Perhaps all of us, at one point or another, have been inflicted with what has been deemed as the "Martha Syndrome" during the Christmas season. And if you are not sure what the "Martha Syndrome" is, then take a look at what we read in Luke 10:40 - "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made" (NIV). So what is the "Martha Syndrome?' Well, I would define the "Martha Syndrome" as one who allows the urgent to overtake the important. Or, one who lets relationship succumb to service. The person who has this syndrome is the person who has become so distracted with what they believe must be done that they fail to focus on what is more important.
Have you ever gone through the Christmas season participating in all of the parties and events and family gatherings that the season has to offer us only to sit down and relax after all is said and done and begin to wonder why we did what we did and to get a sense that we missed out on something really important? Perhaps all of us have experienced that a time or two in our lives. At least I know I have. I have allowed myself to get so caught up in the "stuff" of Christmas that I forgot to sit at the feet of the One who made Christmas possible for us in the first place. It is easy to do so and I simply want to caution us against allowing this syndrome to creep into our lives throughout the remainder of the Christmas season. Martha, while she was no doubt doing something good, missed out on what was best in her life as she busied herself with all kinds of preparations due to the special guest she had in her house. I believe we are often guilty of substituting the best for something good, especially around the Christmas season. We get so consumed by what we think must be done in order to have a wonderful Christmas that we forget a wonderful Christmas is only to be had as we take the time to reflect upon the real meaning of the season.
I guess I would call myself somewhat of a world traveler being that I have been to Kenya, England, Germany, Ecuador and Mexico for various reasons. One of the interesting things I have noticed in most of these places is that the people do not seem to be a busy as we are here in the United States. They seem to live in a society where time is not always of the essence and time is not always money, although I believe America is influencing these societies in many ways to become like we are. And I just happen to believe that business has become one of the downfalls of the church in America today. We have become so busy that we do not take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus like we used to. We have substituted, in many ways, godliness for business and we are suffering from it as the church has become a mile wide and an inch deep. We have allowed ourselves over time to become plagued with the "Martha Syndrome." I say we need to reverse this trend and become "Mary's" in a Martha world.
Therefore, as you journey throughout the Christmas season of 2009, be careful not to allow yourself to become distracted by all of the "stuff" of Christmas that you forget to sit at the feet of the One who has made Christmas possible. This is not a holiday we are celebrating. This is a holy day we are celebrating because Christmas is the day when the very Son of God entered the world as a man just like me and you in order to identify with us and ultimately pay the price for our sins. The greatest gift of all was born in a lowly stable some 2000 years ago and He is the one who has brought light into a dark world.
The whole Tiger Woods drama started to unfold in my own little world while I was cheering my hardest for Auburn to beat Alabama this past Saturday in the stands of Jordan Hare Stadium amidst some 87,000 like minded fans. As a matter of fact, I received a text message from ESPN News right after one of Auburn's early touchdown informing me that he had been critically injured in an apparent automobile accident and was rushed to the hospital. I would say that about 15 minutes later I received another text message from the same source informing me that Tiger had been released from the hospital with minor facial lacerations and no serious injuries. At that moment there was a feeling inside of me that indicated something was not right about the whole situation. Why in the world would ESPN send out a text message in one moment saying the most popular athlete in the world had been critically injured in a car accident and almost in the next moment send out another text message saying he only received minor injuries and was heading home? Something didn't quite add up. The story then took on another level once I arrived at my parent's house after the Auburn and Alabama game and found out that the whole incident occurred at 2:00 in the morning. Again, something was not adding up. There are many of us who now find our curiosity aroused over what possibly could have taken place in the life of arguably the greatest golfer to ever play the game of golf. Even in the midst of a war, an economic crisis, unrest in our government, growing threats from other nations, etc., most of us still want to know what in the world is going on with the most popular athlete in the world right now.
