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The Heart of God's Man

11/30/2011

I have spent the past several weeks preaching through the book of 1 Thessalonians on Wednesday evenings at Fellowship. Tonight, Lord willing, I will finish a two part message on The Heart of God's Man, dealing with the 13 verses found in Chapter 3.

As you study this blessed book you find a genuine passion and zeal from the heart of Paul toward the church in Thessalonica. He established the church there, but was soon ran out of town by the religious crowd who were offended by His preaching of Jesus. (The preaching of Jesus is still offensive to many today, but we need men of God who will proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of adversity.) Even though Paul was absent from them in body, he still longed to be with them and was concerned with their spiritual well being. Even though he wasn't with them physically, he still had a burden for them and wanted to ensure their prosperity in the Lord.

1 Thes. 3:1-2
Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; [2] And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:

1 Thes. 3:5
For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

Now, one might read these verses and assume that Paul had just taken the easy way out. He knew the opposition he faced in Thessalonica, and on the surface it might appear that Paul was simply afraid to return to the city. When we study the life and ministry of Paul, we know that is certainly not the case. Paul was a man of great boldness and commitment. He did not choose to stay because he was afraid; he stayed in Athens alone for the good of the church. The man of God made a personal sacrifice for the benefit of the church. We can't begin to comprehend the lonliness that Paul felt as he watched Timothy disappear from sight as he made his way to Thessalonica. Paul longed to be there; he wanted to preach the Word to them; he wanted to encourage them in the faith, but he knew that he would benfit them more by staying away than by coming to them.

That certainly challenged my heart as a pastor. Would men of God today be willing to make such a sacrifice for the good of the church? I am grateful for some preachers that I love and admire. They have made a tremendous impact on my life and ministry. These men have given sacrificially of themselves for the good of the church. However, I fear that many preachers today are looking at ministry from the wrong perspective. Often their current church is viewed as only a stepping stone to the larger church they so long to have. Their work is nothing more than a vocation where they do their "duty" and recieve their pay.

Men, we cannot look at our calling from the eyes of the world. We are where we are, I hope, by the providence of God. He has not called us to a particular place of ministry to wish for something else. Our main objective is not to seek the next big thing that is available. God wants us to bloom where He has planted us, and if He chooses to move us that is His business, but we need to be acitve and busy where we are right now!

I thought of my pastor this morning, Rev. Bill Smith, as I looked at this passage. In October of this year, he celebrated 30 years as pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Taylorsville, NC. Bethel is a country church located about 10 miles from the nearest convenience. He has labored there all of those years as a bi-vocational pastor. I am sure that there have been times when he wanted to quit. Surely there may have been times when he wished for something else, but he stayed there because he knew that is where God had placed him and the Lord has blessed his ministry.

For me, that is the heart of God's man. It provides contentment when those around would find none. It creates a love and commitment to the congregation we are called to serve reagrdless of the number, talent, or financial status. God's man loves God's people because the Lord has placed that love within the pastor's heart.

Do you have a pastor that loves you and the church you attend? If so thank God for that man, becuase the Lord has enabled him to love you as he does. It wouldn't hurt to let your pastor know that you love him either. He may need a little encouragement today and you might just have the word that he needs to hear. I am grateful for my pastor. I would not be where I am today had he not loved me and preached truth when I needed it!

Preacher Chris

The Extraordinary among the Ordinary

11/28/2011

I don't how it is for everyone else, but Mondays are usually one of the most difficult days of the week for a pastor. I know that we don't minister in and of our own ability, but I always find myself reflecting on the past Lord's Day, going over the events of the day and wondering what I might have done differently. It is not up to me to generate or create "results" at the house of God, but for some reason I am prone to feel a bit down on Mondays.

Typically Mondays are uneventful. By that I mean I usually don't have a lot planned for Mondays. I like to spend the bulk of that day in the study, making preparations for the coming Lord's Day. If we aren't careful, especially on a day like Monday, we will pass through those days without taking the time to reflect upon the Lord as we should. In our daily routines we fall into a rut of normalcy and fail to recognize the hand of God in our lives. In fact, when we consider the span of our lives there are a lot more normal, routine days than there are the spectacular and memorable ones.

