Humble Yourself, Pray, Seek, and Ask

Our message this week was a special one with celebrating our 130th year as Sparta Baptist Church.  The message fit perfectly as we reflect on the years past we also reflect on the four pillars of being a Christian.  Our message comes from:

2 Chronicles 7:14

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁴If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

There are 4 main things we must safeguard as Christians in this scripture. 
1.) Humility
2.) Pray
3.) Seek
4.) Ask

Let's begin with humility.  Why is it so difficult for people to humble themselves?  We all battle this even though we KNOW that Satan uses our pride agaist us.  Satan knows he has you when your pride gets between you and the Lord.  If you have read this blog before you have already read about the importance of doing things for the glory of God alone and not for the glory of yourself.  If you are there doing a service only so people will glorify you, then you are in trouble.  How many real blessings has God sent your way but you missed because of your pride?  How many times have you robbed ourself the grace and blessings of God because you are too worried about what people think of you?  It is time to humble yourself before God and do things for the right reasons.  I encourage you to read James 4:10. 

Next, lets talk about something Christians don't do enough of......and that is.....Talk to God!  Think about this...Do you answer God as quick as you answer your cell phone when it goes off?  Do you talk to God as much as you should?  We are told to pray without ceasing.  That means continuously talking to God because He is there every minute of every single day and night.  Why wouldn't we talk to Him?  It is like a marriage or relationship where you are giving your partner the silent treatment.  Think of how God must feel to be ignored.  Do you like to be ignored?  Would you like it very much if God decided to ignore you when you needed Him?  We should never ignore God and pretend He isn't there.  Pray without ceasing!  I encourage you to read John 14:13, Ephesians 6:18, and 1 Thesalonians 5:17.

Seek!  How often do we judge ourselves as being weak if we are Christians?  Have you ever really just sat and thought about what people think of Christians?  They see us as being weak and push overs.  Being a Christian does not mean we tuck our tails between our legs and become a whimp.  We are to stand up for what we believe in.  We are to boldly seek His face and His will for us.  And here is something to think about:  If you are married how often do you seek your spouse's attention and approval?  Most likely more than you seek out God's attention and approval!  We are to look to God for everything.  Read Psalms 27:8.

Lastly, Ask for Forgiveness!  We are ALL sinners.  We have to daily repent our failures.  We hide too much behind our pride somtimes to ask for forgiveness.  Sin is like a cancer that eats away your life.  You can't do anything on the outside of the world till you take care of your own heart!  We keep no secrets from God.  It is impossible to do so.  Everything we do is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived.  Read Hebrews 4:13.  It is important for us to understand that confession is simply agreeing with God that our acts were wrong.  I think so many times people are scared to tell God what they did but really we have it all wrong.....He already knows what we did.  Read Nehemiah 15:9.

2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us that these 4 things are important in the Christian walk.  He will hear us only if we do these 4 acts together.  It is also important to remind those we witness to that no sin is too big to forgive.  I think sometimes people who have never stepped inside a church feel they could never step into a church because their sins are just too big and there are so many but we have to let them know He does forgive and He throws our sins as far as the East is from the West.  We can no longer allow ourselves and others to hide behind their pride.  It is time to get things right.  God WANTS to forgive your sinful deeds and thoughts through His grace.  When we fall, we can dismiss it, deny it, distort it, or we can deal with it.  God wants us to deal with it.  Humble yourself, pray, seek God's will instead of your own, and ask for forgiveness!

I Know Who You Are On Sunday....But Who Are You Every Other Day?

Our message today comes from Matthew 4:18 - 19.
¹⁸And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
 ¹⁹And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

How does this scripture relate to me?  I don't know much about fishing except for the fact that it is absolutely disgusting to bait a hook!  The only memory I have of fishing is the time spent with my grandfather out in a barren cow pasture.  I couldn't bait the hook....but grandpa did it for me.  However; if you thought this scripture was about fishing you are mistaken!

Peter and Andrew were fishing because that was their everyday job.  It was how they put food on the table for their families.  Today's message is about where you are on Monday through Saturday.  Anyone that goes to church with you knows who you are on Sunday.  Most know what you do Monday through Saturday.  But do they see the same person on Monday through Saturday as they see on Sunday?  As Jesus walked by the sea and saw Peter and Andrew fishing there, he called to them saying, "Come and follow me.  I will make you fishers of men." 

I don't know about you, but in our economy I care about my job and keeping my job.  In my line of work, as a public school teacher, I battle this every day.  It is sad that I have to tiptoe around with what I say when talking about my Faith.  So this is a tough one for me.  I would love to be able to just come out and teach my students like I do my Sunday School Class.  I would love to share Jesus with them, but by law, I am forbidden.  I pray that God takes hold of our schools every night so that I am more free to do that.  I am not alone.  There are many other jobs out there where our hands are tied.  I have to be creative in the ways I share my faith.  I do it through love and my actions with my students.  I am not quiet about my life outside of school.  I try to be a good role-model and teach good morals and values to my kids.  Those same morals and values I expect my own daughter to have as she grows up in today's world.  But just like Peter and Andrew, God has called me to cast out my net.  He has called me to be fishers of men.  It is no coincidence that I am a teacher.  It is no coincidence that we have so many good Christians as teachers.  God knows what He is doing.  God placed us there for a reason.  God also placed you in your job too for a reason.

