Burns Church of Christ

Did you know the average person speaks about 6,500 words in a day? (Yes, men use fewer and women use more—but that’s not my point!) One recent paper says that college students talk more than anyone else, saying nearly 16,000 words per day!

If you take the more conservative number and multiply it across a person’s average lifespan, you get somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million words spoken! An average novel holds a measly .07 million words. By the end of your life, your daily speech accounts for the equivalent of writing 2,800 novels!

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that all those words aren’t getting published. James says the tongue is restless, a dangerous evil (James 2). It’s like a serpent, waiting to strike. Based on these numbers, it has plenty of opportunities.

We should remember that what comes out of the mouth reveals what is inside the heart (Matthew 15:11). What would the novels of our lives reveal? Books of gossip, slander, anger, complaining, and hate? Or are our words “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6) or are they just useless, idle chatter?

I’m not sure I’d like to see what the volumes of the words of my life would contain. I can’t do anything about the books I’ve already written, but I can improve the next chapter. Consider these words of Proverbs 10:8, “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.”

“Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)

Was Thursday, April 15th a taxing day for you? Millions of Americans dutifully filed through post offices and financial offices to complete at the last minute their obligation to Uncle Sam. I’m not sure that anybody would label April 15th as one of their favorite days of the year!

As frustrating as government waste, spending, and thus, taxation is to me, I have to remember that God has chosen to work through governments, and they “bear not the sword in vain!” (Romans 13:4). Christians are subjects of a different kingdom, citizens of heaven. What are we to do with this mess here on earth?

Christians should be good citizens. We should be good neighbors. We should be good employees and employers. We should stand for righteousness and cry out against injustice. We should give real help to the poor and hurting—dollars and sense. We should declare that there is good news in a “kingdom not of this world!”

At the same time, we remember Jesus’ words when we fill out our 1040s: give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, to God what is God’s. The second half of that phrase is vitally important: are we giving God his due? Uncle Sam will come find us if we shortchange him. God’s evaluation of our lives doesn’t come in the form of an audit with penalties. Do we worship him in spirit and truth? Do we serve him with enthusiasm? Do we build up his body, the church, at every opportunity? In the end, what we do for Caesar matters far less than what we do for God.

When Samuel was commissioned by God to anoint the next king of Israel in 1 Samuel 16, he went to the house of Jesse. When Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son Eliab, he thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before me!” (16:6), but God had a different idea. He told Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord does not see as man sees: man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

You know how the story ends—the runt of the litter, little David is selected to be the next king of Israel. By the power of God he is the conqueror of giants and kingdoms. Were it not for God’s heart-piercing gaze, Samuel would never have given him the time of day.

It’s easy to dismiss people as useless or worthless or less valuable—but this story serves as a cautionary tale. We can’t see inside the hearts of those around us. Only God can see the result of his plan.

Gideon was called as he was hiding in a winepress. Abraham was called in old age. David was anointed while the current king still sat on his throne. Jonah preached repentance after his time in the belly of a fish. I promise you that God can work in your life. Have you invited him in?

People raise all sorts of objections to Christianity. Some folks balk at their perception of its “intolerance” (although ours is a faith that invites all). Others are hesitant to accept a system that invites a stricter standard of conduct and action into their lives. Some people just have a hard time making commitments in general.

Frankly, these objections don’t matter. If Jesus rose from the dead, nothing else matters at all! If Jesus rose from the dead, he is every bit of who he says he is. He is Lord; he is the Messiah. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He’s the purchaser of grace, and he will be the judge of the world.

We need to latch on to this truth. The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. It reduces death to an empty threat. It provides eternal perspective to those who grieve. It shapes our ethics and our values. The cross becomes our identity, the empty tomb, our power.

I challenge you, this week, read the stories in the gospels of the resurrection of Jesus. Imagine what the disciples felt—fear, when Jesus was arrested; dread, when he was condemned; despair, when he gave up his spirit; and finally, uncontainable, uncontrollable, indescribable delight when they saw their Lord again. Let’s recapture their enthusiasm for our risen Lord!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Families aren’t built with Lego bricks or new sweaters. Most kisses do not begin (or end) with Kay Jewelers. A new Kia (that’s free if it snows) or Lexus with a ribbon is not a “life changer.”  Budweiser doesn’t make you happy, sexy, or smart. Moments that are truly priceless never show on the statement of your MasterCard.

