For too long, the Church has been a bastion of complacency and maintenance. The Church is often the last organization to respond to changes in culture and address issues of the present day. If we are to be a transformational agent in today's world, we need to embrace change. I'm not speaking of changing the message of Christ, but changing the methodology by which the church operates. The church must be more adaptive.
I have to confess: on a personal level I don't like change. I like having a set group of friends I can count on, a similar pattern to worship each Sunday, and I even like to order the same foods at the same restaurants! Change is something which has had to grow on me.
10 years in the United Methodist Church was comfortable, but God has called Rebecca and I into a journey over the past 10 years to shed the fear of change and to grow beyond our fears. I have seen this fear over the past several months as New Venture Church has moved out of our comfortable church building and into a high school auditorium. Even though the space if FAR better for us to do worship AND reach out to our community, people still like the place called "COMFORTABLE"!
This fear of change has been evident in the growth stages/evolution of our church. The first five years of life for any person or organization usually contains the highest amount of CHANGE! Let's face it: from birth to kindergarten is a lot of change. NVC is three years old this December! We have seen massive amounts of change and development organizationally.....AND THIS SHOULD BE EXPECTED!
Change has also taught me that in today's world it is not realistic to think a growing, moving church will be the same five years from now as they are today. The MESSAGE remains the same, but hopefully we get better at some things and we become MORE effective. People will change too....some people will grow with the Church and some will choose not to adapt and will opt for another experience. WE SHOULD NEVER BE SURPRISED BY CHANGE IN A GROWING ORGANIZATION.
The caterpillar can never become a butterfly if change doesn't occur! When we stop embracing change, we will likely become irrelevant and stagnant. The Bible teaches us of a God who instigates change in our hearts! The challenge of faith is to be in motion, like the wind of the Holy Spirit!
SEE YOU AT THE CHANGING PLACE THIS SUNDAY!
PC (Pastor Charlie)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
STANDING UP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Our family just returned from a week long vacation in Washington D.C. I must say every Jr. and/or Sr. High student (pretty much everyone) in our country should be required to visit our Nation's Capital and merely study the inscriptions upon each monument erected to those who have fought to preserve our history as American people. I think such a visit would curb some of the "America is an evil ogre" mentality which is taught in school.
God is given honor in nearly every single one! These references aren't simply vague references to mystical concepts, but inscribed to honor our Creator. It is quite clear they had the Bible in mind.
My favorite was at the Jefferson Memorial (pictured right). Under the dome, you read the words: "...I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Jefferson to Dr. Benjamin Rush, September 23, 1800
On another panel in the Memorial to Thomas Jefferson are these words: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. (Wow!) Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan."
No wonder America has achieved so much and experienced such great blessing in her short, albeit influential history. I believe God raised up men (and women) such as Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, etc. who were filled with such conviction to light the path for us all. Visiting Arlington National Cemetary and the War Memorials visually reminded us that the sacrifices continue today for these principles. The love these men had for the people and nation of America was profound and the honor they gave to God in their pursuits should serve as an example to us all.
The real question for us to consider: "Will we respond to God's call today?" Will we fall into the trap of hating America and each other? Will we stand by as the principles which have been preserved through the years by the blood of our forefathers fall? Will we stand up for God? Will we love each other enough to speak the truth?
How do we get there?? I believe the ONLY way is to be unified behind the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us! Let's reach as many as we can and make the largest impact we can possibly make. Let's become the "light of the world"!
Thoughts to consider!
Blessings
Charlie
Monday, May 17, 2010
LET'S BE REAL!!
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matthew 10:26).
We are in a message series at New Venture Church entitled "In Rhythm" where we are looking at the difference between our private self and our public self (the masks we wear). Last week, we discussed "Being Real". Church people DO fall into the trap of being hypocrites....a claim from non-Christians I really don't refute. Unlike non-Christians, we have the Bible as our guide and the Spirit of Christ as our power to be saved.
Often we try to hide from God and others. Here are some ways we do that:
1) Ignoring pleas/caution from the people who love us (often family and close friends) to get help for our problems.
2) Getting mad (anger is a tool we use to attempt to control someone) at people when we are confronted about sinful behavior by a brother or sister in Christ.
3) Leaving Church when the message doesn't fit my personal worldview...even though it is clearly a Biblical viewpoint. It is amazing how we enjoy personal comfort over the pursuit of God!
We are being challenged to BE the CHURCH. Yes, God takes us as we are, but it is NEVER his desire to leave us broken and in our sin. We are a NEW CREATION and the OLD IS PASSED away! Sometimes, we celebrate our sin and idolize our brokenness, instead of praying for real LIFE CHANGE! God is able to help us OVERCOME our sin and be healed of our addictions!
