10.30.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 8:12 am by Gene Cornett
What a church is to be about is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The N.T. talks about that a lot. It doesn’t talk much at all about the kinds of things that occupy our time: decisions about meeting times, worship styles, business meetings and the like. If we doing that first part well, a lot of those details will fall into place. Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and all these other things will be added to you as well.
I have two recommendations for the body that I believe will help us to keep the main thing the main thing and not get so bogged down in the details, the machinery of church life.
One, we need to follow the leaders that the church has put in place to lead their various ministries: pastors, committees and deacons. When it comes to business meetings we need to follow those groups in this manner: Motions for action need to come primarily from these established leadership groups. I cannot enforce what I’m saying according to the constitution. Nor am I claiming that these leadership groups have always gotten things right. However, an individual member bringing an item of new business before the body on their own, is in greater danger of not being able to see the big picture and of bringing a motion that is a distraction away from what God is calling us to do. A leadership group has a greater chance of thinking through the larger ramifications of a motion and when they bring a motion it comes with greater credibility. So I’m asking, as your pastor at this moment, that members who feel that God is leading them to bring a motion to the body to first take it to the church appointed leadership group to which that issue would fall. A financial issue would go to the stewardship committee, personnel to the personnel, or a general church health issue either to the pastors or to the deacons. If that group hears your concern and believe that it needs to be brought before the body then that will be healthy. If they do not agree, and you still feel before God that such a motion still needs to be brought to the body, then by all means bring your motion, but in doing so let it be known that you have made an attempt to go through established leaders. It is my sense that the bringing of motions from individual members is often misunderstood and requires a lot of time on the business meeting floor to clarify. It is the sense of your pastors that it is these business meetings that are continuously getting us off track from the real business of the church and some are in fact leaving because of that reality. I would also encourage the body, that when you sense a motion being brought to the floor that should be handled at the committee level, that you promptly move to have it tabled to that group for study. The power remains with the congregation as a whole. But in general, this would be a far healthier way for the church to make decisions.
Second, there is a motion to be voted on next week (11/5/08) regarding a revote on the budget. I need to say a couple of things on that to put it in perspective.
The budget process led by the stewardship committee was in place for months, to include a church family forum. The stewardship committee was available for comment, and some members took the initiative to express their concerns to them. The budget was put out two weeks in advance of the business meeting. The personnel committee provided an unprecedented amount of information, far more than had ever been given. Beyond that, it actually took us two meetings to process the budget. The spreadsheet with all the salary information was out on the first business meeting. 8/20/08. That meeting ended with the personnel chair on the floor discussing that very issue. Some correction were made to the salary spreadsheet for the second meeting. We came back in the next meeting and discussed it further. That meeting was on 8/27/08 In that same meeting, a voting irregularity was noted and the body given an opportunity to revisit the issue. The body elected not to go back and revisit that. I have been reluctant to address this because of the appearance of being self serving. But the time for being concerned about appearances and perception has passed.
The church did its best to prayerfully adopt a budget. To try to undo that budget will be a distraction from the real work of the church creating confusion that could bog us down for months. Furthermore, it will un-fund two positions that have already been filled. It will ask a new stewardship committee who has other important work to do in this season, to redo last years budget close to the time when they need to be working on the budget for the new year.
Please pray that we can keep these conversations about the logistics of church business to a minimum so that all of us can give our full energy to the pursuit of our primary business, making disciples of Jesus Christ.
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10.20.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 2:11 pm by Gene Cornett
Believers have the responsibility to daily present themselves to God to be used in loving people to faith in him. However, there are events coming up at Seaford where we can work together to do this. Primarily, our weekly worship service is the most consistent opportunity. You can be involved in helping someone to Christ simply by consistently inviting friends to worship. Churches that grow tend to have very high percentages of their church body that do this weekly. Second, upward basketball season is fast approaching and there are many ways to be involved in that ministry. Third, our Christmas musical is always a great opportunity to invite guests.
