Dear Team,
As I thought and prayed about the new year (and new decade) the Lord impressed upon me how I/we respond to fear. We have all struggled, or struggle, with fear in some way. In one sense it is natural to do so. But God does not want us to live in fear nor be controlled by fear. Ultimately, fear is a spirit (cf. 2 Tim. 1:7), one that the enemy of our faith moves people to traffic in - if they let him.
Think of the macro and mirco issues whereby fear could overtake us as we stand on the precipice of a dawning decade: fear of terrorists, fear of a nuclear Iran, fear of a weakening economy; fear of the future, fear of sickness, fear of dying, fear of change, fear of job loss, fear of elders, fear of lack of provision, fear of college, fear of being alone, fear of job loss, etc. The avenues are endless.
So join me in praying the following three prayer points as we turn the year/decade. May 2010 be marked by faith in our great God and His great Word! I have passed these on to the sisters who are prayer warriors as well.
May we not dimish God's glory by giving in to a punk, puny, cowardly spirit of fear; one that will soon know the lake of fire.
1. Pray that we would be marked by spiritual power, love, and discipline - not fear.
2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
2. Pray that we would not be fearful of man, nor fall into its snare. But instead trust the Lord and His Word.
Prov 29:25 The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.
Exampe: Pray we would avoid the tragic error of Peter. He denied the Lord three times because of fear of personal harm.
Matthew 26:69-74
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean." [70] But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about." [71] When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." [72] And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man." [73] A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away." [74] Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed.
Example: Pray we would avoid the supreme error of Pilate. He delivered Jesus to be crucified because of fear of what the crowd might say.
Matt 27:22 Pilate *said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all *said, "Crucify Him!"
Matt 27:23 And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"
Matt 27:24 ¶ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see {to that} yourselves." Matt 27:25 And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"
Matt 27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.
Example: Pray we would avoid the error of Joseph of Arimathea. He was a secret disciple of Jesus for fear of his fellow religious members.
John 19:38 ¶ After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret {one} for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
3. Pray that we would exhibit being Spirit-led, not fear-led, knowing our Father knows best.
Rom 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Rom 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Thank you for all that you have done in the service of God's kingdom in 2009. Paul told the church in Rome that the kingdom of God is marked by righteous, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). May these be ours in 2010.
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Pastor Mark
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
2009 Mombasa Report
Thank you to all who prayerfully and financially supported my trip to Mombasa, Kenya this past summer with Reaching Souls International. May the Lord richly bless your gracious giving and fervent praying! Over 3,800 registered salvation slips were received, and we trained over 225 pastors in subjects such as systematic theology, pastoral ministry, and personal devotions. The women of the team also trained over 80 leading Christian women. Praise the Lord!
This is Pastor Peter Ajemo. He's a farmer, receives no financial income from his church, and he and his wife also support 18 orphans in his home.
Pastor Nelson Menza - My Interpreter
This is an inside look at the classroom where we taught the pastors. One of the lessons I took away was the pastoral burden is largely the same, regardless of culture. These men are doing so much with so little and it was a humbling experience to be with these greatly yielded men of God.
The Accomodations Where the Pastors Slept
Peter Leading The Song That Made Me Cry
Pictures at the Leadership Institute (held at a local Baptist High School)
This is Pastor Peter Ajemo. He's a farmer, receives no financial income from his church, and he and his wife also support 18 orphans in his home.
Pastor Nelson Menza - My Interpreter
This is an inside look at the classroom where we taught the pastors. One of the lessons I took away was the pastoral burden is largely the same, regardless of culture. These men are doing so much with so little and it was a humbling experience to be with these greatly yielded men of God.
The Accomodations Where the Pastors Slept
Peter Leading The Song That Made Me Cry
Pictures at the Leadership Institute (held at a local Baptist High School)
Friday, September 11, 2009
Growing Pains
Do you remember when we were growing up as kids? Sometimes we would experience aches and pains, not because we were sick, reckless with our bodies, or that we neglected our bodies. It was for a good reason and a healthy reason: were were growing up! Our bodies were doing what God created them to do naturally.
We too are experiencing growing pains as a church. Consider the following as we seek to partner together to advance His kingdom in The Colony, and around the world.
Pray for us to remember why we exist and remember how infinitely more valuable God and His glory is, and that His Word, His mission, His gospel and His Son are worth dying for and living for.
Pursuing these are painful, but all pain is not bad.
God's Word is Supreme
We do not want anyone to miss out on the life-giving, bondage-breaking,power-infusing, devil-fleeing dynamics of God's Word.
Consequently, we seek savory biblical, nutritional food for the body - meat and potatoes that are foundational to a healthy growing church.
Many churches are going dangerously light in their diet, by dishing out cotton-candy preaching that looks good, tastes good, feels good, but it has no nutritional values whatsoever. They have no biblical standards for their people and they do not expect biblical standards from their people.
And the people love it.
