a change is a comin'

this week we are having our spring refreshing services. they are going really well and i am getting to be in the presence of alot of cool people. preaching this week is dr. bill faulkner. bill is the executive director of missions for the greater orlando baptist association. he is an excellent communicator and expositor. i am really enjoying listening to him. i also get the privilege this week of working with chris vieth as he leads worship. chris is the minister of worship and music at tabernacle baptist church in decatur, il. he is such a blessing and has really encouraged me and taught me alot about leading a blended contemporary service.
our theme this week is "let it rain: a time of refreshing". it has already been that and much more. chris has done a wonderful job of picking songs pointing to the dependency and supremacy of Christ and bill has been urging our congregation to be more missional, scriptural, and totally centered on the Gospel. so all of that to say this...
bill was preaching out of matthew 9:35-38 and john 4:31-42 on becoming and being a missional church. he was talking of the importance of sowing seeds in out communities and not in our church buildings. so as we were in a time of reflection and commitment at the end i felt the Holy Spirit urging me share a dream with the people that i had on march 13th. i had not shared this with anyone, only notating it on my phone with a short paragraph. so i did and this was the dream: i was at a wedding and dressed for it. and for some strange reason it was my wedding. but it was not my real wedding, as in not the one where i got married to kim, this was a new wedding. a new venue with new people and a new bride. kim was there and i remember feeling terribly awkward but in a saddening way she was okay with it and in a saddening way i did not really want this but i was going through with this marriage anyway. i felt terrible anxiety about the whole situation. then i woke up.
i got up and decided to ponder this and i half jokingly asked the Lord what this dream meant, not really expecting anything to come of it. but he answered. i was prompted to go to revelation 2:2-5. this was a verse that i have used many times on other people with a sense of pride, thinking that i was better than them. this is what it says, "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned he love you had at first. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." after reading this i knew it. i knew what i was guilty of and i notated this, "i am a fierce contender for the Gospel. i love it and live for it with all that i am. but many times i am good at nothing more than lipservice." and for whatever reason i stored this away, until tonight.
i have felt over the last month and a half or so a change coming in my heart. i am feeling what paul describes in romans 2 as the kindness of the Lord leading me to repentance. i look at this dream and i know that i have put so many other things in front of my relationship with Jesus and have neglected knowing him through his word. and i have been expecting some sort of harsh punisment for this. but the Lord has been changing my heart through his kindness. i am experiencing brokenness through simplicity and God revealing my faults subtly. i have a renewed passion for knowing God through his word more and more. i have a renewed passion for leading my wife in knowing God through his word. i am amazed how this dream and its affirmation in scripture have not disturbed me to the point of depression but rather the gentle hand of my Father has guided me to repentance. i am truly amazed at this!
so a change is a comin'. pray for kim and i as we start to seek the Lord and his direction for our future. everyday i am more and more confident of the calling on our lives to plant a church and specifically for me to preach and teach the Gospel with my life and words. we are not really sure what this looks like right now and we are learning so much in litchfield right now. we have found a home town and a church family for life. i cannot say enough how much we feel loved here and how much we want to love here. it is a great place for us right now for however long the Lord will have us stay.
a change is a comin' in my heart, to be well studied and disciplined and to let the word live out in me and to teach this and translate it to my wife so that she can teach it and translate it to others. i praise God for his gentle hand of love that disciplines me with the most astounding outpouring of love. we serve the God of all gods who desires for us to know him fully and he has given his word so that we might draw close to him.
even though i feel that this dream was a personal warning, i feel that it also can ge translated into a warning for the body of Christ as a whole. there has been a loss of our first love. we have abandoned Jesus for programs, books, and status. we have whored his glory in the precious facade of our own gospel so that we might be lifted up for our sake in his Kingdom. i am so guilty of this but i pray that the Lord continues to stir the hearts of those that he has called, that we all might feel the weight of the Gospel in all we do.

david ford-"go to hell"

pretty sweet video done with looping
i don't know anything about this guy
but i thought this was pretty cool

ponder this

if you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work he has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments he has given you.
-oswald chambers
my utmost for his highest, april 25th

more on idol

one who is older and wiser than i chimed in american idol's singing of "shout to the Lord".
here is what bob kauflin had to say:

As a pastor and professional musician, I find American Idol interesting on a number of levels. It’s fascinating to see how a simple idea can capture the attention of millions, how people respond to evaluation, how people can be so misled about what they actually sound like, how ordinary people handle massive fame, the difference between gifting and hard work, and more. I also appreciate how some of the contestants have used the platform to bear witness to their faith in Christ. Melinda Doolittle, from last season, stood out for her humility, modesty, and joy.

Yesterday, I had started a post on my response to Wednesday night’s program. It was American Idol’s “Give Back” show. You may know (or maybe not) that it was a two and a half hour mix of music, comedy, and humor, with the expressed goal of raising as much money as possible to aid those who live in poverty, both inside and outside the U.S. A worthy goal.

I was working at my computer under headphones for most of the show, but as it ended, I caught the eight remaining Idol contestants stepping forward and belting out the worship song classic, “Shout to the Lord,” by Darlene Zschech. Only they replaced “My Jesus” with “My shepherd.” I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Isn’t there a disconnect between shouting to the LORD on American IDOL?

But before I finished this post, I saw the beginning of last night’s show as the entire group of Idol contestants sang “Shout to the Lord” again. Only this time, the name of “Jesus” was clearly proclaimed.

