks and lose our salvation. As a minister I have realized that this fear not only hurts the church but truly kills the church. This fear causes us to not reach out to those on the outside looking it. It causes us to form these strange communities where no one can possibly fit in and then wonder why no one new ever comes. We must not be afraid. We must reach out! We must get over ourselves! (As I write this I realize that I am basically preaching Patrick's sermon but it is a message that must be shared!)

Let us wake up in the church and realize that we are too busy trying to figure out it we are following all the man-made rules that we forget our main mission to seek and sick the lost. To encourage the hopeless, to feed the hungry, to go to the deepest, darkest places on this Earth and through the power of Christ pull people out of the dark into the Light!