The Stand

"Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Acts 7:56

Stephen's defense, before The Sandhedrin, is one of the most amazing displays of Spirit-filled courage found in the Bible. It is, also, the greatest summary or overview of the Old Testament story that has ever been made. It is a great outline for a complete and accurate introduction to The Old Testament. It provides the perspective, purpose and backdrop for the story of redemption. As they say, "It is a must read."

Still, the most intriguing verses, from my own personal point of view are found in v.55-60. Stephen's dramatic stand, in defense of His Savior, is surpassed only, by The Stand that Jesus took, on his behalf, in the middle of his crisis. ( v. 56)

As Stephen wrapped up his message to The Sanhedrin, he was not drenched in the sweat of man who had just vented his spleen, taking one last shot at his enemies. The Book of Acts describes him as...

"Being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,..." v. 55

"Being full of the Holy Spirit" means that Stephen was not full of himself, but he was full of Jesus. His message was not a diatribe against his enemies. It was a glorification of his Savior. It is no secret that most preachers are better known for what they are against, than Who they are for, but Stephen cannot be counted among them.

When Stephen was confronted with the greatest crisis of his life, he was ready. That is the way a crisis works. A crisis does not develop character. It moves too quickly to do that. Crisis can only reveal the lack of, or the possession of character. Big crisis, weak character, big problem. Big crisis, great character, problem solved.

Great men have always known that genuine character is produced, when no one is looking. An image is a fantasy that is presented when everyone is looking. Take a wild guess which one our contemporary culture values the most. It has not always been this way.

In various fashions, forms and versions, the following quote has been attributed to a President who faced one of the greatest crises of our nation, and led it to ultimate victory, through The Civil War. Perhaps he said it. If not, the truth is still in it.

"I will prepare myself, and when my time comes, I will be ready." Abraham Lincoln

Certainly, Stephen was ready. His preparation? The seminary of The Spirit. He was so full of The Spirit, all he could see was Jesus, and all he could talk about was Jesus. He wasn't captured by his experience with The Spirit at Pentecost, but he was captured by the love of God, he found through Jesus.

I have dear friends all across the wide spectrum of evangelical Christianity. They may not share a great deal in common on the expression of the local church, or on every piece of doctrine on the Holy Spirit.

They do agree on this. Any doctrinal position that elevates the work of The Holy Spirit, but make less of Jesus is not to be tolerated. Any experience or education that a person claims to have had must be judged, by how their private and public lives elevate Jesus. What does that look like? Look at Stephen.

The Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross, and The Risen Christ walked on earth for 40 days among His disciples, preparing them to receive The Promise of His Spirit. Ten days before The Promise was delivered in The Upper Room, The Risen Christ became The Glorified Christ. Until His return, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of The Father, and He lives to make intercession for us.

"He was received up into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." Mark 16:10

"He always lives to make intercession..." Hebrews 7:25

Note to self: Where ever you find Jesus, you find Him praying for others. Go thou and do like-wise.

Now, I could be wrong, and I may be making too much of what I read in the Book of Acts, but I must never be found guilty of making too little of it. One of the most profound insights I receive from the martyr's testimony is Stephen's perspective on Jesus. He said,

"I see... the Son of Man standing, at the right hand of God."

When it mattered most, God allowed Stephen to catch a glimpse of Heaven, but more than that, to see Jesus stand in his honor. Stephen is the first Christian martyr, and this is the only time Scripture records Jesus standing, NOT SEATED, at the right hand of God.

I can only speculate, but I am not entering into a flight of fantasy to believe, this is not a coincidence or a typo. It mattered to Stephen to know that Someone was standing with him, and he was not alone, in the middle of his crisis. Jesus knew this scene very well. He had lived it out, and now Jesus responded to it. When one of His friends, and family members was being attacked, in another kangaroo court, He took The Stand, and kept praying.

Jesus had said to His disciples, "No longer do I call you slaves...I have called you friends." (John 15:15) Scripture teaches that a friend loves at all times. This was a time in the life of Stephen, when he stood up and spoke up for the name of His Savior. It is not too big of a stretch to believe, He saw Jesus stand up for him.

We can disagree on this and still be friends, but I am comforted to know that when I am in the middle of a crisis, I am not alone. I know this much. Jesus took The Stand with Stephen, and He continues to intercede for me. For me to do less for others, is to be less of Who Jesus was to his friends.

Ron Dunn, friend and mentor, who is now in Heaven, wrote a book, "Don't Just Stand There. Pray Something!" Thanks Ron! I believe I will...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Seven

"Select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task." Acts 6:3

The early church and the contemporary church have at least one thing in common, The Complaint Committee. Their mission statement and life verse:

"A complaint arose." Acts 6:1

After 30 years as a pastor of a local church, and over 40 years in Christian ministry, I believe I can see a pattern. Usually, when a complaint arises, a whiner posing as a leader, will come up with this statement. "I have had two people come to me." They just lied. They don't really have two people who have come to them, with a complaint. It just means that you have not met their expectations, and they are framing the debate, by trying to frame you. Don't fall for it. Ask for names? Invite them to go with you to set the record straight with those "Two People." Expect amnesia to hit them. This only happens...EVERY TIME.

Many churches are not able to identify, with the Spirit-filled expressions, of The Body of Christ found in chapters 1-5 of The Book of Acts. Sadly, they can surely identify with what they find in chapter six. Sad, but true.

