Introduction to our Culture of Grace!

September 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The goal is to share with you the Gospel of Jesus and include you in the culture of grace that we strive for here at Friendship Baptist Church. The Gospel, and the culture of grace are in many ways one in the same. For us to live in a culture of grace is to be continually aware of the Gospel.  So what does that look like?

First is Humility.  Each one of us is aware that we are sinful and selfish.  We know that even when we try not to be, there are parts of our life where we are motivated by the old saying, ‘looking out for number one.’  The problem is that when we say that we usually have the wrong number one.  God is first all the time and in all things.  Anytime we put ourselves, or our priorities ahead of God, we have not loved Him the way He deserves.
Second is Grace.  God knows we don’t deserve His Love, His presence, or even life itself.  But He gives it all to us.  Our sin has separated us from God.  Sin is when we behave as described above, putting our desires ahead of His.  This puts us in a state of rebellion against God Himself.  But due to His great love for His people, He intervened on our behalf.  God sends His Son, Jesus Christ (aka, God the Son) to take and become our sin and transform us into righteous children of God.  That is what the cross is about.  Jesus literally takes our sin on himself and suffers and dies in our place.  He did no wrong to deserve this, but did it because He loved us and knew it was the only way to save us from eternity in Hell.  From there, He rose from the grave and is alive today calling us to trust in Him.
Third is Mercy.  It is knowledge that we didn’t deserve His grace, rather we deserved His wrath, but He had mercy on us.  God loved us so much that while we were still sinners (rebels agains Him) Christ died for us. (see Romans 5:8).  He did not wait for us to come to Him and promise to be good.  Quite the opposite, He came to us first.  This is how God showed His love for us and how we are to show our love for one another.
Fourth is Love.  Jesus taught us that we are to Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  And to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Love is more than a feeling.  It is action.  God took action to show you His love for you when Jesus came into this world (Christmas) and as Jesus died and rose again to give you life (Easter).  Now that His love is shown, we are to love Him with all that we have, and we are to love those around us as though they were our very own selves.
Because of these things, we seek to treat one another the way Christ has treated us.  Receive one another regardless of wrongs done or past events.  Include each other in our family of faith because Jesus has included us.  Forgive without waiting for apologies or ‘righting of wrongs’ in our personal view.  And love others.  Love with reckless abandon to all that might stand in our way.  Love in feeling and in action.  Love because He first loves us.
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Doctrine is good!

September 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1 Timothy 1:3, 1 Timothy 4:13-16, Titus 1:9

We teach in order to maintain good doctrine.  Not everyone believes this.  It is popular to say things like, “don’t worry about doctrine, just teach the Bible.”  Of course along with that comes the ever dangerous question, “What does this text mean to you?” Both are problematic and we need never to buy into them. The author of every passage, along side the Holy Spirit who inspired them, when writing any and ever part of scripture had a defined point and intent that He was and is communicating.  The author was not confused thinking, well maybe I mean this or maybe I mean that, but it sounds good, so I’ll let someone else figure out what I mean.  No.  Every text in the bible has a specific meaning.

So our doctrine is not a matter of how we prefer to understand scripture. Rather as we read scripture and understand the context, we seek to identify exactly what the author was conveying and that point, that intent, is the truth that we seek to observe, practice and obey.

Now we see doctrine is a good thing.  Here are some examples:

  • Doctrine is the difference between Jesus is God and Jesus became like God.
    • One is Christian, the other is the foundation for the cults.
  • Doctrine is the difference between you pray to God or you pray to someone else.
    • One biblical, the other is superstition.
  • Doctrine is the difference between Justification by Grace alone through faith alone, and believe in Jesus and if you do enough good things you will be allowed in as a child of God.
    • One is the Salvation of God, the other is trust in your own works.
    • So, as Paul tells timothy to prevent the teaching of strange doctrine, we too work to that end.

So as Paul tells Timothy to prevent the teaching of strange doctrine and to pay close attention to his own understanding of doctrine, so wee too must work to that end.  This is how we value and respect the scriptures.

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Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

September 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment

She messaged me a short simple question.  “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?”  And that is question.  It’s the primary question that all of us face.  Why don’t people believe in God?  The answer is because suffering exists.  We live and act and expect that if God is real and if He is good, He would never allow anything bad to befall us.  But God was honest, He told humanity what would happen if we turned against Him.  It was very simple.  If we (humanity) decided to do things our way rather than His, we would embrace a way of life that led to suffering and death.  We decided on our way, and we still do.

Now we want to ask God why we face hard things, difficult things, bad things.  We face bad things because we are all now affected by our bad decisions.  Those bad decisions are actually rebellion against God Himself.  We may not have looked at it way when we made those decisions, but ever decision we have ever made that was selfish or self-serving without being rooted in a deep love for God and people has been what God calls sin.  So our original question, is no longer really the question.  The question changed when we opted to follow our desires over His.    The question now is not ‘why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?’ but why would God allow us (sinful, rebellious, selfish people) into His presence or His kingdom?  Why would God allow what is bad to enter and receive what is good?

