I am a preacher in the Independent Christian Churches.  We have a rich history over the last 200 years that includes names like Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and Raccoon John Smith.  These men started in Kentucky and spread their work across the world.  There are now over 6,000 Churches like the one I serve in the US and over 10,000 worldwide. 

We are not a denomination, and we have no governing body which tells us what to believe, who our preacher will be, or where the money collected will go.  There is no hierarchy to whom I answer other than the local Church leadership.  As a group, we call ourselves a brotherhood as we work together across congregational lines like brothers, not members of a franchise.  Our colleges are one of the things that unite us as they train the preachers and leaders.  I went to Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, and have kept close ties throughout the years through the conferences I attend and professors who come to preach when I am gone. 

Not many people are familiar with our brotherhood, primarily because we have no large institution behind us like the Southern Baptist or Assembly of God.  Our smaller size does not diminish our effectiveness both locally and globally.    

Today I want you to know a little more about this group, but I also want you to understand why I am a part of it.  The primary reason I remain part of this brotherhood is because of our stance on scripture.  We believe the Bible to be our authority in practice and theology on everything.  It doesn’t matter your background previous to attending a Christian Church.  I can get along with anyone willing to sit down and study what the Bible says and agree on its meaning so that we can move forward together.  There is no theological system that is imposed on the word of God, and then we make everything fit inside of it.  No, the goal is to study what the scriptures say as a whole and move forward in love together. 

I love my Church and the movement in which I am involved.  I remain committed to serving within its ranks, not because it is perfect, but because it has a unifying plan.  If you and I agree to take the Bible seriously, then we can all get along.  To this end, I strive every week. 

The pronouns you chose are significant.  They express your view as an individual or as a member of a team. 

A basketball player who is continually talking about his stats and his performance underlines what he feels is important.  The same is true for the player who talks about how we did and what we can do to improve. 

This is true for a Church member as well.  When someone talks to me about her gifts and her ministry ideas, she is saying something about her priorities.  When he doesn’t like the music or thinks he is the only one qualified to lead a group.  It becomes clear who is his focus.   

On the other hand, anyone who says, “How can we help more people to know Jesus,” has a different viewpoint.  People who speak of our Church and what we are doing for the Lord have the opposite perspective. 

Paul writes in Philippians 1:18, “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” (NIV 2011)  He clarifies that no one is unwelcome in Church or trying to do their best for God.  But I would add that one of the biggest steps of spiritual growth I see is when someone moves from “me” to “we.”  For in that same letter, Paul encourages believers to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 NIV 2011)

The next time you speak of the Church and your activity there, listen to the pronouns you use.  Perhaps they are revealing an area of faith that you need to grow.  Church is a team sport, and everyone plays a part in the success of God’s kingdom together as one.    

One of the most significant transitions in Churches is in the responsibility of the guy who leads.  You can call him the preacher, the pastor, brother, evangelist, or whatever you like, but the guy who leads the local Church role has changed because of Covid. 

We were shepherds who loved people in the name of Jesus on behalf of our community of faith. Many of us used to visit the sick, and that is no longer allowed.  We were present for families going through trials, couples needing counseling, and held the hands of individuals making life transitions.  Most of that is not advised at this time in our ministries. 

Over the past year, our job has transitioned from a pastor and shepherd to a spiritual director.  I picture the change like this.  I once knew a retirement community that had an activities director.  His job was to organize events for people to grow, connect and have fun.  The work included leading games, showing videos, getting outside speakers, and promoting all activities so that everyone had an opportunity to use the resources. 

That is what I am seeing most Church leaders doing these days.  They are doing everything within their power to help the people who follow Jesus grow as believers, connect as a community, and enjoy the work of the Lord.  They are using social media and the internet, zoom meetings and skype, blogs and vlogs, linking to outside resources, and promoting tools to help believers. 

For many of us, this is entirely new territory.  This is not how we were trained, and it is not what our experience has prepared us for.  We are trying our best to rediscover Church leadership during a pandemic. 

The most challenging part of this change is that we can only do so much.  We can provide videos but cannot make you watch them.  We can organize groups to help you grow but cannot make you attend online or in person.  We can attempt to lead you into serving others but cannot make you get off the couch.  Someone can have the best director in the world, but they will fail if you do not use what they are providing. 

I am sure the roles will adjust and change in the future, but for now, your leader is doing their best to help you become a fully devoted follower of Jesus.  They are attempting to direct you spiritually the best way they know how.  Whether you grow to be like Christ or not is totally up to you.   

In the middle of a Biblical chapter that contains some enormous statements by Jesus, there is something worth stopping to ponder.  This chapter has two of the “I am” statements of the seven in John’s gospel.  Here Jesus says. “I am the gate for the sheep,” which refers to how people enter the kingdom of God.  Next, he will state, “I am the good shepherd.” Above all the people who tend to the needs of others, Jesus is the best.