In October, the personnel committee filled two positions based on the decisions of the church body in the August business meetings. They hired Kathi Hodge as the interim worship director and Lloyd Wiggins as the facility maintenance coordinator. Kathi is new to Seaford; Lloyd is an active member having joined Seaford in 2004. In addition to this action, the committee has completed work on a new personnel manual and will be introducing that to the full church staff in mid November.
The church health team has launched a church health survey, as requested by the pastor search committee. This survey will provide critical information to the search committee as well as provide important data to the current pastoral staff and other church leaders as we seek to follow God’s direction for our church. You can find out more information about this by reading the lead article in the October newsletter. You can also find that at There is a link to the survey on the main page of the church’s web site. www.sbc-va.org
The pastors are beginning a message series on the book of Nehemiah on Sunday, October 26th that will run through the end of November. There are fascinating themes in this book that parallel much of what is transpiring during this season at Seaford: specifically prayer, leadership, facing challenges proactively, engaging everyone in ministry, and worship.
The pastor search committee will be leading a church family forum during the mid week service on Nov. 12th. They are planning a highly interactive event with a combination of guided small discussion as well as large group collaboration. The purpose of this forum will be to discuss the new pastor profile.
We have had many first and second time guests over the course of the fall. It is everyone’s responsibility to help create a welcoming and nurturing environment for these guests whom God has entrusted to us. No one visits a church by accident, least of all Seaford. Aaron recently offered new training for greeters and is actively seeking to expand that ministry. We need greeters at every entrance and in the parking lot to assist in caring for those God is bringing to us. Please contact Aaron at the church office (898-5384) or by email awest@sbc-va.org if you would be interested in serving in this ministry.
Finally, after a three and half year wait, Kat and I leave for China on November 4th, to bring home our adopted daughter, Noelle Meiyuan. Thanks to so many of you who have prayed for us and encouraged us through this time.
Gene
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08.28.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 4:51 am by Gene Cornett
It seems to me that we could preach on the subject of relationships between the opposite sex every week and never lack for an audience that needs to hear the subject. Such relationships touch everyone, whether you are a young person, single, married, divorced, remarried or widowed. We’re planning to talk about dating relationships for both teens and singles, marriage relationships, finances in marriage, and blocks to intimacy in marriage, and of course, we’ll do this all from God’s word. This series will begin on Sunday September 7th. Will you commit to being here this fall as we pray and strive together to encourage and develop healthy relationships?
Beginning a new church year is a good time to remind ourselves that God calls us to be generous people. It doesn’t make sense to not follow God in this area and yet it is such a struggle for so many of us. Many have gotten their personal finances into such a mess that though they would like to give more generously they feel trapped. Others have questions about how the church’s funds are spent and wonder if those making financial decisions are doing so effectively. Some have said for so long that we are not doing well financially that that many have begun to believe that to an extent not warranted by the facts. I believe that as we are faithful to follow God, he will be faithful to provide the funds to do what he calls us to do. With my personal finances, I confess that sometimes I wish God would miraculously make my bills go away. Obviously, God does not always answer prayer the way we wish he would. Perhaps the struggle to trust God with everything related to our finances, both for our families and our church, is important.
Seaford is a diverse church. People look at giving in so many different ways. Some in the body give faithfully and sacrificially no matter what else happens. Some want to give like that but are so strapped in debt that can’t see how it is possible. Perhaps some think the church is not being wise with expenditures or staff and so are not giving, and I am sure there are some that are just stubbornly disobedient. Regardless of where you stand, will you pray with me about these matters? I believe with all my heart that individuals, families and the whole church will be healthier and more full of joy as more of us get into that first category of joyful givers. God says, test me and see (Malachi 3:10). Perhaps it is time for you to take God up on that challenge.
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08.05.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 8:57 pm by Gene Cornett
Here is the link to the 3 position descriptions recommended by the personnel committee which the church will vote on in the August 20th business sessions.