But I want to remind us that even in the midst of those normal, average days, our Lord is still there and He still cares for us. I suppose sometimes He wonders why we don't think of Him or recognize Him more often than we do. We get so wrapped up in living that we fail to honor the Giver of life. We may be so busy going through our daily routines that we fail to remember that He is the one who gave the strength we needed to face whatever our day brought forth. Even when we are unaware, we enjoy His provision in our lives.

Consider the words of Paul spoken at Mars Hill. Acts 17:22-28
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. [23] For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. [24] God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; [25] Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; [26] And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; [27] That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: [28] For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Clearly he was astonished that they recognized the presence of God in their lives, but never came to the realization of who He really was. They worshipped an Unknown God. We don't worship an unknown god, but the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sin upon the cross of Calvary. He is near to us even now. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. That is a profound thought isn't it? Even when we are unaware of His nearness, He is there. The lives we live, the breath we breathe, it all comes from the Lord. So, on an average, ordinary Monday, take the time to recognize the Lord we serve and the extraordinary benefits we receive from Him!

Preacher Chris

When all is Said and Done - Part 2

11/26/2011

Yesterday we began a discussion on a lot more being said than done. "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done." You will have to admit that this speaks of the day in which we live. In fact, it likely summarizes the majority of our churches. We talk a lot about evangelism and the need for missions, but most are unwilling to engage the culture around them for the cause of Christ. We talk about how much we love our church, and might even ask a close friend to attend with us, but what have we actually done to prepare for the services tomorrow? Have we spent time with the Lord in prayer? Have we read from His Word? Have we lived a life this week that reflects the Lord we serve? Have we studied our Sunday School lesson? Are you even planning to attend Sunday School in the morning? Is Christ the priority or just a portion of our lives

You see, there is a lot being said, but very little getting done. It is time to back up our words with genuine, heartfelt actions. It is time to quit discussing the needs and address them. It is time to move from simply talking about the issues and actually doing something about them.

So, if we are to accomplish more than idle talk, how do we go about it? Well I'm glad you asked. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it is a great start. We must seek to accomplish these basic elements if we are to be doers rather than just talkers.

1. Honesty - If we are to move from talking to doing we must be open and honest with where we are. We have to be willing to admit that we need to be doing more than we currently are. It is a hard prayer to pray, but we need to pray as David did. Psalm 139:23 - Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: Ask God to search your heart and reveal those areas that need attention. Ask Him to speak to you and show you what and where you need to serve.

2. Confession - Once God has shown our need, we need to confess it before the Lord and repent of it. We will never move to a state of needful activity until we repent of our complacent inactivity.

3. Prayer - I cannout emphasize the importance of prayer enough. If we are to accomplish anything of lasting value, we need the Lord's help. If we are to possess His presence and power, we must seek Him in prayer. Ask God to help you be a doer of His Word. Ask Him for the strength and confidence you need to stand and testify of His goodness. Ask the Lord to open doors of opportunity to serve Him. We will continue to talk more and do less until we are willing to talk to God first.

4. Participation - I know that sounds simple, and it is, but we just need to do the things that we already know to do. You will never accomplish anything for the Lord if you are unwilling to participate in His work. We must be willing to step out and do the things He desires of us!

5. Anticipation with Attitude - I say that with respect and honesty. I am not implying that we develop a careless or arrogant attitude, but that we fully expect God to use us for His glory. We ought to anticipate God to do the impossible and approach our work for Him with that attitude. We would do a lot more than we currently do if we really believed that God was completely in charge. We need to learn to trust Him and expect Him to move in our lives and circumstances. If God has put something on your heart in regard to serving Him, He will provide all that you need to accomplish that task. Serve Him with anticipation, fully expecting a positive outcome!

I pray that we will seek the Lord and His grace in our lives to move out of our comfort zones into the field of service. When all is said and done, there ought to be more done than said.