Between Friday and today we have learned of the possibility that Tiger Woods has had an affair with three different women. And while the verdict is still out and it remains to be seen what has truly taken place, there is no doubt that something of ill repute has taken place as Tiger has come out publicly and said, "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all my heart." Whatever "those transgressions" may be, and they are really none of my business, I am just saddened by the fact that here is another popular figure in our nation, and throughout the world, and a role model to so many of our children and he has been unable to live up to the standards that are placed on those who are in the limelight like Tiger is.
I believe this whole incident goes to show you that popularity and money is unable to even keep the best of the best from falling into the mire of sin and shame in their lives. And by no means I am here to condemn Tiger Woods because one of the first thoughts that ran across my mind when I found out what really could be going on here is the fact that none of us are exempt from falling into the same trap Tiger has fallen into, that is if what we are hearing today stands true. As a matter of fact, I hope and pray, first of all, that those on the tour who are his friends and are committed followers of Christ will reach out to him in love and support and show them that Jesus is the only hope for mankind in a world full of turmoil. Second of all, I hope and pray that Tiger and Elin's marriage will be able to be restored and show the world that even though a husband and/or wife may slip up that love and forgiveness are powerful and can bring healing to a marriage.
I am a huge fan of Tiger Woods as a golfer. I have always had issues with him as far as his personal conduct on and off the golf course. But as far as his golfing game is concerned, there are certain days when it just seems to be poetry in motion, if you will, as one sits there and watches him play the game. Will he ever be the same? I believe that remains to be seen. But what I am afraid of is that his name is going to be tarnished somewhat for the rest of his career, much like Kobe Bryant's name has been tarnished ever since his incident a few years ago. That doesn't mean we are going to be standing in condemnation of him, it just means that any time we bring up the name Tiger Woods the first two thoughts in our minds are going to be something like "great golfer" and "moral failure." But thanks to be God there is forgiveness in Him and when God forgives He forgets and it is my prayer Tiger will turn to the one true and living God in this situation.
As we approach the day in which we set aside as a country each year to stop and give thanks for all God has done for us, I often wonder how thankful we are as citizens of this great land for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us. Even though we may be in the midst of an economic crisis, which some say we are gradually easing our way out of, there is still much to be thankful for. But it is almost like we have forgotten what it truly means to celebrate a day of "thanksgiving" because we just seem to pass right on over it and start celebrating the Christmas season before the month of November comes to an end. Now I am not here to say whether this is right or wrong because if you are like my family we already have our Christmas tree up in our living room, thanks to my wife and our two precious girls. No, I am just here to remind us all that there is much to be thankful for not only as citizens of the United States but also as citizens of the Kingdom of God; the latter being far more important than the former. The former is temporary, but the latter is eternal.
If you are like me, then there are times in your life when you get more focused on the negative happening in and around you that you fail to recognize and give thanks for all the positives. Reality is, however, we can still stop and give thanks even when we do face trials and tribulations. But if we would just stop and take the time to "count our blessings" I believe we would all find that there is truly much to be thankful for. And perhaps that is just part of our problem in our society today. How often do we take the time to stop and consider all that we are blessed with in this day and time? Many of us are unable to enjoy the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays because we are running at such a hectic pace that we are unable to adequately process why we are doing what we are doing. It has almost become robotic to some degree because we have been programmed on what exactly we are going to be doing and where we are going to be going that we fail to stop and truly reflect on the "reason for the season." I believe often times the reason we do not sense within our hearts that there is much to be thankful for is because we have failed to slow down and consider all God has done for us. We as Americans are some the most blessed and prosperous people in the world and it would simply be foolish for us to not stop and give thanks.
I also believe there is another reason we fail to adequately give thanks for all God has blessed us with. When it comes to giving thanks we often like to consider the "big things" in life for which we can be grateful for and forget about the ordinary things in life which we depend upon day by day in order to exist in this world. I am speaking of things such as a roof over our head, a bed to lay in, clothes on our back, food to eat, water to drink, a family that loves and supports us, friends we can turn to in time of need, etc. I guess the point I want to make to all of us, which includes myself, is that there is much to be thankful for today and we don't need to go rushing through another Thanksgiving season without giving thanks unto God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.