Click Here (PDF) - Interim Worship Director Position Description
Click Here (PDF) - Associate Pastor - Minister of Education and Outreach Position Description
Click Here (PDF) - Facility Maintenance Coordinator Position Description
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08.04.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 10:16 am by Gene Cornett
The Jerusalem church came under severe fire after a very public execution of one of its own members. See Acts 8:1-4. The persecution scattered the believers except for the apostles themselves. We are given no reason as to why the disciples stayed. What is important to note is that at least one member of this church, Stephen, so irritated the local authorities that he was stoned, executed. This would be the local Jewish authorities. It’s hard not to think that there is a challenge here for our church. Is there no one so provocative in our church to excite at least some ire, some persecution from outside? Some experienced a bit of this on the Lackey mission trip. Perhaps they would want to share something of their experience here.
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06.19.08
Posted in Bible Study, Gene Cornett at 2:58 pm by Gene Cornett
When there are many needs in a church body there is temptation to press people into more church involvement. However, the church needing help, or this or that program needing more support, is often an ineffective motivation that will not work for most. Most want to invest time, money and effort in what really matters. However, we are not always convinced that every church activity fits that criteria. We need to do some hard thinking about what a church is and does. It is easy for the church to become or for us to think of it as an activities center. That is not our purpose.
So, what is the right motivation for engaging in the ministry of the church? Jesus said to Peter in the context of a substantial conversation in Matthew 16:18 (ESV) “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” There is much that could be said about this verse, but I want to focus on this. Jesus said, “I will build my church.” (italics mine) The church belongs to Jesus. Likely, he was referring to all churches of all time, but the thought fits a local church like Seaford as well. This church, the people who make up Seaford Baptist Church, belongs to Jesus. We are his. He is the head of this church. Of the many implications of that statement, I want you to focus on this: How is Jesus calling you to engage in his church? The right motivation is following God’s call on your life, so our task is to discern, “what is God calling me to do through this church body?” For our ministry involvement to last, we must see it as an act of obedience and out of gratitude for God’s grace extended to us.
Ministry involvement is a much broader idea than the items that would get announced in this monthly newsletter or in the weekly bulletin. The ministry of Seaford Baptist Church is the collective output of every single member of this church as they scatter all over the world during the course of the week, seeking to authentically live out their faith in Jesus. With that definition of ministry, everything you do is potentially an act of ministry, as you seek to offer your life in service to God, doing everything that you do in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Everyone has the opportunity and the responsibility to engage in the world around them daily. However, it seems fair to say that all members should also engage in some identifiable ministry within the body as well. Most of us have come to expect Seaford to have high quality in our ministries, as well as a high quantity of ministries, and we expect it all to be creative and fresh to boot. For that expectation to be met requires us all. So if you are not involved, is that because that is the clear call of God on your life, or is it because of some other reason? (Keep in mind that our ability to rationalize is legendary.) The needs of the body are huge, but don’t engage because of the volume of work, or because you feel sorry for other volunteers, staff or pastors. Engage in ministry because that is God’s call for you and do it with all your heart.
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05.19.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 6:15 pm by Gene Cornett
I’m writing this article while sitting in the admissions office of Thomas Nelson Community College. It’s hard to imagine that Hannah is going to college. When our family came to Seaford in 1989, Kat was pregnant with Hannah. Just as our family has faced many joys and challenges and “yes,” even disagreements and conflicts over the years, so has Seaford Baptist.
One of the signs of health or disease in the life of a body is how it handles conflict. Conflict is inevitable and is not necessarily a sign of disease or even disunity. Ironically, a complete absence of conflict is not a good sign. Either no one cares enough to be passionate about an issue or leaders could be squelching dissent. Either way, it is not good. It is interesting to note how people handle those who disagree with them. I believe that one of the tests of a healthy family or a healthy church is how they handle conflict and how they handle those with whom they are in conflict.
On May 15, we had a church family forum to discuss several matters as a body trying to answer the question, “who are we?” Answering this question is an important part of the development process of a church in transition. The forum represents a healthy and positive way for us to address issues that might divide us.
During the course of this meeting, we discussed the following questions.
“Think of some people who have been active at Seaford for a long time. What has kept them active and involved?” A related question that we did not get to ask was “What excites you about your church?”
What is one positive thing you could say about people who hold an opinion opposite yours? What is one positive thing they could say about you?