Rapid growth of the early church brought about a clash of cultures, loss of existing support systems, expulsion from families, financial crises and an influx of new people. All of these separate streams, coming together, created a patch of white water that threatened to sink the boat of the early preachers. They needed help, and they sought God for it.

"While the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose." Acts 6. 1

Never trust church growth to solve all your problems. It creates more than it solves. It is a lot like marriage. It only takes one person added to your life, to reveal how selfish you really are. It only takes one. The early church had added thousands, virtually overnight. Get the picture?

At the risk of repeating myself, I feel compelled to inject what my early mentors told me, as I prepared to lead a congregation of Southern Baptists. "Where ever you find three Baptists, you will get five opinions." They weren't wrong. Good to know.

Experience has taught me this much. When "my way", "his way", and "her way", meet to find "our way", they seldom see it God's way, until they pray to "The Way." The more they talk, and the less they pray, the rougher the water and the leakier the boat. My advice? TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

When the first complaints hit The Twelve, they "summoned the congregation and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.' " v. 2

If this sounds like a form of elitism, or an unwillingness to do their part, or contribute their "fair share", let me refer you back to the regular beat downs the early preachers took for their passion for the Word of God. They may not have had dish-pan hands, but they had scars on their backs. Big difference.

Managing a crisis or meeting a pressing need of the church, is not the same thing as penetrating the darkness outside the church. The Twelve, knew instinctively, when they started focusing all of their attention, to the needs of those already in the church, the people who needed to hear The Word of God, outside the church, would be neglected.

Their solution? "Select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and of wisdom..." v. 3

The Seven were men, not chosen to serve in an official position or church office, but as more of a crisis management team. The Twelve needed men who could be trusted to supervise the distribution of food, to those in need, and to see that it was done fairly, and without prejudice.

The Seven were not chosen as deacons, but traditionally, they have become the model or prototype for those who would later be chosen to serve in that capacity. The standards for their selection were simple, and yet profound.

1. Men of good reputation: to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration. This is the same word for a martyr.

2. Full of The Spirit: souls filled up, as opposed to empty, thoroughly permeated with, complete, lacking nothing in the content of their character of The Spirit of Christ.

3. Full of wisdom: broad and full of intelligence, a knowledge of very diverse matters that can be used to guide and counsel others based the mind of God.

To serve in time of need, in a local church, anything less will never be enough, and anything more will never be needed. These standards set the bar, and should never be lowered.

Notice the subtle emphasis made by The Twelve. They are not abdicating leadership to an ad hoc committee, or a self-perpetuating board of advisers. The Twelve are responsible for what happens to the church, and though The Seven are selected by the congregation, they answer to the leaders of it, not the followers in it. Read it carefully.

"We may put in charge of this task." v. 3b

If The Seven brought them relief, The Twelve would be freed up to "devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." v. 4

Recently, I had a rogue Chairman of Deacons bust up a prayer meeting I was having, with his pastor. When he burst through the door, of the pastor's study, he claimed to be carrying a complaint, as an elected representative, from the people. He was not lying, but he was also not being completely honest. His complaint was real, but it was from the mouth of his wife, not the voice of the people. That morning, she was on a holy terror, to have the Lord's Supper table put back where it belonged.

Don't get me wrong, this complaint was serious. Pastors have been fired over lesser offenses. However, the complaint was not about theology, but about genealogy. She had some flowers she wanted to put on the communion table, to honor her deceased parents. She wasn't going to be happy unless that table was put back where it belonged, right in front of the pulpit. Her flowers were going to be put front and center, in the middle of it, for everyone to see. In truth, it really wasn't about a table, flowers or her parents. It was about all about her. Based on even more recent reports, it still is. Pray for this pastor.

The early church leaders placed great value on devoting themselves "steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of The Word." v. 4

Their devotion to prayer and the preaching of The Word resulted in the conversion of thousands of people, and the immersion of them, into membership in the church. This kind of devotion to prayer and preaching was not an excuse to get out of serving or cleaning up after a potluck dinner at the church. The devotion of The Twelve was a passion to take prayer and preaching to the streets, not an escape route to their private study or library.

Prayer and preaching of The Word are still The Spirit's priorities for preachers of the contemporary church. HOW CAN YOU HELP? Pray for your preacher today. He needs it, and you need the practice.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Message

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, who God has given to those who obey him." Acts 5:30-32 ESV

The early preachers of the Gospel could deliver The Message in less than sixty words. They cut through the darkness that surrounded them, like a laser beam straight from the throne of God. They were not like dim bulbs of night lights, hoping not to offend the senses of those comfortable in the darkness. The Message they delivered was all about The Light. The result?

"When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them." v. 33

"Kip" Hollingsworth was one of the best deacons I ever had the privilege to serve with, during my first pastorate. He loved to rib me, Sunday after Sunday, with his favorite one liner, "Preacher, there is no such thing as a bad, short sermon." With all due respect, "Kip" was wrong. The first preachers of the Gospel got it down to less than sixty words, and still stirred up a lot of anger. It really only takes one word to split the house...JESUS.

Jesus didn't come to build a consensus, but to build a church. His mission, and His message have not changed. Like the old Steve Green song says, "Across the street / Or around the world / The mission's still the same / Proclaim and live the Truth / In Jesus' name." PREACH IT!

When the early preachers were dragged back in front of the religious elite and guardians of their contemporary culture, they didn't mince words, parse phrases, massage nuances, or leave anyone in doubt. They fixed the blame on sinners, and the solution on Jesus.