They love it because it does not call them to take themselves off the throne of their lives. They love it because they can have a form of godliness but reject the power and authority of God over their lives. They enjoy a church that will cater to their religious affections without a bloody cross and the King who hangs upon it. This is the functional, unspoken first order principle of many mega churches.
But we're not going that way as a church.
We seek to be a meta church, not a mega church. This path is founded and grounded in the contextual understanding of God's Word to the degree that it makes a functional difference in every area and ministry of the church.
Only God's word grows us and has the power to change our lives. To neglect His Word is to neglect God. We must continue to seek God's Word first in whatever we are discussing in the church.
Space Issue in the Second Service
The second service continues to grow. The pews are getting full. Space is becoming a problem. Praise God for growing pains!
As a faithful greeter who greets people outside the church building on Sunday mornings, Mike Reneau tells us that we have a parking problem. This too is a good sign of growing pains.
In fact, recently some people drove away because they could not find parking. This should trouble us, should it not?
Here are some options:
1. Turn the first service into a contemporary service. Since there is much more room in the first service, this move would make use of the space for the sake of accomodating more people. (Do not fret first service people, I am not in favor of doing this - but it is an option).
2. Add a third service on Sunday mornings. This would require an adjustment of service times, bible study groups, and more teachers. It would also require more from those in the music ministry. I would have to preach three times on Sunday morning, and Monica is not enthusiastic about that (but I am). :)
3. Replace the pews with chairs. I believe this would create 20-30% more room to accomodate growth. Since the pews are bolted through the carpet into the cement floor, and since the carpet is original with the building (19 yrs), this would probably also mean we would need to replace the carpet. In addition, doing so would also enable us to use the worship center in other ways.
In anticipating the responses from the different demographics in the church consider this before you shoot me an email or shoot me otherwise, or call for an appoitment:
Do we love pews more than people?
Do we love carpet more than converts?
Do we love a specific starting time for worship more than souls?
Do we love buildings more than building people?
Do we love our view of ministry more than our mission?
Growing pains! What are we to do? Should we stop praying for the lost? Should we take the easy way and stop reaching out to the community? Should we be satisfied with a certain number of people being reached?
Growing pains! It hurts but it is a sign of health and growth. And for that we praise God. Only let us continue to pursue love with one another, and speaking the truth in love.
An Appeal Regarding Signing the Covenant
Isn't it troubling that a few leaders and members would disqualify themselves from serving in the youth ministry because they refuse to sign a document.
Silly, right?
Our youth pastor requires potential workers to read and sign documents before they are allowed to serve.
Something to think about.
A Word on the Bulletin to the Fussin' Few
I love you. Please stop complaining about it. Come to church with an attitude that glorifies God, and how can grumbling as you hand it out to people who are coming to worship glorify Him?
There are more important things to fuss over.
I'm not forming a bulletin committee. That's small church, little minded stuff and we're bigger than that...I think.
Growing pains!
Praying for God-called Men
I met with a man whose family is new to our church. They visited fifteen (15) different churches in our area before they joined our fellowship. They felt they were not being fed God's Word in the other churches.
It feels good and is an encouragement to us when people sense God is at work in and through our church, and it leads them to formally join us.
This particular man wrestles with the conviction that God has called him to preach. He's licensed to preach the gospel and has preached as a lay preacher in his former church, and has served as chairman of deacons. He has eagerly agreed to be trained in how to develop and deliver an expository message.
During our meeting I expressed to him that 75% of seminary graduates are no longer in the ministry after 10 years. I told him that 1400 pastors leave the ministry every month in America. He was as shocked as you probably are now. The traditional route of vocational ministry will look different in the next 10 to 20 years in our country. I see the local church as the global missionary-sending, preacher-equipping, minister-making center of God's kingdom plan.
I've been praying for God to raise up men of God's Word in our church more and more, and that He would send us men of the Word. He is doing that, and we should praise Him for it.
Growing pains!
Growing in Our Harmatology (Doctrine of Sin)
Harmatology is the study of the beginning, nature, effects, and characteristics of sin.
A common biblical Greek word for sin is transliterated hamartia. This is where we get the English word harmatology, or you may see the word spelled as harmotology or hamartiology.
There are 33 words for sin in the Bible, which reveal that God hates both the sin and the sinner.
An example of how we have drifted from the biblical doctrine of sin is how quickly you hear a quote from a Hindu's autobiography rather than the Bible when the subject of sin comes up.
Maybe you have heard it. It goes like this: "God hates the sin but loves the sinner."
This statement is based on a reference from Ghandhi's autobiography.
But is it true? Consider these words from God:
Psalm 5:5 - "You hate all who do iniquity."
Psalm 11:5 - "And the one who loves violence His soul hates."
John 3:36 - "He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
So in one sense, God does hate the sinner because the sinner sins. The angels of God are not going to cast sins into hell, but rather sinners because they sin. God does not love the devil does he? Why? Because the devil sins and those that continue in sin are of his seed. If God did not hate sin or the sinner, he would not be just, holy, and good. Yet in another sense, God "loves" sinners because He allows them to contine to breathe, enjoy a spouse and job and kids and home.