What are the positive reasons for going to one service? For staying with two services?
Because of time constraints, we did not discuss the following question (I assigned it as homework.)
What stories in our church would you not want to tell a new member? Why not? These two questions could help us think about issues in our history that may need addressing in this interim time.
The report from the meeting was positive. Though not everything spoken was comfortable to hear, many of the body were able to share significantly. We discussed these questions around round tables, everyone had a chance to share in this small group environment, and each table chose a spokesperson who reported to the whole group. We posted the responses on the screen and then captured them for further reflection and prayer. You can see the responses to those questions here.
I would still like to receive your feedback on these questions so that we can hear from a broad base of people within the body. You can do that by sending your responses to me by e-mail, by commenting on the blog, or by writing them down and turning them in to the office.
On Wednesday evening, June 11 we will have a second Family Forum utilizing the same process and addressing another set of questions. I hope you can join us.
Gene
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04.22.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 6:21 pm by Gene Cornett
Unless you have not attended Seaford in the past three months then you know that we have had a lot more business meetings of late. Some of this is normal because there is a lot to discuss in this time of transition. For some years, we have operated with a business meeting once every quarter. However, at the business meeting at the end of March the church voted to conduct monthly business meetings.
It is my opinion that having more business meetings is not necessarily good or bad. What we do in these business meetings (or kingdom strategy sessions as I called them at our last meeting) will determine whether they hurt or help the church fulfill its mission. I have some concerns about how we are proceeding up to this point that I would like to share with you. Seaford follows a congregational system of church government, as do most Baptist churches, though there are some Southern Baptist Churches that use different models. A congregational system of church government means two things typically. One, such churches are autonomous—meaning there is no hierarchy that has authority over the local body. Second, every member has a vote in congregational decisions, as opposed to a group of elders making many of the decisions on behalf of the body.
However, as churches grow larger, they tend to move toward a more representative form of church government. It becomes impossible for such a church to discuss intelligibly all decisions that need making in an open business session. There are simply too many of them. This partially describes what has happened over the last fifteen years at Seaford. As the church grew, committees, elected by the church, made more of the decisions.
Some now feel that this development shifted too much authority into the hands of a few. I cannot address whether or not that is true in a newsletter article. However, if it is true, the healthy solution cannot be that all decisions now need full discussion in business session. One problem (there are others) is that if we continue on that path, it is difficult to see where it will end. There is a danger of moving to silly extremes, what constitutes “silly extremes” would differ from person to person. For instance, we could find ourselves debating the merits of leasing or purchasing office equipment, a discussion I witnessed in a business meeting in my earlier years at Seaford. It is my sense that many members at Seaford have little interest or tolerance for such discussions. A large majority of the now active membership at Seaford came to the church within the last fifteen years, during which time the church was not discussing such things openly. Theoretically, these church members trusted those given responsibility and authority to carry out those decisions to do so. It is my sense that many of these members are now growing uneasy with much of the discussion now taking place in our business meetings. To many of these church members these feel like a distraction from the real work of the church.
What is the solution? There is an interim nominating committee, elected by the church, and now working which will recommend a slate of officers and committee members in our August business meeting. We have a responsibility as a body to pray for them as they work and to come to that meeting prayed up and prepared to elect those we feel God has called into these positions. If church members have concerns about their choices then those members have a responsibility to share them at that time. However, once we elect these officers and committee members then we must trust them to do their work and should not in my opinion overturn their recommendations except in extreme cases. Otherwise, we will find ourselves mired in discussions that are divisive and driven by those who have the courage to make arguments in emotionally charged situations in front of many other people. Such a process largely eliminates the church hearing from our more quiet members.
We can effectively hear from a broader cross section of the church within family forums. Organizing such family forums into small discussion groups, which then choose a table captain to report to the large group, will generate far more opportunity for the body to hear from many church members. As we pray together and talk together, we should be able to more quickly reach consensus or be able to better define the big decisions we need to make as an entire body.
That said, our first family forum will be held Thursday evening, May 14th at 6:30 PM in the Family Life Center. We will then plan to hold a second on Wednesday evening, June 11.
