As I was flipping through the channels recently, I saw a documentary title: If we had no moon. It made me think of an early Star Trek episode.
Captain Kirk and crew land on a planet that appears to be an exact copy of earth – but it’s history has stalled out during the time of the Roman gladiators. Mixed into the oppression that has developed is a starship captain gone bad, but the basic story line revolves around the strength and goodness of a small group of rebels. The crew finds it strange that these rebels are locked into the ancient worship of the sun. Nevertheless, they continue on despite the oppression and martyrdom that await them when they are caught by the authorities. The Enterprise crew helps to remove the intrusion by the starship captain – after all, he had disobeyed the Prime Directive – and the planet’s progress begins to change. As the Enterprise heads away, the communications specialist reveals to the crew that they’ve been wrong. Listening to broadcasts from the rebels, she has discovered that they do not worship the “sun”. They worship the “Son”.
What would this world be like “if we had no Son”. Aren’t you glad that we don’t even need to speculate on this question? In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal. 4:4) We are well into the celebration of that fullness of time. Yet, it does provoke the thought about all those people in the world who have not heard of the Son….
Monday, December 04, 2006
Don't Rest on your laurels
Last night the current World Champions of professional basketball received their rings proclaiming them champions. They then turned around and were beaten on the court by 42 points – the largest margin that a champion has ever lost by in their first game of the next year.
There is a term that comes into play here: don’t rest on your laurels. The Greeks awarded wreaths of laurel leaves to the winners of the Pythian Games. Resting on your laurels implies that you’ve reached the pinnacle of success and that you’ll take the laurel leaves and make a comfortable resting place and will not longer strive for your former excellence.
Sometimes you meet Christians who have begun to rest on their laurels. They can tell you about the things they used to do for the Lord. They can describe the joy of a church where they once belonged. They talk with love for pastors and staff members that once had an impact in their lives. The problem? They are no longer active in church. They no longer have real joy in their lives. And, they try to justify their inactivity by saying that their day has passed and that now it is time for others to serve.
In the NBA there is always a new year and a new challenge. In the Christian life, there is always the opportunity to be used by the Lord – while we have life and while we have breath. Hey! Don’t rest on your laurels.
There is a term that comes into play here: don’t rest on your laurels. The Greeks awarded wreaths of laurel leaves to the winners of the Pythian Games. Resting on your laurels implies that you’ve reached the pinnacle of success and that you’ll take the laurel leaves and make a comfortable resting place and will not longer strive for your former excellence.
Sometimes you meet Christians who have begun to rest on their laurels. They can tell you about the things they used to do for the Lord. They can describe the joy of a church where they once belonged. They talk with love for pastors and staff members that once had an impact in their lives. The problem? They are no longer active in church. They no longer have real joy in their lives. And, they try to justify their inactivity by saying that their day has passed and that now it is time for others to serve.
In the NBA there is always a new year and a new challenge. In the Christian life, there is always the opportunity to be used by the Lord – while we have life and while we have breath. Hey! Don’t rest on your laurels.
On Having Too Much
There is such a thing having too much. When you have too much, it is hard to put a true value on the things that you have.
A great illustration of this is the loss of interest in the World Series. Once, sports were played with as great a frequency as they are today – but our access to them was limited. You might get a staticky radio broadcast of something – and, if you could get it, you would sit and struggle through the static just for the pleasure of knowing what was happening. Once, World Series games happened in the afternoon – not late at night. School would go on, but kids would have radios with those cheap white earpieces trying to grab a little of the game – between classes (and during them, too). If you had a coach for a teacher and the game was on the TV, you might get to see the game instead of whatever you were supposed to study that day. And, I remember a game 7 when the principal became “cool” because you could skip class and go watch the game in the study hall. These days we have too much access to sports to even pay much attention to the Series.
The same is true about things religious. Some people have convinced themselves that access to religious broadcasting is the same as worship! From the very beginning, worship has been a group thing for believers in Jesus Christ. We are the ekklessia, the called-out ones. We have been called into a community of believers and experience the Lord in community. That is why the Lord indicates a special sense of his presence where two or three are gathered together. Use the media, by all means; use the media to add to your commitment and understanding; but, never forget that a major signal of Christian maturity is commitment to the assembly of believers.
A great illustration of this is the loss of interest in the World Series. Once, sports were played with as great a frequency as they are today – but our access to them was limited. You might get a staticky radio broadcast of something – and, if you could get it, you would sit and struggle through the static just for the pleasure of knowing what was happening. Once, World Series games happened in the afternoon – not late at night. School would go on, but kids would have radios with those cheap white earpieces trying to grab a little of the game – between classes (and during them, too). If you had a coach for a teacher and the game was on the TV, you might get to see the game instead of whatever you were supposed to study that day. And, I remember a game 7 when the principal became “cool” because you could skip class and go watch the game in the study hall. These days we have too much access to sports to even pay much attention to the Series.
The same is true about things religious. Some people have convinced themselves that access to religious broadcasting is the same as worship! From the very beginning, worship has been a group thing for believers in Jesus Christ. We are the ekklessia, the called-out ones. We have been called into a community of believers and experience the Lord in community. That is why the Lord indicates a special sense of his presence where two or three are gathered together. Use the media, by all means; use the media to add to your commitment and understanding; but, never forget that a major signal of Christian maturity is commitment to the assembly of believers.
On Baptist Association
The 135th annual meeting of the Suwannee Missionary Baptist Association ended last night. Our church was represented well by leadership who attended as messengers from our church with voting rights in the meeting and by a large number of choir members who sang Monday night in a mass associational choir. I am grateful for their participation because people are watching us. Among the 38 voting churches and 1 new church under watchcare, we consistently rank among the top five churches. This puts us into an important middle ground for two reasons.
First, the larger churches know that we are a church that ranks with them – and God can use us to challenge them to do more. An example of this is in the area of baptisms. Last year we led the association with 20 baptisms; this year we were second with 25 baptisms. (Praise the Lord for the 43 baptisms that First, Branford saw last year.) My prayer is that we would take the presentation of the gospel message seriously and that we would consistently lead in this area.
Second, we still know what it is to be “small church”. For 90 years, we were one of them. God creates different churches in different sizes for different people to come to knowledge of Him. There is greatness in small church! This greatness comes from the fact that Christ died for those churches and that their role is absolutely unique in the kingdom. Sometimes bigger churches forget this and act as if the smaller churches are smaller in vision and importance.
We are thankful to be part of Suwannee Association; grateful that we have visionary leadership through Bro. Fritz (or as he is lovingly known here at Wellborn, Rev. Dr. Fountain); and excited about what God is going to do, not only at Wellborn, but among our sister churches.
First, the larger churches know that we are a church that ranks with them – and God can use us to challenge them to do more. An example of this is in the area of baptisms. Last year we led the association with 20 baptisms; this year we were second with 25 baptisms. (Praise the Lord for the 43 baptisms that First, Branford saw last year.) My prayer is that we would take the presentation of the gospel message seriously and that we would consistently lead in this area.
Second, we still know what it is to be “small church”. For 90 years, we were one of them. God creates different churches in different sizes for different people to come to knowledge of Him. There is greatness in small church! This greatness comes from the fact that Christ died for those churches and that their role is absolutely unique in the kingdom. Sometimes bigger churches forget this and act as if the smaller churches are smaller in vision and importance.
We are thankful to be part of Suwannee Association; grateful that we have visionary leadership through Bro. Fritz (or as he is lovingly known here at Wellborn, Rev. Dr. Fountain); and excited about what God is going to do, not only at Wellborn, but among our sister churches.
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