Families are built with time, love, discipline, and commitment. You may express love with a gift this winter, but your daily actions convey the true feelings of your heart. Do you love your kids? Tell them every day! Do you appreciate your spouse? Make sure she knows in words and deeds, every day. Has a friend been there for you? Tell him what it meant to you. Are you grateful to God for the blessing of life? Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere!

Micah asked a great question that I’ll paraphrase: With what can I come before God? Can I thank him with 10,000 rivers of oil? Can I praise him with all of my possessions? Sure, but what God really wants is this: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with him. (See Micah 6:6-8)

What Christmas gift do you bring to the one who gave his Son for you? The only gift fitting is your heart and your life. That’s how you show what really matters, this time of the year, or any time of the year.

Confession is good for the soul, they say. If it’s so good, how come nobody does it?

I’ve heard a lot of confessions made at church over the years. Most of them go something like this: “I’ve not been the Christian I should be. I’ve struggled and let folks down. Please pray for me.” There’s nothing wrong with this confession, but it’s not really confessing much. There’s not a single Christian who couldn’t make that confession. None of us are always the Christians we should be. All of us struggle. Everyone fails somebody sometime—and we certainly all need prayer!

I suggest this week that you confess something—something real, something meaningful, to someone you know and love. I suggest you then confess to God.

In New York City a few years ago an art student created a project that sparked great public interest. It’s called Post Secret. People were given addressed post cards with a blank backside—and asked to share a secret that nobody else knew. The results have been incredible—so much that several books have now been published containing these revealed secrets. People have confessed almost everything: fears, dreams, hopes, abuses, crimes, and psychoses! People were thrilled at an opportunity to get something off their chests.

The thing that saddens me most about these books is that these confessions were made to no one. They were made to an uncaring public, to a book publisher. There is no support for the individual.  There is no relationship. There is no forgiveness.

That’s not how Christian confession works; it is an immensely personal experience. It is humbling and pride-crushing. It is a key element to salvation and it is necessary for Christian fellowship. See what passages like  Romans 10:9-10 and 1 John 1:9-10 can do, lived in your life this week.

Sometimes at church we throw around words that mean a lot to us—but they may not mean much to you. This month, I’d like to share a glossary of church words and terms to help you better understand what we say and do.

• Church: noun. An assembly of Christians. Never used to describe a building, a location, or a set of beliefs; always used to describe the people. We want to be the church (the assembly) of Christ! (See Matthew 16:18, 18:17, Acts 11:22, Ephesians 5:23, et al)
• Bible: noun. The authoritative, inspired holy book for Christians. Its name means book – and it is a book of books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. It rests on the greatest evidence of any book of antiquity, and is the only book that is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12) See also 2 Timothy 3:16.
• Worship: verb. To offer praise and demonstrate admiration for God. Comes from an ancient phrase meaning either to serve or to blow kisses. Worship is an act of love and humility that must be offered from a sincere heart in a way that honors the will of the worshipped one. Worship should belong to God alone. It can be done informally through action in our lives and formally as we pray, sing, give, study scripture, evangelize, encourage one another, or partake of the Lord’s Supper. Worship s a dominant activity of Heaven. See John 4:24, Mark 7:7, and Colossians 2:18.
• Baptize: verb. To immerse. In the Bible the term always refers to a complete envelopment, a burial. It is the transformational process in which a believer signifies a “death” to his old way of life and experiences forgiveness of sins and receives the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ promised comforter (Acts 2:38). It is undertaken by those who are willing to live in the grace of Jesus—those old enough to believe, repent, and confess. It is the process by which man comes into contact with the blood of Jesus, and thus—it saves us through him. See 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 8, and Romans 6:1-12.
• Hope: noun. Eager anticipation; desire and expectation. Hope is not wishy-washy; it is a solid anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19). Christians have hope because we look forward to the return of Jesus, and we are certain that it will happen. Hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).
• Burns Church of Christ: You won’t find this exact phrase in your Bible, but we believe that you will find it described. It is an assembly of Christians who gather regularly to worship God and encourage each other. They trust the Bible as our sure guide to understanding Jesus and his desire for us. We are not perfect—anything but—but we are made right with God though the blood of Jesus—and that gives us hope. Join us this Sunday and find out more!