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04.06.08
Posted in Gene Cornett, Sunday Sermons at 3:42 pm by Gene Cornett
This is a somewhat readable version of my written notes of the message I preached the morning of 4/6/08. I always forget how difficult it is to get these notes into readable format. If you heard the message live, then the there’s little new here in the first portion. You could scroll to point two and begin reading from there.
Of Gyroscopes and Gallop Polls
Part 2: A Firm Place to Stand, 1 Peter 1:3-12
We are in the middle of a series we are calling, Of Gyroscopes And Gallop Polls. After last weeks message I had a couple of our more engineering types give me some coaching on gyroscopes and gyroscopic forces. Gyroscopic forces are involved in keeping a bicycle moving in the right direction. The forward motion of the bicycle automatically steers its wheels underneath its center of gravity. Engineers use phrases like “gyroscopic precession” “steering and angular momentum.” But the point for us non engineers, which everyone would understand, is that when the bike is moving forward, its inertia tends to keep it moving forward, but you can’t balance the bike if it’s standing still.
The idea is that its far more healthy to live as if you have an internal gyroscope, and internal compass that keeps you moving in the right direction in spite of what external forces blow on your life. But the danger is that we humans are far more influenced by the environment around us than we care to admit. There is a danger that we are reacting to the opinions of others rather an internal gyroscope that keeps us in balance. We need to act more as thermostats rather than thermometers. We need to carry our own weather around with us.
This morning’s message is titled “A Firm Place to Stand.” it’s about being secure in your relationship with God. Knowing whether or not your faith in Jesus is real is about the most important question that I can think of. I can’t imagine something that is any more important than this. It’s been said that one of the jobs of a person preaching the gospel is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. In any group there are those who know that they do not have faith in Jesus, those who think they have a relationship with Jesus when they do not, those that worry they don’t have a relationship with Jesus when they do, and those who know and are confident that they are in relationship with Christ.
Each of us is in one of these categories. Obviously by far the most dangerous category is the second, those who believe that they are safely in God’s kingdom when in fact they are not. How can you know? Lets think about it like this. All of us have had the experience of traveling in a car to a place we have never been and not being completely confident that we are on the right track. Those with navigation systems in your car, I guess you never have this happen to you any more. Although sometimes navigation systems don’t always work like they are supposed to. Anyway, I’m guessing you’ve had the experience, especially in cities, where you get on an interstate, but you can’t tell right away if you are moving in the right direction. So you look for signs. If you are trying to get to Richmond, you know that you need to get on west 64. But you discover that you are traveling on east 64 you realize, “the signs are showing me that I am not on the right path.” However, if you get on at Ft. Eustis Blvd, and travel west, you see signs along the way, that say, 64 west. A couple of times along the way, you see signs, Richmond, 40 miles or whatever. You feel comforted, I’m on the right path.
So are there signs along the way in seeking to live in this life that show that you are in fact in relationship with Jesus. Once you are on that path, is it possible to mess up so badly, that you in fact take an exit ramp and get off on a different road?
I want to make the case to you this morning that you can experience security in Christ only by making consistent forward progress in the right direction. You may be secure, but if you aren’t moving in the right direction, then you wont experience it, you won’t have confirmation, you won’t live with much confidence, you won’t feel that you have a firm place to stand. Just like a bicycle simply will not operate if you do not keep moving forward, you will have no assurance that you are moving in the right direction if you do not continue to make forward progress. By forward progress, I mean that you are actually changing. Forward progress means that you see some evidence that what the Bible claims that happens in a believer’s life is actually happening in you.
We are in a series of messages on the epistle of 1 Peter. I believe that a major key to understanding this book is to remember that Peter is writing the book to exiles. They are people who are physically displaced, and who are out of sync with much of the rest of that society. There is a real sense in which they don’t belong. The encouragements and the challenges that Peter lays out in the passage, take on greater meaning and poignancy when viewed in that light.
It’s my prayer that in just a few minutes everyone in this room will have greater clarity as to which of these four categories that you are in. knowing your out, thinking you are in, when you are out, thinking you are out when you are in, and confident that you are in. How do we get into that last category?
