Here are verses 28-30 from the Message Bible: "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Most of us know this passage by heart.  Most of us have heard it a million times in church.  Most of us want what Christ offers here…real, biblical, Christian rest.  And most of us fail to have it for most of our Christian lives.  Have you noticed that despite our hollering, shouting, dancing, naming and claiming, declaring, goal-setting, and achieving, MANY of us remain agitated, weary, negative, “dis-eased,” down-trodden, disgruntled, and discontent?  Have you noticed that our relentless pursuit of “a better life” (whatever that means) causes more frustration than it cures?  Why?  Because once you are “there” it still doesn’t satisfy.

Despite the tons of books, music, and seminars designed to help the Christian feel more fulfilled, we still are clamoring for more.  I noticed this a few years ago and it made me ask myself some questions: “Is the message of Christianity about self-fulfillment or self-denial?  Is life about achievement and success or is life about adoring the Savior?”  “Can’t we have both?” many ask me.  My answer is “maybe...depending on the will of God for you.”  But resting at the next level is not rooted the future…it’s rooted in the past.  It’s not about what will happen; its about WHO happened.  It’s not about hoping that our circumstances will improve; its about placing our hope in Jesus.  As Peter said it,

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”  In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pet 1:3-7)

Here are a few thoughts on the Text that will hopefully ecnourage you to rest in Him:

1.  His Rest is by invitation.  To every person who names His Name He invited to partake in His light yoke and gentle burden.  The promise here is “soul rest.”  The soul of man is where we feel, think; our hearts, the seat of our emotions.  If this text is looked at from a non-salvation perspective, Christ is offering us peace in the place where even saved folks have very little: our thoughts, our hearts, and our emotions.  So even as we strive to achieve,  for us real rest is about HOW we do that as opposed to WHAT we do.

2.  His Rest is our birthright.  When we said yes to Jesus; when we gave our hearts fully to Him and received by grace the salvation of our souls, we entered into His pasture.  So often we think the “pasture” is circumstantial, but it’s not…at least not yet.  It is spiritual.

3.  His Rest is supernatural.  It can’t be gained by anything worldly.  It is wholly apart from what happens around us but instead is based in Christ alone. 

Seven Paradigms that Prevent Real Rest

“Paradigm” from the American Heritage Dictionary: “A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.”  Your paradigm is your worldview…the spiritual and emotional “lenses” you wear through which you see life.  I’m convinced that many, many believers are seeking circumstantial rest only instead of Christ-based rest.  This is why we are so stressed out!

Paradigms that need to change:

1.  Substituting a human focus for a God focus
Many years ago, a still-popular preacher wrote in a book that “classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be ‘God-centered’ and not ‘man-centered.’”  This mindset is devastating to peace and rest because it puts man in charge of his destiny.  We are NOT!  We are not God, but mere servants.  God will not share His glory with anyone!  He is still a jealous God!  Scripture is replete with His call for us to look at Him not ourselves.  We are simply over-run with trying to change our own lives, and to an extent that is not bad.  But when it becomes higher than our pursuit of God BECAUSE HE IS GOD, it becomes idolatry and robs us of peace, joy, and yes…rest!

2.  Believing the Bible is about You
The “Word of God” is ultimately about God!  Wow!  Yes the Bible is “our” instruction manual, but a manual is not about you, its about the thing that is in it!  We sometimes approach Scripture the way we approach most everything else: “what’s in it for me?”  That is not the first question we should ask.  When our prayers and worship become selfish; when every time we go to Scripture we have our own agendas (even good ones) in mind; when we interpret narratives like it’s us in the story first, we are robbed of the right perspective and are therefore robbed of peace.

3.  Failing to be content with the best blessings
"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.  He said: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'"  (Matt 5:1-12)  This my friends, is a mindset that produces rest.

4.  Falling for the World's Marketing
"Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If you love the world, love for the Father is not in you. 16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do--comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever." (1 Jn 2:15-17)  Verse 16 from the Message Bible says, “Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important - has nothing to do with the Father.  It just isolates you from him.”  So the world markets 3 things: lust, selfishness, and pride.  If you view God or approach God wanting your own way (your will be done not His), praying for you all the time, or wanting to appear important, rest is taken from you.