Let's be REAL.....some of us don't want to change! Be honest with God and yourself if you value rebellion, anger, pride, lust, etc, more than Christ!
Blessings
Charlie
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known” (Matthew 10:26).
We are in a message series at New Venture Church entitled "In Rhythm" where we are looking at the difference between our private self and our public self (the masks we wear). Last week, we discussed "Being Real". Church people DO fall into the trap of being hypocrites....a claim from non-Christians I really don't refute. Unlike non-Christians, we have the Bible as our guide and the Spirit of Christ as our power to be saved.
Often we try to hide from God and others. Here are some ways we do that:
1) Ignoring pleas/caution from the people who love us (often family and close friends) to get help for our problems.
2) Getting mad (anger is a tool we use to attempt to control someone) at people when we are confronted about sinful behavior by a brother or sister in Christ.
3) Leaving Church when the message doesn't fit my personal worldview...even though it is clearly a Biblical viewpoint. It is amazing how we enjoy personal comfort over the pursuit of God!
We are being challenged to BE the CHURCH. Yes, God takes us as we are, but it is NEVER his desire to leave us broken and in our sin. We are a NEW CREATION and the OLD IS PASSED away! Sometimes, we celebrate our sin and idolize our brokenness, instead of praying for real LIFE CHANGE! God is able to help us OVERCOME our sin and be healed of our addictions!
Let's be REAL.....some of us don't want to change! Be honest with God and yourself if you value rebellion, anger, pride, lust, etc, more than Christ!
Blessings
Charlie
Thursday, May 6, 2010
TERRORISM AND THE CHURCH
Some people are just so "hell-bent" on destruction and full of malice that they will sneak around with masks on and plant bombs when they think nobody is paying attention. They often look like normal people, but scheme in dark, secret places. These are people who will never go through the proper channels of diplomacy and civilized behavior, but will justify doing anything and saying anything to achieve their objective to destroy or kill the "infidel". Their demands are so ridiculous that they were rejected by law and decency.....so they turned to violence and propaganda as a means of control and fear. Confronting such persons is usually a waste of time, but as Christians we must always cling to hope.
Sounds like something from the Middle East, but disgruntled people who leave the church they once committed to support do these things every week in America.....usually after they stop giving to God, serving in the Church, and often even attending Church. If you hear someone tearing down another church, church member, or church leader by name, you must stop and wonder what kind of person would do that? You must also stop to consider the "fruit" of a person's life. In my 20 years of ministry experience, usually spiritual terrorists are people who were confronted about their sin as the Bible instructs us to do and so they got mad that they couldn't go around hurting people and defaming Christ with no accountability. The Bible clearly stands against gossip, so you know this behavior isn't from God....so from where does it come? Answer: the pit of hell!
Christ warned us that we would be "persecuted" and that the "enemy" is always on the job. Don't be collateral damage from a spiritual terrorist attack. Be firm and realize this is part of what Christ meant when he said we must "take up our cross and follow Him."
Hear the words of the apostle Peter:
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
(1 Pet 5:9-11 NIV)
Standing firm,
Pastor Charlie
(1 Pet 5:9-11 NIV)
Standing firm,
Pastor Charlie
Monday, May 3, 2010
GOSSIP
The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the Old Testament is defined as “one who reveals secrets, one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.” A gossiper is a person who has privileged information about people and proceeds to reveal that information to those who have no business knowing it. Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:
1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.
2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.
NOT GOSSIP:
1) Speaking directly to someone about their behavior. It is not gossip to go directly to someone and tell them they are doing something wrong. In fact, we have a duty to warn other believers about such behavior.
2) Taking information and twisting it or fabricating information. That is lying and slander...a whole other set of sins...also addressed in God's word!
In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws. Because they had turned away from God's instruction and guidance, He gave them over to their sinful natures. The list of sins includes gossips and slanderers (Romans 1:29b-32). We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath.
1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.
2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still gossip.
NOT GOSSIP:
1) Speaking directly to someone about their behavior. It is not gossip to go directly to someone and tell them they are doing something wrong. In fact, we have a duty to warn other believers about such behavior.
2) Taking information and twisting it or fabricating information. That is lying and slander...a whole other set of sins...also addressed in God's word!
In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws. Because they had turned away from God's instruction and guidance, He gave them over to their sinful natures. The list of sins includes gossips and slanderers (Romans 1:29b-32). We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath.
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