But don't let one day or one week be the extent of your thanksgiving unto God. Make it a daily routine in which you give thanks unto Him for something He has blessed you with. As a matter of fact, I believe the more you do give thanks the more you will see how much there is to be thankful for. Those who don't give thanks are those who are unable to truly see all there is to be thankful for. So may we hear the cry of David in 1 Chronicles 16:34 when he says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." May we join with him this week, and every other week, in giving thanks to the creator God for all He has done because He is worthy of our thanksgiving.
The last full weekend in October was definitely a weekend to remember in the life of our family and in the life of our church. On Sunday morning, October 25, Lydia woke us up around 4:00 a.m. to tell us that she was not feeling well. And it was only a couple of minutes later when she commenced vomiting and running a high fever. Now Lydia has no doubt been sick before but Michelle and I could look at her and tell that there was something altogether different about this sickness. We knew we were dealing with something more than just a common virus. Not too long after we got Lydia settled back down I got ready for church and went ahead and headed over to the office in order to prepare for the services that day. I could hardly wait to preach the message the Lord had given me on the subject of vision in the local church, therefore, I was pretty much ready to go by the time I arrived at the church.
Before I left to go over to the church, Michelle and I had already decided that she would take her in to see the doctor as soon as his office opened around 11:00 a.m.. Under normal circumstances, Michelle would just have taken her in by herself, but these were not normal circumstances. Therefore, I asked one of the young ladies in our church if she would drive our van to the doctor's office so that Michelle could sit in the back with Lydia. Man was this ever a great idea (props to my dad because it was his idea) because Lydia got sick on the way and it would have been a mess had not Michelle been in the back seat right there with her.
Michelle and Lydia arrived at the doctor's office around 10:45 a.m. and they were called back in just a matter of moments. When Dr. Smith walked into the office and laid eyes on her he knew, just like we did, that something was different about this virus. He wasn't in the room with her for two minutes before he told Michelle that she needed to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. Thankfully, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, which is where the movie "Fireproof" was partially filmed, is just right around the corner from the doctor's office. So, they all loaded up in the car and rushed off to the hospital and in no time Lydia is admitted on the pediatrics floor.
In the meantime, nothing was going right in the service that day. It seemed like the devil was trying his best to disrupt the flow in any way that he could. Therefore, right before I got up to preach I asked the church if we could have a time of prayer and asked people to come to the altar to pray if they felt led to do so. In my short stint of pastoring, I have never done anything like this before on a Sunday morning. Right before I was about to pray, a lady in our church walked up to me with her cell phone in her hand and showed me a text she had received about having to take Lydia to the hospital. Well, you can only imagine what my heart and emotions did when I read that text. I said a quick prayer with tears streaming down my face and then announced to the church what was going on. As I stood there in tears, the chairman of deacons and the minister of music came up and laid their hands on me as the chairman of deacons led in a word of prayer. I thought about leaving and heading to the hospital, but the Spirit of the Lord seemed to say to me that everything is going to be all right and that I needed to preach the message the Lord had given me to share with the church. And by the grace of God I preached that message on vision and from the comments I received from the people, it was one of the best messages they have ever heard me preach and God really used it to challenge some people that day. To God be the glory.
Lydia ended up staying in the hospital from Sunday morning through Tuesday night and was diagnosed with viral meningitis. How she got this we don't know. The doctors tell us that it happens from time to time in children. As a matter of fact, the virus that caused her to have this meningitis is the same virus that causes the common cold. So I guess the moral of the story is never to treat the common cold lightly ever again.
What a tremendous blessing it was for Lydia and the rest of the family to receive so much love and prayer support from people all across this country and even perhaps around the world. I can tell you this; I have never experienced anything like what I experienced with my own child that day not knowing what was going to happen to her. And I can only imagine what these parents are going through who have children who are sick with terminal diseases and there is nothing they can do about it but pray. And prayer is the answer because we are talking to the One who is the Great Physician.