5.  Making a God out of your circumstances
What do I mean by this?  I mean allowing the bulk of your faith to be used for you.  Why do we believe that we were promised perfect circumstances?  Everybody that ever did anything for God or served Him experienced and were promised just the opposite:

-In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Tim 3:12)
-I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (Jn 16:33)

My point is that when you focus your life on trying to control what God alone controls, you lose your ability to rest in His Sovereign Grace.  So the key to rest is living “above” circumstances by faith.  Yes, some circumstances will change for the better, but always remember that Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Peter, Paul, John, and Jesus all suffered but fulfilled the Will of the Father!

6.  Living with a temporary rather than an eternal perspective
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Col 3:1-2)  It’s the reality of eternity that gives rest NOW.  It’s knowing that our relationship with God will produce an eternal harvest.  True biblical rest is less about the condition of your body, your money, your relationships, or your job situation and is all about Christ.  It’s not that those things are unimportant; it’s that they are unredeemed, subject to change, and are therefore unfit places to place the foundadtion of your rest.

7.  Failing to see that Jesus IS Life
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:3-4)  Jesus IS Enough.  He is Life.  Right now.  He is... “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Col 1:15-20) 

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords!

• John 16:8 - When he (The Holy Spirit) comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment. 
• 1 Thes 1:4-5 - For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.
• 2 Thes 2: 13 - But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.

But even knowing this, and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that God is more concerned about our holiness than our happiness, preaching the true Gospel is grueling work.  Sometimes in the pulpit, I know that what I'm about to say will be unpopular, will cut, will hurt, will offend, will cause misunderstanding, and that no matter how I try to cutsie it up, will burns ears instead of tickle them.  I know this.  I know that the redemptive plan of God is about our getting free from sin, not getting everything we want in this life.  I understand that following Jesus requires an abandonment of self rather than an exaltation of self.  I know that we must read the Scriptures from a God-centered as opposed to a man-centered perspective.  I'm convinced to my very bones of this.  But as a shepherd let me tell ya...it ain't easy to communicate that all the time!

See, the world tells us we "need" self-esteem, self-worth, self-congratulations, and self-fulfillment.  Scripture tells us the opposite; that we need to be empty of self and full of Christ, that in us nothing good dwells, that the key to life is death to self that we may live in Christ Jesus, that God absolutely hates our pride: "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (Pr 8:13).

But days like Sunday make it all worth it!

Saints, to see you all fall on your faces (metaphorically speaking) before God like that (and to join you)...to sense real, honest godly sorrow in our church, to see our wills break before God and a willingness to allow Him to rebuild us as He wills explode in that place; what a blessing!  "Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.  For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (from verses 9-10 above).

Friends, I know our church is on the right track.  I sense God's approval in where we are, what we stand for, and what we are trying to do.  Our patience, discipline, sacrifice, and refusal to bend to the world will pay off.  God is going to reconcile so many people to Himself through our church.  Let's stay the course and preach the Word.  Let's always remember our God does "not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings."  Therefore our "sacrifice(s), O God, (will be) a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise" (Ps 51:16-17). 

So let's continue to keep the attitude of humility and repentance!

If we can continue to be broken and repentant before Him...

If we can repent to our brothers and sisters and be "like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind" (Php 2:2)...

If we strive to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" so we might "run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Heb 12:1-2)...

Then, "may it please You to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem" (Ps 51:18) at CRCC and indeed, in every church in America.

(1) The Holy Scriptures, comprised of Old and New Testaments, are fully and verbally inspired by God and are therefore infallible in the original writings and completely trustworthy in all areas in which they speak. Their central salvation message and essential teachings are clear and accessible to all who follow the standard and self-evident rules of literary interpretation. They are therefore the supreme, unmediated, and final authority of faith and practice for every believer.

(2) There is only one eternal, almighty and perfect God. Within the Being of this one true God exist three eternally distinct and coequal Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons are the one true God.

