Monthly Archives: April 2016

Is Eating Bacon a Sin?

Have you ever wondered why Christians don’t follow all of the Old Testament laws (see Lev5:5-6; 11:4,7; Deut22:11)? Maybe you’ve heard critics say we pick and choose which Bible verses to obey? If evangelicals claim all Scripture is the word of God, why do we eat bacon? In an effort to discredit Scripture, many detractors point out the “inconsistencies” of the Bible as they defend an issue Scripture forbids, usually homosexuality. As a pastor and student of theology, this is annoying because a basic theological study would resolve the issue.

I don’t expect non-believers to be experts in Christian theology, but if one uses theological arguments, they should at least understand it. So should we abstain from shrimp and repent or is there a reason we ignore some Old Testament laws?” Let’s take a look at some reasons why there may be some confusion surrounding Laws of Scripture.

Ceremonial Laws

The Old Testament thoroughly describes the various sacrifices offered in the tabernacle (and later temple) to atone for sin so that worshipers could approach a holy God. There was also an incredibly complex set of rules for ceremonial purity and cleanness. You could only approach God in worship if you ate certain foods and abstained from others, wore certain types of clothes, refrained from touching unclean objects, etc. God did this to demonstrate, unmistakably, that human beings are spiritually unclean and can’t go into God’s presence without purification.

Many Old Testament writers hinted that the sacrifices and the temple worship regulations pointed forward to something beyond them (cf. 1 Sam. 15:21–22; Pss. 50:12–15; 51:17; Hos. 6:6). When Christ appeared he declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and he ignored the Old Testament cleanliness laws in other ways, touching lepers and dead bodies.

When Jesus died the veil in the temple tore, representing that he had done away with the need for the entire sacrificial system, there was no longer a need for sacrifices or cleanliness laws because Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice and only he can cleanse humanity for good.

Moral Laws

Ceremony and cleansing were fulfilled by Jesus, but the laws concerning morality don’t deal with approaching God, they deal with his character, which does not change (integrity, love, and faithfulness). This means everything the Old Testament says about loving our neighbor, caring for the poor, generosity,sexuality, social relationships, and commitment to our family is still in force. The New Testament makes clear that moral laws remain intact, often times even quoting them (Romans 13:8). The New Covenant in Christ changed, as Tim Keller put it, “how we worship but not how we live”.The New Testament explains that sin remains, but the consequences have changed because of Jesus.

Wrap Up

Because of Jesus, ceremonial laws are no longer binding, but moral laws are clarified. The ceremonial laws could never remove sin, but Christ did. Accepting Jesus as the son of God who came to redeem mankind clarifies these positions while rejecting him just confuses the relationship between the two testaments of Scripture. This means we don’t have to worry about the cleanliness of food, but we do need to humbly submit to God’s character.

3 Essentials to ReachingOur City

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Heights Baptist Church has been going through a transformation in the last couple of years. As new people join this community, it changes. These changes bring about exciting new opportunities while at the same time they threaten some old traditions that have long been valued. This tension is beneficial, as we must always be looking for innovative ways to bring the gospel to Billings while still ministering to the faithful who have come, served, led, and worshiped for nearly forty years of ministry in the Heights.

As a pastor, I am consumed with ministering to my church while also leading her to reach our city. I love the city of Billings, and it hurts when I remember that most people who live here are lost. When Jesus gave the Great Commission he instructed his original disciples to begin in Jerusalem. Billings is our “Jerusalem.” This city is where we begin. The Heights should be the epicenter of a transformational ministry that began because we believe what the Bible says. We believe that Jesus died for all. Our ministry should be an authentic response to the gospel directed at a city that we love.

So how does this happen? What are some things you can do today to reach the lost in your city?

Love Jesus

Jesus is everything. I love the book of Hebrews because it constantly tells us how great he is. If we love him we will obey him. When we place anything as a priority over Christ it’s a form of idolatry. Too many Christians make worship a second thought, only fitting it in once everything else is accomplished. Some people even become overly occupied by Christian activity to take time for worship and glorify our Lord. Too often our prayers are filled with a checklist for him to accomplish in order to serve our interests. Our faith is wonderful because our God is wonderful. Our faith brings joy because Jesus provides it. You and I were created for him and by him, so we shouldn’t see him as simply another thing to add to our already busy schedule.

Love People

The idea that we should hunker down and separate ourselves from the lost is foolish. We cannot hide from sin because sin resides in all of us: “all we like sheep have gone astray.” This approach reminds me of the Pharisee in Luke 18. When we refuse even to talk to the lost, how will we lead them to Christ? People matter to God, and because of that, they should matter to us. Our actions, in this regard, demonstrate if we actually believe what Scripture says.We cannot be the big brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son, as he didn’t bring glory to the father any more than his brother. Jesus loves the world so much that he died for it, and then he commanded his church to reach it. Jesus did the work all we have to do is share the story and love people.