Preacher Chris

When all is Said and Done - Part 1

11/25/2011

As I traveled to mother's house yesterday for Thanksgiving I passed a church in the area that I hadn't been by in a good while. They usually have a thought provoking phrase listed on the sign in their front yard. The one yesterday was about being thankful, and surely we should, but it stirred my memory of a phrase they had listed a couple of years ago.

At one time their sign read, "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done." I have thought of that many times since and was reminded again yesterday. In fact those thoughts were on my mind as I went to sleep last night.

Would we not have to admit that in the typical Baptist church, and very likely most others as well, that there is a lot more being said than there is being done? We are well aware that masses of humanity are lost and undone without Christ, in desperate need of salvation. We talk of the need for their salvation, but what are we doing to reach them? We talk about church attendance being down from years gone by, but what are we doing to increase attendance? We talk about our concern for the generation of our young people. We will even complain about the music they listen to, the clothes they wear, the attitudes they have, and yet we are doing very little to influence them or make a positive impact in their lives. Talking and complaining about the needs of our day simply isn't getting the job done!

And while I am here, I might as well address this problem among preachers as well. To my own shame I will have to admit that many times I have done a lot of talking, but very little doing. The Lord has spoken to me in this regard. Pastors love to talk about Sunday School attendance being up from a previous time, but what are we doing to maintain those numbers. We love to talk about great services of the past, but have we spent time in our prayer closets with a burden for this Lord's day? We can get real passionate when we discuss the modern movement of liberalism that is sweeping through our churches, but other than a passionate discussion, what are doing about the need for our society and nation to return to the Lord? We like to talk about messages that we preached in the past and even how the Lord used it, but is there a message burning in our hearts for Sunday morning? Do we genuinely feel as if we have a word from the Lord and a burden to share that word? I fear, that even among the average pastor, there is a lot more being said than there is being done. I don't want to be a talker; I want to de a doer! I will have more about this later, but consider that thought today. "When all is said and done, there is a lot more said than done."

James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Preacher Chris

Happy Thanksgiving

11/24/2011

I just wanted to stop by for a quick post to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving today. We are so blessed and I am truly thankful for all that the Lord has given me. I hope that your day is filled with the joy of great food, love and fellowship with family and friends, and a genuine heart of thanksgiving.

We have a busy day planned here. It has become a "tradition" at our house to decorate the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving morning. We will enjoy a great meal with our family later on today. If you have never eaten deep fried turkey, you are missing one of the best southern ways of preparing a turkey. Mom makes the best dressing and gravy in the world and I can't wait to sit down and have some!

Well I suppose I need to get started so that we can be on time for supper. (That is what we call the evening meal.) Have a great day in the Lord.

Thankful for the Church!

11/23/2011

As I consider Thanksgiving and all the many blessings that the Lord has given me to be thankful for, one of the blessings that I am truly thankful for is the church that I have been called to pastor. Clearly we are not a perfect church. There are areas that we could improve, but our congregation is very loving and seems to go out of the way to make folks feel welcome and a part of our services, even if they are a guest.

As their pastor I can testify to their goodness to me and my family. They continually meet our needs and seek to help us in any way they can. I am constantly reminded by conversations, phone calls, cards, e-mails, and text messages, that they are praying for me. I feel truly blessed to be the pastor of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. I love what God has called me to do, the work He has placed me in, and I am looking forward, with great anticipation, to what He has in store for us.
(So, to all of the Fellowship folks who are reading this post, thank you for all you do. It is an honor and privilege to serve you!)

As I thought about the blessings of the church, I was reminded of a poem that I had saved from years ago. It was published in a small publication, The Harvester, that I used to get on a regular basis. (Does anyone know if it is still being printed?) Anyway, it seems that in our modern society more people are discontented with the church. I fear that many are seeking a reason to leave rather than seeing the blessings of God in the church with a desire to serve the Lord and remain committed to it. We desperately need to love the church, support it, pray for it, and be in our place when the doors are open.

If there are things about your church that you are not quite pleased with, consider the thoughts of this poem and it might change your perspective.