To find a firm place to stand you need to . . .
1. Fight complacency by developing a greater future orientation toward faith
It is difficult to continue and impossible to thrive in the absence of hope. This is especially true when things are difficult. Without some expectation that things can get better it is hard to maintain forward motion. It helps us to face the pain of the present, if we know there is going to be a pay off down the road.
1 Peter 1:3-5 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Peter breaks out into spontaneous worship. He shows why in this long sentence, each phrase of which could take up a sermon in itself. God has caused us to be born again. This is God’s doing and it was an act of mercy. It was not deserved at all. God does this. It’s something only he can do. “Born again” is a vivid metaphor. It’s an excellent word picture that’s meant to haunt us, to work on us, we can never completely work it out in our mind, but thinking about it changes you. It sticks with you. The spiritual transaction of taking a person who has not had a relationship with Jesus to one who does is so dramatic it requires this vivid image, born again. Then we are born again, into a living hope. Born again, has an orientation largely at a fixed point in the past, though I do believe that salvation is a process. We are born again into a living hope. We can’t live without hope. But this isn’t just any hope, it’s real, it’s alive. One of the signs along the way that you are in Christ’s family is that you are experiencing some of this, a living, vibrant alive hope for the future. This all happened through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus resurrection accomplished this.
Verse 4 needs to be heard in light of the reality that Peter’s first readers were exiles, displaced and disassociated. There lives were characterized by a lack of anything permanent or rooted. Peter says to them, God caused you to be born again and He has brought you into an inheritance, (future oriented)—listen to his description of it—an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. In that time there were no banks as we know them, no FDIC, no currency as we understand it. Inheritances would have been more tangible: things that could spoil, fade, or be stolen. Peter lets them know that what they have in Christ cannot be taken away. This all was being kept in heaven for them— they are described like this—who by God’s power they are being guarded through faith. They were being guarded by God’s power. They were being guarded by God’s power. Will you just stop and worship God for a moment for that simple reality. if this has happened to you, if you have genuinely been born again, then you are, according to the authority of God’s word, being guarded by God’s power. You are being guarded by God’s power. for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. That’s still to come.
Why does this matter? I grew up with the very stark question often put to me, and I was taught to put the question to others. “Are you saved?” Saved meant, “are you are Christian”, “have you been born again”, “are you going to heaven when you die.” Very stark, very blunt. To understand the question you had to know something about the Bible. To many now, the question is completely nonsensical—saved from what? A boring sermon. A car wreck. A bad relationship. Saved from what?
The question “are you saved” gives the impression that it all happened in the past. But something is lost when we think of salvation as completely past tense, we lose any sense of the last judgment. This generates a lack of seriousness about the last judgment and I would have to say that seems to be the current orientation with most believers I know. I don’t hear anyone talking about the final judgment before God. It is not those who make a decision for Christ, (not a biblical term by the way), but those who stand firm to the end who will be saved. There is also a lack of tentativeness. In some cases there is almost too much security, or better said, we are too comfortable, there is too much apathy and complacency. Because we look at a relationship with Jesus as having made a decision for Christ in the past and being baptized, like, I got my card punched. I have a passport. I’ve registered for the draft. I got my shots, now I can just go on and not think about that. There’s little healthy awareness that there is a final judgment. There is little healthy doubt about, maybe I could have missed something, maybe I could be wrong. Is there any ongoing evidence that I really have a relationship with God?
Some of you are reading a book right now, much of which I think is probably good, because I hear a lot of you saying that it is helping. However, one of the things that it teaches is that you can actually have had this supernatural born again experience, that it could be real, that you could in fact be on the right road, but then could choose through disobedience to take an exit ramp and be lost. Those with a Wesleyan/Methodist background out of which Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have come, tend to believe that way. This belief creates a level of fear and seriousness that tends to keep people in line, at least for a while. The from the reformed tradition tend to take a view on the other hand of the perseverance of the saints, a teaching based on passages just like this one. If a person has genuinely been born again, if what is described as happening here in verse three has happened, then they are being guarded by God for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. That is a protection that is eternally effective. Praise God!