Preaching that does anything less than point people, friend or foe, to Jesus as The Way, and The Holy Spirit as The Promise, is not New Testament preaching. Don't get me wrong, this preaching may not make enemies, and it may even draw a crowd. By stroking the egos of disobedient, self-absorbed rebels, a preacher can make a name for himself, as a positive, and politically correct poser. His posturing, as a not-for profit prophet, has very seductive, fringe benefits. His preaching may leave people feeling good about themselves, but it won't change their lives.

Sunday, I tuned in to hear one of the current, wonder boys of positive preaching. He was leading his congregation into a series of repetitive "I AM" declarations. They were not the seven declarations made by Jesus, in the Gospel of John. They were self-declarations of perceived importance derived from the pride of man. Big difference.

It reminded me of the character, Stuart Smalley, whose pop-psychology parody made Al Franken famous, before he became a joke of a Senator.

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me." Stuart Smalley

One of the first lessons learned in Elementary Greek is the definition of "EGO" is translated as "I AM." Good to know. Ego-centric preaching is not Christ-centered preaching.

Note to self: If your preaching ever begins to resemble a session of a "Stuart Smalley Twelve Step Seminar", STOP IT!

The enemies of The Message will always hate hearing a messenger declare from the Word of God what Jesus said about Himself.

1 ) John 6:48 I am that bread of life. KJV

2) John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. KJV

3) John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. KJV

4) John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. KJV

5) John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: KJV

6) John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. KJV

7) John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. KJV

The only EGO-centric preaching ever appropriate for The Message of any preacher is Christ-centered preaching. Preaching centered on Jesus will change lives. Preaching focused on man may improve the reception of The Message from the enemies of The Gospel, but it will only prolong the deception of those who hunger and thirst for The Gospel.

Preachers need to pray for the courage to preach nothing less than Jesus. People in the pews need to pray for discernment and expect, and accept nothing less from the pulpit.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Attraction

"We must obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29

When Peter and the apostles made this statement, they stepped across a line in the sand, and crossed over into the land of absolute freedom. From this moment on, there was no turning back. Regardless of the consequences, they would hear and obey one voice. They had discovered the difference between the intimidation of distractions, and intimacy with The Attraction. We should be so wise.

Fear of man is a huge distraction to the messenger of The Gospel. When fear of God should be the main attraction of a preacher's life, the enemy constantly uses a side show of hand puppets to distract shepherds and saints and take their eyes off of Jesus, "The Author and Finisher" of their faith.

Listening to the wrong counsel, and reading the wrong authors, leaves shepherds full of knowledge, and saints drained of discernment. When the crisis comes, all of the distractions come with it, and drown out The Voice needed the most, the voice of Jesus.

When the legendary Bobby Knight was still coaching The Indiana Hoosiers, I recall watching a very very close game, as it was coming down to the finish. With seconds left on the clock, the crowd was going crazy, and the announcers could barely be heard. The Indiana point guard was walking the ball up the court, passing by the Indiana bench, as his other four team mates were fanning out towards their side of the mid-court line, preparing for the final play.

Coach Knight stood and spoke to his point guard, as he passed by. As he did so, all five heads on the shoulders of the Hoosier players swiveled, in synchronized motion, towards the sound of his voice. For me, this was the most memorable moment of the game. In an arena filled with thousands of distractions, five players kept their ears attentive to the one person who called the shots, Coach Knight. They had practiced, long and hard, and learned, long before the crisis, only one voice could be trusted to get them through it. He spoke. They heard. They followed. They won.

Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27) When His shepherds and saints cannot hear His voice, they have allowed other voices to drown out the "still, small voice" of His Spirit. Prayer puts a shepherd or a saint in close proximity to the voice of Jesus. Through prayer, He becomes The Attraction of their lives, and the only voice that matters.

The shepherd must be able to hear the sound of sandaled footsteps walking next to his, and to sense the slightest touch of the hand of The Spirit of Jesus Christ, on his shoulder, directing, protecting, and correcting him every step along the way. This kind of hearing is developed, by spending prolonged periods of time, in the presence of the only voice that matters. This is the primary purpose of prayer, not just learning what to say, but hearing what to obey. Praying and obeying are two sides of the same coin. Spend it freely.

Prolonged periods of prayer provide hearing aids that increase the volume and the quality of the voice of The Spirit of Christ, and seal off the ears of shepherds and saints, from the distracting calls that come from intimidating people and immediate circumstances.

Prayer prepares for the inevitable distractions, by seeking intimacy with The Voice that matters most, before the distractions begin. Prepare to pray and obey. Delaying praying leads to straying and disobeying.

Note to self: Distractions will come, and they will be intimidating. Focus on The Attraction. Pray and obey His voice, the first time you hear it. Don't pretend you didn't.

Prayer develops the sensitivity of shepherds and saints to The Attraction, and lowers the volume of the distractions. Jesus was certain, only one voice matters. Listen to His. If you listen closely, you can hear Him praying for you, by name. He never stops praying for you. Never stop listening to Him. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"A man, intimate with God, will not be intimidated by men." Leonard Ravenhill, (English Revivalist of the 20th Century, mentored by Samuel Chadwick, and mentor of Keith Green)

The Price

"And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them." Acts 5: 14-15

When war weary saints, get a glimpse of the history of Spiritual Awakening, most race to the bottom line, and pray, "Lord, do it again!" They ignore the cost, pound on the counter, and ask God to bring relief, results, and revival. Everyone wants to be a part of a movement of God marked by constant additions and cultural transformation. It has a price.

