October 21, 2011

What else does Paul advise Timothy on?   Well the thing that catches my eye?  Paul gives an entire sermon on what leaders should be like.  Why?  Because leadership is important.  If you want to grow in your present and future, if you want to become the things God would have you be, then you must do one incredibly important thing that I am thankful to say I think all of us here today have done.  Find a fantastic church, with a fantastic Pastor.

Do you really want to know how to know if you have found a good church?  I’ll tell you the secret. You only have to look two places.  First, you have to look at the Pastor, or the leadership in general.  If the guy with the microphone is preaching and you know that those are the words of God, that he or she is not preaching from his or her own wisdom, or his or her own vanity, but rather out of the good book, and with the passion, and fire, and caring love of God, then you have half of the equation.  The second place you need to look is the congregation.  A good church breeds good Christians.  But even moreso, a good church breeds growing Christians.  Being a Christian is easy.  Being a good Christian is harder.  But being a growing Christian who comes closer to the image of Christ each day in life, that right there is incredibly difficult.  And it takes a good church, with a good leader, who follows the guidance and path of our good God to have that result.  If you look around and you can say that no one has changed in the past two years, then I say get out!  But if you look around at your church, and you see ministers growing.  People volunteering.  Teens dedicating themselves.  The word being spread.  Then you know it is a good church. 

But you know.  Let’s get back to Saul.  I think we know the story of Saul.  He witnessed the stoning of Stephen.  And he approved.  But he didn’t just stop there.  He proceeding to persecute and kill many Christians. He did things that were horrible.  And yet he would someday become Paul.  I still find myself wondering if it ever haunted him.  If he ever had that moment.  I think we all have that moment.  Do you know what it really is?  It’s the devil.  And I know, it’s often said the devil gets blamed for all kinds of things that he doesn’t really do.  But call it the devil, or a demon, or the negavox voices that bring you down.  But I’m going to call it the devil.  Because you know what he will do?  He watches you.  He watched when you were a sinner.  Figured out exactly which chains you liked to wear as a sinner.  Then watched Jesus free you.  Remove those chains.  Toss them to the side.  Then as you went away happy, having forgotten for the moment about those chains, he picked them up.  And here’s what the devil will do.  He’ll softly.  Quietly.  Sneak up behind you.  And rattle those chains.  Not loudly.  Just loud enough.  And he’ll say, “Remember these?  You weren’t perfect.  Not like that Jesus fellow.  These were your chains?  You can’t really escape them.  Sooner or later, sooner THAN later, you’ll wear them again.”  And he’ll just follow you around.  Softly rattling those chains.  Reminding you.  The devil is patient.  And he’s willing to keep at it until you willingly put those chains on.  Without a fight.  Without him having to force you too. You will have bought into the lie.  And that’s the truth. It’s a lie.

This is one of my passions. The lie of the chain. If you get anything at all out of these posts today. I want it to be the title. Your name doesn’t have to stay Saul either. Paul left behind that life. And he stayed Paul. You can too. This is my passion. If you’ve been hearing those chains rattling. If you’ve been hearing that whisper in your ear. “It’s only a matter of time..” If you’ve already given into that lie. I want to pray for you. Maybe you’re wearing the chains. Maybe you didn’t realize that you’re wearing the chains. Maybe you’re an inch from wearing that chain. It’s ok. I’ve put those chains back on before too. But it’s a lie. You DON’T have to wear them If you doubt me I want you to remember this truth and finish this sentence for me. Who the Son sets free… is free indeed. There is a  song by Lifehouse called Everything. It has a pleading in it. That’s why I like it. You’ll hear the words, “You’re all I want. You’re all I need. You’re everything. Everything.” You can take those words too ways. That could be God, pleading for you to turn back to Him. They could be the words we SHOULD be saying to Him. But it’s the final words that always hit me the hardest. They are, “Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?” This, to me, is freedom. Freedom from our chains. Freedom from our past. Freedom from our sin and sinful nature. Freedom from the things that keep us apart from God. And let me tell you the answer to that question. It. Can’t. Be. I’m going to open this altar now. If you have chains today. If you have needs today. If you are even hearing the chains rattle today. Tell me. And let’s go to God together. And I promise by the time he’s through, those chains will be gone.