However, we may have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. Because there is no awareness of the final judgment and no healthy questioning, “am I sure I am on the right road?” “are there any signs that I have in fact been born again?” Because making a decision for Christ, praying a sinners, prayer, being baptized and having your name on a church roll somewhere is not the criteria. Those who endure to the end will be saved.
This greater future orientation gives you a sense of forward motion, it gives you a sense of purpose and sense of a goal toward which to move. It has nothing to do with earning your way into God’s favor, that is not it. But those who are healthy have an awareness that there is a final judgment coming, that salvation is not fully realized until that time and it is extremely prudent for everyone, everyone to keep a check on the signs, do I see the evidence that I belong to God?
You see when you live with this awareness then you can no longer pass off persistent sin as a casual matter. The ability to persist in what you know to be sin and just make excuses about it, whew. Serious business. The ability to persist in gossip. The ability to remain bitter. The refusal to forgive. Harboring of pride. O God have mercy on us.
To find a firm place to stand you also need to . . .
2. Expect the need to express strong faith because of extreme difficulty
1 Peter 1:6-9 (ESV)
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
In this you rejoice, “this” refers to the salvation of which he has been speaking, this salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. If this has happened to you, if you have been born again and if you are paying attention to what this all means, then you will rejoice in this. You will be a joyful person. That is one of the signs along the way. if there is an absence of joy in your life, then for God’s sake, check that out. Don’t go on blaming other people for your lack of joy? The implication of Peter’s words is that the medicine of salvation is so strong, that it will result in joy.
This he says is in spite of great difficulty. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary you have been grieved by various trials. The salvation, the reality of experiencing being born again into a living hope and the knowledge of an imperishable inheritance, and the knowledge that you are being guarded by God’s power for a salvation that is yet to be fully realized is so great, you will rejoice in that in spite of extreme difficulty. He makes this statement as a man who has known great difficulty and being fully aware of what is facing his hearers. He doesn’t use the word “grieved” lightly. He’s not talking about minor irritations. You have been grieved by various trials. Anybody here know a little something about being grieved by various trials?
This is so that, the tested genuineness of your faith . . . So that the tested genuineness of your faith. Your faith has to be tested, otherwise you won’t be able to withstand increasing difficulties in life. The reason these things are hard is because otherwise it wouldn’t be a test. It’s why if you are lifting weights, you add more weight to your repetitions over time. If it wasn’t difficult, it would not cause you to make any progress.
Your tested faith is one of the signs along the way that you are a genuine Christ follower. How well do you weather the storms of your life? When you are grieved by various trials what does that do to you? The fact that you are here, increases the likelihood that you are real. But there are certainly those who what they called “faith” in Christ was destroyed because they became disillusioned through hardship. Trials are coming. They will test your faith in God. But this is what you need. When you face these difficulties and you move through them with stronger faith, then that is a sign along the way that you are on the right road.
1 Peter 4:12 (ESV) 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
Near the end of verse seven Peter says, these trials are “so that the tested genuineness of your faith may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Still there is this future orientation. The goal is not just for you not to have a lot of faith. The goal is for you to hear God say to you, “well done good and faithful servant.” The goal is out in the future. The goal is to hear the commendation of God himself. Praise the Lord.
The challenge to faith continues in verse 8. “Though you have not seen him, you love him.” Peter had seen Jesus. He was drawing the contrast. Though you have not seen him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with joy. Here is another sign. Joy. Joy inexpressible and filled with glory. Why! because you are obtaining the outcome of your faith, you are receiving, you are in the process of receiving the outcome of your faith, the end goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Praise the Lord. The knowledge of that, the goal of your faith, when it’s understood for what it is, results in inexpressible joy. Is that your testimony? How can we gossip? How can we backbite? Show me a relational problem not addressed by inexpressible joy. Show me a unity issue in a church that could not be addressed if the parties involved were experiencing this inexpressible joy!
One last thing to help us to grasp this. To find a firm place to stand . . .