In the First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edward's church led the way. When God ushered in the Awakening. His church ushered him out. Little known fact. Some churches just don't want to perpetuate, what God's Spirit initiates.

Note to self: If you get fired for it. Wear it like a badge of honor. Edwards did.

The fifth chapter of the Book of Acts, contains the price-tag for a movement of God. Changing the price-tag doesn't reduce the cost of the next Great Awakening, it only delays it.

The cost, of of Spiritual Awakening to the contemporary church, is no different than the price that was paid, by the 1st Century church. It begins with simple subtraction, not awesome additions.

Case in point. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11. When these two posers, lied to themselves, to God and the apostles, about their gift to the church, they dropped dead in church. Perhaps the greatest understatement of all time is contained in this passage of Scripture.

"And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things." Acts 5:11

You think? Really? In this day of cultural compromise, easy believism, and constant calls for tolerance and diversity, you would think the church would have vanished. Instead, it cast a giant shadow. Today churches put up huge billboards, slick advertising campaigns, and savvy websites. This is called, doing whatever it takes. Not likely.

The price for Spiritual Awakening? The people of God are honest to God. "Honest to God!" I remember hearing this for the first time, when I went to elementary school in Dallas, Texas. Up until that time, I had been raised to say yes or no when asked a question. I soon learned there was a way to add weight to these two words. When I repeated, to my parents, the three words I had learned from my new friends, I received another learning experience. Apparently, at my house, there was no need to add gravitas, to veritas, by taking God's name in vain. At my house, adding "Honest to God" was a come to Jesus moment, but not in a good way. Good to know.

Still, "Honest to God" cannot be over-rated, when applied to the need for a child of God to keep short accounts with God. This is the price of initiating and maintaining continuous, personal revival, and it is the breath of life to a Great Awakening. Public piety, far from being self-righteous posing, is simply an outward sign of private, personal integrity before God.

Pious posers, from the very beginning, have always felt comfortable, attaching themselves to the church, like barnacles on the bottom of a ship. They don't really contribute much, but they consume a great deal. The are just along for the ride, devouring the integrity of the timbers of the church, one bite at a time. They simply aren't who they appear to be. If left unchallenged, they bore their way into membership, then into leadership, and eventually sink the boat. This only happens...EVERY TIME!

Lying. God hates it! This should come as no surprise to a student of Proverbs. Out of the "six things which the Lord hates." (Proverbs 6:16), a "lying tongue" (Proverbs 6:17) is right up there at the top, at number two. Like the old Avis rental car ad, in The Sixties, locked in at number two behind Hertz, they proclaimed, "We try harder." Word to the wise: STOP IT!

Simply put, liars are not "Honest to God." The leadership of the 1st Century church put it to Ananias this way, "You have not lied to men but to God." (Acts 5:4). Nothing has changed in the last 2100 years. The Spirit of God has not reduced the price, or felt compelled to hold a "Fire Sale" or a "Final Sale" to bring in new customers or initiate the next Great Awakening.

The church, not the world, is still held accountable for the price for the next Great Awakening. It doesn't begin with the world coming to Jesus, as much as the church being "Honest to God." The confessing Christian admits to God what He already knows about Him. Get it? HONEST TO GOD!

When believers stops confessing their sins to God, believers stop professing Jesus Christ to the world. When former professors, become perpetual posers, there is little hope for a Great Awakening. The Spirit of God calls on the people of God to be "HONEST TO GOD!" His call is not new, and God's price for Awakening remains the same...

"If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray..." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Will you pay the price? Only God's people can.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Preacher

"And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33

Recently I was listening to Alistair Begg speak on the radio about "apostolic preaching." He states the, "priority of preaching has been sadly diminished, the apostolic mandate remains."

It dawned on me, apostolic preaching, may be one of the greatest losses the church can ever experience, when it morphs from a movement of God, into a man-made machine. In the early church, preaching was marked by power. Today it is often a pale substitute, putting the emphasis on a position of authority, without delivering powerful preaching.

Begg's words reminded me that this kind of preaching is not an academic lecture breaking down the nuances of biblical doctrine or a power point presentation providing practical principles, offered in the form of suggestions. Preaching is not offered as information or ideas, designed to make a person's life better. It is not a quiet devotional, accompanied by pleasant background music, in a sedate, retreat setting. It packs a powerful punch, and sounds a clear trumpet, to people in the pews or in the public square.

I recently heard another preacher wander through a significant text in the Bible. He was pleasant, sincere, prepared, earnest, and quit on time. It couldn't have come too soon. I can't tell you a thing he said. He had a sermon, but no message. He spent his allotted time, spinning unconnected ideas, and searching for a conclusion, but in the end called for no decision. I decided to go home and pray for him. It was either that or drive my car into a tree.

Filling the air, with a great deal of dust, from repetitive remarks that no one can disagree with, is not preaching. Words offered up as preaching, should never cloud the image of The Risen Christ. They should shine a spotlight on Him, not on eloquence, academics, or comedy.

Even sermons spoken, without error, do not add up to a message delivered. If a man stands in the pulpit and says what is so, it should not leave the people, in the congregation, or in the community, wondering, "So what?"

Preaching in the early church was described this way. "And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of of the Lord Jesus..." (Acts 4:33a) Their preaching was a verbal explosion of dynamite, able to move mountains of stone, and release an avalanche of repentance, in the hearts of people who heard it.

