Baptist City Blog

What Makes You So Different?

Judges 11:6

"And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

The story from the verse above is interesting in the fact that Jephthah was not originally wanted by those whom he eventually led. Jephthah was the son of a harlot. The people in his home town did not want him because he represented something for which they did not want to be known. However, the Scriptures say that Jephthah was "a mighty man of valour." This attribute of Jephthah was eventually the key that caused him to be wanted from his people.

The Ammonites declared war against Israel, and Israel had no one to lead them. It is amazing that the person who came to their mind was Jephthah. Though they originally cast him out because he was the son of a harlot, they now wanted him because he had something that they needed. The attribute of his valour is what caused these people to want his leadership.

This is one of the greatest secrets to life. No matter what your background is, you can get people to follow you if you have something they need. When you have something different than everyone else, then that will cause people to want to know you. If you know something that someone else does not know, and something that they want to know, then they will allow you to lead them so you can teach them what they do not know. If you know someone whom people want to know, then they will allow you to lead them so they can know that person as well. If you have something that people want to have, then they will follow you so they can learn how to get what you have. This is one of the greatest things that divides successful people and organizations; they have something that others would like to have.

Why should people come to your church? What makes your church so different than others? Just because you have a church and stand for the truth doesn't mean that people will come; however, they will come if there is something different about your church that they would like to have. I am not talking about compromising what you believe, but there must be something that stands out about your church that draws people to stay. Your friendliness should be friendlier than any other church in town. Your sermons and Sunday school lessons should be more helpful and relevant than any other church in town. Your spirit should be happier and more attractive than any other church in town. When your church has something that others churches do not offer, then you will find that people will want to come to your church.

Furthermore, if you personally offer something that others cannot offer, then they will allow you to lead them. If you would learn to increase your knowledge in many areas, then you would find that you would have knowledge that others do not offer. If you would hone a skill, then you will find that you have something that others do not offer. If you would get a great attitude that others want to be around, then you will find that people will want to follow you. The key to advancement in any field or ministry is to have something that others want so that they will follow you.

I challenge you not to settle for the status quo. I challenge you to acquire something in your church, ministry, marriage and personality that others do not have. Whether it's something you know, or someone you know, or something you have, this is what causes people to want to follow you. The whole reason to get people to follow you is to be able to point more people to Christ. Begin your journey today to acquire something that others don't have so they will allow you to lead them to become what Christ wants them to become.

The 4/14/13 FBC Hammond bulletin is now up at www.baptist-city.com.

• You Can Live in a Skyscraper
• Prepare But Don't Plan
• Get To Know God
• Wow, How, Mock

These four sermons for the week of 4/07/13 are now yours to enjoy at www.baptist-city.com.

Using a Faulty Compass

Leviticus 18:24-25

"Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants."

I remember a story from years ago how Dr. Lester Roloff and Dr. Jack Hyles flew to a revival meeting together. Dr. Roloff flew his own plane, and Bro. Hyles rode with him on the trip to their meeting. Somehow Bro. Roloff got off course on his flight. He couldn't figure out why his instruments were not working. After much analysis he found out the cause of his problem. He had a small metal can on the dash of the airplane, which altered the heading instrument. The instruments worked off magnetic headings, and with a metal can on the dash, the compass gave him a false reading. Literally, the faulty compass led them off course.

There are many in Christianity today who use a faulty compass to measure morality. They look at how wicked the world is, and they surmise that they are not as bad as the world. Their compass for morality becomes the morality of the world. The mistake they make is that they should be using the Scriptures as their moral compass. It really doesn't matter what the world will and will not justify, the only thing that matters is what the Scriptures say.

In Leviticus 18, God sets the moral compass for the Christian. Though these moral laws were initially given to the children of Israel, God never changed them. God expects the Christian to live by these laws of morality. When you read the list of sins God doesn't want us to commit, you will see some very disgusting sins. In fact, God says that these sins are the very sins that caused other nations to fail. These sins eventually led to their destruction. This list includes the sins of adultery, sodomy, prostitution and many other horrible sins. The nations before Israel legalized these sins, and their acceptance of them led to God's judgment. God commanded Israel not to use these other nations as their moral compass.

God also shows how to keep from committing these sins. When you look at the beginning of the chapter, you will find that God uses the word"nakedness" several times. God told Israel in order to avoid these horrible sins you go to the root of the problem and avoid seeing nakedness in your personal home and society. "Nakedness" is defined as anything above the knee. This was not just a command to the women, but also to the men. God told them that they would be able to keep morality in their nation and homes if they would avoid seeing "nakedness" at home.