These truths form the black background to see the great facets of the diamond of the gospel much better. For we have all sinned, and do sin, and deserve rightly the just anger, wrath, and hatred of God.
But God, in His rich mercy, loved us in that while we were still sinners and made us alive in Christ. What a mystery!
So let us continue to pursue holiness together. Consider and meditate on these reasons why we should not sin. They are from a mentor from my seminary days, a pastor named Jim Elliff. Use them in your Bible studies, for conversation and personal devotions this week. Feel free to print them out and distribute them as God leads you.
1. Because a 'little' sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in my sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8. Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9. Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
Yours for Fulfilling Our Mission,
Mark
We too are experiencing growing pains as a church. Consider the following as we seek to partner together to advance His kingdom in The Colony, and around the world.
Pray for us to remember why we exist and remember how infinitely more valuable God and His glory is, and that His Word, His mission, His gospel and His Son are worth dying for and living for.
Pursuing these are painful, but all pain is not bad.
God's Word is Supreme
We do not want anyone to miss out on the life-giving, bondage-breaking,power-infusing, devil-fleeing dynamics of God's Word.
Consequently, we seek savory biblical, nutritional food for the body - meat and potatoes that are foundational to a healthy growing church.
Many churches are going dangerously light in their diet, by dishing out cotton-candy preaching that looks good, tastes good, feels good, but it has no nutritional values whatsoever. They have no biblical standards for their people and they do not expect biblical standards from their people.
And the people love it.
They love it because it does not call them to take themselves off the throne of their lives. They love it because they can have a form of godliness but reject the power and authority of God over their lives. They enjoy a church that will cater to their religious affections without a bloody cross and the King who hangs upon it. This is the functional, unspoken first order principle of many mega churches.
But we're not going that way as a church.
We seek to be a meta church, not a mega church. This path is founded and grounded in the contextual understanding of God's Word to the degree that it makes a functional difference in every area and ministry of the church.
Only God's word grows us and has the power to change our lives. To neglect His Word is to neglect God. We must continue to seek God's Word first in whatever we are discussing in the church.
Space Issue in the Second Service
The second service continues to grow. The pews are getting full. Space is becoming a problem. Praise God for growing pains!
As a faithful greeter who greets people outside the church building on Sunday mornings, Mike Reneau tells us that we have a parking problem. This too is a good sign of growing pains.
In fact, recently some people drove away because they could not find parking. This should trouble us, should it not?
Here are some options:
1. Turn the first service into a contemporary service. Since there is much more room in the first service, this move would make use of the space for the sake of accomodating more people. (Do not fret first service people, I am not in favor of doing this - but it is an option).
2. Add a third service on Sunday mornings. This would require an adjustment of service times, bible study groups, and more teachers. It would also require more from those in the music ministry. I would have to preach three times on Sunday morning, and Monica is not enthusiastic about that (but I am). :)
3. Replace the pews with chairs. I believe this would create 20-30% more room to accomodate growth. Since the pews are bolted through the carpet into the cement floor, and since the carpet is original with the building (19 yrs), this would probably also mean we would need to replace the carpet. In addition, doing so would also enable us to use the worship center in other ways.
In anticipating the responses from the different demographics in the church consider this before you shoot me an email or shoot me otherwise, or call for an appoitment:
Do we love pews more than people?
Do we love carpet more than converts?
Do we love a specific starting time for worship more than souls?
Do we love buildings more than building people?
Do we love our view of ministry more than our mission?
Growing pains! What are we to do? Should we stop praying for the lost? Should we take the easy way and stop reaching out to the community? Should we be satisfied with a certain number of people being reached?
Growing pains! It hurts but it is a sign of health and growth. And for that we praise God. Only let us continue to pursue love with one another, and speaking the truth in love.
An Appeal Regarding Signing the Covenant
Isn't it troubling that a few leaders and members would disqualify themselves from serving in the youth ministry because they refuse to sign a document.
Silly, right?
Our youth pastor requires potential workers to read and sign documents before they are allowed to serve.
Something to think about.
A Word on the Bulletin to the Fussin' Few
I love you. Please stop complaining about it. Come to church with an attitude that glorifies God, and how can grumbling as you hand it out to people who are coming to worship glorify Him?
There are more important things to fuss over.
I'm not forming a bulletin committee. That's small church, little minded stuff and we're bigger than that...I think.
Growing pains!
Praying for God-called Men
I met with a man whose family is new to our church. They visited fifteen (15) different churches in our area before they joined our fellowship. They felt they were not being fed God's Word in the other churches.
It feels good and is an encouragement to us when people sense God is at work in and through our church, and it leads them to formally join us.
This particular man wrestles with the conviction that God has called him to preach. He's licensed to preach the gospel and has preached as a lay preacher in his former church, and has served as chairman of deacons. He has eagerly agreed to be trained in how to develop and deliver an expository message.
