Challenged Champions For Christ Bible  - Blog 6

                                          “Guardians of God’s Word”

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.”  Ephesians 4 verses 11-12

When I was a young kid growing up in Toledo, Ohio, there was always one movie trilogy that I always loved to watch over and over again on my VCR.  In fact it was a trilogy that I still love to watch to this very day even though I am now over twenty years old.  The trilogy I am speaking of is, of course, George Lucas’s Master Peace the Star Wars Trilogy.  Many times I would spend endless hours of watching the adventures of the republic V.S. the evil empire.  My favorite adventures were those of the legendary Jedi knights.  These special men and women were born with a great purpose and responsibility. Their mission was to protect and serve the people and intervals of the galaxy. They also were called to be the guardians of peace and justice as well as help the ones they served find the place where they could serve in order to make the galaxy a better place for everyone to live. While these Jedi Knights only exist in a fictional story, their lives as acts of service got me thinking of another special group of men who live and serve the body of Christ.  They are what the church refers to as Pastors.  Or as I like to call them, Guardians of God’s Word.

Over the past week I started my last three classes with Liberty University, one of which is a class that is going to be preparing me to hopefully be a Senior
Pastor of a local church or body of believers one day.  Over the first week of class I have learned what it means to be a Pastor or a minister of God’s Word and flock. I learned how being called to be a Pastor is a both a gift and a calling from God as well as a huge spiritual responsibility.  How as a man who is called by God to care for the flock of God, it is my job to care for the sheep of God, spiritually lead the flock of God, teach the flock of God, and equip the flock of God for service in doing Gods work. I learned that a Pastor means that in order to be a guardians of God’s Word and the body of Christ I must make sure that my lifestyle everyday must match the message I preach and teach to the body of Christ on Sunday. In other words I must walk the walk as well as talk the talk. I must expect hard times to come and that some people will always be skeptical or even question my integrity as a man of God and of servant of his kingdom. I must always remember to be in constant study of God’s word and devoted to prayer. Because it is only through my relationship with God through Jesus Christ that I can ever expect to be a faithful servant of the flock of God as I try to build up the body of Christ for acts of service, so that the body of Christ can then go out and make a difference in the world for the glory of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Another thing is the fact that being a Senior Pastor means I should always have a spirit of humility as making sure I put other people’s needs before my own. To be ready to care for people and to be ready to meet their needs no matter what they are whether they spiritual or physical.  And must always remember to execute God’s disciple in love and kindness to those members of God’s body who wander from the faith by choosing to live in a life of sin. However, be ready and willing to help them find their way back to the flock should they choose and want to repent of their sins.

My relationship with my own Senior Pastor ~~~

Being a Pastor is a great and honorable calling that God have chosen to give only to a select group of men. And it’s the only thing that I have ever wanted to be. Ever since I was ten years old I always felt that God was calling me into a life of service by serving the body of Christ by building them up and preparing them for acts of service. Being a Senior Pastor is no easy task.  It involves possessing of many great spiritual and physical talents and abilities. Over the years I have never met a man who better embodies the qualities more than that of my own Senior Pastor, Terry Falkenbury of West Cabarrus Church.  

Pastor Terry was the first mentor I ever had in my preparation for the ministry.  He was the one to first recognize the fact that I had the ability and the heart for serving and spiritually leading the flock of God. He also taught me how to be a student of God’s Word and to recognize the value and power God’s Word has in turning people away from a life of sins to a life fully devoted to pouring out the love of Christ in a broken world. He taught me not only what the Bible says but what it actually means by what it says.  He shows me the love and joy I can have as I learn to put other’s needs before my own and that the greatest joy I can ever receive in life is when I see someone repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ,  not only because of the sermon I preach on Sunday,  but because of the way I choose to demonstrate and show God’s love to people everyday.   

