"Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6:18 ESV)

It's really hard speaking or talking about prayer these days because so much has been said about it in Christian circles. It's like, "What more is there to say?" Just go to the Christian bookstore and look at the plethora of books that have been written on the subject of prayer. I am so thankful for many of those books, however, one of the things I get most concerned about in my life and the lives of others is, "Ok, we are affirming prayer and thinking about prayer but are we really doing it? Are we doing prayer like we are reading and hearing about prayer?" 

One of the things that bothers me most in my life is the gap between my head knowledge and what I am actually doing with that knowledge. As a pastor I know a lot "about" prayer. I read about prayer, I speak about prayer, I tell people I will pray for them, and  I encourage others to pray. However, I am very aware that all of that means nothing if I am not actually doing it! Ephesians 6:18 introduces the general character of a believer's prayer life. "Praying at all times" focuses on the frequency of prayer. "In the Spirit" focuses on the submission of prayer, as we line up with the will of God. "All prayer and supplication" focuses on the variety of prayer. "Keep alert" focuses on the manner of prayer. "All perseverance" focuses on the persistence of prayer. "All saints" focuses the objects of prayer. I get that. I know that. I affirm that. But does this describe the character of my life and the life of our church? As the old saying goes, "The family that prays together, stays together." But what if our churches, our marriages, our very lives are not "staying together" because we are not staying on our knees and praying like this passage describes? On the flip side of that, what would our lives look like if we were doing what this verse describes? How would that change the way we view things and view people? How would that change us?

I have prayed long enough to know that a powerful prayer life flows out of a purposeful relationship with Jesus Christ. If I am not taking up the sword of the Spirit then chances are, I am not taking up the weapon of prayer either. I also know that I haven't truly read God's Word until I pray God's will. I need to pray his thoughts, his truth, and his will into my life, into my church, my marriage, and into others. I need to pray at all times not just when I am in a Sunday morning service. I need to keep praying and not give up. I need to not just pray for my needs but the pray for the needs of others. It's my choice. The reason why many people aren't praying like they should is because they choose not to. The reason why many churches decide not to devote much time and effort to prayer is because they choose something else over prayer. However, if I want things to change in me and in others then I need to make a choice to pray "at all times in the Spirt," not just when it is convenient.

I am convinced that the difference in a powerful prayer life for most people is about eighteen inches. The average distance between someone's head and heart is about eighteen inches and the average distance between someone's knees and the floor is about the same. We will see God's power when we start spending time with God's person: JESUS. When we stop just talking about prayer with Jesus and we really do it with him, then we will see the power of God.

One of the pillars at Rocky Point Baptist Church is: Believing Firmly in the Power of Prayer. True believing equals doing. If you really believe in something then it will effect your behavior. So let's not be satisfied with just talking about prayer and let's actually do it! Don't just affirm these words, go and do what you affirm. Go and pray right now! 

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth." (John 4:24 ESV) 

How does your church worship God? Think about that question for a moment. Most of us would immediately reply, "Well, we are traditional" or "We are contemporary" or "We are blended." However, that is not the answer I was looking for or God is looking for. All of those answers describe "forms" of corporate worship or "styles" or "elements" but that does not describe how a church or a Christian is supposed to worship the Lord.

In this passage we find the answer. Jesus just finished saying in verse 23 that the true worshipers of God won't be defined by externals-- they won't be determined by the style of their building, their great location, or any other external man-made thing, such as "style". They won't be determined by whether they have a choir or a band. They won't be determined by hymn books or powerpoint screens. They won't be determined by choir robes or blue jeans. They won't be determined by "Baptist" or "Methodist." No, Jesus' point is clear: True worshipers are all those everywhere who worship God through the Son, from the heart. Then He says "God is spirit." God is invisible and reveals himself through the Scripture and the Incarnation of Jesus. He doesn't reveal himself through man-made music, methods or means. Jesus tells us who God is and then tells us what true worshipers of God look like. He says in verse 24 that true worshipers "must worship this way." Jesus is not talking about a desired element of worship or a form of worship. He's not talking about with instruments or without instruments, with a praise team or without a praise team. Jesus is talking about something that is absolutely necessary. It is necessary for true worship to take place in a believer, in a home, or in a church this way: "those who worship God must worship him in spirit and truth." Jesus' point here is that a person must not worship by external conformity to religious rituals and places (outwardly) but inwardly ("in spirit") with the proper heart attitude. The reference to "truth" refers to worship of God consistent with the revealed Scripture and centered on the "Word made flesh" who ultimately reveals His Father (John 14:6) .