During our meeting I expressed to him that 75% of seminary graduates are no longer in the ministry after 10 years. I told him that 1400 pastors leave the ministry every month in America. He was as shocked as you probably are now. The traditional route of vocational ministry will look different in the next 10 to 20 years in our country. I see the local church as the global missionary-sending, preacher-equipping, minister-making center of God's kingdom plan.
I've been praying for God to raise up men of God's Word in our church more and more, and that He would send us men of the Word. He is doing that, and we should praise Him for it.
Growing pains!
Growing in Our Harmatology (Doctrine of Sin)
Harmatology is the study of the beginning, nature, effects, and characteristics of sin.
A common biblical Greek word for sin is transliterated hamartia. This is where we get the English word harmatology, or you may see the word spelled as harmotology or hamartiology.
There are 33 words for sin in the Bible, which reveal that God hates both the sin and the sinner.
An example of how we have drifted from the biblical doctrine of sin is how quickly you hear a quote from a Hindu's autobiography rather than the Bible when the subject of sin comes up.
Maybe you have heard it. It goes like this: "God hates the sin but loves the sinner."
This statement is based on a reference from Ghandhi's autobiography.
But is it true? Consider these words from God:
Psalm 5:5 - "You hate all who do iniquity."
Psalm 11:5 - "And the one who loves violence His soul hates."
John 3:36 - "He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
So in one sense, God does hate the sinner because the sinner sins. The angels of God are not going to cast sins into hell, but rather sinners because they sin. God does not love the devil does he? Why? Because the devil sins and those that continue in sin are of his seed. If God did not hate sin or the sinner, he would not be just, holy, and good. Yet in another sense, God "loves" sinners because He allows them to contine to breathe, enjoy a spouse and job and kids and home.
These truths form the black background to see the great facets of the diamond of the gospel much better. For we have all sinned, and do sin, and deserve rightly the just anger, wrath, and hatred of God.
But God, in His rich mercy, loved us in that while we were still sinners and made us alive in Christ. What a mystery!
So let us continue to pursue holiness together. Consider and meditate on these reasons why we should not sin. They are from a mentor from my seminary days, a pastor named Jim Elliff. Use them in your Bible studies, for conversation and personal devotions this week. Feel free to print them out and distribute them as God leads you.
1. Because a 'little' sin leads to more sin.
2. Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
3. Because the time spent in my sin is forever wasted.
4. Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
5. Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
6. Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
7. Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
8. Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
9. Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
10. Because my sin saddens the godly.
11. Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
12. Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
13. Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
14. Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
15. Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
Yours for Fulfilling Our Mission,
Mark
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Bylaw Review Team Discussion 1.0
I am extremely proud of the work of the Bylaw Review Team. Jason Barfield, John Carleson, Jason Pope and Jennifer Cottle are doing a stellar job as to the Lord. Viewer beware: this video contains satire. Satire has been used by the O.T. prophets, the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle Paul. It attacks human vice or folly through irony, derision, or wit, and it is in this spirit and tradition that it is posted.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Exemplifying the Mission
While most of us have heard of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf because of his success in commanding the allied troops in the Persian Gulf War, most of us have never heard about what he did in Vietnam.
He was assigned a battalion that was in shambles.
The First Battalion of the Sixth Infantry was knowm as the "worst of the sixth." Schwarzkopf called the location of his assignment as "a horrible, malignant place" which was on the Batangan Peninsula.
The area had been fought over for thirty years, and was covered with mines and booby traps.
On May 28, 1970 a soldier was injured by a mine and Schwarzkopf flew to the man's location. While the helicopter was evacuating the injured soldier, another soldier stepped on a mine and severely injured his leg. He thrashed about in pain and that's when everyone realized they were all standing in the middle of a mine field.
The general believed the injured man could survive with his leg if he would only stop flailing around. He knew there was only one thing he could do.
He had to go and immobilize the man. Schwarzkopf later wrote,
"I started through the minefield, one slow step at a time, staring at the ground...my knees were shaking so hard that each time I took a step, I had to grab my leg and steady it with both hands before I could take another...it seemed like a thousand years before I reached the kid."
The 240-pound Schwarzkopf pinned the wounded man and calmed him down, saving his life.
Some may call it courage, heroism, or even stupidity. But he loved his soldier more than his own position, even more than his own life. That's servanthood.
In our marriages, families, and in portions of the church, there have been battles. There are places in our lives and relationships that are in shambles.
Personal landmines have been walked upon, bombs of bitterness have exploded in hearts, defiling many.
We need leaders who will go out and get the wounded. We need leaders who will leave their own comforts and bring healing to bleeding hearts. We need leaders who love people more than their position. We need leaders willing to serve others; who are more concerned about their testimony rather than a title.
Will you be that leader? Pray with me, that we would all be good examples of servant leadership to the flock. Let's us pray to that end!
