Bro. Matt’s Blog

(This is a portion of a sermon preached on Sunday, April 27, 2008. To listen to the sermon in its entirety, click here. For other audio sermons, click here.)

Every once in a while I hear something that helps me so much in understanding my Christian walk, it gives me one of those “Ah-ha!” moments. I was listening to a sermon by Tim Keller out of New York. One day, his wife insightfully told him how the Christian life for so many was like putting quarters in a Coke machine. The object is to put the quarters in, then out comes the beverage. But on occasion, you put the quarters in and they don’t drop. So what do you do? You shake it and bump it until you hear the quarters drop.

For all too many Christians, the quarters have been deposited in our minds. We know the facts of the Gospel in how God made us, how we have sinned, and how we need to be saved by Christ through his death and resurrection. Many of us have made that decision. The problem though is that those quarters haven’t dropped and we’re waiting in that frustrating in-between stage where we know salvation in Christ, but we just fail to live it out in Christ.

Last week, I preached on the first four beatitudes. Those are the quarters in the machine. These last four Beatitudes are what should come out when the quarters drop. Being a Kingdom child is not just about Kingdom thinking, but Kingdom living. And the only way this can happen is not just from living out Kingdom principles, but when the King of Kings lives in us — Jesus Christ. My prayer this morning is that the Spirit will shake us until the quarters drop.

1. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7).

Mercy. One of the words that we find used in a number of different places, but do we really understand what this word means? We tend to use the word ‘mercy’ and ‘grace’ in much the same way. Think of it this way: grace is receiving something you do not deserve, and mercy is not receiving something you do deserve. D.A. Carson says that, “Grace answers to the undeserving; mercy answers to the miserable.”

So, when we read this passage of Scripture, we tend to take it like this, “If we are merciful, we shall receive mercy.” If you do this, then this will come back to you. This sounds right on the surface. But how does one become merciful? In reality, one who is merciful is one who has received mercy himself — he is one who understands his need for mercy and have received it abundantly. He understands, going back to the first beatitude, that he is in poverty in spirit due to his sin. As a result, he prays like David did, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-3).

I came across this recently, “It is sometimes said that an alcoholic who won’t admit he’s an alcoholic hates all other alcoholics.” Here’s a question for you: are you more offended at someone else’s sin moreso than your own? How can you tell? Well, have you shown mercy because you realize that great mercy God showed you? Do you find yourself feeling unworthy of it? Do you find yourself even resenting God’s mercy?

Consider Jonah. Jonah was a Bible-believing prophet commissioned by God. Yet God sends Jonah to a place and a people that to whom he feels far superior. He believes in the Bible, yet displays no compassion, no love, no mercy toward them. Why? Some would say, “Well, he’s prejudice.” That’s true, but why? “Well, he’s a sinner, like all of us.” That’s true, but where’s the rub for him? The problem was that he believed in something greater than the Gospel, something other than God to sustain him. And if you are having trouble being merciful to others, have you truly received and understood the mercy of God?

(If you want to listen to this sermon in its entirety, click here. This sermon was preaching on Sunday, April 13, 2008, at the Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. Click here for the archive.)

The introduction continues: “He went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him” (Matthew 5:1b). Jesus didn’t just see the crowds and then give a simple gesture or a nod. He went up to a place where he could be seen, sat down as if he planned on staying a while a communing with them, and the people came to him.

Do we have this Kingdom longing? John Piper in his book The Supremacy of God in Preaching wrote:

“People are starving for the greatness of God. But most of them would not give this diagnosis of their troubled lives. The majesty of God is an unknown cure. There are far more prescriptions on the market, but the benefit is brief and shallow. Preaching that does not have the aroma of God’s greatness may entertain for a season, but it will not touch the hidden cry of the soul which cries, ‘Show me thy glory!’

Jesus understands this longing — and Jesus is the only one who can satisfy that longing. Over and over, they were stunned by an authority coupled with compassion. The Pharisees wouldn’t give those the time of day! They were more interested in their traditions than in God’s creation!