(3) Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who took upon Himself human flesh through the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He who is true God became true man, uniting two natures in one person forever. Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended into Heaven where He now serves as our High Priest, our only Mediator. He will return bodily and visibly to the earth as King of kings and will judge every human being who has ever lived.

(4) The Holy Spirit is the eternal Third Person of the Triune God, the Regenerator and Sanctifier of the redeemed, the Bestower of spiritual fruit and gifts, and the abiding Advocate who empowers believers for godly living and service.

(5) In Adam human beings were created in the image of God (i.e., they share in a finite way the communicable attributes of God, including personality, spirituality, rationality, and morality). Through the fall of Adam that image of God in humanity has been defiled, although not eradicated. Every human being is radically corrupt and estranged from God. Human beings are condemned by God because of their descent into sin, both through their relationship to Adam and through individual choice. The desperate need of humanity is forgiveness of sins and consequent restoration of fellowship with God; yet humans remain totally unable to atone for and restore themselves.

(6) Jesus' death on the cross provided a penal substitutiary atonement for the sins of humanity. In salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by His unmerited grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone.

(7) Those who have received the free gift of salvation will be raised from the dead or raptured (snatched up from their earthly lives) to meet Christ at His Second Coming, and their bodies will be transformed like unto His glorious, immortal body. They will live forever in the fellowship and Kingdom of God in a new heaven and a new earth. Eternal, conscious punishment apart from the fellowship and Kingdom of God (hell) is the ultimate destiny of unredeemed humanity, Satan, and his entire angelic host.

(8) The Christian church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Corporately and individually, its members strive to worship, serve, and glorify God through prayer and praise, diligent study and application of the Scriptures, evangelism, sanctified living, good works, and observance of the rites of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The ultimate mission of the church is the discipleship of all nations - not only the saving of souls (which is primary) but also the bringing of the gospel to bear on every aspect of life and thought - until the Lord returns.

Father, may our living in 2008 be saturated with these truths, and may CRCC communicate them to others with gentleness and with respect.  In Jesus Name...

As I'm sure some of you know, our church is on this crazy journey of attempting to pursue our vision without borrowing.  As we have grown from one service, to two, to three, to now planning for four or five (God help us!), this sort of effort is given because of our sincere love for God's people and our sincere conviction to remain debt-free.

Our Debt-Free Conviction:

That word there, "conviction," is the subject of this post.  To me, a conviction is based upon two things: biblical principles and a sincere calling.  So our debt-free "conviction" is not a dogmatic declaration that those who borrow are wrong.  WE just feel that based upon both principles and calling that WE are supposed to do it this way.

So I wanted to re-post the reasons why we are striving to "Reach, Teach, and Release hurting People" without borrowing.  Because it requires us to work very hard "on the front end," I just want to keep reiterating the reasons "why" to serve as a source of encouragement.  As I've said before, it is tempting to say, "It is just like a home mortgage, so what is the big deal?"  Borrowing for a ministry facility differs from a home mortgage in a few but significant ways.  In an effort to ensure that we as a church are all on the same page, below are our spiritual and practical (common sense) reasons why we do not think borrowing is best for us.  And regardless of what happens in this area, we must keep the main thing the main thing.  Tell somebody about Jesus and then be willing to disciple them according to the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20).  As much as we desperately need more space, remember that the fastest period of church growth happened without any buildings at all!

Spiritual Reasons we won't borrow for our facility:

1.  Borrowing enslaves the church (Proverbs 22:7).  Borrowing is not a sin, but it is discouraged in Scripture.  Some point to the case of Elisha and the widow in 2 Kings 4 to indicate that borrowing is good.  This reasoning ignores the facts that 1) God never instructed her to borrow money, and 2) It was debt that caused the troubles in the first place!  Friends, if we borrow it's not whether we're in bondage; it's what kind of slave-master we serve.

2.  Borrowing is not God's pattern of building physical structures (building the Tabernacle and Temple, Restoration of the Temple) or funding ministry (feeding widows or the displaced, funding the ministry of the apostles, etc.).  God always used the generous giving of His people to build His Kingdom.