Remember when I asked the church to stand and say our mission statement together? Wasn't that interesting? I was so proud of our youth group! If it wasn't for them, I think we would have been in real trouble!
Our mission is all about "Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
We have looked at Isaiah's terrific vision in God's unhindered presence (Is. 6). If you'll recall we saw the foundation on which our mission rests. It rests in what God uses to fulfill His mission in us and through us:
1. God fulfills His mission through suffering.
2. God fulfills His mission through His sovereignty.
3. God fulfills His mission through the forgivenss of sin.
4. God fulfills His mission through surrender.
Pray is the work. It is the fuel that empowers the church to fulfill our mission. Please pray fervently for our staff and ministry leaders as we seek God's wisdom for our church.
And praise God for those who have joined our fellowship in these last few weeks!
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
He was assigned a battalion that was in shambles.
The First Battalion of the Sixth Infantry was knowm as the "worst of the sixth." Schwarzkopf called the location of his assignment as "a horrible, malignant place" which was on the Batangan Peninsula.
The area had been fought over for thirty years, and was covered with mines and booby traps.
On May 28, 1970 a soldier was injured by a mine and Schwarzkopf flew to the man's location. While the helicopter was evacuating the injured soldier, another soldier stepped on a mine and severely injured his leg. He thrashed about in pain and that's when everyone realized they were all standing in the middle of a mine field.
The general believed the injured man could survive with his leg if he would only stop flailing around. He knew there was only one thing he could do.
He had to go and immobilize the man. Schwarzkopf later wrote,
"I started through the minefield, one slow step at a time, staring at the ground...my knees were shaking so hard that each time I took a step, I had to grab my leg and steady it with both hands before I could take another...it seemed like a thousand years before I reached the kid."
The 240-pound Schwarzkopf pinned the wounded man and calmed him down, saving his life.
Some may call it courage, heroism, or even stupidity. But he loved his soldier more than his own position, even more than his own life. That's servanthood.
In our marriages, families, and in portions of the church, there have been battles. There are places in our lives and relationships that are in shambles.
Personal landmines have been walked upon, bombs of bitterness have exploded in hearts, defiling many.
We need leaders who will go out and get the wounded. We need leaders who will leave their own comforts and bring healing to bleeding hearts. We need leaders who love people more than their position. We need leaders willing to serve others; who are more concerned about their testimony rather than a title.
Will you be that leader? Pray with me, that we would all be good examples of servant leadership to the flock. Let's us pray to that end!
Remember when I asked the church to stand and say our mission statement together? Wasn't that interesting? I was so proud of our youth group! If it wasn't for them, I think we would have been in real trouble!
Our mission is all about "Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
We have looked at Isaiah's terrific vision in God's unhindered presence (Is. 6). If you'll recall we saw the foundation on which our mission rests. It rests in what God uses to fulfill His mission in us and through us:
1. God fulfills His mission through suffering.
2. God fulfills His mission through His sovereignty.
3. God fulfills His mission through the forgivenss of sin.
4. God fulfills His mission through surrender.
Pray is the work. It is the fuel that empowers the church to fulfill our mission. Please pray fervently for our staff and ministry leaders as we seek God's wisdom for our church.
And praise God for those who have joined our fellowship in these last few weeks!
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
Providence and Mission
"Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
That's our mission. Building believers includes preparing them for the day of calamity. For the day when they get the test results and it is serious; when they get word their children have been in a car wreck; when the spouse leaves; or the teenager is hooked on drugs. Building believers means preparing them to handle victories, job promotions, and abundance so that they will not forget God.
We have looked at four commitments in order to fuflill our mission from Acts 2:42-47:
1. Commitment to the authority of God's Word.
2. Commitment to the intimacy of fellowship.
3. Commitment to the memory of Jesus' death.
4. Commitment to the intensity of prayer.
But what do we do when it does not look like our mission is being fulfilled? Or what is our guarantee that we will be successful in fulfilling our mission as a church? How do we respond to suffering, heartache, loss, and pain while seeking to accomplish God's mission for our lives?
I like what one preacher has said, "God's calling the shots. He's running the show. Either he's in full control or he's off his throne."
A.W. Tozer once said, "The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt."
A Jewish proverb states, "If God doesn't approve, a fly doesn't move."
These quotes are but an echo to what is revealed in Scripture regarding the awesome majesty of God over His creation. God's sovereignty is the foundation for our guarantee that He will accomplish His mission in us and through us. This coming Sunday morning we will look at how.
However for today I want to remind you of God's great providence over every area of our lives to bring comfort and confidence to you: to prepare you for storms, and to equip you to help others through them.
When we study the Bible we often come upon passages that do not seem to make sense. Some passages often go against what we initially think about God or what we feel.
For instance, "love your enemies." That does not come natural for me; how about you? This command is not a real "pick me up" to start a Monday morning for most people. However, when I meditate on it and think about how I was once an enemy of Christ, a rebel under His judgment, and rightly so, and that He conquered me with His love and mercy, the verse takes on a whole new dynamic.