All of us, dear friends, are looking for something we can count on. And the world is searching and scraping to fill a void that nothing in this world can fill. But for you who are Christians, let me ask you: do you long for God’s kingdom to be a reality within you and within this church and within this community? To put it another way, do you and do I long for God’s rule and will to be done, regardless of the pain or cost?

Art Azurdia in a sermon I heard on the radio this past week that the biggest turnaround in our churches over the past fifty years is that the average person looks at the church and asks, “How can the church serve me?” What has happened? We have fallen into the trap of our selfish flesh in that we desire to be our own kings where everyone around us caters to us.

What has happened? Does this not sound like Jesus’ words? Mark 10:42-45

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. [43] But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, [44] and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. [45] For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Do you have a kingdom longing this morning? Do you long for false idols that try to capture your attention to be knocked over by the one True and Living God?

(If you want to listen to this sermon in its entirety, click here or here to read the Introduction. This sermon was preaching on Sunday, April 13, 2008, at the Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. Click here for the archive.)

The first portion of this introduction is three simple words: “Seeing the crowds… .” There is a difference between seeing a crowd and seeing a crowd. When I first moved to Lexington, I was warned right away, “If you plan on driving on Nicholasville Road, do not drive when there’s a ball game letting out, or when it’s rush hour. Why? Because of a crowd of cars filled with a crowd of people. You can see that crowd and get annoyed.

Or you can go out to eat and find yourself avoiding certain places because of a line rolling out the door. Or you can be the head of a company or a department and see the crowd of people working under you, but you can use those people simply to advance your own agenda.

I’m glad Jesus doesn’t fit into this category. While this little portion seems to convey a simple looking at the crowds, we get a glimpse into the heart of Jesus as he looks at the crowd in Matthew 9:36, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The key word to all of that is “compassion.” Sympathy. Having pity. He put himself in their place and began taking time to see life through their eyes.

It reminds me of a story I read about a man who put up a sign in his yard that read: “Puppies for Sale.” Among those who came to inquire was a young boy. “Please, Mister,” he said, “I’d like to buy one of your puppies if they don’t cost too much.” “Well, son, they’re $25.” The boy looked crushed. “I’ve only got two dollars and five cents. Could I see them anyway?” “Of course. Maybe we can work something out,” said the man. The lad’s eyes danced at the sight of those five little balls of fur. “I heard that one has a bad leg,” he said. “Yes, I’m afraid she’ll be crippled for life.” “Well, that’s the puppy I want. Could I pay for her a little at a time?” The man responded, “But she’ll always have a limp.” Smiling bravely, the boy pulled up one pant leg, revealing a brace. “I don’t walk good either.” Then, looking at the puppy sympathetically, he continued, “I guess she’ll need a lot of love and help. I sure did. It’s not so easy being crippled.” “Here, take her,” said the man. “I know you’ll give her a good home. And just forget the money.”

The situation for the people in Jesus’ time was one perpetual limp after another. John MacArthur noted that the religious factions of the day were leading the people astray. The Pharisees believed in keeping all the law and traditions in great detail. The Sadducees were religious liberals who rejected all things supernatural and changed the Scripture and tradition to fit their worldview. The Essenes separated themselves from everyone, like the monks. The zealots were activists who sought to overturn the political system. MacArthur wryly notes, “The Pharisees said, ‘Go back”; the Sadducees said, “Go ahead”; the Essenes said, “Go away”; and the Zealots said, “Go against.” They truly had no shepherd they could count on.

Let me ask you: when you see the people around you, what do you see? Do you see people as a way to be avoided, exploited, changed, or as many churches and cults do and aim to indoctrinate? It’s time to see people where they are. It’s time to take time to see the crowd around us. And many, whether they realize it or not have a longing for something more. No matter how hard they try, this world cannot meet their true longing for more, for better, for something to grant them purpose.

An excerpt:

LifeWay Research recently completed a study of small churches. We have not released the data yet, but Brad Waggoner recently shared some early analysis from the study. He shared at Impact 2008 the biggest challenges reported by small churches:

To read this really eye-opening article, click here.