So here at our church we tend not to get hung up on worship styles or externals as long as one main thing is taking place among God's people: "in spirit and truth." Let's be honest, there are some hymns that gravitate away from the truth and there are some contemporary songs that do the same.  However, if the songs lift up high the name of Jesus and uphold the truths of scripture then we should be able to put the "style" stuff on the back burner. I am a firm believer in "contextualization" but worship should be real not "relevant" and I have a major problem with any song or style that doesn't point to Christ. The real issue is our hearts. What matters most to God and should matter most to us is this: Am I worshiping God in spirit and truth? Can I worship God even if the "style" isn't set up to my man-made standards or the ways I have always been used to? God is seeking true worshipers who are not all hung up on personal external preferences or methods. God is looking for people who worship him "in spirit" (with all of their hearts) and "in truth" (the bible forming my thought and practice).

The display our attitude in corporate worship is an indicator of our heart in private worship. If you come to church and don't sing to the Lord because you don't like the style, even though it's lifting up Jesus, or because you have to read the lyrics from a screen, or you don't sing because there is a band...then your focus is all wrong. However, if you come to church and the reason you do sing is because they play your favorite songs, or they have your favorite hymn book, or your favorite contemporary artist's lyrics on the screen...well then your focus is all wrong too. If you have no problem singing a song that doesn't even mention the name of God then that is not truth. If you like the type of song that makes much of us, "Oh how he loves ME!" then that's not worshiping him in truth either. Let's be sure about this, it's not just "in spirit" or just "in truth," but it's both. True worshipers worship how? Right, in spirit and truth. It's been my experience the older generation gravitates towards the truth part more and the younger generation towards the spirit part more. However, if you are not doing both, then you are not truly worshiping. If you are doing both then that's all that really matters to God. Make sure you worship God in spirit and truth, not just where and how the external elements dictate and not just based upon your personal likes and dislikes. Worship by lifting high the name of Jesus, no matter what.

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching." (2 Tim. 4:2 ESV)

The first pillar we will look at is this: Proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology. This has been the foundation of my preaching ministry and it is the foundation of our church.

Let's take a poll by hand vote: Is preaching popular today? Yes or No? Raise your hand if you think" "Yes." See, I don't think too many would raise their hands today on that one. Preaching is just not popular today. If preaching were popular more people would be doing it, right? In our country, fifty to one hundred years ago, preaching was very popular. The list could go on and on with names of spiritual giants who preached faithfully during that era. One comes to mind, an evangelist by the name of Billy Graham. People would flock from all over to hear him preach. I think It would have been awesome to live in that era. But I have to admit, that was when preaching was easier. I am not saying it was easier for the preacher, as if they didn't do their job. In that era preaching was widely accepted. Let me say it the way Paul did, it was "in season." Not so today. Today we live in this post-modern era and preaching is "out of season." We live in a day and time in which in many so called "Christian" churches preaching has been replaced with pep talks, sociological speak, entertainment, pragmatic philosophy, prosperity teaching, liberal theology...and the list could go on and on. If want to fill your church with a bunch of tares that is the way to go about, don't preach the authority of God's Word. Sadly, people tend to flock to that type of thing in droves. Why? Paul says to Timothy, "Having itching ears they accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" (2 Tim. 4:3).