There are many things in creation that we think of as merely "natural" occurrences. Yet Scripture says that God causes them to happen.
1. So-called "natural occurrences."
a. God causes fire, hail, snow, ice, frost, stormy wind, lightning,
seas, clouds (Ps. 148:8). Cf. Job 38:22-30; Ps. 135:6, 7; 104:4.
b. God directs the grass to grow - Ps. 104:14
c. God directs stars in the heavens - Job. 38:32.
d. God directs the coming of the morning - Job. 38:12; Matt. 5:45.
2. Animals. God feeds the wild animals of the field (Ps. 104:27-29; cf. Job 38:39-41). Jesus also affirmed this (Matt. 6:26; Matt. 10:29).
3. Seemingly "random" or "chance" events. From a human perspective, the casting of lots (or its modern equivalent of dice or flipping a coin) is the most typical of random events that occur in the universe. But Scripture affirms that the outcome of such an event is from God: "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33)."[i]
4. Events fully caused by God and fully caused by the creature. A botanist can explain why grass grows, a meteorologist can detail the factors that cause rain, and a physicist can inform us on the force and reasons why the pair of dice resulted - but Scripture tells us God brings all of these about. In this way, it is possible to affirm that in one sense events are fully (100 %) caused by God and fully (100%) caused by the creature as well.
The divine cause works invisibly, behind the scenes, and could be called the "primary" cause that initiates everything that happens. But the created thing brings about actions in ways consistent with the creature's own properties and can be seen as "secondary" causes.
5. The affairs of nations. Scripture speaks also of God's providential control of human affairs.
a. God both prospers and destroys nations. "He makes the nations great,
then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away" (Job
12:23). "For the kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations"
(Ps 22:28).
b. God has determined the time of existence and the place of every
nation on the earth. "And He made from one man every nation of mankind
to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed
times and the boundaries of their habitation" (Acts 17:26; cf. 14:16).
When Nebuchadnezzar repented he praised God, "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' (Dan. 4:34, 35).
c. God influences rulers in their decisions. Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22; Ezra
1:1.
6. All aspect of our lives.
a. God gives us food (Matt. 6:11; Phil. 4:19).
b. God plans our days before we are born. Ps. 139:16; Job 14:5; Gal. 1:15
Jer. 1:5
c. All our actions are under God's providential care. Acts 17:28;
d. The individual steps we take are directed by the Lord. Jer. 10:23;
Prov. 20:24; Prov. 16:9; Prov. 16:1
e. Our successes and failures. Ps. 75:6, 7; Lk. 1:52
f. Children are from God. Ps. 127:3
g. All of our talent and abilities are from the Lord. 1 Cor. 4:7; Ps.
18:34
h. God influences all of our decisions. When we realize that the "heart"
in Scripture is the location of our inmost thoughts and desires the
following Scriptures are significant: Ps. 33:14 From His dwelling place
He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, Ps 33:15 He who
fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.
i. God especially guides the desires and inclinations of believers
working in us "both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil.
2:13).
CAUTION: These Scriptures should not lead us to deny the reality of our choices and actions. God causes all things that happen, but he does so in such a way that he somehow upholds our ability to make willing, responsible choices, choices that have real and eternal results, and for which we are held accountable.
Exactly how God combines his providential control with our willing and significant choices, Scripture does not explain to us. But rather than deny one aspect or the other (simply because we cannot explain how both can be true) we should accept both in an attempt to be faithful to the teaching of all Scripture.
If you have not filled out a Top Ten Most Wanted prayer sheet, please do so this Sunday. We will have upcoming opportunities to pray for the lost without Jesus. We must also prepare ourselves should God move in a mighty way. Many are praying for this to happen, so please pray for the staff that we might equip our people to be ready to receive those who come through salvation or rededications. We must think out of the box in order to accomodate more people.
Thank you for praying for our house to sell. I'm happy to announce that we have a buyer and plan to close on June 15th. God is so gracious!
Again, I feel so honored to be your Lead Pastor!
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
That's our mission. Building believers includes preparing them for the day of calamity. For the day when they get the test results and it is serious; when they get word their children have been in a car wreck; when the spouse leaves; or the teenager is hooked on drugs. Building believers means preparing them to handle victories, job promotions, and abundance so that they will not forget God.
We have looked at four commitments in order to fuflill our mission from Acts 2:42-47:
1. Commitment to the authority of God's Word.
2. Commitment to the intimacy of fellowship.
3. Commitment to the memory of Jesus' death.
4. Commitment to the intensity of prayer.
But what do we do when it does not look like our mission is being fulfilled? Or what is our guarantee that we will be successful in fulfilling our mission as a church? How do we respond to suffering, heartache, loss, and pain while seeking to accomplish God's mission for our lives?
I like what one preacher has said, "God's calling the shots. He's running the show. Either he's in full control or he's off his throne."