Lacrimation is science’s fancy word for crying. Did you know that almost all mammals shed tears, but humans are the only creatures on this earth that shed tears because of emotion? Our culture tells us that “big girls don’t cry” and that crying is for sissies, not men, but that’s not what Scripture teaches.

Science says that the shedding of tears is beneficial. Doctors say that tears are cleansing—providing an exit for your body’s toxins. Ophthalmologists know that tears cleanse and lubricate your eyes. Psychologists say that a “good cry” is a psychological release, a catharsis that helps you deal with your emotions. It makes me wonder why we avoid it so much!

John tells the story of Jesus raising his beloved friend Lazarus from the dead. His family is very upset by his death, and people say all sorts of things to Jesus: “If you had been here, this wouldn’t have happened!” In the midst of all of the turmoil and pain of loss, we find the Bible’s shortest verse: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). The Bible goes further to say that he was troubled or grieved in his spirit.

Many things may have triggered Jesus’ tears that day: seeing his friends and family hurt, witnessing disbelief, or just understanding the consequences of sin in a fallen world. Regardless of the reason, our savior was human enough to cry. He had a heart vulnerable enough to feel pain, and he wasn’t afraid to show it.

We need to be more like our Savior. We must be willing to put down our armor when we love and be willing to have our hearts broken. C. S. Lewis once compared the human heart to concrete: it isn’t soft and pliable very often, and once it sets, it is nearly impossible to form again. May we work to keep our hearts tender!

This probably isn’t what you expected your bulletin article to say this morning, is it? Did you know that if you can understand your family on the phone, then you are neither tone deaf nor incapable of rhythm, either? It’s true; on the phone, besides caller ID, the only cues you have as to someone’s identity are tone and cadence. In other words—tone (pitch) and rhythm (speed).

Even if you are one of the less than four percent globally who are afflicted by amusia (tone deafness) – you can still worship God in song! “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”(Psalm 1001-2)

Music affects us. It soothes the savage beast. Psychologists have repeatedly documented its power to change our moods. Violent music (in terms of both lyrics and style) markedly increase aggressive thoughts and feelings. David’s harp and song were the only respite King Saul could find when afflicted with a harmful spirit (1 Samuel 16:23). It’s no wonder that James said, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise!” (James 5:13).

Good songs provide a sort of spiritual fuel for us. They bury themselves in our psyche. The easiest way to memorize is with a song. Did you ever notice that the longest chapter of the Bible is in the book of Psalms?

Let me challenge you this week to fill your hearts and minds with spiritual songs—and see their wisdom doesn’t overflow into your life.

Money doesn’t buy happiness. It’s true-even when you’re talking about lots of money! Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon-turned-philanthropist is certainly qualified to talk about money and happiness: his net worth was a massive $309.2 billion (with a b!) dollars, adjusted for inflation. To put that in perspective, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet each have a paltry $40 billion in assets today.

Here’s what Carnegie had to say about money: “Millionaires who laugh are rare. My experience is that wealth is apt to take the smiles away.”

Someone whose name has been lost in time captured the essence of his thought more clearly: “Money will buy a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.”

God’s love is even more satisfying. The Hebrew author wrote, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he [God] has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6 ESV)

I pray that our nation, our churches, and our families will turn from seeking joy in things to seeking the face of God-and finding unending and incomparable joy! I pray that we will learn to “owe no man anything-BUT to love one another” (Rom. 13:8). I pray that we will look for joy in the arms of Jesus. It is he who became poor for our sake – and gave us the greatest riches ever known!