Between those two statements, Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV 2011)

Some translations have Jesus saying he gives life abundantly.  The word could also mean overflowing or, as the New International Version translates it, “full.”

But what does he mean by a full, abundant, or overflowing life?

There are only two possible explanations. One is that he wants us to have a long life.  The followers of Jesus will make choices that will lead them to have an abundant number of days.  In part, this makes sense.  If you remove yourself from the destructive actions of sin, you are bound to live longer.  But the problem is both practical and theological.  Jesus was perfect, and he was killed at 33, and that doesn’t seem very long.  Also, what about suffering or martyrdom?  And haven’t we all known someone who was a wonderful person and still died young?  It just doesn’t seem to fit the description.

The only other option is that Jesus was talking about the quality of life.  The people who follow him will find a life that is more than breathing in and out for the maximum amount of time.  His people will be marked by a life that is filled with meaning, purpose, and joy.  Their life will overflow with goodness, mercy, and compassion.  They live life without guilt, remorse, and regret.  His followers will experience the kingdom of God on earth while waiting for their eternal residence.  The master shepherd will lead them throughout all their days.  The people who trust Jesus will experience life at a deeper and more meaningful level.  Their lives will be full of the goodness of God. 

It would be nice to have both, and that is why Jesus gives us eternity.  For this life, the goal is to pursue Jesus and find the life he desires for you.  Too many people are giving their time, resources, and energy to add more days to their lives, which we have no control over anyway.  A full life is only found in following him, and it makes every day, no matter how many you get, worth living. 

One of the most significant struggles with communication for a Christian is the use of passive-aggressive speech. This type of speaking is marked by disagreeable statements, negative attitudes, non-active resistance, and avoidance of direct confrontation. It is the use of words to resist an idea or the person presenting it indirectly.

I hear people say things like, “It was wonderful that people came to your aid in that time of crisis. I really wish someone cared about me enough just to drop me a text.” Another time I heard, “I’m not mad, but I think it could have been handled better if you just used your head.” These are the kind of statements that destroy relationships in the home and the Church.

For many of us, it has slipped into our regular dialog so much that we do not even notice it anymore. Unfortunately, it should not be a part of how we communicate if we wish to form stable, Godly relationships in our lives.

One quest for a believer is not just to change the kind of words we use but also how we use them. Sometimes that means we need to keep our mouths shut. Other times it means we need to ruthlessly eliminate the passive-aggressive statements we have used since we were kids. The phrases seethe with anger, and we feel like if we use them backhandedly, then we will accomplish our goal without confrontation. In reality, we are building walls and alienating people, even in our own homes.

Christians are to use words that help build others up. We are to speak the truth in love. We are to be kind, gracious, and wise with the things we say. When issues need to be addressed, we do it directly.

Here is a simple challenge. This week evaluate your conversations and see how many times you are passive-aggressive in your speech. Know that one time is probably too much.

When the darkness sets in and you are all alone with just the thoughts in your head, whose voice do you hear? 

Is the voice one of an approving or disapproving parent?  Is it the words of a spouse who loves you or is disappointed in your behavior?  Is it the calming speech of a loving friend or the harsh words of a critic? Whose voice do you hear when you are alone? Do you hear comfort or criticism, encouragement or anger, joy or sadness, or even possibly love?

We all have those voices who speak loudly into our lives.  I think that one of the quests of believers is to make that voice the word of God.  One reason to read your Bible and then return to it repeatedly is to increase the volume of the words above all the others.  When God is the primary voice in your life, then you will hear exactly what you need to hear at just the right time. 

Some days it will sound like a coach pushing you to greatness, and other days like a nurse comforting your pain.  Sometimes phrases will make you uneasy and stretch your thinking, while other passages will remind you of what you already know to be true. 

One goal for all believers is to listen to the right voice and silence the crowds who are not inspiring you to be more like your Savior. 

Sunday is Valentine’s Day.  This is the weekend we celebrate the love between a man and a woman.  In particular, my sermon on Sunday will focus on married couples and the joy of their union. 

Love inside of marriage is a beautiful and unique thing.  The word of God says that marriage makes two people into one.  There is an intimate connection that unites people physically, but also emotionally, and spiritually.  I believe it is God’s great gift to humanity; to experience intimacy with another human at its deepest level.

The downside is that maintaining this relationship is not easy.  Every couple has issues and disagreements as they are forming this new union.  The glory of love is only realized through the grit of determination.  For two to become one, each individual must commit to staying together even when times are tough.  They must be willing to hang on by their fingernails when others are giving up on their marriage. 

Before you can experience the best that God has to offer in a marital relationship, you must develop the grit and determination to see it through to the end.  Long marriages filled with love and joy are not the result of a special gift given to your spouse this weekend.  (Although that is rarely a wrong move.)  No, great marriages result from two people who are unwilling to give up when times are hard.  The difficulties are what make the good times so sweet. 