There are no words to explain just how much I love, respect, and admire the office of Senior Pastors of local churches.  For some people, their hero consists of  individuals who’s successes are on an athletic field or court.  For me, my heroes consist of those men and women who are called to serve and build of up the body of Christ.  By being a guardian of His quick and powerful Word and teaching and equipping the body of believers to fight the fight of the faith, to finish the race and to keep the faith that God has called them to in order to make a difference for Him and to the glory of His kingdom and for His name.

I cant wait for the day when I get to join these Guardians of God’s Word,  these men who are called by God to serve,  protect and shepherd God’s flock as I try to build up the body of Christ to go out and make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.

Thank  you to all Pastors everywhere, and especially mine  ~ may the grace and peace of God and of Jesus Christ be with you always as you continue to serve God and his kingdom.

                                       

                         Challenged Champions For Christ Bible Blog 5.

                                            A House Of Living Stones.

You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices holy and  acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

It was in Rome around  AD. 64-66 that one of the most shocking  and sad events ever recorded  took place. The Jews had revolted against  emperor Nero who had been persecuting both the Jews and the Christians for refusing to worship him as their Lord and God. As a result of  the second Jewish temple  which was built during the time when the Jews made their return from captivity under the direction of Ezra the priest was completely destroyed. The Roman soldiers over ran the temple and destroyed  it by over turning every stone over- one after another- all in the hopes of finding gold and priceless treasures. The thing that I find most amazing about this event was the fact that Jesus foretold this very event many years before it happened. In Matthew 24 one day while Jesus was walking in the city of Jerusalem his disciples came to him saying ”Master do  you see all of these magnificent buildings?”  Jesus’ disciples were obviously impressed with the temple - and why not ?  I mean, after all this was the main place of worship in Jesus day. It was the place where many Jews would gather to worship and offer sacrifices to God as an act of worship to his name.  It was a place of beauty, strength and inspiration.  It was in effect the meeting place of God.  It represented the end of years in the wilderness and exile.

 Jesus’ response to the disciples is one that still amazes me to this very day. He said to his disciples “do you see all the things? I tell you the truth not one stone will be left upon another they all will be thrown down.”  Unbelievably,  that is exactly what happened in 70 AD. The Romans destroyed the temple and every stone was thrown down. It’s hard to imagine why God would allow his spiritual house of worship to be destroyed. So many times we read in the scriptures of how God’s house or place of worship was destroyed because of a war, a revolt or because of Israel disobedience to God.  However I believe that after many years of study I believe I understand the message that God was trying to send to the nation of Israel and to us today as well. God destroyed a tabernacle and two temples of worship to give his people a message, and the message was this.  The place of God’s worship is not as important as the heart of the worshipers there.  What really matters to God is not that we just simply worship him with our mouths but that we worship him with our hearts.  This point seems so simple, but grasping it and living it out is so difficult.

As I was thinking about this and how God’s earthly spiritual house of worship was destroyed, I suddenly realized how grateful I was that God is still building another house of worship and sacrifice, and it’s a house that is being built today. It’s not a house of earthly stones -it is a house made out of living stones – people like you and me!!  It’s the Church.  It is a spiritual house made up of believers and followers of Christ Jesus. This is a house where God’s people will offer him the true worship and spiritual sacrifices that God so richly deserves and desires. A house where Christ followers will offer God the true worship that he wants. Worshiper who will worship God the father in both spirit and in truth. It is a  house where those who trust in the Lord Jesus will never be put to shame. It is a  spiritual house that will be made up of those who were once far away from God because of there sin but who were brought near to God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. The people who make up this house will declare the praise of him who called them out of darkness and into his marvelous light for all eternity.

 Unlike the temples that were destroyed this one will never be destroyed. It will last forever because Jesus Christ is it cornerstone. I don’t know about you but I am glad to be part of this house – I realized I am one of the  living stones. And I can’t wait for the day that I get to meet all the believers who make up this spiritual house. I know I’m part of that house and I hope you are to.

A Challenged form the Challenged Champion.

This week take some time thanking God that you have been made a part of his spiritual house because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Thanks God for the assurance and the promise that you will never be destroyed but that you will last forever.