The Marvelous Magnet

My personal Bible study and sermon time has solely revolved around the person and work of Jesus Christ. Not fluffy...make you feel good junk but doctrinal study. But I must admit that all of the wonderful doctrines surrounding Christ invoke within me more worship and awe than any pragmatic sermon or book.

Let me give you an example. The Crucifixion of Christ is so wonderful that if we only had the scriptures that deal with the death of Christ that would be enough to warrant our fear and worship of God forever.

Spurgeon called His crucifixion the "Marvelous Magnet." He said, "Preach Jesus Christ. That is the recipe for catching men's ears and laying hold upon men's hearts."

What a wonderful truth...The Son of Man lays His life done willing; to be crushed; to be cursed; to be cussed; so that sinful men might be saved!!! Who needs these modern day "ear tickling" messages and books? What could possible be better than the thing that Luther referred to as "The Great Exchange?" Christ was crushed for our sin and we received His righteousness? The imagination of man could never cook up something better than that.

Eggs, Toast, and Revelation

Monday morning I had breakfast with a good friend of mine at The Huddle House....man I love the Huddle House. We talked about many things; mostly college football. However in the middle of bashing Georgia's offensive play calling, my friend began sharing something that is still blowing me away on Wednesday.

The Church is trying to be more than it was intended to be. You see the most important thing in my life is my personal relationship with Christ; being right with the Thrice Holy God of creation. With this primary relationship comes responsibilities. For example its my job, given unto me by Christ, to evangelize and then make disciples. This according to the Great Commission, which is a call for every individual disciple. The next relationship in the created order of things is my marriage. I am called to be a husband. This marital relationship led to children which is third in the order of things. I am a father!!

What has happened throughout the ages is the church which comes after personal relationship with Christ and family has taken it upon herself to try to relieve me of my duties in the other relationships. As a result people are forsaking their God-given responsibilities because we have this idea that when the collective is doing okay we are all okay.

For example; I wonder how many people never share their faith because their church has a visitation team or FAITH team or something similar? How many people never serve in missions because they sprinkled their conscience clean by giving money to Lottie Moon? How many parents never open the Bible at home and disciple their children because they think the Youth Worker or Children's leader is teaching them all they need to know?

Are the previously mentioned programs bad things? I don't think so but they don't take the place of what I am called to do and be personally. The church exists to be a support for a person's individual faith and for the family. She doesn't exist to take the place of those things. As a pastor my conviction is to be a leader that places responsibility where it belongs and to preach and teach and pray in a way that would empower people to be what God created them to be; not to take away from those things.

Man...its amazing where God will show up and reveal things!!!