In the early church, Spirit-filled preaching focused on The Risen Christ. The message included the whole story of Jesus. It didn't camp out around the manger, or stop at the cross. It put His birth, death, burial, and resurrection in perspective, and lifted people's eyes to Heaven, in expectation of His return. From the first word. to the last sentence, preaching is always about Jesus.

The preachers knew, Jesus may be rejected, but He could not be ignored. His coming to earth was picture of God's love, in human form, and His Resurrection was the watershed of human history. The latter was not a prelude to an Easter Egg Hunt, nor was the former wasn't an excuse for a bail of hay and a bathrobe pageant.

The preaching of The Word of God must be delivered, by a man on fire, with a message from God. This kind of an anointing of The Spirit is an unction, not a function. When it becomes a function, without unction, a preacher becomes a robotic serminator, not a faithful navigator.

When a preacher is under the unction of God, he becomes a navigator, by pointing people to Jesus, and calling for them to get their lives back on course, before they reach a point of no return. How does this kind of powerful preaching get released through a preacher? I'm glad you asked.

"And when they had prayed...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." Acts 4: 31

Prayer prepares the preacher, to proclaim the truth of The Word of God, with power, and call for a decision. Prayer prepares the listener to give attention to the truth of the Word of God, and apply it with precision. Prayerless preaching provides no power. Prayerless listening receives no correction. This Sunday, on your way to church, pray for your preacher. He needs it, and you need the practice.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Single-Hearted

Single-hearted: marked by sincerity and unity of purpose

In August 1980, Dana, Ashley and I moved from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to become the Minister to Single Adults of Houston's First Baptist Church. From a suburb of Tulsa, with a population of 40,000 people, we relocated to the fourth largest city in America. The culture shock developed, by moving from Mayberry to Nairobi, would have not been any greater.

Houston, was home to the The Oilers, Coach Bum Phillips, and suffering from terminal " Luv Ya Blue" Fever. The Astos and Oilers shared the Astrodome. The Rockets ruled at The Summit, and challenged the fabled Celtics for The World Championship of the NBA. More importantly, Phi Slamma Jamma was holding court for the University of Houston, Cougars, and was the best game in town.

On a more personal note, Dr. John Bisagno was in the process of leading a declining downtown church to previously unheard of heights. Under his visionary leadership, it rose to the status of the fastest growing church in America, with 25,000 members.

The entire city was soaked to gills, and overflowing with the cash flow and extravagances that always accompanies the latest oil boom. The race was on, as single adults from every small town in Texas drove down I-45 to get to The City, and to make a buck before the government figured out how to stop it. "The Eagle has landed, indeed."

I had responded to an appeal from Dr. Bisagno. "I need you to come help me minister to 3,000 singles." I was hooked, by the man and the challenge. It helped that I sensed God taking me out of my comfort zone, and throwing me into something I had never done before. I have always loved a chance to be a part of the HIMpossible.

I have friends who call themselves "adrenalin Junkies." That means they do exotic things at high speed, at a high cost, with a minimal return. I have found the "Faith Walk" to provide all the adrenalin rush I have ever needed to jump start my heart. God never leads where He won't provide, but He rarely does it on a time schedule that I have given Him.

Oh, don't get me wrong. God is never late. He is right on time. I am just always in the wrong time zone. Over the years, my heart has raced, in more than one dark place, or at the threshold of another drop-dead date. I have often wondered, if there would be life after the latest deadline, and I have gasped out, "Lord, help me!"

I repeat. God is never late, but appreciating His sense of timing, often depends on whether I have stepped out of my Time Zone and into His "Thine Zone." My first take on God's arrival, in the middle of my crisis is often, "I know You aren't late, but by my count, You missed several opportunities to be early." I'm not bitter, about it. I know I'm better for it, but sometimes I just can't help looking through my rear-view mirror. Can I get a witness!

As Dana and I prayed our way through a ministry plan to the Single Adults of Houston's FBC, I searched for a brand that would help us identify the flock, we were called to shepherd. I admit, with 3,000 singles, I often felt more like a rancher than a shepherd. The group was huge, but each one of them had a unique, personal story to tell, and gifts to invest in the mission of the local church. Our eyes fell on a word, that gave us a vision to hold up to them. It was SINGLE-HEARTED: marked by sincerity and unity of purpose.

I found the greatest challenge to a Ministry to Single Adults was marriage. Our church conducted almost 400 weddings a year. We had four wedding coordinators, and The Chapel was booked, almost every weekend, with weddings on Saturday scheduled at 10 AM, 2 PM and 6 PM. I often did three a day. Marriage counseling packed my ministry calendar, as well as rehearsals, weddings and receptions.

We had ministry to Single Adults going on seven days, and every night of the week. Add that to the fact, that our home was 12 miles from the church, and it took me two hours to get to the church every morning, and at least the same each evening. Note: Houston had three times the population than the city of San Antonio, but the same number of freeway miles. It was a toxic cocktail and led to major road rage.

This resulted in Single Adults arriving at our weekly Friday night worship service, with a great deal of baggage to unload. Their week had been filled with huge doses of stress, and pressure. They needed to detox. STAT!

Looking out for number one is a natural response. Babies come into this world concerned only about having their own needs met. When a screaming baby is picked up, they have two major concerns. Change me! Feed me! They never say, "Oh, not me! Change him! Feed her!" Their world is all about them. Too often these babies grow into adults, but never change their view of life. What is cute on a baby, is sad on an adult. Diapers and Depends. Get the picture?