You can call me "old-fashioned," "traditional," "ancient," or whatever you want to call me, but I still believe in the value of holding "revivals" in the local church. Now I am all for a name change, if one is necessary, because just because we call them "revivals" doesn't necessitate the fact real revival is actually going to occur within the life of the church. But this is what I tell the dear folks at Beacon Baptist Church: "Just because we have planned a revival and are calling it a revival doesn't necessarily mean revival is going to occur. But it is our hope and prayer that revival does occur in these meetings we are going to have on the days we have set aside for our church to have revival." Therefore, if you can come up with a better name, I am all ears. Nonetheless, each fall and each spring we set aside some days for us to gather together as a body of Christ to hear from a man of God with the hopes that God will use this time to bring revival in the life of our church.
As a matter of fact, I believe we have done a disservice to many of our churches today by not having more of these types of meetings where we meet for "x" number of days in order to encounter God. There used to be a time when there were two weeks set aside for revivals, although I was never a part of one of those. I was a part, however, of week long revivals before they were shaved down to Sunday through Wednesday. Today there are many churches who do not even have Sunday through Wednesday revivals. I just believe there is great value in the life of a church when you are able to meet for several consecutive days for the purpose of seeking God to do a fresh work among the people. Why just meet on Sunday's and Wednesday's for church? Why not have times throughout the year where the church meets for several days in a row? Doesn't the book of Acts say that the early church met regularly? If so, I take that to mean more than once or twice a week.
Don't misunderstand me here because I am not condemning those churches who do not set aside a time for "revivals" or other events. I just know from personal experience as a pastor that more times than not the people of God are refreshed and revitalized after spending consecutive days with other believers worshiping God and hearing His Word proclaimed. For instance, our church just got through spending four consecutive days together in "revival" with Bro. Tommy Fountain (Fountain of Joy Ministries), who is an evangelist from north Georgia. I can honestly say that God used our time together to do a work of revival in our hearts and I don't know if I have ever seen these people as excited about serving the Lord as they are now. And to top it all off, we had the wonderful privilege of seeing two people make professions of faith in Christ. I believe when the church is revived souls will be saved.
Maybe what I am talking about is old-fashioned and out-of-date, but I still believe God uses these times together to do a necessary work in the life of the church. If there is something else we could be doing together as the people of God during the week that will prepare us to be the godly people we need to be out in a lost world, again, I am all ears. I just long to see the local church thrive in this day and time and I really don't see much of what we are doing allowing the church to thrive. May God truly send revival to our churches because as Bro. Tommy mentioned, "Before the White House can get right, the church house is going to have to get right." Amen!!!
This past week many of us throughout the Mallary Baptist Association had the opportunity to really be fed spiritually through the teaching ministry of Manley Beasley Jr., who is the son of the great Southern Baptist revivalist Manley Beasley Sr. There is no doubt that God used this humble man to speak to our hearts and bring us to a point to where we all left hungry and thirsty for God to do a fresh and supernatural work among us.
The topic we asked him to deal with during our time together was on the ministry and the work of the Holy Spirit of God. I am of the sincere belief that the reason many of our churches throughout the Southern Baptist Convention are plateauing or declining is because we have in many ways neglected the work of the Holy Spirit within the church. We have become so indoctrinated with programs and strategies in this day and time that I am afraid much of the work we are doing in the church today is being done in the flesh. We have kind of formed our own idea of church and the way one should be run and have forgotten one key element, that key element being the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we asked Bro. Manley to come and speak to us concerning the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the local church.
