March 27, 2010

Billy Graham's Suit

Recently I came across a very interesting story involving Evangelist Billy Graham. I thought it was well worth passing on. Mr. Graham is now 92 years old and still resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favorite son, Billy Graham to a luncheon in his honor.

Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he suffers from Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, "We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you", so he agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd and said, "I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist, who this month is being honored by Time magazine as the man of the Century. Einstein was traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said, 'Mr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it'.

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his sear for his ticket.

The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry. I know who you are. It's no problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.' Einstein looked at the conductor and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I am going.'

Having said that, Mr Graham continued. 'See the suit I'm wearing? It is a brand new suit. My children and my grandchildren tell me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I use to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and for one more occasion.

You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I will be buried. But when you hear that I am dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I am wearing. I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am... I know where I am going'."

Pastor Ron McCurry

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March 22, 2010

More Thoughts On The Church In Acts That are Disturbing

How you do church is your business as long as you meet the foundational principles of being a true New Testament Church that are described in the Book of Acts. The more I read about the church in Acts, the more sleep I lose. What does a Acts 2 church look like?

Consider these disturbing things...

• The driving passion behind all churches must be to take the good news of the gospel to people everywhere (Acts 1:8). Most churches talk about this but do little about it.
• Preaching was at the very center of the worship service. Some of the longest recorded sermons in the Bible are in the Book of Acts. Preachers will love this point.
• The church was lead by the Holy Spirit. They didn't know what to do without Him.
• Something powerful happened every time the church prayed.
• The church seemed comfortable in making people feel uncomfortable (Acts 10).
• The church was never obsessed with the people who opposed them. They were obsessed with the joy of knowing Jesus Christ. They never embraced a 'get even' attitude.
• After one church service, the number of believers went from 120 to 3000. Evidently, He loves crowds.
• The leaders in the church were always willing to take risks for the cause of Christ, even if it meant going to jail. What's up with that?
• The church flourished, thrived, and grew without a building. On top of that, no one cared.
• The church of Acts had no professional experts and no pattern to follow to be successful. All they knew to do was to listen to and follow the voice of God.
• The church grew greater as the persecution increased. Ouch!
• The church of Acts targeted the comfortable and those who loved the status-quo.
• No one can stop God when He decides to move in a great way. It is useless.
• The church knew the reason for their existence - For God and for others.
• The church constantly put God on the spot to perform what He said He would or could do.
• God constantly put the church on the spot to trust Him completely in all things. That is dangerous and uncomfortable to religious people.

Because Jesus had ascended to heaven, the only evidence the church could give to people that Christ was indeed alive and seated at the right hand of the father in heaven was changed lives. That is the greatest need in the church today.

Do these things disturb you as much as they do me? Can your church live up to these things?

Pastor Ron McCurry

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March 11, 2010

Thoughts On The Church In Acts

At some point, all of us have gotten off track in our spiritual lives. That is also true with the church. Problems arise when Christians and churches and even pastors are unwilling to admit that. But... we've ALL done It!

Over the years, and even today, churches have taken great pride in proclaiming to the masses of people that they in fact are a New Testament Church. That is the gold standard statement for churches today. If you have ever said that, I would like to ask several questions:

What in God's name does that mean? If you ask ten different preachers, you will probably get ten different answers.

I believe the best way to answer that question is to read the Book of Acts. When you finish, go back and read it again, and again, and again. That must be our starting point.

Let me go ahead and put a controversial statement out there for you to think about. I believe the church as it is described in the Book of Acts is a pattern, a blueprint for the church today. With that said, I don't believe the church of Acts is something we should be seeking to go back to. While it is true that we must maintain the foundational principles of the first church as described in Acts, it is not true that we are to emulate them in every detail of their worship. Today, we don't even have church services like Spurgeon, Wesley, or Whitefield. It just seems to me like we have forgotten the important foundational principles of the church in Acts and have held on to the status-quo and the traditions of religion during the last 75 years. Anything outside of that is not acceptable today.

Foundational Principles of the Church in Acts: Read these things for yourself. It is there in black and white.

1. The church operating in the Book of Acts was not perfect. They faced challenges and problems just like all of us. They were not afraid of that.

2. The church gathered around the Apostles Teaching. They loved, honored, and respected the Word of God.

3. The church loved Fellowship. The word literally means "joint participation". They had all things in common.

4. The church celebrated the "Breaking of Bread " together. I believe this was Communion or The Lord's Supper.

5. The church was devoted to Prayer. They knew the source of their power.

6. Members of that first church had to give evidence that they were believers. They were then baptized, and met together on a regular basis.

7. Believers gathered on the first day of the week to value Christ corporately and to display His glory throughout the week. Church was important to them.

8. The church was guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. If you are doing those things, you are a local Lord's church. Period!

One Last Thought and I will shut up.

It is no accident that the Book of Acts does not give us a formula on what a typical church service should look like or what the approved kind of music should be. Just something to mull over.

Pastor Ron McCurry

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March 4, 2010

I Love the Church... But!

Beginning this Sunday, I get to do what I enjoy doing more than anything in the world. Even more than eating chocolate covered almonds (my absolute favorite snack at night with a class of cold Mayfield milk). I get to talk about "Our Church" for the next four Sundays. That is Awesome!

Not "your church", or "their church", or the other church down the road. Just "Our Church". I do this every year around this time.

I love the church. The church dominates my thinking. It moves me. It motivates me to be all that I can be. I love talking about it, preaching about it, and reading about it. I love to study what God is doing in other churches across America and around the world.

But... My greatest discouragement in ministry is related to the church. What is it? What continually blows me out of the water regarding the church?

Well, here it goes. The way people view the church. The way people act towards the church. The way people treat the church. (Yes - even professing Christians and church members) I constantly hear people say that the Church is really not that important. They can take it or leave it. That bothers me to no end.

IF IT IS TRUE THAT...

• The Church was God's idea.
• Christ is building His Church today (Matthew 16:18). Would God spend the time to build something that was useless? I think not.
• Christ is the sole Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22 & Colossians 1:18). Would Christ choose to be the Head of something unimportant?
• Christ reveals His truth through the ministry gifts of the church (Ephesians 3:10). God has chosen to reveal much of the truth about Himself through the church.
• The Church is about people, not buildings. He died for people.

IF ALL OF THAT IS TRUE, AND IT IS - Then we must understand and embrace the fact that there is nothing in all the world more important than the Church of Jesus Christ. It matters to God, so it should matter to us as well.

Whatever the size of your church may be, your Church matters to God. Stand tall, throw your shoulders back, and let-er-rip this Sunday!

THOUGHT- If most of us loved our wives the way we love the church, most of the wives would be filing for divorce on Monday morning (See Ephesians 5).

Pastor Ron McCurry