Christian, don't use the world as your measuring stick for morality. The world is a faulty compass. Just because you are home doesn't make it right to be indecent. You need to make sure that your children are always decent. Decency should be expected in your home. This keeps the home from losing its morality. I am not just talking about decency in what you wear, but I am also talking about decency in what you see. Be careful that you don't have one rule for decency in what you wear, but another rule for decency in what you see.

Just because your measure of decency is not as bad as the world's, it is still wrong if your measure of decency doesn't match God's compass for decency and morality. I encourage you to take a good look at what you allow yourself to see and wear. Always remember that the world is a faulty compass by which to measure your decency and morality. Decency and morality should only be measured by the true compass of the Word of God. If your compass is different from God's Word, then you have a faulty compass. A faulty compass in life will lead you to an undesirable destination. Let God's Word be your compass, and It will lead you to the destination of decency, morality and true happiness.

"While Obama is parading the parents of these Newtown kids everywhere and urging them to speak to everybody, the victims from Benghazi are still being told to be quiet, to shut up, to not ask anymore questions." -Rush
 

A Sacred Position

Leviticus 8:2-3

"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

In the Scriptures, the office of the priest was a very sacred position. There were several qualifications a person had to meet before they could be a priest. In the verses above, God set aside Aaron and his sons to fill the priesthood. When this great event happened, God told Moses to gather the congregation so they could see the great detail God had for the priest. This event was to show the children of Israel the sacredness of this position.

Though today the office of the priest in the tabernacle has been done away with, I still believe that we can look at that position and realize it can symbolize the office of the pastor. Though the Scriptures teach that every believer is a priest, and that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, I also believe that God wants us look at this illustration and see how we should treat the office of a pastor.

The priest was the representative of God to the people of Israel. Likewise, the pastor is the representative of God to the local New Testament Baptist church. Because of this, I believe we should not treat that position lightly. Let me give you some thoughts about how we should treat this position.

You will notice that God wanted the congregation to see the ordaining of Aaron and his sons. I believe this was to show the families of Israel how important the position was that Aaron and his sons held. The office of the pastor should not be treated lightly. Just like it was the responsibility of the parent to bring their child to see Aaron ordained as priest, I believe you also should make sure your child understands the sacredness of the office of pastor. Parents must be careful about tearing down their pastor with words. So many parents wonder why their children have no respect for the church or the pastor, but they tore him down every Sunday on their way home from church. What do they expect? You must make sure that your children hear you saying positive things about your pastor. Pray for your pastor with your children. Let your children hear you praise the sermons the LORD gave him. Let your children do special things for their pastor. I am not trying to lift up a man, but I am trying to lift up the position. Every Christian needs to be careful to treat the office of the pastor with the sacredness it deserves.

Furthermore, pastors should not take their position lightly. You should not use your position to abuse people. You must understand that when you abuse your position, you turn people off from Christianity because in their mind you represent God. Many people don't separate the actions of their pastor from God. Though this is wrong, this is simply a fact. As a pastor, God will hold you accountable for how you treat your position. God killed Nadab and Abihu when they didn't treat their position and duties as they should, and God will hold every pastor accountable for how he conducts himself in the sacred position.

Finally, let's be careful not to attack every preacher for the actions of a few. Though a few men may have abused their position, most men of God treat their position with dignity and respect. Be sure that your family understands the importance of this position by how you treat your pastor and honor his position. The best way to do this is to daily pray for your pastor with your family.

Three Keys to a Happy Life

Exodus 22:1

"If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."

Happiness is not a possession that can be bought or obtained, but happiness is a result of actions performed. This world is constantly trying to find the key to happiness, but they avoid the very thing that tells how to have happiness which is the Word of God. The world often thinks that happiness is obtained through possessions, when the Scriptures teach that happiness comes as a result of doing something right. You will notice the difference between the two ways is that the world's way to obtain happiness is through selfishness, and the Scriptural way to obtain happiness is through unselfishness.

In the Book of Exodus, God gives the laws by which man should live. God wants man to be happy, so He gave them laws by which to live so they could have happiness. If anyone should know how we can be happy it should be God, because He is the One Who created us. God categorizes His commandments into three areas, which in these three areas are the three keys to happiness. Let me show you these three keys.