Interestingly enough, we really didn't talk much about the work of the Holy Spirit. Each time we sought to discover something fresh and invigorating on the work of the Holy Spirit it just seemed like God kept bringing us back to the work of prayer. And doesn't it stand to reason God would continue to bring us back to the idea of prayer because it is only through prayer that the Holy Spirit does His work in our lives and in our churches, right? What do we find the early believers doing when the Holy Spirit came upon them and empowered them to declare the message of Jesus Christ? We find them praying together. As a matter of fact, the Bible says they were "constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14, NIV). And then we come to one of my favorite verses in all of the book of Acts; "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31, emphasis mine).
Perhaps one of the reasons our churches are hurting so badly in this day and time is because the prayer meeting has been replaced by something else. Sure, we have replaced the prayer meeting with something spiritual. It is not like we are wasting our time when we come together in the house of the Lord, but it should definitely sound an alarm for us when we step back and look that for the most part a corporate prayer meeting doesn't exist within our churches today and as a result many of them have become weak and anemic. It is nothing for us to get a crowd together at the church for some kind of special event, but you schedule a prayer service and the crowd seems to disappear.
I guess what I am trying to say is that during the five days we spent together as an association seeking to discover more about the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit, we were all eventually brought back to one word...prayer. When you study the great revivals and great awakenings that have taken place in years gone by, you will always notice a common theme among them all - it all started with a group of people willing to pay the price in prayer. That leaves me to wonder who there is among us today that is going to be willing to pay the price in prayer in order for God to move mightily upon us once again? Bro. Manley said during one of our sessions, "There has to be a great revival among God's people before there will ever be a great harvest of lost souls." And I truly believe God wants to send a great revival among our churches today, it is just a matter of whether or not we are going to be willing to the pay the price in prayer for revival to come.
I consider one of the greatest privileges in the Christian life to be the opportunity we have to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission as given to us in the New Testament, not only here locally and nationally, but also throughout the known world where the gospel is rarely heard. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest joys for me, outside of a saving relationship in Jesus Christ, is the joy of going to other parts of the world and sharing the message of Jesus with those who have never heard.
Now to be honest with you, this joy I speak of above has not always been a reality for me in my Christian pilgrimage. There was a time during my youthful days when I lived with a sense of fear that God would call me to go to a foreign land one day to share the gospel with people I could not even communicate with. Mission trips both locally and nationally had been no problem for me, but never had I given thought to the possibility that God might would have me go somewhere outside the United States in order to be an ambassador for the Lord Jesus.
That is until I entered the seminary program I attended at Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn, Alabama, which was one of the extension programs off of the The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. When I signed on with this seminary program back in the spring of 2002 I really didn't have a choice as to whether or not I was going to a foreign land because part of the requirements for graduating was that we devote one summer to the North American Mission Board and the other summer to the International Mission Board. Therefore, in the summer of 2004, my wife and I packed our bags and spent some 17 hours on three different planes in order to arrive in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya for eight weeks.
Since that wonderful and amazing experience, the Lord has put a desire within our hearts for the nations and any time He opens the door for us to be a part of a mission trip to another part of the world we want to join in. Not only have I had the opportunity to go to Mombasa, Kenya, but I have also had the opportunity to go to Riobamba, Ecuador and now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. And each time I go I always come back with a renewed sense of zeal to not only continue to go to other parts of the world to share the message of Jesus, but to also take others with me in order that they might experience the joy there is in making disciples of Jesus Christ in all the nations. As a matter of fact, I believe many of our churches would be changed if more and more people would commit to go to a foreign land to be used of God among the different people groups that exist throughout the world. Never have I seen nor heard anyone who has come back from an international mission trip complain about their experience. However, the testimonies I usually hear are ones of a changed life and a deeper walk with the Lord.
Just last week I had the opportunity to see what God is doing throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. The joy I received from this trip was from the opportunities we had to venture out into some of the rural villages to see the potential there is in getting the message of Jesus to these people who have never truly heard. I am grateful for the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Mallary Baptist Association and the vision they have to put time and money into these areas that desperately need to be infiltrated with the gospel message. I believe, in many ways, these people are more open to the gospel message than the people are here back in the states. They are hungry for something to bring them purpose in life and we have the opportunity to share that something with them. And I don't know about you, but that excites me!
