IS IT GOOD OR IS IT GOD?

Are you investing your time and efforts into good things or God things?  In other words are you seeking God for what He wants you to do or are you just doing good stuff because others are doing it and having success?  Too many times churches ride on the coattails of other churches and expect the same results.  What God is doing in one place does not necessarily mean that He will duplicate it where you are. 

There is a big difference between the “Discovered Will of God” and the “Developed plan of man.”  One is God breathed the other is man conceived.  One is sought out through prayer the other is developed though man’s ingenuity.  One produces fruit that honors God while the other produces results that puffs up man.

Someone has said that God could remove the Holy Spirit from the church today and most churches would continue with business as usual. 

If programs would reach the world with the gospel, Southern Baptists would be way ahead of the game.  We need God anointed, prayer produced movements from God.  We serve a Sovereign God who works all things well. He has said that He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Listen to what God says through his preacher (Jeremiah 29:11-12):

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  'You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

© Harris R. Malcom

MISSIONARY MENTALITY

I remember the day I was saved.  In the midst of the post conversion conversation my pastor said that the next step was to make my decision public and be baptized.  Shortly after I attended a new member class and since then I have been a “church member.”

I love His church.  I cherish the privilege of being a member of the body of Christ.  I believe that we should take our church membership commitment seriously. 

Jesus planted His church and has promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  As we look into the early days of the church we find a people who were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).  We find them “being” the church, “continuing with one mind” and “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46-47).

As important as church membership is, there is little evidence in scripture that we are called to be “church members.” But there is overwhelming evidence that we are called to be “church missionaries.”

“I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. … to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:7-8).

 

“Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.  While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."  Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:1-3).

 

The Great Commission says “Go” but we have turned it into “come.”  The Book of Acts paints the picture of the church gathering for prayer, fellowship and edification, but very quickly they went out as church missionaries. 

As a Great Commission Resource Center, a church is commissioned to the glorious task of Global Redemption.  That means that everything we do as His church should focus on getting people to church and ultimately to Christ.

As clear as this is in scripture we have created a culture of maintenance rather than a culture of missions.  We may believe in missions, support missions even go on mission, but in order for us to function as a GCRC we must go through a paradigm shift in our mental model.

©Harris R. Malcom

DOES YOUR CHURCH GPS NEED AN UPDATE?

Updating a GPS can be simple or complicated, free or costly, beneficial or no help at all.  It all depends on the make, model and newness of your device.  Regardless, if you don’t update your device you run the risk of being uninformed and out of the loop of new roads and information that could be crucial in reaching your destination. 

A Global Positioning Device (GPS) is used to help navigate us from Point A to Point B and all destinations in between.  With satellite technology and supposed pin point accuracy signals bounce back and forth and “Walla” there it is on your device screen.

As a Great Commission Resource Center, the church needs to update their GPS often.  New ideas, new resources and proven methods are available to help God’s people implement the vision that God has given to assist them in completing that Acts 1:8 Challenge that has not changed.

Your Regional State Missionaries are available to assist you, resource you and come along beside to help you in any way you need to reach your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even the remotest part of the earth.

 

©Harris R. Malcom

Being a Missional Christian

Being a Great Commission Christian is about letting Him live out His life through you in the everyday fabric of life.  It is being authentic as well as relational as we do life at home, work and play.  It involves persistence and sensitivity. 

It happens at the local recreation complex while watching your child’s T-ball game.  It can begin and develop over time as you relate to fellow civic club members in the ongoing activities of a particular civic club.  Whether you are into hunting, fishing, flea markets or NASCAR you are not alone.  There are other believers around, but more importantly there are also lost people who need Jesus. 

The Great Commission is about penetrating darkness.  It is about getting the Good News of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.  There is more than one way to do this, but one way is right in the middle of what we are already doing.

Jeff Iorg, in his book, “Live Like A Missionary” writes, “A missional Christian connects with people and prioritizes building relationships with unbelievers – not just being in their general vicinity and hoping for the best.”

What does all this mean? 

·         It means that we must be about having meaningful conversations about Jesus in the daily routines of life. 

·         It means staying off that smartphone sometimes to engage that person with conversations about life and the LIFEGIVER. 

·         It involves patience and persistence in planting gospel seeds, answering life questions and praying for the Spirit of God to bring conviction and conversion.

©Harris R. Malcom

I AM A ROYAL AMBASSADOR

 

As a boy growing up in a Southern Baptist Church I became a part of Royal Ambassadors. Although not the same, there are similarities to the Boy Scouts of America. As a matter of fact I served a church one time that had both a BSA Troop and Royal Ambassadors and we had young men who were members of both. I never asked the BSA to recognize the work of the R.A.'s but we did accept like kind accomplishment from BSA to R.A.'s (eg. ropes, crafts, camping, etc).

One of the first things I learned was the R.A. Motto: "We are Ambassadors for Christ."

Then there was the R.A. Pledge: "As a Royal Ambassador I will do my best to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ; to have a Christlike concern for all people; to learn how to carry the message of Christ around the world; to work with others in sharing Christ; and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body."

I was a Cub Scount had many friends who were in Boy Scouts and eventually I joined the BSA. I was extremely close to attaining to the status of "Tenderfoot" which I believe was one of the first levels. I soon dropped out because I had too much on my plate and my school work was suffering so something had to go (by the direction of my parents).

As I look back over the years scouting has had a great impact on many lives. I had the privilege of being pastor to a number of Eagle Scouts and participating in their Eagle ceremony. I have had the utmost respect for scouting. However, last week scouting decided to commit suicide. They may not know it, but that one decision killed the Boy Scouts of America.

Baptist Press recently ran an article in light of BSA's recent decision on allowing gay scouts. It is worth the read. Here is the link:http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=39606