SINGLE-HEARTED expressed the brand of the early, New Testament church found in Acts.

"Those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them." Acts 4:32

Where did that come from? I believe this spirit of single-hearted devotion to one another came from The Spirit of God. The early church was filled with The Spirit. Acts describes this fulness, as the initial by-product of a movement of God, in the life of a believer. Simply put, this fullness describes a person who is filled with Jesus, not full of themselves. Big difference.

Paul called for The Church at Ephesus to "Be filled with The Spirit." (Ephesians 5: 18) This fulness led selfish people to become selfless people. These early believers were not marked by a demand for their own rights, but "mutual submission."

Fulness of The Spirit prepared individual believers to see beyond their own navel, and into the needs of others. How? They were able to "be subject to one another in the fear of Christ." (Ephesians 5:21) The fulness is spiritual. The by-product is practical. Relationships may survive, but will never thrive without fulness of The Spirit.

As a young Minister to Single Adults, in the middle of a marriage explosion, I seized on this passage of Scripture as the text for Marriage Preparation 101. Mutual submission means people are more concerned about others than they are themselves. "You First!" replaces "Me First!"

In Single Adult worship services, marriage counseling and ceremonies, I began to challenge potential husbands and wives. "Mutual submission means looking out for each others rights. You look out for his rights. You look out for her rights. Everyone's rights are looked after. You demand your own rights, and you lose your perspective on mutual submission, and the one-flesh relationship that God gave as a picture of Christian marriage. Being married in a church doesn't make you one-flesh or single-hearted. Being filled with The Spirit does."

The fulness of The Spirit is the essential quality and characteristic that should be Numero Uno on The Wish List of anyone looking for a future mate. Those who are full of themselves make horrible marriage partners. Marriage has the unique ability to provide the perfect climate to expose a person for how selfish they really are.

Those who are full of themselves make terrible church members. The local church is still the best lab for discovering the fulness of The Spirit, in the life of another person. Rubbing shoulders with people who go to church does not always reveal angelic attitudes. It is always easy to be an angel, as long as no one ever ruffles your feathers.

Note to self: When you get three Baptists together, you often get five opinions. It is called a committee.

Yielding personal rights and private ownership are the cornerstone and plumb-line of "mutual submission." This submission is not a resolution, but a transformation. It is a change of heart, a turn around from the wrong way to the right way, a new set of eyes, with a fresh vision for the needs of others being met, before one's own are considered.

This kind of change can be initiated, in an instant, but can only be sustained over a life-time, by being under the influence of The Fulness of The Spirit and under the watchful eye of The Lord Jesus Christ. The early church was filled with people who were single-hearted. "Those who believed were of one heart and soul." (Acts 4:32)

The contemporary church is in need of members who have emptied themselves of their own rights, but filled themselves with The Spirit of Christ. The old Jesus Revolution song comes to my mind. "They will know we are Christians, by our love, by our love. They will know, we are Christians by our love." Sing it loud. Sing it proud.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Extension

And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." Acts 4:29-31

The early church leaders knew their limitations. It was the source of their confidence, and effectiveness in ministry. If contemporary leaders would take a page out of their playbook, it would be a huge step in the right direction, towards the next Great Awakening.

#1 - They took the threats of their enemies seriously, but instead of taking them to heart, they placed them in God's hands. Big difference.

Talking about threats results in taking threats to heart. This usually leads to a heart condition called cowardice. Instead, the early leaders didn't ignore these threats or inflate them, they took them to God in prayer. The result? The Spirit of God infused them, with a blood transfusion for courageous living. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

#2 - These early leaders recognized their role in life was that of a slave or bond-servants. Their role model was Jesus, not the latest author, celebrity, guru, or politician.

#3 - These leaders understood their mission was to "speak Your word with all confidence." (v. 29b) These leaders were not wall flowers, or shrinking violets, trying to find a way to fit into a system that intended to intimidate them into self-imposed silence. They had no desire to take on the status quo, by giving the current power brokers a piece of their mind. They had a passion to speak a word from God, and it gave them peace of mind.

#4 - These leaders knew, instinctively, that they were part of a movement of God that could not be extended, one minute fraction, beyond His reach, or sustained, one second longer, without His touch. They gave ALL the glory to God. The left no room for doubt, or speculation, in their own minds, about The Source of the movement. Those who observed what God did through them, and those who opposed it, knew they took no credit and claimed no power. Everything. Not just some things. Everything pointed to this one great truth...

"This is the Lord's doing: It is marvelous in our eyes." Psalms 118:23

These four observations are offered as a word of encouragement to pray for the next Great Awakening. They should also serve as an admonition.

Movements of God are ushered in by prayer, but suffocated by pride. Taking credit for God's handiwork may make a name for those leaders crass enough to engage in it it, but it short-circuits the power source for an extended Awakening.

Pride leads to the establishment of systems that overshadow The Savior, and magnify man. Credit claimed by man results in effort that must be sustained by man. When a movement of God becomes a system of man, it may become death-defying, but it is no longer life-giving.

Prayer and humility are two sides of the same coin, that serves as the currency of Heaven. Prayer is given great value and priority in God's Kingdom. When offered up, God's Spirit takes the weakest prayer to The Son, and He makes His strongest case to The Father.

