I value dessert! Seriously, I try to include it at every meal. I am trying to think of a way to make it a part of breakfast. You see—if you value something…it consumes you and becomes a part of who you are and what you do.
It’s the same with a church. What (or who) a church values will show 100% of the time. If the church values a certain style of dress…it will show. If a church prefers a certain style of worship…it will show. If a church values a certain type of theology…it will show. When something is valued it is never hidden.
So that got me to begin thinking about what we value here at NewSpring Church. What are the things we talk about all of the time? What are the things that we are living out as a church and are challenging all who attend here to live them out as well? I came up with a list that will take today’s post, tomorrow’s post—and quite possibly Friday’s as well. Here we go…
#1 - We Value Jesus Christ
Let me be very clear…our church preaches that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven—the ONLY WAY! We do not believe that you get to heaven by being good OR by being sprinkled as a baby OR even by listening to ONLY Christian music and attending ONLY “G” rated movies.
Jesus Christ said in John 14:6 that He is THE way, truth and life—not A way, truth and life…OR one of the many ways, truths and lives…but THE—notice the singular context. NOW…either He was a cocky & arrogant idiot—or He was telling the truth…and based on the whole empty tomb thing—I’m going with Him telling the truth.
SO…because we value Jesus—we talk about Him—A LOT!!! I honestly believe that if churches would spend MORE time talking about Jesus and less time talking about politics, boycotting Disney and debating theological sticking points that have caused divisions for hundreds of years…that TONS of people would enter the kingdom because we are focused on the RIGHT THING—JESUS!
You see—the Republican part did not change my life…nor did avoiding seeing “The Lion King,”...and although he wrote some pretty good stuff, John Calvin hasn’t really ever done a thing for me either—he’s DEAD. (WOW—that ticked some of you off!) Nope—Jesus Christ rescued me from a lifestyle that was sending me to hell—he power washed my soul and made me into a brand new person…and so it would be an insult to Him to allow ANYTHING or ANYONE else to dominate what I talk about…or who this church talks about.
It’s all about Jesus—it has to be.
It blows my mind when I ask people how you get to heaven…the number one answer is “be a good person.” But that is so wrong—it’s through receiving Jesus…THAT is what people need to hear because I am convinced that we can teach people all of the right answers and they will still go to hell because they know everything except that JESUS SAVES…and that’s IT!
We value Jesus Christ…He will always be the center and focus of each and every ministry here at NewSpring Church.
#2 - We Value The Bible
I make fun of the rumors that fly around our community regarding NewSpring. ONE such rumor is, “I won’t go to that church because they don’t teach the Bible.” If someone says that it simply tells me one thing about that person—THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN.
As the pastor—I believe the Bible is the total, infallible, inerrant Word of God. I do not believe that some sections of it are mere allegories…I believe Jonah was literally swallowed by a big fish (never says whale), I believe that God put an interstate highway through the middle of the Red Sea, I believe that Jesus walked on water…and I believe that Jesus rose from the dead…and all because the Bible says so.
People can argue about Scripture—what they believe about it—but the bottom line for me is that IT WORKS!!! And not just for me…but for everyone who takes the wisdom found there and applies it. I have NEVER had a person approach me and say, “My life was great until I began reading the Bible…and since I began reading it and applying it to my life—all heck has broken loose and my life has taken a turn for the worse.”
NO—it’s actually quite opposite. The Bible works because the Bible is true—period.
I can promise you this…there will never be a Sunday that God’s Word isn’t declared. I would say about 80% of the time I preach line by line, verse by verse…and I explain what the Bible says and means in a way people can understand. I just don’t think God meant for the Bible to be as flippin’ complicated as some people make it out to be!!!
So what is our job here at NewSpring Church…to take God’s Word and show people how to apply it to their lives right here in 2006. I do not desire to give amazing history lessons because I have discovered that most people could care less how many tons of gold it took to build the temple because their marriage is falling apart, the kids are failing school, and only God knows where the money is going to come from to pay the bills.
And THAT is why we do what we do—so that people can hear the Bible preached…and then take the lesson home and APPLY it to their lives. For far too long people have gone into churches and “connected” through rituals…but then they leave and are the same person who went it…nothing changes because nothing was learned.
But when God’s Word is taught in a way where people can understand—LIFE CHANGE takes place!
And now on to the third thing we value…tomorrow…