The answer is because He is merciful. He is good. We wonder why bad things happen, but we chose those on our own.  God knows you experience bad things.  The worst this world has to offer is death, and that is what He dealt with first: on the cross.

So instead of asking why God allows bad things to happen to good people, we need to thank Him that we still have good things and in Him we have the promise of a good future.

________________________________________________

Here is the part of the actual response I gave when asked:

The bottom line is that the “bad things” you speak of are the consequences of sin in the world. Sometimes due to our own bad decisions, sometimes due to the decisions of others. Sin brought suffering and death into the world. Sin is anything that is rebellion against God or His law. Now when we understand that to its fullest extent we really know that we are none good. We are not good people. We are just thankful that God has mercy on us as we sin. He forgives us of that sin. But until we are with Him (through our death and entrance into His kingdom or His return to finalize the restoration of His kingdom on this earth…) we face a world full of the consequences of sin that has been mounting for thousands of years.

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Why I took down my Confederate flag… 12 years ago

July 10, 2015 by Leave a Comment

I read an article about the problem of race in our country. It was written by a black man who although he tried to make his point that we must communicate in order to overcome racism in our country, his examples lead me to think that he was doing more to lead us to view racism as a hopeless obstacle, so why try.

Why try?  That is the question that needs answered. Especially right now. The answer is not a presumptive claim that is it just the right thing to do. (although it is.) Nor is the answer rooted in equality. (although we are.)  Nor is the answer ‘we need to.’  (although we do.)  The answer for me came from the source that all answers really come from, the Bible.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
– Jesus in John 13:34

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirt, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20

No, neither of those verses tell me to take down anything. Or do they?  Let me review… The Bible teaches me that Jesus is God come to earth on a rescue mission for all who will follow Him out of this hell bound path.  He gives up His right as the Sovereign King of all to be one of His own creation. He dies in our place on a cross. Why? To save us. To show us He loves us.  To call us to come follow Him.  To remove the obstacle between humanity and God… to remove sin.

If that is true, than anyone who completes this life without surrendering themselves to Christ suffers eternally in hell. Knowing this, it is my responsibility to both God and my neighbor to do everything I can to bring people to know Jesus.  Part of that effort includes introducing people to Jesus, but also to remove any obstacle that I may put in the way.

Now as a matter of life and death, and even more impactful and lasting than the work of a surgeon, a follower of Christ must lead people to this Gospel.  No sacrifice is too great.  The greatest sacrifice has already been given in the life blood of God the Son.  What ‘heritage’ do I need to defend that is greater than the one that has been given?  None.

Make no mistake, it was (sometimes is) hard.  I was a member of ‘Sons of Confederate Veterans.’  I was raised in a home that remembered the lives and stories of a Confederate Soldier and his wife.   A great grandmother who would speak of an ‘illegal government.’  I know what it looks like to see the Confederate flag as something more than racism.  (Notice I said ‘more.’) I know that the flag is just one small part of a much larger problem.  Every journey must have a begining.

More than knowing about a flag, I know is this: I am not my own. I have been bought with a price.  So I glorify God above all.  My ‘heritage’ is no longer good or bad because its not a question.  It is irrelevent.  As far removed from me as anything sin in my past.  I am a child of God called to love other people. I am an ambassador for Christ. All this accomplished by Jesus work on the cross, his resurrection and now the faith that He has given me by His grace.

So 12 years ago, as I realized that my emotional attachment to my history could not stand in the way of sharing the love of Jesus with anyone, I took down artwork and a flag.  They were no longer what I wanted people to know about me.  Up went a cross….  Because that is what all who enter my home must know… about me, about my family, and if they are willing to hear it, about themselves.

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome… because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4

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Understanding Sin In Our Lives

June 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment

We really don’t understand sin.

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

What does that mean? We are all sinners. You and me included. That is why we insist on acknowledging sin for what it is. God is the moral law giver. So we submit to His authority and seek His mercy which He has promised to give.
The real problem comes not in admitting our wrongs, but in denying that there is a wrong in the first place. That denial places us in a position of continual denial of Gods authority in our lives and His creation. Hence we admit that all things the Bible condemns are in fact sin. The right way of dealing with that sin is not a claim of the changing times, but admitting the sin and seeking His mercy found displayed at the cross.

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Mission trip to Montana 2015

March 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment

If you are interested in coming along, please contact me via email:  bsharp@esharp.net.
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Concert May 30

March 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment

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Born this way… A personal reflection.

