I Want To Be A Sharpened Arrow

Today I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Jimmy Pritchard, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Forney, Texas. He gathered with about a dozen ministers at First Baptist Church of Centerton and shared with us from the depth of his own ministry. Everything he said went straight to my heart and was exactly what I needed to hear. I’m going to share some other thoughts over the next few days, but thought I’d being by relating this thought he shared from the book of Isaiah…

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I Know My Purpose… Now What?

I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m saved and secure. I’m on my way to heaven someday. But I still live here and I know that my purpose is to glorify Jesus Christ in all of the life that I have left. But how?

A common plight Christians suffer is this wrestling between getting ready to do something, and doing it now. When I surrendered to God’s calling on my life to ministry, I wrestled – do I spend some years in school, doing little and learning much, or do I get involved, doing much but perhaps learning little. I’ve heard it preached both ways. You have too, and it’s confusing, isn’t it?

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Preaching with Sincerity

Paul addressed the issue of sincerity in preaching on several occasions throughout the New Testament. One such instance is 2 Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” As I have reflected on this verse, it’s given me some comfort to know that the issues that plague modern Christianity also faced the apostles. I’ve also found an important principle in preaching – sincerity.

There are false teachers, hucksters, and impostors in pulpits across the land today. There were in Paul’s day too. It’s nothing new and it will only worsen as we approach the day of Jesus’ return. But the contrast to this trend is a new trend of sincerity in the pulpit. Preaching has been defined by D. Martin-Lloyd Jones as “the communication of God’s truth through human personality.” So we preachers get to represent God’s truth through our very personality. The prayer, “hide me behind thy cross, O Lord,” doesn’t reflect an accurate understanding of what preaching is all about. God has calledme to represent Him as only I can, and for you to do the same.

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The Deep Impact of "Simply God’s Word"

This past Sunday was Open House Sunday at Bethel, and what a blessing it was to greet half a dozen new families and share a wonderful fellowship meal with our church family. My pride factor was increased as Bethel’s members paid special attention to quality and friendliness. Much preparation went into the day and it was well worth it! But Sunday evening was far more of a blessing to my own heart. In fact, most Sundays are just that way.

On Sunday mornings, we rush in to tie up loose ends and make sure that all details are in order for the morning worship service. After all, if the lighting, the temperature, or the sound volume isn’t perfect, God might not be able to work in the hearts of attendees, right? I fear that sometimes when we are focused too much on having an ideal public service, we miss the absolutely awe-inspiring nature of the centerpiece of our service – God’s perfect Word. By the time we open our Bibles, we’re a bit drained from the tension of striving for perfection.

That’s why I love Sunday evening services. It seems, for some reason, that the tension is over. We’ve been relieved from the pressure to impress the visiting crowd and we tend to focus our attention more on the Word of God in study. Rather than double-checking the sound and making sure the bulletins aren’t printed upside down on the inside, we simply stroll in, take our seats, and seek the face of Jesus.

My conclusion is that we probably have a lot to learn about Sunday mornings from all of this. Perhaps it’s time to “get spiritual” and realize that we aren’t gathering for a show, we’re gathering in Jesus’ classroom, sitting at the feet of our Lord, waiting for those drippings from the altar. Our worship will be more precious when it is “simply God’s Word.”

Remember the story of Mary and Martha? Martha wasn’t wrong in serving, but she was wrong in missing Jesus in her attention to the details of preparing dinner. Every Sunday, we prepare the table for special guests, but let’s not miss the sweet fellowship time with Jesus by our attention to the details. As you approach God’s Word this weekend with your church family, seek the face of Jesus in the simplicity of God’s wonderful Word.