The first category of laws that show the keys to happiness are the laws of spirituality. God teaches in His Word that you will never be happy without having a right relationship with Him. The laws of spirituality are simply laws which show how mankind can have a right relationship with God. You can try every other way to be happy, but you will not find it until you make sure you serve the LORD. You may think that God has too many rules by which to live, but those rules are the very key to having a right relationship with Him. If you want true happiness in your life, then you MUST make sure that your relationship with God is right.

The second category of laws that show the keys to happiness are the laws of morality. These laws show you how to live with yourself. Being moral is more than just being right with God. Morality is living in such a manner where you can live with yourself. The laws of morality are there to help you to not to have regrets later in life. Christian, the Devil may try to trick you into believing that losing your morality is where you find true happiness and fun, but the Devil never shows what the person's life is like when the season of sin is over. Living a moral life is important so that you can be at peace with yourself. If you live an amoral life, you will find that regrets will constantly nag you for the remainder of your life. If you want true happiness, then you must live a moral life.

The third category of laws that show the keys to happiness are the laws of civility. These laws show you how to live with others. In Exodus 22, God goes into great detail on how to treat others right. This is simply being civil with each other. When you treat others right, you will find that you can happily live with others.

Summarizing the keys to happiness simply comes down to this, having a right relationship with God, others and yourself. You will find that these three keys result in happiness. If you get one key wrong, then all keys will be wrong. All three must be right to find true happiness in life.

I Can't Believe You Would Do That

Exodus 32:21

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?"

Has someone you loved and respected ever done something that you couldn't believe? That is exactly what Moses felt about Aaron when he allowed the children of Israel to build a golden calf. While Moses received the commandments from God on Mt. Sinai, Aaron was supposed to care for the children of Israel. Because Moses had been on the top of the mount for so long, the children of Israel asked Aaron to build them a new god. The new god he built was a golden calf. When Moses came down from the mount, he saw the people dancing naked around this calf. Apparently, Moses thought the people must have forced Aaron to do this because he said, "What did this people unto thee,..." Moses never thought that Aaron was capable of committing this great sin.

The older I get, the less I am surprised when good people fall in sin. I have watched people who have a great respect for someone excuse someone's sin away, or cover their eyes when they compromise. In their heart they are like Moses, they don't believe this person whom they love and respect would ever do what they were accused of or what they actually did. Let me give you some thoughts about this subject.

First, anyone is capable of any sin. You must realize that everyone is a sinner. Because everyone is a sinner, then that means everyone is capable of committing any sin. Just because you love and respect a person does not put them above sin. If I were to tell you some of the things I've heard good people do, you would be shocked. At best we are all sinners; therefore, we are all capable of committing any sin.

Second, nobody made them commit their sin or compromise. Let me make this clear, everyone has a will with which they can do whatever they want. Nobody makes a person commit sin. When they sin, they chose to sin. Don't fall for the trap of blaming their sin on health or tough circumstances. Everyone chooses to sin; therefore, it is their own fault.

Third, don't justify their sin when you find out about it. Herein is one of the greatest mistakes I see people make. Because we love someone dearly, we will justify their sin and make it sound as if their sin is not really a "bad" sin. Let me make this clear, all sin is bad sin. In our attempt to justify in our minds why someone committed a sin, we will water down sin for the sake of keeping a person on the pedestal we set them upon in our minds. The worst thing you can do is to justify a person's sin. When you justify sin, you are setting them up for greater sin.

Last, realize everyone is human. I make this statement for two reasons. First, don't build anyone so big that you will fall for the trap of excusing their sin away. Second, when someone you dearly love and respect sins, don't attack and kill them, rather try to restore them. If you are not careful you will lose faith in people, and become suspect of everyone. That is not a good attitude to have. If you will realize people are human, then that will keep you from setting them higher in your estimation than you should, thus keeping you from trying to destroy them when they fall. Just remember, sin affects everyone, including you.

Keeping Your Salvation Fresh

Exodus 13:3

"And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten."

The greatest day of anyone's life is the day they were born again; the day they accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Once you get saved, one of the greatest tasks you will have is to keep it fresh each day. You don't ever want your salvation to become stale. I have watched many Christians let their salvation become stale when they could have kept it fresh and exciting. Let me show you several things from Israel's deliverance from Egypt that will help you to keep your salvation fresh.

