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WHY SOME PEOPLE WILL NEVER LIVE FOR GOD

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THE REACTION OF PEOPLE TO THE GOSPEL

PeopleBy Ken Blue

“And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:3-9.

The pastor must not get discouraged, but he must face the fact that the majority who hear his messages will never evidence the fruits of salvation. This should not deter him from faithfulness to his calling. There is no way to be sure who is saved or not. We must leave that decision with the Lord.

The above text, gives three reasons why some will not live for Christ.

A lack of spiritual understanding:

V 3-4; 19. “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.” Matthew 13:19.

Paul lists ignorance as one of the reasons Israel was not saved.  They were ignorant of God’s righteousness and attempting to work their way to heaven. The major reason people are not saved today is their failure to understanding the plan of salvation for this dispensation. Much of this ignorance must be laid at the feet of pastors and teachers. All a person must to do is listen to radio and television preachers and evangelist to witness this mass confusion. If that is not enough, just watch Oprah Winfrey, and her new age religion. Millions listen to her every day and embrace her teachings. The text makes it clear that the Truth had been sown, but the soil was not receptive because of a lack of understanding.

A lack of Christian character:

5-6; 20-21. “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Matthew 13:20-21.

This second group showed evidence of real interest at first. They appeared to be eager to follow the Lord wherever He leads. These dear people will respond to any invitation. They may get baptized and join the church. But, within a few weeks or months they disappear. No matter how many calls or letters you send, all is to no avail.

Something they heard or an unpleasant experienced caused their apparent spiritual interest to dry up and die. The reason may have been criticism from a family member, a coworker, or a friend. Perhaps the call to service or to give up some pet sin was all that was needed to cause them to wither and die. The real reason, according to the Lord, is a heart problem. They simply lack the moral character to do the right thing. There is no depth of commitment to their profession.

A lack of Self control:

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Credit cards will choke the life out of you if you don’t get your spending under control.[/perfectpullquote]

V. 7; 22. “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22.

Materialism is the number one problem in America: The lust for things we don’t need has caused more divorces and self-centeredness than anything else. Many Americans are very unhappy. They believe they have a right to be happy; and the more things they possess, the happier they will be. This spending trap creates all kinds of emotional, moral, and spiritual problems.

The quest for the latest and the best is the killer. Young couples believe they should have two new cars in the driveway, own a brand new home, have it fully furnished with the most modern furniture, and then be able to eat out in restaurants each night. This is a picture of the average young family, and it is the road to sure disaster. Your credit cards will choke the life out of you if you don’t get your spending under control. Once people begin to have the above problem, they cannot stay focused on church, the Bible, or spiritual things. The cares of this life choke out all that is valuable and important.

Thankfully, some will live for the Lord and serve Him. V.23. “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:23.

Pastor, there are those who will hear the Word, receive Christ, and become productive believers! You will notice that people differ in abilities and productivity. So preach the Word to everyone you can. Expect God to bless and give souls for your work. But, you must remember that many, who make professions, will never live for Christ. The real problem is not the seed. It’s the soil. If you want more like those in verse 23, you must have more professions. That’s how you do it.

ISRAEL’S BENEDICTION

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By Ken Blue

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying… ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27.

As Sovereign; He is their Blesser.
As Preserver; He is their Possessor.
As Bountiful; He is their Provider.
As Lover; He is their Creator.
As Illuminator; He is their Caretaker.
As present; He is their Peace Giver.
What a wonderful God is our God! All blessings flow from Him, and He wants you to know Him and to love Him.

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL CHURCH SPLIT

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GUARANTEED TO SPLIT YOUR CHURCH

Split

By Ken Blue

One way to ensure a split is to fill your church with transfer members from other churches. These dear people have already been indoctrinated, and they will criticize how you run the church. Open Door had two small splits in its first 10 years. Both were led by older ex-pastors who were unsuccessful in building their own churches. Their attempt to build with my members also failed. So, don’t be too eager to court disgruntled members transferring from another church.

Be sure to major on controversial issues. Fill each Sunday morning sermon with attacks on other Bibles, other churches, political leaders, and fags. Be as negative as you can. Nothing fosters a self-righteous spirit in church members like attacks on everyone else.

Don’t plan any programs where people can fellowship or get to know one another. If you do, they might grow to love each other; and it is difficult to have a church split where people really love each other. Also, they might love someone else more than you!

Don’t let people know when you are going to make changes; spring it on them. Nothing fuels discontentment like being in the dark, or being removed from a ministry.

Don’t allow people freedom or ownership of ministries. Micromanage every aspect of the church and make all decisions. This will guarantee they never feel a part of the church, and it will make it easier for them to exit with like minded friends.

Don’t preach as much about church unity and love as you do about tithing and soul winning. Although the Bible speaks of love and unity more that it does of heaven, hell, tithing, or soul winning; you can’t afford to let this be known, if you want a church split.

Don’t have a membership class or expect new members to sign a membership covenant. They might become too committed to the church and feel guilty when they are tempted to gossip.

Don’t hire staff or place people in leadership who agree with you. Don’t you know these people will be called “yes men?” So, fill vacancies with people who hold different doctrines and standards than those of the church. This works every time.

Lead the church in gossip. Nothing succeeds to split or destroy a church like gossip. So, pastor, if you really want to witness the “Big bang,” be sure that you and your wife lead this little group of terrorists.