Maybe you are to encounter a lost soul God intends for you to help.  Maybe you are there because you are a peacemaker and you are surrounded by people who are not.  Look around you.  Tomorrow, when you go to work, step back and think about why God put you there.  Do you realize how important your outside life is to your ministry?  How many of us go to bed one person on Sunday night and wake up a totally different person on Monday morning?  God knew you before you were born.  He knows every hair on your head.  He placed you in your job.  He knows why he placed you there.  What are you chasing?  Are you chasing the American dollar or the glory of God?  Be who God wants you to be at all hours of every single day no matter where you are.

Peter and Andrew gained the practice of gathering fish.  God used their job to train them for His glory.  Their everyday practice of catching fish prepared them to gather men together and share the Gospel with them.  What is your physical job preparing you for?  Why did God put you there? 

It is so easy to just say you are a Christian, punch in your clock on Sunday, go home and then get into the groove of 9 to 5 everyday only to do the cycle over again.  But how often do we minister outside the church?  We typically just walk by, in our daily lives and we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the problems around us.  Oh, but then on Sunday, we sit in our pews and sing our songs and listen to our preacher.  12:00 noon, watches are going off...time to go home!  Punch out!  See you next Sunday! 

Think about this.....how many "Workaholics" do you know?  How many people are giving so much time to their job that their family time and God time suffers?  I know of a lot of fellow teachers, me included, work in the school on Saturdays and Sundays just to make their lessons perfect and their classrooms ready.  At what cost?  Our family, time spent with God, maybe even church.  Now what if only 1/2 the people in the world worked as hard at ministering as they do in their physical jobs?  Instead of being "workaholics" we should be "Godaholics", "Witnessaholics", and "Ministeraholics"!  Our complete effort should be spend on working non-stop for Him and His glory.  Do you work as hard with your personal walk with God as you do your physical everyday job?  Remember, God put you there in that job for a reason.  It isn't time to forget God, it is a time to use what you learn in church on Sundays for His glory! 

If God brought you to it, He'll see you through it.  Do you just punch in on Sunday morning only to punch out at noon?  Or do you allow God to punch in with you everyday of the week and work alongside you? 

Here is your invitation from God:

YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BE A FISHER OF MEN

Who:  YOU

Where:  EVERYWHERE YOU GO

What:  MINISTER TO OTHERS THROUGH WORDS AND ACTIONS

When:  NOW!!!!

Why:  WHEN THOSE WHO ARE CALLED TO FISH, FISH THEY FLOURISH AND GOD CALLED YOU TO DO SO!!!!

Tomorrow when you clock in, look around you.  Are you missing the opportunity to bait your hook or are you waiting for someone else to do it for you?  Did you purposely leave God at home or did He help you clock in?  Cast out your net everywhere you go and be a fisher of men! 

Are You Willing To Step Out Of The Boat?

Our message today comes from Matthew 14: 26 - 31.
²⁶And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
 ²⁷But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
 ²⁸And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
 ²⁹And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
 ³⁰But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
 ³¹And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Most people have heard this story of Jesus walking on the water.  Many relate it to miracles of Jesus but there is so much more to this scripture than just the miracles Jesus performed.  It is about stepping out of the boat on FAITH.  If we are ever going to act on our full potential as Christians we must get out of the boat.  Many are scared to even get into the boat let alone step out of the boat.  Jesus told Peter to "Come and step out of the boat."  Peter knew the water was beneath him.  He knew he would need to take a leap of faith to step onto the water with Jesus.  Imagine the thoughts that probably went through his head before stepping onto the water.  He stepped out and for a moment walked on the water with Jesus, but the minute he let his FEAR get the best of him, he began to sink. 

FEAR can help us grow but FEAR can also cripple us.  You either have FEAR WITH FAITH or you have FEAR WITHOUT FAITH.  Fear WITH Faith is good.  People that possess Fear With Faith act on their callings.  People that possess Fear Without Faith are the ones that sit in the boat all their lives.  How many of us are sitting in the boat and just watching the others step out of the boat?  A lot of people who attend church are doing just that.  They are afraid to step up because something requires too much responsibility or time or they are afraid of what others will say to them.  OR they are afraid they will be asked to do even more?!  Many church going people think and act in this way...."No, pastor, I think today I am going to just sit in this boat where I am comfortable and let everyone else step out.  I'm too tired.  I'm too old.  I'm too young.  I'm not good at this or that.  But, pastor, when Jesus returns, I'll be ready." 