It is unfortunate that in this day and age we have diluted the sacredness of marriage by often treating it as an institution we have created to fit our wants and needs and not as an institution God created in eternity past when he created the first man and first woman and brought them together in an covenant relationship with one another. Our secular humanist society has decided to define marriage in their own terms and has thus destroyed in many ways the wonderful picture marriage portrays of Christ and His bride, the church. We have made marriage one of convenience instead of one of commitment and have forgotten the meaning behind the words we speak to our spouse on the day we stand before him or her, and ultimately before Almighty God, and declare "till death do us part." It is alarming to me today at the number of marriages that are ending in divorce, not only in the secular world, but within the church as well. We have forgotten that God clearly says in His Word, "I hate divorce."
Throughout the past couple of days, the sacredness of marriage has been wonderfully displayed within the the life of our little church here in Albany, Georgia. Although one occasion I will share with you is a rather sad occasion, at the same time I believe it helps us to see that marriage is more than just words we speak on our wedding day. It is a commitment we are making to one another and ultimately to God to be faithful to the one He has brought into our lives.
This past Sunday night after our evening time of worship, we threw a surprise wedding anniversary party for a couple who has been faithful to our church for many years and has worked tirelessly to aid in the ministry of the church. However, this wasn't just any old wedding anniversary. This was their 50th wedding anniversary and I thought we as a church should celebrate this momentous occasion with them and use it as an opportunity to display to others that marriage is a commitment of our undying love to one another. What a blessing it was for us to celebrate with this couple 50 years of marriage as they have remained committed to the marriage relationship despite the hardships they have faced along the way. We need to take every opportunity we can today to celebrate the institution of marriage because there are those out there who are seeking to obliterate it altogether.
The other occasion, which I believe greatly demonstrates the sacredness of marriage, comes from a 92-year-old man in our church who just buried his third wife today. No, he hasn't been married three times because the other two have ended in divorce. He has been married three times because just like the wife he buried today, he had to watch the other two suffer and die right before his eyes. Here is a man who has not only saw his first wife suffer and die after many years of marriage. He not only saw his second wife suffer and die after many years of marriage. But he also saw his third wife suffer and die after 10 years of marriage and the wonderful part about all three was the simple fact that he remained committed to all three and took care of them himself until they went home to be with the Lord. He was a man who was committed to being the husband God had called him to be in sickness and in health.
When it comes to marriage, words are simply just not enough. It takes commitment and it takes hard work and God knows I have a long way to being the man my wife needs me to be, but it is my prayer that I will remain committed to her and to my children until the Lord calls us home. Marriages are in disarray today. Families are in disarray today. And if we don't recover the sacredness of marriage and the sacredness of the family then we are just going to continue to head down the slippery slope of rebellion against an Almighty God who is full of love but who has to bring judgment upon sin just as well.
One of the many talent shows my family enjoys watching these days is America's Got Talent, which allows its participants from all across the country to display their talents, whatever they may be, in front of three judges with the hopes of ultimately winning a million dollars and having their own headline show in the entertainment capital of the world called Las Vegas. Although there have been times when I have had to turn it off due to some performances that were not morally up to par by the standards we have set in our homes, for the most part they have been wholesome and very entertaining to watch.
There is no doubt people all across America are full of God-given talent, although many do not recognize their talents as been given to them by God. And you always have those among the crowds who use their God-given talents in a way that is obviously not the way God intended for them to use them. Nonetheless, we have enjoyed the opportunity to watch people from all walks of life display their talent before untold millions of people throughout this nation.
Talents are abilities we are born with and are able to develop as we mature in age and work on bettering them as we go along. However, there is something that those who belong to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ have that no one is born with and no one can obtain on their own and they are spiritual gifts. One of the neat aspects of the universal church is that we have all been given spiritual gifts to be used in ministering to others and building up the body of Christ.