Don’t seek to resolve problems with members immediately. Let it fester first. By the time you get to the fire, it will have spread throughout the church and you won’t have a clue which way to aim the hose.

Don’t develop ministries or train people how to do the work of the ministry. One reason people leave churches is they feel unimportant to the body. So, don’t seek for ways to start new ministries or involve others in the work of the church. Nothing works better than feeling unneeded or unimportant to the church.

Preach sound doctrine, but don’t make it relevant to them or life’s problems. When preaching doctrine, don’t include answers to questions like; “Why does this matter, or how does this apply to my daily life?” Go down deep, stay down long and come up dry.

Don’t listen to or seek advice of church members. What do they know? Ignore all complaints or suggestions. Remember, the mouth cannot say to the ear, “I need you.”  or, something like that.

Although volumes could be written on this subject; if you follow these rules, I am sure you will have a very successful church split in time. Don’t be discouraged; just keep working on the above and it will happen.

FUNDAMENTALISM AND THE FUNDAMENTALS

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FUNDAMENTALS AND FUNDAMENTALISM

bible lightBy Ken Blue

There is a vast difference today between fundamentalism and the fundamentals of the faith. Every believer should understand what the fundamentals of Christianity are and adhere to them. The two words have been so misused, and abused by others, that they believe embracing the one is the same as embracing the other. That is, unless you embrace fundamentalism, you do not embrace the fundamentals; and if you believe the fundamentals you will agree with the fundamentalist. The sooner one realizes that the two are not the same, the better things will be.

Fundamentalism, in many cases, is not a good thing. The Muslim terrorists are fundamentalist, and most Muslims would condemn them if they didn’t fear for their life. Some sects of the Mormon Church are fundamentalist and practice polygamy. The word, fundamentalism, has fallen into ill repute in recent years because of its fanaticism and abuse by many.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Don’t allow control-freaks to abuse or confuse Fundamentalism and Christian fundamentals. The two are different.[/perfectpullquote]

Fundamentalism, in some circles, has degenerated to an attitude and appearance, instead of a body of sound doctrine. It has departed from its original intent and use. The proof of this statement is demonstrated by the reaction of those who will not allow you to differ or depart from the methods embraced and used by them. Even though you adhere to all the fundamentals of Christianity, if you embrace any methods not approved; you are no longer a fundamentalist. This shows their confusion concerning the two. They cannot make the distinction, or they fear to do so. Also, they want to control as many pastors as possible.

The fundamentals of aviation have never changed; the two are, thrust and lift. It is a long way from the Wright Brothers to the Boeing Dreamliner, but the principles are the same. If given a choice, between the two, the reader will choose to ride the Dreamliner every time.

The pastor must never abandon the fundamentals of Christianity. He should be clear of what they are. But he must also never fear to improve or change ministry methods when needed. You are no less spiritual or less fundamental by having air-conditioning, padded pews, modern sound system, background music, flushing toilets, drums, choir robes, guitars, overhead screen, podcast, bookstore, a kitchen, or a nursery. It is not a sign of spirituality if you reject any or all of these, it’s a sign of stupidity.

Fundamentalism and Christian fundamentals are two different things. So, don’t allow control-freaks to abuse or confuse the two in order to intimidate or control you. Do you really know who you are? (For real insight on this issue, see my book; Standards and The Standard).

PASTOR OR PUPPET

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ARE YOU A PASTOR OR A PUPPET?

puppet on stringBy Ken Blue

“…A bishop then must be blameless One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)” 1 Timothy 3:2-5.

The Pastor must learn to wear many hats. He may not be gifted in all aspects of the ministry, but he must know what is needed and be able to lead gifted men and women into those areas. His call is to vision, oversight, and leadership. Not only must he be able to feed the church of God, he must be able to lead it.

The shepherd leads and directs the flock. He chooses the field or grazing area for it. He corrects, and he seeks those who have gone astray. He must care for the young and the old. The health and safety of the flock rest on his shoulders. Regardless of the condition of the church; the Pastor will be held accountable.

The Pastor should decide who his deacons will be. He sets the teaching and sermon agenda for the year. He chooses who will fill the pulpit when needed. He must see that the music, the announcements, and bulletin information harmonize with the purpose of his sermons. He must raise the money for needed ministry projects, and he will be accountable for how it is dispersed. In other words, the Pastor must lead, feed, and guide the church.

This does not mean that the Pastor makes every decision or that he is lord over the church. It means that someone must take full responsibility for the local church, and God has appointed the Pastor to that position.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Pastor must lead, feed, and guide the church.[/perfectpullquote]

The puppet, on the other hand, is one who is incapable or unwilling to make those decisions. He has strings attached to him, and those pulling the strings make the decisions for him. He is their puppet.

These strings come in many forms. Many times they are attached to the wife, and she gets her wishes done through the Pastor. Others, who may hold the strings, are the deacons, the finance committee, the administrative director, or a few outspoken church members. The strings used by these unruly people come in the form of policies and procedures. Or, they may be a complaint or grievance about a ministry leader or worker, and they push you to deal with it. Their goal is to eliminate that ministry or person, and get your fingerprints on their murder weapon. Don’t fall for it!

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Be a loving, leading Pastor.[/perfectpullquote]

If you are weak, seeking to accommodate those who hold the strings, and assuming you will not be held accountable, you are dead wrong. Be a loving, leading Pastor. You cannot abdicate your duties or responsibilities. Reflect now. Are you the Pastor or the puppet?