The Spirit interprets prayer. The Son intercedes in prayer. The Father infuses His power and authority into His children through prayer. The weakest prayer ignites, initiates and inspires movements of God that can only be sustained by the power of God. Know this. God answers prayer. Know this.

Prayerlessness is pridefulness and both delay a movement of God, in the hearts of His people. Once a movement of God is launched from Heaven, prayerlessness and pridefulness insure that there will be no extension of the movement. Prayers uplifted result in God initiating and extending Awakening. Pray before, during, and after the next Great Awakening. Start today.

"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray,... then, I will hear...." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Personal Awakening is the greatest need of every believer. Make it your heart cry today.

"And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." Acts 4: 31

Note to self: The filling of the Spirit leads to the telling of HIS Gospel, not the glorification of YOUR experience. You are the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. Don't be surprised when God shakes your container, to fill you up and to pour you out. You were not created and saved to contain or maintain power you cannot sustain. You are the salt of the earth. With confidence and boldness, shake it, man. Shake it!

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Promise

" 'For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.' v.39

Peter delivered a message from God, casting a vision of hope, but without comforting people in their sin, and compromising with their contemporary culture. This is PREACHING 101. It is a far cry from what passes for preaching today, and the church would do well to put up with nothing less.

"And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation!" v. 40

Prior to the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter was a mess. After the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter was a messenger. Big difference. The Holy Spirit was not sent just to comfort people overwhelmed by a messy world. God knew it was a "perverse generation." He sent The Spirit to transform His people into messengers who delivered hope to a perverted world.

Note to self: Stop pulling out your "shock face" every time you see something perverted. You are wearing it out, and missing the point. God isn't shocked by what is going on around you. He expects you to do something about it. PRAY!

Peter exhorted the same people who had once intimidated him. The transformation of Peter from a mess to a messenger was the result of the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was not an addition of a liquid additive Peter was to splash out, or an emotional experience, he was to conjure up. The Spirit of Jesus Christ came to dwell in Him, permanently. Jesus had promised this would happen.

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;" - Jesus, John 14:16 NASB

The various versions of the Bible refer to The Spirit as the Advocate, Helper, Counselor, or Comforter, but they all agree on one thing. HE WILL BE WITH YOU FOREVER! Good to know.

This was a change in how The Spirit ministered to people prior to Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was not invented or created at Pentecost, the church was. The Spirit is eternal. He is equal to The Father, and The Son. He is not the junior partner in The Trinity. He is God. Glen Beck is wrong. The Trinity essential to Christian doctrine. Chrome is an option on a car. The Trinity isn't an option, but the Law of Gravity that keeps the car on the ground. Every time I hear Glen Beck say he doesn't believe in The Trinity, but he still considers himself a Christian, I want to drive my car into a tree. But I digress.

The Spirit was manifested in power and Presence through out the Old Testament. God's Presence came upon specific people, for specific tasks, for specific periods of time. The examples are numerous, but Samson will do. Great power was released through Samson, but he remained a man with great flaws. When The Spirit was on him, he was a force of nature, but when The Spirit departed, he was unable to control his own nature. This only happens...EVERY TIME!

Peter's experience of the filling of The Spirit was not a sensational, Samson episode. It was a transformational explosion of God's power being released through the same man who had always promised more than he could deliver. The Spirit of God turned Peter from a dud into dynamite.

Now, when Peter went off, he was going to reveal more of God than he revealed of himself. He was going to be guided and filled with a fear of God, more than bullied by the fear of man. This filling of The Spirit was an infusion of courage, and an initiation in intimacy with The Risen Christ, that would never leave him or forsake him. Jesus was only a prayer away. The Spirit made good on the promise of The Son. The result?

"A man who is intimate with God will not be intimidated by man." Leonard Ravenhill

'So then, those who had received his word were baptized and that day there were added about three thousand souls." v. 41

I love these two little words, when they appear in Scripture. "So then." Too many times after a sermon is preached, the bewildered, after hearing the befuddled, respond with, "So what?" Spirit-filled preaching is more than the dispensing of interesting information, with academic accuracy, correct grammar, precise pronunciation, concluded within the time allowed for it. It brings results.

The message is not delivered, until it has been received. Delivery is only half of the process. The receiving of the message is the other component. Often people will pray for the preacher to deliver the message. More often, prayer should be offered up to God, for The Spirit to anoint the voice of the preacher and the ears of the listeners. God intends for a message to be delivered AND received.

No doubt, Peter was delivering the message God gave him. Prior to the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter was a mess. After the filling of the Holy Spirit, Peter was a messenger. Big difference. The Holy Spirit was not sent to comfort people overwhelmed by a messy world, but to transform them into messengers who delivered hope to the world.

The promise of hope remains a concept until it is received. Praying for people to receive the message of God may be one of the most essential pieces of an order of service. It must not be crowded out. People have not gathered just to hear The Word, but to receive The Word. If it lands on deaf ears, words will have been spoken, but lives will remain unchanged.

Pray for your preacher. He needs it. You need the practice. Don't forget to pray for your own ears to hear what he says. At 63 years of age, I am discovering that my ears are getting larger, but my hearing is not improving. Just ask my wife. Dana is using two little words more than ever before, in our marriage. I am not so fond of hearing, "I said." Repeating what she said the first time, is becoming a major part of our communication. I guess hearing aids are in my future.

When a Spirit-filled preacher delivers The Word of God, there is hope. When people receive The Word of God, they not only hear it, they respond to it. The preacher is the steward of God's message. The people are servants to God's message. This is how the church began, and this is how the church must go grow.

