Foothills Baptist Church is in full swing. Even though our launch date has not arrived our schedule is beginning to flourish and ministry is already taking place. Currently in my life, schedule balancing has become a challenge. My wife could go into labor any day, Isaac is growing up quickly, I work full time, and I am planting a church as the founding pastor. The challenge is to make sure my priorities are in the correct order.
Many of us struggle with busy schedules. We go and go and go until the day is over and we have had no family time or time alone with God. The problem is when this becomes the consistent pattern to our lives and begins to define who we are. I believe that Satan exists and that he seeks to destroy families. There are so many tactics and strategies implemented by the evil one to derail God’s ideal for the family. One tactic I believe is busy schedules. Rachel and I recently had a discussion about this very topic. The realization that we discovered was that often we are so busy during the day and that when the time comes to actually sit down we too often turn on the television. Family time should not revolve around the TV.
Now we are guarding our time together as a family. This means making certain that my family stays ahead of my career. This is a challenge in and of itself because we are so career driven in America. We want to advance our careers, be entertained, and have all the stuff that comes along with that. The pursuit of God (holiness) has been replaced with the pursuit of things. I believe all that begins with the breakdown of the family structure.
As I have been going down the path of being a church planter (which I never thought I would ever do), I have increasingly become aware of a few things concerning today’s world. It can never be assumed that the person you are talking to knows of God’s love. It’s more likely that they do not. Gone are the days when people are secretive about sin. Have you been to a restaurant lately? Have you noticed the unabashed drinking and carousing around children? I went to a new restaurant in town the other day and was confronted with this reality up close.
We do not live in a world that has a biblical worldview. Gone are the days when Creationism is accepted as truth. I’m sure somewhere there has been a study or poll that shows that a good percentage of church goers believe in evolution and try to reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the teachings of Darwin. To me these factors are unacceptable.
How does the church respond to this culture? Unfortunately many churches close themselves to the outside world while there are those who are suffering and need the healing power of Jesus in their lives. My concern is for the lost. My concern is for those who are on a never ending and relentless pursuit of happiness by trying to fulfill their desires through everything the world has to offer. Church we have the answer and solution in life and His name is Jesus.
My passion is to serve God by serving others. When we serve others we make an impression in their mind. I have come to realize and understand that most people just don’t want you to tell the Gospel; they want to see you live it. Churches make a greater impact upon society when they model Jesus to the community, not only to themselves. These are things that are dominating our staff discussions at Foothills Baptist Church. We are planning and praying to reach lives for Jesus by reaching outside of the church walls and into the community.
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2 comments:
Pastor;
This is a wonderful country where everyone is permitted to believe what they wish.
When it comes to viewing the world through the blinders of fundamental religious dogma, we cheat our children and ourselves of the true wonders of God's hand.
To say the world is only 6,000 years old or that the beautiful allegories of the bible are literally true, will most certainly drive our children from the loving ministry of the church.
As a retired Baptist minister I am deeply saddened when I see the church of my faith being shattered by the studied, deliberate ignorance of the present church leadership.
It's more that faith, it's the hope that we have the strength and courage to pull ourselves out of this fundamentalist doom spiral.
I will pray that you will take the time, read and study, perhaps take some advanced college classes and see to understand the world as it really is, in all its wonderous glory.
Thank you for your response. As much as I appreciate your honesty, I cannot accept your line of thinking. I have a master's degree and have done extensive research on creationism and evolution. As I have read and studied the issue, my faith in the Bible's literal (yes literal) truthfulness has been confirmed. Even during a period of my life when I wasn't as certain.
The main issue here is the truthfulness of Scripture. When I teach my son to pray I am not doing him a disservice. In the future when I talk to him about God's forgiveness and salvation I am doing him no harm. When I discuss theology in depth with him; I am helping him to see who God the Father is.
To say that the story of creation is an allegory is a complete misinterpretation of Scripture. It is terrible hermeneutics. My parents taught me that the Bible is true and I have not abandoned the church.
The Bible is completely true, every word of it. As ministers and pastors we should not cower to political correctness when something logically does not make sense to us. There are some things in Scripture that are not meant to be completely understood by men. It takes faith. It breaks my heart to hear of pastors who allow academia to shatter their faith.
But from a scientific standpoint, where is the evidence that Creationism did not happen? Indeed...it doesn't exist. Even this week there is a report from Harvard or Yale that infants have a sense of moral being within them. Evolution cannot explain that, but as a Christian I immediately point toward the imago dei.
I do have a biblical worldview and I believe that it can easily be defended. As ministers we must stand against issues that contradict the Gospel. But more importantly we must be faithful to the teaching and preaching of the Gospel. I will pray for you but I must lovingly tell you that your hermeneutical viewpoint is heresy and wrong.
But then again it appears that everyone in this country is allowed to believe as they wish, except for Conservative Christians.
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