Love Your Church

I am not writing this because I am a pastor. I am writing this because Scripture expects it. I love the church not because it employs me, but because God brought me here at this place and at this time to minister to these people. As Jesus launched the church, Paul put its blueprints into words in his epistles. I expect you to love your church because Jesus loves the church. To love your church is to serve your church. To love your church is to partner with your church. To love your church is to give to your church. To love your church is to pray for your church. The One Another Commands make clear how a Christian is to approach fellow believers.

Creating division, gossip, grumbling, slander, and refusal to follow are all ways of demonstrating sinful disdain for the bride of Christ. Too often Christians come to a church with a fear of commitment. Every church isn’t for every Christian but every Christian should be a contributing member of a church. In order to reach our city for Christ, we must come together as a community centered around Jesus.

Wrap Up

It doesn’t make sense to me why some Christians give lip service to the idea of loving the lost. Far too many believers think it’s shallow to prepare for the “seekers” or whatever words we use to describe people who may be willing to turn to Jesus. Scripture is clear that the church is in the people-loving business. If we cannot love people (including those that are difficult) we are failing to obey Christ. As I mentioned above, Jesus himself said if we love him we will obey him. The Christian life can be explained by love. When we love Jesus, his bride, and the world, we are on the right track.

Disciples are the Focus

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Someone once said that the church is the only organization that exists for people who are not members. This is true. We exist not for ourselves, but for our Lord, and to bring people to Him. There are two disturbing trends in American Christianity. First, there is a real desire to be culturally relevant to the point of ignoring Biblical truth. Second, there is a desire to “circle the wagons” and make the church about ourselves, ignoring the lost of our community. Both are equally damaging and both accuse the other of being a bad church. To be honest, Christianity isn’t about being culturally relevant, but it isn’t about us either. The church was born to make disciples throughout the world. If that is not happening then a problem exists.

It takes intentional obedience to God’s word in order to be the church Jesus birthed. We cannot be satisfied with “doing” church, making fans, or performing. The church must intentionally pursue the gospel. We must see ourselves as the tool God is using to bring the lost to him. We must be reminded that even the most dislikable of people are loved by Jesus. We cannot allow ourselves to put worship on cruise control, because that is certain to end in disaster.

If we fail to be the church, we will only do church. We’re good at Sunday mornings. When we only see one another for two hours once a week it’s easy to smile, engage in small talk, and move on. The church isn’t about Sunday mornings; it’s about making disciples and the best time for that comes Monday-Saturday. Sunday morning is wonderful and corporate worship is essential, but it isn’t the end of worship. We are the bride of Christ, and brides have a 24/7 commitment.

If we fail to make disciples, we only make fans. Jesus is incredible and the church is beautiful, but evangelism isn’t about relevance. It’s about truth. We want to share who Jesus is and what he has done. Once a person recognizes this (by God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s work) they will obey. I hear all the time that the Holy Spirit saves, as though this is an acceptable excuse to sit on the sidelines and wait. One of the incredible blessings of God is that he uses us to work out his plan. He includes us in bringing people to faith and uses our testimonies as illustrations to demonstrate grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Making disciples is more than wearing a Tim Tebow jersey, praying in public, or inviting people to church. Making disciples is teaching the Lordship of Jesus and demonstrating obedience to him.

If we fail to be authentic, we are only performers. Christians can present themselves as though they have no problems. This is a lie. Christians struggle, sin, disappoint, fail, and need grace. But Sunday morning comes and they put on a smile as though they aren’t hurting. This isn’t authentic. I can be Christian and hurt. Being authentic takes effort, and if we aren’t, nobody grows or heals.

If we fail to be generous, we will consume everything. A major complaint people make is that people come into a church with a consumer mindset. Some people come with “what can you do for me?” before they say “how can I contribute?” Giving time, effort, experience, abilities, and finances out of generosity is a God-glorifying blessing. Taking anything available and asking for more is selfish. By default, we spend it all, and we tend to spend pretty much all of our resources on ourselves. Churches tend to fall into the trap of sustaining themselves through programs, maintaining their buildings and budgets, and begging for more volunteers and bigger offerings to keep the snowball rolling. Generosity requires purposeful sacrifice which God transforms into a beautiful blessing.

Our church is in jeopardy of existing for us rather than for them. We’re in jeopardy of loving the institution of the church more than the people of the church. And we’re always in jeopardy of becoming a well-liked brand rather than pointing the culture to Jesus Christ.

So what should we do? With prayer, focus, intention, and effort, we need to:

Check our hearts and our motives.

Remember the mission often.

Keep Jesus at the center.

Love people more than the organization.

Do it all as though it really matters.