After a wonderful Comeback Churches conference in Bowling Green, KY, this past March 25th, I received a call at my house from a reporter from the Western Recorder, our state Baptist newspaper for a small interview gathering my impressions from the conference. Why they called, I don’t know. I was likely a name drawn out of a box. But here is the article. This conference was so very helpful, that I would recommend Ed Stetzer’s website, blog, and books.

From the parking lot of the First Baptist Church, Bowling Green, Kentucky!

Ed Stetzer

Me and Mark Combs, Pastor of Salem Baptist Church, Salem, KY!

In reading “Outgrowing the Ingrown Church” by C. John Miller, I came across a quote that just struck me. In the book, Miller notes that many churches have neglected God’s clear will of “going and making disciples” as outlined by Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). But many of our churches have grown inward for fear of extinction. It was at this point, I came across this quote on pp. 19-20:

“We have surrendered our hearts to the familiar forms of our religious life and found comfort of soul, not in knowing God, but in knowing that our worship practices are firmly settled and nothing unpredictable will happen Sunday morning. Thus, we have lost contact with the risen Lord as the source of our spiritual life, and what is worse we are often so enfeebled that we hardly know that we are out of touch with the King.”

Would we rather have comfort of soul, or know God? One thing about going through the Gospel of Luke is that Jesus is not comfortable nor safe. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12:

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

But how sad it would be for us to be out of touch with the risen Lord, and not know it — but think we are because we are maintaining worship practices that may be taking precedence over the leadership of the Holy Spirit of Christ?!?

Joe Thorn commented on another aspect of Miller’s book dealing with seven characteristics of an ingrown churches. May we read and head as we evaluate exactly what God would have us to be as a New Testament church.

(This sermon was preached on Sunday, March 9, 2008 at Boone’s Creek Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. To listen to the full audio of the sermon, click here.)

I remember growing up in a church that categorically believed that all rock and roll music was bad and inherently evil to listen to. Even Christian music that contained any sort of a rock beat that would make a toe tap would be out of the question. And for the longest time I held to this — avoid rock music! Avoid it!

But it didn’t go so well. I had everything from Aerosmith to ZZ Top. But when I went into the ministry, I discarded all that “bad” music with the questionable and unhelpful lyrics. But the more I got into music, the more I got into other types of music to replace the rock: jazz, reggae, classical — all kinds. I would listen to Christian music a bit as well, but I would listen to those others, not necessarily because it was inherently good, but because it wasn’t bad like that other evil music.

We tend to put ourselves in tight, nice little categories and compartments. In these presidential primaries, we have Republicans and Democrats. In Kentucky, we have Cat fans and Cardinal fans. We tend to break people up into rich and poor, young or old, and yes even good and bad. We tend to think that simply being good is avoiding the stuff that’s bad.

But let me ask you a question: is being good ever a bad thing? You may think, “How can good be bad? Those are polar opposites.” But the answer is, “Spiritually speaking, yes, ‘good’ can be a bad thing.” Why? Because we can take pride in our goodness and our outward righteousness rather than our inward holiness. Being good is not enough. When we believe simply being good outwardly is sufficient, that’s bad.

Let’s stand as we read Luke 5:27-32:

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” [28] And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. [29] And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. [30] And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” [31] And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. [32] I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (ESV)

(Tomorrow: Being good does not require a personal relationship
with God.)

Thanks to Joe Thorn for providing this very insightful post.  And how easy it is for churches to become such as this.  May we read and heed!

I have long had great respect for Ken Sande’s ministry called “Peacemaker Ministries” . They seek to assist Christians and their churches to respond to conflict biblically. They send out helpful monthly newsletters on a myriad of subjects.

And now they have entered the blogosphere! Route 5:9. This blog’s purpose is to reflect on the peacemaking journey, gospel-centered relationships, and life in the church. Hope you will find this blog quite helpful.

(HT: Challies)

Read Arturo Azurdia’s wonderful article on a subject crucial for the church to understand.