The Perfect Church

If you should find the perfect church
Without one fault or smear,
For goodness sake! Don't join that church;
You'd spoil the atmosphere.

If you should find the perfect church
Where all anxieties cease
Then pass it by, lest joining it
You'd mar the masterpiece.

If you should find the perfect church
Then don't you ever dare,
To tread upon such holy ground;
You'd be a misfit there.

But since no perfect church exists
Made of imperfect men,
Then let's cease looking for that church
And love the church we're in.

Of course, it's not a perfect church,
That's simple to discern
But you and I and all of us
Could cause the tide to turn.
                                                                                    Anonymous

May we quit looking for the perfect church and love the one we're in. Thank God for the church; love it; and be active in it!

Psalm 122:1
     I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.



Preacher Chris

Give Thanks unto the Lord!

11/21/2011

We are all well aware that we are heading into the Thanksgiving season this week. It is a time that I truly enjoy and am thankful that we have a day set aside for Thanksgiving.

No doubt most Americans will observe Thanksgiving on Thursday. Most I'm sure will have a measure of thanksgiving in their hearts during that time. We would all have to agree that we have been blessed beyond measure. However, I wonder how many will be truly thankful unto the Lord? Many will be thankful for their families, their homes, their health, their jobs, and various other things that bring joy to life, but most will probably not recognize or admit that it is God who has sent each and every one of those blessings.

I think it would be safe to assume that most who visit this blog are Christians, or at least, church going people. I am likely preaching to the choir, but we too need to be reminded of the goodness of God in our lives. We often get so busy and wrapped up in our day to day lives that we fail to recognize God as we should. As we go throughout the remainder of the week, may we be especially thankful for all that God has done for us.

I am reminded of the saying that I heard some time ago. "What if the only blessings we enjoyed today were the ones we thanked God for yesterday." Most of us would probably be short on blessings today. Praise Him today for all He has done!

1 Chron. 16:34
    O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 140:13
    Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.
Col. 1:12
    Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Heb. 13:15
    By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Preacher Chris

Who am I?

11/19/2011

1 John 4:9-10
    In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. [10] Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:19
    We love him, because he first loved us.

Have you stopped to consider the love of God lately? His love is simply amazing! As I ponder the love of God, I have to ask, "Who am I that God would love?" Prior to a relationship with Christ, I really didn't know love. Long before I ever realized my need for Christ, long before I ever accepted Him as my Savior, He loved me.

No greater love has ever been known than the love of God.  He manifested, or revealed, His love to us by sending His only begotten Son to die for our sin, so that we might have life in Him. God loved us enough to send Christ as the propitiation for our sin. That means Christ came as "the payment, as an appeasement for sin, as the Sacrifice that fully satisifed the righteous demands of God."

Were it not for the love of God and the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, we would all yet be hopelessly lost. We would still be alienated from God and condemned by our sin. We cannot possibly comprehend the fulness of God's love, but I am certainly thankful for it!

We are also reminded that we love God only because He first loved us. Had God not shown His love, in the sending of His Son, it would be impossible for us to love God. We love Him becuase He first loved us.

Aren't you glad that God loved us even though He knew us? He knew our sin; He knew our failures; He knew that even after we were saved that we would still have moments that we give into the temptations of the flesh and sin, and yet He still loved us. In fact, He continues to love us! The God of heaven who is Self-existent and dependent on no one or nothing loved me and He loved you. That surely ought to create an attitude of worship within us. I pray that we will attend His house tomorrow reminded of His love and possess a genuine desire to return that love through our unhindered worship. We could never love as He loves or repay Him for what we received through His love, but we can offer our love to Him in worship. That would be pleasing to our Lord. Don't you want to please Him after all He has done for you? Worship Him and make Him the priority of your life!

Preacher Chris

The Plumbline of Truth

11/17/2011

I was pondering a few verses found in the Old Testament book of Amos. He is one of the "minor prophets." That simply means that the book of Amos is shorter in length, than Isaiah, Jeremiah, or some of the others, but it is not minor in content. Even though the book is shorter, God's Word is not deminished in the books of the minor prophets.

I was thinking today of a couple of verses found in Amos 7: 7-8.

    Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. [8] And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

Here we find Amos being shown the Lord standing with a plumbline in His hand. The plumbline is a simple and yet effective tool that is used in construction and land surveying. Prior to my call to preach I worked in land surveying. We would use the simple plumbline to gain a point of reference by which other measurements would be taken. The plumbline is simply a pointed weight with a string attached to it, so that one can create a definite point of reference or judge the accuracy of a wall or structure, how plumb it is. By that I mean, it is used as a check to ensure that the wall remains perpendicular to its foundation and doesn't sway in or out as it is built.

Amos sees God holding a plumbline. He is standing on a wall measuring its accuracy. So, what can we discover in this passage. Notice first of all:

1. God's Perfection - He is the One holding the plumbline. He has come to inspect what the people were building, in essence their lives. God has established a holy standard by which all men are judged.

We live in a society that embraces an "anything goes" mentality. There seems to be no clear definition of wrong or right. Many live by the philosphy: if it feels good, do it.

God stands with the plumbline in His hand. We are not judged by what society embraces or deems acceptable, but the holy standard of God.

2. God's Perception - It is interesting that God is standing on a wall that was built by a plumbline, but He too has a plumbline in His hand. This wall was built to a standard acceptable to the builder, but it wasn't God's standard. To them it likely looked fine, but God saw the corruption and inaccuracy of this wall.

Humanity may live a life that they believe is acceptable, but in the end God will judge it by His standard. The world may approve and you may think that all is well, but how does God perceive your life!

3. God's Precision (8) - Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: God held all of Israel to the same standard. He didn't have one set of rules for the elite or wealthy and another set for the poor and needy. All were judged according to His righteousness.

Today the plumbline of God is extended from the pulpit to the pew; it includes the church as well as those who live among the world; the rich and the poor; the educated and uneducated; all are measured by His standard. How do our lives measure up to God's plumbline of truth? Are will building lives that He would approve or are we building by the world's standard?

In closing, God's standard is absolute perfection, complete righteousness. Mankind does not possess the ability to achieve that standard apart from God. Our only hope is to have the righteousness of Christ applied to us through salvation in Him. If you are building your life upon the Rock, according to His will, it will be acceptable to God. If you are building upon your own merit and abilities, you will never reach the standard that God demands. How does He view the life you are building?

Preacher Chris

Patience in the Faith.

11/16/2011

In my study time this morning I was reminded of an interesting verse in 1 Peter. He has spent a great deal of time dealing with our everday lives as Christians and then Peter mentions something that I often have a difficult time with. Consider:

1 Peter 2:20
    For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Isn't that profound? We typically have no problem being corrected or rebuked when we have made a mistake. We can usually handle that pretty well and with a certain measure of patience.

The difficult aspect of this verse is in the later part. What if we are rebuked and mistreated when we are seeking to serve the Lord and doing the best we can to live right? That is when most of us will get angry and maybe even have a little "pity party." Peter reveals that if we can handle reproach with patience when we are doing well, then we have pleased the Lord.

Harsh words and hurt feelings come with the territory when serving the Lord. I know that we have all had those times when we felt pretty good about our walk with the Lord and someone came along and poured cold water on us, so to speak. It is then that we must restrain the desire to lash out and continue on in patience. That is what the Lord desires and we ought to seek to be more like Him.

By the way, if anyone has ever suffered for their well doing and took the rebuke patiently, it was the Lord. Acts 8:32 - The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: Surely if our Lord could endure the cruelty of the cross and the suffering it brought with patience, we can endure those things that come our way with the same attitude.

Let us serve the Lord with gladness as we seek to be more patient and loving to those around us.

Preacher Chris

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I am Chris Benfield, pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Boonville, NC. Here you will find some of my thoughts, particularly relating to the church and serving our Lord.

The Heart of God's Man

The Extraordinary among the Ordinary

When all is Said and Done - Part 2

When all is Said and Done - Part 1

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful for the Church!

Give Thanks unto the Lord!

Who am I?

The Plumbline of Truth

Patience in the Faith.

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