First, remember the day you got saved. In the verse above it says, "Remember this day,..." Do you remember the day you got saved? I remember that day very clearly. It was June 21, 1973. My dad was out soul winning, so that night my mother gave the family devotions. I asked my mother after the devotions were over, "Mom, can you show me how I can go to Heaven? I don't want to go to Hell." She sent my brother and sisters to bed, and she showed me that night how to get saved. After she was done showing me the Scriptures on salvation, I knelt beside the couch and received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I love telling this story because it was the night that changed my life. You should regularly remember the day you got saved and rehearse it to everyone you can.

Second, remember from whence you came. Israel was delivered from Egypt and their bondage. They should have rejoiced in their deliverance. Likewise, you were delivered from the bondage of sin. Though I was saved at a young age, I constantly remind myself from what I was delivered. If you were saved from a rough, sinful background, it shouldn't be hard to remember from whence you came. If you are going to keep your salvation fresh, you need to remember what it was like before you got saved, or what it would have been like if you didn't get saved.

Third, remember the blessings that salvation brought. Israel received many blessings by being delivered, and you received many blessings by being born again. Christian, look at everything God has done for you since you've been saved. If you are going to keep your salvation fresh, you need to remind yourself of the blessings you received from salvation.

Fourth, talk about your salvation to others. In verse 8, God told Israel to tell their children about the deliverance. If you want to keep your salvation fresh, then tell others about your salvation experience. One of the reasons you should be a soul winner is so that you can tell others about this great experience in your life. Every time you witness to someone, you should tell them how you got saved. This keeps your salvation fresh.

Last, regularly sing about salvation. In Exodus 15:1, Moses sang a song of deliverance. It is important that you listen to the right music, for whatever music you listen to is the same music you will sing. Every time you hear a song on salvation, it should excite your soul.

Christian, salvation is the greatest thing that will happen to your life. Don't let your salvation get stale! Keep it fresh by regularly following these steps. You will find that keeping your salvation fresh will help you to enjoy serving the LORD.

Avoiding Divided Homes

Mark 3:25

“And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

The home is supposed to be a place of refuge. When you think of home, good thoughts should come to mind. Every week when I am out traveling, my favorite day is the day I get to come home. To me, my home is my refuge. To me, my home is where those whom I love the most live. To me, home brings the happiest thoughts to mind. That is the way every home should be.

God said that a divided home cannot stand. Can you imagine that which is supposed to be our refuge becoming a place where division and strife exists? The Devil is after the home. He knows that if he can destroy the home, then he can destroy the church. The home is the foundation of the church and nation. If the Devil destroys the home, then he can destroy the church and a nation. We must strive to be sure that our homes are strong. The best way to keep them strong is to keep them from being divided. There are some things you must avoid in your home if you want to keep it from being divided.

First, you must avoid strife in your home. In Genesis 13:7-8, there was strife between Abraham and Lot. Abraham raised Lot, and you would think there would be no division. Yet, they were at strife with each other. What was it that caused the strife? Possessions! You must be careful in your home that you don’t let things become a source of strife. Amazingly, many homes fight over things. You must always keep in mind that things can be replaced, but a home that is destroyed is hard to repair. Don’t let things become the source of strife in your home. Don’t allow your children to fight over possessions. How silly it is to fight and divide your home over possessions. The people inside your home are more important that any possession. You can replace things, but you can’t replace people; keep that in mind before you enter strife.

Second, misappropriated love will divide a home. Genesis 37:4 shows us that Joseph was loved more than his brethren. This misappropriated love caused a division in the home. Parents must be very careful not to misappropriate their love. Every child should be loved the same. God loves each of his children the same, even though some of His children are not as obedient as others. Likewise, parents should follow God’s example and be sure to love each child the same so that your home is not divided.

Third, a home filled with individuals who are going different directions will cause division. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” If the home is going to be filled with harmony, then everyone in the home must be on the same page. A husband and wife who have two different agendas for life will cause division in the home. The Scriptures are very clear that the husband is to lead the home. That means, everyone should get behind the husband or dad and follow his direction. Many homes are divided today because both husband and wife have to work. They both have their desire to be promoted on their job. Thus, you have created a divided home. Be careful that you keep your focus on going the same direction. Serve God together. Keep the same focus by allowing the husband or dad to be the leader in everything.

Your home can only stand if you are one. If your home is not divided, then you will find that home will be that place of refuge and happiness that all will enjoy.