A.W. Tozer once said, "The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt."
A Jewish proverb states, "If God doesn't approve, a fly doesn't move."
These quotes are but an echo to what is revealed in Scripture regarding the awesome majesty of God over His creation. God's sovereignty is the foundation for our guarantee that He will accomplish His mission in us and through us. This coming Sunday morning we will look at how.
However for today I want to remind you of God's great providence over every area of our lives to bring comfort and confidence to you: to prepare you for storms, and to equip you to help others through them.
When we study the Bible we often come upon passages that do not seem to make sense. Some passages often go against what we initially think about God or what we feel.
For instance, "love your enemies." That does not come natural for me; how about you? This command is not a real "pick me up" to start a Monday morning for most people. However, when I meditate on it and think about how I was once an enemy of Christ, a rebel under His judgment, and rightly so, and that He conquered me with His love and mercy, the verse takes on a whole new dynamic.
There are many things in creation that we think of as merely "natural" occurrences. Yet Scripture says that God causes them to happen.
1. So-called "natural occurrences."
a. God causes fire, hail, snow, ice, frost, stormy wind, lightning,
seas, clouds (Ps. 148:8). Cf. Job 38:22-30; Ps. 135:6, 7; 104:4.
b. God directs the grass to grow - Ps. 104:14
c. God directs stars in the heavens - Job. 38:32.
d. God directs the coming of the morning - Job. 38:12; Matt. 5:45.
2. Animals. God feeds the wild animals of the field (Ps. 104:27-29; cf. Job 38:39-41). Jesus also affirmed this (Matt. 6:26; Matt. 10:29).
3. Seemingly "random" or "chance" events. From a human perspective, the casting of lots (or its modern equivalent of dice or flipping a coin) is the most typical of random events that occur in the universe. But Scripture affirms that the outcome of such an event is from God: "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33)."[i]
4. Events fully caused by God and fully caused by the creature. A botanist can explain why grass grows, a meteorologist can detail the factors that cause rain, and a physicist can inform us on the force and reasons why the pair of dice resulted - but Scripture tells us God brings all of these about. In this way, it is possible to affirm that in one sense events are fully (100 %) caused by God and fully (100%) caused by the creature as well.
The divine cause works invisibly, behind the scenes, and could be called the "primary" cause that initiates everything that happens. But the created thing brings about actions in ways consistent with the creature's own properties and can be seen as "secondary" causes.
5. The affairs of nations. Scripture speaks also of God's providential control of human affairs.
a. God both prospers and destroys nations. "He makes the nations great,
then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away" (Job
12:23). "For the kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations"
(Ps 22:28).
b. God has determined the time of existence and the place of every
nation on the earth. "And He made from one man every nation of mankind
to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed
times and the boundaries of their habitation" (Acts 17:26; cf. 14:16).
When Nebuchadnezzar repented he praised God, "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' (Dan. 4:34, 35).
c. God influences rulers in their decisions. Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22; Ezra
1:1.
6. All aspect of our lives.
a. God gives us food (Matt. 6:11; Phil. 4:19).
b. God plans our days before we are born. Ps. 139:16; Job 14:5; Gal. 1:15
Jer. 1:5
c. All our actions are under God's providential care. Acts 17:28;
d. The individual steps we take are directed by the Lord. Jer. 10:23;
Prov. 20:24; Prov. 16:9; Prov. 16:1
e. Our successes and failures. Ps. 75:6, 7; Lk. 1:52
f. Children are from God. Ps. 127:3
g. All of our talent and abilities are from the Lord. 1 Cor. 4:7; Ps.
18:34
h. God influences all of our decisions. When we realize that the "heart"
in Scripture is the location of our inmost thoughts and desires the
following Scriptures are significant: Ps. 33:14 From His dwelling place
He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, Ps 33:15 He who
fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.
i. God especially guides the desires and inclinations of believers
working in us "both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil.
2:13).
CAUTION: These Scriptures should not lead us to deny the reality of our choices and actions. God causes all things that happen, but he does so in such a way that he somehow upholds our ability to make willing, responsible choices, choices that have real and eternal results, and for which we are held accountable.
Exactly how God combines his providential control with our willing and significant choices, Scripture does not explain to us. But rather than deny one aspect or the other (simply because we cannot explain how both can be true) we should accept both in an attempt to be faithful to the teaching of all Scripture.
If you have not filled out a Top Ten Most Wanted prayer sheet, please do so this Sunday. We will have upcoming opportunities to pray for the lost without Jesus. We must also prepare ourselves should God move in a mighty way. Many are praying for this to happen, so please pray for the staff that we might equip our people to be ready to receive those who come through salvation or rededications. We must think out of the box in order to accomodate more people.
Thank you for praying for our house to sell. I'm happy to announce that we have a buyer and plan to close on June 15th. God is so gracious!
Again, I feel so honored to be your Lead Pastor!
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
Are We Ready To Launch?