Preachers who deliver only what their people want to hear, don't always give them what God intends for them to obey. When the preacher is more afraid of the people in the pew, than The Author of the message, fear of man chokes his voice, and the people lose their fear of God. Peter delivered the mail, and the people opened their hearts to it. The result? Three thousand converts in one day. Message received.

Prayer improves the preaching of the messenger, and the hearing of the listener. Peter's preaching was rooted in prayer, and released by the power of The Holy Spirit. When The Spirit filled Peter, he was transformed from a man marked by anemic, phony bravado, to a man with a blood transfusion for courageous living. When Spirit-filled preaching reached the ears of the people, they received it.

Prayer promises to be the greatest hearing aids a preacher could ever give to his listeners. If preachers want their people to receive The Promise, they will...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Conjunction

"But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said...whosoever shall call on the Lord shall be saved. Therefore lest all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Acts 2: 14-36

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said,...'What shall we do?" v. 37

"Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." v.38

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." v. 41

A recent report on 46,000 Southern Baptist churches indicated only 1.4 % averaged 1,000 plus in worship on Sunday. A recent gathering of 4,000 church planters in Dallas, met to discover how they could start more. In one day the Holy Spirit launched a mega church. Word to the wise. Take a page out of The Spirit's church planting manual.

Wisdom would suggest that man's methods are no match for God's Manifest Presence. The Presence and The Power of The Spirit of Christ is essential, when it comes to the matter of planting churches. Without Him, new plants become hot house plants nurtured in environments conducive to controlled circumstances and hospitable climate. A church plant has only two hopes of surviving and thriving without The Power and The Presence of God. Slim & None.

Churches that survive the church plant experience don't often thrive. After the drama and the trauma of the plant, the settle into some pretty thin soil. They may be death-defying, but are seldom life-giving. Man-made churches must be sustained by superhuman effort. Their compassion fatigue is enormous, trying to sustain life, and entertain people attracted by the parade, but have no interest in pushing the float. After the church planters are tapped out, all that is left is hardly worth getting cleaned up for on Sunday morning.

Don't get me wrong. I believe the local church is the hope of the world. So did Jesus. He launched His church with His Spirit, and those that are marked by His Presence, and His character carry out the message angels love to sing about, "Joy to the World."

Back to the report. Over 900 Southern Baptist churches shut their doors every year. For many, it didn't come too soon. What they did in the name of Jesus was embarrassing to The Body. For years business meetings overshadowed prayer meetings. Pastors were treated as hirelings. Sinners were treated with kid gloves. Fear of man outweighed any fear of God. Finances ruled over faith. Competition with the church down the street fueled their only enthusiasm for gaining new members. Missions was an option. Giving was a token. Converts were few, and church splits passed for church plants. Sad, but true. R.I.P.

Years ago a TV mini-series gripped America. It was called "Roots." It traced a black man's heritage back to the origin of his family in Africa. It was a powerful presentation.

Acts 2 reveals where the roots of the church can be found. They are located at the junction of unction and dysfunction. Look for the sign of the conjunction, "BUT!" This is where God meets man with His Spirit. Peter is the poster boy for the transformation that takes place at the junction of unction and dysfunction.

Before The Spirit, Peter is marked by cowardice. After The Spirit comes, he exudes courage. Before, fear. After, faith. Before, confusion. After, clarity. Before, hiding. After, standing. Before, denying. After, preaching. The list goes on and on. You get the picture.

The Spirit changes people, from the inside out. He leaves them right where they are, and the circumstances around them remain the same. The difference? He creates in them the character of Christ, and plants them right in the middle of people who have no character. The result? The culture cannot hold up against it. It never has, and it never will. Why? Because, the witnesses don't care if they survive the confrontation. They aren't interested in survival, only revival. You can't kill a dead man who believes he will live forever. People with staying power are marked by praying power.

My father was a church planter in New York, from 1960-1977. His work remains, not because he went, but primarily because he stayed. As a boy of ten, I saw many preachers from the south come to The City to start churches. They tried to plant The South, not The Spirit. They didn't last, and neither did their churches.

Today, Facebook reveals a new wave of church planters. From the pics I receive from major cities of this nation, this new breed is in love with The City, just the way it is. Their prayer walks through the cities of this nation, are marked by pics of excursions into their new digs. The ball parks, city parks, concerts, delis, Broadway shows, ferries, and other exotic places far outweigh any pics of a movement of God. Time will tell if I am wrong, but I don't expect much to come of this. From my own family's personal experience, I can say that planting a church is not a walk in the park, it is the fight of your life. But I digress.

"Here's your sign!" A contemporary country-western comedian has turned this phrase into a career. For the church, the sign is "BUT GOD!" Before Pentecost, baptisms were down. The founder of the church had been murdered, and His followers had been scattered. Before Pentecost the culture was gaining ground, and the church was in danger of being forced underground, before it even got off the ground. Pretty dismal picture, right? "BUT, GOD!"

Pray for your church to be transformed by meeting The Spirit at the junction of His unction, and your own dysfunction. Brick and mortar, bold plans and bloated bureaucracy cannot be filled with The Spirit, only people can. Not everyone in your church will be filled with The Spirit, BUT you can be the one who will be filled. God has never needed more than one person to start a movement. Your first step begins with prayer. Take your stand, on your knees, at the junction of unction and dysfunction. You will never be the same.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!