My fear today is that we do not adequately emphasize the necessity of determining our spiritual gift(s) and then seeking to use them within the local church as God would have us to do. Paul was clear to tell the church in Corinth that "to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit..." (1 Corinthians 12:7,8). He wanted these Christians to understand the uniqueness of being gifted through the Holy Spirit of God and the importance of using those gifts for the building up of the body of Christ.
It is not that we as Christians are somehow better than the rest of American's throughout the country, it is just that not only do we as Christians have talents just like any other created being, we also have gifts we are to use within the local body of believers for the purpose of glorifying God in everything we do. Using the gift(s) that have been given to us is part of the privilege we have in serving in the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are what enable the body of Christ work together for the ultimate purpose of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ among a unregenerate people.
People use talents within the church just like they do in the secular world all the time and I, for one, am grateful for those who bring their talents within the local church setting and use them for the glory of God. But talents are not the only thing used within the church because they can only do so much. Within the church we have spiritual gifts that have been given to those who have truly professed faith in Christ and they use them, not for their own benefit, bur for the benefit of the church and the work of the kingdom of God. And what a blessing it is for me as a pastor to watch others use the gifts God has given them.
I am not sure about you, but when I read that evangelical churches are losing somewhere around 75% of teenagers between the time they graduate high school and complete their first year of college; when I read that among this same group of teenagers the rate of those who hold to a biblical worldview is under 10 percent; when I read that Thom Rainer and his research team with LifeWay Christian Resources say that "If our research approximates eternal realities, nearly one-half of all church members may not be Christians"; when I read statistics such as these, there is definitely a red flag that pops up in my mind and an alarm that begins sound very loudly.
For quite some time now, in the back of my mind, I have often wondered what has gone wrong among the evangelical world today when we see so many children who are forsaking the faith they grew up with during the most formidable years of their life. What causes them to leave the church when they leave home? What is the church doing wrong to lose some many of the next generation that could make a huge impact on the kingdom of God. What is going wrong in the home today that so many parents are ending up with wayward sons and daughters. All these questions and more have been floating around seeking in vain to find some answers to them, until perhaps now.
Voddie Baucham's book, "Family Driven Faith," is a book I wished I could get into the hands of every Christian family and every evangelical church leader today as I believe he sounds the clarion call for a radical paradigm shift that needs to take place among our churches and among our families. I must warn you though, what he has to say in this book goes against the formulation that many of us have been brought up with as Christians and there will be many who will disagree with what he has to say because it is so counter-cultural to our society and, unfortunately, to many of our churches today. But what he has to say is something that I sincerely believe we as Christian families and evangelical church leaders in this day and time really need to examine and mull over because what we are doing as of right now is definitely not working.
Do you realize we have more books on the family than we have every had in human history and the family is in the worst shape than it has ever been? Do you realize we have more books on church growth than we have ever had and our churches are in the worst shape they have every been? Do you realize that we have more books on children's ministry and youth ministry than we have ever had and we are losing them at a rate we have never experienced before. No, this is not something that is easy to swallow, but this is something that we should not throw caution to the wind to because if things don't change we are going to continue to lose generation after generation that could be used to radically transform our society through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please don't misunderstand me here. I do not have the answers and I by no means claim to be an expert in these areas. I am still relatively new in the ministry and I am still in the beginning stages of parenthood. I am one who just happens to believe that Voddie Baucham may be on to something here as he sounds the alarm loud and clear for our churches and families in their pursuit to raise godly children in this day and time. I want to challenge you to read this book with an open heart and a open mind. I want to challenge you to step out of the norm and sound the trumpet for the next generation because of our right now it currently takes two Christian families in one generation to get a single Christian into the next. As Voddie Baucham said, "Houston, we have a problem." I want to challenge you to reexamine what you give priority to when it comes to the church and to the family. Finally, I want to challenge you to allow God to work in your heart concerning this matter and be obedient to what He would have you to do to change the current cycle we find ourselves in.