3. Never stop probing the full implications of the good news
I use the word probe on purpose. Probe, look with intensity, explore. Children are naturally curious and they love to explore. Either bugs or science of one sort or another fascinates many of them. Others love to take things apart and see how they work. We tend to lose this sense of wonder and curiosity as adults, to our great detriment. Look at this verse.
1 Peter 1:10-12 (ESV)
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
They looked. They searched and inquired carefully. They wanted to understand what they sensed God was telling them. They were searching about the grace that was to be experienced by those to whom Peter was writing. They were curious. They were trying to discover everything they could about it. They understood that it was something to come in the future, the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit. These things, Peter says, are things which even angels long to look. Angels long to look! In spite of all that they know, and you know they know the basics of the gospel. They know more than we do, at least in terms of the intellect. What would they lack? They can’t experience it. They can’t live out the implications of it. It is so great, so overwhelming, the implications of it are so great, they long, they long to look into it. O my goodness, how foolish and slow we are to believe.
Sometimes we act as if we have it all figured out, as if somehow we have exhausted the depths of the reality of our salvation. I am with Tim Keller who says, if we think we have it figured out, we don’t. We should still be amazed and intrigued and should be searching and thinking carefully to more fully plumb the depths of its full implications for our lives. Yes, more of it has been revealed now. But surely the prophets behavior here is something we should consider and be more diligent to pursue.
Conclusion
So what kind of signs are you seeing on the way? What clues are you receiving? Do you see evidence of your faith being tested and refined? Do you see evidence of transformation? What about hope? If you are not seeing signs that you are on the right path, then it is way past time to find out why that is.
If you do see signs then praise God. Be aware of the final judgment that keeps you having just enough seriousness about your life so you are able to allow the Holy Spirit to act as your own personal gyroscope, keeping your life moving in the right direction.
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04.05.08
Posted in Gene Cornett at 10:33 am by Gene Cornett
Many of you know that I am a book person. Kat has accused me of trying to take over our home with them, or trying to make the house look like a library. I’m still trying to figure out why that would be a problem. Anyway, one of the things that happens is that I acquire a lot of books that I’m convinced I must have for the sake of the kingdom of God! Sometimes, ok more than sometimes, a book gets shuffled to the background and I forget about it for a long time, or forever.
This morning I came across one of those as I was looking for something else. I read an idea that I couldn’t resist sharing. The book is, try not to yawn, “The Multiple Staff and the Larger Church” by Lyle Schaller. I know that many will want to navigate to Amazon’s home page and immediately purchase the book. But try to restrain yourself long enough, to finish reading this short note.
Schaller defines a large church as more than 1000 confirmed members or averaging more than 200 in attendance. This only accounts for 15% of Protestant churches in North America. In commenting on the differences in large churches and small churches, he makes this observation:
“The larger the congregation, the more important it is for all members to wear name tags every Sunday morning. One reason is to help members know one another by name. A second reason is to help members identify and welcome visitors. A third reason is that name tags have important symbolic value. They symbolize the acceptance of the fact that this is a large congregation that expects strangers to be present every Sunday, and the regular use of name tags represents a ‘Welcome, stranger! This is my name’ attitude by the members.” p. 20.
This makes sense to me. A good friend of mine is the pastor of a vibrant church in Chesapeake that is a bit larger than Seaford. I had forgotten, but reading this reminded me that they do this every Sunday. Permanent name tags are made up for members and posted on boards in their fellowship area, and arranged by their small groups. A side benefit of this is that there would be a visual reminder of who was not present on a given Sunday based on who didn’t pick up their name tag. This could potentially help us to better care for those who are absent.
What are your thoughts? Would you wear a name tag every Sunday? What about the reality that members would have permanent looking tags, while guests would have handwritten ones? (My pastor friend, always handwrites his own tag so that his looks like a guest tag)
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Gene
P.S. The last two books I’ve purchased are Roberts Rules for Dummies, per a request in the business meeting Wednesday evening and The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Phillip Jenkins. The later one is fascinating. I’ll try to stick with it and not forget it.
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