LISTEN.....Do you really think God is going to notice you if you are just sitting in the boat?  He will come for those with FAITH.  You are either WITH Him or AGAINST Him.  Where are you?  Are you sitting in the boat letting everyone else do the work YOU are being called to do?  Are you scared like Peter was to step out.  Jesus said, "DO NOT BE AFRAID."  Look at the scripture again.  What happened when Peter began to sink?  He called out, "Save me."  Jesus didn't just let him drown.  Jesus grabbed him and helped him. 

We are seeing churches fall and sink because people are just sitting in the boat afraid to step out.  Noah never told God, "You got the wrong man."  Noah "got out of the boat" in a sense.  He took a leap of faith.  He listened to God's commands and acted on them.  If you are struggling with a decision to serve, God is telling you to "Come" just as Jesus said to Peter.  It isn't what you've got, it is what He will give you.  What exactly have we to fear (except answering to God)?  STEP OUT of the BOAT!

You either have to step out of the boat or we will just be another church.  Your church can not grow and DO WHAT GOD WANTS IT TO DO if all the member lazily just sit in the boat.  Don't put it off another day.  God has a plan for you.  No excuses will be accepted. 

Great is the reward for those that step out of the boat.  This week I encourage you to look up and study the following scriptures.  Genesis 15:1, Matthew 5:12, Matthew 6:1 - 2, Revelation 20:11, Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10.  Please, I urge you....if God has spoken to you, don't just sit there!  Get out of the boat and serve!

How to Grow

We want to welcome Brother Edd Deaton and his family to our church family.  Brother Edd has officially taken the job of shepherd in our church.  We thank God for this man being given to us.  We know great things are happening before our very eyes and are overflowing with excitement to see what God has in store for us!  This past Sunday Edd shared a sermon on tithing.  However; it wasn't what you think.

When you want your love for someone to grow, or a relationship to grow, what kinds of things do you do?  You most likely said, "Sacrifice".  You have a beautiful child to raise...what do you do to help them grow?  You sacrifice and become selfless.  Can you buy love?  We all know the answer to that question is no.  When you want your marriage to grow, do you do it with money?  Do you just toss out 100$ here and 100$ there and expect your spouse to love you more because of it?  No, to truly allow your relationship to grow you make sacrifices for that person.  You stop being so selfish and you give a little more.  You give of yourself, your time, your efforts, etc...  Have you ever stopped to think about growing your relationship with God or growing as a church even?  What do we automatically think of when we shift our minds to growing a church?  That's right.....money.  But God doesn't want our money.....he wants our sacrifice.  Just like we sacrifice for our children, He sacrificed for us.  He gave more than we could ever give our children.  He gave His only son to die on the cross to save us from our sins.  It hurts God to see us so unappreciative of His sacrifice.  If we want our churches to grow, we must sacrifice more than money.  We must sacrifice our time, efforts, wisdom and talents.  We must give our ALL!  If God has your heart, He has your wallet.  So many churches fall into that money trap but we mustn't.  We must give of our hearts and minds.  Those are the real tithes God expects from us. 

In Mark 12:42 we read about the widow woman who had very little to give.  In fact she had, to her name, only 1/2 a penny.  She had no food, no husband to take care of her, no one, yet she gave all she had.  Yet, the richest of rich dumped loads of money into the offering plate.  Jesus stood up and said that the widower had given more than anyone else there.  When she dropped that small offering into that plate, she was offering so much more than 1/2 cent.  She was demonstrating her trust in the Lord.  She had faith that He would take care of her.  As He promises to do.  Do you think it was easy for her to give all she had?  Most likely, no.  It won't be an easy road for anyone that makes sacrifices for God because that is the very thing that feeds Satan.  He preys on people who give their ALL.  This doesn't give you the excuse though to just sit around and let a few people do all the work either.  God doesn't just call a few of us, He is calling ALL of us.  We are all expecting to get into the same wonderful Heaven therefore we are all expected to tithe what we have for the honor of God. 

We don't all have the same wisdom and talents.  Some of us are called to pray, some are called to sing, some are called to guide and teach, some are called to witness, some are called to love and listen.  Your job is to listen to what God calls you to do and then give your ALL in that area.  A chain isn't a chain with just one link.  We all have to do what we are called to do with 100% effort and sacrifice in order to grow as a church.  We are to work as a team together in order to grow.  It is like a college basketball game.  The biggest game or our lives!  We will never grow to our full protential if some of our teammates just want to sit on the bench.  You want the church to grow, you must be willing to work.  Remember this:  NO ONE is EVER called to be a PEW WARMER!  Help us grow.  Pray to God that He let's you know what your calling is.  Once you discover that, give 100% to it!  That IS what we are told to do....."Deny thyself, pick up your cross, and follow me."  This is the Final Four people.  We must work to win (grow).  It isn't time to sit on the bench....it's time to shine.  The "head" of the NBA is watching this game!  I'd hate to see you LOOKED OVER or TRADED to that "other" team!