Grace and Peace

       I doubt that few would argue against the Great Commission as the mission objective of every church. Just in case you can't recall that passage just now, let me refresh your memory:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

      As we nod our heads in agreement that this surely is the marching order for our Lord's church triumphant, we all to often look at this passage and emphasize evangelism and teaching, but fail to note we are called on to teach "them to observe." Thus our ministry isn't only to share the Gospel or impart knowledge, but to call new believers to obey the teaching of our Lord.

      This is a juncture where the modern church often misses the mark. We are quick to offer teaching in varied formats, but there is a disconnect between the teaching we receive and our obedience. Dr. Timothy Beougher said, "In the modern church, we often replace obedience with praise."

      Isn't it interesting that we try to mask our lack of obedience with our worship of God? This is nothing new; Saul did the same thing in 1 Samuel 15. God gave Saul clear instructions on how he was to proceed, but he grew impatient and took shortcuts, thus disobeying God. When God's spokesman Samuel showed up, Saul assured him that the cattle had only been kept to make a big offering to God. But an offering of praise is no substitute for obedience, as God's chilling message to King Saul makes plain:

Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king." (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

      If we make the mistake of offering praise as a substitute for obedience, then we might have the most beautiful worship anywhere to be found, but our lives would be undisciplined and unsubmissive to the demands of God's Word. I want to make sure in my own life and in the life of the church I serve that we don't disconnect God's Word and obedience and try to mask our rebellion with praise.

Have you ever heard this one before?

·        The check is in the mail.

·        One size fits all.

·        Offer limited to the first fifty callers.

·        I only need ten minutes of your time.

Everyone knows the line is an untruth, even the fibber. But the falsehoods are so common they have become part of the fabric of everyday conversation.

Have you ever considerd that Christians are often guilty of "false speak" as well?  Consider these "fibs of the faith":

·        I'll be praying for you. (Then we don't.)

·        God told me. (Right! How often do we blame God for our harebrained ideas?)

·        After much prayer and Bible study…(Give me a break!!!!)

Late on the afternoon of July 4, 1776, church bells in Philadelphia rang out in celebration of the news that the Continental Congress, after much debate and several revisions, had finally adopted Thomas Jefferson's newly penned Declaration of Independence.  Under the leadership of John Hancock, the Continental Congress rushed the manuscript to the shop of John Dunlap, their official printer. During the evening of July 4^th and into the morning of July 5^th, Dunlap typeset the document and created a number of "broadsides" of the text (approximately the size of a full sheet of newspaper).

That morning the documents were carried back to the Congress where one was entered into the Congressional Journal.  Then John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, dispatched riders on horseback to carry Dunlap broadside copies of the Declaration to America's political and military leaders around the colonies to spur on the revolution.

By 1989, only 24 copies of this original mass printing were known to exist.  That is until a Philadelphia man became interested in a frame around an old painting at a local flea market.  He bought the picture, frame and all, for $4 and then discovered a folded broadside behind a tear in the painting.  This 25th copy of the Dunlap broadside was authenticated by Sotheby's and on June 13, 1991, it was sold at a Sotheby's auction for $2,420,000.  On June 29, 2000, it was re-sold at a Sotheby's auction for $8,140,000.

Undoubtedly, many people passed by this hidden treasure at the flea market without ever realizing its worth.  Today many also pass by Jesus Christ without ever realizing His infinite value. As Peter said in 1 Peter 2:7, "To you therefore who believe, Jesus is precious, but for those who do not believe, the very stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."

I thought we might need something light with which to start the workweek, so I dredged up this amusing list by a very funny man.  See if Dave Barry’s humor rings the bell for you!

THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN
by Dave Barry

1. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
2. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
3. You should not confuse your career with your life.
4. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
5. Never lick a steak knife.
6. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
7. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and
   compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
8. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)
9. Your friends love you anyway.
10. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone
    amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
    
    
    

           Today our baby turns 19.  Where did the time go?  We barely started on our journey as parents and now the children are all grown up.  I see the gray hair as I look at my reflection in the mirror.  I see the tiny wrinkles at the corner of my bride's eyes.  We've been married now longer than we were single…shucks we've been parents longer than we were single!  How could the time have passed so speedily?  What would I do differently if I could do it all again?