When I entered ministry right out of Bible college one of my mentors wrote an article that has stuck with me for over 25 years.  He wrote a little devotion in the magazine for our brotherhood of Churches based on one odd proverb in the Old Testament

Proverbs 14:4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

There are two simple thoughts in this passage.  The first is that without oxen, you have nothing to clean up.  There is no work to gather and store food and no getting up early to feed them or staying up late as they give birth.  The manger and barn are empty, and life is easy. 

But if you want a great harvest, you need to have oxen.  If you own oxen, you can plant more and therefore harvest more.  Having an ox may require work, but the payoff is seen at the harvest

In his article, he then applied the logic of that proverb to the Church.  Having no guests at Church will keep the place clean.  If there are no children or children’s ministry, there will be no markers to clean up or dirty hands making a mess of the sink.  Having lots of people at the Church building each week makes a mess for someone to clean up after it is over. 

But if you want to see people come to know Jesus.  If you’re going to see lives transformed by the power of Jesus, it will require you to have people coming to the Church building.  

In other words, not having non-believers come to Church will keep things nice and clean, but the glory of a Church is when they are reaching new people for Jesus. 

So the question is, does the Church want to be neat and clean or have the mess that comes with ministry?  I would rather have the mess.

We rarely associate Jesus with hatred.  Jesus is all about love.  He tells us to love one another because he loved the world, and his followers will be known by their love.  But did you know that the Bible tells us that Jesus also hates things? 

In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John is writing down the words being revealed to him on the island of Patmos.  The first part of his vision is of the resurrected Jesus and the glory of his might.  The next part of the book contains his letters to the seven Churches of Asia Minor.  In this section, Jesus tells the Church in Ephesus, “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6 – NIV 2011)

According to early Church fathers, the Nicolaitans derive their name from one of the deacons enlisted to serve in Acts chapter 6.  Nicolas was said to have apostatized and become the founder of a religious sect.  This conclusion is somewhat of speculation as there is no direct evidence.  Others have said that he did walk away from the traditional faith but did not form a sect; thus, his name is used like Balaam and Jezebel in these chapters of Revelations as symbolic with those who deny proper religious belief.  We can be sure that this group stepped away from the New Testament teachings somewhere in early Church history and formed their new religious congregation. 

Most scholars agree that this group had severed themselves from the Church in two ways, and probably both as they overlap.  The first mistake they made was to accept a teaching called Gnosticism. This teaching states that the only thing significant in faith is what you know and believe in your heart.  Faith is separate from actions.  You can do whatever you like as long as you hold the right convictions.  The second part of their belief is a natural outworking of the first.  If it doesn’t matter what you do with your physical body, then giving oneself over to all sexual relations was acceptable.  Living together, adultery, homosexuality, and all forms of sexual immorality are permissible as long as you still believe Jesus is your Savior.  While there is some speculation as to the extent of this group’s depravity, everyone does agree that their step outside of faith was marked by immorality.

The words of Jesus in Revelation chapter 2 remind us that Jesus hates people who claim to follow him and yet have no desire for holiness.  They speak of grace without transformation.  They teach justification without sanctification.  Their words are of Jesus as Savior but not Lord.  The message of salvation is not connected to discipleship.  The people wanted all the good parts of the gospel without taking up a cross. 

Jesus says, “I hate that,” and he is happy that this Church does too. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded that grace is not cheap and following Jesus calls for radical transformation.  That message may sound harsh in the eyes of the world, but a true love of Jesus requires that we hate what is evil. 

Numerous people I encounter want to know, “How much ministry should I do?” They may not use those exact words, but their intent oozes through in other questions.  After all, we have a limited amount of time, so how much service does God require of me?

I hate this type of questioning as it feels like people are asking, “What is the least amount of effort I can put into serving the Lord that will still make him happy with me?” It sounds like the students I have known who did the bare minimum to get a passing grade. 

Do we really think this is a good question for us to be asking?

Christians worship a God who is believed to have come to earth to give of himself.  The words of the New Testament are that he “poured out” himself.  Philippians chapter two says that he made himself nothing.  He demonstrated his willingness to serve by washing the disciple’s feet.  His ministry’s final great act was to surrender himself on the cross as a ransom for many.  The result of this work is that his followers receive grace upon grace.  The abundance of his love, compassion, and mercy for his people is unmatched in all the world. 

If this is the God we worship, then should we ask, “What is the minimum amount of effort I can serve and still make God happy?” It seems like we should be seeking to give him our greatest effort and not our least.  It was Jesus who said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23 – NIV 2011) 

Some days I really do wish it were easier to follow Jesus.  I would love to lie on the couch all evening, along with weekends.  I would spend more lazy time asking the world to serve me and my needs.  But faith is no place for the weak or lazy.  It requires us surrendering our entire life to the one who gave his life for us.  Grace is amazing, and our response should be nothing less than our best.