No, the real authoritative preaching of God's Word is not widely accpeted today, not by a long shot. However, I am so thankful we are not called to preach only when it's popular. I'm thankful for these challenging days. Sure, it's out of season right now but we are to preach the Word of God without apology anyway. We are to be the faithful generation who proclaimed the truth no matter what. That's why Paul says to keep reproving, keep rebuking, and keep exhorting with complete patience. "It's going to be tough and people are going to turn away from sound doctrine Timothy, but you keep doing your job: Preach the Word!"

This passage explains how the preaching is to take place. All proclamation is to be sound in doctrine, not light and fluffy or watered down for the masses. It is to challenge and correct, as well as encourage. It's not some "hell fire and brimstone" thing where you yell at the top of your lungs for thirty minutes. Yet, it's not wimpy in presentation but proclaimed with authority, and the authority comes not from the preacher but the Word of God, Jesus himself.

At our church, we believe that preaching is the primary way God builds up his church and we believe in the bold proclamation of God's Word verse by verse for life application. We don't believe in watering down the message and we don't' believe in preaching ourselves. I have been in plenty of churches where the preacher gets up to the pulpit, reads a Scripture, then sets down the Bible and tells funny stories and talks about himself the next twenty minutes. We are not afraid to tell people: "You won't find that here." See, I believe you can grow a church with the bold proclamation of God's truth. I believe God says to that type of commitment, "Hey, you know what? They are fired up about my Word in that church. Let's get some more people over there." It may not happen as fast as we want because it's out of season. We might not be growing like the church down the street that is tickling ears, but God will honor his Word, even in the driest of seasons. Make no mistake though, God will bring forth real increase through biblical, sound preaching. If we don't have the preaching ministry that Jesus had (John 6:66) and everybody likes what we have said, then we're not preaching the way Jesus preached. Jesus never apologized for proclaiming hard truth and neither should we. 

So let me ask you a question: Do you believe in the proclamation of God's Word without apology? Are you grounded in the bold proclamation of God's truth or do you go from church to church looking for a style of preaching that tickles your ears? Do you share God's word with those around you who need it most? Or do you shy away from sharing God's Word because you fear they won't accept it or accept you? Listen carefully: You can choose to build your life on the words of God spoken with authority...it's your choice. One will lead to life and the other will lead to death. One will lead to real and lasting change and the other will lead to the superficial and shallow. Choose to make this the number one pillar of your life. As for me and my house...me and my church...well I think you know the answer.

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan

"If the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) 

In Psalm 11 we see the back and forths of David and his well meaning counselors around the king. The whole Psalm is a back and forth of David's peace and their panic. David says in verse 1 that he will "take refuge in the Lord", showing that he will trust in the Lord even though everything looks like it is crumbling around him. In verse 3 his counselors respond, "Yeah but if the foundations that we have built everything on are destroyed, then what?" David's response to them is basically: "Get your eyes on the God of heaven who is on His throne and has everything under His control! Nothing escapes his notice and he will make all things right...he will write every wrong! God loves righteousness and spiritual integrity and that foundation can never be destroyed." In other words, what is happening in the world, in my community, or in my church that is anti-God does not have to shake us or bring us down, as long as we look to the Lord and live in his righteousness.

Today, especially in the American church, it appears that the foundations are crumbling. Churches across the country have caved on convictions, compromised on truth, and conformed to worldliness. Many churches have turned away from the pillar of Truth, the Bible, and have convinced themselves that preaching needs replacement with cute little pep-talks and various forms of entertainment to attract people. As a result you have many denominations, pastors, and churches building on a foundation other than the solid rock of Christ. The Corinthian church model is running rampant and it seems like verse 3 is already taking place.

So what should be our response? Should we panic as the counselors of David did and turn to ourselves or deliverance by man-made models and methods? Or should we hold to God-focused and God-centered pillars, foundational principles and truths that are unshakeable? 