As the shuttle rests on the pad fully fueled, it weighs about 4.5 million pounds. The orbiter has three main engines located in the back fuselage, which is the body of the spacecraft. Each engine is 14 feet long, 7.5 feet in diameter at its widest point, and weighs about 6,700 pounds.
The cost of each space shuttle mission is an astounding 450 million dollars.
In order to remain in orbit a shuttle must reach speeds of about 17,500 mph.
However, did you know that the space shuttle Discovery was once grounded. Do you know why? Not because of a multi-million dollar technical difficulty. It was not because of a lack of government funding. The space shuttle Discovery was grounded because of wood peckers.
Evidently, yellow-shafted flicker woodpeckers found the insulating foam in the shuttle's external fuel tank irresistible for pecking. Of course, the foam is critical to the shuttle's performance.
In a similar way, sometimes churches are grounded by God, and not able to launch out in their mission because they are rife with backbiting, gossip, and slander. The same is true in our marriages, families, friends, and business.
Unity is essential for the church's performance of her mission.
I was so blessed last Sunday morning when three of our young ladies in the youth group came up to me and said our mission statement together in unison. They were so proud that they memorized it:
"Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
Let's ask the Lord to search our hearts; ask Him to reveal whether our mouths have been building our fellow believers in Christ up, or tearing them down through pecking and picking on one another. Confession is the key to cleansing.
God looks at the heart. Remember when the Lord told the prophet Samuel to go see Jesse in order to anoint one of his sons to be the next king of Israel? Samuel look at Eliab and thought he was the one. But notice the Lord's response, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7).
I've asked myself this question and have been meditating on it this past week:
"When the Lord looks on my heart, what does He see?"
We must see the people as He did, and be moved in compassion for them as He did, and have His perspetive of the harvest: it is plentiful, but the workers are few. Secondly, we saw that we must pray for the harvest.
I think our attendance and participation on Wednesday night prayer meetings can improve. In fact, it already has to God's glory! When I first came, there were four members, now we have to move to another room.
I don't want to make Wednesday night prayer meeting the sole metric to gauge the church's prayer life. However, if at all possible, please do your best to make it. And if your schedule will not allow it; please set aside a time and place to pray for a harvest through our church. For the glory of God.
We will have upcoming opportunities to pray for people who are lost without Jesus. We must prepare ourselves should God move in a mighty way. Many are praying for this to happen, so please pray for the staff that we might equip our people to be ready to receive those who come through salvation or rededications. We must think out of the box in order to accomodate more people.
Again, I feel so honored to be your Lead Pastor! Please remember my family during this transition, and pray that our house would sell soon.
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
The cost of each space shuttle mission is an astounding 450 million dollars.
In order to remain in orbit a shuttle must reach speeds of about 17,500 mph.
However, did you know that the space shuttle Discovery was once grounded. Do you know why? Not because of a multi-million dollar technical difficulty. It was not because of a lack of government funding. The space shuttle Discovery was grounded because of wood peckers.
Evidently, yellow-shafted flicker woodpeckers found the insulating foam in the shuttle's external fuel tank irresistible for pecking. Of course, the foam is critical to the shuttle's performance.
In a similar way, sometimes churches are grounded by God, and not able to launch out in their mission because they are rife with backbiting, gossip, and slander. The same is true in our marriages, families, friends, and business.
Unity is essential for the church's performance of her mission.
I was so blessed last Sunday morning when three of our young ladies in the youth group came up to me and said our mission statement together in unison. They were so proud that they memorized it:
"Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
Let's ask the Lord to search our hearts; ask Him to reveal whether our mouths have been building our fellow believers in Christ up, or tearing them down through pecking and picking on one another. Confession is the key to cleansing.
God looks at the heart. Remember when the Lord told the prophet Samuel to go see Jesse in order to anoint one of his sons to be the next king of Israel? Samuel look at Eliab and thought he was the one. But notice the Lord's response, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7).
I've asked myself this question and have been meditating on it this past week:
"When the Lord looks on my heart, what does He see?"
We must see the people as He did, and be moved in compassion for them as He did, and have His perspetive of the harvest: it is plentiful, but the workers are few. Secondly, we saw that we must pray for the harvest.
I think our attendance and participation on Wednesday night prayer meetings can improve. In fact, it already has to God's glory! When I first came, there were four members, now we have to move to another room.
I don't want to make Wednesday night prayer meeting the sole metric to gauge the church's prayer life. However, if at all possible, please do your best to make it. And if your schedule will not allow it; please set aside a time and place to pray for a harvest through our church. For the glory of God.
We will have upcoming opportunities to pray for people who are lost without Jesus. We must prepare ourselves should God move in a mighty way. Many are praying for this to happen, so please pray for the staff that we might equip our people to be ready to receive those who come through salvation or rededications. We must think out of the box in order to accomodate more people.
Again, I feel so honored to be your Lead Pastor! Please remember my family during this transition, and pray that our house would sell soon.
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
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