I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. What is going on? Is this an advertisement for Hillsong Church? Who chose this song? Do they even know what they’re singing? Who made this decision? Worship has hit the big time! What made them change “Jesus” to “shepherd” the first night and bring back “Jesus” on the second tonight?”

After the dust in my mind cleared, I had two thoughts:

It’s amazing that this happened. My next thought was, it’s concerning that this happened.

Lest you think I’m schizo, let me explain.

The Bright Side
In the positive column, someone watching”Shout to the Lord” on American Idol might be led by God’s Spirit to download the song, or even to start going to church again. They might hear the Gospel and be gloriously converted, all due to hearing “Shout to the Lord” in one of the most unlikely places. For that potential, I praise and thank God.

One blogger pointed out that there are many countries you’d never hear a clearly biblical, Christian song on prime time TV. Instead, you’d be persecuted for even mentioning the name of Christ. That’s reason to give thanks, and to pray for those less fortunate. Also, hearing a Christian song on American Idol might remind a Christian that they don’t have to be shy about their faith. It could provide an evangelistic starting point around the water-cooler or at the lockers. It’s also possible the producers of Idol recognize the Christian contingent to their fan base, which may lead them to include other Christian references and more “all-contestant” worship songs.

On the Other Hand
But there’s a dark side. There’s something paradoxical about worship songs being sung on prime time TV by people who don’t know why Jesus came. Does the world see any difference between what’s taking place on American Idol and what we do on Sunday mornings? Has worship become part of the entertainment culture? It’s unsettling when Christian songs or worship leaders are acclaimed by the masses. Jesus said in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” He also said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mt. 15:8). Both verses temper my unbridled enthusiasm.Luke 6:26 [26]"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. (ESV)

This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

American Idol, for all the good the show is seeking to do, will never be a platform for worshiping a crucified Messiah. The Gospel has to be gutted of a bloody cross to find a place on prime time TV.

It’s doubtful that most people who heard or sang along with Shout to the Lord were aware of its implications. The Savior they were singing to was crushed for the sins of every person who would ever trust in him. He is Jesus, the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, and the One who gave his life as a substitute to pay the punishment for our transgressions against a holy God.

Two Responses
So I had two more thoughts. First, we need to do everything we can to sing and promote songs in the church that clearly, biblically, passionately, and faithfully proclaim the one and only Savior - his work, his words, and his worthiness. Along with songs that express our love for the Savior, we need to sing songs that “teach and admonish” ( Col. 3:16), that celebrate and rehearse the foundations of our faith and fill out our vague conceptions of God with clear, theologically informed biblical truths.Colossians 3:16 [16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)

This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

Second, we we need to live in such a way that it’s clear being a Christian is more than giving money to worthy causes and being emotionally moved as we sing songs of every genre together. We want to do all we can to ensure that those who walk into our meetings see clearly that we’re not a local version of American Idol.

A Reason to Pray
Hearing “Shout to the Lord” on American Idol is an opportunity to pray that God would use this event for his glory and fame, for the advancing of the Gospel, and the building up of his church. It also motivates me to pray for purity, discernment, and holiness in the church, and that we would reach out to those who don’t know Jesus without embracing worldly values or godlessness.

Would it be great to see more Christian worship songs sung on American Idol? Sure. But when a Christian song receives national attention or reaches number 1 on the charts, it’s no clear sign one way or the other that the Gospel is advancing or the church is having more of an influence on our culture. It can just as easily be a sign that the church is being swallowed up by the culture because it’s indistinct from the world.

As Christians, may we be known more for lives lived worthy of the Gospel than our songs. May God’s Spirit work through us to enable those around us to turn from their empty idols to serve the only living and true God ( 1 Thess. 1:9-10).1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 [9]For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, [10]and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (ESV)

This text is from the ESV Bible. Visit www.esv.org to learn about the ESV.

bob is Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries and blogs at worshipmatters.com.

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idle worship

on april tenth's episode of american idol, the final eight contestants sang that famous praise and worship anthem of modern times, "shout to the Lord". now i am faced with many emotions at this point. i am sure that there are some of you out there that it gave goosebumps and chills to and for some of you it might have even brought a tear to your eye. before i go on i want you to know that i believe that God's word, spoken or through song, does not return void. the gospel was proclaimed through song in front of perhaps millions of people and i am guessing that most of the television audience had never heard that song. praise God for that!

here is my dilemma: i witnessed something that i feel that i fight every Sunday morning, idle worship. all of the singers were working on their stage presence, they did a good job conveying the song with their posture. i really want to know if they knew what they were singing. did they really take this song to heart the way they have taken countless other songs to heart this season, or was it just another performance? as the performance was coming to the end, i found myself tearing up. tearing up not because i was overwhelmed at the song but because i was overwhelmed at the fact that i do not know if those singers really know to whom they were singing. how can you really convey the line, "nothing compares to the promise i have in You", if you do not know of that hope?

here is my point. i feel that we as followers of Christ tend to do the same thing when we find ourselves in a corporate worship setting. we become idle in our worship. we sing songs like this with a prescribed emotion. we know how we are supposed to act, when we are supposed to raise our hands, or shout amen! i am desperately in need of a refreshing. i believe the Church is in desperate need of refreshment. i think as a whole we have become idle in our worship. we have become idle in that following Christ is holistic and not just singing or amening on Sunday morning. it is a vibrant walk that stretches us but always renders us speechless when we are faced with the greatness of a sovereign God who in fact has allowed us to participate in His plan of redemption. shout to the Lord indeed! shout of His goodness and mercy.

Jesus i pray that you send a freshness to our hearts so that we may worship you actively in all that we do.