Over the next few weeks we will be discovering five pillars that serve as solid foundations that our church has been rebuilt upon. For now, let me ask you this question, not out of a sense of panic but out of a sense of purpose: What are you building your life on? What are the foundational principles of your Christian life that you are building your marriage on, your family on, and yourself on? What are the pillars, the core beliefs, the righteousness that your life is built upon? What are you doing to strengthen those foundations? Is it possible that what you've been building your life on IS crumbling and coming down, brick by brick? Maybe you've built your life on temporal things but not eternal things. Maybe you have bought into worldly attitudes and practices that you know are bringing your spouse, family, and church down little by little? Why wait until the whole thing is destroyed? Why not call upon the Lord right now and start building your life on the solid rock of God's Word and Christ? 

Here's one pillar you can build your life on right now:  I will live for Christ and His Word without apology, without compromise, and without wavering. Put your faith in that, in Christ and the solid truths of his Word and I promise, no God promises, if you build your life on that, even when things began to fall around you, you will stand strong! See you next week.

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan

"Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24) 

The last tool in the toolbox of the Christian life that God uses to keep us focused on Him and his kingdom is: Working for Christ. What we have in mind is serving Christ weekly through the context of a local church. There is no greater reward than working hard for Christ...period. When a person serves the Lord on a regular basis and works "heartily" at it, God will use it to grow the worker, strengthen the church, and advance the gospel. We could pour over countless Scriptures that talk about serving the Lord and how in the early church this was not some optional thing. It was not something that those early believers had to think about and pray hard over. Working for Christ was the overflowing response in their hearts of a life lived in God. It was not something they did out of a debtor's ethic or because they felt "guilty" if they didn't serve. It was not some half-hearted commitment that they did only if it didn't interfere with their busy schedule. It was something they wanted to do because they knew there was no greater reward than working in the kingdom of God and seeing lives changed through Christ.

As a pastor I have heard just about every excuse for not working for Christ in a local church. Here are some of the ones I have heard frequently: " I just don't have the time'" or "I don't think God can use me" or "I can't be there every Sunday" or "I just have too much on my plate right now." Sadly most of these excuses are just that--excuses. Most often the people who use these excuses have misplaced priorities. Life is all about choices. In Christ you have the power to choose to serve the Lord if you want to. It all starts with putting Jesus first. On the other end of the spectrum we sadly have people who serve for all the wrong reasons. You will hear things like: "I feel guilty because no one else is stepping up" or "It's my duty" or "I want things done right so I will just do it" or "I'll do it for the kids or I'll do it for so and so." These reasons for serving can be just as bad as the excuses people give for not serving. People like this have the wrong motivation. They are not serving out of a devoted love to the Lord but a devoted duty to religion. They usually are the people who serve for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitudes, and the wrong giftedness. They usually zap all the joy out of a particular ministry because they are not delighting in the Lord or his work. They serve people or an institution, but not the Lord.

So what's the solution? We need quality people in the church not just quantity people. We need people who are not half-hearted in their commitment to the Lord and we need people who are working for Christ not just for people. As leaders, we don't need to elevate people to a position or place of service until they learn how to worship Christ and walk with Christ. At the same time, we need to make sure we have a biblical process in place that disciples, trains, and equips people ready to do the work of the ministry. A process that helps them to align their priorities to that of the church. In our church this process starts with our new members class called "Peak Performance." It is a required class for all new and prospective members. It shows them the priorities of our church, what is expected of them, and what they can expect of us. It helps them align themselves to the mission of advancing the gospel. At our church we will not accept a member who has not agreed to the basics of weekly worship, small group attendance, and working for Christ.

I think if we hold up the standard that we see in the New Testament and show people how they can meet that standard through a vital and fruitful relationship with Jesus then they will strive to meet that standard and "work heartily" for the Lord. They will see that there is great reward in not just attending a church but serving the Lord through the church.

In our church this commitment of service looks like this: I commit to work hard for Christ in a specific area of ministry without complacency. It is my prayer that you will make that foundational commitment today and spend yourself in service for the Lord Jesus Christ knowing that from him you will receive a great reward.

For the Fame of His Name,

Pastor Ryan