I don't know what to say about the first question other than to admit that I became so busy with the mundane details of life and work that I hardly noticed its passing at the time.  Years went by unobserved and under appreciated. I remember thinking, "When things slow down, then I will……….."  You can fill in the blank with your own wish. We wish our lives away with phrases like: when the kids grow up, when the summer comes, when we have the money, etc. ad nauseum!

That brings me to the second question.  I do have one big idea about that and it is simply this:  I would savor each moment and enjoy it to the fullest.

Like that perfect fall day when Ben was playing soccer down at Cape Carteret.  The two older kids had played their matches earlier that day and now were lounging on a blanket on the sidelines where Becky and I were sitting in our lawn chairs.  Becky and the kids were watching the lazy clouds move across the bright, blue sky and "finding" different shapes in them.  As the hard charging sports fan of the family, I was watching Ben play and cheering his efforts.

I don't really remember who won that soccer match, but I do remember our going over to the playground afterwards and playing on the swings and slide.  The kids' laughter filled the air.  We played until the sun began to sink behind the big old trees that lined the park.  As we walked back to the van, there was a reluctance to leave that magical place.

The kids fidgeted a bit, but soon fell asleep on the ride home.  Becky and I were left in the quiet of another nightfall with our relaxed conversation.  It was a time to enjoy and rejoice over…and I am sure I did…but not like I do now.

Most of those precious days with our children are in my rearview mirror now.  The sweetness of them grows bittersweet as I see them waning.  There is no going back, so what can we do?

I don't scan the press everyday, (I usually let the Fox News Network and radio news bulletins keep me up to date on current affairs) but today I perused the news online and found the following article.  Since it dealt with my home state, I stopped to read the entire piece, which I have copied below for you:

Senator attempts to remove Bibles from chapel
Feb 9, 2005
By Erin Curry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A Democratic state senator ordered his staff to remove a cross, Bibles and hymnals from the nondenominational chapel in the rotunda of the North Carolina legislative building, saying the Christian emphasis was inappropriate in a public building used by people of different faiths.

But a higher-ranking senator reversed Sen. Tony Rand's decision Feb. 3 after Republican lawmakers complained.

"The cross and the Bible are going back in the chapel," Norma Mills, chief of staff for Senate President Marc Basnight, said, according to The Charlotte News & Observer.

In recent years, a group of lawmakers began holding weekly services in the chapel, bringing with them privately donated Bibles, hymnals and a cross, which they left in the room. Rand was not opposed to such services, but he said worshipers should take their items with them when they leave to avoid offending lawmakers of other religions.

"If they want to bring [such items] to their services, they're welcome to do that," Rand said. "It should retain its nondenominational character. It's not a church. It's a public place for whoever wants to communicate with one's maker."

Charles Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va., told The News & Observer that Rand was probably correct in banning the permanent display of religious material.

"Not only is it probably the sensitive thing to do to keep the chapel available to all, but it may also be the First Amendment thing to do," Haynes said. "To have it displayed does send a message that this is a particular place for a particular religion. I think [Rand] is giving good advice, although it is not a popular thing to say in North Carolina."

It seems shocking that the cross and the Bible could stir such a contest among state legislators.  Particularly when you stop and think of all the offensive things that come across our path every day. Bumper stickers, tee shirts, billboards and the like proclaim products and messages that should cause us to blush.  The language that one hears in the hallway and over the airwaves almost curls your hair.  But the Bible and the cross, when did they become offensive?

In truth, they have been all along.  For nearly two thousand years, men and women have been offended by the message of the cross as contained in God's Word. Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, helps us see the truth:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NIV)

All I can say is, "Thank God for the cross!"