3.  Borrowing can slow or impede ministry growth.  Borrowing promotes an imbalanced focus on fundraising (because the debt MUST be paid), slides ministering to people to 2nd place in priority, and can therefore impede the mission of the church.

4.  Borrowing is often presumptuous.  If we commit ourselves to payments over a period of time, we are presuming that there will be no unexpected events that could cause a slowdown in giving.  That is an improbable assumption (see Proverbs 27:1), and presumption itself is "evil" (James 4:13-16).

5.  Borrowing is a negative witness to the world.  How can we say we trust God when we don't trust God?  The world needs to see God doing what only God can do! 

Practical Reasons we won't borrow for our facility:

1.  Borrowing is risky.  A church mortgage is not like a home mortgage.  Putting it bluntly, the church is dependent upon "discretionary" giving.  In a home mortgage, the mortgage payment comes before anything but food and utilities.  As authors Jeff Berg and Jim Burgess put it in their book The Debt-Free Church, "When the average Christian's loan obligations begin to overwhelm him, one of the first budget items to get redirected towards loan repayment is giving to the local church."  Sadly, this is very true and is part of our motivation to get each one of you free from debt!  The non-borrowing method lines up perfectly with our Momentum/Financial Peace initiative.

2.  Borrowing costs the church more than renting.  Don't just think money.  Think stress, quality of church life, and freedom as well as money.  Also, a facility for a church our size makes the cost we'd pay in interest prohibitive.  For those of you that detest the word "renting," do you know anyone who borrowed too much too quickly, moved into something before they were ready, and it cost them dearly?  I know quite a few.  Sometimes, renting can be the best option while we prepare to own.

3.  Borrowing for church property is not always a wise investment.  Unlike a house, church buildings are rarely sold for a profit.

4.  Borrowing inhibits cash flow.  Repaying the borrowed money becomes the number one priority, and could impede ministry programs and staffing.

5.  Borrowing magnifies normal economic issues.  With so much owed, any blip in the local economy could threaten the life of the church.

So there you have it.  Convictions can be irritating, time-costing, difficult things.  But so we stand.  And by the way, this particular conviction is why we have been able to give so freely to so many hurting families.  And that just feels soooooo good.  If you'd like to read more, here is an article that makes our point very clearly.

Carlton C. McLeod 

This was originally a personal journal entry, but I thought it might be encouraging to you blog readers.  So if it sounds a bit "me" focused that's why.    Here goes...
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This has been quite a year of personal “harvest” for me.  But admittedly, it has worked out differently than I imagined at the beginning of the year.  I originally thought this would be the breakout year in terms of numbers (offerings, people, etc.), and we did really well in those areas.  But the big score this year were matters of the heart.  Things like developing contentment, discovering that Jesus is enough, and passing huge character tests were major victories.  Thank you Jesus!

1. Plant before you try to harvest.  God’s people are in a financial mess.  Help them first.
2. I do in fact have hard lines I won’t cross, even when it costs me.  I always knew I did, but the test came, and I passed.  Despite the goal and the deadline, I did not push, manipulate, or gimmick God’s people for money.  It looks will we will achieve about 45-50% of the goal.
3. Regardless of what others do around you, stay faithful to God’s specific call for you.

 

"You can lead without character, but character makes you a leader worth following.  Your accomplishments as a leader will make your name known.  Your character will determine what people associate with your name.  The irony of being a leader with character is that your willingness to do what is right may jeopardize your forward motion.  Leading and being who you want to be don’t always line up.  But it is in those moments that you discover a great deal about yourself.  You discover what you value most.  Right and wrong are not determined by economic and organizational progress.  They stand apart from both.  It is not until right and wrong impede forward motion that you discover if you are a leader worth following.

 

Your position gives you power; your moral authority gives you influence.  Moral authority is established once it becomes clear to those who are watching that progress, financial reward, and recognition are not a leader’s gods.  When they see that as much as you value those things, there is something you value more, something you refuse to sacrifice at the altar of success, you will have moral authority in their eyes.” – Andy Stanley