December 19, 2014 by 1 Comment
“You cannot hold it against a person for being who they were born to be.”  I have heard this, and so have many of you.  We hear it most often about a very sensitive subject of our day.  But my response to it applies directly to myself, and I’d encourage others to look at this idea critically as well.
Truth is, I suffer from this line of thought. “I was born this way.” I struggle with pride and greed and even from time to time unholy sexual impulses.  I was born this way.  I didn’t grow up saying to myself, “I want to be arrogant and selfish.” But I was born this way, I grew up with it. I knew I was this way from my childhood. Then, as I grew to know right from wrong, I found that some of the ideas and feelings in me were wrong. Not because I decided that but because God had said so.
I, like many, reached 17 years old and ready to graduate High School when I realized I knew more than most other people. Not that I knew everything, but more than most. (That was my idea of humility back then.) But as I got out into the world, at university and at work, I became increasingly aware of how little I really did know. It was a time of confusion, frustration and anger.Then 24 years old, I committed myself to finding a job I could actually keep and do well at.  I found it.  A call center in my home town was just opening and within just a few months I had been promoted and had a good salary.
Well that’s it right? I mean, that is what we study for.  It is what we prepare our kids for.  I thought so.  I bought a house, bought a car, had a wife and kids.  American success!  And the pride and greed grew. I was infatuated with myself, my image and my stuff. I was born for this….
Except it wasn’t enough. I wanted more… I thought.
I can’t tell you the moment it occurred, but I’m sure it happened.  A moment when I sat with what John Bunyan called ‘the best of books,’ and I realized, I was born this way, but that doesn’t mean I have to live this way. I can be free of all this stuff.  I can be free of living like I have to hold this job with a certain salary and have debt on a big house and car payments on a vehicle I’ll never own.  I can be free.
Were there sacrifices…? Yes. But those sacrifices were nothing to what I received. It took a lot of faith. Now, not Oprah Winfrey faith, but real faith, in the real God. I had to trust that Jesus Christ would be my everything. I had to trust that He would give opportunities and provide for what was needed.
God had been good to me my whole life. A life that few in the world get to experience. I had a Mom and Dad who loved me, my siblings and Jesus. They provided for us and made sure we knew Christ. Later came my wife, Eyvonne, who had a wonderful family herself and later the two of us would have four children.
But even with all that, I had to acknowledge some things. I was born self-centered. I had my own desires that did not care for others or for God. When I really came to know Jesus, that required my repentance. Repentance that was more than confession, but an admitting of sin in my heart and an acknowledgment that God calls me to walk contrary to my natural born tendencies. That is what I work toward now.  It is what I pray about. It is a journey to become more like Jesus Christ every day. To care about what He cares about. To adopt His ethic as my ethic. To trust Him to know better than me.
I live a peace now with the conflict within me. I am a sinner. A man who is very self-centered. But I am also a saint. A man who has been made right with God by the blood of Jesus Christ.
His grace has saved me. I have faith in that: In Jesus, in His grace, not in me and it does not matter how I was born.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Filed Under: Personal Thoughts

Goals of Grace: Notes from the week of 7-13-14

July 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

  • Missions are about Relationships.
  • Christianity is about relationships.  Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:37-39
  • “One soul won to Christ is better than a thousand merely moralized and still sleeping in their sins.” – Charles H. Spurgeon
  • The one who needed grace and the one who received it. Luke 7:36-50
  • In March 1873, in a periodical that He published called The Sword and Trowel, Charles Spurgeon wrote these words:  Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor. Recollect that. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him. Of course I do not mean by that, that those who use the pen are silent: they are not. And those who help others to use the tongue, or spread that which others have written, are doing their part well: but that man who says, “I believe in Jesus,” but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about him, by mouth, or pen, or tract, is an impostor.
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Am I really saved if I keep sinning?

May 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Jesus tells us that if we love Him we will obey Him.  But then each of us find ourselves still struggling with sin in some way.  Does that mean that we are not really followers of Christ?  Does it mean that we are not saved?

The real question here is a matter of the heart.  But if we are talking about a person who rely has given their hearts and lives to Christ, the answer is then – no.  The truth is that God knows that each of us will struggle with sin even after coming to faith.  God knows we begin as sinful people, we repent of sin after we believe, and we struggle against sin all our days.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.  – 1 John 1:8-10 (ESV)

This does not mean that we do not pray and seek God’s strength and deliverance from sin in our lives.  But it does mean that just because sin exists, this is not the essential matter that determines if we actually belong to Christ.

Jesus was clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the essential question is not do we know about Him, nor is it do we do good stuff for Him, but do we know Him.  So do you know Christ?  Is He a friend?  Do you trust Him?

Sin is a battle we face our whole lives.  But in the end, it is only overcome by the grace of Christ.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.   Now if I do what I do not want, I agree withthe law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.   For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.  – Romans 7:14-25 (ESV)

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